Schmadget: September 2006

Thursday 28 September 2006

Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on coming to UK

Microsoft have announced that the HD DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 is coming to the UK, North America, France and Germany in "mid-November" priced at £129.99 / $199.99 / €199.99.

The player comes with Peter Jackson's "King Kong" on HD DVD (for a limited time) and is bundled with the Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.

So, you can just add the HD DVD player to your Xbox 360 to get a cheap, next generation, high definition movie set-up.

They've priced it carefully so that when you buy a 360 and the add-on player, it equates to the same price as a PS3, which of course comes with Blu-ray.

Touché.

Tuesday 26 September 2006

Compact digital camera roundup

People ask me all the time "Which camera should I buy?", by which they are normally referring to a point and shoot digital compact.

Over the summer there have been new compacts announced by pretty much all of the major manufacturers, so here's a summary of some of the best and a quick feature comparison.

I hasten to add, I haven't used any of these cameras, so make sure you read some proper reviews before making any purchasing decisions!

I've selected the newest, most comparable offerings from each manufacturer, so these are really the high-end of the ultra-compacts with the latest features, not your budget cameras.

So, here they are, in alphabetical order:

Canon Digital IXUS 850 IS

7.1 megapixels
2.5" LCD
25.1mm thick
640 x 480 @ 30 / 15fps movie mode
ISO 1600
3.8x optical zoom
Face Detection / 9-point focus
SD / SDHC / MMC memory cards
Optical image stabilisation
Approx. 270 shots on one charge

Casio EXILIM Card EX S-770

7.2 megapixels
2.8" widescreen LCD
17.3mm thick
704 x 384 (Wide), 640 x 480 movie mode
ISO 800 (Anti Shake or High Sensitivity modes)
3x optical zoom
9 point multi focus
SD / SDHC / MMC memory cards
Anti-shake DSP
Approx. 200 shots on one charge

Nikon Coolpix S7c

7.1 megapixels
3.0" LCD
21mm thick
640 x 480 @ 30fps movie mode
ISO 1600
3x optical zoom
Face-priority AF focus
SD memory cards
Vibration Reduction
WiFi connection
Approx. 200 shots on one charge

Pentax Optio S7

7.0 megapixels
2.5" LCD
19.5mm thick
640 x 480 @ 30 fps (DiVX) movie mode
ISO 400 (800/1600 at 4 MP)
3x optical zoom
5-point multi focus
SD / SDHC / MMC memory cards
Blur reduction mode
Approx. 180 shots on one charge

Sony CyberShot DSC-T10

7.2 megapixels
2.5" LCD
20.6 thick
640 x 480 @ 30fps movie mode
ISO 1000
3x optical zoom
5-point multi focus
Memory Stick Duo™ / Memory Stick Duo™ Pro memory cards
Optical image stabilisation
Approx. 250 shots on one charge

Comparison table

(click image for large, readable version!)

So, all of the cameras have about the same resolution sensors; similar sized, decently large screens; similar movie modes and at least some kind of anti-shake or blur reduction.

I think table shows that spec-wise the Canon is the leader with it's high ISO 1600 sensitivity, optical image stabilisation, 3.8x zoom, face detection auto-focus and 270 shots on one charge. However, it does sacrifice on it's size and weight and is the most chunky of the 5.

The smallest is the Casio at just 17mm thick, nearly 8mm thinner than the Canon, while still managing to pack a 2.8" 16:9 display (the only widescreen display amongst this bunch), a 3x zoom, the same resolution and good battery life. It also has a widescreen movie recording mode. Very impressive and if having the most ultra-compact camera is what you're after, this is the one.

The Nikon has the largest screen at 3" and is the only camera here with WiFi for transferring images to your computer or printer wirelessly (although that may be frustratingly slow when downloading a whole memory card). It also has the same high ISO 1600 sensitivity and face recognition auto-focus as the Canon but it is also the second thickest after the Canon and doesn't support the new SDHC memory card format.

The Pentax doesn't really best any of the others in any category but it isn't too far off in most areas. It's the second thinnest after the Casio but it has the worst battery life at only 180 shots and only manages 4 megapixels at it's high sensitivity setting (7 megapixels normally). Otherwise, it's pretty much in line with the others with the 2.5" LCD, 3x zoom and 640 x 480 30fps movie mode.

Finally, the Sony is similar to the Pentax but slightly thicker, it does though have the second best battery life and is the only one here, other than the Canon, to have proper optical image stabilisation. But one of my pet hates about Sony is their insistence on using their own memory card format. All the other cameras here use SD but the Sony uses Memory Stick Duo, so if you already have SD cards, you're going to have to buy all new Memory Stick Duo cards to use the Sony.

So, which one would I buy? In the absence of hands-on reviews, judging purely on the specs and what I know of previous cameras from these manufacturers, I would say if you don't mind the extra bit of bulk, the Canon will probably take the best pictures but if smaller is better, then the Casio could well be the one. I would also consider the Nikon as it's possibly the best all round compromise between features and size.

I definitely recommend you try and find some decent reviews of these cameras before buying one though and as always, go into Jessops or something, have a look and try them out as well.

dpreview.com is always a good place to find excellent reviews.

Friday 22 September 2006

Sony drop PS3 price by 20% and include HDMI 1.3

Finally, some good news from Sony. They just announced today that they are cutting the launch price of the 20GB version of the PS3 in Japan by about 20% to ¥49,980. They have stated so far that this is a Japan only price drop and the US and Europe pricing remains unchanged.

Not only that but the 20GB, lower-end version of the PS3 now includes an HDMI 1.3 output (the latest spec), which was the other major sticking point that so many people were unhappy about.

So what does all this mean? Well, I think it absolutely proves Sony's strategy was wrong on the PS3 from the beginning by making it so expensive relative to the Xbox 360 and Wii and not including an HDMI output on the low-end model to enjoy all of the much-hyped Blu-ray content in full-on 1080p digital clarity.

I think Sony must have realised what a mess they'd made and, fair play to them, have corrected the mistake before launch. They are probably petrified about the competition from the much cheaper Wii in Japan specifically and the Xbox 360 with HD-DVD add on in the US and Europe. They had to do something and in fairness this does seem like a good move.

I think it certainly makes the 20GB much more attractive and it now begs the question of why you really need the more expensive 60GB version, just for the sake of WiFi, a larger hard drive and a memory card reader?

The next-gen console wars aren't over yet.

Thursday 21 September 2006

WiFi Skype phone from Netgear

For all you Skypers out there, this could be for you. It's a wireless phone that works independently of a PC to act as a Skype handset.

You can use it home with your wireless network or while out and about on any hotspot or access point (so long as it doesn't require browser-based authentication). No PC required!

It fully integrates with your Skype account, shows and allows you to manage your contacts on its colour screen and is fully compatible with SkypeIn and SkypeOut for making and receiving calls from ordinary non-Skype landlines and mobiles.

Obviously, calling other Skype users is absolutely free!

More info on the Netgear site.

Tuesday 19 September 2006

HD: More 1080p TVs from Fujitsu, Sony, Hitachi, Sharp, Toshiba

I've been trying to keep up with HDBeat's coverage of The Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) Expo - admittedly not something I'd heard of before - where there has been tons of HD stuff announced.

Your best bet is to head on over to HDBeat for all the details but from what I can tell, some of the best stuff announced (TV-wise) is as follows:

Of course, these are all US focused announcements but even since my last post on 1080p TVs in July, there are quite a few available in the UK now by the above manufacturers.

Personally, I like the look of the Toshibas and Sonys.

Update: Found the 42" Sharp LC42XD1E on the UK site, looks very nice. The screen has a 4ms response time as well. I think it's the same model as referred to above in the US. Also, having looked into the Toshiba WLT66 series LCDs currently available in the UK, I don't think they can accept a 1080p signal, even though they have 1920 x 1080 resolution. So the Sharp is my new favourite!

Sunday 17 September 2006

Microsoft announce Zune - their answer to iPod

So, if you can't beat 'em, copy 'em? That seems to be the premise of Microsoft's full-on foray into the world of digital music.

They criticised Apple's massively successful 'closed' iPod/iTunes/iTunes ~~Music~~ Store ecosystem, then tried and failed to effectively compete with their PlaysForSure concept.

So, now Microsoft have seemingly decided the 'closed' platform that has worked for Apple is the way forward for them as well. Hence, 'Zune' - the new media player/software/online store combination they announced last week.

It works pretty much exactly like the iPod - you buy the Zune player, load the Zune software onto your PC and buy music from the Zune Marketplace (online store). It doesn't work with PlaysForSure or anything else, it only works with itself, just like the iPod.

That is a strange choice for Microsoft. They and their partners have been preaching to us that PlaysForSure is so much better than Apple's iPod world because you can buy any PlaysForSure device from the likes of Samsung, Toshiba, Creative, Philips, Archos etc. and buy music from any PlaysForSure online music store such as MTV's URGE, Napster etc. and they will work together. The perfect antithesis of the iPod world.

Zune flies in the face of PlaysForSure, ignoring the concept of interoperability and puts Microsoft in direct competition with their former partners. Most analysts are predicting that it will be these partners that Microsoft steals market share and sales from - not Apple.

So, what of the new Zune device itself? Well, honestly it seems OK, certainly not groundbreaking and I don't think an iPod killer. Not yet anyway. But it does have a few features the iPod is lacking, for example a 3" widescreen display and wireless song sharing abilities. You can share full-length tracks with other Zune users for up to 3 days or 3 plays, whichever comes first, after which they can flag the song for purchase in the Zune Marketplace. You can also share playlists and photos.

But it's also a fair bit heavier and thicker than the recently updated 30GB iPod and supposedly has slightly less battery life.

The Zune specs look like this:

30GB hard drive
QVGA resolution (320 x 240) 3" widescreen display
WiFi
Supports h.264, MP3, AAC and WMA
Built in FM tuner
Available in white, black and brown

The two advantages they have over the iPod, the larger screen and WiFi, I expect Apple are already planning on introducing with the 'true' video iPod that has been so anticipated and much rumoured.

I really think if Microsoft want to break the iPod monopoly, they need to make a leap right over Apple and do something new and innovative. Zune is effectively a (poor?) clone of an iPod and that's not going to win them anything. And they certainly can't let Apple beat them on battery life and physical size.

Of course, there has been no mention yet of pricing and with Apple just lowering the price of the 30GB iPod to $249 / £189 Microsoft will find it hard to compete with Apple's massive buying power and economies of scale.

The reaction of prominent bloggers and industry analysts has been muted as well, most seem to be quite skeptical that Microsoft can make a big impact on Apple.

Microsoft are clearly very serious about Zune, are investing a lot in it and have J Allard, the brains behind the Xbox 360, running the program. My feeling is that this is just the beginning of their move into this space. I expect, like Apple, over time they will introduce more devices that compete more fully in all areas and slowly build their platform up.

Overall I think it's a good thing to have a decent level of competition in this industry. It will also bring the best out of Apple and force them to keep innovating, which can only be a good thing for the consumer.

Friday 15 September 2006

Nintendo Wii UK details announced

Nintendo has over the last couple of days held 3 press conferences around the world in Japan, the US and finally today in London.

8th December 2006 is 'Wii day' in the UK and the rest of Europe, with the US launch on 19th November, a surprising 2 weeks ahead of Japan, who's launch is on 2nd December.

The price has been set at £179 / €249 / $250 / ¥25,000 - a little higher than some people were expecting to be honest. I was hoping for more around the £150 mark in the UK.

The bundle in the UK includes a white Wii console, one Wii remote, one Nunchuk and one game, Wii sports. The US gets the same but strangely Japan doesn't get the bundled game.

There will be around 20 games available at launch, including Wii Play and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and from third party publishers: Ubisoft's RED STEEL, EA's Need for Speed: Carbon, Activision's Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, THQ's Disney / Pixar's Cars and Sega's Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz.

Nintendo first party games will retail at between £34 and £39 in the UK.

Additional controllers will also be available from launch: Wii Remote - £29, Nunchuk – £14 and the Classic Controller – £14. As a lot of people have been commenting, the controller prices are definitely on the expensive side and if you consider you really need a Wii remote and a Nunchuk for each additional player, that's an extra £43 for each additional controller!

Nintendo have also announced the concept of "channels" that make up the Wii Channel Menu. This is basically the on-screen 'dashboard' you use to access various features on the Wii.

When connected to a TV, the Wii Channel Menu offers a simple interface letting users pick games to play, get news or weather, view and send photos or even create playable caricatures of themselves to use in actual games.

Additional functions allow users to download classic games from the old NES, SNES and N64 systems, among others, and allows you to play them on the Wii’s 'Virtual Console', which works in a similar way to the Xbox Live Arcade.

The console uses the WiiConnect24 service to download content via the channels and offer online gameplay. You can connect wirelessly to your internet connection with the built in 802.11 b/g wireless card or via a USB 2 LAN adaptor.

If you don't know what all the fuss is about, I suggest you watch this excellent video of what the Wii can do with it's revolutionary motion sensitive controller. It looks pretty amazing.

You can also find loads more info over at Wii.com.

Wednesday 13 September 2006

Apple introduces new iPods, iTunes 7 and "iTV"

Apple yesterday announced a slew of new products, pretty much in-line with the pre-event rumours that have been circulating, with the exception that there was no "true" video, 6th generation iPod announced.

So, what did we get and which are the most significant of the announcements?

2nd generation iPod nano

First there are the newly "remastered" iPod nanos. In a throw back to the iPod mini days, they now come with aluminium enclosures and in a choice of 5 colours. The range now includes an 8GB version (at last!) that is only available in black, a 4GB version available in silver, pink, green and blue and the 2GB version only available in silver.

All the new nanos have a 40% brighter screen and a whopping 24 hours of battery life, as well as managing to be a little bit thinner!

It seems to me that they have taken the best things about the mini and combined them with the best things from the nano. In my view this is what the nano should have been in the first place.

Certain to be big sellers this Christmas, they are available in the UK from £99 - £169.

New iPod shuffle

In a bit of a surprise move, Apple released incredibly tiny new shuffles.

They come with 1GB of storage and integrated clip, which you're going to need, otherwise you'll lose it! Also included with the shuffle is a new, tiny little dock.

The shuffle looks more like a remote control for a full size iPod rather than a music player in it's own right!

Available from October for £55.00.

5G iPods updated

The full size iPods also received an update, with new a higher capacity 80GB version, 60% brighter screens, increased battery life to 20 hours (on the 80GB model), the ability to play specially designed games and playback "gapless" tracks.

The latter feature is something iPod fans have been asking for for years now, so albums like Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon can be played as they were meant to be, with each track flowing into the next, with no pauses.

This was perhaps the most disappointing announcement of the event, as a lot of people (including me) were expecting Apple to release a new, 6th generation iPod with a full face, widescreen display. Unfortunately that didn't happen, so we'll have to wait until next year for that.

The 30GB iPod has seen a price drop to £189 while the new 80GB version is £259.

iTunes 7

In a significant update to the iTunes software and it's associated online store, Apple announced several new features.

As expected, what was the iTunes music store, now known as just the iTunes store, has begun offering movie downloads (initially only from Disney studios). The good news is they are in near-DVD quality at 640 x 480 resolution, which is about 4-times the resolution of the video content previously available in iTunes.

Other new features in iTunes 7 are:

Cover Flow - allows you to navigate through album art to mimic browsing through your CD collection.

Free Album Art - free download of album art for CDs you import into iTunes (only with an iTunes account).

iPod Games - available to buy in the iTunes store and play on your iPod!

iPod Summary - iPod information is integrated into the application better now, so no need to go into a separate preferences pane.

This sounds like a great update to iTunes, I haven't had a chance to download it and try it out yet but as soon as I do, I'll post my thoughts here.

Sneak peek at "iTV"

In a highly unusual move, Steve Jobs decided to talk about an as-yet unreleased product.

Due in Q1 2007, it's code-named "iTV" (a little too close to Elgato's EyeTV if you ask me) and is basically a small Mac mini-like box that sits under your TV and streams content (movies, music, photos, podcasts) to your home theatre set-up so you can enjoy it on your big screen TV and nice hi-fi.

Jobs specified it would use 802.11 wireless connectivity but he didn't specify whether that was the existing 'g' flavour or not. There's a good chance that it will utilise the new, still draft, 'n' version with much higher bandwidth.

This is a significant move into the living room for Apple and as Steve Jobs said, it completes the picture for them. You'll be able to have content on your computer, iPod and now on your TV as well.

So, overall a pretty good bunch of announcements. In the short term I'm sure the most significant of them in terms of Apple's bottom-line is the nano, which will sell very well. But looking further ahead it's Apple's digital media and home entertainment strategy that perhaps looks the most exciting.

Tags: apple, itunes, mac, osx, steve jobs, ipod, opinion, analysis, review, tech, technology, gadget, schmadget, scb

Wednesday 6 September 2006

Nokia 8800 Sirocco

As far as phones go, this Nokia 8800 Sirocco (not to be confused with the car from a decade or so ago) isn't the most technically advanced in the world by any stretch but bloody hell, it's a looker.

I can't imagine it's particularly cheap mind you but it does have a 2 megapixel camera, a stainless steel body and 'premium user interface' (whatever that is?), which make it respectable at least - it even comes with a complimentary bluetooth headset!

Beautiful. I want one.

Via fosfor gadgets.

Core 2 iMacs and new 24" model

Woh, where did this one come from? Here we all were, expecting the September 12th 'Showtime' event next week to give us the rumoured new iMacs, movie stores, new nanos, iPhones and anything else every Mac fan-boy could dream up and what do they do? They only go and release the iMacs a week early and it's not even an 'update Tuesday'!

They're now all Core 2 'Merom' processors, lower price points on the 17" and 20" models and the absolutely stunning new 24" version. Apple claim the new Core 2 duo chips are up to 50% faster than their predecessors, which if true is pretty damn impressive.

Here are the full specs for the 24"er:

24-inch widescreen LCD display;
2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;
1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 3GB;
8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
PCI Express-based NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT with 128MB GDDR3 memory;
built-in iSight video camera;
built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
the infrared Apple Remote, Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.

See all the details over at the Apple website.

Now, if they couldn't fit this into next week's announcements, what the hell have they got up their sleeves for that event?

No PS3 in Europe until March 2007!

Oh it's all going wrong for Sony. I feared they were already in trouble with the PS3 strategy, with it's complicated manufacturing and cutting edge technology.

Now it seems that has bourne out and bitten them hard, they can't mass produce some of the components for the Blu-ray drive quickly enough.

There is to be no PS3 in Europe until March 2007. That gives Nintendo and Microsoft a free run this Christmas.

I think Sony are in pretty big trouble.

Via BBC.

Tuesday 5 September 2006

Canon 400D preview

Digital Photography Review have just posted a great preview of the new Canon 400D, a 10 megapixel DSLR.

It's typically thorough and detailed. Definitely a recommended read if you are considering getting one:

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/canoneos400d/

Being an owner of a 350D for less than a year, unfortunately I can't justify the purchase but it does sound like it's a great update to Canon's popular entry-level DSLR.

Schmadget