New Technology Reviews!.: Media

HTC Vigor to have Beats audio and LTE onboard

HTC Vigor to have Beats audio and LTE onboard

Shortly following the recent leaks of various software aspects of the HTC Vigor, those who did some digging in the files leaked have fou...

Huawei MediaPad Android 3.2 tablet hits the streets this October

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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="110" mce_src="http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/7047/huaweimediapadlead540x1.jpg" src="http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/7047/huaweimediapadlead540x1.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="huawei-mediapadlead" width="324" />Who remembers the Huawei MediaPad from that neat little video back in June? If you’ve been wondering when you can enjoy this 7″ Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet wrapped in that nice aluminum shell we now have a firm date. Coming this October over in Malaysia, and the rest of the world and US later this fall.</div>
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The MediaPad was announced back in mid June and brings with it some pretty impressive specs, even if the design sadly looks like an enlarged iPhone 4. Inside there’s Qualcomm’s 1.2GHz dual-core processor – presumably the same chip as inside the HTC Sensation, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot for those in need of more. Coming in at just 11mm thick it’s no Galaxy Tab, but its thinner than many tablets currently available.</div>
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Pair all of that with HSPA+ connectivity, WiFi, a capacitive touch beautiful IPS display and HDMI Full HD 1080p output you have a pretty nice little contender here in the world of Honeycomb tablets. Available now in Malaysia and it will be coming to the U.S. and other markets shortly. It appears it’ll be a bit later than the promised Q3 2011 date they gave during the official announcement, but this might just be worth the wait. Pricing has been said to be around $475 and I can’t help but feel that is a bit high for a 8GB tablet although it does come with 3G HSPA+ connectivity. Hopefully we’ll see a more reasonable price come launch on US soil.</div>
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<img alt="huawei_mediapad_1-540x300" class="attachment-thumbnail aligncenter" height="150" mce_src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/3852/huaweimediapad1540x3001.jpg" src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/3852/huaweimediapad1540x3001.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="huawei_mediapad_1-540x300" width="150" /><br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><img alt="huawei_mediapad_2-484x540" class="attachment-thumbnail aligncenter" height="150" mce_src="http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/8185/huaweimediapad2484x5401.jpg" src="http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/8185/huaweimediapad2484x5401.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="huawei_mediapad_2-484x540" width="150" /><br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><img alt="huawei-mediapadlead" class="attachment-thumbnail aligncenter" height="150" mce_src="http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/4523/huaweimediapadlead150x1.jpg" src="http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/4523/huaweimediapadlead150x1.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="huawei-mediapadlead" width="150" /></div>
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Huawei MediaPad Android 3.2 tablet hits the streets this October

Who remembers the Huawei MediaPad from that neat little video back in June? If you’ve been wondering when you can enjoy this 7″ Android ...

Star Wars Blu-rays first to offer THX Media Director tech

Star Wars Blu-rays first to offer THX Media Director tech

The Star Wars Saga Blu-ray boxset, out on September 12, will be the first software release to feature THX's new Media Director ...

Engadget's NYC Reader Meetup happens tomorrow!

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<img alt="The NYC Engadget Reader Meetup is less than two weeks away!" class="aligncenter" height="205" mce_src="http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6417/gust20110812600.jpg" mce_style="margin-top: 4px; margin-bottom: 4px; border-width: 0px; border-style: solid;" src="http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6417/gust20110812600.jpg" style="border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 4px; max-width: 640px;" width="360" /></div>
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We know... this can be something of a sad time. Seasons changing, vacations ending, schools opening, and days shortening. But don't be down, dear reader, because we have a heck of a party planned, only a day away. The NYC Engadget Reader Meetup is <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">tomorrow</span>, it's totally free, and you're invited.</div>
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We've lined up an array of exhibitors to show their latest and greatest toys, including AT&T, Samsung, HTC, RIM, and Motorola. We'll also have an electric Mini Cooper to check out, a glasses-free 3D display from Magnetic 3D, a recharging lounge to refill your electronics, and snacks and desserts to refill your stomachs. AT&T will be bringing artist Matt Siren to do a live piece of art inspired by your stories, and we will of course have a massive pile of goodies to hand out from companies like iRobot, Western Digital, and Pioneer, plus a special giveaway you'll need a QR reader to win -- so don't forget those smartphones. (Not that you would.)</div>
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The party is at Guastavino's, which is located at <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">59th Street in New York City</span>. Things will kick off at 6:30pm that night and run until 10:30pm. It's an all-ages event, but we can only manage 1,000 people in there at a time, and it's first-come first-served, so don't be late. Want to come? Just show up by 6:30! You don't need to pre-register.</div>
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We'll have a boatload of Engadget editors on hand fielding questions, good friends from <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">Joystiq</span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="em" mce_style="font-style: italic;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.5;">TUAW</span> will be in attendance, and we'll be doing a Q&A-focused live podcast (which we won't be able to broadcast, but look for the recording later). If you're a member of the media who would like to attend, please e-mail us at <span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">meetup at engadget dot com</span>. Everybody else, get ready to party, and if you want to share with your friends the Facebook event is here.</div>
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Engadget's NYC Reader Meetup happens tomorrow!

We know... this can be something of a sad time. Seasons changing, vacations ending, schools opening, and days shortening. But don'...

Virgin Media's TiVo is 'changing telly habits'

Virgin Media's TiVo is 'changing telly habits'

Virgin Media's TiVo hard disk recorder and on-demand set top box has changed the way people find and view TV programmes, according ...

Buying Guide: Best computer: how to choose the right one

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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="90" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20250/PCF250.w_rev8.warbird_1-200-200.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20250/PCF250.w_rev8.warbird_1-200-200.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;" width="120" /></div>
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When buying a new computer, it's easy to become confused by the sheer volume of technical decisions that you'll have to make.</div>
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You might wonder how much RAM you'll need, for instance, which CPU or which graphics card to pick, what display to look for, which hard drive will be best for you - there are so many issues that it's difficult to know where to begin.</div>
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There is a simple way to at least begin cutting down the choices on offer, though, and ensure you get the best PC for your needs.</div>
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And that's to forget about the low-level technical specifications, and fine details like the brand of graphics card just for the moment and instead concentrate on something much more fundamental and important: what you will be expecting your new system to do.</div>
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So read on to find out how to buy the best computer for you, then check out 10 best desktops for you to look at on page 2.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Best computer: using your new PC</span></div>
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Take a moment to think about the sort of applications you'll want to run on your new PC, as these will help to decide which features your system will need.</div>
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If you only intend to run basic tasks - browsing the web, sending emails, running office-type software like Microsoft Word - then the good news is that most computers, even at the budget end of the market, will be able to cope with your requirements.</div>
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An entertainment PC can handle those basic jobs, too, but might also be used to watch TV and movies, listen to music, play some games, perhaps share music and video files across a home network. Systems like this need a little more in the way of hardware power, like a larger hard drive to store all your music and movies, as well as a big screen, a good sound card and speakers, but they still don't have to be too expensive.</div>
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If you want to play the latest games with the best possible performance, then you'll need a gaming PC. This can be much more expensive, as not only will you need a quality screen, a good sound card and speakers, but you'll also require a powerful graphics card, fast hard drive and a decent processor.</div>
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And if you're not a gamer, but need to run some heavy-duty software - editing HD videos, say - then you'll need a high-end performance PC. This should include a powerful CPU, plenty of memory, and a large, fast hard drive, so expect a sizeable bill. But you may not need the large screen or powerful graphics card of the entertainment or gaming systems, which will help to keep prices down a little.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Best computer: netbook, laptop or desktop?</span></div>
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With the basic applications of your new computer resolved, it's time to think about the type of system that might be appropriate: a netbook, laptop or desktop?</div>
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Netbooks are compact notebooks with small screens (typically 10 to 12 inches), and components that are more about saving battery life than delivering raw power. So expect a slow CPU, only a little RAM (1 to 2GB, usually), no DVD drive, not too much hard drive space, and so on.</div>
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This is all that you need for basic web browsing, emailing and similar tasks, though. Their small size makes netbooks extremely portable (most are only around 1-1.5kg), battery life is usually very good at 4 to 10 hours, and you can buy some great systems from as little as £249. Our articles on the best cheap notebook and the top 15 notebooks in the world today will tell you more.</div>
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<img alt="Laptop" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Dell%20M101z/dell-m101z-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Dell%20M101z/dell-m101z-420-100.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;" width="252" /></div>
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Laptops can seem bulky by comparison to their tiny netbook cousins: they might be more than twice the weight, with larger screens, and more powerful CPUs, which means battery life may struggle to reach 3 hours in some cases.</div>
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Of course they can also handle much more powerful applications, though. If you'll be spending hours typing on the system then you'll appreciate the larger keyboard. The built-in DVD drive makes it easier to install software and create backups, and high-end laptops can even deliver very acceptable gaming performance.</div>
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Again, we've a guide to suit everyone: The best cheap laptop under £350 focuses on budget systems, while our article on the best student laptops and the best 13" laptops cover a wider range of systems.</div>
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The best gaming laptops guide reveals that you buy mobile gaming performance for as little as £599, while the more general Which laptop should I buy? article walks you through the buying process and explains how to make sure you get the right system for you.</div>
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If you don't need a computer you can carry around, though, a desktop will be your best option. These are larger, but deliver more power for your money, and are generally much easier to upgrade or reconfigure. So if you decide you need better gaming performance, say, you can just buy another graphics card at a later date, something that won't be possible at all with most netbooks or laptops.</div>
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<img alt="Desktop pc" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20241/PCF241.w_rev3.w_rev4-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20241/PCF241.w_rev3.w_rev4-420-100.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;" width="252" /></div>
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If you'd like an idea of what's available in the desktop world than our guide to What's the best desktop PC for you? will point you to some great systems.</div>
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And if you're wondering whether you really need a PC at all - could a Mac be better? - then reading PC or Mac? should help you to decide.</div>
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But if you've already got a list of preferred PC manufacturers then it might be more interesting to think about the hardware that your new computer should include - and there's plenty to consider.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Best computer: technical specs</span></div>
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In the past, one of the first questions to ask about your new PC has been how much memory you'll need. These days, though, even many budget PCs come with 4GB of RAM, the maximum a 32-bit Windows system can use.</div>
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If you're short of cash and only want to run very basic programs, perhaps to browse the web or send emails, then you might just about get away with 2GB. Maybe. But opting for 4GB will help to improve your system's performance, even here, so avoid skimping on memory if you possibly can.</div>
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If you're buying a more high-end system, though, you might also want to consider the type of memory it should include to deliver the best results. Our articles on DDR2 vs DDR3 and How to buy RAM will tell you more.</div>
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<img alt="RAM" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20233/PCF233.wired_flow.ocz-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20233/PCF233.wired_flow.ocz-420-100.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;" width="252" /></div>
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It's a similar situation with hard drives. If you're buying a budget PC (around £400, say) then look for the highest capacity you can afford; we'd recommend at least 500GB, although even many budget PCs now include 1TB drives.</div>
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If you've more cash to spend, though, it's worth paying more attention to the technical details. Read How to buy the best new hard drive for a grounding in the basics. And if you've a big budget, then solid-state drives (SSDs) deliver the best performance around, though their capacities are low. Our guide to 12 top solid-state drives will highlight the key details you need.</div>
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To help you choose between a hard disk drive and a solid-state drive, take a look at our guide SSD vs HDD: which is best?</div>
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Then of course there's the issue of your computer's processor: which one is best? The good news here is that even the cheapest PCs now include CPUs with two cores, essentially separate processors that allow you to run multiple tasks at the same time. But even if money is tight, look for something with more cores, if you can: something like Intel's Core i3-530 or AMD's Athlon II X4 640 offer decent performance at a budget price.</div>
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<img alt="Processor" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Intel%20K%20series/PCF242.w_rev1.main-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/Intel%20K%20series/PCF242.w_rev1.main-420-100.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;" width="252" /></div>
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If you're looking to build a high-end PC that will keep you happy for a few years, however, you'll benefit from spending more on a processor, and once again we've plenty of guides to help, covering everything from value CPUs to gaming processors, our pick of the best desktop processors, and a roundup of the best 14 CPUs currently available.</div>
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While we've hopefully covered most of your concerns here, there may be one or two other issues you want to consider.</div>
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If you aim to play the latest games on your computer, for instance, the choice of graphics card will be critical. Let us help you out with our guides to the 10 best graphics cards under £100 and 10 best graphics cards under £200, and our roundup of the 15 best graphics cards in the world today.</div>
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And whatever you're doing on your system, a quality LCD monitor will be crucial - so be sure to read our guide to the technical details you really need to know before you buy a monitor.</div>
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It's a lot to consider, then, but doing your homework now will really pay off later. And that's because understanding the features you need (and the ones you really don't) will both save you money and help you choose the best PC that will serve you well for years to come. Which, of course, is the best news of all, because your systems' extended life means you won't have to go computer shopping again for a long, long time.</div>
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You can't beat a desktop PC. Although they've been overshadowed by just about everything recently, the fact that they're comfortable to use and can be upgraded easily means that they're still our weapon of choice when it comes to both gaming and general computing.</div>
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We've poked through the TechRadar archives to bring you 10 of the best desktop PCs, including the best all-in-one PCs. If you're after a top desktop, look no further.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">1. Acer Revo RL100 - £390</span></div>
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<img alt="Acer revo rl100" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20250/PCF250.w_rev7.revo_1_1-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20250/PCF250.w_rev7.revo_1_1-420-100.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;" width="252" /></div>
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A triumph of form over function, Acer's ultra-tiny media center PC includes a slide-out backlit touchpad keyboard. It also packs a Blu-Ray/DVD-RW combo drive, with an Nvidia Ion 2 processor to power those high-definition films and a touch of light gaming. An integrated digital TV tuner means that it will compliment a plush home cinema set up quite nicely, and it runs very quietly. It's not the cheapest media center option, but it does perform perfectly adequately.</div>
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Read our Acer Revo RL100 review</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">2. Shuttle SX58H7 - £409</span></div>
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<img alt="Shuttle sx58h7" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20253/PCF253.w_rev9.shuttle01-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20253/PCF253.w_rev9.shuttle01-420-100.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;" width="252" /></div>
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A great place to start your media centre PC. Stick a Core i7 CPU, some DDR3 RAM and a DX11 graphics card in this barebones PC and you'll have a fully-fledged unit that's actually capable of running the latest games. It's got a compactl form factor, and it'll certainly look the part next to a TV of epic proportions. It is a tad pricey for what it is, but in recent years Shuttle has got tiny PCs like these down to a fine art.</div>
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Read our Shuttle SX58H7 review</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">3. Dino PC Evolution 2600K - £1,799</span></div>
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<img alt="Dino pc evolution" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20253/PCF253.w_rev2.corsair01-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20253/PCF253.w_rev2.corsair01-420-100.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;" width="252" /></div>
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£1,800 is a lot to drop on a PC, but you get what you pay for. This cutting edge machine includes an Intel i7 2600K chip overclocked to an immense 5GHz. It's one of the fastest PCs we've ever seen, and able to handle just about everything we threw at it. It comes packed in a lovely, ultra-cool case, with SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 ports for high speed connectivity. This particular Dino is far from extinct.</div>
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Read our Dino PC Evolution 2600K review</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">4. Cryo PC Nemesis - £1,850</span></div>
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<img alt="Cryo pc nemesis" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20251/PCF251.w_rev8.cryo_PC-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20251/PCF251.w_rev8.cryo_PC-420-100.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;" width="252" /></div>
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Another pricey i7 2600K-based system, and this one comes with a fetching pink case. Although the chip's overclock is 0.1GHz lower than Dino's offering, it's still a beast of a machine, and eminently capable. You get a mouse, keyboard and two-year warranty thrown in for the price, as well as a 64GB SSD and a 1TB HDD. Graphics are covered in the shapely form of the Nvidia GTX 580. There are better systems out there, but they cost far, far more.</div>
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Read our Cryo PC Nemesis review</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">5. Lenovo IdeaCentre C200 - £445</span></div>
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<img alt="Lenovo c200" class="aligncenter" height="252" mce_src="http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/5306/lenovoc200allinonetouch.jpg" src="http://img585.imageshack.us/img585/5306/lenovoc200allinonetouch.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;" width="252" /></div>
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Despite the hype, all-in-one touchscreen desktop PCs never really took off, no thanks to the ubiquitous iPad and subsequent tablet PCs. If you're going to get one, though, make sure it's the Lenovo IdeaCentre C200. Its luxurious black finish and curvy aesthetics make it stand apart from the crowd, and a wonderful 18.5" LCD display begs you to reach out and touch it - literally. Perfect as a family PC in the living room, or as an addition to a technologically-augmented bedroom.</div>
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Check out TechRadar's best all-in-one PCs</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">6. Apple iMac 27-inch 2011 - £1,649</span></div>
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<img alt="Apple imac 27-inch 2011" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/iMac%202011/27-inch/imac27_front-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/iMac%202011/27-inch/imac27_front-420-100.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;" width="252" /></div>
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The mighty Apple's first venture into the world of Intel's Sandy Bridge processors comes in a 21.5-inch form factor (below), and this whopping 27-inch model. It's the most powerful iMac we've ever seen, and it totes a 2TB HDD in partnership with a 256GB SSD so it doesn't get too bogged down. Graphics are catered for with an AMD Radeon HD 6970M, and as gaming on Macs becomes more popular you'll need every megabyte of its 1GB of DDR5 memory. It looks pretty darn nice, too.</div>
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Read our Apple iMac 27-inch 2011 review</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">7. Apple iMac 21.5-inch 2011 - £999</span></div>
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<img alt="Apple imac 21.5-inch" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/iMac%202011/21.5-inch/imac-21-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/TechRadar/Computing/iMac%202011/21.5-inch/imac-21-420-100.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;" width="252" /></div>
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Apple's smaller all-in-one addition is a powerful upgrade from 2010 models, and not hugely pared down from its bigger 27-inch brother. Its 21.5-inch screen doesn't need quite as much power, and the price reflects this. The graphics chip - a HD 6750M in this case - can handle games and video editing, and there's even a built-in 720p camera to take advantage of Apple's FaceTime. Just about everything impressed us here, and it's a great first step if you want to move away from Windows.</div>
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Read our Apple iMac 21.5-inch 2011 review</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">8. YoYoTech Dragon F-58 - £599</span></div>
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<img alt="YoYoTech dragon f-58" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20255/PCF255.w_rev10.silverstone-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20255/PCF255.w_rev10.silverstone-420-100.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div>
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Sitting firmly at the cheaper end of desktop PCs, YoYoTech's scaly computer packs a surprising amount of power for the price. The graphics card - an AMD Radeon HD 5850 - is at the heart of the beast, and it's able to chomp through demanding DirectX 11 titles. It comes overclocked out of the box, too, and we have a lot of faith in YoYoTech's expertise. It's not the best PC you can buy, but it's certainly the best at this price point.</div>
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Read our YoYoTech Dragon F-58 review</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">9. NoFan SET A40 fanless bundle - from £399</span></div>
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<img alt="NoFan set a40" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20255/PCF255.w_rev5.nofan_a40-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20255/PCF255.w_rev5.nofan_a40-420-100.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div>
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Not hearing the whirr of a fan when you power up your PC may be a little discerning to some, but, as the name suggests, NoFan's PC is completely silent. This is thanks to a humongous passive cooler that sits atop the CPU, and a completely silent 400W PSU. You'll need to add all the usual components (motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drive and graphics card), but QuietPC will provide a pre-built rig for a premium. Totally innovative, and worth paying extra for a little piece and quiet.</div>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
Read our NoFan SET A40 fanless bundle review</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">5. Chillblast Fusion Rocket - £750</span></div>
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<img alt="Chilliblast fusion rocket" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20254/PCF254.w_rev5.chillblast-420-100.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Format/PCF%20254/PCF254.w_rev5.chillblast-420-100.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div>
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Another reasonably-priced gaming rig, the Chillblast has a trick up its sleeve: flash the BIOS of its AMD HD6950 and you get a fully-fledged HD6970, giving you a £300 graphics card for the price of a £200 one. Chillblast has installed this transmographying graphics card in conjunction with some reasonable components, such as a Core i5 2500K processor overclocked to 4.5GHz, and a 1TB hard drive. A great little performer, especially given the reasonably low price.</div>
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Read our Chillblast Fusion Rocket review</div>
</div>
</span></div>

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Time Machine hand-holding: How do you say goodbye to data?

Time Machine hand-holding: How do you say goodbye to data?

I've been good this past year. Very good. I have rigorously adhered to the TiNo philosophy, which states that so long as your TiVo,...

First Picture: Virgin Media's TiVo iPad app

<p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="90" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/Mobile%20Phones/apps/TiVoiPadApp-200-200.jpg" width="120" /></p><br/>Virgin Media has sent us a sneak peek at its upcoming TiVo iPad app.<br/><br/>Sadly, the spoilsports won't tell us when the app will be released, exactly what it will do or any other handy hints about it at the moment.<br/><br/>We already know that the app will act as a massive remote control as well as a lap-based EPG.<br/><br/><strong>Wild stabs in the dark</strong><br/><br/>But looking at the first screen shot, it looks as though we can also look forward to multiroom DVR management, on-demand content on your iPad and some social features via the 'share' option.<br/><br/>We wouldn't be surprised to see some Facebook or Twitter integration here, and it'd be nice if it went a little bit deeper than simply tweeting what you're watching.<br/><br/>TiVo already has an iPad app out in the US, which, based on the picture Virgin Media sent us, doesn't look massively different to the upcoming UK one; but with Virgin on board, we're hoping for some nice little extras to sweeten the deal.

First Picture: Virgin Media's TiVo iPad app

Virgin Media has sent us a sneak peek at its upcoming TiVo iPad app. Sadly, the spoilsports won't tell us when the app will be released,...

“First iPad Magazine For Kids” Makes Its Debut [VIDEO]

<p style="text-align: center;"><br/><img alt="" class="aligncenter" src="http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/446/tim1480.jpg" title="Timbuktu " width="400" /></p><br/><br/><h4>Timbuktu "Into the Wild"</h4><br/>An Italian publisher has introduced what it’s calling the first iPad magazine for kids: <em>Timbuktu</em>.<br/><br/>As this video shows, the publisher believes that kids want to read the news, especially when it’s presented as entertainment.  A glance at the first issue, available now free via iTunes [iTunes link], shows that the magazine combines bold, colorful graphics (see gallery below) with simple language. For instance, a piece on India’s Census notes that “some people live in big beautiful palaces. Once upon a time, the grandmas and grandpas of the people who live there now were kings and queens.” Another article, “Into the Wild: Conversations with Odd Animals Living in Extremely Cold Environments,” also exploits the iPad’s ability to play sound.<br/><br/>The navigation of the magazine is also interesting: Instead of flipping pages from left to right as you would with a print magazine, you navigate down when a new section starts. One qualm: There’s no way to get back to the table of contents easily from any given page. Instead, you have to flip back pages to get there.<br/><br/>Of course, <em>Timbuktu</em> isn’t the first app aimed at kids. Several children’s books have been adapted for the format, including a few Dr. Seuss titles.<br/><h4></h4><br/><h4>Timbuktu "Emperor Penguin"</h4><br/><img alt="" src="http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/8121/tim2480.jpg" style="border: none;" title="Timbuktu " width="400" /><br/><h4>Timbuktu "Toys"</h4><br/><img alt="" src="http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/2189/tim3480.jpg" style="border: none;" title="Timbuktu " width="400" /><br/><h4>Timbuktu "India"</h4><br/><img alt="" src="http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/5534/tim4480.jpg" style="border: none;" title="Timbuktu " width="400" />

“First iPad Magazine For Kids” Makes Its Debut [VIDEO]

Timbuktu "Into the Wild" An Italian publisher has introduced what it’s calling the first iPad magazine for kids: Timbuktu . As thi...

Why Glenn Beck’s Show Was Cancelled [POLL]

<div><br/><div></div><br/><div><img alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-582061" src="http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/6078/glennbeckv.jpg" title="glennbeck" width="225" /></div><br/></div><br/>The Twittersphere is exploding over news of Glenn Beck’s “transition” away from his daily Fox News program later this year.<br/><br/>Why did this happen? Let’s take a look at circumstances surrounding the cancellation of his show:<br/><ul><br/>	<li>Ratings dropped precipitously, from 2.9 million viewers in January 2010 to 1.8 million in January 2011. Many of those viewers were from younger demographics, according to <em>PoliticsUSA</em>.</li><br/>	<li>The language of the press release announcing the show’s end says Beck will be developing “a variety of television projects for air on the Fox News Channel as well as content for other platforms including Fox News’s digital properties.” Not good, Glenn. That sounds a lot like the announcement when Dan Rather was pushed out of the anchor chair at CBS News. Come to think of it, it sounds a lot like the announcement of Rather’s predecessor Walter Cronkite’s departure from CBS News as well.</li><br/>	<li>More than a third of Beck’s Fox audience was lost after his “Restoring Honor” rally in Washington.</li><br/>	<li>After Beck called President Obama a racist, ColorofChange.org urged consumers to boycott Beck’s advertisers, ultimately resulting in more than 400 Fox advertisers saying they didn’t want their commercials on Beck’s show, according to <em>Forbes</em>. That cost Fox News owner News Corp. a cool $600,000 a week.</li><br/></ul><br/>Was the show’s cancellation justified? Now it’s your turn, readers. Sound off in our poll, and in the comments:

Why Glenn Beck’s Show Was Cancelled [POLL]

The Twittersphere is exploding over news of Glenn Beck’s “transition” away from his daily Fox News program later this year. Why did this hap...

Virgin Media TiVo service gets full BBC iPlayer app

<P align=center><img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/home-entertainment/video/personal-video-recorders-pvrs/TiVo/apps_2-200-200.jpg"></P><br /><P>The <a href="">Virgin Media TiVo</A> box has been given a key update, with the BBC iPlayer app coming out of beta and now apparently offering HD catch-up of Auntie's programmes. </P><br /><P>The iPlayer app is already on the boxes, but was a beta offering with several bugs which have, presumably, now been ironed out. </P><br /><P>The BBC catch-up service has proven to be phenomenally popular on Virgin Media, and the extension of a full app onto the Virgin Media TiVo box will be good news for many who have got their hands on the eagerly anticipated kit. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Taking advantage</STRONG></P><br /><P>"Taking advantage of the power to run dedicated 'connected' applications on the TiVo powered set-top box, a new BBC iPlayer app can be found in the growing 'Apps and Games' section and offers the full library of BBC iPlayer content, including catch-up shows in HD as well as radio shows for the first time ever," a Virgin Media spokesperson told TechRadar. </P><br /><P>"With around 1,000 hours available - previously 350 hours - to watch from the last seven days and other new features such as subtitling and signing, the new service will also gain new functionality over time and supersedes the existing BBC iPlayer serviceon Virgin Media to provide the most complete TV on Demand service possible."</P><br /><P>As TechRadar's <a href="">Virgin Media TiVo review</A> discovered, the latest PVR on offer is a powerful beast but in need of a bit of a polish – and a refreshed BBC iPlayer app is certainly a step in the right direction.</P> <br /><P><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~3/y8uQDqss3_A/story01.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Article</A></P>

Virgin Media TiVo service gets full BBC iPlayer app

The Virgin Media TiVo box has been given a key update, with the BBC iPlayer app coming out of beta and now apparently offering HD catch-up ...

Tutorial: 25 tips to help you get more from your media

<P align=center><img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20300/PCP300.feat1media.miroplayer-200-200.jpg"></P><br /><P>Forget hard work – your PC is a hub of all things entertaining, from games to videos and music, and you're going to be distracted no matter how hard you try to get something done. </P><br /><P><br /><P>Feel like you're achieving something while giving in to procrastination by making your media library bend to your every whim. </P><br /><P><STRONG>1. Get the right player </STRONG></P><br /><P>Playing back media properly comes down to two things: the right player and the right codecs. You should deal with the former first, and there are plenty of choices out there that are more robust than (but perhaps not as pretty as) Windows Media Player. </P><br /><P>The first option to try out is <a href="http://www.videolan.org/">VLC</A>, a highly regarded multi-platform player with a few fairly advanced abilities. Alternatively, try Media Player Classic – less capable, but more compatible with a wide range of formats. </P><br /><P><STRONG>2. Download a codec pack </STRONG></P><br /><P>Codecs are a tricky business – try to delve any deeper than installing them and hoping they work and you'll be in for weeks of reading about exactly what they're doing. The simplest thing to do is install a codec pack, hand-picked by the community for compatibility. </P><br /><P>The primary free one is XP Codec Pack. Don't worry about the name – it's fully compatible with later versions of Windows. There are other packs out there too, but these aren't necessarily safe/legal to use, so tread carefully. </P><br /><P><STRONG>3. Tweak the EQ </STRONG></P><br /><P>Soundcards often include advanced interfaces that enable you to mess around with the way sound is output. Your results will vary depending on your PC's sound hardware, but you'll find the settings screen in Control Panel. Go to 'Hardware and Sound | Sound', find your device in the Playback tab and then click 'Properties'. </P><br /><P><STRONG>4. Stream to consoles </STRONG></P><br /><P>While your PC is probably able to play back multiple file formats, your other devices might not be. Even the Xbox 360, which is generally quite capable of playing back video, baulks at certain types. </P><br /><P>The solution is to transcode that video and send it to the console in a different way, a job that's handled admirably by <a href="http://tversity.com/">Tversity</A>. You can use it to set up a UPnP interface to stream to consoles, and convert formats like YouTube directly. </P><br /><P><STRONG>5. Move Live TV </STRONG></P><br /><P>Tversity covers the task of shifting pre-formatted video files on a local network well, but to move TV streams around your house – or over the internet – you'll need <a href="http://www.orb.com/">Orb</A>. It's an elegant solution.</P><br /><P>Install the software, get it running and you'll be able to point any browser to the website at <a href="https://mycast.orb.com/orb/html/login.html">http://mycast.orb.com</A> to start watching your home media – including the output of your TV card – from other devices. </P><br /><P><STRONG>6. Get more to watch </STRONG></P><br /><P>You can probably find places to download TV shows off your own back. We're not about to incriminate ourselves by pointing you to the all-too obvious illegitimate sources of material that can be found all over the web. </P><br /><P>Finding legal content is probably more difficult. Start by checking out <a href="http://www.clearbits.net/">www.clearbits.net</A>, a site dedicated to helping legitimate content providers share their works by bittorrent.</P><br /><P><STRONG>7. Explore the classics </STRONG></P><br /><P>If you just want something to watch, why not dig out something from the olden days? The Internet Archive, found at <a href="http://www.archive.org/">www.archive.org</A>, contains a wealth of interesting abandoned content from times gone by, and even modern content that's deemed worthy of preservation. </P><br /><P>Dig through and find a movie or slice of audio that you like, and use the links in the left-hand column to download the content in your choice of formats. </P><br /><P><STRONG>8. Grab content from Youtube </STRONG></P><br /><P>Miro, formerly known as Democracy Player, is a fantastic all-in-one media player and downloader with one particular talent – searching through streaming video sites and grabbing content for later consumption. It couldn't be easier. </P><br /><P>Download Miro from <a href="http://www.getmiro.com/">www.getmiro.com</A>, install the player, open it and use the Video Search function in the left-hand column to find what you're looking for. Just click the 'Download' button next to the content you want and it will be stored in Miro's video library. </P><br /><P>Make sure you start the video playing and click the 'Keep' button if you want to hang on to it – otherwise, Miro automatically deletes downloads after a certain expiry time. </P><br /><P><STRONG>9. Convert to your mobile device </STRONG></P><br /><P>Videora is generally considered the best free conversion application for getting all sorts of videos onto your iPhone or PSP for offline viewing. You can even convert FLV files, which is handy if you've extracted a bunch of them with Miro. </P><br /><P>Download the program from <a href="http://www.videora.com/">www.videora.com</A>, then install it – keeping an eye out for the chunk of insidious crapware it attempts to install halfway through – and navigate through the (rather horrible) interface. From there, video conversion is a simple point-and-click job. </P><br /><P><STRONG>10. Stream Live TV </STRONG></P><br /><P>If you've been around the internet for some years, then you'll know of the folly of live streaming. It's a great idea, but not one that works well. You can try, though! </P><br /><P>Your first port of call, for a variety of European stations and worldwide news, should be <a href="http://www.tvlizer.com/">www.tvlizer.com</A>, the latest in a long line of aggregation sites. Then you should check out <a href="http://www.tvcatchup.com/">www.tvcatchup.com</A> for a decent selection of UK channels. You can even use this site on your mobile devices, but don't expect miracles. </P><br /><P><STRONG>11. Remote control VLC </STRONG></P><br /><P>VLC has a little hidden functionality that enables you to control it from any PC in the house. </P><br /><P>If you're using your laptop and have a movie running on the box under your TV, for example, just point your laptop's web browser to the IP address of the media PC at port 80 – 192.168.1.2:8080, for example – and voila! Full remote control access. </P><br /><P>There's a free iPhone app that performs the same function, although it's a little heavy on the ads for the full (paid-for) version. </P><br /><P><STRONG>12. Find some more remotes </STRONG></P><br /><P>The best known remote control application for the iPhone is Apple's own iTunes remote app, and it works particularly well – if you can stand to use iTunes. You'll also find an app for controlling popular homebrew media centre XBMC, although this one doesn't have a free version. </P><br /><P>And if you happen to have an internet-connected Blu-ray player and a bunch of films from Universal, hunt out pocketBLU. It's a very specific iPhone remote control that only works in these particular circumstances. Is it any wonder the Blu-ray format hasn't really taken off yet? </P><br /><P><STRONG>13. Back up your library </STRONG></P><br /><P>Make a copy of your media on an external drive to protect it from electronic death. Simple! With most applications you'll need to hunt through your various folders and copy files manually, but if iTunes has one saving grace, it's the program's ability to make this task easy. </P><br /><P>Start by consolidating your library ('File | Library | Consolidate Library') to bring all of your media content into one folder, and then copy that folder (usually '\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents \My Music\iTunes\iTunes Music') to your backup disc. </P><br /><P><STRONG>14. Master metadata</STRONG></P><br /><P>If you have a huge music collection, you'll know how annoying it is when certain tracks aren't properly tagged. You could wade through and tweak all of your tags yourself, or you could download Picard from <a href="http://musicbrainz.org/">www.musicbrainz.org</A> and have it do the hard work for you. </P><br /><P>The community-supported audio-tagger uses a vast database of shared information to get things right, and if there's something it doesn't know, you'll be helping the next person who's in your situation by adding to its repertoire. </P><br /><P><STRONG>15. Go completely mad </STRONG></P><br /><P align=center><img alt="ASCII art" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20300/PCP300.feat1media.vlc_player-420-90.jpg" width="420"></P></IMG><br /><P>VLC has one final trick up its sleeve: it can display your videos in the classic ASCII style. If you've ever wanted to watch an epilepsy-inducing video made up of ANSI-coloured text characters, now's your chance. </P><br /><P>Just go to the 'Preferences' screen, hit the 'Video' section and change the output mode to 'Colour AsCii Art'. You might need to stop and then restart your video to see it in action. </P><br /><P><STRONG>5 quick Windows Media Center tips<BR></STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>16. Skip the startup </STRONG></P><br /><P>There's no need for the animation that pops up when you start Media Center. Luckily, it's simple to stop it. Right-click the shortcut and, in the 'Target' box, add the phrase /nostart upanimation after the text that's already there. Click 'Apply', and you're set. </P><br /><P><STRONG>17. Straight to the library </STRONG></P><br /><P>There are other switches you can add: try /homepage :Music BrowsePage.xml /Push StartPage:True to force the program to start in the media library. To jump to live TV, try /homepage: Video Fullscreen.xml /PushStart Page:True – Live TV. </P><br /><P><STRONG>18. Skip further </STRONG></P><br /><P>The Quick Skip button hops you forward 30 seconds, but let's make it three minutes. </P><br /><P>Run regedit, go to 'HKEY_ CURRENT_USER\ Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Settings\VideoSettings' and change the value of 'Skip AheadInterval' to 180000. </P><br /><P><STRONG>19. Integrate Twitter </STRONG></P><br /><P>Point your browser to <a href="http://www.mcezone.com/plugins.php">www.mcezone.com/plugins.php</A> and grab the plug-in. Unzip the file, double-click the installer and find it in Media Center's 'Extras' section. Log in with your usual details and you'll be able to tweet while watching. </P><br /><P><STRONG>20. Watch IPTV </STRONG></P><br /><P>If you only install one plug-in into Media Center, make it TunerFree MCE. Grab it from <a href="http://www.tunerfree.tv/">www.tunerfree.tv</A> and install it. You'll then gain access to the terrestrial TV channels, as well as all of the various on-demand content that's provided by services such as BBC iPlayer and 4oD. </P><br /><P><STRONG>5 quick VLC tips<BR></STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>21. Play YouTube videos </STRONG></P><br /><P>If you go to the Media menu and choose 'Open Network Stream', you can paste in the address of a YouTube video and have VLC play the highest-quality version available in its own interface. This means easy skipping, multi-monitor fullscreen, and you won't need a browser open. </P><br /><P><STRONG>22. Rip on the fly </STRONG></P><br /><P>Want a quick way to take clips from DVDs or any other video source? In the View menu, select 'Advanced Controls'. Play back a video and hit the record button that's displayed. A recording of the current video, in MP4 format, will appear in your Videos directory. </P><br /><P><STRONG>23. Set as wallpaper </STRONG></P><br /><P>Pointless it may be, but VLC's ability to access the DirectX video layer means you can use a video as your wallpaper. Hit [Ctrl]+[P] to bring up the Preferences screen and, under 'Video', choose 'DirectX output'. Restart VLC, then select 'Enable wallpaper mode' on the same screen. Pretty! </P><br /><P><STRONG>24. Take it with you</STRONG></P><br /><P>If you're taking videos around on a hard drive, why not include a copy of VLC with them? PortableApps has compiled a version that's only 20MB in size and doesn't require installation, so it will run off your external drive. See <a href="http://portableapps.com/">www.portableapps.com</A>. </P><br /><P><STRONG>25. Download an alternative </STRONG></P><br /><P>VLC being a free, open-source application, others have taken the code and run with it. We recommend checking out Kantaris for an alternative with a heap more features built in, notably a gorgeous user interface. You can download Kantaris from <a href="http://www.kantaris.org">www.kantaris.org</A>.</P>

Tutorial: 25 tips to help you get more from your media

Forget hard work – your PC is a hub of all things entertaining, from games to videos and music, and you're going to be distracted no mat...

Four Little Critter interactive childrens books hit iOS

<img align="right" alt="" border="0" hspace="8" src="http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/6611/critterdw1230103584999.jpg" vspace="8" /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercer_Mayer">Mercer Mayer</a> has been writing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Critter">Little Critter</a> books since the grown-up children were sleeping in cribs. My kids loved the series and had me read it to them hundreds of times Little Critter is a hedgehog-looking animal who very small children can easily relate to as he goes about his simple adventures. Each of the over 200 books featuring Little Critter tells a very simple story providing positive reinforcement for very small kids who sometimes need to be told how competent and good they are, even if they sometimes get things wrong. All the books are whimsically illustrated and quite funny in a gentle and child-like manner. These are very simple books without any hard words and are very appropriate for little ones starting at about one year old. Each of them sells for US $1.99 and are universal apps working well on all iOS devices, but of course looking better on the larger screen of an iPad.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://oceanhousemedia.com/">Oceanhouse Media</a> has released four of the series so far, and I'm sure as time goes by many more will show up. They all use the Oceanhouse engine that has become a standard in the industry. As in all the OM books, there are three options. AutoPlay is for the smallest of children. Each page is read as the built-in animation zooms now and then to highlight what's important on the page. The pages turn automatically as the sound effects play and each word, as it's read, is highlighted. Read To Me provides a bit of autonomy since the young reader swipes the pages to turn them and the text is read by a very young sounding voice. Touching the text block will cause it to be read again. Read It Myself deletes the narration until the text block is tapped in case the child has a problem with a a word or two. In all three options, touching an object speaks what it is and the word appears in a colorful animation. If the object appears in the text, the word in the text block is highlighted. This has served OM well for its series of <a href="http://www.oceanhousemedia.com/products/drseuss/">Dr. Seuss</a> and <a href="http://www.oceanhousemedia.com/products/zonderkidz/">Berenstain Bear</a> books among others, and is just as appropriate for Little Critter.<br />
<br />
<h6></h6><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/all-by-myself/id404676605?mt=8">Source</a>

Four Little Critter interactive childrens books hit iOS

Mercer Mayer has been writing Little Critter books since the grown-up children were sleeping in cribs. My kids loved the series and had me...

VLC media player for Android out soon

VLC media player for Android out soon

VLC Media Player for iPhone and iPad was one of the best apps released in 2010 for Apple's smartphone, with an Android version of the po...

What Is the iWave Media Player?

iWave Systems Technologies has been creating embedded hardware and software since 1999 and the iWave digital video-audio recorder/player is one of their products. The company is headquartered in Banglaore, India.<br /><P></P><br /><P>The iWave media player is hardware that records and plays video and audio files. You can also download directly from analog and digital cameras to the recorder/player.</P><br /><P>Using hardware such as the iWave recorder/player that functions independently of a <a href="">computer</A> for storing files saves a great deal of space that would normally be taken up on a computer, as video and audio files tend to be quite large.</P><br /><P>Often, when a user attempts to download video or audio files to their computer, they find they also need to download specific software to read the file. The advantage of the iWave is that it is already capable of reading many file types.</P><br /><P>The media recorder player has four input receptacles: universal serial bus (USB) port, Camera in, storage disk (SD) card slot, and five-volt power supply port. It also has four button controls and an LCD viewing screen. The complete user guide with diagrams for the iWave can be found on their website.</P><br /><P><a href="http://www.ehow.com/facts_7697633_iwave-media-player.html">Source</A></P>

What Is the iWave Media Player?

iWave Systems Technologies has been creating embedded hardware and software since 1999 and the iWave digital video-audio recorder/player is ...

Virgin Media announces new 3D content

<P align=center><img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//classifications/home-entertainment/images/despicable%20me-200-200.jpg"></P> <br /><P>Virgin Media has announced its 3D content for the coming months, with the cable giant ramping up its on-demand offering. </P><br /><P>Although it does not offer a 3D channel, Virgin Media insists that it is building on its 3D content for those people with a 3D capable television. </P><br /><P>The latest content announcement from the company includes 3D documentaries for its XL TV customers, 3D animations available to all Virgin Media TV customers and on-demand pay-per-view movies. </P><br /><P><STRONG>In The Hole!</STRONG></P><br /><P>The latter includes <EM>The Hole</EM>, arriving on 17 January and <EM>Despicable Me</EM> which will be arriving in February. </P><br /><P>"This exciting new line-up ofcontent will enable Virgin Media TV customers to experience a close-up of the Sun, explore the lost world of the dinosaurs, uncover the secret world of bats and rediscover the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt all in breathtaking high-definition 3D," said Virgin Media.</P><br /><P>"Virgin Media customers already have access to a range of 3D movies through its pioneering TV On Demand service and can now choose to enjoy a growing selection of diverse 3D content instantly at the touch of a button."</P><br /><P>We're all looking forward to <EM>The Extreme Nature Bats</EM> and Waking the <EM>T-Rex: The Story of Sue</EM>. </P><br /><P><STRONG>3D documentaries available to XL TV customers only</STRONG></P><br /><UL><br /><LI><EM>3D Sun – 23 Dec</EM></LI><br /><LI><EM>Dinosaurs Alive – 23 Dec</EM></LI><br /><LI><EM>Mummies </EM><EM>– </EM><EM>Jan</EM></LI><br /><LI><EM>Waking the T-Rex: The Story of Sue – Jan</EM></LI><br /><LI><EM>Siegfried and Roy: The Magic Box </EM><EM>– </EM><EM>Jan</EM></LI><br /><LI><EM>The Extreme NatureBats </EM><EM>– </EM><EM>Feb</EM></LI><br /><LI><EM>MircoWorlds </EM><EM>– </EM><EM>Feb</EM></LI></UL><br /><P><STRONG>3D animations available to all Virgin Media TV customers</STRONG></P><br /><UL><br /><LI><EM>Xenopod – 23 Dec</EM></LI><br /><LI><EM>Curse of Skull Rock – 23 Dec</EM></LI><br /><LI><EM>The Mission </EM><EM>– </EM><EM>Jan</EM></LI><br /><LI><EM>Voyage to Mars </EM><EM>– </EM><EM>Jan</EM></LI></UL><br /><P><STRONG>3D Movies on Demand – pay per view </STRONG></P><br /><UL><br /><LI><EM>The Hole – 17 Jan</EM></LI><br /><LI><EM>Despicable Me </EM><EM>–</EM><EM> February <BR></EM></LI></UL>

Virgin Media announces new 3D content

Virgin Media has announced its 3D content for the coming months, with the cable giant ramping up its on-demand offering. Although it does n...

Tutorial: Stream your media to wherever you are

<img src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20302/PCP302.feat1mobmedia.orbwalk1a-200-200.jpg"> <br /><P>Foreign travel can be fun, glamorous and exciting, but sometimes it's more about sitting in a dull hotel room in the middle of nowhere on a cold, wet Wednesday evening.</P><br /><P>If your hotel gives you access to a fast internet connection then you could pass the time by catching up with UK radio or TV – but what's the best way to do it? </P><br /><P>Your first approach should be to try the regular catch-up sites, such as iPlayer or 4oD. Normally they block IP addresses outside the UK, but this doesn't always work. Radio in particular is generally available worldwide. </P><br /><P>If you absolutely must catch the latest Mock the Week and iPlayer won't give you access, the simplest solution may be to find a free UK proxy server. Your traffic goes to the server, which then makes the connection to iPlayer. The proxy is UK-based, so iPlayer accepts it, then the TV stream is routed back to you. </P><br /><P>The problem? The BBC knows about this, and has blocked many proxies already. Most of the rest are slow and unreliable, without the bandwidth to cope with TV watching. But if you'd like to try anyway, browse sites such as proxy-list.co.uk, xroxy.com or freewebproxylist.com to see what options are currently available. </P><br /><P><STRONG>Television on the move</STRONG> </P><br /><P>A more effective solution may be to use Tor, which is intended to help you browse the web anonymously, but also works well for our TV-watching purposes. You'll need to install Tor, then configure it to use UK exit nodes. </P><br /><P>Cherie Hurwitz has written a helpful blog post that explains exactly how you can do this, and WebTVUnleashed has a portable package that includes every software tool you'll need to get the deed done. </P><br /><P>Tor can still be slow, though, so for decent performance we recommend paying for a commercial solution. There are plenty of choices. iPortal is an effective VPN tool. It's somewhat short on documentation, but you get a 24-hour trial, and even after that it's only €5 a month.</P><br /><P>VPNUK has more features, will work with just about any device you point at it, and is yours for £5.99 a month (no minimum contract). WatchUKTV is cheap at £4.99 a month, with a free one-hour trial. </P><br /><P>If you don't get on with any of these sites, ViewTVAbroad also offers a free one-day trial, and while it's a touch more expensive at £6.49 a month, it enables you to watch programmes from the USA as well as UK TV – which is a valuable extra benefit. </P><br /><P>If you're serious about viewing media on your laptop on a regular basis then you'll need to download the open source VLC Media Player for free. Not only is this the fastest, most lightweight media player you'll find, but it also has its codecs built in, so it plays just about everything – even files that are damaged or incomplete – without any hassle. </P><br /><P>It can handle DVDs, audio CDs, web streams, Flash video and much more besides. There are also various skins available to download so you can choose a look that suits your preferences.  </P><br /><P><STRONG>1. Keep a local copy </STRONG></P><br /><P><img alt="step 1 vlc" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20302/PCP302.feat1mobmedia.vlc1-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>If you want to keep a local copy of a streaming video file, VLC Media Player can usually help. First, though, you'll need the URL of the media. This may be obvious in the link if it uses a streaming protocol such as 'mms://', 'rtsp://' or 'rtp://'. Otherwise, play the file in Internet Explorer, right-click the display, select 'Properties' and copy the 'Location' address to the clipboard. </P><br /><P><STRONG>2. Choose a profile </STRONG></P><br /><P><img alt="step 2 vlc" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20302/PCP302.feat1mobmedia.vlc2-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG></P><br /><P>Launch VLC Media Player, select 'Media | Convert/Save' and click the 'Network' tab. Then paste the Location address into the 'Network URL' box, check 'Show more options' and click 'Convert/ Save'. Now enter a name for the file that you'd like to save and check 'Display the output'. Choose a profile that matches the type of video you want to create, and then click 'Start' to save it. </P><br /><P>The ability to access UK TV from anywhere in the world can be extremely useful, unless you run into that all too common problem: the day when there's absolutely nothing on. A more attractive alternative is to make your own media collection accessible via the web, courtesy of the free streaming package <a href="http://www.orb.com/">Orb</A>. </P><br /><P>Begin the process by choosing the files you'd like to share, including music, videos and photos. There's no need to worry about file types or video codecs – Orb has the ability to stream anything you can play in Windows Media Player, as well as 3GP media ('.3gp', '.mov' or '.qt' files), Real Media files and all sorts more. </P><br /><P>But that's not all – the program can even stream your webcam or TV broadcasts if you have an Orb compatible TV tuner installed. Very cool. </P><br /><P>Once it's set up, Orb can act as a media server, streaming your chosen files to PCs, games consoles such as the Xbox, PS3 or Wii, compatible mobile phones and more. As long as you leave your PC turned on and connected to the internet when you leave the house, you'll be able to stream your media via the Orb site. </P><br /><P>But don't worry, because it's also very secure. Access is password-protected and through a secure connection, and you don't even need to open any new firewall ports, so the program is a very safe way to put your files online. </P><br /><P><STRONG><img alt="step 1" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20302/PCP302.feat1mobmedia.orbwalk1a-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG><BR></STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>1.</STRONG> Start the computer from which you'll be sharing your media, then point your browser at www.orb.com and follow the 'Download' link to grab a copy of the program. It runs on anything from Windows XP SP2 upwards, and there's a version available for Mac OS X Intel 10.5 available as well. Run Orb and it will launch a wizard to walk you through the setup process. Click 'Next' to begin. </P><br /><P><STRONG><img alt="step 2" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20302/PCP302.feat1mobmedia.orbwalk2-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG><BR></STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>2.</STRONG> Enter your details and create an Orb account. Make sure your password is easy for you to remember, but impossible for anyone else to guess – the security of your files depends on it. Orb then displays the 'Media Sources' dialog, which contains the folders holding your music, videos and everything you want to share. Click the '+' sign and add new folders if you'd like to share files in other locations. Click 'Next'. </P><br /><P><STRONG><img alt="step 3" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20302/PCP302.feat1mobmedia.orbwalk3-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG><BR></STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>3.</STRONG> Orb will now index the contents of your Media Sources folders. Be patient – this process might take a while. Click 'Next' when it's finished. Choose your country and click 'Next' to detect your TV tuner card (click 'Skip' if you don't have one). Click 'Close' and a browser window should open at www.mycast.orb.com. Enter the username and password you've just created to log in to your account. </P><br /><P><STRONG><img alt="step 4" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20302/PCP302.feat1mobmedia.orbwalk4-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG><BR></STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>4.</STRONG> Click 'Add Channels' on the right, then click 'Recently added' under 'Audio' and 'Favourites' under 'Photo', for example. This will add new channels to your Orb account, making these files available from your login page. Scroll through the list of channels and you'll find that you can add much more to your page, including RSS feeds and even Google Gadgets. Experiment with these optional extras and add anything that you think looks interesting. </P><br /><P><STRONG><img alt="step 5" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20302/PCP302.feat1mobmedia.orbwalk5-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG><BR></STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>5.</STRONG> Now start your laptop, open a browser window, go to www.mycast.orb.com and log in. This is the view you'll see remotely, even if you're half a world away from your media collection. Click on an audio link and it will stream the track from your main PC, or click on a photo and you'll be able to view it full-screen. Explore all the features and options on the homepage and think about what other things you'd like to be able to access on the move. </P><br /><P><STRONG><img alt="step 6" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PC%20Plus/PCP%20302/PCP302.feat1mobmedia.orbwalk6-420-90.jpg" width="420"></IMG><BR></STRONG></P><br /><P><STRONG>6.</STRONG> That's a quick look at the basics of Orb, but there's a whole lot more that you can do with it. To take things further, return to your main PC, click the 'Help' link and discover how to create playlists, which enable you to share specific documents, music or video files from one place. You can also configure Orb via the program's control panel. Just right-click its system tray icon and click 'Control Panel' to further explore what's on offer.</P>

Tutorial: Stream your media to wherever you are

Foreign travel can be fun, glamorous and exciting, but sometimes it's more about sitting in a dull hotel room in the middle of nowhere ...