Macworld 2009 Keynote live coverage: 5pm GMT today

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It’s the first keynote without Steve Jobs, and Apple’s last visit to Macworld (at least for now), so it’s one to watch.

What products will Apple announce?

Will Phil Schiller wear the same outfit as Steve? (not exactly the same one, I hope)

Will Steve Jobs make a guest appearance as “one more thing” ?

Which soft rock star will play out the keynote this year?

All this, and more, will be answered at 5pm GMT (9am PST), so come back then and enjoy the roller-coaster ride that is an Apple keynote.

Preview: GTS World Racing for iPhone and iPod Touch

Astraware’s GTS World Racing for the iPhone and iPod Touch should go live in the App Store over the next 24 hours or so, according to one of my industry contacts.

As the name suggests, GTS World Racing is a driving game in which you race a coupe, sports car, or Formula One car around a variety of international tracks using the built-in accelerometer to control the car.

I’ve been playing with a pre-release version of the game for a couple of hours, and it’s a slick application with lots of potential.

Though I love the genre, I’m not a driving game fanatic, and so it’s difficult for me to compare it to some of the other big names in racing. I found the cars pretty easy to control from the start, as using the accelerometer (just as in Monkey Ball Island) is intuitive…

Comparison of RIM's BlackBerry Pearl 8110, Curve 8310 and Bold 9000 smartphones

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The BlackBerry 9000 was officially announced by Research In Motion this morning, and within minutes I was on the phone to my mobile contract provider, arranging the return of the Pearl 8110 I’d just ordered. Even though the 9000 won’t be out until Summer, it’s still worth waiting for, in my opinion.

Or is it? Do you prefer the 45g-bar-of-chocolate-size of the Pearl 8110, or the BlackBerry Maps featured in the Curve 8310? Let’s take a look below the jump at the key features of the three feathers RIM has in its cap…

Top ten changes I'd like to see made in the next Nintendo DS

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According to virtually every tech or gaming-orientated blog on the internet superhighway, come July the rumour is that Nintendo will be announcing the next-gen DS console at the E3 expo.

As someone who’s rushed out and bought both previous incarnations of the portable gaming console, I can appreciate the huge lead made between the two, and as much as I adore the Lite, I can think of a couple improvements I’d like to see in the next version, which is rumoured to be called the ‘Liter’ or ‘Extreme’.

The rumour mill has already started grinding, with fingers being pointed at ‘larger screens’, with both possibly being touch-screen, and the hardware being ‘lighter and thinner’. So far, the DS fans aren’t really thinking outside the box, so if you read below, you’ll see my hopes for the next version…

1.) Flash memory – I know that game saves etc are saved onto the game cartridges, but if the DS took a few pointers from their rival the PSP (read on below), then they’d be needing a good 4GB of storage capacity at least.

2.) MP3-playback facility – sure, you can get external add-ons that will enable you to play media on your DS, but wouldn’t it be better if it was integrated?

3.) HSDPA chip – it’s not ever going to happen, but goodness, can you imagine? It already has Wi-Fi, so you can use the Opera browser when in hotspots, or play against your friends, but inbuilt HSDPA would allow you speedy web browsing without the need to be lurking outside Coffee Republic. A collaboration between Ninty and a mobile network would prove lucrative, allowing for a cheap monthly subscription to the web ‘n walk style internet service.

Shiny Video Review: top five best camera phones reviewed, up the London Eye

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The things I do to review camera phones for you lot! I’m a tad bit scared of heights, yet I just went up the famous London Eye to test five of the best models money can buy you. Featuring the Nokia N95, LG Viewty, Samsung G800, Sony Ericsson K850i and Apple iPhone, which do you think will succeed in taking the best shot of the Houses of Parliament?…

Virgin Media speed throttling revisited — FAQ

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A consistently popular article on Tech Digest over the past year has been about Virgin Media’s broadband throttling scheme, whereby it slaps a speed limit on the customers it deems to be “heavy users” if they download or upload too much during peak hours.

It’s certainly got you hot under the collar, as most of the 80+ comments — plus the search terms you’re using to find the article in the first place — testify.

Here, as a public service, is Tech Digest’s Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ] guide to Virgin Media’s broadband speed throttling.