AQA 63336 were at the whole text-messaging-question-and-answer business long before 118-118 had facial fluff, let alone full grown moustaches.

In an aim to simplify the service and more easily promote the associated short code, the company are to drop the Any Question Answered-AQA acronym to become just 63336.

"When we launched the world's first text question and answer service in 2004, we focused on our abilities to answer any question. Over time it became clear that the most important communication we could provide to our customers has been how to use the service, which is to text 63336. Coordinating everything to be 63336 will help customers remember what they need to do to ask a question," said Colly Myers, CEO.

Text any question to 63336 (98p) and you'll get an answer in minutes. Customers in Ireland can text 57275 (€1.50). It's a perfect tool for those devious pub-quiz toilet breaks.

For more information visit 63336.com.

Brand: JBL
Product: Creature III
Purpose: 2.1 PC speakers
Price: £99, available from Apple stores, John Lewis, M&S, PC World, Comet and Amazon

You could accuse JBL of slacking of late, having spent the last two years releasing only fairly standard looking speaker set ups. But with the Creature III 2.1 speakers, it seems that period of relative inactivity was spent lovingly honing this rather special audio
system.

First things first; the Creature III speakers look great. An update on the previous Creature II design, the subwoofer looks like some sort of B-movie alien mother ship and the two satellite speakers masquerading as twin recon UFOs. Connecting with a single 3.5mm mini jack, the speakers stand on four claw-like feet, with the subwoofer housing two chrome-finished bass and treble knobs. Available in black, white, red, aluminium and grey, there should be a suitable colour to match most people's decor.

All this great design work would be for nought however if the audio quality wasn't up to scratch. Thankfully, the Creature III speakers perform superbly, thanks in part to the use of Odyssey and Magnum driver units. A 75mm driver in the subwoofer achieves an incredibly resonant bottom end and the satellite speaker's 40mm drivers have remarkable definition, retaining clarity and avoiding distortion even at the startlingly loud maximum volume.

Across a range of MP3s, I found the speakers to have excellent definition within the mid and low-mid ranges. Vocals sometimes sounded a bit too sibilant, but I'd take a crisp sound over a muddy one any day. I also found fine-tuning with the treble and bass knobs to be incredibly responsive, with a handy soft-lock click when they were moved into a neutral position. Likewise, DVD playback of the Pod-racing scene in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace really showed off the speaker's responsive range, as did a few hours battling through the PC version of Dragon Age: Origins.

The Creature III speakers are not flawless however. Volume is controlled via two "capacitance- touch" buttons placed on one of the satellite speakers which for me personally were overly sensitive, and lacked a visual prompt to measure volume levels. There was also on occasion a low hiss when the speakers should have been silent. Minor gripes though they may be, they seem to be problems overlooked that could have easily been addressed, and with an RRP of £99, you'd have expected JBL to have done so.

But forgetting these few small issues, the JBL Creature III speakers perform remarkably well. They may be a bit more expensive than your average 2.1 PC sound systems, but rest assured that the attractive design and excellent audio quality are well worth the money.

4/5

Microsoft's Xbox 360 has always got some stick for its design. The cheap white plastic casing not only makes it look like a V-Tech toy for grown ups, but has also led to overheating problems causing the dreaded Red Ring of Death.

A team of Swedish modders have got under the Xbox 360 hood however, and come up with this striking redesign for Microsoft's console.

The "Elegant Edition" mod features three 120mm fans for cooling, and a boxy Betamax like shape. If you've got the dough, the mod team will fix your Xbox 360 up too, but keep in mind your warranty won't be worth the paper it's printed on.

Via: Engadget

ASUS are set to launch their Eee Box 1501 mini desktop PC.

Featuring a slot loading optical disk drive, the Eee Box 1501 is small enough to be mounted on the back of a monitor or flatscreen TV.

Completely compatible with 1080p high definition content, the mini PC features an Intel® Atom™ 330 Dual Core processor, NVIDIA® ION™ graphics platform and 5.1 surround sound support.

Not content with being just a media centre, the Eee Box 1501 features many connectivity options including wireless (802.11b/g/n), 10/100/1000 Ethernet, HDMI and S/PDIF outputs, 6 USB ports and a card reader, shipping with a copy of Windows 7 to make it a fully functional desktop.

Priced at £339, the ASUS Eee Box 1501 looks set to be a pretty compact solution to your media centre woes.

Here is a list of key features:

_ Tiny size - only 1.5L and 193 x 193 x 39mm
_ 50% quieter than traditional desktops (26db)
_ 70% less power consumption to traditional desktops
_ HDMI Output for full 1080p high definition playback
_ SimHD™ scales standard definition to high definition
_ Intel® Atom™ 330 Dual Core processor
_ NVIDIA® ION™ graphics platform
_ 2GB memory (2 slots for maximum of 4GB)
_ 250GB hard drive
_ 5.1 Surround Sound speaker support
_ Slot-load optical disc drive
_ Elegant 'diamond' stand design
_ Option for VESA mounting on back of monitor
_ Easy to use Total Media Center software
_ Remote Control for enhanced user comfort
_ Built in IPTV player
_ Wireless 802.11b/g/n and 10/100/1000 Ethernet
_ Host of I/O ports for connectivity (including Kensington Security Slot)
_ Windows 7 Home Premium Operating System
_ £339 inc VAT SRP

West End theatres could soon be getting wireless translation devices for tourists and those hard of hearing. Testing at the Shaftesbury Theatre has proved a great success during the latest run of the hit musical Hairspray.

The device in question is called Airscript, a wireless handheld screen that delivers translations in multiple languages to the theatre goer. So far Airscript supports translations in Italian, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, French, German and English.

The device is also being touted as an aid to deaf viewers, allowing them to read along with the action onstage.

Via: TechRadar UK

Samsung's new Omnia II phone looks to introduce a novel and intuitive way to text, designed specifically for touchscreens.

Called Genius Texting, a user places their finger on the first letter of the word they wish to write, then drags it around an onscreen QWERTY keyboard to each consecutive letter, only releasing their finger once the word is finished.

It takes a little getting used to, but Swype, the Seattle based company behind the "magic wand" texting, claim that speeds of up to 50 words per minute can be achieved using the new system. Advanced users can also master other swiping gestures to include capitalisation and other elements of punctuation.

So far only the Windows 6.5 Samsung Omnia II features the system, but Genius Texting will be available on Nokia Symbian handsets in early 2010.

Via: ShinyShiny

Here it is in action up against the iPhone

Recent figures published by MyVoucherCodes.co.uk appear to reveal that this year's most sought after games console is the Xbox 360, outselling its nearest rival the PS3 by a ratio of 3:1.

But which machine really deserves to be crowned king of the console wars this Christmas; Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PS3 or Nintendo's Wii?

To decide which console is worthy of your cash, we'll be looking at seven key areas that need to be of the highest quality in order to warrant your attention: Games, Exclusive Titles, Media Options, Online Gaming, Extras, Future Features and of course Value For Money. We'll then tot up the results to see who comes out on top.

Games

A year ago this would have been an easy first point for the Xbox 360, with a massive range of quality titles. However it's been a superb year for games on the PS3, with its catalogue steadily growing. There is a fair bit of cross over between both gaming catalogues, with massive titles such as Assassins Creed 2, the Rock Band and Guitar Hero games, Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2 and Batman: Arkham Asylum all available on both machines. It's a hard one to judge for now until you consider exclusive titles (which we'll be getting at next). The Xbox 360 and PS3 both boast HD gaming, becoming increasingly cinematic in scope and presentation. The Wii offers a far different experience; being a motion-gaming console, many titles such as Wii Sports Resort or Wii Fit offer pick-up-and-play fun that all the family can enjoy. However, other than first-party Nintendo titles, Wii games often lack the polish of those on the PS3 or 360.

Winner - Xbox 360 (for quantity alone over the PS3)

Exclusive Titles

If you're only going to be able to afford one console this Christmas, knowing which titles are exclusive to each is a massive consideration. Again, last year the Xbox 360 would have won this one hands down, but it's anyone's game this year. PS3 owners can pick up the excellent Uncharted 2, Killzone 2 and Little Big Planet, with God of War 3 and Gran Turismo 5 all on the horizon. Xbox 360 owners can enjoy Forza Motorsport 3, the Halo titles, Fable II, the Gears of War series and Mass Effect (also available on the PC), with its sequel not far off into the New Year. Wii owners can delight in the fact that they will be the only people with access to gaming legends such as Mario, Zelda and Samus Aran of Metroid, though ports of games available on other consoles are often of a poorer quality.

Winner - PS3 (because Uncharted 2 is ridiculously good, and for turning the AAA exclusive title drought around this year)

Media Options

Easy one this; the PS3, hands down. Not only does it throw in a top notch Blu-ray player, but compatibility with all sorts of media files is available. Both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 have media server capabilities, but the PS3's sleek Xross Media Bar UI and built in Wi-Fi make setting up these features very simple. The PS3 has also recently launched the Playstation Network Video Delivery service, allowing you to download or rent movies straight to your console. The Xbox 360 has DVD- playback and the option to download HD films too, but so far no Blu-ray option, despite constant rumours of an add-on in the pipeline. Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 have USB ports, and support many music files such as MP3's, which can then be integrated into the soundtracks of many games. The Wii is really weak here: no Blu-ray, DVD, no movie downloads, no nothing.

Winner- PS3

Online Gaming

There's no denying the Xbox 360 has a thriving online community. 2 million users were clocked using the service simultaneously the week Modern Warfare 2 came out. There's no dearth of competitors to take on, but be prepared to get regularly battered by seven year-olds from the states. Subscription fees apply to become an Xbox Live Gold member (£40 for 12 months), and you'll also need an add-on to go wireless that costs around £45, but you do get regular content updates, lots of affordable and high quality downloadable games and a good service for the money. PS3 and Wii owners can enjoy the luxury of going online for free, which is obviously ace. There aren't a huge number of players online on the Wii, but they do have access to some real gems from the Nintendo gaming back catalogue. The PS3 has a growing userbase, all keen to get online and play for free. Downloadable games content is similar to the Xbox 360, though smaller in range, but does feature some classic PS1 titles such as Metal Gear Solid.

Winner - Tied (Xbox 360 offers the best online service but is costly, the PS3 and Wii offerings are free and have some good content but, for the moment at least, are on a smaller scale than Microsoft)

Extras

The Wii and its channel set-up is a simple and easy to use portal to lots of features such as a web browser and BBC iPlayer, but it just cant compete with the PS3 and Xbox 360's offerings. PS3 users also have a web browser and dedicated iPlayer app, but also have access to Facebook too, with a whole slew of other add-ons on the way. Though it doesn't have an iPlayer, the Xbox 360 has everything else; Facebook, Twitter, Last FM, Sky Digital. Lots to be getting on with for 360 owners.

Winner - Xbox 360

Future Features

Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 look set to throw new attempts at motion gaming into the console mix next year. In fact, the Xbox 360's Natal motion-controller is claimed to be so revolutionary as to be a console changing device. Rumours still abound for a Wii HD, but this would come in the form of a brand new console, not a feature, so should be viewed perhaps as a mark against buying a current-generation Wii.

Winner - Xbox 360

Value For Money

The Xbox 360 budget Arcade machine will set you back around £150, but to get the most out of the console the £200 Elite version with 120GB hard drive is the best option. A basic Wii package will cost £100, but keep in mind it's pretty slim on content straight out of the box. The PS3 offers the best value for money; the PS3 Slim with 120GB hard drive costs around £250, but for that you're not only getting a gaming platform, but also a top-notch Blu-ray player, free online gaming, Wi-Fi straight out of the box and immediate access to features such as BBC iPlayer.

Winner - PS3

Overall Winner - PS3

It's a close run race, but if I had to pick an overall winner, I'd side with the PS3. The Xbox 360 performs well, particularly in the breadth of its available content, but is let down by its costly albeit excellent online service. Finally affordable at £250, the PS3 has had an excellent year for exclusive titles and add-ons. The built in Blu-ray and free online gaming represent excellent value for money, and there are some hot titles lined-up for the New Year. I know which console I'd want Santa to leave under my tree.

MSI are ready to launch two new gaming notebook models, the GT740 and GT640.

Coming in 15.4 inch widescreen for the GT640 model and 17 inch widescreen for the GT740, the machines house Core i7 quad-core processors and nVIDA GeForce GTS 250M 3D graphics cards. In angry-looking red and black casing, both notebooks will also hold a 640GB SATA HDD.

Both will also feature Eco Engine power management tools to get the most out of battery life during a long gaming session, and dedicated movie playback Cinema Pro technology for enhanced video quality.

Sound fidelity looks to be a high priority with both notebooks, unsurprising considering they are both very capable Blu-ray packing movie players. The GT740 squeezes in five SRS premium sound speakers, one of which is a sub woofer, while the cheaper GT640 opts for two discrete high definition speakers.

They're a bit pricey at £1399 and £1349 for the GT740 and GT640 models respectively, but the notebooks appear to be cramming in a lot of gaming muscle for their size.

We mentioned this a few weeks ago, but now it has been confirmed - the BBC iPlayer is coming to Freesat.

Now slated to launch next month the service will enable owners of Freesat satellite TV boxes to access the iPlayer's on demand programming via a TV. The iPlayer is already available to Virgin Media and BT Vision box owners but both of those services require a subscription whereas Freesat is free after the initial purchase of the equipment.

It won't just be BBC content on the service either; apparently ITV is set to deliver its catch up TV service the ITV Player next year.

The iPlayer service will be rolled out to a select few Freesat owners in the next few weeks with the service available across the network by Christmas.

LaCie are set to launch the LaCinema Classic HD media player and server.

Acting as a DLNA server to sync up all your media collections from PCs and games consoles, the LaCinema Classic HD lets you hook up your media content to any HD ready TV around the house via HDMI.

Boasting a 2TB hard-drive, the LaCinema HD has plenty of storage available to house 1080p video content, which is fully compatible with the player. USB support makes shifting content from one device to another simple too.

If you're looking to use the LaCinema Classic predominately for video, LaCie have you covered. All the most popular file formats and plug-ins will be supported, from DivX to high-quality MKV H.264.

Salem Tirane, Digital Home Product Manager said of the product, "LaCinema Classic HD is all you need to store, play and share your movies, music and photos at home. We believe organising and playing should be simple for everyone, without concern for media compatibility or how to access media, no matter where it's stored in your home".

The LaCinema Classic HD is set to feature some pretty attractive functions by the looks of things. Giving change back out of £200, it's not too badly priced either.

For more information, visit www.lacie.com/uk

These days, less than £50 can grab you a pretty nifty Bluetooth headset. Sennheiser however think "nifty" just doesn't cut it, as they prepare to launch their luxury M 450 travel headset. They claim you'd never need buy another Bluetooth headset again after the M 450 Travel, and, with a whopping £289.99 price tag, you would hope so too.

Designed to work with the full spectrum of Bluetooth enabled devices, the compact, foldable headset promises to deliver crystal clear sound quality thanks to its active noise reduction capabilities and A2DP stereo Bluetooth profile.

Marketed towards regular travellers, the M 450 Travel comes packaged with airplane direct cable adapters and features a closed-capsule design so as not to disturb your in-flight neighbours.

Built in volume control should help you avoid fumbling around for you phone or music device, and USB chargeable lithium-polymer battery should go some way to accommodating extended use.

Sennheiser are pretty reliable when it comes to high-quality audio kit. Whether anyone needs a Bluetooth headset just shy of £300 however remains to be seen.

Tesco Mobile have today announced that they are soon to sell the iPhone. In a surprise announcement, Tesco are looking to have the iPhone available to its customers before Christmas.

One of the fastest growing network operators, Tesco Mobile could be set to provoke the low cost pricing war that many smartphone fence-sitters have been waiting for. Many had been disappointed when Orange's iPhone launch differed very little from what O2 had previously delivered.

While no pricing details have been finalised yet, those interested in pre-registering for one of the handsets can visit www.tescomobileiphone.com.

Before Sky+ established itself as the UK's number one digital video recorder it had a serious rival in a product called TiVo. It had much of the functionality of the Sky box - large hard drive, option of pausing live recordings etc - and was already very popular in the US.

Unluckily for TiVo Sky's product caught UK users' imagination and TiVo only lasted a few years in the UK. Well it now seems that TiVo is on its way back to the UK courtesy of Virgin Media.

Next year will see a co-branded Virgin Media TiVo box in the UK with TiVo delivering the middleware and the user interface.

Not a great deal has been offered by Virgin as to how the arrangement will work, however company CEO said "Our fibre-optic network combined with TiVo's capabilities will allow us to offer consumers the most significantly advanced and compelling TV service available in the UK."

In the US TiVo boasts a few features that aren't available in the UK on any DVR, such as the ability to search for shows by actors and the option of accessing music services like Rhapsody though a TV set. It'll be interesting to see how many of them make it to the UK box.

Last week it was David Cameron who took a pot shot at the BBC claiming that it had overextended itself. This week his views are echoed not by some media baron keen to push their own online agenda but from within the corporation itself.

Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC Trust which acts as a watchdog for the BBC, has called on the corporation to look again at its online offering and "narrow the focus on distinctive content and help to create a more open BBC". Lyons has also asked the corporation to re-evaluate the activities of its commercial wing BBC Worldwide, which many in the media have criticised for having an unfair advantage because of its huge financial backing and ability to use other BBC media to market its products.

Against a background of criticism of the BBC by commercial media rivals which have struggled to monetise online content, Lyons has told the corporation it needs to restructure its online content or face the consequences. The alternative could see a radical restructure forced on the BBC by a future government which may have close links to media owners.

"Beyond the core offer of news, sport, education, children's and the iPlayer, which parts of the online service are essential to the BBC's mission and which could be stopped?" asks Lyons inthe report. He also questioned the future of content not tethered to specific BBC programmes.

Even after a restructure the BBC's online news output could still make it very tricky for commercial media companies to make money from their online content. It would be very hard for companies to put their content behind pay walls, when UK users could still access the BBC services for free.

Testing both upstream and downstream speeds, Broadband Genie find an average speed for a user's mobile broadband. During a period of research testing over 3,600 users, Broadband Genie claim to have found mobile broadband speeds depressingly slow.

Carried out throughout 2009, 65% of tested connections averaged speeds below 1mb, with only 16 out of the 3,600 achieving speeds above 3mb, a mere 0.5%. This is despite claims from providers such as Vodafone claiming speeds of over 7mb.

Broadband Genie editor Chris Marling commented: "Once again it would seem the mad rush to secure the early adopters has exceeded the ability of the product to live up to over-hyped expectations. It's a real shame too, as mobile broadband can be perfect for a lot of uses, even at speeds below 1Mb."

To test your connection speed, visit http://mobile.broadbandgenie.co.uk/speedtest.

Emblaze mobile are launching the First Else Linux-based phone. Focussing on being intuitive through a multitude of possible configurations, the Israeli-designed phone promises a "unique user experience".

One of the key features of the First Else is how each of the phone's functions work autonomously of each other. For instance, calls need not interrupt web browsing, with a simple, unintrusive notification alerting the user to an incoming call. Each function and application is designed to work together for the most user friendly experience possible.

This is in part thanks to the intuitive ELSE Intuition mobile platform, featuring a highly customisable UI that makes running multiple applications painless. It makes regularly used data such as contacts, videos and photos available to be rendered anywhere within the OS, not just within dedicated applications.

The phone will also feature a 3.5 inch capacitive touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, remote data back-up, Wi-Fi, 3G and GPS functionality.

Speaking about the device, Emblaze CEO Amir Kupervas said, "The First ELSE presents a new category in mobile devices. It is not a cell-phone, feature-phone, smart-phone or any phone for that matter. No longer just "all-in-one" but "all-for-one". All the applications are designed to serve us, the users, in the best way possible. Great technology is the kind that disappears when we use it -- it's so elegant and seamless; we don't even know it's there."

For more information, check out http://www.emblazemobile.com/

How about this for just plain weird. It's a USB laptop cooler, inspired by, er, a gas hob. The cooler has dual fans, which should be powerful enough to keep your laptop as cool as required. And of course it takes power directly from the computer's USB port.

Compatible with any laptop computer, it features a blue LED light to simulate a gas hob. Just don't try cooking on it though. The gas cooker USB cooler costs £8 and is available from here.

Once it seemed that only fellas would bamboozle you with talk of their hard drives, processors, operating systems and number of mega-pixels. But now it seems that women are just as comfortable with tech-talk.

According to a survey commissioned by electric retailer Comet, the gap between the sexes - at least as far as tech is concerned has closed with 48 per cent of women now feeling more comfortable with technology compared with 47 per cent of men.

Indeed only 15 per cent would now describe themselves as the tech-head of the household with 13 per cent even admitting to turning to their partner for advice on setting up and operating new technology.

Furthermore, women are feeling increasingly confident with technology and would happily set up their laptop or freeview box. Only four percent are daunted by installing their own HDTV and seven percent a surround sound system.

When asked what changes technology has made to their lives, half of women claim they now rely on the latest gadgets to make their lives tick (compared to 56% of men).
However, whilst embracing all things technical, multi-tasking females are not completely abandoning more traditional products.

Nearly two thirds (64 per cent) of women said they'd created a real photo album despite 86 per cent having access to internet photo sharing sites and 46 have a fountain pen even though they own a desktop computer (71 per cent) or laptop (63 per cent).

Says Bill Moir, Head of Marketing at Comet: "This in depth study shows the extent to which both men and women are embracing new technology. It appears that men are no longer the sole IT Director in the home, as women become increasingly tech savvy and reap the benefits of today's gadgets and gizmos."

BenQ has added two new LED displays to its G Series line-up: a 16:10 shaped, 19 inch model (G920WL) and an 18.5inch, 16:9 shaped model, (the G922HDL).

BenQ claims the screens boast the lowest power consumption rating in their respective size categories, making them appeal to cost- and eco-conscious corporate users. The panels are 100% mercury-free, which is a significant ecological advantage over traditional displays. LED technology also enables the G-Series to use substantially less energy (approximately 60% less in G920WL and 43% in G922HDL) than traditional displays of the same screen size.

Both screens employ LED backlighting in order to enhance eye comfort while BenQ's patented Senseye3 Human Vision Technology claims to offer one-touch optimisation of image richness, clarity, and depth. Various preset modes are provided: Standard (office and Internet), Movie (DVD and TV), Game, Photo, sRGB (for 100% colour consistency across all sRGB devices), and Eco (for power-saving).

BenQ claims the 16:10 aspect ratio on the G920WL (1440x900 WXGA+ resolution) makes side-by-side viewing of office documents easy and comfortable while the 16:9 aspect ratio on the G922HDL (1366x768 WXGA resolution) is designed for HDTV and HD movies. Both models have D-Sub and DVI connections.

Available now the BenQ G920WL is priced at £99.00 whileThe BenQ G922HDL is £95.00.

It would appear that worms are like busses; it is ages before you see one, then two come along nearly at once. It was a little over a week ago that we reported on the annoying-though-mostly-harmless Rick-rolling worm. It's now been followed by a far nastier worm that hunts out all your important bank details.

Working on the same principles as the previous worm, jailbroken iPhones with SSH installed are the handsets at risk. The worm has the potential to give remote control of your iPhone to the naughty hacker, who then throws up a dodgy ING Direct log in screen to trick you into handing over your details.

So far reported cases have been isolated to the Netherlands. However, unlike the Rick Astley worm, this one can spread over a WiFi network. Jalibroken iPhone owners, be on your guard...