Do You Need A Media PC?

Leo Maxwell debates the pros and cons of using a PC as a DVR and media centre

Broadcast TV, whether delivered via cables or over the air from terrestrial or satellite transmitters, is still very popular in this country, but the modern trend for increasingly fast broadband connections means that some users are ditching TV tuners altogether and moving to on demand media sources. A wide range of devices designed to meet that need are appearing on the market: Chromecast, Roku, AppleTV and NowTV amongst them. The obvious advantage is that you can watch what you want, largely when you want to - which sounds great, there are limits, though.

Video Chat

David Briddock tracks the beginnings of video communication

As the telephone network grew to touch every corner of the globe, our planet seemed a smaller place. Despite this, many people still missed face-to-face contact with family, friends and work colleagues. Spotting this opportunity, telecom companies began to divert profits into video telephony technology research.

World Of Tanks Blitz (Android)

Wargaming.net's armoured fist punches the Android OS

Previously I was a keen fan of World Of Tanks, until I realised that at a certain level it became an exceptionally tedious grind.

But when the developer launched World of Tanks Blitz on Android, I was curious enough to load the title up and see how the original game translates to tablets and phone hardware.

What is something of a shock is how similar this game is to World Of Tanks on the PC, because while it's somewhat cut down, the basic mechanics of armoured combat against online adversaries remains intact.

Has Google+ Succeeded?

No, James Hunt hasn’t had a bit too much cheer over new year. Hear the man out...

When Google announced the launch of its own social network, Google+ (Google Plus), it's fair to say that it was treated with some suspicion. Sprung on a largely unsuspecting public in 2011, on the surface it appeared to be a late-in-the-day attempt to create a Facebook-esque social network from a standing start - something that’d be a tall order for any company, regardless of whether they're one of the biggest online brands around or not.

Jony Ive's Design Secrets

David Briddock examines the secrets behind Apple’s product design

Industrial design (ID) is a blend of art, science and engineering, which has been successfully applied to furniture, buildings, automotive products and packaging, to name just a few. At its best it enhances a product’s aesthetics, ergonomics and usability. However, in the early days of the personal computing revolution, industrial design didn't really feature. For years, and regardless of brand, PCs were housed in square beige-coloured boxes, with beige-coloured keyboards and monitors.