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The BDX3200KE is Toshiba's highest-end Blu-ray player. To stand out from the rest of the range, this prime model boasts 3D Blu-ray capabilities.


The BDX3200KE doesn't necessarily come with all the must-have functions of the moment but it has the advantage of reproducing Blu-ray content accurately. Plus, it's one of the cheapest options out there right now for 3D Blu-ray viewing.


> Review: Toshiba BDX3200KE

> Reviews: Blu-ray Players

Sony has once again revived its mythical Walkman range. The Japanese manufacturer isn't doing things by halves either, as this new portable music player has a 3.5-inch touchscreen and runs on Android Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0).


The MP3 player market has been hit hard by the growing popularity of smartphones, there's no doubt about that. However, the portable music player may be down, but it's not out, as not all manufacturers have turned their backs on this product sector. Sony is one of the firms hanging on in there, and is hoping to use some of the Walkman brand's renown to ensure the success of its new device.

The F800 Series Walkman has a 3.5-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, the S-Master MX bass boost function and Sony's Clear Audio and Xloud audio technologies. And, most importantly, it runs on Android 4.0 (ICS), which means you'll be able to download all kinds of apps from Google Play (formerly Android Market).

Sony is promising 20 hours of audio playback (for MP3, WMA, AAC-LC, HE-AAC, Linear PC and FLAC) or 4 hours and 30 minutes of video playback.

The F800 will be available with 8 GB, 16 GB or 32 GB of memory. For the moment, there's no word of prices or release dates for this latest Sony Walkman. 

> Reviews: Portable Media Players

Yet another twist in the patent war between Samsung and Apple: a UK judge has ordered that Apple publish public notices recognising Samsung's innocence in the patent violation claims.

Over the past few years Apple has filed a seemingly endless list of suits against Samsung for allegedly copying the iPad with its Galaxy Tab, in violation of Apple's patents.

This time it has blown back in Cupertino's face. Judge Colin Birss ruled this week that not only did Samsung not infringe any patents, but worse, Apple must release public notices on both its website (which must stay up for a full six months) and in several British newspapers. This is a tough blow to the company, potentially a worse sanction than monetary damages.

The notice on Apple's website must state in the clearest terms possible that Samsung's Galaxy Tab is not an iPad knockoff. According to CNet, Apple's attorney argued in his client's defence that the penalty would essentially be forcing Apple to make an advertisement for Samsung on its own website.

The ruling did not, however, prevent Birss from making a jab at Samsung: "Samsung products are very thin, almost insubstantial members of that family with unusual details on the back. They do not have the same understated and extreme simplicity which is possessed by the Apple design. They are not as cool."

Perhaps the knowledge that Apple is "cooler" than Samsung will provide relief for Tim Cook & Co. Then again, it's not like this is big news to anyone who's been living on Planet Earth for the past few years...

Today we're reviewing the new Samsung Series 9 13" ultrabook.


After the success of the first Series 9, Samsung is back with the 2012 edition. The new version is the thinnest ultrabook yet, and with its high-quality PLS display, the competition should be shaking in its boots, if it isn't already.

> Review: Samsung Series 9

> Reviews: PC & Mac Laptops & Notebooks

While we always try to establish test criteria that stand the test of time, technology inevitably evolves. We therefore sometimes have to update things. Today it's laptops, as screen contrast becomes a key factor for obtaining a four or five star review.

With improvements in design, component power and product finish, we found that too many of the laptops we've been testing recently were walking their way to a four-star write-up. That was a sure-fire sign that we needed to tighten things up. So from now on, screen contrast is to become a more heavily weighted criterion in our notebook review process. In fact, it'll be able to make or break a four-star score.

As of today, all the laptops we test will need screen contrast over 600:1 to get a five-star review. To get four stars, this needs to be at least 300:1. Any model with contrast under 300:1 won't be able to get over three stars in one of our laptop reviews.

In light of this, we've also looked back over some of our recent notebook reviews and adjusted the scores in line with these new criteria. We now only have 24 models with four or five stars, down from a whopping 36 before we toughened things up. Some models have inevitably suffered more than others: for example, the Asus U36SD has dropped directly from five to three stars!

> Laptop Reviews: Compare PC and Mac Laptops and Netbooks