Archive for November, 2005
When the Mac Mini launched at the beginning of the year, this website spent a lot of time debating its abilities as a media center PC. We decided it was lacking in that respect, notably because of the absence of TV tuner. That may just be about to change…..
Apple rumour site, ThinkSecret.com (yes, the target of the multiple lawsuits from Steve Jobs, so they must be right!) believe that the Mac Mini is about to be reborn as the media hub its good looks always suggested it should be.
Amazingly the new Mac Mini may be Intel-powered - the first Apple computer to be so. Whether it will incorporate any elements of Intel’s Viiv platform is unclear, but that possibility remains.
ThinkSecret is also a little vague on the possibility of the TV tuner being built into the Mac Mini Mark II, but their sources are calling it a Tivo-killer which would suggest that it will be.
The new Mini will also sport an iPod dock and potentially a larger format hard drive for the extra capacity required by media center applications.
So, is any of this true? Possibly. Apple has slowly, but surely, been turning its attention to the living room that Intel and Microsoft have been struggling to conquer for the last three years. When the Mac Mini was first released it almost seemed like a missed opportunity, so even if ThinkSecret’s rumours turn out to be false this time, it surely won’t be long.
November 30th, 2005
Nokia today expanded its business device portfolio with an addition to its high-end smartphone range, the Nokia 9300i. Incorporating WLAN connectivity with a full keyboard, 65,536-color screen, support for a broad range of enterprise email solutions and an attachment viewer, the Nokia 9300i is the perfect combination of design and function and is ideally suited to meet the tough demands of mobile professionals.
With the addition of WLAN connectivity, the Nokia 9300i enhances productivity by providing a reliable and cost-effective data connection for downloading large files or email1 with attachments. 80 MB of memory capacity (expandable up to 2GB with an optional MMC card) provides ample space for file storage, and the wide color screen makes it easy to view different types of documents, spreadsheets, presentations and web sites. Add outstanding voice capabilities and the Nokia 9300i enterprise smartphone is a great all-in-one device.
“Nokia continues to offer more choices for individuals looking for fully featured smartphones built specifically for business use,” said Niklas Savander, senior vice president of Nokia’s business device unit for the Enterprise Solutions business group. “Our business customers want continuity as well as a constant stream of improvements in our products. The Nokia 9300i delivers just that as it combines WLAN and other features with a suite of powerful applications and email solutions.”
The Nokia 9300i smartphone supports E-GPRS (EDGE) and WLAN 802.11g, five party conference calling via an integrated speakerphone and multiple email clients (with attachments), including BlackBerry Connect, Nokia Business Center, IBM WebSphere, Oracle Collaboration Suite, Seven Always-On Mail and Visto Mobile. The Nokia 9300i smartphone also integrates infrared and Bluetooth capabilities, giving users two different ways to wirelessly synchronize their devices to a desktop PC or laptop, as well as exchange data with other mobile devices.
Planned availability for the Nokia 9300i smartphone is Q1 2006. Nokia will offer one tri-band version of the Nokia 9300i optimized for mobile networks in Europe and Asia (900/1800/1900 MHz) and capable of operating in compatible GSM networks in the Americas. For further information on features and availability, please visit www.nokia.com. For information on pricing, please contact your local Nokia representative.
November 29th, 2005
Maxell has made a mockery of the Blu-Ray / HD-DVD debate by announcing an optical disc featuring 1.6 TeraBytes of storage capacity and 120 MBPs transfer rate.
The technology in question is holographic storage which they claim is a real breakthrough in optical media, rather than the evolution reflected by Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.
Holographic data storage is superior to existing disc and hard drive technologies, and is also competitive against tape technologies in capacities and transfer rate. In addition, it offers a 50+ year media archive life and random data access. Finally, the media is expected to have the lowest cost per gigabyte of any commercial quality removable storage.
“Holographic media makes it possible for millions of pages of information and high definition images to be held on one small, relatively inexpensive disc,” said Steven Pofcher, senior marketing manager at Maxell. “Imagine having a person’s entire medical history, complete with MRI images, or storing a broadcast network’s entire HD Library on a single disc. These are both possible with holographic technology, which has such large capacity that approximately a half million 300-page books can be stored on a single disc.”
Holographic recording technology utilizes intersecting signal and reference laser beams to store data in a number of 3D hologram images capable of saving hundreds of data pages in a single location. One 5¼ inch-diameter optical disc can store up to 150 million pages - more than 63 times the capacity of DVD. Also, with holographic recording, a multiple of form factors, such as discs, cards, etc., and laser wavelengths (red, green, and blue) can be used.
“Combining high storage densities and fast transfer rates with durable, reliable, low cost media, Holographic technology is poised to become a compelling choice for next-generation storage and content distribution needs,” said Liz Murphy, vice president of marketing for InPhase Technologies. “Unlike other technologies that record one data bit at a time, holography allows a million bits of data to be written and read in parallel with a single flash of light. This enables transfer rates significantly higher than current optical storage devices.”
The first generation of holographic media with 300 GB of storage capacity and a 20 MBPs Transfer Rate is scheduled for release in late 2006.
November 28th, 2005
Samsung announced today that it has developed the world’s largest transmissive TFT LCD (thin-film transistor, liquid crystal display), with sufficiently high resolution to display digital television content.
The seven-inch, 640×480 (VGA-standard) flexible display uses a transparent plastic substrate that is thinner, lighter and more durable than the conventional LCD glass panels used today. Moreover, the full-color transmissive LCD panel maintains a constant thickness even when it is bent.
Considered the next-generation in flat panel displays, this technology involves the use of pliable plastic instead of rigid glass substrates in TFT-LCD production. The plastic will not break when flexed, allowing much greater freedom in commercial designs requiring flexible full-color, high-resolution display components. The seven-inch flexible TFT-LCD is optimized for mobility applications, including cell phones and notebook computers. System designers and OEMs also may apply the advanced Samsung display technology to new applications, such as fashion-enhancing or wearable electronic display designs, thanks to its differentiated flexible format.
The new display is double the size of Samsung’s five-inch flexible LCD display prototype announced in January 2005.
With this advancement, Samsung has overcome daunting problems involving the plastic substrate’s heat sensitivity including a previous challenge to maintain the display’s substrate thickness when subjected to typical commercial thermal conditions. Samsung developed a low-temperature processing technique that can be used to manufacture the display’s amorphous thin-film transistors, color filters and liquid crystals at process temperatures much lower than standard glass-based, amorphous silicon (a-Si) technology.
Drawing on technology adopted for the production of low-temperature (less than 130 degrees Celsius) a-Si TFT LCD and color filter, Samsung’s proprietary LCD technology minimizes substrate deformation by preventing not only changes in thickness but also distortion of images by binding two extremely-thin panels together through a new proprietary system design.
The latest flexible LCD panel was developed under a three-year program funded by Samsung Electronics’ next-generation display development group under the auspices of the Korean Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, supported by Samsung’s Corporate Research Fund.
November 28th, 2005
British entrepreneur, Ben Cohen, who made a name for himself in the boom and bust dot-com years of the 90s, has finally given up his claim to the iTunes.co.uk domain name.
For the last few years he’s been involved in a running battle with Apple over the domain which he registered in 2000, ten days after Apple had registered the iTunes trademark in the UK.
Cohen always claimed the registration was innocent, but he didn’t exactly enamour himself to Apple by firstly demanding $50,000 for the domain, then redirecting it to Napster and finally claiming that Apple users were all members of a ‘cult’.
Well, he has TechSmec.com’s backing on the last point, but the fact that Cohen never built a legitimate website around the domain suggests that he always had the domain’s potential value in mind when it was registered.
Nominet, the UK domain registration authority, has confirmed that legal action has now ceased and that Cohen has given up any claim to the domain. However, defiant to the end, Cohen told The Register that it was ‘might, not right’ that had won the day.
November 25th, 2005
Game: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Platform: PSP
Publisher: EA
Price: £29.99 (Amazon.co.uk)
Reviewer: Jay Neill (TechSmec.com staff)
The Harry Potter phenomenon is one that you either love, or hate. There is the obvious division along age lines - if you’re under 15 you probably think that the spectacled junior wizard is the best thing in English literature. However, it’s not always that simple with a lot of adults guiltily confessing that they preorder the next tome from Amazon for themselves and not just for their children. Can you apply the same profile to Harry Potter gamers? Well, whereas the books have a charm that cuts across the generations, the tie-in video games have, until now stayed locked firmly in the genre of ‘kiddy platform puzzler’.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the first film in the series to be released since the advent of the PSP and as such is the first game to get the handheld treatment. The movie’s director, Mike Newell, freely admits that such a doorstop-sized book had to be mercilessly cut to fit into a 2 hour timeframe, but surely the game, without any such time restrictions will cover the full range of the JK Rowling’s intended plot? Er no.
The game kicks off with a whistle stop summary of the Quidditch World Cup that forms the primary focus of the first few chapters. Before we know it the campsite is under attack from Death Eaters (followers of Lord Voldemort for the un-initiated among you) and Harry, Ron and Hermione are thrown in at the deep end, with the task of getting out of there. This opening level forms a gentle introduction to the gameplay to follow. Choose a character to control and set off down a predetermined path casting spells whenever you need to. At this stage two particular spells come in particularly handy - the Jinx and Carpe Retratum. The first is a simple weapon that makes the various beasties that come your way turn up their toes, the other allows you to pull various objects out of your way - rocks, tree trunks….more rocks. There’s not much of a challenge here, especially as the two non-playing characters do a lot of work for you and this is a theme that continues through much of the game. We would be surprised if you have any difficulty getting through the first level in one go and that’s the cue for another dramatic fast-forward through the book to Hogwarts while a husky voiceover fills you in on the plot that is being skipped past at full speed.
If you’re expecting some variety in gameplay then this is the point at which you start to doubt if this game is for you. The variety of spells and charms at your disposal increases, but the basic gameplay principles remain the same - run around, remove an obstacle, ‘kill’ a beastie, run some more. This is a departure from earlier games in the HP series which were strictly exploration / puzzlers. However, Harry is growing up and he likes to show this by dispatching salamanders and other nasties in a variety of entertaining ways. No doubt conscious of the fact that the game is aimed at children the developers have retained a healthy puzzle element, but in the early stages they aren’t much of a challenge, particularly as the solution is often printed up on the screen for you to read. There’s also little chance to get creative with casting spells. With only four spell-casting buttons to choose from the game decides which are available to you at any time, so approach a rock and you’ll be able to pull it out of the way. Walk up to a fire and you’ll be forced into casting an Aqua Eruptus to put it out. This lack of decision-taking tends to make you feel removed from the game and is a shame.
The visuals are good, in fact they are indistinguishable from the PS2 version. However, one of the PSP’s failings is that character detail is often too small to make out and the Goblet of Fire suffers from the same problem. We often found ourselves holding the screen right up to our noses in an attempt to make out what was going on. However, the day is saved by the quality of the environments which manage to defy the small size of the PSP screen and somehow envelop you while you play. The Hogwarts Exterior levels in the early part of the game are particularly good and you get a feel for the immense scale of the school. Cut scenes are cinematic to say the least and really show off the quality of the PSP screen.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a solid, yet unspectacular game which brings nothing new to the adventure/puzzle genre. The action never takes your breath away and the puzzles never make you rack your brains for too long. It is a kid’s game and that has to be borne in mind, but adults won’t find much here to get excited about.
Graphics
Good environments, but characters too small to score top marks - 7/10
Sound
OK, but unspectacular - 6/10
Gameplay
Repetitive action / puzzler. Controls are sluggish and the spinning camera sometimes makes it hard to work out where you’re going - 6/10
Verdict
Your kids will love it - adults may find that their interest wanes after a few levels. Harry Potter fans will probably make this an essential purchase, but we say there are better examples of the genre out there - 6/10
November 25th, 2005
Pioneer has announced the availability of its range-topping HDD/DVD Recorder, the DVR-930H-S with 400GB HDD.
The deck features HDD/DVD recording and playback technology including: full 10 bit precision signal processing; an HDMI interface for immaculate signal transfer; a 108 MHz/14-bit Video DAC that provides picture-perfect images; and PureCinema Progressive Scan for flicker-free ‘cinematographic’ viewing.
‘The DVR-930H-S has a stylish, highly contemporary design with a black acrylic finish. Its attractive looks will complement any interior. And the aesthetics are backed by performance and ease-of-use: with its superior recording and playback performance, up to 700 hours recording time and an enhanced GUI including GUIDE Plus+1 EPG for intuitive operation and programming, this flag ship model leaves nothing to be desired for lovers of high-end AV,’ says Jim Catcheside, Product Manager, Product Management & Technology, Home Entertainment Division, Pioneer GB Limited
Key features of the DVR-930H-S include:
Acquisition and playback
A key feature of the DVR-930H-S is the immediate conversion of incoming video signals from analogue to digital and subsequent full 10-bit precision signal processing in the digital domain. The conversion ensures that images are of the highest possible quality and encompasses all analogue video inputs - including RGB. With PAL signals, an adaptive 5-Line Comb filter ensures the optimum Y/C separation with the least possible cross colour and dot disturbance. A Time Base Corrector, part of the digital process, stabilises the signal and removes the jitter characteristic of analogue video recording to achieve an exceptional level of recording precision.
The DVR-930H-S includes Pioneer’s ‘Picture Creation’ processing to further enhance picture quality.
The integrity of the video playback circuit is secured by the HDMI connection (High Definition Multimedia Interface) that allows transfer of full digital video and audio content over a single cable to produce perfect pictures and sound without signal deterioration. Connected directly or via HDMI switching (on Pioneer’s forthcoming VSX-AX4AVi-S and VSX-AX2AV-S receivers) to a completely digital Pioneer ‘PURE Vision Black’ plasma display, users can enjoy a fully digital pure audio and visual experience.
Additionally, the DVR-930H-S features a 108 MHz/14-bit Video D/A Converter. It ensures picture perfection by boosting resolution far beyond the limit of traditional data converters - to as close to the original DVD source as possible. Pioneer’s latest VQE9, only incorporated in Pioneer’s top video devices, significantly advances the progressive processing function for all video content. The recorder also includes PureCinema Progressive Scan that effectively doubles the scanning rate of the picture output, for a very stable, flicker-free ‘cinematographic’ viewing experience.
GUI features
By assessing how consumers interact with technology, Pioneer has designed a highly intuitive easy-to-use on-screen interface (GUI). So even when users operate the new recorder for the first time, they’ll be able to enjoy its simple, convenient and clear on-screen controls.
GUIDEPlus+ EPG
The ease of use of the DVR-930H-S is enhanced by the GUIDE Plus+(tm)2 EPG. This provides an up-to-seven-day listings guide with easy one-button programming from detailed TV channel and programme listings.
Capacities and high-speed dubbing
The DVR-930H-S can record up to 700 hours of video on its hard drive. Thanks to Pioneer’s high quality MPEG encoder, it can record up to eight hours on a single-layer DVD-R/DVD-RW disc. Making optimal use of the integrated high-speed DVD-writer mechanism, video can also be transferred easily to DVD. Depending on the recording mode selected and DVD-R/DVD-RW media used, transfer speeds over 50 times faster than real time can be achieved.
Expanding applications
The recorders also offer great flexibility in recording and playback. Users can not only enjoy ‘Chase Play’ playback, but even make a high-speed copy of previously recorded media to DVD or a disc back-up while recording new content to the HDD or watching previously recorded content from the HDD.
Support for compressed audio playback from disc is also provided through WMA and MP3 formats. Likewise users can play back JPEG files recorded on CD from within the PhotoViewer application. Easy recording is possible from a variety of sources in addition to the built-in analogue TV tuner, with support for optimum quality RGB video via SCART and for digital camcorders via the DV input/output.
Chassis stability
The stability of the system, crucial for high-quality audio and video performance, is advanced through its innovative dual-layer chassis. This absorbs unwanted internal and external vibrations offering stable audio/video processing and reproduction
November 23rd, 2005
The Xbox 360 has hit the streets in the good old US of A and the opinions are starting to appear on the web. Quite apart from the amazing gaming visuals, a lot of reviewers are getting pretty excited about the Media Center Extender feature of the 360 and are writing in gushing terms about Microsoft having bridged the gap between the console, the PC and the home entertainment setup. TechSmec.com has been ploughing through the internet chatter to bring you the highlights.
Matt Slagle at the Associated Press leads the bandwagon. He likes just about everything the Xbox 360 has to offer and is positively frothing at the mouth about the ‘digital hub’ idea. “Microsoft has done more than beat rivals to market with a powerful, flexible video game machine. With Xbox 360, the company that helped turn personal computers into household devices has created a machine that may someday replace them.” Strong words indeed. TechSmec.com would love to see you write a letter on your 360, or bank online, or…[ STOP!! Ed ].
PC Magazine has run a full review of the Xbox 360’s Media Center Extender prowess and decided that it came up just a little short of being a ‘must have’ feature. Still, they offer the idea that it might be the carrot that convinces your wife / girlfriend that you should spend a few hundred dollars on a new games console. “We’d say you could safely allocate $100 of the cost to media-play features, maybe $200 if you’re big on HD,” they suggest. “The drawbacks, while many, are mostly minor compared against the ability to show media in high definition.”
On his CNET blog, Dan Ackerman has been pleased to discover that all this Media Center Extender fun isn’t just for owners of an XPMCE machine. He writes about how he used Windows Media Connect (think of it as Media Center Extender’s little cousin) to view photos and stream music from a normal XP Pro PC. “If you don’t have an MCE system, it’s a good start and a painless way to get your MP3 collection pumping through the living room surround-sound system,” he writes.
Joystiq have looked at yet another side to the Xbox 360’s interconnectivity - it’s ability to talk via USB to just about any device with portable storage and media playback. They picked on the fabulous PSP for their demo and say “it works great”.
However, lest we forget, the Xbox 360 is a games console and IGN brings us back to Earth with a bump on that front. “For all its pre-release promise, at launch the Xbox 360 will have to stand up on its games,” the writer prophesises. “It’s going to sell out, straight through the holidays most likely, but in truth, I cannot honestly say I’m impressed by the launch titles.”
The Xbox 360 has a few months to get it right before the PS3 launches and spoils the party. For the future of media convergence we hope it does.
With thanks to MediaCenterPCWorld.com
November 23rd, 2005
It’s the TV tuner card that we’ve been waiting for. Hauppauge Digital has released a new add-on card to convert a PC into a satellite TV receiver.
Available immediately, the WinTV Nova-s receives free satellite channels, and will work with Freesat, the service announced by the BBC and ITV in September. No viewing card and no subscription fee are required.
The £59.99 inc VAT device plugs into a spare slot inside any desktop PC and decodes signals from a satellite dish. Owners can watch satellite TV on the full screen, or in a window whilst working on something else on the PC. Programmes can even be recorded to the PC’s hard disk for later viewing.
The WinTV Nova-s will appeal to householders who already have a satellite dish and wish to use a PC in the kitchen, study or bedroom as an additional digital TV. The Nova-s is also compatible with Microsoft’s Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE), the entertainment version of XP.
Owners of Hauppauge’s WinTV Nova-s can receive all the BBC TV channels immediately, including One, Two, Three, Four, CBBC, Cbeebies and BBC News24. The BBC’s radio channels are also available, including Radios 1 to 7. ITV services, including ITV1, ITV2, ITV3 and Men&Motors will become available shortly, and more channels will be added early in 2006 when Freesat officially launches.
“Freesat will be the satellite equivalent of Freeview,” said Yehia Oweiss, Managing Director of Hauppauge Digital. “Already broadcasting BBC, the service is be available to all UK households and bring free digital TV to the 25 per cent who are outside Freeview’s area. Consumers can buy our Freesat tuner now and enjoy many digital channels now, with more being added all the time.”
The WinTV Nova-s is also compatible with HDTV (High Definition TV). HDTV broadcasts are expected to be delivered by satellite in 2006/7, offering stunning visual images.
The EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) broadcast by Freesat will be available on the Hauppauge card. In the meantime, owners can obtain an EPG via the Internet. The Nova-s will allow for scheduled recordings, using the hard disk in the PC to store programmes at their original broadcast quality. Owners could play back the recordings or copy to DVD for playback elsewhere.
As an added bonus, the Hauppauge WinTV Nova-s has a video input socket. This allows a camcorder to be plugged directly into the PC. Home movies can be digitised into MPEG format, edited and then copied to DVD for preservation.
ITV currently encrypts, or scrambles, its transmissions via satellite, using the service provided by Sky. In the next few months, ITV will begin to broadcast its channels “in the clear” - without encryption - so they can be watched through any satellite receiver. The BBC started doing this in 2003.
Source: MediaCenterPCWorld.com
November 22nd, 2005
Video Without Boundaries, a provider of interactive, media-convergent home entertainment devices, today announced it was deploying a new portable media player/recorder device named CoPilot.
The new flash-based MPEG-4 portable will retail for under $200 and features AV input recording allowing for easy connection to DVD Player, VCRs, cable and satellite set-top boxes for simple recording of TV and Movies.
“VWB has experienced tremendous success with the introduction of the Flyboy,” said Video Without Boundaries, Inc. President and CEO Jeffrey Harrell. “Based on early feedback from the retailers and our existing Flyboy customers, there is a tremendous untapped market for the price point that CoPilot will address. Video Without Boundaries recently announced our Portable Media initiative and the announcement today of the CoPilot product is the first of many projects the company plans in regard to expanding our portable product line as well as the ability to download and stream content to the devices.”
The CoPilot features video playback and recording on either an internal 512MB or 1GB flash drive. The unit memory is also expandable via its SD card slot enabling the CoPilot to store more than 6 hours of video at 320 x 240 @ 30f/s resolution. The CoPilot also supports MP3, WAV, and WMA formats and Line In Audio for simple playback and recording of music.
Other Features include:
* Internal Microphone for Voice recording
* Photo viewing
* Video output for playback of video onto TV
* Games
* Calendar
* Clock
* Built-in speakers
* FM radio
November 22nd, 2005
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