BBC Sport iPhone, Android, desktop and connected TV pictures and hands-on
Olympic overload
The Olympics is coming. Many will be glued to the TV watching as Usain Bolt goes for another world record. Others might be on the edge of their seats as Jamaica’s bobsleigh team crashes out dramatically … no wait, that’s a movie and the Winter Olympics.
Seriously though, there is going to be a whole lot of TV watching to do. The BBC knows this and has outdone itself in ensuring that every single licence-payer can watch Olympians compete somewhere and on some sort of device. Bear with us on this one because there’s a lot to get through.
First, an app for connected TVs based around what we have seen from BBC Sport on TiVo. Think of the application a bit like iPlayer on the Xbox with a similar tile-based UI. Live feeds of various sports are offered and can be clicked and streamed instantaneously.
There is also a coming-up section, which shows what to expect from the BBC’s coverage of the event. The feeds are curated, so the Beeb will be populating the home page with what it thinks you might want to watch.
There will be up to 24 live streams of events going on at once, ensuring that it is impossible to miss out on any event. You can theoretically watch every single part of the Olympics live using just the connected TV app alone, all of it in HD of course.?
At the moment the application is going to be running on Sony smart TVs, Virgin Media TiVo via the red button and the PlayStation 3 via an app. No Xbox sadly. From what we were shown, the experience will be identical across each of the players, although obviously controlled differently.
It was very smooth and quick to load streams of the various BBC channels. A carousel of live streams can also be popped up while video is playing in the background, should you want to switch sports.
Next up is the desktop browser-based BBC Sports. This is where the real beef of the BBC’s digital tech lies. A proper 3.5Mb HD video feed is available, if your broadband connection can handle it, the player simply defaulting to it once you send it full screen.
The newly designed video player has also had a much more robust and formidable skin placed on it compared to what iPlayer currently offers. This means you can do things such as switch to highlights packages with a single click or change sports instantaneously.
Amazingly you can even rewind live coverage just like you would with Sky+ or Virgin Media. It is also possible to scan through chapter markers which show key moments in an event – say a gold medal win, for example. Live data and stats will all be pumped into the desktop player so you can learn a bit about the sport while you watch it. These can be switched off if you just want to view the event.
On the mobile, the desktop site has been slimmed down but still provides a similar experience. Just as on the computer, every single athlete and sport will be given its own web page with self-populating news feeds.
The BBC has even announced a feature phone version of the site which will show just low-res images and basic text news stories so you can keep up with the core of what’s going on. We weren’t shown that.
But the real Olympic treat comes in the BBC Sport app, which is one of the best thought-out applications we have seen in a long time. Just like in the iPad music player, you can drag and drop various items to a quick select bar at the bottom. Except that instead of being music or artists, it is the names of sports. The result is an instantly customisable way of keeping track of your favourite athletes.
A news-based home page can download content and store it locally offline, should you get on the Tube or go out of an area of reception. There is also the ability to switch to live video straight from within the application. Medal tables based on country are also shown, as is a range of other stats.
Unfortunately, application-based content isn’t going to be running in HD, nor will it be matching the display resolution of the new iPad, although the BBC did tell us this was something it was looking into for future events.
All this specially designed Olympics kit is also an important deal for the BBC in terms of future plans on the mobile and connected TV. It could mean a redesigned iPlayer, a new way of handling live events and different ways of covering sports. Wimbledon Tennis and the Formula One, for example, ?will both be getting connected TV coverage using the same app.
There are all sorts of other uses of course, with the ?BBC telling Pocket-lint: “You don’t need to be a genius to work out that Glastonbury would be a good example.”
In the meantime keep those eyes peeled for all the new BBC Olympic tech, which should be launching in the months ?before the Games. ?
Tags: BBC Sport Tablets iPhone Android iPad Connected TVs Smart TV
BBC Sport iPhone, Android, desktop and connected TV pictures and hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 15 May 2012 15:02:00 +0100
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Nokia Lumia 900 is the “best smartphone ever” according to… Siri
Eh?
Ask Apple’s speech-recognition software Sir ?what the best smartphone ever is, and the answer would surely be its own champion handset the iPhone 4S, right??
Wrong! According to Siri the answer is the Nokia Lumia 900,?at the time of writing at least. Go on, try it for yourselves.
Siri’s answers are actually based on results from search engine Wolfram Alpha, which itself takes information from user reviews.
With the Nokia Lumia 900 recently having been launched, it’s perhaps understandable it has so many hits.
That said, we’re sure the folks at Apple won’t be best pleased to hear it’s software is advising people to look elsewhere.
The Nokia Lumia 900 was launched with a huge lightshow in New York’s Times Square in April.?
A white version of the Windows Phone is actually already in stock UK branches of Phones 4u, though its arrival has been far more low-key after some confusion to the official on-sale date.
UPDATE – And just like that Apple appears to have had stern words with Siri who now answers the same question with the much more dutiful answer “The one you’re holding”. Well it was fun while it lasted.
Tags: Phones iPhone Siri Nokia Lumia 900 Apple iPhone 4S
Nokia Lumia 900 is the “best smartphone ever” according to… Siri originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 11 May 2012 18:07:00 +0100
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Miley Cyrus – When I Look At You
- Artist: Miley Cyrus
- Label: Hollywood Records, Universal Music Spain, Vale Music
- Director: Marc Roussel
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Justin Bieber’s ‘Turn To You’ An Ode To His ‘Brave’ Mom
Song is a touching tribute to mother and pop-star son’s early life together.
By Jocelyn Vena
<P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/bieber_justin/artist.jhtml">Justin Bieber</a> has dropped his ode to his mama, Pattie Mallette, just in time for <a href="/news/articles/1684918/justin-bieber-taylor-swift-mothers-day-songs.jhtml">Mother's Day</a>. The song, a guitar-driven ballad titled "Turn to You," breaks down the pair's life together, and their early struggles as Mallette worked to raise a baby Bieber as a teenager.</P><P>Over jangly guitars, Bieber recalls, "You worked two jobs to keep a roof up over our heads/ You chose life for me, no you never gave up/ I admire you for the strength you instilled in me/ You were so young, you were just my age when you had me/ Mom, you were so brave, there was nothing that would stop or get in our way/ And I know you will always be there for me."</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="MTV First: Justin Bieber" id="id:1684329" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>The song's empowering message really picks up on the chorus, when he proclaims, "So when you're lost/ And you're tired when you're broken in two/ Let my love take you higher cause I still turn to you."</P><P>"I wrote a song for my mom. But I'm going to put it out on Mother's Day," he told MTV News, explaining why Mama Mallette was worthy of her own track. "[It's] about the struggles, I say in the song. She had me at like the age I am now. [It's about] just the struggles she went through and how brave she was, and I think the world needed to know that."</P><P>Shortly after releasing the song on Thursday, he had a very specific message for all the moms out there: "Help moms in need. Give them strength. thank u mom," he <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/justinbieber" target="_blank">tweeted</a>. "it's on ITUNES. Happy Mother's Day Weekend. this is for my mom and all those moms out there. here is #TurnToYOu ."</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Frame By Frame: Justin Bieber's 'Boyfriend'" id="id:1684574" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P><i>What do you think of "Turn to You"? Leave your comment below!</i></p>
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Miley Cyrus Pranks Liam Hemsworth And Khloe Kardashian On ‘Punk’d'! (VIDEO)
Watch out world, Miley Cyrus is on a punking spree! Miley Cyrus seems like such a sweet girl. That is, of course, until she starts punking practically everyone she’s ever met! In the latest episode of of MTV’s “Punk’d,” Miley gets her prank on, first by tricking her boyfriend, Liam Hemsworth, and then by totally fooling [...]
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Apple rumoured to be buying German TV manufacturer Loewe
UPDATED: Apple iTV?
News that Apple?is about to buy German TV maker Loewe?has appeared on the internet over the weekend, with unnamed sources claiming the deal will happen as early as next week.
According to AppleInsider.com: “Word of the negotiations was exclusively revealed to AppleInsider, and although the offer has yet to be accepted, a source claims that Loewe ‘has been advised by its financial advisor to accept the offer and a final decision is scheduled to be announced internally before 18 May 2012′.”
The site’s source says Apple will pay around $112m for the company.
Such a move, if true, would help Apple create the much-rumoured Apple iTV?that it is supposedly working on.
Loewe, pronounced Lur-ver, makes minimalist-looking TVs but is a fairly small player in the global TV market dominated by Samsung, Sony, LG and others.
Appleinsider is claiming that the news could be wrong, so don’t get your hopes up too much.
“The accuracy of the information provided could not be initially verified, but AppleInsider has shared it in the interest of discussion, particularly as rumors continue to swirl that Apple is preparing to launch its own full-fledge high-definition television set,” it said.
Apple has been rumoured for some time to be working on a television that includes the company’s Apple TV set-top box.
According to Walter?Isaacson, Steve Jobs’s biographer,?Jobs claimed to have “cracked” what was wrong with the TV industry and how to solve it. He didn’t. however, elaborate at the time on what that solution was.
Could it be by buying the German TV maker?
Aside from making TVs, the almost 100-year-old manufacturer has recently ventured into iPhone speaker docks with AirPlay support, and iPad apps to accompany the luxury speakers.?
UPDATE: Loewe is reportedly denying the news. We have contacted the company for a quote.
UPDATE: Loewe has given us the following statement:
“There are some rumours on Loewe and Apple within the social media world. Our official statement is: Loewe does not take part in any rumours in the market. Therefore Loewe will not comment any news on Loewe and Apple. Thank you.”
Tags: Home Cinema Television Loewe Apple Apple iTV
Apple rumoured to be buying German TV manufacturer Loewe originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sun, 13 May 2012 11:01:00 +0100
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Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus Rumored For ‘X Factor’ Judge Spot
Lovato in talks to join Britney Spears on judging panel.
By Gil Kaufman
<P>After booting Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell's "X Factor" appears to be going in a youthful direction. Though producers of the show have not yet officially announced that <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/spears_britney/artist.jhtml">Britney Spears</a> has <a href="/news/articles/1680782/britney-spears-x-factor-judge-offer.jhtml">joined the judging panel</a>
 of the show for its upcoming second season, according to reports the fourth seat — next to Cowell and record executive L.A. Reid — could go to <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/lovato__demi/artist.jhtml">Demi Lovato</a>.</P><P>Citing unnamed sources, <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/x-factor-demi-lovato-fourth-judge-britney-spears-318659" target="_blank"><I>The Hollywood Reporter</I></a> said on Tuesday that Disney star Lovato, 19, is "closing a deal" to join Spears as one of the new judges on the show. In an attempt to lure a younger audience, producers are in final negotiations to sign Lovato, though the trade magazine noted that, "The deal is not yet done and could fall apart."</P><P><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:746768/cp~vid%3D746768%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A746768" width="460" height="260" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="."></embed></P><P>Spokespeople for Lovato and "Factor" could not be reached for comment at press time, and did not comment to the <I>Reporter</I> for their story, but the magazine speculated that Cowell could be planning to make a judging reveal at the Fox upfront event for ad buyers on May 14. Auditions with the new judges are slated to take place at the end of this month.</P><P>Though Spears has <a href="/news/articles/1682881/britney-spears-x-factor-deal.jhtml">reportedly been circling</a>
 a $15 million deal to appear on the second season of the show, the <a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2012/05/x-factor-will-demi-lovato-or-miley-cyrus-be-fourth-judge-.html " target="_blank"><I>Los Angeles Times</I></a> noted that final talks on her contract have dragged on because the 30-year-old singer has, "insisted on various perks that have bogged down negotiations."</P><P>A point of conflict has reportedly been Cowell's insistence that Spears sign a two-year contract with the show, while she wants the option of opting out after just one season if she feels the gig is not a good fit. Whether Spears manager/boyfriend <a href="/news/articles/1683898/britney-spears-jason-trawick-co-conservator.jhtml">Jason Trawick</a>
 and Cowell were able to reach an agreement on the issue has not been made public.</P><P>Lovato's name is also not the only youthful one being bandied about for the final spot. Both Miley Cyrus and Avril Lavigne have been mentioned as potential judges, though no details or confirmation of those talks have emerged. Several other female stars, including Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey, have also been rumored as potential "Factor" judges, but neither appear to be in the mix at this point.</P><P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1617615"><img src="http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/s/spotted/banner/spotted.jpg"></a></p>
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Miley Cyrus Makes Liam Hemsworth ‘Really Happy’
‘Hunger Games’ actor opens up to Details about some of the controversy his girlfriend has generated.
By Jocelyn Vena
<P>When <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/cyrus__miley/artist.jhtml">Miley Cyrus</a> met her "Last Song" co-star <a href="http://www.mtv.com/movies/person/1086152/personmain.jhtml">Liam Hemsworth</a> back in 2009, it seemed that the <a href="/news/articles/1634665/miley-cyrus-discusses-her-chemistry-with-liam-hemsworth-on-ellen.jhtml">chemistry</a> between the pair didn't translate well to the moviegoing public. But the couple is still together in real life, and <a href="http://www.details.com/celebrities-entertainment/cover-stars/201203/liam-hemsworth-hunger-games-the-last-song" target="_blank"><i>Details</i></a> magazine cover boy and <a href="http://www.mtv.com/movies/movie/422817/moviemain.jhtml">"Hunger Games"</a> star Hemsworth opened up to the mag about their relationship.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Is It Hard For Liam Hemsworth To Hide His Accent?" id="vid:724288.id:1677048" width="240" height="211"></div><p></P><P>"What happened happened, and we've been together two and a half years," the Aussie star said. "She makes me really happy. When you start, you want to be professional, but when you're filming those scenes with someone and pretending to love them, you're not human if you don't feel something."</P><P>From there, the twosome embarked on a well-publicized love affair, and as comfortable as he feels with his superstar lady love, he feels equally welcomed by her family. "[Billy Ray] is very spiritual. He's just one of the nicest guys. Very accommodating. I've listened to his music since we got together. It's awesome," he said, adding that he had some Nashville-related customs and foods he had to get used to while hanging with the Cyrus clan. "I'd never heard of country-fried steak before. It's great! I love fried food."</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Liam Hemsworth Hopes To 'Shoot Like Katniss'" id="vid:724292.id:1677048" width="240" height="211"></div><p></P><P>Former Disney queen Cyrus has always courted controversy. Back in November the saucy 19-year-old told a room of her friends, "You know you're a stoner when friends make you a Bob Marley cake — you know you <a href="http://newsroom.mtv.com/2011/11/28/miley-cyrus-smoking-too-much-weed/">smoke way too much</a> f—in' weed," at her birthday party. It was a moment that made for some spicy headlines. And a moment that Hemsworth defends.</P><P>"She's in a room full of her best friends. And you have one person who comes in there and videos it," he said. "The poor girl can't have one night where she can feel safe in her own world. It's ridiculous."</p>
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Apple working on a steering wheel remote for handsfree control of your car stereo
Handsfree track changing
Apple has applied to the US Patent and Trademark Office to patent a steering wheel remote control that it’s working on.
Get caught playing around with your car stereo while driving and at best you’ll face a stern talking to from the boys in blue; at worst you could be looking at points on your licence.
Though many high-end vehicles have similar contraptions built-in, Apple’s steering wheel remote control will be attached manually and will remain wireless. We assume it will then pair with the car’s media system via Bluetooth or FM transmitter.?
Resembling the navigational click wheel found in Apple’s iPod collection, the device will attach to the top of the steering wheel at the ten to two position (remember your driving test?) depending on whether you’re right or left-handed.
You’ll then be able to skip or pause a track without taking your hands off the steering wheel.
Tags: Apple Cars Car Stereos Stereos Handsfree
Apple working on a steering wheel remote for handsfree control of your car stereo originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 16 May 2012 10:20:00 +0100
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Jennifer Lopez vs. Cameron Diaz — Who’d You Rather?
“What to Expect When You’re Expecting” divas Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz both put on their glamour faces at the film’s premiere in Hollywood on Monday.Question is …
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Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper to paper over security concerns
Cellular and radio signals allowed
A wallpaper that blocks Wi-Fi signals is being developed to help protect people’s networks, whether at work or in the home.
Although the paper will stop skinflint neighbours from jumping on board your Wi-Fi signal, the wallpaper has been designed in such a way as to still enable both mobile phone signals and radio waves through.
The technology is the brainchild of French researchers at the Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble who have been working with the Centre Technique du Papier. It’s thought that as well as preventing strangers accessing people’s Wi-Fi networks, the wallpaper will be able to be used in hospitals and theatres to help block external sources.
Despite the research that has been invested in the technology, the development team claims the wallpaper will cost the “equivalent to a traditional mid-range wallpaper.”?
The wallpaper is being licensed to a Finnish manufacturer for production and it’s hope it will be available to buy from 2013.
Tags: Security Wi-Fi Internet Online
Wi-Fi blocking wallpaper to paper over security concerns originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 14 May 2012 12:09:00 +0100
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AMD rolls out Trinity APUs for laptops and desktops
Sleekbook time
AMD has given its processor line up a significant refresh with the newly launched Trinity APU. The new processors, just like Intel’s recently announced Ivy Bridge, do a lot to extend battery life, boost speed and increase graphics capabilities.
Without getting bogged down in technical details, the real juicy facts about Trinity are what it means for ultra-thin laptop fans. Not being Intel, these sleekbooks, as HP calls them, boast quad-core chips, a touted 50 per cent graphics performance boost on competition and up to 12 hours battery life when in resting state.?
AMD is claiming up to 8 hours of straight web browsing with the new Trinity APUs, a particularly impressive figure and one we will definitely be testing once we have some Trinity-toting hardware to play with. So far the only two pieces of kit Pocket-lint has seen with Trinity inside have been a Toshiba Portege Z835 laptop – which was an empty demo shell at the time – and the HP Envy sleekbook, which appeared last week in Shanghai.?
On top of the performance boost, Trinity also adds a few clever software tweaks only possible with the new processor grunt. First up is automatic image stabilisation and the ability to have multi-person HD video chat. AMD is also claiming a clever piece of tech called Quick Stream, which will divert the majority of network bandwith to video streaming, so you get smoother playback on low-speed connections.?
Something to look forward to in the future is AMD’s hardware acceleration of Windows 8′s Metro UI and Metro style apps. There is also out of the box Direct X 11 compatibility and instant readiness for Windows 8 on its arrival.?
Photoshop CS6 gets itself another 30+ hardware accelerated features on Trinity, as does Winzip, which allegedly performs better using the APUs. AMD is saying that Trinity will be appearing in the hardware of “leading manufacturers”. So far we know HP, Samsung, Toshiba, Acer, Asus and Sony?are on the cards, but expect plenty more to be joining the party. The Trinity desktop chip will be arriving in June with ultra-thins and laptops carrying it appearing in July.?
Tags: Laptops AMD AMD Trinity
AMD rolls out Trinity APUs for laptops and desktops originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 15 May 2012 05:01:00 +0100
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Olympic diving hope Tom Daley gets own iOS game
Tom Daley Dive 2012
Team GB diver and Olympic medal hopeful Tom Daley stars in Tom Daley Dive 2012, his own iPad, iPhone and iPod touch game, released today. The app, which is free to download, allows you to use gesture movements in order to perform Olympic-standard dives from a variety of locations.
Several of the dives are available in the free version of the application, while others can be unlocked through a one-off in-app purchase of 69p.
Pocket-lint has been told that 17-year-old diver Daley was involved in the game’s approval process throughout its development. London software company Chelsea Apps Factory worked closely with the teenager, and have highlighted the fact that he has a staggering one million Twitter followers in China alone as good cause to get a dedicated title out there.
There are plenty of features in Tom Daley Dive, including Game Center-based leaderboards, Practice and Championship modes, an unlockable photo gallery,?achievements, and a chance to view the virtual Daley perform each dive perfectly before you attempt it. There are also several camera angles to play in, including one from above.
“Apps are one of the best things about having a phone, and I jumped at the chance to create my own,” said the Olympian.
“There are no good diving games out there and I love how this game has turned out: it looks great and feels very realistic – although I’m a bit nervous my own score won’t make the online leader-board!? If the game helps raise awareness of diving and gets people excited about the Olympics this year, I’ll be really pleased.”
You can download the universal Tom Daley Dive 2012 from iTunes for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch now.
Tags: Apps iPad apps iPhone apps iPod Touch apps Tome Daley Dive 2012 London 2012
Olympic diving hope Tom Daley gets own iOS game originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 18 May 2012 14:15:00 +0100
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Porsche Cayman S
Brash and brilliant fun
“Would you like to drive a Porsche around the south of France?” is the kind of question which – like, “Would you like either a kick in the crown jewels, or this gold ingot?” ?- doesn’t require a lot of thinking about. “Yes,” we replied, and a couple of weeks later we’re picking up the keys to a German fun wagon.
The Cayman is sort of the answer to the potential criticisms of the 911 range. For a start, it’s a mid-engined car, which is arguably a lot less likely to try and kill you than a rear-engined one, and the number of options in the range is a lot less confusing than the 911 – four, as opposed to 21 for the 911. We drove the Cayman S, which costs around ?48,000, but the vanilla Cayman starts at ?39,000, only a little more than the Boxster.
Price
It is, however, worth remembering that as with all German cars, the price is a fluid thing. While the base car is ?48,000, you can spend an awful lot more on various bits and bobs for it. You can pay ?90 for a aluminium “look” fuel filler cap. Or ?5500 on ceramic brakes – overkill unless you’re intending to use it on a track. There are also some very worthwhile additions. You can take an upgraded stereo for ?2,137. Go for the Bose here, the sound quality is far better than the Porsche system. Also, we think the 3G option, and sat nav are must-haves. You can have a TV tuner, but why would you ever stop to watch TV when you could be out driving. It’s probably worth getting parking assist too, for ?348.
We configured a car to this spec, and included the Porsche automatic, double clutch gearbox and Sports Chrono package, and ended up with a price of ?54,708. We do have some mixed feelings about the automatic gearbox. It is very good, but we’re also lovers of manual transmission, and that gives us some conflict. The speed, flexibility and addition of launch control would probably win us over though. And, at least with the PDK gearbox, you never lose full manual control.
Design
The interior of the Porsche is both the best, and worst thing about it. It is in every sense a luxury car. The leather is beautiful, the instruments clear and easy to read and everything is in a sensible place. It is very German indeed. But it’s devoid of any personality. This is not the sort of car that needs nannying, nor is it poorly made or temperamental. Like all Porsche vehicles, you can drive it every day.
Externally, too, the Porsche Cayman doesn’t look as pretty as the 911, or even the Boxster. It’s not an ugly car, but it looks bigger and its huge wheel arches dominate the style. It’s a more distinctive look than the Boxster – which apes the 911, to some extent – but it won’t appeal to everyone. The long boot, with a sort of kink put us off slightly, but who are we kidding, it’s still a Porsche, with Porsche looks, and we still think it’s terrific.
The Cayman is also an easy car to get in to, and it’s super-comfortable once you’re in. The seats are grippy, and keep you in place when you’re driving hard and you can see all the instruments, all the time. This is something that cannot be said for some other cars.?
Boot space isn’t a disgrace. You can store items behind the engine, and there’s enough room for a couple of weekend bags here. But you also get under-bonnet storage too. And there’s more capacity here for your various gubbins. The 911 might have fractionally more space, but while having the engine in the middle might deprive you of rear seats, there’s still enough room for two people to have a nice weekend away. ?
Driving on mountain roads does make you appreciate just how wide the Cayman is. There were certainly times when we longed for a more traditional, narrow, sports car, even if it would mean that you’d be sitting almost on top of your passenger. Still, no matter how wide or narrow your sports car, you’re always going to worry constantly about it, so the key is just to keep a watchful eye on other drivers and their nasty habit of driving to close to you.?
Declare yourself a driving god
Porsche makes it easy to look good in the Cayman. It’s an easy car to drive, especially in automatic mode. You get manual control, if you need it, but you might as well not bother. The automatic box is so quick, that it makes driving the car a stop and go affair. On a straight stretch of road, you bury the accelerator in the floor, and the car roars in to life.
There are three modes to choose from in a car with the PDK automatic, double-clutch gearbox. In standard, the car is fast, but it changes up quickly and the engine noise is suppressed. For most driving, this is how you probably want the car set up.
Switching to the “sport” mode changes things, with the car changing up later and making significantly more noise in to the bargain. This is still an easy enough mode to drive the car in, however, and while it’s fast, you’re still getting a lot of help from the car to keep it on the road.
If you’re on a track – or just fancy hearing your car enjoy itself – then “sport plus” is where it’s at. Here, the car doesn’t change up until its near the red on the rev range. With all of the modes, you can get to the top speed in sixth, with the seventh gear being provided for economy. If economy isn’t too laughable a word to use in conjunction with a sports car.
Of course, all of these modes really just make up for the fact that you’re driving an auto, rather than a manual. There is no trick this automatic box can pull off that you can’t with some driving experience. So it’s a tricky one. Certainly, saving ?2,000 is worth considering, especially if you invest the money in some Porsche driving days, to get the hang of your new car…
Performance
The Cayman is a little bit slower than both the Boxster S and the 911 Carrera, in both acceleration and ultimate top speed, but we really doubt you’ll notice. It is, very fast indeed. It’s also solid and feels rigid when you’re throwing it along country lanes or around French mountains.
With Sport+ engaged, you can make use of launch control too. Put your left foot on the brake, push the accelerator down fully, then release the brake and the car will propel you forward with the maximum speed it can muster. It’s handy for getting off the lights, but it’s probably more useful if you’re a fan of track days.
So, what happens when you put your foot down? Well, there’s noise and lots of it. The Cayman isn’t shy about yelling about how good it is. But it has the rasp of a 40-a-day smoker, it’s a metallic croak that seems too harsh at first, but then becomes something you want to hear as often as possible. Tunnels will become your very favourite place to be.
And in terms of comparison with the 911, the Cayman holds up well. It’s only a modest amount slower than Porsche’s flagship model – at least, the lower end of that range – but the money sayving is significant enough to make it worth considering.
Verdict:
There’s no doubt about it, the Porsche Cayman is a delight to drive. It’s properly bolted together. The cabin is a nice a place to be as any luxury car, and it’s comfortable too. Switches, buttons and controls all fall in to your hand, and the stereo/sat nav combination works better than many built-in systems.
The mid-engined nature of this car means you get less boot space than in a 911. There, you at least get the notion of a rear seat. And while you lose the “boot” that you find in the Cayman, you do get the under-bonnet capacity. Although, none of these cars are going to set the world alight with their ability to haul cargo.
What the Cayman does brilliantly though, is offer amazing performance for thousands of pounds less than a 911, and significantly bettering the handling of the convertible Boxster. But for a modest price increase. It’s bundles of fun, noisy and stylish and if you’ve got the cash to spare, it’s almost a no-brainier.
Normally, we wouldn’t struggle so much with the choice of auto or manual transmission. Annoyingly though, the Porsche double-clutch double-gearbox arrangement is so good, and so fast, that it muddies the water. Drivers who love driving will, almost certainly, want to go for the manual car.
Tags: Car And GPS Porsche Porsche Cayman S
Porsche Cayman S originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 15 May 2012 17:59:00 +0100
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Cisco Linksys X3000
One for basic users
We’re on the hunt for the best domestic router we can find. Why? Because routers play a huge part in your home these days, and too many of them are utter rubbish.
Cisco is one of the biggest names in networking hardware, and its name carries a gravitas that not many other consumer network brands have. That’s almost certainly why it’s slowly but surely phasing out the Linksys brand after buying the company some nine years ago.
But even so, these routers have little to do with Cisco hardware. They don’t have the same complexity – that’s a good thing – but they also don’t offer the same quality and that’s a price thing.
But is the X3000 the perfect router for your home?
Design
The X3000 is certainly a sleek and pretty little thing. It’s easily one of the smallest routers you can lay your hands on in the domestic market. On the front, there are lights that indicate what machines on your network are on, connected and using data. There’s also a WPS security button, for adding devices in a hassle-free way.
At the back, you’ll find the usual ports. There are four gigabit Ethernet sockets here, which is great news. Sadly, although most computers support Gigabit, it’s all too easy to get routers which don’t.
There is also a DSL socket, which is designed to connect straight to your phone line if you’re an ADSL subscriber. But if you’re a cable subscriber, then you’ll be using the socket marked “Ethernet” next to it, to connect to your cable company’s hardware. We’re using a Virgin Media single port cable modem, so the Linksys takes that signal and distributes it to our other computers, either wirelessly, or via the aforementioned Ethernet ports.
There is also a USB port here, which can be connected to a hard drive or memory stick, to act as a sort of mini fileserver, or NAS.
It’s quite interesting that, despite being a Wi-Fi router, there are no external antennas on the X3000. This helps it look amazing, but makes us wonder if there will be any negative effect on the wireless abilities.
Setup
Routers can be a pain to set up. You only need look at a proper bit of Cisco kit, the qualifications needed to operate it, and the salary you can earn from so doing to see that. Happily, the X3000 is aimed at normal people like us, so there are no great challenges.
Like all routers, there is a webpage configuration system that allows you to make various configuration changes. Depending on your network, you may need to get in here and make some changes, but many will be able to plug it in and go. ADSL subscribers may need to enter their username and password here, depending on what broadband provider they use.
The configuration options are simple, but like so many routers we’ve seen, it’s a bit slow and ponderous to navigate, and we can rarely work out where the option we’re looking for is located.
If you’re mainly a wireless user, then use the WPS function, which allows you to get devices on the network without remembering a password. Just hit the WPS button on the front of the router, and sign on with whichever device you want online. It’s all automatic, and very easy.
Our network is also a little more complex than most and we prefer to run it in the 192.168.0.X range. The X3000 comes set up for the 192.168.1.X instead, hardly a disaster, but if you’re slotting it in to an existing network, it does mean you’ll need to change that, and this is often where things can go wrong. If, for example, you turn off the DHCP server, there’s a chance you won’t be able to re-connect to the router. We did this, and although it’s annoying, there’s a reset switch that can get you back to the defaults.
Aside from that, setup is really no great trauma.
One extra we like is the ability to use the USB socket to host a hard drive or USB stick. Files on these devices can then be shared out on your network. This gives you a sort of simple NAS system for little or no extra cost. It won’t set the file storage world on fire, but for simple things it can be helpful.
Performance
We don’t have ADSL, so, unfortunately we can’t tell you about how the router performs on lines that use that technology. The beauty of the X3000, however, is that it can be used in addition to the router your ISP provides. So you may buy it to add to, rather than replace the hardware you already have.?
Copying files using the Gigagbit connection was very impressive. Normal transfers to our 100mbps network max-out at around 7-10MB/s. Moving data around the Gigabit network, we were seeing speeds that were four to five times faster. If you move a lot of large video files around, this is really very useful indeed.
In the time we used it, the Cisco never had any significant problems. We didn’t have any lock-ups or freezes and it didn’t need to be restarted at all. We’d expect this, but having been burnt by a D-Link that needed daily restarts, we’re not keen to revisit that type of networking.
We have encountered one problem, and it’s serious enough to give us concern. Since swapping out our DD-WRT router for this Cisco, we’ve had a lot of problems with Plex streaming video from our desktop to a laptop. Getting the computers to talk to each other seemed to take a long time – more than five minutes – and even when they were talking, we couldn’t get our previously fine Android app to find the player (our laptop). This is hardly likely to affect most people, but a hunt around the internet does show some other reports of trouble with this router “seeing” various devices on your network. If you’re an advanced user, it’s an issue to be mindful of.
And, the built-in, invisible Wi-Fi antennas might be good for style, but they do have a massive impact on the quality of the wireless signal. Since testing the X3000, we’ve moved on to another router from TP-Link that has three large external antennas. It’s an ugly beast in that regard, but we’re seeing much better wireless performance than with the X3000.
None of this render the Cisco unusable, but it does make us question the value of paying for this, over one of the other types of routers on the market.
Oh, and the Cisco can’t take DD-WRT either, and for us, having the ability to swap the OS for something with more options and great functionality is worth its weight in gold.
Verdict:
For undemanding users who want something fast at a sensible price, we think the Cisco Linksys X3000 will be a bit of a hit. It’s a simple enough router to set up, seems to have very good reliability. It also looks very good, and has a small footprint, especially if you nail it to a wall.
The problems allowing traffic around, and the Wi-Fi signal mean we’re not utterly in love with this. But undemanding users in small houses won’t have problems.
Tags: Routers Cisco Linksys Cisco Linksys X3000
Cisco Linksys X3000 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 18 May 2012 17:03:25 +0100
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