Mike Jennings
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011
Apple’s recent behaviour has been understandably overshadowed by Steve Jobs’ resignation, but it’s been on the warpath over the past few weeks – with Samsung in Cupertino’s crosshairs.
Apple’s already tried, and failed, to have the Galaxy Tab 10.1 banned, and new documents reveal that Apple’s now gone through the Dutch courts to get the rest of Samsung’s Galaxy family pulled from the shelves.
The problem? Patents. Apple already has one that seemingly prohibits competitors from producing rectangular computers, and its latest IP claim is just as vague, concerning the mere act of scrolling through pictures on touchscreens. It’s so vague, in fact, that Apple has been accused of manipulating images to make Samsung’s devices appear more like Cupertino’s kit than they really are. (more…)
Monday, August 22nd, 2011
A couple of years ago I holed myself up in the PC Pro Labs with some new laptops to see what impact their pre-installed software — known as crapware, bloatware and shovelware — had on performance.
The results proved shocking but, when it comes down to it, that software is pretty easy to deal with – it’s just a matter of uninstalling everything and, if you’re really particular, running an app like CCleaner to get your Registry back to its fighting weight.
Not so with smartphones. On Friday, I eased the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro from its box, turned it on, and was greeted with a message urging me to set up McAfee WaveSecure before I’d even set up the phone with my Google account. (more…)
Tags: Android, apple, Chrome, crapware, ericsson, Google, ios, laptops, samsung, sony, xperia
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Tuesday, August 16th, 2011
I’ve gotten used to Nvidia and AMD rocking up with new graphics cards on a surprisingly rapid basis: since 2008 and beginning with the GeForce 9000-series, Nvidia has released six generations of GPUs, and AMD has replied with three of its own, starting with the Radeon HD 4000-series.
Both firms put the finishing touches on their current ranges in the Spring, though, and the trail’s gone quiet since. Nvidia’s confirmed that it won’t release any new cards before 2012 and, with a whole heap of extra time to play with, AMD has reportedly pushed back the launch of its new Radeon HD 7000-series – presumably to further tweak and perfect the new chips.
I can understand why Nvidia and AMD aren’t in any hurry to unveil new silicon – after all, evidence suggests that few games, and fewer gamers, will make use of the type of the levels of power available from new cards: 2007’s Crysis is still one of the most demanding games around and, outside of Battlefield 3, few forthcoming games look like they’ll tax even last year’s graphics cards – after all, most are now ported from consoles.
Take a look at the Steam Survey from July 2011. The most popular ten graphics cards are, with no exceptions, old: top of the pile is the Nvidia GeForce 9800, and it’s followed up by venerable old warhorses like the GeForce 8800, Radeon HD 4870 and even the GeForce 8600. Remarkably, the most popular current-generation chip, the GeForce GTX 560, is 25th on the list.
To find something truly high-end, keep on travelling down the list – the GTX 570 is the 31st most popular card and is used by a whopping 0.78% of Steam’s users, and AMD’s Radeon HD 6950 is favoured by just 0.68%.
That’s the biggest PC gaming platform in the world and proof that, while AMD and Nvidia have spent the fast few years trying to beat each other with benchmarks, most users haven’t taken any notice – instead, they’re too busy playing games on cards that are older and perfectly capable.
Perhaps the big guns have realised that this pixellated arms race is virtually pointless. Users either aren’t bothered or can’t afford the latest chips, and the lack of big-name PC exclusives means that even a modest card will run rings around the latest games.
It looks like we won’t see any major graphics card releases until 2012 but, after several years of frenzied, benchmark-driven battling, I’m happy to wait – and it looks like most users are, too.
I’ve become used to Nvidia and AMD rocking up with new graphics cards on a consistently quick schedule: since 2008 and beginning with the GeForce 9000-series, Nvidia has released six generations of GPUs, and AMD has replied with three of its own, starting with the Radeon HD 4000-series.
Both firms put the finishing touches on their current ranges in the spring, and the trail’s gone quiet since. Nvidia has confirmed that it won’t release any new cards before 2012, and AMD hasn’t mentioned any potential release dates for its new Radeon HD 7000-series — presumably taking extra time to further tweak and perfect the new chips. (more…)
Wednesday, August 10th, 2011
This month’s Ultimate PC Labs has been an exercise in excess, as Monday’s picture preview demonstrated, and today’s selection of pictures doesn’t let the side down.
They’re from some of the systems not featured in our first post, and come with a range of features designed to whet appetites and empty wallets. All have at least two graphics cards, some have bespoke water-cooling systems, and there’s even one that’s been designed with input from BMW. And that’s before we’ve got to keyboards that have their own cooling fans. (more…)
Monday, August 8th, 2011
It’s been two years since an Ultimate PC group test found its way into the pages of PC Pro, and this year’s selection showed exactly what we’ve been missing. Seven systems arrived to fight for the title and, with every single one boasting an overclocked processor and dual graphics, we knew we were in for a fierce battle before we’d even unpacked.
(more…)
Monday, August 1st, 2011
Temptation must be a terrible thing when you’re the boss of a small technology company. Caught on the hop by Apple as it reinvents and reinvigorates a previously stagnant tablet market, the lure of the quick buck must be hard to resist.
I’m not sure any company can beat Apple’s marketing nous, build quality or lawyers, though, so any smaller firm wishing to make inroads has to approach the market from a different angle – by undercutting the fruit-themed firm and heading down the rutted and well-trodden value route.
That brings us to the bottom of today’s burgeoning tablet market. Far away from the Dell Streak, HP TouchPad and BlackBerry Playbook, you’ll find a multitude of familiar – and surprising – names trying to make ground with a constant stream of cheap, nasty and generic tablets.
It’s a counter-productive strategy that’s harmful for all involved, from company to consumer. (more…)
Thursday, July 28th, 2011
Binatone’s a name usually associated with landline phones but, with that market dwindling, the firm has decided that Android is the way forward. Google’s Open Source OS is present in three of its new products.
The most intriguing is its iHomePhone 2 – an Android device that, as the name suggests, replaces your landline handset. It’s an unusual idea, but one Binatone seems confident can work, with the £99 inc VAT gadget allegedly aimed at both techies and novices.
The glossy handset sits in a circular cradle and certainly looks the part but, when we got our hands on the device, we found problems. The 2.8in resistive screen is grainy, pallid and comes with its own stylus, and the inclusion of Android 2.1 means it’s already behind the curve.
It’s clear the hardware underpinning the iHomePhone 2 isn’t up to task, either. Even an empty notification bar took far too long to judder towards the bottom of the screen and, when we pressed the “Home” button, the desktop took several seconds to load – a lifetime on a phone.
Still, Binatone is clearly excited about the product, enthusing that it’s more of a “living room ” device than a mere phone. To that end, the firm’s PR demonstrated Android’s stock eBook-reader app and its FM Radio software – although both of these came with obvious caveats: we don’t know anyone who’ll want to squint at a 2.8in screen and, with no WiFi syncing to the dock, it’ll have to be attached to the device to play audio through the speakers.
There’s no access to Android’s Market either – instead, the iHomePhone uses Giga Store. Binatone claims thousands of apps are available but, the ubiquitous Angry Birds aside, we couldn’t see anything we recognised.
The firm also used its recent event to announce its latest tablet device. The HomeSurf 705 is, as the name suggests, a 7in Android tablet – and, like the iHomePhone, it comes with an eye-catching price of just £99 inc VAT.
It also shares many of the same faults: no access to the Android Market, with the Giga Store making another appearance, and a reliance on Android 2.1, with no plans for the device to be upgraded in its lifetime.
Binatone wasn’t able to confirm what hardware underpins the HomeSurf but, during our time with the product, it proved sluggish and unresponsive. It’s not as slow as the iHomePhone but, of course, it’s no iPad.
Still, at least the basics are present and correct: an 800 x 480 native resolution across the screen, 2GB of internal memory, and a microSD card slot. We’re not hopeful but, at £99 inc VAT, it could prove to be a tempting bargain – look out for our full review soon.
Binatone’s third new product is its new eBook reader, the ReadMe Mobile. Again, it’s running Android 2.1 and, again, it comes with several quirks: its 7in, 800 x 480 is a TFT panel that’s not touch-enabled and, unlike other eBook readers, it’s horizontally orientated – although, once is weak processor has stirred into life, it’s possible to switch to portrait mode.
Doing this, though, renders its qwerty keyboard somewhat obsolete – a feature Binatone claims many of its customers have wanted for a long time. Beside the keyboard sits a touchpoint, similar to the BlackBerry Bold, and four cursor keys. They’re used for navigating the interface, but working our way through the interface proved tortuous and the buttons themselves felt weak.
There’s the issue of battery life, too: Binatone’s spokesperson answered the question “will it let you read Lord of the Rings” with an enthusiastic “absolutely not!”, and confirmed an estimated lifespan of two and a half hours.
Combine this with the £129 inc VAT price and, well, we’re not sure why you’d buy this over the firm’s HomeSurf tablet, which includes the same Android eBook app. Still, will reserve final judgement until our review – watch this space.
In the mean time, do you want an Android home phone, a £99 inc VAT tablet, or an eBook reader running Google’s Open Source OS? Let us know in the comments.
Binatone is a name usually associated with landline phones but, with that market dwindling, the firm has decided Android is the way forward.
Of three new Android products shown off at a launch event, the most intriguing is its iHomePhone 2 – an Android device that, as the name suggests, replaces your landline handset. It’s an unusual idea, but one Binatone is confident can work, with the £99 inc VAT gadget ambitiously aimed at both techies and novices.
(more…)
Friday, July 15th, 2011
Android’s Market is one of the most open and accessible software stores around today and, while that sounds great on paper, this unregulated approach inevitably comes with its own pros and cons.
In some instances, con is the right word. Take Spider Wars, an unremarkable game that’s getting a leg up the Market’s search results by piggy-backing on a host of other popular titles and companies.
The scam itself – if it can even be called that – is simple. Head to the game’s page and, after a description of its mechanics, there’s a list of words. A lot of them are familiar: the first block lists top games and franchises such as Star Wars, Worms, Minesweeper and Dune.
The second block is potentially more useful to developer No Sushi Prod, and starts with a who’s who of top Android and iOS titles: Gameloft, Angry Birds, Doodle Jump, Cut the Rope, Tiny Wings, Polarbit and Kairosoft, with the latter the search term that tipped me off.
There’s also a list of popular social networks and services, from Twitter, Facebook and Gmail to Google+ and Google Maps.
They’re all terms designed to rocket Spider Wars towards the top of the Market’s search results, and No Sushi Prod certainly isn’t alone: “Flying Penguin best free game” clumsily shoehorns Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Tiny Wings and Fruit Ninja into its description alongside a downright suspicious number of five-star reviews.
A search for Rovio throws up other dubious results alongside Spider Wars: Revenge of the Pigs shamelessly rips off Angry Birds, KG Dogfighting uses the old keyword trick, and Harp of Innocence has the biggest string of keyboards I’ve yet seen, ranging from Angry Birds and Facebook to Kung Fu Panda, World of Warcraft and Guitar Hero.
It’s a shady practice but, unfortunately, one that’s as widespread as it is dishonest. It’s one of the tricks that firms can get away with thanks to the unregulation of the Android Market, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for unscrupulous developers when you’re searching for a new game.
If you’ve seen this happening elsewhere – or have spotted any other dirty tricks used by eager developers – then let us know in the comments.
Android’s Market is one of the most open and accessible software stores around. While that sounds great on paper, this unregulated approach inevitably comes with its own pros and cons.
In some instances, con is the right word. Take Spider Wars, an unremarkable game that’s getting a leg up the Market’s search results by piggy-backing on a host of other popular titles and companies.
The scam – if it can even be called that – is simple keyword stuffing. Head to the game’s page and, after a description of its mechanics, there’s a list of words. A lot of them are familiar: the first block lists top games and franchises such as Star Wars (itself, evidently, a great inspiration for the game), Worms, Minesweeper and Dune.
The second block is potentially more useful to developer No Sushi Prod, and starts with a who’s who of top Android and iOS titles: Gameloft, Angry Birds, Doodle Jump, Cut the Rope, Tiny Wings, Polarbit and Kairosoft, with the latter the search term that brought Spider Wars to my attention.
There’s also a list of popular social networks and services, including Twitter, Facebook and Gmail. (more…)
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
Every company has spent millions since the launch of the iPad trying to leap onto the bandwagon that Apple built, but Archos released its first Android tablet way back in 2009 – and is now unveiling its latest 8in and 10.1 models, dubbed the G9 series.
The most important and, potentially, the most confusing aspect of the two new machines? Price. The base figures are impressive, with the 8in 80 G9 starting at £199 inc VAT and the 10in 101 G9 weighing in at £249 inc VAT, but CEO Henri Crohas confirmed that a multitude of models – all running Honeycomb – will be available from the Autumn launch.
Crohas explained that SKUs will vary on storage: both the 8in and 10.1in models will be sold with “at least 8GB of Flash” on-board, with more expensive models offering 16GB and 32GB.
In a departure from other tablets, Archos is also offering both of its new models with a 250GB hard disk; Crohas explained that Archos has “redesigned the file system [and] the guts of Android”, as well as installing a “four gigabyte flash memory cache” to ensure the platter-based models won’t suffer from slowdown.
Further details were confirmed by Archos COO Loic Poirier, who explained that “higher models” will be available with 1GB of RAM, too – and cheaper tablets will be furnished with just 512MB. He wasn’t giving away all of the prices, only revealing that upgrading the 10.1in model to 16GB of flash storage will up the price to £279 inc VAT, and you’ll have to fork out £399 inc VAT for the 10.1in model with a 250GB hard disk. Prices for the various 8in tablets, or 32GB models, weren’t available.
Both models are powered by a dual core 1.5GHz Texas Instruments processor built around the Cortex A9 instruction set, with graphical duties handled by the Neon GPU on the same chip. That’s an impressive-sounding part, and Crohas said the processor “can go up to 50% faster” than most of its rivals – although that statistic was borne out of the aging Drhystone benchmark, which features old code that isn’t necessarily representative of real-life applications.
That’s quite a boast, but Android still felt slightly sluggish as we navigated the OS. Still, media handling – an Archos speciality – proved better, with 720p versions of The King’s Speech and The Dark Knight, and a 1080p version of Toy Story 3, playing flawlessly. Even so, the screen resolutions mean you won’t be able to watch true 1080p content without using the mini HDMI output.
The budget can be felt elsewhere, too. The plastic exterior can’t match the built quality of sheer style of metallic rivals, and you’ll have to shell out extra cash for 3G, with a recessed area in the rear of both tablets able to house an Archos-branded dongle that’ll cost £49 and accept your own SIM card.
Seperate 3G dongles, a range of cheap prices and traditional hard disks, then – Archos is certainly taking risks with its two new tablets. It’s just a shame that you’ll have to wait until nearer the September launch to get our verdict on these two new models.
Several companies have spent millions since the launch of the iPad trying to leap onto the bandwagon that Apple built, but Archos released its first Android device way back in 2009 – and it’s now unveiling its latest 8in and 10.1in models, dubbed the G9 series.
The most important and, potentially, the most confusing aspect of the two new machines? Price. The base figures are impressive, with the 8in 80 G9 starting at £199 inc VAT and the 10in 101 G9 costing £249 inc VAT, but CEO Henri Crohas confirmed that a multitude of models – all running Honeycomb – will be available from the Autumn.
Crohas explained that SKUs will vary on storage: both the 8in and 10.1in models will be sold with “at least 8GB of Flash” on-board, with more expensive models offering 16GB and 32GB. (more…)
Friday, June 17th, 2011
Us tech folk take pride in building our own computers, but these days it’s easy, isn’t it? As long as you’ve got a motherboard with the right socket and the right type of memory, you’re good to go: lock down the processor, snap in the RAM, pop in the graphics card and plug in the hard disk. Voila, a computer.
Not everyone follows this traditional route, though. Programming enthusiast Jack Eisenmann has constructed his own PC from scratch using TTL chips and, presumably, plenty of patience. (more…)
Printed from www.pcpro.co.uk
Apple’s recent behaviour has been understandably overshadowed by Steve Jobs’ resignation, but it’s been on the warpath over the past few weeks – with Samsung in Cupertino’s crosshairs.
A couple of years ago I holed myself up in the PC Pro Labs with some new laptops to see what impact their pre-installed software — known as crapware, bloatware and shovelware — had on performance.
I’ve become used to Nvidia and AMD rocking up with new graphics cards on a consistently quick schedule: since 2008 and beginning with the GeForce 9000-series, Nvidia has released six generations of GPUs, and AMD has replied with three of its own, starting with the Radeon HD 4000-series.
This month’s Ultimate PC Labs has been an exercise in excess, as Monday’s picture preview demonstrated, and today’s selection of pictures doesn’t let the side down.
It’s been two years since an Ultimate PC group test found its way into the pages of PC Pro, and this year’s selection showed exactly what we’ve been missing. Seven systems arrived to fight for the title and, with every single one boasting an overclocked processor and dual graphics, we knew we were in for a fierce battle before we’d even unpacked.
