3D TVs destined for pubs

It looks as though 3D sports games could be with the general public sooner than anticipated, after a deal between satellite TV firm Sky and electronics manufacturer LG was announced.

Sky has ordered 15,000 3D TVs with the intention of giving them to pubs, clubs and bars in order to get the 3D revolution going with live sporting events popping out of the screen at punters.

Sky 3D will be available for public display from April 2010 and it is the 47 inch versions of LG’s LD920 televisions that are under order at the moment. Over the next few weeks these could therefore be winging their way to one of your local drinking establishments.

The first 3D broadcast took place in February and the journalists and fans present were in two minds as to how well the technology worked in real life. However, Sky has obviously been given confidence by this test run and 3D TV is being geared up for a full launch next month.

LG will not be selling its first batch of 3D TVs to UK consumers until May, but with Sky supporting its technology it will soon become the brand most closely associated with 3D sport by football fans everywhere.

Anyone looking to get 3D television in their own homes could have to wait until 2011 if some pessimistic observers are to be believed, although Sky thinks that it can push through its first few 3D channels by the autumn. Anyone interested in 3D TV may want to start saving up now.

First prices for home 3D specs

Sony has released details and prices for its first range of glasses that will enable home cinema lovers to view their favourite films in 3D. You will still need a 3D-ready TV set and a Sony Blu-Ray player with 3D playback in order to enjoy the benefits of this emerging technology.

Sony is planning to package the active shutter 3D glasses with its LX900 Bravia television. This will be the only one of its 3D-ready TVs that will offer support for the new format straight out of the box, although wrangling over standardisation is still ongoing and it could be some months before this is settled.

If you happen to live in Japan, you will be able to buy the new active shutter specs individually and a price of around £90 has been suggested for the retail models. Since the LX900 will come with two pairs, a group of four people will need to fork out nearly £200 more if everyone wants to enjoy the 3D experience.

What makes the LX900 different from its other 3D-ready siblings is that it has the necessary emitter already built-in. If you want to get the active shutter specs synchronised with the 3D image using other Sony 3D Bravia models, then you will need to buy a separate emitter for another £30 or so, which increases the price of the package even further if you don’t want to pay for Sony’s top of the range model.

There is no official UK launch date set, as yet for Sony’s 3D-ready Bravia range, but with Sony’s rivals already revving their 3D engines, we should not have too long to wait.

Tabbed plug adaptors in the pipeline

If you have plethora of cables snaking down from the back of your TV cabinet or computer desk, all leading to a single multi-socket adaptor, it can often be difficult to tell which electrical device is being powered by which plug.

As such you can often root around before eventually finding what you believe to be the right plug, only to find out that rather than unplugging your Xbox you have in fact turned off your set top recorder, almost invariably in the middle of an important recording!

One low-tech option would be to label the plugs yourself, but a new concept design for an extensible, customisable multi-plug adaptor that sorts out the labelling for you could make every gadget lover’s life a lot easier.

The tabbed power adaptor concept is beautiful in its simplicity. You choose how many cubes you want to buy, with each one being added to a single power module to fit your requirements and then you can apply stickers with icons to indicate what type of device each tab is powering.

It would be easy to add extra cubes with their additional sockets at a later date and it would not only making choosing the right item to unplug that much easier, but also reduce the level of clutter you have to keep hidden away.

Sadly the concept design is not even into the prototype stage yet and it looks as though the US market is being targeted to start off with. However, if it does ever make it to market here, there would certainly be a huge demand for something as convenient and cool-looking as this.

High Definition Freeview Channels On The Way

Although Virgin Media and Sky customers have had access to pricey subscription freeview services for a while now and Freesat has brought a limited bunch of free to air HD channels to those willing to fix a dish to the side of their houses, most people have been stuck with standard definition broadcasts via Freeview.

However, this spring Freeview HD is launching in certain areas of the UK, coming with ITV HD and BBC HD to start with, but with plans to offer Channel 4 HD and potentially some HD channels from Channel 5 as and when they are made available.

It is worth checking out the official Freeview website if you want to see when your area will become Freeview HD enabled and as the switchover to digital proceeds over the coming years, more and more regions will get high definition content without the need for a subscription.

At the moment there is no officially sanctioned Freeview HD set top box on offer. However, manufacturer Humax is working on the first, which it has called the Fox-HD T2.

When Humax and other manufacturers come out with Freeview HD boxes, they will be required to include an Ethernet connection. This will allow for the box to take advantage of catch up TV services such as iPlayer and 4OD using your broadband connection, which will take Freeview HD in line with subscription services without the monthly costs.

Whilst HD broadcasting will be fairly limited at first, the 2010 World Cup will arrive in HD, as will the 2012 Olympic Games.

Historic 3D broadcast aired

Sky became the first provider to broadcast any live event using digital 3D techniques over the weekend, when Manchester United’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal went out over the airwaves.

The match was not made widely available in 3D, however, because consumers have not actually got their hands on the necessary television technology quite as yet. The audience consisted of journalists and fans who watched it cloistered in the bowels of the Emirates stadium, as well as a few lucky punters who happened to have their local pub converted into a 3D viewing den in secret.

Everyone else will have to wait until April this year when the full 3D service from Sky goes live, although at the moment it will come at no extra charge to current Sky+ HD customers. All you need now is an HDTV set that supports 3D broadcasts.

Obviously the success of 3D TV will rely not just upon the technology being widely available and at prices similar to those of current HDTV sets, but on the 3D content itself being suitably impressive. Without that initial wow factor for viewers, 3D could be dead in the water as a home viewing experience before it has even had a chance to gain traction.

Reactions to Sky’s landmark 3D broadcast have been mixed. Journalists said that whilst Sky had clearly worked hard on its graphics and the accompanying promotional trailers, the match as a whole looked a little underwhelming.

However, live sport is not going to be the only 3D offering and it is likely to be 3D movies that draw the larger crowds in the long run.

Samsung reigns supreme in tech market

The latest figures suggest that Samsung has become the largest technology conglomerate in the world, knocking former leader HP into second place.

The table is based upon sales figures and in 2009, Samsung was able to sell nearly £74 billion worth of gadgets and gizmos to consumers, whilst HP came a close second with just under £72 billion in sales.

Experts said that the main products that managed to push Samsung to the top of the charts were HDTVs, memory cards and digital cameras, which have continued to grow in popularity.

For Samsung the biggest blow, despite its excellent general performance, was its inability to capture a larger percentage of the mobile phone market in 2009. Although Samsung is selling lots of low-end mobiles, the smartphone market is still dominated by Apple and Nokia.

Many believe that Samsung will be looking to emulate Apple’s success and generate higher profits from its mobile phone division, although there is a long way to go. Samsung will be releasing many mobiles in 2010 and it really needs a hit smartphone to retain its relevancy.

With Samsung planning a range of LED HDTVs that can display the 3D content that is going to arrive on Sky at some point this year, it looks as if it will not be letting go of the top spot any time in the near future. At this very moment, millions of consumers are probably piling their pennies somewhere safe for that next big HDTV purchase.

Sky to phase out standard definition set top boxes

Subscription satellite television firm Sky is set to offer nothing but HD-ready set top boxes to all of its new customers in the near future according to reports.

Even if you do not choose to add in the extra monthly cost and receive the high definition channel package, Sky will provide you with the future-proof Sky+ HD set top box, that is not only ready for HD, but also for the 3D TV revolution.

Sky has made this announcement after the number of people subscribing to its HD service has exceeded 2 million for the first time. This is accompanied by nearly 10 million subscribers to its standard definition service.

By beginning to phase out its standard definition set top boxes, Sky will be preparing more of its customers for the growth of high definition television and will also make its 3D broadcasts available to customers who commit to new HDTV technology in the coming years.

Both new and existing Sky customers can get the Sky+ HD box right now and for newcomers the cost of the box and its installation can be waived in order to encourage wider uptake of the technology.

From now on the standard definition set top box will only be available to Sky customers who are looking to replace their existing SD box, or to those who want to create access points for their Sky service in multiple rooms in their homes.

Sonos 250 Bundle Wireless Music Review

These days people are seeking a lot from their gadgets, they are looking for integrated home entertainment gadgets including multi room sound systems. The goal is simple: have a system that can seamlessly deliver music from a variety of sources in multiple rooms around your home. Sounds very futuristic but is actually very achievable.

 

 

 

 

 

There are a number of manufactures that provide multi room systems and these include Sonos who have a range of products available for every room in the house. We have been testing the Sonos 250 bundle which includes the zp90 zone player, the zp120 zone player and controller.

These three products when combined with the Sonos zone bridge will connect to your wireless network to create a Sonos network around your house. The ZP90 is an unamplified unit that will connect to your existing home theatre; the Zp120 is an amplified unit that provides an output of 55w per channel so you can add a set of hefty speakers to it.

All of the equipment is robust, well designed and very pleasing on the eye. Sonos have gone with the classic white with all their products meaning it will fit in any modern home with ease. We love that the zone players all look similar, they even look cool when you are not using them.

The sound quality from both units was very clear and worked well at quiet and loud levels. We played around a lot with the remote and toggled music on and off in each room, we tried playing from different sources in each room and also ran them in sync. In all examples the system worked really well.

Setting up the system is very simple and can all be controlled from the supplied Sonos coloured controller. This thing is a real beauty and will provoke envy from any visitor to your home as it sits in its recharging cradle, more importantly it is extremely easy to use. You can easily search and select music independently for each room. Sonos include options to listen to internet radio stations including last.fm and Sirius and you can even use paid subscription services like Napster.

 

 

Another cool feature is that your player can automatically update your twitter account with what you are listening too. New features like this are being added all the time and you will be sure to get them because your Sonos system automatically updates meaning you will have an up to date system forever.

If you have the cash to spare we would highly recommend Sonos, alternatives include Logitech’s Squeeze box range.

We have also reviewed the Sonos iphone APP and Sonos S5, both of which are great products (the app is a free version of the Sonos controller featured in this review).

USB Cell Batteries Review

The humble AA battery is still one of the most popular ways to power electronic gadgets and will remain so for many years to come, they are available as standard and rechargeable but even the latter have a flaw – what happens if they run flat and you have no charger? We think we finally have the answer.

 

We receive new gadgets for review all of the time and sometimes they pose the question ‘when is a gadget not a gadget?’ and these USBCELL batteries are one of those ‘gadgets’ as on the face of it they look like a standard AA battery. However they contain a clever feature as with a simple flip of a lid you can charge them in a standard USB port. The USB CELL combines design with function and boasts a lot of eco credentials too as you need no charger and once they have gone dead you can pop them into any usb and recharge them again.

 

The batteries last a long time too, we compaired them to standard alakalines with amazing results, we managed to take over 500 digital photographs with them on a full charge and there was still juice left over. They are available in a range of sizes on the USB Cell website at a very reasonable price when you consider you can charge them thousands of times (a five hour charge will give you a 90% charge, remember your xbox, pc or laptop can charge these batteries).

Wii Fit Plus Review With Video

The Wii Fit balance board and the accompanying software caused quite a stir when it was released last year. Now the Wii Fit Plus has hit the stores, but will it be able to coax Wii owners into dusting off their neglected peripherals and get back on the path to fitness, or is it just another gimmicky, flawed piece of populist tat?

Wii Fit Plus is not a completely new fitness game. It is in fact an enhanced version of the software bundled with the balance board and as such it is packed with the same features that owners of the original will be familiar with. The aim again is to build muscles, teach you some yoga positions and improve your balance skills through a series of fun exercises, most of which utilise the capabilities of the balance board. The main inclusion that bolsters out the performance of the software here is the ability to create your own workouts. This is great if you have a particular area which you want to improve on and allows a lot more flexibility that makes the Wii Fit Plus software package an easily recommendable upgrade over the original.

Other additions include more yoga poses and muscle building workouts to satisfy the real fitness freaks out there. The user interface has also been improved and makes selecting a workout or choosing an exercise much easier than in the previous version. You can now string together exercises you enjoy into long sessions and there are plenty of pre-determined sessions which you can access if you do not fancy creating your own. This is a massive improvement over the first Wii Fit software and provides a level of customisability which will appeal to many. You have instant access to all of the new and old exercises straight away, which removes the unlocking element included in the original. Whilst this may be a good thing in general, the game element of the package becomes even less prominent as a result.

Speaking of the gaming element, this makes up the largest new set of features in the Wii Fit Plus rostra. There are 12 brand new games which use the Wii Balance Board, combining both fitness and fun with varying results. The balance board can be used to play a golf game, take part in a snowball fight and adjust the courses of balls in a puzzle game. Some utilise the motion and balance controls to great effect, whilst others are slightly more frustrating thanks to clumsy or inaccurate controls.

The Wii Fit Plus software adds a whole host of new ways to keep track of your fitness levels. It can quickly calculate your BMI and keep a record of how your fitness is improving if you continue to use the software over a long period of time. However, like the first version of the game, some of the advice which it doles out in relation to your fitness can be questionable to say the least. There is at least a fairly complex calorie counter which works out how much energy you have burned during a session and then compares this total to how much food energy you have burned off. Obviously such information and advice is intended to be motivational, but it can be equally disheartening when you consider that a lot of effort and time needs to be put in to burn off a significant number of calories. Such is the nature of fitness.
If you have the first Wii Fit and you have kept a save file stored on your Wii then all of the information is automatically converted for use with the new Wii Fit Plus software. This makes continuing to achieve your fitness goals painless. The look and feel of the Wii Fit Plus is identical to the game from last year. It incorporates the cartoonish, simplistic graphics of the Wii’s other home-grown titles like Wii Sports and even incorporates the island from Wii Sports Resort into certain games. The animated version of the Wii Balance Board is also back to help guide you through the different aspects of the software and it is easy for people of any ability to get to grips with the exercises and interface.

Overall the Wii Fit Plus software adds some much needed support for the excellent Balance Board peripheral. Since few other games offer compatibility with this device, owners will be pleased to see something taking advantage of it. It is also good to see that since this is a revision of existing software rather than an entirely new package they have kept the price low. Whilst the Wii Fit Plus programme is not quite perfect, it is at least an admirable attempt to get gamers off the sofa and burning off some fat, as well as attracting a wider audience to the home gaming scene.

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