Portable

Targus 14 in 1 USB Card Reader Review (78%)
Summary
Works without a problem, doing all you’d expect – 78%
US Street Price $25
Review
As your collection of digital devices grows, you’ll probably find it near-impossible to stick with just the one memory card format as the pesky things keep on changing.
Looking around our office workspace we can see a depressingly long list of electronic gizmos all using different cards, including SD cards ( Pure DMX-50 DAB/CD system and iMate JAM smartphone), Sony Memory sticks (Sony V3 camera and Sony PDA), XD picture card (Fuji F10 camera) and compact flash (Nikon D70).
Getting data off these various cards usually means a trip to the back of the PC to install the various cables that came with all your camera/smartphone etc (when will they standardise all the ruddy USB connecters?!).
Things get more complicated away from home when filling your holiday bag with a lasso’s worth of different cables isn’t an attractive option.
So here’s where a USB Multi-card reader comes in handy.
With most memory card readers offering support for a huge variety of memory cards, all you need to take on the road is a single USB lead to connect the card reader to your laptop and you’re sorted!
Moreover, if you forget your camera’s battery charger while you’re away, you’ll be able to save precious battery life by using the card reader, instead of having to turn the camera on to transfer pics.
We were sadly guilty of leaving the charger for our Nikon N70 back in Blighty during out recent jaunt to NYC, and after seeing the battery levels accelerating downwards as we transferred zillions of images to our laptop, we shelled out for a cheap’n’cheerful Targus card reader, the TG-CRD14 ($25 street price).
As its name suggests, this compact little feller (9.4cm x 5.5cm x 1.9cm) can read and write to 14 different formats, including CF I&II, IBM Micro Drive, SM, SD, MMC, MS, XD and MS Pro.
Installation was a breeze – just plug in and go, with no drivers or power sources needed. Simple. And there’s even a pretty flashing LED to look at when the reader is being accessed!
The USB 2.0 interface guaranteed that files flew across to our desktop, and the reader’s multi card support, backwards USB 1.1 compatibility and Windows XP & Mac OSXM support should see us in good stead for the future.
Summary
Works without a problem, doing all you’d expect – 78%
US Street Price $25
Targus
16 December, 2005
Intel Napa: Dual-Core Laptop Chips
Intel has been bigging up its next-generation laptop technology, claiming they will use 25 percent less power while retaining class-leading performance.
Encouraged by a fast-growing laptop market, the boffins at Intel have been busily overhauling their popular Centrino technology, proudly unveiling ‘Napa’, a new Centrino featuring Intel’s new Yonah microprocessor – the first mobile chip to boast two cores.
The chip is the result of the latest whiz bang technology which is capable of etching circuitry more than 100 times thinner than a strand of Bobby Charlton’s comb-over.
According to Intel’s marketing chief for mobile platforms, Keith Kressin, this process means that the Napa system (which includes the Yonah processor, its attendant chipset and a new wireless chip) will soak up 28 percent less power than its predecessor while managing to perform 68 percent better
“There are benefits to corporate users, there are benefits to consumers,” he added, probably before going on about the benefits to the birds and the bees too.
Twin core machines are growing in popularity (we’ll be getting one shortly), with the technology letting users perform several tasks at the same time without the machine grinding to a halt.
For example, one core could be busying itself by updating a complex spreadsheet, while the other core could be taking care of some heavy duty Photoshop work.
Intel are hoping that the improved battery life will prove attractive to customers too,
The tough challenge for Intel’s engineers is shoehorning ever more powerful processors into ever-slimmer laptops while improving battery life and managing to dissipate the processor’s heat.
In the last quarter, Intel scooped up an estimated $2.3 billion from sales of laptop processors, with laptop chip revenue providing a growing slice of Intel’s business.
Sales accounted for a third for a third of total processor sales in the third quarter, up from around 27 percent a year earlier.
Centrino
14 December, 2005
Pocket PCs Are For Blokes Survey Finds
Pocket PC software company SPB ran a survey of its users during November 2005, and discovered that a staggering 96% of those taking part were blokes.
Proof indeed that women have got far better things to do with their time than fill in long, geek-tastic surveys, the research also revealed that the majority of those responding were (surprise, surprise!) in a computer related occupation (18%), followed by students and engineers at 9% and sales/marketing/advertising coming in fourth with 5%.
The Dell Axim x50v came out as the most popular handheld (12%), followed by the iPaq 4700 (8%) and the Fujitsu-Siemens Pocket LOOX 718/720 (5%).
The majority of users (22%) said that they had been using Pocket PCs for between 1-2 years, with 20% owning the devices for between 6 to 12 months.Just 11% claimed to be Pocket PC old-timers, with 4-5 years of use on the clock.
As for accessories, memory cards, unsurprisingly, were the essential purchase for 85% of respondents, with 69% forking out for screen protectors.
Cases were the next most popular purchase (63%) followed by styluses (40%), GPS (36%), extra batteries (30%), keyboards (23%) and wi-fi cards (18%).
SD (SecureDigital Card) memory cards were the most popular format at 88%, followed by CF (CompactFlash Card) 40%, MMC (MultiMedia Card) 11% and Mini SD with 10%.
With Pocket PCs increasingly becoming multimedia devices, storage requirements are going up, with over half of respondents owning 1 gig memory cards, followed by 512, 256 and 128 meg cards respectively.
The vast majority of Pocket PC users (85%) connect to the internet with their machines, with 72% browsing the web, 65% checking email and 35% using instant messaging.
We must point out that the results of this self-selecting survey, although interesting, should be taken with a Matterhorn-sized slab of Saxa as the SPB website comes loaded with a crateload of caveats.But it’s worth a look: SPB Software
12 December, 2005
iTunes Video: NBC Universal Deal Struck
NBC Universal and Apple have struck a deal to make NBC-owned television shows, such as “The Office” and “Law & Order,” available on the iTunes music store.
The shows, trawled from NBC, the USA Network and the SciFi Channel, will include new and old programming, including “Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and “Surface.”
There’ll also be some cable shows such as “Monk” and “Battlestar Galactica” on offer, along with golden oldies like “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Dragnet” and “Knight Rider” dredged up for sale.
The announcement of this deal brings into focus the story we covered over a week ago, NBC Take First Pop At TivoToGo Enhancement, where NBC clearly saw TiVo plans to make these programmes available for zero cost not in their commercial interest.
The shows will be available from next week, downloadable from the iTunes Music Store the day after they air for $1.99 (£1.15, €1.70) per episode
The deal reflects the growing interest from TV networks in opening up lucrative additional revenue streams outside the traditional TV market.
Spurred on by the release of Apple’s first video-capable iPod in October last year, industry bods are predicting fat profits from video downloads.
The success of the iTunes store – shifting more than 3 million videos since launching two months ago – has got media moguls clamouring to catch a slice of the downloading action.
Disney-owned ESPN announced that they are looking into distributing some of its TV programming on the iTunes service, as have News Corp’s Fox Filmed Entertainment network.
iTunes
7 December, 2005
Legal Digital Music Downloaders Not Kids Shocker!
US analyst firm JupiterResearch has surveyed the American digital music market, and discovered that the bulk of paying downloaders come from the 25-44 age group.
The survey found that sixty-two percent of digital service users and 60 percent of subscribers are between the ages of 25 and 44.
More than half of the subscribers are women, but it’s the blokes who are predictably hitting the download button most, fuelled by a crazed desire to compulsively fill up their MP3 players.
JupiterResearch describes both types of buyers as coming from “music aficionados” segment – they’re the 13 percent of online adults who are “digitally active” and already spend a lot on music.
Online music buyers were found to still discover new music through traditional means, like radio shows and music videos shown on TV, with recommendations (both in stores and online) having an impact.
Online radio was seen to be a growing influence as were new tools like playlists and music blogs, but the report found that stronger integration with online radio and more promotion was necessary to make punters aware of these potentially powerful discovery tools.
Although still a minor earner in overall US entertainment expenditure, growth in the digital music market is explosive.
Spending on downloads and subscription services is expected to double in 2005, surpassing $750 million, with 20 million US music fans on course to buy digital downloads this year—mostly from Apple’s iTunes store.
But it’s not all smiles in the industry, with JupiterResearch’s European Music Consumer Survey warning that the music industry may be facing an unsure future with three times as many consumers using illegal file-sharing networks in preference to legitimate services.
The report blames non credit card-holding kids, claiming that 34 per cent of 15-24-year olds use file-sharing services, and this is “impacting the way they value music with many having little concept of music as a paid commodity.”
JupiterResearch claims that Da Kidz see CDs as irrelevant, crap value for money and so prefer to copy rather than buy CDs.
With a wagging finger, Jupiter Research warned the industry, “Unless these consumers are encouraged to develop music purchasing behaviour soon they may never develop meaningful music buying habits,”
JupiterResearch
30 November, 2005
iTunes Becomes Seventh Largest US Music Retailer
Apple’s iTunes online store has been ranked the seventh-largest music retailer in the US in the third quarter, charging into the top 10 for the first time.
According to research from the NPD Group, iTunes Music Store has climbed from fourteenth place last year to overtake many US High Street music stores.
Based on the number of songs sold, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Target and Amazon.com remained the top four, although iTunes rising star is expected to overtake more stores by the end of the year.
Already eating iTunes’ dust are big names like Tower Records and Borders, reflecting music fans’ growing passion for online music.
“With the growing interest in digital music, forecasts of more iPod demand this holiday, plus the stocking-stuffer appeal of iTunes gift cards, we can expect Apple to increase its share even more by year’s end,” predicted Russ Crupnick, music and movies industry analyst for the NPD Group in the report.
Launched in April 2003 to offer downloadable tracks to users of its best-selling iPod digital music player, Apple has sold more than 600 million songs, with the service boasting more than 10 million iTunes account holders.
Combined revenue from the iPod, Apple’s fastest- selling product, and iTunes music accounted for a massive 40 percent of sales last quarter, up from 27 percent a year earlier.
Steve Jobs has confirmed that Apple have already shifted over 30 million iPods since the product launched in 2001.
iTunes
23 November, 2005
LaCie Carte Orange Credit-Card Sized 8GB USB Storage Card
Travelling photographers and road warriors should love the new credit-card sized USB key from LaCie, offering a massive storage capacity of either 4Gb (4,000Mb) or 8Gb (8,000Mb).
Bedecked in a dazzling orange finish, the LaCie Carte Orange comes in a sturdy metal design and provides a ton of pocketable storage in a tiny form factor, measuring just 55x85x6mm and weighing less than 60g – far thinner than most traditional 1GB or 2GB USB keys
Powered by an integrated USB connector, The LaCie Carte Orange (who dreams up these daft names?!) can be plugged into any USB-equipped computer, with the design incorporating a flexible connector which retracts for safe transportation.
The shirt-pocket untroubling device can be used on both Macs (OS 9.x/10.x) and PCs (Windows 98SE through XP), with no additional software or drivers needed, although the credit-card sized storage device also ships with LaCie Silverlining and SilverKeeper drive management and backup utilities.
Being a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 storage device, the Carte Orange offers an interface transfer rate of up to 480Mbit/s, making it an ideal solution for exchanging or backing up thousands of office files, and storing a party pack of music, videos, photos and slideshows.
“Mobility, reliability, ease of use, capacity and price are the five main keys to consider when buying storage. We meet them all with the Carte Orange,” table-thumped Olivier Mirloup, LaCie Senior Product Manager.
“With 4GB at $99 and 8GB at $149, LaCie Carte Orange is certainly the ideal USB key for a variety of uses,” he insisted while trying to avert its horrible garish finish.
The USB key is expected to ship in mid-November with the 4GB version retailing for $99.99 (~£56, ~€82) and the 8GB daddy knocking out for $149 (~£84, ~€123).
LaCie
1 November, 2005
Sky Mobile TV Launched By Vodafone UK and BSkyB
Vodafone UK and British Sky Broadcasting (Sky) have announced an agreement to launch Sky Mobile TV, the UK’s first commercially available mobile TV service available on a wide range of handsets, as we first covered back in September.
The service will be exclusively available to 3G Vodafone live! customers and serve up a total of nineteen mobile channels including Sky News, Sky Sports News, MTV, Cartoon Network, Discovery, Sky One and Living tv.
The deal looks set to turbo-boost adoption of entertainment and information services to mobile phones, with users able to enjoy TV programmes on the move with access to live breaking news and sports reports from Sky News and Sky Sports News.
Available to 3G customers with suitable coverage, some programming will be broadcast ‘as live’ with others delivered as dedicated ‘made for mobile’ channels, featuring regularly updated blocks of programming.
In an attempt to lure in more customers, a special Sky Sports Mobile channel will offer ball-by-ball coverage of all three Test matches and five One-Day Internationals from England cricket team’s tour to Pakistan. But, sadly, no coverage of Cardiff City games.
The Sky Mobile TV pack will be provided free of charge (subject to Vodafone customer fair usage policy) until the end of January 2006, with customers being charged £5.00 (~$8.90, €7.38) per month for each of the Sky Mobile TV packs subscribed to thereafter,
The two Sky Mobile TV packs are:
News, Sport & Factual: Sky News; CNN; Bloomberg; Sky Sports News; At The Races; Discovery Factual; National Geographic Channel; History Channel.
Entertainment & Music: Sky One; Sky Movies; MTV (two channels*); Living tv;Discovery Lifestyle; Nickelodeon; Paramount Comedy**; Cartoon Network; Bravo; Biography Channel.
Additional mobile channels are likely to sign up to the Sky Mobile TV service over the coming months.
“This is a highly significant day for both the mobile and televisionindustries,” trumpeted Tim Yates, Chief Marketing Officer, Vodafone UK.
“We currently have over 250,000 3G subscribers in the country and 72% 3G population coverage across the UK. Mobile TV will be a mainstream service,” he insisted.
Vodafone
Sky
31 October, 2005
CoolZone: Nokia Open Another Content Channel
Today Nokia announced CoolZone, a Bluetooth-based distribution system that lets mobile phone users locally browse, pay for and download content on their mobiles while they are in shops supporting it.
When entering a CoolZone, the mobile user can download an application, customised for the retailer or service provider. Through this they can browse and download music, ringtones, wallpapers and videos which can be DRM protected. Paying for the content will be done at the shops till or using premium-rate SMS.
Firmly throwing the ‘retail opportunity’ language switch to on Sakari Kotola, Director, Nokia Ventures Organization said “Rich digital content is widely available and requires an efficient distribution channel. Local mobility solutions create new types of business possibilities to individuals, location owners and enterprises. CoolZone is a Bluetooth technology based content distribution system available to any retailer or location owner who wants to offer or sell digital content to their customers, and thus enhance the in-store experience,”
CoolZone is the short hand term to describe the Nokia Local Content Channel Solution. This consists of client software for the phone (Symbian client for Series 60, Java for Nokia Series 40 and other manufacturers’ phones), a small multiradio Nokia Service Point (LCP10) installed in each service location and the Nokia Service Manager (LCM10) for centrally managing the service points and the content. While the service is currently Bluetooth based, WLAN will be one of expected additions in the near future, as more phones will offer WLAN capability.
As the user of the service needs the user to download an application to use the service, we can imagine little hacking groups are already forming plans to hang around near these shops offering their own ‘applications’ with similar names to unsuspecting, or inexperience users.
While see this as a good step forward as a new ways distributing content – frankly we’re surprised it’s taken so long to come to reality, we’d thought of it years ago – it’s acceptance among retailers will depend on the financial deal for the operators of these shops. Any retailer considering this will need to realise that anyone in their shop using this service will not be looking at the goods on their shelves when they’ve got their face stuck in their mobile, figuring out which tracks they want to download.
This could go some way to explain why the first limited trial is publicly available at three Free Record Shop music stores and three Rober’s Coffee cafés in Helsinki area, Finland – they have no conflict of interest.
It may be that the slight headless-chicken-mode surrounding digital music current – as those who don’t really understand what is happening but are wowed by the huge growth of iPod – will lead the retailers to blindly jump forward to have CoolZones on their premises.
CoolZone will also be demonstrated at the Nokia Mobility Conference 2005 in Palau de Congressos de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain during November 2-3, 2005 with content from EMI.
Nokia CoolZone
31 October, 2005
Samsung SCH V700, The World’s First PMP Phone
Released today in Korea, the land where they get all the cool gadgets first, Samsung’s new SCH V700 handset has the honour of being the first PMP (Portable Media Player) phone in the world.
But before you get really excited and suspect that this PMP gadget will provide a rush of excitement on a par with its near namesake, PCP, allow us to explain:
PMP is just another new marketing tag dreamt up by PR types in a froth of cappuccino to describe a common or garden multimedia handset, i.e. a hard disk/flash memory based gizmo capable of playing back/recording MP3s and video.
The V700 comes in Samsung’s favoured clamshell design with the added twist of a tilting display which lets users rotate the screen 90 degrees to take advantage of a wider display (it looks a bit like ET to us in this position, but maybe we’ve been overdoing it a bit recently.)
Clad in an unspectacular silver finish, it’s not the smallest ot most attractive phone around, but it serves up a reasonably generous 320 x 240 pixels main QVGA display, with a quirky circular LCD fitted on the phone’s exterior.
Inside, there’s a capacious 200 megabytes of internal memory on offer with additional storage offered by a T-flash card slot.
We’re impressed with the onboard TV out port which could prive a great way of sharing your photos with chums.
We’ve no idea when it’s likely to be on the streets of the UK, but the price looks like it’ll be hovering around the €450 mark (£350, $540).
Samsung
via akihabara news
25 October, 2005