Content in its shift to become digital
You may well have screenfulls of grinning online buddies spanning a host of social networking sites, but new research shows that when it comes to the real world, you don’t have any more close friends than the rest of us.
Will Reader, an evolutionary psychologist at Sheffield Hallam University headed up a team studying Facebook and MySpace users and found that, “weak ties are (more common) but there is no difference in the number of close friends people have.”
(more…)
It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were confidently predicting that our Targus USB Card Reader should see us in good stead for the future with its ability to read 14 varieties of memory card.
Sadly, the recent purchase of a SHDC-capable device proved us wrong. Although the SDHC card fitted in the reader’s SD card slot just fine, it wasn’t interested in playing ball and a brief search on the web confirmed our fears: the Targus and SDHC get along like Cardiff City and Swansea City fans.
(more…)
Sony have officially announced a new model in the Alpha range, the a700. Headline features are 12.24Mpx, a new “responsive high speed processor,” 5fps continuous shooting, 3-inch 921k dot photo-quality LCD. It’s also got a tie-in across the product range feature of ‘PhotoTV HD,’ HD1080 image display on new BRAVIA televisions, via an on-board HDMI port.
(more…)
Japan has stuck €89m-€95m in to a research project to try and build a search engine to rival Google, reports the FT.
10 Japanese companies are pooling their talent, as they’ve just noticed that hardware isn’t selling so well, South Korea and Taiwan are making and selling just what Japan is – but much cheaper. Oh, and that software services are growing.
(more…)
We positively overflowed with love for Splash ID when we reviewed the mobile password manager last year, and with both the mobile application and its desktop companion still enjoying daily use in the office, we were keen to give the latest version a once-over.
(more…)
If you thought that HD TV was the best picture you’re ever going to see, think again. The release of 100/120 Hz Full HD TVs gives you a pretty clear idea that the market is moving again.
NXP showed us a chip the Nexperia PNX5100 which really ups the game for HD. Lower down you can listen to the interview with those involved and watch a video of it working.
(more…)
If you want to know where consumer electronics are moving, there’s no better place to find out than via the people that make the chips that will power these devices.
One that came into being last year that really impressed us last year at IFA was NXP, a spin-off from Philips, essentially what used to be their chip R&D division.
(more…)
We got excited about face recognition in digital camera when we first heard about it – when the FinePix F31fd came out back in Septemeber 2006 – but now it’s becoming run of the mill.
Sony have taken it one step further with the Cyber-shot T200. Not only does it spot faces, but it will automatically take the photo when the person in shot smiles.
Following our piece on the Nikon Coolpix P5100, other Nikons that were announced at the same time include the Nikon Coolpix P50, an 8.1 megapixel compact digital camera offering some enthusiast- chuffing manual controls, a 3.6x 28-102mm equiv. lens, software-stabilization (rubbish compared to a proper optical job) and ISO 2000 capability, all for £199.99.
(more…)
Rick Rubin, he of Def Jam records, has been running Colombia Records, owned by Sony.
Yesterday, there was a 12 page piece in the IHT about Rubin and his attempt to change Colombia Records
Beyond the “‘You might never see me, I may never wear shoes, you’re not the boss of me,” demand that Rubin was supposed to have made, there’s also some meat that will be of interest to anyone who watches the shift of digital media.
(more…)