Tips for getting started with the Samsung Galaxy S3

Stocked with Ice Cream Sandwich and a truckload of Samsung-specific features, theSamsung Galaxy S III (S3) does not fall short in offering ways for you to customize and tweak the interface.

With all those options, where do you start? Break the ice with the following five features that make your S3 an even smarter companion.

(Credit: Screenshot by Sharon Vaknin/CNET)

1. Hide unwanted bloatware.
Like a new computer, the S3 comes prestocked with an unsavory amount of branded apps and services. Because they've been installed by the manufacturer, you can't uninstall these apps; however, you can keep them out of sight.

To disable a bloatware app, find it in the app drawer. Tap and hold it, then drag it to "App Info." From there, tap "Disable," and the app will vanish from the app drawer. Repeat the process for any other apps you want to hide.

If you ever want to unhide an app, go to Settings > Application manager. Tap the app to want to unhide and tap "Enable."

2. Customize the lock screen.
Want superfast access to your favorite apps and widgets? On the S3, you can completely customize your lock screen with shortcuts to apps, widgets, and the camera.

But first, a heads up: you must disable your screen lock (PIN, pattern, face unlock, etc.) to get these features. Trading security for convenience will be up to you. If you decide to live without the security, keep reading.

To customize your options, go to Settings > Security > Lock Screen Options. From there, pick and choose the items you want to appear on the lock screen. You can also change the app shortcuts by tapping "Shortcuts" in the Lock Screen Options settings.

(Credit: Screenshot by Sharon Vaknin/CNET)

3. Learn the S Voice basics
The S3 has S Voice built in; it's an intelligent voice recognition service that wants to be your personal assistant. Using voice commands, you can do things like get directions, check the weather, compose an e-mail, and more.

After some testing, we found that it doesn't quite stack up to Apple's Siri, but can certainly be useful in a pinch.

The key to making the most of S Voice is to know the commands. To find out what they are, double-tap the home button to launch S Voice, and say "What can I say?" A list of available commands will appear on screen.

As you get started, tweak S Voice's settings to your liking. Just tap the menu button while in S Voice to access the settings. Among other things, you have the option to enter your home address so that you can say, "How do I get home?" and S Voice will route you there.

Another important setting is "Wake up command." By enabling this, you can prompt S Voice at any time using a command. Just know that using this feature will have a negative effect on battery life.

(Credit: Screenshot by Sharon Vaknin/CNET)

4. Set data usage limits
If you have a limited data plan, keep a close eye on usage (and prevent overage charges) with your S3's built-in data-monitoring tool. To get started, go to Settings > Data usage.

First, check the box next to "Set mobile data limit." Next, define your billing cycle. If you're not sure, you can check your bill or call your service provider to find out. Finally, tap and drag the red line to set your data limit, and use the orange line to decide when your phone will warn you about your data usage.

You can also come back here and manually check your usage at any time. Alternatively, read our overview of apps dedicated to helping you track data usage.

5. Create custom vibration alerts
Remember back in the day when you could create your own MIDI ringtones? (Shout out to Nokia!) Well, now you can relive that memory by creating your own vibration alerts on the S3.

Head to Settings > Sounds and tap "Device vibration." At the bottom, tap "Create." Here's where you'll make your own vibration. First, think about what kind of vibration pattern you want, then tap the middle of the circle to begin "recording." You can tap and hold for long vibration "notes" or tap briefly for quick pulses.

When you're done, hit "Save" and set your new vibration as the default alert.

Bonus tips!

• To display the battery percentage in the top bar, go to Settings > Display and check "Display battery percentage."
• Tweak the keyboard options by going to Settings > Language and Input. Then tap the gear icon next to "Samsung keyboard." Here you can do things like turn off "T9 Trace" (which is like Swype) and enable or disable the key tap sound and vibration.
• The little-known motion gestures let you complete day-to-day tasks, like taking a screenshot or making a phone call, a lot faster. Follow this guide to enable motion gestures and find out how to work the most useful ones.

T

Casio EXILIM Hi-ZOOM EX-V7

The pocket-sized, innovative Casio EXILIM HI-ZOOM EX-V7 is currently the world’s slimmest digital camera with a 7X optical zoom lens. More than just a still camera, it also records widescreen, next-generation, high-quality H.264 movies — at remarkably small file sizes — with movie stabilizer technology that minimizes the effects of hand movement while filming. You can record up to three hours of video using a 2GB memory card. See why the Casio EXILIM HI-ZOOM EX-V7 is perfect for capturing your special moments, while maintaining the highest quality imaginable.

I SOOOO WANT ONE OF THESE.

iPod Phone

The rather gorgeous iPhone combines three products - a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a web-friendly device with desktop-class email, web browsing, maps, and searching. The UK release date has not yet been announced, but will likely be some time in the spring

ARCHOS Gmini

 

The Archos Gmini is a gorgeous looking and seriously high-tech spec video camera, stills camera, MP3 player, games console, movie file player and voice recorder in one. Yes despite its wafer thin solid build and compact 10x6cm footprint, this sleek silver and red Archos Gmini Camcorder console is the last word in multi-tasking gadgetry. With a 20GB capacity, a digital 2x zoom and adjustable resolution, you can record up to 50 hours of low-res video footage or 13 hours in high-res. With a still camera resolution of 1.2 mega pixels and two-way file transfer via USB

LifeBox

 

Revive Your Telly with Lifebox

Perhaps you resist going buckwild over every Apple announcement, but would still like technological innovation in your home. Welcome to Lifebox TV. It's a media storage hard drive that hooks up to your television. Lifebox supports a variety of audio files and a plethora of movie formats. It also doubles as an external hard drive. With storage capacities from 160GB to 500GB, that's a whole lotta media goin' on.

From £140-260 at Maplin

COMMONSENSESECUITY

Common Sense Security

This site is designed to give an overview of what we can do to keep our computers safer and more secure while we are on the Internet. I have known the owner (Mark Rider) for a long time and confirm that his site is secure AND gives out some very useful advice. I can  recommend it highly.

Tony

A Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to one an` all.
May the year ahead bring all that you desire and more.
If that includes a substantial lottery win my address is available on
request.

Best Wishes
Tony

Fuji FinePix A700

 

 

Designed for all the family, Fuji's FinePix A700 is easy to use and therefore everyone can enjoy digital photography! It is simple and user-friendly, with all the control buttons being on the right hand side so you can use it with just one hand.
Integrating a 7.3 megapixel Super CCD HR and an Optical Zoom of 3x, the A700 gives you very good image quality, with your photos being detailed, rich in colour and perfectly centred, enabling them to be enlarged.
In addition the Fine Pix A700 has a large LCD screen, which is more than 6cm in diagonal, giving you a very comfortable aim, as well as pertinent control of your photo taking.
Comfortable, easy to hold and with 8 different modes for each scene, you won’t get lost when taking your photos. The A700 adapts itself to the situation, therefore giving you the best results in every circumstance.
Ideal for everyone, the FinePix A700 enables you to enjoy taking digital photos, saving your most precious memories, without bothering you with technical details.

Canon PowerShot A640

Canon PowerShot A640

Topping the Competition in All Respects

Canon's popular A Series cameras have always stood out from the competition, but PowerShot A640 takes that concept to a whole new level. Experience breathtaking 10.0 megapixel resolution-a first for an A-Series camera - and the power of a 4x optical zoom lens. You'll have more fun shooting, and make your finished images even more rewarding, with the camera's exciting array of easy-to-use, high-performance features including 21 shooting modes and ISO800/High ISO Auto settings for much greater ability to shoot in low light.

UK Price ---www.amazon.co.uk      £219.00 & Delivered free in the UK. Usually dispatched within 24 hours.

Fujifilm Z5fd

 

Fujifilm Z5fd

 

Fujifilm has launched the next model in their Z series, the Z5fd, for the first time with Face Detection technology.
This is Fujifilm’s proprietary technology that locks on to faces and follows them to keep them in focus until they move out of frame or the user snaps a picture. In playback mode, pressing the Face Detection button will autozoom on to each face in turn so that you can check the focus and detail. The company promises that it can cope even in dark or back-lit scenes, and when the faces are off-centre.
The Z5fd comes in three colours: Raspberry Red, Mocha Brown, and Silver. Features are fairly standard for a compact, with a 3x optical zoom, 6.3MP, a 2.5-inch LCD, and ISO up to 1600. Fujifilm has also incorporated Intelligent Flash and a new blog mode into the Z5fd. The intelligent flash ensures a balanced exposure so that foreground subjects aren’t overexposed by a too-powerful strobe.
Natural Light and Flash mode force the camera to take two photos in quick succession, one with and one without flash, and then display both side by side for comparison. Blog mode optimises images for posting online, presumably by compressing them to make them easier to upload.
Other features include movie recording at 30fps with sound, and 14 scene modes. The Z5fd is expected to be available in January, with pricing announced closer to the date.

Casio Exilim Card EX-S770

 Casio Exilim Card EX-S770 digital camera

Price online about £185/90

Technical Details

• Ultra slim all metal body in Graphite Blue
• 7.2 effective megapixels for A3 photo prints
• 3x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom (12x total zoom)
• Extra bright 2.8inch widescreen LCD for clear viewing and framing
• 35 BESTHOT scenarios for quick camera setup
• Anti Shake DSP for reduced image blur
• Widescreen and normal movie mode with audio (with AV out)
• Data Transport function to store, review and present webpages and documents
• SUPER LIFE battery (approx. 200 images on a single charge CIPA standards)
• PictBridge and Direct Print compatible

› See more technical details

 

What you need to know

We like:

Slim and stylish; wide LCD; quick performance

We don't like:

Small, flat buttons; mediocre photo quality

CNET.co.uk judgement:

An attractive, pocketable camera, the Casio Exilim EX-S770 nevertheless has its share of quirks

Read full review...

MSI Megaview 588 digital media player

Listening to music on the move is rather passé now; if you want to be at the cutting edge, video is the latest thing.

The MSI Megaview 588, however, caters for both without being overly bulky or expensive.

The 3.5in screen can display video at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels, which is good for a screen of this size. It handled fast-moving video without any blurring and images were reasonably bright.

The 20Gb hard disk (enough for about 5,000 songs and 50 hours of video) is a reasonable size for the price, although a 30Gb iPod video costs just £15 more.

The Megaview 588 supports a variety of file formats including MPEG4, DivX, all popular digital image formats, such as JPEG and TIF, and Windows Media Video 9.
The Megaview can also record audio or video using the supplied composite cables, although recording resolution is limited to 312 x 324 pixels.

Unlike the more expensive Archos PMA400 media player, the Megaview 588 cannot record shop-bought DVDs from a DVD player. It will record unprotected discs, such as those you've created yourself, though.

The video recording cable also doubles up to connect the Megaview 588 to a television for watching videos and photo slideshows on a bigger screen.

There's a remote control to navigate media files from afar and a tripod stand. But, as the infrared sensor is positioned on the bottom of the player, it's is not possible to use both at the same time.

The Megaview 588 supports MP3, WMA and WAV music formats, which is more than the iPod. Sound quality was good but it won't playback any bought-music from the iTunes or Napster online music stores.

This model includes an FM radio that can store eight stations. FM broadcasts can also be recorded, as can voice recordings using the internal microphone.

Files are transferred from a computer using the USB socket, which will also connect to digital cameras and other storage devices using a supplied adapter. In this way, files can be copied directly to the Megaview 588.

There's also a slot on the top of the player for SD and MMC memory cards, from which files can be copied to the Megaview 588.

MSI has thoughtfully included the software driver for computers running Windows 98. It won't synchronise with Windows Media Player 10, though.

Battery life runs to around five hours for video playback and recording and seven hours when listening to music. The battery is removable so it's possible to carry a spare.

Comparisons will be made with the better-looking, more desirable video iPod, which offers and extra 10Gb for about the same price but if you want to record media on the move and listen to radio out of the box, the MSI Megaview 588 has the edge.

KODAK Easyshare V610 Camera

Kodak is celebrating five years of its Easyshare digital camera, software and docking technology with the launch of what it claims is the smallest 10x optical zoom digital camera.

The slimline six-megapixel Easyshare V610 is another dual lens digital camera - introduced by Kodak in January.

It has a 2.8in LCD screen and uses Kodak Retina Dual Lens technology, combining two Schneider-Kreuznach C-Variogon all-glass lenses that do not protrude.

The camera is also one of the first to come with Bluetooth wireless technology for easy sharing of photos with people up to 30ft away.

It will come with version 6 of the Easyshare software, which can be downloaded free from next month by existing Easyshare camera users here.

Due out in June, the V610 will cost £350.

Hauppage launches low-cost TV dongle

Hauppauge has introduced a low-cost TV tuner USB 'stick' for laptop and PC users. The £49.99 WinTV Nova-t Stick comes with a high-performance portable aerial and high-gain silicon tuner technology for improved Freeview reception.The supplied software scans for up to 40 Freeview TV digital channels, which can then be watched in full-screen or resizable windows or recorded for later viewing. Digital radio is also supported.

It is high-definition TV (HDTV)-compliant so users will be able to view the current trials the BBC is running on Freeview to see what all the fuss is about.You could have the Stick plugged into your desktop PC at home, then simply unplug it and take it with you and your laptop.

ZEN Vision:M 30GB Media Player

Zen Vision's 30GB multimedia center is bound to impress anyone who wants to carry all their digital entertainment files - tens of thousands of photos, up to 120 hours of videos, and 15,000 songs - everywhere. Zen Vision is not only lightweight and slim, beneath its classy magnesium casing are features that will fulfill all your digital entertainment needs.


Product Description Creative Zen Vision - portable media centre
Device Type Portable media centre
Dimensions (WxDxH) 12.4 cm x 2 cm x 7.4 cm
Weight 239 g
Key Features Digital audio player, voice recorder, digital photo viewer, memory card reader, digital video player, FM tuner
Hard Drive 30 GB
Flash Memory Cards Supported CompactFlash Card type I, CompactFlash Card type II
TV Standards Supported NTSC, PAL
Display Type 3.7" LCD
Supported Still Images Formats JPEG
Supported Audio Formats WMA, MP3, WMA DRM
Video Playback Formats MPEG-4 SP, XviD, DivX 5.0, DivX 4.0, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, Motion JPEG, WMV
PC Interfaces Hi-Speed USB
Battery Internal rechargeable - Lithium Ion
Included Accessories Stereo headphones, AV cable, USB cable, AC adapter, carrying pouch

Despite a few shortcomings, Creative's Zen VisionM is a great Apple iPod alternative. the video-ready music device, which possesses the finest color screen I've ever seen on a portable player.
The VisionM sounded great, too, though audio codec support is a bit weak--with support for MP3, WMA, and WAV, . In addition, it carries an FM tuner/recorder and a voice recorder.
The VisionM does more than play music. It supplies a raft of options for photo and video viewing on the unit's beautiful 320-by-240-pixel screen. The device supports enough video codecs to keep video enthusiasts happy, and an included dongle lets you link the player to a TV.
You will have no trouble navigating files on the VisionM, thanks to the player's touchpad interface. With the touchpad at the default sensitivity setting, a few quick flicks of the thumb allowed you to move through lengthy lists of artists and albums, though landing on a specific selection was sometimes challenging.
Unfortunately, the VisionM has a few drawbacks when compared to the 30GB video-ready iPod. For starters, it's about 1.5 times as thick, and you need a dongle to charge the player and sync files to it. Also, its MediaSource application needs work, especially when matched against Apple's slick iTunes. If you can look beyond these flaws, however, you'll find a capable portable media player with useful features and a stellar screen

Matchmaker Pairs Computer and Stereo

The New York Times
Printer Friendly Format Sponsored By

February 9, 2006
David Pogue
Matchmaker Pairs Computer and Stereo

THOSE crazy kids today! Their home music systems often wind up split in two. In this corner: the computer, stuffed with music files copied from CD's or downloaded from the Internet. In that corner: the stereo system or home theater.

The challenge is playing the computer's music through the nice speakers, even though they're in different parts of the house.

The electronics industry offers all kinds of solutions to this problem. Some (Sonos, Olive) are very expensive. Others (iPod, AirPort Express) require you to get up from the couch to see or change what's playing.

There is, fortunately, another way. You can outfit your sound system with a tiny, good-looking wireless receiver that provides a window onto your computer's music collection elsewhere in the house.

That's the idea behind the new Squeezebox 3 from Slim Devices ($300, or $250 for a nonwireless version). It's an upgraded, much cooler-looking version of the Squeezebox 2, which has cultivated a rabid cult of followers since its release last year — a cult that may grow when the company beams a new "killer app" feature to its customers next week.

The Squeezebox 3 is, true to the company's name, a slim device. At 7.6 by 3.7 by 3.1 inches, it has a face about the size of a flip-flop sandal. The Squeezebox 3 is also gorgeous, a welcome attribute for something that's going to be in public view. The top half is dark, smoky translucent plastic, with crisp, bright white pixels shining through. (The sides and back come in black or white.) Most of the time, this screen displays only text — what's playing at the moment, for example, or a real-time news-headline ticker — but a few simple visual displays are available, too, like dancing level meters.

Hooking it up involves plugging in only two cables: one for power, and one that goes to the receiver, speakers or headphones. Four kinds of audio-output connectors are provided, including RCA (red and white) and digital outputs (optical and coax).

WHEN you turn the thing on, it tries to join your wireless network. If you have a straightforward network, this is just a matter of clicking O.K. about five times on the remote control. If the network requires a password, special firewall ports or other fiddling, the setup could demand more time, or even a call to the American-staffed help line.

The next step takes place at your computer. You're supposed to download and install a piece of software (available for Mac, Windows, Unix or Linux) that sits there, behind the scenes, and transmits the music to the Squeezebox over the network. It may sound technical, but it's not; in fact, after that first joyous day of setup, it's invisible and effortless.

All the Squeezebox asks is that you keep your music files in one folder on your hard drive. Inner subfolders and folder shortcuts (aliases) are all right — and best of all, free jukebox programs like iTunes and Windows Media Player qualify, too. All of your music, including playlists and even smart playlists, shows up on the Squeezebox, ready for playing.

Now you run back downstairs to your living room and give it a try. What you'll discover is that all of your music shows up on the Squeezebox's beautiful display. You walk through it by band, album, song title or playlist; the remote feels cheap and plasticky, and it's a little odd that its Play button is so tiny, but at least it's thoughtfully laid out. (You can also control playback from the computer, using a cleanly designed control screen that shows up in, of all things, your Web browser.)

The music sounds fantastic. In fact, even audiophiles with golden eardrums lavish praise on this humble little box (after making certain modifications, including replacing the included power adapter — go figure). The machine can play most of the digital music world's favorite file formats, like MP3, WMA, FLAC, AAC, WAV, Apple Lossless and Ogg Vorbis.

It cannot, however, play back copy-protected songs bought from online music stores like Napster or the iTunes Music Store. The company excuses this limitation by pointing out that Apple's copy-protection system is a secret, but that doesn't explain why you can't play back Microsoft's protected WMA songs.

There are other wireless sound bridges on the market. But a few delicious perks make the Squeezebox an extremely versatile and likable gadget.

First, it can tune into thousands of Internet radio stations. Dozens of them come already listed on the machine (although the ones provided by Live365.com subject you to a 30-second ad before they begin to play), and you can type in the address of any other station. These radio stations are so easy to use and free of commercials, it's almost like getting satellite radio free.

Second, the Squeezebox doubles as an alarm clock; because it's so small and attractive, it actually makes a dandy bedside-table machine.

While you're at it, you may as well explore the ambient-sound channels: 26 soothing nature tracks (babbling brooks, steady rain, surf and seagulls) that help lull you to sleep despite the sounds of traffic outside.

Third, the wireless Squeezebox offers an Ethernet jack that lets another component of your system — Xbox, PlayStation or TiVo, for example — join the network just by the addition of one cable.

Finally, beginning next week, the Squeezebox will do something no other hi-fi component can do: it will hook into Pandora.

Pandora.com is a sophisticated music-recommendation site. You name a band, singer or song that you like. Immediately, you hear a new "radio station" that plays only musicologically similar songs. If you type "Billy Joel," Pandora plays songs with "mild rhythmic syncopation, mixed minor and major tonality, a dynamic male vocalist and vocal harmonies."

It works the same way on the Squeezebox. You use the remote to type in what you like (using cellphone-like multiple-tap text entry). As your instant custom radio station plays, you use the remote to provide feedback. If you give a song a thumbs down, the Squeezebox screen says, "Sorry, we won't play this song," and a new song begins to play immediately. Thumbs up, and it says, "Cool, we'll try to play similar songs." Over time, Pandora fine-tunes your stations, allying them even more closely with your tastes.

Slim Devices predicts that Pandora will become a wildly popular feature, and that's probably true (although after a 90-day trial, it costs $36 a year). It offers all the new-music serendipity of Internet radio, with the personal touch of your own CD collection.

The downside to using your computer as the source of all music, of course, is that when it's turned off, the music stops. But the Squeezebox even has a workaround for that: a special channel called Squeezebox Networks, filled with Internet radio stations (including Pandora) that are available even when your computer isn't available. Nice touch.

And here's another one: you can buy several Squeezeboxes and park them around the house. Impressively, they can all play different music from the same computer simultaneously — or you can synchronize them so they all play the same thing.

Now ordinarily, an electronics company is just a vendor. But in the case of Slim Devices, you get a real taste of the creators' personalities. The company bends over backward to make itself an open, transparent, right-minded outfit. The server software is open source, meaning free and open to the public to modify; as a result, you can download Squeezebox plug-ins that give it even more abilities. (For example, a plug-in called SoftSqueeze lets you listen to your home music collection from any computer anywhere, by way of the Web.) A lively discussion area helps build a sense of community.

Bug fixes and software upgrades (like the new Pandora feature) are automatically beamed into your machine at regular intervals. On the company's Web site, the machine's components are described lovingly and completely, as a chef might describe fresh ingredients. (The power adapter, for example, is "small, efficient, and does not get hot.")

Over all, you have to love this sweet, satisfying machine. Its creators have sweated so many details, you want to hand them a towel. Now that CD players, tape decks and turntables are rapidly disappearing, the Squeezebox brings us one step closer to the era of the stereo-free stereo.

E-mail: Pogue@nytimes.com

Saitek A250 Wireless 2.1 Speakers

This stylish wireless speaker system allows you to access your entire PC music library and listen to Internet radio from anywhere in and around your home.

Stream music from your PC wirelessly all around your home, enjoy quality digital 2.1 stereo with active bass with this easily portable and durable speaker system.

Reliable high-fidelity wireless technology streams your music to Saitek's Neodymium speakers which provide exceptional clarity and bass performance.

Transfer music easily from room to room, whether you're studying upstairs, cooking in the kitchen, working in the garage or entertaining friends. Stream music wirelessly from your PC...to anywhere around your home.

Subscriber price: £79.99
Reader price: £79.99

Gadgets for ALL

Face it: You live for new adult toys and the latest in high tech goodies. Some of them are necessary, others should never have left the vaporware stage.However on here I will try and give you the latest in all those "Must Have" products that are in the shops now or within the next few weeks. I will also be listing some of the more interesting product pages that I find on the net.

Guess what just turned 34?

Googler insights into product and technology news and our culture.
Guess what just turned 34?

10/21/2005 03:19:00 PM
Posted by Paul Buchheit, Gmail Engineer

It's difficult to pin down the exact origin of email, but in October 1971, an engineer named Ray Tomlinson chose the '@' symbol for email addresses and wrote software to send the first network email.

At the time, it must not have seemed very important – nobody bothered to save that first message or even record the exact date. I've always thought that it would be fun to witness a little bit of history like that – to be there when something important happened. That's part of what drove me to join a little no-name startup named Google, and it's why I was excited when I was given a chance to create a new email product, now called Gmail.
Read on and when you get to the end you will find an invite to join the Gmail fun and Games (Well Fun Anyway)
Tony

LaCie Silverscreen

Price: £164
Overall rating: **** (4 out of 5)
Manufacturer: LaCie
Technical specifications
silverscreen 40 GB USB... £162.00
Lacie's Silverscreen is a portable hard disk with a difference. As well as being an ultra-quiet external USB drive, it can play media files directly to a television. The 40GB version holds about 40 DivX movies, 10,000 songs or 40,000 pictures.

The drive comes pre-formatted with the Fat32 file system and getting your data
onto it is as easy as dragging files into pre-defined folders. You can then entertain family and friends by hooking up the drive to a TV and selecting the file you want to play from an on-screen menu using the supplied remote control.

The Silverscreen is one of the first devices we've seen with an HDMI connector, which can output composite, S-video and component video together with audio. It can also output HDTV signals at up to 1080i. Only composite and S-video leads are supplied, but you do get a Scart adapter. There's also a digital audio output.

While the remote is sluggish, playback quality is good and the drive can handle a range of Mpeg1, 2 and 4-based files, include video-on-demand files from DivX.com. Audio support includes mp3, wav, wma and aac. However, a major let-down is that the Silverscreen can't play Quicktime or wmv files and doesn't support Apple's version of aac used in Itunes. There's also a lack of any accompanying software; except for a freeware backup utility for Macs, all you get is a pdf of the manual. A utility for ripping DVDs or converting video between formats would have been an obvious choice.

The Silverscreen is incredibly easy to use but is let down by a few niggling omissions. However, once these are sorted out, this will certainly be a five-star product.