Sony KDL-46HX853 review

This is the best LCD TV we’ve ever tested. Sony has had a tough ride in the last few years but after a catalogue of mistakes, it’s finally come good in the most spectacular of ways. The KDL-46HX853 takes LCD picture quality to a whole new level, particularly where contrast and motion handling are concerned. The set looks gorgeous too, and features what’s for our money the best – or at least the most sensibly focussed – online service around. This all adds up to an achievement made all the more remarkable when you consider that this outstanding TV is being delivered at a more aggressive price than the usually ultra-competitive Korean brands are offering on their range equivalents. To sum all this up, with the KDL-46HX853 Sony isn’t just back, it’s back with a vengeance.

Toshiba BDX3300 review

The way the Toshiba BDX3300 doesn’t bother to disguise its BBC iPlayer, Acetrax, YouTube and Picasa services as apps is somewhat refreshing, since the functionality is identical to much more expensive – and certainly more polished, usability-wise – smart TVs and Blu-ray players. When it comes to pure Full HD picture quality, the Toshiba BDX3300 delivers, and we also like the fact that it can support an awful lot of digital files via USB and over a network. It may lack finesse and at times appears a tad archaic, but we can’t find it within us to criticise anything on a super-slim Blu-ray player that combines the best of the smart TV landscape with a price that hovers under £80/£120. For a simple 2D Blu-ray upgrade with some YouTube goodness, we can’t recommend the Toshiba BDX3300 highly enough.

Asus Transformer Pad 300 review

You can’t release a £399, 10.1-inch tablet and not expect comparisons with the iPad, so we’ll cut to the chase. The Asus Transformer Pad TF300 is currently one of the best 10-inch Android tablets you can buy, and represents better value with equivalent performance than the Asus Transformer Prime. The top-notch benchmark scores, wonderful use of the keyboard docking station, excellent battery life and superb usability make it a top recommendation in our eyes. If you’re platform agnostic and are tossing up between this and the iPad, things get trickier. The Transformer is better value, has double the storage, a fantastic keyboard dock which makes it much more versatile, and Ice Cream Sandwich closes the gap hugely. Individual needs and budget will determine if the Asus Transformer Pad TF300 is right for you, but we applaud Asus for marrying value and performance, and the TF300 comes highly recommended.

Panasonic TX-L42DT50B review

The TX-L42DT50B is a relatively high-end TV – that much is obvious from its slim depth and metallic bezel, the latter of which is some achievement considering Panasonic’s rather lacklustre history in this department. Feature-packed inside, we’re able to detect that this isn’t the brand’s flagship set, but there’s really no major flaws aside from a stubborn refusal to include 3D specs. It’s a decision which rather underlines why most brands – including Panasonic, to some extent – is quickly turning to passive 3D system with its 99p 3D glasses.

Toshiba 55ZL2 review

Toshiba’s 55ZL2 is designed to get any tech obsessive’s pulse racing. After all, it breaks new ground in not one but two huge areas. First it can genuinely produce a watchable 3D picture without you having to wear glasses. And second, to help it achieve its first innovation, it employs a native 4K or Quad HD pixel resolution for the first time on a domestic TV.

Amplifiers

Fatman Mi-Tube review

Blu-ray players

Toshiba BDX5300 review

Cameras

Ricoh CX6 review

Hands on: Leica M Monochrom review

Desktops

CyberPower Infinity Achilles review

Gaming accessories

PS Vita Starter Kit review

Graphics cards

Sapphire HD 7870 OC Edition review

Gigabyte HD 7850 Overclock review

Headphones

Sennheiser RS 220 review

Incase Sonic Over Ear Headphones review

Plantronics BackBeat Go review

Laptops

Toshiba Satellite Pro C660-2F7 review

Asus X53E review

Hands on: Sony Vaio T13 review

Mobile phones

LG Optimus L3 review

Motorola Defy Mini review

ZTE Tania review

BlackBerry Curve 9320 review

Printers

Kodak ESP 3.2 review

Kodak ESP 1.2 review

Processors

AMD A10-4600M review

Routers

Asus EA-N66 Ethernet Adaptor review

News

You wouldn’t think so much drama and hand-wringing goes into the creation of something as simple as a SIM card, but where international standards are concerned, compromises must be made. Research in Motion and Motorola have done just that with Apple’s proposed nano-SIM design, which appears to have the majority of votes already.

The Verge has filed an update on the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) search for a new nano-SIM standard to replace the current micro-SIM used in Apple’s iPhone 4 and 4S, as well as other popular handsets such as the Nokia Lumia 900.

While ETSI members have already been quietly voting on the future of the SIM card this month, a competing standard proposed by Nokia, Research in Motion and Motorola persists. That is causing some concern among members that two different standards could emerge, much like the VHS and Betamax situation during the heyday of home video.

To appease ETSI members, Motorola and RIM have gone back to the drawing board to find a compromise “by merging the two proposals into one, a notion supported by Samsung.” While Apple seems to feel it’s not possible given the more radical approach used by the competing standard, the iPhone maker appears open to adoption of both standards, given Cupertino already has the support it needs for its own nano-SIM.

“At that point in the meeting, Apple already knew that it had somewhere around 80 percent of the voting body behind its standard from the chairman’s previous show of hands.” the report reveals. “And realistically, how many carriers would stop carrying the iPhone over its SIM design anyway? Apple’s pioneering move with the micro-SIM in 2010 ultimately led to broad-scale adoption — presumably, it has no reason to think it can’t push nano-SIM with even more force than it could two years ago.”

ETSI members won’t meet again until May 31 in Japan, when we should have some idea of whether or not Apple will accept the proposed compromise.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

(Image courtesy of The Verge)

News

All we need to say can be summed up in the words Superpig Speaker Docking System. After that, all these other deals are gravy on top of our favorite deal we’ve ever offered. I mean, just look at that adorable thing. Impulse buys like these you never regret.

Mac

15.4″ MacBook Pro quad-core Intel Core i7 2.2GHz

With 7 coming off the ticket, at ,772 that’s nearly 20% savings, plus free overnight shipping, this is a deal you’ll be wanting to jump on, kids.

17″ MacBook Pro quad-core Intel Core i7 2.3GHz

Or run it a little bigger with this 17″ number with a 9 savings and only drop ,190 for this hot blowout deal.

Porthole

Decable your living room and the rest of your house with Porthole, now on sale for .51 (33% off). Stream Pandora, Spotify, or any other music to Airplay Speakers, Airport Express, or your Apple TV and do it on the cheap.

5 Fonts Plus

Wow, 95% off means you’re getting a 5 value for a fraction of that at .99. Five fonts, two brushes, and 6-7 paper textures. Designers, start your engines.

Photoshop Elements 10 Course

Learn how to put your face on Brad Pitt’s body and make all your avatar dreams come true. Or learn something actually useful with this course going for , down from .

iOS Accessories

1000mAh External Backup Battery

With our phones consuming more data and delivering greater pixel density, it only makes sense to pack some battery backup action and for .11 with free shipping, this is a deal you can’t miss.

Griffin PowerJolt SE for iPod & iPhone

Stay wired to your power with a car power cord from a trusted name in iPhone accessorizing. This Griffin cord is only .99 and features a stretchy cord and all the recharging your device can take.

Incipio iPhone 4/4S Stowaway Credit Card Hard Shell Case

Sometimes when you want to go out, you want to travel light. With this case, you can tuck a few credit cards and a little cash inside the back compartment and be jetting. The price is light too: .99 with free shipping.

Retro CellPhone Handset

These are fun for you older readers who still remember rotary dialing. Get funky with this handset just right for making calls the old fashioned way. with free shipping. Call me?

SUPERPIG Speaker Docking System

Sorry, but if you’re saving and picking up a Superpig for , then it’s a deal you’ll kick yourself for missing out on.

Pretty Darn Cheap

Stylus with Anti-dust Plug

We’re not entirely sure how well this little stylus nub will feel held in your grip, but they’ve cleverly solved the problem of how to store it. And at .29, maybe this turns out to be your best little purchase ever.

Capacitive Touchscreen Stylus 3-Pack

And in a special tie PDC, we have this 3-pack o’ styli hitting you for .75 and free shipping. You literally can’t lose out.

News

Apple users know what it’s like to buy a product for its potential rather than its current value. New Mac owners waited nearly a year to see a significant number of products make use of the speedy Thunderbolt ports built into their hardware. Now the waiting game has begun with next-generation wireless networking.

Buffalo’s 802.11ac AirStation WZR-D1800H router, which shipped this week to retailers across the country, is so bleeding edge that no products can yet take advantage of its theoretical max transfer speed of 1.3 Gbps. Most of your Wi-Fi-enabled gadgets–including your MacBook and iPad–top out at 802.11n, which is currently the fastest Wi-Fi bandwidth available. The IEEE is still ratifying the 11ac standard, and we won’t start to see compatible devices until it’s legitimized.  We expect the rollout of 11ac to gain momentum after Cisco and Netgear release competing routers later this year, but until then you might be wondering if it’s worthwhile to invest in the technology early.

To answer that question, let’s look at what the AirStation offers. It’s a gigabit dual band wireless router that supports up to four ethernet-connected devices, as well as one USB device for network sharing. It’s also backwards compatible with previous Wi-Fi standards, though you won’t see high speeds if you’re on a device that tops out at the low end of the spectrum (an older laptop, for instance, may only be 802.11g-capable).

Although 802.11ac boasts a maximum speed of 1,750 Mbps, the current standard supports just half that. However, Buffalo has future-proofed the AirStation by packing in both 802.11ac and 802.11n technologies. So for now you can enjoy the benefits of the current Wi-Fi standard while preparing for the 11ac-compatible devices that will emerge in several months.

So, should you consider buying Buffalo’s 802.11ac router now, even though nothing currently takes advantage of its higher speeds? Yes. You’ll be ready for what’s to come, and it couldn’t hurt for AirPlay streaming either. We can’t fully endorse this particular 11ac router until we get the chance to test it here at Mac|Life HQ, but you can bet that we’ll have a thorough review for you soon.

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Who knew “jailbreak” could be considered a dirty word? Apparently someone at Apple thought so, which is why the word was censored from the iTunes Store for the better part of Wednesday night and Thursday. Everything is back to normal now, but the hacker community sure got a kick out of it while the fun lasted. So what else is making news today? Glad you asked. Read on for everything else this Thursday, May 17, 2012 has to offer.

Apple Briefly Considers “Jailbreak” a Dirty Word in U.S. iTunes Store

One can only imagine that the word “jailbreak” is spoken in hushed tones up in Cupertino, given that Apple has made it clear it doesn’t appreciate users hacking their iOS devices. But would they go so far as to censor the word from iTunes? According to MacRumors, that’s exactly what happened earlier today, at least in the U.S. iTunes Store. Everywhere the word “jailbreak” appeared — whether it was in songs or TV shows or apps — Apple replaced with “j*******k” instead. While the censoring appears to have kicked in late Wednesday and persisted throughout much of the day, Apple appears to have finally caught on and has since corrected the gaffe, much to the glee of Thin Lizzy fans everywhere, we’re sure.

Plastic Logic Throws in Tablet Towel, Closes U.S. Offices

There’s little doubt that the iPad is a formidable opponent, but most of its competitors on the Android have pockets deep enough to keep fighting the uphill battle. The same cannot be said for Plastic Logic, the U.K. company infamous for ditching its QUE proReader tablet before it even shipped to stores. According to Engadget, the whole dream has now died, with the company closing its U.S. office in Mountain View, California and axing around 40 jobs there, while also pruning staff at offices in merry old England, Germany and Russia. While Plastic Logic has killed its hopes of launching tablets and e-readers of its own, the company appears to be ready to continue supplying screens to other companies, including their new flexible color e-reader display that sounds awfully cool.

T-Mobile Announces No-Contract Mobile Broadband

It’s kind of sad that in 2012, contract-free mobile broadband still seems so hard to come by. The big U.S. carriers would rather bait you with cheap hardware and a two-year commitment, but leave it to T-Mobile to mix things up a bit. The fourth-placed U.S. carrier announced today four new “No Annual Contract” mobile broadband passes which offer “a pay-in-advance, overage-free solution” with an allotment of data to fit most every user. For the occasional user, will buy you a one-week pass with up to 300MB, while one-month passes are available in , and amounts which nets you 1.5GB, 3.5GB and 5GB, respectively. The new plans roll out Sunday, May 20 at T-Mobile retail stores, select dealers, national retailers and online, but you’ll need to grab your own device to take advantage of it — which includes a variety of 4G Mobile Hotspots, laptop sticks and connected tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Huge Layoffs Incoming at HP

According to Business Insider, Hewlett-Packard appears ready to jettison up to 32,000 employees from its workforce next week in what one source calls a “massive” layoff. The news isn’t exactly a secret, with CEO Meg Whitman having already gone on record that such layoffs were under consideration. A source claims the HP cuts could trim between 10 to 15 percent of its workforce, which currently stands at 320,000 strong worldwide. At the lower end of that spectrum, 10 percent would amount to 32,000 jobs lost, although it’s unlikely that HP would make such a huge cut in one fell swoop, but rather make smaller cuts to bleed out over time. Employees in manufacturing appear to have less to worry about than their co-workers, but any way you slice, this could be quite ugly for the tech world.

Verizon: Grandfathered Unlimited Data Plans Will Take Time to Kill

Speaking of getting the axe, Verizon Wireless issued a statement to The New York Times on yesterday’s story about grandfathered unlimited data plans going away this sunny summer. Seems as if there’s a bit more to it than that: “Customers will not be automatically moved to new shared data plans,” the carrier notes. “If a 3G or 4G smartphone customer is on an unlimited plan now and they do not want to change their plan, they will not have to do so.” That said, when the new shared data plans arrive, “Unlimited Data will no longer be available to customers when purchasing handsets at discounted pricing” — although customers who purchase phones at full retail price and “are on an unlimited smartphone data plan will be able to keep that plan.” Translation: Unlimited data is still going to die, but it’s going to take some time for Verizon to cleanse its junkies of that bad habit.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

News

There are plenty of iOS apps for forecasting the weather, but few of them carry the weight of The Weather Channel itself — and now the cable channel’s own App Store entry has received a slick update, at least for the free version.

The Weather Channel has announced the availability of a major redesign of its iOS app for the iPhone and iPod touch. Available today in the App Store, The Weather Channel version 5.0 offers a simpler user interface and a visually stunning design for a more personal weather experience.

“Our new app is more relevant — whether it’s showing a beautiful image that displays your local weather or allowing you to save your own personalized home screen image, it’s more about the weather and content that matters to each consumer,” said Cameron Clayton, executive vice president of digital product at The Weather Channel companies. “We’ve made changes based on consumer feedback to engage users through a deeper and more emotional weather experience.”

The update, which borrows a lot of style from the iPad-specific version, marks the first major redesign of the app since 2009, featuring an immediate view of weather conditions that conveys the feel of the weather and offers increased personalization and social integration with iWitness, Twitter, Facebook and email.

The only problem with the new version is that The Weather Channel isn’t saying anything about its paid, ad-free version, The Weather Channel Max, which has yet to receive the new coat of paint. That means weather junkies will have to choose between a slick new design populated by ads, or the tired old UI without them. Here’s hoping TWC will rectify the situation soon for its paid app users!

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

News

We’re big fans of Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 here at MacLife.com, but sadly the folks in Redmond don’t seem too eager about moving the platform to the tablet. But that hasn’t stopped a Dutch developer from giving it a go anyway, using RIM’s failed BlackBerry PlayBook.

BGR is reporting (via N4BB) that a developer in the Netherlands has successfully ported Microsoft Windows Phone 7 to a Research in Motion BlackBerry PlayBook. While that may sound like a match made in hades for iOS and Android users, the unholy union actually seems to work pretty well, judging from the YouTube video embedded below.

“‘Gamer109X,’ the developer behind this curious chimera, said he plans to release a Windows Phone build for the PlayBook to the public in the coming months,” the report reveals, which certainly could help RIM shove a few more deeply discounted BlackBerry PlayBooks out of its warehouses if true.

Among the feats of strength shown off in the video are browsing photos, downloading Angry Birds from Marketplace, posting a message and running Nokia Maps, which curiously places the developer in Barcelona, Spain instead of the Netherlands. Here’s hoping we’ll get some further details on exactly how the developer pulled off this trick, but in the meantime enjoy the video!

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

(Image & video courtesy of BGR and N4BB)

News

We’ve been reporting on International Trade Commission decisions for what seems like forever, but it appears that one of them is finally making an impact — two of HTC’s latest handsets are being “indefinitely delayed” by U.S. customs as the result of an ITC ban Apple won against the handset manufacturer late last year.

The Verge is reporting that the HTC One X and HTC Evo 4G LTE have both fallen victim to an import delay by U.S. Customs “for potentially infringing an Apple patent.” As a result, the new handsets have been “indefinitely delayed” until Customs can investigate the situation further.

The move is likely to come as bad news to Android lovers ready to wrap their fingers around these handsets — the One X is currently out of stock from AT&T’s website and the situation appears grim as to when further units may arrive in retail stores.

The import delay is the result of a “wide-ranging exclusion order” won by Apple last December by the International Trade Commission (ITC), who found that “Android’s messaging app and browser infringed upon Apple patent #5,946,647, which covers automatically converting things like phone numbers and email addresses into actionable links that open a menu of options.”

Although a ban of infringing devices was delayed while HTC could figure out a workaround, that delay ended on April 19. HTC has likely fixed the problem with the One X and Evo 4G LTE, but the ITC order is fairly broad and prohibits importation of any “personal data and mobile communications devices” made by HTC.

Needless to say, HTC isn’t very happy about the delay, but appears confident that Customs will move quickly to clear the blockade.

“The US availability of the HTC One X and HTC EVO 4G LTE has been delayed due to a standard U.S. Customs review of shipments that is required after an ITC exclusion order,” the company said in an official statement. “We believe we are in compliance with the ruling and HTC is working closely with Customs to secure approval. The HTC One X and HTC Evo 4G LTE have been received enthusiastically by customers and we appreciate their patience as we work to get these products into their hands as soon as possible.”

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

News

Chalk one up for the rumor mill once again! It appears West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin will indeed be writing the screenplay for Sony’s official adaptation of Steve Jobs’ biography after all.

Variety is reporting that Sony Pictures has confirmed the hiring of Aaron Sorkin to adapt the bestselling biography Steve Jobs into a major motion picture. While Sorkin may be better known to television viewers as the creator of The West Wing, more recently he wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for The Social Network, a dramatic interpretation of how Facebook’s meteoric rise based on the book The Accidental Billionaires.

Unlike the independent feature starring Ashton Kutcher currently before the cameras, Sony’s biopic comes with the blessing of official Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson, whose bestselling book Sorkin will adapt for the big screen.

“Steve Jobs’ story is unique: He was one of the most revolutionary and influential men not just of our time, but of all time,” said Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment. “There is no writer working in Hollywood today who is more capable of capturing such an extraordinary life for the screen than Aaron Sorkin; in his hands, we’re confident that the film will be everything that Jobs himself was: captivating, entertaining, and polarizing.”

As if Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs weren’t enough for Sorkin, the screenwriter is also hard at work adapting Andrew Young’s bestselling book The Politician, which chronicles the rise and fall of Senator John Edwards, which he will also direct.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

News

Still rocking grandfathered unlimited data through Verizon Wireless? Better enjoy it while it lasts, because the carrier plans to drive a stake through its heart when Big Red makes the switch to family data plans this sunny summer. Should make good fodder for Sprint’s future marketing, since they continue to be the only U.S. carrier offering truly unlimited data plans. Meanwhile, here’s the rest of what’s making news for this Wednesday, May 16, 2012.

Verizon Plans to Kill Grandfathered Unlimited Data When Data Sharing Arrives This Summer

Fierce Wireless is reporting that grandfathered unlimited data plans may soon go the way of the dinosaur, at least if Verizon Wireless CFO Fran Shammo has anything to say about it (and sadly, he does).  Speaking at the J.P. Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference this week, Shammo explained that as its 3G data customers migrate to 4G LTE, Verizon will require data sharing plans that will not be compatible with the faster speeds, nor sharing between multiple devices. The move is part of the carrier’s plan to shift to a “revenue per account” metric, rather than the current model which measures individual users’ data usage. With shared data plans in the works for mid-summer, there’s likely to be a lot of unhappy veteran users longing for the unlimited data days…

Retina MacBook Screens Could Cost Apple 0 More

Cnet is reporting that the Retina Display screens everyone assumes will soon find their way to the MacBook line could be a pricy endeavor for Apple — almost 0 more, judging from component costs of 15.4-inch display panels already in the supply chain. The real question becomes, will Apple eat those costs or pass them on to Mac users in the form of increased prices? “What’s clear is that Apple’s pushing it. They’re pushing panel makers to come out with higher resolution panels because they’ve created a market demand for it, starting with their phones, now going to their tablets,” explains NPD DisplaySearch senior analyst Richard Shim. “Now what we’re seeing in the supply chain is that they’re going to move that to their notebooks, and it’s becoming a premium feature.” Apple currently spends for the display panel of a 15-inch MacBook Pro, but that figure is estimated to balloon to 0 if and when the rumored Retina upgrade arrives. Would you be willing to fork over the extra dough, if push comes to shove…?

Sprint CEO Claims iPhone Will Pay Off in 2015

AllThingsD is reporting that Sprint will likely continue to bleed red ink where the iPhone is concerned for three more years. That’s because the carrier made a whopping .5 billion commitment to Apple’s iconic handset over a four-year period — meaning the company won’t make a profit from the iPhone until 2015. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse doesn’t seem too concerned, despite having to take a .25 million pay cut this month to appease investors unhappy with the deal. “We believe in the long term,” Hesse explains. “And over time we will make more money on iPhone customers than we will on other customers.” Assuming, of course, the third-place carrier can make it that long.

Samsung Sheds Billion Market Value Thanks to Apple Rumors

If you’ve ever wondered just how fragile the stock market can be, look no further than a new DigiTimes rumor claiming that Apple recently placed a huge order for DRAM chips with Japanese firm Elpida — and dealt a fatal blow to Samsung’s market value in the process. According to Reuters, the rumor — whether it’s true or not — sent shares of Samsung Electronics Co. down more than six percent on Wednesday, “wiping billion off the electronics giant’s market value” all at once. “It looks like Apple doesn’t want to see Samsung and hynix dominate the chip market,” remarks Choi Do-yeon, an analyst at LIG Investment & Securities. “Apple wants to maintain its bargaining power by keeping Elpida running.” Japan’s Elpida is currently running under bankruptcy protection as it attempts to restructure due to “tough market conditions and global competition.” Perhaps Apple just wants to level the playing field after watching Samsung continually ape its smartphone and tablet products?

iStoryTime Offers Free Storybook App for Teacher Appreciation Month

Did you know May is Teacher Appreciation Month? Makes sense, since this is the last month most students are in school before the sunny summer vacation — and their minds are probably on anything but studying. To celebrate the occasion, the folks at iStoryTime are offering their Kung Fu Panda 2 storybook app absolutely free through Sunday, April 20. Kung Fu Panda 2 is perfect for engaging children’s creativity and encouraging them to read in a variety of languages including English, Spanish, Chinese, German, French, Portuguese, Russian and Korean, so teachers and students across the globe may enjoy the adventures of Po. “Teachers are our super heroes,” said Woody Sears, founder of iStoryTime. “They are the foundation of our children’s education and we are extremely humble in honoring teachers worldwide by offering our Kung Fu Panda 2 storybook for free.” Hey, we just like the sound of free apps, but kudos to iStoryTime for recognizing the heroes, too.

Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter

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