Size does matter

While it may not compare to standard cinema screens or the gargantuan 18.8 metre by 26.3 metre IMAX in Manchester, Samsung is the current record holder for the largest commercially available 3D-capable TV on the market. Measuring 75 inches from corner to corner, this imposing black monolith would need a pretty big living room to house it. But this isn’t all the Samsung D9500 has to offer, with an internal software system that renders 2D broadcasts into that all important third dimension.

A resolution solution

As theatres across the UK upgrade their projection technology with the likes of Sony’s incredible 4K system, which offers the highest picture quality possible, 1920 x 1080 pixel  high definition televisions have almost become the standard for most homes.

In May 2011, however, Sharp unveiled its latest ‘Ultra High Definition’ panel – capable of a screen resolution of 7680 x 4320 pixels. While it isn’t expected to hit the mainstream market until 2022, it certainly seems like soon ‘full HD’ won’t quite mean the same thing.

Sounding out the competition

There are a whole raft of Dolby Digital, 5.1, 7.1, SDDS and DTS-enabled sound systems you can have in your home nowadays and it really only comes down to how much you are willing to spend. Of course, a home cinema kit that rivals something you would hear in the cinema isn’t going to come cheap, but it’s important to remember that, unless you are a Premiership footballer, you’re probably not going to have the same kind of space to fill.

At the end of the day, audio quality can be very subjective… so there’s no reason why you can’t have theatre quality in the comfort of your own home.

Universal release dates

One of the biggest obstacles there seems to be around having a home experience that rivals what is available in theatres is content. It seems like Hollywood will never truly be able to have a universal format release for its films, as the knock-on effect for cinemas large and small could be fatal. Just last year, film news websites were reporting that certain chains were threatening to boycott Disney’s Alice in Wonderland after its DVD and Blu-ray release was brought forward.

There’s been talk of universal releases that allow people to pay a premium to download films the day they come out in cinemas, but this has yet to materialise. Fingers crossed for this one – but don’t hold your breath.

The Galaxy Nexus features a HD Super AMOLED display, five megapixel camera, 1.2GHz dual-core processor and NFC (near-field communications) support.

Ice Cream Sandwich has a re-designed UI with multi-tasking notifications and full web browsing. The new Nexus will also feature software navigation buttons.

Google has integrated Android 4.0 with Google+ and extended its cloud services.

“Galaxy Nexus is connected to the cloud, keeping your email, contacts, and all other data synced across your devices. Galaxy Nexus gives users access to more than 300,000 apps and games available from the Android market and you can also buy and read books,” said Samsung in a statement.

The Galaxy Nexus will be available in the UK in November 2011. Google said it will be bringing more services to the UK over the coming months.

Galaxy Nexus gives users access to more than 300,000 apps and games available from the Android market and you can also buy and read books

Samsung is set to unleash its Galaxy Note smartphone/tablet to the UK market at the end of November.

Samsung claims the Note “combines the benefits of a notebook with the portability of a smartphone”. At 5.3 inches, it’s a large phone or small tablet, whichever you prefer.

The Note is defined by the use of technology called S Pen, a stylus and the full touchscreen. Samsung says this means owners can create and consume on-the-go with minimum scrolling and screen transitions.

It also has a HD super-AMOLED screen, 1.4GHz dual-core processor and runs on Google’s Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) operating system (OS).

The Note was supposed to be accompanied by the release of the Galaxy tab 7.7. But due to a dispute with Apple over intellectual property rights, Samsung has pulled its new Galaxy tablet and the smartphone is going it alone.

I’m not convinced with the stylus idea. Other smartphone touchscreens I’ve used that have optional stylus-use are frustrating difficult to use without the stylus – and using a stylus on the go is even more frustrating. I will withhold judgement for now.

You’re a tech-company-nobody without a mini version of your latest release. I’m talking netbooks; Sony have released their Vaio W range, Asus have got their Eee PC Netbooks and Samsung have gone ultra-light with the new N120. But US startup company, Litl, have gone one step further with their new design-led Litl Webbook – they’ve gone back to basics.

Described as the anti-PC, the new Litl Webbook is designed for internet surfing and media-viewing minus the complexities of other operating systems. Launched earlier this month, the Litl Webbook has stripped its user interface bare, doing away with menus, icons and folders in an attempt to make the Webbook ideal for “everyone in the family”.

To read the review in full, please visit LatestGadgets.co.uk.