My Best Toys

Tech on wheels thanks to Drivers Support Pack

It’s not even in dealerships yet, however that didn’t stop Pocket-lint flying up to the Scottish Highlands to test out the new Volvo S60?and grab a plethora of hands-on shots of the new car that has to be the safest car on the road, full stop.

Pictured here is the Volvo S60 5D and 3D. We know what you are thinking, it looks like a regular car. But hidden within the shell is a range of tech that will have a gadget hound like yourself getting very excited.

Yes there is the usual array of in-car entertainment like Satnav, DAB radio, iPod and USB docking options and a stack of menu systems that will confuse the hell out of you, and there’s also Bluetooth as standard that lets you connect your phone, stream music from your iPod.

However those wishing to go even more high tech can opt to add the Volvo?Drivers Support Pack.

At ?1200 it includes a system that will alert you when you drift out of lane, handy for when you fall asleep, as well as something Volvo are calling Blind Spot Information System that uses two cameras mounted under the wing mirrors to alert you if there is a car in your blind spot.

But wait there’s more, as a game show host would say. The Drivers Support Pack also adds Pedestrian Collision Detection, a system that using a camera in the windshield and a radar in the front grill, monitors the road ready for when a “stupid” pedestrian steps out in front of you. If that happens, the car will give you a warning and if you fail to respond hits the breaks hard.

Volvo say, and Pocket-lint has now experienced first hand with dummies that if you are travelling under 22 mph the car will be able to stop without incident. Over that speed and it will do its best to slow you down. While that means you’re still likely to hit them, it might mean the difference between them only breaking their legs and them dying. Phew.

Those who don’t have the spare cash for the upgrades will be pleased to hear their still get City Safety, a similar system that detects cars rather than people hopefully saving you from crashing into someone at a roundabout or traffic jam.

Prices start from around ?23,000 for the entry-level petrol model.

Tags:
Cars Volvo Volvo S60 Photos

PHOTOS: Volvo S60 (2010) hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:10:00 +0100

Tech on wheels thanks to Drivers Support Pack

It’s not even in dealerships yet, however that didn’t stop Pocket-lint flying up to the Scottish Highlands to test out the new Volvo S60?and grab a plethora of hands-on shots of the new car that has to be the safest car on the road, full stop.

Pictured here is the Volvo S60 5D and 3D. We know what you are thinking, it looks like a regular car. But hidden within the shell is a range of tech that will have a gadget hound like yourself getting very excited.

Yes there is the usual array of in-car entertainment like Satnav, DAB radio, iPod and USB docking options and a stack of menu systems that will confuse the hell out of you, and there’s also Bluetooth as standard that lets you connect your phone, stream music from your iPod.

However those wishing to go even more high tech can opt to add the Volvo?Drivers Support Pack.

At ?1200 it includes a system that will alert you when you drift out of lane, handy for when you fall asleep, as well as something Volvo are calling Blind Spot Information System that uses two cameras mounted under the wing mirrors to alert you if there is a car in your blind spot.

But wait there’s more, as a game show host would say. The Drivers Support Pack also adds Pedestrian Collision Detection, a system that using a camera in the windshield and a radar in the front grill, monitors the road ready for when a “stupid” pedestrian steps out in front of you. If that happens, the car will give you a warning and if you fail to respond hits the breaks hard.

Volvo say, and Pocket-lint has now experienced first hand with dummies that if you are travelling under 22 mph the car will be able to stop without incident. Over that speed and it will do its best to slow you down. While that means you’re still likely to hit them, it might mean the difference between them only breaking their legs and them dying. Phew.

Those who don’t have the spare cash for the upgrades will be pleased to hear their still get City Safety, a similar system that detects cars rather than people hopefully saving you from crashing into someone at a roundabout or traffic jam.

Prices start from around ?23,000 for the entry-level petrol model.

Tags:
Cars Volvo Volvo S60 Photos

PHOTOS: Volvo S60 (2010) hands-on originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:10:00 +0100

Tech on wheels thanks to Drivers Support Pack

It’s not even in dealerships yet, however that didn’t stop Pocket-lint flying up to the Scottish Highlands to test out the new Volvo S60?and grab a plethora of hands-on shots of the new car that has to be the safest car on the road, full stop.

Pictured here is the Volvo S60 5D and 3D. We know what you are thinking, it looks like a regular car. But hidden within the shell is a range of tech that will have a gadget hound like yourself getting very excited.

Yes there is the usual array of in-car entertainment like Satnav, DAB radio, iPod and USB docking options and a stack of menu systems that will confuse the hell out of you, and there’s also Bluetooth as standard that lets you connect your phone, stream music from your iPod.

However those wishing to go even more high tech can opt to add the Volvo?Drivers Support Pack.

At ?1200 it includes a system that will alert you when you drift out of lane, handy for when you fall asleep, as well as something Volvo are calling Blind Spot Information System that uses two cameras mounted under the wing mirrors to alert you if there is a car in your blind spot.

But wait there’s more, as a game show host would say. The Drivers Support Pack also adds Pedestrian Collision Detection, a system that using a camera in the windshield and a radar in the front grill, monitors the road ready for when a “stupid” pedestrian steps out in front of you. If that happens, the car will give you a warning and if you fail to respond hits the breaks hard.

Volvo say, and Pocket-lint has now experienced first hand with dummies that if you are travelling under 22 mph the car will be able to stop without incident. Over that speed and it will do its best to slow you down. While that means you’re still likely to hit them, it might mean the difference between them only breaking their legs and them dying. Phew.

Those who don’t have the spare cash for the upgrades will be pleased to hear their still get City Safety, a similar system that detects cars rather than people hopefully saving you from crashing into someone at a roundabout or traffic jam.

Prices start from around ?23,000 for the entry-level petrol model.

Tags:
Cars Volvo Volvo S60

PHOTOS: Volvo S60 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:10:00 +0100

Tech on wheels thanks to Drivers Support Pack

It’s not even in dealerships yet, however that didn’t stop Pocket-lint flying up to the Scottish Highlands to test out the new Volvo S60?and grab a plethora of hands-on shots of the new car that has to be the safest car on the road, full stop.

Pictured here is the Volvo S60 5D and 3D. We know what you are thinking, it looks like a regular car. But hidden within the shell is a range of tech that will have a gadget hound like yourself getting very excited.

Yes there is the usual array of in-car entertainment like Satnav, DAB radio, iPod and USB docking options and a stack of menu systems that will confuse the hell out of you, and there’s also Bluetooth as standard that lets you connect your phone, stream music from your iPod.

However those wishing to go even more high tech can opt to add the Volvo?Drivers Support Pack.

At ?1200 it includes a system that will alert you when you drift out of lane, handy for when you fall asleep, as well as something Volvo are calling Blind Spot Information System that uses two cameras mounted under the wing mirrors to alert you if there is a car in your blind spot.

But wait there’s more, as a game show host would say. The Drivers Support Pack also adds Pedestrian Collision Detection, a system that using a camera in the windshield and a radar in the front grill, monitors the road ready for when a “stupid” pedestrian steps out in front of you. If that happens, the car will give you a warning and if you fail to respond hits the breaks hard.

Volvo say, and Pocket-lint has now experienced first hand with dummies that if you are travelling under 22 mph the car will be able to stop without incident. Over that speed and it will do its best to slow you down. While that means you’re still likely to hit them, it might mean the difference between them only breaking their legs and them dying. Phew.

Those who don’t have the spare cash for the upgrades will be pleased to hear their still get City Safety, a similar system that detects cars rather than people hopefully saving you from crashing into someone at a roundabout or traffic jam.

Prices start from around ?23,000 for the entry-level petrol model.

Tags:
Cars Volvo Volvo S60

PHOTOS: Volvo S60 originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:10:00 +0100

Android powered tablet coming our way shortly

We already know that Samsung?has plans for a 7-inch tablet called the sPad thanks to a first sighting of Samsung sPad?in June, but now we are getting word of a few more details, officially and unofficially.

On the official side of things, Reuters is reporting that it has Samsung on record that it “plans to introduce tablet computers this quarter based on Google’s Android operating system,” to take on the iPad?and every other internet tablet about to be released in the run up to Christmas.

Unofficially an image has turned up on of the new sPad tablet showing that if you’ve got big hands you’ll be able to hold it one handed.

The news adds Samsung to the list of manufacturers confirmed or rumoured to be launching internet tablets includes Asus, RIM, LG, HP, and MSI.

The latest confirmation confirms previous rumours that the sPad will hit stores in South Korea around August, but there’s still no indication on time frame for other territories.

Samsung is hoping it will be able to continue to build on the success that it has found with the launch of the?Samsung Galaxy S?Android handset.

Read

Tags:
Hardware Gadgets Samsung Samsung sPad iPad Tablets Android Samsung Galaxy S

Samsung sPad gets a date as first shot in the wild turns up originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:13:00 +0100

Android powered tablet coming our way shortly

We already know that Samsung?has plans for a 7-inch tablet called the sPad thanks to a first sighting of Samsung sPad?in June, but now we are getting word of a few more details, officially and unofficially.

On the official side of things, Reuters is reporting that it has Samsung on record that it “plans to introduce tablet computers this quarter based on Google’s Android operating system,” to take on the iPad?and every other internet tablet about to be released in the run up to Christmas.

Unofficially an image has turned up on of the new sPad tablet showing that if you’ve got big hands you’ll be able to hold it one handed.

The news adds Samsung to the list of manufacturers confirmed or rumoured to be launching internet tablets includes Asus, RIM, LG, HP, and MSI.

The latest confirmation confirms previous rumours that the sPad will hit stores in South Korea around August, but there’s still no indication on time frame for other territories.

Samsung is hoping it will be able to continue to build on the success that it has found with the launch of the?Samsung Galaxy S?Android handset.

Read

Tags:
Hardware Gadgets Samsung Samsung sPad iPad Tablets Android Samsung Galaxy S

Samsung sPad gets a date as first shot in the wild turns up originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:13:00 +0100

9.7-inch screen, November release date and more…

First it was the news that BlackBerry?maker RIM had bought the domain name?Blackpad.com, now rumours are surfacing that Research in Motion plans to launch a tablet computer in November under the same name.

According to Bloomberg, two people familiar with the company’s plans say BlackBerry will launch theBlackPad?to take on the iPad later this year.

Although details are still thin on the ground, and nothing is of course confirmed by RIM, the sources believe that the device will sport a 9.7-inch screen (the same size as the iPad), and include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth “that will allow people to connect to the Internet through their BlackBerry smartphones,” the two people said.

Bloomberg is reporting however that “The device will not be able to connect directly to the cellular network the way some iPads can, the two people said.”

There are no details about whether or not the new device will run on the company’s new planned operating system, or details about video cameras for conferencing or storage capacities,?but we do have a supposed price;

“Pricing for the device will be in line with the iPad, which starts at $499, the person said. RIM is focused on reaping additional profits from the tablet effort, rather than competing on price to sell a large number of devices, the person said.”

The leaks come as RIM plan to unveil a new BlackBerry handset on Tuesday 3 August in the US and the UK.

We will keep you posted.

Read

Tags:
Hardware BlackBerry RIM Phones Internet tablets blackpad

BlackPad tablet rumours grow originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:02:00 +0100

You chance to follow even more people

Twitter?has announced that it is following Facebook’s lead by suggesting people you should follow on the micro-blogging social networking life recording site.

“With more than a hundred million users on Twitter, there are sure to be at least dozens of accounts out there that will reflect your interests. The trouble is finding all of them,” Twitter admits on its blog.

The answer, it believes, it to roll out a new feature called “Suggestions for You” that suggests people you don’t currently follow that you may find interesting very much like Facebook currently does with Friends that you might know but aren’t following.

According to Twitter, rather than just a random hodge podge of factors to determine whether or not you should be chatting to Mr or Mrs X, the suggestions are based on several factors, including people you follow and the people they follow.

Currently you’ll see these suggestions on Twitter.com in the Find People section, although judging from our own experience it looks like it hasn’t been enabled in all accounts yet.

“If you like a suggestion, click ‘follow’; if you don’t, click ‘hide,’ and we’ll try not to suggest that user again,” says Twitter.

Furthermore Twitter will also start giving you recommendations for similar users when you view another account’s profile.

Currently only available via the Twitter site, the company has said that it will be adding the new feature to the API so it can make it into an app you no doubt use.

Read

Tags:
Software Online Twitter Social networking

Twitter “Suggestions for You” tells you who to follow originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 06:43:00 +0100

Photos inside the factory of the rock god machine

While at the launch of the Pure Evoke 1S Marshall DAB/FM radio, Pocket-lint was also privy to a tour of the Marshall Amplifier factory. If you’re an rock/audio junky you can arrange a visit of your own by appointment too but, just in case you happen to live rather a long distance from Bletchley, we made sure we took our cameras out and got snap happy while we were there.

The story begins with Jim Marshall as a drum shop owner and teacher who would time and time again get guitarists coming into his premises complaining that, firstly, he didn’t sell equipment for them and that, secondly, no one sold any good reliable audio power for their kind at all. It didn’t take a genius to work out the gap in the market and so, with the help of shop repairman Ken Bran and EMI technician Dudley Craven, the Marshall amp was born.

The vacuum tube valve amp system and ‘Marshall Crunch’ was the what made them famous along with fans that included Hendrix, Clapton and The Who, the latter of which was influential in Marshall’s most legendary creation - the speaker stack system. The tale goes that Pete Townsend and John Entwistle were looking for some amps louder than 100W so that they could hear their own playing over the noise of drummer Keith Moon. Marshall came up with the idea of a single amp head with two speaker cabinets underneath it housing 4 x 12” loudspeaker cones in each and one above it with a further two speakers. Originally, both guitarists’ two stacks were together until The Who came back complaining that their roadies couldn’t actually lift them. The unit was cut down the middle and the Marshall Stack as we now know it was born.

Marshall prides itself on using the same hand wiring techniques and valve systems from back in the day to provide what the musicians of this world still crave. Take a look at the gallery and see how they’re put together. Don’t miss the museum collection at the end.

?

Related links:

• News - RockStarRadios raises ?15k
• News - The Pure Evoke-1S Marshall goes to 11 in 2010

Tags:
Audio Amplifiers Marshall Features

Marshsall amps and how they’re made originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:11:52 +0100

Photos inside the factory of the rock god machine

While at the launch of the Pure Evoke 1S Marshall DAB/FM radio, Pocket-lint was also privy to a tour of the Marshall Amplifier factory. If you’re an rock/audio junky you can arrange a visit of your own by appointment too but, just in case you happen to live rather a long distance from Bletchley, we made sure we took our cameras out and got snap happy while we were there.

The story begins with Jim Marshall as a drum shop owner and teacher who would time and time again get guitarists coming into his premises complaining that, firstly, he didn’t sell equipment for them and that, secondly, no one sold any good reliable audio power for their kind at all. It didn’t take a genius to work out the gap in the market and so, with the help of shop repairman Ken Bran and EMI technician Dudley Craven, the Marshall amp was born.

The vacuum tube valve amp system and ‘Marshall Crunch’ was the what made them famous along with fans that included Hendrix, Clapton and The Who, the latter of which was influential in Marshall’s most legendary creation - the speaker stack system. The tale goes that Pete Townsend and John Entwistle were looking for some amps louder than 100W so that they could hear their own playing over the noise of drummer Keith Moon. Marshall came up with the idea of a single amp head with two speaker cabinets underneath it housing 4 x 12” loudspeaker cones in each and one above it with a further two speakers. Originally, both guitarists’ two stacks were together until The Who came back complaining that their roadies couldn’t actually lift them. The unit was cut down the middle and the Marshall Stack as we now know it was born.

Marshall prides itself on using the same hand wiring techniques and valve systems from back in the day to provide what the musicians of this world still crave. Take a look at the gallery and see how they’re put together. Don’t miss the museum collection at the end.

?

Related links:

• News - RockStarRadios raises ?15k
• News - The Pure Evoke-1S Marshall goes to 11 in 2010

Tags:
Audio Amplifiers Marshall Features

Marshsall amps and how they’re made originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:11:52 +0100