Author: Andy Merrett
DVDO intros EDGE video processor, for those who must have 1080p with everything
DVDO has announced a serious piece of AV kit: the EDGE video processor that can upscale nearly all video formats to the hallowed 1080p, thanks to Anchor Bay Video Reference Series technology.
It boasts six HDMI inputs, so you can connect up a load of HD and “almost HD” gear, and two HDMI outputs. There’s also the usual assorted range of other inputs which will be perfect if you’re thinking of upscaling YouTube footage and other assorted ultra-low-res crap video…
Nokia "Comes With Music" coming to the UK first via Carphone Warehouse
Nokia has announced that its “Comes With Music” service, which it has been signing up music companies for several months now, will go live in the UK… sometime in October.
Yes, this “groundbreaking music service” is still keeping the nitty-gritty details about itself hidden. What we do know is that The Carphone Warehouse will be the exclusive pre-pay retailer for the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic “Comes With Music” edition, and begins taking pre-orders for it today. Presumably, though not confirmed, consumers will be able to use other Nokia multimedia handsets as well — you know, ones that are less than a year old…
Google launching Chrome web browser beta for Windows
Thanks to some over-exuberant staff at Google, the cat’s out of the bag a bit earlier than planned on its new project: Chrome.
From tomorrow, Google will launch a beta version of its new web browser, which it no doubts hope will challenge the dominance of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, and take chunks out of Firefox’s increasing popularity.
A Windows version will be available in 100 countries (presumably the UK will be one of them), and should be “streamlined and simple”. Features include separating each tab into its own “sandbox” to minimise the risk of web applications crashing the whole browser and provide better protection from malicious code, and a powerful “V8” JavaScript engine to “power the next generation of web applications that aren’t even possible in today’s browsers”…
Sony and Tosh top notebook PC reliability chart, third of Americans want Apple
A recent consumer survey by Which? magazine suggests that Sony and Toshiba top the pile when it comes to laptop reliability, both scoring 93%.
Perhaps surprisingly given how they’re used, and the belief that laptop computers don’t last as long, portable PCs scored better than their desktop relatives.
Apple tied with Dell and Compaq at the top of the chart for desktop computer reliability, with 86%.
Of course these results are based on consumer experience rather than scientific measurement, so it doesn’t mean those brands at the top of the pile are necessarily the best…
iPhone 3G PAYG coming to O2: 16th September from £349.99
At last, the long awaited contract-free iPhone 3G has been announced* by O2. We’ve been expecting it for some time, and indeed O2’s help pages have been geared up for PAYG queries since the pay monthly version launched.
If you’ve got a spare £349.99 lying around, then in just over two weeks time you’ll be able to slap it down on an O2 store counter and say “Give me the Pay As You Go 8GB iPhone please”.
For an extra fifty quid, you can get the 16GB model.
Yes, you’ll be able to do exactly the same at The Carphone Warehouse too…
IFA 2008: Epson announces four new high definition projectors: EH-TW420, EH-TW3000, EH-TW3800, EH-TW5000
Epson has announced five new high definition projector systems at this year’s IFA, offering a range of features for different budgets. Get ready for some specs…
EH-TW420
The EH-TW420 is one of Epson’s more entry level 3LCD projectors, offering 720p projection, 2,000 ANSI lumens brightness, decent connectivity including HDMI and USB, various colour modes including a game mode to better process fast moving images, in-built 7W speaker, and keystone correction.
Retailing for around £649 and available from September.
IFA 2008: Sharp launches super-thin AQUOS XS1 and premium AQUOS D65E HDTVs
AQUOS XS1
It’s not just Sony playing the thin TV game, with Sharp announcing its latest AQUOS LCD TV boasting 2.3cms thick body.
Available in 52 and 65-inch screen sizes, the XS1 series features advanced contrast ratio of 10,000:1, 6ms response time, detachable speaker system, five 2.1-channel speakers, and 100Hz picture enhancement technology, plus gallery mode for displaying photos from a USB stick…
Onkyo launches top-of-range TX-SR876 and TX-NR906 receivers
Onkyo has announced the latest in its line of home cinema receivers, launching the high-end TX-SR876 and TX-NR906 units boasting THX Ultra2 Plus (like the TX-SR806) and built-in ISF video calibration.
The £1,000 TX-SR876 offers seven channels with 200W per channel output, four HDMI inputs and two outputs, 1080p upscaling and conversion, decoder for Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital Plus and DTS-HD, three Texas Instruments Aureus 32-bit DSP chips, Burr-Brown PCM1796 192KhZ/24-bit DACs, and music optimiser…
Arcam intros FMJ CD17-A18 high end hi-fi components
Arcam has announced the availability of its FMJ CD17-A18, an upgrade to its entry-level DiVA hi-fi system.
The FMJ A18 amplifier replaces the DiVA A70 and features 50 watts of continuous power per channel, logic-controlled pre-amp, resonance damped chassis, low-noise toroidal transformer, and remote control unit.
The FMJ CD17 CD player replaces the DiVA CD73 and features the latest Wolfson 8741 24-bit digital-analogue converters, ultra-precise clocking, EMC damping, and remote control unit…
Canon launches two new SELPHY photo printers: ES3, ES30
Canon has announced two additions to its SELPHY line of photo printers: the ES3 and ES30.
Designed to be portable, with a compact, vertical design and fixed carry handle, the ES3 features a 3.5-inch LCD and the ES30 a three-inch LCD, for easy selection and editing of photos.
Key features include built-in image optimisation (trimming, red-eye correction), creating print button for adding frames and filter effects, direct printing from cameras and memory cards, wireless printing, plus storing of favourite prints in the ES3’s 1GB of memory…
