How 3D works

The third dimension is taking over your local cinema. It's assimilating your HDTV. It might even be popping out of your next smartphone.

And yes, it's creeping into PC gaming, too. It's the next big thing and it's 3D.

Of course, if we're talking PC gaming, then the term 3D is a little confusing. On PC Format, we've been soaking up the 3D gaming groove for nearly two decades, but that's 3D graphics painted onto a 2D screen.

When manufacturers hit the hype button regarding 3D today, what they are really referring to is stereoscopic 3D imaging. What this means is pictures popping out of the screen and poking you in the peepers, not the relentless quest for ever more photorealistic computer graphics courtesy of a games console or highend gaming rigs.

However, whatever you think about 3D (from now on, let's assume 3D means stereopscopic 3D), one thing it definitely isn't is new. 3D images have been knocking around for nearly 200 years and the technology involved in 3D movies dates back over 100 years. That's right – like so many things – the Victorians got there first.

It all started – probably - with a device known as the stereoscope, invented in 1838. It was the first gadget that keyed into the mechanics of human stereoscopic vision.

Humans, of course, have two eyes. The consequence is that each eye views the world from a slightly different angle and receives a slightly different image. The brain takes these offset images and composites them into a single mental picture with depth and perspective. You, therefore, see the world in glorious 3D.

So, that's exactly what the stereoscope does – show each eye a still image from a slightly different angle and allow the brain to work its magic. Cue endless fairground fun and a roaring trade in early 3D pornography.

Like many technologies, good old porn helped with the early cash flow. Of course, the stereoscope had some very serious applications, too. It was used by the military to view aerial photographs, for instance.

Ongoing 3D

Fast forward to the 1890s and British inventor, William Friese-Greene patented a system for capturing and displaying motion stereoscopic pictures and 3D movies were born. Friese-Greene's technology turned out to be too unwieldy for commercial use, but the seeds were sown.

Several variations on the stereoscopic 3D movie riff were tried with the first known paying audience recorded in 1922. Further dabbling followed in the next few decades. Even the Nazis made a few propaganda flicks in 3D, but the golden age of 3D cinema was probably the 1950s.

A number of revivals have since rebooted the 3D revolution only to fade into obscurity. All of which brings us to the present day.

Indeed, after that potted history you might be tempted to disregard the latest 3D resurgence as another blip on the graph before an inevitable return to the historical flatline. This time, however, things are different.

This time, 3D is about much more than cheap cinema thrills. It's spreading into a wide range of platforms courtesy of many different technologies. That includes the promise of less unwieldy, more comfortable 3D viewing. Combine that with the interactivity of games and the result might just be the most immersive leisure experience yet. This time, 3D might be for real.

So, what are the different 3D technologies available today, how do they compare and where's it all heading?

In one sense, they're all the same. Generally, it's all about exposing each eye to a different image. Exactly how that is achieved, however, is where things get interesting.

The heyday of 3D cinema was based on so-called red-green analglyph technology. This involves a single picture containing a pair of merged, colour-shifted and spatially offset images. The viewer is required to wear colour-filtered lenses which effectively allow each eye to view a different offset image. This works pretty well in terms of creating the illusion of depth perception. It's a little more problematic when it comes to colours, however.

Inevitably, each eye is viewing the scene with radically different colours. While the brain is capable of compositing the image to generate the correct colours, it's a lot of work and perhaps contributes to the eye strain many viewers of 3D movies experience.

If coloured filters tend to be less than ideal, the most obvious alternative is polarised light. Again, the viewer is presented with a single picture frame within which two images are interleaved. The most common method is to use a pair of projectors, each with an orthogonally opposed light polarising filter. The viewer then wears glasses with similarly opposed polarising filters and Bob's your spear-poking, eye-popping uncle.

3D gaming

Smoke and spectacles

Originally, polarised 3D technology relied on linear polarisation and thus required level-headed viewing. More recently, circular polarisation has been used, allowing a degree of head-tilt without losing the 3D illusion.

However, if it's perfect colours and freedom to thrash your head about like a lunatic you desire, one solution is active shutter technology. Active-shutter 3D involves a pair of glasses, the lenses of which contain liquid crystals that can be alternated between transparent and black. At the same time, the display flips between the offset images for each eye. With a sufficiently high frame rate, the result is motion 3D.

Like polarised 3D, active-shutter 3D results in a dimmer image and along with the need for a shuttered glasses, it means active shutter requires specialised display technology supporting a higher frame rate (typically at least 100 frames per second).

However, a monitor with a higher refresh rate is cheaper and simpler than running a pair of polarised projectors. So, it's active-shutter technology that is currently the weapon of choice for PC gaming, with Nvidia's 3D Vision platform perhaps the most successful to date.

That said, what Nvidia 3D Vision long with all analgyph, polarised and active-shutter 3D tech share is the need to wear glasses. This, along with a feeling of eye strain, is probably what has so far prevented 3D from becoming a properly big deal. What we really want is 3D viewing without glasses. What we want is autostereoscopic 3D.

The trick here is to create a single display surface that can somehow send a different image to each eye. There are several different types, but they ultimately split into two groups – those that use head tracking technology to make sure each eye is seeing the correct image and those that simply kick out a different image based on the viewing angle.

Glasses-free 3D

As if chucking out silly glasses wasn't enough, autostereoscopic 3D also makes possible movement parallax. For the uninitiated, that means getting a different view of a scene or object depending on your vantage point. In other words, move your head around and you'll get a different look at things, just like in real life.

However, there is one final problem that even autostereoscopic technology can't avoid. In the real world, objects at different distances have different focal points. But a simulated 3D image is generated from a uniform distance. And that confuses the hell out of your eye muscles, eye lenses and ultimately your poor brain.

It's more problematical on a big desktop display than, say, a handheld device with a puny screen. But it's something that's not going to be going away short of using true holographic 3D technology.

Touch in Windows 8

Ubiquitous access to touch-enabled devices is going to mean every Windows game developer on planet earth will be looking to integrate touch features into their latest release.

So we can take a look at how touch-enabled systems will run Windows 8, enhance your gaming experience and generally make the world a better place.

There's simply no arguing that Microsoft – publisher of the single most important OS on the planet – has been utterly routed by the more nimble Apple and Google.

It may have released touch-enabled systems years ago with Windows Mobile and Windows Tablet Edition, but in its usual blinkered this-is- to-sell-more-Windows way managed to kill the market dead for these and many other innovative products. Anyone remember Microsoft Smart Display? Or project Courier?

This time around touch will be different. Microsoft doesn't have to innovate, phew, as Apple and Android has done all of that for it. We can just sit back, relax and wait for the touch-enabled, app-store-integrated, widget-brandishing, button-sliding progeny of Windows to make its appearance.

The odd thing is, it's really rather exciting. For the first time we're going to have the chance at a genuine ecosystem of Windows devices to choose from: moving from Windows phones, to Windows tablets up to netbooks and laptops and then desktop systems. All touch-enabled, all interconnected via Windows Live and all offering the same touch games and applications.

Next generation hardware is already appearing so let's take a look at how touch-devices work with Windows 8, existing and future games.

The gloss-black MSI all-in-one flares into life. The remnants of an ancient BIOS briefly shows itself – still infecting even this most modern of machines – before a Metro-style pale-blue OS boot menu presents itself. Its uber-modern fine sans-serif type couldn't be more removed from the chunky fixed-type on BIOS screens of old.

Tap the extra options and you see a selection of recovery and boot features, before going back and tapping the frame-less Windows 8 button to start it. Within seconds a widescreen HD mountain vista is displayed, the date and time boldly displayed in that stylish new Segoe typeface.

A swipe up reveals the Windows user accounts, ideally tied to Windows Live accounts they will take your preferences, avatar images, email, documents and apps with you to any device you use. Tapping one brings up the visual lock-screen – a personalised picture that requires you to motion over areas you've previously selected to gain full user access.

Security passed, the new Windows 8 Start Menu springs forth; this living breathing menu emanates life, as individual app cards update and refresh themselves. Feeds show real-time posts and games show online players stats.

The expansive, horizon-style Start Menu can be effortlessly scrolled through, with a tap here you can check your tweets, a tap there you can scroll through your latest news streams.

Media Center makes it a simple job to flick through menus of media and choose the music, photos and films you want to view. Tap the latest Windows Store, grab a game and enjoy gaming in a new way.

Hands on with Windows 8

The release of Windows 8 will simply solidify this touch journey but for now models, such as the MSI Wind Top AE2210 or the Dell Inspiron 2320 – both all-in-one models – elegantly show the touch-enabled future that awaits as they can have the Windows 8 Developer Preview installed on them.

We know the Developer Preview was really a beta version but even so, the semantics of a number of gestures were a little unnecessarily obscured. Using it you get a better idea that the demo at last year's Microsoft Build conference while live had been well practised and orchestrated.

We regularly ran into issues trying to switch between apps and the dock system seemed limited and frustrating to use. But it's hard to complain about something that hasn't even been released in an official form. Even guessing, there's no chance of a Windows 8 release until summer 2012. Microsoft has a lot to sort out before then beyond just getting a swanky touch-interface working correctly.

The Windows Store is probably the easiest, cross-device migration of settings and is another easy thing to sort via Windows Live accounts.

But it's the often overlooked elements of life where pleasure can really be taken, like reading on the toilet or removing an annoying bogey from your nose. Our old-friend Windows Media Centre is an excellent touch-enabled bit of software.

Whether that's through luck or flaw we can't say, but flicking through films, music and photos is a lovely experience. One we're sure could be made even better if a little style and thought was put into it.

The Media Center photo screensaver is still one of the worst experiences we've had besides hiding under our bed covers as children listening to our parents fight.

Windows playtime

Where our real interest lies is with gaming. Touch on mobile devices has ushered in a new way to game. While we're not expecting the same paradigm shift on the desktop, access to casual mobile games will always be a good thing, but we do expect touch elements to start drip feeding into triple-A titles.

The splendid thing is we can already try some of these features out on existing titles, that have been either knowingly or unwittingly enabled for touch gaming. The richest area of gaming for touch-aware titles is the hated casual game, you can stop making hissing noises. Some people – we imagine a few of those that have racked up over half a billion downloads of Angry Birds – actually do like what we deridingly call 'casual' games.

With many Flash-based browser games designed for easy mouse input, or more likely for touch-aware input, these are all able to work flawlessly with a touch PC. We've already mentioned the most obvious casual game: Angry Birds. This has a free PC version online at chrome.angrybirds.com that works on any HTML5-aware browser and plays beautifully on touch-screen equipped PCs and on a much larger scale than any tablet or phone could hope to manage on its own.

We did run into a few odd instances with Internet Explorer, it has its own touch-controls built in and a wrongly-placed finger can have you browsing off to other locations. Equally well-equipped are the flash-based games to be found over at www.popcap.com the likes of Bejeweled and Plants Vs Zombies, these Flash games again work perfectly on a touch-enabled PC.

It's also worth pointing out the browser add-in Swiffout.com that enables you to run embedded Flash games full screen. It's a bit hit and miss, as in it'll sometimes seem like the game isn't doing anything.

If you think there's a big selection of casual games available online now, just you wait until Windows 8 hits the streets. We'd expect most Windows Phones games to be quickly ported, that's if they're not natively supported from day one, while dedicated Windows 8 Tablet games are going to quickly appear.

If casual gaming is your thing, if nothing else children gobble them up like space-dusted cake, then expect a flood to come in from Android and iOS devices.

Touch in mainstream games

Fortunately, touch is coming to mainstream gaming too. Well, it's actually already here but it's either surreptitious or else it's accidental, but we're still claiming it's real.

The formats that are going to gain the most outside of the casual arena are adventures and strategy games. You may have spotted that both of these have the advantage that they're not necessarily the fastest paced of games.

The big issue, particularly for RTS games but can even affect adventures too, is that a quick-tap is equivalent to a left-click and a long-tap performs a right-click. This effectively eliminates the ability to do quick right-click actions.

Most dedicated touch devices have developed alternatives, such as the two-finger tap or hold one finger down and tap second. Unless a game is developed with touch in mind, you're stuck with what Windows 7 has to offer, and that's limited.

Even with these limitations many adventure games and less hectic strategy games play wonderfully on a touchscreen. If anything we love the switch you can make between active moments using the mouse and more contemplative sections using the touchscreen interface.

The same type of system goes for some RPGs as well, though many tend to lean heavily on mouse and keyboard. Non-combat areas such as inventory management, spell casting or crafting can all take advantage of touchscreen input.

One genre of gaming that we're not expecting touch to have an impact on is first person shooters. This a PC genre that is very much going to stay a realm of the mouse and keyboard. That's not to say touch systems aren't able to run them, and in a similar way to RPGs we can see room within FPS titles to add extra interactivity into the game world by using touch within environment.

Take Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which has a world littered with supposedly interactive elements from touch newspapers to hackable door locks. To make these mouse accessible the game almost has to cut away from the world so you can click on the right parts with the mouse, with a touchscreen they'd be no need and you could directly interact with the game world.

The same goes for any games with in-world elements, while touch could be used for physical game-world interaction. So picking up and manipulating items via touch to complete physics puzzles or just completing a weapon loadout.

None of this in itself is going to change the world, but it's certainly going to change how you play in your gaming worlds.

Touchy me, touchy you

Like us, many of you will be thinking 'I'm never going to lean forward and touch my screen'. You're probably right, it's a lot of effort and not entirely natural thing to do, especially when sitting down.

We're sure touchscreens will appear but direct touch could well be limited to tablets and all-in-one systems. However, Kinect and the Acer Aspire Z5xxx range, with their front-facing cameras, show a way of interacting that cuts out that bacteria filled touching business with seemingly reasonable precision.

We used the Windows 8 Developer Preview and those two up-to-date all-in-one touch panel PCs mentioned previously: the MSI Wind Top AE2210 is a lovely Intel Core i3 2100 Sandy Bridge graphics, 20-inch unit, which sells for a little over £650.

The Dell Inspiron 2310 is more up-market with an improved Intel Core i5 and Nvidia GT 525M graphics chipset. This has a little more muscle but is also a little more pricey, selling at around £799.

Interestingly both use what we suspect is the same two-point touch sensor. We suspect this is an IR-based system as they both detect finger movement before contact is made and there was vague issues with accuracy at the extreme edges of the screen.

That aside both worked flawlessly with the Windows 8 Developer Preview OS indeed they were both as fast as when used under Windows 7. Tablets and phones are going to continue to be the main focus for touch, but we're waiting to see what trickles down to the PC.

The beginner's guide to Linux Mint

Linux Mint has just released its latversion, Mint 12, and has now become the last of the big three distributions to switch to a radically new desktop interface.

We found that it's an impressive compromise between Gnome Shell's new fangled way of doing things and the more traditional desktops of the past.

If you're intrigued by this and want to investigate for yourself, get a copy of Linux Mint 12, this guide, and see what you can do with the new Mint.

We'll begin by taking a quick tour of the default interface, and then move on to cover how you can customise it. We'll also take a look at Mint's package manager so that you know how to add and remove applications.

Choosing your desktop

Before we even begin to examine the new desktop, however, let's start by taking a look at Mint's new login screen. This screen is quite different to past Mint releases, since, along with Ubuntu, they've switched away from Gnome's default login manager to the more customisable LightDM.

At the top-right of the screen, you can find some basic controls, including some (limited) accessibility options, volume control and the option to power-off the computer. The centre-left of the screen is where you log in.

By default, one user or another will be highlighted by a grey box, with a password entry field at the ready. Other users and guest sessions can be selected by clicking on their name above or below this.

The most important thing to know about this new login screen is that you can use it to select which desktop you want to use. So, if you decide that you don't like Mint's new desktop, you can use it to switch to Mate, its port of Gnome 2, which faithfully recreates past Mint desktops.

If you want to install something entirely different, such as KDE or Xfce, you'll also be able to select those from the login screen. To do this, select your username from the list and then, before typing your password and pressing enter, click the small cog in the top right of the box.

From this menu, you can select between all available desktops. Whichever desktop you choose will remain the default until you change it again.

Meet the Shell

Now that you're familiar with the login screen, let's take a look at Mint 12's default interface. Make sure you've selected Gnome as the desktop to use and then enter your password and log in.

The first thing to note is that, unlike past Mint releases, there are two panels on the desktop – one at the top and another at the bottom. Looking at the top panel from left to right, there's:

The infinity icon, which launches the Overview mode – more on this later.

The system tray, where applications can store alerts or quick access controls.

The indicator area, where you can control the volume and select which network you want to connect to.

The clock applet, which expands to a calender when clicked.

The status menu, which lets you log out, shutdown, control your availability in chat and access system settings.

All of this, with the exception of the infinity icon, should be fairly self-explanatory.

Clicking on any of the icons to the right-hand side brings up further information and options for you to change. Clicking on the speaker icon, for instance, will allow you to adjust the volume of your computer's speakers and access the sound settings.

Of these icons, the Status menu provides the most comprehensive set of options. The only one of these that requires explanation is Notifications.

When you insert a DVD, or someone contacts you via instant messenger, Gnome Shell will usually alert you by raising a black rectangle at the bottom of the screen. These notifications are useful since they allow you to take further actions in response to the alert, but if you want to focus without any distractions they can also be annoying.

The designers of Gnome Shell recognised this, so put the Notifications option in the Status menu. This way, you can turn off all notifications when you don't want to be disturbed. Just remember to turn them on again later.

The bottom panel

Almost everything in the top panel is standard Gnome Shell; the bottom panel is all Linux Mint's doing. On the left-hand side of the bottom panel is a menu for launching applications, the spiritual successor to the Mint menu.

This menu is split in to three main columns. The left most one shows your favourite applications, which can be set in the Overview mode; the middle one shows categories of applications to make browsing easier; and the right most one shows the applications within those categories.

If you prefer a keyboard to a mouse, you can use the Search bar at the top to quickly find the application you're looking for by typing its name.

Next to the menu is the show desktop icon, which will minimise all your open windows. Next to this is the window list. If you have no windows open, it will look like a big, empty space; otherwise, it will be filled with buttons representing your open and minimised windows – it works just like the window list in Gnome 2 did.

At the other end of this panel are the desktop switcher and Mint's new notification toggle. By default, Gnome Shell creates only a single desktop, but automatically adds a second as soon as you open any applications and so on; if you remove all applications from a desktop, Gnome Shell will then remove it. Mint's switcher will immediately mirror Gnome Shell's changes to the number of desktops.

The notification icon is a clever addition. By default, after you dismiss Gnome Shell notifications without doing anything, they disappear in to a small black bar at the bottom of the screen. You would ordinarilly raise this by moving your mouse to the bottom right-hand corner, but with the new taskbar, you would often accidentally cause it to appear and interfere with what you were trying to do.

Instead, Mint has made it so that you need to click this exclamation mark to get access to the notifications.

The beginner's guide to Linux Mint

Overview mode

Phew! Our tour is nearing its end. The final thing we need to show you is the Overview mode.

Although Mint hasn't made any changes to the Overview mode, which is a key component of standard Gnome Shell, if you've never used it you'll be grateful for a quick introduction.

To access the Overview mode, you need to click the infinity icon in the top panel, or quickly through your mouse in the top-right corner; you can also use the Windows key to access it. As soon as you do this, you'll see the desktop turn grey and some new elements overlaid on it.

The large space in the centre of this screen has two functions. By default, it will display thumbnails of all your open windows. This is a convenient way to find that window you know is somewhere amongst all the clutter, but keeps evading you.

It can also be used as an application launcher, however, by clicking the Applications button above it. You can then browse applications by scrolling through the icons with your mouse. You can narrow the selection by choosing one of the categories to the right, or by typing its name or function with your keyboard.

To the right of the Overview mode is the Favourites bar. This is exactly the same as what's in the Mint menu, only from here you can adjust its contents. Right-clicking on any of the icons will give you the opportunity to remove it from the Favourites bar. To add anything to it, switch to the Applications view and then drag the application you want on to the Favourites bar.

Oddly, this Favourites bar also doubles as a dock and stores the icons of open applications as well – something the Mint menu doesn't do.

Finally, there's also a desktop switcher built in to the Overview mode. It's hidden by default, but if you move your mouse to the far right of the screen while in the Windows mode, it will appear. You can use this to drag open windows between desktops, and to switch to different desktops.

Now that you know where everything is by default, let's take a look at how you can customise it to your liking, beginning with extensions.

Installing new extensions

The Gnome team are trying to encourage the creation of an entire ecosystem of extensions for users of the Shell to enjoy. As a user of Linux Mint 12, you'll be able to install and enjoy these as developers create them.

Installation used to be a bit tricky. It involved either downloading a file archive and unzipping it to a specific directory in your home folder, or using Gnome Tweak Tool to automate some of this process. In the past month, however, the Gnome team has launched a new website, extensions.gnome.org, that lets you easily browse and install new extensions directly from within your web browser.

To install extensions using this website, launch Firefox and visit extensions.gnome.org. Once there, you can browse through the extensions displayed.

After spotting one you like the sound off, click its name. This will take you to that extension's information page, at the top of which will be an on-off toggle button. Toggling this to on will then install the extension; toggling it back to off will remove it.

We think that the Pomodoro timer extension is a great way to avoid procrastination, and the Window Navigator extension makes the window section of the Overview mode much more convenient.

Theming Gnome Shell

Most people aren't content with tweaking the way their desktop works; lots of us also want to customise the way it looks. It's not yet as easy to install new themes as it is extensions, but there are plenty of nice themes for the Shell that you can install with a bit of effort.

The first thing to do is download some new themes for the Shell. We've discovered that a great place to find them is gnome-shell.deviantart.com, so go ahead and browse their selection of shell themes and then choose one to download as a zip file. We like Faience.

Once it's downloaded and saved in your Downloads folder, open up Gnome Tweak Tool. This is available on the Favourites bar as the square icon with cogs inside – it will display Advanced Settings when you click it.

After it has launched, click the Theme entry on the left-hand side, and then click the box that says (None) next to Shell Theme. In the file browser that opens, head to the zip file of the theme you downloaded, and then select and open it. This will install the theme, and you can then select it in the drop-down menu next to (None). And that's all there is to it.

In this tutorial, we've focused on Mint's implementation of Gnome Shell, but as we've alluded to through our references to Mate and the default applications, there's a lot more to Mint than just this desktop.

Be sure to investigate the Linux Mint website and forums, where you can find lots of other avenues for exploration, including different desktops (KDE, Xfce and LXDE are all supported) and even different base distributions (the rolling release Debian edition is particularly interesting).

Most importantly, experiment and have fun.

Week in camera news

This week has been all about the big numbers in the photography world, with Nikon unleashing a 36 million pixel DSLR, Pentax revealing a 46MP compact and staggering number of superzoom compacts.

It's been the CP+ photography show in Japan, which usually doesn't mean quite so many releases. But, with 2011 hitting Japanese manufacturers hard, it seems this year they wanted to save some of their goodies for their own home-grown show.

After weeks, months, nay years, of speculation, rumour and gossip, the headline release is the Nikon D800, the company's new semi-pro DSLR.

Also making their debut this week are new cameras from Olympus, Sigma, Pentax and Canon. Read on to find out all of this week's big camera news, each with links to the full story.

Don't forget to let us know what you think over on our Facebook page.

Nikon news

Many of the headline specs of the D800 came as no surprise as it seemed that most of the details had already been leaked online. However, it still impressed us when we went to see it at the beginning of the week.

It features a 36 million pixel sensor, 6fps shooting, 51 autofocus points and many of the same features as its bigger brother, the D4.

Read our Hands on: Nikon D800 review to get a clearer idea of what the new camera is all about. We spoke to Nikon about that huge resolution sensor, who told us it was all about 'choice.'

Some may be disappointed that the D800 doesn't have an articulating screen, but if you're a pro, according to Nikon you won't be. Do you agree that pros don't want articulating screens?

Rod Lawton, one of our friends over at N-Photo magazine, argued that the D800 could take on the might of the hugely popular Canon EOS 5D Mark II. With Canon declining to announce a 5D upgrade this week, will the D800 be a Canon 5D Mark II killer?

Olympus news

We've guessed it was coming for several weeks now, but the Olympus OM-D E-M5 was finally revealed on Wednesday. Featuring a 16 million pixel Live MOS micro four thirds sensor, it's styled after the classic OM series of film cameras.

If you're a little bit confused about the differences between the OM-D and Olympus' other highly specced camera, read our Olympus OM-D E-M5 vs Olympus PEN E-P3 comparison piece and find out which one is for you.

Does the OM-D mean the end of Olympus DSLRs? The company is refusing to rule it out, but it hasn't released a new one for years. We take a look at the likelihood of them making a comeback.

This week also saw Olympus reveal some new compact cameras, including a new 24x optical zoom model. Mark Thackara, the company's UK marketing manager believes that mobile phones will never replace compacts - what do you think?

Sigma news

Nikon wasn't the only one with big numbers this week, Sigma has also unveiled the Sigma SP1 and Sigma DP2 compact cameras which feature a whopping 46 million pixel sensor.

Fovean X3 sensors that are used in these cameras are actually constructed using three layers of 15.3 million pixels, and are shared across Sigma's other cameras, including its flagship DSLR, the Sigma SD1 which also got an update and price reduction this week.

Canon news

A lot of people will be left disappointed that Canon didn't introduce a new DSLR (or compact system camera) at the CP+ show this week.

However, they have introduced three new EF lenses, an underwater compact, a duo of stylish IXUS compacts, two new superzooms and a range of new Powershot A cameras.

Although a CSC isn't forthcoming from the company, a representative told us in an exclusive interview that compact system cameras are a good idea because they bring more people into photography.

Introduced a few weeks ago at CES, Canon's G1 X is what many believe will eventually morph into a mirrorless model, especially with its large sensor. Its biggest rival Nikon was shocked by Canon's decision to produce the camera with one spokesperson telling us the G1 X was for "fanboys" only.

Also this week...

Kodak announced it was going to stop making cameras in order to cut costs, Sony revealed it's NEX lens line-up plans and Pentax unveiled two new tough cameras.

BrowserID: what it is and why you should care

BrowserID is a method, presented in July 2011, to use email addresses to prove an identity and sign in to a website quickly and safely.

The system was developed by Mozilla Labs.

It's designed to be easier and faster than the esisting method of a site sending you an email and you clicking a link to verify your true identity.

So why is it important and how will it work? We decided to find out.

Q. How would it work in practice?

A. In order to log in on a website that supports BrowserID, you would only have to click on a Sign In button and then select from a menu what email address you want to use. Your browser and the website would take care of everything else.

Q. What about logging in via Facebook, Twitter or Google? That would be even faster and simpler, wouldn't it?

A. Yes, when you're browsing while logged in to any of those portals, you don't have to do anything, since any website connected with them will immediately know who you are. And that's the problem. Outsourcing these tasks to giant private providers creates lots of lock-in and privacy protection issues.

Q. That's surely true, but wait a second! Wasn't OpenID supposed to provide (more or less) the same service?

A. Indeed it was. In practice, it looks as if OpenID failed to reach critical mass for several reasons. Probably the biggest one was the need to temporarily go to another website to gain access to the one you wanted to visit.

Unless someone really understands the value of reliable online authentication services (and cares about it) that's much more cumbersome than just telling a browser to remember all passwords, or click on the Remember Me boxes provided by most log-in web forms. BrowserID tries to provide the same level of security and trust as OpenID, but in a much more transparent way.

Q. Tell me more about privacy protection in BrowserID, please.

A. First of all, unlike other sign-in systems, BrowserID does not force the user to share or transmit online personal, sensitive data, such as date of birth. In addition to this, BrowserID is designed not to pass to any server data about which web pages you visit.

Q. Why is BrowserID based on email addresses?

A. First of all, because everybody using the web on a regular basis already has at least one email address and knows it's already used as an identity and authorisation token. Next, because email addresses are not controlled or controllable by any single organisation.

Finally, because practically all websites that require their users to log in already store their email addresses to handle direct communications, password reset requests and other services: therefore, BrowserID gives them a better way to use for authentication some user data that they have already.

Q. Would BrowserID prevent me from using my favourite nicknames on those websites?

A. Not at all. The email address is used only for the initial authentication. BrowserID doesn't limit in any way how a website lets you configure your local account.

Q. Could I have multiple BrowserID identities then?

A. Of course. The only requirement is that each of them is associated with a different email address.

Q. What about other applications, such as chat clients? Could I use BrowserID with them too, or is it a browser-only thing?

A. Yes you could, as long as those programs implement the protocol, and provide their users with an interface to log in to their identity provider to get the keys. These may then be stored in Kwallet or any other desktop-based password manager.

Q. Sorry, what protocol and keys? Is BrowserID based on some sort of proprietary technology?

A. No. Technically speaking, BrowserID is an application of the Verified Email Protocol; a decentralised authentication system based on public/private key cryptography, through which users can prove to a website that they own an email address.

Q. Does BrowserID work on all browsers?

A. BrowserID can work on every modern browser, including mobile ones. The only requirement is that those browsers be compatible with the BrowserID JavaScript API. This said, even if you were forced to use a noncompliant browser, it would still be possible to use an equivalent web-based service.

Q. What should I do to start using BrowserID?

A. You should log in the old way to the website of your identity provider. That server will then tell your browser, through a JavaScript API, to generate a public/private pair of cryptographic keys.

Right after that, the browser will send the public key to the identity provider and get back a signed identity certificate. The browser will then store the private key and certificate as it would do with traditional passwords.

Q. What would happen next, when I visit a BrowserID-compliant website?

A. That website will tell your browser to run a JavaScript function that asks you if you want to log in and with which identity – that is email address.

Q. And when I accept...

A. The browser will send to the website the identity certificate, signed with the private key. At that point, the website will download your public key from your identity provider and verify that the signature is authentic.

Q. And that's how I'll prove to that website that I really am who I say I am?

A. Yes… and no. What this procedure provides is a third-party confirmation (unlike what happens with cookies!) that the authentication request comes from a browser that has the secret key associated to the provided email address. Which means that…

Q. I should never let other people use my browser!

A. That's absolutely true. However, that's the same risk you already face with every other authentication system that doesn't force you to enter a password every time, isn't it?

Q. I suppose that's true, but this also means I won't be able to authenticate from other browsers, right?

A. It depends. That's really up to you. In and by itself, BrowserID does allow you to have one certificate for each computer or smartphone you use, including borrowed or public ones such as internet kiosks. Of course, in those cases you would have to delete the private key and certificate as soon as you're done!

Q. Let's go back to identity providers. You keep mentioning them – who are they?

A. In the simplest and most natural scenario, your BrowserID identity provider would be your email provider.

Q. What if it doesn't support the system?

A. You could still use, without problems, a trusted, secondary identity provider that offers the same services. The Mozilla Foundation, for example, has set up a website called BrowserID.org for this very purpose, in order to speed up testing and adoption of BrowserID.

Q. Ah, yes, adoption. What is the current status of BrowserID? Is anybody already using it?

A. At the time of writing this piece (late November), BrowserID is still in its infancy. Most browser developers haven't announced any official plans to integrate BrowserID support in their software. That's not the main problem, though.

Q. Really? What is it then?

A. The real open issue is if and when the major email providers and online communities, such as Facebook and Twitter, will support BrowserID – that is become identity providers. Especially when, like Facebook, they have their own in-house alternative.

Besides, all these providers would need to agree on a standard way to make public keys accessible. Luckily, none of this makes it impossible to try BrowserID or implement it on your website.

Q. That's cool. How can I try it today?

A. For the moment, the best way to see how using BrowserID looks is to visit the official demo site at Myfavoritebeer.org.

Q. What about webmasters?

A If they use popular open source software, such as WordPress or Drupal, they're lucky: BrowserID plug-ins for those content management systems already exist.

Alternatively, they'd have to follow the instructions for developers published at browserid.org. Even in that case, though, they'd be able to use BrowserID without having to write any authentication code by themselves.

How to get started with Apple Mail

Despite the popularity of social networks, no computer is complete without a great email app to help you keep in touch with friends and loved ones.

It's no surprise, then, that all Macs come with Apple's Mail program built into OS X. It makes it easy to set up your email account and browse and sort your messages, as well as write emails to others.

You'll need to have an email account. And for many email types, including Yahoo!, AOL, Gmail and Windows Live/Hotmail, Mail can set up your account using just your email address and password.

You can set up other kinds of accounts, but you may need to know the details of your incoming and outgoing servers, which your provider should be able to supply you with.

Once your account is set up, you'll see the Mail interface, with a list of emails on the left, and a preview box on the right. There's a Show button just above the messages list that enables you to see your list of account inboxes, which is handy if you have more than one set up, have created multiple mailboxes, or if you want to browse messages you've deleted from your inbox.

From the toolbar along the top of the Mail window, you can check for new messages, compose a new email, create a new note, delete emails, mark emails as junk mail, forward and reply to messages, and flag emails for your attention later.

There's also a search bar here, which enables you to find text anywhere in any of your emails, so you can easily search for its subject, or the person who sent it, for example.

In this walkthrough, we'll talk you through the basics of using the Mail app, including getting set up, reading your emails and writing messages, but once you're more confident with Mail, you can do a lot more.

For example, you can set up Rules such as having incoming messages sorted into different inboxes depending on the sender, you can change the default font and size that messages are displayed in, and create multiple email signatures.

Of course, if all you want to do is send and receive the occasional hello from family members, you can stick with just the steps on the opposite page and enjoy the full email experience.

How to get to grips with features in Apple Mail

1. Set up your account

When you first open Mail, or when you add a new account, it will ask for your name, email address and password. For many types of email, this is all you'll need to enter, but if Mail is unable to find the information it needs automatically, it'll ask you for more details.

2. Read a message

With your account set up, and email flooding in, select one in the left-hand inbox list to display it in the window to the right. Or, you can double-click on an email to open it in a new window. From here, you can click the arrow buttons at the top to reply or forward emails.

3. File attachments

If an email sent to you has an attachment, you'll see a paperclip next to the sender's name. A file icon will be displayed beneath the email text. You can click a file's name to open it, open it with Quick Look for a brief check, and save it by right-clicking.

4. Photo attachments

Attachments, such as photos and PDF files, are handled slightly differently. They are displayed in full under the email's text. Again, they can be opened or saved, and if there are several photos, you can view them in a slideshow with Quick Look.

5. Search through emails

In the top-right of the Mail window is the search box. Mail will search all emails for anything you type in here. Results appear in the inbox pane, and below the search box. You can use this list to search for emails from certain people, or by subject line, for example.

6. Compose a message

Click the paper-and-pencil icon to create a new message. In the To field, you can enter the email address of your recipient.

If they're stored in your Address Book, you don't need to type out their email address in full – start typing their name, and Mail will offer their email address. Add a subject line and type a message in the blank space below that.

To attach a file, click the paperclip icon at the top of the windows and browse to the file you want. Clicking the icon that looks like a mountain will open a photo browser, so you can insert a photo from your iPhoto library.

To the right of this icon is a button to open the stationery pane, which enables you to send colourful emails.

We published our PS Vita review this week.

The Vita has generated as much buzz over the years as any of the top smartphones, and it's easy to see why.

It's specs are top of the line, and offer a mobile gaming experience far beyond anything that's been possible up to now.

But it's not all been about the Vita this week. We've also been playing with the Nokia Lumia 710, a budget Windows Phone aiming to do battle with the likes of the HTC Radar. And the budget theme is continued with the Kogan TV we reviewed yesterday.

A 55-inch LED, Freeview HD TV for under £1000. You've got to be kidding, right?

PlayStation Vita review

We still don't know if anyone's going to buy one, but there is no doubt that the PS Vita is an absolutely fantastic piece of hardware. Combining a brilliant 5-inch touchscreen OLED display, a quad core CPU, a quad core GPU, dual analogue sticks and a touch-sensitive rear, it's the most advanced handheld gaming device the world has ever seen. We even think the price is reasonable – considering the power, quality and polish the Vita brings with it, it's still much cheaper than many mobile phones that offer inferior components. But has the world moved on from £200+ handheld gaming consoles? With smartphones offering excellent games for less than a quid, convincing the public they should buy one and then drop 40 bob on a game is a big ask.

Nokia Lumia 710 review

The Lumia 710 is a budget Windows Phone. Although we would buy it over the HTC Radar, it's overshadowed by the Nokia Lumia 800, which impressed us a lot more and makes the 710 feel more like its cheaper relative than we would have liked. We know that the phone costs less, but the cost savings feel too apparent. For the small drop in price and the expectation that both phones are to drop in price, we're left feeling that you're better off buying the 800 instead. However, based on the recent announcements from Nokia, it's likely this will remain the budget option for the foreseeable future - a little bit more of a price drop and we'll be a lot more impressed with this otherwise decent handset.

Kogan LED55 review

In a world ravaged by recession, it goes without saying that the word 'bargain' has become the marketing industry's favourite word. We know you haven't got much money, but this is awesome and cheap and you should buy it! This Kogan TV measures a hefty 55-inches, sports a Freeview HD tuner, 100Hz processing and Edge LED backlighting. And it costs just £999. That's an astonishing price for such a large TV, but would you be better off spending less on a smaller TV from a more reliable brand? Read the review to find out!

HP Envy 14 Spectre review

We're deep into the second round of Ultrabook releases by now, and we feel the HP Envy 14 Spectre sits alongside the Dell XPS 13 at the top of the heap. But these are two different machines with different focuses. The HP Envy 14 Spectre is the most media-centred Ultrabook, with a larger 14-inch screen, 1600 x 900 pixel resolution and Beats audio technology. But it won't win over fans looking for performance and portability, due to the lower spec processor and bulky Gorilla Glass chassis. If you can overcome the steep asking price then the HP Envy 14 Spectre is a well-built and stylish way to transport and enjoy your music, movies and do a spot of image editing.

This week's other reviews:

Cameras

Hands on: Nikon D800 review

Hands on: Olympus OM-D E-M5 review

Desktop PCs

Hands on: Alienware X51 review

OCUK Ultima 9450i Mosasaur MKII review

Laptops

Toshiba Qosmio F750 review

Compaq Presario CQ57-366SA review

Monitors

Philips Brilliance 241P4QPYES review

Philips Brilliance 241P4QPYES review

Network adaptors

GigaRunner USB remote access drive review

Storage

Plextor M3 256GB SSD review

Plextor M3 256GB SSD review review

Intel SSD 520 Series 120GB review review

Intel SSD 520 Series 240GB review review

Is this the end of Olympus DSLRs?

The announcement of the Olympus OM-D will bring joy to fans of the old OM-series film SLRs, which were ground-breaking in their day for their compactness, technical sophistication and design.

But the announcement had a sting in its tail. The OM-D is not a DSLR. It's a compact system camera (CSC) in a DSLR's body, and the viewfinder is the electronic sort rather than optical.

Ask any SLR fan - even the best of today's EVFs lack the clarity and immediacy of an optical 'finder.

So does the OM-D finally spell the end for Olympus's digital SLRs?

Mark Thackara, Olympus UK's national marketing manager, won't be drawn: "They [Olympus] haven't ruled out the possibility of a new Four Thirds camera. We know there is a vocal community who would like to see another body in the Four Thirds format, so we will have to wait and see."

The facts, however, speak for themselves. The company's last DSLR was the pro-spec Olympus E-5, back in 2010, and you have to go back nearly three years, to February/March 2009 for the two before that (the Olympus E-450 and E-620).

Micro Four Thirds future

So are compact system cameras really the way forward? Were Olympus's DSLRs really so bad?

Presumably, if enough had been sold they'd still be with us. But it didn't help that endless carping over sensor sizes and pixel counts, mostly from those who'd never picked one up and used it, mean that Olympus DSLRs were often seen as the poor relation to APS-C format cameras.

This was the point; you did actually have to use them. The Olympus E-series DSLRs had a tight, light, precise feel that rival SLRs lacked then and still lack now. They were a lot better in this respect than, dare we say it, Olympus's current PEN-series cameras.

Olympus DSLRs

Take the Olympus E-400, which eventually evolved into the E-450. It had a body barely larger than a DSLR-style compact system camera, but Olympus never upgraded its primitive 10-megapixel Live MOS sensor to the later and much better 12-megapixel version.

And if the E-400 was still around now, and was fitted with the brand new 16-megapixel sensor used in the OM-D - well, would we really need the OM-D?

Olympus would be able to revive its iconic OM brand with a camera which was spiritually and physically much closer to the original.

Instead, what Olympus has launched may well prove to be an excellent camera, but it's pretending to be a DSLR when it isn't. It's a digital replica of the OM rather than a reincarnation.

Compact system camera advantages

The CSC format does have advantages. The removal of the mirror allows straightforward, fast and effective live view operation, always a difficulty for DSLRs. It means that even though the OM-D E-M5 is as broad and as tall as the old E-400, it's a lot less thick in the body. And the electronic viewfinder can display exactly the same information as the LCD display.

There are technical innovations too, like the swivelling, touch-screen display, 5-axis sensor-shift anti-shake system and FAST (Frequency Acceleration Sensor Technology) autofocus.

The OM-D E-M5 is probably going to be a very good camera, but it's not a DSLR. And will it really match the lightness, precision and feel of the DSLR cameras that Olympus used to make?

Maybe, like the song says, you don't know what you've got till it's gone?

You remember that story by that Scandinavian dude? The one where the world is made of crepes and silver monkeys would ride unicorns across the globe in an allegory about something or other?

No, neither do we. It's possibly made up, the flashbacks from a weekend in Thailand, or a dream. Either way, there are more important things to be talking about, like the fact Google is looking to bust Android out of its mobile phone prison (oh, and tablets. And home entertainment systems. And fridges. And… oh, FINE. It's not confined at all).

But we are excited about anything that a) is from the future and b) can make us more like a Terminator, and a project Google's working on with Oakley to put a heads up display in one lens of its sunglasses.

The word is these little wonders would essentially have a single core processor and around 8GB of storage, plus allow you to take pictures with a front facing camera which, let's be honest, would make you the coolest spy kid in TechSchool and would in no way get you punched in the face and have your ultra-expensive specs stolen.

Or you can wear them snowboarding or something. Whatever, we're not your Mum. Do what you want.

More worrying is the notion you can navigate through the menu by wobbling your head – a particularly vibrant session with Girls Aloud's Sexy No! No! No! could have us accidentally wandering onto a lewd website or two. Well, that's our story and we're sticking to it.

Let's face it – anything that stops us looking like this will be a boon.

I just called to say hello…

You've got to give it to Nokia – the company has realised that its user base is dwindling so rapidly that nobody will be using a Finnish phone to call at all in the future, and has come up with a clever solution.

Screw talking or texting – soon you'll be able to share a greeting by tapping phones together and walking on quietly… conjuring up some frankly terrifying images of a bald, fat man coming up to us, tapping our phone then walking away, only for us to read 'I live in your phone now, and we are married. Oh, and buy milk.'.

There's a strong chance this is all a made up prank, given that Nokia is saying it's fed up with noise pollution and it will speed up its engineer's days by 175% or some other odd stat – but then again, this is the same Nokia that thought this was a good idea. We don't know how to react any more.

iPad? BB10? MMMMMMmmmm…. Nice

Ever wanted to spend a minute or so being whisked around the sights and sites of London while being simultaneously blasted with info on forthcoming operating systems and gadgets?

OK, but have you ever wanted to do it with some funky techno-jazz in the background and a frankly laughable attempt by a presenter to pretend he's in a house? WELL! Have we got (two) treats for you:

And finally…

Comments on this oddity are welcomed on our twitter feeds: @TR_Phones and @TR_tablets

A spokesperson for T-Mobile has confirmed the company does not cap data download speeds on its new Full Monty tariff, or any of its other data plans.

Rumours sprung up soon after T-Mobile announced its unlimited data tariff claiming the network provider would cap data download speeds at 1Mb/s.

T-Mobile refuted the claims telling TechRadar: "We can confirm that we do not have a 1Mb/S maximum data download speed in place for The Full Monty plan – nor for any of our other pay monthly or pay as you go price plans".

Best in class?

The spokesperson went on to say: "We are confident that our average data speeds are as good, if not better, than anyone else in the industry."

T-Mobile boasts the widest 3G coverage in the UK which should make its new 'Full Monty' tariff popular among those who steam through mobile data.

"T-Mobile joined forces with Orange in 2010 giving customers free access to each other's signal and coverage. Further to this, thanks to the 'big 3G switch on' last year, we now offer our customers the UK's widest 3G coverage. We are constantly developing our network, and recently announced we're investing a further £1.5billion in network improvements over the next three years."

It's expected some the £1.5billion of investment will go towards developing the network ready for 4G after Regan Whitehead, Senior Proposition Manager confirmed to TechRadar in a recent interview that the firm is committed to 4G.

So un-twist those knickers and get off the forums, T-Mobile hasn't been pulling the wool over our eyes – go forth and download data!

A new study in the US has found no evidence that BitTorrent has a negative effect on US box office returns but that international ticket sales were found to be "at least 7 per cent lower than they would have been in the absence of pre-release piracy".

The researchers from the University of Minnesota and Wellesley College attribute this drop in returns to the long gap between international release windows, saying:

"We find that longer release windows are associated with decreased box office returns, even after controlling for film and country fixed effects."

Agog

Over in the Hollywood hills they may be a dab hand at putting films together, but they don't quite seem to have the internet smarts to realise there's a simple solution to the issue of BitTorrent piracy: simultaneous international releases.

If we had presses, we would stop them. It's almost as though Hollywood isn't aware that the internet is global, nor that to release something in one country won't stop people in other countries hearing about it and wanting to see it at the same time.

The UK's film industry, at least, seems clued in to the thinking that legal accessibility will lessen the impact of piracy, but still faces major hurdles like getting films on to legal streaming services soon after release.

It's Friday which means you are quite possibly looking for things on the internet to wile away that seemingly endless time before the working week ends and the weekend begins.

Well, you are in luck as enclosed in this article are not one but 10, yes 10, news stories from the world of technology that have made us smile – and a smile from a hard-nosed tech journo is as rare as a Googlewhack, so you better enjoy.

Facebook smackdown – It used to be that a teenager could diss their parents behind their backs without them ever finding out but in this wonderful world of social networks, nothing is private.

A girl from North Carolina found this out the hard way when she updated her Facebook status with a rather irate comment, only for her dad to take matters into his own hands by smashing up her laptop and filming the whole thing. We're praying that she doesn't ever get caught for smoking – if she does, we're betting there will be a flame thrower involved. [TheNextWeb]

A brand don't come for free – High-street clothes horse H&M has managed to get itself to the top of the most-followed brands list on Google+. The reason might have something has everything to do with David Beckham in his pants. [SlashGear]

Toy talk – Zynga, the maker of Farmville, is branching out into toy production by enlisting Hasbro to create the cuddly characters from its games. This is in no way like Rovi teaming up with Mattel to make Angry Birds. None at all. [SlashGear]

Manchester City, big in Japan – Man City is looking to give something back to its international fan base by building a bespoke mobile website purely for fans in Japan. The site will give access to club data, merchandising and memorabilia. It will also come complete with a Where's Carlos Tevez game, which is a bit like Where's Wally except that you can always find him on the bench. [Reuters]

Google gone – The first-ever official employee of Google, Craig Silverstein, has announced that he is set to leave the company. He is off to something called the Khan Academy – where he has been tasked with watching Star Trek 2 over and over and over again. Probably. [All Things Digital]

Bluetooth gains muscle – the good folk behind Bluetooth have announced a new division of the company that will focus on fitness gadgets. This means that we will be seeing a lot more devices with Bluetooth functionality that will make us all that little bit fit… sorry, we had to wipe some doughnut jam off the keyboard while writing that. [Engadget]

BBC troll – The BBC managed to peek under the filthy duvet of the strange world of internet trolling this week and tracked down one web user who couldn't stop writing poisoned pen missives.Unsurprisingly, the man they unmasked as being an internet troll is as every bit as vile as you would expect him to be. [CNET]

Apple's not all white – Apple has finally killed off its white Macbook range, ending the company's iconic association with the colour white. In memory of the colour white, the whole of the UK was covered in snow as a tribute. Yes, Apple has the power to do this, even if it has now gone to the Dark Side. [The Verge]

Obama sing-a-long – President Obama may be in the middle of a campaign to stay in the White House but that hasn't stopped him taking time out to create a Spotify playlist to go alongside his electioneering. Songs of note on the playlist includes a little bit of indie ('You've Got The Love' by Florence and the rest of the Magic Roundabout) some soul ('Let's Stay Together' by Al Green - unfortunately not Obama's version) and some British prog rock in the form of 'Mr Bright Sky' by ELO. Groovy. [Spotify]

Mobile Donkey – Old school PC gamers can rejoice as Donkey, the first ever PC game, has landed on the iTunes Store. Donkey may not be as graphically intense as other games on iOS but it's full of 8-bit charm and well worth a few of your hard-earned pence. [Apple]

Flashguns explained

A good flashgun is one of the most essential and versatile DSLR accessories. It's not just for dark times, when you're shooting indoors or at night - a flashgun is equally useful for filling in unsightly shadows in bright, sunny-day portraits.

Unlike the pop-up flashes in most Nikon DSLRs, flashguns give you more power, greater flexibility over lighting techniques and, in some cases, advanced facilities for wireless multi-flashgun shooting.

The maximum power of a flashgun is indicated by its guide number (GN). This is usually stated for shooting at a sensitivity of ISO 100 and a focal length of 105mm. That's because most flashguns have motorised zoom heads that automatically adjust as you alter the zoom setting of your lens, or fit prime lenses of varying focal lengths.

As you stretch from wide-angle to more telephoto focal lengths, the light used to illuminate the periphery of a scene is wasted. So, by zooming the flash head, its light is concentrated on the area that will appear in the photo.

The GN enables you to know the maximum range of the flashgun at any given aperture. You simply divide the GN by the aperture you're using.

As an example, a flashgun with a GN of 40 would enable you to shoot an object from up to 10 metres away with an aperture of f/4, or from up to five metres away with an aperture of f/8. That might sound like more power than you'd ever need, but there are other factors to take into account.

Directing flash

The GN gives maximum distances only when you're aiming the flashgun directly at a target. However, one of the most essential features of any good flashgun is a bounce and swivel head.

Due to the small physical size of a flash head, direct flash produces 'hard' lighting that can be unflattering for portraits, and cause dark shadows. By tilting the flash head upwards in indoor portraiture, you can bounce the flash off a white ceiling. This effectively gives a much larger source of light, which makes for softer lighting.

The downsides of this are that the distance between the flashgun and target is increased and not all of the light is reflected, so flashguns with extra maximum power come into their own. The swivel facility does the same job when you're shooting in portrait orientation.

Working out the manual flash setting, especially when bouncing flash off walls or ceilings, can be a nightmare. Thankfully, all the flashguns in this test are fully compatible with Nikon i-TTL (intelligent Through The Lens) flash metering. This aims to ensure accurate and consistent flash power for correctly exposed images in any conditions.

A practically imperceptible burst of pre-flashes is fired to work out the correct flash exposure for the scene, just before the camera's shutter opens and the shot is taken. That's the theory, anyway, although we found the accuracy of i-TTL metering varies with different flashguns in our tests.

The zoom range of most flashguns is about 24-105mm, but this is for full-frame cameras such as the Nikon D700. However, DSLRs such as the Nikon D3100, D5100 and D7000 and D300S have a smaller APS-C sensor. With the 1.5x crop factor of these cameras, the effective zoom range translates to 16-70mm.

With many flashguns, this means that some light is wasted because there's no facility for setting them up for use on DX (APS-C) rather than FX (full-frame) cameras. It's not always the case, as the Nikon SB-700, SB-900 and recently announced SB-910 are clever enough to sense what type of DSLR they're attached to and adjust themselves to DX or FX mode automatically.

With the Metz 50 AF-1, you can make the change manually in the custom settings, although the correlation between effective focal length and flash zoom setting still doesn't display accurately between 16 and 24mm.

For ultra-wide-angle shooting, most flashguns feature a diffuser panel, which usually flips down from the top of the flash head when required.

This diffuser often shares its stowaway area with a fill‑in reflector card that can slide forward and be used to bounce flash. It's handy in portraiture, where you can use the flashgun in its vertically upright bounce mode while reflecting a little light into the subject's eyes.

Another useful feature is an AF (autofocus) assist beam. This typically fires a red coloured grid onto the target to help the camera autofocus in gloomy light.

When you're only using a small fraction of the flashgun's total available power, recycling times (the time it takes the flash to get ready to fire again) are usually short. However, there can be quite a delay after a full-power flash is fired. This can be anything from 4-22 seconds when you're using alkaline batteries.

Recycling speeds can generally be increased by using NiMH rechargeable batteries, and these are a much more cost-effective option for extended shooting sessions too.

Key flashgun features

Look out for these key features when buying a flashgun. A wider range of features will expand your shooting options.

Wide-angle diffuser

Flipping down over the front of the flash head, this diffuses the light to give a wider area of coverage. This is essential when you're using ultra wide-angle lenses.

Master/slave modes

Advanced flashguns can often be used as either master or slave units in multi-flashgun lighting setups, enabling you to get more exotic lighting effects.

AF illuminator

A patterned grid of light, usually red in colour, enables the camera's autofocus system to lock on to targets accurately, even in very dark conditions.

Bounce and swivel head

This enables you to bounce light from the flashgun off walls and ceilings for a softer lighting effect. It's most useful for portraiture.

LCD panel

For making the most of advanced settings, or for arranging custom functions, an LCD status display is an absolute necessity.

Onboard controls

These should enable simple yet effective hands-on control of flashgun settings. They're usually much quicker than camera-based menu options.

Flash stand

This lets you position your flash wherever you like while keeping your hands free, and means you don't need a bulky lighting stand.

Sunpak PF30X

Sunpak PF30X - £82/ $128

The Sunpak PF30X is larger than the Nikon SB-400 but far smaller than the other flashguns in the group. It runs on just two AA batteries and features a bounce-only head with no swivel adjustment.

Full power output is rather low, at GN 30, although there's no zoom facility in the head, so the quoted power doesn't benefit from you zooming in to match a telephoto focal length.

The control panel is basic, with no fancy features or even an LCD information panel. You can only use the Sunpak in i-TTL mode, as manual power adjustments aren't available either on the flashgun or via the camera's flash menu.

There are a couple of switches with LED confirmation for altering flash exposure compensation between +/-1.5EV, but that's it.

Performance

The i-TTL metering proved quite accurate in our tests. For more advanced use, though, the lack of manual power adjustments is a bugbear, as is the lack of swivel for bouncing flash.

The full-power recycle times of 16 and 22 seconds for NiMH and alkaline batteries are really tedious, taking up to four times longer than Nikon's SB-400.

Flash output

There's no facility to set manual flash power on the Sunpak, so it could only really be tested at maximum output, where it acquits itself fairly well.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 30
Measured: 22

i-TTL exposure accuracy

Almost as accurate as the Nikon flashguns on teat, the Sunpak does well in terms of i-TTL accuracy, with a flash exposure of -0.3EV in this case.

iTTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -0.3EV

Colour accuracy

As is the case with i-TTL metering, there is practically nothing to separate colour accuracy between the Sunpak and the Nikon SB-400 and SB-700 flashguns.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 18

Image quality verdict

The lack of manual power settings might be frustrating for advanced users, but i-TTL metering and colour accuracy are both pretty good.

Nikon SB-400 Speedlight

Nikon SB-400 Speedlight - £125/ $195

Ideal for photographers who want to keep things simple, the Nikon SB-400 really couldn't be any easier to use. There's no LCD status panel or onboard controls, although you can still select modes such as red-eye and slow sync via the camera, or apply flash exposure compensation.

Although small, the SB-400 is nevertheless well made, with a metal mounting plate and a solid feel. In keeping with the downsized build, the flashgun runs on two AA batteries, rather than a more conventional four, and its maximum rated power of GN 30 is the joint lowest in the group, along with the Sunpak PF30X's.

Also like the Sunpak, there's a full 90 degrees of bounce, but no swivel.

Performance

Despite not having a zoom facility, or even an autofocus illumination lamp, the SB-400 does well. In both the direct and bounce modes, i-TTL metering is accurate, and manual power adjustments are available via camera menus on the latest Nikon DSLRs.

However, the reduced height puts the flash tube close to the lens, so you're more likely to need to shoot in bounce mode to avoid red-eye.

Flash output

The tiny SB-400 doesn't have a massive power output, and like the rest of the flashguns on test, it's actual output falls some way short of the claimed figure.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 21
Measured: 32

i-TTL exposure accuracy

At -0.2EV, the SB-400 comes extremely close to a perfect flash exposure, matching the larger Nikon SB-700 and SB-900 in terms of i-TTL accuracy.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -0.2EV

Colour accuracy

Compared with the bigger Nikon flashguns, colour balance is slightly on the warm side. However, this could be quite flattering for portrait subjects.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 11

Image quality verdict

With its small flash head positioned close to the camera, image quality is only good in bounce mode, for which the SB-400 is a bit lacking in power.

Polaroid 160 Dua Flash

Polaroid 160 Dua Flash - £160/ $249

With the popularity of video capture in DSLRs, the Polaroid 160 Dua Flash aims to cater to your every need. As well as a regular bounce and swivel flash head, a secondary LED array gives constant lighting for video shooting.

However, the LED light source replaces the conventional addition of an autofocus illuminator. Worse still, we found that the Polaroid stopped the camera's built-in AF illuminator working.

Onboard controls look and feel dated, and manual power adjustments are only available between full and 1/16 power, whereas most competing flashguns go down to 1/128.

There's also no onboard facility to adjust flash exposure compensation, which has to be done via the camera. Wireless master/slave options are lacking.

Performance

In i-TTL mode, flash exposures were often a little on the bright side in our tests, and recycling speed from full power was pedestrian.

The motorised zoom, which has a meagre range of 24-85mm on full-frame cameras, is particularly slow and noisy, and there's no ability to switch this for correct zoom settings on APS-C cameras.

Flash output

The maximum power proves quite disappointing compared with Polaroid's claims, and this continues throughout the manual flash range down to 1/16.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 45
Measured: 22

i-TTL exposure accuracy

Uniquely in the group, the Polaroid is a little on the bright side, delivering +0.3EV flash exposures that are more likely to wash out highlights.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: +0.3EV

Colour accuracy

There's a slight blue colour cast to images. It's quite marginal, though, and rather less noticeable than that produced by the Nissin flashgun.

Colour accuracy
Measured: -2

Image quality verdict

A little too bright in most shooting conditions, when we used i-TTL flash metering the Polaroid was good in terms of colour accuracy.

Metz 50 AF-1 Digital

Metz 50 AF-1 Digital - £180/ $280

The Metz 50 AF-1 feels very robust considering its price. Bettering the company's previous model, it boasts a rugged metal (rather than plastic) mounting plate and a maximum power output of GN 50, instead of 48.

The bounce range of -7 to 90 degrees is generous, and the head swivels a full 180 degrees to the left, but only 120 degrees to the right.

A fairly typical 24-105mm motorised zoom range is available for full-frame cameras, and you can adjust the display to take the crop factor of APS-C cameras into account.

For multi-flashgun setups, there are two slave modes: one offers full wireless communication with the camera or master flashgun, while the other senses another flash via a light-sensitive cell.

Performance

The menu system is a little arcane, and not as intuitive as those on the Nikon SB-700 and SB-900. But after a bit of practice, adjustments become fairly easy.

The manual flash settings are mostly accurate, but we found practically no difference between the 1/32 and 1/64 settings. In i-TTL metering mode, the Metz often underexposed images.

Flash output

In the range between 1/4 and full output settings, the Metz is a little down on power. However, accuracy improves at lower output settings.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 50
Measured: 32

i-TTL exposure accuracy

In i-TTL mode, images are often underexposed by a full stop (-1EV), meaning dark pictures and requiring flash exposure compensation to be dialled in.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -1.0EV

Colour accuracy

Colour rendition is good, but we found we usually had to add positive flash exposure compensation in order to avoid colours looking quite muddy.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 16

Image quality verdict

The Metz gun often suffered from flash underexposure in i-TTL mode during our tests, making for dull-looking images. Colour accuracy is good, though.

Nissin Di866 MkII Speedlite Pro

Nissin Di866 MkII Speedlite Pro - £230/ $358

A high-end flashgun at a reasonable price, there's a lot to like about the Nissin Di866 MkII Speedlite Pro. Uniquely in this group, it has a colour LCD info panel that might sound gimmicky but makes for easy navigation of the advanced menu options.

These include variable speed repeating strobe bursts and full wireless master/slave operation with other Nikon or Nissin flashguns.

Another neat feature is that additional AA battery holders are available, speeding up the process of replacing charge.

The Nissin features a secondary, smaller fill flash strobe, too, also unmatched in the group. This is useful for supplying direct flash when you're using the main flash head in bounce or swivel mode.

Performance

Recycling speeds from full-power flashes are three seconds slower than the Nikon SB-700's when using NiMH batteries, and the Nissin takes twice as long to recycle on alkaline cells.

There's a tendency towards underexposure in i-TTL mode, and the motorised zoom is a little noisy. There's also no facility for switching from FX to DX zoom settings. Still, it's a good flashgun for the price.

Flash output

The full power output lags quite a way behind the manufacturer's stated maximum, and accuracy is disappointing at 1/2 and 1/4 settings as well.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 60
Measured: 32

i-TTL exposure accuracy

Like the Metz, the Nissin often underexposed images when we used it in TTL mode. In this case, it's given the same -1.0EV flash exposure.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -1.0EV

Colour accuracy

Along with dark exposures, colour balance is a little on the cool side. This makes the Nissin less than ideal for skin tones and portrait photographs.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 20

Image quality verdict

Many of our test images are too dark in i-TTL mode, and the Nissin lacks accuracy in manual mode as well. Consistent results are a challenge.

Sigma EF-610 DG Super

Sigma EF-610 DG Super - £230/ $358

Sigma's latest flashgun edges ahead of the other models on test to give the highest-rated maximum power output in the group. Like the Polaroid, it has 0-90-degree bounce and 180-degree swivel to the left, but only 90 degrees to the right.

Unlike the Polaroid, the Sigma EF-610 DG Super boasts full wireless master/slave operation for multi-flashgun setups.

Onboard controls include direct access to +/-3 stops of flash exposure compensation, as well as manual power settings, going from full to 1/64. That's a stop less than most similar flashguns, which go down to 1/128, but at least the individual increments proved accurate in our tests.

Performance

There's a lot of punch, but from full-power flashes, recycling times are a disappointing eight or 10 seconds when using NiMH or alkaline batteries respectively. The Sigma unit also often underexposed shots in our tests when we used i-TTL flash metering, so we had to resort to flash exposure compensation more than we'd have liked.

The onboard menu system is a little confusing too - we needed the manual quite a lot.

Flash output

The Sigma flash has the highest GN in the group, but power is quite lacking at the maximum setting. It also tracks fairly low throughout the manual range.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 61
Measured: 32

i-TTL exposure accuracy

A little on the dark side, the Sigma gives us -0.7EV flash exposures. This isn't as low as the results from the Metz and Nissin, but is still rather gloomy.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -0.7EV

Colour accuracy

The Sigma flash adds a touch of warmth to our colour rendition tests. Technically, results are poor for accuracy, but images look quite natural nevertheless.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 23

Image quality verdict

Like the Metz and Nissin guns, the Sigma unit often gives underexposed results in i-TTL mode, and colour accuracy could be better.

Nikon SB-700 Speedlight

Nikon SB-700 Speedlight - £250/ $390

With a carry pouch and a range of accessories, the Nikon SB-700 is a flashgun feast. As well as a stand for mounting the flashgun on a tripod for remote firing, you get a diffusion dome and two colour filters.

The flashgun automatically senses when the diffusion dome is fitted, locking the motorised zoom at its wide-angle setting to enable soft, even lighting. Auto-sensing also applies to the amber and green filters, adjusting White Balance for tungsten or fluorescent ambient lighting respectively.

The control panel and menu system have been overhauled from the SB-600's, and ensure intuitive operation. The SB-700 is superb for wireless multi-flashgun setups, where it can be a master or slave unit.

Performance

Maximum power is modest, at GN 37, but this is fine for general use. We liked the way the flashgun automatically converts between full-frame and APS-C cameras.

Other finery, which is shared with the more expensive SB-900 and SB910 flashguns, includes a choice of three different illumination patterns for standard, centre-weighted or 'even' corner-to-corner lighting.

Flash output

Still a little way short of the expected overall power output, the SB-700 is, nevertheless, very consistent throughout the rest of the range.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 28
Measured: 22

i-TTL exposure accuracy

As with the other Nikon flashguns in the test group, the SB-700 proves almost impossible to fool, giving accurate results time after time.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -0.2EV

Colour accuracy

Colour rendition is indistinguishable in shots taken using the SB-700 and SB-900. Both flashguns give natural-looking results, with neutral greys.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 9

Image quality verdict

There's practically nothing to separate image quality between the SB-700 and the fully professional SB-900, making the former a bargain.

Nikon SB-900 Speedlight

Nikon SB-900 Speedlight - £325/ $506

Nikon's pro flashgun, the SB-900 has a beefy maximum output of GN 50. It launched with exotic features such as simplified master/slave wireless operation, automatic detection for cameras with different image sensor sizes, three different lighting pattern options, and extras such as coloured filters and a diffusion dome, though these features have now trickled down to the cheaper SB‑700.

Other similarities include a thermal protection system, with a visual temperature display on the back.

However, the SB-900 adds repeating flash for a strobe effect, plus an auto-aperture mode for balanced exposures. Nikon has just announced a replacement, the SB-910.

Performance

Working seamlessly with Nikon cameras, i-TTL metering proved entirely reliable in our tests. And while the recycling speed from a full-power flash is one second slower than with the SB-700, it's still fast, at four seconds with NiMH batteries. Overall, the SB-900 is the ultimate choice for professionals, but the SB-700 is better value for amateurs.

Flash output

The SB-900 matches the Metz for outright power, and it proves really consistent throughout the whole range, right down to 1/64 power.

Aperture reading at 1m
Theoretical: 34
Measured: 32

i-TTL exposure accuracy

You'd expect supreme accuracy from Nikon's top professional flashgun, and that's what you get, although it's matched by the SB-400 and SB-700.

i-TTL exposure accuracy
Measured: -0.2EV

Colour accuracy

The fantastic power ouput of Nikon's biggest flashgun is matched by good performance in our colour accuracy tests across the spectrum.

Colour accuracy
Measured: 18

Image quality verdict

For accuracy in both manual and i-TTL modes, the SB-900 is a standout performer, and colour accuracy is impressive. It's the top pro choice.

Verdict: best flashgun for Nikon cameras

Compared with the outdated Nikon SB-600, the new Nikon SB-700 is a big leap forward. A key feature is auto-sensing for FX/DX-format cameras, the motorised zoom and focal length display being automatically switched accordingly.

Auto-sensing is also on hand for use with the amber and green filters supplied, as well as the diffusion dome. What's more, advanced features are instantly accessible from a brilliantly simple and intuitive onboard control system. These extras include fully wireless master/slave operation for multiple flashgun setups, plus three alternative lighting patterns

The Nikon SB-900 adds greater maximum power and extra flash modes. For most of us, though, the SB-700 is more than capable enough for practically any shooting scenario.

Meanwhile, the Nissin Di866 MkII is a similarly full-featured flashgun, with neat extras such as a secondary fill-flash tube and colour LCD info panel. It's good value, but recycling speeds were slower than on Nikon's flashguns, and it frequently suffered from underexposure in i-TTL mode.

The similarly high-spec Sigma EF-610 DG Super and less advanced Metz 50 AF-1 also tended towards underexposure.

The Polaroid 160 Dua Flash was less impressive. Substituting the AF assist beam for an LED array giving continuous lighting might sound like a good idea for video shooting. Ultimately, though, it's quite a basic flashgun.

The smaller Sunpak PF30X lacks even basic onboard controls and has no facility for adjusting manual power settings. The Nikon SB-400 is a better option if compactness is top of your wish list.

Verdict

The Nikon Speedlight SB-700 gives consistent results you can count on, and is an absolute joy to use.

Our columnist Gary Marshall points out that Microsoft's decision to prevent third-party apps on ARM-based Windows 8 desktops will only serve to confuse.

He's right. And, what's more, it horribly hobbles ARM-based Windows 8 hardware to the extent that Intel will be rubbing its hands together with glee.

Last September I suggested that ARM-based Windows 8's lack of legacy app support was the elephant in the room for the OS. It still is.

People won't understand they can't just download and install legacy apps on something that looks like a standard Windows 8 desktop. That's not what Windows means to people.

OK, so there will be Office 15 apps and other bits and pieces pre-installed, while we will have plenty of lovely third-party apps using the Metro interface. But the ARM Windows 8 desktop won't be a flexible experience.

And that can only mean customers will turn away – indeed, I feel that this news means that manufacturers will play it safe and we'll only see a few ARM-based Windows 8 tablets at the launch of Windows 8, rather than the plethora of multipurpose devices I'd hoped for.

You see, people will expect Windows 8 devices to give them options. New possibilities. They won't want an iPad 3 alternative that has a bit of old Windows tacked on.

It's up to Intel

We knew that x86-based devices would still dominate the Windows 8 landscape. But we had hoped that ARM-based Windows devices would take the OS beyond the traditional PC and give us some really exciting tablet-laptop hybrids that could be used for work or play. The single device to suit every occasion.

I was looking forward to having an ARM-based Windows 8 convertible running a chip like the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, where I could use Metro in tablet mode but also get the full laptop experience with a keyboard and the Windows desktop when needed.

Now it seems that many of these more complex and interesting devices will end up being Intel-based, rather like the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga we loved so much at CES 2012.

IDEAPAD YOGA: We'll be seeing a lot more Intel-based convertible Windows 8 devices

And that'll be because manufacturers know what will sell. To be frank, people are so used to looking for something with Intel inside.

Intel made it clear at CES that touch-based Ultrabooks will be with us for Windows 8, and many of these could be convertible devices using the Core series of processors.

Intel is keen to make inroads into the tablet market and recently announced the Atom chip it hopes can compete with ARM in many phones and tablets.

Despite the Atom's relative lack of power and battery life compared to the best ARM silicon, it will be rather happy at the possibilities that Windows 8 can bring.

Nikon has said that it doesn't believe that pro photographers want articulating screens on DSLRs, instead choosing to use a fixed LCD for the new Nikon D800.

Speaking to TechRadar, James Banfield, Group Support & Training Manager for Nikon, said, "Because it [the D800] is a pro-end camera, it's not a feature that is often asked for.

"What we tend to find is that people use third party adapters when shooting video if that's what they want.

"The screen on the D800 is really clear, regardless of which angle you want to shoot at," he explained.

The D800 features a 3.2 inch, 921k dot, wide-viewing angle LCD monitor with automatic brightness control, which the company says is capable of delivering much wider colour reproduction than previous models.

Other models

Meanwhile, articulating screens tend to be found on beginner or enthusiast level cameras, such as Nikon's D5100 and the Canon EOS 60D.

Tiltable screens are a common feature often found on compact system cameras, such as the Olympus PEN E-PL3.

"Articulating screens tend to be aimed at the beginner audience as they've seen them on a compact before, and they're more likely to use features such as Live View.

"It's about understanding the given audience for any particular camera."

The Nikon D800 also features a 36 million pixel sensor, 51 autofocus points and 6fps shooting.

Phones4U reckons it has reinvented the mobile phone contract with its new offering, JUMP, which promises phone upgrades every six months.

The acronym stands for 'just upgrade my phone' (see what they did there) and sees you taking out not one but two contracts – one with whatever network you're using, which covers your airtime and data and all that, and one with Phones4U that covers the hardware side of things. You even pay two separate direct debits.

This double contract has to be taken out for a minimum of 24 months, but over the course of that time you can change your handset every six months, if that's what you a) want and b) pay for.

To upgrade your phone so regularly requires you to pay an extra £2.99 - £3.99 (average) per month.

You do still have to pay for the new handset though: either by trading in up to three old phones you just happen to have knocking about, or by splitting the payments across the remaining life of your contract.

Story time

Ready for the overly complicated maths? Okay, here goes.

If John goes to a Phones4U store to take out a standard contract for a non-iPhone handset on a £35 per month tariff, he'll now get the option to take out the 'JUMP' option and pay £37.99 a month instead.

That's £15 of network time with Orange and £22.99 service agreement with Phones4U.

John walks out with, say, a Samsung Galaxy S2 and a warm feeling in his heart.

After 6 months, John might say, "Sorry Samsung, this phone's very nice and all but it's just not an iPhone. Gotta get me one of those iPhone 4Ses that I've been hearing so much about. How else will I know if I need to take an umbrella out with me each day?"

Now, John can either trade in his S2 for £175 (Phones4U's example, might not be accurate), which is taken off the remaining payments he has to make on the 'JUMP' contract.

So that's £413.82 of JUMP minus £175 of phone contract, leaving the JUMP portion of his bill at £9.95 per month for the remaining 18 months.

But the monthly cost of that magical iDevice is £28.49, which you then have to add to your £9.95 contract hangover PLUS the £15 network bill for Orange. So you've upgraded to another snazzy new phone, John, but your monthly bill is now the significantly higher £58.44.

And you want to do it all again in another six months? We've got to say, it doesn't look like the cheapest (or easiest) option for someone who might want an iPhone in six months' time – SIM-only might be the way to go there.

But then again...

But hey, what do we know? "We conducted extensive research prior to the trial and national roll-out to inform the JUMP model and ensure it truly met consumer needs", said Phones4U's director of customer development, Alistair Firth.

"We want to give our customers the freedom to own the very latest smartphones like the iPhone 4S without having to wait 18-24 months for an upgrade. The idea for JUMP was born out of research we conducted that revealed people were frustrated by the inability to upgrade their handsets sooner.

"We used these findings to help shape the JUMP offering and believe it offers the best flexibility and benefits of any deal currently available on the market."

So when Phones4U says jump, you say never mind that, where's my new phone?

Great news! Microsoft has cleared up the confusion over whether ARM-based Windows 8 machines will run legacy apps!

Terrible news! It's still going to confuse people!

For those of us who spend an inordinate amount of time troubleshooting friends' and relatives' PCs and offering buying advice, Microsoft's policy regarding old Windows apps on ARM - WOA, as Microsoft calls it - has just guaranteed us weeks of confused faces and the odd tear as we lose our rag and bellow "YOU CAN'T, OKAY? YOU JUST CAN'T, DAMMIT!" at our grans.

Here's the policy: Windows 8 on ARM - WOA - won't have any old-fashioned Windows stuff on it, apart from some old-fashioned Windows stuff, and it won't let you run old Windows apps, apart from some new Windows apps that look like old Windows apps.

Phew. For a minute there I thought it was going to be confusing.

There's no business like WOA business

As Steven Sinofsky explains, WOA is all about Metro and Metro apps.

However, for technical reasons that some people may interpret as "we can't be arsed making a Metro version of Office right now", WOA will also include the traditional Windows Desktop so you can run Office 15, and only Office 15.

WOA might look like Windows and run Office like Windows, but it won't run old Windows apps.

I understand why Microsoft's done this - as Intel and ARM are different architectures, running legacy apps would require virtualisation, which won't help performance or battery life, but from a marketing point of view I think it's going to cause unnecessary confusion.

Microsoft says WOA is a separate thing like Windows Server or Windows Embedded. That's true, but people don't see machines running those OSes next to the normal PCs in John Lewis or PC World.

I'm imagining the conversations with my relatives now.

"No, I don't think you should buy that one. Yes, I know it runs Office. Yes, I know that's the Windows Desktop. No, you can't put your old programs on it. No. No, that's a new Office, there's - no, that's because there's a LOOK YOU CAN'T, OKAY? YOU JUST CAN'T, DAMMIT!"

Apple is reportedly selecting apps to showcase on its new iPad 3 at the tablet's launch event in March according.

The Next Web has been informed of the details thanks to various sources and it reports that Apple is in "crunch mode" – lining up apps to demonstrate on the iPad 3 at launch and in its new advertisements.

We can expect the selected apps to feature stand-out qualities which will showcase the new features on the iPad 3 - instantly turning the fanatical crowd into a pool of uncontrollable ecstasy-ridden Apple ultras.

i-Spy-Pad-3

It is looking more and more likely that we will see the iPad 3 in early March and this is sure to excite the Apple faithful beyond belief.

The tablet market is set to hot up in 2012 with a range of new slates expected to get an outing at MWC in Barcelona and it will be interesting to see how they match-up to the iPad 2, let alone the iPad 3.

Varying rumours on possible specs for the iPad 3 have been doing the rounds for some time, so we have made it easy and rolled them into one comprehensive video for your viewing pleasure.

Canon believes that there is currently no competitor for its recently announced G1X premium compact camera.

The Canon G1 X was launched during CES 2012 and features an almost APS-C sized sensor and 4x optical zoom. It doesn't replace the G12 premium compact, with Canon instead branding the camera as a new category.

Many people were expecting Canon to launch a compact system camera, as it is now the only major camera manufacturer on the market without a model. Its biggest rival, Nikon, was also surprised by the decision to announce a new premium compact.

Some now believe that the sensor found inside the G1 X is what will eventually make its way into any CSC it chooses to release, but for now, Canon is maintaining that there is no obvious competitor for the G1 X.

David Parry from Canon UK told TechRadar: "This is a pretty unique camera in the market. If you look at other ones available, you've either got ones with interchangeable lenses, or you've got those with a similar look and design but don't have the zoom flexibility."

Perhaps the most likely competitor is the Fujifilm X100, which proved extremely popular. It boasts an APS-C sized sensor, which is bigger than the G1 X's, but it has a fixed focal length lens.

No retro

The Fujifilm X100 is regularly lauded for its retro styled good looks, but Canon has decided not to go down the same trend.

"There are lots of cameras out there that have gone for the chrome look," Parry said, "But we really wanted to stick with a form factor and look that people are comfortable with.

"We have to remember that cameras at this sort of level are going to be used by people who see cameras as tools, or use them to get the right image. They don't want to relearn how a camera works."

According to Parry, the G1 X has been in development for a long time. "It's been a dream of Canon Inc to actually build a camera like this for quite a while," he told us.

"It's finally come around to being produced, and I think we've hit the nail on the head with what we were trying to do, which is SLR style image quality in a compact form."

New financial results show that Apple now has a market value which is greater than both Google and Microsoft combined.

Stock in the company rose by a mighty three per cent this week, this comes a few weeks after the company revealed that it had its best quarter ever – managing to earn $13.06 billion with total revenue in the quarter up to $46.33 billion.

Apple: bigger than drugs

Couple these results with Google's share price falling nine per cent and Microsoft losing 6 per cent of its Windows revenue and what you have is a company which is greater in stock value than the sum of its two biggest tech rivals combined.

Aptly, it was Fortune magazine which put Apple's fortune into context best, with it noting that the company now worth more than the gross domestic product of Denmark and has more value more than all of the illegal drugs in the world put together.

And if you want to know more things Apple is richer than, then head over to the rather excellent 'things Apple is worth more than' Tumblr.