tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75849324903627837732024-03-12T19:08:33.238-07:00Store and Business OnlineUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-31699643126969806202013-03-18T08:38:00.000-07:002013-03-18T08:39:11.014-07:00Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player (Electronics) tagged "samsung" 143 times <div>Experience the blu-ray difference with the SAMSUNG BD-P1500. TheBD-P1500 lets you have it all - watch your favorite DVDs and blu-ray discs or listen to CDs with the highest-quality audio.<p><img align="right" alt="Samsung BD-P1500 with Dimensions" hspace="10" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/cat-500/samsung/detail-pages/bd-p1500-size.jpg" class="c29" vspace="10"/>Full 1080p resolution gives you the most outstanding HD image quality.Enjoy a richer, bolder color palette via extended gamut YCC technology. HDMI 1.3 transmission bandwidth capabilities ensure the strongest signal fidelity, while the Ethernet connection lets you easily check for the latest firmware upgrades online. Control all your Samsung AV devices from one remote, via Anynet+ technology. And advanced audio compatibility, including DD+, and True-HD, offers premium sound, for the greatest HD experience.</p><p><strong>CD & DVD Compatible<br/></strong>This blu-ray disc player offers state-of-the-art viewing with CD and DVD playback compatibility. Even as you take advantage of the latest video and audio advances, you can still enjoy all your existing media content.</p><p><strong>Built-in Ethernet Connection<br/></strong>BD profile 1.1 interactivity lets you download the latest firmware upgrades and more with just a click of a button. Making firmware upgrades simple and easy, you can continually upgrade the BD-P1500 with the latest features.</p><p><strong>Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby True HD<br/></strong>Immerse yourself in amazing sound. The BD-P1500 supports the new Dolby Digital Plus Audio format. It also supports uncompressed PCM Audio and Legacy dts 5.1 Dolby Digital. Dolby® Dolby TrueHD delivers powerful sound that is bit-for-bit identical to the studio master, unlocking the true high-definition entertainment experience.</p><p><strong>1080p Resolution<br/></strong>Enjoy lifelike, vivid visuals and crystal-clear details with full high definition 1080p resolution.</p><p><strong>Easily Connect Your Digital Devices<br/></strong>Tired of tangled wires? HDMI keeps it simple by using a single cable wire to deliver the sharpest, richest images possible. Conveniently and easily transfer high-definition video and audio from your DVD player to your HDTV and other digital devices using a single cable. HDMI version 1.3 transfers deeper color and higher resolution, and handles new, compressed audio formats.</p><p><strong>Control it All with One Remote<br/></strong>You're in full command with the BD-P1500. Anynet+ delivers streamlined, one-touch control over all your Anynet+ compatible devices such as the TV, AV receiver, and home theater. You can operate all of them with a single remote control. A true “plug and play” product, it comes with a Consumer Electronics Control feature that lets you operate SAMSUNG HDMI products with one remote control.</p><h2>Technical Specifications</h2><span class="c30"><br/></span><table class="specification_table"><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2" class="c31"><span class="c30">Compatibility</span><br/></td><td class="c31">Playback Media<br/></td><td class="c31">BD-ROM / DVD-ROM / DVD-R / DVD-RW / AVCHD / audio CD</td></tr><tr><td class="c31">Playback Formats<br/></td><td class="c31">VC-1 / MPEG2 / H.264</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="6" class="c31"><span class="c30"> A/V Quality</span></td><td class="c31">DVD Upconversion</td><td class="c31">Yes<br/></td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> Dolby Dital Decoder</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> DTS Decoder</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> Dolby Digital Plus Decoder</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> DTS HD Decoder</td><td>No</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> Dolby True HD Decoder</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="4" class="c31"> Functional Feature</td><td class="c31">Local Storage<br/></td><td class="c31">Yes<br/></td></tr><tr><td class="c31">Picture in Picture<br/></td><td class="c31">Yes<br/></td></tr><tr><td class="c31"><br/></td><td class="c31"><br/></td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> BD Profile</td><td>profile 1.1</td></tr><tr><th rowspan="10" scope="row" class="c32"> Connectivity</th><td class="row2"> USB 2.0</td><td>Yes (for SW upgrade and memory expansion)</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> HDMI CEC</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> Composite Video Outputs</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> Component Video Outputs</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> S-Video Outputs</td><td>No</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> HDMI Outputs(Version)</td><td>Yes (1.3)</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> Optical Digital Audio Outputs</td><td>Yes</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> Coaxial Digital Audio Outputs</td><td>No</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> Analog Audio Outputs</td><td>2-Channel</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> Network</td><td>Yes (for SW upgrade only)</td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2" scope="row" class="c32"> Product Weights & Dimensions</th><td class="row2"> Dimension</td><td>16.9 inches x 3.3 inches x 10.8 inches</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> Weight</td><td>8.6 lbs.</td></tr><tr><th rowspan="2" scope="row" class="c32"> Shipment Weights & Dimensions</th><td class="row2"> Dimension</td><td>20.6 inches x 7.1 inches x 15.0 inches</td></tr><tr><td class="row2"> Weight</td><td>12.6 lbs.</td></tr></tbody></table><h2>Answers to Basic Questions About Blu-ray</h2><span class="c30"><br/>What is Blu-ray?</span><br/>Blu-ray is a new optical disc format with over five and a half times the storage capacity of a standard DVD (25 GB versus 4.5 GB). A dual-layer Blu-ray disc can hold up to 50 GB of information. With that increased storage, movie studios can finally provide movies on disc in high definition, offering 6x the resolution or image detail of DVD and up to 8 channels of lossless (better than CD quality) digital sound. The new format can also provide interactive features that go well above anything ever offered before.<p><span class="c30">Is Blu-ray different than HDTV?</span><br/>HDTV, or high definition television, is a new broadcasting format that offers widescreen, high resolution images offering 6x the resolution or image detail of DVD, with up to 5.1 channels of digital audio. Until now, the signals were only available through over the air transmissions (via an antenna), or through digital cable and satellite signals. You can not get HD signals from a standard video tape or DVD. An HDTV is a high resolution video display that is capable of receiving and displaying these HDTV broadcasts or images. Blu-ray is a complement to your HDTV. It's a disc media format that has enough storage to include an entire movie, plus soundtracks and bonus materials, recorded in the high definition format. You can play Blu-ray discs back on your HDTV and see the same, if not better image and sound quality as you do from HDTV broadcasts.<br/><span class="c30"><br/>What kind of TV do I need to enjoy Blu-ray?</span><br/>You can play back Blu-ray movies on any TV with composite video or better inputs (not RF), but to get a worthwhile benefit from the format over DVD you'll want to have a high-definition television, or HDTV, with a vertical resolution higher than 480p, and preferably higher than 720p. Most Blu-ray titles can deliver an image with a vertical resolution of 1080i or 1080p. The more horizontal resolution the TV can reproduce, up to 1920 lines or pixels, the better.</p><p><span class="c30">How are Blu-ray discs different than regular DVDs?</span><br/>Blu-ray discs are the same size as DVD or CD, but use a blue* laser to store and read data as opposed to the red laser used in DVDs and CDs. The blue laser's shorter wavelength, combined with a smaller aperture lens and a thinner cover layer on the disc makes it possible to create a smaller beam spot size capable of storing and reading much more, smaller information on the disc. A single-layer Blu-ray disc can hold 25 GB worth of data, compared to 4.5 on a standard DVD. A dual layer BD disc holds up to 50 GB. This translates into the ability to store a full 1080p HD image. This has a resolution consisting of 1920 by 1080 progressively scanned pixels, compared to standard DVD's 720 by 480 pixels. In addition, Blu-ray has much wider bandwidth than DVD, delivering signals at speeds up to 48 Mbps, six times faster than DVD's 8 Mbps, and nearly 2.5 times the data of an HDTV broadcast's 19.2 Mbps. *technically, it's violet, but who's keeping track?</p><p><span class="c30">Will Blu-ray discs play in my current DVD player?</span><br/>No. You will need a Blu-ray player to be able to read the smaller, denser information found on a Blu-ray disc.</p><p><span class="c30">Will I be able to play standar DVDs on my Samsung Blu-ray player?</span><br/>Yes. Blu-ray players are backwards compatible with your standard DVDs. They can also play CDs.</p><p><span class="c30">Is Blu-ray the same as HD DVD?</span><br/>No. HD DVD was a competing format with less storage capacity than Blu-ray. With Toshiba, its primary champion announcing on February 19, 2008 that they would end production of HD DVD products, the few companies that were supporting the format announced that they would instead create products for the Blu-ray format.</p><p><span class="c30">What does up-conversion mean?</span><br/>Consumers have over 50 years worth of material in standard definition formats. Up-conversion is the process of taking that existing, standard definition material and converting it (lines and pixels are copied to some degree) to the higher resolution needed to display those signals on an HDTV. When done well, the process can often improve picture quality, though it can't increase actual resolution. The quality of the up-converter, included in everything from up-converting standard DVD players to Blu-ray players and HDTVs, can often determine the quality of the picture.</p><p><span class="c30">What kind of cables, connections do I need to have to make Blu-ray work?</span><br/>You will need either a 3-wire analog component (typically labeled Y, Pr and Pb) or an HDMI digital video connection between the BD player and the TV. The HDMI connection is preferable. Not only will it provide better image quality, but it will pass along higher resolution audio and control information, as well. You may get limited up-conversion options with standard DVDs when using the component connection.</p><p><span class="c30">What is firmware and do I need it?</span><br/>Firmware is like computer software, or the instruction set in the player that tells the hardware what to do under various conditions. Insert a disc, and the firmware tells the player to read the disc. Press the Play button and the firmware tells the player to play the movie. Generally speaking, the firmware is invisible to the end user. But Blu-ray keeps evolving, and new features keep being created. With each new feature that a movie studio comes up with, hardware manufacturers have to release new instruction sets, or firmware, to deal with it. Samsung's ability to easily update the firmware in their BD players makes them one of the best in the business.</p><p> <span class="c30">Who supports Blu-ray?</span><br/>At this point, nearly everyone supports Blu-ray. All the major movie studios have announced that they would support Blu-ray with both new and catalog titles. Thousands of movies and music videos are already available. Most major electronics manufacturers have been supporting Blu-ray since the format's beginning.</p><p><span class="c30">Can I rent movies on Blu-ray?</span><br class="c33"/>Yes. Blockbuster, Hollywood Video and Netflix, among other places, offer Blu-ray titles for rent. </p><p><span class="c30">Are my regular DVDs obsolete?</span><br class="c33"/>Not by the definition Merriam Webster would use. You can still play your regular DVDs on your Blu-ray disc player, so they're still useful, but you'll want to replace them with Blu-ray versions as they become available in the new format so that you can enjoy the improved image and sound quality. </p><p><span class="c30">Is the only benefit to Blu-ray the video quality? Why should I upgrade to Blu-ray?</span><br class="c33"/>You will probably upgrade because of the video quality, but you may also appreciate the improved sound quality available on some players as well as the advanced interactive features. Blu-ray offers the latest generation audio codecs that can play back up to 8 channels of surround sound with improved audio quality over that of standard 5.1 digital soundtracks. This includes Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS High Resolution and DTS Master Audio. Blu-ray also offers advanced bonus features that can include interactive game features or picture-in-picture commentary tracks, not to mention additional features that could be downloaded after the disc has been produced. </p><p><span class="c30">Do I need to buy a new home theater system?</span><br class="c33"/>You don't need a new audio system, but you should at least have a surround system (five speakers and ideally a subwoofer) with Dolby Digital or DTS audio decoding to hear the theater-like audio experience that is available on Blu-ray. Some BD players offer more advanced audio codecs that provide even better quality sound through up to 8 channels of surround. </p><p><span class="c30">What do all these audio formats mean?</span><br class="c33"/>You can hear better-than theater-like audio at home. As George Lucas has said, sound is 50% of the movie experience. With the right audio equipment, you can hear up to 7.1 channels of sound that is no different than what the recording engineers heard in the mixing room. </p><p><span class="c30">What's the benefit of 24p?</span><br class="c33"/>Movies are recorded on film at 24 frames per second (fps). Video is recorded and played back at 60 frames per second. Movies must be converted to 60 frames before being played back on your TV. Blu-ray discs record movie content in the original 24 frame format, and convert the signal within the player to output at 60 fps for standard HDTVs. Some current HDTVs, like Samsung's Auto Motion Plus 120Hz models, and undoubtedly more future ones, can accept and play back the 24 frame signal without the intermediary conversion to 60 fps, which can offer a smoother, more natural-looking image. </p><p><span class="c30">What does Profile 1.0, 1.1, 2.0 mean?</span><br class="c33"/>Blu-ray's specifications for video are broken into three profiles, each with its own set of hardware and software requirements. Profile 1.0 gave hardware manufacturers a grace period to create players that were capable of Blu-ray video playback, but didn't need to meet the final standard profile requirements. This grace period ended October 31, 2007. These players, while not able to take advantage of all of Blu-ray's promised extra content, will provide full 1080p video playback.</p><p>Profile 1.1, also known as BonusView, makes certain requirements mandatory: picture-in-picture, secondary audio mixing, a minimum of 256MB of memory (built-in or removable), and the incorporation of a virtual file system. Players created and sold after October 31, 2007 are required to meet the Profile 1.1 specification, and therefore will take advantage of 1.1-enabled bonus materials on certain BD discs.</p><p>BD-Live (Profile 2.0) makes mandatory all parts of Profile 1.1, but increases the memory requirement to 1GB and adds the hardware requirement of a network connection. This specification enables the even-more interactive web-based bonus material found on discs that provide such content.</p><img src="http://www.samsung.com/us/images/public/icon_reference.gif"/>Features and specifications are subject to change without prior notification.<br/></div><img src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-89EKCgBk8MZdE.gif" border="0" height="1" width="1" /><br /><p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-BD-P1500-1080p-Blu-ray-Player/dp/B0014H16V0" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-16858078479207313682013-02-14T11:36:00.000-08:002013-02-14T11:56:34.023-08:00Lowest Smart Phone<div style="text-align: center;">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-83001179143908625232013-02-12T13:14:00.000-08:002013-02-12T13:15:07.232-08:00Will the iPad mini 2 top the iPad 4 in pixel density? <img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/tablets/iPad/iPadMini/Hands%20On/IMG_1001-470-75.jpg" alt="Will the iPad mini 2 top the iPad 4 in pixel density?"/><p>It's time for everyone to act surprised as a new rumor claims that Apple's follow-up to the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</a> mini will feature Retina display.</p><p>Surprising as the rumor may be, overseas investment firm Brightwire claims that manufacturer AU Optronics is working on 7.9-inch displays for the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</a> mini 2.</p><p>The display is said to have a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, with a ppi of 324, boosting its resolution well above the current iteration's 1024 x 798 screen. </p><p>Packing the screen with pixels also means a higher pixel density than even the current <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</a> 4, which comes in at 264ppi. That screen's resolution is, however, exactly the same as the rumored resolution for the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</a> mini.</p><h3>iRumors</h3><p>Shortly after the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</a> mini was out in the wild rumors began popping up that Apple's next small-size tablet would feature Retina tech.</p><p>The exact same 324ppi display has been on the radar since November, and AU Optronics supplied screens for the first <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</a> mini, so the rumor comes as little surprise.</p><p>A Retina display upgrade for the next <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</a> mini seems like a no-brainer for Apple, especially with the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</a> mini sandwiched between the Retina-equipped <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</a> 5 and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</a> 4. </p><p>Screen production is said to be in the piloting stage, and if Apple wants to avoid the same yield issues that plagued the original mini's production, we could be looking at a late 2013 release.</p><p>All that's left is a price, which hopefully will be brought down from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</a> mini's steep $329/£269/AU$369. Oh, and an official confirmation from Apple would be nice, though that may be little more than a formality at this point.</p><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/9809/s/283aeff8/mf.gif' border='0'/><div class='mf-viral'><table border='0'><tr><td valign='middle'><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" border="0" /></td><td valign='middle'><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" border="0" /></td></tr></table></div><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151885461162/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/283aeff8/kg/350/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151885461162/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/283aeff8/kg/350/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/151885461162/u/49/f/9809/c/669/s/283aeff8/kg/350/a2t.img" border="0"/><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~4/77sJHMY1a6A" height="1" width="1"/><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~3/77sJHMY1a6A/story01.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-76714248285464167332013-02-12T13:05:00.000-08:002013-02-12T13:06:04.917-08:00Review: Apple TV<IMG alt="Review: Apple TV" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/apple%20tv%20main%202-470-75.jpg"><br /><H3 align=center><A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FA1NK0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FA1NK0&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy and Get Discount for Apple TV</A></H3><br /><H3>Introduction</H3><br /><P>At the same time as announcing the new (now not so new) <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> in March 2012, Apple also issued an update to its Apple TV.</P><br /><P>It wasn't the full on<A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/television/apple-itv-rumours-what-you-need-to-know-1045768"> Apple iTV</A>, the rumoured Apple television that many had hopped for, rather it was a small revision to the existing media streamer of last year, retaining the same form factor but with an updated menu system and faster processor.</P><br /><P>The biggest change though is its new ability to stream and play full 1080p HD movies - last year's model could only manage 720p, which was all the iTunes Store offered for movie rentals and purchasing anyway.</P><br /><P>Of course, this means that Apple is going to have to update a lot of its iTunes Store catalogue to 1080p for you to get the most out of it, but most new movies were being offered in 1080p when we checked.</P><br /><P>As well as enabling you to purchase and rent movies Apple TV does two other things of note - it acts as a browser for selected Internet content (YouTube, Vimeo, Netflix, iCloud, Podcasts, etc) and thanks to Apple's AirPlay system it can receive content streamed from a Mac, PC or iOS device and play it on your television.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Hardware/P3271500-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>And, just to be clear, here's what it <EM>can't</EM> do - most importantly you still can't use it to watch free-to-air TV channels, so it's not a proper Set-top Box solution, and you can't use it to browse the full web or do email, like you can with an <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A>.</P><br /><P>The full implications of this become clearer when you realise that some popular web sites, which would make total sense to be access via an Apple TV, are unavailable, like the BBC's iPlayer (though you can watch iPlayer on your <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A>, iPod touch or <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> then use AirPlay to send it to your your Apple TV).</P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Hardware/P3271508-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>And because you're in Apple's locked-down world there are no third-party apps available for the Apple TV which could add these features in - you have to wait for Apple to officially support them via a software update.</P><br /><P>In fact, the Apple TV isn't designed to be customised at all - you have the feature set that Apple provides, and that's it.</P><br /><H4>In the box</H4><br /><P>In the box you get the Apple TV, which is a small black box measuring only 23mm x 98mm x 98mm that weighs just 0.27kg, a nice-looking aluminum remote with very few buttons, some setup instructions and a power lead.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Hardware/P3271502-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The Apple TV has exactly the same ports and connectors on the back as before. There's an ethernet port, an Optical Audio port and a HDMI port for connection to your TV. You'll also notice a Micro-USB port, but this has no use for the home user - it's just for Apple's Geniuses to use when diagnosing problems.</P><br /><P>The Apple TV processor has been upgraded to the A5 chip to cope with 1080p HD movie playback. iFixit has done a teardown on the Apple TV and found that the Broadcom 4330 Wi-Fi chip inside also supports Bluetooth 4.0+HS, although it currently makes no use of this technology - it's possible that the functionality could be added in a future update.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Hardware/P3271510-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The current Apple Remote uses Infrared, this requires line of site to your Apple TV, which can be a pain - a Bluetooth remote would be far superior.</P><br /><H4>Setup process</H4><br /><P>Connection to your TV is via a HDMI cable, but be aware that there isn't one in the box, so you have to purchase that separately.</P><br /><P>The first surprise with the new Apple TV compared to the previous generation is that once you connect it up to your TV is that it talks to you! A voice asks you if you'd like to enable the Voice Over feature by clicking a button on the remote three times.</P><br /><P>Voice Over reads out what the menu option you've currently got selected is, so it will be a very useful feature for visually impaired users who need extra help navigating the menu systems.</P><br /><P>Proceeding on, you set up the usual things like language then select a WiFi network - if you've never done this before then it will be your first encounter with the Apple TV's tedious way of entering text and numbers - you have an alphabetically ordered block of letters that you have to have to slowly manoeuvre around using the remote's click wheel.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv hand" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Hardware/P3271504-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>It's frustrating to use because the layout is so unfamiliar - having the letters arranged like a computer keyboard would have been more intuitive.</P><br /><P>Going through the process of painfully entering your WiFi password one character at a time using this input method only to realise you got one of the characters wrong and have to do it all over again is heartbreaking, especially when at this stage you just want to get on with enjoying all the great content your Apple TV promises.</P><br /><P>It's a shame Apple still use this input method because everything else about the Apple TV is so easy to use it stands in sharp contrast to other media streamers. </P><br /><H3>Interface</H3><MEDIAINSERT width="1280" src="60PUBjP9cZ6K0" height="720" caption=" mediatype=" FutTv?>FutTv : 60PUBjP9cZ6K0</MEDIAINSERT><br /><P>Once the setup is done you're into the main Apple TV interface, which has had a complete refresh for this outing.</P><br /><P>In an effort to simplify, and at the same time allow for expansion, Apple has taken a more iOS-style approach to the Apple TV's interface. While it has received criticism from certain quarters, we like it.</P><br /><P>Instead of text-based menus everything is now represented by an icon, just like on iOS. The icons are flatter and wider than their iOS counterparts, but you can clearly see where Apple has drawn its inspiration. As you move around the menus selecting each icon, text appears underneath it to tell you what it's for, which means you never feel confused or lost.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv main menu" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Software/main%20interface-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>At the top of the interface you have a sideways scrolling carousel of the latest movie releases. Typical rent price of a new HD movie is £4.49 ($4.99) - this is expensive compared to, say, Sky Box Office, which was offering Twighlight Breaking Dawn and Moneyball for just £2 in the UK store when we checked, but obviously you need a paid-for Sky account to access this service.</P><br /><P>iTunes was still over twice the price for the same movies though. Obviously you'll need a decent broadband connection to rent movies using Apple TV but there are some advantage to Apple's system. For example, it's more convenient.</P><br /><P><IMG alt=movies src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Software/top%20movies-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>You don't have to wait for a specific movie start time. Instead just choose your movie and it starts downloading whenever you want. Apple TV seemed to need about 5 minutes of buffering before you can start watching your streaming download, which isn't an unreasonable time to wait.</P><br /><P>You also get a page of information about each movie, including a cast list, customer reviews, and links to similar movies in an Amazon-style 'Viewers also brought' before you decide to purchase. It's also possible to watch movie's trailer by clicking the Preview button, which is handy.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Software/computers1-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Once you've purchased an iTunes movie you have 30 days to start watching, and 48 hours to finish watching after you've started. The best feature is that you can view across multiple devices, so you could start watching on your Apple TV and finish watching on your computer. However, this is only available on Standard Definition films, which rules out all new film releases and seriously hobbles what would be an otherwise brilliant feature.</P><br /><P>On the whole, the range of new titles is good, and easily comparable to Sky Box Office, and there's also an impressive back catalogue of films. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv top tv shows" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Software/top%20tv%20shows-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>But Apple TV isn't just about film - moving down the interface our next stop after Movies is TV Shows. Here you'll find an impressive collection of shows buy. The promoted shows here have a UK-bias, which is good, but there are a lot of American shows also. Want to catch up on series 4 of Madmen? Not a problem. It's £2.49 ($2.99) an episode to buy (there are no rentals available for TV programmes.)</P><br /><P>Next is an option called Music - this is only for subscribers to Apple's <A href="http://www.apple.com/uk/itunes/itunes-match/?cid=mc-features-uk-g-icd-imc-itunesmatch">iTunes Match</A> service (£24.99/$29.99 a year). If you're a Match subscriber then you'll be able to access your entire iTunes music collection from here, although you're likely to have your computer in the house as well and it's easy to connect to it from the Apple TV anyway, which brings us onto the next icon: Computers.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="itunese match on apple tv" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Software/itunes%20match-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>By tapping on Computers your Apple TV will automatically find any computer on your Wi-Fi network that has the same Apple ID login on iTunes. The fact that your computer just appears here without you having to interact with a single dialog box or window is to Apple's credit.</P><br /><P>Here you can access your music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, iTunes U and photos from your local machine. The streaming over Wi-Fi is flawless, as you'd expect.</P><br /><P>The next icon is Settings, which has all the technical options you'll need, but also your screen saver settings. It's worth mentioning these because some gorgeous new National Geographic pictures have been added as a screen saver option.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv photostream" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Software/photo%20stream-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Our favourite setting though is Photo Stream, but more of that later. Whichever screen saver you go for you'll find a wide choice of different themes – all of which make the photos look gorgeous.</P><br /><P><A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/audio-visual/av-accessories/netflix-netflix-1065801/review">Netflix</A>, which has been a feature of the US Apple TV for a while now, was launched in the UK recently and is now available in the interface. A subscription costs £5.99 a month in the UK, for which you get to watch an unlimited amount of its content. The amount and selection of new films on Netflix is disappointing, but parents will appreciate the endless amount of kids' cartoon programs at their fingers.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv vimeo" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Software/vimeo1-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Also on the Apple TV interface are options for browsing YouTube, Vimeo, Wall Street Journal and MLB (that's Major League Baseball – subscription required) – none of these have changed in this update, so they're not worth mentioning in detail.</P><br /><P>Photo Stream is new though – it's an iCloud-related feature that owners of <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A>s will love. Once you've turned Photo Stream on any picture that you've taken on your <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> (or <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> and iPod touch) will automatically get added to your Photo Stream once you are connected to a Wi-Fi connection.</P><br /><P>So, you take a few pictures with your <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> while out and about, then once you walk through the door of your house you can turn to your Apple TV and view them via the Photo Stream icon. The speed and convenience of Photo Stream can't be denied. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv movie trailers" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Software/trailers-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Another new option in the interface is Trailers – this isn't really anything new, just a quicker way of getting to movie trailers, which include trailers for theatrical releases, which are great to have.</P><br /><H3>Performance</H3><br /><P>We tested renting a 1080p HD movie using a standard Sky broadband connection at home and found it took about 5 minutes before it was ready to play, which is acceptable.</P><br /><P>Apple TV tells you how many minutes are left before your movie can play, but its way of calculating time seemed highly flawed with estimates jumping from 1 minute left, to 2 hours 40 minutes, then back to two minutes!</P><br /><P>It seemed better to ignore the messages and look at the download bar at the bottom of the screen instead. Once playing there was no buffering and the connection didn't ever drop. As you'd expect for 1080p, the picture quality was superb.</P><br /><P><IMG alt=netflix src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Software/netflix-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Netflix was equally smooth in playback, and most programmes started playing pretty much instantly. Obviously the performance will be effected by the quality of your Internet connection, but if there are problems we don't think it will be Apple TV's fault.</P><br /><P>AirPlay over our Wi-Fi network to the Apple TV was rock solid - you simply tap the AirPlay icon on your iOS device, or click the button in iTunes, as a video is playing, select Apple TV and it starts playing on your TV a few seconds later.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="podcasts on apple tv" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Software/podcasts1-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The big disappointment for most people here will be how restrictive Apple's AirPlay is - it only officially works with content that you have inside your iTunes library on a Mac or PC, or content you have on one of your iOS devices. However that's not the end of the story - there are work arounds.</P><br /><P>For example, if you want to play unsupported video formats like WMV, XVID or MKV on an <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> then you can thanks to third party apps, like <A href="http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/avplayerhd/id407976815?mt=8">AVPlayerHD</A>. Attempting to send these videos from the app to Apple TV using your <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> however results in only the audio being played.</P><br /><P>However, if you turn on AirPlay Mirroring on your <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> (which mirrors its entire screen on your Apple TV) then you can watch these videos on your Apple TV. It adds an extra step to the process, but it works well although you are limited to a pillar box sized screen with mirroring</P><br /><P>For full 16:9 resolution you need the help of an app called Air Video which installs a server program on your Mac or PC that encodes the video, while an iOS app beams it to your Apple TV.</P><br /><P>When it comes to watching paid-for content everything just works flawlessly, as you'd expect it to. Purchasing content is handled effortlessly with your Apple ID, which the Apple TV remembers, so you simply need to enter your password whenever you want to buy something and it's yours. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv settings" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Software/settings1-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Perhaps the most outstanding feature of Apple TV though is just how easy it is to use. It's still better than all the other media streamers we've tried.</P><br /><P>You're in Apple's world here and in Apple world everything just works. Even the potentially troublesome issues of software updates are like water off a duck's back to Apple TV - you just get a message saying there's a software update available and would you like to install it now.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="apple tv settings" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/av_accessories/Apple%20TV%20review/Software/settings%202-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Navigating the menu system is child's play - and the fact that the remote has so few buttons means that children can use it too, without accidentally resetting the time zone or something equally dire. The number of clicks required to get to your content is also refreshingly small, and the way the whole menu system responds quickly and intuitively to your clicks means you genuinely enjoy using it, rather than it feeling like the thing that stands between you and your content, which is so often the case in media streaming interfaces. Apple has put a lot of thought into the Apple TV interface, and it shows.</P><br /><H3>Verdict</H3><br /><P>It's really when you own an <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A>, iPod touch or <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> that owning an Apple TV makes the most sense. All Apple's devices know how to play nicely with each other, so you can use an Apple TV to mirror the screen of your iOS device and have everything it displays appear on your HD television.</P><br /><P>The most obvious use for this is for showing off photos you've taken on your <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A>, or a Keynote presentation you've created on your <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A>, but some iOS games, like Counter Strike, take advantage of this feature in new and exciting ways, enabling you to use your <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> as a game controller while watching the gameplay on your TV.</P><br /><P>What's more with the new version of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion due out this summer, Apple are bringing this ability to the Mac, so you'll be able to mirror your computer on your TV screen too.</P><br /><H4>We liked:</H4><br /><P>If you already have all your video content in iTunes, then all the other features Apple TV offers start to make it stand out from the crowd. Renting and buying movies works flawlessly and there's a great selection of the latest releases and a large, growing back catalogue.</P><br /><P>The YouTube, Vimeo, Podcast and Movie Trailers are all features you'll find genuinely useful, but it's Photos that we really liked the most. It makes your snaps look beautiful, with fantastic slideshow effects, and the iCloud integration via Photostream means that any photos you've taken using an iOS device automatically get beamed to your Apple TV a few seconds after you walk through the door at home. That's impressive. AirPlay is a rock solid streaming system and simply can't be beaten for reliability.</P><br /><H4>We disliked:</H4><br /><P>If you're simply looking for a way to stream media from your computer to your television then perhaps Apple TV shouldn't be your first choice. You'll find Apple's AirPlay system fantastically easy to use, but it's currently too restrictive, making you dance through hoops to get your content into iTunes.</P><br /><P>In addition to the iOS app workarounds we mentioned there are lots of free video encoder programmes on the market that will convert video to the .m4a file format that iTunes demands, it's a real pain having to spend an hour encoding a video into a new format before iTunes will recognise it, so you'll be able to stream it from your computer to your Apple TV.</P><br /><P>The Apple Remote requiring line of sight is a bit restrictive too, let's hope a Bluetooth options becomes available in the future.</P><br /><P>With Netflix now available in the UK the selection of apps that Apple TV sports is starting to look a little less US-centric, but it still needs more UK-specific content, like iPlayer, 4OD and ITV Player.</P><br /><H4>Verdict:</H4><br /><P>If you've already got some Apple devices in your home then Apple TV is a natural fit and at this price you should really consider getting one because it integrates wonderfully with your current setup.</P><br /><P>But for everyone else, even with the addition of 1080p HD, there's no compelling reason to buy an Apple TV over other media streamers right now.</P><br /><P>If only Apple could sort out integrating iPlayer, 4OD and ITV Player into the menu system and make AirPlay a little less restrictive, because then Apple TV would be a must-have product for everybody.</P><br /><H3 align=center><A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FA1NK0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FA1NK0&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy and Get Discount for Apple TV</A></H3>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-46507714305379626132013-02-12T13:00:00.001-08:002013-02-12T13:00:21.515-08:00Review: Acer Iconia W700<IMG alt="Review: Acer Iconia W700" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2001_TR-470-75.jpg"><br /><H3 align=center><A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009H1BHZ0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009H1BHZ0&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy and Get Discount for Acer Iconia W700</A></H3><br /><H3>Introduction</H3><br /><P><A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A> has seen a host of fresh designs for tablets and laptops, with many manufacturers trying their hardest to build a device that's capable of doing both jobs. That has led to some innovative thinking, such as the screen-spinning <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/dell-xps-12-1094053/review">Dell XPS 12</A> and the Microsoft <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XNBFJK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009XNBFJK&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">Surface</A> and its detachable keyboard. However, the Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 has a slightly simpler take on the hybrid design.</P><br /><P>The <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 differs from other hybrid tablets by not having a keyboard that attaches to the body of the tablet to create a laptop-style device. Instead it looks like any normal tablet, albeit bulkier and 11.6 inches across. It docks into a stand that props it up at a usable angle and acts as a charging stand and USB hub.</P><br /><P>The idea is that you keep the dock and keyboard at work or in your home, and use it like a full PC. The added HDMI means you can connect it to an external monitor so you'd have no idea you were using a tablet at all. When you leave, just pull the tablet out from the dock, for games, apps and browsing on the move. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2015-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>We actually prefer this set up to the jack-of-all-trades and master of none form factors of some other Windows 8 hybrids, such as the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 and <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/toshiba-satellite-u920t-1094142/review">Toshiba Satellite U920T</A>, which are too large to be used as tablets yet suffer from reduced usability in 'laptop-mode.'</P><br /><P>However, don't think you'll get the same svelte stylings as those of the Apple <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A>. When you pack a laptop-grade processor into a tablet, you have the same thermal headaches as laptop makers have, but the added issue of how to dissipate it. </P><br /><P>The Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 measures 11.9 x 295 x 191mm (0.5 x 11.6 x 7.5 inches) and weighs 925g (33oz), making it one slab of slate.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2014_rfv_cradle_landscape-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The only problem with the Acer's way of working is that when you do need to take the dock on the move with you, it's one of the most awkward pieces of equipment to transport. </P><br /><P>The square dock is made from flimsy white plastic and is propped up by a white plastic stand, which is a single piece of angled plastic that slots in the back. </P><br /><P>It seems as if it's designed to take up the maximum room in your bag, and due to the plastic, feels that it could emerge in two pieces after you've shoved something on top of it. Add the power supply and any extra peripherals and your bag will be filled to the brim.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/iconiaw700%20(13)-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The plastic flimsiness of the dock is completely at odds with the tablet itself, which is adorned in aluminium, which along with Microsoft <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XNBFJK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009XNBFJK&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">Surface</A>, is easily one of the best-built tablets on the market. </P><br /><P>Acer has seriously upped its game in terms of build quality, and along with the Acer Aspire S7 Ultrabook, is producing some seriously covetable kit.</P><br /><P>Priced at around £590/US$799.99 (64GB, Core i3 version, not available in Australia) or £740/US$999.99/AU$1,299 (128GB, Core i5 version) the Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 does represent decent value, when you consider that you're getting dual functionality, top specs and Ultrabook power. However, how does it fare in use? Read our review to find out.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2013_rv_cradle_portrait-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><H3>Specifications</H3><br /><P>The Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 features the full version of Windows 8, with all the same components you'd expect from an <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/laptops/best-ultrabook-18-top-thin-and-lights-1054355">Ultrabook</A> laptop. Inside there's an Intel Core i3-2365M processor, clocked at a pedestrian 1.4GHz, meaning there's enough power for standard programs and apps, but not much more. </P><br /><P>Unlike other dual-use hybrids such as the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/lenovo-ideapad-yoga-11-1123468/review">Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11</A>, Microsoft <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XNBFJK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009XNBFJK&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">Surface</A> RT and the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/asus-vivotab-review-1122642/review">Asus VivoTab</A>, you get the full version of Windows, rather than the cut-down Windows RT.</P><br /><P>Aside from the processor, you'll also find 4GB of RAM and all the 3D graphics are handled by the Intel HD 3000 core built into the Intel Core i3 chip. It won't handle advanced games, but you could play any casual title easily, although we are concerned about the impact of heat under long periods of stress. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2030-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>There's also a 64GB SSD included on the version we tested, which is in danger of being filled, so investing in some external storage too would be wise - or buying the 128GB version. </P><br /><P>Of course, a tablet or laptop is nothing without its screen, and we've seen some fantastic 1080p panels on the likes of the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/sony-Vaio-duo-11-1094047/review">Sony Vaio Duo 11</A> and the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/dell-xps-12-1094053/review">Dell XPS 12</A>, which produce stunningly vibrant and sharp pictures. </P><br /><P>We were delighted to see a gorgeous 1920 x 1080 LED panel included on the Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700. It makes a huge difference when working, with its pin-sharp text. It's great for browsing the web, with more of the web page displayed on screen, and for using apps and playing games, with jaw-dropping visuals. The Windows 8 interface looks brilliant, and certainly catches people's attention.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2001-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The downside of the pin-sharp screen is that Windows 8 is almost unusable in classic mode. The menus are so small thanks to the monstrous resolution that's packed into the 11.6-inch panel, we were squinting to make out navigation options. However, the Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 rarely registered a wrong press, showing that the panel's sensitivity - coupled with improvements to Windows 8 - is top notch.</P><br /><P>As we mentioned, the Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 is at its best when connected to peripherals, such as HD monitors, but the connectivity options are a mixed bag. Without the comfort of its dock, there's just one USB port, a HDMI port and Bluetooth, which we'd recommend for peripherals. </P><br /><P>When attached to the dock this is upped to 3 x USB 3.0 ports, and there's also a dongle in the box that converts micro HDMI to VGA. With its dock, the Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 is one of the best connected tablets out there, but we worry that when on the road, the single USB port might be limiting.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2059-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>While the dock is too cumbersome to be carried around comfortably, Acer supplies a fetching leather-look case to protect the <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 on the move. We were mightily impressed, not only by the stylish look of the brown leather case, but the way it grasped hold of the W700, protecting it from all bumps and scrapes. </P><br /><P>What's more, it (precariously) stands up the W700 like an Apple SmartCase, for movie watching and working away from the dock.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2060-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><H3>Performance</H3><br /><P><STRONG>Benchmarks</STRONG><BR>Battery eater: 284<BR>Cinebench: 3716<BR>3D Mark: 1785</P><br /><P>In terms of performance, the Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 struggled, and we were disappointed to see less power from it than from Ultrabooks in the same category. </P><br /><P>High-end Ultrabooks packing an <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/computing-components/processors/intel-ivy-bridge-processors-what-to-look-for-1077265">Ivy Bridge</A>-based Intel Core i7 processor would produce a score of around 9,000 in Cinebench, which is ideal for heavy image editing, dealing with video and multi-tasking full Windows apps such as Photoshop and Microsoft Word. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2025-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>With its Intel Core i3 chip, the <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 stuttered to a disappointing score of 3,716.</P><br /><P>This makes it hard to recommend for people who plan to use this hybrid device for heavy grunt work, which is a shame, since the point of the W700 seems to be to replace your existing Windows machine and solve the need for a separate tablet. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2041-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>With an Intel Core i3 processor handling all the processing and the graphics - remember there's no discreet solution here, folks - our 3D Mark produced a pretty derisory score as well. </P><br /><P>The W700 managed just 1,785, and the cycle of tests resembled a PowerPoint presentation on 90s gaming rather than an exploration of 3D rendering. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2054-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>It means we have serious doubts about the ability of the W700 to handle any types of gaming, beyond anything from the Windows Store.</P><br /><P>Of course, there is an Intel Core i5 version of the W700 available, which would improve on these worrying results, but you can expect to pay a premium of £150/US$100 or more.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2035-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The pay off of such basic performance is excellent battery life, which matches some of the best performing laptops such as the Dell XPS 13. This will suit anyone who intends to work away from the mains electricity. </P><br /><P>Our harsh tests, which involve looping HD video and simulating office tasks, produced a cycle of 284 minutes, and under less extreme conditions one could easily expect five to six hours of use.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W700 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw700/Acer%20Iconia%20W700%2034-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><H3>Verdict</H3><br /><P>The Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 is certainly a step forward for full-fat Windows tablets, and one of the few we've seen that can genuinely offer the experience of a full laptop and a tablet as well. </P><br /><P>Devices like the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/sony-Vaio-duo-11-1094047/review">Sony Vaio Duo 11</A> or <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/toshiba-satellite-u920t-1094142/review">Toshiba Satellite U920T</A> have erred too much towards the laptop form factor, while the current crop of Windows RT tablets suffer from usability issues, a limited ecosystem and are far too expensive. </P><br /><P>The Acer W700 has found a useful niche, and we can genuinely imagine having it docked into a desktop type set up at work, before watching a movie and using the increasing amount of Windows 8 apps on the way home.</P><br /><H3>We liked</H3><br /><P>The dock setup works, as long as you don't want to take it with you, and the range of connectivity means it's easy to hook the tablet up to an HD screen. The pin-sharp screen is a joy to use when in the new Windows 8 UI mode, and it's just as good for media consumption as work.</P><br /><P>The price is also exceptional, when you consider that the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/samsung-ativ-tab-1094049/review">Samsung Ativ Tab</A>, which runs Windows RT, comes in at £549/US$649.99 (around AU$836). For roughly the same price here you get full fat Windows, Intel Core power, the dock, a high quality leather case and a mobile keyboard.</P><br /><H3>We disliked</H3><br /><P>The docking system doesn't have the same quality feel as the rest of the Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700, and while it does make it lightweight for when you do need to travel, it ruins the premium experience. We also feel that very little thought as been put into the dock's design, and the bizarre design is a nightmare to carry.</P><br /><P>Of course, for £590/US$799.99 you won't get high-end Ultrabook power, especially when Acer has been so generous with extras, build quality and that gorgeous 1080p screen. However, we have serious reservations about whether there's enough grunt here to future-proof the Acer W700 for all kinds of PC use, from graphics-heavy applications to multitasking large numbers of programs. </P><br /><P>Finally, while we loved the usability of the Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700, we feel there's little flexibility in its use. It works if you're regularly in one place, such as your home or office, where the dock can be set up and left. Taking the whole package of dock, stand, case and charger will be a drag, so think about how you'd use it before buying it.</P><br /><H3>Final verdict</H3><br /><P>The Acer <A href="" ref='as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009P7JIZ2&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20"' B009P7JIZ2 product gp www.amazon.com http:>Iconia</A> W700 comes the closest of all the tablets we've seen to being able to replicate the experience of a laptop, in a true tablet form. </P><br /><P>While you certainly get a lot for your money here, we worry that the poor performance limits the life of this hybrid PC, and would push those looking for a rich Windows 8 experience to look at the Intel Core i5 version.</P><br /><H3 align=center><A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009H1BHZ0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009H1BHZ0&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy and Get Discount for Acer Iconia W700</A></H3>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-37024064836084742552013-02-12T12:54:00.001-08:002013-02-12T12:54:18.840-08:00Review: Acer 7600U<IMG alt="Review: Acer 7600U" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/desktop_pcs_and_macs/Acer%20Desktops/Acer%207600U/Acer%20A7600U%20swivel_kb%20mouse_straight-470-75.jpg"> <br /><H3 align=center><A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009M3PKPG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009M3PKPG&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy and Get Discount for Acer 7600U</A></H3><br /><H3>Introduction</H3><br /><P>The dream of the All in One is a simple standard that's rarely achieved. A full-power "desktop-in-a-display" that is simultaneously capable of serving as a general-use computer as well as a media streaming rig. Touch screens and <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A> are supposed to allow grab-and-go computing as well as more traditional deeper sessions.</P><br /><P>Gaming? Previously, 3D games were a tertiary concern, but this is rapidly changing, given the power-price-performance ratios found in high-end and high-mid-range laptops courtesy of the current crop of discrete mobile graphics parts. </P><br /><P>The challenge of the All in One form-factor is that, all too often, system builders are forced to cut corners in terms of the parts they integrate in order to cram everything into a thin-enough, big-enough display.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer 7600U review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/desktop_pcs_and_macs/Acer%20Desktops/Acer%207600U/Acer%20A7600U_swivel_09-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Based on the number of average-speed All in Ones we've looked at over the years, building a lightning-fast AIO is much harder to accomplish than it sounds. You compromise power for convenience here. </P><br /><P>Acer's relatively new 7600U All in One embodies all of the good and the bad of this increasingly important category of system. On the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XNBFJK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009XNBFJK&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">surface</A>, it looks well-designed. And with such a beautiful display, it has plenty of showroom game. </P><br /><P>Unfortunately, aside from pure media functions, just about every other dimension of this system is pokey, frustrating, and sometimes even puzzling - particularly at this price point. </P><br /><H3>The display has it</H3><br /><P>The first thing anyone notices about any All in One system is the screen. Acer acquits itself well here, with a thin (1.38 inches in middle, about 3 inches at the top), fashion-forward 1920 x 1080 LED capacitive multi-touch display. </P><br /><P>Screen quality is excellent, and easily fulfills the media center duties that All in Ones promise. This is a great display to watch HD movies and TV shows on from across the room. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer 7600U review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/desktop_pcs_and_macs/Acer%20Desktops/Acer%207600U/Acer%20A7600U_swivel_01-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Unfortunately, the standard HD resolution is not so great for general, up-close productivity—a 2560x1440 display—like Apple's latest 27-inch <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/pc-mac-desktops/apple-imac-27-inch-2012-1124594/review">iMac</A> and Dell's <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/pc-mac-desktops/dell-xps-one-27-touch-1093908/review">XPS One 27</A> possess—would be much more effective,. At this price point, it should have the higher resolution.</P><br /><P>Aesthetically speaking, the design of the Aspire 7600U will probably elicit mixed reviews. With a thin, TV-style bezel, and a thin acrylic panel at the bottom of the system, it is certainly designed to look good in a living room. And while the whole acrylic/Lucite look is making a comeback in some regions, the style is not universally adored.</P><br /><P>One really nice touch is the Aspire 7600U's flexibility. You can tilt this system down to a 30 degree angle, which makes it perfect for standing and typing using Windows 8's improved 10-point touch controls. You can also quickly and easily adjust the position of the screen, making it quite versatile in a number of environments. </P><br /><P>Another much-appreciated and outright cool element of this AIO's design is the power socket, which is embedded into the tip of the system's stand. Very nicely done. </P><br /><P>The Aspire 7600U's keyboard and mouse extend the acrylic-oriented design. Unfortunately, both are inferior peripherals, almost to a maddening degree. The keyboard is particularly bad, with non-responsive keys and an infuriating space bar. Yes, this is subjective, but our bet is that you'll find yourself replacing the keyboard with something else almost immediately.</P><br /><P>Another more mild frustration: there are three sets of bright white lights on this system. The Acer logo lights up when it's on or in sleep mode. The power button stays lit when the device is off, and an odd KITT-style (from Knight Rider) series of lights dash across the top right-hand corner of the screen when the system is off. This is not the kind of AIO you can use in a bedroom. </P><br /><H3>Specifications and Performance</H3><br /><P>In the configuration we received (A7600U-UR308), the Aspire has the following core specs: </P><br /><BLOCKQUOTE>•CPU: Dual-core 2.5GHz Core i5 3210M<BR>•Video: GeForce GT 640M<BR>•Memory: 8GB DDR 3 RAM<BR>•Storage: 5400RPM 1TB drive<BR>•Optical: Blu-Ray combo drive</BLOCKQUOTE><br /><P>Like most AIOs, the 7600U is not configurable or customizable, but there are a few different models (A7600U-UR12, A7600U, UR-11) that step up the CPU to a dual-core 2.6GHz Core i5 3230M processor. There are also lower-powered configurations in the $1,000.00 price range that step the CPU way down to a Core i3 CPU.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer 7600U review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/desktop_pcs_and_macs/Acer%20Desktops/Acer%207600U/Acer%20A7600U_swivel_22-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>On the left side of the screen, you'll find two USB 3.0 ports, mic in and mic out, and a universal card reader. On the back of the system, you'll find two HDMI in ports, one HDMI out port, a SPDIF optical audio out port, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, and two USB 2.0 ports. </P><br /><P>A Blu-Ray drive can be found on the right side of the system, and a standard resolution webcam is placed in the usual location. </P><br /><P>The 7600U ships with a Bluetooth 4.0 adapter. It does not come with a TV card. </P><br /><H3>Performance</H3><br /><P>Here's how the Aspire 7600U fared in our standard AIO benchmarks: </P><br /><BLOCKQUOTE>3DMark 06: 10,612<BR>Cinebench 10 single core: 4,893<BR>Cinebench 10 multi-core: 10,260<BR>Boot Time: 26 seconds, (+10 seconds post log-in)<BR>Call of Duty 4: 94.1 fps</BLOCKQUOTE><br /><P>As you've probably gathered, this isn't a very fast system in terms of day to day performance… and at the just-under $2,000 price point, feels sorely underpowered. </P><br /><P>The biggest weak spot here is the under-powered Core i5 3210M processor. It just doesn't have enough gas for CPU-intensive applications and functions. It's fine for watching movies and videos, but it's not the kind of system you'd want to use for putting together home movies.</P><br /><P>Here's a reality check. In our Cinebench 10 test, which wages a relentless attack on a system's processor, a single-core of this Aspire All in One trailed the 27-inch <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/pc-mac-desktops/apple-imac-27-inch-2012-1124594/review">iMac</A> by a little under 20%. That's not great, but in Cinebench's multi-core test, Acer's Core i5 gets crushed, with a score of 10,260 compared to the 22,404 thrown down by the iMac's Core i7 processor.</P><br /><P>More concerning is that at the same price point, you can get your hands on a 3.4GHz quad-core Core i7 processor in Apple's 27-inch iMac, or a 2.7GHz quad-core Core i5-3330S in Dell's <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/pc-mac-desktops/dell-xps-one-27-touch-1093908/review">XPS One 27</A>. That's a problem. </P><br /><P>Also a problem: The Aspire 7600U's pokey 5400RPM hard drive. Yes, it's huge at 1TB of total storage. But the slow spin rate means sluggish data access rates, slower start times, and more. And, when you look at the specs (and performance) of the iMac and Dell XPS All in One mentioned above, you'll find 7800RPM drives or hybrid drives at the same price point. </P><br /><P>The Aspire's saving grace is that, because it has a high-end Kepler-based GeForce GT 640M graphics part, it holds up surprisingly well for gaming. We were even able to play <EM>Borderlands 2</EM>, although more CPU-intensive games may bog it down. Still though, provided you don't mind turning some of the details (and possibly the resolution) down, you can actually play games on this system. </P><br /><P>Unfortunately, in terms of day-to-day performance, this system actually feels worse than our benchmark numbers indicate. It's slow to start up, require 36 seconds to go from power on to completely logged in. It stutters coming out of sleep mode, which is frustrating. Switching between users feels like it takes forever in comparison to other <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A> systems. There are occasional hiccups when launching the web browser. And so on. </P><br /><P>A faster hard drive and a faster Core i7 processor would not only have made a big difference here, they would make this system's $1900 price tag feel appropriate.</P><br /><H3>Verdict</H3><br /><H3>Solid media system, with one exception…</H3><br /><P>The nice thing about a 27-inch All in One with a few HDMI inputs is that it makes for a great <A href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&node=2404622011&tag=freedown0f-20">console</A> gaming screen. Also nice is the single HDMI out port, which allows for a down and dirty multi-monitor set-up. Not nice is the lack of a remote control, although the built-in webcam-based gesture controls (detailed below) are a welcome substitute. There are also plenty of <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/ios-6-1096515/review">iOS</A> and <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/android-jelly-bean-1087230/review">Android</A> apps that will function as a remote as well.</P><br /><P>The sound quality of the 7600U is shockingly bad for an All in One. Music, games, and even Blu-Ray movies sounded consistently thin, bright, and tinny, and lacked any substantial low-end bass response.</P><br /><P>Even after adjusting all of the settings, both real and virtual (Acer has included a virtual surround sound emulator), I still couldn't get this system to produce a level of quality sound that I could imagine myself living with on a permanent basis. Sound quality here pales in comparison to just about every other All in One I've ever tested. </P><br /><H3>Bloatware, interesting webcam gesture interface</H3><br /><P>Apparently buying a Windows 8 system means that we all now face twice the amount of pre-installed bloatware as before. </P><br /><P>Acer has loaded the Aspire with a number of apps both in the Win8 shell as well as the desktop interface. Some of these are useful—Evernote, Hulu, Skype. Many are not—TuneIn Radio, Cha-Cha, a proprietary cloud-based storage solution named AcerCloud, and more. </P><br /><P>The most interesting piece of pre-installed software on this system is called PointGrab, which allows you to operate the OS with your hand. The app opens up the webcam, which automatically detects your hand (depicted by a green "X" that appears on your hand) and , more importantly, various gestures you make.</P><br /><P>We've played with webcam-based gesture controls before - the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/razer-blade-1094451/review">Razer Blade</A> gaming laptop had a very basic interface that allowed you to perform a few simple gestures. PointGrab goes far beyond basic. It essentially turns your hand into the mouse. </P><br /><P>As an example, you can literally move the Windows pointer to an area or object on the screen, make a grabbing or clicking motion, and the end result will be a left click on the desired object. </P><br /><P>We'd prefer a real remote control for operating from across the room, but PointGrab doesn't take long to get used to, and seems pretty non-intrusive as it's running on your desktop. </P><br /><H3>We Liked</H3><br /><P>By far, the best thing about the Acer Aspire 7600U is its crisp 27-inch display. It's true that an IPS panel feels more appropriate at this price point (Apple's iMac has one), as does support for a higher resolution than 1920x1080. But it's a large, attractive screen, and that counts for something. </P><br /><P>Additionally, the touch screen is responsive, both at the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A> general interface level as well as the virtual keyboard, and the non-Win8 desktop. The ability to quickly recline this big 27-inch screen to a 30 degree angle (virtually flat) is very cool, and allows for the kinds of fast, touch-based sessions we frequently use these types of systems for. </P><br /><P>We also like the PointGrab gesture-based interface, which is a little closer to the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/gaming/games-consoles/controllers/microsoft-kinect-for-xbox-360-905010/review">Kinect</A>-style UI we think All in Ones should have. It's simple, but it works well. And every time it recognizes the palm of our hand, we feel a little rush of awe. (This said, over time we found ourselves not using it as much as we expected.)</P><br /><P>How about the Aspire's design? Well, we're not totally sold. Several of our friends and family liked the airy design. Several thought it looked dated. We'll call the aesthetics a wash. At the very least, it's a conversation starter, and you can't say it's ugly. Even if it feels impossible to compete with Apple's sense of style, we're happy to see manufacturers take chances with the industrial design of their systems.</P><br /><H3>We disliked</H3><br /><P>Our biggest problem with this system is that it just isn't fast enough. The 7600U's lack of pep is immediately noticeable upon start-up. And not just by us—friends and family who used the system all had the same reaction. "Is something wrong with this system? It feels slow."</P><br /><P>When civilians are saying this, you know you have a problem. When you look at a system's specifications and grow concerned, you also know you have a problem. </P><br /><P>For $1,900, you should get a lot more in terms of performance and components. This isn't just idle speculation. Apple and Dell have released systems in the same price range with finer parts. Consider Apple's $1,799 <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/pc-mac-desktops/apple-imac-27-inch-2012-1124594/review">iMac</A>: </P><br /><BLOCKQUOTE>•2.9GHz quad-core Core i5 CPU<BR>•8GB memory<BR>•GeForce GTX 660M<BR>•2560x1440 IPS display<BR>•1TB 5400RPM hard drive (upgradeable to 1TB Fusion hybrid drive for $250)</BLOCKQUOTE><br /><P>Now look at Dell's <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/pc-mac-desktops/dell-xps-one-27-touch-1093908/review">XPS One 27</A>, which also costs $1,799 in this base configuration: </P><br /><BLOCKQUOTE>•2.7GHz quad-core Core i5 3330S<BR>•8GB memory<BR>•GeForce GT 640M<BR>•2560x1440 LC display<BR>•1TB 7200RPM hard drive</BLOCKQUOTE><br /><P>In both cases, $100 less gets you a faster processor and a better display, with other faster options also available on each side. The quad-core processor is the real kicker because of the advantages it affords in video processing and multi-tasking environments. </P><br /><P>Aside from the price-performance concerns, there are way too many unpolished and mid-range features here for such an expensive system. The awkward keyboard. The non-responsive power button. </P><br /><H3>Final Verdict</H3><br /><P>The 7600U is good for media, and you can play games on it. If it was a $1,300 system, this would be a far more positive review, but at $1,900 it costs too much for what you get.</P><br /><P>In terms of mid-high-end AIO design, it seems like Acer is still caught in the old AIO mentality from 3-4 years ago, which unapologetically emphasizes clever aesthetics and design over performance.</P><br /><P>Modern PC buyers are smarter than this now, particularly given the amount of time Microsoft has spent emphasizing the performance advantages of Windows 8. </P><br /><P>Finally a real-world test. Whenever we test and review an All in One, we place it front and center in the corner of our living rooms. For many of us, our significant others' reaction to the system is an important part of the process. In the case of the Acer PC? Well, they didn't care for the looks ("It's trying to hard."), and quite often they despised the performance. This doesn't count for everything, but it counts for a lot.</P><br /><P>The good news for Acer is that the path of redemption is relatively straightforward: Upgrade the CPU and hard drive in this system at the same price, and it immediately becomes an above average buy. Upgrading the display panel to IPS and moving into the performance range of GPUs moves this rig into legendary territory.</P><br /><H3 align=center><A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009M3PKPG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009M3PKPG&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy and Get Discount for Acer 7600U</A></H3><br /><P> </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-17602196334739642872013-02-12T12:46:00.000-08:002013-02-12T12:47:01.240-08:00Review: BlackBerry Q10 review <img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-01-470-75.JPG" alt="Hands-on review: BlackBerry Q10 review"/><p>The BlackBerry Q10 is the second handset to come running the new <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/blackberry-10-1090522/review">BlackBerry 10</a> operating system, but it's the first to offer a physical QWERTY keyboard alongside it.</p><p>Although it was announced alongside the flagship, fully touchscreen <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-z10-1128348/review">BlackBerry Z10</a>, the Q10 won't go on sale at the same time.</p><p>BlackBerry told TechRadar that the BlackBerry Q10 will arrive six to eight weeks after the Z10 hits stores, since the Canadian firm wants to concentrate its efforts initially on the handset that will have the widest appeal.</p><p><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-10-420-100.JPG" alt="BlackBerry Q10 review" width="420"></img></p><p>Indeed the Q10 won't have the same appeal as the Z10, but there are still people out there who swear by a physical keyboard on their smartphone.</p><ul><li>Check out issue 10 of <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tech./id564758142?mt=8&affId=1503186">tech. magazine</a> for more BlackBerry 10 reaction.</li></ul><p>It's certainly a much smaller market to aim at, but one which the BlackBerry Q10 has an excellent chance of succeeding in as the BlackBerry brand is synonymous for providing top quality QWERTY keyboards on its phones.</p><p><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-11-420-100.JPG" alt="BlackBerry Q10 review" width="420"></img></p><p>Currently there's no firm BlackBerry Q10 release date or price, and even the final specs are being kept under wraps for now as the handset isn't completely finalised.</p><p>What's immediately noticeable upon picking up the Q10 is the size of the display – it's definitely the biggest screen BlackBerry has put on a keyboard handset.</p><p><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-04-420-100.JPG" alt="BlackBerry Q10 review" width="420"></img></p><p>BlackBerry refused to give us the exact screen size and resolution, but sitting it side by side with a <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-bold-9900-989797/review">BlackBerry Bold 9900</a> with a 2.8-inch display (above), you can plainly see the Q10 is bigger, and it's expected to clock in at around 3.1-inches.</p><p>The display is also much squarer on the BlackBerry Q10 than on previous BlackBerry handsets, which sported landscape screens above the keys.</p><p><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-02-420-100.JPG" alt="BlackBerry Q10 review" width="420"></img></p><p>BlackBerry 10 looks crisp and clear on the screen of the Q10, and we reckon it has a similar pixel density to the 355ppi on the Z10.</p><p>A noticeable absence on the front of the BlackBerry Q10 is the menu keys and trackpad just below the screen, since BB10 is fully controlled via the touchscreen, with the keyboard only coming into play when you need to tap out a message.</p><p><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-05-420-100.JPG" alt="BlackBerry Q10 review" width="420"></img></p><p>This puts an end to the tedious scrolling that plagued the BB OS7 handsets, with the tiny trackpad making moving down long lists a real chore.</p><p>Despite its larger dimensions, the BlackBerry Q10 is well weighted, balancing nicely in the palm and not feeling top heavy when your hands are gripping the base of the handset as you use the keyboard – this reduces the fear of dropping the handset, and that's all good in our book.</p><p><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-13-420-100.JPG" alt="BlackBerry Q10 review" width="420"></img></p><p>Around the back the Q10 is made of a sturdy and attractive material that BlackBerry is calling a "glass weave", and the edges are rounded, making the handset fit snugly in the hand.</p><p>There's a camera and single LED flash around on the back, while on the front of the BlackBerry Q10 there's a front-facing snapper - perfect for video calls, especially since the launch of BBM Video.</p><p><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-14-420-100.JPG" alt="BlackBerry Q10 review" width="420"></img></p><p>While the official specs of the cameras haven't been revealed yet, we wouldn't be surprised if it was packing the same 8MP and 2MP combo as found on the Z10.</p><p>On the right side of the BlackBerry Q10 the triple button setup is present, with volume switches separated by a central key that can be used to play and pause tracks and launch the voice control app when held down.</p><p><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-06-420-100.JPG" alt="BlackBerry Q10 review" width="420"></img></p><p>Up top you get a centralised power/lock key very similar in position and style to the <a href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-bold-9900-989797/review">Bold 9900</a>, which is neighboured by a 3.5mm headphone jack.</p><p>BlackBerry is really pushing connectivity on its new BlackBerry 10 handsets, and the Q10 is equipped with microUSB and mini HDMI ports on the left side, while under the hood there's Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and <a href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/what-is-nfc-and-why-is-it-in-your-phone-948410">NFC</a> – plus we hope a microSD slot has made the cut as well.</p><p><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-08-420-100.JPG" alt="BlackBerry Q10 review" width="420"></img></p><p>The BlackBerry 10 OS runs smoothly on the Q10 and we were able to breeze through applications without any issues.</p><p>"Peeking" at notifications was pretty simple thanks to the responsive touchscreen, but the slide-up motion from the bottom of the display didn't always register as there's not a lot of space for your finger to play between the screen and keyboard.</p><p><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-09-420-100.JPG" alt="BlackBerry Q10 review" width="420"></img></p><p>The BlackBerry Q10 we got our hands on to review was running a development build of BB 10, and from time to time you could tell, since certain applications didn't display properly on the square display, as the OS has been developed primarily for the longer screen of the Z10.</p><p>You can expect those display issues to be sorted before the BlackBerry Q10 goes on sale - we just hope app developers also adapt their offerings to use the squarer display.</p><p>We were able to test out the web browser on the BlackBerry Q10, which appeared to be in full working order and as impressively fast as the Z10 when loading both desktop and mobile sites.</p><p><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-07-420-100.JPG" alt="BlackBerry Q10 review" width="420"></img></p><p>The camera app was also a snappy affair with rapid shutter speed and the clever Time Shift feature making it an intriguing proposition.</p><p>However the main reason, if not the only reason, someone would purchase the BlackBerry Q10 is for its physical QWERTY keyboard, a feature which is very much love or hate for a lot of users.</p><p><img src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Q10/HandsOn/Q10-HandsOn-12-420-100.JPG" alt="BlackBerry Q10 review" width="420"></img></p><p>Each row of keys is separated by a silver fret, which spaces out the buttons, making it easier to type. Letters themselves are all angled to different degrees to improve travel and typing speed.</p><p>The keyboard itself has grown in size, which in our opinion is a good thing, since we always found the tiny keys on the old BlackBerry handsets a bit too fiddly.</p><p>With the physical keyboard, though, you lose out on the typing smarts you get on the Z10, with next word prediction not available here, meaning you're left to your own character by character input method.</p><h3>Early Verdict</h3><p>The BlackBerry Q10 will appeal to a few but will likely be overlooked by many, since the touchscreen era is now in full swing.</p><p>For those who simply can't live without a full physical keyboard on their smartphone, the Q10 is an enticing proposition with a decent size keyboard and larger touchscreen coupled with the new BlackBerry 10 OS making it a far more powerful and diverse handset.</p><p>BlackBerry is targeting a very exact market with the Q10 and we're sure that market will be more than happy to receive this latest offering, but we don't expect the BlackBerry Q10 to be making huge waves in the mainstream arena. </p><img width='1' height='1' src='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/493247/s/2811ba02/mf.gif' border='0'/><div class='mf-related'><p>Related Stories</p><ul><li><a href='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/493247/s/2766a09a/l/0L0Stechradar0N0Cus0Creviews0Cphones0Cmobile0Ephones0Calcatel0Eone0Etouch0Escribe0Ehd0E11241430Creview0Dsrc0Frss0Gattr0Fall/story01.htm'>Hands-on review: CES 2013: Alcatel One Touch Scribe HD</a></li><li><a href='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/493247/s/27908f41/l/0L0Stechradar0N0Cus0Creviews0Cphones0Cmobile0Ephones0Chtc0Eone0Esv0E1120A380A0Creview0Dsrc0Frss0Gattr0Fall/story01.htm'>Review: HTC One SV</a></li><li><a href='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/493247/s/27b0506e/l/0L0Stechradar0N0Creviews0Cphones0Cmobile0Ephones0Chtc0Eone0Esv0E1120A380A0Creview0Dsrc0Frss0Gattr0Fall/story01.htm'>Review: HTC One SV</a></li><li>Review: Motorola <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=motorola%20razr%20hd%20unlocked&linkCode=ur2&qid=1359654740&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Amotorola%20razr%20hd%20unlocked&tag=freedown0f-20">Razr HD</a></li><li><a href='http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/493247/s/280f46e0/l/0L0Stechradar0N0Cus0Creviews0Cphones0Cmobile0Ephones0Cblackberry0Ez10A0E11283480Creview0Dsrc0Frss0Gattr0Fall/story01.htm'>Review: Updated: BlackBerry Z10</a></li></ul></div><div class='mf-viral'><table border='0'><tr><td valign='middle'><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/emailthis2.gif" border="0" /></td><td valign='middle'><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/images/bookmark.gif" border="0" /></td></tr></table></div><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151885006908/u/49/f/493247/c/669/s/2811ba02/kg/342/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/151885006908/u/49/f/493247/c/669/s/2811ba02/kg/342/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/151885006908/u/49/f/493247/c/669/s/2811ba02/kg/342/a2t.img" border="0"/><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/phone-reviews/~4/dm1mtY6NTwQ" height="1" width="1"/><br /><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/phone-reviews/~3/dm1mtY6NTwQ/story01.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">View the original article here</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-31868585120343487322013-02-02T12:24:00.001-08:002013-02-02T12:24:27.138-08:00Sony Xperia Z release date and price: where can you get it?<IMG alt="Updated: Sony Xperia Z release date and price: where can you get it?" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/mobile_phones/Sony/XperiaZ/xperia-z-470-75.jpg"> <br /><P align=center><STRONG><A href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=Sony%20Xperia%20Z&linkCode=ur2&rh=n%3A172282%2Cn%3A!493964%2Cn%3A2811119011%2Cn%3A2407749011%2Ck%3ASony%20Xperia%20Z&tag=freedown0f-20&url=node%3D2407749011" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy Sony Xperia Z</A></STRONG></P><br /><P>The new <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/sony-xperia-z-1119637/review">Sony Xperia Z</A> has turned a few heads with a top-end spec list…so how can you go about getting it?</P><br /><P>The handset caused something of a stir at <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/ces-2013-latest-news-features-and-more-1111489">CES 2013</A>, mostly because it saw Sony finally releasing a phone that wasn't a couple of generations behind the competition.</P><br /><P>This means a massive 5-inch full HD display, which pushes closer to the edge of the screen so you're not left with a comically huge phone dwarfing your hand.</P><br /><P>It's also water and dust resistant, comes with top-end Bravia tech and offers an impressive camera too – so which networks will be stocking it?</P><br /><P>Clove is offering the handset with a SIM free price of £528 - putting it squarely alongside the low-capacity <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5 and other top-end handsets, and it's joined by Expansys at that price point too.</P><br /><P>Sony itself has jumped into the selling game with the Xperia Z, and you can pre-order it from its own website for £529 - although it's only stuck a 'coming soon' tag on the release date.</P><br /><H3>O2</H3><br /><P>The effervescent provider tweeted at stupid o'clock in the morning to confirm it would be bringing the handset to market, and it's confirmed the February release date from its "coming soon" page.</P><br /><P>You can pre-order it now with prices for the phone starting from free at a high contract price, or paying £480 for the handset and getting it for £13.50 a month - although you do get those £300 Sony headphones if you sign up 'while stocks last'.</P><br /><P>Oh, it is coming in "Exclusive Purple". That may mean it's only landing on O2 in that colour, or it's the actual name of the hue - you know, like Ranging Green or Megalithic Blue.</P><br /><H3>Three</H3><br /><P>The numerical network also confirmed it would be stocking the Sony Xperia Z and it's now given us a LOAD more information. You can pre-order the new phone from today although the cheapest contract price will start at £34 a month with a £69 upfront cost, and will be available from 28 February.</P><br /><P>You can also buy it on PAYG though, and it's at a relatively cheap £449.99 if you want to go down this route. Three is also throwing in a pair of Sony headphones worth £300 for the first 1000 customers to nab one, but chances are that deal will be sucked up faster than a Dyson hopped up on Red Bull.</P><br /><H3>Vodafone</H3><br /><P>Big Red has done a blog post outlining some of the specs you'll have read about loads already, but it's also managed to confirm via <A href="https://twitter.com/VodafoneUK/status/297296460674912257">Twitter </A>that it will be stocking the phone from 28 February. You annoyingly can't pre-order yet, but we're sure it will pop up pretty soon.</P><br /><H3>EE / Orange / T-Mobile</H3><br /><P>Nothing from this tri-headed behemoth as yet, but we've asked the question and it has promised to furnish us with details as they become available.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Sony Xperia Z" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Sony/XperiaZ/HandsOn/XperiaZ-HandsOn-15-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><H3>Phones 4U</H3><br /><P>The independent retailer is already open for pre-registration on this top-end phone, and has now updated its listing to reveal prices and a special gift* for those that sign up.</P><br /><P>The Xperia Z will be landing on 28 February (if you're not seeing the pattern here, shame on you) and will start at £36 a month on a range of networks.</P><br /><P>* It's those blasted Sony headphones again. The electronics brand must have a surplus it can't shift.</P><br /><H3>Carphone Warehouse</H3><br /><P>We're going to get a little quote-y on yo' asses now: "Carphone Warehouse, has confirmed that it will be stocking the brand new Sony Xperia Z from launch in February." Saves us from writing that.</P><br /><P>The retailer also confirmed that the Z will be available in later February to purchase, so it could beat Phones 4U to the punch of actually getting it into the hands of consumers.</P><br /><P>We're going to be updating this piece with prices and any more definitive release dates as and when we get them (plus the inevitable offers of more headphones for EVERYONE) – stay with us during this difficult time.</P><br /><P align=center><A href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=Sony%20Xperia%20Z&linkCode=ur2&rh=n%3A172282%2Cn%3A!493964%2Cn%3A2811119011%2Cn%3A2407749011%2Ck%3ASony%20Xperia%20Z&tag=freedown0f-20&url=node%3D2407749011" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><STRONG>Buy Sony Xperia Z</STRONG></A></P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-53576728501251310052013-02-02T12:18:00.001-08:002013-02-02T12:18:34.452-08:00Week in Tech: It's the circle of life, it's the wheel of gadgets<IMG alt="Week in Tech: It's the circle of life, it's the wheel of gadgets" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/events/BB10Launch/BB10Event-15-470-75.JPG"> <br /><P>If you've seen The Lion King - and if you have kids, or if you ever were a kid, you've probably seen it hundreds of times - you'll know about the <EM>Circle of Life</EM>. <A href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwSKkKrUzUk">"It moves us all through despair and hope, through faith and love,"</A> says Rafiki the baboon, who also notes that "the past can hurt... you can either run from it or learn from it." </P><br /><P>That's true in tech, too!</P><br /><P>This week, we saw the circle of life in full effect: one noble platform died, and a new one was born - and we found ourselves wondering whether the company formerly known as RIM would run from the past or learn from it. </P><br /><H3>New shoots at BlackBerry</H3><br /><P>RIM used to be the king of Pride Rock, the go-to phone firm for road warriors, executives and email addicts, but as Mufasa says, "a king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun" - and in recent years RIM's sun appeared to be setting. The BlackBerry platform has lost market share to Apple and Android, and its brand new BB10 operating system, which is designed to see it through the next decade, has been plagued by delays. </P><br /><P>Now, though, BlackBerry's back! There's a new OS, <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/blackberry-10-1090522/review">BlackBerry 10</A>. There's a new, flagship, touchscreen phone, the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-z10-1128348/review">BlackBerry Z10</A>. There's a new QWERTY phone, the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-q10-review-1128349/review">BlackBerry Q10</A>. There's a new company name - it's BlackBerry now, not Research in Motion - and even the poor old <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/rim-is-so-excited-it-wont-tell-us-what-went-wrong-with-blackberry-1128385">BlackBerry PlayBook</A> is getting an upgrade.</P><br /><P>It's exciting stuff, so exciting that RIM-sorry-BlackBerry's European MD made himself look like Rafiki's backside during a <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/rim-is-so-excited-it-wont-tell-us-what-went-wrong-with-blackberry-1128385">BBC interview</A> when he was so excited he couldn't answer any questions.</P><br /><H3>Back in 10?</H3><br /><P>BlackBerry might not be good at answering questions, but we are - and the big one is, of course, "are the new devices and the new OS any good?" Reviewing the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-z10-1128348/review">BlackBerry Z10</A>, John McCann is cautiously impressed. While the BlackBerry Z10 is "an unassuming slab of black glass and plastic which mimics the general aesthetic design of many a smartphone" and feels a bit plasticky, it is "a decent all round phone" with a good camera, a decent messaging hub, lightning fast web browsing and other goodies. However, "the jury is still out on BlackBerry 10." It's nice to see a new OS, but not everyone wants to learn yet another system. In a word, it's "decent" - pretty good, but not jaw-droppingly brilliant.</P><br /><P>That's a worry, says Gareth Beavis, because BlackBerry faces "an almost impossible task to win over smartphone users". There's "a massively understocked app store compared to rivals", it isn't cheap, and there aren't any must-have "killer apps". Here's the d-word again: It's a "decent enough product", but it doesn't offer "a game-changing experience".</P><br /><P>"Five years ago that would have been enough," Gary Marshall says, "but today many are wondering whether a good-enough phone is good enough to save the BlackBerry platform. What happened? Ten things spring to mind." Marshall's <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/ten-ways-to-bury-a-blackberry-1128571">list of major strategic mistakes, idiocy and sheer bad luck</A> reads like a Carry On film - <EM>Carry On Losing Market Share</EM>, perhaps - featuring Bono, twin CEOs, riots and massive network outages. However, as Pumbaa the warthog points out, "you got to put your behind in your past" - and by binning the RIM name and its old OS, the newly anointed BlackBerry has done just that.</P><br /><H3>Symbian says goodbye</H3><br /><P>As the new BlackBerry said hello, <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/from-birth-to-death-why-nokias-symbian-was-the-future-of-mobile-tech-1127653">Symbian said goodbye</A>: Nokia's venerable mobile OS is no more. Marshall shed a tear. "We've gone through an awful lot of Symbian phones over the years," he recalls, but "Nokia neglected what [CEO] Stephen Elop would later describe as a 'burning platform', failing to take the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> threat seriously enough quickly enough, inventing but not shipping devices awfully like today's <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A>s and <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A>s, and getting bogged down in bickering and bureaucracy... in Symbian, Nokia had an OS - but what it didn't have was time to build an ecosystem to rival Apple and Google." Here's hoping BlackBerry doesn't follow in its footsteps.</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-43943274914205650732013-02-02T12:15:00.000-08:002013-02-02T12:16:06.289-08:00Zuck: We really aren't making a Facebook phone, what will it take to make you believe us?<IMG alt="Zuck: We really aren't making a Facebook phone, what will it take to make you believe us?" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/internet/Facebook/Facebook_on_iPhone-470-75.jpg"><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=16&l=st1&mode=wireless-phones&search=new sony unlocked phone&fc1=000000<1=_blank&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" width="468" height="336" border="0" frameborder="0" style="border:none;" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><br /><P>"We're not going to build a phone" - so said Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook's earnings call yesterday, trying <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/zuckerberg-native-android-app-on-the-way-no-facebook-phone-1096449">once again</A> to put those Facebook phone rumours to bed. </P><br /><P>He's said it <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/zuckerberg-native-android-app-on-the-way-no-facebook-phone-1096449">before</A> - that making a Facebook phone would be "the wrong strategy" - but it failed to stop the gears of the tech rumour mill turning. </P><br /><P>This time, the young CEO was more emphatic: "We're not going to build a phone. It's not the right strategy for us to build one integrated system... Let's say we sell 10 million units - that would be 1 per cent of users. Who cares for us?"</P><br /><H3>10 million units, no big deal</H3><br /><P>He's starting to sound <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/ballmer-brands-dropbox-a-little-startup-for-its-paltry-100-million-users-1128425">a bit Ballmer</A> as he continues, "We have a billion people using our products and we need to make Facebook really good across all the devices that they use.</P><br /><P>"Rather than just building an app that's a version of the functionality that you have today, I think making it so that we can just go deeper and deeper is going to be a big focus for us."</P><br /><P>While it's not obvious what that means, we wouldn't be surprised to see the social network at least working more closely with the big phone manufacturers and software-makers to bed the network more deeply into phones' operating systems. It's already baked pretty well in to Android and iOS, but it sounds like Facebook wants to go even further. </P><br /><P>So Facebook won't make a phone of its own, but that doesn't mean it's not "a mobile company" - Zuck's words, because for the first time ever <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/facebook-mobile-usage-outstrips-web-for-first-time-ever-1128489">more people are using Facebook from mobile devices</A> than on the web. </P><br /><P>Okay Zuck. No Facebook phone. We believe you. (Just.)</P><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=16&l=st1&mode=wireless-phones&search=new nokia lumia unlocked phone&fc1=000000<1=_blank&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" width="468" height="336" border="0" frameborder="0" style="border:none;" scrolling="no"></iframe><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-41322072204172000952013-02-02T12:09:00.001-08:002013-02-02T12:09:23.931-08:00review: Sky Go Extra<IMG alt="Hands-on review: Sky Go Extra" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/broadcast/Sky/Sky-Go-Extra-IPad-Jan-2013-470-75.jpg"><br /><P>Sky Go Extra is an extension of the existing Sky Go app and brings premium content to your mobile as well as allowing you to download movies and television programmes to a laptop, tablet or mobile phone for viewing offline. </P><br /><P>We've given the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> and <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> versions a good going over, which offer similar functionality to the Android app. </P><br /><P>Sky Go has proven to be a popular choice for the company's subscribers, allowing them to stream the content they subscribe to when they they have a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. </P><br /><P>The Extra app, as the name suggests, extends that functionality into offline usability, meaning that you can load your device up with movies and TV content. This offline availability - which remains for up 30 days from download or 48 hours from when you hit play - is a key addition, but it does come at a monthly price of £5. </P><br /><P>It's also worth bearing in mind that this £5 still only allows you to download the content that you subscribe to with Sky - so if you don't have the movies package on your Sky TV deal then you won't have access on Sky Go Extra through either streaming or download. </P><br /><P>That £5 fee for downloads is likely to be the major sticking point for many people - especially if you are already paying for the content as part of a hefty TV package. But an upside for those who do decide to shell out the extra fee is that they can up the number of devices linked to their Sky account from two to four. </P><br /><P>The main competitors to this kind of subscription content deal are Lovefilm (owned by Amazon) and Netflix - but both of these services offer streaming, like the original Sky Go service, and not the ability to cache content for offline viewing. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Sky Go update app " src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Sky/SKyGoExtra_non16x9/sky_go_update-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><H3>UI</H3><br /><P>Onto the experience; for those with the Sky Go app then it is merely an update to that - the logo is the same and the 'Extra' bit is really only obvious when you are in the app. </P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="Sky Go Extra splash" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Sky/SKyGoExtra_non16x9/advertising-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>When you first open it, chances are you will not have signed up for the extra services so you will see splash screens encouraging you to do so. You will see the two key additions - a download tab in the main navigation and, when you are looking at content in the on demand section, the presence of a download button on most of the content. </P><br /><P>If you happen to click this without having a Sky Go Extra account you will be given a brief message explaining that this isn't for the likes of you, and that you need to go and set up the additional service on your account. You can do this through the website or on the phone and, let's face it, it isn't the most elegant part of the experience.</P><br /><P>That pain point out of the way, when you have signed up (and rebooted the app) you can now use the shiny new buttons to your heart's content. </P><br /><P>The service itself is incredibly easy to use, and will be familiar to anyone who uses the BBC iPlayer download system. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="No account" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Sky/SKyGoExtra_non16x9/noaccount-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>You can browse through to the content that you want - be it film or television - and then when you see the download button on the description, just click and set it going. One minor niggle is that you don't get told how your download is progressing from the content itself - for that you need to go the downloads tab - but if you have already downloaded the content then the download option is greyed out and changes to 'downloaded'. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Content choices" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Sky/SKyGoExtra_non16x9/sge_filmchoice-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>If you have active downloads running then the downloads tab will have a pulsing icon, and when you go through you will be able to see what you are downloading (and how the download is progressing), what is queued to download and what you have already downloaded. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Downloads pulsing" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Sky/SKyGoExtra_non16x9/sge_downloads_tab-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>An edit button will allow you to delete the content you no longer want or want to download. It will also allow you to pause or resume the download, start playback and also displays how long you have to watch the content. </P><br /><P>For content you have started watching this will be a portion of 48 hours, for most non-watched movies then you have 30 days (which will show as 29). Catch up TV shows wil often only have seven days to view after the date of broadcast and some movies will have limited time if they are about to go off of Sky's service. This is annoying, but down to licensing restrictions.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Downloads page" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Sky/SKyGoExtra_non16x9/sge_downloads-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>You can only download one thing at a time, which is a little frustrating but to be expected - and downloads pause when you are not in the app, which means that you can't just get on with something else on your tablet.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="iPhone SGE menu" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Sky/SKyGoExtra_non16x9/sge_iphone_menu-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>The phone experience is very similar - the downloads tab drags down from the top of the app and the screens are optimised for phone. </P><br /><P>Obviously you also keep all the Sky Go functionality you had before - allowing you to stream movies, TV and sports either live or on demand.</P><br /><P>Neither streaming nor downloads are availble in HD - which is a bit of shame - with file sizes obviously dependent on the length of the content. </P><br /><P>Our biggest movie download so far was <EM>Gangs of New York</EM> which weighed in at well over 1GB. </P><br /><P>There is no limit set on the amount you download beyond the amount of storage you have - and you can store to an SD card on Android although it will only play back on the device you downloaded it to. </P><br /><H3>Content </H3><br /><P>One of Sky's big selling points will be the 'freshness' of its content. It is billing Sky Go Extra as the UK's first service to offer downloadable Hollywood movies as part of a subscription, and with many major series on catch-up, its own drama and comedy offerings and 'box sets' of some iconic series, the impressive movie offering is not the only string to its content bow. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Sherlock on Sky Go Extra" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Sky/SKyGoExtra_non16x9/sge_downloaded_search-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>WIth the likes of Lovefilm and Netflix you are unlikely to get the last burst of major movies - with both choosing big old libraries of old titles over expensive new blockbusters. </P><br /><P>That could well work in Sky's favour; its existing relationship with studios has helped bring it to a place where studios are okay with the download system and the opening salvo of available titles at launch is already impressive. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Watch only" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Sky/SKyGoExtra_non16x9/sge_contentonlywatchable-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The likes of <EM>The Grey, Tron Legacy, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Hanna</EM> and <EM>Cleanskin</EM> were all there for our download pleasure, along with older gems like <EM>Rambo: First Blood Part II</EM>. </P><br /><P>There were some surprising gaps, however, although it remains to be seen if they are ironed out. <EM>Anchorman</EM> was available to stream but not download, and many of the Sky commissioned and owned series like <EM>Mad Dogs</EM> were also not available for the Extra service. </P><br /><H3>Early verdict </H3><br /><P>There will be plenty of grumbling about the amount of money that it costs to get Sky Go Extra - especially given that there is a bolt-on fee on top of the subscription people already pay - but there's no denying that this is a well designed, incredibly well stocked service. </P><br /><P>For those people who already have Sky Go and the movies subscription, the extra £5 buys a service that will be incredibly useful for anyone that travels, has patchy service or just wants to have more freedom in when they can watch some spectacular content.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="iPhone SGE complete" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Sky/SKyGoExtra_non16x9/phone_download_complete-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Aside from the cost the service is not perfect - the sign up is clumsy, there is no HD option and some content is mysteriously unavailable at the moment - but this is nitpicking at a service which provides something we simply haven't seen enough of.</P><br /><P>This unlocks premium content like movies in a way that is incredibly powerful - not being constrained by the pesky streaming woes of otherwise superb services like Lovefilm, Netflix - and, of course original Sky Go means that, for a significant cost, you are masters of your own viewing. </P><br /><P>The movies are fresh and new, the TV catch-up is great for commuting and the whole service is an ideal solution for those that are time poor and connection light. £5 is not a hefty price to pay - but it is an annoyance for many and will be a major talking point for Sky Go Extra. </P><br /><P>And that's a shame, because it is otherwise pretty much exactly what people have been demanding for their shiny tablets and phones for years; and the service itself is lovely. </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-17436421339080120322013-02-02T12:05:00.000-08:002013-02-02T12:06:14.566-08:00Review: Acer Iconia W510<IMG alt="Review: Acer Iconia W510" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_04-470-75.jpg"> <IFRAME style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginHeight=0 src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B009P7JJEC" frameBorder=0 marginWidth=0 scrolling=no></IFRAME>Introduction and Design <br /><P>Don't let the Acer Iconia W510 and its hearty hinge confuse you. It's a tablet, not one of those convertible laptops you've been seeing lately. It may transform into three different modes, but it's a <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A> slate with a keyboard dock, pure and simple.</P><br /><P>Why? Because its 10.2-inch form factor and low-wattage Atom processor make it less than functional for all but the most basic computing tasks. Despite running the full version of Windows 8, it has more in common with the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/microsoft-surface-rt-1085839/review">Microsoft Surface RT</A> than a true convertible like <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/lenovo-thinkpad-helix-1123323/review">Lenovo Thinkpad Helix</A>.</P><br /><P><IMG title="The Iconia W510 in tablet, productivity and presentation mode" alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_01-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Our configuration of the Acer Iconia W510 packs a 1.8GHz Intel Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, and a 64GB SSD. It retails for $750, half of what true transformers like the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/hp-envy-x2-1094171/review">HP Envy X2</A> go for, but don't mistake the W510 for a value. This is <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> pricing without <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> performance, and for just a $100 more, you could get a more functional, albeit heavier, Windows 8 laptop. Or you could get a sleek Surface RT, preloaded with Microsoft Office. </P><br /><P>Though the thought of a full Windows 8 slate, keyboard stand included, might be tempting, the Acer Iconia W510 is not suited to be to the solo computing option for anyone but the lightest of users. It's meant to be someone's second or even third device. Portability and battery life are its only true selling points, but its that unfortunate device that's easy enough to haul, but barely functional enough to justify its presence in your bag.</P><br /><H3>Design</H3><br /><P>As we said, the Acer Iconia W510 is not a laptop or ultrabook, it's a tablet. You can even buy it sans keyboard stand for $500. We wouldn't want to though, since the stand provides extra battery life and the machine's only full size USB port.</P><br /><P><IMG title="A light build makes it easy to carry" alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_19-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>On the tablet itself there's mini-HDMI and USB, a microSD port, headphone jack, volume rocker and charging port, so it really can fly solo without the keyboard dock.</P><br /><P>The overall design of the Iconia W510 is defined by one thing: size. At just 10.2-inches and weighing less than two pounds, it's tiny, cute even. While this is an excellent form factor for a tablet, when you drop the W510 into its dock and start to type, you'll feel its limitation immediately.</P><br /><P><IMG title="Pops off the stand with the slide of a switch" alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_23-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>In ultrabook-esque productivity mode, we found the W510's keyboard annoying and cramped to type on. 11-inches is as small as you can go and still fit a standard laptop keyboard on your machine. Since Acer went below that form factor, some sacrifices have been made. Keys are small, shallow and the touchpad is tiny too.</P><br /><P>Banging away on this very review, we often missed keys and always felt as though we were hunched over the thing. Overall, we found the keyboard adequate for email, but not something we'd want to do any real word processing on. Just fifteen minutes or so of composing on the Iconia W510 had us dying to get back to our <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/lenovo-ideapad-yoga-1094131/review">Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga</A> or <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/macbook-pro-13-inch-with-retina-display-1112164/review">MacBook Pro</A>, anything with a full, more functional keyboard.</P><br /><P><IMG title="Home and other keys have been relagated to FN commands" alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_22-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The touchpad is torturous. It's tiny and sensitive like a gnome with emotional issues. Mousing around, the arrow tended to flit all about the screen any time we applied our pointer finger with anything less than extreme precision. Unless you plan to stick with touching the screen, a wireless travel mouse is a must for the W510. Make sure its bluetooth or you'll be giving up your only USB port to a wireless dongle.</P><br /><P>The touchpad is not also not multi-touch capable. This means no dragging two fingers to scroll a web page or slide the Start Screen. This is a corner that really shouldn't have been cut, since the shrunken keyboard makes Home, End, Page Up and Page Down keys into function keys. Make sure your travel mouse has a scroll wheel.</P><br /><P><IMG title="No multi-touch here" alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_26-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Finally, the whole thing is unbalanced. Though the hinge is sturdy and keeps the screen in whatever position you choose, the thing tends to fall overt backwards at anything other than a ninety degree angle. The tablet/screen houses all the internals, outweighing the dock, giving it a tendency to fall over backwards when placed on anything other than a flat desktop. That's a mighty flaw for a travel-oriented machine.</P><br /><H3>Specifications and Performance</H3><br /><P>The Acer Iconia W510 has Intel inside, but not a chip we've seen in awhile. It runs on the Atom processor, which was introduced a few years ago with the first wave of netbooks. This is, of course, an updated version, but at just 1.8 GHz dual-core, it's not terribly modern.</P><br /><BLOCKQUOTE>OS: Windows 8<BR>Processor: Atom<BR>Display: 1366 x 768<BR>Graphics: Intel GMA 3650<BR>RAM: 2 GB<BR>Storage: 64GB SSD<BR>Weight: 1.32 pounds (0.59 kg)</BLOCKQUOTE><br /><P>The Atom is supported by 2GB of RAM and you've got 64GB of SSD to fill up, minus the space taken up by <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A> and few Acer applications.</P><br /><H3>Performance</H3><br /><P>This low-energy processor does wonders for the Iconia W510's battery life, but it makes for inconsistent performance, especially when multitasking. Browsing in either Internet Explorer or Google Chrome was a pleasant experience when it was the only thing we were doing. With three or more programs active at once, websites loaded in a herky jerky fashion. Sometimes a page displayed quickly, but the machine would take a few seconds before we could scroll or click a link.</P><br /><P><IMG title="The Iconia W510 with AC adapter" alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_21-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The Iconia W510 handled games like <EM>Angry Birds: Star Wars</EM> and <EM>Where's My Water</EM> just fine, but the machine's specs limit you tablet titles. Real PC gaming is basically out of the question. We were able to get playable framerates in the eight year old <EM>Half-Life 2</EM>, but anything more modern than that, such as <EM>Far Cry 2</EM>, proved too much for it to handle. The W510 is capable of basic Photoshop use, but forget about doing any sort of HD rendering.</P><br /><P>However, that power-sipping processor does have one massive benefit: great battery life. Acer's estimation is 18 hours when using the dock, and we generally got numbers just slightly south of that. The W510 consistently pulled 16 hour days, with use ranging from word processing, email, web browsing and some Netflix and YouTube streaming.</P><br /><P><IMG title="The W510 is a tablet at heart" alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_17-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Using just the tablet still results in very respectable battery performance. We averaged 8 hours when going dockless. The W510 might be unpowered, but it's certainly not unreliable.</P><br /><H3>Hands on gallery</H3><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_04-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_02-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_03-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_07-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_06-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_08-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_09-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_05-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_10-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_11-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_12-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_13-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_14-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_15-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_16-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><H3>Verdict</H3><br /><P>With <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A> going all touchy-feely, the PC space is starting to get a tad schizophrenic. Touchscreen laptops are common, as are ultrabooks that want to be tablets, and now we've even got portable all-in-ones like the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/acer-iconia-w700-1094348/review">Acer W700</A>. Full Windows 8 or not, the Acer W510 is a tablet, though it wishes it were a convertible ultrabook.</P><br /><P><IMG title="A 10-inch touchscreen" alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_24-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>In trying to be everything to everyone, it embraces the tired old "Jack of all trades, master of none" cliche. While we loved the portability it offered, we'd rather sacrifice our shoulders and haul a heftier notebook with a full keyboard. Ten inches is great for a tablet, but for as a laptop replacement it just doesn't get the job done, and there's not enough pep in its processor to justify a $750 price tag. Additionally, the lack of a 3G/4G option prevents the W510 from being a true road warrior.</P><br /><H3>We liked</H3><br /><P>The Iconia W510 is so very portable. At 10.2-inches and weighing less than two pounds, it fits easily in a bag or large purse, and you'll likely forget you're even carrying it.</P><br /><P>The tablet itself gets excellent battery life, and when coupled with the dock it gets even better. The W510 can easily make it through the day on a single charge.</P><br /><P><IMG title="The hinge is sturdy, but the W510 is prone to tipping" alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_18-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Like any tablet, it's a great media consumption device. It performed perfectly when streaming web videos and watching Netflix.</P><br /><P>It's also a nicely built piece of machinery. The hinge is sturdy, the silver brushed metal exterior looks and feels good, and it looks more like a laptop than other more cobbled together looking tablet and dock setups.</P><br /><H3>We disliked</H3><br /><P>The keyboard. We hated it. Typing anything more than a paragraph or two was tortuous, and the touchpad is a real stinker too. It's tiny, very sensitive and not multi-touch. That means no two finger scrolling, a feature we've come to expect on laptops, even if they have a touchscreen.</P><br /><P>The processor is also not peppy enough for the W510's price point. What's the point of paying for a full Windows 8 machine if it can hardly run any Windows programs?</P><br /><P><IMG title="The keyboard is small with shallow keys" alt="Acer Iconia W510 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Acer/iconiaw510/review%20photos/Acer_Iconia_W510_25-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>While the hinge is very sturdy and keeps the screen nicely in place, it's a top heavy design. It tends to fall over backwards when used on a lap or couch cushion. That's rather precarious for something obviously built to travel.</P><br /><P>There also aren't enough ports on the thing. One full size USB port is tough to swallow, especially since you'll like use it up with a wireless mouse to compensate for the W510 miserable touchpad.</P><br /><P>Finally, the price. The W510 is too expensive for the limited functionality it offers.</P><br /><H3>Final verdict</H3><br /><P>Do not purchase the Acer W510 to be your solo computing option. The compatibility of full Windows 8 is tempting, but the internals aren't powerful enough to support the most relevant software. The real deal breaker, however, is how cramped the overall build of the thing is. Let us reiterate that this is meant to be someone's second or even third device, something good for media consumption and light work or gaming when on the go.</P><br /><P>We're obviously not crazy about this machine, but there is one customer we'd recommend the Acer Iconia W510 to. That'd be someone looking to upgrade from a dated tablet who often types on a third-party keyboard. If you're using an <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> 2 with a ugly keyboard stand, and like the idea of getting a decent Windows 8 tablet bundled with typing dock that provides extra battery, then we would recommend you check out this machine. Go into a store and try typing on it, and make sure the keyboard suits your needs, because it didn't suit ours.</P><br /><P>Really though, there are better ways to spend your money. For less cash you could pick up a <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/google-nexus-7-1087040/review">Nexus 7</A> or <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/google-nexus-10-1109003/review">Nexus 10</A>, or even a brand new <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A>, and pair it with a bluetooth keyboard.</P><br /><P>If it's the promise of portability and productivity that intrigues you, spend just a little more money and get a real ultrabook, an 11-incher with real keyboard. Your fingers will thank you. Or just get a full-on laptop. You shoulder may hate you after hauling it all day, but you'll be getting a lot more computing power for money. </P><br /><P>Finally, if it's a real convertible you're after, you're just going to have to pony up. Investigate the The <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/hp-envy-x2-1094171/review">HP Envy X2</A>, the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/lenovo-thinkpad-helix-1123323/review">Thinkpad Helix</A> or the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/microsoft-surface-rt-1085839/review">Surface RT</A>, or wait for the soon-to-debut <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/microsoft-surface-pro-1123800/review">Surface Pro</A>.</P><br /><P>We're not big fans of <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-rt-1113319/review">Windows RT</A>, so we can't believe we're saying this, but the W510 might have been better off as an RT device. Mainly for the Microsoft Office apps that are included with RT. Remember, Windows 8 doesn't come bundled with Word or Excel, so you'll be dropping even more cash to get your W510 functional. We say no thanks.</P><IFRAME style="WIDTH: 120px; HEIGHT: 240px" marginHeight=0 src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B009P7JJEC" frameBorder=0 marginWidth=0 scrolling=no></IFRAME><br /><P> </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-82869434624743777882013-02-02T11:56:00.001-08:002013-02-02T11:56:58.652-08:00Review: Microsoft Surface RT<IMG alt="Review: Microsoft Surface RT" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/tablets/Microsoft/Surface/Press/Surface-Press-02-470-75.jpg"> <br /><H3 align=center><A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XNBFJK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009XNBFJK&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy Microsoft Surface</A></H3><br /><H3>Introduction and features</H3><br /><P>In tablets, the big guns have big names. Apple has its <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> 4 and Google has the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/google-nexus-10-1109003/review">Nexus 10</A>. And, if Microsoft is to take on the might of Apple and Google in the tablet space with <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A>, it needs a big name of its own.</P><br /><P>So welcome Microsoft Surface. The new tablet isn't just the big poster boy for Windows 8, but for <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/windows-8-vs-windows-rt-whats-the-difference-1086980">Windows RT</A> too, the brand-new version of Windows 8 designed for ARM. (There's also an Intel version running Windows 8, called <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/microsoft-surface-pro-1123800/review">Surface Pro</A>.)</P><br /><UL><br /><LI>Find out: <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/windows-8-vs-windows-rt-whats-the-difference-1086980">Windows 8 vs Windows RT: what's the difference?</A></LI></UL><br /><P>Creating a flagship brand for Windows 8 is a clever move, no doubt a tactic learned from the success of the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-nexus-1039209/review">Samsung Galaxy Nexus</A> that heralded <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/android-4-0-ice-cream-sandwich-1043150/review">Ice Cream Sandwich</A>, the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/google-nexus-7-1087040/review">Google Nexus 7</A> for <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/android-4-1-jelly-bean-1087230/review">Jelly Bean</A>, and more recently, the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/google-nexus-10-1109003/review">Nexus 10</A> for the completely anonymous <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/android-4-2-release-date-news-and-features-1107255">Android 4.2</A>.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Microsoft/Surface/Press/Microsoft%20Surface%20with%20Windows%208%20Pro-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>However, there's no danger of Surface being branded as a clone of rival 10-inch tablets.</P><br /><DIV class=boxout><A href="http://clkuk.tradedoubler.com/click?p(81570)a(2049289)g(17658910)url(http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msuk/en_GB/cat/ThemeID.30273200/categoryID.60118200)" rel="nofollow">Buy the Microsoft Surface direct from the Microsoft Store</A></DIV><br /><P>It boasts a distinctive design, helped by those unmistakable keyboard covers, enjoys a 10.6-inch widescreen display, and runs Windows 8, the most popular operating system on the planet. But there's a crippling caveat which might be its undoing.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050012-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Windows RT won't run old PC programs, so any trip to the internet to download legacy programs such as VLC Player, or even big-name offerings like Photoshop Elements, just won't work.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050015-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>It has the potential to cause mass confusion and the power to sink Microsoft's figurehead before it's even taken off.</P><br /><P>On picking up the Surface one single sentiment falls from the mouth of every man, woman or child without fail: "It's thicker than I thought."</P><br /><P>That is factually nonsense. At 9.4mm thick, it's exactly the same thickness as the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> 4, except that instead of masking its true girth with tapered edges, Surface's design looks as if it's been chiseled from a slab of slate. </P><br /><P>It's square and boxy, but fresh looking and the magnesium 'VaporMg' coating gives it a cool finish.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050006-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>At 690g Microsoft Surface is noticeably heavier than its rivals. The <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> 4 weighs 650g due to shedding an inch of screen, but Surface feels richer for the extra space. </P><br /><P>The 16:9 screen is suited to Windows, it enables you to multitask apps and 'snap' them literally side by side. It feels like you're using a laptop and that's a big leap towards a genuine hybrid experience.</P><br /><P>Of course, the rear kickstand is an iconic part of Surface. It's also made of metal, and does a good job of propping up your tablet - to an angle of 22 degrees - even when on your lap. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050002-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>However, we'd have liked it to be more adjustable – at the moment it has just one position – and a button release would also be handy as you need nimble fingers to pull out the stand.</P><br /><P>It's also larger than the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> - the screen is a 10.6-inch 1366x768 IPS panel, which falls short of the full HD displays of the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/sony-vaio-duo-11-1094047/review">Sony VAIO Duo 11</A> and <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/asus-taichi-1093863/review">Asus Taichi</A>, but still looks clear and crisp.</P><br /><P>It's not going to win any awards for screen vibrancy, and certainly never going to challenge Retina, but it's good enough - and helps Microsoft keep the price down to a reasonable level. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050013-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>A keyboard-less 32GB Surface costs £399, the same as an <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> 4 with half the storage.</P><br /><P>Under the hood is an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, with the ARM technology that drives this new Windows RT operating system. It's the same you'll find in high flying Android tablets such as the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/asus-transformer-prime-1045764/review">Asus Transformer Prime</A> and <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/google-nexus-7-1087040/review">Google Nexus 7</A>. There's also 2GB of RAM.</P><br /><P>We'd love to say that it walked through every task that we threw at it, but in all honesty, we feel that Tegra struggles in Windows. </P><br /><P>The system felt responsive to navigate but apps lingered on their splash screens for uncomfortable periods, seconds longer than they should. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/screenshots/loading%20splash%20screen-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>There was no jerkiness or hangs, just a lethargy that frustrates when you're in a hurry.</P><br /><P>We tested the 64GB Microsoft Surface, which offers plenty of storage, and even a Micro SDSX port hidden under the kickstand, which enables you to boost storage by another 64GB. </P><br /><P>That makes Surface a great deal when you consider that you can get nearly 100GB of storage for the same price as the 16GB <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A>. That's also not including the USB port for connecting USB storage, as well as traditional Windows peripherals. </P><br /><P>Being able to plug in a memory stick in is especially refreshing, and makes Surface a genuine alternative to the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A>.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050003-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>There's currently no 3G option for Surface, and with no dongles compatible with Windows RT at present, that's not an option right now.</P><br /><P>Of course, one of the headline features is the Touch Cover, the clip-on keyboard that enables you to use your Surface as either a tablet or laptop. It feels shockingly light, as if it's made of cardboard. </P><br /><P>Typing takes some getting used to, and the click sound that's used to denote a successful key press is essential to effective typing, as the lack of tactile feedback can be disorientating.</P><br /><P>However, the keys are sensitive and speed typing is certainly possible with a few hours of practice. </P><br /><P>What's more, despite the flat keyboard feeling like it's been hewn from old egg boxes, it features a multi-touch trackpad, should you want to use a mouse while in the traditional Windows interface. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050015-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The Touch Cover maybe a triumph of design but we would heartily recommend investing in the Type Cover for comfortable typing.</P><br /><P>This offers a much more natural typing experience, and is one of the most spacious tablet keyboard accessories we've used. </P><br /><P>It's much more comfortable and can easily be used for longer periods, but it does have an annoying flex in the middle, so the keys tend to bounce if you're a heavy typist. </P><br /><P>We'd still recommend it, but it will cost you: the Type Cover costs an extra £110, rather than £80 for the Touch Cover. </P><br /><H3>Interface, performance </H3><br /><P>Microsoft Surface runs Windows RT in its purest and most vanilla form. <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A> doesn't have the capacity for skinning that we've seen on the likes of Android, although we wouldn't put it past some manufacturers to add their own awful overlays.</P><br /><P>If you're not familiar with Windows 8, let us give you a quick synopsis. Windows 8 and <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-7-622923/review">Windows 7</A> are essentially identical, except that the Start menu has been axed in favour of a Start screen, a giant colourfully-tiled HTML 5 overlay, through which everything must be run. </P><br /><P>You can drop back to the traditional desktop, but without the Start button, you'll find it extremely limited.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/screenshots/interface%201-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The Start-screen menu is a big jump even for the most experienced Windows user, but it doesn't take long to show its worth, and it's clear after a few hours of use that it's intuitive, beautifully designed and solidly built.</P><br /><P>The big tiles, which push information such as new emails and news headlines to you, are super touch-friendly, which is perfect for tablets such as Surface, and can be moved around to create a custom mix not only of apps, but also pin contacts, books, movies and more. </P><br /><P>The only criticism of the Start screen is Windows 8's appearance of 'my first PC', and power users are the most likely to bemoan its introduction. </P><br /><P>The same back end is present, but to access it one must use the search charms from the right-hand corner. </P><br /><P>Of course, there are already hacks and workarounds to restore Windows 8 to its normal state, but for touchscreen devices like Surface, this would be a disaster.</P><br /><P>A common misconception is that the traditional desktop isn't available in Windows RT, but that's not true; it's accessed via the desktop tile on the Start screen, but its relevance is severely diminished. </P><br /><P>As Windows RT can't run traditional programs you need to use the old style Windows Explorer less, but it's still on hand for browsing file systems, USB sticks, organising folders and more.</P><br /><P>The 'charm' bar to the right also includes search and share buttons and these are threaded through every part of the OS, from files to settings, to the information held within apps. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/screenshots/interface%203-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Another triumph is the on-screen keyboard, which is large, sensitive and easy to use. It's not as smart as some third-party keyboards on Android, but we typed with two hands quickly and accurately and the extra inch of screen space made it much easier to use than its iOS counterpart.</P><br /><P>We had a few problems with the large keyboard panel blocking information we needed, but the icon to show or hide the keyboard is always on hand in the bottom-right corner of the desktop. </P><br /><P>As we've already mentioned, performance is a slightly mixed bag. The system is always responsive, with silky smooth transitions and snappy navigation. </P><br /><P>However, we found that some apps were slow to load, with lingering splash screens. What's more, 1080p playback was a few frames per second short of perfect. </P><br /><P>While we wouldn't say that the Tegra 3 chip performed appallingly, there's certainly no headroom, and it seems to be the graphics core that struggled most. </P><br /><P>Multitasking apps never missed a beat, but it was loading the graphically-intensive apps and movies that showed the biggest strain on the processor. </P><br /><P>Even some basic games ran at a noticeably low frame rate, so it seems that Windows RT might need some optimisation.</P><br /><H3>Browser</H3><br /><P>With <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A>, Internet Explorer 10 comes in two flavours, the traditional desktop version and a 'metro' or 'Modern UI' version that runs within Windows RT's HTML 5 Start screen.</P><br /><P>The former is exactly the experience you'd find on any <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-7-622923/review">Windows 7</A> PC, and the pros and cons of Internet Explorer are covered extensively in our review here. </P><br /><P>It works well, is snappy and responsive, but the experience is woeful on a touchscreen device, with tiny areas making navigation painful.</P><br /><P>Enter the new Windows 8 version, which offers a touch-friendly interface for users of devices such as Surface. </P><br /><P>It takes a little getting used to, with tabs revealed by swiping from the top, for example, and the lack of plug-ins and features again will leave power users frustrated. </P><br /><P>The experience is enhanced because all superfluous elements have to be toggled, such as the address bar, options and tabs. You have to swipe from the bottom or top to reveal these features, which leaves the viewing experience clean and pure.</P><br /><P>Tilt the tablet into portrait mode and IE reflows the page smartly, although the change was far from snappy and sites often stopped responding momentarily.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/screenshots/browser%20bookmarks-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Bookmarks, however, are a huge oversight of the Modern UI version of Internet Explorer.</P><br /><P>To open a bookmarked site you need to load a blank tab, and then scroll across to one of your favourites. It's unintuitive and unsuited to large amounts of favourites and will certainly cause frustration for people who are used to using large lists of bookmarks.</P><br /><P>We also found that compatibility with some sites was lacking, showing that, like the Windows Store, the 'metro' version of Internet Explorer is still a work in progress.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/screenshots/browser%203%20options-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Some sites became unresponsive and sometimes elements wouldn't load. An example of this is close to home: the comments section on TechRadar doesn't load in Internet Explorer, and there are plenty of these types of quirks, or errors as we like to call them, which make using the built-in browser frustrating.</P><br /><P>Hopefully Microsoft can iron out these problems quickly, because it does detract from a smooth, clear and visually pleasing experience. </P><br /><P>Pinch-and-zoom was fast and responsive, fonts rendered quickly, and sites filled the 16:9 screen to offer an excellent experience. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/screenshots/browser%201-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>What's more, with flash support built in, Microsoft has the opportunity to provide the best tablet browsing experience on the market.</P><br /><P>Of course, you could try a different browser, but as this is Windows RT you can only choose from what's on offer on Windows Store. At the time of writing, Mozilla is preparing a version of Firefox but it's yet to appear, and there's no Google Chrome or Opera yet.</P><br /><H3>Media (movies, music, games, books etc)</H3><br /><P>Media is a key part of any tablet, and while Surface puts its emphasis heavily on multitasking and productivity, it's still a media consumption device.</P><br /><P>Microsoft has pulled a lot of its services together for <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A>, including providing two apps which plug into the well-established <A href="http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Games/b/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&node=14220161&tag=freedown0f-20">Xbox</A> Music and <A href="http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Games/b/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&node=14220161&tag=freedown0f-20">Xbox</A> Video apps which are supplied as standard on Surface RT. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/screenshots/video-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>These offer movie purchases and rentals and the Music app even enables free streaming of 30 million tracks, with a Spotify-style subscription model.</P><br /><P>If you want to know more about these in detail, then head over to the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8 review</A>, but it makes Surface an excellent media-focused device. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/screenshots/music-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The 16:9 aspect ratio means TV and movies look great, and Microsoft has also called in favours with the likes of Netflix for great content from third parties, and we hope there will be more to follow.</P><br /><P>In terms of the content on offer from Windows Store and the built-in <A href="http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Games/b/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&node=14220161&tag=freedown0f-20">Xbox</A> Store it's clear that Microsoft is still very much in third place in the lead up to Christmas. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/screenshots/store-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The selection of movies is incomplete, TV shows are too US focused and too expensive, games is a strong area for Windows but it's yet to take off and books are catered for almost soley by Kindle. </P><br /><P>As a device for enjoying them, however, Surface works well. The kickstand means you can prop it up to enjoy movies or shows on iPlayer (which work from within the browser in the absence of a dedicated app).</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/screenshots/cut%20the%20rope-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>There's also micro HDMI, which means that Surface can be connected to a TV or external display, and used in presentations much more easily than the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A>.</P><br /><P>Of course, Surface has a trick up its sleeve that the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> can only dream of. The ability to watch media files of all types and be able to load them via USB or MicroSD, rather than the annoying proprietary iTunes software, is a big coup for Surface.</P><br /><H3>Apps and games</H3><br /><P>One of the headline features of <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A> is the introduction of apps, and the Windows Store is the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/what-is-google-play-1073348">Google Play</A> and App Store of the Microsoft world.</P><br /><P>As many competitors have seen, having a packed app store is the only way to compete with the likes of the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A>, and Google's rapid expansion of its Play store has been a huge driving force of its recent success.</P><br /><P>Unfortunately, Microsoft has not been able to launch Windows Store with anything like enough apps to call its store a success. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/screenshots/interface%202-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>We have no doubt that soon Windows Store will be a thriving metropolis of new releases and with a huge install base predicted by the end of the first year, developers should be scrambling over themselves to be a part of Windows 8.</P><br /><P>However, we can only review what's in front of us, and at present, the Windows Store is not good enough. The big-name brands just aren't present, and while the store grows every day, the poor selection hobbles Surface's potency as a great tablet.</P><br /><P>The staggering part of the problem is that this is basic functionality. </P><br /><P>Microsoft is reported to be putting $1bn behind the marketing of Windows 8, but a fraction of this money could have been used to pay for the big name apps to be made: Sky Go, BBC iPlayer, Instagram, VLC, Google Chrome; they're just not there, and it's to Surface's detriment. </P><br /><P>There's no shame in putting money behind this kind of project, but allowing early adopters to experience this kind of app abyss is inexcusable.</P><br /><P>As a gaming device Microsoft Surface could be potent. While we have highlighted performance questions, there's no evidence of this manifesting in games so far, and as Windows is historically a gaming platform, this could mean an exciting future for tablets such as Surface. </P><br /><H3>Camera</H3><br /><P>Tablet cameras are destined to make the user look like a special kind of moron, but in the interests of personal choice Surface is equipped with a 5MP rear camera capable and a VGA front-facing lens. Both can also capture video, both of which can capture 800p video in 16:10 and 720p in 16:9.</P><br /><P>This is low spec for a modern tablet, and the result is slightly grainy pictures that are unsuited to proper photography. </P><br /><P>We found that close-up shots couldn't focus, and in dim lighting conditions our shots became noisy. What's more, there's no flash should you be snapping in dark conditions.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/screenshots/camera%20app-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>However, when there's an abundance of natural light the quality of shots improves, as you can see from our fetching cat in the above photograph, which is available from all good Turkish bazaars.</P><br /><P>Video was better and maintained a decent frame rate at 800p, but the bulk of the tablet, the grainy quality and the effort of firing up the app from the Start-screen tile, before switching into video mode is such that we can't see anyone bothering to capture those impromptu memories on their Surface.</P><br /><P>We'd have liked to have seen a better front-facing camera which would be used for chatting via Skype or other messaging apps, but it does nearly as good a job as the rear camera, and the quality is good enough for chatting to friends and family on the web. </P><br /><P>In terms of modes, there are few options to tweak your settings or macro modes, though there is a timer feature to snap group shots.</P><br /><P><IMG title="Front-facing camera" alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/front%20facing%20camera-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/front%20facing%20camera.jpg">Click here to see the full-resolution image</A></P><br /><P><IMG title="Front-facing video chat" alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/front%20facing%20video%20chat-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/front%20facing%20video%20chat.jpg">Click here to see the full resolution image</A></P><br /><P><IMG title="Landscape in daylight" alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/landscape%20daylight-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/landscape%20daylight.jpg">Click here to see the full-resolution image</A></P><br /><P><IMG title="Rear camera" alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/rear%20camera%201-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/rear%20camera%201.jpg">Click here to see the full resolution image</A></P><br /><P><IMG title="Rear camera" alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/rear%20camera%20daylight%20up%20close-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/rear%20camera%20daylight%20up%20close.jpg">Click here to see the full resolution image</A></P><br /><P><IMG title="Rear camera" alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/rear%20camera%20low%20light-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/rear%20camera%20low%20light.jpg">Click here to see the full resolution image</A></P><br /><P><IMG title="Rear camera" alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/rear%20camera%20up%20close%20day%20light-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Surface%20test%20shots/Camera%20Roll/rear%20camera%20up%20close%20day%20light.jpg">Click here to see the full resolution image</A></P><br /><H3>Battery life and benchmarks</H3><br /><H3>Battery life</H3><br /><P>If you need one good reason for Microsoft developing <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-8-1093002/review">Windows 8</A> for ARM processors and possibly creating mass consumer confusion with Windows RT it's battery life - so the benefits need to be immediately apparent.</P><br /><P>Fortunately, battery life was a huge success on Microsoft Surface, with fantastic longevity which puts it among some of the longest-lasting tablets money can buy.</P><br /><P>We looped a 1080p WMV video in the built-in app that ships with Windows RT until the battery died, a test we run on every tablet that graces the TechRadar testing lab. Under these conditions Surface lasted an impressive 450 minutes, equaling a gob-smacking 7 ½ hours. This is nearly two hours longer than the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> 3, which suffers from powering that glorious Retina display.</P><br /><P>To put the benefits of Windows RT in perspective, the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/search?searchTerm=Sony+VAIO+Duo+11">Sony VAIO Duo 11</A> lasted just 2 ½ hours under the same conditions. This is thanks to its power-hungry Intel Core i5 processor, which is the same you'll find at the heart of full-sized Ultrabooks.</P><br /><P>It's also impressive in everyday use, with a standard day of use barely making an impression on the meter, and Surface can easily last for three days on a single charge, with moderate use.</P><br /><H3>Benchmarks</H3><br /><P>In terms of processor performance, the results backed up our initial observations regarding general performance. </P><br /><P>Sunspider, which tests Java performance, logged a result of 1060 ms which is strong, but the more graphically-intensive PeaceKeeper returned a score of 337, which puts it way behind the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5 (907) and <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s3-1078667/review">Samsung Galaxy SIII</A> (680).</P><br /><P>Interestingly, the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/new-ipad-4-1106634/review">Google Nexus 7 </A>also stormed ahead with a score of 489 despite featuring the same Tegra 3 chip.</P><br /><P>Sound quality isn't great from Surface's in-built speaker, and it's worth investing in a pair of headphones. It's not as loud as the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00746MXF8/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00746MXF8&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPad</A> and the sound is tinnier, with the single speaker grill located on the top right, leading to a poor balance of sound.</P><br /><P>SunSpider 1060.7 ms</P><br /><P>PeaceKeeper 337</P><br /><H3>Hands on gallery</H3><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050002-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050006-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050008-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050012-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050013-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Windows8/Surface/Crappy%20TechRadar%20Camera%20pictures/PB050015-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><H3>Official gallery</H3><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Microsoft/Surface/Press/Surface-Press-02-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Microsoft/Surface/Press/Surface-Press-01-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Microsoft/Surface/Press/Microsoft%20Surface%20with%20Windows%208%20Pro-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Microsoft/Surface/Press/Surface-Press-04-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Microsoft/Surface/Press/Surface-Press-05-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="Microsoft Surface review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/tablets/Microsoft/Surface/Press/Surface-Press-03-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><H3>Verdict</H3><br /><P>Microsoft Surface is a strong entrance to the world of PC hardware for Microsoft, and as a device it's certainly highly recommendable.</P><br /><P>The solid build, kickstand, the associated rage of keyboards and big screen make it adept for both work and play, and it's the closest device we've seen to a true hybrid.</P><br /><P>It's not the world's most advanced tablet and performs solidly without excelling in any particular area. A great example of this is the screen is bright and clear, but relatively low resolution compared to new kids on the block like the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/search?searchTerm=Sony+VAIO+Duo+11">Sony VAIO Duo 11</A>.</P><br /><P>Another is the processor, which noticeably struggles at the highest graphical demand. However, the lack of Windows Store apps means that Surface is still firmly a device for early adopters. </P><br /><P>Anyone who forks out the £399 basic price will have to lump the lack of big-name apps for the foreseeable future, and by the time this problem is overcome, we could see a refreshed Surface. </P><br /><P>But Surface represents a great value tablet that will get stronger with time, so if you're looking for a superb all-round Windows tablet which can double as a work machine, with bags of potential and head-turning appeal, then Surface should be high on your list.</P><br /><H3>We liked</H3><br /><P>The great build and built-in kickstand is a key part of Surface, and provided us with plenty of pleasing moments when we momentarily searched for a place to prop up our tablet before remembering there was no need.</P><br /><P>The detachable Touch Cover and Type Covers with their multi-touch mouse trackpads for working in the traditional Windows environment were also some of the best mobile keyboards money can buy, and the lack of hassle in linking via Bluetooth, and the associated power drain with wireless technology makes Surface a true laptop replacement.</P><br /><H3>We disliked</H3><br /><P>The Windows Store needs a lot of work, fast. With the potential of Windows 8 being able to run across PC, tablet and the allure of a well-received <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-phone-8-1086692/review">Windows Phone 8</A>, it shouldn't be hard to attract developers. </P><br /><P>However, here we are, with a predictable shortfall in apps which will slow the pace of adoption, which will in turn slow the pace of developer attention. Microsoft needs to break this cycle.</P><br /><P>The loading time of Windows apps was also disappointing, as was the drop in frame-rate on our 1080p video tests. While the latter was barely noticeable and wouldn't catch the attention of 90% of Surface buyers, the time spent looking at app splash screens was a cause of irritation. </P><br /><P>The interface and navigation of Windows 8 needs to be snappier on Surface, and then consumers will appreciate it.</P><br /><H3>Final verdict</H3><br /><P>Surface makes you want to pick it up and play, pleases you with the delivery of Windows RT and the live tiles make it feel personal and alive.</P><br /><P>Performance is a real issue, but since Tegra is at the heart of high performing tablets, we hope that RT can be tweaked to iron out slowdown issues.</P><br /><P>Microsoft's hardware designers should be applauded for delivering a solid tablet which delivers a great experience, but now it's down to the fortunes of the Windows Store to decide whether Microsoft Surface is remembered in history.</P><br /><H3 align=center><A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XNBFJK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009XNBFJK&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy Microsoft Surface</A></H3>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-68057280343631848102013-01-31T09:58:00.000-08:002013-01-31T09:59:22.348-08:00Review: Motorola Razr HD<IMG alt="Review: Motorola Razr HD" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/RAZR%20HD%20Front-470-75.jpg"> <br /><H3><A href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=motorola%20razr%20hd%20unlocked&linkCode=ur2&qid=1359654740&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Amotorola%20razr%20hd%20unlocked&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy Motorola Razr HD</A></H3><br /><H3>Introduction and Design</H3><br /><P>The Razr line has fast become the new flagship for Motorola, and with good reason. Last year's Razr was a strong smartphone contender, with an impressive battery life and slick screen. Now, exclusively for Telstra's 4G LTE network, the Razr lineup has been refreshed again, with bumped up hardware and edge-to-edge displays that earn that HD moniker.</P><br /><P>The Razr HD shares the Kevlar backing and AMOLED screen of its predecessor, but of course the resolution has been bumped up to a modern 1280 x 720 resolution. The phone itself has also gotten a bit thinner.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/Razr%20HD%20AU%20shots/RAZR-HD-AU13-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>It also bears many similarities to its Razr siblings, Motorola's <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/motorola-droid-razr-m-1094930/review">Razr M</A> and the US-only Droid Razr Maxx HD. All three phones run a 1.5Ghz processor with 1GB of RAM. The Razr HD is in the middle of the M and the Maxx HD for storage and battery life, but it's no mid-range device. Motorola has also promised an <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/android-4-1-jelly-bean-1087230/review">Android 4.1: Jelly Bean</A> upgrade for all three handsets.</P><br /><P>And speaking of Droids, with so much talk about <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/world-of-tech/disney-buys-lucasfilm-for-billions-will-make-new-star-wars-films-1108804">Star Wars</A> in the news lately, we can't help but mention that Motorola actually pays royalties to Lucasfilm to use the name Droid. George Lucas is nothing if not an excellent businessman.</P><br /><P>So is the Razr HD worthy of name? It's certainly no bumbling C3PO, it's as handsome and helpful as R2D2, but is it a stone cold robotic killer like IG-88? Can it assassinate the competition from phones like the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5, Galaxy <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VCRRNS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VCRRNS&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">S3</A> and <A href="http://www.techradar.com/au/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/nokia-lumia-920-1094960/review">Nokia Lumia 920</A>? Let's find out.</P><br /><H3>Design</H3><br /><P>As the name would suggest, the Razr HD is a sharp instrument. Thanks to a thin body, it looks the part of a premium device in either black or white. Picking it up you'll notice it's a little on the heavy side, weighing in at 146 grams.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Motorola RAZR HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/RAZR%20HD%20Front-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Holding the phone, the Kevlar backing is pleasant to the touch. The feeling is somewhere between very soft plastic and firm rubber. It's a lot like the rubberised rear chassis of the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/au/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/htc-windows-phone-8x-1098439/review">HTC Windows Phone 8X</A>.</P><br /><P>The pattern is unique, sort of a mix between herringbone and hounds tooth. It's extremely smooth but grippy enough as not to be slippery. An edge-to-edge screen and tight, thin bezel give the Razr HD a seamless design. At 131.9 x 67.9 x 8.4 mm, it's tall and thin in a way that resembles the Galaxy <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VCRRNS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VCRRNS&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">S3</A>.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/Razr%20HD%20AU%20shots/RAZR-HD-AU11-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The display is 4.7-inches long, a little bigger than the 4.3-inches of visual real estate on the Razr M. It's a big screen, those with smaller hands will find it takes a little shifting around to reach from top to bottom.</P><br /><P>The Razr HD has three capacitive Android buttons: back, home and recent applications.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="motorola razr hd review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/Razr%20HD%20AU%20shots/RAZR-HD-AU1-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Motorola slapped its name at the top of the device, directly above a notification light that flashes when you've got a missed called, email or text message.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/PB023056-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>On the right side you'll find the phone's only physical buttons. The lock button is towards the top, it has a ridgey-ness that feels a bit like a nail file, but not harsh. The volume rocker is below it, in the middle of the right side. It has little metal beads at both ends that make it easy to find with your thumb.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/PB023058-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Located on the left side is a pair of ports, micro-USB for charging and data connections, and HDMI for connecting the Razr HD to a television or monitor. Just above the ports is the phone's micro-SD and micro SIM tray. Like on a late model <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A>, it pops open when you insert a paperclip or SIM tool (included) in the small hole.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/PB023070-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>A solo external speaker is found on the back, to the right of the camera lens. Laying the phone flat on its back will not completely muffle audio, but it does reduce sound quality.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/PB023063-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Motorola claims a "splash resistant" coating on the Razr HD. The phone can't be submerged in water, but it's implied that it will stand up to rain or an errant glass of water. We did not put this to the test, though, and consumers should know that the one-year warranty against defects does not cover liquid damage.</P><br /><P>The Razr HD is a bit bigger than the Razr M, getting more battery life, storage space and a larger, higher resolution screen in exchange for its heftier form factor and weight. </P><br /><P>The Razr HD's microSD slot gives it a storage advantage over fixed capacity devices like the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A>, and the HD already has great battery life with a 2530 mAh cell, as we'll get into later. Consumers who want something easier to carry (and afford) will likely find the Razr HD to be a balanced offering.</P><br /><P>Size-wise, the Razr HD is in the middle of svelte smartphones like the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5 and brick-like devices such as the Optimus G. It's sleek but not terribly thin, and also rather hefty. You won't forget that it's in your pocket, but it's certainly not in cumbersome phablet territory like the recent <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0067HQL30/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0067HQL30&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">Galaxy Note</A> 2.</P><br /><P>Overall, the Razr HD achieves a premium feel. The big edge-to-edge display gives it a smooth, simple face that's a pleasure to touch. The Kevlar backing is resilient and grippy, and the only other phones that feel like it are HTC's Windows Phone 8S and 8X.</P><br /><P>Users with small hands that want something they can nimbly navigate might prefer a Razr M or <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5, but for those that want a bigger handset with serious battery life, the Razr HD is a solid choice.</P><br /><H3>Display</H3><br /><P>The Razr HD's screen is its most significant gain over its predecessor, the original Razr. By going edge-to-edge, Motorola has bumped up the screen size from 4.3-inches to 4.7 without making the handset any longer. To keep up with its neighbours, the resolution has been increased from 960 x 540 to 1280 x 720, earning that HD moniker.</P><br /><P>It's a Super AMOLED multitouch display with 312ppi. It does wonderful things with colours, making bright hues come off super-saturated and beautiful. Dark tones are equally strong, with blacks that are deep and dead of night dark. We've said before that the Razr HD is distinctive, these high contrasts are yet another way Motorola's new device stands out from the competition (though whether it's actually "better" is debatable).</P><br /><P><IMG alt="motorola razr hd review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/Razr%20HD%20AU%20shots/RAZR-HD-AU16-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Gorilla Glass keeps the display safe from nicks. Walking around town, we let it hang out in our pocket amongst keys and change, and it emerged with nary a scratch. Best of all, since the display is edge-to-edge with only a thin aluminum bezel, it gives the whole face a smooth, premium feel.</P><br /><P>Using the Razr HD outside in sunlight is generally no problem. On your average sunny day the screen is almost as visible as it would be in even indoor lighting. Of course, seriously intense sunlight will wash out the display, but no more so than other devices.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/Motorola_Droid_Razr_HD_review_04-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>When it comes to choosing the best screen, a lot of it comes down to personal preference, not ppi. In our mind, the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/htc-one-x-1101086/review">HTC One X+</A> is still king in this category. While the amped-up contrasts of the Razr HD are glorious, they're also over the top. The One X+ offers more true to life colour representation, also on a 4.7-inch display.</P><br /><P>When comparing the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5's retina display, screen size is a big issue. Apple's phone has a 4-inch screen, while the Razr HD is 4.7-inches. People who play many games or spend a lot of time watching videos on their phone will likely appreciate the additional visual real estate. Still, there is something to be said for a shorter screen. Those who value ease of use above all will find an <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5, or <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/motorola-droid-razr-m-1094930/review">Razr M</A>, easier to manipulate with just one hand.</P><br /><P>Finally, the Optimus G might be the best phone we've seen for reading text on the web or in e-books. It displays text that's slightly sharper, on a screen equal in size to that of the Razr HD.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="motorola razr hd review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/Razr%20HD%20AU%20shots/RAZR-HD-AU14-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Also, the Optimus G and Samsung Galaxy <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VCRRNS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VCRRNS&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">S3</A> both have nifty face recognition technology that keeps the screen from dimming while you read it. The Razr HD lacks this feature, and while we never struggled with the dim timer, face recognition makes the Optimus G and Galaxy <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VCRRNS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VCRRNS&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">S3</A> superior reading devices.</P><br /><P>To summarise, the Razr HD has a big, durable edge-to-edge screen that stands among the best displays available. The high contrast colour it conveys adds to the distinctiveness of this Motorola handset. It's a massive improvement over the original Razr, but doesn't really outshine any current phones in its price range.</P><br /><P>Obviously, it's a better screen than what you'll find on the more compact and affordable Razr M, but that's offset out by an overall smaller form factor and lower price.</P><br /><P>Again, it comes down to personal preference. We personally liked the high contrast shades it offered. The pre-loaded backgrounds do a fantastic job of showing off just intense colours can be on this phone. They're striking to look at, especially against the simple black or white body of the phone and it's minimalist face.</P><br /><H3>Interface</H3><br /><P>Motorola has already upgraded the Razr HD to <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/android-4-1-jelly-bean-1087230/review">Android 4.1: Jelly Bean</A>. As with the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/motorola-droid-razr-m-1094930/review">Razr M</A>, Motorola has laid a few nice tweaks over the Android OS.</P><br /><P>The Razr HD has the standard of seven home screens to deck out with icons and widgets. Generally, the Razr HD's 1.5GHz dual-core and 1GB of RAM are enough to keep the OS running smoothly. You can flick across the seven home screens easily, and apps open in a snap.</P><br /><P>Back, home and recent applications are the three capacitive Android buttons that run the show. They respond with a blue glow and haptic feedback when touched. </P><br /><P><IMG alt="motorola razr hd review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/Razr%20HD%20AU%20shots/RAZR-HD-AU20-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Touching the home button brings you back to the primary home screen. From there, pressing it again will bring up the Manage Pages screen, which lets you add, delete or rearrange home screens. This is one screen that started to chug a bit with just a couple applications running.</P><br /><P>Generally it takes real multitasking to give the Razr HD hiccups. We cooked up a combination of widget-laden home screens, multiple browser tabs and a game running in the background that produced some stuttering when opening and closing apps or adding home screens. Overall, though, performance was very strong.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/geekbench-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>The Razr HD's Geekbench scores were around 1430, which is just shy of the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5. Considering that the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5 has a 1.2GHz dual core, which is less than the 1.5GHz on the Razr HD, it's just an OK score. Guess that Apple engineering is good for something.</P><br /><P>From a practical standpoint, the Razr HD is peppy and responsive. It starts up in a little over 30 seconds, and needs just a few more seconds to get all its widgets up and running. It would take a quad-core device like the Optimus G or Galaxy <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VCRRNS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VCRRNS&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">S3</A> to provide much better performance.</P><br /><P>Getting into Motorola's interface tweaks, one its most intuitive choices was adding a Quick Settings menu. Found to the left of the primary home screen, it makes toggling WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode or changing your ringtone just a swipe away. Once inside, the full settings menu is just a touch away.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/quick%20settings-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>Other manufacturers, like LG with the Optimus G, crowd these options in the notification center. Motorola made a great choice putting this Quick Settings menu to the left. Not only does it make the menu highly accessible, it makes the leftmost home screen the primary page, which feels like a logical choice.</P><br /><P>The default dock icons are Phone, People, Messaging and Camera. These icons can be removed or swapped out, but you are limited to just four. We're not sure what the reason for this limitation was, other than possibly reducing visual clutter. However, Android's native support for folders has been extended to the dock, meaning you can stack multiple icons into groupings.</P><br /><P>This strikes us a strange choice. The dock is designed for frequent apps that you always want at your fingertips. We don't want to be pressing twice to open a folder and select an app. And while we rarely put more than four icons on our dock, it's a little odd to deny people the choice.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/folders-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>Also, folders on the home screen seemed to require a more dead center tap to open than regular icons. Nothing else we would touch had trouble registering, though.</P><br /><P>We did like the way Motorola's UI displayed folders. The primary app is in front, and you can see the edges of the other icons peeking out from behind it, like they're all lined up and waiting. Label a folder and the name appears below it.</P><br /><P>By default, Motorola's handsome Circles widget is on the primary home screen. We're big fans this tri-cluster of disc-shaped widgets, which display weather, the time, missed calls, incoming text messages and your battery level, and serve as portals to useful menus.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/circles-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>Touching any of them will send you into the respective app to set up alarms, time zones or get a more detailed forecast. Swiping vertically will flip them over, allowing you to toggle between an analog or digital clock, the temperature for regions you've chosen and other information. They're efficient, fun to flip and add another distinctive element to the Razr HD's style.</P><br /><P>Again, Circles look great and convey information well, but we found ourselves wishing we could separate the three circles. It's not a big issue, just something the customization-happy Android fan in our hearts thought of. Maybe next time Motorola?</P><br /><P>The lock screen is a typical Android style. It displays the date, time and notification icons. To wake the phone, you slide a key icon, and can also jump directly into the Phone, Camera and Text apps. It's clean, simple and private, since it doesn't display incoming messages, just an icon alerting you to their presence. We do wish it were as customisable other lock screens, where you can choose which apps are at the ready.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/lockscreen-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>To wrap up, the Razr HD's interface continues the phone's trend of style and efficiency. Circle widgets and the Quick Settings menu are slick, accessible ways of getting at settings and information</P><br /><P>Motorola's tweaks are all thoughtful and unobtrusive. While they seem to have chosen visual simplicity in some places rather than further customisation, it has made for some great looking design.</P><br /><P>Performance-wise, the Razr HD is everything you should expect from a dual-core, 1GB of RAM device. It navigates Android very well, and it takes a sizeable workload to slow it down. </P><br /><H3>Calling and Contacts</H3><br /><P>With all the different apps and features on a smartphone, you could almost forget that makes regular old phone calls. Motorola hasn't forgotten though, and neither has Telstra. The Razr HD offers excellent call quality and voice fidelity.</P><br /><H3>Calling</H3><br /><P>The new Razrs, the<A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/motorola-droid-razr-m-1094930/review"> Razr M</A>, and our current subject, the Razr HD, are exclusive to Telstra in Australia. The company has a reputation for strong signals and reliable coverage, which proved to be well deserved in our tests.</P><br /><P>Using the phone on Telstra's network throughout the Sydney region, we never had any interference or static on the line. We never suffered a single dropped call.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/Motorola_Droid_Razr_HD_review_07-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The handset speaker was plenty loud, making it no trouble to hear a call. The speakerphone was equally powerful, and voices only suffered slight distortion when the volume was maxed out, a level that's really quite loud. It projected well enough that a group gathered around a table of a large to medium size would have no trouble conference calling.</P><br /><P>Our only complaint about the speakerphone has to do with the rear speaker grill. Since it's placed on the back of the handset, laying the device flat muffles sound, albeit only somewhat. The slightly bubbled design of the rear means it does not lay completely flat, but there is a noticeable drop in quality.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/Motorola_Droid_Razr_HD_review_14-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>As far as dialing the phone goes, the keys are an attractive blue on black. Your most recent contact dialed is displayed at the top, for fast redialing. You can jump to a week's worth of call history by touching Recent at the top, or see contacts designated as Favorites, displayed as smart looking picture tiles.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/voice-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>There's also a microphone icon that activates the Android voice command function. It's accurate enough that when it presents you with three contacts it thinks you've mentioned, your actual choice is always among them. Still, that means you have to make a touch selection, so voice isn't good enough to make the Razr HD a hands-free device. It's also a little slow on the draw, asking us to "say a command" before accepting input. Apple's Siri is still the winner here.</P><br /><P>Multitasking is complemented by the notification center, which displays your current call in the dropdown menu. From there you can jump right back into your call with a single touch. It shows elapsed call length, and even a little red phone icon so you can hang up without returning to the dialer.</P><br /><H3>Contacts</H3><br /><P>The People app, found on the dock by default, does a pretty good job of managing your contacts. It stays close to standard Android methods, but does a nice job of managing contacts from multiple sources.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="Droid Razr HD" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/Contacts-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>Contacts can imported from a number of mail clients, including Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook. Facebook imports are also supported.</P><br /><P>Once imported, contacts can be sorted into groups. Family, friends and coworkers are the default groups, but you can make an unlimited number of custom groups.</P><br /><P>Contacts can also be marked as Favorites, which makes them easily accessible from the Phone application.</P><br /><H3>Messaging and Email</H3><br /><H3>Messaging</H3><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/text%20blurred-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>Texting is still an insanely popular way to communicate, the world over. It's convenient and inexpensive, and requires a minimal amount of that dreaded human contact to get information across.</P><br /><P>Text messages are managed by the Messaging app, a green speech icon with a smiley face. It makes its home on the dock by default.</P><br /><P>As is typical Android fashion, the Razr HD displays messages in the back-and-forth style of an instant message conversation, using profile pictures when available.</P><br /><H3>Email</H3><br /><P>There are two stock email clients on the Razr HD, the first being the basic Android Email app. While it can handle everything from Exchange to Yahoo to your average POP3/IMAP account, it says right at the top, "for Gmail accounts, use Gmail app." It's a bit strange since it will still accept Gmail addresses, and some users may want to keep all their communication in one program.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/gmail%20widget-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>The second email app is, of course, Gmail. It has a different look but behaves in the exact same way as the stock Email app. Both apps can be switched between Push and Manual email checking.</P><br /><P>Both apps also have convenient widgets that give you a preview of your inbox, allowing you to scroll through email, jump into your entire inbox or a specific message, or start composing a new message with a single touch, right from the home screen.</P><br /><H3>Keyboard</H3><br /><P>The Razr HD has three keyboards: the stock Motorola keyboard, Swype and Chinese character input. The Motorola board is the default, with a design of white letters on gray keys, a period to the right of the keyboard and a microphone for speech composition the left.</P><br /><P>The top row of keys have number functions, which can be accessed with a long press. It's convenient for a digit or so, but for typing out a phone number you'll want to switch to the number keys.</P><br /><P>The size of the Razr HD's screen gives you plenty of room to type in either portrait or landscape mode. Haptic feedback gives it a satisfying oomph that some would say the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5 lacks. Predictive text was decent, coming to the rescue on longer words, and there's enough clearance between its suggestions and the top row of keys that you won't often hit it by mistake. It wasn't too clever when it came to learning our favourite words, though.</P><br /><P>We had only one major complaint about the Motorola keyboard: the lack of a .com button. .com also doesn't come up in predictive text, which seems silly given how often you type it.</P><br /><P>The Swype keyboard is a nice option to have onboard, but it's not our personal preference. Some worlds, mainly those with a lot of the same letters in close proximity, can give it trouble. Still, we'd rather have it than not.</P><br /><H3>Internet</H3><br /><P>As we've mentioned, both of Motorola's new handsets, the<A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/motorola-droid-razr-m-1094930/review"> Razr M</A>, and this Razr HD are exclusive to Telstra in Australia. This gives them the major benefit of being on Telstra's 4G LTE network, which is the biggest in the country.</P><br /><H3>4G speeds</H3><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/Speedtest-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>Testing the phone throughout Sydney using the SpeedTest.net app, we experienced data connections that were generally quite fast. Speeds went between 10 to 25Mbps, usually averaging around 16Mbps.</P><br /><P>While a home WiFi connection can reliably outpace this, these are some very good data speeds to be getting on the go.</P><br /><H3>Browser</H3><br /><P>To our most pleasant surprise, the default browser on the Razr HD is Google's own Chrome. Chrome users should be delighted to find that, upon logging in, all their search suggestions, browsing data and bookmarks have followed them onto their mobile device.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/browser-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>The search bar found on the home screen also has access to your search history. It's so seamless that a search you just made on your PC will show up as a suggestion on the Razr HD without missing a beat.</P><br /><P>Chrome's tabbed browsing allows for great multitasking, letting you open lots pages at once. This is one place where the phone's hardware came off as fully capable. You can move between a dozen tabs without having to reload the pages. With this many sites open at once, page previews can become fuzzy, but once you make your selection they come into focus.</P><br /><P>Whether on Telstra's network or WiFi, browsing is fast. Even when our service had only a two bars (which wasn't often) pages opened quickly. Of course, since this is an Android phone, there are lots of other browsers available, such as Mozilla Firefox.</P><br /><H3>Media</H3><br /><P>To our tastes, a mobile phone will never dethrone a tablet, laptop or good old fashioned TV for watching videos, but on the go or lying in bed, you could do a lot worse than watching a YouTube clip or Netflix stream on the Razr HD's 1280 x 960 AMOLED screen.</P><br /><P>The rear speaker is plenty loud, and like in speakerphone mode, sounds don't distort unless you dial the volume up all the way. Once again, the solo speaker's position on the rear is not perfect. Since it's low on the body we never covered it completely when holding the phone, but just having our hand cupped over it could distort the sound a little. Luckily the Razr HD's thin build makes it easy to hold in one hand, which helps avoid the problem.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="motorola razr hd review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/Razr%20HD%20AU%20shots/RAZR-HD-AU6-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The headphone jack is in the typical top right position. Whatever you plug in to listen with should stay out of your way pretty easily.</P><br /><P>Thanks to 16GB of internal memory, and the possibility of an additional 32GB by microSD expansion, there's plenty of room for movies purchased from Amazon or the Google Play Store.</P><br /><P>The Razr HD does a have an HDMI video out, which is an interesting option, but the necessary cable must be purchased separately. Most users will probably have other means of watching a movie file on their TV or monitor before having an HDMI to mini HDMI cable around.</P><br /><H3>Google Play</H3><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/play-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>As we mentioned, Google Play is available on the Razr HD, just like on any Android device. Not only are there enough games, apps, books, videos and music available to make it competitive with Apple's App Store and iTunes, it can seriously ease the transition from your old Android device to your new one.</P><br /><P>From the options drop down menu in the upper right, you can jump into My Apps to see software currently associated with your Google Play account. Each app you already own has to be selected for download individually, which is a bit of a pain, but otherwise it makes it easy to migrate to a new Android phone.</P><br /><H3>Battery Life and Connectivity</H3><br /><P>Battery life can be a difficult balance to maintain for a high-end smartphone. While a quad-core processor can give awesome performance, it tends to suck power cells dry. The same goes for 4G LTE service and a big screen. Manufacturers do have the option of allowing for removable batteries so users can swap in a back up cell, but that tends to make phones larger, and has consumer footing the bill for an additional battery.</P><br /><P>Luckily, battery life is one place where the Razr HD really shines. Its dual-core processor walks the line between peppy performance and energy conservation.</P><br /><H3>Battery life</H3><br /><P>The Razr HD has a 2530 mAh battery. While it's not removable, it gets its handsome sealed design from this choice. We know a lot of users lament a lack of removable battery, but we think Motorola made the right decision, since we never had trouble making it through the day on a single charge.</P><br /><P>Throughout all our normal, day-to-day testing, we never managed to drain the battery, even with frequent 4G use, plenty of photo snapping and gaming. On a day of average usage, making phone calls, writing emails, text messages and surfing the web, the phone would generally end up with a battery percentage in the high 60's.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="motorola razr hd review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/Razr%20HD%20AU%20shots/RAZR-HD-AU17-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Officially, Motorola rates the Razr HD for 7 hours of YouTube streaming, and 6 hours of 4G LTE. We'd say the phone definitely lives up to these numbers, give or a take a little depending on how many programs you have running in the background.</P><br /><P>This stalwart battery life is becoming something of a signature for the Razr line. The original Razr from last year had just a 1780 mAh cell, so the move up to 2530 mAh is a substantial adjustment.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/Motorola_Droid_Razr_HD_review_15-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>In addition to hefty batteries, the new handsets have Motorola's Smartaction software, which can automatically implement charge-saving settings. WiFi, Bluetooth, push notifications and other data services can be set to automatically turn off when your phone drops to a certain level of charge.</P><br /><P>Just to try it out, we drained the battery down to 5% and let Smartaction do its thing. The phone lasted for over an hour in standby.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/smart%20actions-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>We gave the Razr HD the TechRadar battery test, where we maximise screen brightness, turn on WiFi, GPS and push notifications for Twitter and email, then play a video file for ninety minutes. At the end of it, the Razr HD still had 83 percent battery remaining. That's right with the Samsung <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0067HQL30/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0067HQL30&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">Galaxy Note</A> 2 and Galaxy <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VCRRNS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VCRRNS&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">S3</A>, which scored 82 and 83 percent, respectively. That's stellar battery performance. We likely have a 4G LTE and a bigger, richer screen to blame for that. A fair trade-off, we'd say.</P><br /><P>Bottom line, battery life is a real strength of the Razr HD. We're glad that it is, since it more than makes up for the lack of removable battery.</P><br /><H3>Connectivity</H3><br /><P>As most Android phones, there are several clients available for moving files to an from your Razr HD, whether you're on a PC or a Mac.</P><br /><P>The standard Android File Transfer software works just fine. You manipulate files just as you would with a Finder window. You can also transfer to the phone's SD card, and have your computer read from that, or vice versa.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/screens/Android%20file-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>There are also plenty of options for wirelessly uploading pcitures and videos you taken. Google Drive, Picasa, Flickr and Dropbox support are all built in, or you can easily upload to the social network of your choice.</P><br /><H3>Camera and Video</H3><br /><P>The Razr HD sports an 8-megapixel camera, backed up by an LED flash. Just like its display, the Razr HD's camera tends to blow out colours with high contrasts. While it's not exactly to true to life, we liked the ultra saturated look makes already strong colours truly eye popping.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/front%20facing-220-100.jpg" width=220></IMG></P><br /><P>The front facing camera is 1.3-megapixels. It boasts image quality that makes it perfectly capable for Skype chatting and the occasional self-shot.</P><br /><P>Despite this flair for saturation, the camera underperforms overall. Images are often blurry or grainy, and manual exposure adjustment is usually a must, either by using a slider or choosing a point of focus on the screen.</P><br /><P>On the software side, there are all the typical options, including panorama, multi-shot, timer and HDR, which optimises shots with difficult lighting.</P><br /><P>While HDR can significantly improve a picture, it slows down the speedy shutter time considerably. We really liked how the camera would suggest HDR in certain lighting situations, where it thought it would help out.</P><br /><P><IMG title=Normal alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/cars%20normal-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG title="with HDR" alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/cars%20HDR-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG title=Normal alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/tree%20normal-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG title="with HDR" alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/tree%20HDR-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Even with all the software perks, it's rare to get a shot out of the 8-megapixel lens that would be mistaken for anything but a mobile phone picture. Also, the camera's snappy shutter speed is undercut by the need for manual light adjustment and the occasional shift into HDR. Basically, it's good enough for a plate shot or party snap, but don't capture anyone's high school graduation with the Razr HD's camera.</P><br /><H3>Verdict</H3><br /><P>The Razr HD is a stylish and capable piece of hardware. It looks great in black or white, and feels nice thanks to its Kevlar backing and edge-to-edge Gorilla Glass. We have only the slightest reservations about it, simply because smartphones have become so very competitive at this price point.</P><br /><H3>We liked</H3><br /><P>First off, the design. The Razr HD is much better looking than its predecessor, the Razr. That edge-to-edge screen gives it a bold, simple face and capitalises on the sizeable real estate of the device. It's also pretty thin for a device with a 4.7-inch screen and a big battery.</P><br /><P>The 1.5GHz dual-core proves that not every phone needs four cores to be a premium device. The Razr HD doesn't perform as well as the quad-core packing Galaxy <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VCRRNS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VCRRNS&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">S3</A>, Optimus G or <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/htc-one-x-1101086/review">HTC One X+</A>, but it's perfectly capable of running Android and a flurry of apps. It takes hefty multitasking to bring about minor stuttering.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="motorola razr hd review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/review/Razr%20HD%20AU%20shots/RAZR-HD-AU2-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The version of the OS it runs is close to vanilla, but the few tweaks Motorola has implemented are actually quite nice. The Quick Settings menu and Circles widgets were two of our favourites.</P><br /><P>Being exclusive to Telstra's 4G LTE network doesn't hurt these new Razrs either. While Telstra's service is by no means cheap, it was blazing fast and reliable. While using the phone in Sydney, we rarely ended up with less than four bars or on 3G service.</P><br /><P>The battery is great too. Motorola's claims of 7 hours of YouTube streaming, and 6 hours of 4G LTE came through, thanks to a big 2530 mAh battery and energy sipping dual-core processor.</P><br /><P>Finally, we liked the Razr HD's big, sharp screen. The high contrast colours are eye catching, and the extra visual real estate is great for gaming and watching videos.</P><br /><H3>We disliked</H3><br /><P>The camera is nothing special. It takes pretty average to subpar pictures in anything but perfect outdoor light.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="Droid Razr HD review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/Motorola/Droid%20Razr%20HD/Motorola_Droid_Razr_HD_review_14-420-90.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>There's a decent amount of Telstra bloatware consumers can surely do without it, all of which cannot be uninstalled. It can be hidden though, which is half a step in the right direction.</P><br /><H3>Verdict</H3><br /><P>The Razr HD is a very good phone. The screen and overall design is very handsome. Its dual-core processor is capable, and it only sips battery power. It's a long lasting, reliable device that still has more than enough power to get the job done.</P><br /><P>Being exclusive to Telstra is no handicap either, since the company's 4G LTE service is expanding and fast.</P><br /><P>There's nothing wrong with the device, except for a mediocre camera. It's just that competition is so stiff. At this price you could have one of our other favourite phones, the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5 or Samsung Galaxy <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VCRRNS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VCRRNS&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">S3</A>.</P><br /><P>The choice essentially comes down to personal preference. While we prefer the aluminum and Kevlar construction of the Razr HD to the more plastic feeling construction of the Galaxy <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VCRRNS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VCRRNS&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">S3</A> and Optimus G, there is something to be said for quad-core power. And while many weren't crazy about what iOS 6 brought to the table (and took away. We're looking at you, Apple maps), it can't be denied that the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5 is one of the best phones out there.</P><br /><P>Ultimately, it's a very fine phone, but struggles to stand out amongst the competition. Remember how we mentioned that Motorola pays George Lucas to use the name Droid? To put our verdict in <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/world-of-tech/disney-buys-lucasfilm-for-billions-will-make-new-star-wars-films-1108804">Star Wars</A> terms, the Razr HD is far more of a helpful R2-D2 than fussy C-3PO, but it's not quite capable of assassinating the competition like IG-88.</P><br /><P><A href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=motorola%20razr%20hd%20unlocked&linkCode=ur2&qid=1359654740&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Amotorola%20razr%20hd%20unlocked&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy Motorola Razr HD</A></P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-75573063845053045662013-01-31T09:50:00.001-08:002013-01-31T09:50:30.373-08:00Review: MSI GX60<IMG alt="Review: MSI GX60" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/laptops/MSI/GX60/MSI%20GX60%20(8)-470-75.jpg"><br /><H3 align=left><A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009H8OA0C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009H8OA0C&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy MSI GX 60</A></H3><br /><H3>Introduction</H3><br /><P>Is there such thing as enough CPU power? MSI seems to think so with the release of the MSI GX60 gaming notebook.</P><br /><P>That's because, intriguingly, the MSI GX60 pairs one of AMD's A10 fusion CPUs with the AMD Radeon HD 7970M graphics chip. So that's a budget-orientated processor combined with the fastest GPU AMD currently offers. Bold move, MSI.</P><br /><P>For gaming, of course, graphics grunt has always been critical. Indeed, Intel has been winding back on CPU performance in recent years as it attempts to step up the performance of its graphics cores.</P><br /><P>But MSI really is pushing that notion og good-enough CPU performance to its absolute limits. Whether it works will depend on the ability of that A10 processor to maintain playable frame rates at all times.</P><br /><P>If you're wondering what the upsides might be, well, it comes down to two things. The A10 processor is cheaper than a high end mobile CPU. And it's also more power efficient.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="MSI GX60" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/laptops/MSI/GX60/MSI%20GX60%20(6)-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>That's true because the CPU part of the AMD A10 package is pretty modest. It also sports an integrated graphics core that can be used when the system is running on battery power. But then, all of Intel's mobile processors also sport what you might call back-up integrated graphics, too.</P><br /><P>Even so, you'd hope that the MSI GX60 was both longer lasting and cheaper than the gaming laptop competition. If it delivers on those two metrics and keeps the frame rates trucking, MSI could be onto a winner.</P><br /><P>The price comparison is easy enough to make. The <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/pc-specialist-vortex-iii-680-1118098/review">PC Specialist Vortex III 680</A>, for instance, packs the alternative flagship GPU from the green team, NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680M along with a pricey Intel Core i7. And it's nearly £150 more expensive.</P><br /><P>Then there's <A href="about:www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/samsung-series-7-gamer-1102324/review">Samsung Series 7 Gamer</A>, powered by Intel Core i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675M but yours for £1,349. That's an extra £300, therefore. </P><br /><P>Toshiba's <A href="about:www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/toshiba-qosmio-x870-1087764/review">Qosmio X870</A> and its Intel Core i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670M combo is even pricier at around £1,700.</P><br /><P>Admittedly, there are several other variables that effect pricing, including screen size, storage specification and more. But one thing is clear enough. If the MSI GX60 delivers great gaming performance, it'll be a bit of a bargain.</P><br /><H3>Specifications</H3><br /><P>If the basics of the MSI GX 60 are AMD A10 fusion chip plus AMD Radeon HD 7970M graphics, how do the details stack up?</P><br /><P>The A10 chip is the top spec 4600M, as you'd expect. So that's four AMD-style CPU cores or two AMD modules humming a 2.3GHz tune as standard with a top Turbo frequnecy of 3.2GHz.</P><br /><P>Each module contains two integer units but a single floating point unit. Is it really a quad-core chip? Probably not. But it's more than a dual-core processor, too.</P><br /><P>The AMD A10 4600M also sports an integrated AMD Radeon HD 7660G graphics unit with 384 shader cores. But the real graphics grunt is provided by the dedicated Radeon HD 7970M chip and its 1,280 shaders, 850MHz clock speed and 256-bit memory bus.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="MSI GX60" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/laptops/MSI/GX60/MSI%20GX60%20(9)-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>It's a bit of a beast and it makes for an interesting alternative to the the NVIDIA GeForce GTX-powered laptops on the market, including the aforementioned PC Specialist Vortex III 680, Samsung Series 7 Gamer and Toshiba's Qosmio X870.</P><br /><P>If that makes for a tasty mix, there's more spice provided by the storage solution. Mass storage takes the form of a conventional 750GB magnetic drive.MSI has also slotted in a pair of 64GB mSATA solid-state drives in speedy RAID0 configuration.</P><br /><P>As for system memory, we're talking two 4GB sticks of 1,600MHz DDR3 memory. Then there's the 15.6-inch full-HD LCD panel. So, that's 1,920 x 1,080 and a very high pixel density. It's a TN panel, so it's unlikely to offer colour accuracy to rival the best IPS screens. </P><br /><P>But there are several grades of TN technology today and the best offers pretty good contrast, colours and viewing angles along with the best pixel response. Makes sense for a gaming machine.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="MSI GX60" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/laptops/MSI/GX60/MSI%20GX60%20(5)-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Oh and the panel coating is matte anti-glare rather than glossy, which is definitely our preference.</P><br /><P>Next up, there's a beefy 87Wh lithium battery pack. In some ways, it's the combination of that battery with the AMD 10 CPU that makes the MSI GX60 really interesting.</P><br /><P>On paper, it promises a very rare thing. A gaming notebook with the legs to run long distances away from the power socket. </P><br /><P>What it's not, however, it hugely portable. As a 15.6-inch notebook, the chassis isn't huge in width, though a fairly fat bezel around the screen means it's quite large for this class of notebook. </P><br /><P>However, at 55mm thick and 3.5kg, this is no thin and light. You wouldn't want to lug it to the office and back on a daily basis.</P><br /><H3>Performance</H3><br /><P><STRONG>Benchmarks<BR></STRONG>3DMark06:12,766<BR>Cinebench 10:8,080pts<BR>Battery Eater 05:131 minutes</P><br /><P>Even more for the MSI GX60 than most power portables, performance is going to make or break this laptop.</P><br /><P>Inevitably, raw CPU performance is unimpressive. The A10 CPU's AMD Piledriver cores don't have a reputation for immense performance. And with only four of them running at relatively modest clocks, the result is a mediocre score of around 8,000 in Cinebench 10.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="MSI GX60" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/laptops/MSI/GX60/MSI%20GX60%20(4)-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>To put that into context, a quad-core Intel Core-i7 desktop processor is roughly four times faster. Yikes.</P><br /><P>Performance of those two 64GB mSATA solid-state drives in RAID0 is a little patchy, too. A peak sequential read speed of nearly 600MB/s is undoubtedly spectacular. Writes of just 52MB/s are pretty poor, however.</P><br /><P>The random access performance isn't too hot either, clocking in at 7.3MB/s for reads and 13.3MB/s for writes. Frankly, the GX60 would be better off with a single conventional 2.5-inch SSD. The sequential reads would be a little slower. But everything else would be much, much quicker.</P><br /><P>If that doesn't make for a terribly appealing mix, it's hardly catastrophic, either. In fact, it's just fine if the GX60 can deliver where it counts in games.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="MSI GX60" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/laptops/MSI/GX60/MSI%20GX60%20(1)-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Sadly, it doesn't. A perfect example of where it falls short is provided by arcade-style racer Dirt Showdown. Hardly renown for being a CPU hog, Dirt Showdown runs at pretty much the same frame rates regardless of the graphical settings.</P><br /><P>Whether you're running at 1,280 by 768 pixels and no anti-aliasing or 1,920 by 1,080 and all the eye-candy shovelled on it's the same. Unfortunately, that same is low to mid 20s in terms of frames per second. </P><br /><P>That's not quite good enough and it's undoubtedly a function of the CPU holding back performance. Admittedly, most <A href="http://www.amazon.com/b/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&node=2404622011&tag=freedown0f-20">console</A> port games will run just fine. But anything a bit more demanding and purpose built for modern CPUs is going to chug a bit.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="MSI GX60" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/laptops/MSI/GX60/MSI%20GX60%20(2)-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>That's a shame because games look absolutely, positively stunning on the GX60's 15.6-inch LCD panel. The 1,920 by 1,080 resolution makes for a super-tight pixel pitch and in turn razor-sharp visuals.</P><br /><P>Add in vivid colours and decent pixel response and you have a gaming lappie that makes games look awesome. Well, the ones that run smoothly, at least.</P><br /><P>The final part of the puzzle in battery life. Over two hours in Battery Eater 05 is a decent result for this type of portable. Even better, in a light web browsing scenario with Wi-Fi enabled, you'll get at least four hours and perhaps as much as five or more depending on screen brightness.</P><br /><P>That's much better than you'll achieve with most gaming-centric laptops.</P><br /><H3>Verdict</H3><br /><P>There's no doubting the MSI GX60 makes for a compelling package on paper. Graphics grunt is typically what defines games performance. So why not wind back a little on the CPU in return for lower pricing and better battery life.</P><br /><P>That's exactly what MSI did, dropping in an AMD A10 4600M chip. It's essentially a budget processor and sports two of AMD's Piledriver modules and four AMD-style cores.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="MSI GX60" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/laptops/MSI/GX60/MSI%20GX60%20(7)-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><H3>We liked</H3><br /><P>The screen is excellent and delivers just what you want from a gaming portable: rich and vivid colours, great contrast and huge detail thanks to a 1,920 by 1,080 pixel grid.</P><br /><P>The battery life is excellent for this class of notebook. Depending on how you use the GX60, you can get as much as five hours or more away from a wall socket. For that you can thank both the big battery and the integrated AMD Radeon HD 7660G graphics core, which kicks in when the system is running on batteries.</P><br /><P>The integrated speakers aren't half bad, either. OK, the absolute volume levels aren't exactly kidney pummelling. But the quality and clarity are great. And you do get just a hint of lower bass frequencies.</P><br /><H3>We disliked</H3><br /><P>Make no mistake. AMD cores are not like Intel cores. And Intel Core i7 quad-core chip typically delivers at least twice the performance of the AMD A10 processor.</P><br /><P>Unfortunately, that makes a difference in games, where the A10 processor prevents the excellent AMD Radeon HD 7970M mobile graphics chip from delivering its best. It ends up twiddling its silicon thumbs waiting for the A10 to catch up.</P><br /><P>Similarly unedifying is the performance of the two 64GB mSATA SSDs in RAID0 configuration. You'd be better off with a single conventional SSD. </P><br /><P>We're also a little disappointed by the sheer heft of the GX60. Given the low power CPU and even taking into account the powerful graphics chip, 3.5kgs and 55mm thick is not what we were expecting.</P><br /><H3>Final verdict</H3><br /><P>That said, it all makes for a very sturdy and robust feeling system. Likewise, the keyboard feels great, too. Engineered by keyboard specialist Steelseries, it's very stable with little to no deflection of the keyboard bed.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="MSI GX60" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/laptops/MSI/GX60/MSI%20GX60%20(10)-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>But it's the AMD A10 CPU that's the real sticking point. It's just about tolerable for most current games. But there's absolutely no performance in hand for future games. And it makes the AMD Radeon HD 7970M dedicated graphics chip seem a little futile and the GX60 ultimately a bit off-target.</P><br /><P><A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009H8OA0C/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009H8OA0C&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buy MSI GX 60</A></P><br /><P><A href="http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&*Version*=1&*entries*=0&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=freedown0f-20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Other Products</A></P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-9636770557423099522013-01-31T09:37:00.000-08:002013-01-31T09:38:16.881-08:00Review: BlackBerry 10<IMG alt="Review: Updated: BlackBerry 10" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Press/Z10-Press-04-470-75.jpg"><br /><H3>Introduction</H3><br /><P><EM>We've been playing with BlackBerry 10 (BB10) for the past few days and we'll be updating this review over the coming weeks with more in-depth findings.</EM></P><br /><P>After a number of delays and set backs BlackBerry 10 is finally here and BlackBerry's new mobile platform can finally take its first breath as it steps out into the mobile market.</P><br /><P>Kicking off the BB10 revolution is the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-z10-1128348/review">BlackBerry Z10</A> tasked with reigniting the ailing fortunes of the Canadian firm, but it's the software the handset is running which is really the key to BlackBerry's success, or ultimate demise.</P><br /><P>The BlackBerry smartphone range has been in desperate need of a reboot for a while as the likes of iOS 6, Android Jelly Bean and Windows Phone 8 have outstripped the now extremely outdated BB OS7 platform.</P><br /><P>Where as the other platforms have witnessed incremental upgrades BlackBerry 10 is a completely new offering – BlackBerry has scrapped the BB OS7 base and rebuilt from the ground up.</P><br /><P>BB 10 sees the implementation of a whole new user interface doing away with the familiar BlackBerry system we're all used to, in favour of something which resembles the likes of Android and iOS, although with its own unique features.</P><br /><P>BlackBerry 10 has merged homescreens, widgets, app lists and a unified inbox into one slick interface, offering up an easy-to-navigate user experience.</P><br /><H3>Lockscreen</H3><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Homescreen-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>The first thing you're greeted with on BlackBerry 10 is the lock screen, which not only shows the time and date, but also notifications, unread messages and upcoming calendar events.</P><br /><P>There's a button to launch the camera straight from the lock screen to grab a quick snap, just hold down on the icon for a couple of seconds.</P><br /><P>To unlock a touchscreen BB 10 handset you need to slide your finger up the screen and as you do the homescreen below will begin to appear, giving you a sneak peek of what's underneath.</P><br /><H3>Homescreen</H3><br /><P>The main BlackBerry 10 homescreen comprises of 'Active Frames', technically mini-applications, which give you an overview of information from a particular app and launch the full version when tapped. </P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Homescreen-07-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>BB10 will display up to eight of these active frames, displaying your most recently used apps with the latest app appearing in the top left position.</P><br /><P>Only four active frames can fit on the screen at a time, so you'll need to scroll down to see the rest – which all seems a little pointless, as you can just as quickly swipe sideways to access the app list and launch the app you want from there.</P><br /><P>For those of you who may be concerned that these 'Active Frames' could be both data and battery intensive, BlackBerry assures us that this is not the case, with the QNX core of BlackBerry 10 providing efficient power management, and the frames only downloading the minimum amount of data required for them to update.</P><br /><P>When you're in an app there's no back button, instead with BB10 you use a gesture to exit applications by running your finger up from the bottom of the screen.</P><br /><P>While this is easy to do those who are already familiar with smartphones will find the action pretty unnatural and it takes a while to get used to the new way of doing things on BlackBerry 10.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Homescreen-05-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><H3>Interface</H3><br /><P>Swiping from right to left will take you to the app list, with 16 apps on the screen at any one time – if you have more than 16 apps additional pages are added and can be accessed by swiping the same way again – familiar territory for iOS and Android users.</P><br /><P>At the bottom of both the homescreen and app list you'll notice a shortcut bar, with quick links to the phone, search and camera applications – allowing you to quickly jump to these regularly used features.</P><br /><P>There's a pleasant fading animation as you flick between pages, and you'll see the previous page of apps fade away to the side of the screen, to be replaced by the new page.</P><br /><H3>Peek and Flow</H3><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Peek-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Peek and Flow are two core aspects which come heavily baked into BlackBerry 10 and they dictate the way you use the system.</P><br /><P>Flow refers to the way the whole of BB 10 operates, as you glide between applications and screens with no hard navigation tools such as the back or home buttons with are found on rival handsets.</P><br /><P>It's very different to any system we've experience before so it took us a few days to get our heads around the various gestures required to effectively use BB10.</P><br /><P>At times we wished there was a simple back button below the screen as it wasn't always clear how to return to the previous screen, but the more we used BlackBerry 10 the more we became used to the way it needs to be used.</P><br /><P>Our concern here is that BB 10 requires a relatively steep learning curve for everyone, even those who have owned BlackBerry handsets in the past.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Peek-02-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>It becomes easier once you've played with BlackBerry 10 for a few days but we fear customers may be turned off in store when they preview a handset.</P><br /><P>Now onto Peek, which is the smart little gesture allowing you to check your latest notifications and messages without having to exit the current app you're using.</P><br /><P>As you swipe up over the screen BB10 will minimise the pane you're viewing and display notification icons down the left side.</P><br /><P>This includes icons for new texts, emails, BBMs, social updates and missed calls and if any of these pique your interest then continue your finger's motion to the right and the screen will slide over to reveal the BlackBerry Hub so you can see who the message is from.</P><br /><P>If it's just a boring news letter you can return to the app or video your were viewing without having to go back to the app list and navigate to it.</P><br /><P>The whole BlackBerry 10 interface does appear to be very smooth with no sign of lag which makes for a pleasing user experience – once you've worked out the various gestures required to get around that is.</P><br /><H3>BlackBerry Hub, BBM and keyboard</H3><br /><H3>BlackBerry Hub</H3><br /><P>The BlackBerry Hub is the universal inbox found on BlackBerry 10 and it pulls in all forms of communications from calls and texts to emails, BBMs and social updates.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Messaging-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Of course, with so many accounts feeding into the handset, the more popular among us will be quickly inundated with notifications from various different channels, and this is where the peek idea makes it easy to see when you've got anything new to look at.</P><br /><P>To make the reams of messages easier to manage place your finger on the title in the bottom left corner of the message centre and pull across to reveal a list of all the accounts you have linked up and then select the one you're interested in – this will then populate the Hub which notifications from just that source.</P><br /><P>There are also various options which can be selected for a particular message, hold down on the communication in question and a slim column of tools will pop up to the right for you to choose from, including reply, forward and delete.</P><br /><P>Drag down from the top of the message centre and the Hub will automatically pull in your calendar events for that day in the top half of the screen, allowing you to quickly see what you've got on without having to launch the full calendar app.</P><br /><P>It's an impressive setup and we reckon other platforms may be looking at the BlackBerry Hub with a little bit of envy.</P><br /><H3>BBM</H3><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Messaging-08-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>BBM, or BlackBerry Messenger has been a cornerstone of the BlackBerry experience for years and it gets a revamp with BlackBerry 10.</P><br /><P>The dedicated application has been given a lick of paint with easier navigation and a new feature called BBM Video.</P><br /><P>BBM Video joins up with BBM Voice which launched recently on BB OS7 to bring both voice and video calls to the BBM application on BlackBerry 10.</P><br /><P>There days of the BlackBerry bolt ons on tariffs have been and gone, with all your BBM activity coming out of your data allowance if you're not connected to Wi-Fi, so you'll need to keep an eye on your usage.</P><br /><H3>Keyboard</H3><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Messaging-09-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Now all this messaging capability is nothing without an input method and keyboards are arguably the thing BlackBerry handsets are most known for.</P><br /><P>BlackBerry has spoken in length about how it's engineered its onscreen keyboard to bring users the experience they get on the physical version with the all new touch offering.</P><br /><P>Straight up we can say the BlackBerry 10 keyboard is miles better than the pitiful attempt which adorned the Torch range of BlackBerry devices, but it's not perfect.</P><br /><P>The keyboard sports the silver frets which can be found on the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-bold-9900-989797/review"><STRONG>Bold 9900</STRONG></A>, providing additional spacing between lines allowing for better travel between keys.</P><br /><P>These frets also act as the space for the next word prediction and the more you type the more BB 10 it learns and offers smarter suggestions.</P><br /><P>We were able to type at a reasonable pace, but we found the next word prediction if anything slowed us down as the font is too small to easily see and we found our fingers were covering most of the suggestions anyway.</P><br /><H3>Camera, browser and more</H3><br /><H3>Camera</H3><br /><P>BlackBerry is making a big song and dance about its BB 10 camera application as well, especially the 'Time Shift' feature, which allows you to select the perfect smile of your subject after taking the photo.</P><br /><P>Fire up the camera app (from the lock screen if you so wish), select 'Time Shift' mode and snap your subject, and the app will then search for faces in the image.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/BB10/HandsOnDevAlphaB/BB10-Camera-01-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Once a face is located in a photo, you can tap it and literally roll back time to find the point at which your friend had their eyes open and the perfect grin.</P><br /><P>If there are multiple people in your snap, you can individually adjust each person, however during our demo we found 'Time Shift' struggled in lower lighting conditions, subjects face's need to be illuminated well for the camera to detect their mugs.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/BB10/HandsOnDevAlphaB/BB10-Camera-02-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>'Time Shift' did take a couple of seconds after the photo was taken to detect faces and offer us the chance to tweak the image, but this could be down to the fact it's running on a development build of the BB10 software, and speed could be improved in the final product.</P><br /><P>Of course the camera can take standard photos and record video alongside the 'Time Shift' function, which itself is an impressive function, but we wonder how much we'd actually use it day to day.</P><br /><H3>Browser</H3><br /><P>The BlackBerry browser has also had a refresh for BB10, bringing it in line with the minimalist style of current offerings on other devices, and the location of the URL bar at the bottom of the page is reminiscent of Internet Explorer on Windows Phone.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/BB10/HandsOnDevAlphaB/Screenshots/BB10-Browser-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Even though Adobe has already ditched future support and upgrades of its Flash platform, BlackBerry has made sure it's built in support for the dying format in BB 10, allowing you to access all your favourite Flash built sites and videos of Korean men dancing on invisible horses.</P><br /><P>Sweep from left to right while in the browser and the 'peek' functionality comes into play again, this time showing various internet-centric options such as History, Bookmarks, New Tab and currently opened tabs.</P><br /><P>There's also a Reader mode built into the new browser, which lifts article text and images from a web page and displays it in a more manageable and easy to read format, stripping out fancy ads, menu bars and any other clutter which gets in the way of actually reading something.</P><br /><P>The browser is certainly much, much faster than before, and users will be impressed at the upgrade.</P><br /><P><A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/software/operating-systems/blackberry-10-browser-test-outpaces-ios-6-and-windows-phone-8-1120280">Comparison tests</A> have shown the BlackBerry 10 web browser to be faster than its equivalent on Apple's <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/ios-6-1096515/review">iOS 6</A> and the new version of <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-phone-8-1086692/review">Windows Phone</A> - we'll reserve proper judgement until we have a final handset in our sweaty palm, but at least this is a positive sign.</P><br /><H3>Cascades</H3><br /><P>Then there's Cascades, a new navigation system cooked up by BlackBerry especially for BB10, allowing for quick multitasking from within applications.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/BB10/HandsOnDevAlphaB/Screenshots/BB10-Glance-02-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>The example we've seen is in the messaging app - open an email it will display full screen, but drag your finger from left to right and the message will slide with you, revealing the inbox below.</P><br /><P>This means if you get a new message in the middle of reading an email, you can check who it's from without having to close the application – similar to the notification bar on Android and also now iOS.</P><br /><P>If you were to open an attachment from the email, a PDF document in the case of our demo, pulling to the side to view the cascade will show the app's layers stacked up – a more visual paper trail, if you will.</P><br /><P>It's certainly an intuitive feature that we found to work smoothly on the development handset – but it will be interesting to see how this feature is embedded into other applications and if it will have the same pleasing results.</P><br /><H3>BlackBerry World</H3><br /><P>Apps have been a big talking point in the run up to the launch of <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/blackberry-10-1090522/review"><STRONG>BlackBerry 10</STRONG></A>, with BlackBerry assuring everyone that it's got loads of developers creating applications especially for the platform.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry 10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Apps-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>BlackBerry World launched with over 70,000 applications in the store and while big names such as Whatsapp and Skype were banded about during the BB 10 launch event, the apps are yet to make an appearance on the platform.</P><br /><P>While 70,000 doesn't sound like a lot especially when you consider the likes of Android and iOS boast over 700,000 each, BlackBerry reckons it's the quality not quantity in BlackBerry World which makes all the difference.</P><br /><P>We'll update this section regularly as the big firms release killer BB 10 apps for a platform which desperately needs them.</P><br /><P>The BlackBerry Word app itself isn't our favourite app store in terms of design and navigation, with a confusing list of various apps, music and videos on the main page making it difficult to digest all the information.</P><br /><P>You can refine your search by categories which goes some way to working out what's on offer, but there's no option to view say just free apps for example.</P><br /><H3>Verdict</H3><br /><P>BlackBerry 10 is a solid smartphone operating system offering up all the functionality you'd expect, wrapped up in a package with does set it apart from the likes of Android and iOS.</P><br /><P>When it comes to messaging and web browsing BB 10 is second to none and can happily take on the stalwarts of the mobile world, but it's not the perfect operating system.</P><br /><P>Applications will be a big sticking point for many as most people will take the vast offering on Google Play or the App Store over the tiny on comparison BlackBerry World.</P><br /><P>There are a lot of big names missing from BlackBerry World at the moment and while many have promised their commitment to BlackBerry 10 the fact they are not there at launch is a little confusing and is little to put punters off.</P><br /><P>The way you navigate round BB10 is very different to its rivals and it requires the user to spend a decent amount of time with it to fully understand its complexities.</P><br /><P><BR>Once you get to grips with BlackBerry 10 you'll find it's a quick and fluid user experience which allows you to get to the main features quickly without getting lost in various menus and settings.</P><br /><P>The thing is it just doesn't feel as complete an offering as iOS, Android or even Windows Phone and we reckon BlackBerry 10 has a bit of an uphill struggle if it's to steal users away from those three.</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-89077064395639914762013-01-31T09:31:00.000-08:002013-01-31T09:32:11.064-08:00Review: BlackBerry Z10<IMG alt="Review: Updated: BlackBerry Z10" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Press/Z10-Press-01-470-75.jpg"> <br /><H3>Introduction</H3><br /><P><EM>We've been playing with the BlackBerry Z10 for the past few days and we'll be updating this review over the coming weeks with more in-depth findings.</EM></P><br /><P>Usually when a manufacturer launches its flagship smartphone it's looking to show off its latest technological advances with eyes set on raking in cash - with the BlackBerry Z10 however the stakes are quite different.</P><br /><P>The BlackBerry Z10 is the first handset from the company formerly known as RIM, now rechristened BlackBerry, to run its new operating system <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/blackberry-10-1090522/review">BlackBerry 10</A>, and there's much more on the line here than just simply making a few bob – arguably the company's survival rests on the success of this device.</P><br /><P>It's no secret that BlackBerry has been on the rocks for the past year or so, with the company even admitting that it hasn't been in the best shape of late, and the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/4g-and-lte-everything-you-need-to-know-926835">4G</A> toting Z10 is the start of what is hoped to be a successful revolution.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Press/Z10-Press-02-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The BlackBerry Z10 is already available to buy in the UK with the handset free on contracts starting at £36 per month, while you'll need to fork out around £480 if you want it SIM-free.</P><br /><P>Meanwhile over in the US the BlackBerry Z10 release date is yet to be finalised, with March the only information we have to go on for now and Verizon has already announced it will be available for $199.99 on contract.</P><br /><P>Sporting a 4.2-inch 1280 x 768 display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and it's steep price tag the BlackBerry Z10 finds itself jostling for position with the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/nokia-lumia-920-1094960/review">Nokia Lumia 920</A>, Samsung Galaxy <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VCRRNS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VCRRNS&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">S3</A> and <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-17-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Lock eyes on the BlackBerry Z10 and you'll notice it's an unassuming slab of black glass and plastic which mimics the general aesthetical design of many a smartphone these days.</P><br /><P>The Z10 is a little bezel heavy with a sizable gap above and below the screen, and that's before we even get to the additional plastic chunks stuck on both ends of the handset.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-02-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>It all seems a little unnecessary but luckily it doesn't make the BlackBerry Z10 overly cumbersome, with the handset measuring a comfortable 130 x 65.6 x 9mm.</P><br /><P>Weight wise the BlackBerry Z10 finds a happy medium – it's no where near as heavy as the Lumia 920 and <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/nokia-lumia-820-1094951/review">Lumia 820</A>, yet it's not as feather light as the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-16-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The weight gives it a reassuring presence in the palm and while the chassis is distinctly plastic, the handset's heft at least restores some form of premium feel.</P><br /><P>Round the back you're greeted with a textured plastic rear which is slightly rubberised, providing a decent level of grip.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-18-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>There are only a couple of things to note on the back of the Z10, the 8MP camera with a single LED flash is sat in the top left corner and the shiny metallic BlackBerry logo is in middle.</P><br /><P>We were pleased to find that the rear can be removed easily by placing a finger in the indented speaker grill at the base of the Z10 allowing us to simply peel off the plastic.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-10-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Underneath you'll find microSIM and microSD slots with the latter capable of supporting cards up to 32GB, although we've been told that a future update may see this support boosted to the 64GB variants.</P><br /><P>This means you can build nicely on the already decent 16GB of internal storage which will appeal to many who have been put out by the likes of the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> range and <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/htc-one-x-1101086/review">HTC One X+</A> which don't offer storage expansion.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-12-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>An added boon is the removable 1,800mAh battery allowing you to switch out a dead battery for a fully charged one if you're someone who likes to carry multiple powers pack around.</P><br /><P>On the rear cover itself you'll notice the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/what-is-nfc-and-why-is-it-in-your-phone-948410">NFC</A> pad which allows the BlackBerry Z10 to interact with other enabled devices wirelesses.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-06-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>On the right hand side of the Z10 anyone familiar with the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/blackberry-playbook-947731/review">BlackBerry PlayBook</A> will instantly recognise the triple button setup, with volume rocker switches separated by a central key – used for playing/pausing music and activating voice control when held down.</P><br /><P>Up top you get a centralised power/lock key next to a 3.5mm headphone jack, while on the left there's a couple of handy connectivity ports.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-04-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The metal finish of the keys gives the handset a touch of class and all are well positioned, allowing us to reach them easily when using the Z10 one handed.</P><br /><P>The now standard microUSB port which features on pretty much every phone these days bar the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> is present alongside a miniHDMI port – allowing you to connect the BlackBerry Z10 directly to a TV for big screen viewing.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-03-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>There's no HDMI cable in the box so you'll need to pick one up separately, but there is at least a USB cable so you can hook the Z10 up to your computer.</P><br /><P>The BlackBerry Z10 doesn't wow us with a new design, but it's a sturdy handset with a decent build quality and functional layout which makes it easy to use.</P><br /><H3>Interface</H3><br /><P>The key selling point of the BlackBerry Z10 is the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/blackberry-10-1090522/review">BlackBerry 10</A> operating system, which may go some way to explaining the handset's unassuming design with the manufacturer focussed more on the software inside.</P><br /><P>BB10 was launched alongside the BlackBerry Z10 and signals a new era for a company which hasn't had the best of times recently.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Homescreen-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>The aim of BB 10 is to drag BlackBerry into the here and now of the mobile world and offer up a system which is capable of challenging the likes of <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/android-jelly-bean-1087230/review">Android Jelly Bean</A>, <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/ios-6-1096515/review">iOS 6</A> and <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-phone-8-1086692/review">Windows Phone 8</A>.</P><br /><P>This has resulted in a platform which is very different to the one found on previous BlackBerry handsets running BB OS7, which means a steep learning curve is required for both new and current BlackBerry users.</P><br /><P>BlackBerry decided to move away from the physical buttons found on iOS and many Android devices, instead opting for a gesture based system as the main form of navigation.</P><br /><P>Press the power/lock key at the top of the device and the 4.2-inch HD display comes to life greeting you with the BB 10 lock screen.</P><br /><P>You get the date and time on the screen along with notifications of any new emails, messages, BBMs, missed calls etc.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Homescreen-07-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>There's a shortcut to the camera app in the bottom right corner, while the general unlock function requires you to slide up from the bottom of the screen, which uncovers the homescreen below as your finger moves up.</P><br /><P>Complete the unlock sweep to access your homescreen – which is some kind of odd mashup between Android widgets and Windows Phone Live Tiles.</P><br /><P>What you get is large thumbnails of your most recently opened applications. Only four can fit on the screen at once and you can have a total of eight applications in this list – you'll need to slide down to view the rest.</P><br /><P>This is basically the multi-tasking function in BlackBerry 10 and you can choose to close apps in this list by hitting the cross in the bottom right of the preview.</P><br /><P>For those of you who are fans with quick settings you'll be glad to know that BlackBerry has catered for you on BB 10 – just swipe down from the notification bar on the BlackBerry Z10 and you'll get a small drop down with toggles for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, alarm, rotation lock and notifications.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Homescreen-06-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>There's also a short cut to the settings menu if you need to toggle the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/4g-and-lte-everything-you-need-to-know-926835">4G</A> mobile hotspot or <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/what-is-nfc-and-why-is-it-in-your-phone-948410">NFC</A> on the Z10.</P><br /><P>Sliding to the right from the homescreen will take you to the app list, while going left will take you into the BlackBerry Hub – something we'll cover in more detail in the messaging section of this review.</P><br /><P>The app list is far more familiar territory for anyone with smartphone experience with the icons lined up in the usual grid formation, with the ability to create folders by simply dropping one app onto another – now where have we seen that before?</P><br /><P>Holding down on an app icon will make them all start to pulsate, with the option to drag them around and reposition them in an order which suits you, or you can hit the bin icon to delete a particular app.</P><br /><P>The 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 2GB of RAM housed into the BlackBerry Z10 means it has more than enough power to glide through the BB10 system, and we got a smooth user experience without any stutter or lag.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Homescreen-04-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>The fancy fade in/out animations as your skip between pages of apps is a nice touch and applications open swiftly.</P><br /><P>A responsive touchscreen aids navigation and once we'd got to grips with the BlackBerry 10 ways of doing things the Z10 was pleasing to use.</P><br /><P>Some gestures and layouts still seem a little confused but the longer we spent with the handset the easier it became.</P><br /><P>As there's no physical back button below the display it wasn't always clear how to get back to the previous screen, which left us feverously scrabbling around for a way to return to the start of an app without returning to the homescreen from time to time.</P><br /><P>The BlackBerrry 10 platform succeeds at bringing RIM into line with the other smartphone operating systems and the BlackBerry Z10 has no trouble running it, but it doesn't seem to have a clear advantage over its rivals.</P><br /><H3>Contacts and calling</H3><br /><H3>Contacts</H3><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Contacts-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>You can add contacts from a variety of sources on the BlackBerry Z10 including Google, Hotmail, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.</P><br /><P>During first time set up the Z10 encourages you to sign in to all your accounts and then provides you with toggles for each so you can set which information it pulls through.</P><br /><P>We were easily able to pull through our Google and Twitter contacts without issue, which meant we could get straight to calling and texting our nearest and dearest straight out the box.</P><br /><P>Our Z10 seemed to struggle a little more with the Facebook integration, failing to pull through all of our friends, and the ones it did we noticed a distinct lack profile pictures.</P><br /><P>It wasn't a huge issue as we don't rely on the details from Facebook, it just makes our contact list a little bit drab with all the missing images.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Contacts-02-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Click through onto a contact and you'll be able to view all their details, including various links to their social media accounts – tap on one of these and the Z10 will launch the native app to display their profile.</P><br /><P>The Z10 can also help you when it comes to making new friends on your social media accounts, as it will notify you if you're both on the same network but are currently not connected, with a button to send them a friend request from within the contacts app.</P><br /><P>There are two further tabs within a contact's profile after details, Updates and Activity, the former of which pulls through that person's latest status updates from their various connected networks.</P><br /><P>Activity on the other hand shows your communication with that person, giving you the most recent calls, texts, emails, tweets, Facebook events or other messages you may have shared with them.</P><br /><P>Adding a contact is simple, with an "Add" key along the bottom menu bar in the contacts app which takes you to a form where you can fill out a whole myriad of information on your new chum.</P><br /><H3>Calling</H3><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Calling-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>The Phone app is a little bit special in BlackBerry 10, as it's one of the few that gets a space in the toolbar displayed on the bottom of the homescreen and app list pages.</P><br /><P>It lines up alongside the search and camera launchers, but there's also an app icon in the application list if you fancy prodding that instead.</P><br /><P>Fire up the Phone app and you're taken to a screen displaying your call history and quick links to your favourite contacts and voicemail at the top of the screen.</P><br /><P>There's no visual voicemail available on the Z10, so you'll need to make do with listening to that robotic mistress.</P><br /><P>If the number you require isn't in your favourites or call history then you can hit the contacts tab which will display all your chums stored on the BlackBerry Z10 and instead of launching you into their contact cards when you tap, it simply just slides down with the numbers attached to that person.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Calling-02-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>It's a nice little effect and we found it pleasing to use, as well as being a nice time saver.</P><br /><P>Of course you won't have every number stored on your phone, so the final tab is the faithful Dial Pad.</P><br /><P>It's a pretty basic offering and doesn't feature anything fancy such as smart dialling, but it's functional and serves the purpose.</P><br /><P>Call quality on the BlackBerry Z10 was acceptable as we could hear our mates on the other end pretty clearly and vice versa, but it wasn't crystal clear audio.</P><br /><P>The Z10 found and held signal well managing to pick up decent 3G reception in most areas and we didn't experience any issues with dropped calls.</P><br /><H3>Messaging</H3><br /><P>Messaging is one thing BlackBerry is famed for – its impressive history when it comes to email management and free messaging via BBM is well known and the BlackBerry Z10 picks up where the others left off.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Peek-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>BlackBerry 10 makes a big thing of all things messages, with its custom "Peek" gesture allowing you to quickly see who's just messaged, Facebooked or tweeted you without having to exit an application.</P><br /><P>If you hear the message tone or see the red flashing notification light in the top right of the handset then no matter which screen you're currently viewing you can check the details.</P><br /><P>Just slide your finger up from the BlackBerry logo, which sees the current screen minimized to the centre of the screen, with new notification icons appearing to left, so you can tell if it's a new BBM, text or whatever.</P><br /><P>A movement left will allow you to see the new message in the BlackBerry Hub and you can decided whether or not to respond straight away or just return to what you were doing.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Peek-02-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>The BlackBerry Hub is the universal inbox found on BlackBerry 10 and it pulls in all forms of communications from calls and texts to emails, BBMs and social updates.</P><br /><P>As well as accessing the Hub via the "Peek" method you can also jump to it by sliding to the left from your homescreen.</P><br /><P>Once inside the Hub you can filter it by account if it's all a bit of an information overload, and things such as Facebook and Twitter replies and status can be posted from within the Hub, meaning there's no need to fire up the official app every time.</P><br /><P>Instead of having dedicated text messaging and email applications they are all rolled into the Hub on the BlackBerry Z10, with the ability to hop between accounts.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Messaging-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Emails display nicely on the Z10 with the ability to zoom all the way out so you're able to view the whole thing in all its HTML glory – something some Android handsets aren't too fond of.</P><br /><P>There are simple compose, reply and forward controls at the bottom of the screen to allow you to email to your hearts content, while at the top of the screen tap the blue bar and you can view any folders in your email account.</P><br /><P>The text messaging app is a relatively simple affair with a list of messages on the overview page – the Z10 doesn't pull through profile pictures here.</P><br /><P>The message flow between yourself and one of your friends isn't the prettiest of designs with blocky speech bubbles showing your conversation, but at least it's functional and there are options to attach pictures, video etc if you so wish.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Messaging-08-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>As a colleague pointed out it does look a bit "my first smartphone", but it does the job and for that we cannot fault it.</P><br /><H3>BBM</H3><br /><P>Of course another big draw for a lot of BlackBerry users is the BBM application, which effectively gives you unlimited free messages between yourself and your other BlackBerry buddies.</P><br /><P>The layout of the BBM app has been given a revamp to follow the new BB10 theme with messages displaying in the same speech bubble design as texts.</P><br /><P>You can also access your current BBM conversations from the BlackBerry Hub, allowing you to speedily bash out a missive without having to launch the full blown app.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Messaging-07-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Thanks to the inclusion of <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/what-is-nfc-and-why-is-it-in-your-phone-948410">NFC</A> inside the BlackBerry Z10 you can gain new BBM buddies by simply tapping the handset against other enabled BlackBerry devices.</P><br /><P>There's also a QR code which you can stick on your business card or get printed on a t-shirt, which people can scan with their BlackBerry Z10 or similar to link up with you on BBM. Who doesn't love a good QR code?</P><br /><P><A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/blackberry-messenger-gets-free-voice-chat-feature-1112480">BBM Voice</A> was only recent announced for the messaging service but RIM has launched another new feature to coinside with the arrival of BlackBerry 10 – BBM Video.</P><br /><P>As you may have already guessed this allows you to make a video call via BBM - think Facetime on <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> – which uses your mobile data or Wi-Fi connection to beam the images of your smug face to your friends.</P><br /><H3>Keyboard</H3><br /><P>Now all this messaging capability is nothing without an input method and keyboards are arguably the thing BlackBerry handsets are most known for.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Messaging-09-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>But wait, nope the BlackBerry Z10 doesn't slide up to reveal a physical QWERTY keyboard like the touchscreen <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-torch-707877/review">BlackBerry Torch</A> – that's right it's touchscreen only folks.</P><br /><P>RIM has spoken in length about how it's engineered its onscreen keyboard to bring users the experience they get on the physical version with the all new touch offering.</P><br /><P>Straight up we can say it is miles better than the pitiful attempt which adorned the Torch range of BlackBerry devices, but it's not perfect.</P><br /><P>The keyboard sports the silver frets which can be found on the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-bold-9900-989797/review">Bold 9900</A>, providing additional spacing between lines allowing for better travel between keys.</P><br /><P>These frets also act as the space for the next word prediction on the BlackBerry Z10 and the more you type the more it learns and offers smarter suggestions.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Messaging-10-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>We were able to type at a reasonable pace, but we found the next word prediction if anything slowed us down as the font is too small to easily see and we found our fingers were covering most of the suggestions anyway.</P><br /><P>You can turn the BlackBerry Z10 90 degrees for a larger landscape keyboard which some may find easier to type on with two hands.</P><br /><P>The message you're replying to is just about visible at the top, which is handy if you're like us and forget what you're replying to half way through.</P><br /><H3>Internet</H3><br /><P>The BlackBerry Z10 comes sporting BlackBerry's new internet browser which it has developed specially for <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/blackberry-10-1090522/review">BlackBerry 10</A>, and one that's touted to be fast, really fast.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Internet-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>To keep up with that speed promise the Z10 not only comes equipped with Wi-Fi b/g/n but also <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/4g-and-lte-everything-you-need-to-know-926835">4G</A> connectivity for super fast mobile data on the move.</P><br /><P>During our time with the handset we only had a 3G SIM to hand, but we still experienced some impressive browsing speeds on the BlackBerry Z10.</P><br /><P>Full-fat TechRadar loaded in just five seconds on the Z10, fancy ad banners and all over 3G, while the mobile version turned up in a flash with two seconds on the clock.</P><br /><P>Load speeds are pretty similar over Wi-Fi, but a strong connection can see a second or so knocked off the desktop sites.</P><br /><P>The layout of the browser on the BlackBerry Z10 reminded us of the setup of IE on <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/windows-phone-8-1086692/review">Windows Phone 8</A> which also has a black toolbar located at the bottom of the display – compared to Android and iOS which both stick with the more traditional location at the top.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Internet-02-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Text and images appear crisp and clear on the 4-inch HD display of the BlackBerry Z10 making browsing websites, even those which are content rich, a pleasing experience.</P><br /><P>Text doesn't automatically reflow when you zoom which can lead to a lot of sideways scrolling if you need to zoom in a fair bit to be able to read what's on screen.</P><br /><P>You can make the reading experience easier by selecting Reader in the menu, which strips out all the images and ads from an article to display just the text on the screen, allowing for an easily digestible read.</P><br /><P>There is a simple text size tool at the bottom of the screen making it easy to increase or decrease the font for an even better reading experience.</P><br /><P>Sadly there's no offline mode, so you won't be able to save pages to read later when you may not be in signal – it's not a big issue in what is otherwise an excellent browsing experience.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Internet-04-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Tabbed browsing is supported on the Z10 browser, just hit the panel icon in the bottom left corner and a menu will slide in, with an option to open a new tab.</P><br /><P>Also in this menu are options to view your bookmarks and browsing history. </P><br /><P>Bookmarks are easy to add, just navigate to the desired page, hit the settings key in the bottom right and then select Add to Bookmarks – it's as easy as pie.</P><br /><P>Interestingly while Google is phasing out Adobe Flash support, and with Apple never supporting it, the browser on the BlackBerry Z10 does provide support for the dying web format – meaning you can view all the videos and websites which still rely on it.</P><br /><P>While less and less sites are dependent on Adobe Flash there are still some notable exceptions and it's great to see the support on the new BlackBerry 10 OS.</P><br /><P>All in all the BlackBerry Z10 offers a fantastic browsing experience with some of the fastest speeds we've witnessed on a smartphone.</P><br /><H3>Camera</H3><br /><P>The BlackBerry Z10 comes well equipped in the camera department with an 8MP rear snapper on the back and a 2MP front facing senor.</P><br /><P>A single LED flash accompanies the camera on the back of the Z10 and the handset is capable of shooting 1080p video with the rear lens.</P><br /><P>The camera app can be accessed in a number of ways including the shortcut on the lockscreen where you hold down on the camera icon to launch the app, by selecting the icon from the app list or by tapping the camera on the homescreen dock.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-10-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>It takes less than a second for the BlackBerry Z10 to load up the camera application and once there you're greeted with a simple setup.</P><br /><P>It may not be the most feature-packed camera offering we've ever seen, there's no photo sphere technology a la Android here, but what the Z10 does provide is an easy way to quickly take photos - after all that's what you're here for anyway.</P><br /><P>Shutter speed is rapid, although you'll notice there's no shutter button actually on screen.</P><br /><P>Instead the whole screen on the BlackBerry Z10 is the shutter which makes taking self portraits easy, but it can be frustrating when you accidentally hit it when trying to get to the settings.</P><br /><P>This issue can be partly avoided as both volume rocker keys on the side of the Z10 can be used to take a picture, which is a handy feature especially for those with clumsy fingers.</P><br /><P>Auto focus is in play and it can take half a second to settle at times, but there's no tap to focus as such.</P><br /><P>The focus can be changed by holding down on the Z10 display and moving around so the focus square follows you.</P><br /><P>Release your finger when you get to the point you want the camera to focus on and then tap the screen to capture the image. It's certainly not as quick as the simple tap to focus method, but it's an effective one.</P><br /><P>Dive into the settings menu and there are slim pickings on offer, with a toggle for the flash, front/rear camera and aspect ratio (you've got the choice of 16:9 and 4:3) along with three shooting modes (normal, stabilisation and burst) and four scene modes (action, whiteboard, night and beach or snow).</P><br /><P>There's a 5x digital zoom which is control by pinching the screen on the BlackBerry Z10, but picture quality is dramatically reduced the closer in you get so it's best to steer clear if you want a half decent photo.</P><br /><P>But wait, there is an ace up the sleeve of the BlackBerry Z10 – it's called Time Shift.</P><br /><P>Time Shift is a new feature for BlackBerry 10 and when you switch the camera to this mode and take a photo of a person or a group of people the Z10 will highlight all the faces in the picture.</P><br /><P>Press on any face after taking the picture and a disc will appear on the screen with that person's mug in it and a slider below.</P><br /><P>Move the slider left and right and you'll see the BlackBerry Z10 has captured the face before and after as well as during the time the shutter was pressed.</P><br /><P>This allows you to fine tune each person's face to ensure everyone is smiling and has their eyes open – giving you the perfect picture. It's an impressive feature and we were surprised as just how well it worked.</P><br /><P>Image quality is generally very good especially in well lit areas, and even in near or total darkness the flash on the BlackBerry Z10 does a good job of lighting things up.</P><br /><P>The pictures produced by the Z10 are certainly on par with a lot of its rivals, and you can rest assured you've got a capable, if not slightly feature-less snapper in your pocket if you plump for it.</P><br /><P><IMG title="The Z10 does a decent job in well lit areas" alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Images/IMG_00000006-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Images/IMG_00000006.jpg">Click here to see the full resolution image</A></P><br /><P><IMG title="It also manages to tackle the sun streaming through the windows in the office" alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Images/IMG_00000110-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Images/IMG_00000110.jpg">Click here to see the full resolution image</A></P><br /><P><IMG title="Underground the Z10 can still perform as long as there's a good level of light" alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Images/IMG_00000069-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Images/IMG_00000069.jpg">Click here to see the full resolution image</A></P><br /><P><IMG title="At night time the Z10 struggles a little" alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Images/IMG_00000009-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Images/IMG_00000009.jpg">Click here to see the full resolution image</A></P><br /><P><IMG title="There's no macro mode as such, but you can get up close with the Z10" alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Images/IMG_00000044-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Images/IMG_00000044.jpg">Click here to see the full resolution image</A></P><br /><P><IMG title="This image was taken in total darkness, with the flash doing a good job picking out the monster." alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Images/IMG_00000017-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><A href="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Images/IMG_00000017.jpg">Click here to see the full resolution image</A></P><br /><H3>Video</H3><br /><P>Video recording on the BlackBerry Z10 is accessed through the camera app, where you'll need to switch to video mode using the icon in the top right corner.</P><br /><P>The rear facing camera on the Z10 is capable of capturing footage at full HD 1080p resolution, while the front facing snapper can grab 720p video.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-11-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>With the rear camera you can choose whether to record in 720p or 1080p, and like the camera mode there's a very limited selection on options.</P><br /><P>Image stabilisation is a welcome addition which keeps your movies smooth, while over in scene modes you have a selection of just two – night and beach or snow.</P><br /><P>An added benefit with the video recorder on the Z10 is when you've started to record (by pressing anywhere on the screen) you can then toggle the single LED light on and off.</P><br /><P>This is great if you're moving between light and dark areas during filming, or if you just fancy giving your friend a bit of a strobe light while he performs an embarrassingly poor rendition of Gangnam Style.</P><br /><P>You can also use the 5x digital zoom while recording but as with pictures in camera mode video quality is greatly reduced if you decide to hone in on the action.</P><br /><P>Video quality is pretty good and easy to watch on the handset's display and you'll see from the video clip below it doesn't look too shoddy on a larger screen either.</P><MEDIAINSERT width="420" src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbcfWaMEhNY" height="315" mediatype="YouTube" caption="null">YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbcfWaMEhNY</MEDIAINSERT> <br /><H3>Media</H3><br /><P>BlackBerry smartphones have never really been seen as full blown multimedia devices, thanks in part to their small, low resolution displays, but the BlackBerry Z10 changes all that.</P><br /><P>With an HD 4.2-inch display, sizable 16GB of internal memory with the option to expand via microSD and additional power under the hood the Z10 is ready to take on any type of media.</P><br /><P>Using a microSD card is probably the quickest way to get content onto the BlackBerry Z10 as it circumvents the need to download and install the BlackBerry Link desktop before being allowed to drag and drop files when you hook the handset up to a computer with the USB cable.</P><br /><P>BlackBerry Link allows you to sync and share your media files between your computer and the Z10 as well as backing up your data, just in case something untoward happened.</P><br /><P>While relatively inoffensive and easy to use, we still prefer the method of simply dragging and dropping content between windows.</P><br /><H3>Music</H3><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Music-02-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>There's no prizes for guessing where you need to head on the BlackBerry Z10 to listen to your favourite tunes – yep you've guessed it the Music app.</P><br /><P>It's a pretty simple, no thrills application which shows you your library, most recently played tracks and playlists.</P><br /><P>Music is displayed as album art thumbnails which gives the application a tidy look, although album track listings sport an unassuming grey tone but there is the option to shuffle all the songs at the top of the list.</P><br /><P>The now playing screen has all your typical audio controls; play/pause, skip, scrub, repeat and shuffle.</P><br /><P>Tapping the album art here will see it slide down and show the other songs queued in the particular playlist, allowing you to quickly jump to another track if you so wish.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Music-03-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Dive in the settings menu and there's very little to choose from with no sign of an equaliser. The only thing of note is the "Play on" option, which allows you to stream music from the Z10 to other DLNA enabled devices.</P><br /><P>The major audio formats seem to be supported but we're still waiting to hear official confirmation from RIM on all the types which the Z10 will be able to handle.</P><br /><P>Sound quality seems to be perfectly acceptable as far as smartphones goes, but audiophiles will probably want something more from their music player.</P><br /><P>If your music collection is a little thin on the ground then you can bolster your library by jumping into BlackBerry World where you'll find a music section powered by 7Digital.</P><br /><P>The 7Digital library is a pretty extensive one, with most albums priced between £5 and £8, while single tracks are generally £1.</P><br /><P>It's not the easiest store to browse with a seemingly limited number of controls and a distinct lack of top lists meaning only a very small proportion of the library is actually on show.</P><br /><H3>Videos</H3><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Video-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Things are being kept simple on the BlackBerry Z10 with all things movie related housed in the Videos app.</P><br /><P>The video app is even more basic than its music equivalent, listing the videos currently stored on the Z10 which when clicked on takes you straight into the player.</P><br /><P>In the player the basic theme continues with a play/pause key and scrub option the only things to play with other than the aspect ratio toggle in the top right.</P><br /><P>The "Play On" option is present in the menu here allowing you to stream the currently playing video to a larger screen, so you can share the movie with a group of people.</P><br /><P>Video playback is pretty good but the Z10 doesn't quite reach the heights of the <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5 or Samsung Galaxy <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VCRRNS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VCRRNS&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">S3</A> in terms of quality, but movies are perfectly watchable with pretty good viewing angles.</P><br /><P>The soft touch back of the Z10 coupled with the rounded chassis makes it a comfortable handset to hold for extended periods with one handed holding not problem.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Video-02-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The additional bezel around the screen is actually a benefit here, as there's no worry of your thumb obscuring the screen.</P><br /><P>BlackBerry World also offers various movies and TV series powered by Rovi, which you can either purchase or rent.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Video-03-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The movie offering seems pretty limited at the moment but that may be due to the fact we've got the Z10 ahead of its official launch.</P><br /><P>Rental prices seem to be £2.99 or £3.99 while to buy and download a film to keep you'll need to fork out between £7.99 and £15.99.</P><br /><P>TV shows seem to come in at £1.99 per episode, with no sign of a season bundle at the moment.</P><br /><H3>Photos</H3><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Photos-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Last but not least photos are stored in the Pictures app which is were you go to view all your camera shots laid out in a series of thumbnails.</P><br /><P>Annoyingly you can't create albums on the BlackBerry Z10, with the system forcing you onto the computer and the BlackBerry Link software to set this up.</P><br /><P>It all seems rather unnecessary and an annoying hurdle that people shouldn't need to jump through for what is a pretty straight forward task.</P><br /><P>A nice feature which is part of the Pictures app is the edit function, which allows you to choose from a whole range of effects to apply to your photos as well as tools to crop and rotate the image.</P><br /><P>The way the effects have been implemented is a clever one, as you're able to drag each effect across the image to see how it will look before deciding whether or not to apply it.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Photos-02-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>It's such a simple system we found ourselves playing around with it a lot and with 16 effects on offer there's probably something there which will take your fancy.</P><br /><P>From within the editor you can also adjust the white balance, brightness, contrast and sharpness of an image. The whole system is pretty intuitive and it's a nice addition to have on the BlackBerry Z10.</P><br /><H3>Battery life and connectivity</H3><br /><H3>Battery life</H3><br /><P>The BlackBerry Z10 comes equipped with a removable 1,800mAh battery which will be music to some people's ears, as this means you can carry additional power packs and swap in a fully charged one when the current pack gives up the ghost.</P><br /><P>Performance wise the Z10 performed relatively well – we didn't experience fast draining issues as with the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/htc-one-x-1069319/review">One X</A>, but equally it was never going to blow us away with its modest battery size.</P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-15-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>The issue with the BlackBerry Z10 will be with current BlackBerry users who are used to their BB OS7 devices running for days between charges thanks to the smaller, lower resolution displays and less demanding processors inside the handsets.</P><br /><P>With moderate use the Z10 will see you through a full working day, but don't expect it to make it through a second with a nightly charge defiantly on the cards for anyone who picks up this device.</P><br /><P>BlackBerry is quoting up to 11 hours of talktime on BlackBerry Z10 and 408 hours of standby which we reckon is pushing the boundaries a little, but it's good to remember these figures are produced under lab conditions which are very different to real usage.</P><br /><H3>Connectivity</H3><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Connectivity-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Connectivity wise the BlackBerry Z10 is exceptionally well equipped packing everything from Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 to DLNA support and even an HDMI port.</P><br /><P>To aid with global positioning the Z10 also features A-GPS and you can utilise the handset's super fast <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/4g-and-lte-everything-you-need-to-know-926835">4G</A> reception as a mobile hotspot, allowing other devices such as tablets and laptops to feed off the data connection.</P><br /><P>RIM has also stuffed <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/what-is-nfc-and-why-is-it-in-your-phone-948410">NFC</A> into the BlackBerry Z10 allowing you to wireless transfer content between handsets and other enabled devices without the need for wires or even a network connection.</P><br /><P>As we mentioned during the interface section Bluetooth and Wi-Fi can be easily toggled using the quick settings drop down on the BlackBerry Z10, but features such as GPS, Hotspots and NFC are controlled within the main settings menu.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Connectivity-02-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Sharing content between the BlackBerry Z10 and other devices is easy, just navigate to your desired photo, video, track or other content and then hit the share button to open up a myriad of options.</P><br /><P>The DLNA support means you're able to wireless stream content to other enabled devices around your home connected to the same network, just look for the "Play on" option in the menu – with types of content and devices controlled from within the settings menu.</P><br /><P>That's not all though, if you prefer a more traditional form of connection you can dig out the bundled USB cable and hook the BlackBerry Z10 up to your computer, or why not invest in an HDMI lead and plug the handset into your fancy television?</P><br /><P>It's all possible thanks to the microUSB and miniHDMI ports on the left side on the Z10, plus there's that microSD slot hiding under the rear cover providing yet another way to manipulate content.</P><br /><H3>Maps and apps</H3><br /><H3>Maps</H3><br /><P>The BlackBerry Z10 comes with its own mapping and navigation solution simply called Maps.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Maps-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>The maps themselves have been provided by TomTom and while they givea pretty good account of the lie of the land, it's not as polished as the excellent Google Maps.</P><br /><P>There are far fewer features as well with just the standard map view available, no satellite overlay, no street view, no flyover – but at least it knows where places are.</P><br /><P>Visually the maps are not quite as impressive as Google's offering, with the images not looking overly defined – especially when you zoom out.</P><br /><P>Opening the maps app was one of the few occasions where we noticed the Z10 struggling a little, as we would have to wait several seconds for the application to load up and locate us.</P><br /><P>Once located the BlackBerry Z10 was able to keep track of our position well, even in built up areas where GPS sometimes struggles to reach.</P><br /><P>The Z10 also wasn't the smoothest when it came to panning and zooming around the maps, with it needing a second or two each time to render the new image which made for a slightly jilted user experience.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Maps-02-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>There is live traffic information shown by colouied overlays on the roads to show the flow of traffic, with green being good, orange average and red highlighting delays.</P><br /><P>This information is really useful, especially if you're planning a trip and coupled with the route planner you can see exactly what the traffic is like on the roads you'll be driving.</P><br /><P>It's not just the maps the BlackBerry Z10 offers though, as with Android and now iOS, BB10 also offers free turn-by-turn navigation.</P><br /><P>It's a lifesaver if you end up getting lost, but beware that a data connection is required to load the map so it may struggle in you're up a mountain.</P><br /><H3>Apps</H3><br /><P>Apps have been a big talking point in the run up to the launch of <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/blackberry-10-1090522/review">BlackBerry 10</A>, with RIM assuring everyone that it's got loads of developers creating applications especially for the platform.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Apps-01-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>Sadly the app offering in the newly renamed BlackBerry World is hardly inspiring.</P><br /><P>BlackBerry reckons it will have over 70,000 applications in the store when the platform launches, so we hope a few more show up soon as it certainly doesn't feel like there's anything close to that number in there at the moment.</P><br /><P>While 70,000 doesn't sound like a lot especially when you consider the likes of Android and iOS boast over 700,000 each, RIM reckons it's the quality not quantity in BlackBerry World which makes all the difference.</P><br /><P>During the launch event BlackBerry said that WhatsApp and Skype were both fully committed to BlackBerry 10, but as of yet the apps haven't made their way into BlackBerry World - what's the hold up guys?</P><br /><P>We'll update this section over the coming weeks and months as the big firms start to release their apps, but by then it could be too little to late for an OS which is already playing catch-up.</P><br /><P>The BlackBerry Word app itself isn't our favourite app store in terms of design and navigation, with a confusing list of various apps, music and videos on the main page making it difficult to digest all the information.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Apps-02-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>You can refine your search by categories which goes some way to working out what's on offer and if you slide from the left of the screen accross you can filter by apps, games, music and videos.</P><br /><P>In terms of pre-installed applications we're pleased to report RIM hasn't gone overboard with the BlackBerry Z10.</P><br /><P>The Remember app is BlackBerry's answer to Evernote and it can even sync with the popular note taking app to ensure all your favourite shopping lists safely make the transition over to BB 10.</P><br /><P>You can also share content such as pictures and videos to the Remember app if you want to make a note alongside a photo you've just snapped.</P><br /><P>The app itself is pretty straight forward, with the ability to tap out a message as well as attach a file or audio clip to it.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Apps-06-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>DocsToGo is a great application for the business minded out there who may need to finish off a word document, spreadsheet or presentation while on the train to a meeting.</P><br /><P>The full blown app allows you to fully manipulate your Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, although the 4.2-inch display on the Z10 is a bit on the small side if you're viewing a complicated spreadsheet.</P><br /><P>Games is a hub for your gaming activity on the BlackBerry Z10 and works in a similar way to Apple's Game Center.</P><br /><P>It logs all the compatible games you play on the handset and any achievements you unlock along the way.</P><br /><P>You can add friends who are also playing on their BlackBerry handsets, compare progress and even challenge them to a show down.</P><br /><P>The Newsstand app as you may have guessed is a store for magazines and newspapers which you can purchase and read on the Z10.</P><br /><P><IMG class=rght alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Apps-07-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>An innovative slider along the top of the app allows you to scroll through different categories, while covers of the magazines available are displayed in a pleasing thumbnailed layout.</P><br /><P>If anything we wish BlackBerry World took its design cues from Newsstand as we preferred the layout and navigation was much easier.</P><br /><P>Single issues seemed to range from around £1.99 to £6.99 depending on publication, but there didn't seem to be any sign of a subscription service – perhaps that will come later.</P><br /><P>Voice control lets you bark commands at the BlackBerry Z10 for when you can't be bothered to use your fingers.</P><br /><P>It can be activated by holding down the central key lodged between the two volume switches, or you can tap the relevant icon in the app list.</P><br /><P><IMG class=lft alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Screenshots/Apps-05-210-100.jpg" width=210></IMG></P><br /><P>We're not talking Siri levels of controls and questioning here, it's a far simpler offering allowing you say things like "Call this person", "Text that person" and "Make a note to buy milk".</P><br /><P>As long as we spoke clearly then the Z10 had no trouble understanding what we were saying and was more than happy to carry out our orders - who's a good phone?</P><br /><P>We probably wouldn't use this function day to day but we can certainly see its advantage in certain situations such as driving.</P><br /><P>Smart tags is an application that allows you to group together a bunch of information which can then be transferred onto an NFC tag, made into a QR code or passed directly to another NFC enabled handset.</P><br /><P>Instead of handing out a business card you could create a smart tag with all you contact information on and then share it via NFC to the phones of people you meet with.</P><br /><P>You can save the tags you send so you can use them again and you can also save any you receive from other people.</P><br /><P>The smart tags app allows you to easily create tags as well as mange the ones you've sent and received.</P><br /><H3>Official gallery</H3><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Press/Z10-Press-02-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Press/Z10-Press-03-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Press/Z10-Press-01-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Press/Z10-Press-04-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Press/Z10-Press-05-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/Press/Z10-Press-06-420-100.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><H3>Hands on gallery</H3><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-01-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-17-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-18-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-16-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-02-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-03-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-04-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-05-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-06-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-08-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-10-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-11-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-12-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-13-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-14-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P><IMG alt="BlackBerry Z10 review" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/BlackBerry/Z10/HandsOn/Z10-HandsOn-15-420-100.JPG" width=420></IMG></P><br /><H3>Verdict</H3><br /><P>So is the BlackBerry Z10 the smartphone to save BlackBerry? Well it's still too early to say and it's not just this handset which will make or break the Canadian firm over the coming year.</P><br /><P>That said the Z10 is a promising start to the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/blackberry-10-1090522/review">BlackBerry 10</A> era, we just hope BlackBerry can build on it quickly.</P><br /><H3>We liked</H3><br /><P>The BlackBerry Z10 is a decent all round phone sporting a pleasing 4.2-inch HD display, a camera which can take some good shots and a messaging hub which could be the envy of some other platforms.</P><br /><P>Web browsing deserves a special mention as we were seriously impressed with the speed of the BlackBerry Z10 when it came to loading pages.</P><br /><P>It's great to see a full fledged mapping and navigation solution on board the Z10, even though it may not be the best service on the market.</P><br /><P>The expandable storage, removable battery and Adobe Flash support are all small wins for the Z10 and will help as it tries to stand out in a crowded market.</P><br /><H3>We disliked</H3><br /><P>The jury is still out on BlackBerry 10. On one hand it's great to see an exciting new operating system but on the other it's a completely new learning curve for everyone, and some may not be willing to learn.</P><br /><P>BB 10 came across a little confusing a times, with the lack of a clear back button leading us to question how we return to the previous screen, while gestures took some time to fully grasp.</P><br /><P>As the BlackBerry Z10 is set to be the flagship mobile for BlackBerry and its new BB10 platform we were a little disappointed with its obviously plastic case which doesn't exude premium quality.</P><br /><P>BlackBerry said that the BB10 keyboard is the best typing experience on a touchscreen smartphone, but we weren't bowled over by the offering on the Z10.</P><br /><P>It's a perfectly serviceable option but in our eyes it doesn't quite hit the mark in the same way as the likes of SwiftKey on Android.</P><br /><P>The lack of apps in BlackBerry World will remain to be a concern until we see the big hitters turn up, while some of the stock BlackBerry 10 apps seemed to lack features such as the camera, music and video applications.</P><br /><H3>Verdict</H3><br /><P>The Z10 is a decent smartphone offering up a strong range of features and a fancy new operating system which may catch the eye of the technologically adventurous.</P><br /><P>It does pretty much everything we'd expect from a high-end device and there are no major flaws to go running to the presses about.</P><br /><P>That said the Z10 also lacks any killer selling points. It's hard to find reasons why we'd recommend this over say the Samsung Galaxy <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VCRRNS/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VCRRNS&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">S3</A>, <A href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ZLV5AY/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004ZLV5AY&linkCode=as2&tag=freedown0f-20">iPhone</A> 5, <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/sony-xperia-z-1119637/review">Sony Xperia Z</A> or <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/nokia-lumia-920-1094960/review">Nokia Lumia 920</A> - all of which are around the same price as the Z10.</P><br /><P>The unproven operating system and severe lack of headlining applications will turn a lot of consumers off at point of sale and it's the image of the BlacBerry brand as a whole which needs to be worked on fast if it stands a chance of winning back the hearts of the general public.</P><br /><P>The BlackBerry Z10 – it's got the weight of a whole company on its plastic shoulders. It's holding up, but we're not sure for how long.</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-83169970768898900232013-01-27T05:52:00.001-08:002013-01-27T05:52:48.751-08:00Record number of smartphones shipped in 2012<IMG alt="Record number of smartphones shipped in 2012" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/mobile_phones/Samsung/GalaxyS3/GalaxyS3-01-470-75.jpg"> <IFRAME style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" height=336 marginHeight=0 border=0 src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=16&l=st1&mode=wireless-phones&search=new smartphones unlocked phone&fc1=000000<1=_blank&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameBorder=0 width=468 marginWidth=0 scrolling=no></IFRAME><br /><P>As if it wasn't obvious enough already that the smartphone had arrived, new numbers released on Friday confirmed what we already suspected--everyone is switching to smartphones.</P><br /><P>According to the latest analytics from Strategy Analytics, not only were there a whole lot of smartphones shipped during 2012, but last year was also a record year for the increasingly popular devices.</P><br /><P>Some 700 million smartphones were shipped out in 2012, which was a 43-percent increase over 2011's numbers.</P><br /><P>To make matters even more impressive, those numbers were possible with the European and North American growth slowing to just 43-percent from 2011's 64-percent.</P><br /><H3>No surprise</H3><br /><P><A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-tops-phone-sales-in-third-quarter-1113520">Quarter</A> after <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-sells-63-million-smartphones-in-three-months-1127503">quarter</A>, Samsung consistently showed it was the manufacturer to beat, which is why it shouldn't come as a surprise to learn Samsung shipped a record 213 million smartphones last year.</P><br /><P>Just so we're all clear on how impressive Samsung's new record was, the previous record-holder (Nokia) manged just less than half of that with 100 million units shipped in 2010.</P><br /><P>The <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s3-1078667/review">Galaxy S3</A> alone <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s-range-zips-past-100-million-sales-1124853">sold as many units</A> this year as Nokia had shipped all of 2010, and that's just one of Samsung's offerings.</P><br /><P>That insanely large number allowed Sammy to capture 30-percent of the overall market, and gave the manufacturer a nice lead on both second-place Apple (19-percent) and third-place Nokia (5-percent).</P><br /><H3>Best of the rest</H3><br /><P>Despite Samsung's ridiculous year, both Apple and Nokia more than did their fair share of shipments during 2012.</P><br /><P>Thanks in large part to the success of the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/iphone-5-1096004/review">iPhone 5</A>, Apple was able to increase its shipments by 46-percent, which equated to 135.8 million units.</P><br /><P>Even though Nokia may have fallen of the pace a bit during 2012, its 35 million smartphones shipped was still good enough to capture a place on the pedestal.</P><br /><P>Unfortunately, what Samsung gained in marketshare, Nokia lost, as the company's 15.8-percent stake in 2011 dropped to just 5-percent.</P><br /><P>Even with the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/nokia-lumia-920-1094960/review">Lumia 920</A> and its other Windows Phone 8 devices, Nokia just could muster enough traction to hang with the leader of the pack.</P><br /><P>Every other manufacturer combined tallied just 316.3 million units shipped (a 45.2-percent share), which the top three easily surpassed on their own.</P><br /><P>2013 should prove to be an interesting year for smartphones, as many of those 2010 contracts will have expired, meaning consumers will be looking to devices like the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s4-release-date-news-and-rumours-1089523">Galaxy S4</A>, <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/iphone-5s-release-date-news-and-rumours-1111911">iPhone 5S</A>, and Sony's <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/sony-xperia-z-1119637/review">Xperia Z</A> to replace aging phones.</P><br /><P>Whether or not such an incredible amount of smartphones will be shipped again only remains to be seen.</P><IFRAME style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" height=336 marginHeight=0 border=0 src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=16&l=st1&mode=wireless-phones&search=new sony unlocked phone&fc1=000000<1=_blank&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameBorder=0 width=468 marginWidth=0 scrolling=no></IFRAME>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-90050604807151057862013-01-27T03:45:00.000-08:002013-01-27T03:46:14.458-08:0010 best iOS writing apps for would-be authors everywhere<IMG alt="Roundup: 10 best iOS writing apps for would-be authors everywhere" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/magazines/Tap/Issue%2022/TAB18.kit_keyboards.logi_keyboard-470-75.jpg"><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=16&l=st1&mode=wireless-phones&search=new apple unlocked phone&fc1=000000<1=_blank&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" width="468" height="336" border="0" frameborder="0" style="border:none;" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><br /><P>Many of us would like to write a book. But unless you're a genius (or you have low standards) you need to plan your story before you dive into its imaginary world.</P><br /><P>That's why more than half of the apps we've mentioned here deal with the literary underpinnings of your book: defining your characters, planning pertinent plot points, describing locations, even picking out the motivating factors that drive your hero forward, like fixations, frustrations and phobias. </P><br /><P>We'll also show you how you can make a significant saving on two leading reference works that ought to be found on every writer's virtual bookshelf. </P><br /><P>Writing is something we all have to do at some point in our lives, and even if your scripting efforts centre more on notes for the milkman than chapters and verse for the masses, you'll find an app here to meet your needs.</P><br /><H3>1. A Novel Idea</H3><br /><P><IMG alt="A Novel Idea" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/magazines/Tap/Issue%2022/TAB22.SD_apps_feat.novel-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Break down the writing process into manageable chunks and it isn't so daunting </P><br /><P><STRONG>Price: Free <BR>Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad </STRONG></P><br /><P>The most successful stories - from <EM>War and Peace</EM> to <EM>A Christmas Carol</EM> to those tales about that <EM>Harry Potter</EM> fella - use fairly similar plot and character arcs. Key developments happen in a recognised order, and they build to a resolution through a series of mini climaxes. </P><br /><P>Plotting your book along similar lines with a tool like <A href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/a-novel-idea/id421948244?mt=8&uo=4" rel="nofollow">A Novel Idea</A> should make for a stronger story and more fulfilling conclusion. </P><br /><P>Here, you work through the screens in whichever order you choose, entering character names and backstory, location descriptions, scene developments, and even random ideas, and they'll all be corralled inside an overall novel container. You can store several novels inside the app at once, if you're fortunate enough to have more than idea on the go. </P><br /><P>What's really clever, though, and makes it more than an untidy tub of ideas, is the way the various parts all link together. So, describe half a dozen locations in the Locations tab and they'll populate the menus in the Scene tab screens, ready for dropping straight in. This saves time and will keep everything uniform throughout your novel plan. </P><br /><P>We'll admit that it's slightly clumsy about saving each step before you head back to the overview screen, but otherwise it's an effective way to break down a daunting task into manageable, less threatening chunks. A £1.99 In-App- Purchase enables Dropbox syncing, scene writing and export to iTunes. </P><br /><H3>2. Contour </H3><br /><P><IMG alt=Contour src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/magazines/Tap/Issue%2022/TAB22.SD_apps_feat.contour-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>A professional film-plotting tool that has much to offer to novelists, too </P><br /><P><STRONG>Price: £5.49 / $7.99 <BR>Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad </STRONG></P><br /><P><A href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/contour/id364872280?mt=8&uo=4" rel="nofollow">Contour</A> has a dedicated following on the Mac where it's long been used to plot movie scripts, but that doesn't mean it isn't ripe for outlining novels, too. </P><br /><P>It starts with four simple questions: who is your main character, what do they want to accomplish, who (or what) is trying to hamper their progress, and what would happen if they didn't succeed? Simple. Those four questions define your story from beginning to end. </P><br /><P>What follows consists of a series of obstacles and triumphs that see your hero progress to the point where the strands of your book are resolved in the final chapter. Contour breaks down your story into three acts and shows you how to structure each one, guides you through the process of developing your character through the orphan, wanderer, warrior and martyr phases that characterise every successful story arc, and makes it easy to identify weak points in your plot.</P><br /><P>If you still don't quite understand what you ought to be doing, it includes the underlying plots to 17 blockbusters, including <EM>Up</EM>, <EM>The Incredibles</EM> and <EM>Slumdog Millionaire</EM>, so you can learn from the pros. It's expensive compared to A Novel Idea, but well worth it if you're serious about writing. </P><br /><H3>3. Chambers Dictionary & Thesaurus </H3><br /><P><IMG alt=Chambers src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/magazines/Tap/Issue%2022/TAB22.SD_apps_feat.chambers-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>With these reference tools on your home screen, you'll never be lost for words </P><br /><P><STRONG>Price: £4.99 / $6.99 (Dictionary) £2.99 / $4.99 (Thesaurus)<BR>Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad</STRONG></P><br /><P>Don't underestimate the value of decent reference books when writing your magnus opus. You won't get much better than Chambers; the <A href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/chambers-dictionary/id314269183?mt=8&uo=4" rel="nofollow">Dictionary app</A> includes all 260,000 definitions of the mammoth 12th Edition, which runs to almost 2,000 pages in print. </P><br /><P>The bonus here, of course, is that you don't need to leaf through each one to find the word you're after; you simply type it in, and up it pops. Likewise, the <A href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/chambers-thesaurus/id342112144?mt=8&uo=4" rel="nofollow">Thesaurus</A> should help you avoid tired prose if used with care (and you avoid the temptation to slip in anything too flowery, florid, fussy, verbose, rococo… ahem). </P><br /><P>This digital edition actually outguns the printed equivalent, for while the dead tree volume contains 420,000 synonyms - 20,000 more than you'll find here - they are organised under 18,000 key words, while the app edition gives you alternatives to 40,000. </P><br /><P>The two apps are linked for cross-referencing from one to the other, which is why we've included them under a single heading here, and there are also fringe benefits for crossword lovers, too; it can assist you in figuring out words if you type in the letters you've got. </P><br /><H3>4. Novel in 30 </H3><br /><P><IMG alt="Novel in 30" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/magazines/Tap/Issue%2022/TAB22.SD_apps_feat.novel30a-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>An editor geared towards writing a novel within time constraints </P><br /><P><STRONG>Price: £2.99 / $4.99 <BR>Works with: iPad </STRONG></P><br /><P><A href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/novel-in-30/id439604500?mt=8&uo=4" rel="nofollow">Novel in 30</A> could equally be called in Novel in 365, if you're a slow typist. Although it's geared up to achieving NaNoWriMo's target of 50,000 words in 30 days, you can extend your deadline to as long as a year, and your word count to 300,000. Whichever metrics you choose, it'll average your word count over each day so you know how much you still have to write. </P><br /><P>As you start writing, Novel in 30 will tell you how many words you need to write each day, how many you've knocked out so far and whether or not you're going to hit your target. It's extremely motivating. </P><br /><P>At the top of the screen there's a series of sheets, each of which shows how many words you wrote that day, while below it, a running word count tallies your overall input. You can only write a single novel at once and there's a built-in backup feature that uploads your novel to Dropbox. You can only change the font - a good thing; it means there's less to distract you. </P><br /><H3>5. Byword </H3><br /><P><IMG alt=ByWord src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/magazines/Tap/Issue%2022/TAB22.SD_apps_feat.byword-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Distraction-free writing with the added benefits of Markdown syntax </P><br /><P><STRONG>Price: £1.99 / $2.99 <BR>Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad </STRONG></P><br /><P><A href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/byword/id482063361?mt=8&uo=4" rel="nofollow">Byword</A> is a simple, clean text editor that, crucially, shows count words in selections - not just in the complete document, as is currently the case for rival iA Writer. </P><br /><P>Its virtues go beyond that, though. It's interface is relaxing; it's entirely black and grey on white, and you can choose from four typefaces. The regular keyboard is supplemented by a single-deck toolbar that you can swipe to switch between word count, punctuation and embedding tools, the latter of which let you add a web link, image or list. </P><br /><P>The second and third toolbars also include a set of four cursor keys. The clever thing about the embedding tools is that they each invoke Markdown syntax. Markdown uses plain-text characters to denote formatting. In the working document they remain unobtrusive, but once you export it to HTML or email it as rich text, it's converted to complex formatting. </P><br /><H3>6. MindNode </H3><br /><P><IMG alt=MindNode src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/magazines/Tap/Issue%2022/TAB22.SD_apps_feat.mindnote1-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>Plotting your novel and its intricate internal connections visually </P><br /><P><STRONG>Price: £6.99 / $9.99<BR>Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad </STRONG></P><br /><P><A href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/mindnode/id312220102?mt=8&uo=4" rel="nofollow">MindNode</A> is a piece of software geared around making mind-maps. It's often easier to work your way through a sticky plot point using mind maps than lists and bullets. Mind maps are organised brain dumps: a way for you to get all of your thoughts, concepts and possible outcomes onto the page in a logical, trickle-out manner.</P><br /><P>So, if one branch concerns your hero uncovering a murder, the twigs that come off it might deal with the implications, how it affects the relatives, who was the culprit and how they might eventually reveal themselves. </P><br /><P>Supplementary branches would deal with other important concepts, such as morality and discrimination, or could handle the development of supporting characters. Literally anything and everything that relates to your story can be plotted out. </P><br /><P>The major benefit of doing this on screen rather than paper is that you can drag your various branches around the canvas, and switch from an overview to a more detailed aspect. </P><br /><H3>7. Lists for Writers </H3><br /><P><IMG alt="Lists for writers" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/magazines/Tap/Issue%2022/TAB22.SD_apps_feat.writers1-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><P>A miscellany of useful facts, names, places and tid-bits for any writer </P><br /><P><STRONG>Price: £1.49 / $1.99 <BR>Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad </STRONG></P><br /><P><A href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/lists-for-writers-ideas-for/id506577862?mt=8&uo=4" rel="nofollow">Lists for Writers</A> is more than a random bundle of lists. Organised into logical sections such as words, settings, plot points, personalities and characters, it's a quick-fix inspiration unblocker.</P><br /><P>The shortest way to come up with a character name used to be a quick riffle through the phone book, but here you have extensive lists of male and female first and last names, occupations, and obsessions. You can pick out a phobia or character trait from the alphabetical lists, with each one defined so you know whether it fits your hero or villain's personality. </P><br /><P>There's a rhyming dictionary for poets, and lists of US and world cities, landforms and weather traits. Lists for Writers is a simple way to quickly resolve a sticky plot point in the planning stages, and could be used to sketch out transient characters during the writing process too, allowing you to keep the words flowing without a potentially distracting internet venture. </P><br /><H3>8. Writing App </H3><br /><P>Plan and write all in one app for anything from a short story to novel </P><br /><P><STRONG>Price: £1.99 / $2.99 <BR>Works with: iPad </STRONG></P><br /><P>On the one hand you have a plain text writing environment that lets you get on with laying down your story without getting tied up in formatting options and settings, on the other, you have an integrated planning tool like A Novel Idea and Contour. </P><br /><P><A href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/writing-app/id493933187?mt=8&uo=4" rel="nofollow">Writing App</A> doesn't give you as much guidance as Contour, but it does provide plenty of structured space for you to flesh out your characters and locations as you go along. The key to creating believable characters is knowing them as well as you do your family, so it encourages you to fill in as much as you can about their occupation, strengths, weaknesses, personality and even hobbies. </P><br /><P>To get a clearer picture of each one you can specify their age, eye colour, hair style and height, and then start to think about the world they live in by moving on to adding locations, and the things they use in the items tab. </P><br /><H3>9. Index Card </H3><br /><P>A modern take on an ages-old method for planning complex storylines</P><br /><P><STRONG>Price: £2.99 / $4.99<BR>Works with: iPad </STRONG></P><br /><P>Sketch out scenes with <A href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/index-card-for-iphone/id517548830?mt=8&uo=4" rel="nofollow">Index Card</A> and quickly re-order your story by rearranging them on your desk or pinboard; it's a time-tested method that's recreated here to great effect.</P><br /><P>In much the same way you'd shuffle your cards in real life, here you can drag them to new locations on a cork board and their neighbours will shift about to accommodate them, which makes it easy to plan alternative story paths. Each card can be a character profile, location description or any other aspect you choose, but using them to write a synopsis of each scene means you can then drag them into chapter- or arc-based stacks. </P><br /><P>Card projects can be exported as plain or rich text files, copied to Dropbox or printed, making Index Card a great app for planning your novel on a commute, or in downtime that you can't otherwise use for writing. There's also an iPhone version. </P><br /><H3>10. Kobo </H3><br /><P>A less fussy, more fun alternative to the ubiquitous iBooks </P><br /><P><STRONG>Price: Free <BR>Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad </STRONG></P><br /><P>After writing itself, the second best way to learn how to write is to read. There are plenty of reading apps, including iBooks, but <A href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/kobo-books/id301259483?mt=8&uo=4" rel="nofollow">Kobo</A> does the most to make reading fun. We prefer its brighter, less fussy interface, and we love the Reading Life stats that present your progress through each book in the style of a newspaper infographic. </P><br /><P>You even get awards for reading more, and it's not long before you're hooked, competing with yourself to get to the next milestone. </P><br /><P>As with Kindle and the iBookstore there are plenty of free classics to download, free samples and most books are significantly cheaper than the paper-based versions. The only downside is that you can't buy books directly through the Kobo application. </P><br /><P>It's easily worked around, though; buy from Kobo's store through your browser and refresh the app's shelves by pulling them down, and your new purchases appear. </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-31455746924761701702013-01-27T03:43:00.001-08:002013-01-27T03:43:54.421-08:00Samsung Galaxy Note 8 pops up in purported photo leak<IMG alt="Samsung Galaxy Note 8 pops up in purported photo leak" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Samsung/GalaxyNote2/1%20Overview%20Design%20Feel/Samsung%20Galaxy%20Note%202%20hands%20on%201-470-75.jpg"> <IFRAME style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" height=336 marginHeight=0 border=0 src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=16&l=st1&mode=wireless-phones&search=new samsung galaxy note unlocked phone&fc1=000000<1=_blank&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameBorder=0 width=468 marginWidth=0 scrolling=no></IFRAME><br /><P>The Samsung site SamMobile published an image on Tuesday of what appears to be the Galaxy Note 8, the 8-inch Note successor that will bridge the gap between the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-note-2-1093688/review/1#articleContent">Galaxy Note 2</A> and the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/samsung-galaxy-note-10-1-1092661/review">Galaxy Note 10.1</A>.</P><br /><P>The photo shows a large-looking white tablet with several specifications listed under the Spanish-language word "especificaciones."</P><br /><P>These specs include an 8-inch 1280 x 800 display, 16GB of storage with a microSD slot, a 1.6GHz quad core processor, 2GB of RAM, 5- and 1.3-megapixel rear and front cameras, and, of course, the Note series' signature S-Pen.</P><br /><P>However, the source of the Galaxy Note 8 photo is unclear, beyond that it came directly from Twitter.</P><br /><P><IMG title="Is this really the Galaxy Note 8? (Credit: SamMobile)" alt="Samsung Galaxy Note 8" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/other/Onetimers/Galaxy%20Note%208.0%20leak-420-90.jpg" width=420></IMG></P><br /><H3>Galaxy Note 8 launch confirmed</H3><br /><P>It was only on Monday that Samsung Mobile Communications president J.K. Shin confirmed that the Samsung Galaxy 8 would <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/samsung-chief-confirms-galaxy-note-8-will-show-up-at-mwc-2013-1126435">make its official debut</A> at <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/mwc-2013-what-to-expect-1123901">Mobile World Congress</A> (MWC) in February.</P><br /><P>That report corroborated <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-preparing-6-3-inch-galaxy-note-3-with-eight-core-processor-1125558">rumors from the week before</A> that the big/small Galaxy Note tablet would appear at the Barcelona trade show.</P><br /><P>MWC 2013 could see the unveiling of several high profile devices, not least of which <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/galaxy-s4-codenamed-altius-could-debut-as-soon-as-february-1126806">might be Samsung's Galaxy S4</A>, according to another Tuesday report.</P><br /><H3>Too big, too small, or just right?</H3><br /><P>The Galaxy Note 8 is named for its 8-inch size, and not because it's the eighth Galaxy Note, which it isn't.</P><br /><P>The mid-sized tablet will compete with Apple's <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/ipad-mini-1096514/review">iPad mini</A>, Amazon's <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/amazon-kindle-fire-hd-7-1095316/review">Kindle Fire HD</A>, and Google's <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/google-nexus-7-1087040/review">Nexus 7</A>.</P><br /><P>Tuesday's SamMobile report also claimed that the Galaxy Note 8 (previously known under the codename "Kona") would sport Andriod 4.2: <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/android-4-1-jelly-bean-1087230/review">Jelly Bean</A> and a 4600mAh battery.</P><br /><P>There's no way to know for sure whether the device in the image that was leaked on Tuesday really is the Galaxy Note 8, but either way we'll know exactly what it looks like by the end of next month.</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-25419572704169939642013-01-27T03:40:00.000-08:002013-01-27T03:41:13.575-08:00Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini gets an NFC reboot<IMG alt="Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini gets an NFC reboot" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/mobile_phones/Samsung/GalaxyS3Mini/Press/GalaxyS3Mini-Press-06-470-75.jpg"> <br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=16&l=st1&mode=wireless-phones&search=new samsung galaxy s3 mini unlocked phone&fc1=000000<1=_blank&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" width="468" height="336" border="0" frameborder="0" style="border:none;" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><br /><P>The <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s3-mini-1108587/review">Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini</A> has been relaunched with NFC capabilities, but it's hardly a game changer.</P><br /><P>When the Galaxy S3 Mini was launched back in October we were a little under whelmed with the handset's specification against its slightly inflated price tag.</P><br /><P>One of the main features missing on the Galaxy S3 Mini from the original <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s3-1078667/review">Galaxy S3</A> was <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/what-is-nfc-and-why-is-it-in-your-phone-948410">NFC</A> technology, but Samsung has now righted that wrong with a new model.</P><br /><H3>That's all, folks</H3><br /><P>So what else does this updated version offer? Well, nothing. That's your lot – the addition of NFC to a phone which still rocks the same 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display, 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 5MP camera and <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/android-jelly-bean-1087230/review">Android Jelly Bean</A> OS.</P><br /><P>We've spoken to Samsung, which told us this new model with its fancy contactless technology will replace the version currently on sale by the end of the month.</P><br /><P>Price-wise the new Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini should be the same price, so you'll need to fork out around £270 if you want it SIM-free, while contracts start at £15.50 per month over two years with a free handset.</P><br /><P>We also asked if current Galaxy S3 Mini owners would be able to swap their NFC-less handsets for the new model at a reduced rate, but Samsung is yet to get back to us on this.</P><IMG border=0 src="http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/9809/s/27ca1db7/mf.gif" width=1 height=1>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-58240302203788527752013-01-27T03:39:00.001-08:002013-01-27T03:39:23.660-08:00Samsung Galaxy S4 returning to squarer design ethos in leak<IMG alt="Samsung Galaxy S4 returning to squarer design ethos in leak" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/mobile_phones/Samsung/GalaxyS4/Leaks/GalaxyS4-Leak-04-470-75.jpg"><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=16&l=st1&mode=wireless-phones&search=new samsung galaxy unlocked phone&fc1=000000<1=_blank&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" width="468" height="336" border="0" frameborder="0" style="border:none;" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><br /><P>Another day, another <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s4-release-date-news-and-rumours-1089523">Samsung Galaxy S4</A> rumour and this time it's another press image claiming to be the hotly anticipated smartphone.</P><br /><P>The image in question has been chilling out on Picasa for over a month with the folks over a BGR stumbling across it recently, and it shows a handset which is less rounded than the current <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s3-1078667/review">Samsung Galaxy S3</A>.</P><br /><P>When the Galaxy S3 was launched some eyebrows were raised over its design as the rather squared look of the <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s2-930907/review">Samsung Galaxy S2</A> had been radically overhauled for a smooth, more rounded affair.</P><br /><H3>When two become one</H3><br /><P>According to this latest image leak the Galaxy S4 will take design cues from both handsets to form an aesthetical compromise between the two.</P><br /><P>Another thing to note on this image is the date shown of the phone's display – Monday April 22 - which could be the launch event or Galaxy S4 release date, with several other reports pointing towards action in April.</P><br /><P>As with all the image leaks running up to a handset's launch there's no guarantee that this is a genuine snap, it's more likely a Photoshop forgery but we won't know for sure until the Samsung Galaxy S4 is unveiled.</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-60711452911930671372013-01-27T03:38:00.000-08:002013-01-27T03:38:00.862-08:00Samsung officially breaks cover on the rugged Galaxy Xcover 2<IMG alt="Samsung officially breaks cover on the rugged Galaxy Xcover 2" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/logos/samsung_logo_genericdevice5-470-75.jpg"> <IFRAME style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" height=336 marginHeight=0 border=0 src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=16&l=st1&mode=wireless-phones&search=new samsung unlocked phone&fc1=000000<1=_blank&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameBorder=0 width=468 marginWidth=0 scrolling=no></IFRAME><br /><P>Today Samsung uncovered its latest rugged smartphone with the Galaxy Xcover 2.</P><br /><P>A follow-up to last year's <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-xcover-extreme-s5690-1057140/review">Galaxy Xcover</A>, the Galaxy Xcover 2 is built for the outdoors with a dust and sand proof case. The battery cover also has a lock mechanism to prevent it from popping off when dropped.</P><br /><P>The case is water resistant up to one meter, which goes along with the 5-megapixel camera that can now operate underwater.</P><br /><P>The Galaxy Xcover 2 also has a GPS enhanced with a global navigation satellite system which Samsung claims offers 20 percent more accurate location tracking.</P><br /><H3>Samsung's tough new smartphone</H3><br /><P>While the Galaxy Xcover 2 is well-equipped for the elements on the outside, the inside is a fairly standard mid-range handset with Android 4.1 <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/software/operating-systems/android-jelly-bean-1087230/review">Jelly Bean</A>.</P><br /><P>The 4-inch WVGA display is covered in Gorilla Glass for added protection, packing inside a 1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and 4GB of memory that can be expanded with a microSD card by up to 32GB.</P><br /><P>The rear 5-megapixel camera also has an LED flash, which can double as a flashlight, while the front of the smartphone also has a VGA camera.</P><br /><P>Most of the Galaxy Xcover 2's specs were revealed earlier this month through <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/slipped-samsung-roadmap-lays-out-mobile-plans-for-first-half-of-2013-1126830">Samsung's leaked 2013 mobile roadmap</A>, which also let us know that Samsung plans to launch the rugged smartphone in February.</P><br /><P>Today's announcement didn't elaborate on those launch plans, but with <A href="http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/mwc-2013-what-to-expect-1123901">MWC 2013</A> around the corner this likely won't be the last heard from the Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2.</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-41357393508662885882013-01-27T03:36:00.000-08:002013-01-27T03:36:00.918-08:00Samsung sells 63 million smartphones in three months<IMG alt="Samsung sells 63 million smartphones in three months" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//art/mobile_phones/Samsung/GalaxyS3/Press/GalaxyS3-02-470-75.jpg"><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=16&l=st1&mode=wireless-phones&search=new samsung galaxy unlocked phone&fc1=000000<1=_blank&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" width="468" height="336" border="0" frameborder="0" style="border:none;" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><br /><P>Samsung has reported record financial figures, with a huge 76 per cent jump in profits for the last three months of 2012. This is thanks mostly to its range of <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s-range-zips-past-100-million-sales-1124853">Galaxy smartphones flying off the shelves</A>.</P><br /><P>This follows the record revenue <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/computing/apple/apple-sold-47-8m-iphones-22-9m-ipads-at-the-end-of-last-year-1127113">Apple reported recently</A>. So it's boom time for mobiles.</P><br /><P>Samsung's net income rose to a record 7.04tn won ($6.6bn, or £4.2bn), which is up from 4.01tn won over the same period last year. Its mobile profits more than doubled over the same period, too.</P><br /><H3>63 million smartphones sold</H3><br /><P>Samsung didn't say how many smartphones it sold in the last three months of 2012, but analysts estimate it was around 63 million.</P><br /><P>The Korean mobile maker also has big plans for its much-rumoured <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s4-release-date-news-and-rumours-1089523">Galaxy S4</A> smartphone. It's reportedly ordered <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/samsung-reportedly-sets-ridiculously-ambitious-sales-goal-for-galaxy-s4-1127440">10 million components</A> for the handset, hinting it reckons it can sell that many every month. Which would be quite some feat.</P><br /><P>The <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s3-1078667/review">S3</A> has sold more than 40 million units worldwide, and Samsung is widely expected to repeat this success with the S4.</P><br /><P><A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/samsung-galaxy-note-8-0-breaks-cover-on-public-transport-1127313">Samsung's Galaxy Note 8.0</A> is expected to make its debut at Mobile World Congress at the end of next month, along with its <A href="http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/samsung-galaxy-tab-3-range-could-arrive-at-mwc-2013-1127244">Galaxy Tab 3 range</A>. The S4 isn't expected until April or May.</P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7584932490362783773.post-46882720900577868462013-01-27T03:34:00.000-08:002013-01-27T03:34:00.100-08:00Sky Broadband admits too many new users are slowing down network<IMG alt="Sky Broadband admits too many new users are slowing down network" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com////art/mobile_phones/Generics/girl_bed_phone_lifestyle2-470-75.jpg"> <br /><P>Sky has apologised to its broadband customers after admitting that a barrage of new customers have overloaded its network and slowed down connectivity.</P><br /><P>The Register reports that Sky Broadband Unlimited users in certain parts of the UK are experiencing massively reduced download speeds at peak times.</P><br /><P>One user in North Wales has seen their connection drop from 14Mbps to 2Mbps in the evenings, despite Sky promising never to slow down the service, even at peak times.</P><br /><P>Another user in Bristol saw their download speeds drop even further to 0.8Mbps, despite living just 500 yards away from the phone exchange.</P><br /><H3>Capacity issues</H3><br /><P>When contacted by The Register, Sky revealed that an increase in network traffic, as well as a large increase in new users is causing the service to run over capacity in some areas.</P><br /><P>The company said: "Following a combination of an underlining increase in network traffic as well as an especially high rate of new customer additions, we are aware of capacity issues in a limited number of exchanges."</P><br /><P>"We are aware of the issue and are adding new capacity to those exchanges as soon as we can. We apologise to all customers who have been impacted by this issue."</P><br /><P>Hopefully those affected by the issue will see their service return to normal sooner-rather-than-later. Otherwise, how are they expected to take advantage of the company's new <A href="http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/home-and-reference-software/sky-go-extra-1126676/review">Sky Go Extra</A> service.</P><IFRAME style="BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none" height=336 marginHeight=0 border=0 src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=freedown0f-20&o=1&p=16&l=st1&mode=wireless-phones&search=new iphone unlocked phone&fc1=000000<1=_blank&lc1=3366FF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" frameBorder=0 width=468 marginWidth=0 scrolling=no></IFRAME><br /><P> </P>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0