O2 have announced plans to turn the UK capital London into Europe's largest free Wi-Fi zone, just in time for the 2012 Olympics.

Hitting the areas of Chelsea, Kensington and Westminster first, O2 will be using existing street items to minimise disruption and clutter, as well as keeping the cost for tax payers at absolutely nothing.

Derek McManus, COO of O2 said: "This ground-breaking deal - the first of its kind in the UK - will see us deliver high quality connectivity across London in time for London 2012. Our longer-term aim is to expand our footprint of O2 Wi-Fi, which is open to everyone, and also intelligently enhance our services at street level, where people need the network the most.

"Our £500m annual network investment programme is focussed on integrating new layers of technology into the existing network to enable a seamless and sustained customer experience. We are driven entirely by our customers' needs and believe that services should be delivered in the best possible way, across multiple networks and supported by different technologies."

Free to both O2 customers and those not signed up to the network, the roll out will begin this month.

Name: Three MiFi HSPA+ (Huawei E586)

Type: Portable personal Wi-Fi hotspot

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £84.99 with 3GB of data/ Free on 18 month tariff at £10.87 per month with 1GB data allowance/ Free on 24 month tariff at £18.99 a month with 15GB data allowance

Three's latest MiFi personal Wi-Fi hotspot certainly is a looker, and with newly-added HSPA+ connectivity, makes some bold claims when it comes to mobile broadband speeds. Can it deliver superfast downloads when out on the road, or will a standard dongle offer similar results? Read on to find out.

If you're even remotely interested in consumer technology (if you aren't, God only know swhat you're doing on this site) chances are that you don't leave the house without several web-enabled devices. From smartphones to games consoles, e-readers to tablets to laptops, if it's got a battery in it, chances are it can connect to the web these days. However, when it comes to mobile broadband, keeping each of these devices connected can be expensive.

Here's where Three's MiFi range comes in. Small, pebble-shaped devices weighing just 90 grams, they're portable, pocketable, battery-powered Wi-Fi hotspots that connect to Three's mobile network and let multiple devices connect to the internet at once, wherever you may be.

On the upside, you're likely to save plenty of dough using a MiFi as you only have to shell out for one tariff every month. In the past, the downside however has been that connection speeds can get a little shoddy when split across multiple devices.

Three's latest MiFi, the E586, more-or-less sidesteps the issue of speed by being the first device to offer a HSPA+ connection. In theory, this gives you download speeds as fast as 21.6Mbps and upload speeds of 5.76Mbps. This, in theory, makes it far more attractive than a regular dongle's 7.2Mbps max download speed.

Great in theory, but how about in practice? Nowhere near as fast, but not too shabby either. In areas of strong signal we regularly topped speeds of 8Mbps, which just wouldn't be possible on a standard dongle, averaging out at 5 or 6Mbps elsewhere. This extra speed boost made connecting multiple devices for simultaneous usage far less of a pain too, making this MiFi kit a real work tool for teams needing reliable web access when out of the office.

Those looking to use the MiFi in a professional capacity will be pleased to hear the many security features built in here too. Though you can easily just pop in the supplied SIM-card and battery, switch on and connect your devices using the SSID/password card, those looking for extra protection can visit http://3.home in their browsers and tweak settings like WPA2-PSK and AES TKIP WPA encryption. You can also use this page to send and receive messages using the MiFi, though the practical application of this feature is limited.

Three still suffer from intermittent coverage blackspots (like, annoyingly, the area of our Central London office specifically where I sit it would seem) but it was very impressive just how often it picked up a HSPA+ connection when out around town. Of course London is likely to have better coverage than more rural spots, so double-check with a coverage tracking site to before a purchase, but even with a standard 3G mobile broadband connection the dongle performed well.

As we alluded to earlier, the new MiFi looks pretty snazzy too. Available in black or white, a small but clear OLED screen shows info on signal strength, connection type, connected devices (as many as five at a time), connection status, messages, battery level, total data usage and roaming state. Charging over USB (or using a supplied cradle) the USB connection can also be used to access the microSD slot on the side of the MiFi (card not included) potentially turning the unit into a portable 32GB drive too. Overall, battery life is excellent too, managing 5.5 hours of heavy usage and as much as 100 hours on standby from a single charge.

Verdict:

Without the HSPA+ capabilities, Three's latest MiFi hotspot would still be a stylish mobile broadband unit capable of reliable, on-the-go connectivity. With HSPA+, and with the flexible tariff system Three have in place, it becomes a genuinely viable alternative to a fixed broadband connection for light internet users. Three still suffer from the odd blackspot, but if you're lucky enough to be within range of a HSPA+ connection here, it's a genuinely excellent bit of kit.

Following on from our quick-specs rundown of Epson's wireless 3D EH-TW9000W projector (which you can read here) we've now got a preview video of the model to go with it.

It's quite the looker we think, with it's curved white chassis bringing 2001: A Space Odyssey design chic to the projector space. In terms of industrial design it's intelligent too, thanks to front-facing venitlation systems that make mounting the projector in a shelving unit far less likely to cause overheating.

We've now got official confirmation of pricing for the Epson EH-TW9000W model too, makred up at £2962 when they hit UK stores in November.

City slickers, with your mocha-latte-frappuccinos, Oyster cards and bendy buses; take note! If you're reading this using a broadband connection, whilst happily downloading the latest Mad Men season from iTunes and refining "the definitive" Spotify playlist, spare a thought for the many UK residents in rural areas who still don't have access to high-speed web connections.

We can send a man to the moon, but we can't get a broadband connection to the village of Gringley-on-the-Hill. Thankfully, the Three network have answered the call for broadband salvation, working alongside the Countryside Alliance to form the Rural Broadband Working Group, a new inititave to offer free internet coverage to the rural areas lacking decent broadband connectivity.

Gringley-on-the-Hill (with a 750 person population) will be the first village to benefit from the new deal, with Three donating 30 mobile broadband dongles and MiFi devices as well as 4 million MBs of free data.

Hugo Dunkley, Gringley-on-the-Hill's Parish Council chairman, Hugo Dunkley, said: "We had written to the House of Lords, our local MP, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and even a large fixed-line provider about the lack of comprehensive broadband in the community, but with no success. There was broadband in a small corner of the village but everywhere else speeds were frustratingly slow.

"Mobile broadband has addressed this problem and the dongles are allowing the people and businesses of the village to use the Internet to its full potential for the first time."

Three to the rescue then. David Dyson, CEO at Three commented, "Thousands of communities still cannot access fixed line broadband services, but they do have access to a mobile broadband network, and that's where this new initiative comes in.

"We have built a network designed for the Internet and are passionate about using this to help more and more people experience the everyday benefits this can bring."

Fancy a pint and a YouTube meme trawling session at the same time? Now you can thanks to a new partnership between BT and Heineken. They're bringing free BT Wi-Fi hotspots to over 100 London pubs and 200 more across the UK by the end of 2012.

Bringing BT's hotspot numbers in the UK up to three million, it's a completely free service for anyone of the 5 million BT Broadband customers across the land.

The move also brings exclusive editorial content, written by the team behind the "i" newspaper, to the hotspots, known as Heineken Hubs.

Rick Lawrence, Marketing Manager at Heineken UK said: "The partnership with BT reinforces the brand's reputation as a leading player in the development of technology. The Wi-Fi initiative will provide excellent exposure for Heineken among its key target audience and build greater affinity between the brand and its consumers."

Chris Bruce, CEO, BT Openzone, concurred: "Using Wi-Fi to deliver free and exclusive content, Heineken is engaging and exciting pub goers and will undoubtedly increase business. It's an exciting time to be involved in hospitality marketing."

Just don't forget to clear your history if you start looking up questionable pages when you're half-cut.

Huawei's range of Mi-Fi personal Wi-Fi hotspots gets a new addition today in the shape of the superfast 8586 model.

Launching on the Three network, it'll be the first UK mobile Wi-Fi unit to offer HSPA+ connectivity, giving as much as a 40% speed increase over previous models. This will have the potential to get even more zippy once the network begins rolling out its 21.1 Mbps data connection upgrade.

Other new addition include an included charging cradle, while an OLED screen will display connection speed, connectivity status and data consumption info. The range's famed one-touch activation also makes a welcome return.

The Huawei 8586 Mi-Fi with HSPA+ will launch in September, with Three's 21.1 mbps network upgrade rolling out to 80% of the UK before the year is out.

Microsoft are to begin a trial for a new type of Wi-Fi specification this week that could potentially act as an alternative to LTE and current public Wi-Fi connections.

Using "white space" in the frequency spectrum that had initially been reserved for the digital TV programmers that has ended up unused, Microsoft will tap into the 470MHz to 790MHz range to see if they can give mobile broadband a boost.

Taking place in Cambridge, a major factor of the tests will be to find out whether using spectrum space so close to that of digital TV signals ahs an adverse effect on broadcasts.

"Spectrum is a finite natural resource. We can't make more and we must use it efficiently and wisely," Microsoft's Dan Reed told the Financial Times.

"The TV white spaces offer tremendous potential to extend the benefits of wireless connectivity to many more people, in more locations, through the creation of super Wi-Fi networks."

If the trial is a success, it is thought the networks will likely serve rural areas rather than major urban centres.

Name: AirTies 4420-TV

Type: Wireless networking/ media streaming kit

Specifications: Click here for full specs

Price: £89.99 from Amazon

A powerline alternative, the AirTies 4420-TV is perfect those with Internet connected TVs experiencing Wi-Fi woes.

Though everything from Freeview boxes to televisions now house online, networked components, very few offer Wi-Fi connections, and those that do regularly suffer from weak signal connections. As a result, trying to stream online video content from catch-up TV services or networked media can be a real stutter-filled chore. While you could feasibly run an extra long Ethernet cable from your router to the web-connected device in question, with so many items requiring consistent web connectivity your house would quickly begin to look like a spider's web of wiring.

The AirTies 4420-TV, built with internet connected TVs specifically in mind, offers a solution. Comprised of two discrete black boxes, two short, separate Ethernet cables are connected to the rear of both, with one then attached to your internet router and the other to the port on your television. A simple press of each unit's Airtouch buttons sees both boxes paired, and you're quickly boosting the connectivity capabilities of your TV over the 802.11n standard.

Thanks to the ability to use the AirTies within the less congested 5GHz spectrum, we found far less interference affected our web TV streaming playback. Just like the recently reviewed BT Home Hub 3 router, the AirTies too also dynamically searches the Wi-Fi spectrum for sources of interference, and changes channel according to what will give you the most consistent connection.

However using the 5GHz band does bring with it its own problems. The 2.4GHz spectrum may be crowded with other Wi-Fi devices, but it also has better range due to the lower frequency's ability to pass through solid objects easier. Use the 5GHz setting and you wouldn't want too many walls between the two AirTies boxes. Thankfully, both 2.4GHz and 5GHz options can easily be switched between, meaning you can decide what works best for your set-up.

Each AirTies box also features a USB 2.0 port. Plug a USB hard drive in and you have the potential to use the AirTies boxes as networked media hubs. With UPnP/DLNA support, you can easily share music, video and photo files across the network.

Verdict:

Affordable and a breeze to set up, the AirTies kit will keep your living room free of unsightly wires, while also ensuring your iPlayer playback is stutter free. It'd be great to have a little more help when it comes to tweaking some of the more advanced settings, but its hard to argue with the ability to create consistently accessible networked storage at the this price.

Name: Home Hub 3 (BT)

Type: Wi-Fi Broadband Router

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: Free with new BT Broadband packages, £46 for existing customers, £92 without a BT contract

BT's Home Hub 3 aims to eliminate Wi-Fi woes by employing a new "Smart Wireless" technology. But does this new channel hopping system do enough to glaze over a few other notably absent features?

Wireless internet has become the standard for so many laptops and mobile devices that it's hard to remember a time when there was no choice but to wire a connection to your PC in order to connect to the net. However ubiquitous Wi-Fi connections have now become, so too have frustratingly frequent drop outs and wireless interference. As the headline feature of the BT Home Hub 3 router, Smart Wireless technology aims to do away with this.

Though the majority of routers these days scan for the most interference-free channel when first setting up your Wi-Fi connection, over time the channel can become flooded with interference from other devices in the vicinity, meaning only a hard reset or manual signal change will do the trick to fix connection issues. BT's Smart Wireless technology consistently scans for interference and dynamically changes the wireless channel to maintain the best possible connection.

And it seems to work too. I live in flats notorious for Wi-Fi drop out thanks to a number of gadget-happy neighbours, and experienced the first consistent wireless connection that I've enjoyed in many years. Even when I placed an analogue video sender near it, the router adapted quickly to the problem and changed channel accordingly. Though we couldn't judge how consistently the router would perform when surrounded by other routers in close proximity, the router should suit most home set ups without a hitch.

It's not just the consistency of the connection that's impressive, but the quality too. Even two floors up through solid walls it managed respectable speeds, with a maximum of 12Mbits/sec clocked outside thirty metres away from the router, using 802.11n wireless. Depending on your connection speed, data rates potentially can max out at 144 Mbit/sec or 300 Mbits/sec using the optional 40 MHz mode.

It's a pretty little device, as far as routers go aswell. A curved black sloping box, it features 3 front-facing indicator lights which change colour according to the power supply and quality of the broadband connectivity and wireless connections.

On the rear you'll find four Ethernet ports (though only one is Gigabit) and two WAN ports (an RJ11 port for the built-in ADSL modem, and another RJ45 port that supports the VDSL2 protocol used to connect to BT's Infinity fibre-optic broadband service). There's also room for a USB port, acting as a network storage space or printer sharer. A pull out tab that slips out of the rear of the device with the WPS pin and password written on it is a nice touch too, meaning you'll always have a portable code to hand as you set up devices around the house.

Those nice looks carry over into the simple set-up of the device too, making it perfect for novice users. A web interface allows you to adjust the hub's settings, such as wireless security protocols and eco-friendly standby scheduling. Though the web interface defaults to only the most basic commands, it opens up when you click the advanced view to carry out more complex tasks such as port forwarding and firewall details.

However, those using older Wi-Fi devices will be frustrated to find that 128-bit WEP isn't supported, leaving you only with 64-bit WEP instead. Though WPA and WPA2 should be sufficiently secure for the majority of devices, users of gadgets making use of older security standards may find this omission a little disquieting. Heavy media streamers and gamers alike may also be frustrated to see that there is also no support for QoS, meaning there's no way of prioritising traffic for smooth web video playback or stutter-free online gaming.

Though it's hard to judge the number of people who made use of the feature, the BT Home Hub 3 also drops Broadband Talk support. Those who make use of the service on previous Home Hubs and BT packages should therefore avoid this latest unit.

Verdict:

Though it may be a hard sell on its own, the BT Home Hub 3 is a consistent and reliable router. Maintaining a solid connection over-the-air at respectable speeds in our notoriously interference-rich testing spot, it's well worth a £46 upgrade for existing BT subscribers, and is a real bargain as a free part of the telecom giant's broadband packages.

London's Underground tube network is to get a series of Wi-Fi hotspots in time for next year's Olympic Games, it has been revealed today.

120 hotspots will be coming to the capital's tube stations, with the first 16 coming from the private networks staff themselves already use in some stations being made open to the public too.

While the networks' ranges won't extend into tunnels, those passing through stations or waiting on platforms will be able to check mail and websites on their web-connected devices during the morning commute. A tiral is already underway at Charing Cross station, as organised by BT.

TFL are currently looking for a company to undertake the installation process.

Via: Cellular News

Car giants Ford took this week's CeBIT technology expo in Hanover, Germany, as an opportunity to announce the global launch of their new connected dashboard system, SYNC. Already available in North America, the voice activated MyFord Touch interface opens up your dashboard to a whole host of connected devices, as well as promising increased road safety. Tech Digest went hands-on with the device at the show.

Embedded within the car dashboard, SYNC features a bright 8 inch touchscreen,with connectivity options for RCA cables, an SD card and two USB inputs. The screen suffers from a slight-but-noticeably present lag when pushed, but you'll be touching it very little in any case; SYNC's trump card is its impressive voice activated commands.

Pulling in the software expertise of Microsoft and voice-recognition experts Nuance, the SYNC system can recognise and respond to 10,000 commands in 19 languages. In theory, you should barely have to touch the screen in order to access SYNC's many functions. In our quick test the voice recognition software was very responsive, understanding various ways of asking for the same actions ie. "Play playlist X" or "Open and listen to playlist X" and so on.

The interface is split into four sections; phone, navigation, media and climate control. Each has its own lengthy list of associated voice commands. Syncing a phone via Bluetooth allows calls to be answered via voice activation alone, and received text messages will be read aloud by the system's HAL-like voice. You'll also be able to respond to messages by selecting from a list of presets, again adding to Ford's safety mantra that eyes on the road and hands on the wheel make for a significantly better driver.

Music controls are similarly intelligent. MP3 files are read from an MP3 player, mobile phone or directly indexed from a USB thumbdrive, and then churned through Gracenote to ensure suitable artwork and track names are applied. You'll then be able to browse your library and control playback by voice commands alone, with the superior voice recognition software and Gracenote's metadata intelligently understanding unusual characters in artist names (AKA Kie$ha) and even commonly used nicknames such as "The King" for Elvis.

Navigation controls are likewise voice operated, with the integrated GPS system making the likes of TomToms redundant. Again the clever implementation of Nuance software ensures that the system can account for variations in dialect and location nicknames; you'll just as easily turn up at Her Majesty's doorstep by saying "Buckingham Palace" as by asking for directions to Westminster, London SW1W 0. Also, the software can handle an entire address in one single voice command, rather than splitting it into street, city and postcodes, which is a plus.

Of course these controls logically carry over to the climate control system too, asking the car to warm up or cool down and it responding accordingly.

While USB inputs for music playback in dashboards aren't uncommon these days, the SYNC system goes one better by allowing you to power a mobile dongle from the port. Your car in effect becomes a portable Wi-Fi hotspot, allowing up to 5 devices to pair with it. In an age where all the kids and the dog too have a smartphone or web connected games console, laptop or tablet, having an in-car internet connection will be a god-send on longer journeys.

SYNC runs alongside Ford's other in-car innovation, App Link, for which developers can either create dedicated SYNC apps for driver's smartphones, or submit SYNC-compatible variations on existing apps, allowing for hands-free control. It has already thrown up its first gem in the shape of the Emergency Assistance feature, which uses GPS and cell data to locate the vehicle in the event of an accident, immediately call emergency services, and relate accident information to the accident controller in the language most likely to be used in the location you're currently driving through.

"At Ford, we have always believed that the intelligent application of technology can help us deliver the very best customer experience and help us contribute to a better world, so we challenged ourselves to build technologically advanced cars that make driving greener, safer and smarter for all," said Ford CEO Alan Mulally.

"SYNC is a smarter, safer and simpler way to connect drivers with in-car technologies and their digital lives."

Ford plan to roll out the SYNC system across the continent in 2012. The new Ford Focus model will be the first off the production line with SYNC built in, with Ford promising to add the new dashboard to other models soon after.

Name: Veebeam HD

Type: Wireless PC/Mac-to-TV high definition media streamer

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £139 from Amazon

Image Gallery: Click here

More and more we're using our PCs and Macs to watch TV and movies. Whether we're downloading HD films from iTunes or streaming last night's episode of EastEnders over the BBC iPlayer, we're relying increasingly on our computers and web connections to entertain ourselves. Being restricted to a titchy laptop screen or office-tied desktop PC however isn't always the most comfortable of viewing experiences, while hooking a computer up to a big-screen TV with an array of cables isn't always the tidiest way to get around the problem either. The Veebeam HD wireless media streamer is a relatively inexpensive solution that'll push your computer's media content to a big screen without cluttering up your living room with a tangle of leads in the process.

The Veebeam HD kit is comprised of two main components; the Veebeam HD box itself and a wireless USB dongle that is used to sync the Veebeam HD with your laptop. Both black and rather discrete in size, the Veebeam HD itself features a strange two-pronged design that makes it look a little like a Highwayman's cap. In a neat touch, the dongle can be stored in a small hole on the front of the Veebeam HD which automatically switches on the box when the dongle is removed from the dock, and turns it off when returned. It's a design that puts the Veebeam HD in stark contrast to the unit's nearest rival, the white Apple TV box.

After downloading the Veebeam HD software to your PC or Mac and connecting the Veebeam HD box up to your TV with a HDMI cable (composite, digital audio and two USB connections also sit on the rear), you're then ready to "beam" any content you're currently viewing on your desktop or stored media to your TV. Quality as high as 1080p is supported if you have such files or streams available once you've matched the Veebeam HD software settings with that of your outputting screen.

The default streaming mode for the Veebeam HD is Desktop Mode, which completely takes over your laptop. It isn't suitable for playing stored media files, nor multitasking, but is a quick and easy way of projecting your desktop or browser-based video content onto the big screen. Alternatively you can use the Play-To mode to stream locally-stored media files to the Veebeam HD box, whilst still allowing you to multi-task on the computer. In either format, the Veebeam HD projected high-quality images to the big screen that, while softer than a dedicated direct HDMI connection, didn't soften 1080p videos in any horribly jarring way. How easy it is to set-up and use the Veebeam HD will make it very popular among those who find the likes of DLNA networking a little overwhelming, while the lack of content restrictions make it a very attractive Apple TV alternative.

However, there were some problems with the Veebeam HD kit. Firstly, the wireless signal between the main unit and the dongle is quite weak, requiring a near-constant line-of-sight connection to maintain a consistent stream. While a busy room of people walking through the line only rarely affected the connection, those planning on streaming from a computer in another room will have to look for another solution.

Also, we noticed some issues with the screencasting Desktop Mode that will prevent those planning to use the kit for wireless gaming streams or presentations from getting much joy from the Veebeam HD. A noticeable lag between the action on the computer screen and what happens when sent to the Veebeam HD means it's not suitable for even offline gaming, while the mysterious lack of an on-screen cursor makes controlling your desktop from the secondary display a bit of a pain.

While very attractive both in function and form, the Veebeam HD isn't without a few quibbles that, while minor to the majority of its intended users, could well be deal-breakers to gamers and professional users. Still, if you're in the market for a reasonably priced HD media streamer that has few of the content restrictions that the likes of Apple TV imposes, the Veebeam HD is an easy-to-use, elegant solution.

4/5

Name: colourSTREAM (ROBERTS)

Type: DAB/Internet Radio with iPod Dock

Specs: Click here for full specs

Price: £176.09 from Amazon

Image Gallery: Click here

Billed as a next-gen radio system, the ROBERTS colourSTREAM has a list of features as long as your arm. Everything from DAB to internet radio stations are included, while a touchscreen and iPod dock make it very much a device for Generation App. There's a lot to love here, but a few niggling issues prevent the colourSTREAM from achieving five-star status.

While quite large at 340(w) x 130(h) x 260(d) mm and 3.4 kg in weight, the colourSTREAM's gloss-black finish and curved edges will make it slip in comfortably in most homes. This attractive look is only improved upon turning the radio on, when the front-mounted, bright and colourful resistive touchscreen fires up with a blue ring and strip of lights surround the central volume and power dial.

As mentioned before, the colourSTREAM can pipe in music from an excellently varied number of sources. These include DAB, FM, internet radio, iPod, a networked PC, a music-filled USB drive, AUX source or via Last.fm (to which a 30-day premium subscription is included within the colourSTREAM's asking price). Many of these obviously require a network connection, and the colourSTREAM makes the set-up process very painless. A set-up wizard launches upon first switching on the radio; you can either set a wired LAN as your connection of choice, or a Wi-Fi one. Using the touchscreen text entry keypad made finding our network very easy, as well as entering our WEP key, and we were good to go within 5 or 10 minutes.

Once the wizard is complete, the colourSTREAM launches its home screen, which, with it's icon-based interface, will be look eerily familiar to iPhone users. From here you're able to select your source, with each given a separate brightly coloured tile.

As we mentioned earlier, setting up the internet connection was incredibly easy, and we never once experienced a signal drop-out from whichever networked source we accessed, despite a notoriously flakey Wi-Fi connection being used. The colourSTREAM UI however, left a little to be desired. While it's sensibly laid out, allowing you to intuitively browse tens of thousands of internet web stations and search for them by text-entry, the small number of channels displayed on screen at once meant for painfully long lists to scroll through. This was particularly noticeable when browsing our relatively large PC-based mp3 collection; if we weren't using the text entry screen to pinpoint a specific track, it was a real chore to navigate.

This problem is exacerbated by the sluggish speed of the system; you'll often wait a few seconds for the screen to refresh your browsing scroll, which can result in you pushing the down-scroll touch button too many times by mistake, believing your tap of the resistive touchscreen to have gone unrecognised, and making you over-shoot the track you're looking for. Also, giving support for iPods, but not iPhones, seems quite the oversight.

Despite these problems, the colourSTREAM still manages to impress in the audio department. A full-bodied warm sound blasts out of the 2 x 15 watts speakers at a reasonably loud level, making even the comparatively low bitrate internet radio streams and podcasts sound great. There's also the option to tweak custom equaliser settings, or pick from a lengthy list of presets to suit all ears. The included remote control is nice and sturdy too, with dedicated "Love" and "Ban" buttons for those who make plenty of use of the Last.fm functionality, though all the buttons are a little stiff to push.

It's got its problems which hold it back from true greatness, but we do have a soft spot for the ROBERTS colourSTREAM. It's the easiest internet radio to set-up we've ever used, and while the UI is sluggish and a little cramped in places, it's so self-explanatory that even a technophobe could navigate it, providing they have the patience. Not a bad first attempt by ROBERTS by any means, and we look forward to seeing them explore touchscreen interfaces in future releases.

4/5

'I'm cruising at 30,000 feet' - how's that for a status update? This month you can tell your Facebook friends about bad airplane food and poor legroom free of charge, following an initiative from seven US airlines.

While in-flight WiFi has been around for a while, it has suffered from poor user uptake. The popularity of Facebook might go some way to remedy this, or at least that is what the airlines are hoping as they launch the month-long freebie. According to Gogo Inflight Internet, which sponsors the scheme alongside Ford Motor, Facebook is the most popular site to visit for those who pay for Wifi. Those wanting to access other sites will still have to pay, with fees starting at $4.95 for a short flight, going up to $12.95 for longer-haul journeys.

The initiative covers the major US airlines, meaning you need to book a ticket with participants such as United Airlines, American Airlines or Virgin America to take part. Still, it remains to be seen if a month is enough to get people hooked on in-flight internet to the degree that they would be willing to pay for it later. Even if they are happy to splash the cash to go online, there are still services that remain unavailable if you access the internet from an airplane. This includes music and video streaming - no YouTube or Spotify, in other words. At premium access prices, this may be a dealbreaker.

What do you think - how much would you pay to use Facebook while flying?

As of tomorrow, visitors to Central London will be able to access 15 minutes worth of free public Wi-Fi hotspot usage from The Cloud.

Within the Square Mile of the City, everyone will be able to grab a free bit of web browsing on their laptops or smartphones, with options to top up further minutes on a Pay As You Go basis, or through regular The Cloud subscription channels. Customers of O2's mobile netwrok will still revieve unlimited free access.

The news follows a busy week for The Cloud, following their £50m acqusition by broadcaster BSkyB.

Now here's a story that just sounds too good to be true. O2 are preparing to launch a nationwide public Wi-fi network that will be free to use for EVERYONE, not just those who have contracts with the telecommunications firm.

The plan is to have the network up and running by 2013, replacing their Cloud hotspots and doubling "the number of premium hotspots currently offered by BT Openzone and The Cloud combined".

Shops, restuarants, and retail centres are likely to be the areas to get access, as well as places of public interest and attractions. The sign up is promised to be simple for all users, particularly those on O2 contracts who will have the sign-in process carried out automatically for them.

"Building networks is a core capability. We have pioneered the explosion of mobile data over the last three years and know better than anyone where people are accessing data. O2 Wifi hotspots will bring high quality public Wi-fi access to the majority of mobile users," said O2's new business development director Tim Sefton.

"Only 20 per cent of people who have access to free public Wi-Fi on O2 tariffs actively use it despite the majority of devices being Wi-Fi enabled. We know that Wi-Fi as a technology has great potential and can be a very fast service, however customers are discouraged by barriers which include complexity in activation, uncertainty of where Wi-Fi is free and the variable quality of the current experience.

"O2 is integrating new layers of technology into the existing network to enable a seamless and sustained customer experience. We are technology-agnostic and driven entirely by our customers' needs. We believe that services should be delivered in the best possible way, across multiple networks, supported by different technologies."

Surely there must be a catch? Perhaps something to do with Sky's recent move towards nabbing the Cloud? We'll keep you posted on the development of the network as we find out more.

Now here's one of our favourite items from CES 2011; LG's ST600 Smart TV Upgrader.

All the major TV manufacturers at CES 2011 are billing web-connected and app-freindly sets as the next big thing. But what if you've already got a perfectly good HD TV set without connected features? If you can't afford the premium of a new set, LG will have you covered with their ST600 Smart TV upgrader.

A box no bigger than a 2nd-gen Apple TV, it'll hook up to any TV with a HDMI port to give it all the features of LG's latest Smart TV range. Apps, web video content, social networking; the lot.

And the best bit? It's predicted to retail for little more than £100. Great stuff.

Check it out in the video above.

Connected, or "Smart", TVs have seen a major push at CES 2011, with all major manufacturers putting out new and improved ranges for the new yeavr.

Perhaps the most committed to getting your TV web-savvy are LG, whose Smart TV range with Wii-Like Magic Motion remote features the slickest gesture-based interface of the bunch.

LG's George Mead talks us through the sets in the video above.

Virgin Media may be about to jump onto the public Wi-Fi hotspot bandwagon, with reports coming in that they are looking to take on the likes of BT's Openzone and The Cloud with their own service.

A Virgin spokeswoman said: "Virgin is looking to make use of its existing infrastructure to extend its reach in the UK." They're apparently taking their cues from US firm Cablevision, who recently rolled-out a similar Wi-Fi scheme in New York, capable of pumping out 5Mb speeds for mobile webheads.

Kevin Baughan, Director of Advanced Technology at Virgin previously told the Telegraph: "Previous attempts were to fulfil a social objective. This is to solve a real problem. Steve Jobs has created phenomenal demand, and we've got the best fibre network in the country that could help meet it.

"This isn't about building broad coverage, it's about giving you fast, predictable, access where you need it."

No confirmation yet on the specifics of the hotspot service, but we'll pass anything on as we get it.

Via: Brand Republic/ Absolute Gadget

If there was a tech equivalent of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, it'd probably be the gadget and gizmo heaven that is Firebox.com .Tech Digest recently got to have a play around with all their latest and greatest gear, and made a pretty lengthy Chsitmas list in the process.

Santa, if you're reading, you know what to do.

Click below for the best of Firebox's Christmas collection.