The guys at Frequency Cast have previously looked at the sWaP Classic and have now reviewed the latest model. Listen to the podcast here and hear them look at all of the watch’s features in-depth: http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/swapwatchactive.html

MEET THE NEW CINTIQ 21UX (2)
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Wacom, today introduces its newly redesigned Cintiq 21UX interactive pen display, delivering state-of-the-art pen performance and innovative ergonomics. Designed specifically to meet the demanding needs of professional photographers, designers, artists and animators, the new Cintiq 21UX offers unparalleled creative control, comfort and productivity.

The Cintiq 21UX experience starts with its new pen performance, capable of capturing the slightest nuance of pen pressure against the LCD surface, as well as offering 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. Other innovative enhancements include two Touch Strips located on the left and right rear of the display. They are ideally placed for fingertip access while working. Both Touch Strips have a corresponding Touch Strip Toggle button that controls up to four different user-assigned functions per application. Users can easily control and toggle between functions such as zoom, scroll, brush size adjustment and canvas rotation. The overall design has been refined and updated to an all-black colour scheme, placing the new Cintiq 21UX in line with the sophisticated design of the Intuos4 range.

2048 reasons to work directly on the screen with the pen
The Cintiq 21UX Grip Pen features Wacom’s new proprietary Tip Sensor technology, offering users near-zero (one gram) starting pressure for the most sensitive interactive pen display performance to date. Now, pressure-sensitive support starts with an incredibly light touch, emulating the same organic feel, response and result derived from working with traditional brushes, markers and pens. Additionally, the pen delivers 2048 levels of pressure, doubling the resolution of the pen’s pressure curve to further enhance feedback and expand the creative effects within software applications that support pressure sensitivity. The Grip Pen also features a pressure-sensitive eraser and two side switches that can be customised for commands such as double-click and right-click.

New design elements improve workflow
With a new ergonomic design and productivity features, the Cintiq 21UX is the ultimate tool for creative professionals. Eight fully programmable ExpressKeys, located on each side of the display’s bezel, are instrumental in helping improve workflow and boost productivity by placing commonly used application-specific commands at the fingertips. Pressing the top ExpressKey loads an on-screen display showing the settings of all the ExpressKeys and Touch Strips. The close proximity of these tools to the actual work area is efficient and comfortable. It also saves valuable time by minimizing dependence on the keyboard whilst maintaining focus on the pen hand.

Also new to the Cintiq 21UX is the introduction of two user-defined Touch Strips, located on the back of the bezel and the two Touch Strip Toggle buttons which control the function of the associated Touch Strip. An illuminated LED on the perimeter of the Toggle button indicates the current function of the corresponding Touch Strip. Fully application-specific, the Touch Strips can be used for up to four functions such as zoom, scroll, brush size adjustment and canvas rotation per application. This new ergonomic treatment is extremely practical, allowing users to “toggle” with their thumbs while using their forefinger or middle finger to control Touch Strip speed and variation. The four-function Toggle combined with the new location of the Touch Strips provides increased comfort and measurable increases in productivity. Locating the Touch Strips on the back of the interactive pen display rather than the front prevents accidental contact when, for example, users employ flowing brush strokes and extend them beyond the screen’s border.

The new Cintiq 21UX shares the same technology platform with the Intuos4, making it fully compatible.

Removable and adjustable stand
The Cintiq 21UX’s patented stand allows users to recline the interactive pen display at any angle between 10 to 65 degrees to match the users ideal working posture. In addition to reclining, the Cintiq 21UX can be rotated up to 180 degrees in either direction to take advantage of natural drawing movements or offer a different viewing angle. If desired, users can easily remove the Cintiq from the stand for use on a table top or to attach it to an articulating arm (not included) using the standard VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association) mounts located on the back of the display.

Cintiq 21UX pen stand
A new weighted pen stand is not only a convenient pen holder, but doubles as a handy twist-off storage compartment for pen nibs and a handy nib removal tool. Standard felt and stroke nibs are provided, allowing users to simulate the feel of working with a variety of traditional art and design materials.

Software download programme
Cintiq 21UX owners can choose valuable software applications based on individual needs. A selection from industry leaders such as Adobe, Autodesk and Corel are available via download to users following installation and registration of a Cintiq 21UX interactive pen display.

In addition, Cintiq 21UX users will appreciate the significant upgrades to Wacom’s powerful, user-friendly driver software, including the introduction of precision mode and radial menus for even more precise and accurate work.

Additional accessories
Also available is an Art Pen, which turns on the rotation feature in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Corel Painter 11 to deliver natural brush effects, much like a calligraphy pen, as well as an Airbrush that has similar form and finger-wheel control as a traditional airbrush and .enables users to create and define paint patterns within certain creative programmes.

Pricing and availability
The new Cintiq 21UX is priced at £1,799.90 (including VAT) and will be available from late March / early April 2010.

Information on Wacom Europe’s range of products and services can be found at www.wacom.eu.

About Wacom
Wacom Europe GmbH is a subsidiary of Wacom Company, Ltd. (Tokyo Stock Exchange 6727). Founded in 1983, Wacom is a global company based in Japan with subsidiaries and affiliate offices around the world to support marketing and distribution in over 150 countries. Wacom’s vision to bring people and technology closer together through natural interface technologies has made it the world’s leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays, and digital interface solutions. The advanced technology of Wacom’s intuitive input devices has been used to create some of the most exciting digital art, films, special effects, fashion and designs around the world and provides business and home users with their leading interface technology to express their personality. Millions of customers are using its cordless, battery-free, pressure-sensitive pen technology.

The company also offers its products as OEM solutions to leading manufacturers serving incremental markets. Wacom’s interface technology, called Wacom Feel IT Technologies, is also offered as an integrated solution to strategic partners. Most Tablet PC manufacturers count on the advanced features and reliability of the brand to deliver a superior user interface experience.

The study split Twitter’s contributors and consumers into three groups: light, medium and heavy visitors. Results were that ‘light’ users accounted for 67% of the overall audience but averaged less than 2 minutes on the site per month. The ‘Medium’ users made up 26 percent of the audience, averaging over 22 minutes per month, but the ‘heavy’ users’ account for only 7 percent of the audience yet averaged almost 6 hours and 17 minutes!

-This means that 93 percent of the people who visit Twitter account for just 20 percent of the content posted and consumed and the remaining 7% create or consume 80% of the content.

These results aren’t unusual for social networking sites:

MySpace – 3% of visitors account for 63% of total time spent on the site
Bebo – 14% of visitors account for 87 percent of total time.
LinkedIn – 5% of visitors account for half the total time.
Facebook – 52% of users account for 98% o time spent on the site.

Here at Ranieri wer’e constantly on Twitter re-tweeting blogs such as this one, keeping up to date with industry news and chatting with our journalist buddies, so we wouldn’t be surprised if a large chunk of that 7% came from Ranieri HQ!

Pietro Ranieri comments on the findings… “The research is very interesting and quite believable, but does it take into account users who rarely visit the twitter and facebook sites themselves, but do all their tweeting and facebooking from third party applications like tweetdeck, echofon, facebook for iphone etc, where they spend a massive amount of time?”

Fully featured with high quality credentials, the MEDION® AKOYA® P6625 15.6” laptop includes the new 2010 Intel® Core™ i5 processor, with new Intel® Turbo Boost technology that automatically adapts its speed depending on the computing power required enabling longer battery life. Intel® Hyper-Threading technology also means each core of the processor can work on two tasks at the same time for smarter and faster multi-tasking. With ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5165 DirectX® 10 graphics with 1024 MB memory and digital HDMI Audio-/Video out, 4GB DDR3 RAM and 500 GB S-ATA hard disk that allows users to store more than 100,000 music tracks/photos (4MB per track/photo), this notebook packs enough punch for power intensive tasks.

Next in line are the MEDION® AKOYA®E4217 D and P7220 D desktop PCs that also come with new 2010 Intel® Core™ i5 processor also featuring Intel® Turbo Boost and Intel® Hyper-Threading technology to create a smart and fast PC. With the addition of an NVIDIA®GeForce® 310 M DirectX 10 graphics with Intel® HD Graphics and a 500GB hard drive, ideal for watching films, viewing photos or browsing the web on an HD ready screen. The MEDION® AKOYA® P7220 D also boasts a massive 6GB DDR3 RAM and Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11n-standard technology with up to 300 Mbit/s, 802.11b/g compatible, ensuring that the specifications add up to make a PC perfect for gaming, video editing and multimedia activities.

For everyday computing such as using office applications, browsing photos and watching films, the MEDION® AKOYA® E4028 D PC features the new 2010 Intel® Core™ i3 530 processor and the MEDION® AKOYA® E6215 laptop features the new 2010 Intel® Core™ i3 350 M processor – the new 2010 Intel® Core™ i3 processor is the first level of Intel’s new processor family, offering a perfect entry point for a fast, responsive PC experience. The MEDION® AKOYA® E4028 D desktop PC also comes equipped with Intel® HD graphics built-in for a stunning visual experience, 4GB DDR3 RAM and Windows® 7 Home Premium Edition. While the MEDION® AKOYA® E6215 15.6” laptop includes a generous 500GB hard drive, 4GB DDR3 RAM and Dolby® Advanced Audio that optimises audio quality to deliver the best possible sound on the go.

Key features:

MEDION® AKOYA® E4028 D
- Intel® Core™ i3 530
- Intel® HD Graphics
- 4GB DDR3 RAM
- 320GB hard drive
- DVD-RW optical drive
- 8 channel audio
- Front memory card reader
- Windows® 7 Home Premium

MEDION® AKOYA® E4217 D
- Intel® Core™ i5 650
- NVIDIA® GeForce® 310 M DirectX 10 graphics with 512MB memory
- Intel® HD Graphics
- 4GB DDR3 RAM
- 500GB hard drive
- DVD-RW optical drive
- 8 channel audio
- Front memory card reader
- Windows® 7 Home Premium

MEDION® AKOYA® P7220 D
- Intel® Core™ i5 750
- NVIDIA® GeForce® 310 M DirectX 10 graphics with 512MB memory
- 6GB DDR3 RAM
- 500GB hard drive
- DVD-RW optical drive
- 8 channel audio
- Front memory card reader
- Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11n-standard technology with up to 300 Mbit/s, 802.11b/g compatible
- Windows® 7 Home Premium

Laptops:

MEDION® AKOYA® E6215
- Intel® Core™ i3 350 M
- Intel® HD Graphics
- 4GB DDR3 RAM
- 500GB hard drive
- DVD-RW optical drive
- Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11n-standard technology with up to 300 Mbit/s, 802.11b/g compatible Windows® 7 Home Premium
- Dolby® Advanced Audio

MEDION® AKOYA® P6625
- Intel® Core™ i5 430M
- ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 5165 DirectX® 10 graphics with 1024 MB memory and digital HDMI Audio-/Video out
- 4GB DDR3 RAM
- 500GB Hard Drive
- DVD-RW Optical Drive
- Wireless 802.11n
- Windows® 7 Home Premium
- Dolby® Advanced Audio

Pricing and availability
These new MEDION® AKOYA® PCs and laptops featuring the all new 2010 Intel® Core™ processor family will be available exclusively to buy at www.medionshop.co.uk from the middle of March 2010, prices to be confirmed.

—ends—

About MEDION

MEDION AG is a stock corporation listed on the SDAX exchange. Based in Essen, Germany, the company has approximately 1,100 employees and posted sales of 1.41 billion Euros in the 2009 fiscal year.

The MEDION business model aims to make high-quality, innovative trend products with appealing designs available at low prices to large groups of buyers in the field of consumer electronics.

In addition to its traditional European promotion-based business in consumer electronics products, MEDION also increasingly develops and markets supplementary services, particularly in the fields of telecommunications such as MEDIONMobile, download offerings, and online services.

For further information regarding MEDION, visit www.medion.co.uk.

Sophie and Sarah were there to collect Medion’s Readers Choice award for Best PC Brand, a fantastic award to win that was given based on a combination of customer service and hardware reliability. The runners-up in this category were: Acer, Dell, HP Compaq and Packard Bell.

Rick Munday, Medion UK Marketing Manager commented: “This latest award, along with previous awards, highlights our commitment to service and reliability. We are delighted to win, especially as competition in our category was fierce with such a number of established brands in there.”

The awards were given out by PC Advisor’s Editor-In-Chief Paul Trotter and Editor Matt Egan. The food was very tasty and the alcohol was flowing, yet there was still time for bowling, table football and ping-pong amongst all the schmoozing.

Surrey, UK: OverBoard, a leading designer and manufacturer of waterproof travel and sports gear and official kit supplier to the RNLI, today launches its Waterproof Zoom Lens Camera Case. This case is the latest addition to OverBoard’s extensive product range, providing 100% waterproof protection and extra security for a telescopic lens. The 0.42mm thick matt TPU material case is perfect is an excellent holiday companion, allowing users to capture some unique underwater pictures

The Waterproof Zoom Lens Camera Case can be submerged up to 19ft and still take pictures with a regular digital camera. The telescopic lens addition makes this case different from other products, offering users a chance for much more interesting photographs without the need for an expensive camera.

OverBoard's Camera Zoom Lens Waterproof case

The case is largely transparent so the photographer can see their subject clearly and can take more accurate pictures. It will also float safely to the surface if users accidently drop it in the water or let go when diving.

OverBoard’s new Slide Seal System is simple, easy to use and provides reliable water-tight protection to the camera. To close the case, users slide and fix the switches into the ‘Lock’ position and, once sealed, users are guaranteed Class 5 Waterproof classification according to the official WSRS rating system.

The TPU material provides secure protection from water and other substances such as oil and grease, and also allows increased flexibility. TPU has many of the same properties as PVC but is much more environmentally friendly to produce.

Pricing and availability

The Waterproof Zoom Lens Camera Case is available for £19.99 from the OverBoard web store www.over-board.co.uk or by calling the sales line on 01932 500 091.

For more information on OverBoard and the Waterproof Zoom Lens Camera Case, or to get a sample for review please contact Tom Warren on 01296 394614, or email tom@raniericoms.com.

There were some headlines though, BBC announced its new news and sport app to deliver all the headlines in real time. The app will initially be available on the iPhone but with other formats quickly following, including BlackBerry and Google Android. There will also be a BBC iPlayer app coming soon which is good news for Eastenders on the move!

O2 is set to deliver 4G networking to the UK this year. 4G will provide ‘ultra-compact microwaves’ to help the speedy transfer of high definition video clips, music and video streaming and mobile gaming. After such a long wait, this could finally see the dawn of video conferencing for consumers and businesses. It will be trialled in Slough…

Amongst the new handsets launched, the Sonim XP2 Spirit ‘rugged’ 3G phone, has caught the eye of many. This handset is set to withstand extreme environments from 55c to -20c and has a core that is the same material as a golf ball. It all sounds impressive enough but lets hope it fairs better than its predecessor, the XP1, in the Dan Simmons test!

HTC maintained its domineering presence at this year’s show with the launch of its budget handset, the Smart which will be available on O2. The Smart uses Qualcomm’s OS Brew and its main selling point is the ease of use. It is a very simplified version of its HTC comrades and uses the often tricky to use resistive touchscreen which could be a downfall.

The Motorola Motoroi

There were hands on pictures and videos circulating around for all of the new handsets, including Motorola Motoroi, the bizarre looking Texas Instruments OMAP 4 Blaze and the LG Mini GD880

Unfortunately, no 80s pop-rock sensations to sign off with today! Sorry!

Just last week, Facebook announced that the number of mobile phone owners using the site has grown to 100 million. Today at MWC the company took the next step in its bid to dominate mobile platforms by announcing plans for “Facebook Zero” – a text only version that aims to reduce potentially prohibitive data charges and encourage more phone users onto the mobile Internet.

Another handset that rocked the Fira today was the LG Mini GD880 which made its official debut. Read a full review at TechDigest but we love the futuristic look and its ability to integrate with your PC when it comes to web data and data backup.

Finally, the winners of the GSMA Global Mobile Awards have just been announced by friend of the technology sector Stephen Fry. You can find the full list of winners on the MacWorld website, but what we’re most jealous of is the fact that everyone is now being entertained by Duran Duran.

Well, all those that aren’t at the Google keynote speech that is. It would seem that Google even manages to usurp such rock gods as Le Bon and the boys, but perhaps Eric Schmidt took to the stage to the opening drum beats of “Wild Boys” in homage?

Major announcements included:

Microsoft detailed the launch of its new mobile phone operating system, Windows Phone 7 software. This system has been completely re-vamped in an attempt to re-gain lost market share from Apple and Nokia in recent years. The new mobile OS is built on a series of content “hubs”. The pictures hub, for example, will contain all of the user’s photo albums and video content, and will synchronise with albums stored in Microsoft’s cloud services. (Pc Pro) the company said in a statement that “for the first time ever, Microsoft will bring together Xbox LIVE games and the Zune music and video experience on a mobile phone.” (click here for Gizmodo video)

Nokia has announced its shift to using Intel to power high end phones, tablets, netbooks and similar devices. (Intel), however ARM has promised to bring 40% more power to next-gen mobile devices. (MSN)

Orange will be pushing its high-definition mobile voice service across Europe this year. Orange said “ HD voice will offer the best possible sound quality, especially in a noisy area.” The system uses special codec that boosts quality using existing networks by using speech bandwidth of 50 to 7,000 Hz compared to standard systems using 300 to 3,400 Hz. (IT Pro)

A 27-strong team of mobile firms is teaming up to take on Apple’s App store. 24 mobile operators including: Sony Ericsson, LG and Samsung, as well as Orange and Vodafone are coming together to create Wholesale Applications Community (catchy name hey) (IT Pro)

An array of exciting products have also been revealed at Mobile World Congress yesterday, Samsung unveiled The Wave , its first handset to run on bada OS. Sony Ericsson launched seven new handsets including the Xperia X10 Mini and Xperia X10 Mini Pro. These Mini’s are scaled down versions of the high-end Xperia X10, Sony Ericsson’s much-discussed flagship Android device. (Mobile Choice)

The Puma sports phone

Sony Ericsson's Xperia Mini 10

Vodaphone has launched two new handsets designed to deliver mobile payment services to a whole new market, (ITPro) whilst Motorola has officially released the Motorola Quench. (Know Your Mobile) Interestingly Puma has teamed up with Sagem to create a solar charging, sports phone. (Electric Pig)

We will have more information on Day 2’s big announcements later on today.