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Apple's new iPods go under the microscope
We got our hands on the new iPod Classic and iPod Nano this week, and no matter what you think of Apple it's difficult to deny they are startlingly good looking.
However, they're not without their problems. Getting video onto them, for example, is a real pain. iTunes will refuse to convert files, leaving Apple to recommend it's Quicktime Pro application, which costs £20.
The much hyped Cover Flow feature, which lets you browse through the album art of your music as if you were flipping through a vinyl collection, is hampered by iTunes insistence that you sign-in to the online store in order to use the 'Get Album Art' tool. And to get an iTunes account you need to hand over your credit card details - regardless of whether you intend to purchase any music.
Meanwhile, Apple still ships them with the iconic, yet incredibly uncomfortable plastic ear buds. We think Apple should take a leaf out of Sony's book and start shipping decent, in-ear noise-reducing 'phones.
Of course, we're just highlighting the bad points here. You can read the full iPod Nano review for all the details - reviews of the iPod Classic and iPod Touch will follow soon.
Commodore just misses out on Microsoft fix
We've just reviewed the first Commodore system we've seen for several years, the high end XX. You can also see a video review here and admire its high quality paint job.
It's the fastest system we've seen so far but SLI performance still disappointed in many areas. We thought the problem lay with Nvidia's Vista drivers, however it turns out Microsoft is also part, if not all, of the problem.
The software giant has just released a patch to solve some of the problems associated with dual-GPU systems, claiming poor performance is because Vista "does not forward driver-render requests to the secondary GPU." We're currently testing with the new patch and hope to post results soon.
Until then you get the patch from Microsoft, here. Microsoft makes you jump through several hoops to get it; it will only email the patch rather than make it a freely available download.
Intel Santa Rosa notebook review now live
Intel today launched its new Santa Rosa notebook platform and we've just posted our first review.
Zepto's Znote 6625WD is powered by a new Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 processor and has an 800MHz FSB. It also features Nvidia's latest Geforce 8600M GT mobile graphics with 512MB Ram.
In an effort to confuse matters, Intel is keeping the existing Centrino Duo branding for Santa Rosa notebooks, however business-oriented models will be labelled Centrino Pro.
We'll be posting a Toshiba Santa Rosa notebook soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
Read the Zepto Znote 6625WD review
Video review: 3M privacy filter
When 3M's privacy filter first arrived we made many, many jokes about it being designed to stop the colleague on the desk next to you seeing you peruse the less sanitised sections of Torrentspy.
It is an important product for those that deal in sensitive material though, providing you don't stick a piece of paper to the side of your laptop with your password written on it, as a PCW editor once saw on the train.
We had a 15.4in sheet in to test that fitted our 15.4in laptop perfectly. Other sizes are available for bigger or smaller monitors however the price is steep; £30 doesn't seem fair for a piece of plastic.
Horizontal viewing angles were effectively quelled but vertical ones weren't. The whole screen is dimmed and we became so frustrated with it after 15min usage that we didn't want to test it anymore.
Adobe launches CS3... but it's not on the shelves just yet
Adobe today announced the latest version in its Creative Suite series - CS3 - but in the same breath has said it won't be available until next month.
Photoshop, the industry standard image editing application, has been given a complete makeover, while web design tools such as Dreamweaver and Flash have also been given the full CS3 treatment.
3 X-Series Gold - a good service not to be recommended
When 3 launched its X-Series service, which gives you a range of internet and TV options on a mobile phone, we thought it looked pretty interesting - especially its tie-up with Sling Media's Slingbox
Having spent several weeks testing the Gold package, I found myself in that funny position of liking a service that I wouldn't recommend - yet. That sounds odd, because overall I was actually really impressed. But its cost holds me back. At £45 a month, I just don't think I need to access my home TV from anywhere (via the Slingbox) or watch TV streamed over the internet when I'm out and about.
You get access to the internet using the service, but it's been tailored for Skype (not SkypeOut though), Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo, eBay and via the Orb, you can access your home or work PC. The TV streams have been its big draw, and the quality when using the Slingbox was far superior to what you get when tuned into the internet TV streams.
But if you live outside of a main urban area, you'll likely find the regular lost 3G signal very frustrating if watching the TV. It really highlights just how many areas currently don't get a signal.
But I do think this is the future of mobile services. While we test and some sign up to these infant 3G add ons, given time we'll see better quality services. And you can't just dismiss the service with comments like 'I'd never watch TV on my mobile'. And to those who think they can, I'd ask how many of you uttered the words 'I'd never own a mobile phone....' in the past. Many of you, I'd suggest.
So while I made the rather contradictory statement of I wouldn't recommend the service yet, that's because for me the price puts me off. With more compelling offerings, I might be tempted - throw in a decent broadband connection for that £45 for instance and I'd start seeing why I need to watch TV on my phone and access my PC on the move.
Read a full review of 3's X-Series Gold package
Samsung travel guide for cameras
There is an interesting battle emerging in the convergence arena. Yes, it's that buzz word most of us have come to hate since 'convergence' usually means jack of all trades, master of none.
Mobile phones trying to become mp3 players/low resolution cameras have been around for a while now. The iPhone will add basic phone and camera functions to its pedigree in music playback to woo us and the final contender is the digital camera trying to do some of the same – act as decent music and video player (ok, so no phone functions… yet).
Samsung announced today it hopes to have 20 per cent of the UK camera market by 2009.
To do that it's gone wild trying to release as many new products as possible. In addition to the seven cameras it announced at the beginning of January it has since added the S1030, a cheaper 10megapixel camera than the S1050, the L74 Wide, which has a 28mm wide-angle lens for wide pics and the 10megapixel NV11.
Perhaps the most intriguing digital camera is the L77, which is one of the first true convergence products from the digital camera space. Depending on how you flip the screen it will act as a movie player, mp3 player or digital camera.
The movie mode is very average and has a mangled aspect ratio. The mp3 player is fine, except you have to use a 2.5mm headphone jack which, as any PDA owner will know, is about as useful as public transport on a snowy day in London.
It also features Samsung's new Tour Guide software that is a kind of mini-travel encyclopaedia for its digital cameras. The software currently indexes 2,600 cities across the world with travel, sight-seeing and historical information as well as a few pictures of major landmarks.
I think this is a good idea for travellers who run about snapping up their vacations but the software crashed when we tried it and a Samsung official subsequently whisked the device away.
Considering you can download pretty much all of Wikipedia minus images in a 1.4GB file, ideal for PDAs, it seems bizarre that Samsung is trying to start from scratch.
Here's a quick clip of the software (working):
PCW's PS3 first impressions
As if dealing with the biggest software launch in five years wasn't enough, a Playstation 3 landed on our desks yesterday.
So, even though some of us had been up since 4:30am and had a mountain of Vista stories to work through, we found the biggest TV in the office and had a little play on Sony's new baby.
Sony's PS3 UK-birth isn't due until March 23rd, but this is basically the retail unit you'll see in shops. It crashed once when playing Resistance: The Fall of Man (which looks rubbish anyway - think poor man's Gears of War) but the interface is very nice.
The game demos looked poor when compared with XBox360 games, but that should (should) change over time.
Video review: Microsoft Windows Vista operating system
Microsoft's much hyped, and long anticipated, Windows Vista operating system is now available, and here we review some of the main new features.
Vista comes with a completely new look and is far more stable and secure than XP at launch. However, we'd advise people think carefully before upgrading. Using Microsoft's Window's Upgrade Advisor tool will tell you whether your hardware is up to scratch, and indicate potential problems with software programmes and peripherals you use.
It's then a case of deciding which version, and we think the Home Premium will suit most people. Basic is a little too, well, basic and at £250 for the upgrade and £325 for the full boxed version, Ultimate is likely to be out of the price range many are prepared to pay.
As for whether you should upgrade an XP machine, it depends on the type of user you are. Novices, anyone with a single PC they rely on and hardcore gamers are probably better of holding back for a couple of months, while some driver support issues are finalised. But if you're an expert, or have more than one PC, then Vista is a worthwhile upgrade.
You can also read a more in-depth review of Windows Vista on PCW.
Video review: Fujifilm Finepix F31fd
The Fujifilm Finepix F31fd may look like a standard digital camera, but it comes with face detection that the maker claims will always keep the main person in any photo in focus and correctly exposed.
In our tests we were not just impressed by the feature, which you can see in action in the video review, but also the camera itself. There were a few niggles, such as it selecting noisier high ISO speeds in Auto mode even when the lighting was good, but even so we liked this £199 camera.
As well as the video, you can read more on the Fujifilm Finepix F31fd online.
