BBC finally unveils iPlayer for iPhone app

The BBC has finally released an official iPlayer app for iPhone – bringing streaming over 3G and WiFi and AirPlay compatibility with it.

Although the BBC has had an iPad and Android app available for some time, it's almost a surprise that the iPhone has only just got a version for itself.

The iPlayer for iPhone app – compatible with iPhone 3GS, 4 and 4S, brings a channel switcher allowing you to flick between TV and radio channels – and the AirPlay compatibility means you can stream to your Apple TV and send programmes to your TV.

In touch (ahahah)

"The BBC iPlayer app for the iPhone and iPod touch puts all of the BBC's national television channels and radio networks in your pocket. You can now watch live television channels and listen to live radio stations wherever you are," blogged the BBC's David Madden.

"The app is available to download in the Apple App Store now and is compatible with iPod touch or iPhone 3GS and above, running iOS4.3 and above."

iPad update

Also significant is the arrival of 3G streaming in the new iPhone update and also, for the first time, the iPad app which has been updated to incorporate both 3G streaming and AirPlay support.

Interestingly, the mobile web version of the BBC iPlayer will also support 3G streaming for the more modern devices.

"We have worked closely with the network operators to introduce 3G streaming and create a great mobile experience so you can watch your favourite TV programme wherever you are or listen to the radio when you are out and about," added Madden.

"3G streaming is enabled in the iPhone and iPad apps and will shortly be coming to the mobile web version of BBC iPlayer for allsupported devices."

Intel's Sandy Bridge E chips are finally here

This morning Intel launched its all-singing, all-number crunching Sandy Bridge E processors and brand-spanking new X79 motherboard chipset.

It's not messing around; these are the fastest desktop CPUs that have ever passed across our test benches.

The flagship CPU, the Intel Core i7 3960X, is right up there at the very top-end of processors, and all six-cores of its updated Sandy Bridge E architecture can be yours for nigh-on £750.

So it's no value proposition then.

There is not a little controversy surrounding it though as despite being sold as a straight six-core CPU the literature Intel has given reviewers clearly shows two dormant or dead CPU cores unused on the die.

We've gone into more depth about this in our full Intel Core i7 3960X review.

Still, it is a lightening-fast processor capable of the sort of raw computational prowess you wont see outside of the server environment. It's also no slouch in the overclocking department either, our review chip managed 4.8GHz in Asus's Sabertooth X79 motherboard.

It's not just the top chip that is an overclocking beast, and to demonstrate that we've been gleefully playing with YOYOTech's XDNA Platinum PC.

That's running the cheaper, mid-range Intel Core i7 3930K Sandy Bridge E running at 4.4GHz out of the box.

The other stand out feature of the new Sandy Bridge E processors and X79 chipset is the support for the next generation of memory; quad-channel DDR3.

Quite what improvements this gives, in real-world terms, over triple-channel DDR3 is rather intangible, and to be honest more indicative of the platform's server roots than any importance on the desktop.

If you want the full low-down on Intel's latest offerings, then look no further.

Check out our Sandy Bridge E reviews:

Intel Core i7 3960X:

If you want the fastest processor on the planet, look no further. Most impressive is the additional overclocking headroom Intel has delivered over the old six-core chip. Platform upgrades including more PCI-E lanes and SATA 6Gbps are welcome, too.

Asus Sabertooth X79:

Asus's RoG boards are all very well if money's no object. Back in the real world, the Sabertooth series offers a much more realistic compromise between performance, features and price. The chipset cooling and overclocking support look very solid. We certainly squeezed some great numbers out of the new Core i7-3960X.

YOYOTech XDNA Platinum:

With the XDNA Platinum sat on your desktop, purring away quietly as it does, with its cold-cathode tubes illuminating the clean lines of the immaculate interior, even £2,500 worth of buyer's remorse will have a hard job up against such an impressive machine.

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Facebook for iPad finally launched

The long-awaited Facebook for iPad app has finally been unleashed, the social networking giant has revealed.

The free app, which has been in the works for well over a year and was revealed earlier this summer is finally ready to go, according to Facebook.

Facebook for iPad now arrives boasting a slick, new iPad-centric user experience with tabbed navigation, allowing users to slide between profiles and menus, much like the Twitter iPad app.

Photo albums have also been overhauled, with hi-res, screen-filling shots that Facebook says are "easy to flick through, just like a real photo album."

Multi-touch gestures also allow users to zoom in on photos, maps and other content.

Gaming on the go

Other new features include gaming on the go and simpler, drop-down messaging functionality. Facebook says the changes are also being reflected in the company's iPhone app.

"Many of you have been asking about Facebook for iPad," said Facebook engineer Leon Dubinsky.

"Today, it's finally here. With the iPad app, you get the full Facebook experience, right at your fingertips. It's a fun, colorful way to keep up with friends, share photos, chat and more."

"Facebook on the iPad feels fun," he added.

"Photos really shine on the iPad. They're bigger and easy to flip through, like a real photo album. It's like having a slideshow with all your friends and memories, wherever you go."

No sign just yet

Facebook for iPad has been beset by delays with CTO Brett Taylor explaining in an interview with the New York Times that "it just wasn't ready yet."

Last month the app's chief developer revealed that he had quit Facebook for Google as a result of Facebook's unwillingness to launch the iPad app that he said had been complete for months.

To add a little more drama, the app has not yet appeared in the App Store. Presumably it takes a while to appear in Apple's listings. We'll let you know when it lands.

UPDATE: Facebook for iPad has landed on the App Store for your downloading pleasure

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Eric Schmidt Finally Appears On Google+

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For a company that is supposed to eat its own dog food, Google has been criticized for how few of its senior executives are visible on Google+. You can find +Larry and +Sergey there, and now so too is executive chairman +Eric Schmidt. Of course, Schmidt might have been there all along, just not sharing in public. After all, that is the point of Circles. It's pretty clear that everyone at Google uses Google+ internally, and sometimes those posts even get shared inadvertently. But now Schmidt is sharing in public as well. His first post about two hours ago are links to his remembrances of Steve Jobs on Charlie Rose, CNBC, and in BusinessWeek. ]]>

Chrome finally coming to Android?

A snippet of code posted on Google's Chromium Code website reveals that Google's Chrome browser is to be ported to its Android smartphone operating system.

It may seem like an obvious move for the two Google-operated products, but they've been run as completely separate entities - until now.

The Chromium website hosts Google's open-source features for the browser, and generally everything that appears there will later be integrated into the browser itself.

The Chrome Android code currently lacks the tabbed browsing and plug-ins that adorn its desktop counterpart.

Get your WebKit off

Coincidentally, the default WebKit browser that ships with Android phones uses much of the same code as Chrome's desktop client.

The Android release will see Google taking on the likes of Firefox and Dolphin HD in the Android Market, but we could see a repeat of Chrome's steady increase in popularity on desktop PCs.

There's no word on whether or not Chrome will usurp the default WebKit browser on upcoming Android phones either, but it would make a lot of sense.

Expect to see the official announcement at Samsung Mobile's Unpacked 2011 event in San Diego on 11 October - which is where we're also expecting to see the unveiling of Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest iteration of Android, and the Google Nexus Prime.

HD2 finally converted to Android as HTC Evo

HTC has unveiled another Android super smartphone – the HTC Evo, the first 3G/4G handset in the world.

And if you liked the HTC HD2, you'll love this: a 4.3-inch screen, a 1GHz processor and a huge 8MP camera, the first from the Taiwanese firm.

The camera is also HD-capable with HDMI-port, making this a real spec-heavy device capable of downloading data much faster than the average 3G mobile.

HTC Sense is predictably plopped on top of the Android 2.1 experience, much likes its Legend and Desire brothers, so Facebook and Twitter integration will be offered as standard.

Google Goggles is offered in the box as well, making it easier to search for things in the real world, and there's also a forward facing camera to enable easy video conferencing.

Memory, all alone in the moonlight...

It will come with 1GB of internal memory as well as 512MB RAM, with an 8GB microSD card in the box too.

We knew there would be a phone like this coming from HTC after all the rumours and pictures of the HTC Supersonic – it's just a shame that name wasn't actually used.

The Evo is being brought to the US by Sprint, which offers 4G networks in 27 territories in the US. This is slightly worrying to us British-type folk, as we're currently without the high speed 4G goodness.

But don't worry, we'll be poking around to find out whether there will be stripped down version coming our way – come on, who doesn't want an Android version of the HD2?

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Dell finally comes clean with Aero Android phone

Dell has unveiled the western version of its Android phone - the Dell Aero.

The new Aero is apparently the lightest Android device in the world – which is hardly a headline grabber, but at least it's something.

It's running Android 1.5, but with a hope of a 2.1 upgrade in the near future, and it's also packing a 5MP camera.

When's it coming?

The Dell Aero has been seen in numerous spy shots in the past, as well as being released in China as the Mini 3i – it was also present at CES this year, but with no information on when it would be coming to other territories.

The main selling point the Dell Aero has is its overlay to the Android OS – we've not seen a great deal on what this will look like, but companies like HTC and Sony Ericsson have already been hard at working bringing similar things to the OS for much longer.

It's always nice to have another player in the market, but sadly we don't have a definite UK release date for the Dell Aero, but we hear it is coming in the near future.

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