Remember Google Buzz? Could Google be doing it again? This time, the Big G is aping Facebook's "Like" button. The new "+1" feature lets punters using search boost up stories or sites they like. You'll need to be logged in to do it, and you'll also see what you Google Contacts mates, chat buddies and (soon) Twitter contacts have been bigging up. Thoughts?

Radioplayer – Freeview for radio – launches in the UK today. It's an online service that offers all BBC radio stations and most stations via one handy portal. Starting with 150 UK radio stations with a further 150 local and community stations preparing to join, it comes with a search engine, personalisation option, and a granny-friendly ability to let users scroll and “tune in” the station of their choice.

Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play gaming smartphone will go on sale on the 1st of April at Carphone Warehouse. Honest, this isn’t an April Fool. Check out our hands-on video for full details on the Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) PlayStation-buttoned handset. The Sony Xperia Play is £515 SIM-free.

Xbox 360 discs will soon be granted a greater storage capacity. Thats' the word from Eurogamer, which reckons the dual-layer DVD format (currently partitioned to 6.8GB) will soon max out at a tot under 8GB. The extra 15 per cent of storage will grant developers welcome space to upgrade weak security, cut down glitches and ultimately build bigger, better games. Beta testing is underway, according to the unnamed sources. All just in time for Gears of War 3. Perfect.

Back on Monday when Apple released the details of 2011's WWDC event we at Pocket-lint ran a story stating that the Cupertino giant would no doubt be announcing the iPhone 5 during the event's opening keynote.

After all, Apple is a creature of habit and has announced the last three iterations of its mobile phone handset at the event in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

And, although the invite did quote Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing as saying: "At this year’s conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS," leading to doubts from the likes of Jim Dalrymple from The Loop that any new hardware release would be mentioned, we still weren't convinced.

After all, Apple is hardly likely to send out invites saying: "Come take a look at the iPhone 5" and the future of iOS is surely going to have the next-gen iPhone at its core.

But the evidence against the traditional June iPhone launch being scrapped seems to be mounting up now. And none more so than a report on a Japanese website which claims that Apple has not yet put in the orders to its Chinese manufacturing partners with regards to a new handset - something it surely would have done if a June launch was still on the cards.

The suggestion now seems to be that Apple will wait until its new financial year at the end of September before releasing any new mobile toys.

But it's not all doom and gloom fanboys. Oh no. For you see, September could yet prove to be a bumper iDevice month with not only an iPhone 5 hitting the Apple Store but possibly an iPad 3 as well (as previously reported on Pocket-lint). Or, if not an iPad 3, at least an updated version of the sequel that hit UK shops last week.

And both devices will come packing the cloudtastic iOS 5 that is due to be shown off in June at WWDC. Exciting stuff, we're sure you'll agree.

Saying at that, we still wouldn't be surprised to see Jobs take the stage on 6 June with a shiny new iPhone in his hand.....

Jörg Sprave builds slingshots. Jörg Sprave presents his creations on The Slingshot Channel. We're scared of Jörg Sprave.

Not only has Jörg shown you how to build a slingshot out of an old Christmas tree, fired eggs into the far distance for Easter, and shown us around his slingshot collection (including one with a telescopic sight), but he's now built a device that can fire machetes. Yep. Machetes.

His latest elongated effort can catapult a slightly-modified machete at such a rate of knots that it will happily plunge deep into thick card.

As The Slingshot Channel states: "The result is actually pretty impressive: The weapon sent the machete all the way up to the hilt into six layers of very thick cardboard. Try to do that by throwing a machete! No way."

However, even the operator is in peril with such a fearsome creation, as Jörg proves during the clip by showing off his bloodied arm: "Now a machete is a very heavy weapon, and strong rubber plus a very long draw was called for," says the channel. "This had to be a slingshot crossbow because the rubber had to be so strong that you can not draw it out with one hand. Also the danger of hitting your hand had to be considered."

And it is because of this that Jörg himself tells us "don't try this at home".

We don't think there's any chance of that.

Crikey.

Casio G-Shock fans are in for a tech treat as the popular watch series is all set for a 21st century injection.

Over at the BaselWorld watch expo in Switzerland the Japanese company was showing off a Bluetooth enabled G-Shock, one that will capable of hooking up with your mobile to let you know about incoming calls, messages and alerts.

And, not just any old Bluetooth, but Bluetooth 4.0, with its low energy capabilities. Meaning your G-Shock shouldn't suffer any serious battery issues.

Plus, the watch still meets Casio's high G-Shock standards. "All of our G-Shock Premium watches have to pass the Triple 10 test," Casio designer designer Hiroaki Kubo told Wired.

"That means a 10 foot drop, 10 bar water resistance and 10 year battery life. In fact this one can withstand 20 bar water pressure.

"We use a mix of plastic resin and steel and to achieve the strength. Solar panels help to recharge the battery so you won't have to replace it, which also helps it to be more waterproof because you do not need to open it."

The Casio Bluetooth G-Shock is expected to hit the shops before 2012 comes around - discussions with smartphone manufacturers are currently ongoing.

You know these days, whenever anyone mentions the words “poached eggs”, all I can think off is the Angry Birds stage. I can’t help it, everywhere you turn, you see things that have to do with Angry Birds, ranging from movie trailers to backpack clips.

Well, the PoachPod is definitely useful if you’re a fan of poached eggs, as it is touted to offer you the best DIY poached eggs in town, and for just £4.99 to boot! Getting the right amount of heat is an art form and a delicate operation, requiring precise timing and perfect temperature water, although all of the planets need not be aligned.

With the PoachPod, it is a snap – all you need to do is crack an egg into a flexible silicone mold, where you can let it bob about on the surface of gently boiling water for just a few minutes. Whenever it is ready to serve, all you need to do is run a spoon around the inside and turn it out for perfection.

Amazon thinks that the future of computing lies in cloud storage, and hence has announced a trio of new services – Cloud Drive, Cloud Player for Web and Cloud Player for Android. Basically, any one of the three allows you to buy anywhere, play your tunes anywhere while making sure your digital music collection remains in a centralized place.

Of course, you can always do it the old fashioned way, which is to start in humble beginnings with 5GB of free Cloud Drive storage, and if you like it enough and feel that life is incomplete without cloud storage, then proceed and make that upgrade move to 20GB of free storage space with the purchase of any MP3 album.

Basically, these services let customers securely store music in the cloud, and they are able to access it at any time of their convenience to play back on any Android phone, Android tablet, Mac or PC. Apart from that, customers are also able to easily upload their music library to Amazon Cloud Drive, and are able to save any new Amazon MP3 purchases straight to their Amazon Cloud Drive for free.

This means you no longer need to go through the hassle of moving music around to different devices, and it eliminates the use of flash drives and cables in the process. To sweeten the deal, all new Amazon MP3 purchases are saved directly to Cloud Drive, where they are stored for free and will not count against a customer’s storage quota.

Of course, there is also the issue of security – well, we’re pleased to say that as a customer, you need not worry about losing your music collection to a hard drive crash ever again. All of your digital music files are securely stored on Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), where each file will be uploaded to Cloud Drive in its original bit rate. Apart from that, you can also purchase your music anywhere, safe in the knowledge that your MP3s are safely stored in Cloud Drive and accessible from any device.

TomTom has just announced that they will make available a trio of new 5″ navigation devices for those who need a professional GPS navigation system. We’re talking about the TomTom PRO 7150, PRO 9150 and PRO 7150 TRUCK, where all three of them were specially designed to deliver bottom-line benefits for businesses and the larger display are which makes it a whole lot easier for users to operate.

According to Thomas Schmidt, Managing Director of TomTom Business Solutions, “The larger display makes the driver’s job of managing his order and communicating back to the office even easier, while also increasing the sizes of the navigation screen itself.”

These latest editions will come with a 5” fluid touch screen display that will be able to offer a clear view on what is ahead, followed by easy interaction with the WORKsmart functionality. Apart from delivering the smartest routes, the PRO series will also be part of the WORKsmart solution that will allow mileage registration, time registration and job status reports amongst others.

Additional features include efficient driving with IQ Routes and Eco Routes, Safe driving with Advanced Lane Guidance, text-to-speech and hands-free calling. It is also a snap to find your way around Europe with the richest map for 45 European countries.

If you want to be part of the WORKsmart solution, the PRO series is able to enable vehicle tracking, job dispatch, time management, carbon & fuel management and management reporting. Not only that, it will be able to offer access to LIVE Services including HD Traffic. If your organization decides on the PRO 7150 TRUCK, it will offer a truck-specific routing algorithm and height, width and weight restrictions on the map for 15 European countries. Pricing depends on the model, of course, with the PRO 9150 being the most expensive among the three at 429 Euros, while the PRO 7150 and PRO 7150 TRUCK are going for 359 and 399 Euros, respectively.

NASA has announced that 3D cameras will not be used on its Mars Rover, despite James Cameron developing the technology for the space group.

In a statement NASA revealed that it will be sticking to its tried-and-tested Mast Camera (MastCam) instrument that's already on the vehicle and won't be messing around with 3D.

Although this has undoubtedly come as a disappointment to Cameron, who was busy developing a new MastCam which could cope with 3D, the director does note that some other features he has been working on will be used eventually.

Curious and curiouser

"While Curiosity won't benefit from the 3D motion imaging that the zooms enable, I'm certain that this technology will play an important role in future missions," said Cameron.

"In the meantime, we're certainly going to make the most of our cameras that are working so well on Curiosity right now."

Curiosity is due to land on Mars August 2012, where it will be part of a two-year mission to examine whether there's any life, or if there has ever been life there.

Unfortunately, if there are any Little Green Men we won't see them in 3D - unless Cameron decides to build himself a rocket out of his Avatar billions and shoot the Red Planet himself.

Nokia has issued a letter to developers outlining the future for Symbian and Windows Phone 7 - and it seems the Finnish firm is a long way from being settled on a strategy.

The Symbian platform will keep getting the same handsets planned for 2011 and 2012, which is what Nokia is calling 'its transition period'.

That transition is defined later on in the letter as the point where Nokia is looking to get as many customers onto Windows Phone 7 as possible:

"Our intention is that when users come to the end of the natural lifecycle of their Symbian device they will make the change to a Nokia Windows Phone device and so it would not be in our interests to undermine their Nokia smartphone experience."

Support

"Operators have also been very supportive in their commitment to help us continue to sell and support Symbian devices while we make the transition to Windows Phone."

However, the next crop of Symbian-based smartphones will still have a fair bit of gumption about them, with Nokia promising "GHz+ processing capabilities and faster graphics speeds" as well as "the first major update [arriving] in summer, delivering a new home screen, new flexible widgets, new icons, a faster browser, new Navbar and a fresh look and feel to Ovi Store and Ovi Maps, including integration of social media services in Ovi Maps."

The lights are dimming

But the writing is starkly inscribed on the wall for Symbian - Nokia's plan is only to push it in the markets where it is already strong (ie China, Turkey, Russia etc) and also while it works on getting Windows Phone 7 ready for territories where it still is incompatible:

"For that reason certain markets will play a more significant role in selling the 150 million Symbian devices than others and we will be selling devices long after Windows Phone devices from Nokia have already started to appear in other markets.

"That is why we cannot give you the date when Symbian will no longer be supported."

The full letter is published here if you want to read all about Nokia's promises over Symbian and the QT development platform - if you're a die-hard Symbian fan, we should warn you it won't fill you with massive hope...

Android 3.0 is here, and it's a stunner.

Released only for the Motorola Xoom tablet so far, the new operating system, which started life on Android smartphones but is now formatted for the larger touchscreen, will eventually make its way onto the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 as well as other tablets from big manufacturers like Acer, HTC, Dell, Asus, LG, MSI and Toshiba.

Google's improved operating system boasts a number of upgrades that could give the iPad 2's operating system, iOS 4.3, a run for its money.

Android 3.0 release date

The Android 3.0 release date is currently unclear. The Motorola Xoom is already out in the US, although other hardware manufacturers say they're still waiting for Google to give them the all-clear to put their devices on the shelves.

Needless to say, the official, final release is just weeks away. And when that day comes, expect to see a flood of Android 3.0 tablets explode onto the market.

In 2008, we sat down with Erick Tseng, then a senior product manager at Google and the main point of contact for Android OS, for an article on Google research projects.

Curiously, Tseng never mentioned tablets, but he did talk about a new operating system that could work on many different types of computing devices. Tseng had an Android prototype phone he let us view over his shoulder.


Android 3.0 is an open source project helmed by Google. From all reports, the company doesn't make a great income from the operating system and plans to derive revenue the way they always do: from ads that appear when you search.

Developers gain full access to the code base and searchable documentation.

One of the main issues with Android early on was that the code is flexible enough to run on a variety of devices but the interface is designed for smartphones. Android 3.0 makes better use of the screen size for tablets.

For example, Gmail on a smartphone runs best in a vertical orientation so you can quickly scan through emails. On a tablet, Android 3.0 provides a way for the email client to run with your messages on the left and a preview pane on the right.

android 3.0 gmailSee full size image

Android 3.0 mostly accommodates the screen size, but there are a few times when the operating system could have been reformatted better, or when apps still run in a smartphone mode.

Compared to iOS 4.3, which is running on the iPad 2, Android 3.0 is much more streamlined for tablets. There are pop-overs, like a thumbnail view that shows you a preview of open apps, and the settings and status overlays are decidedly more advanced.

android settingsSee full size image

Also, Android 3.0 taps into the power of the Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor for showing videos, letting you flip quickly through photos and album covers, and playing games.

Google is committed to the platform. Even in the first week after the release of the Motorola Xoom, the company released a new version that works with Adobe Flash, even before that software update became available

A leaked screenshot has revealed a tiny snippet more about Microsoft's forthcoming new operating system Windows 8.

The screenshot, from Win7China.com, shows the system restore for Windows 8, showing options for System Restore.

Those options offer restore to a fixed point in time or to factory settings – the latter being an already revealed new Windows 8 feature.

Fresh start

Being able to bring your computer back to the point just after Windows 8 was installed – albeit with your data present and correct is obviously an attractive option for many.

This would, of course, let you go back to a point before any malware found its way onto your system (as well as bloatware, dodgy drivers and file opening rubbish that you needed for one use).

Or simply allow you a nice clean, happy OS to start to hack away at again.

Microsoft is hoping that Windows 8 – which is considered much more of an incremental upgrade than a step change (as Windows 7 was to Vista) – can curry the same critical acclaim and public support as its predecessor.

TechRadar has already revealed that PC gaming will be a key focal point in the next-generation operating system, but it will by no means be the only improvement.

This neatly-done poster from French blog NoWhereElse highlights all the rumors surrounding iPhone 5 which is expected to launch around September. Bigger screen, higher-resolution camera, 3D support.. the wish-list is endless. Thanks GottaBeMobile for the tip.

Samsung’s Galaxy S 4G is the latest iteration of Samsung’s best-selling phone, delivering Android 2.2.1 Froyo  along with a shot of T-Mobile’s HSPA+ speed. Still, with dual-core Android phones – including Samsung’s own Galaxy S II – looking to dominate the high-end market in 2011, is 4G enough to keep things flying? Android Community took a look at the Galaxy S 4G to find out.
On the plus side, it’s a lightweight, reasonably inexpensive and highly usable device, with Android Community reckoning that Samsung’s TouchWiz UI grows on you the more time you spend with it. As for negatives, it’s an aging design and its 1GHz Hummingbird processor is outclassed by the dual-cores we’re seeing of late.

4G speeds vary widely, and while Verizon’s LTE may be faster in our experience than T-Mobile’s HSPA+, it all depends on whether you have coverage of either. In the end, the Galaxy S 4G is a known quantity, though not necessarily any worse for that; for the full run-down check out the Android Community review

News of a new Nokia device has leaked, courtesy of the OVI Publisher tools, the Nokia T7-00. The first of what would be a new line of nomenclature for the company, while it’s tempting to think that “T” stands for “Tablet”, unfortunately that doesn’t seem particularly likely; well, not unless you like your slates particularly low-resolution.
In fact, the T7-00 gets its mention under Symbian^3 devices, and in among the handsets with 360 x 640 resolution displays. That means it’s running the same OS and has the same resolution as the N8 and C7; there’s also a mention of the still-unconfirmed Nokia E6-00, complete with a 640 x 480 resolution display.

So, a new range of devices but no indication as to what segment the TSeries might target. Plus still no sign of the much-rumored Nokia tablet. The company has promised 150m more Symbian device sales in 2011.

ASUS has officially launched its first Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet, the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, a 10.1-inch slate promising up to 16hrs runtime when used with the battery-toting keyboard dock. Running Honeycomb on NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 processor and fronted by a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 IPS touchscreen display, the Transformer has a pair of cameras and optional 3G connectivity.
There’s a 5-megapixel camera on the back and a 1.3-megapixel webcam up front; meanwhile inside there’s 16GB or 32GB of storage, WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR and all the usual sensors: accelerometer, GPS, digital compass, etc. The slate’s internal battery is good for 9.5hrs alone, but ASUS has sensibly used the keyboard attachment to boost that by a further 6.5hrs; you also get a touchpad, 3.5mm audio jack, two USB ports and an SD card reader. We can’t help but wish Acer had packed a battery into their Iconia Tab W500 keyboard slice too.

Unfortunately there’s still no sign of official pricing, though there’s the hint of a €399 ($565) sticker from a European retailer last week. We’ll find out more at ASUS’ official Eee Pad Transformer launch event next week, which will give us a chance to check out the differences between the prototype we played with earlier in the year and the final model.
Press Release:

    ASUS Introduces the Eee Pad Transformer

    – Innovation meets Versatility as ASUS launches the Eee Pad Transformer TF101 tablet with a unique expandable keyboard docking station –

    Fremont, CA (March 25, 2011) – ASUS is excited to announce the launch* of the Eee Pad Transformer, the best tablet choice for users looking for media consumption and mobile productivity in an elegant yet versatile design. The ASUS Eee Pad Transformer features the powerful and responsive Android 3.0 operating system, an optional expandable keyboard docking station, and ASUS’ intuitive Waveshare user interface that results in an exciting portable tablet for content creation, social communication, high-definition media playback and smooth realistic game play.

    Exciting mini-cinema entertainment on-the-go
    Powered by the NVIDIA® Tegra™ 2 dual-core processor, the Transformer browses the web at blazing speeds, providing snappier response times and excellent multi-tasking performance. An IPS (in-plane switching) Panel made from durable and scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass is viewable at angles up to 178°, perfect for sharing your favorite photos, web pages, work documents and more with co-workers, friends or family next you or across the room. The 10.1” IPS panel features LED backlighting that provides brilliant and vivid colors at a 1280×800 resolution, perfect for viewing high-definition movies and other media content.

    Built-in SRS Sound technology provides a dynamic 3D stereo audio experience, with maximum bass response and a wide sound field from the discrete speakers housed in a thin 0.51” thick chassis that only weighs 1.49lbs. A 1.2MP front-facing camera is perfect for video conferencing while the rear-facing 5MP camera can shoot and record HD video, which can be played back on HDTVs via the mini HDMI output port, making the Eee Pad Transformer a true mobile entertainment device.

    Transform from pad to notebook mode with optional keyboard docking station
    The Transformer sets itself apart from other tablets on the market by featuring an optional docking station. This unique docking station provides access to a full QWERTY keyboard along with unique Android Function keys, instantly turning the Transformer into a mobile content creation device.

    A touchpad, 3.5mm audio jack, two USB ports as well as a built-in SD Card reader for easy file sharing and storage expandability makes the Transformer a versatile media hub. The docking station also extends the Transformer’s 9.5 hours** of battery life up to 16 hours**, so users can use it all day for work or play. In addition, the ultra-convenient ASUS WebStorage* with one year of unlimited storage space provides worry-free cloud computing.

    Android 3.0 OS melds with ASUS’ Waveshare UI for a unique user experience
    Google’s Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) is a revolutionary operating system specially designed and optimized for tablets, which enables users a rich web experience for on-the-go web browsing, social media activities, video playback and casual gaming. Supporting Adobe® Flash® 10.2*** and the ever growing Android Market, media entertainment is just a finger swipe away. The convenient ASUS Launcher also allows users to easily launch software, manage content and access online services and connect devices with a few simple taps, while ASUS’ Waveshare Interface hosts a variety of unique applications* such as MyNet, MyLibrary, MyCloud and more.

    MyNet easily streams digital media wirelessly within home network devices so HD videos or music can be played on devices such as an HDTV or desktop PCs for an even better experience from the Transformer. MyLibrary consolidates downloaded books, magazines and newspapers in to one easy to browse profile while MyCloud is a total cloud solution, providing access to digital content such as music, videos and files from the cloud anywhere, anytime. Users can even use MyCloud to remotely access and control any PC or Mac system and access applications or files to extend the versatility of the Eee Pad Transformer experience.

We’ve already compared the original AT&T iPhone 4 to the newly announced Verizon iPhone 4, but that’s not the whole story. If you’ll recall, Verizon had a press conference last week during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where the wireless carrier unveiled a plethora of new devices. Two of the bigger names were from HTC and Motorola, which unveiled the ThunderBolt and Bionic, respectively. But, how do they compare to the iPhone 4?
We already know the iPhone 4′s feature set: a 3.5-inch display, with Apple’s Retina Display. It has Apple’s A4 processor inside, clocked at 1GHz. And it’s running Apple’s latest version of iOS, which now includes multitasking in Apple’s creative fashion. However, the device does not feature 4G LTE, as many had imagined it would. There is a section in the settings of the device that will let you turn on a 3G mobile hotspot feature. The Verizon iPhone 4 will have 16GB or 32GB of memory for apps, videos, games, and music. On the back, a 5MP camera will let you take high resolution images and video. On the front, a VGA camera.
So, what about the HTC ThunderBolt? HTC announced the device, saying that it will indeed connect to Verizon’s 4G LTE network. It has a 4.3-inch display. And there’s a 1GHz processor under the hood that’s not dual-core. There’s an 8MP camera on the back, and a 1.3MP on the front. And as far as memory goes, HTC’s included 8GB of internal storage, with the option of adding more via a microSD card up to 32GB.
And then there’s the Bionic from Motorola. It, too, has a 4.3-inch display, but with a higher resolution thanks to the qHD display. Under the hood, we’ll find a dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz. There is 512MB of RAM, and 16GB of on board storage. On the back, there’s an 8MP camera, and on the front a VGA variation.

There are a lot of deciding factors when it comes to any device. More than that, it will always come down to personal preference. Apple’s iOS mobile Operating System will appeal more to some customers, less to others. While Android may attract a flock, and push away a crowd. But, what’s for certain, is that Verizon obviously has a huge push in the handset market right now, and they’re attacking it with vigor. With the three devices listed above, and including the Samsung 4G LTE-enabled device also coming soon, Verizon is staking their claim.

So, let us know what you want. Is your next phone going to be the iPhone 4? Or will either of these other recently announced devices steal your attention from it?

Samsung has been on a roll this past week, with the ultra-slim Galaxy Tab 8.9 and 10.1 tablets finally bringing some serious competition – in specs, design and price – to the iPad 2, and helping the company dominate the news cycle at CTIA 2011. Samsung also brought along the Galaxy S II to the show, and our sibling site Android Community grabbed some hands-on time with the dual-core smartphone.
As we found back in our initial hands-on with the Galaxy S II back at MWC 2011 last month, the 8.49mm smartphone certainly makes a great first-impression, with its huge 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display and pair of 8-megapixel and 2-megapixel cameras. A familiar face walked Android Community through the key features, as you can see in the video below.

There’s also a full demonstration of TouchWiz 4.0, complete with new Live Tile widgets, new gestures and more. The phone itself is expected to drop in Q2 2011, pricing to be confirmed.

Apple's 2011 Macbook Pro laptops retain the sleek, beautifully engineered aluminium bodies and excellent screens of their predecessors, but this new model leaves a lot to be desired.

In fact, little has actually changed – it looks the same as the previous model. The one we looked at is the 13in one with a 2.7GHz Core i7 processor and 4GB of memory, at almost £1,300 the second-cheapest in the range (a 13in model with a slower processor is £999).

This Macbook Pro model makes use of integrated graphics so there is no dedicated graphics card; instead the graphics are produced by the main processor. Though the Core i7 processor has dedicated graphics hardware it's still not as powerful as a separate graphics card. What would make this laptop faster and better is the inclusion of a dedicated card such as the ones on its more expensive siblings.

Performance was impressive, but for £1,300 (£50 more than before) we think it should be even faster.

Apple has a history of adding strange ports and sockets to its computers before they are found elsewhere. The new one here is called Thunderbolt and designed for high-speed data transfer. It's fast but few other products currently support it.

It uses the same socket on the new Macbook Pro as the Displayport connection for attaching a monitor, another Apple addition that's rarely seen elsewhere. Adapters are available to convert the socket for attaching a DVI or VGA screen.

On the same side of the case there are a Firewire socket, two USB 2 ports and an SD memory card slot. It's a shame the computer didn't come with the faster USB 3 sockets, and another strange omission is Blu-ray.

While Blu-ray drives, for storage and watching high-definition films, are becoming more common on Windows laptops, no Apple product has one, which is a shame given the high quality of this computer's screen. There is also a 500GB hard disk and a new high-definition webcam.

Like all Mac computers this one runs the Apple Mac OS operating system, not Microsoft's Windows. This means Windows programs won't work with it, but it comes with the excellent iLife software suite for editing photos, videos and music.

There is a lot to like about the Macbook Pro, such as the large and responsive glass touchpad that supports a range of gestures such as pinching to zoom and a three-finger swipe for navigating through web pages. The backlight of the keyboard changes depending on the light conditions of the room it's in, making typing in the dark much easier.

Our main problem with the Macbook Pro is something that commonly affects Apple products: it's very expensive. For £11 less than the Macbook Pro's price we found a 13in Sony Vaio S laptop with same processor, Windows 7, a larger hard disk, more memory, Blu-ray and a graphics card. A Vaio with a similar specification to the Macbook costs around £1,000. But of course neither include Mac OS or iLife, which accounts for a lot of the difference.

Our recommendation would be that the big screen of the 15in model makes it a better choice for films and games, while the cheaper, less-powerful 13in model is better for less power-hungry users. This model in-between is a bit of a disappointment.

Audio Cleaning Lab from Magix is a good way to clean up old recordings, and this latest version includes new features that will appeal to both beginners and more experienced users.

Unlike programs such as Rescue Your Video and Tapes (click here to read our review) it's software-only, with no kit to connect your tape or record player, so you have to connect these yourself to the computer's sound inputs.

To help first-time users the program starts by launching into its new Intelligent Start window that lists common tasks such as Restore Vinyl and Clean Tape. You are then prompted to start recording the record or tape before moving onto the next two steps, Cleaning and Mastering.

Cleaning focuses on the removal of specific flaws, such as scratches or hissing noises, while Mastering provides an equaliser and other controls that can be used to improve overall sound quality.

There are many different options, but Audio Cleaning Lab remembers the task you chose in the Intelligent Start window and will automatically offer suitable preset options such as ‘tape hiss removal' or ‘remove crackling' for vinyl recordings – the latter worked a treat on an old 12in version of Chain Reaction by Diana Ross.

There is also a more advanced option available called Spectral Cleaning. This displays audio files as a ‘spectrogram' in which different frequencies are shown in different colours. Major flaws will show up in a different colour from the rest of the recording, allowing the user to isolate those flaws and remove them without affecting other frequencies in the recording.

This was a bit tricky, but if you have time on your hands to go through some trial and error on your saved recordings it will work better.

Fortunately, the basic preset options were more straightforward and should cope with the more general crackling and hissing noises that tend to affect old records and tapes, making Audio Cleaning Lab a good investment for anyone that has a big collection of old recordings they want to preserve in digital format.

Read more: http://www.computeractive.co.uk/ca/review/2036771/magix-audio-cleaning-lab-deluxe#ixzz1HkRmRBRS
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Q You recently explained how to disable Microsoft Word's overtype mode.

However, I have a different type of overtyping request: I have to edit documents from others and have a need to strike out certain words with a dashed line.

The idea is that the original word would remain in place but struck out, with my suggested replacement alongside. This would allow the original author to see both words and choose which one he or she wishes to use. Is this possible? I'm using Word 2003.
David Boswell

A What you want to achieve is easy in Word. First, click and drag to select the relevant word or text passage. Now right-click and click Font on the pop-up menu.

In the Font dialogue box, click to place a tick in the Strikethrough box and then click OK. To remove a strikethrough from some text, just reverse this process.

However, if dealing with large numbers of revisions on a regular basis, then this would be an inefficient way to proceed.

Instead, take a look at Word's built-in reviewing tools. To enable them in Word 2003, open the Tools menu and choose Track Changes. Notice that the TRK legend in the status bar at the bottom of the Word window is no longer greyed out: this means Word is now tracking any changes made to the document.

To further explore how this feature works, click View, point to Toolbars and then click to enable the Reviewing toolbar.

Now use the dropdown menu on the left-hand side of the Reviewing toolbar to switch between the original document and the final version, with your changes in place.

Intenet Explorer is in a curious position of being the most used web browser but also one of the most criticised. Internet Explorer 9 is a big step in the right direction with improvements to performance and interface design.

Sadly there is also a disappointment in that it is only available for Windows Vista and 7, there is no official version for Windows XP. XP users might want to look to one of the alternatives – such as Firefox, Chrome or Opera – for a boost in performance.

The most obvious change on starting Internet Explorer 9 is that all of the browser controls are now on single line, leaving a lot more space for web pages.

Putting tabs and the address bar on the same line does mean that it is often hard to see the whole web address. That is rarely a problem but it would be better if Internet Explorer followed the example of Opera. Opera shows the basic website without the rest of the link unless you click in the address bar itself.

The address box also doubles as search, which should help to remove some confusion when you are using the browser.

We also think Internet Explorer could do a much better job of showing when it is connected to a secure site. As the picture below shows other browsers do a better job of making this clear compared to the small padlock in the Internet Explorer address bar.

how-different-browsers-show-secure-connections

Tabs have been much improved and it is now as quick to open tabs as other browser, a source of much frustration in previous versions. The default tab view is now a list of frequently visited websites in the style of Opera or Chrome. There is also a link to InPrivate browsing when Internet Explorer will not keep a record of your browsing.

Overall performance in webpages (how Internet Explorer handles Javascript, the programming language used in pages) has been significantly improved as you can see on our blog post comparing the performance of Internet Explorer with Firefox and Chrome.

Downloads are also handled much better. The old information bar notification of downloads has been replaced by a bigger bar at the bottom of the window. Once you get used to the new position it is much easier to spot. There are more options of what to do with downloads including one to save and open. This prevents the problem of the download being saved to a hard-to-find temporary folder and then getting lost.

There is now a proper download manager as well. This has a search box that will filter downloads by name and publisher.

Uninstalling Windows programs isn't as straightforward as it should be.  Programs seem to have a way of leaving bits of themselves all over the place, clogging up the PC and eventually slowing it down.  In this Back to Basics article we will look at why this happens and explain the most effective methods for removing unwanted programs.  The problem with uninstalling files The way Windows is built does not encourage tidy installations. By the same token, getting rid of old or otherwise unwanted programs requires a certain amount of clearing. The majority of Windows programs, for example, create a folder for themselves inside C:\Program Files\ and then one or more sub-folders inside that.  So far, so good. Unfortunately, at the same time they spray bits of themselves into other folders where Windows keeps the different libraries and other supporting components it needs to make everything work together properly.  As well as this new programs will also usually make changes to the Windows Registry, a kind of database where all kinds of important settings are stored.  The upshot of all this is that while it is possible to right-click a folder where a program was installed and choose Delete, this will leave lots of stuff behind. So how do you get rid of a program you don't need any more?  Install and uninstall tools As well as the setup wizard that takes you through the installation in step-by-step fashion, well-behaved programs come with another program that handles the uninstalling process.  Most of the time this will be available from the All Programs menu. Just click the Start button followed by All Programs, find the entry that corresponds to the program you want to remove, click on it and look for an Uninstall or Remove option. It may be hidden in a sub-menu.  If you find the entry, click it and follow the instructions. First, though, close any other running programs to avoid any conflicts.  Sometimes a program will not include the option to uninstall it directly on the menu. Instead, it will be hidden away in the folder where the program was installed. To check, use Windows Explorer to open the Program Files folder and look in there for the relevant application's installation folder.  Once inside, have a look around for a program file called something like ‘uninstall', ‘uninstaller', ‘uninst' or even ‘remove'. Then double-click it. If in doubt, check the help file that came with the program (by pressing F1, typically) or the website of the company that wrote the program.

Samsung unveiled its next generation high-end Galaxy series smartphone - Galaxy S II GT-I9100 at the Mobile World Congress 2011 last month in Barcelona, Spain. This new Galaxy S II GT-I9100 has a dual-core Samsung Exynos 4210 SoC processor and flaunts a gorgeous 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display. Samsung would be introducing a substitute of Galaxy S II with model number GT-I9103 which will have Nvidia Tegra 2 processor. It is expected to sport Super Clear LCD display, reported Samsung Hub.

Samsung is expected to introduce a Galaxy S II variant with a different processor and screen technology. The Galaxy S II specifications page itself notes that the Exynos processor may not be applicable to some regions. Call it dearth of Exynos CPUs or different strategy, the Galaxy S II variant with model number GT-I9103 is close to reality. The Galaxy S II GT-I9103 will have dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and will sport Super Clear LCD display. At this moment, it's unsure whether this model would have more differences compared to the original Galaxy S II GT-I9100 model. Lately, Samsung has quietly introduced the Galaxy S LCD 4GB (GT-I9003) in India to meet up the popularity and demand of the Galaxy S (GT-I9003). The new Galaxy S LCD is basically a toned down version of Galaxy S with Super Clear LCD, a different processor as well as graphics and a couple of other differences. Hence, there's a price difference between both the models. You may read our review of Galaxy S LCD 4GB GT-I9003 here to know more about it. 

We expect Samsung to make an announcement regarding the Galaxy S II in India by next month. Let's hope that Samsung introduces both Galaxy S II models at the same time or at least with a short time gap between them.

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t’s obviously the morning for Android tablet listings; we’ve seen the Dell Streak 7 WiFi pop up on Amazon, and now Toshiba’s 10.1-inch Android tablet has been spotted staking out its online retail space. The Tegra 2 powered slate – which we grabbed some fleeting hands-on time with back at CES – also gets a long list of specifications, including HDMI, a full-sized USB 2.0 port and twin cameras.Up front there’s a 2-megapixel webcam for video calls, while on the back is a 5-megapixel camera for photos and video. Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth – no sign of 3G in the Amazon listing – as well as a mini USB, full-sized SD card reader and a 3.5mm headphone socket. GPS, an accelerometer and digital compass are all included.

The rubberized back covers are user-interchangeable, as is the battery, and Toshiba is readying a docking station with extra ports. No word on pricing or availability, but previous leaks suggested it might arrive in June.

The latest Apple software update, iOS 4.3, was released only a week or so ago and yet there seem to be a few issues with the new operating system. We have already reported on some graphics issues for the iPod touch 4th generation and now it seems some users are reporting a worsened battery life on various iOS devices.

The iOS 4.3 update introduced new features such as new iTunes Home Sharing, updated AirPlay, faster Safari and the addition of Personal Hotspot. OSM’s Tim Ollason also informed readers how to enable multitasking gestures on iOS 4.3 for the iPad 2. Mark Gurman over on 9to5Mac reports though on how the update also seems to have introduced a subpar battery life, with many of the sites’ readers reporting that battery performance was “drastically” worse and one saying that it “will even randomly drop 15-20%.”It’s not clear yet just what is causing the problem but it could be because the speedier Safari uses more processing power, hence battery juice. A poll on 9to5Mac shows that a huge number, 72.9% at present, say that their battery life has worsened following the 4.3 update. Steve Mayo over on AllNewsMac reports on Apple’s Discussion Forums being filled with comments about the battery issue and points out that a similar problem happened after the iOS 4 update was issued in July 2010, which Apple solved shortly afterwards.

We’d like to hear from you if you have noticed any battery life issues since the iOS 4.3 update and on what devices? Let us know with your comments please.

According to reports, the prospect of seeing Radio 1 DJ Fearne Cotton in a swimsuit has overloaded the BBC Radio 1 website earlier this morning.

During Chris Moyles’ fundraising efforts for Comic Relief, listeners were told that Fearne Cotton would strip to  her swimsuit in the studio if they raised more than £2 Million.

Which they did, and the Radio station announced that Fearne Cotton will strip to her swimsuit for the next 10 minutes.

This prompted a huge influx of visitors, presumably male (for the most part), to the website after 10am, where many were probably greeted with an error  message on their web browser as the live stream crashed.

Yesterday, fellow DJ Greg James went one better by stripping naked live in the Radio studio when donations went over £600,000.

Chris Moyle’s fundraising special broke the Comic Relief record for The Radio DJ Endurance Marathon, which went on for 52 hours, beating the previous record of 50 hours.

The Radio DJ Endurance Marathon – Tweet selection

“Chris and Dave, what a mammoth effort, congratulations & enjoy your sleep! Well done to all involved. It was brilliant watch#R1MoreMoyles”

“Desperately searching for @Fearnecotton in a bikini. Come on Internet don’t let me down! #r1moremoyles”

“Blown away. 2.4 MILLION pounds raised by the @BBCR1 audience. Staggering amount of money. Chris & Dave are proper legends.#R1MoreMoyles”

“huge well done to everyone at @BBCR1 and @CHRISDJMOYLES ‘ team.. What a laugh it was :’) #R1MoreMoyles”

“@Rcl1Rcl1 I certainly will.. Yeah Ive laughed & cried over the last 52 hours of watching it…Didnt want it to end…xx #r1moremoyles

Half of the respondents to a survey carried out in the UK and in the US by a price comparison website said that they believe that the tablet format, with the iPad 2 at its helm, is going to replace both desktops and laptops.

While only 42 per cent of US respondents believed that this would be so, more than half of their UK counterparts supported the idea, showing that there is perhaps a more mature market for innovation on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

The fact that the iPad 2 is now is now significantly more powerful than its predecessor and offers a number of genuinely useful features like a webcam may encourage potential customers to think twice before committing to a laptop or a netbook.

Apple however, is not alone in encouraging users to think differently. Asus & Lenovo have released tablets that double as notebooks hinting at more convergence in the mobile computing market.

Motorola has also launched a series of accessories like a HDMI docking station for its XOOM tablet; addons that, in a near future, may enhance the status of the tablet as a viable laptop or desktop replacement.

The survey also underlined the fact that users want the new iPad 2 to come with a better processor, at least one camera and be lighter and thinner; while they managed to get all this, Apple hasn't bulged on the last item, the price.

Natty network

O2 has switched on a superfast 3G network across London and claims to be the first UK operator to take advantage of rule changes governing the use of the 900MHz spectrum for 3G services.

The company gained permission to reuse the 900MHz spectrum from Communications regulator, Ofcom in January and reckons that the new 3G900 network layer in London will deliver a 50 percent increase in capacity to O2's existing 3G network.

The 900MHz frequency band was previously only licensed for 2G services in the UK, but offers the capability to significantly improve the potential of 3G services, according to the firm, which has deployed 3G900 services in key cities across the UK since being granted its new network license in January.

3G900 services have been rolled out in Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester with other cities to follow ‘in the coming months'.

O2 said that on average, its customers using 3G900 compatible devices (including the iPhone 4 and iPad 2) are now receiving data 30 percent faster than before the new spectrum was allocated for 3G use and network capacity in the areas where 3G900 has been rolled out has also increased by 50 percent.

"This 3G900 switch-on is the latest in a series of network enhancements for O2, and is a first for the UK and Telefónica. We've acted quickly to bring the benefits of 3G over 900MHz spectrum to our customers and we're thrilled with the results. Quite simply, on O2's network, more customers can use more data, and experience it quicker," said Nigel Purdy, CTO for Telefónica O2 UK.

O2 also released a report by SIRODA comparing the data speeds offered by the 5 UK operators, which conducted over a 60 day period across 169 locations, measured mobile data connection speed at peak periods throughout the day.

It claims that between October 2010 and January 2011 that O2 offered the best data experience in 12 out of 13 cities and that O2's network offered web page access 3 times faster than the slowest operator.

O2 has switched on a new 3G network across London that takes advantage of the decision by Ofcom in January to give operators the ability to reuse their 2G licences for 3G services.

O2 said that by using its 900MHz holding that was previously only used for 2G services customers in the capital will benefit from a 50 per cent increase in capacity to its existing 3G network.O2 added that trials of the new network had seen data received up to 30 per cent faster, and it promised customers in other cities such as Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester that they would also benefit from a network upgrade in the coming months.

Ian Fogg, a telecoms and network analyst at research firm Forrester, told V3.co.uk that the move would have significant benefits for smartphones users by providing vastly improved coverage and better connectivity.

"Currently, 3G coverage is sent over 2100MHz spectrum holdings, which is not great for going through buildings, but 900MHz is much better for this so O2 customers should see a vast improvement in in-building coverage," he said.

"Most new devices run 900MHz so smartphone users should see the benefits of faster connections and this will be particularly good news for iPhone 4 customers who have complained about O2's 3G network before."

Fogg added that it was clear that O2 had worked quickly to take advantage of Ofcom's decision, as the work needed to improve its network would have been minimal compared to what will be required for future network technologies.

"O2 has moved quickly as the benefits of reusing 900MHz is that they don't have to build out an entire 4G network on new base stations but can just make a few tweaks to equipment at existing sites," he explained.

"This means most customers won't have to upgrade their handsets either to benefit from the improvement as most new smartphones devices have the ability to access data on 900MHz."

Notable devices that have 900MHz capabilities include the iPhone 4, Google Nexus S, HTC Wildfire, HTC Mozart, and Samsung's Galaxy S, but some popular devices such as the iPhone 3GS do not.

Fogg added that mobile virtual network operators using O2's network should see an improvement too, and that it would be interesting to see if Vodafone announced anything similar in the near future, as it also owns 900MHz spectrum.

The timing of the announcement is significant as it comes a few days after Three's chief executive, Kevin Russell, criticised the government and Ofcom for making the refarming decision, arguing it affected competition and distorted the market.

Interestingly, he had dismissed remarks from Ofcom that the upgrades would take a long time to implement, arguing that O2 and Vodafone engineers would be highly skilled and therefore able to get the new networks running quickly, as has now been proved.

It has now been one week with my iPad 2, it took some effort to acquire, and even though the model I bought is much more than I planned to buy I have no intention of returning it while I still have one week left in the return period. The Apple iPad 2 is a fantastic tablet due to its hardware, user experience, ecosystem, available applications (check out my favorite iPad apps screenshot gallery) and price.Hardware

I pre-ordered the original iPad last year and enjoyed using it for several months. Even though I ended up selling it to my brother a couple of months ago (yes, he knew that a new one was coming) I always thought the hardware was simply fantastic. The metal and glass combination felt amazing in your hand and was one of the best constructed devices I have ever owned. It felt expensive and we see now as others try to enter the tablet space that Apple is actually very price competitive with their tablets.

The Apple iPad 2 is an even better piece of hardware with a redesigned back and sides that give it the feeling it is thinner and much more ergonomic. The original iPad was a bit sharp around the edges and the iPad 2 feels so much more comfortable to hold. I also actually like the white model I purchased and it does a great job of hiding any fingerprints that might be present around the bezel. I also don’t find it detracting much from the viewability of the display and have no regrets about purchasing the white model.

After seeing the Apple iPad 2 announcement I thought the Smart Cover was simply a gimmick to sell more accessories. I was wrong, the Smart Cover is one of the coolest things about the new iPad 2. Like many things from Apple, it “just works” and having it act like a BlackBerry holster with automatic screen on and off is slick. I bought a green one at Best Buy because I wanted one to use while my orange one was enroute from Apple and will have to decide this weekend which one I am sticking with. Like the original Apple iPad case, the Smart Cover is both functional and yet simple. I look forward to seeing other manufacturers offer magnetic case options too.

I sold my original iPad because I found my seven inch display Samsung Galaxy Tab to be a more portable and thus more useful device. However, after using the iPad 2 3G for a week I am likely going to sell my SGT soon because I am finding that the iPad 2 with AT&T 3G is now going everywhere with me and the larger display is much better for me with the apps I have now loaded up. While the display is big, after using the SGT I find the fonts on the iPad 2 to be a bit too pixelated while photos and video still do look fantastic. My hope for the next iPad is definitely an improvement in display resolution.

The inclusion of a camera now has me and my family using Facetime while I travel and it is a fun experience. As I will mention later, Photo Booth is also now a family favorite for a good hearty laugh. I haven’t used my iPad 2 to record video on the go and am not convinced that a 9.7 inch viewfinder is needed on any camera.

I also wasn’t convinced I really needed a 64GB model, but after just a week I see that my iPad 2 59.15 GB capacity currently shows 39.2 GB free. iTunes shows I have 7.2 GB in apps, 1 GB in photos, 10.5 GB in video, 1.01 GB in audio, 0.05 GB in books, and 0.51 GB in other. I haven’t loaded up the iPad 2 with lots of music and have a reasonable number of apps with plans to try out more. I think 32GB would have been adequate for me, but like most mobile devices I am likely to fill up the memory over time.
User experience

While it still seems unnecessary that you have to first connect to iTunes to start using an iPad, after that initial connection I only connect to transfer over screenshots I capture. I get and update applications, use email, Twitter, and Facebook, download podcasts, and much more all without connecting to a computer.

The iPad is easy to understand and use, while also offering some customization. I have custom wallpaper and lock screens, a main display full of folders, and a bottom launch bar filled with my own favorite application shortcuts. Multi-tasking works well on the iPad 2 and with the double RAM I have yet to experience any sort of freeze or lockup of the device.

The battery life is still absolutely fantastic and the device just goes and goes. I wasn’t sure 3G was necessary, but I find I am in 3G areas more than WiFi areas and went through 300 MB of data in a week using my 3G connection. I am surprisingly seeing just over 1 Mbps up and down over the AT&T connection here in Ketchikan, Alaska where I have been roaming on EDGE with my T-Mobile SIM over the last year while traveling.

I have not experienced any random resets, application crashes, device freeze ups, or anything else in the week I have had the iPad 2 and it all has just been working smoothly so far. Apple does a fantastic job with user experiences and IMHO the iPad 2 is their best demonstration of that with an amazing piece of hardware and a touch-focused user interface that offers an engaging personal experience.

The other night, I was using the Netflix app on my iPhone 4 and had a shocking revelation: this is one of the worst designed, "professional" apps I've ever seen. Yes, I can stream video over 3G. I can search for movies and manage my queue. In most areas of functionality, Netflix for iPhone delivers. It is relatively new and I'm sure a work in progress but as of the current version, it is a prime example of what not to do in terms of iOS app design. Here are some reasons why:

1) Reinventing the Wheel

The iOS SDK contains an expansive library of UI elements. I imagine that in some rare cases, it might be required to write your own UI object from scratch, but the vast majority of times that button, dialog, slider, or table can be created simply by using stock objects and customizing their appearance, and/or sub-classing them for augmented functionality.

In our example of the Netflix app, the "Home" tab is populated by a table of Top Picks and titles similar to ones you've recently watched. You can tap on a movie to take you to a detailed description. It's a design paradigm that is used in literally thousands of iOS apps.

The obvious design choice here (and the one recommended by Apple docs) would have been to use the highly-customizable UITableView within a UINavigationController. However, for reasons beyond me, Netflix appears to have created their own table and navigation entirely. The latter is clear from the clunky animation that occurs when opening the detail view; the former by the off-behavior of section headers (they continue to scroll up with the rest of the table, rather than hanging at the top of the screen until the next header comes up). The point is really driven home when you observe the pixelated navigation graphics on a Retina-display (such as the "back" buttons or the detail disclosure indicators on table cells) which would have otherwise been Retina-display ready. The confusing thing is that these UI examples were all modeled to look and act just like the stock ones but instead feel clunky and amateur.

2) Using Low-Res Graphics

With the iPhone 4 and the new iPod Touch rocking beautiful Retina-displays, it's more important than ever to use high-resolution graphics in your apps. In some cases, it might require a total re-creation of a graphic, but if your designer was careful at all, it would simply be a matter of exporting a double-resolution file.

With the Netflix app, the majority of UI graphics and movie thumbnails are very pixelated. In a lot of these cases, this could have been avoided simply by using stock UI-elements (which their customized ones were mimicking anyway). The movie thumbnails are simply a matter of grabbing higher-resolution graphics from their server- I know they exist, they are used on the desktop site. Also, while the logo on the loading screen is crystal clear, the smaller logo on the top navigation bar is blocky- why wouldn't you just use the same graphic for both? The lack of attention to detail is astounding.

3) Over/Under Animating

Over animating can be a resource-hog and can slow down your user's ability to navigate your app. However, some animations are necessary to deliver subtle visual cues to the user.

In the Netflix app, some buttons animate when you press them, some don't. It's odd and confusing, especially considering the default behavior of buttons is to darken when being pressed. The same is true for table cells- sometimes they appear "selected," sometimes they don't. On a small screen, these small visual nods are necessary to confirm the user's selection was accurate.

4) Not Expecting Multi-Tasking

We knew multi-tasking was coming. Now it's been here a while. Your app should know what to do. In most cases, you don't actually have to change anything, but it's still important to test your app's behavior.

Actually in this case, it appears Netflix took steps to accommodate multi-tasking. However, they once again took an odd and annoying design choice. Every time you drop out or return to the app, you see a (full screen) loading splash. Why did they deem this necessary? The OS is already caching the app's state, and the speed at which it loads would lead me to believe it is not actually doing anything other than reminding you what app you're using. It's another small piece of the puzzle that makes the Netflix app a perfectly functioning example of bad design.

In Conclusion

Don't get me wrong- I love Netflix. I use it almost every day. But as a large company at the forefront of technology the poor design of their mobile app is pretty shocking. I might have guessed that the UI inconsistencies could be attributed to possibly having used a third-party development tool in order to release their app across several mobile platforms at once. However with the Windows Phone 7 having been just released this month and the Android app still notably MIA, I'm not exactly sure what happened. All I know is that app designers: you're better than this.

Apogee has introduced GiO, an audio interface and foot controller for the Mac, designed to work with Apple's new Logic Studio and GarageBand '09.

GiO gives guitar players hands-free control over recording and many new features in Logic Studio, including Amp Designer, Pedalboard, MainStage 2, Playback, and Loopback. GiO also works with GarageBand '09, making it easy for GarageBand users to connect their guitar to their Mac and control recording functions and stompbox effects with their feet.

"Our Mac-only focus has allowed us to offer highly refined, innovative products, and give our customers an incredible experience." said Betty Bennett, CEO of Apogee. "With GiO, users of the new Logic Studio and GarageBand '09 have amps, stompboxes, recording control and legendary Apogee sound right at their feet, whether they're in the studio, at home, or on stage."

GiO's instrument input is specially designed for guitar--its 1/4-inch input features the company's instrument preamp and converters. These let you hear and record your guitar's true tone directly to Apple's GarageBand, Logic (both Studio and Express) and MainStage. Previous and Next preset select buttons let users audition and toggle between guitar amps and effects presets in the audio programs.

GiO is optimized for all pickup configurations from the single coil to sophisticated active electronics setups. GiO's five transport control buttons let guitar players record, play, stop, and quickly navigate through a project without taking their hands off the guitar. The same buttons can be assigned to functions selected by the user with MainStage 2, Logic Pro's live performance app. Guitar players can use the five stompbox buttons to individually control their favorite Pedalboard effects in Logic Studio while GiO's color indicators automatically adjust to match the colors displayed onscreen. GiO's Expression control pedal input allows access to traditional effects like wah-wah, and volume.

Connect your headphones, powered monitors, or instrument amplifier to Apogee converters via GiO's 1/4-inch stereo output to listen to your guitar and mix your composition.

GiO is fully powered by a USB connection to the Mac and built into an aluminum case. It requires a Power Mac G5 or Intel Mac running OS X 10.5.7 or later.

GiO will be available in September for $395.

It looks like Kinect's officially a record-setter, grabbing Guinness' attention long enough to snag the title 'fastest selling consumer electronics device'. According to Microsoft, their controller-free Xbox 360 motion-sensing camera has sold a whopping 10 million units since it launched in early November last year.

Read that again: 10 million units. We're talking iPhone- and iPad-beating launch (and comparable sustained) sales here.

To be clear, that's units sold, not sold-through. The distinction's ever-important, since it refers to Kinect sensors shipped to stores by Microsoft, but not necessarily plucked off store shelves by customers. The numbers are probably close, though, and I'm told Kinect sales through the holidays were pretty close to the company's undisclosed sell-through figures.

Guinness's independent hand adds serious oomph to the press statement. The records-keeper notes Kinect sold through an average of 133,333 units per day (since November 4) and rallied an astonishing 8 million units during its initial two months on sale, through the holidays.

Let's get Guinness on the record. Gaz Deaves, Editor of the Guinness World Records 2011 Gamer's Edition, writes "The sales figures here speak for themselves" and confirms that "no other consumer electronics device sold faster within a 60-day time span," calling it "an incredible achievement considering the strength of the sector." By "strength" he means the downturn in overall 2010 video game revenue.

Microsoft adds that it sold more than 10 million standalone Kinect games worldwide to date. If that sounds like an odd match for units sold to you, it does me as well. It implies Microsoft's selling games and sensors at a 1:1 rate. Maybe I'm missing something, but you'd think that many Kinects sold might yield at least a 2:1 or 3:1 games-to-sensors ratio.

In any case, hats off to Microsoft for an unmitigated success. I still have mixed feelings about Kinect, but I know the company's working on tightening things up, and bringing more of the sort of games I'm into to the motion-control party soon.

Apple on Wednesday released iOS 4.3 for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Available first as a developer beta almost two months ago, the update is now available to all users for free via iTunes. It brings a handful of new features to Apple's mobile devices including AirPlay for all third-party apps and personal hotspot support.

Headlining the iOS 4.3 update is support for AirPlay across all apps. This feature first appeared in iOS 4.2, allowing Apple's iOS apps to stream audio, video, and photo slideshows to a second-generation Apple TV. Apple opened up the feature in iOS 4.3, which means developers of media apps like Pandora are free to update their wares, if they choose, and offer AirPlay features to users.

iOS 4.3 also brings support for creating a personal hotspot, another increasingly popular feature among other smartphones and one that appeared first in the Verizon iPhone 4. This feature allows your iPhone 4 to act as a portable Wi-Fi router for up to five devices, powered by the device's wireless data connection (you can connect up to three devices via Wi-Fi, three via Bluetooth, and one with a USB cable). You'll need a qualifying data plan from your carrier and any necessary hotspot or tethering options to enable this feature.

In the U.S., for example, AT&T requires that users have its $25 2GB DataPro plan and $20 hotspot option, which adds a 2GB bucket of data for hotspot-connected devices. If users exceed that initial 2GB with hotspot tethering, they can dip into their iPhone's existing 2GB data bucket before having to pay overage charges. Unfortunately, AT&T users who kept their unlimited data plan when upgrading to an iPhone 4 would have to switch to the DataPro plan in order to use tethering. Verizon also allows customers to add the hotspot option for $20 on top of their $30 unlimited data plans, though the carrier only allows a 2GB data allowance for hotspot-tethered devices before overage charges of $20 per gigabyte kick in.

iTunes Home Sharing, a surprise iOS 4.3 addition that Steve Jobs announced at Apple's iPad 2 event last week, allows iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users to stream any of their iTunes media from a Mac or PC on the same Wi-Fi network. It's not an over-the-air media sync solution, however, like the Home Sharing feature Apple added to iTunes 9 to make it easier to keep iTunes libraries on multiple computers in sync. If your iOS 4.3 device leaves your home Wi-Fi network, you won't be able to stream iTunes media from your Mac or PC.

Apple claims to have made Safari's JavaScript performance up to twice as fast in iOS 4.3. Sites with interactive features, or rich Web apps like Gmail, should feel noticeably snappier. We used the Sunspider JavaScript performance test to compare a first-generation iPad and an iPhone 4 running iOS 4.2.1 and iOS 4.3, and the results were dramatic.

The company also seems to have relented to user unrest after changing the behavior of the iPad's side switch. Since the iPad shipped almost a year ago, its side switch acted as a display rotation lock. When Apple released iOS 4.2 last November, it changed the switch from a rotation lock to a mute switch, without even offering an option to change it back. Under iOS 4.3, the switch will still default to muting audio, but Apple added a new preference to the Settings app to let users enable the rotation lock behavior instead.

A couple of minor features snuck into iOS 4.3. You can enable Push Notifications for Ping activity, and the iPod app's Now Playing screen offers the options to post about songs and like them on your Ping profile. Also new is a preference to specify how many times an SMS alert is repeated, as well as a conference dialing option to add a pause for entering a passcode.

Missing from iOS 4.3, however, are the new multitouch gestures that Apple asked developers to test on the iPad during the beta period. Gestures like four- and five-finger swipes could switch between apps and reveal the multitasking bar, and a pinch could exit an app and return you to the Home Screen. With the second iOS 4.3 beta, however, Apple clarified that these features were only for testing and would not ship to consumers in the final version. Obviously, they could return in a future iOS update or upgrade, but Apple hasn't stated any plans.

iOS 4.3 is available now as a free update in iTunes for the iPad, iPhone 3GS, the GSM iPhone 4, and third- and fourth-generation iPod touch. As for the Verizon iPhone 4, it runs a custom version of iOS 4.2.6 that includes some features like hotspot support. Comments from an Apple representative to Ars Technica at the iPad 2 event suggest that it might take a little while for Verizon's iPhone 4 to converge with the same iOS version as Apple's other mobile devices.

The next major iOS update is slated to be released this Friday, March 11, alongside the ultra-hyped iPad 2. One of the key features is a little something called iTunes Home Sharing, which allows users to stream music, podcasts, movies and more from PC to iOS device. This was probably the 4.3 feature I was most excited about as I don’t own an AppleTV or an iPad (yet). However, upon installing the GM, released last Thursday, I was looking to enable iTunes Home Sharing and it wasn’t immediately obvious how to do so. If that’s the case for an iOS developer, I’m sure there will be plenty of other users scratching their heads when they install the iOS update on Friday hoping to share their media libraries from the get-go. This is how to enable iTunes Home Sharing in iOS 4.3.

Just in case you missed the title of this article, iOS 4.3 is required to enable iTunes Home Sharing!

Although obvious now, this was a step that initially escaped me. I have Software Update set to Manual (since I tend to know when major updates are released and prefer not being bothered by alerts). Anyway, run Software Update and install iTunes 10.2, it is most definitely required to enable iTunes Home Sharing.

My first instinct to enable Home Sharing was to go to iTunes preferences, but my assumption proved to be wrong. Instead, Apple has placed Home Sharing in the “Advanced” menu as its own menu item. There is also now an item under the “Sharing” heading in the left-side bar called “Home Sharing” which brings you to the same view. Here, you must either sign-in or create an Apple ID (who doesn’t have one of these yet?) and click “Create Home Share.”

After my incorrect instinct in iTunes, I went looking for a way to access my Home Share from my iPhone directly from the iPod app. Turns out, you actually have to turn it on from the “Settings” app. D’oh! Under “iPod” Settings, there is now a “Home Sharing” heading, in which you will need to sign into your Apple ID once again. Also, be sure you are connected to the same WiFi network as your PC, while you’re here.

Go back to the iPod app on your iOS device and click on the “More” tab. There you will see a new heading titled “Shared” which lets you choose between your iOS library or any Shared Libraries you have enabled on your WiFi network. Bazinga!

Like its OS X cousin, GarageBand for iPad allows users to play and record multiple instruments either by connecting them to the iPad, or through the use of a number of touch instruments, including keyboards and drums. The app includes numerous sampled instruments, a drum machine and more than 250 music loops. GarageBand also support multi-track recording and allows users to mix up to eight different tracks.

Apple has also included support for pressure sensitivity into the app. GarageBand uses the iPad's accelerometers to determine the amount of force with which each finger taps, much like a piano's mechanical keyboard does in real life, producing softer or louder sounds in response. The guitar simulator also supports a palm-muting technique of sorts to produce a dampened sound by holding a finger steady over the instrument's strings.

Even users unfamiliar with the art of making music have something to look forward to. GarageBand supports smart instruments, which make it possible to play chords at the touch of a button. And that's not all: once your masterpiece is complete, you can share it with friends via e-mail, or send it to your iTunes library for your personal enjoyment.

GarageBand for iPad will be available on March 11 through the App Store for cost $5. At press time, the company had not yet announced whether the app, which will launch alongside the new iPad 2, will be compatible with the first version of the iPad.

In more security humiliation for Jobs' Mob, hackers managed to take down Apple's flagship iPhone 4 in the Pwn2Own competition in just a few seconds.

Insecurity expert Charlie Miller teamed with Dion Blazakis to take down the iPhone.

According to ComputerWorld this is the fourth time that Miller has walked away with a prize for hacking Apple's phone. He said what made it different this time was he knocked up a hack the night before instead of working one out in the months leading up to the competition.

It did not matter that much - all they had to do was connect their computer to the iPhone and it fell over.

The BlackBerry took a multi-national team composed of Vincenzo Lozzo, Ralf-Philipp Weinmann and a third researcher from the Netherlands. Apparently it fell in seconds.

However in this competition no one could be bothered trying to hack either the Android phone or the Microsoft one. It is not clear why. It would be nice to think it was because they were more secure than the Apple or the Blackberry, but this is not that likely.

Apple uses a radical faith based security system which means you have to believe that your phone will never be hacked and convince other people that it is totally secure.  It is a system which was derived from the Mac and has proved very successful.

We suggest that it is rolled out to banks, instead of vaults and security guards.  Instead of having to pay for expensive security guards you pay PR people to say that your bank has never been robbed.

Your customers also tell people your bank has never been robbed while they have been using it. This is apparently guaranteed to keep robbers at bay.

Read more: http://www.techeye.net/mobile/apple-iphone-4-security-falls-in-seconds-at-pwn2own#ixzz1GLc4bb9N

IT WAS just after midday in San Diego, California, when the disruption started. In the tower at the airport, air-traffic controllers peered at their monitors only to find that their system for tracking incoming planes was malfunctioning. At the Naval Medical Center, emergency pagers used for summoning doctors stopped working. Chaos threatened in the busy harbour, too, after the traffic-management system used for guiding boats failed. On the streets, people reaching for their cellphones found they had no signal and bank customers trying to withdraw cash from local ATMs were refused. Problems persisted for another 2 hours.

It took three days to find an explanation for this mysterious event in January 2007. Two navy ships in the San Diego harbour had been conducting a training exercise. To test procedures when communications were lost, technicians jammed radio signals. Unwittingly, they also blocked radio signals from GPS satellites across a swathe of the city.

Why would a GPS outage cause such disruption? These satellite signals now do a lot more than inform your car's satnav. GPS has become an "invisible utility" that we rely on without realising. Cellphone companies use GPS time signals to coordinate how your phone talks to their towers. Energy suppliers turn to GPS for synchronising electricity grids when connecting them together. And banks and stock exchanges use the satellites for time-stamps that prevent fraud. Meanwhile, our societies' reliance on GPS navigation is growing by the year.

Some are worried that we are now leaning too heavily on a technology that can all too easily fail – and it doesn't need a freak navy training exercise to cause havoc. Their biggest concern is a GPS jammer – a plastic device that can sit on car dashboards. These can be bought on the internet, and tend to be used by say, truckers who don't want their bosses to know where they are. Their increasing use has already caused problems at airports and blocked cellphone coverage in several cities. One jammer can take out GPS from several kilometres away, if unobstructed. No surprise, then, that researchers across the world are scrambling to find ways to prevent disastrous GPS outages happening.
Weak signal

GPS works thanks to radio signals from satellites. The dominant provider is still the US military's NavStar network, with at least 24 satellites operating at any given time, positioned so that you can always see four of them from anywhere on the planet's surface.

Each satellite continually broadcasts its location and the time as measured by its on-board atomic clock. A GPS receiver compares the time with its own clock, and then calculates how far it must be from each satellite. Once it locks on to at least four satellites and has accounted for errors, it will discover its precise location (see graphic). Nowadays, many receivers also use GPS for cheap and convenient access to the accurate time given by the satellites' clocks.

"The problem is that the GPS signal is very weak. It's like a car headlight 20,000 kilometres away," says consultant David Last, former president of the UK's Royal Institute of Navigation. You can't boost the signal any further because of the limited power supply on a satellite.

Last has first-hand experience of how easy it is to block a GPS signal, and the effects it can have on modern technology. In 2010, he conducted an experiment in the North Sea, aboard the THV Galatea, a 500-tonne ship. The Galatea is the pride of its fleet, with all the latest navigation equipment. Last wanted to find out how it would cope without GPS. So he used a simple jamming device that overwhelmed the GPS signal by broadcasting noise on the same frequency as the satellites.

When Last activated the jammer, the ship went haywire. According to the electronic display on the ship's bridge, the Galatea was suddenly flying at Mach speeds over northern Europe and Ireland. Then alarms sounded. The ship's navigation backup – its gyrocompass – crashed, because it uses GPS to provide corrections. The radar did the same. Even the ship's satellite communications failed, because GPS points the antenna in the right direction. "The crew were well trained and briefed, so they knew what was going on," says Last. "But, like us, they were surprised."
Truck cheats

Last deliberately simulated a simple, commercially available jammer. Though illegal to use in the US, UK and many other countries, these low-tech devices can be bought on the internet for as little as $30. Sellers claim they're for protecting privacy. Since they can block devices that record a vehicle's movements, they're popular with truck drivers who don't want an electronic spy in their cabs. They can also block GPS-based road tolls that are levied via an on-board receiver. Some criminals use them to beat trackers inside stolen cargo. "We originally expected that jammers might be assembled by spotty youths in their bedrooms," says Last. "But now they're made in factories in China."