14th January 2008 Archive

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Creative Zen aux output quality glitch?

Q&A

My wife got me an 8MB Creative Zen - reviewed here - for Christmas and I am very pleased with its performance through my headphones. However, when I connect it to the AUX input of my hi-fi, the sound quality is no match for the same music played from the CD player. The level is much less and needs higher volume adjustment for …

Q&A 14 Jan 09:02
Intel pitches low-cost PC platform at Eee PC rivals

'Shelton' not just a desktop platform

Expect a flood of Eee PC-style cheapo mini laptops in Q3 when Intel sends out its 45nm 'Diamondville' processor to computer makers. Diamondville plugs into 'Shelton', The chip giant's low-cost PC platform. We first reported on Shelton and Diamondville back in November 2007, and then the emphasis was firmly on ultra-compact …

PCs 14 Jan 10:47
Sony beefs up bottom-end Alpha DSLR

Alpha 200 created

Sony has taken the wraps off the successor to its Alpha 100 (a100) digital SLR camera, predictably dubbed the Alpha 200 (a200). Sony's Alpha 200: an 18-70mm lens is included At first sight, the a200 doesn’t represent a massive improvement over the a100, which launched back in 2006. The a200 has the same 10.2-megapixel …

Cameras 14 Jan 10:54
Sony, Nintendo sued in console controller patent clash

Up to a point, Lord Copper

A US company has filed a lawsuits against both Nintendo and Sony, alleging that the controllers that go with the companies’ games consoles trample over its intellectual property rights for console to controller connection. The dispute was filed at the US District Court for Western Pennsylvania late December 2007 by Copper …

Consoles 14 Jan 11:17
Nokia N95 8GB smartphone

Review Hardcore handset that has the whole package

Nokia has boosted the spec of one of its most popular smartphones, bolting in 8GB of Flash memory and refining key features. So is the latest version of the N95 a refreshing update for Nokia’s flagship multimedia, GPS-toting mobile? Nokia's N95 8GB: stacks more memory Unlike most upgrades, where cosmetic tweaks give a long- …

Phones 14 Jan 12:01
USB Missile Launcher gets integrated spyscope webcam

Drawing a bead

That hugely popular office time-waster, the USB Missile Launcher, has been upgraded again, this time with an integrated webcam and the ability to be targeted using Microsoft's MSN instant messaging app. MSN Missile Launcher: webcam targeting engaged You can see the thinking behind it: build on a camera and users can watch …

Gadgets and Gizmos 14 Jan 12:40
Sony tells LCD TV consumers to get a grip

Pick-up a TV today

Sony has unveiled an additional series of Bravia LCD TVs, this time boasting a cutting-edge portability accessory: a carry handle. Sony's Bravia B4000: now with a carry handle, apparently The Bravia B4000 series comes in 20in, 23in and 26in versions, and, in Sony’s words, features a “convenient handgrip” at the back to make …

HD 14 Jan 12:48
LG's Prada phone goes silver

A new face for the new year

LG is hoping to boost demand for its Prada-brand KE850 handset by announcing a silver-skinned, upgraded model. LG's Prada: now in silver Aside from the overhaul to the phone's faceplate, LG has also added a virtual Qwerty keyboard alongside the standard phone key layout offered by the previous model - reviewed here. This …

Phones 14 Jan 13:06
CES on Video MS demos smart-cam phone software

Microsoft shows off software that makes use of a mobile's camera to recognise the world around you and automatically call up relevent information. Who said cameraphones were only for photography? Can't see the video? Download Flash Player from Adobe.com CES 2008 on Video Microsoft demos Surface multi-touch user interface …

Phones 14 Jan 13:20
Wave goodbye to sweaty 'laptop thighs'

A laptop carry case that's also a fan, sort of

Heat generated by laptops can be quite welcome if you’re working with one on your laptop in a cold room. But if you’d rather save your legs from any dissipated heat then there’s now a carry case that claims to do just that. LapGard: a solution for sweaty on-the-go workers? The LapGard’s manufacturer claims its carry case- …

Gadgets and Gizmos 14 Jan 15:46
Solwise extends powerline with pass-through mains option

Solwise has rolled out a pass-through powerline ethernet adaptor which allows you to network through the mains without losing power sockets. The NET-PL-200AV-PIGGY, as it's called, provides the same "SimpleConnect" push-button security configuration that Solwise's regular 200Mb/s HomePlug AV-based powerline units offer. …

Networking and Wireless 14 Jan 16:02
Apple tells iPhone vendors not to reveal sales figures

Updated When I say jump, you ask how high

UK carrier O2 has confirmed that Apple has placed it under a gagging order to prevent it from publicly revealing how many iPhone handsets it’s sold to date. The company’s head of media relations, Simon Lloyd, told Register Hardware that it’s a stipulation within the company's sales agreement with Apple that O2 can’t release …

Phones 14 Jan 16:14
Drobo storage box gets NAS add-on

'Infinitely expandable' capacity now on the network

Data Robotics' Drobo may have a daft name, but it's a clever take on expandable external storage. And today, it became a NAS box too, courtesy of a clip-on network adaptor. Data Robotics' Drobo: expandable storage Drobo is a four-drive storage unit that allows you to plug in any SATA HDDs you've got hanging around and have …

Storage 14 Jan 16:55
Steve Jobs' Macworld Expo spiel spied on web?

Real or fake - read the outline then decide...

Steve Jobs' Macworld Expo keynote has been leaked. Well, sort of, and assuming it's not Fake Steve Jobs' Fake Macworld Expo Fake Keynote, of course. Here's the transcript - you decide... There's certainly no reference to the anticipated MacBook Air - though skinny, metal consumer MacBooks are listed. The already announced Mac …

Mac 14 Jan 17:32