Hands-on with the HP Omni27 All-in-One PC at CES 2012

Andrew Edney
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0
Hands-on with the HP Omni27 All-in-One PC at CES 2012

Last week at CES HP invited us to a private briefing that included their new HP Omni27 All-in-One PC. We got to spend a little time with it and here are our thoughts.

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Let’s just remind ourselves about the Omni27:

The HP Omni27 All-in-One PC is designed specifically for consumers who demand meticulous design, simplicity and performance and an expanding viewing experience. Its elegant flat panel display features edge-to-edge glass and tilts up to 25 degrees, allowing users to adjust the 68.6 cm (27”) diagonal high-definition (HD) screen to their comfort level.

The HP Omni27 features HP’s Magic Canvas software allowing the desktop to expand horizontally and accommodate all the photos, videos and applications consumers need. Windows desktop shortcuts, task bar and start menu can all be accessed through the Magic Canvas allowing users to work without ever leaving the interface. Convenient features like HP LinkUp let users access and edit content from a notebook PC on the Omni27’s large display with virtually no file transfer hassles.

The HP Omni27 offers multi-core processors, advanced HD graphics and up to 2TB of storage.(2) Additionally, standard features such as Beats Audio, and optional ones such as the Blu-Ray disc drive and TV tuner make it the ultimate multimedia machine.

So let’s take a closer look in pictures:

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All-in-all (see what we did there), the new Omni27 All-in-One PC packs quite a lot into its body. There is a Blu-ray writer, and there is even an HDMI input so that you can connect other devices to the screen.

I was very impressed on how well the screen performed at different angles – and the quality was excellent.

There are also enough ports to keep most people happy!

I look forward to putting the Omni27 through it’s paces properly, because from the few minutes we got with it, I was very impressed.

The HP Omni27 All-in-One PCs are expected to be available on March 5th in EMEA at a starting price of € 999.

Learn more from the HP website

The Bark Side: 2012 Volkswagen Game Day Commercial Teaser

Andrew Edney
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The Bark Side: 2012 Volkswagen Game Day Commercial Teaser

Last year’s Superbowl had a number of cool adverts – this year there is another Volkswagen ad, and if you like Star Wars you will love this!

VW Bark Side

 

These are not the dogs you are looking for – move along!

I’m looking forward to see the full advert.

Media Center Master Updated to Version 1.34

Andrew Edney
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2
Media Center Master Updated to Version 1.34

Peter Souza IV has released version 1.34 of his excellent Media Center Master software.

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What is Media Center Master?

Here is how Peter describes Media Center Master for those of you who don’t know what it is:

Smooth, powerful interface to organize your media collection.
Support for the built-in Windows Media Center Video Library strip (dvdid.xml) as well as MediaBrowser extension (mymovies.xml).
Movies, television, and adult title search from a variety of configurable meta data sources.
Built-in, fully-automated episode torrenting from multiple sources. Keep your T.V. series updated through the internet for free.
Full meta-data editor with tools to automate movie and T.V. episode renaming.
Theatrical trailer downloader with options for automatic re-encoding.
Extendable fetcher system allows other programmers to write fetchers — sample source code included in the forums.
Configurable to download actor/actress thumbnails and movie/T.V. posters, fan art, backdrops, and banners.
Flexible post-processing allows command-line operations after a movie title has been fetched — works great with Stark Covers.
…and a whole lot more…

What’s Included in this update?

Lots — auto-update with major fix for NZBMatrix.com. Other updates available via Issue Tracker (changelog).

Learn more from the Media Center Master website

StableBit DrivePool Moves to Beta M4 Build 5452

Andrew Edney
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0
StableBit DrivePool Moves to Beta M4 Build 5452

There has been another beta build from CoveCube! StableBit development marches on – now its beta M4 build 5452.

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Here is how CoveCube describes this application:

  • Combine all your hard drives into one big storage pool (except the system drive with the OS).
  • Add and remove drives from the pool at any time without re-partitioning or manually moving folders.
  • Create duplicated folders on the storage drive pool that are protected against single drive failure. If a drive fails on which a duplicated file was stored, the contents of that file will remain readable even without the drive.
  • All your data is stored in standard NTFS files. You can always access your files even if the Windows Home Server completely crashes or this add-in can’t be used.

This version’s change log:

1.0.0.5452 ———-

* [D] Added support for undocumented directory listing file system behavior having to do with indexed requests. Managed to keep the same parallelized performance aspect of the algorithm, while adding deterministic ordering of results. Indexed queries are not as fast as non-indexed queries, but they are rarer (E.g. Triggered by: XP, OS X, boxee, MS-DOS applications, …), and are only issued for large directory listings.

* [D] Tightened up the directory listing algorithm code.

Get More Information About the Beta Here Download Stablebit Drivepool build 5449 here

Pre-order the ZTE Tania Windows Phone from Clove

Andrew Edney
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2
Pre-order the ZTE Tania Windows Phone from Clove

This week a new Windows Phone was announced – the ZTE Tania. Now if you are in the UK, you can pre-order one from Clove.

ZTE Tania Windows Phone

ZTE are one of the biggest manufacturers of smartphones globally, but only now are they making their name know in the UK and Europe.

Just because you haven’t heard of them, doesn’t mean you should discount them. Being the 4th largest manufacturer must mean they are doing something right.

What ZTE do is deliver value. It is about providing a full functioning product that performs as you would expect at a price more often than not cheaper than the competition.

The ZTE Tania is fully equipped with the latest Windows Phone 7.5 software which is great for both business and pleasure and makes it easier than ever to connect and share with friends, family, and colleagues.

Web browsing, social networking, document and email handling, it is all possible on the Tania and it will be handled with relative ease by the phone thanks to the 1GHz processor. It might not be fast enough for the gamers out there but if communication and general smartphone use is what you want then the Tania is certainly an ideal candidate.

The 4.3 inch display with a 800 x 480 resolution gives a more immersive user experience. Web pages are easier to view, documents easier to handle and pictures bigger and clearer.

At only 10.7mm depth the Tania is not as big as you may expect.

A 5MP camera with autofocus and flash allows you to capture images and these can be easily shared online or through social media networks thanks to the 3G and WiFi connections available on the Tania.

A product that offers performance and a price that wont break the bank, consider the ZTE Tania.

Features of ZTE Tania
  • 1GHz processor
  • 4.3 inch display
  • 5 megapixel camera with auto focus & flash
  • 4GB Internal Memory
  • WiFi 802.11b/g/n
  • 3G/HSPA
What’s in the box of ZTE Tania
  • ZTE Tania
  • Battery
  • USB Cable
  • 3 Pin UK Mains Charger
  • Documentation

The price to pre-order the ZTE Tania from Clove is £249.99 (which includes VAT). It should be shipping some time in February, and remember, that is without a contract.

Learn more from the Clove website

Microsoft Acknowledges Xbox 360 Video Playback Problem

Andrew Edney
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1
Microsoft Acknowledges Xbox 360 Video Playback Problem

Pretty much as soon as the latest Dashboard update hit, some people were reporting video playback problems. Microsoft have now acknowledged the problem.

This is what MajorNelson tweeted:

Xbox problem

So, at least they have acknowledged it, although there is still no ETA for a fix.

When we hear more we will let you know.

Have you had any problems since the update? Let us know….

The Home Server Show Episode 169 Out Now

Andrew Edney
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0
The Home Server Show Episode 169 Out Now

Dave at the guys at the Home Server Show have released episode 169.

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Here’s what Dave has to say about this weeks show:

It’s the first podcast after returning from CES 2012 and we have a wrap for you. Don’t worry though, we keep the CES talk short because there are other matters to attend to. Windows 8 and Storage Spaces. We dive deep into a blog post about Windows 8 and how the new Storage Spaces works. There are some telling points to discuss about the future of Windows Home Server and how storage management is changing for Windows.

As usual you can listen to the show from here.

Apple Also Launches iTunes U for Free Course Materials and More

Andrew Edney
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2
Apple Also Launches iTunes U for Free Course Materials and More

Apple also launched iTunes U today – which gives people access to complete courses from leading universities and other schools — plus the world’s largest digital catalogue of free education content.

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Free courses in a wide array of subjects:
• Take free courses created and taught by instructors from leading universities and other schools
• See all assignments and updates from the instructor in one place, and check off assignments as you complete them
• Take notes and highlight text in iBooks and see them consolidated for easy reviewing in the iTunes U app
• Access course materials, including audio, video, books, documents & presentations, apps, and new iBooks textbooks for iPad

The world’s largest catalogue of free education content:
• Choose from more than 500,000 free lectures, videos, books, and other resources on thousands of subjects from Algebra to Zoology
• Browse collections from education and cultural institutions in 26 countries — including Stanford, Yale, MIT, Oxford, UC Berkeley, MoMA, the New York Public Library, and the Library of Congress

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Download iTunes U Now

Twonky Music Now in the Blackberry App Store

Andrew Edney
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0
Twonky Music Now in the Blackberry App Store

We talk about Twonky a lot here at UWHS, now if you are a Blackberry owner, you can get Twonky Music in the Blackberry App Store.

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Twonky Music incorporates the best features of multiple music apps into one easy to use experience. Play music from your personal collection, listen to a wide selection of ad-free genre-based radio stations and customize radio stations with your preferences. Your focus should be on the music, not switching between apps or devices, so we’ve included features that make Twonky Music one-stop listening. Each song contains more info with artist bios, news and Twitter feeds, as well as song lyrics. Your custom radio stations pull from a catalogue of millions of songs made up of all the major music labels and some of the biggest Indie labels too. Add ‘Presets’ to the Home screen to access your favourite stations more quickly.

Convenient, and as basic or interactive as you want to make it, Twonky Music enhances something you already love – Music! Visit http://www.twonky.com for more information about

Twonky Music and other Twonky products. Please note: Some features require setting up a free Twonky account.

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Download Twonky Music from the Blackberry App Store

Apple Releases iTunes Version 10.5.3

Andrew Edney
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0
Apple Releases iTunes Version 10.5.3

Apple has today released iTunes version 10.5.3 with updates for iBooks textbooks and iBooks Author.

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What’s new in iTunes 10.5.3

iTunes 10.5.3 allows you to sync interactive iBooks textbooks to your iPad. These Multi-Touch textbooks are available for purchase from the iTunes Store on your Mac or from the iBookstore included with iBooks 2 on your iPad.

iBooks textbooks are created with iBooks Author — now available as a free download on the Mac App Store

Apple Launch iBooks Author App – Now You Can Be A Published Author

Andrew Edney
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1
Apple Launch iBooks Author App – Now You Can Be A Published Author

Along with today’s announcement about iBooks 2, Apple also launched an app called iBooks Author, which enables anyone to create a book for the iPad.

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As a published author myself, this is a really great idea and a smart move on the part of Apple! I can’t wait to try it out – maybe my next book will appear in the Bookstore!

Here is how Apple describe iBooks Author:

Create and publish amazing Multi-Touch books for iPad.

Now anyone can create stunning iBooks textbooks, cookbooks, history books, picture books, and more for iPad. All you need is an idea and a Mac. Start with one of the Apple-designed templates that feature a wide variety of page layouts. Add your own text and images with drag-and-drop ease. Use Multi-Touch widgets to include interactive photo galleries, movies, Keynote presentations, 3D objects, and more. Preview your book on your iPad at any time.

Then submit your finished work to the iBookstore with a few simple steps. And before you know it, you’re a published author.

Apple-designed templates
• Give your book a great beginning with templates that include a choice of page designs with matching fonts, colors, and textures
• Easily customize your book with text and images, create new layouts, and even save a custom template
• Use the Book Navigator to organize your book and add a cover and table of contents
Beautiful text and layouts
• Use a variety of text styles in each template to give your book a rich yet consistent look
• Add text, shapes, charts, tables, and media anywhere on the page
• Import a chapter written in Pages or Microsoft Word and apply a great-looking layout from your current template
• Add any word to the glossary with a single click and easily include photos, images, charts, tables, and shapes next to any definition
• Automatically create a portrait view of your book, which allows readers to focus on the text
Multi-Touch widgets
• Choose from a variety of widgets that add Multi-Touch interactivity to your book
• Add a photo gallery, chapter review, movie, Keynote presentation, interactive image with callouts, 3D object, or custom HTML anywhere in your book
• Widgets include placeholders for titles and captions and are automatically numbered so you can reference them in your main text
• Add accessibility descriptions to any widget so that it can be used by sight-impaired readers easily with VoiceOver

Export for iBookstore or iTunes U
• Preview your book in iBooks on an iPad to see how it looks and works
• Easily add a cover, video introduction, copyright page, dedication, and foreword
• Submit your book to the iBookstore for sale or free download with a few simple steps*
• Export your book in iBooks format to share on iTunes U or to give to others
• Create a version of your book as a PDF file

Keynote ’09 (v5.1.1 or later) is required for Keynote widgets
iBooks 2 is required for previewing
iTunes 10.5.3 is required for syncing
* Books may only be sold through the iBookstore; additional terms and conditions apply.

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Download iBooks Author from the App Store now

Apple Announce iBooks 2 for iPad Featuring iBooks Textbooks

Andrew Edney
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3
Apple Announce iBooks 2 for iPad Featuring iBooks Textbooks

Apple today announced iBooks 2 for iPad, featuring iBooks textbooks, an entirely new kind of textbook that’s dynamic, engaging and truly interactive. iBooks textbooks offer iPad users gorgeous, full screen textbooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, unrivalled navigation and much more.

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Earlier this week we told that Apple were making an Educational announcement, and this was part of it.

This is what Apple said about iBooks 2:

iBooks textbooks can be kept up to date, don’t weigh down a backpack and never have to be returned. Leading education services companies including Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill and Pearson will deliver educational titles on the iBookstore℠ with most priced at $14.99 or less, and with the new iBooks Author, a free authoring tool available today, anyone with a Mac® can create stunning iBooks textbooks.

“Education is deep in Apple’s DNA and iPad may be our most exciting education product yet. With 1.5 million iPads already in use in education institutions, including over 1,000 one-to-one deployments, iPad is rapidly being adopted by schools across the US and around the world,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Now with iBooks 2 for iPad, students have a more dynamic, engaging and truly interactive way to read and learn, using the device they already love.”

The new iBooks 2 app is available today as a free download from the App Store. With support for great new features including gorgeous, full screen books, interactive 3D objects, diagrams, videos and photos, the iBooks 2 app will let students learn about the solar system or the physics of a skyscraper with amazing new interactive textbooks that come to life with just a tap or swipe of the finger. With its fast, fluid navigation, easy highlighting and note-taking, searching and definitions, plus lesson reviews and study cards, the new iBooks 2 app lets students study and learn in more efficient and effective ways than ever before.

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iBooks 2 is available now for free in the App Store

LG Prada Phone Out in February on T-Mobile in UK

Andrew Edney
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0
LG Prada Phone Out in February on T-Mobile in UK

We first told you about the LG Prada phone back in December. T-Mobile here in the UK are now showing it as Due February.

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This is now on the UK T-Mobile website:

LG Prada on T-Mobile

More info when we get it.

IK Multimedia Launch the iRig PRE

Andrew Edney
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0
IK Multimedia Launch the iRig PRE

IK Multimedia presents the iRig PRE, the ultimate solution for connecting any type of microphone – from regular stage microphones to expensive studio models – to any iPhone, iPhone touch or iPad providing access to the widest range of recording applications.

irig pre

iRig PRE is the first high-quality microphone preamp designed specifically for iOS devices that allows musicians to use their favourite high-quality stage or studio mics with their iOS device.

The microphone plugs directly into the standard XLR connector of iRig PRE with no need for extra cables or adapters.

Its adjustable thumbwheel gain control allows the user to easily make precise level settings. The onboard 9V battery provides the necessary voltage for phantom-powered studio condenser microphones for at least for 15 hours of continuous use.

The 3.5mm (1/8″) standard stereo headphone output allows monitoring while recording.
The lightweight housing sports a convenient cable for iOS device connection and also includes a Velcro strip slot for easy mounting on a mic stand or other stage locations.

Like all other IK Multimedia microphones, it includes 2 free apps: iRig Recorder (an easy-to-use recording/editing app) and VocaLive (an effects processing app for singers).
And like the entire range of iRig accessories, it’s highly portable thanks to its pocket-sized form factor for recording anywhere.

iRig PRE features

  • 40 cm (15.75″) TRRS cable to connect to any iOS device headset jack
  • XLR input connector for microphones
  • Gain control
  • +48 V phantom power
  • Headphone output
  • On/Off switch
  • Power/Phantom Power provided by 9V battery
  • Battery life is approximately 40 hours with dynamic microphones and 15 hours with phantom powered condenser studio microphones

Pricing and availability
iRig PRE costs only €29.99 (excl. tax) and will be available in early Q2 2012 from electronic and music retailers around the world.  For more information visit www.irigpre.com

We saw it at CES last week, and here are some pictures:

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