New Technology Reviews!.: Sound

Motorola’s Brand New Android Camera Interface is The Bomb

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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="233" mce_src="http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/4606/0036540x3881.jpg" src="http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/4606/0036540x3881.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" title="0036-540x388" width="324" />Let me tell you about what Motorola has going on with their two latest devices, the DROID 3 and the PHOTON 4G. More specifically let me tell you in text what’s going on with the PHOTON 4G because I’ve already recorded a video of what’s going on with the camera on the DROID 3 [full review available here on Android Community] and you can see that below for yourself. Both cameras on these mobile devices are essentially the same, slight details moved around between the two but the same new elements in place. On the Photon 4G, which you can see a full review of early this morning both on Android Community and SlashGear, there are three pieces of new functionality, two of which are utterly awesome, that make its camera unique.</div>
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The first of three new features is a mute button – right there on the screen for when you’re recording film and you want to stop your sound recording for as long as you like. Ever been at an event like a rocket launching and the sound is so deafening that your microphone would never be able to pick up anything distinguishable anyway? Tap that mute button and you’re good to go. Next is the lamp. Just as easy as it is to tap the mute button, you can tap the lamp button and your two LED lights on the back of your device will be lit up as long as you like.</div>
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This means that the lights on the back of your device that are normally reserved for flashing during a photo (or lamping if you’ve got a lamp app outside the camera) will now be able to be used as a flashlight inside your recording of a video. Finally, there’s a manual digital zoom. This isn’t especially helpful as zooming in this way only serves to pull your same sized screen off the viewer and not technically zooming at all, and that’s completely lame save for you WANTING to do such a strange thing, but it SEEMS cool anyway.</div>
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And that’s just the beginning! Check out how these elements work aside the new photo gallery on the DROID 3 in this demo video:</div>
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Then check out this example video recording from the DROID 3:</div>
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Then check out this example video from the PHOTON 4G:</div>
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Pretty awesome!</div>
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Motorola’s Brand New Android Camera Interface is The Bomb

Let me tell you about what Motorola has going on with their two latest devices, the DROID 3 and the PHOTON 4G. More specifically let me t...

Game Review: Penguin

<img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-36741 aligncenter" height="192" src="http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/2923/penguingjj.png" title="Penguin" width="320" /><br/><br/>Dive into some Tiny Wings action with Penguin, the first Tiny Wings-type game on WP7. By the way, it’s free to download.<br/><h3>Overall Score: 3/5</h3><br/>The gameplay and presentation are good, but the lasting value could see some improvements. However, it’s a great Tiny Wings style game for now!<br/><h4>Gameplay: 4/5</h4><br/>The gameplay feels almost identical to Tiny Wings. You touch the screen to dive down (gaining speed), and then you release the screen to fly. The goal is to get as far as possible without running out of air, so you have to try to catch big jumps as often as possible. If you’re not sure how to play, Penguin has a fabulous adaptive help system that teaches you when to press on the screen, and then gradually fades away once you get the hang of the game. Eating the fish in the game will give you a little speed boost. It feels pretty solid when playing it!<span> </span><br/><h4>Presentation: 4/5</h4><br/>The visuals are only decent, however the load speeds and music makes up for that! The game loads extremely fast, and will also resume even faster, so you can respond to that text right when you get it instead of worrying about having to wait for the game to resume! The music in the game sounds awesome and is nice to listen to. For HTC phones, there’s currently a bug where the sound effects make constant static, but by turning the sound effects volume off, that static went away. While the visuals could be more interesting, they are definitely effective and work for now.<br/><h4>Lasting Value: 2/5</h4><br/>Unfortuantely, this game doesn’t have a local or online leaderboard. You can sort of compete with friends locally, since it records your best all time score, but a leaderboard system would make the game far better.

Game Review: Penguin

Dive into some Tiny Wings action with Penguin, the first Tiny Wings-type game on WP7. By the way, it’s free to download. Overall Score: 3/5 ...

How to Change the Sound Card Buffer Size

<P>Download the ASIO4ALL utility program (See Resources). Install the utility by double-clicking the downloaded file and follow the installation wizard prompts.</P><P>Browse the Start menu to find the ASIO4ALL program group and click ASIO4ALL icon to start the utility. You'll be shown the WDM Device List. Find your sound card and click it to select it.</P><P>Slide the ASIO Buffer Size slider to the right to lengthen the buffer size. Play audio to test whether the audio has stopped underunning and glitching. If it has not, continue making adjustments to the buffer size in ASIO4ALL.</P><P>Click the "Wrench Icon" at the lower right to open advanced settings. Here you can make further adjustments. The most useful for fixing underrun errors is the "Use Hardware Buffer" box. Check this box to use your sound card's hardware buffer, if applicable. Whether this setting makes a difference depends on your sound card's design and installed drivers.</P><br /><a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_7745019_change-sound-card-buffer-size.html">Source.</a>

How to Change the Sound Card Buffer Size

Download the ASIO4ALL utility program (See Resources). Install the utility by double-clicking the downloaded file and follow the installati...

Review: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Creative%20XFi%20HD%201-200-200.jpg"></div><br>
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<iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=latesttecompu-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004275EO4&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>First impressions bear out the claim that Creative's latest USB audio card, the Sound Blaster X-Fi HD, is one for the 'audiophiles'. It looks as clever and understated as a black turtleneck sweater, and the smooth lines of the front are disturbed only by two large 1/4-inch jacks for high impedance headphones that scream quality.<br>
Around the back, there's more to bolster the X-Fi HD's credentials: RCA stereo ports for line-in and out connections and two optical ports for playback and recording digital sources. Inside, the headphone port has its own amplifier.<br>
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Review: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi HD

First impressions bear out the claim that Creative's latest USB audio card, the Sound Blaster X-Fi HD, is one for the 'audiophiles...

Review: Sound Freaq SFQ01

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/MacFormat/MAC%20229/MAC229.rev_fritz.soundfreaq_1-200-200.jpg"><br /><P>According to SoundFreaq, the SFQ-01A is built with three objectives in mind: performance, experience and design. So that's how we'll judge it. </P><br /><P>Its performance is acceptable given the price, but it's far from outstanding. Audio is complete and detailed, but not as broadly shaped as we'd like. </P><br /><P>A feature called 'U-Cubed', or UQ3, uses a proprietary technology to widen the sound, making the custom-built drivers seem further apart than they actually are. It does make a difference, but it's not as effective as Altec Lansing's similar ESS function. </P><br /><P>You can manually adjust the bass and treble, but not by much, and this feature doesn't work at all when UQ3 is switched on. </P><br /><P>As well as docking your iPod/ iPhone or using the 3.5mm AUX-in socket to listen to non-Apple audio players, you can transmit your sounds wirelessly from any A2DP-capable Bluetooth device. Pairing is easy, and it's great for streaming from your Mac or iPad, or for keeping your iPhone or iPod touch to hand while listening to your music. </P><br /><P>There's an app to turn your iOS device into a remote too. But the SFQ-01A's design is underwhelming. </P><br /><P>There's some neat touches, like the door on the side of the unit that houses the hand controller, but with its blocky design and fingerprint-hungry shiny plastic finish, it's certainly no great looker. </P><br /><P>SoundFreaq's device offers decent quality for the price, but there are better docks at the £200 mark.</P>

Review: Sound Freaq SFQ01

According to SoundFreaq, the SFQ-01A is built with three objectives in mind: performance, experience and design. So that's how we'll...