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If we ever needed evidence that Apple takes device security very seriously indeed, then it has been provided in the shape of the new iPhone firmware patch arriving even earlier than planned.

Instead of waiting to deliver OS 3.0.1 to fix a security vulnerability as promised this Saturday, Apple slipped out the update through iTunes late on Friday evening.

No one affected

The almost 300MB download repairs a vulnerability that used incoming SMS to take over control of an unpatched iPhone.

Apple not only moved to issue the update less than a day after it was made public, but also reassured iPhone users that no handsets had actually been affected yet.

Anyone wishing to apply the patch need only seek out the 'Check for Update' button in the iPhone settings page in iTunes.

If we ever needed evidence that Apple takes device security very seriously indeed, then it has been provided in the shape of the new iPhone firmware patch arriving even earlier than planned.

Instead of waiting to deliver OS 3.0.1 to fix a security vulnerability as promised this Saturday, Apple slipped out the update through iTunes late on Friday evening.

No one affected

The almost 300MB download repairs a vulnerability that used incoming SMS to take over control of an unpatched iPhone.

Apple not only moved to issue the update less than a day after it was made public, but also reassured iPhone users that no handsets had actually been affected yet.

Anyone wishing to apply the patch need only seek out the 'Check for Update' button in the iPhone settings page in iTunes.

If the suits at Sony were worried about the big losses the company reported this week, then perhaps they'll be cheered by the news that the PlayStation 3 isn't going to be a drain for much longer.

According to Chief Financial Officer Nobuyuki Oneda, the loss-leading console is now 70 per cent cheaper to build than it was when it debuted in 2007.

Costs slashed

Given that the original construction costs were around £500, that suggests the current (or, possibly, next) generation of PS3s leaving factories should cost around £150.

If the numbers are even close to accurate, it's pretty clear we're heading for a cheaper PS3 on shop shelves before very long.

If the suits at Sony were worried about the big losses the company reported this week, then perhaps they'll be cheered by the news that the PlayStation 3 isn't going to be a drain for much longer.

According to Chief Financial Officer Nobuyuki Oneda, the loss-leading console is now 70 per cent cheaper to build than it was when it debuted in 2007.

Costs slashed

Given that the original construction costs were around £500, that suggests the current (or, possibly, next) generation of PS3s leaving factories should cost around £150.

If the numbers are even close to accurate, it's pretty clear we're heading for a cheaper PS3 on shop shelves before very long.

Celebrities Court the New DXG-Riviera and DXG-Soho From the Luxe Collection for High Quality Video and Fashionable Designs CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA--(Marketwire - July 28, 2009) - The latest fashion in consumer electronics is the couture camcorder from DXG, garnering early attention from celebrities such as Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, Constance Zimmer and Julia Delpy. The DXG Luxe Collection is a new line of high definition digital camcorders designed with...
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The Olympus 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 M.Zuiko is the kit lens for the new Olympus E-P1 micro four-thirds camera. The lens has an innovative "stowaway" design which allows the lens to retract into a very small and portable package. For such a small lens, how does it perform? Click here for our full review of this lens.
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Poway, Calif., July 30, 2009 - Delkin Devices, Inc. adds a smaller version of their award winning Fat Gecko to its line of camera mounts, the Fat Gecko Mini. The Fat Gecko Mini uses one suction cup to attain a powerful suction that makes video and photography capture possible from almost any smooth surface. With an incredibly strong locking suction and a universal mounting screw the Fat Gecko Mini can be attached almost anywhere and use any...
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Do you have trouble remembering to turn off your PC at the end of the day?

No such worries with the Fit-PC 2.0. Using a maximum of just 9 Watts, this tiny computer has a smaller carbon footprint than a low energy bulb.

Its manufacturers claim that the Windows XP/Linux box uses 90 per cent less energy than a standard desktop PC.

As small as a CD, but with no optical drive

Unsurprisingly, there's a low-power Intel Atom 1.1 or 1.6GHz processor at the heart of the aluminium-clad 1.5x10.1x2.7cm Fit-PC 2.0 - that's smaller than three stacked CD cases. It ships with 1GB RAM.

The Fit-PC 2.0 can run either Windows XP or Linux - and should easily be able to handle Windows 7 when it launches in October. It comes with an Ethernet link and six USB 2.0 ports, but you'll have to supply your own monitor, mouse and keyboard.

The Fit-PC 2.0 costs from £245 for a discless, 1.1GHZ version, up to £400 for a Windows XP box with 1.6GHZ chip, 160GB hard drive and 802.11g Wi-Fi. More info at www.fit-pc.co.uk.

MemoryMixer by Lasting Impressions is the "TopTen Reviews.com Gold Award Winner" for Digital Scrapbooking Software for both Mac and PC users. Woods Cross, Utah (PRWEB) July 31, 2009 -- MemoryMixer, an easy-to-use scrapbooking software by Lasting Impressions, a Woods Cross-based scrapbooking company, has won the "Gold Award" from TopTenReviews.com for Digital Scrapbooking Software for both Mac and PC Users and is rated #1. Lasting...
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Mozilla today announced that its Firefox web browser has now been downloaded over one billion times.

It served its first 10-digit download around four hours ago, and Firefox continues to be downloaded around 20 times a second.

The latest version of the popular open-source browser, Firefox 3.5, was released at the end of June.

A third of surfers prefer Firefox

Firefox was first released back in 2004 and, according to StatCounter, currently has a 30 per cent market share worldwide and a 28 per cent share in the UK.

Mozilla has a website about the billionth download all ready to go at www.onebillionplusyou.com, although the barrier-breaking record seems to have caught them by surprise - there's nothing but a holding image up at the moment.

Internet Explorer still accounts for about 60 per cent of the browsers being used, with Chrome, Safari and AOL fighting over the remaining 10 per cent.

Mozilla has already released details and screenshots of Firefox 4.0, with some snazzy new 3D buttons and translucent effects.

There's a real buzz in the evil genius community over the latest gadget dreamed up by brain researchers at the Max-Planck Institute for Neurobiology in Munich.

Scientists there have built the world's flight simulator for flies, as part of their quest to create a new breed of intelligent flying robots.

Professor Alexander Borst and his minions have designed a wraparound display that presents diverse patterns, movements and sensory stimuli to blow flies.

Mind-reading insects

The insect is held in place by a halter, so that electrodes can register the reactions of its brain cells, allowing the boffins to observe and analyse what happens in a fly's brain when (it thinks) it's flying.

Researchers have long known that flies see and react much faster than humans, despite having a brain the size of a pin-head. For human eyes, anything more than 25 discrete images per second will merge into a continuous movement. However, a blow fly can perceive 100 images per second and interpret them quickly enough to steer its movement precisely.

Initial results suggest that flies process images from their immobile, compound eyes in a completely different way from humans. Movements in space produce 'optical flux fields' that are analysed by tiny 60-cell clusters of specialised neurons.

The German scientists hope to apply their findings by developing small, flying robots whose position and movement in flight will be controlled by a computerised system for visual analysis inspired by the fly's brain.

Their long-range aim is to enable the creation of intelligent machines that can interact with people directly, effectively, and safely. Or perhaps to create massive swarms of remote-controlled flies to pick the pockets of law-abiding citizens - you have been warned!

Microsoft has announced that the three version family pack of Windows 7 will not be available in the UK for the moment because we have Windows 7 E.

According to the corporation, it's "because the Family Pack is designed as an upgrade SKU, and upgrade SKUs of Windows 7 E will not be available in the UK until at least 2010."

So there we have it, no upgrade version of Windows 7 until at least 2010.

However, Microsoft says it is "currently working on the best solutions for its UK consumers, and will be in touch if there are any further announcements on this topic."

The corporation has also announced its pricing structure that enables consumers to upgrade from one version of Windows 7 to another without having to reinstall.

Called Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU), somebody buying, say a netbook with Windows 7 Starter Edition, will be able to get hold of the much better Home Premium version for just £70.

Microsoft says that while most customers will buy the edition of Windows 7 "that best suits them," WAU enables "customers to readily add more features to Windows 7 while keeping their programs, files and settings intact."

There are two ways that users can get a WAU. Customers can buy a retail package either or directly from a Microsoft online store; Windows will walk the customer through the rest of the upgrade step-by-step.

The Starter to Home Premium cost will be seen as reasonable, the Home Premium to Ultimate, however, is more of a significant leap.

UK Pricing is as follows:

Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Home Premium £69.99
Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Professional £119.99
Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Ultimate £139.99
Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional £119.99
Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Ultimate £124.99
Windows 7 Professional to Windows 7 Ultimate £84.99

Apple will release a fix for the iPhone to stop the latest text message hack from infecting iPhones.

Available this Saturday from iTunes, O2 has said the patch will stop the threat highlighted by security expert Charlie Miller.

"We will be communicating to customers both through the website and proactively," the spokesperson for O2 said to the BBC.

"We always recommend our customers update their iPhone with the latest software and this is no different."

Android in trouble too

The same problem, which can infect the phone via a series of invisible text messages, can also infect phones running Windows Mobile and Android operating systems.

Google has apparently already begun measures to address the problem, although Microsoft has yet to comment.

The flaw was highlighted at the recent Black Hat conference in the US, which Miller says was important to flag up in order to make sure companies took action against it.

A new pico projector has emerged from a company called AAXA Technologies, offering the highest resolution for a device its size.

While pico projectors haven't exactly taken over the market at the moment, the technology is improving quickly, and the price falling too.

The new P2 projector (following on from the P1, bizarrely) has a resolution of 800 x 600, which is the highest available from a pico projector today.

Big picture

It can throw images up to 80 inches in size, and has a 35-lumens output (which isn't bright enough for general movie watching, but more than enough for day to day presenting and other little things like that.

It supports up to 1280x720 video input, has a remote control, stereo speakers, MP4 player, 1GB of onboard memory and a microSD slot for expanding what you carry around with you to show off to people.

It does, sadly, have a 35 minute battery life, but users can buy an add on to improve this to three hours from AAXA.

It's not the most expensive in the world either at $349 (£210), and will be available from 15 August.

Apple gaming has come a long way in a short time, and estimates suggest there are over 13,000 games on the App Store. This means if you've just got yourself a new iPhone 3GS, 3G or iPod touch, the choice may be overwhelming.

Here is our pick of the best iPhone/iPod touch blockbuster games so far, with direct links to the App Store should a game take your fancy.

1. Bejeweled 2 (PopCap, £1.79)
Feeling more like a familiar friend than an innovative product, Bejeweled 2 is nonetheless an essential purchase. Its match-three gameplay is simple yet infectious, and PopCap's attention to detail on the platform is first-rate, especially when it comes to silky smooth controls.

2. Drop7 (Area/Code, £1.79)
There was a 30-minute gap between writing the previous review and this one, because Drop7 won't let go. Its premise is simple: drop numbered discs into a grid, and if the number matches the amount of discs in its row or column, it vanishes (and 'breaks' adjacent grey discs). Absurdly addictive, Drop7 also includes online high scores, Facebook integration and three distinct modes.

3. Flight Control (Firemint, £0.59)
Another entry in the 'simple but hugely addictive' column, Flight Control tasks you with landing planes by dragging paths to runways. It sounds easy, but when you have a dozen or more planes on-screen, with crossed paths aplenty, the game demands fast reactions and quick thinking - especially on the rotating aircraft carrier 'airfield'.

4. Galcon (Hassey Enterprises, £1.79)
Essentially Risk for the MTV generation, Galcon is a breakneck game of galactic conquest. Send ships to take over planets, which then manufacture more ships (larger planets being more productive). Offline, Galcon provides a number of gameplay variations, so you can train for frenzied online battles (and occasional space-oriented Mexican stand-offs) with players worldwide.

5. geoDefense (David Whatley, £0.59)
There are dozens of tower defence games on the App Store, tasking you with stopping marching 'creeps' reaching a goal. geoDefense rises above the competition with stunning neon-style graphics, great level design and focused weaponry. Long term, certain 'tricks' enable many levels to be easily mastered, but even geoDefense ninjas have better high scores to aim for.

6. Missile Command (Atari, £2.99)
Remakes of old arcade games (of decidedly variable quality) pepper the App Store, but Missile Command remains relatively unscathed. Ignore the updated version and instead enjoy a tap-based port of Atari's 1980s coin-op, the revised controls enabling you to reach insanely tough higher levels.

7. Peggle (PopCap, £2.99)
Beefed-up pachinko with a sense of humour or 'pinball without the skill', Peggle is a divisive game. However, there's no doubting that many consider it essential on any platform, and the iPhone version is first rate, and offers plenty of challenges once you've completed the 'adventure' mode.

8. Pocket God (Bolt Creative, £0.59)
Coming across like David Crane's Little Computer People as developed by someone with a sick sense of humour, Pocket God has you affecting the lives of tiny (and often suicidal/accident-prone) desert-island pygmies. Discover features by experimenting with actions (or be boring and read the instructions), and revel in the fact this 59p game has had over 20 updates, the most recent of which adds mini-games and bizarre achievements.

9. Real Racing (Firemint, £5.99)
Having previously released the engaging but simple Flight Control, the feature-packed full-on racing game Real Racing was a surprise from Firemint. However, it swiftly took the chequered flag, due to offering plenty of unlockables, an in-depth career mode (along with a 'quick race' option), and multiple control methods.

10. Rolando 2 (ngmoco, £5.99)
Rolando got booted from this list as soon as this sequel arrived, which improves on the original physics-oriented platform game in every way. Tilt and flick your way through the 2.5D levels, and shove Rolando 2 in front of anyone who claims the platform isn't capable of anything more than fart apps.

11. Tiger Woods PGA Tour (Electronic Arts, £2.99)
If you're expecting a bare-bones version of the Tiger Woods games from 'proper' consoles, guess again. Although its graphics can't rival those from a PS3, this release's 120 holes (over seven courses) and excellent controls more than make up for that. Just ensure you ignore the dreary, repetitive commentary.

12. Trism (Demiforce, £1.79)
Released way back in 2007, Trism supposedly made its author a quarter of a million dollars within two months. It's not hard to see why: while superficially similar to other match-three games, Trism is far more involved, requiring cunning use of the accelerometer within Apple handhelds, in order to slide pieces around and create chains. It's fun stuff and additional modes add extra value - to a great game that's under two quid to start with.

Related Links

• Browse TechRadar's iPhone apps reviews

Spotify is set to carry video advertising for movies, the streaming service announced today.

It is the first time Spotify will have been used to distribute video and the movie trailers will run inside a borderless Flash player inside the Spotify application. The first ad will be for Sony's "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3."

A captive audience

"As Spotify continues to evolve, our aim is to offer brands high quality and engaging advertising which avoids hampering our users' experience – as well as enhancing it," said Zia George, account director at Spotify.

"Spotify's video player allows brands to serve exciting visual content to an extremely captive audience. As well as having great potential to become a platform for branded content, the player is especially powerful as users will have actively decided to watch the content, rather than having it forced upon them."

Apple is still to cast judgement on the Spotify App for iPhone, which TechRadar has given a thorough testing (and thumbs up too) this week.

Microsoft announced its own plans to launch an MSN Video streaming service earlier this month.

Related Links

• The Spotify blog

No sooner than Sony releases its latest PRS-700 Sony Reader over in the US (still to see the light of day here) scans of the manuals for yet another two new eBook devices mysteriously make their way onto the internet.

Sony is surely soon to follow up the leaks with the official announcement of the forthcoming Sony PRS-300 and PRS-600 devices, as the PRS-700 Reader is no longer listed on the US SonyStyle site.

The PRS-300 is to be offered in red, black or silver and has a five inch display with 440MB of internal storage and no expandable memory card slots. In terms of design, it also looks very much like the Cool-er eBook, from UK start-up Interead.

To touch or not to touch?

The PRS-600 will also come in in red, black or silver, rocking a slightly larger six inch touchscreen display, plus audio output and MS/SD card compatibility (on top of the in-built 440mb internal storage).

TechRadar hopes for more information on how Sony plans to light its new Readers and, we hope, let them connect to the internet via a 3G and/or Wi-Fi connection.

Stay tuned for more info as it inevitably seeps out over the coming weeks.

Philips has unleashed its cheapest Blu-ray player the BDP3000 – offering a decent player for a bargain bucket £169,

Philips aren't looking to be the cheapest manufacturer in the Blu-ray player arean – but the BDP3000 is aiming to be affordable without compromising too far on specification.

Dolby 7.1

Featuring full 1080p playback – as you may expect – the BDP3000 also offers Dolby TrueHD 7.1, DVD upscaling and BD Live profile 2.0.

Philips also boasts about the player's dimensions (435 x 58 x 308mm), Div X playback, the design and its eco-friendly credentials – with the unit only consuming 0.5W in standby.

The Philips BDP3000 is out now – with an RRP of £169.

Samsung is preparing a slimmed down version of its forthcoming Android phone, the i7500 Galaxy.

According to the Wi-Fi certification channel, Samsung has submitted the i5700, which it is calling the Galaxy-Lite.

We can only assume it will be running Android, although it would make a lot of sense. However, it's also possible that Samsung's less powerful TouchWiz UI could be plonked on top instead.

Thin on the ground

Things we know about it: it's from Samsung, it's a mobile phone and it has Wi-Fi. Things we don't know: everything else, a price and date of release. Or what it looks like.

Things we can be almost certain about - Samsung currently has no plans to team up with Nintendo on a Super Mario Galaxy-Lite edition phone. Much as we would like that to occur.

The good news is the i5700 Galaxy Lite has passed the Wi-Fi test (phew) and is therefore one step closer to reality.

Samsung has been rather quiet of late, although we are still waiting for the release of the new Omnia range and the big brother i7500 in the UK, which we are told will be imminent.

QuietPC is taking the opportunity to show off the latest 3D gaming technology at the forthcoming Multiplay Mfestival alongside its normal range of low-noise components.

The company is taking the opportunity of reaching over 2000 gamers that will present to compete for a £15,000 prize and a place at the next World Cyber Games.

QuietPC.com will not only be showing off its popular Ultra-quiet Xbox mods, but also giving people the opportunity to take a look at the latest trend in gaming – 3D.

Seeing is believing

"3D gaming continues to grow and grow and Quiet PC know seeing is believing," says QuietPC's release.

"If you fancy a play or have not experienced 3D gaming before, feel free to pop down to the Quiet PC stand and test over 10 popular 3D games on their Zalman monitors that add an extra dimension to your gaming!"

The Mfestival will incorporate i38 – a popular UK LAN event – and feature exhibitors from across the UK gaming industry.