VideoLAN releases VLC v1.1.0 free media player

As always, VideoLAN has come up with interesting tweaks, updates and enhancements to its all popular VLC media player with the release of version 1.1.0. This new version promises better audio experience with integrated playlist into quicktime 4 interface, multiple album art views within the Quicktime 4 playlist interface, support for AMR-NB, Mpeg-4 ALS, Vorbis 6.1/7.1, FLAC 6.1/7.1 and WMAS audio formats, faster & lighter body framework with code simplification and removal of rarely used functionalities & moving them to extensions, support for HD ready graphics and video decoding, support for add-ons and framework extensions. In addition, it is reported to integrate web enhancements like support fir WebM decoding and encoding, improved web plugins and better streaming capabilities. Also, it promises a robust and simplified VLC library for developers with removal of exceptions for better C programming integration and new C++ bindings.

MSI's Gaming Laptop GX740

If you are searching for a new Gaming Laptop for yourself, your search ends right here. MSI has announced their latest gaming laptop GX740 which can put to shame many of the latest gaming PCs, which is now finally available in the market.

The MSI GX740 has a 17-inch wide-screen TFT-LCD display with a maximum of 1680x1050 pixels resolution support. Equipped with the powerful Intel Quad-core 1.6 GHz Core-i7 720QM processor and 4GB RAM of DDR3 hosted on a Intel HM55 chipset board, it comes loaded with 64-bit Microsoft Windows 7's Home Premium SKU. 500GB is quite moderate storage capacity for a gaming laptop of this range, as it includes a multi-layer Blu-Ray drive as optical media device.

On the gaming side - the graphics are powered by the ATI Mobility Radeon HD5870 GPU with 1GB GDDR5 video memory. Apart from this, the MSI GX740 includes 5 channel SRS audio output with built-in sub woofer, VGA and HDMI output for audile & visile pleasure. It has WiFi 802.11n support, Gigabit LAN and optional Bluetooth for connectivity reasons. Accessories, such as 2MP webcam, a multi-format ExpressCard slot etc. are also in there; though we would have been very pleased to have the grace of USB 3.0 and eSATA support on this laptop, but alas!

A 6-cell (optional 9-cell) battery empowers the laptop, as the entire thing weighs about 3.2Kg. The laptop has been announced at a shipping price of $1,399.99 - Indian customers, expect the price to be in Rs. 70,000 range.

Acer set to overtake HP as thelargest vendor of laptops

Acer, the Taiwan-based multinational computer technology and electronics corporation is on track to become the largest shipper of laptops in the world. Citing the Wall Street Journal, Acer Chairman JT Wang told investors that Acer was all set to overtake the current leaders HP. According to information technology research and advisory firm Gartner Inc., Acer shipped 9.49 million laptops in the first quarter, as compared to 9.47 million by HP. Acer, according to Mr. Wang, is also aiming to ship 10 million desktop units this year, and is investing $15 million in the red-hot smartphone market by churning out another phone based on Google's Android OS. Acer will also soon face competition from HP on another front, smartphones. HP recently aqcuired Palm, and Acer deals in Android smartphones.

Samsung Caliber

Samsung takes the cake with the advanced touchscreen which it has developed using the TouchWiz interface which is unique to Samsung. The touchscreen has several advanced features which includes certain Widgets which are specially designed so as to let users personalize them and adapt them according to their phone.

All the social networking websites like Facebook are accessible due to the phone’ s browser which is a full HTML enabled browser. There is mobile IM along with email facilities. The camera is a 3 mega pixel one and comes with a camcorder.

The Bluetooth comes with a stereo facility along with a speakerphone. The Caliber has the MetroPCS applications too. Other than these features the phone has a video and music player which is built in to the phone. The memory is expandable up to 16 GB using an external microSD.

Nikon CoolpixP100

There is a new Nikon model in the market – the Nikon Coolpix P100. It’s really quite extraordinary, you have many shooting options which are built around a high-speed CMOS sensor, and a 26x megazoom lens. With this camera, you get photo and video shooting on high speeds, and the opportunity to play around with fun modes, plus you can experiment as much as you want. Add to that the fact that you get 1080p HD-quality movie recording. The Nikon Coolpix P100 has easy-to-operate controls; you just need some time to get used to them by reading the manual. The camera itself costs a fair amount, approximately 400 dollars – quite a large sum of money for many people. It weighs about 17 ounces, is of 10 megapixels, and comes with a 3-inch LCD screen.

Acer Aspire One

We've pretty much known about all of these Acer netbooks that are officially being announced today, but their very tempting price tags are definitely new to us. First up is the 11.6-inch Aspire One 721 and 10.1-inch 521, both of which we checked out last month. While the duo are powered by the same AMD Athlon II Neo K125 processors and ATI Radeon HD 4225 graphics, the 721 will start at $429.99 while the 521 at $349.99. And let's not forget that, unlike Intel Atom powered netbooks, they sport HDMI ports and claim to be "HD capable." Speaking of Intel netbooks, Acer's got those in store too -- the 10-inch, Atom powered Aspire One D260 and 533 will also be available later this month. The D620 packs an Atom N450 processor, 1GB of RAM and a three-cell battery for $298. On the flip side, the $330 Aspire One 533 has a slightly faster N475 processor, a 250GB hard drive and a six-cell battery. Enticing, right? The full press release is after the break, but hopefully we'll be able to assist you in choosing one of these with some full reviews soon.

Sony Bloggie MHS-CM5

The Sony Bloggie MHS-CM5 ($200 as of April 30, 2010) distinguishes itself from competing pocket camcorders with a pistol-grip design, a 5X optical zoom lens, and a dual memory-card slot that supports both SD/SDHC cards and the MemoryStick format. It shoots reasonably good video and has some nice features, but ultimately it doesn't set itself apart from the crowd in the area of performance.

Unlike most pocket camcorders in stores today, the Bloggie MHS-CM5 looks like a miniature version of a full-size camcorder. And along with its candy-bar-style cousin, the Bloggie MHS-PM5, it's among the first Sony pocket camcorders to shoot 1080p-resolution high-definition video. Both Bloggie models are follow-ups to last year's Webbie camcorders; Sony has simply renamed its pocket-camcorder line.

Aside from having a unique design, the Bloggie MHS-CM5 is noticeably bulkier than most pocket camcorders. It has a built-in USB connector that swings out from a compartment on the side of the camera--a welcome improvement on last year's Webbie models, which used a separate USB cable to offload footage and charge the camera. Because of the camcorder's generous size, its USB connector may have a bit of trouble fitting in some port configurations. Fortunately, Sony includes a female-to-male USB extension cable to alleviate such woes.

The Bloggie shoots 1080p MPEG-4 video captured at 30 frames per second--as well as 720p video captured at 60 fps and 30 fps, 640-by-480 VGA video taken at 30 fps, and 5-megapixel still photos. There's about a second of shutter lag between when I pressed the shutter button and when the Bloggie captured an image, but the image quality is decent and the camcorder's SteadyShot digital stabilization does a good job of reducing any associated shakiness.

Video performance is decent, as long as you're in a well-lit setting. In bright indoor lighting, the Bloggie's 1080p video is a bit darker and somewhat less sharp than output from two competing 1080p pocket camcorders, the Kodak Zi8 and the Toshiba Camileo S20. The 5x optical zoom lens is a great spec for a pocket camcorder, but the Bloggie didn't offer nearly as much coverage on the wide-angle end as our wide-angle winner, the Creative Vado HD. Autofocus has a little trouble at the telephoto end of the zoom, but it ultimately locks in on a sharp image after a second or so of searching. Also, the zoom is the smoothest we've seen on a pocket camcorder, by far.

Shown below are the results of our standard pocket-camcorder tests. Wide-angle coverage is on a par with that of the Kodak Zi8, but footage shot with the Bloggie showed shadowy bands scrolling upward over our test footage.

YouTube's New Video Editor

YouTube has a new bare bones video editing tool that allows you to clip your videos, and add a soundtrack right in your browser. The new tool, which follows in the footsteps of similar online video editors such as the now defunct YouTube Remixer powered by Adobe Premiere Express , is a bit limited, but if you want to add titles, transitions, and music to your videos, it will do the trick.

(Click on image to see a full-sized version.)

Keep in mind that the new YouTube Video Editor is still a work in progress, so you might get hit with a few bugs as you try it out. To get started all you need is your YouTube ID and a few of your own video uploads, as the video editor does not let you edit other user's material.

(Click on image to see a full-sized version.)

Clip your video

When you sign in to the YouTube Video Editor, you'll see a video tab with all your personal video uploads, and an audio tab where you can select music tracks for your new masterpiece. To start editing, just click and drag your videos down to the editing panel (where the camera icon is).

When you hover over the clips you've selected for editing, click on the scissor icon to launch your video in a pop-up window. From there, you can shorten or lengthen your clip by moving the sliders below the main video window. When you're done, just hit save, and the video editor will automatically merge your edited clip with the next video in your sequence.

(Click on image to see a full-sized version.)

To see what your edited clip looks like, you click on the player window on the right side.

Add some music

If you want to use a music soundtrack for your video instead of the recorded sound you picked up while filming, you click on the audio tab at the top to reveal YouTube's AudioSwap library . AudioSwap contains "tens of thousands of songs" that you can freely use in your YouTube videos. All you have to do is select a song and either drag it down to the soundtrack editor or just press the plus sign to the right of each title.

AudioSwap is a handy feature, but don't expect any big hits from major labels like Warner Music Group . Most of the songs in the AudioSwap library are by pretty obscure artists, though I did find a few recognizable names among the unknowns, including Nine Inch Nails, Cowboy Junkies, and everybody's favorite rodent-centric band, Alvin and the Chipmunks.

You should also note that some AudioSwap tracks are subject to licensing agreements, which means YouTube may include advertisements when certain tracks are used. You also can't edit the AudioSwap track, so the song will only play from the beginning until your video stops.

Once you're done editing your video, you just give it a title, hit publish, and YouTube takes care of the rest.

As the new editing tool matures, it would be nice to see more features such as the ability to add titles, transitions, visual effects, and more robust audio editing capabilities. But if you just need to shorten up your video or throw in a novelty soundtrack, YouTube Video Editor will do the trick.

If you're looking for online alternatives to YouTube Video Editor you can try Photobucket's Remix, which is another Adobe Premiere Express product. You could also check out the free online video editing tool JayCut , which has a YouTube export option.

Sony Ericsson Xperia X3

The one of a kind Gadget : The Sony Ericsson Xperia X3 is inarguably one of the most impressive mobile phones available today. Its gorgeous display coupled with next generation multimedia features makes it a sure shot head turner. Treat yourself with the best of Camera functionalities, heaps of storage, smartphone capabilities and video recording. Owners are bound to get hooked. The magical features : Custimize your display by drag and drop as the enhanced user interface from Sony Ericsson takes navigation to the next level. For those familiar with the interface's earlier edition, the widget list has been increased. Located on the screen are applications such as Facebook, clock, calendar, music player which can be collapsed once the phone is customized. Overall, the ease of use and functionality stands out and it runs on the advanced Android Operating System. Typing is easy via the spacious keyboard which is QWERTY in landscape mode and alphanumeric in portrait. The best of Camera features : Make room for the headliner of Sony Ericsson Xperia X3- the ultra impressive capability of its camera. The latest sony ericsson is equipped with an 8-megapixel camera with a plethora of features. Picture quality is as good as it can get, including both indoor and outdoor. Make optimum use of autofocus, LED flash, Touch focus, geo-tagging and face detection. The Large Display : This is certainly not the slimmest of phones around, which was only natural considering its large 4.0-inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen. The bulky handset measures 116 x 62 x 12 mm. Certainly not the one to hang around with in your pocket, however the lacquered finish and sleek design ensures it always looks classy. The display supports 16 million colors at a 852 x 480 pixels resolution and the quality is mesmerizing, to say the least. Sharper videos and images as well as brighter color results in an overall vivid display. Commendable Battery life : The clarity of calls is impressive indeed, if not the very best. Thanks to the large memory, video playback is smooth and fast whereas advanced sound capability makes it feel like your very own personal DJ! These top notch multimedia performances are backed by a talk time of 10 hours and up to 10 days of standby time. High quality videos : The video recording of Sony Ericsson Xperia X3 is being regarded by many as second to none. Shoot videos at VGA@30fps which provides satisfying experience. The robust multimedia players allows you to watch videos from your phone. Supported video files include MPEG-4, WMV, H.263, H.264, DviX, and vid, watchable in high resolution.

Panasonic Lumix G2

A lot's happened in the camera market in the 18 months or so since the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 arrived, and this upgrade of the original Micro Four Thirds hybrid is eagerly awaited.

The Panasonic Lumix G2 inherits many of the virtues of its predecessor – compact size, powerful optics, ease of use – but also brings some genuinely exciting new extras to the party.

As well as shooting HD movies in the economical AVCHD format at 720p, the Lumix G2 makes brilliant use of the latest must-have in gadget land, namely touchscreen technology.

• Read: 45 best digital cameras in the world today

Touchscreen widgets in themselves are no big deal these days, as anyone who owns a modern phone will testify, but here comes the zinger – on the Lumix G2 you can use touchscreen to tell the camera where to focus, adjust camera settings or even take the picture.

Oh, and you can scroll through all your existing shots, too.

Like many usability breakthroughs it sounds a bit banal and gimmicky until you actually use it – and then you wonder why nobody has implemented touchscreen technology in this way on cameras before.

To set the focus point, for instance, you literally point to where you want the camera to focus on the articulated rear screen and up pops the relevant AF crosshairs. It's certainly more intuitive than manipulating AF points via a dial or button, as other camera makers expect you to do.

Multiple AF points can be selected in this way, too. And, recognising the innate conservatism of camera buyers, compared to, say, the style-phone crowd, Panasonic has kept all the conventional controls on the G2. So, there's a conventional PASM dial sitting next to less familiar buttons like Intelligent Auto (a souped-up auto everything mode).

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 is cleverly positioned to appeal to two quite distinct markets. Its light weight and the ease of use of its touchscreen will appeal to nervous compact owners eager to try something more powerful without being overwhelmed.

Meanwhile the decent optical performance, manual controls and ability to shoot HD video will appeal to more experienced photographers or people looking for a lighter, more convenient SLR replacement.

As mentioned, Panasonic might have had the Micro Four Thirds party to itself back in 2008, but the Lumix G2 now faces some stiff competition.

With a street price of around £650 with the 14-42mm kit lens, it's up against attractive hybrids like the Olympus Pen series and the Samsung NX10, not to mention other products in the Panasonic range, like the well-regarded Lumix GF1 and the G10.

Seven hundred quid will also buy you a very nice DSLR with 1080p HD video recording, such as the Canon EOS 550D. The Lumix DMC-G2 certainly isn't an impulse buy, so how compelling are its new features?

Sony at E3 2010

Last night was Sony's turn to offer a glimpse inside its Pandora's Box of forthcoming PlayStation-related hardware and software, with an E3 presentation high on traditional gaming thrills that rather crushed Microsoft's attempt at selling us a glorified webcam.

The company's main opening thrust was the imminent mass arrival of 3D games on PlayStation 3, with the possible combination of PlayStation Move and 3D gaming putting you "Physically in the game itself" according Sony's Kaz Hirai. Imagine that.

A list of forthcoming 3D PS3 games was reeled out numerous times throughout the presentation, but the clear winner was Killzone 3.

The developer of Killzone 3 promised the crowd the game was built with 3D in mind from the "ground up" - rather than having 3D effects crudely stuck in because it so happens to fit in with 2010's hottest TV technology micro-trend.

The video demo didn't really live up to that promise, to be honest, with a visually intense but rather standard-looking shooter unfolding. Dropships flew in, aliens attacked, men covered each other and begged for "evac" while the audience cheered for the crazy jetpack-based combat sections.

It looked suitably epic and impressive, but what well-produced, Triple-A software product doesn't these days? Killzone 3 release date is Feb 2011 including PlayStation Move motion control support from launch, if you're into the whole clapping your hands and blowing raspberries business.

PlayStation Move games

And it was PlayStation Move that was the second thrust of Sony's E3 conference, with the company wheeling out a list of developers to back up the precise, 3D nature of the motion device. Sony's Jack Tretton was also keen to point out that PlayStation Move has "buttons" on it, in an attempt to differentiate Sony's offering from Microsoft's - while inadvertently making it sound like even more the blatant clone of Nintendo's Wii.

For all the talk of precision and accuracy, new game Sorcery was exactly what we've come to expect from motion control games - a character running around a 3D environment slashing away at angry-looking bad things.

MOVE OVER MICROSOFT? PlayStation Move demo at E3

But compared to Microsoft's basic-looking collection of Kinect demos, PlayStation Move did indeed look more impressive. The chap controlling the Sorcery demo waved his arm around above his head, and the in-game character followed.

It wasn't a rough approximation of the movement, it was a 100% accurate recreation of the guy's windmilling. It was almost enough to convert a cynical person to the possibilities of motion-tracking games - if the game itself didn't look like such a by-the-numbers 3D action product.

Tiger Woods then completed his rehabilitation into the corporate scene by being chosen as the in-game character to demonstrate the PlayStation Move support that'll be part of this year's EA Tiger Woods game.

It looked incredibly hard to play. Even the developer - who made it - was struggling to hit the ball off the tee, with the precision offered by PlayStation Move making the Tiger Woods game much, much more like real golf. Might be a good thing, might just ruin the feel and send everyone back to their reliable Dual Shocks.

PlayStation Move functionality for the next Tiger Woods game will arrive as a downloadable extra through PlayStation Network, with a Move-enabled teaser also appearing on a demo disc that'll be bundled with the controller itself. Move has a UK release date of 17 September, with 15-20 games ready from day one - and they'll be priced a little cheaper than "normal" games.

PlayStation Plus

We'd also been expecting Sony to announce a paid-for online service to complement or perhaps even replace its existing free PlayStation Network online gaming area, and we got one - in the shape of PlayStation Plus.

After first criticising "the competition" (Microsoft) for charging users $50 a year for access to online gaming, Sony's Jack Tretton then announced its own premium content channel - for $50 a year.

Of course, Sony will continue to let PS3 owners play online for free, unlike Microsoft, but what you're getting with PlayStation Plus is lots of value added content hidden behind a paywall.

Your $50 gets you options to "expand and enhance" gaming features, like access to beta tests of upcoming releases, full PSN games and PS Minis, and discounts through PlayStation Store promotions.

It'll also add increased functionality to PSN, enabling "automatic downloads" of games, content and patches. If you're one of the people who didn't just sign into PlayStation Network once then go back to Xbox Live, it sounds like a nice deal.

Initial subscribers get themselves WipEout HD plus two PlayStation Minis for "free" - although your freebies will only be usable "for the duration of your subscription," so if you cancel your package you'll lose it all.

The car's the star (for the third E3 running)

The final killer announcement as far as long-suffering Gran Turismo fans were concerned, was an actual, definitely-going-to-happen-now release date for GT5, a game which first appeared on PS3 in public demo form way back in March of 2008.

Gran Turismo 5 release date is, in North America at least, 2 November 2010 - and will be fully playable in 3D. Which goes some way to explaining the rather long wait. Gran Turismo 5 UK release date UK is also November, although the exact day is yet to be confirmed.

And thanks no doubt in part to know it was finally about to get GT5 out of the way and stop people on the internet laughing about its endless delays, Sony managed to exude a quiet confidence about everything it displayed at this year's E3.

The understated delivery of Triple-A game after Triple-A game was in stark contrast to the Sony of previous years - and indeed rather refreshing compared to Microsoft's choreographed whooping and cheering from the previous day.

Sony also used a remix of Reel 2 Reel's 'Move It' on its PlayStation Move game compilation trailer, which always gets the heart pumping and the synapses firing.

That might explain why we enjoyed Sony's show so much last night, but we think it was more to do with its emphasis on having a wide range of software for all its users, rather than an odd focus on one peculiar current trend.

And there were release dates and prices, which made it all feel so... real. Sony has a plan now, and it's looking like a good one.

Toshiba Mini NB250 and Satellite Pro L630

Toshiba has announced two new portable notebooks, the Toshiba Satellite Pro L630 and the Mini NB250. Let's check out the Mini NB250 first. The 10.1-inch netbook measures 25.4mm at its thinnest point and weighs 1.1Kg.

Spec-wise, the NB250 is a standard netbook, with a 250GB hard drive, Intel Atom processors and a day-long 8.5 hour battery life that we're increasingly seeing in most netbooks such as the Asus Eee PC Seashell.

The Satellite Pro L630 is more professionally-orientated, with Intel Core i3 processors and up, 250GB of storage, impact detection and Gigabit Ethernet.

There's also a 13.3-inch 1,366 x 768 display – but sadly only with integrated Intel graphics - full-size keyboard and multi-touch trackpad, as well as an optional port replicator.

Both models also ship with some new software - Toshiba LifeSpace, an "elegant programme that enables users to organise day-to-day activities" as well as ReelTime, providing you with a timeline of recently used documents and folders. Neither seems like a must-have though; we're not fans of huge amounts of additional software appearing on new notebooks.

The Satellite Pro L630 and Toshiba Mini NB250 UK release date will be at the end of June.

NB250 key specifications:

• Intel Atom N455 1.66GHz
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Starter
• RAM: 1 GB DDR3
• 2.5" HDD up to 250 GB
• GPU: integrated Intel GMA 3150
• 10.1'' TruBrite LCD with LED backlight, 1024 x 600 pixels
• Dimensions: With 3 cell battery: 263 x 192.3 x 25.4 (front) / 32.25 mm (back), with 6 cell battery: 263 x 211.5 x 25.4 (front) / 32.25 mm (back)
• Weight: With 3 cell battery: 1.12 kg, with 6 cell battery: 1.33 kg
• Battery life: up to 8.5 hours with a 6 cell battery

Satellite L630 key specifications:

• Intel Core i3
• RAM: 2 GB DDR3
• 2.5" HDD 250 GB with 3D HDD impact sensor for data protection
• 13.3'' TruBrite HD display with LED backlighting (16:9), 1,366 x 768 pixels,
• GPU: Intel GMA HD Graphics
• Dolby Advanced Audio
• Battery life: up to 5 hours
• Weight: 2.1kg
• Dimensions: 325 x 220 x25.6/36.9mm

Apple iPhone 4

Hands on with the iPhone 4

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After the WWDC keynote on June 7, media were invited backstage to get hands on with Apple's new iPhone 4, including access to the upcoming iOS 4 operating system, and a brief demo of the FaceTime video calling.

We left with our credit cards burning rectangular shapes in our wallets, already yearning for its June 24 debut.

Design

The iPhone 3GS was only different on the inside compared to its predecessor, but iPhone 4 is a totally new animal.

It's just a tiny bit thinner from its left to its right edge, because the flat edges mean effectively less casing around the sides of the screen. It's possible to stand the iPhone on its side, say to shoot a video.

The stainless steel looks quite handsome, but the glass front and back both picked up a good deal of fingerprints in the few minutes we had our hands on them, although the smudges were less noticeable on the all-white model.

Every accessory should come with a polishing cloth; we usually lose them within about 48 hours of acquisition, so get ready for some trouser-rubbing with the new iPhone.

The flat body is only 9.3 millimeters thin, 24 percent thinner than the iPhone 3GS at its thickest. It feels great in the hand, and at the keynote Steve Jobs remarked, "Its closest kin is a beautiful old Leica camera."

The metal buttons, shiny edge, and the way the flat-edged case feels more camera-like when you're shooting pictures, like a particularly slim point-and-shoot. Solid and familiar, yet futuristic.

It's 4.8 ounces, just 0.1 ounces heavier than the iPhone 3GS, an imperceptible difference. The SIM card slot has moved from the top to the side, and sadly it's now a micro SIM slot - meaning changing networks when you finish your contract will be trickier.

The camera on the back is paired with a bright LED flash that you can have on or off. The volume rocker switch has been replaced by round metal volume-up and -down buttons, but the Hold and Silence switches are pretty much the same.

A second microphone appears at the top of iPhone 4 to provide noise cancellation. The black lines visible at three places along the stainless steel edge are integrated antennas attached directly to the iPhone's stainless steel frame, which is actually its structure - a nice solution to a tricky problem.

Apple hopes this design will add strength and help improve call quality, one area where the iPhone has always been criticized, although we'll wait until our full iPhone 4 review to fully test that out.

New Apple Mac mini

f there's one thing Apple used to be good at, it was surprises. Even with the numerous 'leaks' its products have had over the years, the actual devices the Big Fruit reveal – whether at WWDC or elsewhere – have some surprising element to them that us pesky journos had no idea about.

This year that all changed. Gizmodo managed to sniff out the iPhone 4 before release and when it was unveiled, well it looked just like the iPhone 4 they had in their hands.

Luckily today's Mac mini refresh brought us back to the surprising Apple of old. Nobody new the product was coming – it's no-show at this year's WWDC made sure of that.

But now it is here, the new Apple Mac mini which takes style tips from the latest MacBook range, with its stylish uni-body aluminium chassis and its thinness.

At just 1.4 inches, it is the thinnest Mac mini yet. To make up for this apple has added a bit to its width, bringing the total footprint to 7.7 inches.

The most significant addition to the Mac mini is its HDMI slot. Apple has been very wary of adding this now-essential port to its equipment for a while now.

Its arrival on the Mac mini means that it can now easily be hooked up to your HDTV, making it part of your living room setup.

Apple knows that this is something that consumers did with their old Mac mini so they have tried to make it as simple as possible.

Unfortunately, Apple hasn't gone all-out to make this a full-blown multimedia machine. For this to happen it would need a Blu-ray drive, something the Mac mini is sorely missing.

When TechRadar spoke to Apple earlier today though, it did note that this was still primarily a desktop machine.

And if you want to watch hi-def movies, you can download them from the iTunes Store. To paraphrase Pacino: "Just when you thought you were out, they bring you back in."

The other addition to the Mac mini is that of an SD card slot – so those with cameras or camcorders can go straight from card to machine.

A quick look art the specs sheet shows that the Mac mini may be small in stature but it is also big on power.

Nokia N8

As we all know, the likes of both the N97 and X6 has been trumpeted by Nokia over the past year , but neither has able to win critical acclaim. It is mostly due to a sub-par OS when compared to the iPhone and Android set, as well as taking a veritable age to start using the latest trends, like capacitive screens and slimmer lines







There is a doubt among fans all over the world that is this a phone that truly sees Nokia combining the best of the tech with a great UI to properly challenge the smartphone frontrunners?
The Nokia N8 is a fairly large device - but that's not to say that it's chunky. It's merely large due to having a large 3.5-inch OLED screen, and it comes in at just 12.9mm thick.















Admittedly it's not the thinnest on the market, but when it's down to a matter of a few millimetres, it doesn't really matter in the pocket right?The Nokia N8 is ridiculously packed with all manner of technology, and for once you can see it when picking up the phone for the first time.