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.
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.
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’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
Blu-ray players
Cameras
Hands on: Leica M Monochrom review
Desktops
CyberPower Infinity Achilles review
Gaming accessories
Graphics cards
Sapphire HD 7870 OC Edition review
Gigabyte HD 7850 Overclock review
Headphones
Incase Sonic Over Ear Headphones review
Plantronics BackBeat Go review
Laptops
Toshiba Satellite Pro C660-2F7 review
Hands on: Sony Vaio T13 review
Mobile phones
Printers
Processors
Routers
Asus EA-N66 Ethernet Adaptor review
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.
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 .
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.
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.
Last week was utterly dominated by the Samsung Galaxy S3, but the merry-go-round of high-tech wares continues unabated and this week we’ve seen some really tasty treats.
The highly competitive cameras market continues to be an area of constant innovation – Nikon has been leading the way and the D3200 looks like being the must-have entry-level DSLR of 2012.
Elsewhere we’ve seen new graphics cards, Blu-ray players, phones and laptops, and we’ve tested them all…
This Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 then is one of the Kepler cards we’ve been desperately waiting for. The second tier cards in the Kepler line up were always going to generate more interest than either of the overly expensive GTX 680 or GTX 690. And they’re going to sell a hell of a lot more too.
The key thing here though is that there is so little difference in performance and architectural terms between the Nvidia GTX 680 and GTX 670. In fact with the frame rates you’re getting with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 670 it’s going to be rather difficult for us to recommend anyone buying the GTX 680 if they’re going to leave it at stock speeds.
Just 3.7cm tall and less than 20cm deep, there’s not an AV rack around that couldn’t take Samsung’s well-equipped Samsung BD-E6100 Blu-ray player. That fact that it’s 3D-capable will attract many, especially since that feature only appears to attract a premium of £30 or so over a bare bones Blu-ray deck, but in truth it’s only a polished user interface or two away from Samsung’s 2011 crop of Blu-ray players.
It’s a great value 2D and 3D Blu-ray player boasting excellent picture quality, impressive streaming and digital file playback. Samsung’s entry-level Samsung BD-E6100 stutters only on a slow Smart Hub interface that’s cluttered with novelty apps, services and even advertising.
Nikon has delivered an entry-level camera with real photographic punch. Borrowing elements from its more expensive siblings, the D3200 should appeal to a large section of would-be photographers. There’s lots of interesting technology crammed into the relatively small body of the D3200, including things which have trickled down from its more expensive siblings.
Those include features such as the Expeed 3 processing engine, which promises to deliver quicker processing times, low noise and different frame rates for the full HD video recording. Overall, we are impressed by the D3200 and are very much looking forward to properly putting it through its paces when the time comes.
With a serious matt black finish that denotes a enthusiast-targeted piece of kit without even delving into the riches of its feature set, the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC HX200V is one of the more impressively attired superzoom cameras out there.
Hands on: BlackBerry Curve 9320 review
Taking on the budget smartphone market is getting tough these days, but RIM’s new Curve 9320 is well-placed to achieve success. The new phone is a re-tooled version of the last iteration, the Curve 9300, and brings with it a very familiar design.
This week’s other reviews:
Cameras
DECT phones
Archos 35 Smart Home Phone review
Desktops
Zotac Zbox nano XS AD11 Plus review
Graphics cards
Hard drives
Buffalo DriveStation Velocity review
Laptop accessories
ReTrak Retractable Universal 70W Notebook Wall Charger review
Laptops
Acer Aspire Ethos AS8951G-9630 review
Hands on: HP Envy Spectre XT review
Hands on: HP Envy Ultrabook review
Mice
HP Wireless Optical Mobile Mouse review
Mobile computing
Hands on: Kingston Wi-Drive 64GB review
Mobile phones
Hands on: Samsung Focus 2 review
Hands on: HTC Evo 4G LTE review
Hands on: Droid Incredible 4G LTE review
Portable Audio
Printers
Storage
Tablet cases
Hands on: The OtterBox Defender for the new iPad and Samsung Galaxy Note review
Tablets
Hands on: Toshiba Excite 13 review
Televisions
Deals, get your red hot smoking Apple deals right here, right now. We’ve got Macbooks, we’ve got cases, we’ve got armbands, we’ve got a real mixed veggie platter, so get on board. Oh, yeah, and we have what the headline’s talking about too.
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Dual-core Intel i5
Apple-certified, this beauty is less than one year old and packs some muscle under the hood. Nab it now for ,019 or 0 off.
Refurbished MacBook Pro 2.8GHz Dual-core Intel i7
Slightly kickier version of the above laptop. 0 more on the price tag takes it up to ,269, but that’s still 0 off the original price.
15.4″ MacBook Pro quad-core Intel Core i7
Or opt for a new machine and get this baby for ,771.99 with a price cut of 7. Now that’s some savings!
64GB iPhone 4S
Were pretty sure we’ve never seen anything quite like this. Fry’s is taking a big discount to the 64GB model of the 4S, dropping 0 from Apple’s price and rolling this big boy out for 9.
LaunchBar 5.2
Sure, Command-Space gets you Spotlight search, but like many Apple products, it’s a little weaker than it could be. Put some kick-butt power into those two keystrokes and do it for 50% off meaning .49 gets you the sheer awesomeness of LaunchBar.
Compartments
Keep track of all your belongings with this lovely cataloging software 60% off making it just . Dropbox support means if your computer burns up along with your house, you still have lists ready for the insurance company.
USB Charging Adapter for iPad
Use the coupon code MLC510FN and you’ll be rocking the power supply for your hungry hungry iPad for a mere .99 with free shipping.
Luxury iPad 2 / iPad 3 (The New iPad) Bluetooth Keyboard Carbon Case
nbipad10 is the coupon code you’ll need for this deal that nabs you this sleek keyboard case for , down from the usual . Sweet.
Universal Car Mount for Portable DVD Player or iPad
Take the worry out of your kids dropping the iPad in the backseat when fighting over who gets to hold it while they watch the movie with this mount. .37 plus free shipping is a lot less than a new iPad.
3D Hollowed Out Hard Case for Apple iPhone 4S iPhone 4
Try out this case that we’re sure will catch people’s eyes. The hollowed out areas are sure to show off your iPhone’s beauty. Originally , your price? .
iPad Programming Course
Learn how to make your fortune as an iOS developer busting out apps for the best tablet on the market. A 50% discount starts you on your path for only .
Waterproof Case for Apple iPhone 4, 4S
Take your phone with you on that boating trip without being in a constant panic about water damage to your baby. Typically , you’re looking at .58, howzaboutthat?
Action Fitness Armband and Screen Protector
Get your workout on with this armband and screen protector for a mere . Instead of jogging in place to the tune of , you get the big time deal.
There’s a reason why Apple is suing Samsung in just about every major world territory — it feels threatened, and so it might.
Samsung is now the top-selling phone manufacturer on the planet, and that’s entirely thanks to the wildly popular Galaxy range of Android smartphones. The latest such handset, the Galaxy S3, has enjoyed the kind of build-up and reception normally reserved for iDevices and that’s no mean feat.
The stats don’t lie, either — over half a million people read our hands-on in just 12 hours!
So do check out our Galaxy S3 page below, as well as all our other reviews this week. It’s been a good one. Happy weekend!
Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S3 review
The headline feature of the new Samsung Galaxy S3 is the 4.8-inch Super AMOLED+ HD screen, packing a whopping 1280×720 pixels into a sub 5-inch space.
That means a resolution of 309ppi, which is encroaching on iPhone 4S territory but at a much larger screen size. Under the hood is very impressive too: a 1.4GHz Exynos quad core processor backed up by 1GB of RAM, and will come in 16GB, 32GB or 64GB flavours, with a microSD slot to boot. In your face, HTC One X!
Samsung is on typically aggressive form with the Samsung UE46ES8000, combining cutting-edge features with a gorgeous space-saving design and some of the best picture quality the LCD TV world has to offer.
Particularly impressive are the set’s attempts at revolutionising the way you interface with your TV, the improvements Samsung has wrought to its picture quality (especially in 3D mode) thanks to its dual-core processing, and the additions to Samsung’s Smart Hub online platform.
The really impressive thing about the Asus P8Z77-V Pro is the fact that, despite its relatively diminutive price-tag, it can easily hold its own against the best its siblings and competitors can muster.
When you compare it against the likes of Intel’s own Z77 and the bargainous ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional, it’s definitely ahead of the curve.
The Samsung HW-E551 is arguably the most sophisticated 2.1 system currently available. The hybrid design is neat and the wireless sub behaves impeccably, shutting down when required.
As a sonic upgrade for a TV, it represents fine value, and the punchy sub is a crowd pleaser. Sonically it’s not perfect, but for general TV viewing these caveats are unlikely to prove an issue.
Acer Aspire Timeline U M3 review
Nvidia has been calling the Acer Timeline U M3 the first true Ultrabook. And the big, green graphics giant has good reason to be backing this svelte-looking machine – at its heart beats the very latest in mobile graphics power, the GeForce GT 640M.
This is the big selling point for this otherwise rather middle-of-the-road machine, and without it there is no way we would be anywhere near as enamoured with it.
Desktops
Chillblast Fusion Mamba review
Laptops
Media Streaming Devices
Honestech nScreen Deluxe review
Monitors
Philips Brilliance Blade 2 239C4QHSB review
Motherboards
ASRock Fatal1ty Z77 Professional review
Software
Televisions
TV tuner cards
