Electricpig.co.uk - tech news fast! |
- BlackBerry Torch review: UK edition
- BlackBerry Torch vs Alcatel OT-980: Spot the difference!
- BlackBerry Torch 9800 unboxed: photos
- Spotify hits Pure Sensia, courtesy of Electricpig reader!
- PlayStation Move is out tomorrow: Everything you need to know
- Project Canvas YouView box will not have a web browser
- Will the Project Canvas YouView box convince me to get a TV again?
- Twitter auction TwitChange lets you buy celebrity friendship
- Left 4 Dead for Mac arriving October 5
- The Social Network: 10 things the augmented trailer can tell you about Facebook
| BlackBerry Torch review: UK edition Posted: 16 Sep 2010 04:01 PM PDT  The BlackBerry Torch 9800 has a huge deal riding on it. RIM’s doing just fine in sales, but the persistent slagging off it gets in the press for its attempts – or lack there of – at creating a stylish smartphone that’s consumer friendly and on a par with the Androids and iPhones of this world mean it’s time for a shift in gear. Touchscreen QWERTY sliding phones are still a rarity, and the moniker change for BlackBerry 6 is part of RIM’s plan to grab back some of that elusive mindshare. RIM co-CEO Jim Ballsie even says the software is a “quantum leap” beyond the competition. Is it? We nabbed one of the first BlackBerry Torch 9800 UK models to find out. See for yourself in our great big British BlackBerry Torch review right here. Read the rest of our BlackBerry Torch 9800 coverage We can’t give a one size fits all answer as to whether you should buy the BlackBerry Torch 9800 – that depends on whether you’ve ever tasted the glory, the speed of a top end smartphone running iOS, Android, or hell, even webOS. If you have, there’s nothing here that will tempt you back. But if you adore RIM’s keyboards, push email and need a ‘Berry to get on your corporate network, there’s just enough here to satisfy you and merit the price. That’s both RIM’s huge one up over rivals, and its undoing at the same time. This audience it relies on for loving its familiarity is a crutch.
We can however refute Ballsie’s proclamation: BlackBerry 6 on the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is not a quantum leap over anything or any rival. Nor for that matter is the hardware, which is a disappointment after the delightful design of the BlackBerry Bold 9700. We suppose it’s some consolation that the QWERTY keyboard on the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is still the best in the business. You can race through emails on it like handsets on no other platform. Nothing else comes close, except other BlackBerrys. But it’s just not a lustworthy look overall: the chrome finish and ugly curves seem to hark back to RIM’s chunky ‘Berries of circa 2006, and we have no idea what the ribbed condom effect of the back casing is about. The buttons below the screen suffer from the same problem as those on the original 2008 Storm: they’re bloody hard to push down. And the camera? It’s a five megapixel number, but the pixels aren’t pulling their weight: check out the thoroughly ordinary quality of the (SD) video recording below: We could go on, and in fact we will, in an upcoming BlackBerry Torch review: Build section, but we’ll voice our biggest complaint with the whole package now: the screen.
The 3.2-inch capacitive screen on the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is responsive, and the onscreen QWERTY keyboard is surprisingly usable. But the 480×360 resolution is a bitter blast from the past: it’s the same as the 2008 BlackBerry Storm, or 2007 original iPhone. This isn’t nitpicking, and it’s not that we’ve been spoiled by glorious display on phones from Apple, Samsung and HTC. It’s genuinely aggravating to be able to see the pixels, and it’s a particular problem on a phone where reading email is such a prime feature. If this BlackPad is real, we really hope RIM ups the resolution or it won’t be able to market it as an e-reader, that’s for sure. We shouldn’t have to put up with this now, and we don’t have to. BlackBerry 6
As RIM has promised, the BlackBerry 6 browser is completely overhauled. After years of complaining about it come every BlackBerry review, we can now finally say that it doesn’t give us a migraine. It loads pages at a clip, pinch to zoom works, and the tabbed browsing (Yes, actual tabs – welcome to 2007, RIM) pane is very smooth for cycling through various pages. It’s by no means a benchmark browser in real terms: embedded videos, even YouTube clips, leave big ol’ blank spaces on a page. Why no option to see HTML5 YouTube videos? But it works – and it’s enough to give hope that the likes of Google will bear it in mind for future mobile support. The Universal Search feature meanwhile works does a great job of pulling up relevant info quickly, while simultaneously giving you the option to search Google, YouTube, Google Local Search or the App World straight from the homescreen. Only Palm’s webOS phones do this better, and it’s one of the real highlights of BlackBerry 6 on the BlackBerry Torch 9800.
Unfortunately, touches like this, along with integrated podcasts support in an otherwise unchanged but reasonable media player, make the strange UI in touchscreen BlackBerry 6 all the more odd. It’s puzzling being able to navigate with the touchscreen or the trackpad, and even weirder when a long press of the screen brings up a different context menu in certain apps. Sometimes. We’re relieved to report though that BlackBerry app support on BlackBerry 6 doesn’t appear to be a problem at all as it was a month ago at US launch – all important Google apps like Sync and Maps run just fine (though no pinch to zoom, sniff), while the other apps we use regularly such as Tube Buddy and PayPal are up to the task too.
The official Facebook and Twitter apps come preloaded on the BlackBerry Torch, by the way: updates from both also appear in the rather excellent Social Feeds app which shows everything from Facebook and Twitter, along with various popular chat clients (BBM, Google Talk, AIM, MSN), and doesn’t get bogged down from Twitter spam overload as other phones do when attempting to sync in the background. But you can see the relics that RIM’s refused to let go of in BlackBerry 6, and their presence is more glaring than ever now. BlackBerry Maps is impossibly awful: we struggle to understand how RIM has managed to make something so slow and unhelpful (The GPS works just fine with Google Maps, but BlackBerry’s own app insists our location is unknown still).
BlackBerry Messenger, though wildly popular, looks like Sarah Jessica Parker on a bad day without the make up, and the preloaded games are STILL BrickBreaker and Word Mole. We’re not expecting Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars, but it’d be nice to see some glimmer of potential for an Angry Birds-esque sensation on the platform. And most noticeably, that bloomin’ whirring clock is still around, choking your phone should you open one too many programs at the same time, or just click innocently on a link. RIM was strangely proud of the 624MHz CPU powering the BlackBerry Torch 9800 at launch: we’re not sure why. All in all, we’re actually left looking forward to BlackBerry 6 updates rolling out on current BlackBerry smartphones, rather than pleased with the BlackBerry Torch itself. It says a lot that we came away feeling more a sense of relief that the BlackBerry Torch 9800 is an adequate smartphone, rather than one of revelation at a glorious one. Three stars isn’t a bad score. The BlackBerry Torch 9800 isn’t a bad phone. Far from it. We just think a good reason is required for you to go with it over all the other incredible options out there now. The keyboard’s one, sure. The best unified inbox on any mobile is another. And you know that battery life isn’t an issue. But we’re running out of reasons now, and they’re starting to feel like excuses instead. Is there another gear change left in you, RIM? Read the rest of our BlackBerry Torch 9800 coverage Related posts:
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| BlackBerry Torch vs Alcatel OT-980: Spot the difference! Posted: 16 Sep 2010 04:00 PM PDT  We couldn’t pass up on an opportunity to slap the BlackBerry Torch 9800 against Alcatel’s stirling £99 Android effort: how often do you see one portrait slider smartphone, let alone two? One’s got great email, Google Maps and support for tabbed browsing. The other costs £480 off contract. Oh snap! We jest: check out our full BlackBerry Torch review for the full skinny and enjoy this rare meeting in our gallery here. Related posts:
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| BlackBerry Torch 9800 unboxed: photos Posted: 16 Sep 2010 03:59 PM PDT  The BlackBerry Torch 9800 is already out in the US, but the QWERTY sliding revamped smartphone still isn’t quite on sale here in United Kingdom of GB just yet. That doesn’t stop us though: here’s our own BlackBerry Torch 9800 coming out of its (weirdly ribbed) box, right now!
Read our full BlackBerry Torch review Say what you will about RIM’s approach to smartphone innovation, you can’t fault its boxes for stylish presentation. This carton screams luxury, and we were surprised to find an extra dock for the BlackBerry Torch 9800, which in turn plugs into a USB socket. It’s not quite a Palm Touchstone, but it could potentially turn the BlackBerry Torch 9800 into a nice alarm clock charger for you. But this isn’t what we’re all here for really: is the BlackBerry Torch 9800 itself any good? Well, see for yourself: we’ve got a freshly baked full BlackBerry Torch 9800 review for you right now, just out of the oven! Out TBC | £TBC | BlackBerry Related posts:
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| Spotify hits Pure Sensia, courtesy of Electricpig reader! Posted: 16 Sep 2010 10:01 AM PDT 
Geoff told us of his set up through our Facebook page, before jotting down step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow. The idea is simple: take Spotify's audio output and divert it to an MP3 stream, then use Pure's custom tools to tune your internet tuner into Spotify's sounds. Hey presto, you've got Spotify streaming, and it even works with free Spotify accounts. The tools are pretty straight forward, and we've included Geoff's instructions below. Let us know how you get on! Over to Geoff! 1. Close Spotify (right click on the tray icon and select Exit). 2. Find your Spotify folder (where spotify.exe is). It is usually under C:/Program Files/ Spotify/. 3. Download DSBridge, which will turn Spotify's output into an MP3 stream, and put the files “DSound.dll” and “dsbridge.ini” into your Spotify folder.
4. Download “lame_enc.dll”, making sure you get version 3.98.2. This will encode the audio into MP3 file format, and add meta data correctly. Put the file “lame_enc.dll” in your Spotify folder, and the Macromed/Flash folder, as above. 5. Lastly, copy all three files into the "Program Files/PURE Flow Server" folder on your hard drive too. 6. Start Spotify and play a song. You will notice a new tray icon, a round coloured ball, showing the broadcast is working.
8. Head to thelounge.com, click on ‘My Favourite Stations’ then click on the ‘Add Custom Station’ button. Here you can then enter the details of your custom stream and save it where you want. It's easiest to use the default folder 'My Sensia'. 9. Name the added station ‘Spotify’ or whatever you'd like to appear on your radio. The URL should be your own PC's IP adderss, followed by a colon and 8124 to tune it into the correct port. For example: http://192.168.15.110:8124 – using your own machine IP address, of course. Also, make sure that there is no final forward slash. To find the IP address of your PC, click ‘Start and type ‘cmd’ into the search bar and press Enter.
Hey presto, you should now be able to tune your radio into the song playing through Spotify. Let us know how you get on in the comments below. Thanks to Geoff, and credit to m0aur for the original streaming instructions, tweaked by Geoff to account for a Flash update. Related posts:
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| PlayStation Move is out tomorrow: Everything you need to know Posted: 16 Sep 2010 09:03 AM PDT  The PlayStation Move has been a long time coming: we’ve been tracking it since its first reveal way back in June 2009. But now the super sensitive motion controller for the PS3 is almost upon us: it goes on sale tomorrow in fact. So should you buy it?
Check out our Top 5 Best PS3 accessories here In case you’ve somehow missed all the hype, the PlayStation Move controller is Sony’s bid to capture the huge new gaming market Nintendo has tapped with its Wii motion controls. The difference is, it’s vastly more accurate, charting every wave of the wand with eery precision – but it needs an extra camera and doesn’t come bundled with every version of the PS3 by default. Read our PlayStation Move review now! If you’ve read our PlayStation Move review, you’ll know that we were taken by the tech itself, which works seamlessly, but that the launch games (Sports Champions, Kung Fu Rider and Start The Party) are a tad disappointing. We’re hoping addictive titles like Flight Control for PlayStation Move, and an update for the immersive Heavy Rain will soon change that, and we’ll be bringing reviews of both as soon as we can. But regardless, it’s still worthy of top spot in our Top 5 Best PS3 accessories list. You can check out all our essential PlayStation Move coverage below: let us know if you’ll be queuing up at midnight for it! Read our full PlayStation Move review Sony PS3 Motion Control unveiled at E3 2009 Out Tomorrow | £From 29.99 | Sony Related posts:
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| Project Canvas YouView box will not have a web browser Posted: 16 Sep 2010 07:38 AM PDT 
[via PaidContentUK] Related posts:
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| Will the Project Canvas YouView box convince me to get a TV again? Posted: 16 Sep 2010 07:10 AM PDT 
 But today YouView has popped up, the progeny of Project Canvas, and I'm thinking about getting a TV License already. It's not that there's much that's new or revolutionary in YouView, at least that we know about yet, but for the price of a license fee and a box everything can be grouped together in one place, with the extra controls over live TV that aren't available with Freeview, plus the prospect of being able to watch the next Mad Men seven days in advance. These extra controls over on demand and live TV that YouView brings will appeal to the majority of us who multitask – who cook while watching, have kids, or just want to get up and make another brew – and also those of us who aren't so good at making sure we're in at 10pm on a Wednesday night to watch Don Draper be mean to people. YouView is expected around the first half of 2011, when it's likely that there'll be a clutch of other pay-TV and on demand additions. The important thing for me though, is the fact that it's not another monthly contract, and it's all in one place. Just like we want our handsets to become multi-function devices that are our mobile media devices, MP3 players, phones, handheld consoles and more, we increasingly want our TVs to do the same, and while that's already possible in lots of ways, YouView can push it forward further into the reach of the average consumer. What do you think about the YouView service? Are you itching for it to be available, or does your current service offer something better? Drop us a line in the comments! Related posts:
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| Twitter auction TwitChange lets you buy celebrity friendship Posted: 16 Sep 2010 06:30 AM PDT 
The TwitChange Twitter auction gives you the chance to bid to be followed by your favourite celebrity, retweeted and mentioned by them in a special tweet. It kicked off yesterday on eBay and bids are already racking up. Bidding in the TwitChange auction for the privilege of having pop irritant Justin Bieber follow you for 90 days, retweet one of your messages and send a tweet including your Twitter name currently stands at nearly $2500. For folk aching for the Twitter love of a British celeb through the TwitChange auction, bastions of the UK Twitterati including Stephen Fry and Emma Kennedy are on the list. Bids for a retweet, mention and follow from Fry or Kennedy both stand at over $500 right now. If you're not fussed about paying for the friendship of the famous, you can also donate to aHomeInHaiti through the site without battling for a celeb attention. Proceeds from the TwitChange auction are going to the rebuilding of the Miriam Centre, a facility for children with cerebral palsy, autism and other serious life challenges in Haiti. This may be the most worthy harnessing of Twitter narcissism we've ever seen. But if you're tempted to bid for Bieber, take a good hard look at yourself and just send the cash instead. Out now | £Up to you | TwitChange Related posts:
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| Left 4 Dead for Mac arriving October 5 Posted: 16 Sep 2010 06:00 AM PDT 
Previewing the latest bit of Left 4 Dead DLC, The Sacrifice, Valve lists the platforms it'll be available for when it arrives on October 5. And lo and behold, along with PC and Xbox 360, Mac is included in the mix. If the Left 4 Dead DLC is coming to Mac that suggests the Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2 for Mac will arrive then too. If you're planning on grabbing The Sacrifice Left 4 Dead DLC, Valve has also put out a web comic tie-in to go with it. Warning: reading it first will probably spoil the game for you. If Left 4 Dead for Mac does arrive on October 5 it'll be the last of Valve's big franchises to find it's way into the hands of Apple fans. When Portal 2 arrives next year, it'll be the first title to drop on Mac and PC at the same time. Are you itching to play Left 4 Dead for Mac? Stagger into the comments and let us know. Due October 5 | £TBC | Valve (via MacWorld) Related posts:
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| The Social Network: 10 things the augmented trailer can tell you about Facebook Posted: 16 Sep 2010 05:54 AM PDT 
1. Director of The Social Network, David Fincher, likes to "knock the acting" out of his actors, meaning he starts shooting a scene at sundown, and it won't finish until after midnight, and can go for up to 100 takes. 2. Jesse Eisenberg, who plays Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, has a cousin who works for Facebook. 3. In 2006, Chris Putnam hacked Facebook and made thousands of profiles look like MySpace profiles. Zuckerberg's reaction? Hire him. 4. It was Sean Parker's (played by Justin Timberlake in The Social Network) idea to drop 'The' from The Facebook's original name, and call it Facebook instead. 5. Steve Chen, the founder of YouTube, worked at Facebook for a short time before creating YouTube. 6. Aaron Sorkin said yes to the film rights to the Accidental Billionaires (which The Social Network is based on) after reading three pages, and when its author Ben Mezrich had only completed a 14 page book proposal. 7. Peter Thiel was the first outside investor in Facebook. He currently owns three per cent of Facebook, and is also the co-founder and former CEO of PayPal. 8. Mark Zuckerberg has binders full of the "ideas" he's written down. 9. Eduardo Saverin made over $300k betting on oil futures. 10. The human brain is only capable of being friends with 150 people, according to Dunbar's Number, a theoretical cognitive limit to the number of people we can maintain stable social relationships with. Watch the full interactive trailer below: Related posts:
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Been eyeing our 
Next, copy the two files into the Macromed/Flash folder in your system. This varies depending on which version of Windows you have. In Windows 7, you'll find it under "c:/Windows/Macromed/Flash" although a search for "Macromed" will find it wherever it's hiding.
7. To tune your radio into the stream, you need to have registered it with 
Into the screen that pops up, type ‘ipconfig’ and press Enter. Among the information that is displayed, you will see your machine IP address beside IPv4 Address.
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