Source: http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/EVXhCg1-_fA/
Samantha Mathis Samantha Morton Grace Park Jill Wagner Susie Castillo
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Acer W4 mango smartphone specs revealed
Microsoft is hard at work on getting the Mango update to Windows Phone 7 ready for the prime time later this year. The company has been talking up a lot of the new partners that will be offering smartphones running Mango. Last week Microsoft announced that Acer, Fujitsu, and ZTE would all be producing Mango [...]
Apple promise iCloud, OS X Lion and iOS 5 at Steve Jobs WWDC keynote
Apple has confirmed that Steve Jobs will lead the WWDC 2011 keynote next Monday, June 6, with OS X Lion on the agenda, along with iOS 5 and the new iCloud, described as “Apple’s upcoming cloud services offering.” The news confirms long-standing rumors about the developer event. The exact nature of iCloud is currently unknown, [...]
Source: http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/CMQfwnyciJk/
Hilary Swank Whitney Port Minka Kelly Carol Grow Erika Christensen
Intel Ultrabook debuts: sub-$1k Sandy/Ivy Bridge ultraportables
Intel isn’t willing to let ARM grab all the ultraportable mindshare, and the chip behemoth has obviously decided that some judicious rebranding is what’s needed. At Computex 2011 day one, Intel announced its new Ultrabook segment, initially using second-gen Sandy Bridge Core processors (before graduating to�22nm�Ivy Bridge chips in early 2012)�in sub-0.8-inch thick chassis and [...]
Source: http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/6C5VTFxyNEM/
Leeann Tweeden Bali Rodriguez Izabella Miko Cameron Diaz Sofía Vergara
Call of Duty Elite: Will you pay the online multiplayer tax?
As the saying goes, you?ve got to pay to play. In a surprise move this morning Activision Blizzard Inc. revealed plans to launch a paid service dubbed Call of Duty Elite. The new service will launch in tandem with the November release of Modern Warfare 3 and looks to put our allegiance to the franchise ...
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricpig/~3/Ul4ESjrIaFs/
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Computex 2011: OCZ Z-Drive R4 88, Eight SF-2281 Controllers in RAID-0
OCZ's consumer accessible PCIe SSD line is the RevoDrive, but if you're an enterprise customer and want a custom configuration OCZ will build you a Z-Drive. To show you how far OCZ is willing to go, it announced a brand new Z-Drive at Computex: the R4 88.
Take eight SF-2281 controllers, put them all in a RAID-0 on a PCIe x8 card with an as-of-yet unknown controller and you've got the Z-Drive R4 88:
OCZ will be offering two types: the C Series and the R Series. The C Series has less over provisioning and lacks any polymer capacitors for power loss protection, while the R Series has more NAND set aside as spare area and comes equipped with some form of protection against sudden power loss.
OCZ had a 3U Colfax server with multiple Z-Drive R4 88s running an Iometer 4KB random read test, the end result was a single server that delivered more than 1 million IOPS. The drive is spec'd for up to 2.9GB/s reads and 2.7GB/s writes. Obviously as an 8-way RAID-0 there are reliability concerns and I'm not exactly sure the type of enterprise customer that would deploy such a thing, but it's a neat drive to look at nonetheless.
{gallery 1100}
Source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4383/computex-2011-ocz-zdrive-r4-88
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The Obama Edge
Yes, being the first black president probably helps: "Centrist voters and the ones who decide elections are still fundamentally rooting for the guy," [former New Hampshire Republican Party chairman Fergus] Cullen said. "People who don't view politics in ideological terms...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/andrewsullivan/rApM/~3/HlveEtzeRWA/the-obama-edge.html
Kelly Brook Robin Tunney Kate Groombridge Dania Ramirez Lucy Liu
ViewSonic outs ViewPad 7x Android tablet
During the Computex trade show in Taipei on Monday, ViewSonic officially took the wraps off of its ViewPad 7x Android tablet. We had heard mumblings of the device earlier this month, but now we know all of the ins and outs of the tablet: it runs Android 3.0.1 Honeycomb, is powered by a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, has HSPA+ connectivity, an HDMI-out port, rear and front facing cameras, and a 7-inch LED display with a 1024 x 600 resolution. We hope ViewSonic has plans to update the 7x to Google’s newer Android 3.1 operating system once it launches, but it’s not clear if that’s in the works right now. ViewSonic has not yet announced details on pricing or revealed
Source: http://www.bgr.com/2011/05/31/viewsonic-outs-viewpad-7x-android-tablet/
Natasha Bedingfield Audrina Patridge Simone Mütherthies Carrie Underwood Rosario Dawson
Destroy the Planet by Watering a Plant
That?s right, the winners of this year?s Rube Goldberg award created a machine that destroyed the world as we know it, just to water a plant. Every year, Geeks and Techies gather to compete in the Rube Goldberg awards, where the winner accomplishes a task using the most steps possible. (They must be applying for [...]
Source: http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/ipksE-C7JtQ/
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Equal In Death
Josh Marshall reflects on Memorial Day: No one death saves a country. But an army's collective willingness to risk death does. And in this sense every military death must be equal. Some deaths may be more picaresque or glorious in...
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/andrewsullivan/rApM/~3/B_5Uydps4tY/equal-in-death.html
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Ping 101: The Skype deal, Bill Gates & Fashion, Phishing on Facebook, Microsft Research
We did it! Well, actually YOU did it! Thanks to everybody who commented on Ping episode 100 and because of that great effort- we give stuff away on this episode! But before that, let's talk about some important Microsoft news:
Bill Gates makes a fashion statement
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A Look at the SoundLab
The Microsoft SoundLab is a group at Microsoft that supports our needs for sounds and sound effects, mostly for video games. They have handled most of the Microsoft Game Studio sounds, for games like Halo, Fable, and Forza. Mike Caviezel walks us through the SoundLab and talks about what it's like to create interesting noises for a living.
Source: http://channel9.msdn.com/Series/CampusTours/A-Look-at-the-SoundLab
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Monday, May 30, 2011
Small Form Factor Buyers? Guide
Last month our builder’s guide focused on nettops: low power, less capable, physically diminutive desktop computer systems. We included a non-nettop CPU (Intel Core i3) system as a substantially more capable but only slightly more power-hungry alternative to the nettops. This system and the mini-ITX small form factor (SFF) prompted a lot of reader interest in this typically underappreciated desktop computing segment. In response, this month we’re outlining myriad mini-ITX SFF systems—from basic office machines to powerful gaming rigs.
Source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4348/small-form-factor-buyers-guide
Virginie Ledoyen Lindsay Lohan Heidi Klum Vogue Charlize Theron
BlackBerry Monaco, Monza could be branded ?Volt?
We knew right when we exclusively revealed the BlackBerry Monaco and Monza back in January that the devices would likely shed the “Storm” moniker, and now it’s looking even more likely. BlackBerry enthusiast blog N4BB cites multiple sources in suggesting that RIM may have finally landed on a new brand for the full touchscreen smartphone it is preparing to launch later this year: “Volt.” The report is unsure at best however, suggesting that RIM might instead choose to slap the Torch brand on the Monaco 9850 and Monza 9860.�We took a hands-on look at the BlackBerry Monaco/Monza ? which features a 3.7-inch touchscreen, a 1.2GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera and NFC ? back in March. Read
Source: http://www.bgr.com/2011/05/28/blackberry-monaco-monza-could-be-branded-volt/
Uma Thurman Alice Dodd Kate Walsh Autumn Reeser Camilla Belle
Arqiva to shut down SeeSaw in a month
SeeSaw will be shut down if it isn't sold by June 30, 2011, as the owner Arqiva is no longer able to support it.
The service, which was launched in February 2010, "no longer fits with the strategic direction" of Arqiva. A spokesperson said that it was not very likely for SeeSaw to find a buyer.
A post on SeeSaw's official blog titled "Important News about SeeSaw", thanked all their supporters and informed them about the service's closure.
"As it will soon be goodbye from SeeSaw, we’d like to take this opportunity to say a big thanks for all your support, custom and loyalty over the last 16 months," it said.
It continued to say: "We’re a small team but we hope we’ve made a big difference and that you’ve had fun watching TV with us."
Arqiva is a partner in YouView, a BBC project, for video-on-demand.
Tell us on Twitter and Facebook if you were a SeeSaw user and your thoughts on the service. Follow us for more tech news as it comes in.
Via: The Independent
Posted by Devina Divecha
A5 MacBook Air, Nokia E6, Ecopad: US Update
It?s time to wrap up the work week with a tasty bit of tech news in your daily US Update. We?ve got the scoop on the 2011 MacBook Air, an update on Nokia E6 pre-orders, a tablet that never needs a charger and more. Let?s begin, shall we? Contrary to previous claims suggesting the 2011 ...
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/electricpig/~3/YJLYLPPc9fA/
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Samsung Galaxy S II breaks 1m sales record in Korea
Samsung has announced that it has broken the 1m sales barrier for the Galaxy S II in South Korea, the milestone taking just a month to do so. In contrast, the original Galaxy S took 70 days to reach the same sales figure, making the second-gen handset a record-breaker in its home country. In fact, [...]
Source: http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/qIsFBL6ohzg/
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Google I/O 2011: Chrome OS Highlights
We are at Google IO 2011 and the focus today is on the Chrome browser and new Chromebooks running the Chrome OS. Google's core focus has been the creation of a seamless web experience, and to that end they have their cloud network. Sundar Pichai, Senior VP of Chrome, mentioned there were 70 million active users of Chrome in 2010 and that more than doubled in 2011 with 160 million. With the success of their browser, the Chrome OS seems like a logical follow up. Here are the highlights of today's presentations.
Chrome Browser
Google is now adopting a six week release cycle in their software updates for Chrome, with the goal of providing users even better performance with HTML5 and WebGL support. Previous web animations that relied upon drawing on the web canvas and running on software are predicted to run almost 100x faster by using WebGL. Google is also focused on GPU acceleration within Chrome and a demo of the speed with animations clearly showed how 1000 objects easily were rendered. How much of this will carry over to Chrome OS isn't clear, but it would make sense to keep the browser and OS versions more or less in sync.
{gallery 1065}
Introducing the Chromebook
As if the world needed yet another name for a mobile laptop-like device, we now have Google's Chromebook to contend with. The core of a Chromebook is a standard laptop/netbook design, with the primary difference being the OS and applications. It's possible to go the DIY route and give Chromium OS a shot, but Google is partnering with Samsung and Acer initially to provided a more integrated and painless experience. We had a few moments to talk with Sundar and some of his key points were the design decisions associated with the architecture behind Chrome OS. Sundar said, "We wanted to create fundamentally the most out of the box experience with minimal user input to get started."
The initial Chromebook offerings will come in two flavors: WiFi only, or WiFi + 3G. These Chromebooks are not like a typical notebook computer, in that all of a user's photos, music, games, apps, and documents reside within Google's cloud. The default install includes Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Calendar, with other applications available via Google Apps. Chromebooks should be able to boot almost instantly, taking just eight seconds from power on to log in. They are always connected and have a battery that should last most of the day (Samsung is quoting 8 hours for their model while Acer targets a lower 6.5 hours of run-time), providing access to the web anywhere you need it. With regular updates, it has the potential to get better over time, and it's built with security in mind.
Samsung and Acer will be the initial two notebook providers, and Verizon will be the wireless provider within the US. The program stems from the original CR-48 pilot, and now Google has taken all that rich user feedback and ramped things up for the retail product.
The idea of a computer getting better over time is almost a foreign concept in our modern computer world. We tend to see performance degradation as apps are installed, drivers get updated, the OS adds new features and bloat, and a slew of other problematic hurdles. The goal is for Chromebooks to take care of all this behind the scenes, automatically delivering the most recent version directly to your laptop. How that ends up playing out and how long the initial hardware will continue to receive updates isn't clear yet, but we would expect something similar to the current state of Android smartphones as the bare minimum (without the need to have your carrier push out OS updates).
Availability and Pricing for Chromebooks
The release date for Chromebooks is June 15 in the US, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and Italy. We hope to see more countries added to the list in the latter part of 2011. Amazon and Best Buy are on board as resellers for the Samsung and Acer models. Samsung's Series 5 Chromebooks are slated to start at $429 for the WiFi only model and $499 for WiFi + 3G, and they'll be available in black or white at launch. The Acer models will start at $349 for the base model, with 3G versions also available. The current models use Intel's Atom Pine Trail platform, with dual-core N570 processors, and 16GB of mSATA flash storage. Samsung is going with a 1280x800 LCD while Acer will have 1366x768 panels. You can see additional images and specification details on the Amazon Chromebook page.
Google is also making a heavy push towards the corporate world by targeting a cost effective model. Businesses are targeted with a competitive $28/user monthly subscription rate, and educational institutions and government clients start at $20/user monthly.
Chromebooks for business will deploy a web console, support, warranty and replacements, and hardware auto-updates. IT admins will be empowered with a robust configuration panel that will allow adding of users, apps, and granular control over policies and other access control lists. If all of this sounds like something you might find useful, you can read more at Google's Chromebook site.
Chrome Web Store
One final item to mention is in relation to the Chrome web store. Google announced a new 5% fee for web store applications, which could be a big boon to developers. There are no fixed, monthly, signup, or licensing fees. Developers are encouraged to deploy more applications and Google will help cater to their needs by expanding the Chrome web store and branching out to 41 languages.
Google demonstrated the popular game Angry Birds running within Chrome's browser, and it includes a special Chrome level for your enjoyment. It is available starting today. Whether we'll see more interesting gaming content (and just how far they can push the anemic GMA 3150 GPU in Pine Trail) remains to be seen.
Source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4331/google-io-2011-chrome-os-highlights
Jamie Chung Alicia Witt Radha Mitchell Melissa Rycroft Chloë Sevigny
Apple?s ?iCloud? music service gets detailed
Apple is expected to finally unveil its cloud-based music service next month at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco. Unlike similar products recently introduced by Google and Amazon that feature limited utility, Apple is thought to have deals in place with major record labels that will allow it to offer a paid service and a simplified library building process. The service has been rumored to be in development for years, and now Bloomberg Businessweek has supposedly spilled the beans, detailing exactly how the offering will work. Citing anonymous sources who were briefed on Apple’s talks with record labels, Apple’s cloud music service will constantly scan a user’s iTunes library and mirror the songs on Apple servers. The user
Source: http://www.bgr.com/2011/05/27/apples-icloud-music-service-gets-detailed/
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AppFabric.tv - Troubleshooting WCF Performance (Part 1)
Dustin Metzgar works on our performance team and recently wrote a very cool blog post about a performance problem he was troubleshooting with WCF. In this episode, Dustin shares the problem and solution, as well as the tools and techniques he uses to figure these types of things out.
Ron Jacobs
http://blogs.msdn.com/rjacobs
Twitter: @ronljacobs http://twitter.com/ronljacobs
Source: http://channel9.msdn.com/Shows/AppFabric-tv/AppFabrictv-Troubleshooting-WCF-Performance-Part-1
Charli Baltimore Denise Richards Jennifer Sky Samantha Mathis Samantha Morton
Quad-core tablet gaming: new Nvidia Kal-El demo
Nvidia is set to wow the crowds at Computex 2011 this week, with the latest demos of its new mobile quad-core 'Kal-El' chip showing off the real-time dynamic lighting possibilities the tech will open up to mobile games and app developers.
Kal-El (named after the young Superman) is the next-gen Tegra processor from Nvidia, which brings together four CPU cores with 12 GPU cores.
Nvidia first previewed the quad-core Tegra 3 tech back at Mobile World Congress in February earlier this year.
Kal-El powered mobile gaming
The first demo from Nvidia is a game called Glowball, shown running on a Kal-El powered Android Honeycomb tablet.
The game concept itself is fairly basic and generic ? use the tablet's accelerometer to guide a glowing ball around an on-screen zone to hit trigger points and progress to the next level. But it's the graphical prowess of the demo that really impresses.
After you have seen the lighting effects shown off in this Kal-El demo, then you may well begin to reconsider your desire to buy a Tegra 2 Android Honeycomb tablet over the next six month, and hang fire until you can get hold of a Kal-El powered tablet at a slightly later date.
The Nvidia demo also allows the user to shut off two of the CPU cores, which immediately shows the user the difference in graphical power and capability of Kal-El when compared with current Tegra 2 tech.
Kal-El will also allow support for 1440p video playback on tablets, which is considerably higher than most current HDTVs in our homes.
Expect to see the first batch of Kal-El tablets later in 2011, with further news expected from Nvidia at Computex throughtout the forthcoming week.
We also look forward to hearing more about games developers' initial thoughts and plans for mobile gaming making use of the speed-improvements that are on the way due to Kal-El.
 |  |
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~3/guKG8o3vm9Q/story01.htm
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AMD ?Desna? Chips For Tablets? Roadmap Leaked
Early last month we talked about AMD possibly heading into the tablet market, with announcements brewing up as Computex 2011 approaches. Well, it looks to be the case now that a massive multi-page company roadmap for AMD has been leaked. Currently, the company has its C-30 and C-50 chips aimed at the notebooks market that [...]
Source: http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/71fv8vWelpQ/
Nikki Reed Natasha Bedingfield Audrina Patridge Simone Mütherthies Carrie Underwood
Arqiva to shut down SeeSaw in a month
SeeSaw will be shut down if it isn't sold by June 30, 2011, as the owner Arqiva is no longer able to support it.
The service, which was launched in February 2010, "no longer fits with the strategic direction" of Arqiva. A spokesperson said that it was not very likely for SeeSaw to find a buyer.
A post on SeeSaw's official blog titled "Important News about SeeSaw", thanked all their supporters and informed them about the service's closure.
"As it will soon be goodbye from SeeSaw, we’d like to take this opportunity to say a big thanks for all your support, custom and loyalty over the last 16 months," it said.
It continued to say: "We’re a small team but we hope we’ve made a big difference and that you’ve had fun watching TV with us."
Arqiva is a partner in YouView, a BBC project, for video-on-demand.
Tell us on Twitter and Facebook if you were a SeeSaw user and your thoughts on the service. Follow us for more tech news as it comes in.
Via: The Independent
Posted by Devina Divecha
Gisele Bündchen Jennifer Aniston Amy Cobb Deanna Russo Cheryl Burke
Sony DSC-TX10 review
Behind a protective slide-open-and-shoot lens cover, the Sony DSC-TX10 hides a folded 4x optical zoom, plus back-lit CMOS sensor delivering 16 megapixel stills and Full HD video.
More unexpectedly given its slender 17.9mm depth is the fact that the TX10, like the preceding TX5 (read our review here), is a toughened compact. It’s waterproofed to depths of 16ft (5 metres), dust proof, freeze proof to -10°C plus shock proofed against drops from 1.5 metres in height.
With both 3D Sweep Panorama mode and a new 3D stills option, plus stereo sound and large 3-inch touch panel, the only thing missing is possibly GPS.
Given the Swiss Army Knife-style spec, the TX10 commands something of a price premium, and £300 is high for what, beneath the gimmicks, is purely an auto everything point and shooter. If a reliable one at that.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX10 Controls
You can count the TX10’s physical controls on one hand. Yes, there are five: an elongated shutter release button ad on/off button. Over at the far edge is a tiny joystick for toggling through the zoom range, whilst dedicated playback and video record buttons are located on the back.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX10 Screen
Taking up the entirety of the backplate, the TX10’s LCD screen is three inches in size, widescreen of ratio and boasts an impressive 921,600-dot resolution. Just as well, as Sony has chosen to make the TX10 a (largely) touch screen model and so it’s via finger jabs and swipes that most of the camera’s business is done.
Black bands crop the left and right and sides of the screen when taking still images in regular 4:3 ratio, and are dropped when video recording cuts in, the image expanding to fill the available 16:9 widescreen ratio screen. We’d have preferred some of the operational icons a little larger and visibility still suffers in strong sunlight, but at least each inquisitive prod meets a nigh instant response.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX10 Speed
Slide open the lens cover that makes up the upper half of the TX10’s faceplate, and you can be taking a picture with it as soon as an image appears on the back screen, which is exactly the sort of fuss-free responsiveness any of us want from a point and shoot. The zoom moves through the entirety of its range in two to three seconds, the camera taking only a moment to determine focus and exposure. Shots are committed to Memory Stick or SD card in a further 2-3 seconds, which is par for the course for its class.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX10 Battery
The TX10’s lithium battery is charged within the camera, with a mains adapter, plug and USB lead provided in lieu of a standalone charger. This means that even if you buy a spare battery, the camera will be tied up each time it needs recharging. Battery life is good for 250 pictures from a full charge, which is so-so.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX10 Pictures and video
Still images are bold and vibrant when there’s plenty of sun around, exposures for the most part even, though we did notice a little edge softness when shooting at maximum 25mm wide angle. If camera shake was occasionally a problem – there’s no decent grip here we were impressed with the Sony’s noise free response at the upper echelons of its ISO range.
As well as 16-megapixel stills, the TX10 is capable of recording Full HD video, saved in AVCHD format that, while fine for replaying on the High Def TV, some older PCS and non Intel Macs struggle with. Nevertheless, the zoom can be used when shooting video and its nigh silent operation, when coupled with stereo sound is a real boon, as is the fact that a dedicated record button features.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX10 Verdict
This is a ‘toughened’ model that neither resembles what we’ve come to imagine a camera of that ilk to be, nor handles like one. It’s therefore best viewed as a stylish snapshot that won’t get grumpy if it’s occasionally left out in the rain, rather than a tool for extreme sports enthusiasts to record bone-crunching stunts.
Sony DSC-TX10 price: £240-£320 online
Sony DSC-TX10 launch date: Out now, link Sony
Posted by Gavin Stoker
Lauren Conrad Arielle Kebbel Jessica Paré Leelee Sobieski Teri Hatcher
Sunday, May 29, 2011
iOS 5 To Revamp Notifications And Introduce Widgets
Apple’s WWDC event next month is sure to bring many big announcements. Despite the swirling of rumors about all kinds of revelations to come, the only area that seems pretty dead set is firmware developments rather than hardware. The speculated iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 most likely won’t be making an appearance. But, a demo [...]
Source: http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/I1MxRwQFPI0/
Kasey Chambers Megan Ewing Kristanna Loken Aubrey ODay Drew Barrymore
Buying Guide: 5 best replacement iPhone and iPod earphones
Apple called the iPhone "the best iPod we've ever made" when it was launched, and while you'll hear no argument from us, it's nevertheless ironic that the company that has so completely reinvented the music industry ships headphones with its iPods, iPhones and iPads that are mediocre at best.
You're really not letting your music shine if you stick with Apple's standard white earbuds, and their leaky sound is likely to turn fellow passengers on public transport against you.
In this group test, we've selected five 'step up' earphones - models that you should consider if you want to get more from the music, movies and podcasts on your device. Even better: we've selected those that aren't especially expensive.
Whether you've received an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch for Christmas, your notoriously delicate white Apple buds have broken for the umpteenth time, or maybe you just want to upgrade your sound, we'll tell you which of these five sets is right for you.
We've lived with these headphones for weeks, playing a huge range of music at different bitrates - including lossless - and when we came to grade the audio performance, we sat down in a quiet room with a carefully selected playlist of eight tracks, each representing a particular musical genre or demonstrating a specific audio characteristic, such as stereo separation.
In testing their abilities as handsfree kits, we set up a controlled environment with loud ambient white noise - a stereo playback of a stream and some other nature noises - and made several calls over a normal phone line for the most useful real-world testing scenario.
So join us: ditch your buds and step up to one of these sets. Your albums deserve it!
How we selected?
While we set a rough budget, the selection here was more about picking headphones that offered a significant step up in quality.
One note: the Apple headphones in this group test are not the ones that come in the box and are �26 on the Apple Store; they're the fancier, dual-driver models.
Apple In-Ear Headphones - �44
Denon AH-C260R - �37
Etymotic mc3 - �70
Sennheiser MM 70i - �55
Shure SE115m+ - �83
Test one: Playing music
Predictably, the most expensive headphones here gave the best results when judged on audio quality alone.
Shure defaults to fitting its headphones with slightly unusual foam earbuds. They make putting them on a bit of a palaver - you have to roll the foam between your fingers to compress it before holding them in place in your ears to let the foam expand - but it's worth it.
The foam provides excellent sound isolation, blocking out most ambient sound, and letting the gorgeous audio shine. Bass is powerful and dense, but it doesn't overwhelm the mid or treble, and vocals float right on top of the instruments.
Listening to layered, complex tracks is a joy because you can shift your attention easily to listen to each part of the track. Truly, these are stellar earphones, and genuinely not overpriced at �83.
You don't, however, have to spend that kind of cash to get good audio. Even Apple's In-Ear Heaphones, almost half the price of the model from Shure, really impressed us. Different parts of a track - different frequencies in the audio - aren't as crisply defined as with the Shures, but they still deliver rich sound that's a significant step up from the white earbuds that Apple supplies with its devices. The bass is a little muffled and the treble a little tinny, but for �44, they're great value.
The same, however, can't be said for Denon's AH-C260R; despite being initially impressed when we first plugged them in and just used them casually, when we sat down to really concentrate on the audio, it became clear that �37 wasn't buying you an awful lot.
They're not actively bad, and if you were to ditch your bundled buds for these, you'd be blown away (at least initially) by the huge, bombastic bass - but that's pretty much all they're good for. Frequencies are a little muddled and the treble feels unpleasantly sharp; great, then, for dance or R&B, but not for much else.
We were happier with the Sennheisers. Though we were wary of their cables' flimsiness, they actually belted out some terrific sound; very loud, with a lovely warm, saturated tone that made acoustic, vocal-heavy tracks sound wonderful. Note, however, that what Sennheiser has apparently done here is to trade fidelity for impact; our familiar test music sounded great, but not quite as it should. Instead, it was as if someone had applied a fresh coat of varnish to an old master; sure, the colours are more vibrant, but it's not what it's 'supposed' to look like.
Etymotic's mc3s are quite the opposite. While to some ears the sound they produce is a little clinical, they are actually exceptionally good at reproducing music. This kind of dispassionate, efficient playback might not be to everyone's taste, but we love it, and when we came to grab a set from the five draped on the desk, we found ourselves reaching for Etymotic's earphones time and again.
Results
Apple In-Ear Headphones - 4/5
Denon AH-C260R - 3/5
Etymotic mc3 - 4/5
Sennheiser MM 70i - 4/5
Shure SE115m+ - 5/5
Test two: Making calls
All sets have a microphone built into the little in-line remote, so they can be used as handsfree kits to make and receive calls, and, on devices that support it, interact with the phone using Voice Control.
A black mark immediately against the model from Denon, then, since positioning the mic/remote where the left and right earphones meet - below your sternum - means that it can't be used hands-free at all; you have to hold the mic up to your mouth.
The very best results were from Etymotic's mc3s; our voice was picked up clearly - even having a decent stab at isolating it from ambient noise - and, unlike with the Shures' very snug foam earbuds, the nature of the seal didn't mean that your own voice echoes around your head. There were no strong disappointments.
Results
Apple In-Ear Headphones - 4/5
Denon AH-C260R - 3/5
Etymotic mc3 - 5/5
Sennheiser MM 70i - 3/5
Shure SE115m+ - 4/5
Test three: Design and features
Sometimes, it's the simplest things that remind us why we love Apple's industrial design.
Take, for example, the case in which you can store your Apple In-Ear Headphones; it looks simple enough - a two-part plastic triangle with soft, rounded corners - but it's almost irritatingly well designed. Slot the headphones into the middle and begin to wrap the cable around the perimeter, and you'll notice that bumps on the cable - the mic/remote, the bit where the two cables join - always fall along one of the edges of the triangular case, and never try to fold around the corners.
Apple's discreet remote is also the best of the bunch - the huge carbuncle on the Shures' cable is ungainly, and it's actually surprisingly hard to differentiate the buttons by touch alone. Most of the others just include a pouch or case into which you can loosely coil the cables.
Sennheiser at least includes a rubbery thing you're supposed to wrap the cables around, but for the life of us we can't figure out how it's supposed to work; it's like one of those Christmas cracker puzzles. (Sennheiser, by the way, is the only manufacturer here to opt for asymmetrical cables, where you insert the earbud with the shorter cable into your left ear and bring the longer right cable around the back of your neck. Whether or not you like this system is very much a matter of taste.)
Denon gets a smack on the wrists for positioning its remote so low down on the cable. Not only does this mean that you have to bother to bring it up to your mouth if you want to use the mic - it will pick up sound when dangling, but not well enough for your caller - but if you're in the habit of threading the cable neatly under your clothes, the remote buttons will be covered up.
The models from Denon and Sennheiser have worryingly slim cables; treat with care. As well as a range of excellent eartips in the Etymotics' box, you can have custommoulded earbuds made.
Results
Apple In-Ear Headphones - 5/5
Denon AH-C260R - 2/5
Etymotic mc3 - 4/5
Sennheiser MM 70i - 4/5
Shure SE115m+ - 4/5
And the winner is... Etymotic mc3 �70
With this group test, happily, our job is pretty easy. The decision on which set to buy comes mostly down to how much money you have to spend.
If you're feeling flush, then Shure's SE115m+ set is unmatched here if you're judging on straight music playback alone. There's something that happens when you get towards the �100 mark that makes expensive headphones sound not just better than their cheaper brethren, but actively different to them. You begin to listen to old favourite tracks in a new way, and discover subtleties - even entirely new instruments - in albums you thought you knew inside-out.
The problem with the Shures, however, is that they're not especially good at the other stuff; the big remote is ungainly, and the foam earbuds, so great for music, mean your voice echoes distractingly inside your head when using it as a handsfree kit.
If, on the other hand, your budget is stretched, Apple's own In-Ear Headphones are actually a terrific step up from the white earbuds that come bundled with iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. They're great value, sound genuinely accomplished, and are without doubt the best designed earphones in this group test.
It's not just that they look smart - and, for hardcore Apple fans, that they mean you can still have white Apple earbuds discreetly announcing your brand loyalty - but that even such a simple thing as the case shows Apple's astonishing attention to detail. These earphones are so good that they've replaced Sennheiser's MM50 iP earphones in the Tap! Top 10.
Ultimately, though, the best balance of price and overall performance here comes from Etymotic. Again: these are not the headphones for you if you love thumping great gouts of meaty bass, but if your taste is more refined, the mc3s are absolutely superb.
It's not just in playback that they impress, however; they're great for making/taking handsfree calls, and the standard 'mini Christmas tree'-style tips mean that they fit snugly and comfortably in your ears. Even if you wear them when running, you're unlikely to dislodge them.
Plus, if you want to boost the fit even more - and so improve sound by creating an even better seal - you can opt to have custom moulds made for your ears.
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Samsung UE40D6530 review
Samsung’s UE40D6530 LED TV may be positioned beneath the brand’s top of the line Series 7 and 8 models like the Samsung UE55D8000, but it’s an enticing proposition for budget-watchers who want a designer 40in telly with net connected smarts.
Check out our Samsung UE40D6530 pictures
Samsung UE40D6530: Build and features
The 40UED6530 is certainly easy on the eye. With its crystal neck pedestal, ultra-slim panel (just 29.9mm deep) and transparent edging, it’s artful without being crass.
Connectivity is generous. The back-panel jack pack offers four HDMI inputs, a PC input, SCART and component (via adaptors) and a digital audio optical output. You also get three USB inputs, Ethernet LAN and a CI (Common Interface). Wi-Fi is integrated – so there’s no need to buy a separate dongle.
Getting this screen online should be your first priority. Samsung’s Smart Hub apps and VOD portal is a must-visit destination. It’s from here you’ll be able to access the BBC iPlayer and YouTube, log into your LoveFilm account or rent movies à la carte from Acetrax. Samsung’s app store is also overflowing with casual games and infotainment. You can log onto your Facebook and Twitter accounts too, but neither has been integrated into the TV environment. Work to do there, we think.
Media playback from USB is solid; all our test files played (AVI, MOV, MKV etc). However, streaming from a NAS across our test network, MKV support went AWOL.
Samsung UE40D6530: 2D picture quality
2D hi-def on this set is a knockout. A key characteristic of the picture is its absolute lack of noise. Images have an almost photographic smoothness. The set’s black level is also good, delivering fabulous dynamics with ample shadow detail. HD footage from Blu-ray looks divine (we tested with Tron: Legacy and Chico & Rita) and the set’s own Freeview HD channels similarly impress.
Motion clarity is terrific. Samsung’s proprietary fast framerate technology, Motion Plus, guarantees 1080 lines of resolution. This is a good news for sports fans. There are several Motion Plus presets provided, but the one you want is Clear – all the others create obvious motion artefacts. Alternatively, select the Custom setting and take Judder reduction down to 0. This ensures you get maximum moving resolution without artefacts.
Samsung UE40D6530: 3D picture quality and audio
While the UE40D6530 wows with 2D, its three dimensional talents are more routine. 3D images suffer from crosstalk double imaging. The screen offers controls to combat this, in the form of 3D Perspective and 3D Optimisation sliders, but neither resolve the problem, they merely shift the ghosting effect to and from the screen plane.
Samsung doesn’t include any 3D spex in the box. A pair of Samsung Active Shutter glasses will cost you an additional £50. Naturally the TV will convert 2D sources to faux 3D, and with certain HD material this can be quite effective. However, the novelty doesn’t last, especially when this set’s 2D image performance is so strong.
Audio performance is fine, given the physical constraints imposed by the super-slim chassis. Samsung quotes a stereo power output of 2x15W (which seems a little optimistic) but SRS TruSurround HD processing is on hand to plump and widen the soundstage.
Overall, we really like the UE40D6530. The quality of its silky, 2D images and the head-turning design are surely reason enough to buy. And while we can take or leave its 3D performance, the brand’s compelling Smart Hub VOD and apps portal is more than enough to seal the deal.
Samsung UE40D6530 launch date: Out now link Samsung
Samsung UE40D6530 price: £850-£1099 online
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Posted by Steve May
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Man constructs homebuilt airplane in basement, knocks down wall to get it out
Undoubtedly, some of you will think that building your own airplane is the weird part of this story. There are actually a large number of people that want to get into the private pilot game, but can?t afford the hundreds of thousands of dollars that commercially built private aircraft sell for. For these folks there [...]
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Review: Panasonic TX-P42GT30B
The GT30 range is Panasonic's secret weapon in its continuing war with 3D LED TV vendors. The Panasonic TX-P42GT30B is more affordable than the brand's headline VT30 models yet shares much the same technology, this set oozes enticing functionality.
With both Freeview HD and Freesat HD (DVB-S/S2) tuners, it takes just 17 seconds to tune in the standard Freesat channel assortment.
More adventurous viewers can journey outside this environment by selecting the TV's 'Other Satellite' tuning menu. From here you can tune via other presets selecting from Astra2/Eurobird, Astra 1, Hot Bird or 'Any Satellite' and filtering FTA or pay channels.
We opted to tune in the free stuff on Astra2/Eurobird. This took about 18 minutes but garnered 329 FTA TV channels and 80 radio stations. The downside is that there's no EPG data to accompany this. You can only select as many or as few as you want and shunt them into a scrollable channel listing.
The set also provides a manual tuning option, wherein you can specify frequency, polarisation and symbol rate. DiSEqC, however, isn't supported.
Net gain
A wide range of network functionality includes Panasonic's new online VIERA Connect IPTV portal with access to the BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Daily Motion, Ustream, Daily Motion, Shoutcast, Skype and Picasa and others. There are also social media apps for Facebook or Twitter, plus a growing selection of games within its apps market.
Alternatively, you can stream media across your own home network from PC or NAS and access content from the brand's 2011 DIGA DVD and Blu-ray recorders.
File compatibility is generous. There's network streaming support for AVC HD, AVIs and MKV-wrapped content, as well as MP3, AAC and WMA music files.
High-end picture performance
2D picture quality is excellent. Black levels are profound and colour reproduction is bold yet believable. We also noted that the 3D crosstalk that was evident on last year's models has all but vanished from this season's screens.
The TX-P42GT30 exhibits next to no double-imaging, even on 3D Blu-rays with known problem sequences. Still, we must confess to being slightly confounded by Panasonic's decision not to bundle any 3D glasses with the set (its active shutter specs cost around �110).
If you're after a cheap PVR option the set allows you to timeshift and record onto a USB-connected hard drive. Having a single tuner brings obvious recording restrictions ? once you've started to record one programme you can't switch to another ? but the system works well enough.
Verdict
Overall, this 42-inch screen is extremely impressive from both a feature and picture perspective. If you're looking for a 'smart' 3D TV with superior performance it is definitely one to shortlist.
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HTC Sensation review
HTC has introduced some terrific handsets this year including the HTC Incredible S and the HTC Desire S, but although we’ve applauded them for their build and features. But against stiff competition, we've been waiting for a HTC handset to blow. With a dual-core processor and revamped interface, is the HTC Sensation the phone to do that?
HTC Sensation video: 10 things
Source: T3 Tech Videos
HTC Sensation: Controls
From the front it follows the same unimaginative build of other dual-core Android handsets including the Motorola Atrix and LG Optimus 2X. But turn it over and it’s classic HTC, this time with striking three-tone aluminium back. It feels incredibly well built and solid, certainly what you’d expect from HTC and of a premium product. The metal is a world away from the cheap plastic back of the Samsung Galaxy S2.
Connections include micro USB for charging and a 3.5mm jack. You also get DLNA for wireless streaming, Bluetooth 3.0 and can use your phone for tethering. Storage comprised of 1GB internal and Vodafone bundles an 8GB card. Instead of a dedicated HDMI, to hook the phone up to HD TV you need to invest the HTC Sensation MHL Cable (£27.99).
HTC Sensation: Android and HTC Sense
Press the power button and the phone launches within seconds. The HTC Sensation runs Android 2.3.3 out of the box, what will make HTC fans excited is the latest version of HTC Sense V 3.0 looks very different. The homescreens are now 3D and you can (finally) flick 360 degrees through. Flick through quickly and the carousel minimises. It’s a little tweak but feels more intuitive, as well as looking slicker.
The lock screen is active now; launch an application by dragging the icon onto the circular lock icon. By default it’s Phone, Mail, Camera and Messages, but you can choose four of your own favourites. Elsewhere HTC has updated the weather widget; you get a cool 3D effect of rain coming towards you.
While we love HTC Sense, there are some aspects that still niggle. Creating folders is still harder than it should be; you need to create one first them drag content into it. We much prefer the implementation on the Sony Ericsson Neo.
HTC Sensation: Screen
At 4.3-inches the screen is a great size and HTC has boosted the resolution of the Sensation to 960x540, matching the Atrix. It’s bright and sharp, and movies look fantastic.
Whites can’t quite match the purity of the iPhone 4’s retina display and blacks don’t reach the inkiness of the AMOLED screen on the Samsung Galaxy S2. Whites are ever so slightly pink and off-angle viewing isn’t as good. Although we should point out the screen is still great and will be fine for most people, but not class-leading.
A neat design tweak is the glass. Here it’s slightly set back, so when you put the phone face down the glass doesn’t get damaged.
HTC Sensation: Performance
At the heart of the HTC Sensation sits a 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor with 768MB RAM. It’s the first dual-core handset to arrive in the UK and makes a huge difference to the phones performance.
Everything feels quicker zooming in and out of web pages is lighting quick, as is scroll up and down web pages. You can play back HD movies and stream movies without a stutter, downloading is quick too.
As with other HTC handsets the text wraps automatically. Flash support is native, so you can easily play videos. The quick look-up tool is new; tap this to access You Tube quickly.
HTC Sensation: Multimedia
Photos and videos are accessed via Albums, where they are displayed as piles, which you click to reveal thumbnails; unfortunately you don’t get the timeline of the Sony Ericsson Neo. From here you can quickly share them via social networking websites, email or Bluetooth.
DLNA lets your share music, pictures and movies. The native player is Connected Media, but we couldn’t get this to work, so we installed the Twonky Media app and could easily share to our PlayStation 3.
When viewing movies tap SRS enhancement to add virtual surround sound effects, it makes a huge difference, creating a much more immersive experience. A new feature is HTC Watch, which you can use for streaming movies. There's a decent selection of titles, although they are not brand you, you're looking at around £2.50 to rent a top title.
Music through the speakers is fairly loud, plug in some headphones and you can access settings include Pop, Rock and Bass booster.
HTC Sensation: Camera
The Sensation has two cameras. A front-facing VGA camera for video calls and a rear 8-megapixel offering. The rear camera is OK, but not as good as the Galaxy S2. Colours are generally natural, if a little pale, but fine detail can appear too soft, like many cameraphones it's at it's best in bright sunlight. Be careful with the white balance presets, while Auto produces natural results, some of the others can produce oversaturated results.
Capture HD video and 1080p and 720p,it isn't as sharp as we'd like, with some artefact blocking, but it's a lot better than many HTC phones we've seen recently. At 1080p in motion is smooth and fairly sharp at the edges, if lacking fine detail. In summary, not bad, but we've seen better. Video editing is limited to trimming tracks, so is best viewed as editing for web upload rather than creating masterpieces.
HTC Sensation: Verdict
In many ways the HTC Sensation is outstanding. The metal build is exactly what we expect from a smartphone of this calibre. Performance is exceptionally good, loading programs quickly, ensuring the phone never feels slow. HTC Sense is great too; sure there are a few things we'd like to see included, but the more efficient UI is still the best on an Android handset. Our main criticism is the screen, which is good, but not as good as the Samsung Galaxy S II. But to be rated as almost the best Android handset on the market is no bad thing.
HTC Sensation launch date: Out now on Vodafone
HTC Sensation price: Free on £35 plans, or £199 on a £25 month plan
Posted by Hannah Bouckley
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Buying Guide: 5 best replacement iPhone and iPod earphones
Apple called the iPhone "the best iPod we've ever made" when it was launched, and while you'll hear no argument from us, it's nevertheless ironic that the company that has so completely reinvented the music industry ships headphones with its iPods, iPhones and iPads that are mediocre at best.
You're really not letting your music shine if you stick with Apple's standard white earbuds, and their leaky sound is likely to turn fellow passengers on public transport against you.
In this group test, we've selected five 'step up' earphones - models that you should consider if you want to get more from the music, movies and podcasts on your device. Even better: we've selected those that aren't especially expensive.
Whether you've received an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch for Christmas, your notoriously delicate white Apple buds have broken for the umpteenth time, or maybe you just want to upgrade your sound, we'll tell you which of these five sets is right for you.
We've lived with these headphones for weeks, playing a huge range of music at different bitrates - including lossless - and when we came to grade the audio performance, we sat down in a quiet room with a carefully selected playlist of eight tracks, each representing a particular musical genre or demonstrating a specific audio characteristic, such as stereo separation.
In testing their abilities as handsfree kits, we set up a controlled environment with loud ambient white noise - a stereo playback of a stream and some other nature noises - and made several calls over a normal phone line for the most useful real-world testing scenario.
So join us: ditch your buds and step up to one of these sets. Your albums deserve it!
How we selected?
While we set a rough budget, the selection here was more about picking headphones that offered a significant step up in quality.
One note: the Apple headphones in this group test are not the ones that come in the box and are �26 on the Apple Store; they're the fancier, dual-driver models.
Apple In-Ear Headphones - �44
Denon AH-C260R - �37
Etymotic mc3 - �70
Sennheiser MM 70i - �55
Shure SE115m+ - �83
Test one: Playing music
Predictably, the most expensive headphones here gave the best results when judged on audio quality alone.
Shure defaults to fitting its headphones with slightly unusual foam earbuds. They make putting them on a bit of a palaver - you have to roll the foam between your fingers to compress it before holding them in place in your ears to let the foam expand - but it's worth it.
The foam provides excellent sound isolation, blocking out most ambient sound, and letting the gorgeous audio shine. Bass is powerful and dense, but it doesn't overwhelm the mid or treble, and vocals float right on top of the instruments.
Listening to layered, complex tracks is a joy because you can shift your attention easily to listen to each part of the track. Truly, these are stellar earphones, and genuinely not overpriced at �83.
You don't, however, have to spend that kind of cash to get good audio. Even Apple's In-Ear Heaphones, almost half the price of the model from Shure, really impressed us. Different parts of a track - different frequencies in the audio - aren't as crisply defined as with the Shures, but they still deliver rich sound that's a significant step up from the white earbuds that Apple supplies with its devices. The bass is a little muffled and the treble a little tinny, but for �44, they're great value.
The same, however, can't be said for Denon's AH-C260R; despite being initially impressed when we first plugged them in and just used them casually, when we sat down to really concentrate on the audio, it became clear that �37 wasn't buying you an awful lot.
They're not actively bad, and if you were to ditch your bundled buds for these, you'd be blown away (at least initially) by the huge, bombastic bass - but that's pretty much all they're good for. Frequencies are a little muddled and the treble feels unpleasantly sharp; great, then, for dance or R&B, but not for much else.
We were happier with the Sennheisers. Though we were wary of their cables' flimsiness, they actually belted out some terrific sound; very loud, with a lovely warm, saturated tone that made acoustic, vocal-heavy tracks sound wonderful. Note, however, that what Sennheiser has apparently done here is to trade fidelity for impact; our familiar test music sounded great, but not quite as it should. Instead, it was as if someone had applied a fresh coat of varnish to an old master; sure, the colours are more vibrant, but it's not what it's 'supposed' to look like.
Etymotic's mc3s are quite the opposite. While to some ears the sound they produce is a little clinical, they are actually exceptionally good at reproducing music. This kind of dispassionate, efficient playback might not be to everyone's taste, but we love it, and when we came to grab a set from the five draped on the desk, we found ourselves reaching for Etymotic's earphones time and again.
Results
Apple In-Ear Headphones - 4/5
Denon AH-C260R - 3/5
Etymotic mc3 - 4/5
Sennheiser MM 70i - 4/5
Shure SE115m+ - 5/5
Test two: Making calls
All sets have a microphone built into the little in-line remote, so they can be used as handsfree kits to make and receive calls, and, on devices that support it, interact with the phone using Voice Control.
A black mark immediately against the model from Denon, then, since positioning the mic/remote where the left and right earphones meet - below your sternum - means that it can't be used hands-free at all; you have to hold the mic up to your mouth.
The very best results were from Etymotic's mc3s; our voice was picked up clearly - even having a decent stab at isolating it from ambient noise - and, unlike with the Shures' very snug foam earbuds, the nature of the seal didn't mean that your own voice echoes around your head. There were no strong disappointments.
Results
Apple In-Ear Headphones - 4/5
Denon AH-C260R - 3/5
Etymotic mc3 - 5/5
Sennheiser MM 70i - 3/5
Shure SE115m+ - 4/5
Test three: Design and features
Sometimes, it's the simplest things that remind us why we love Apple's industrial design.
Take, for example, the case in which you can store your Apple In-Ear Headphones; it looks simple enough - a two-part plastic triangle with soft, rounded corners - but it's almost irritatingly well designed. Slot the headphones into the middle and begin to wrap the cable around the perimeter, and you'll notice that bumps on the cable - the mic/remote, the bit where the two cables join - always fall along one of the edges of the triangular case, and never try to fold around the corners.
Apple's discreet remote is also the best of the bunch - the huge carbuncle on the Shures' cable is ungainly, and it's actually surprisingly hard to differentiate the buttons by touch alone. Most of the others just include a pouch or case into which you can loosely coil the cables.
Sennheiser at least includes a rubbery thing you're supposed to wrap the cables around, but for the life of us we can't figure out how it's supposed to work; it's like one of those Christmas cracker puzzles. (Sennheiser, by the way, is the only manufacturer here to opt for asymmetrical cables, where you insert the earbud with the shorter cable into your left ear and bring the longer right cable around the back of your neck. Whether or not you like this system is very much a matter of taste.)
Denon gets a smack on the wrists for positioning its remote so low down on the cable. Not only does this mean that you have to bother to bring it up to your mouth if you want to use the mic - it will pick up sound when dangling, but not well enough for your caller - but if you're in the habit of threading the cable neatly under your clothes, the remote buttons will be covered up.
The models from Denon and Sennheiser have worryingly slim cables; treat with care. As well as a range of excellent eartips in the Etymotics' box, you can have custommoulded earbuds made.
Results
Apple In-Ear Headphones - 5/5
Denon AH-C260R - 2/5
Etymotic mc3 - 4/5
Sennheiser MM 70i - 4/5
Shure SE115m+ - 4/5
And the winner is... Etymotic mc3 �70
With this group test, happily, our job is pretty easy. The decision on which set to buy comes mostly down to how much money you have to spend.
If you're feeling flush, then Shure's SE115m+ set is unmatched here if you're judging on straight music playback alone. There's something that happens when you get towards the �100 mark that makes expensive headphones sound not just better than their cheaper brethren, but actively different to them. You begin to listen to old favourite tracks in a new way, and discover subtleties - even entirely new instruments - in albums you thought you knew inside-out.
The problem with the Shures, however, is that they're not especially good at the other stuff; the big remote is ungainly, and the foam earbuds, so great for music, mean your voice echoes distractingly inside your head when using it as a handsfree kit.
If, on the other hand, your budget is stretched, Apple's own In-Ear Headphones are actually a terrific step up from the white earbuds that come bundled with iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. They're great value, sound genuinely accomplished, and are without doubt the best designed earphones in this group test.
It's not just that they look smart - and, for hardcore Apple fans, that they mean you can still have white Apple earbuds discreetly announcing your brand loyalty - but that even such a simple thing as the case shows Apple's astonishing attention to detail. These earphones are so good that they've replaced Sennheiser's MM50 iP earphones in the Tap! Top 10.
Ultimately, though, the best balance of price and overall performance here comes from Etymotic. Again: these are not the headphones for you if you love thumping great gouts of meaty bass, but if your taste is more refined, the mc3s are absolutely superb.
It's not just in playback that they impress, however; they're great for making/taking handsfree calls, and the standard 'mini Christmas tree'-style tips mean that they fit snugly and comfortably in your ears. Even if you wear them when running, you're unlikely to dislodge them.
Plus, if you want to boost the fit even more - and so improve sound by creating an even better seal - you can opt to have custom moulds made for your ears.
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