by Dean on February 13, 2009
Where have all the CRT televisions gone? In the global rush to junk these 20th Century TVs in favour of slim, HD-ready LCD and plasma displays, you’d think that the classic, bulky CRT is all but obsolete.
But you’d be wrong. The low cost of CRTs still makes them wildly popular in China, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. While the big TV manufacturers have stopped making their own CRT-based sets, some are still selling them. Sony, for example, still lists a wide range of CRT TVs on its Middle East & Africa website.
And, as we’ll see, their components are also being given new lives, thanks to stringent recycling arrangements here and in the rest of the EU.
Read the full What’s happening to all the CRT TVs? article on TechRadar.
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by Dean on January 1, 2009
More technology musings on the state of the ‘digital home’, aka ’smart home’ (or ’smart house’), aka ‘connected home’. The following blog posts appeared on TechRadar in December 2008.
Parallel computing and you
It’s early days for multi-core processing. But the idea of hijacking the processing muscle of a graphics card GPU for data-crunching has definite benefits for digital home applications.
DLNA adds new digital home functions
The ‘idiot-proofing’ of the digital home continues…
New standard brightens digital home vision
While the DLNA continues to push its device interconnectivity standards, another new networking standard has appeared on the scene. Ladies and geeks, meet the wired specification known as ‘G.hn’.
The home of the future today? (Not quite)
Want a glimpse at what the digital home dream could be? Then watch the newest video from the geniuses at the MIT Mobile Experience Lab.
What has the DLNA ever done for us?
With the news that the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) is showcasing another ‘connected home’ at CES, we’re starting to wonder when we’re going to say “this is the year of the digital home”. Again.
The best PlayStation 3 deals for Christmas
Not only is it a next-gen games console, it’s one of the best Blu-ray players that money can buy.
The best Xbox 360 deals for Christmas
While the recent NXE software update has given the three year-old Xbox 360 a fresh lick of paint, it’s Microsoft’s aggressive price slashing that has been crucial in boosting the console’s appeal.
by Dean on December 29, 2008
Sit down for a moment and think about the best gadgetry of 2008.
Not just the best-selling kit, but those rare products that raised the technology bar and said to their rivals (somewhat smugly): “go on then, jump over that!”
There’s been a lot of great technology this year, but we think that the biggest impact has been caused by this little lot.
1. iPhone 3G
Many have tried to imitate the Apple iPhone – the Samsung Omnia, Pixon and Tocco, the LG Viewty and Renoir, the Blackberry Storm and the Sony Xperia X1.
Others, like the Chinese Meizu M8, have simply tried to rip it off.
Ignoring the iPhone’s crude 2MP camera, Apple’s elegant touchscreen handset still remains the smartest mobile phone around. 2008 saw Apple bring its iPod-phone bang up to date with 3G connectivity and GPS.
It also opened the iTunes App Store for business, transforming the iPhone into a handheld games machine and, ultimately, a versatile mobile computer. Is there anything it can’t do? Yes, cut-and-paste (god dammit!)
2. T-Mobile G1
Imagine if the Apple iPhone didn’t exist… We’d be raving (much more so) about the potential of the HTC-built T-Mobile G1.
True, its Android operating system might be a little rough around the edges. The G1 has been plagued with usability problems, hardware crashes and patchy application support.
These teething troubles aside, the G1 is a milestone in mobile phone development. As the value of smartphones shifts from hardware to software, the flexibility and the open source nature of the Android OS should work to its advantage.
Read the rest of The 10 hottest tech products of 2008 (which also includes Intel’s Core i7 processor, Freesat and Google Chrome)
by Dean on December 24, 2008
When you sit there with a glass of mulled wine this Christmas, think about what a great technology year 2008 has been.
We’ve had some hot gadgets, smarter phones, flatter TVs and faster (and thinner) computers. But consider the technological advances that have underpinned your favourite products.
We’ve had Intel’s Atom processor powering a new generation of netbooks.We’ve seen a new breed of solid state drives teaming up to push the old hard disk towards extinction.
And where would we be without the following…
1. Open source software
2008 has done wonders for the image of open source software. In fact, you could argue that Linux had a breakthrough year.
Although we’re now on Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex), version 8.04 (Hardy Heron) has done much to spit-and-polish Linux for a mainstream audience.
Netbooks like the Asus Eee have the option of the Xandros distro, while the Acer Aspire One runs Linpus Linux Lite.
Open source software has also made great strides into the mobile arena with Android, while Nokia bought out the Symbian OS this year and promptly announced it would make it free to developers. Nice.
2. LED backlighting
While OLED technology got a significant boost from the Sony XEL-1 TV this year, let’s not overlook the contribution of LED backlighting.
It’s hardly the most glamorous of technologies – a name like ‘diamond backlighting’ or ‘ultra backlighting’ would have given it more pizazz. But anyone who’s seen a MacBook Air will attest to the clarity and brightness of an backlit-LED display.
Similarly, Philips, Samsung and Sharp have been rolling out LED backlighting inside their newest HDTVs – the Philips 42PFL9803 , Samsung LE46A956 and Sharp LC-52XS1E to name three.
If large-sized OLED panels finally become affordable in 2009, expect LED technology to get cheaper.
Read the rest of TechRadar’s 10 favourite technologies of 2008 (it includes the Large Hadron Collider, the Tesla Roadster and Internet video…)
by Dean on December 5, 2008
Depending on your point of reference, any game controller can look ‘weird’.
Back in 1975, when Pong was played with simple rotating knobs, Microsoft’s curvy Xbox 360 joypad would have looked ’space-age’, Nintendo’s Wii Remote akin to ‘magic’.
But while a buttons-and-joystick combo is ideal for most games, there are those that just aren’t satisfied with tradition.
Inventive or ridiculous?
The question is: where do do you draw the line between ‘visionary’ design and ‘that’ll-never-work lunacy’?
This article for TechRadar showcases 10 of gaming’s weirdest controllers, including the ‘Massage Me’ gamepad jacket, the OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator and the impressive ShipDriver above.
Read the rest of “The 10 zaniest game controllers”.
by Dean on December 4, 2008
Another batch of speculative techno-blogging for the Digital Home corner of the TechRadar website. The following blog posts appeared in November 2008.
The best Nintendo Wii deals for Christmas
The Nintendo Wii is firmly on track to be the best-selling games console for a third year in a row. In fact, the popularity of the Wii means that Nintendo is under no pressure to discount it.
Who says backup software can’t be sexy?
Carbonite is a fire-and-forget service that runs in the background. It regularly encrypts and syncs the files in your PC’s Documents and Settings folder with your backup in a distant virtual vault.
First impressions of the New Xbox Experience
Beyond the Mii-a-alike Avatars and the slick, Apple-esque menu system, is the New Xbox Experience (NXE) the entertainment Trojan Horse that Microsoft hopes it will be?
Wii Fit: the hottest gadget this Christmas?
Nintendo’s Wii Fit Balance Board is the most searched for gadget online according to recent data from the web gurus at Hitwise. Nintendo’s Wii console is close behind it, while the Apple iPhone slots into third place in the list.
Staying fit with the latest technology
The idea of virtual healthcare extends beyond regular sessions of Wii Fit. Intel, for example, has recently announced the first product in its Personal Telehealth programme.
Why converged devices just can’t cut it
We’re all for converged devices. But the arrival of Silicon Mountain’s Allio shouldn’t inspire a mad rush to buy into an all-in-one home entertainment system.
The lazy boy’s digital duvet day
There’s often nothing more appealing than spending the day wrapped up in digital entertainment (and a duvet). It’s why you own that big TV and three games consoles. Wait there… entertainment suggestions coming right up.
by Dean on December 4, 2008
This is an older article for TechRadar (much like “Get more from your 3G iPhone”), but it’s still useful if someone buys you an iPhone 3G for Christmas.
1. Call somebody, tell them you’ve got a new iPhone
Hit the green phone icon to launch the iPhone’s phone mode and tap the Keypad icon to dial a number. Say (perhaps somewhat smugly): “Hey, guess what, I’m calling you on my new iPhone…”
2. Get to grips with the virtual keyboard
3. ‘Blue dot’ yourself on Google Maps
4. Take a 2 Megapixel photo
5. Connect to Wi-Fi
6. Set up your email
7. Buy a song on iTunes
8. Download a game from the App Store
9. Go portrait. Go landscape.
10. Change your iPhone’s wallpaper
11. Change your ringtone
12. Add the best web apps
13. Wiggle your icons
14. Multi-task (and impress your friends)
15. Convert some video
Read the rest of “15 things you should do with your new iPhone 3G”.
by Dean on December 3, 2008
If you’re the lucky owner of a new iPhone 3G, there’s a good chance that you won’t have read the manual that came with it. I know I didn’t.
The temptation to jump right in, to touch this and pinch that, is way too strong. But there are some tips and tricks that make using the iPhone much easier. Including:
How to master the ‘double-tap’
How to save power
How to reset your iPhone
How to rearrange your applications
How to set up your favourite contacts
How to Use other applications while on a call
How to divert a call to voicemail
How to change the iPhone’s playback options
How to skip tracks while listening via headphones
Read the rest of “Get more from your 3G iPhone”
by Dean on December 2, 2008
“As technology fans, we have to put up with crushing bouts of disappointment on a regular basis.
If the iPhone 3G launch proved anything, it’s that speculation about what the next iPhone might be like eclipsed what we actually got – a minor hardware refresh.”
We dare to dream of a brighter, all-digital tomorrow; of intuitive gadgetry and seamless interconnected systems. But modern-day technology often doesn’t live up to this rose-tinted futurama.
In fact, technology can be downright bloody irritating – overcomplicated, often underpowered or poorly built. All of which set us thinking… what are those 21st century technologies that get us all riled up to the point of near-violence?”
Read the rest of “Top 10 Tech Irritations”
