Tuesday 30 June 2015

Raspberry Pi 2 Distros

Raspberry Pi 2 Distros

Since you can now use the Raspberry Pi 2 as an everyday desktop, Mayank Sharma needs a distro that fits the fill.

The original Raspberry Pi struck a chord with anyone who wanted a tiny little device that had enough juice for a specialised task. Thanks to desktop distributions optimised for the Pi, in particular Raspbian, you could also use the Pi as an underpowered desktop. But with the shiny new Raspberry Pi 2, the device for the hobbyist has broken into the mainstream. With a quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM, the new version has the right kind of components and physical resources to outpace some full-sized desktops produced in the last decade or so.

Sony KD-65X9005C

Sony KD-65X9005C

This is an eye-catching 4K screen from Sony, but Steve May would rather be dreaming of electric sheep

After eight mints and vinyl records. These are just two things thinner than a Sony X9005C 4K/Ultra HD TV. It’s not much of a list, granted, but then this flagship thinitron is almost incomprehensibly svelte. Indeed, you could be forgiven for thinking it an OLED panel rather than edge-lit LCD...

Pioneer VSX-930

Pioneer VSX-930

Pioneer returns to the £500 AVR killzone with a Dolby Atmos model. Mark Craven reports

Last year, Pioneer dipped its toes into the Dolby Atmos waters, but only with its upper-tier LX-branded receivers. In 2015, it's lowered its entry price for 3D audio to a tempting £500, in the shape of the VSX-930.

This is good news. Except perhaps for those who bought the non-Atmos VSX-924 last year that this model replaces – but, hey, you could probably still flog that receiver secondhand for £200.

Philips Fidelio B5

Philips Fidelio B5

Once again Mark Craven enjoys the wireless multichannel flexibility of Philips' flagship soundbar

Two years ago Philips turned some heads with the launch of the Fidelio HTL9100 soundbar, which featured removable, battery-powered and wireless side speakers that meant it could also function in a 5.1 mode. And it's now returned to the concept, promising feature tweaks that improve usability.