Mobile Computing News

Photo: Spotify

Nothing beats watching two of your favourite things getting together and making a love child, and news that our favourite music streaming service, Spotify, is teaming up with our favourite home audio system, Sonos Zoneplayer, has us all giddy.

Call it SoYes already!

Sonos, with a reputation built on quality wireless streaming audio playback in the home, partnering with Spotify, which is considered to be the marquee audio streaming service, this partnership just makes sense.

There are a few requirements, of course. For one, you’ll need to own one of the Sonos Zoneplayer systems. You will also need a premium Spotify account – free won’t cut it, friends. Finally, you also need an iOS device – either the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad – to use the free Sonos application you can download from Apple’s app store so as to access Sonos. If you’ve ticked all those boxes, then do it!

How do the teams feel about it?

The good folks at TechRadar reached out for a comment on the deal, and got some gems. Mike Edwards, who is the UK regional director over at Sonos said ‘Spotify compatibility was the most requested feature we have ever had’. I can believe that.

While Sonos has long had access to various forms of streaming services and Internet radio, this represents the first time Spotify has ventured outside of the confines of computers and smartphones. Daniel Ek, who founded Spotify and is the current CEO, had this to say: ‘It’s great that people will be able to listen to Spotify whenever they want, wherever they want in their home,’ and that his company is ‘excited to partner with Sonos to deliver the unique Spotify experience in the home.’

Sonos Zoneplayer plus Spotify equals So Yes!

Photo: IFA

IFA is Europe’s biggest consumer electronics show and that means manufacturers from all over the globe look to show off their wears. Tablet PCs, connected TVs, 3D TVs and e-readers are expected to have a strong presence at the conference. With the first press conference kicking off today, we give you a rundown on what to expect.

Tablets galore:

The story of IFA 2010 – much like the story of CES 2010 – is the tablet PCs invasion. They will be absolutely everywhere, with a number of Android tablets expected to finally make their public appearances.

3D TVs galore

In addition to tablet PCs gunning for your attention, its clear 3D TV manufacturers are still all-in with their Avatar boxes. Though most of the world has simmered on their expectations of 3D, going from bullish to curious, the investment laid down in the tech is so great that for firms to pull back now would be more costly than just pushing through the slow start.

Who to watch

A number of big-deal tech firms have a big presence at IFA 2010, with Sony, LG, Samsung and Google making their presence felt. LG recently claimed that their tablet would be noticeably better than the iPad (hmmm) so hopefully they can back up their talk. The Samsung Galaxy Tab makes its appearance at IFA 2010, too, so we’re keen to see what the South Korean giant has cooked up this time. Sony will also reveal its next wave of e-readers at IFA, so that should be interesting, too.

All in all, IFA 2010 should be fascinating, and we’ll have full reports of the days’ happenings every morning. Google’s Eric Schmidt is doing the closing keynote, too, so, that should make for interesting viewing, as well.

Predictions, folks?

Photo: Intel

Intel, hard at work on its next wave of chips, has been revealed to be working on a laptop chip that will support 3D Blu-ray movies with out the need for any auxiliary hardware.

Sandy Bridge the key

Macworld reports that Nick Knupffer, an Intel spokesperson, announced that laptops that have processors built on the Sandy Bridge architecture will not only play 3D Blu-ray movies, but will also preserve battery life, in comparison to contemporary chips. What this means is that users will not need separate graphics processing just for viewing 3D content. In case it isn’t immediately clear to you, this is a puzzle piece in Intel’s strategy to attack the Nvidia 3D Vision tech, which, through first mover’s advantage, has become the de facto standard on 3D PC monitors.

In production soon

Sandy Bridge architecture chips are earmarked for production this year, still, with Intel announcing PCs with the tech could be hitting stores as before the middle of next year. What’s particularly unique about Sandy Bridge chips is that they represent the very first time Intel will ship integrated chips – a CPU and GPU on one chipset. While its present day Westmere has the CPU and GPU on one silicone base, it is still, in fact, two chips. (A remarkable aside is that Microsoft beat both Intel and AMD to market with integrated chips when it began shipping its Xbox 360 slim.)

Not all rosy

Photo: pitzyper! / Flickr

Even though the future brings with it promises of integrated chips, the Sandy Bridge architecture, 3D Blu-ray movies playback and interesting technology, business is not all rosy at Intel. The company has revised its third quarter forecast, downgrading it from an expected $11.2 billion (£7.2 billion) in revenues to $11 billion (about £7.1 billion) in revenues, due to the weak global economy and Intel’s massive exposure to it.

Intel chips go into over 80 per cent of all computers shipped worldwide and a host of servers, too, and its current generation of chips, the Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 can be found in all manners of computers worldwide.

Photo: Lenovo

Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo is reportedly developing a games console it plans to launch in its notoriously difficult local gaming market. Cue the laugh track, for this move is either pure genius or absolutely suicidal.

Cracking a tough nut

Reuters reports that Lenovo, the fourth biggest PC manufacturer (if you exclude monsieur iPad) has dedicated 40 of its engineers to working in step with Beijing eedoo Technology to build and market the ‘eBox’ game console. The undisclosed investment is provided by Lenovo, its parent company Legend Holding, and the organisation’s private equity wing, Legend Capital.

This is in a move to, firstly, diversify away from their core, highly commoditised computer sales business and explore other avenues for generating revenue. But Lenovo gaming isn’t the way I would have expected them to do this.

Suicide pill?

Console manufacturers have tried and failed for years in the Chinese market due to rampant, unmitigated, buy-an-illegal-copy-in-a-store levels of piracy. The piracy factor alone makes it unfeasible to move into the market because console manufacturers rely on the sales of games to break even, let alone make a profit. Why would the eBox be any different?

Photo: ag2r / Flickr

Lenovo gaming clearly thinks it can buck the trend and make money off this. The rational mind says they’re crazy.

Masterstroke?

However, Lenovo is no stranger to long shots. The company came out of nowhere to become a considerable force in the PC industry in the last decade, and clearly has experience selling to the Chinese market. If the company has a retail strategy that would mitigate or completely stop piracy – unlikely, but you never know – it could well have a hit product on its hands with this Lenovo gaming strategy.

What do you make of this strategy? Can the eBox work? Or are we right to think Lenovo is committing strategic suicide?

Photo: Google

Oh snap! The millions of us who use Gmail everyday logged in and saw a very peculiar and unexpected notification – you can now make VoIP calls right out of the mail client. That’s Google’s way of saying ‘What’s good, Skype? What’s really good?’

How it works

Basically, when logged into Gmail with the classic view, where your Gtalk icons are, you will see a green phone icon. Pressing that button brings up a keypad on the bottom right of your screen – where your Gtalk conversation would default to if that. Now dial the number you’re trying to contact right out of the window. It can be a landline or mobile number – Google is non-descriminatory – and it will connect through its Google Voice protocol to the person you’re trying to contact, wherever in the world they may be.

Super cheap

Calls to the US and Canada within Google Voice for Gmail are free. Calls to regions like the UK, China, Europe and Japan will be as low as 2 cents for each minute of talktime, according to the folks at Google. Google was smart enough to give every user $0.10 of credit to test the service out, and like all responsible users the first person I called was, well, myself. Verdict? It works pretty well.

Google Voice a big deal

Photo: Stock.Xchng

This move to integrate Google Voice into Gmail is just one piece in a puzzle Google is slowly beginning to flesh out with its phoning system. TechCrunch had a report on how Google Voice payphones would begin sprouting up in US universities and airports, while others noted the push for Google Voice on the iPhone continues, regardless of Apple’s obvious resistance.

And though Google VoIP seemed a mere hobby for the company, it’s clear with this move that Gmail has Skype squarely in its sights.

A sign of the future

Google VoIP, Skype, and VoIP handset manufacturers all point to a future that can no longer be ignored – the day when Internet protocol-based calls circumventing the traditional networks are our default way of calling one another. Google Voice and Google VoIP are here to stay and Gmail is the gateway drug to get us all hooked on the service.

Photo: Iomega

Iomega has announced that its external USB 2.0 will soon get the USB 3.0 treatment! And, though you likely still don’t have a USB 3.0-enabled computer – you will eventually – it never killed to be future proof, right? Right!

It’s good for the eGo

Iomega will be replacing every single one of its current USB 2.1 external hard drives with models fitted for the whiz-fast USB 3.0 interface. This will start first with the company’s 500GB eGo drive and its 1TB eGo drive getting the treatment this October. Once the eGotisticals are sorted (sorry, I just can’t help it!) all the other Iomega external hard drives will start receiving attention in the first three months of next year.

Umm, so what will this cost you?

Here’s the unsettling part – Iomega has been non-committal on how it will price these hard drives because the tech firm is unsure how much hard drives will cost come October. Now that you’re a little unsettled, you may settle down once more, with the company promising that you will not be charged a premium for the speed boost. Whew!

What else you should know?

Photo: Iomega

If you’re sitting on the fence about getting any USB 3.0 external drive you may like, get off the fence. Buy it. Why? Well, because USB 2.1 drives support the new standard, only with reduced speeds, of course. Iomega drives are solid, in general, so from a manufacturer profile, they’re worth backing if the external drive has specs that catch your eye.

Iomega drives in general

We were fortunate enough to get a hands-on with the Iomega eGo 500GB USB 3.0 external hard drive. We liked the aesthetic and build quality of the device, but were somewhat surprised that the company opted for a 5400rpm drive in lieu of the faster 7200rpm drive. You can read the full review right here.

Photo: J.VillaretePhoto / Flickr

In the world of gaming, Internet that’s fast and reliable enough to keep up with games is often hard to come by. Now, Demon Internet has met that need with a broadband package designed especially for gamers – but the move has raised many concerns about online equality.

Net neutrality

An issue that’s been in the spotlight recently is that of ‘net neutrality’ – or the lack of it. There’s a growing concern about the fact that those internet users who pay more for higher end Internet packages receive preferential treatment – leaving Internet use slower for everyone else. For those whose Internet experience is slowed down by preferential packages like the ones designed for gamers, the only solution at the moment could probably be summed up with the phrase ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’.

Up to speed and well-supported

The broadband service is promised to deliver speeds of up to 20mb upstream and 1mb downstream. Perks include the network prioritisation that’s causing all the fuss, as well as a static IP address and a router. Especially good news for those who don’t want their gaming interrupted under any circumstances is the fact that a UK support team will be ready to help out twenty-four hours a day.

Word from the top

Matt Cantwell, the head of Demon Internet, said that ‘We know how important a good broadband connection is to the gaming community, and we are excited to be launching this product which has been designed to meet the specific needs of gamers. At Demon we appreciate that a better connection allows better gaming, and are confident that gamers will see the benefits that this service offers them.’ They almost certainly will – which could turn out to be a pity for everyone else.

Photo: McAfee

Processing powerhouse Intel has announced intentions to acquire online security company McAfee for $7.68 billion (£4.9 billion) in a move that’s caught analyst and commentators alike completely by surprise.

A long time in the making

This Intel acquisition, which has been approved by the board of directors of both companies, will see Intel paying $48 per share, representing a 60 per cent premium on McAfee’s closing price on Wednesday. All that stands in the way of the acquisition going through is McAfee shareholder approval and a clearance from competition regulators. No sane investor will reject a 60 per cent premium and there is very little overlap so regulatory clearance is expected, too.

The Intel McAfee deal came on the heels of the two companies working closely together for the last 18 months, according to the processor manufacturer. In short, bringing McAfee under the Intel family tree as a wholly owned subsidiary will let Intel only further bridge the software-hardware gap.

The third pillar

Intel CEO Paul Otellini has since said that: ‘security has become the third pillar of computing after energy efficient performance and Internet connectivity’. Fighting words, but cyber crime, privacy and security threats are a concern for everybody, so who knows if he’s using foresight or blowing hot air. We’ll see shortly if Otellini’s call is correct.

The motivation

The way Intel sees things shaping up are in step with how we all see the mid-to-near future – most devices in the home will have some form of online connection and Intel wants to be at the centre of that. The company says acquiring McAfee ‘enables a combination of security software and hardware from one company to ultimately better protect consumers, corporations and governments as billions of devices – and the server and cloud networks that manage them – go online.’

Photo: Intel

Though the company has gotten off to a sluggish start in the smartphones industry, this Intel-McAfee merging is a sign that the chip processor giant is looking to creative ways for getting a foothold in the space.

Still, how will this work?

Curious onlookers, shareholders and analysts alike are wondering how this Intel acquisition is going to work. The Intel McAfee deal pits a software company with a hardware company in a union that makes little sense at the surface level. Intel makes processor chips, while McAfee makes security software.

Perhaps that there is what makes this such a masterstroke – that we don’t get it and Intel does. If not, this Intel acquisition could be ill-fated, and short-sighted, and doomed to fail even in this early stage.

Photo: Asus

While most consumers know Asus really well for its work in the netbook space and one or two other mobile computing products, hardcore computer enthusiasts still know Asus as the motherboard guys. Asus motherboards have long been among the best in the industry, with often-trailblazing features and notable reliability at an attractive price. They span various socket types, supporting Intel processors and AMD processors alike, with key features, too.

For AMD processors

The Asus M4A88TD-M EVO/USB 3.0 motherboard is one of the current best sellers in the Asus motherboard range. This Socket AM3 Motherboard – which supports a slew of AMD processor types including the AMD Athlon II X2 through to the Sempron 100 and AMD Phenom II X4 – is both dual core and quad core ready. It has a built-in HDMI slot on it, a USB 3.0 port and a fairly decent onboard graphics card in the form of the ATI Radeon HD4250.

Some Intel love

The Asus P7P55D-E Pro Socket 1156 motherboard is a noteworthy companion to the Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processor range. Released towards the end of last year, it has recently seen its suggested retail price drop rapidly even though there still aren’t many better options at that price point. This nets you 4 x DDR3 RAM slots, 2 x USB 3.0 slots, hybrid SLI support and a high volume of other port standards.

The formula for success

What Asus does so well that other motherboard manufacturers may be slightly slower or slightly behind on is its ability to integrate new technology as it arrives. Before HDMI slots on computers became ubiquitous and somewhat expected at the top-end, Asus began integrating them, as they began doing last year already with the nascent USB 3.0 technology. The build quality and reliability is phenomenal, so much so that my very old 1GHz AMD Duron Asus motherboard still works to this day, all the while other components have begun failing. (No, I don’t use it anymore.)

You would do well to look over the Asus motherboard range the next time you’re shopping for the framework that connects all your computers parts to each other. They may not be the cheapest option, necessarily, but they score high points on the reliability stakes.

Photo: Acer

The classic 4:3 display is fast becoming a relic in the home, and to a lesser extent on the PC. Widescreen monitors and displays simply look better and are how media, films and games should be played. Here’s a quick and dirty guide on the options available to those finally looking to make the jump.

Display sizes

Widescreen PC monitors are available from as small as 15 inches, but you really want to start at 19-inch display sizes at the absolute least. The reason for this is media viewed on a larger screen always seems more cinematic and, therefore, makes for a better viewing experience. More importantly, for those using their widescreen monitor for work purposes, we’re fans of 24-inch monitors for those who often require having multiple windows in view simultaneously as well as work that requires being zoomed in close to what you’re doing.

And finally, if your widescreen LCD monitor is predominantly for media viewing and gaming, 27-inch displays are great. We were blown away by the insanely high quality of the Samsung P2770H 27-inch widescreen PC monitor when we reviewed it. And it is surprisingly cheap, to boot!

Display types

Knowing size is not enough when it comes to buying a widescreen PC monitor. There are several different display types, too, to consider, namely widescreen LCD monitors, LED displays and the fresh-out-of-the-factory batch of 3D PC monitors. And being spoilt for choice is sometimes crippling when you don’t know what to go for.

LED is widely regarded as being superior to LCD, but the price premium you pay is usually not worth it. The same applies for buying 3D PC monitors today –  there’s very little 3D content to justify purchasing a 3D monitor. So, in short, if you have the money, go with LED made by a trusted manufacturer like Samsung or LG, but if you’d like to be thrifty while still getting a great piece of kit, a widescreen LCD monitor is certainly the way.

And the technical stuff

Photo: LG

Knowing what display size and display type you want is, believe it or not, still not enough. You have to be particular about the aspect ratio you want your screen in – always go 16:9 – as well as the resolution. With regards to resolution, while resolutions like 1366 x 768 and 1280 x 720 work fine, 1920 x 1080 is fast becoming the de facto resolution on all monitors at an affordable price, too, so there is very little reason not to save up a few extra pennies for full HD resolution. Finally, you need to consider response time, with a 2ms response time being the optimum. Anything slower than that means you’ll have blurry images when watching high-speed action films or playing action-packed video games.

Now go out and try all the widescreen PC monitors that fit your criteria. Filter according to size, type and the technical stuff, then use your eyes to judge what is for you and what is not for you.