News

German site MobilesGeeks.com has been shopping stateside to bag itself a Google Nexus 7 and an Amazon Kindle Fire. They compare the two $199 tablets in a video (in English), which makes for interesting viewing.
They test both tablet interfaces for smooth operation, compare tablet designs and dimensions, audio quality, and look at how both firms have approached customising Android. Check it out:


The video reviewer soon expresses a preference for one model, while the other apparently seems rather out-dated. Interesting!

Today we're reviewing LG's new Flatron IPS237L, a 23" monitor with an IPS screen.


The 23" LG Flatron IPS237L display has a Full HD IPS screen, an ultra-slim bezel and boasts Mobile High-Definition Link support for direct connection to mobile devices like smartphones. What's even more surprising is that it comes supplied with colour calibration software. Could LG have cooked up the perfect 23" monitor?

> Review: LG Flatron IPS237L

> Monitor Reviews: 22''-30'' LCD Displays

We weren't expecting any miracles from the Galaxy Ace 2's camera sensor, which is the same as the last Ace. The display, however, is a different story. With a jump from 480 x 320 resolution on the first Ace to 800 x 480 on this one, needless to say our hopes were high.


The number of pixels has increased 2.5-fold. And you can tell the difference. With more clear-cut lettering, this screen is much easier to read.




So the legibility has taken a noticeable leap. But what about the colours and contrast?

As far as they go, the Galaxy Ace 2 lands right in the average for smartphones today. That's not bad at all for a £1 phone; we even hope to see it drop below £150 SIM-free.

The LCD display gives decent contrast (720:1) and somewhat warm colours that are just a tad too red. The Delta E 94, which measures the difference between the intended colours and those displayed onscreen, is 5.5, where below 3 is considered perfectly accurate. That would be scandalous on any monitor or TV screen—but given the current state of the smartphone market it's above average!

So here's how things stand now, mid-test: the camera function hasn't made any headway, but the screen is much better than the last one. The Galaxy Ace 2 looks more promising than its best-selling predecessor. Now we'll just have to wait and see what the results from the processor, graphics chip and so on look like. Keep an eye out for our full review, coming soon!

> Reviews: Mobiles & Smartphones

Playing Angry Birds on your phone or laptop is a great pastime. But just imagine how much better it'd be with a real-life catapult controller complete with force-feedback technology!


That's exactly what industrial designer Hideaki Matsui, and audio and interactive installation designer Andrew Spitz have come up with in a project they designed at the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design. The Super Angry Birds USB controller features force-feedback technology that simulates the feeling of a real catapult.


The slingshot controller was programmed with the versatile Arduino platform and with Max/MSP—software that's more commonly used for audio applications. And that's not the only musical connection with this controller, as the force-feedback system is made from a motorised fader from an audio mixing console!