Movies Games and Tech

New beta for Recorded TV HD released taking it to version 1.7.6

Andrew Edney

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Jun 19, 2012

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New beta for Recorded TV HD released taking it to version 1.7.6

Mark Terborg has just released a new beta version of his Recorded TV HD software, taking it to version 1.7.6.

Recorded TV HD allows you to watch your recorded tv shows in Windows 7 Media Center with more style and ease.

CHANGES SINCE THE LAST OFFICIAL PUBLIC RELEASE

Improved speed and efficiency when working with scheduled recordings (hopefully doesn’t introduce any new bugs)
Added option to “cancel series” and “cancel recording” from within the interface. (please test and let me know if you have any problems)
Commercial Break Viewer improvements to speed and stability
Fixed error: “could not convert from current position to timespan…”
Slight improvement to filename detection in certain circumstances.

Download the latest beta version of Recorded TV HD here

All seven Harry Potter books now available in the Kindle Owners Lending Library

Andrew Edney

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Jun 19, 2012

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All seven Harry Potter books now available in the Kindle Owners Lending Library

We have talked about the Kindle Owners Lending Library in the past, and also that all 7 Harry Potter books are available to read on the Kindle. Now all 7 are available in the library to borrow and read!

Starting today, Amazon.com customers can now borrow all seven Harry Potter books in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library (KOLL). The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library is a benefit of Amazon Prime membership where Kindle owners can choose from over 145,000 books to borrow for free as frequently as a book a month, with no due dates. Prime members also enjoy free two-day shipping on millions of items and unlimited streaming of more than 18,000 movies and TV episodes.

“Nowhere else can customers borrow any of the seven Harry Potter books for free, with an unlimited supply of each title and no waiting list,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President, Kindle Content. “A $79 Prime membership was already the best deal in retail, and now it’s become even more valuable.”

Harry Potter is the all-time best-selling book series in history, and Amazon has purchased an exclusive license from J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore to make the addition of these titles possible. The Kindle Owners’ Lending Library now features over 145,000 books for US customers to borrow for free, including over 100 current and former New York Times Best Sellers. With the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, there are no due dates and books can be borrowed as frequently as once a month. Unlike traditional library lending, there are no limits on the number of copies available, and how many people can simultaneously borrow the same title. Readers never have to wait in line for the book they want.

Just as with any other Kindle book, customer notes, highlights and bookmarks in borrowed books will be saved, so they’ll have them later if customers purchase or re-borrow the book. Books are borrowed from a Kindle device, and customers can have one book out at a time. When customers want to borrow a new book, any borrowed book can easily be returned right from their device. To learn more about the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, visit www.amazon.com/kindleownerslendinglibrary.

To learn about all the additional benefits included with Amazon Prime, or to start an Amazon Prime free trial, visit www.amazon.com/kindleprime.

Hauppauge adds Broadway HD-S2 Satellite TV Receiver from PCTV to the Broadway family

Andrew Edney

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Jun 19, 2012

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Hauppauge adds Broadway HD-S2 Satellite TV Receiver from PCTV to the Broadway family

PCTV Systems, a division of Hauppauge Digital Inc, today unveiled the Broadway HD-S2, a satellite TV receiver which enables users to easily access their home Satellite and HD channels on an iPhone, iPad, Android device, ultrabook or notebook from anywhere in the world.

Broadway HD-S2 PCTV has opened up a new dimension when it comes to HD TV content consumption on the go using mobile devices. Broadway HD-S2 has an SRP of £179.00

Yehia Oweiss, Hauppauge Digital’s Vice President of Sales EMEA said: “New Broadway HD-S2 is an elegant solution that allows wireless reception of satellite television throughout the house and on the go.” Oweiss continues, “Whether you are spending time with the family or are abroad for the holidays, you can make sure you can access your home TV wherever you are by simply watching it on your Tablet or Smartphone. At home, local satellite TV channels which now include all the HD variations too can easily be streamed via Wi-Fi providing extra freedom. No third party apps or additional purchases are needed.”

Satellite TV on the go

Simply connect the Broadway HD-S2 to your DVB-S/S2-Aerial and carry out a channel scan. Once the scan is complete the unit will operate completely independently and can run without the need of a computer running in the background. Users can access their satellite programs via the Internet or their home network with virtually any device (iPad, iPhone, an Android device, Mac, Linux or Windows PC).

External video sources

In addition to playing DVB-S/S2 and HD signals, the Broadway-S2 HD can also be connected to analog video sources, such as connecting set-top boxes. The Broadway features separate video and audio inputs and an infrared transmitter to select the desired program on the connected set-top box. The built-in hardware H.264 encoder transmits the signals in the memory-friendly H.264 format. It not only provides excellent image quality, but also protects the battery life on Apple devices.

New firmware as a free update

Users of the Broadway 2T (DVB-T version) also benefit from the development of the Broadway HD-S2. PCTV Systems now offers a free firmware update for the Broadway 2T at http://www.pctvsystems.com, which allows streaming of content at Full HD resolution. For example full-screen resolution playback is available for the iPad.

The Broadway HD-S2 ships with a power supply, an IR blaster cable to control a set-top box, an Ethernet cable, a quick start guide and a wall-mounting kit.

Acer’s special-edition Olympic tablet the Iconia A510 now available at Carphone Warehouse

Andrew Edney

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Jun 19, 2012

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Acer’s special-edition Olympic tablet the Iconia A510 now available at Carphone Warehouse

Acer’s special-edition Olympic tablet, the Iconia A510, is available now from £349 at Carphone Warehouse.

This full HD, extreme-multitasking tablet comes pre-loaded with Eurosport Player for a trial period starting from activation of the device and valid until August 13^th 2012. Plus anyone who orders an Acer A510 between 15/06/12 and 29/06/12 will be entered into a draw to win an Acer K330 Projector worth £480!

The A510 is a powerful tablet made to work hard and play hard. Featuring the latest Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS, the A510 is the ultimate tool for the mobile lifestyle, with extra-long battery endurance (15 hours), powerful quad-core performance and smart productivity. It handles heavy multitasking, HD videos, console-like gaming, and faster web browsing, while a fifth “companion” core takes care of low-power tasks like music playback and active standby.

Superior audio enjoyment for music, movies and more comes courtesy of Dolby Mobile 3+ with premium 5.1-channel HD output, and two high quality in-built speakers. Noise suppression and echo cancellation technologies enhance audio recording, and video calls in HD Voice are excellent.

The tablet comes with 32GB of storage, expandable by an extra 32GB (to 64GB) by SD card, and provides easy file transfer via its Micro USB port so users can easily transfer and view contents from USB-connected peripherals.

The A510’s other mobile productivity apps include Acer Print, which makes wireless printing easier with support for various document formats, photos and web pages. Acer Print is compatible with 87% of brand-name printers on the current market. Polaris Office, meanwhile, is optimised for tablet-based work. It provides practical improvements for editing and reading MS Office documents on the go.

With the Eurosport Player already embedded into the device, A510 owners will have instant access to the London Olympics, live, wherever they are. Available in black and silver, the A510 sports the Acer / Olympics logo, celebrating Acer’s partnership with the Olympic Movement and the powerful performances within this ultimate sporty gadget.

The 32GB version retails for £349 and is available now from Carphone Warehouse.

Acer ICONIA TAB A510 Specifications

Size	Dimensions	260 (L) x 175 (W) x 10.95 (H) mm
Size	Weight	Less than 685 g
Battery	l Standby time l Video playback	1,950 hours 15 hours
Battery	Capacity	36.26 W, 9800 mAh
OS	Version	Android Ice Cream Sandwich
Processing	CPU	NVIDIA Tegra 3, 1.3GHz, Quad-core
Processing	ROM / RAM	eMMC: 16 GB / 32 GB RAM: 1 G
Imaging	Rear camera	5 MP camera with auto focus Video capture at 30 fps @ 1080p
Imaging	Front camera	HD webcam Video capture at 30 fps @ 720p
Screen	Display	10.1″ WXGA, 1280 x 800
Connectivity	Wi-Fi^®	IEEE 802.11b/g/n
	Bluetooth^®	2.1 + EDR
	GPS	Standalone GPS and GLONASS
	MicroSD slot	MicroSD memory card slot support up to 32G
	USB	Micro USB 2.0 Type B port, support USB 2.0 client/2.0 host
	HDMI^®	HDMI D-type, support Dual Display and VGA projecting
Audio	Output	l 3.5 mm audio jack l Dolby Mobile 3+
Detection	Sensors	l G-Sensor l E-Compass l L Sensor l Gyro-meter
Entertainment	Movie	Netflix (US/CA)
	Music	Soundhound, Aupeo
	Reading	Zinio, LumiRead
	Media sharing	Acer clear.fi
Social networking	Social network	Facebook weblink
Productivity	Print	Acer Print
	Office	Polaris Office 3.5
	Cloud Note	Evernote
	System Protection	NTFS file system

I got to play with one a few weeks ago at an Acer event and I have to say I was fairly impressed by it, it was very responsive and the screen was very clear.

What do you think of it?

Microsoft releases Photosynth for Windows Phone update

Andrew Edney

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Jun 19, 2012

0

Microsoft releases Photosynth for Windows Phone update

Microsoft has just released an update to it’s Photosynth app for the Window Phone.

Photosynth for Windows Phone is the panorama app that makes it easy and fun to capture and share interactive panoramas of the places, people, and events that are important to you.

Using the latest in computer vision techniques, Photosynth is the acknowledged leader in mobile panorama creation. It is the only app available on any mobile platform that allows you to capture 360 degrees horizontally and vertically, making a perfect “sphere.” Once you’ve created a Photosynth, you can share it as an interactive panorama experience on Facebook and Twitter (using the free Photosynth.net service) or as a simple image.

You can also publish your panoramas to Bing where millions of people will see your panoramas, on Bing Maps and in Bing search results for the places you’ve captured. And check out our featured list, where we show off the best of what you and your fellow users create and share.

This update fixes a little issue that slipped past the dev team, as they explain:

To misuse my schoolboy latin, “wea culpa”. The 1.0 version shipped with a safety feature that was only meant for our internal beta tests. It was 30-day app expiration logic, and it will mean that everyone who runs 1.0 on or after June 20th will receive the brutally simple message “Application expired”. The application will then shut down.

We’ve updated our test cases to make sure that this one never gets past us again, but for you it means that to continue using Photosynth on Windows Phone, you *must* upgrade to version 1.1.

Download Photosynth from the Windows Marketplace

Have you tried Photosynth? I think it’s a great application and will be using it a lot more in the future!

BBC iPlayer introduces Live Restart capability

Andrew Edney

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Jun 19, 2012

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BBC iPlayer introduces Live Restart capability

Today BBC iPlayer got a new feature called Live Restart which gives you the ability to rewind and restart live TV on BBC iPlayer without waiting for the programme to end.

If you are curious as to how the BBC have done this, this is what they posted on their blog today:

I’d like to highlight some of the work that has gone on behind the scenes to support this new way of watching television.

The technology that allows us to offer this new functionality is part of a wider strategic move to embrace HTTP chunked streaming for delivering our online video.

Instead of using a point-to-point streaming protocol such as RTMP as we have done in the past, this method breaks up the H.264 video into chunks and delivers them as HTTP packets in much the same way as the we deliver our text rich web pages today.

There are a number of reasons why we have taken this approach; firstly it allows us to scale our video operation to a much greater extent than we have been able to before.

We already use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to help us with video delivery, but a move to HTTP streaming means that instead of relying on their capacity to stream video from specialist video servers, we are now able to use their cheaper and more abundant HTTP serving capacity.

The increased capacity that we can realise this way means that we are more likely to be able to support the ever growing audiences that are turning to their IP connected devices to watch TV and listen to radio.

This is especially important in a year when we will be streaming more live video to more people than ever before with the Euro Football championships, Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend, Wimbledon and the London 2012 Olympics, to name but a few key events.

In turn the improvement in distribution will also allow us to make quality improvements across the board.

The use of HTTP chunked streaming has enabled us to significantly improve the video experience by utilising advancements in adaptive bitrate playback.

This means that regardless of the bandwidth available to you locally you should get a largely uninterrupted video experience offering the very best quality video your connection can support.

The live restart functionality that we are launching on the iPlayer today is typical of the cool new interactive features that we can drive using HTTP streaming.

As we can keep all the video chunks as we distribute them, we can offer them to be viewed again later, or even store them more permanently.

I think this is really interesting, especially as it is, or rather was a real pain having to wait for the end of a program so you can actually start it! Well done BBC!

The Sonos SUB wireless subwoofer is now available to buy

Andrew Edney

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Jun 19, 2012

0

The Sonos SUB wireless subwoofer is now available to buy

Last month we told you about the new Sonos SUB and today it was launched.

The wireless subwoofer is available in a high-gloss black lacquer finish for £599. A Sonos SUB with black matte finish will be available in October 2012 at £499.

SUB works with all Sonos amplified components: CONNECT:AMP/ZonePlayer 120/ZonePlayer 100; PLAY:5; PLAY:3. It does not work with the non-amplified Sonos CONNECT/ZP90/ZP80.

Features of SUB include:

Two force-cancelling speakers positioned face-to-face: All the sound and energy from the music comes through loud and clear, and none of it is lost in cabinet buzz or rattle.
All digital sound: All filter settings, active equalisation and time alignment are done digitally through state-of-the-art DSP (Digital Signal Processing) circuitry for zero-loss audio quality and energy.
Dual acoustic ports: Tuned to maximise the acoustic volume of the SUB and enhance bass resonance.

Powering the SUB are two state of the art Class-D digital amplifiers that have been perfectly tuned to match the speakers and acoustic architecture. The cabinet is made from proprietary resin to create acoustically dead walls with maximum internal air volume. The SUB’s specific dimensions are 402 x 158 x 380mm with a weight of 16kgs.

Full SUB specifications, details and a video can be found at www.sonos.com/SUB.

Check out our review of the SONOS Bundle 250

Shazam app for iOS updated to version 5.0.4

Andrew Edney

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Jun 19, 2012

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The very cool music identification app Shazam has been updated to version 5.0.4.

Having tried some different music, I cant honestly say it find’s the song in a matter of seconds, in some cases, only two or three words had been sung. I was very impressed!

This is how Shazam is described:

Lightning fast tagging. Now discover, explore and share more music, TV shows and brands you love in as little as one second.

With unlimited tagging use Shazam as much as you want, and experience more of what you like, faster.

You can also:
○ Save & listen again (30 sec preview)
○ Buy tracks easily on iTunes & find more by tagged artists
○ View extra content as you watch TV
○ Watch music videos & concerts from YouTube
○ Share on Facebook, Twitter & email
○ See streaming lyrics in time to the music
○ Discover new music in Shazam Friends & Charts
○ See when an artist is touring
○ Use it when you don’t have a signal

What’s New in Version 5.0.4

Feature Restored: Add discoveries from your Friends and Shazam Charts to your Tag List

Download now from the Apple App Store

Spotify App for iOS Updated to Version 0.5.2, introduces new Radio experience

Apple
News

Andrew Edney

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Jun 19, 2012

0

The Spotify app for iOS has been updated to version 0.5.2.

Get free access to Spotify Premium now! With Premium you’ll get access to 15 million tracks from thousands of albums and artists on your iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad. If you haven’t tried Premium before, you can try it on your mobile for 48-hours, completely free. You don’t even have to enter credit card details. Simply download this app and log in.

Great features

– Instant access to over 15 million tracks
– Stream online
– Listen offline – no mobile connection needed
– Share music with your friends
– Star your favourite tracks
– Wirelessly sync your own MP3s to your iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad
– Create and sync playlists
– Send the tracks you listen to direct to Last.fm & Facebook

* If you don’t have log in details – simply register for a free Spotify account on the Spotify website. Full mobile terms of Use & 48-hour free trial terms and conditions can also be found on the Spotify website.

What’s New in Version 0.5.2

There’s a great new radio experience in Spotify. Now you can discover and save music on the go! If your station plays a song you really like, save it with a single tap.
• New: Start a radio station based on your favorite playlist, genre, album, artist or track.
• New: Personalize your radio station by voting tracks up or down
• Improved: Long-press on any track to show an improved context menu
• Fixed: People view scrolls more smoothly
• Fixed: Stability improved
• Fictitious: this version is allergic to nuts

Download now from the Apple App Store

Microsoft’s original Surface now called PixelSense

Andrew Edney

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Jun 19, 2012

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Microsoft’s original Surface now called PixelSense

Last night Microsoft announced their tablet and they called it Surface. That was a little strange considering they already had a product called Surface! Well now the original Surface is called PixelSense.

I know, it’s somewhat confusing that Microsoft would call a product Surface when they already had one, even though Surface is a great name for a tablet!

PixelSense is part of the technology that goes to make up what was the Surface. This is how Microsoft described it back in November last year:

PixelSense allows an LCD display to recognize fingers, hands, and objects placed on the screen, including more than 50 simultaneous touch points. With PixelSense, pixels in the display see what’s touching the screen and that information is immediately processed and interpreted.

Anyway, you can learn more about PixelSense at their new website.

Microsoft Announces New Microsoft Surface Tablet

Jim McCarthy

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Jun 19, 2012

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Microsoft announced a new Windows 8 tablet family, branded Microsoft Surface, today. Read on for details.

Microsoft announced a new family of tablets they are calling Surface. Two versions were announced today: a Windows 8 RT version and a Windows 8 on Intel version. Both will share 10.6” screens, will have cast magnesium cases, will use the same keyboard case, employ dual MIMO wireless radios and will support expandable storage options and USB. Here is some background on each version.

Windows 8 RT Version

The ARM version will weigh 676 grams and will be 9.3mm thick, including the integrated kickstand built into the back of the device. The ARM vendor is rumored to be NVIDIA but we’ll have to wait and see. Storage options will be 32GB and 64GB, and USB 2.0 and microSD ports will help you to attach peripherals. This device will be available when Windows 8 launches and pricing is expected to be competitive with other ARM-based tablets. I interpret that to mean that it will match iPad pricing. Office Home & Student 2013 RT will be installed.

Windows 8 Pro Version

This model is aimed at the business user. In addition to the RT version’s specifications, the Pro version will use an Intel processor, support storage options of 64GB and 128GB, will use USB 3.0, and will support the higher-performance microSDXC storage cards to expand your storage. In addition, a digitizer and pen (which attaches magnetically to the cover) is included so you can use digital inking capabilities. Also, this model will use a display port adaptor to allow you to drive full monitors. The Pro model will be 993 grams and will be 13.5mm thick, including the integrated kickstand.

Type Cover

The cover for the device has an integrated keyboard built right in, including a trackpad. You’ll be able to move from touch to keyboard pretty seamlessly, and you’ll have a choice of colors to personalize your tablet. Both models will use the same accessories.

Initial Reactions

The RT version really looks to be an iPad that can do real Office document creation. That is very attractive. The Pro version looks like an update to the theory behind my ASUS EP-121 with updated hardware and Windows 8. The design is fresh and appealing, and the power of the units to do real work at a price similar to an iPad or ultrabook has me very interested.

I am disappointed to see no mention of LTE/data connectivity. If I am buying a new tablet, data connectivity is a requirement. In addition, no mention of battery life was made. In my opinion, the Microsoft devices will both need to at least match the iPad’s nine hour battery life in order to gain traction in the marketplace.

As for me, I am going to evaluate the Pro version when more information becomes available; I can easily see buying one of those as an upgrade to my current Windows 7 tablet if the battery life can meet or exceed nine hours. Stay tuned as we’ll bring you more developments as they come…in the meantime, enjoy the following screenshots and check out the Microsoft product website here.

StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011 Beta Updated to 2.0.0.2384

Andrew Edney

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Jun 18, 2012

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StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011 Beta Updated to 2.0.0.2384

StableBit Scanner 2.0 for Windows Home Server 2011 is now available in beta and has been updated to version 2.0.0.2384.

An advanced hard disk surface scanner, monitor and more.

Monitors all your hard drives and ensures that every bit holding your precious data is readable.

2.0.0.2384

* Added setting to limit the number of disks that are scanned concurrently with Direct I/O in Scanner Settings.

* Added new Disk Queue column. Shows how many I/O requests are waiting to be sent to the disk. These are all I/O requests, not just ones generated by the Scanner.

* Improved scan throttling for Direct I/O scanning.

Download the latest beta version from here

The Walking Dead Episode 2 Starved For Help coming this month

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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Jun 18, 2012

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Back at E3 we were treated to a preview of Episode 2 of The Walking Dead game from TellTale Games, and it looks really good!

Based on Robert Kirkman’s award-winning comic book series, The Walking Dead is about a world devastated by an undead apocalypse and the horrifying choices you’re forced to make to survive.

Episode 2, called Starved For Help will be out later this month and continues the story.

Here is a look at some of Episode 2: