Name: UE40B8000 (Samsung)

Type: 40" LCD LED Backlit TV

Specs:

• Contrast Ratio: Mega Contrast 5,000,000:1


• Resolution: Full HD (1920 x 1080p)


• Connectivity:4x HDMI, Digital Audio (Optical), PC, DVI, Component, Composite, Ethernet, RF, 2x USB, Scart


• Speakers: 2x 10 watts SRS TruSurround HD & Dolby Digital Plus


• Dimensions: 677mm H (including base) x 998mm W x 29.9mm D


• Features: 200Hz Motion Plus processing, LED backlighting, DLNA home networking, web widgets with Internet@ TV

Price: Circa £1,500

Samsung's UE40B8000 is so slim that you half expect it to have just strut off of a catwalk in Milan and into your living room. Despite being only 29.9 mm thick, it manages to house all of its electronics, including a TV tuner, 200Hz Motion Plus processor and all its 4 HDMI and breakout composite/component connections, inside the panel itself, without the need for a separate media box. It's a beautiful set with black bezel edging, finished off with a svelte strip of clear plastic that gently glows thanks to a blue LED indicator light. While the TV is perfect for wall mounting due to its size and relatively low weight, its see-through stand was a real chore to attach, and was never satisfyingly stable.

Picture quality is really superb on the UE40B8000. High definition sources were uniformly excellent. 1080p playback of the "Moon" Blu-ray over HDMI through a PS3 delivered black levels as deep as you'd hope to get from the far-flung reaches of outer space, while subtlety in colour ranges and superb skin tones shone through. The LED backlighting also meant that there was excellent clarity in the image, though you may want to disable auto-dimming if you're quickly flicking through many different sources.

The 200Hz Motion Plus technology is an obvious draw here, and we flicked over to a Sky Sports HD Premiership broadcast to put it through its paces. Is it really any better than 100Hz processing? Yes it is, but not massively so. Players darting around the field were noticeably sharper, as was the text from scrolling electronic billboards. However, there was still some shimmering and an element of unnatural movement in fast paced scenes, especially when the motion processing was cranked up to the max. Also, while there is a Game Mode available here, response times for consoles could have performed a little better.

Standard definition content proved excellently processed. A screen this size that lacks attention to standard definition signals can really show off the limitations of SD, but the UE40B8000 smoothed out everything well without producing any unsightly noise. Colours too were rich and vibrant, though the benefits of the motion processing tech was less apparent here. All in, the UE40B8000 offers some of the best picture quality money can currently buy, at least in the UK anyway.

The only real let down here are the incredibly weak speakers. Housing everything inside a set this thin had to have its downside somewhere, and speaker performance lacks both clarity and low-end resonance. They'll serve you well enough for a quiet night in with Eastenders, but if you can splash the cash on the screen in the first place, then you should probably invest in some decent audio gear to support it.

Menus and the EPG are clear and nicely presented, giving a quick low-down of what each function does, though some may have some trouble navigating the various options on offer. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, there is quite a lot of depth in terms of image options here, which isn't necessarily a bad thing at all, but can at times make it a little confusing when browsing for something specific. Secondly, the backlit remote control, which again overall is fine, features a quirky iPod-style scrolling wheel. It's overly sensitive, which can make precise menu browsing or image tweaking a little difficult. There's also a second, pebble-shaped controller thrown in. It's pretty, but by only packing a few core buttons in means it's a little pointless. The UE40B8000 also has some pretty comprehensive web widgets and DLNA network streaming features, which are simple to set up once the provided USB Wi-Fi dongle is plugged in. There's also an Ethernet port if a Wi-Fi connection isn't convenient.

If we we're judging this TV on image quality alone the Samsung UE40B8000 would get top marks without question. It's a shame then that the thin frame has caused a real compromise in sound quality, which at around £1,500 really should have been addressed. Still, if you're looking for some of the smoothest, sharpest, most stunningly vivid colours your hard-earned cash can afford, then the UE40B8000 should be top of your shopping list.

4/5

Name: Devolo dLAN 200 AVplus Starter Kit

Type: Powerline network adapter set

Price: £119.99 (Maplin)

The world has become pretty comfortable with the idea of wireless internet, sending data over the air from wireless routers to all sorts of internet connected devices. It's tidy and convenient, but can cause headaches when signal strength is poor and interference causes low connection speeds. And while a wired connection is stable and super-fast, running ugly-wiring from your router up walls around your house can be unsightly.

The alternative? Powerline networking. Put simply, plugging a powerline network adapter into your power sockets and connecting it to your router allows for data to be sent across your electrical wiring. Multiple adapters then let you access a connection comparable to a wired set-up via Ethernet without the need for lengthy cabling leading out of your router. It's secure and fast, and Devolo's dLAN 200 AVplus starter kit is one of the most simple powerline set-ups we've yet used.

As it's not recommended to use extension plugs with powerline kit, one shortcoming can be a lack of plug sockets. The problem is nicely addressed with this Devolo two-pack, with both adapters including a pass-through socket on their backs. They also cleverly shut themselves down when your network is idle. It's a green and money-saving feature that gets two-thumbs up.

Compared to our regular 802.11g wireless network connection, the Devolo gear gave our connection a significant boost. There are integrated mains filters in the adapters, which are compatible with transfer rates up to 200Mbit/s. If your wireless connection is divided by lots of walls, you'll certainly get a significant speed increase using the Devolo powerline adapters. However, it's worth noting that the gear can slow down if spread over large distances, but unless you live in an MTV Cribs style mansion, that's not likely to really be an issue.

If it all sounds a bit technical, fear not. This is simple, plug-in-and play gear. Run an Ethernet cable from your router to an adapter, then another cable from an adapter plugged in elsewhere in your house to the device you want to get online with, hit the encryption button on each adapter, and you're away. There's some how-to guides and monitoring software packed in, but its all relatively straightforward. Keep in mind that there are only two adapters packed in here though; you'll need to purchase additional ones for each separate device you want connected simultaneously.

Our only real concern with Devolo's dLAN 200 AVplus starter kit is the actual size of the adapters themselves. They're a bit clunky, and may not fit into a tight fitting gap or wall with high skirting boards.

Devolo's dLAN 200 AVplus starter kit though remains a great way to get your home network simply and tidily up to speed. The average price of around £120 is a little steep perhaps, and the adapters themselves a little too bulky for our liking, but other than that it's hard to argue with the gear's many plus points.

5/5

Name: Mass Effect 2

Genre: Action RPG

Platform: Xbox 360 (reviewed), PC

Price: £37.73 (Amazon)

I've long since resigned myself to the fact that I'll probably never travel to another planet, never make friends with a cool alien being and never have my own robot servant. It used to keep my up at night, sweating my way through nightmares filled with Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen frolicking in an otherworldly long-grass field, mocking my Earthly imprisonment. But that all changed thanks to the original Mass Effect; I could race across the galaxy in a starship, build a crew of inter-planetary bad-asses and even partake in a bit of cross-species love-making. It rocked. So obviously, expectations are remarkably high for Mass Effect 2. It's a credit then to developers Bioware that Mass Effect 2 doesn't just stand toe-to-toe with its predecessor, but jumps light-years ahead of it.

The plot picks up quite soon after the events of the first Mass Effect. Humanity is once again under attack, this time from a mysterious, insect-like foe named the Collectors, who have a penchant for, well, collecting. Collecting humans to be precise, and in their thousands. When the galaxy's apparent protectors, the Council, fail to address the growing threat, our hero Commander Shepard joins forces with the seedy Cerberus organisation in an attempt to thwart this ancient foe.

Though it's a bit of a slow starter, it's a dark, riveting story once it gets going. Bioware always come up trumps in the voice acting department, and Mass Effect 2 is no exception, with star turns from the likes of Martin Sheen and The Matrix's Carrie-Anne Moss. It's a good job too, as you spend a hell of a lot of time talking in this game. Ending conflicts and questing across the galaxy is as much about having the gift of the gab as it is the biggest guns. But that shouldn't put you off at all: Mass Effect 2 features some of the most cinematic dialogue exchanges ever seen in a game. Conversations are fluid and full of branching choices, while detailed character models help believably deliver the powerful script. With the pull of the controller's triggers, Shepard can now also interrupt key points in conversations with either positive or negative actions, sometimes to shocking ends. It's a small but welcome interactive addition that helps further engross the player in the action on screen.

But not every problem can be solved with a little chat and a cup of Earl Grey. Nope, when the going gets tough, you're gonna have to bring out the big guns. Literally. Many complained that the original Mass Effect's combat was a little weak, if technically solid. No such qualms in Mass Effect 2; weapons pack a satisfying punch thanks in part to detailed damage modelling on enemies, cover-mechanics are more robust, and flipping through different ammo types is more intuitive thanks to a well implemented pop-up inventory wheel. There's also the addition of heavy weapons, which are a total blast to play around with. Biotic powers get a much needed overhaul, with obvious improvements as they level up. There use results in dramatic and uber-cool effects on your foes, and it's a joy to experiment with them by combining different powers together. Also, squad mates are way more intelligent this time around, making them useful additions to a battle rather than a shot-blocking hindrance.

Part of what sold the original to me was the amazing graphics, and this sequel totally trumps its older brother. In keeping with the darker tone of the story this time around, the art direction has taken a decidedly grittier turn. Not that this means that the game is any less colourful or vibrant; it just all feels a little more natural and lived in. Bioware have certainly set phasers to stunning with this one (excuse the pun).

There are also a ton of smaller improvements here, doing away with some of the niggles from the first title in the series. Drops in the Mako vehicle onto cookie cutter planets have been completely done away with, with side-quests now getting unique locations all of their own. Menu micromanagement has been refined and scaled back, making for faster gameplay, while the inclusion of hacking mini-games makes what would otherwise be routine loot collection an exciting gameplay element all of its own.

If I had any complaints, it's that Mass Effect 2 now veers closer to the gunplay side of its apparent Action/RPG hybrid branding, with fewer class customisation options than before and less important gear and loot drops. The planet scanning mini-game used to find resources to upgrade your weapons is a bit of a chore too. But all in, given the cinematic nature of what's on offer here, I'll gladly sacrifice a bit of stat-tweaking in favour of blockbuster storytelling and set pieces.

Let's not beat around the intergalactic bush here: Mass Effect 2 is incredible, as polished and exciting a game as the many teaser trailers and previews have suggested. It takes the shiny sci-fi glitz of the first game, irons out its few problems and wraps it all in a story as dark and magnificent as the classic Empire Strikes Back. It still has a few minor problems, but rightly earns its place among the stars.

5/5

Name: TuneUp Utilities 2010

Type: Maintenance software

Price: £24.59 (Amazon)

Keeping on top of the myriad problems that can blight an otherwise healthy PC can be quite a challenge. To a novice, watching a PC slowly grind to a halt can be as painful as helplessly watching a beloved goldfish float gradually to the top of the tank, ready for that last long trip down the toilet bowl. Sort of. Either way, dealing with broken registry entries and disk defrags can be quite daunting for the uninitiated.

Enter TuneUp Utilities 2010, an easy-to-use piece of software that helps you maintain your Windows system (XP, Vista, 7, 32-bit and 64 bit) and fix many problems. After installation, the software begins by asking you a few simple questions on the nature of your PC use. It then compiles a list of suggestions based on your answers that it thinks will speed up your PC's response times. It's incredibly simple and highly customisable, and the fruits of its work are immediately apparent. Registry issues on my machine were tidied up, a thorough disk de-frag recommended and carried out, as well as the deletion of over 160GB of outdated system restore back-up data. My system start-up times were noticeably improved.

The Live Optimisation function works very similarly. Sitting in the task bar, it prioritises start-up times based upon your configuration, and generally increases the speed at with which programs respond. There is also a comprehensive selection of Windows customisation tools, including browser add-ons, which can prove to be not only attractive but also useful, as switching off some of the showy Windows animations can seriously improve system performance.

Turbo Mode however had me a little stumped. It rolls all of your fancy OS graphics back to a basic function-over-fashion look, and prioritises your current task, switching off unnecessary background applications. This is all well and good, but as the Turbo Mode itself eats away at precious system resources, I personally found it of little use.

Now, to be honest, if you know your PC like the back of your RSI wracked hand, TuneUp Utilities 2010 isn't for you. You'll already know how to do most everything on offer here for free, and you'll likely do it with a smug air of superiority as the lowly "noobs" flounder with their snail-paced computers. However, for those who aren't too comfortable with the back end of PC maintenance, or those who'd just rather have everything in one sleekly presented place, you cant go far wrong with TuneUp Utilities 2010.

4/5

Name: Guinness World Records 2010: Gamer's Edition

Type: Book

Price: £9.71 (Amazon)

Out: Now

Guinness, the world's globally-recognised authority on mankind's record breaking achievements have released their Guinness World Records 2010: Gamer's Edition. It's the latest in what is now an annual series, featuring stat-crunching facts on all the top names in gaming, as well as some quirky insights into hardcore fans.

Ever wondered what the best selling game of all time is? Or the most played video game of all time? They're all in here, along with fun entries that include the largest collection of Pokémon memorabilia and the most people dressed as videogame characters at one time.

It's great to see that Guinness have also teamed up with Twin Galaxies, an independent body who track gaming records, particularly on old classic arcade titles. In the back of the book you have all the Twin Galaxy records at your disposal to see how your scores stand up against the world's best. (If you're interested, you should check out the King of Kong documentary, a heart-warming and hysterical look at Twin Galaxies and the race for the top score on the Donkey Kong arcade machine - Ed.)

It's a visually sumptuous book, with 216 pages filled with large pictures of each game and their record breaking players. Though you can trawl the web to find out record-breaking facts these days, there's a real hardcore depth in the range of games covered and the details explored in here. Plus, it's all nicely put together in one place, and totally verified by Guinness for authenticity.

There's enough in the Guinness World Records 2010: Gamer's Edition for a hearty old read, but also for a quick breather between marathon gaming sessions. It's a must-have for gaming aficionados.

5/5

Name: iViewer (Cello)

Type: 32" LCD TV

Specs:

• Contrast ratio: 3,000:1
• Resolution: Full HD (1920 x 1080p)
• Connectivity: 2x HDMI, Composite, VGA, PC Audio, S-Video, 2x Scart, RF, 2x USB, Ethernet
• Speakers: Nicam Stereo 2x 10 W
• Dimensions:22"H (including base) x 31"W x 4" D
• Features: BBC iPlayer, Web TV, DLNA home networking, news widgets
• Price: £499

Brit based TV manufacturers Cello have made a bold move with their iViewer range. By being one of the earliest web-connected TVs and the first to have BBC's iPlayer as a built-in widget, they are going where none of the big name brands have gone before. But has capitalising upon this brief window of opportunity left them flailing elsewhere with the set? Certainly, but the TV does still hold it's own.

Sensibly, Cello have kept the aesthetics here rather simple. A glossy black frame about two thirds of an inch thick surrounds the screen, while a speaker bar about an inch in height lies just underneath. The screen can be wall mounted, but at 22"H (including base) x 31"W x 4" D it's rather chunky. I'd recommend using the supplied base stand, which is again glossy, black and discrete. Also, while the main manual supplied is perfectly acceptable, the visual guide thrown in is an absolute joke. It verges on Engrish and looks as though it was put together on MS Paint.

Keeping in mind this is at the budget end of the market for a full HD set (£499), the iViewer's picture quality is reasonably good. 1080p playback of the "Che: Part One" Blu-ray over HDMI through a PS3 showed an acceptably sharp image with a good range of strong colours in brighter scenes, as you would expect with an LCD as opposed to a Plasma. Night scenes were less impressive: there was a fair amount of noise, black levels were respectable but hardly deep and response times suffered in fast moving shots. As a result of the noise and sluggish response times, it doesn't score highly as a set for gaming, as proven by a quick session with "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2". For the money you're paying the image here holds up well, but don't expect it to go troubling the big guns.

Likewise, the speakers aren't the greatest. Hollow and echoey, it's a muddled sound that has little in the way of bass, and poor definition between the mids and treble. Higher volumes sometimes caused a slight rattling too.

But, if you've been following this set, you're likely already aware that this isn't exactly a technophiles television. No, the iViewer's trump card lies in its internet-connected capabilities, or more specifically its BBC iPlayer widget, where it does honestly shine.

Getting connected to the web is relatively simple, via either an optional USB Wi-Fi dongle or Ethernet cable. The input connections area on the back of the TV is far too cramped (especially as the USB Wi-Fi dongle is a bit of a sizey beast), but once you're plugged in it's just a matter of finding your network and entering your WEP key, text message style, with the remote control.

The iPlayer interface (and the TV's web UI in general) was designed by Oregon Networks. They've done a great job. It's a good looking UI across all of the web menus, with big icons simple and well defined for the casual user. There's even a dedicated button on the remote for the iPlayer for easy-access to the service. Searching through the iPlayer catalogue will be easy for anyone remotely familiar with the web service. While playback controls can be a little clunky, visually the iPlayer footage scrubs up quite well on the larger screen, providing you don't expect HD levels of clarity.

Web TV channels didn't fair so well. There are 12 in all at present, including a fully-searchable YouTube, Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food and the Sesame Street podcast. Quality of content varies across each, both visually and in terms of entertainment value, and thanks to some unexplainable file error, I couldn't access the Sesame Street one at all. Which was obviously heartbreaking. Also, the news widgets could do with a little more interactivity, and more options in terms of feed providers.

However, the DLNA home network access is strong and very accessible. Providing your PC is on and sharing allowed, you can access pictures, MP3s and a wide range of the most popular video files including AVI and WMV stored on your computer, though I couldn't get high-def formats to work. In a nice touch, MP3s continue to play in the background whilst you browse other folders for content. It's also worth noting that playback is possible from USB memory sticks, providing you can squeeze it in next to the dongle.

As is now standard, there is also an integrated TV tuner in the iViewer. Visually, broadcasts are good. There was a little noise and a few artefacts, but on the whole very watchable. The 7 day EPG however looks horrendous; from a technical standpoint it's perfectly functional and easy to navigate, but fonts are jagged and the most lurid mix of sharp blues and yellows are used.

While it's far from perfect, it's nevertheless hard to dislike the iViewer. The picture and sound quality aren't the best we've ever seen by a long shot, but it's not epically bad. Just especially average. And while some aspects of the web service don't work too well, the home networking and iPlayer are great, especially as this represents the first roll of the dice for the BBC service on TVs. As you'd expect from a product that's currently a Marks and Spencer's exclusive, it keeps it head down and gets the job done. And if you aren't happy, that M&S guarantee will have you covered.

3/5

Pick up the IViewer here

Army of Two: The 40th Day

Genre: 3rd Person Shooter

Platform: Xbox 360 (Reviewed), PS3

Price: £39.70 (Amazon)

Let's be frank here. The original Army of Two was at best mediocre, and at its worst a poor mans copy of Gears of War. Its co-op mode was satisfying though didn't capitalise on its clever "Aggro" system, and the less said about the crummy gun customising options the better. So, it's with no small amount of pleasure (and a good measure of shock, too) that I have to admit that it's sequel, Army of Two: The 40th Day, is pretty damn good.

Soldiers of fortune Rios and Salem are back, this time cutting their own contracts on the global mercenary stage. However, when a simple job in Shanghai suddenly turns sour, all hell breaks lose as the pair track down the source of their troubles in a tale of terrorist intrigue.

On first inspection, The 40th Day hasn't changed much from it's predecessor. It's still a cover-and-shoot linear action game, and there is still an emphasis on co-operative play and customisation of the mercenaries gear. However, there is an extra level of polish and a keen eye on what makes similar silver-screen blockbusters shine that brings this game head and shoulders above its older sibling.

Firstly, the sense of scale this time around is much greater. As earlier suggested, set pieces this time around are on a par with Hollywood, with airplanes crashing and whole cities toppling around you. It looks and sounds great, and it also helps that Rios and Salem's brutish banter this time around is funny and endearing rather than just dumb. They've become true gaming stars, with writing that believable has them carrying the solid plot along.

Shootouts with your partner are more tactical and more satisfying as a result. The "Aggro" system, drawing enemies away from your partner with covering fire, works far better this time around, thanks both to better level design and a newly introduced GPS enemy tacking system. Battlefields are more open, giving players more choice when approaching fire fights, and the GPS makes co-ordinating successful attacks more a case of timing and planning than gung-ho bromance.

Little new touches, like pretending to surrender to an enemy or the multiple new moral choices offered are great, especially when in co-op with a disagreeing friend. While playing along with a pal is still the ultimate way to experience Army of Two, friendly-AI intelligence has stepped up a notch, making for a far less painful single player experience than before.

Customising your weapons again makes a return, but with mixed results. The introduction of enemy controlled supply crates (acting like timed-challenges) add a welcome change of pace to the genre's now mandatory upgrade system. But while the many options on offer further bolster your shoot-out tactics, the clunky customising menu turns your bling into a bit of bummer instead.

Competitive multiplayer again fares well in The 40th Day. In all the modes (which roughly include a death match, enemy wave survival, capture the flag and a Battlefield 1943-like objective based mode) you are always tied to a partner, complementing the skills you've gathered from the main campaign. They're all a blast, but may rely too heavily on team work for some to enjoy. You wont survive two-minutes with a "Lone Wolf" approach here. It'll be interesting to see if it retains a solid player base when titles like Modern Warfare command so much attention.

So, Salem and Rios (for the most part) rise triumphantly out of the explosions around them like gun-toting phoenixes. It may not be as big a jump as that made last year by the Assassins Creed franchise, but in taking a truly flailing IP and completely turning it around, it's certainly sweeter.

4/5

When it comes to digital TV services, Freesat is a relatively new kid on the block. Launched 18 months ago, it's still seen by many as the poor relation compared to Freeview (digital terrestrial) and Sky (satellite). But all that could be about to change with the announcement a couple of months ago that BBC and ITV are gearing up to launch their digital TV players on the service. The BBC iPlayer, already available on Virgin's cable service, is currenly in beta testing on Freesat and the ITV Player will start early next year.

Another attraction of Freesat is that it's a good way of watching HD content without having to pay Sky TV up to £50 a month for the privilege. The Beeb offers a wide selection of programmes on its HD service, including popular shows live Gavin and Stacey and Friday Night With Jonathan Ross while on ITV there's Champions League Football. And with all the criticism surrounding Sky+ latest HD TV Guide (see HDTVUK.tv for more details) now seems a good time to look at a much cheaper and aguably better alternative.

Annoying set up
Available in two versions (one with a 250GB and one with a 500GB hard drive), the Sagem DTR94 is the latest Freesat box from the France based company. Like most digital boxes these days set up is largely automated though you will have to feed it your postcode details (I'm not really sure why as you could easily make one up if you didn't pay the licence fee and besides you don't have to put in your full address).

Annoyingly it's default position is also to make you input a four digital parental code and to hide away all the adult channels - well there's only really two that I could find, Babestation and Filth (what a horrible name that is!) Once it's found the channels these are stored either by genre or as a channel list and you can move them around etc if you really want to.

The 8 day electronic programme guide is particularly clear with the ability to skip forward by days or hours to find what you want using the colour coded buttons. And one-touch recording is straightforward enough - recordings complete with a preview screen can be viewed by pressing the red button.

The only downside with Freesat is that you will need to have a satellite dish with two LNB outputs in order to watch one channel while recording another. The box can be used for manually adding channels and not only do you get the usual programme descriptions you can also access technical data about each broadcast such as whether it is available with 5.1 channel sound, is transmitted in high definition and what the satellite signal level is like.

High definition pictures
If you want to receive full HD quality then you will need to connect the silver box up to your TV via HDMI cable (most recent TVs have an HDMI socket - but if yours doesn't then you will only get standard def pictures). Plenty of other sockets are provided too, including two Scarts for connection to a DVD recorder and a digital audio output (coaxial) in order to benefit from DTS/Dolby Digital sound when connected to a home cinema amplifier.

Picture quality seemed very good though is of course largely dependent on the source material in the first place. For example watching old American programmes on the CBS channels I was struck by just how terrible pictures were, but that has much to do with the NTSC format they were filmed in rather than any fault of the set top box. On the other hand, Champions League Football in HD really does look fantastic with the players much more clearly defined. Nor is storage of high definition programmes a massive problem with the 500Gb box capable of holding around 200 hours of content according to Sagem.

Verdict
With the addition of ITV and BBC's digital players in 2010 and with some (albeit not enough) HD content now available for free, Freesat is definitely worth considering as an alternative to Freeview or Sky. And with a price tag of £300 for a model with 500Gb storage, the Sagem box is a good option.

Sagem DTR94 HD Freesat (£250 for 250Gb hard drive, £300 for 500Gb hard drive)

Pros:
Good price - works out much cheaper than Sky+
Easy set up
Lots of sockets
BBC iPlayer available soon

Cons:
Parental controls too restrictive
Still not enough HD material on Freesat

Links:
www.sagemdigital.co.uk
www.freesat.co.uk

BUY FROM HERE

Nokia may have seemed a bit lazy recently, but the Nokia X6 Comes With Music is certainly one of their more exciting phones for quite some time.

A touchscreen interface, pretty decent camera, massive storage space and the much-touted Comes With Music facility sure make it a pretty desirable little number.

Andrea from Shiny Shiny turns the X6 up to eleven and gives her view on the handset in this video review.

Motorola's Dext sure is packing in some cool features. But is a great keypad and the Motoblur UI enough to save the smartphone from its cripplingly low battery capacity?

Anna from Shiny Shiny goes hands on and gives her views on the handset in this video review.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Genre: Platformer

Platform: Wii

Price: £32.99 (Amazon)

It has been over 25 years since Mario first stomped his way onto home consoles and into our hearts. Super Mario Bros for the NES was so complete an adventure, replete with secrets and pinpoint-precise controls that it is as joyous to play today as it was when it was first released. Paying homage to that pedigree ancestry, New Super Mario Bros Wii is another near-perfect running, jumping, red-shell throwing trip down memory lane.

In what is essentially an evolution from the retro stylings of New Super Mario Bros on the DS, Mario and co. once again have to rescue Princess Peach, kidnapped by nasty Koopalings on her birthday.

Holding the Wiimote horizontally in both hands, players run and jump from left to right on a quasi-2D plane, avoiding obstacles and head stomping on baddies. It's simple and devilishly fun, but also devilishly hard. New Super Mario Bros. has an uncompromising approach to tricky level design, ramping up the difficulty almost as soon as you leave the first world. However, thanks to (for the most part) solid controls and exuberantly inventive level design, dying never feels cheap or too frustrating. If it does get all a bit too much for you, a ghost-mode Super Guide revealing the safest path through levels is always an option.

Along with the familiar mushroom, star and fire-plant power-ups, there is also a handful of excellent new gear at Mario's disposal. The penguin suit allows Mario to swim quickly through water and glide across ice, the propeller suit allows him to soar through the air, and the plumber can now also lob balls of ice to freeze baddies. All are implemented well into the strong level design, helping you discover secrets and never feeling merely tacked on.

Certainly the most notable addition is the inclusion of four-way simultaneous multiplayer modes. Taking control of Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad and Yellow Toad, you can work together to reach the end of the level by throwing and bouncing off each other. It works remarkably well, and really comes into its own in the chaotic Coin Battle mode, with gamers competing across a level to grab the most gold.

There are some small issues that do mar gameplay however. The now mandatory inclusion of motion controls, here used to pick up objects and execute spin attacks, often feels clumsy and imprecise in a game which relies on total accuracy of control. Also, playing with inexperienced friends in multiplayer can lead to frustration, as well planned jumps are blocked by over enthusiastic first timers causing untold annoying deaths.

On the whole though, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a top class game. Charming visuals, simple yet challenging gameplay and a brand new, successful multiplayer option all combine to give a refreshing spin on a classic formula.

4/5

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

Why's it here?

So why do you need a voice recorder? Surely the one on your mobile phone is more than adequate? Well it might be if fine if you just want to grab a few seconds of a conversation here and there and there's at least one high profile occasion recently where mobile phone voice recorders have come in very handy.

However if you want to use a voice recorder regularly, or need to record long speeches then your phone probably won't cut it. It might not have enough storage and if you record for too long you won't have enough battery for other things.

Which is why there is still a strong market for devices like the Olympus WS-560M. Olympus has been making voice recorders for ages and these days is a clear leader in the market. These are nearly always bought by students and journalists but there are other professions for whom it makes sense to own one.

What's good?

I have to say that voice recorders have come a long way since I last played with one a few years ago. The WS-560M is ultra easy to use and has lots of very sensible features. The big step up for me is the inclusion of a flip out USB which means that you can hook the device up to your PC and not have to worry about finding the lead. The WS-560M also uses the USB as a charger too which means another lead you don't have to worry about.

Olympus has also kept the controls on the device very simple. There are nine buttons which are clearly marked and if you just want the basics and only want to edit or splice audio together it really is a case of record, stop and play with the sound coming out of the unit's reasonably good little speaker.

Other things we liked include storage levels of four Gigabytes, which might not sound like a huge amount but in reality grabs you more than 1000 hours in long play mode, though considerably less if you choose Stereo XQ which is the highest quality option. Use a higher mode and the Windows Media Audio files do sounds great.

One last little bonus is that Olympus has thrown in MP3 playback. So you can have a few of your own tunes on the device and then listen to them either via the speaker or though earphones.

What's bad?

Well it is hard to find fault with this product. If I was being picky I'd say that the screen is a little on the small side, but then it didn't really present a problem.

Overall

Coming in at over £100 this is still a little pricey for a voice recorder but if you want one i that is reliable delivers good quality results and is blindingly simple to use look no further.

The INQ Mini 3G packs in a lot of cool apps for a relatively low priced phone. Twitter, Facebook, Instant Messenger and Skype are all fully integrated. But can the budget handset handle its ambitious feature list?

Anna over at Shiny Shiny got to spend some time with the handset recently. Check out her views on the phone in the video below.

Rainy, windy weather can only mean one thing; time to get into the attic and dust off the board games. But we here at Tech Digest aren't satisfied with a musty box of Risk or Monopoly that's lost the Scottish Terrier piece. Oh no. We need a bit more bling for our pink £500 note.

Enter Pictionary Man, featuring an electronic Morph-alike to help you channel your inner Tony Hart. Click below to watch Shiny Shiny's Anna get rather excited in her video review.

There is nothing worse than having your music disturbed by external sources. Be it the noise of a train rattling through a tube tunnel during the morning commute, a hoody playing a pirate radio station out of a tinny phone speaker at the back of a bus or a road chomping jack-hammer drilling as much into your head as it does the street, regular headphones just can't defend your personal, harmonious music bubble from the outside racket of the modern world. AKG's K390 Noise-Cancelling earphones aim to thwart these sonic invaders, with varying levels of success.

AKG K390 earphones certainly look the part with a shiny black plastic casing and matte trimmings. The elegant curves of the earphones are durable too, with reinforced cabling near the ear piece protecting from any sudden tugs.

The earbuds and sound apertures themselves are a little large, though the earphones do ship with numerous replaceable sizes. Putting the earbuds in at first feels a little like the sensation of wearing ear-plugs, magnifying the sound of your own head as it were. But once you have some tunes playing through them, the earphones have a bright, full sound with good bass response and a clean high-end.

Active noise-cancellation is solid. A trek down noisy Oxford Street and on to a busy tube made no impression on my music, even with the volume down relatively low. The active noise-cancellation once switched on did produce a slight hissing sound that muddied bass frequencies, but overall made a huge difference to the clarity of my music.

However, the active noise-cancelling module is a rather bulky piece. It does fine in terms of features; it's good to see that it has a mute function and a switch for active/passive noise cancellation, and that it gets a decent run out of a single AAA battery. However its size (about 3 inches in length and an inch tall) and weight can make it a little cumbersome. It's placement along the length of cable is also too high, meaning that it cant be placed in a trouser pocket when out and about and in use, which is a shame.

Packaged in along with the replaceable earbuds are a stereo patch cable for connecting up other audio sources and a rather sleek carry case. It's also worth noting that the AKG K390 earphones also work as a hands free kit and do a good job of this secondary purpose.

The AKG K390 Noise-Cancelling earphones do a great job of defending your music from outside intrusion. However, a weighty noise-cancelling module drag the earphones down. They are pricey (you wont get much change out of £150) but the quality of the sound produced still make them a worthy purchase.

4/5

Click here to check out the product homepage: AKG K390 Noise-Cancelling earphones

Anna from Shiny Shiny recently got to spend some time with Emporia's TalkPremium, a handset for those who aren't fussed about the bells-and-whistles of modern smartphones . Check out her video review to see how it shapes up.

Tech Digest recently got their hands on a HTC HD2 handset. Check out this video feature to see how it shapes up.

HTC are billing the Touch 2 as a compact alternative to more pricey smartphones. But can it really compete with the mighty iPhone, or even their own excellent Hero handset?

The HTC Touch 2 boots up the Windows Mobile 6.5 OS. Anyone who remembers the previous offerings of Windows Mobile may rightly wince at this news, with the OS being notoriously flaky to navigate. However, breath easy; HTC have re-skinned the OS with their own TouchFlo interface.

The TouchFlo interface does a great job of getting you around the various functions of the phone. A scrolling shortcut bar at the bottom of the home screen allows for quick navigation to common tools such as messaging, contacts, internet browsers and other programs. Once selected from this scroll bar, options for these functions then fill only the top half of the screen, allowing you to quickly move to another application again via the scroll bar.

The start menu is also pretty nifty, with a scrolling grid of applications easily accessed. The phone can handle multi-tasking pretty well, with its 528MHz processor juggling music, multi-tabbed web browsing and photo viewing with admirable ease. Having a Windows style Task Manager made switching between applications easy too, and I found its drop down menu clear and easily navigable.

The HTC Touch 2 ships with a host of apps including YouTube, Facebook and Google Maps straight out of the box, and they all function pretty much as you would imagine. Though Windows Mobile Marketplace is still in its infancy, it's nice to know the HTC Touch 2 will be able to hold its own once more apps are available. Interestingly, HTC have chosen Opera rather than Internet Explorer as the default web browser. Both have their pros and cons. Opera sometimes garbled up images on the phone, so I tended to use Internet Explorer, but it's a matter of taste in the end.

What is not a matter of taste however is my low opinion of the HTC Touch 2's rather poor touch screen. Credit given where credit is due, visually it's excellent. The 2.8-inch TFT-LCD is clear and bright, and again, matched with the TouchFlo interface, is really slick to look at. It's such a shame then that the touch-screen itself is so unresponsive. The HTC Touch 2 favours a resistive rather than capacitive screen, which means it requires a fair bit of pressure to get a response back from the phone. When accessing large icons this is fine, but when you get to fiddly functions in the UI, such as scroll bars on browsers or text input, the HTC Touch 2 is an absolute mare to use. Far too often did my fingers accidentally open up the wrong applications or call the wrong contact. And I have dainty piano-playing fingers, might I add. Add to this the bizarre omission of an accelerometer, making landscape use a chore, and the screen just doesn't live up to expectations.

The inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack is great news for anyone planning on using the phone to regularly play music and video. Both the audio library and photo/video albums are very easy to use, making the HTC Touch 2 a worthy pocket-sized media player. However, the phone ships with only a meagre 512MB of internal memory, so a MicroSD upgrade will be necessary to get the most out of the phone's media abilities.

You wont be needing a memory upgrade for storing photos however, as you are unlikely to want to use the built in 3.2 mega pixel camera. It is pretty shoddy. Though the phone's touch sensitive zoom bar is a strong point for the camera (and also particularly useful when web browsing), the camera's inability to focus adequately or adjust sufficiently to differing lighting ranges makes it hard to recommend.

The HTC Touch 2 is a pretty sturdy phone for its tiny size (104 X 55 X 12.9 mm), and pretty sleekly designed too. It's curved edges and pinched lower lip make it quite comfortable to hold, and at 110 grams it's as light as a feather too. The inset buttons are nicely sized, and the resistive screen looks as though it could take a decent bashing before going all the colours of the rainbow.

Conclusion

There is a lot to like about the HTC Touch 2. It has an incredibly clear screen, handles multi-tasking very well, looks smooth in your hand, and has an excellent interface in the shape of the TouchFlo. However, a touch screen phone lives or dies by the usability of its touch screen, and here the HTC Touch 2 becomes difficult to recommend. Not a bad phone by any means, but it certainly falls short of greatness.

Here's Anna's (from Shiny Shiny) video review

Over the last month or so, I've had the pleasure of having LG's 42LH5000 television in my living room. There's plenty to like about this, LG's first 200Hz LCD, so read on for the full review.

First of all, let's talk styling. The 42LH5000 will fit comfortably in pretty much any living room, unless it's bright pink with "Hello Kitty" curtains. A transparent plastic 'halo' around the screen suits it nicely, with only a slight dip that indicates where the power button is to spoil the lines.