Medion marches out heavyweight entertainment laptop
Home cinema notebook
Supermarket-PC vendor Medion has blasted the wraps off the Akoya P8610 desktop replacement notebook, which features a Blu-ray drive and surround sound technology.
The laptop's primarily aimed at punters looking for advanced multimedia features but still want the performance of a fully equipped PC. The P8610 features a whopping …
Brand new Star Trek prequel pics and trailer
What on Praxis were Paramount thinking
The eagerly anticipated new Star Trek film is set to enthrall some and enrage others with a young, spunky cast, vicious fights and sex scenes.
A new trailer and new pics from the forthcoming film were released online earlier this week, further fuelling the excitement of Trekkies around the world ahead of the film's release on …
Tron sequel already in production
Arguably the most long overdue sequel ever
Tron - quite possibly the best example of a movie that could benefit from a legitimate sequel - is finally getting one. And who knew? A few dedicated - and better informed - film buffs maybe. But for the rest of us sci-fi supporters, certainly on this side of the Pond, it remained a secret.
It is being directed by Joseph …
TomTom ships Go x40 satnav series
New road-savvy range released in UK
The TomTom Go x40 Live range consisting of the Go 540, 740 and the flagship 940 - first seen at IFA in August - has been officially launched in the UK.
All three models have a 4.3in, 480 x 272 pixel display, but while the 540 and 740 only have 1GB and 2GB, respectively, of on-board storage, the 940 has a meatier 4GB memory. …
Bioshock sequel teaser trailer now showing
Best console game ever - part 2
A trailer for BioShock 2 has been discovered added on at the end of BioShock on the PS3, which began shipping across the Pond a week or so ago.
Bioshock for the PS3 was recently awarded 97% by PSM3 magazine, higher than GTA IV, which was given 96%.
Now circulating all over the web, the trailer video for the sequel to what many …
Logic3 lets loose line up of iPod accessories
Apple iPod accessory maker Logic3 launched a number of new devices yesterday at the Digital Winter event in central London.
Logic3 Valve80 amp and speakers Logic3 Valve80 amp and speakers
First is the Valve80 peaker set built around a vacuum tube amplifier and with piano black Kevlar speakers. Delivering 80W RMS of impressive …
Official: gadgets not responsible for Qantas jet plunge
Aussie Transport Safety Bureau lets laptops off the hook
Initial investigations into the Qantas Airbus A330 mishap have concluded that it was due to incorrect information fed into the flight control system and not interference from passengers' gagdets.
A report by ABC news states that the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said incorrect information from a faulty air data …
Laptops to blame for Qantas jet plunge?
Cargo hold over-filled with XXXX no longer thought responsible
Passengers are being questioned over whether they were using electronic equipment just before their Qantas A330-300 plunged out-of-control over Western Australia.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has said an "irregularity" in one of the aircraft's computers may have caused the dramatic altitude change that threw …
Navman locates addition to S-series satnav line
Satnav manufacturer Navman has today unveiled a stylish, super-slim addition to its S range of GPS-enabled gadgets.
Measuring only 13.5mm thick and weighing 150g, with a 4.3in flat widescreen display, the new product is the thinnest satnav on the market, Navman claimed. The brushed aluminium casing certainly makes it one of the …
China to combine four ships to form space station
Manga mechanisms made real
The Director of Jiuquan Launch Center claims that China is set to build a space station by snapping together four spaceships (Shenzhou 7, 8, 9, and 10), to be launched sequentially, according to a report by Hong Kong newspaper the Ming Pao Daily News.
Though other reports indicate that taikonauts aboard Shenzhou 7 will return to …
Scientists study near-death sensations
Just put Leonard Cohen on shuffle
Researchers on the AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation) near-death experiences study want to include more UK centres in the project, in addition to boosting the number of European and US bases.
The University of Southampton has already been conducting research into this phenomenon for over 18 months at selected hospitals …
Resistance 2 to hit USA on 4 November
Flagship sequel Resistance 2 will be released on the other side of the Pond on 4 November, Sony has confirmed, along with the simultaneous launch of a special edition version.
The sequel to the PS3 title will clash head-on with Microsoft's surprisingly successful shooter, Gears of War 2, which goes on sale three days later on 7 …
China plans spacewalk by end of the month
Chance to sneak ahead while US and Russia squabble
A Chinese state media agency has reported today that the country will launch a three-man spaceflight this month and all systems are already in final preparation.
In October 2003, China became only the third country to put a man in space with its own rocket, after the former Soviet Union and the USA. It sent two more astronauts …
Samsung parades Omnia 3G smartphone
Last night, at a lavish event in London, Samsung proudly paraded its brand new 3G Windows Mobile 6.1-based touchscreen handset, the SGH-i900 -aka Omnia.
The Omnia was first seen back in April at a European trade fair, but it hasn't been known exactly when Samsung would make its frontal assault on the iPhone available in the UK, …
Philips pitches black with monster contrast LED backlight
IFA More black than black is our motto
In move to take on the likes of the Pioneer Kuro and Panasonic's Viera, Philips has announced the 42PFL9803 TV with black-enhancing LED backlight technology.
The 42in display features what Philips calls "2D dimming control" covering 128 individual areas, enabling the LCD TV to compete with the best plasmas TV sets, the company …
Philips unveils 38mm-thick HD TV
IFA Essence of skinny?
Measuring a super-slim 38mm at its thinnest point, the Essence HD LCD TV boasts a refresh rate of just 2ms and a full 1080p resolution.
It also offers three HDMI ports, a DLNA network streaming link, a, removable 2x 15W sound bar and sleek-looking remote control.
Philips Essence 42" LCD HD TV Philips' Essence: free of cable …
British boffins perfect process to make any item '100% waterproof'
Gore-Tex killer?
UK company Plasma Product Innovations (P2i) today demonstrated a chemical process it claims can render any material 100 per cent waterproof.
Grappling at an ungodly hour this morning with words like 'hydrophobic', 'nanotechnology' and 'submicroscopic-surface-enhancement', a small number of half-asleep hacks were shown how a …
Aussie has answer to save Earth from asteroid attack
Proposed plan to protect planet with plastic film
An PhD student with the University of Queensland's School of Engineering has won top prize in an international competition for her plan to wrap a giant asteroid with reflective sheeting to prevent a collision with the Earth.
The asteroid, Apophis, is estimated to be perhaps 270 metres across and it will pass close to Earth in …
Space shuttle replacement delayed until 2014
This is why a former astronaut should run for president
NASA has put back the planned launch of its Orion spacecraft for a year, meaning the first test launch won't be until 2014 at the earliest.
The agency's publicly-announced deadline set by Congress to conduct a first test launch of a manned Orion capsule was 2015. Internally, though, it was hoped to fast-track this to 2013 …
Secret of invisibility unravelled by US researchers
Finally, the formula for invisibility is ours. Mwahahaha...
Scientists at the University of California in Berkeley have engineered a material that can bend visible light around objects. This development could soon result in technology that can render tanks, ships and troops invisible to the eye.
Results of the US military-funded research are expected to appear in the scientific journals …
Branson unveils Virgin Galactic mothership
WhiteKnightTwo fuselage fatigue 'not an issue' says Rutan
As expected, British billionaire Sir Richard Branson and American aerospace engineer Burt Rutan unveiled the WhiteKnightTwo mothership yesterday that will be used for his project to launch tourists into space.
The mothership itself is not designed to leave the atmosphere, but will air launch the yet-to-be-finished SpaceShipTwo …
It's official: Samsung shows off i8510 8mp cameraphone
Korean company joins cameraphone crème de la crème
Rumours that the South Korean company was going to join the 8mp cameraphone crowd have been circulating for a while, now Samsung has confirmed it's launching the i8510 in the UK in August.
Much like the iPhone, the i8510 comes in 8GB and 16GB variants, with 3G and HSDPA as well as Wi-Fi. It also features GPS and a camera …
Creative continues ZEN range with Mozaic media player
Creative today announced the launch of the ZEN Mozaic portable media player for music, photos and video, featuring a 1.8in LCD colour screen, FM radio, voice recorder and built-in speaker.
Available silver, pink and black, four different memory sizes will be on sale, 2GB at £50, 4GB at £60, 8GB at £80 - all of which will be on …
Bagel brownin' Cylon toaster now frakkin' available
No really - it is a toaster
Sitting somewhere in between Red Dwarf's Talkie Toaster and the 7ft tall Cylon Centurion we covered a few weeks back, comes the Comic-Con limited edition Battlestar Galactica Cylon Toaster. Oh yes.
Frakkin' Cylon toaster "By your comm-" crunch, crunch, crunch
According to NBC Universal Store, these are one-of-a-kind made …
Logitech Pure Fi Anywhere iPod speakers
Review If this were a school report, it would read "must try harder"
An almost infinite number of iPod speaker sets are now available, but one manufacturer that's kept up a consistent quality with its music-player peripherals is Logitech.
Measuring 335 x 90 x 40mm, and weighing 726g, these are not the most portable of portable speakers. They're too big to fall under the go-anywhere travel-speaker …
Available to buy: your own frakkin' 7ft Cylon
Oh, for the love of Gods
If you're a really, really big fan of the recent reinterpretation of Battlestar Galactica and have $8000 not doing anything, you could invest in your very own 7ft-tall Cylon Centurion.
According to Sideshow Collectibles, each one is hand-built by a gentleman called Fred Barton of Fred Barton Productions, Los Angeles. And it's …
Cardiff 'copter coppers give chase to UFO
Aliens visit the land of leeks and daffodils
The pilot of a police helicopter was forced to take evasive action to avoid a collision with a UFO as the aircraft was returning to the Ministry of Defence base of St Athan, near Cardiff.
The three airmen described the unidentified flying object as "saucer-shaped", and proceeded to pursue, getting as far as the North Devon coast …
Verbatim 500GB desktop external hard drive
Review In case of a crash, just locate this little black box
The modern model of day-to-day computer use typically consists of a laptop operated in the office, at home and on the move - constantly increasing the need for reliable back-up drives.
Measuring 20 x 11.3 x 3.5cm and cased in a featureless matte black finish, the Verbatim 500GB external hard drive looks more like the black box …
Fujitsu Siemens Computers announces Amilo series
The brand new range is aimed at an "across the board" audience, from a "sleek" entry-level desktop to a "high performance" gaming machine and notebooks that cater for frequent use when mobile.
Fujitsu Siemens Computers told a conference in Frankfurt this morning that it intends to "raise the bar" with its new end-to-end, uniform …
LapDome Planet Business laptop bag and shade
Review Now you can type and tan
Thankfully, the typical English weather recently relented and gave us a few sunny days in which we rushed outside to test some summer kit. This curious laptop case was one such item.
This barmy bag first caught our attention back in January, at which point we knew we had to have a closer look. We requested the professional model …
3rd Space FPS gaming vest
Review Could've been a great gaming accessory, but came up short
You've always felt you haven't got the full gaming experience, right? You wanna wear the armour, carry the weaponry... that kind of thing. The 3rd Space FPS sensory gaming vest might be of interest then.
The 3rd Space FPS Vest, first seen last year, looks somewhat ironically like a stab-proof jacket, and is hooked up to an air …
Wii 2.1 sound system
Review Nothing wee about this sound system
It's well known that a speaker set of reasonable quality can substantially enhance your gaming experience, but if a high-end hi-fi system doesn't yet live in your lounge, this 2.1-channel Wii-friendly speaker set might make a superb substitute.
Let's face facts, the Wii is better suited to social gaming than either the Xbox 360 …
Metal Gear Solid 4 to launch on 12 June
The game the PS3 was made for, apparently
It's official: Konami has announced that the fourth instalment in its extremely successful Metal Gear Solid series, Guns of the Patriots, will be released across Europe on 12 June.
Konami will whet appetites with a public beta version of Metal Gear Online before the release of MGS4, details of which will be released soon. …
Boffin stacks 16 PS3s to simulate black hole collisions
Consoles for cosmology
When most of us arrived home with our newly purchased PS3, we couldn't wait to start annihilating aliens in Resistance: Fall of Man or kicking butt kung fu-style in Virtua Fighter 5. Not astrophysicist Gaurav Khanna - he used his to build a supercomputer.
Khanna now owns a total of 16 PS3 consoles, all linked together to provide …
Sony talks up Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3
Red limited edition PSP too
To coincide with the US launch of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots in late Q2, Sony is introducing a PS3 bundle, which will include an 80GB console, MGS 4 and a DualShock 3 wireless controller for $499.
Whether or not the MSG4 PS3 will be coloured or in any way branded - like the very, very cool Halo 3 Xbox 360 remains …
Apple updates laptop lines
It's Tuesday afternoon. It's time for an Apple upgrade
Keeping with its tradition of launching new products each Tuesday - including recently the larger capacity iPod Shuffle, and the iPod Touch and iPhone memory upgrades - Apple has updated both the MacBook and MacBook Pro line-up.
Apple MacBook Pro 15in and 17in Apple's MacBook Pro: now with 'Penryn' processors
The 15in and …
Gears of War 2 scheduled for November release
Get set for a great year of shoot 'em ups
Microsoft has officially announced that the Xbox 360 sequel to the popular shooter Gears of War will launch in November of this year.
Much of the Xbox 360's first year success was dependent on Epic's Gears of War. It proved much more than just substitute until Halo 3 arrived and really showed the gaming quality that the console …
HD DVD firesale begins on eBay
Defunct format sell-off
eBay said today it expects to an increase in listings for HD DVD products following Toshiba's announcement yesterday that it is going to ditch its optical disc format.
"With a large variety of now defunct entertainment formats, including Betamax and Mini Disc being regularly traded and ultimately becoming collecters items, [we] …
Official: Toshiba discontinues HD DVD
Toshiba has abandoned HD DVD "following recent major changes in the market", it announced this morning. The company spun the failure of its favourite format as a move made to strengthen the industry.
The consumer electronics giant said it will "no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders".
It will …
It's official: Toshiba surrenders to Blu-ray
Henceforth, today shall be remembered as Victory Format day
Toshiba has officially abandoned its HD DVD technology, surrendering to Sony's Blu-ray in the entertainment industry's biggest format war since VHS beat Betamax in the 1980s.
The news follows yesterday's rise in the value of Toshiba shares as investors voiced their approval of the company's alleged decision to abandon the HD DVD …
Halo Master Chief armour offered on eBay
Kick butt at fancy dress parties
Imagine how impressed your friends would be when you rock up to a fancy dress party dressed just like Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, in a Spartan combat suit. Oh yes.
This dream can become a reality if you can afford to part with at least 850 of your hard-earned - plus £50 for postage within the UK. Check out this listing …
LG quietly launches KT610 Symbian smartphone
Mobile World Congress VGA screen and Qwerty keypad, anyone?
Seoul-based phone maker LG has quietly shown the latest addition to its smartphone range - the LG-KT610, a clamshell handset with a 2.4in, 640 x 480 flip screen and Qwerty keypad.
Details on this handset have been sketchy, but we can say it runs on Symbian 9.2 and the S60 user interface. According to LG, the KT610's users can " …
HTC premieres mass-market GPS smartphone
Mobile World Congress
The newest addition to HTC's Windows Mobile 6 Professional line-up,the P3470, will offer sat-nav software and a touch interface via its 2.8in LCD screen, the company said this week.
Measuring 108 x 58.3 x 15.7mm, and weighing 122g, the P3470 comes with 128MB RAM of internal memory, 256MB of Flash memory and is capable of taking …
Nokia unveils the N96 and N78
Mobile World Congress Hot, headline-grabbing handsets
The eagerly-awaited successor to the the popular N95 was at last unveiled in Barcelona this morning. Details of the N96 - the latest addition to Nokia's smartphone range - were leaked before the weekend, and they weren't far wrong.
The dual-slide handset sports a 2.8in display, 16GB of internal memory that can be further …
Sony Ericsson goes Windows Mobile with Xperia X1 'arc slider'
Mobile World Congress Taking on Nokia's Communicators
Sony Ericsson last night announced a new smartphone range. Dubbed Xperia, the series' flagship is the X1, featuring a Windows Mobile-based handset with a slide-out Qwerty keyboard and 3in, 800 x 480 display.
Sony Ericsson Xperia 1 Sony Ericsson's Xperia X1: arc slider
Sony Ericsson calls the X1 an "arc slider" handset - the …
Apple to announce iPhone and iPod Touch price cuts?
Hold onto your hard-earned for just a few weeks more
Apple is planning to drop the prices of the iPhone and iPod line within the next month or two - perhaps at a rumoured late February announcement - a Mac enthusiast site has climed.
Website 9to5Mac received word that the cuts are on their way. The reduction is said to be $100 off the price of models in both the iPod Touch and …
Yahoo! to! reject! Microsoft! offer!
It's a steal
The board at Yahoo! plans to reject Microsoft's unsolicited $44.6bn takeover offer, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Quoting "a person familiar with the situation," the publication states that after a series of meetings over this weekend, the board thinks the software giant's bid "massively undervalues" Yahoo!.
Microsoft boss …
Archos TV+ launched in UK
Time to take on the likes of Apple TV
First seen at CES in January, the Archos TV+ launched in the UK this afternoon and will be available in two variations: the 80GB and 250GB model, priced at £180 and £250, respectively.
It combines a Wi-Fi media player with a hard drive to allow you to stream or store movies, music, photos, podcasts and web video, while the …
16GB iPhone to launch today
Updated New iPod Touch and iPhone with double-sized memory
Apple is about to unleash the much-anticipated 16GB version of the iPhone across the UK today. Rumours bounding around today have been confirmed and it will go on sale in all UK O2 stores nationwide from 1.30pm.
Many have speculated that it was only a matter of time before Apple increased the memory capacity of the iPhone …
Satin PS3 to launch in Japan
They have the choice now of black, white and silver
Sony has announced it will make a satin silver 40GB PS3 available only in Japan, to accompany the black and ceramic white versions already available over there.
The Satin Silver Sony Playstation 3 will go on sale on 6 March for ¥39,800 ($362 or about £185).
Click for full-size version
Potentially problematic with fingerprints …
