October 31, 2011

Up close and personal

Stephen Elop has just announced the new Nokia Lumia 800?Windows Phone smartphone on stage at Nokia World in London, and here’s a bevy of shots and our thoughts before we dive into a full review nearer the phone’s release in November.

The Nokia Lumia 800 is the company’s new Windows Phone 7 Mango?handset and comes with a striking design that is unlike any phone that you’ve previously seen down the pub.

That striking design, which really isn’t like anything on the market from Apple, Samsung, HTC or LG, will come in three different colours: black, cyan and pink.

We played with the cyan model and, as our exclusive pictures show, the Lumia 800 really is bright and playful.

The front sports a large 3.7-inch Super AMOLED screen that screams out from the design with clarity and crispness. That display helps, even on a sunny day, make the iconography of Windows Phone 7 stand out and ready to sing.

Sadly, there is no front facing camera.?

Beneath the screen is the customary three Windows Phone 7 buttons: back, home, and search. The only physical buttons to be found on the phone are down the right hand side of the 800. They are silver and offer volume up and down, power and a dedicated shutter button for the camera that is found around the back of the handset.

The top of the device sports an identical layout to the Nokia N9 and that means a hidden compartment for the micro USB connector. Plus, there’s a strange sliding out microSIM tray that is actually the size of a regular SIM card slot. Is Nokia hoping to lure away iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPad owners here?

We slipped in the Vodafone microSIM from our own phone and it fits like a charm.?

Sound for the Nokia Lumia 800 is provided top and bottom. Top, by a 3.5mm stereo jack socket, and the bottom by a speaker that is capable of blasting out tunes.

The battery isn’t replaceable and, like the iPhone, you aren’t going to get anywhere near seeing what the inside of this phone actually looks like. In fact, such is the way that it is built, you don’t get to see any seams.

The body of the 800 is hewn from a single piece of polycarbonate, so it has the sort of seamless design that other “unibody” models offer.

In this case the matte finish on the case means you won’t be forever polishing it, as it shrugs off fingerprints. It has a nice tactile feeling to it too, so we walk away with the impression that it will be fairly secure in your hands even though it is light.

Around the back of the phone you’ll find an 8-megapixel camera boasting Carl Zeiss optics. Nokia has made some strong claims about the camera and we were able to snap a couple of shots, but not get them onto our computer to analyse further. The camera was quick to respond to our tap to focus. It offers 720p video capture too.?

As for the phone itself, the Windows Phone 7 operating system zips along, working as fast as the HTC Titan.

Through all the talk, it looks like Nokia hasn’t really had much access or time to really start to mess around with the Microsoft mobile operating system, so we get a handful of dedicated apps rather than anything fundamentally different with the OS. For all the rumours, the font isn’t Nokia’s new Pure.

So the apps you get are Nokia Drive, Nokia Maps, Nokia Music, an App Highlighter, and a Contacts Transfer app that lets you connect your old phone up to the Lumia 800 via Bluetooth.

Nokia Drive is the company’s turn-by-turn GPS offering that will bring with it all the strengths of Nokia’s GPS software in the past but on Windows Phone 7. Nokia Maps is a more static version for those just needing to find a place and aren’t too fussed about Microsoft’s Bing equivalent.

After a quick play, and we mean quick, it looks like it will do the job to get you from A to B without having to wait for TomTom to get around to making a Windows Phone 7 app (those who can’t wait for more advanced features, you can get one from Navigon).

Nokia Music brings back the company’s music store of yesteryear and gives it a Zune style approach. The app looks like the music hub, although we didn’t get much time to play – more on this when we do.

App Highlighter suggests apps you might like and is Nokia’s approach of trying to do a better job of Microsoft’s Marketplace, which, if you’ve used Windows Phone 7 already, isn’t great at highlighting new and cool stuff in the same way that Apple or Google do in their relevant stores.

30 minutes with the Nokia Lumia 800 has taught us many things…

Nokia’s approach to turning around the company will be focused on the look and feel of the smartphone. It is going to be a design story, about how you are an agitator; a person keen to break from the iNorm and one that wants to stand out.?This is a phone that says, “I am different”.

It is also clear that Nokia has worked hard to get this far, but that the journey is only just starting.

The lack of a front-facing camera won’t show its weakness today, but it will when Microsoft rolls out Skype later in the year and that’s going to be frustrating.

From our brief time, put against the latest batch of Windows Phone 7 devices out there, the Nokia Lumia 800 looks to be the one that stands out the most. It makes the?HTC Radar?look boring, and gives the HTC Titan?(with its poor screen resolution) a good run for its money in performance too.

Nokia needs that impact, something this device certainly offers, but will it be enough to sway the iPhone and Android masses? That’s going to be the tough question to answer.

Tags: Phones Mobile phones Nokia Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone 7 Photos

                                             

Nokia Lumia 800 pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 26 Oct 2011 09:45:00 +0100

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Frightening fruit

Google has just released another Google doodle upon the online public, showing off some of the Google employees’ skills at pumpkin carving – all in time-lapse.

The time-lapse Google doodle shows the staff members chissseling away at six pumpkins spelling out the word Google with a spooky typeface.

During the course of the day, compressed into seconds of footage, a variety of different characters enter the scene, including some folks dressed up as Father Christmas, a dragon and the Google Maps’ Pegman.

On completion, the sun goes down leaving the pumpkin doodle to glow eerily in the night.

The huge pumkins, the biggest of which was said to be 1,298 pounds, were sourced from Half Moon Bay, Calif. and took 8 hours to carve.

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Tags: Online Google Halloween Google doodles

Halloween Google Doodle shows pumpkin time-lapse performance originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:04:00 +0000

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Confirming what has already been widely assumed to be true, Jessica Simpson has made her baby on board news official!

The former “Newlyweds” star took to her official website to share the exciting news, including a pic of costume-clad self cradling her tummy while cutely writing, “It’s true ? I’m going to be a mummy!”

The confirmation comes a week after widespread speculation arose upon a sighting in which she showed off a wound and protruding bump while traveling from LAX in Los Angeles to New York City’s JFK Airport.

Miss Simpson’s bundle of joy comes thanks to fiance Eric Johnson – with the impending arrival to be the couple’s first.

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Poison frontman says he expects the teen star’s cover version to be issued as a single later this year.
By Jocelyn Vena

Miley Cyrus
Photo: Getty Images

Last year, Miley Cyrus declared that she Can’t Be Tamed. The album features a cover of the Poison classic “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” that the teen star recorded with the glam-metal band’s frontman, Bret Michaels, himself. And now, according to Michaels, the track likely will be released later in 2011 as a single … finally.

The Poison singer told to E! News that Cyrus’ label initially had intended to issue her version of the song as a single much sooner, but those plans were sidetracked thanks to a bit of tabloid drama involving Michaels.

“The record label was supposed have to this huge humongous release of ‘Every Rose,’ ” the rocker explained. “It was going to be Miley’s next-step song, but because of that, they stepped back. It really bummed me out. I worked hard on that.”

The “that” he’s referring to is his rumored affair with Miley’s mom, Tish, which allegedly may have contributed to the short separation of Cyrus’ parents. Now, with that relationship back on track, so apparently are plans to release the song, which seems to really please the Poison frontman. “I think this is the song that will cross her over,” Michaels said. “If it happens, it’s going to be a big hit.”

A rep at Miley’s record label had not responded to MTV News request for comment about plans for the song’s released as a single at press time.

Last year, MTV News spoke to Michaels about working on “Every Rose” with Miley, and he really sang the teen star’s praises in the music-cred department.

“She’s one of the few musicians — and I want to use that word, ’cause she can actually play and sing — she’s one of the few people who can pull it off and give it her own flare and make it sound good,” Michaels offered. “I gotta tell you something — she nailed the song. She really knew what she was doing. She got in there and picked the guitar up … It was one of those nights that just worked. It was fun … It’s gotta be her taking ‘Every Rose’ and making it all hers.”

What do you think about Miley’s cover of “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” being released as a single? Tell us in the comments.

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Missing some personality

Motoring reviews, or rather the people who write them, have a penchant for favouring cars that are powerful and fun to drive down a twisting B-road. But let’s face facts. Most people don’t care about driving like that, and when it comes to shelling out their hard earned cash, want something they can depend on for years to come.

Which is why the Toyota Yaris has always been a favourite in the small car class with buyers, but you won’t see it winning many tests. It’s just dependable, easy to drive transport. Yet far from being another dull-as-beige Toyota, the first two generations of Yaris built on this dependability with character and clever design features. With this new, third generation, the company claims they’ve gone even further – building a car for people like us at Pocket-Lint, loaded with clever ideas and stuffed full of tech at reasonable prices. Sounds promising, doesn’t it?

Design

The first generation Yaris included a, futuristic for the time, set of digital gauges, a sliding rear seat allowing you to choose between passenger and luggage space. There was a higher-than-normal seating position, meaning the car felt, and was, spacious inside, but was short and easy to park on the road. It also had bags of that hard to quantify thing called personality.

The second generation Yaris squared off the corners and dialed down personality, but kept lots of the clever design. So we’d like to know who’s stolen the clever bits and thrown them in the rubbish bin while they were designing this new model? Without any of this smart packaging, the Yaris is a car devoid of personality and with very little to distinguish it in a very competitive and diverse market. Which is a shame.

Inside, you get lots of space but the contrast colour insert on the dash in front of the passenger is as interesting as it gets. It’s not bad per-se, but nor is it innovative like a Honda Jazz, or full of soft-touch plastics like a Polo.

Tech

Great credit goes to Toyota for seeing the light of reality and building the Yaris’s integrated SatNav option into a wider tech pack priced at a point which might just make you think twice about that off-the shelf TomTom unit and all its trailing wires.

The system’s called Toyota ‘Touch and Go’. The first level (Toyota Touch) includes CD/MP3/WMA player, Bluetooth hands-free and audio streaming, a USB port, and a rear-view camera for reversing – all accessed and shown through a 6.1inch touchscreen. This is standard on TR, SR and T Spirit (i.e. all but the base car) models. Upgrade to ‘Touch and Go’ and you’ll get full pan-European sat nav with speed camera and safety alerts, Google local search function and live update services: such as parking availability, petrol prices and so on. It’s a ?500 option, but if you order a Yaris in 2011, they’ll chuck it in for free.

And it works well, with easy phone pairing and music streaming. So it’s a shame these functions are built into a centre console unit which is badly positioned for the driver. The screen sits canted slightly toward the passenger side of the car because of the shape of the dash.

Beyond this, ignore the base spec T2, and all models in the range are well equipped with air-conditioning, seven airbags and a host of other kit as standard.

Driving

This is safe, steady driving which is never going to spit you off the road backwards and into a ditch. The brakes are good, the gearbox light and for a car in this class it’s pretty refined at motorway speeds. Yet the ride is curiously hard – it never settles down, which spoils the refinement. And the weighting of the clutch is oddly springy, which make the Yaris far harder to drive smoothly than it should given it’s billing and likely customers. Expect to see one being lurched away from Sainsbury’s car park soon, by someone in a flat cap, accompanied by a flourish of revs and slipping of clutch.

The thicker C-pillar this third generation car has acquired makes it harder to park too. And while that reversing camera’s a nice-to-have-tech gadget, why on earth would you need it? This isn’t an SUV, so it should be easier to see out of and position than it is.

We drove the most powerful 1.33 petrol engine. It was smooth and powerful enough, (there’s a smaller 1.0 petrol and a 1.4 diesel engine too) and the CO2 emissions are decently low. It returned nearly 50mpg in our hands, so expect more if your drive gently. We were disappointed not to see stop-start as standard on a brand new model of car though.

Verdict:

You won’t be surprised to read that – while it’s far from a bad car – we aren’t giving it a glowing recommendation either.

The tech packages and high level of equipment are appealing and, in many ways, the Yaris’s real saving grace. But unless you absolutely must have a sat nav system that’s capable of turning down the radio while it barks instructions at you, we’d recommend you buy something else and put up with the trailing wires of a TomTom.

All of which is a great shame. Toyota has long been known for its quality and dependability, but the first two Yaris’s added to that by being fun and full of clever ideas that gave them character and made them real star buys in the class. Now, it’s rare to find a car that isn’t well built and won’t be reliable over the first five years of its life. And anyway, if that’s your primary concern, may we point you in the direction of Kia’s new Rio – with its seven year warranty – or Honda’s ingeniously designed Jazz (the ‘Fit’ in the US), which repeatedly tops the reliability tables wherever its sold.

And if you’re just after a good small car, a Polo or a Fiesta deserves a space on your drive far more than this new Yaris does. It’s only those sensibly thought through tech packs that haul the new Yaris up to a three star rating. The smaller iQ proves Toyota still has the ability to build a car with smart, innovative features, a characterful design and make it fun to drive. It’s just a pity they left all of that out of the mix in the new Yaris.

Tags: Car And GPS Toyota Car

                                                                       

Toyota Yaris 1.33 T Spirit 5 door originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:00:00 +0100

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Will it come to the UK?

Acer has launched the Acer Allegro in France, making it Acer’s first foray into the the worlld of the Windows Phone 7 operating system.

Acer, on the whole, has been relatively quiet on the WP7 front, with just a nod to the Microsoft OS earlier in the year, where it made it clear it would be jumping on board.

However, the tech specs don’t appear to be anything amazing, with Acer clearly going for the lower-end of the WP7 smartphone market.

The Acer Allegro measures 11.6 x 5.9 x 13mm and weighs in at 126g. There’s an 3.6-inch WVGA (480×800) screen with a Qualcomm MSM8255 1GHz processor powering the device. You’ll get an 8GB memory and a 5-megapixel camera with LED flash for your photos. There’s also Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and a mass of sensors.

The most interesting aspect, however, is the introduction of Fast Charge technology, which apparently charges the device’s 1300mAh battery 2.5 times faster than the its other tablets and phones.

The phone will be sold in mid-November for €299 in France and will be available in two colours: white and blue. Acer didn’t say whether it would be coming to the UK or not when we asked. We will keep you posted.

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Tags: Phones Mobile phones Acer Acer Allegro Windows Phone 7 Mango

Windows Phone Mango Acer Allegro launches in France with Fast Charge tech originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:08:00 +0100

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A Very Bieber Christmas

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by Mike Krumboltz

The event: The World Scrabble Championships.
The place: Warsaw, Poland.
The alleged crime: The theft of a “G” tile during a game.
The proposed solution: Strip-search the accused.
Seriously?: Yes, seriously.

We all know people who take the game of Scrabble a little too seriously. But even your ultra-competitive Aunt Frances has nothing on the maniacs who compete in the World Scrabble Championships.

The U.K.’s Independent reports that during a particularly heated contest, one player accused another of taking and hiding a “G” tile during their game. The accusing player demanded that the alleged cheater (Ed Martin of England) be taken into the bathroom and strip-searched for the missing tile.

Fortunately for all involved, cooler heads prevailed. The Independent writes, “the judges ruled in Mr. Martin’s favor, sparing him the indignity of a search and seeing a tight defeat turned into victory by a single buttock-clenching point.”

Tile-gate ultimately had nothing to do with the tournament’s ultimate champion. That honor (and a $20,000 prize) went to Nigel Richards of New Zealand. He helped secure his victory over the runner-up by playing the word “omnified.” He earned a whopping 95 points in the process. No “G” necessary.

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Clever fitness tech

The Adidas miCoach Speed Cell has just been announced as a standalone product; it is the brains behind the latest Adidas Adizero f50 football boot as tested by Pocket-lint back in September.

The Speed Cell allows you to measure your athletic performance (or lack of, as Pocket-lint found to our embarrassment) by recording your average speed, maximum speed, number of sprints, distance at high intensity levels, steps and stride during play.

It can store up to 7 hours of play and this information is transferred wirelessly to your PC or Mac using a supplied dongle. Your performance can then be analysed using the dedicated web-based software and also on the miCoach Soccer and miCoach Running apps that will go live on 1 December.

Already built into the new f50 boot as worn by some of football’s greatest players including Lionel Messi, Samir Nasri and Paul Lamkin, the Speed Cell will be compatible with “a full range of miCoach Speed Cell compatible footwear for basketball, football and tennis later this year and throughout 2012″.

“We are entering an exciting new stage of development for miCoach technology,” said Christian DiBenedetto, senior innovation director, Adidas Innovation Team (aIT).

“miCoach has cemented Adidas’ position as an innovator in the use of data in sport to make athletes faster and the introduction of miCoach Speed Cell further demonstrates our passion to help athlete’s continually enhance their performance.”

Out in the States on 1 December priced at $69.99, we’re in the process of confirming UK launch plans with our pals at Adidas – so be sure to check back for an update.

Tags: Adidas Adidas Adizero f50 Sports Fitness adidas miCoach

Adidas miCoach Speed Cell chips in for performance data originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:18:00 +0100

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Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried were side by side for the UK premiere of In Time today. Justin wore a sexy suit while Amanda wowed in bright blue shorts and a jacket from H&M. The costars are showing off the project overseas after it was released in the US on Friday. In Time came in third at the box office with Puss in Boots and Paranormal Activity 3 taking the top spots. Justin also promoted his big-screen effort in a recent interview with a British men’s magazine, though talk turned from acting to his love for the newest members of the royal family. Justin said in Esquire, “Us American males are big fans of Pippa. We like the Middletons very much. I’m going to sound like a sleazeball. I’m going to stop right there!”

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‘The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)’ debuted on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show Monday morning.
By Jocelyn Vena

Justin Bieber in the “Mistletoe” video
Photo: Island Def Jam

On November 1, Justin Bieber will take his fans Under the Mistletoe on his holiday album. But he’s giving them an early treat by releasing his Usher duet, “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” on Monday (October 24).

The song dropped on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show. Its vibe is reminiscent of ’90s R&B tracks, and it sounds a lot like it could have been recorded by Boyz II Men, who also appear on the album.

The Christmas classic is all about the little joys of the holiday season, including the family get-togethers, the food and Santa bringing presents to children. The song, one of the classics that appears on the album, hits iTunes on Monday. Bieber and Usher previously appeared together on “Somebody to Love” off My World 2.0.

“Justin and I did the classic record ‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.’ This record is going to be remembered for years to come,” Usher told Seacrest on Monday morning. “It’s a record that has always been one of my favorites, and I’m happy that I was able to share it with Justin, and for us to put it out. The album is full of surprises. Justin’s Under the Mistletoe is going to be incredible!”

In the lead-up to the release, Bieber released some behind-the-scenes footage of his mentor and him in the studio working on the song. He also shared that he had another surprise in store for his fans. Just one week after dropping the video for “Mistletoe,” he tweeted, “Up early to shoot another video for #UNDERTHEMISTLETOE #Nov1st but something else is out this morning….”

In addition to Usher, Under the Mistletoe will also feature appearances from the Band Perry, Busta Rhymes, Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey, who re-recorded her classic “All I Want for Christmas” for the album.

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Nominate your best digital camera of the year

November is nearly upon us which can mean only two things. And this isn’t an article about Bonfire Night. Yes, drop your fireworks and pick up your thinking caps, it’s time to start nominating for the 8th Pocket-lint Gadget Awards.

If you want to know exactly how to send in your suggestions then take a look over here but, while the lines are still open for the next couple of weeks, we’re going to be bringing you a few memory joggers each day for the categories one by one. Today, we start with the award for Best Digital Camera. This is how the 2011 field looks in the camera space.

DSLRs

The ever-dependable DSLR category is not going to be as straight forward to analyse as usual for 2011 with the arrival of Sony’s SLT translucent mirror system and its electronic viewfiender ways. The year has seen not one but two such cameras arrive in the shapes of the ?500 Sony Alpha SLT A35 and the more up market Sony Alpha SLT A77 – the latter a challenger for the more prosumer class. Both, as it happens, went down a treat with our boys in the labs.

Naturally, there are plenty of standard big snappers to choose from too but oddly it was just a one-camera-year for Nikon with the arrival of the mid-range Nikon D5100, whereas Canon impressed pretty much across the category with the starter Canon 1100D, the upper-middle Canon 600D and the very nearly pro Canon 60D as a replacement for the hugely popular 50D. Not an easy choice to make even just between those three.

Reminding us that there’s more to DSLR manufacturers than what now seems to be a Big Three, Pentax stuck not one but two big cameras on the shelves in this Pocket-lint Awards judging year ranging from December 2010 to December 2011. Narrowly missing the deadline for last year’s festivities are two K-mount cameras. The Pentax K-r is a happy enough device for the lower end user looking to continue to enjoy their collection of old school K-glass, but the prosumer Pentax K-5 is almost enough to make anyone switch no matter what lens ecosystem they’re already wrapped up in.

Finally, there’s also the one and only DSLR from the Olympus stables that, although launched in the autumn of 2010, didn’t actually make it to shopping baskets until right at the end of the year. The Four Thirds size sensor system may not be for everyone, but the successor to the E3 that is the Olympus E5 certainly deserves a mention, and maybe even your vote.

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Mirrorless

Getting slightly smaller now, the mirrorless interchangenable lens market has boomed in 2011 not least of all with the arrival of one of the big guns on the scene as Nikon launched the Nikon 1 system with the Nikon 1 J1 and Nikon 1 V1 cameras. They might not have received the critical response that many would have expected from this giant of photography but that’s not to say that the entire category has been a disappointment; not by a long shot.

As first to market with their shared Micro Four Thirds system both Panasonic and Olympus have continued to pretty much define the genre with additions to all branches of their mirrorless camera families. The Pens have seen the arrival of the more modestly priced Olympus Pen E-PL2, as an alternative to the high end compact, and the launch of the Olympus Pen E-P3 which comes in at a more wallet-sapping ?800 for those that just can’t resist a little top end AF action. Both made our reviewers very happy indeed.

Partner in mirrorless crime Panasonic has been even busier in 2011 with refreshes to each of its Micro Four Thirds arms – even twice over in one case. The Panasonic G3 turned up to spring clean the original G1 camera line of things with a solid, middle of the road device, only this time, of course, a little smaller and a little lighter. If you’re happy to strip things down even further – both in features as well as size – then you’ll have been pleased to note both a Panasonic GF2 and its successor the Panasonic GF3 have turned up in the last 12 months. They might not have swept us all off our feet but each has been a damned fine machine in its own right.

For pure performance though, we have to include the Panasonic GH2. It might not be quite the compact kit that you’re after from a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera but that’s probably because it shoots more like an APS-C sized sensor DSLR anyway.

Relative new comers to this gang have been surprisingly understated in 2011. While Sony has launched plenty of NEX cameras, only one has turned up so far and it wasn’t as great as it could have been. As soon as the NEX-7 and 5N arrive though, doubtless, that story will change. In the mean time, it’s only really Samsung that’s impressed outside the more established figures with the very reasonably priced APS-C sensor camera that is the Samsung NX11.

Finally, possibly one of the biggest stars of the 2011 mirrorless gang has to be the old school looks and Leica-like likeness of Fujifilm’s first foray into this field – the Fujifilm X100. At a fifth of the cost of a body-only Lecia M9, it brings you more than that fraction of the style and performance as well. Sure to turn up under a few Christmas trees this year.

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Compacts

As ever, the compact class of the Best Digital Camera category is a closely packed bunch – largely because there’s always tonnes of them released each year. At perhaps the more interesting end of them have been new additions to the high end but small size class; the same type as the hugely popular Canon S95 and Panasonic LX5 cameras from 2010.

The Olympus XZ-1 turned up to weighty acclaim to occupy this space and the Nikon P300 – although not quite as highly positioned – has done a decent job in the same area as well. If it’s true high end that you’re after in a compact camera, then the Nikon P7100 is as compact as Nikon will allow you to go this time around.

Of course high end can come in huge form factors that really push the boundary of what can be considered compact at all. These creatures are the superzooms and they’ve proved more popular than ever in 2011. The standouts for us have to be the Nikon P500, Canon PowerShot SX40 HS, Fujifilm FinePix HS20 and the Sony Cyber-shot HX100V respectively offering 36x, 35x, 30x and 30x zoom but we were really pleased to see something in this area for those on a budget in the shape of the Fujifilm Finepix S2800HD with 18x zoom power for a ?150 price tag. If you’re off on safari, you’d do very well to take along one of those.

For those looking for a more sedate version of power that actually fits in your pocket, there’s been some very decent middle ground devices launched this year. The Sony Cyber-Shot HX9V brings quick focus, great burst speeds and 16x zoom as indeed do the likes of the Canon PowerShot SX200 HS,?Fujifilm FinePix F550 EXR,?Nikon Coolpix S9100?and Casio Exlim EX-H20G?if at slightly different 14x, 15x, 18x and 10x zoom rates respectively.

Being double hard is sometimes more important than how far away you can take photographs from, however, and, although there are plenty of contenders in this department, there was only one that we’d really recommend that came out in 2011, but whether you think the Panasonic Lumix FT3 is worthy of a nomination is your call.

Sometimes, of course, it’s all about cash and there’s been plenty of superb value compacts to choose from this year. Canon has presented three good options tailored neatly by fiscal needs with an even spread between the Ixus cameras. The Ixus 115 HS is where it begins at around ?150, moving to the 220 HS in the middle at about ?170 and up to the Ixus 310 HS at a still quite affordable for all ?250.

Nikon’s worthy candidate in this area is the Nikon Coolpix S5100 with just ?179 required for 720p video recording through an f/2.7 lens. Up a notch at ?250 is the Panasonic Lumix FX700 with Full HD video and a touchscreen display but, for some serious bang for your buck, it has to be the credit card look Fujifilm FinePix Z900EXR – one of the best point and clicks in the business.

?

Smartphones

The most compact cameras of all, of course, are the ones that are in our pockets all the time. Smartphones will never compete with the dedicated devices when it comes to sheer quality but combine some of the top models with the convenience they offer and we could certainly see a mobile scooping the prize one year. Now, that year may not be this year or in fact it might.

The one’s we’d certainly recommend you consider would be the likes of the iPhone 4S with its improved glassware and image sensor, the Sony Ericsson Arc S and the Nokia N8.

?

Camcorders

Last of all to consider for your nominations for Best Digital Camera 2011 are the camcorders, both pocket and full size. At the smaller size there’s the waterproof Kodak PlaySport, Sony Bloggie Touch and the very last in the line from Flip Video in the shape of the Flip UltraHD all to consider.

For the more dedicated videographer, Panasonic remains as serious as ever with the Panasonic HDC-SD90 and HDC-SD900. Both offer 3D video recording on top of stunning feature sets but it’s the latter you’re after if you want to get that extra dimension with any real class.?If you’re happy to spend the same cash and trade the 3D for a touch more video quality, though, Canon’s Legria HF M41 is where to head in 2011.

Last of all, for the extremists amongst you, we’re also rather fond of the pistol-grip Sanyo Xacti VPC-CA100 putting in a good turn as ever for the low end video area and the ?1,600 JVC Everio GS-TD1 for all the bells and whistles you could need.?Happy shootin’ y’all.

Related links:

• News – 8th Pocket-lint Gadget Awards: Nominate your favourite gadget
• News – 8th Pocket-lint Gadget Awards: How the voting works

Tags: Cameras Pocket-lint awards 2011 Canon Nikon Fujifilm Casio Samsung Sony Olympus Panasonic Features

Best Digital Camera 2011: 8th Pocket-lint Awards contenders originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:47:16 +0000

Gordon Ramsay Gwyneth Paltrow Halle Berry Harrison Ford Hayd Christensen Hayden Panettiere

Welcome to our first Buzz Out Loud Weekly, which is, ironically, our third show this week! It’s a stair-step approach, really. We’re recapping and analyzing Amazon’s Kindle conflagration, wondering what the new iPhone 5 will look like and whether hidden retail skus do indeed point to a cheaper model, and pondering where to get free coffee on this, National Coffee Day. Plus, your calls and letters — keep them coming!

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EPISODE 1560

NEWS

Amazon Fire coverage here:

Amazon announces Kindle Fire, 3 new Kindle readers
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20112844-93/kindle-fire-leads-amazon-onslaught-roundup/

Successful, but not an iPad killer?
http://www.loopinsight.com/2011/09/28/kindle-fire-will-be-successful-but-its-not-an-ipad-killer/

Or, iPad killer because of the price
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31322_3-20112807-256/kindle-fire-an-ipad-killer-yes-its-the-price-stupid/

Amazon Silk browser powers Kindle Fire with EC2
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Amazon-Silk-Browser-Powers-Kindle-Fire-with-EC2-847564/

Amazon Kindle Fire’s Silk browser sounds privacy alarm bells
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/09/28/amazon-kindle-fires-silk-browser-sounds-privacy-alarm-bells/

Amazon Tops 1 Million Kindle Books In Just Four Years
http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/28/amazon-tops-1-million-kindle-books-in-just-four-years/

Apple Announces October 4 Event: Let’s Talk iPhone
http://allthingsd.com/20110927/apple-announces-oct-4-event-lets-talk-iphone/

New iPhone 4 and iPod touch appear in Apple’s inventory system
http://9to5mac.com/2011/09/28/new-iphone-4-and-ipod-touch-appear-in-apples-inventory-system/

Is the iPod Classic being retired?
http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2011/0928/Is-the-iPod-Classic-being-retired

National Coffee Day Freebies (Today Only)
http://hip2save.com/2011/09/national-coffee-day-freebies-today-only.html

Samsung signs Microsoft patent licensing deal to cover Android devices
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/microsoft/samsung-signs-microsoft-patent-licensing-deal-to-cover-android-devices/10840

Microsoft cements position as Android’s patent toll collector
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/microsoft-cements-position-as-androids-patent-toll-collector/59114

Google On Microsoft’s Android Patent Tactics: It’s Extortion
http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/28/microsoft-samsung-extortion-google/

Spotify users steamed over Facebook requirement
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-20111974-93/spotify-users-steamed-over-facebook-requirement/

After Backlash, Spotify Adds Facebook ‘Private Listening’ Mode
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2393808,00.asp

Hate Facebook’s Ticker? Try This Chrome Extension
http://www.allfacebook.com/remove-facebook-ticker-2011-09

Facebook iPad App Still Snagged in Negotiations http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/facebook-ipad-app-caught-up-in-apple-negotiations

Facebook’s iPad App Developer Quits As App Remains In Limbo
http://paidcontent.org/article/419-facebooks-ipad-app-developer-quits-as-app-remains-in-limbo/

Quick Hits

Windows Phone 7.5 Mango released
http://www.cnet.com/8301-17918_1-20111040-85/windows-phone-7.5-mango-review-up-to-speed

US applies brakes to Google/Motorola Mobility deal
http://www.pcworld.com/article/240807/us_applies_brakes_to_googlemotorola.html

Amazon to relaunch California Associate Accounts
http://markshangout.com/blog/2011/9/26/amazon-to-relaunch-california-associate-accounts.html

Science

Space Radiation Expected to Rise for Airline Passengers and Astronauts
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/09/28/space-radiation-expected-to-rise-for-airline-passengers-and-astronauts/

Huge sun storm was supposed to super-charge northern lights
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44678517/ns/technology_and_science-space/

VOICEMAIL

Sam in Salt Lake City thinks that Amazon is a genius

Someone is excited about the Mango Phone

Gino Loves the show and he loves Pizza

EMAILS

I came home from work on Wednesday evening and thought “”What shall I do?””. Normally I would have listened to the Tuesday Buzz out Loud pocast. I thought to myself “”All that I can do is go to CNET.COM and download the 404 podcast””.

To my suprise I discovered that there was a Buzz out Loud Podcast after all. It is reassuring to know that Buzz out Loud is going carry on being produced daily after all. Even better the podcast has grown to be an hour and a quarter long.

I also listened to the Monday 404 podcast and was pleased that it now has more tech news content and that there was no adult humour.

Well done.
Paul

—–

Dear Buzz Crew,

With the introduction of the Kindle Fire, Amazon has turned itself into a commercial data mining corporation the likes of which we’ve never quite seen before. Amazon will not only control the online retail platform you buy your goods on, but also the hardware and browser you buy it with. A browser that depends on Amazon servers to do the heavy lifting. Unlike Google or Facebook, Amazon will control all of it.

On another note, does the price structure for the new Kindles mean that Amazon will be selling them at a loss? If so, won’t that be considered anti-competitive conduct that violates U.S. anti-trust laws?

Thanks,
Chris

—–

Barnes & Noble sell Manufacturer Refurbished Nook Colors for $180 on eBay with Free Shipping. Beat that Amazon! (and yes it’s really B&N selling them on eBay) Combine that unbeatable price with a Root and you have the most affordable (yet not cheaply built) tablet on the market.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOOK-Color-Barnes-Noble-Wi-Fi-eReader-/120758870326?pt=PDA_s_Pocket_PC_s&hash=item1c1dca2136
Your faithful listener,
-Jordan P.

—–

Hi Guys,

You were discussing e-readers needing a book smell on Wednesday during your Kindle Fire show. I decided to go looking for such a product and lo and behold:
http://www.myshelfconfessions.com/posts/perfume-that-smells-like-books-paper-yes/
Love the show. Good luck with the new schedule.

—–

Dear BOL crew,
in the bonus episode (1559) you had a caller call in saying that the discovery of faster than light neutrinos would allow for warp drive. But I have to respectfully disagree.
the reason warp drive works is that if you have a massive power source and the ability to manipulate gravity, you could WARP space in such a way as to compress the space in front of you and expand the space behind you. By doing this, your space ship could have a (relatively) slow forward velocity, and not violate Einstein’s law about traveling beyond the speed of light, while still covering great distances. And just as importantly, not be subject to the time dilating effects of traveling near the speed of light. (You know, where the traveler only ages a few weeks or months but returns to earth to find that 50 years have passed.)

in effect, warp drive works by Cheating! on the space ship (and to Einstein) you would feel like you’re barely moving, its just that the objects in front of you become closer than they once appeared.

Szientific

PS. I’m not a physicist, but i did read “”the physics of star trek””. A quick read, but very interesting.

—–

http://bol.cnet.com, 800-616-2638 (CNET), buzz@cnet.com

Follow us on Twitter: @mollywood @brian_tong @stephenbeacham

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Jack of all trades Donald Glover is really making this rap thing happen, people. After his first EP became an internet favorite, Glover — known by his stage name Childish Gambino — is releasing his debut album Camp, and we’ve got the video premiere for “Bonfire.”
While the self-reflective lyrics and clever-as-f— rhymes make us want [...]

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Credit: Getty Images

For the last few months JoJo has been wooing fans with her generosity while out promoting her upcoming album. Girl’s given them behind-the-scenes road diaries, tastes of new tracks, and just recently, a free concert at the Hard Rock Cafe in Detroit where she bestowed the ULTIMATE freebie: a mind-blowing acoustic version of [...]

Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne Barack Obama Barry Pepper Ben Affleck Ben Fogle

And Galaxy Note, Tab 10.1, 8.9, 7 and 7.7

If you’ve got yourself a Samsung Galaxy S II and you just can’t wait to get Android 4.0 up and running on your smartphone, then we’ve got some bad news – you’re going to have to.

Wait, that is. For the good news is that Samsung Italy has confirmed that the update is coming – but possibly not until Q2 2012.

Ice Cream Sandwich will also hit other high end Sammy devices including the Galaxy Note, the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Galaxy Tab 8.9, the Galaxy Tab 7.7 and the Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus around the same time.

If the wait frustrates you then take comfort in the fact that at least you’re definitely getting it – older Samsung phone owners are yet to hear if their devices will have the minerals required for Google’s latest mobile OS.

Hugo Barra, product management director of Android stated earlier this week that there were plans to get Nexus S running Android 4.0 shortly after the release of the Galaxy Nexus device but that the original Google branded Nexus One is just too old to come to the party – it may be that the Samsung Galaxy S suffers the same fate.

Read

Tags: Phones Android Ice Cream Sandwich Samsung Samsung Galaxy S II Samsung Galaxy Tab 10-1 Samsung Galaxy Tab 7-7 Samsung Galaxy Note Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 Samsung Galaxy Tab 8-9

Android Ice Cream Sandwich for Samsung Galaxy S II in Q2 2012 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:54:54 +0100

Barry Pepper Ben Affleck Ben Fogle Ben Shephard Beyonce Knowles Beyonce Knowles

Filed under: Kris Humphries, Kim Kardashian, Celebrity Divorce, TMZ Sports, The Kardashians

Kim Kardashian still insists she was in it for the long haul with Kris Humphries before filing for divorce — claiming, “I had hoped this marriage was forever.”

Kim just released a statement on the split — saying, “After careful consideration, I have decided to end my marriage. I hope everyone understands this was not an easy decision.”

Kim adds, “I had hoped this marriage was forever, but sometimes things don’t work out as planned. We remain friends and wish each other the best.”

12:10 PM: Khloe just released her own statement on Twitter, claiming the family has been getting hate mail after news broke of Kim’s divorce … writing, “Reading some these comments r so hurtful. Im grateful 4our fans who understand & r being respectful. Hate is disgusting. Love is everything.”

Khloe adds, “Thank God for family. We are strong and we will only become closer! I love YOU.”

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