iPhone 4 / 4s

iPhone 4S review

Same shape, different brain - is it enough of a change?

By Gareth Beavis from TechRadar  December 8th 2011

Overview, design and feel

Updated: Our camera team has spent some professional time with the iPhone 4S, so check out our in-depth findings of the snapper.


The iPhone 4S caught many by surprise, with Apple expected to release the iPhone 5 - but instead we got an iPhone 4 with overhauled innards.
While the masses were initially disappointed, the iPhone 4S features a glut of top-end tech that is designed to put it on a par with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S2 - but does it manage to do that?
The changes to the iPhone 4S are easy to document - the camera has been upgraded to 8MP (with an improved aperture ratio), the CPU is now the same dual-core A5 processor as seen in the iPad 2, and a seven time increase in graphical processing power.
Check out our video of the iPhone 4S in action - is it the phone for you?
Also we've got Siri, Apple's voice recognition service - will this be a game changer for mobile phones or will it be nothing more than a gimmick?

As we've mentioned, the iPhone 4S is almost identical in outward design to the iPhone 4, which might irk those that like to show that they've got the most up to date device from Apple when out and about with friends.
However, the flip side of this is that things like the plethora of iPhone 4 covers on the market at the moment will still fit.

Apple has slightly changed the design of the iPhone 4S somewhat though, by changing to a dual-band aerial design, making sure it doesn't encounter an embarrassing repeat of antenna-gate we had to endure with the iPhone 4.

See how the retina display compares to the new iPad, and the newly released retina-ready MacBook Pro 2012 in our close-up comparison video:

For all those that haven't seen the older version of the phone, we'll take you on a tour of the new handset: the top of the iPhone 4S houses the power/lock button, as well as the headphone jack, plus a microphone for noise cancellation.
The right-hand side of the phone is devoid of any buttons, but holds the slot for the micro SIM card, which pops out using the included tool (or a paperclip).

The bottom of the phone is pretty standard, with the Apple connector and dual speakers which pump out the (actually quite decent) sound.
The left-hand side of the phone sees the rounded volume keys, with the top one of these also acting as the camera shutter button to make it easy to snap with the new iPhone. We've also got the silencer switch too, which has been slightly moved upwards from the previous iteration.

As you can see, Apple has altered its antenna band technology to move the gaps that plagued the iPhone 4's reception to a less-touchable location.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 is one of the top first person shooter games.  Bad Company 2 has been trying to wrestle the top spot in terms of online multiplayer first person shooter games from Call of Duty since March 2, 2010 when it was first released and now it has its first real expansion, Vietnam, which makes it quite evident that they are ratcheting up their efforts.
Included in this expansion are five maps and six new vehicles to command including a Huey helicopter (happily, the helicopter is not armored and can be taken down with some lucky machine gun fire or larger arms).  Fifteen Vietnam era weapons including muddied and battle warn machine guns and bamboo camouflaged rocket launchers are also present. 

Canon Vixia HF R20

Canon's VIXIA HF R20 Flash Memory Camcorder is a mid-range high definition camera that's packed with useful features and functions. Record 1920 x 1080 video to the R20's 8GB internal flash memory or to SD/SDHC or SDXC cards using the dual memory card slots. The 3.28MP CMOS sensor, Canon HD Video Lens, a 3.0" LCD, and basics like zoom options and the image stabilizer all work together to help you capture that stunningly detailed and crisp footage.
Should you want to go beyond the everyday, or even let the camera do the heavy-lifting for you, shooting controls help you capture great videos in a variety of settings. With the camera choosing the settings or tracking a face you'll be able to focus on the moment. Additional features of the camera include a built-in digital camera, 24p and 30p frame modes, and even headphone and microphone jacks. With the HF R20 there is a world of creative options at your fingertips. Everything from advanced audio capture to media options.

Notebook HP Pavilon

HP Pavilion g6 Full Review

 

Are you looking for an inexpensive sub-$500 notebook for basic home and office use? The 15.6-inch HP Pavilion g6 might just deliver the best bang for your bucks. We took an in-depth look at this budget laptop to see if you can save money and still buy an impressive new PC.

Build and Design
The HP Pavilion g6 ($499) has a generic-looking exterior of black and gray. Nearly all visible surfaces of the notebook are made of glossy plastic, which is unfortunate since it smudges up easily and is not as durable as matte plastic over time. Strangely enough the screen bezel is matte plastic.

Samsung Galaxty Tab 7

Android Modified

The Galaxy Tab 7 Plus uses Honeycomb (Android 3.2) , but it's also modified with Samsung's TouchWiz interface. I'm not a fan at all of modified interfaces, but the TouchWiz mostly works in Samsung's favor on the smaller Galaxy Tab. Mostly. There's a handy toggle for frequently adjusted settings on the notifications window, for instance. That means you're only two taps away from locking the screen orientation while reading or turning off sound or notifications while you're in a meeting. That's useful. Other interface changes are of questionable value, such as the default notifications set to make noise every time you get an email message.