The first competition prize is the amazing EyeTV DTT Deluxe (see below for a brief spec). The second prize is the brilliant hardware accelerator the Turbo.264 (again spec is below).

We toyed with asking users to write in and explain why they deserve to win or perhaps asking a silly question where the answer is clearly all over the post.Instead we decided on something a little different to ensure one of our regular readers/followers gets the benefit of this great pize.

Relatively shortly we will post a 12 digit code via RSS and Twitter. The first person to email elgatocompo@digmo.co.uk with this code and their name and address wins. That simple. The first emailer wins the DTT Deluxe the second emailer the Turbo.264

To ensure you get this code as soon as we release it you need to follow us. Following is easy, simply add our RSS feed to your reader (click here) or sign up for our  RSS Email service. The RSS email system sends a single daily email if we have added to the site. We don’t pass on addresses to 3rd parties either Finally you can also follow us directly on twitter. Whatever mode you opt for the code will appear on or before Friday 31st October 2008 (12 noon uk). 

Details on the EyeTV DTT Deluxe
EyeTV DTT Deluxeis an extraordinarily powerful miniature TV tuner that delivers digital terrestrial television (DVB-T, or Freeview) to your Mac. Exceptionally small and beautifully designed, EyeTV DTT Deluxe slips easily into the USB port of any Mac without blocking other devices.

EyeTV DTT Deluxe comes with an EyeTV Remote and offers a variety of options for aerial reception. These options vary from a miniature telescopic aerial, a portable rod aerial with a tilt/swivel magnetic base and detachable suction cup, and adapters to connect EyeTV DTT Deluxe to a rooftop aerial if necessary.

Unique Features
Receives digital TV (DVB-T, or Freeview)
Miniature USB stick; does not cover any other ports, even on a MacBook Air
Two types of aerials included plus unique IEC-MCX adapter cable
Comes with an EyeTV Remote
Click here for more information 

Turbo.264 is a powerful hardware encoding device that quickly converts any video to the advanced H.264 (MPEG-4) format without using your Mac’s resources. Work, watch TV and surf the web while you encode video with no reduction in processing speed. Turbo.264 supports many third-party Mac video applications as well as EyeTV.

Turbo.264 Details:
Turbo.264 also comes with its own software to quickly drop any video into iTunes to sync with an iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV.
Prepare and upload videos to YouTube™
Preserve Multi-channel Dolby Digital™ sound for playback on an Apple TV®
Use Turbo.264 for hardware-based live encoding in QuickTime Broadcaster™

Unique Features
Quickly and easily export content to iPhone™, iPod®, Apple TV® and PSP®
Free up your Mac for other tasks while encoding
Convert videos to superior quality H.264 files
Accelerate EyeTV’s Wi-Fi Access feature.
Click here for more information.

Competition Rules :

Competition closes : 31st October 2008 (12 noon) with the 12 digit code being displayed on site via RSS and Twitter on or before that date.
The Competition is open to UK and Ireland residents only.
The winners are the first and second individuals to email us from the UK / Ireland detailing name, address and the 12 digit code. Note: It is the first and second users (not emails) we receive and the DigMo! / Elgato decisions are final.
Family of current or previous DigMo! writers are sadly unable to enter.
Winners will be informed within 5 days of close of the competition. Winners will also be announced via the DigMo! RSS feed. Good luck!

• HD TV shows Purchase the leading HD TV shows directly from the iTunes Store. (Sadly US only)
• Movie browsing by actor and director Browse movies on the iTunes store by actor and director. Select “More” on the movie page and browse the actor and director list on the left to see other movies for that individual.
• Chapter selection, alternate audio and subtitles While playing a movie, press and hold Play/Pause to access chapter selection, alternate audio and subtitle display. The display shows the options available for the current movie.
• Movie description Press Up when playing a movie to display a description of that movie.
• Genius playlists To create a Genius playlist based on the currently playing song, press and hold Play/Pause to bring up the contextual menu and select Start Genius. Note: The Genius feature must first be enabled in iTunes 8.0.1 and synced with Apple TV.
• On-The-Go playlists To add the currently playing song to the On-The-Go playlist, press and hold Play/Pause to bring up the contextual menu and select Add To On-The-Go.
• Music videos in playlists Make playlists in iTunes combining your favorite music videos and songs. Play them back on Apple TV and let them play continuously.
• Apple TV standby mode From the main menu, press Play/Pause for about three seconds (or go to Settings  Standby)

The sleek new design houses the latest ‘N’ standard wireless technology which gives stronger and more reliable connections than routers offered by other UK broadband providers; BT is the first UK ISP to offer ‘N’-standard wireless technology.

A host of other new features have been incorporated into the distinctively curved new design – including a simpler set-up process, improved security and power-saving functionality. The new Home Hub, worth £90, will be free to new customers who sign up to a BT Total Broadband Option 3 contract. It’s also included with Option 2 online orders. Existing customers can purchase the new Hub at half price - £45.

Setting up the new Hub is now child’s play with half the number of steps of the old set-up process, enabling customers to get online and wirelessly surfing the web within minutes.

The new Hub also comes with improved security with the latest WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) technology enabled out-of-the-box to ensure the best possible defence against potential wireless hackers and snoopers.

Another new feature of the latest Hub is the Power Save mode which enables customers to be more energy efficient when they aren’t using BT Total Broadband. Via their internet browser customers can programme the Hub to turn off the wireless function when it is not in use, saving around 20 per cent in energy compared to leaving it on whilst not in use.

The new Hub is complemented by a fully-featured dect phone with High Definition Sound for crystal clear calls. The phone also has a number of inclusive features, for example, a socket to plug in an inductive neck loop for people who wear hearing aids, keypad numbers in a clear typeface for visually-impaired people and a much easier phone-to-hub fitting system for everyone.

John Petter, managing director, BT Retail Consumer, said: “The new Hub will give you up to twice the wireless range of our competitors - giving our customers much more coverage in the home, even in those ‘difficult-to-reach’ areas, and more freedom to use their broadband wirelessly from wherever they want – whether in the living room, bedroom or even in a garden. The ‘N’ standard technology also helps to prevent your wireless connection from annoyingly disappearing by providing a much more efficient wireless signal. Put simply, our new Home Hub reaches the parts other hubs cannot reach.”

* Through ‘N’-standard technology the new Home Hub will offer up to twice the wireless range of other routers when connecting to other devices also using the ‘N’ standard.  With devices using the current ‘G’ standard the reach is still improved, bringing within reach areas that were previously out of range.  ‘N’ is becoming the new wireless standard with more and more devices expected on the market in the near future.  In the mean time, customers wishing to achieve optimum wireless reception can purchase ‘N’ adaptors for their wireless equipment.

We are hoping this will bring some good news or Mac users wanting to the use Back to My Mac service. 

These new TV sticks follow the EyeTV DTT Deluxe, which was recently added to the product range. 

EyeTV Hybrid
The EyeTV Hybrid has had a major overhaul and now has a raft of new capabilities, offering a unique mix of features. The Hybrid now includes FM radio, which can be recorded in the same way as TV. It supports both DVB-T and DVB-C. Plus analogue TV, and analogue input, which means it can be used to connect cable or satellite receivers, archive video from old analogue media, or record live from gaming consoles. 
Full specifications can be found here http://www.elgato.com/eyetvhybrid

EyeTV Diversity 
The new EyeTV Diversity gets a stylish new enclosure, and it consumes less power than before, making it better for mobile use. It still has dual digital tuners, which use Antenna Diversity technology to make the best of poor signal strength by combining two signals. If you have a rooftop antenna, the new splitter cable feeds the signal into each of the two tuners, which means you can watch and record two live TV shows simultaneously. It also ships with two smaller tilt/swivel antennas.  
Full specifications can be found here http://www.elgato.com/eyetvdiversity

EyeTV DTT
The new slimline EyeTV DTT can be used without blocking the other USB ports. Despite its new diminutive size, it sports a full size antenna socket, so there’s no need for an additional adaptor. The new version remains at the low, entry level price of just £39.95 including VAT. 

The EyeTV DTT and all other models ship with the multiple award winning EyeTV 3 software. 
Full specifications can be found here http://www.elgato.com/eyetvdtt

Availability
The EyeTV Diversity ships today and is available to buy online immediately. It should reach stores in the next few days. The EyeTV DTT and the EyeTV Hybrid will be available in August. 

Prices
EyeTV DTT: £39.95 incl. VAT
EyeTV Diversity: £79.95 incl. VAT
EyeTV Hybrid: £99.95 incl. VAT

System Requirements
Macintosh computer with a PowerPC G4, G5 or Intel Core processor, 512 MB of physical RAM, a built-in USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X v10.4 or later. Internet connection required to download Program Guide data. 

DVB-T reception can vary by location, and a rooftop aerial may be required in areas with a weak or obstructed DVB-T signal.

EyeTV DTT Deluxe also includes a portable rod aerial for areas with a weaker DVB-T signal, as well as an adapter cable to connect a rooftop aerial to deal with a very weak or blocked signal. What’s more, EyeTV DTT Deluxe ships with a remote control and award-winning EyeTV 3 software.  

Quality and Power
Despite its exceptionally small size, EyeTV DTT Deluxe is a powerful digital TV tuner that delivers full-size, crystal-clear reception and uncompromising quality. EyeTV DTT Deluxe has one quality setting, lossless. The DVB stream is recorded unaltered for full quality DVB-T content as encoded by the broadcaster.

EyeTV DTT Deluxe supports DVB-T multilingual programming and Dolby Digital sound. In areas in which HDTV is broadcast, EyeTV DTT Deluxe delivers stunning 720p or 1080i HDTV (MPEG-2 as well as H.264/AVC).
 
A perfect fit for any lifestyle
The whole package is ideal for watching TV on a desktop Mac, but EyeTV DTT Deluxe’s tiny size means that it can work with a laptop in all kinds of places. Because the EyeTV DTT Deluxe takes its power from the USB, users can climb to the top of a mountain and watch the Olympics, or sit in a tent in the country and watch Ray Mears Goes Walkabout. It’s the perfect fit for any Mac, and any lifestyle. 
 
Comes with
- EyeTV 3 digital TV recorder software (CD-ROM)
- EyeTV DTT Deluxe TV receiver
- DVB-T rod aerial (MCX) with tilt/swivel magnetic base and detachable suction cup
- Telescopic DVB-T aerial (MCX)
- Infrared remote control with battery pack
- USB cable
- IEC-MCX adapter
- PDF product manual (CD-ROM)
- Quick Start Guide
- Installation instructions for MacBook Air owners
 
Availability
The EyeTV DTT Deluxe ships today and is available to buy online immediately, and be available in stores very soon. You can buy direct from Elgato at www.elgato.com

System Requirements
Macintosh computer with a PowerPC G4,G5 or Intel Core processor, 512 MB of physical RAM, a built-in USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X v10.4 or later. Internet connection required to download Program Guide data. Note: 720p or 1080i HD features require an Intel Core 2 Duo processor.
 
DVB-T reception can vary by location, and a rooftop aerial may be required in areas with a weak or obstructed DVB-T signal.

Elgato Systems has released Turbo.264 version 1.3, a free update for its award-winning video encoder in USB stick format. The update includes many new features for YouTube users as well as owners of Apple devices such as video-enabled iPods, the iPhone, and Apple TV.

Elgato Turbo.264 now enables YouTube users to convert video to a YouTube-friendly format and upload the encoded clips automatically. Navigating within Turbo.264-encoded movies is now easier for users of Apple devices thanks to Turbo.264’s support for DVD chapter markers. The new software also preserves Dolby Digital audio for playback on surround sound speakers connected to Apple TV. Furthermore, this update to Turbo.264 version 1.3 supports QuickTime Broadcaster.

YouTube Upload
Turbo.264 1.3 makes it even easier to upload video to YouTube, with good quality and short upload times. To create a YouTube-friendly file and upload it to YouTube, users simply choose the new YouTube preset, add metadata, and enter their account data.

DVD Chapter Markers
Viewers can use chapter markers to navigate to specific scenes within a DVD movie.When encoding unencrypted DVD content, Turbo.264 version 1.3 merges these markers into chapter markers that are readable by video-enabled iPods, the iPhone and Apple TV. 

Dolby Digital Passthrough for Apple TV Exports
DVD content as well as digital TV recordings often contain Dolby Digital audio tracks. When exporting to Apple TV format, Turbo.264 will pass through the digital audio to the resulting file, thus enabling a multichannel audio experience on an Apple TV with surround sound speakers.

QuickTime Broadcaster Support
Turbo.264 adds support for compressing live streaming video into H.264 using QuickTime Broadcaster. CPU load will be significantly lower than with software compression, and the quality of the stream is always 100%. No frames are dropped. 

In addition, the software update offers numerous improvements and bug fixes. Compatibility with iMovie projects, Freebox recordings and WMV media has been improved, as well as general stability.

About Elgato Turbo.264
Turbo.264 is the easiest and fastest way to convert videos to superior quality H.264 (MP4) files for iTunes, and is perfect for anyone who wants to put their own video content on an iPod®, iPhone™, Apple TV™ or Sony PSP®. Because Turbo.264 is a hardware encoder, it frees up the processor for other tasks while video encoding is in progress.

Think of it as a “co-processor” for your Mac—a real benefit for anyone who likes to keep several applications open while converting videos, especially on older Macs.

Turbo.264 comes with its own video converter software. The application converts the files, drops them into iTunes, and automatically syncs with an iPod, iPhone, or other device connected to iTunes.

Turbo.264 also supports the export command of most popular Macintosh video applications, such as iMovie®, QuickTime Pro®, Final Cut Pro® and EyeTV®.

Turbo.264 works in conjunction with these applications to dramatically accelerate the video encoding process, and is highly recommended for use with EyeTV’s Wi-Fi Access feature.

Price and Availability
Elgato Turbo.264 is available for 99.95 Euros or US Dollars or £69.95, in the Elgato Online Store, the Apple Store and in retail outlets. The box includes a USB 2.0 hardware encoder, Elgato Turbo.264 software, a user guide on CD-Rom, a Quick Start Guide and a USB extension cable.

More : www.elgato.com

The 24-inch iMac now offers a 3.06 GHz Intel processor and the high-performance NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS graphics as options, extending iMac’s lead as the ultimate all-in-one desktop computer for both consumers and professionals.

“The iMac’s gorgeous aluminium and glass all-in-one design has been an incredible hit with our customers and is just one of the reasons Mac sales are growing three and a half times faster than PC sales,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With the latest Intel processors, a faster new graphics option and more memory, customers now have even more reasons to love the iMac.”

Packing dual-core performance into the convenience of a striking all-in-one design, the new iMac includes faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors across the line; a 1066 MHz front-side bus; up to 4GB of 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory; and a widescreen flat-panel display supporting millions of colours. For the first time, the 24-inch iMac features an optional NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB of video memory, to deliver up to two times standard performance for graphic intensive applications*. Providing the latest in high-performance connectivity options to quickly and conveniently transfer digital photos, music and video, iMac includes built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n Wi-Fi networking for up to five times the performance of 802.11g**; Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; Gigabit Ethernet; built-in iSight® video camera; a total of five USB 2.0 ports (including two on the Apple Keyboard); and one FireWire® 400 and one FireWire 800 port.

The iMac furthers Apple’s commitment to environmental progress with highly recyclable and durable materials including scratch-resistant glass and professional grade aluminium. Every model in the iMac line is rated EPEAT Silver and the power-efficient iMac also meets the stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements for power consumption. Customers who purchase any qualifying Apple computer can recycle their old PC or Mac® for free via the Apple Recycling Program.

Every Mac in the Apple lineup comes with iLife® ‘08, the most significant update ever to Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring a major new version of iPhoto® and a completely reinvented iMovie®, both seamlessly integrated with the new .Mac Web Gallery for online photo and video sharing.

Every Mac also includes Leopard®, the sixth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system which features Time Machine™, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac***; a redesigned Finder™ that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock and major enhancements to Mail and iChat®.

.Mac members can use the new Back to My Mac feature to browse and access files on their home computer from a Mac over the Internet while on the road****.

Pricing & Availability

The new iMac line is available immediately through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers. Click here for more information.

In the meantime there has been no mention of a release date for movie purchases or rentals on Apple TV in the UK. A dramatic improvement to the TV offering has been welcomed by most users but it is agreed the Apple TV needs Movies to get the best from the unit.

The Movie rental option will offer the ability to rent Hi Def movies : Rent high-definition movies with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and standard-definition movies from the same place you watch them: your couch. Just click to rent and — if you have a fast broadband connection — start watching in less than a minute. Already have movies on a computer paired with Apple TV? Select My Movies and play them on the big screen.

In addition, MacBook Pro includes the latest NVIDIA graphics processors, now with up to 512MB of video memory, and Apple’s innovative Multi-Touch™ trackpad, first introduced in MacBook Air™. All Mac® notebooks include a built-in iSight® video camera for video conferencing on-the-go*, Apple’s MagSafe® Power Adapter that safely disconnects when under strain and built-in 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g.**

The new MacBook Pro features the latest Intel Core 2 Duo technology with up to a 2.6 GHz processor with 6MB of shared L2 cache; up to 4GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory and up to a 300GB hard drive, plus NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with up to 512MB of video memory.

Every MacBook Pro now includes a trackpad with Multi-Touch gesture support for pinch, rotate and swipe, making it more intuitive than ever to zoom and rotate photos in iPhoto® or Aperture™ 2 or browse web pages in Safari™; an illuminated keyboard that makes it ideal for dimly lit environments such as airplanes, studios or conference halls and a built-in ambient light sensor, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys as well as the brightness of the display for optimal visibility.

Featuring a gorgeous 13-inch glossy widescreen display, and with prices still starting at just £699, the new MacBook lineup comes in three models and includes faster processors and larger hard drives across the line; sleek white 2.1 GHz and 2.4 GHz models with 120GB or 160GB 5400 rpm hard drives and a stunning black 2.4 GHz model with a massive 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive, previously only available as an option. The 2.4 GHz MacBook models ship with 2GB of memory standard, expandable up to 4GB across the line.

Every MacBook and MacBook Pro includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go; Apple’s MagSafe Power Adapter that magnetically connects the power cord and safely disconnects when under strain; the latest generation of 802.11n wireless networking for up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g; built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking; Bluetooth; analogue and digital audio inputs and outputs; USB 2.0; FireWire® and a built-in SuperDrive®.

Every Mac in the Apple lineup comes with iLife® ‘08, the most significant update ever to Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring a major new version of iPhoto and a completely reinvented iMovie®, both seamlessly integrated with the new .Mac Web Gallery for online photo and video sharing***.

Every Mac also includes Leopard®, the sixth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system which introduces Time Machine™, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac; a redesigned Finder™ that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock and major enhancements to Mail and iChat®. .Mac members can use the new Back to My Mac feature to browse and access files on their home computer from a Mac over the Internet while out on the road.

Pricing & Availability
The new MacBook and MacBook Pro models are now shipping and will be available through the Apple Store Click Here.

Browse.
Use the included Apple TV remote to browse rentals by Top Movies, Genres, and All HD. Or search for what you want to watch. Apple TV displays a movie poster for every rental, so something’s sure to catch your eye. When you find a movie you like, click it to view a detail screen with a plot summary and a list of cast and crew. You’ll also see a parade of similar movies you might enjoy under “Viewers Also Rented.”

Movie rentals on Apple TV are $2.99 for library titles, $3.99 for new releases, and only a dollar more for stunning HD titles with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Choose the format you want to rent and click. Your movie starts downloading instantly, and, if you choose a standard-definition movie, you can start watching it in seconds.

Watch.

Rent a movie directly from Apple TV and you have 30 days to start watching. Once you hit Play, you have 24 hours to finish it — or to watch it as many times as you want. Movie rentals disappear when they expire, so they won’t take up storage space. From the Rented Movies menu, you can see when your movies are about to expire. What the movie demo video.

Opinion
Apple have promised rentals will be available in Europe within the year. I have to say I really can’t wait. Personally speaking I really love the AppleTV and the software update does improve the interface greatly. I do have one criticism and that is I feel that I have to walk through a shopping mall before I actually get to MY media. In each section the iTunes music store listings are above each of the My TV, My Music etc. It is a small issue I guess but a big feature of the update is the integration of the iTunes Music store. Have I spent £260 on a music store extender ?

This is a small niggle and the improvements to the interface and a big step forward, with rentals around the corner the AppleTV is going to be a popular product this year. More here.

With Apple TV, you don’t need a computer to rent digital movies — you rent them directly from your TV. The completely redesigned Apple TV interface makes it easy to browse, rent, and watch movies from every major Hollywood studio. Best of all, you get instant movie gratification. Without losing your spot on the sofa.

Browse.
Use the included Apple TV remote to browse rentals by Top Movies, Genres, and All HD. Or search for what you want to watch. Apple TV displays a movie poster for every rental, so something’s sure to catch your eye. When you find a movie you like, click it to view a detail screen with a plot summary and a list of cast and crew. You’ll also see a parade of similar movies you might enjoy under “Viewers Also Rented.”

Movie rentals on Apple TV are $2.99 for library titles, $3.99 for new releases, and only a dollar more for stunning HD titles with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Choose the format you want to rent and click. Your movie starts downloading instantly, and, if you choose a standard-definition movie, you can start watching it in seconds.

Watch.

Rent a movie directly from Apple TV and you have 30 days to start watching. Once you hit Play, you have 24 hours to finish it — or to watch it as many times as you want. Movie rentals disappear when they expire, so they won’t take up storage space. From the Rented Movies menu, you can see when your movies are about to expire. What the movie demo video.

Links:
Apple TV Site
Apple TV UK

The much-requested pink iPod nano is available immediately in an 8GB model for £129. iPod nano features a two-inch display which lets users watch the brand new iTunes® Movie Rentals, or TV shows and music videos purchased from the iTunes Store.

iPod nano delivers up to 24 hours of audio playback or five hours of video playback on a single charge and is encased in a beautiful all-metal design made with anodised aluminum and polished stainless steel, which is also available in silver, black, blue, green and a (PRODUCT) RED special edition.

“Customers are going to love the gorgeous new pink iPod nano,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPod Product Marketing. “The pink iPod nano is perfect for people who want a great new colour this spring, or who are searching for a special Valentine’s Day gift.”

iPod nano features an enhanced user interface that shows off album artwork and photos like never before and includes Cover Flow®, so you can scroll through your entire music collection by album cover artwork using the Click Wheel. Customers can also buy music, video and games for their iPod nano from the iTunes Store or check out the latest iTunes Movie Rentals.

Pricing & Availability
The new pink 8GB iPod nano is available worldwide immediately for a suggested retail price of £129 and joins the other 8GB models available in silver, black, blue, green and a (PRODUCT) RED special edition. The 4GB iPod nano in silver is available for a suggested retail price of £99. Both the 4GB and 8GB iPod nano for Windows or Mac® are available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com/ukstore), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers. All iPod nano models include earbud headphones, a USB to 30-pin cable and a Universal Dock Connector.

iPod nano requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS® X v10.4.9 or later and iTunes 7.6; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 2) or later and iTunes 7.6. Internet access is required and a broadband connection is recommended, fees may apply. The iTunes Store is not available in all countries. iTunes Movie Rentals are available in the US only. More Information Here.

Simply plug it in, then easily set up automatic wireless backup for every Mac® in your house to a single Time Capsule with just a few clicks. Time Capsule offers the benefits of a full-featured 802.11n Wi-Fi base station, and comes in two models: a 500 gigabyte model for just £199 (inc VAT) and a 1 terabyte model for just £329 (inc VAT).
“Bring Time Capsule home, plug it in, click a few buttons on your Macs and voila—all the Macs in your house are being backed up automatically, every hour of every day,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With Time Capsule and Time Machine, all your irreplaceable photos, movies and documents are automatically protected and incredibly easy to retrieve if they are ever lost.”

Built to work seamlessly with Time Machine, Time Capsule lets users wirelessly back up all of the data on their Macs, find lost files and even restore all of their software. In the event a file is lost, users can wirelessly search back through time to find deleted files, applications, photos and other digital media and then instantly restore the file. If it’s ever necessary, Leopard can also easily restore an entire system from the Time Machine backup on Time Capsule.

In addition to being the best way to back up a Mac, Time Capsule is also a full-featured Wi-Fi base station with the latest 802.11n technology. Delivering up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g, 802.11n* is built in to Apple’s iMac® desktop and the entire Mac notebook line up, including MacBook®, MacBook Pro and the new MacBook Air. Time Capsule features a sleek design with a built-in power supply and connections to print wirelessly to a USB printer. With Time Capsule, it’s very easy for users to create a secure, wireless network for up to 50 users and set security restrictions such as Internet access limits for children’s computers.

At £199 (inc VAT) for a 500GB model and £329 (inc VAT) for a 1TB model and a fully integrated 802.11n AirPort Extreme® Base Station, Time Capsule can serve as a backup solution for multiple computers as well as the backbone for a high-speed, 802.11n wireless network, making it effortless and affordable for everyone at home, school or work to protect their digital files.

Additional Time Capsule features include:
• dual-band antennas for 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequencies;
• three Gigabit LAN ports;
• one Gigabit Ethernet WAN port;
• one USB 2.0 port;
• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA-2), 128-bit WEP encryption; and
• a built-in NAT firewall supporting NAT-PMP for features like Back to My Mac.

Pricing & Availability
Time Capsule will be available in February through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com/ukstore), at Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers for a suggested retail price of £199 (inc VAT) for a 500GB hard drive and £329 (inc VAT) for a 1TB hard drive. More Here.

Some video programs may contain multiple audio tracks, e.g. additional language or audio commentary tracks. For each item, you can pick the audio track which will be encoded. To select the audio track for a video program, click the “i” button at the top right corner, and pick the audio track from the popup menu.

Drag and Drop EyeTV Recordings
Drag any EyeTV recording directly from the EyeTV Programs window or from the Finder onto Turbo.264’s main window. You can then select the desired Turbo.264 export format preset, including custom presets.

Bug Fixes

• Turbo.264 1.2 contains important performance and stability enhancements.
• Turbo.264 1.2 works around a problem where Apple TV would reboot while playing back encoded files.

Integration
Turbo.264 installs a QuickTime™ component to enable accelerated exports from any application. In addition, the Turbo.264 application can be controlled via AppleScript.

Download the Update here.

The TVMini2 is a digital tuning device especially made for Mac users. The stylish ultra-slim design makes the TVMini2 the smallest and sexiest USB device available. It slots neatly into a USB 2.0 port, without blocking any other ports/outlets, including the MagSafe on your MacBook Pro.

Despite, its incredibly small size the TVMini2 is powered by a high performance Tuner and Demodulator, which creates a much higher performance when it comes to signal reception. You can then watch TV and surf channels with the remote as easily as ABC.

The latest addition to the Miglia TV range, this is the smallest USB device available and is specifically designed for the Mac platform. TVMini2 enables you to transform your Mac into a completely portable digital TV tuner and to transfer your recorded files directly onto your iPod, iPhone, PSP, or AppleTV

The TVMini 2 design is based on the multi award winning TVMini and enhanced to provide a premium device that is still the smallest and the best quality TV on your Mac. TVMini 2 is a Mac-only digital tuner especially styled to prevent any ‘port blocking’ on your Mac. TVMini2 is the ultimate in quality, design and reliability.

With the ability to pause live TV using the Déjà vu feature, the TVMini 2 allows you to never miss your favourite programme again. This unique Timeshift recording feature enables you to pause, rewind and record your chosen TV programmes. Additionally, the ‘always in front’ feature, allows you to work or surf without having to switch between windows, therefore not missing that crucial scene of your favourite soap opera.

TVMini2 gives you the option to view the TV guide, recordings and scheduled recordings at the same time as all information can be accessed and viewed within the same one window.

Key Features

• Watch and record digital terrestrial TV on your Mac
• Ultra-slim, does not block any adjacent ports
• Superior reception quality
• Export recordings to iPod, PSP and Apple TV
• Backed by a 2 year manufacturer warranty
• Déjà vu
• ‘Always in front’

What’s in the box?

• TVMini 2 digital TV tuner
• equinux The Tube software on CD-ROM
• Portable DVB-T Antenna
• Quick start guide

System Requirements

• Mac with built-in USB 2.0 connectivity
• G4/1.5 GHz, G5 or Internal processor
• Mac OSX 10.4 or higher
• 512 MB of RAM
• HD resolutions require dual G5 or Intel Core Processor

Pricing and Availability

TVMini 2 is available from Miglia’s distribution partners or online store with a retail price of £59.95 or €79.95 (inc VAT/TVA)

The TVMini2 is priced at £59.99 or €78.99.

Not being able to decide on what is best case for my own needs I ended up procuring a couple of options to investigate which was best.

Having been an iPod and Pocket PC user for many years I have always struggled with protective cases verses functionality. Buying the sleekest small phone on the market and putting it in to a bulky case seemed to defy all logic. Anyone who has used an ipod case in the past will know the frustration of trying to use a docking station, taking the ipod out of most cases can be work at the best of times.

Over the last few days I have been using the iSkin Revo case, replacing the slip cased I had used the two days before.

The slip case was cheap but not only was it bulky and left one end of the iphone protruding out the top it also left marks on the screen as it slid in and out of the case. I really don’t think the phone would have come to much damage but I wasn’t willing to take the chance.

The iSkin Revo is a well designed and manufactured case offering the ease of use of a soft case but with the added protection of a hard visor.

The “Visor” Created with a durable polycarbonate, specially coated with an optical clear-coat, helps to keep the iPhone’s ever so important screen safe from impacting objects. The ViSOR easily snaps to the front to cover and protect the iPhone’s screen — and can be snapped just as easily to the rear, blending seamlessly.

My previous experience of silicon type cases isn’t that good. I found getting the iPod in and out of the case tricky and lining up the ports etc was an equal challenge. The Revo is different ! placing the iPhone in and out of the case is virtually effortless with all port, button and camera holes lining up perfectly each time. The material itself has also been carefully designed, there is a velvet feel to the plastic that makes it very easy to grip.

I think iSkin have gone to every length to ensure this case can’t be dropped and they have pretty much succeeded.The Revo comes with an additional accessory, (which I admit I didn’t venture to use). The case includes a touch-compatible privacy film that helps to keep prying eyes from personal information. When viewed directly, the privacy film gives you a clear view of your display. Angled views appear tinted, near complete black, to create an effective privacy barrier. The revo’s privacy film easily adheres to the iPhone’s screen without the use of adhesives. It allows your fingers to slide freely, offering full touch sensitivity and screen protection.

In conclusion

The Revo case is excellent ! it is clear a large amount of time and effort has been invested in designing a functional case for the iphone. The case adds very little to the bulk of the phone and is reasonably attractive (having said that I am going to be ordering a different colour this week as I am not so keen on the Yellow:) ) The Visor is a great fit and offers additional screen protection during transportation. The Revo’s best feature has to be the level of protection offered from a case that is so easy to take on and off the iPhone.

Lets face it the iPhone comes with a great desk stand and the last thing I want is a case that stops me from using it ! The Revo slips on and off the phone with ease.If you have an iphone and you are serious about it lasting the eighteen month contract then this case is an essential purchase !

This is definitely our “Choice” iPhone case.Click here for more information.

Two years on we have added an AppleTV to our EyeTV system and have created a media recording and management system second to none. With a few clicks Advertising breaks can be removed from programmes and clips can be exported in a range of different formats, AppleTV, iPod etc.

It was hard to know what Elgato were going to do to improve the product range then suddenly the 250 plus was announced. The EyeTV 250 Plus is the first TV device I have seen that comes with a dedicated power supply probably due to the built in hardware encoding. Although the device lights up when connected to USB2 it requires power to function (yes we see the obvious here :)). The device offers both analogue and digital recording and in the case of analogue offers a range of encoding qualities.

Having EyeTV 2 already on my mac I thought it would be simply a matter of connecting the 250. My current installation didn’t recognise the device but 2 mins with the install disk and EyeTV had listed the 250 plus. It is recommended that you re-use the ‘EyeTv Setup Assistant’ to re-tune the device but this only takes 2-3 minutes.

Analogue & Game Mode

One of the major improvements over my Cinergy T2 device is the ability to import video from VHS and other analogue sources. The devices come with the appropriate cable to connect an S-Video or composite device. The 250 also allows for a gaming mode (analogue connection) this allows you to use your Mac as a screen for your games console.

Roxio Toast

I can remember my only frustration with EyeTV was the Roxio Toast icon along the menu bar. Toast is an essential additional application for quick output to DVD (that and a dvd recorder!). Elgato have kindly taken this additional cost out of the equation by including Roxio Toast 8 Basic. Toast 8 Basic CD/DVD recording software enables you to burn recorded DVB-T or standard cable television shows directly within EyeTV.

For both DVB-T (in most cases) and digitized analog television shows, the EyeTV recording format is DVD-compliant MPEG-2, which eliminates lengthy re-encoding. Users can simply click the Toast button in EyeTV after finishing their (optional) edits, then insert a DVD into the Mac’s disc drive.

I can think of a dozen applications for the 250plus. From the student dorm with Mac and games console to the family who are taking the digital TV step who have family VHS tapes to convert. At £139.99 and the trademark ease of EyeTv 2 & Roxio potential customers will have no regrets in this investment. If Elgato could add a “series link” system to their software then I think even Sky+ would have a run for its money !

Links :
Flickr Photos
Elgato.com

Top Quality Through Hardware Encoding
EyeTV 250 contains a hardware encoder that converts the analog tuner and video input signals to MPEG-2 format. Thus, television broadcasts and digitized analogue video are stored on your Mac without loss of quality. The included, multiple award-winning EyeTV 2 software features post-processing (editing) and export functionality into all major video formats for further use in professional video software applications as well as simple export presets for iPod, Apple TV, or the iPhone.

CD/DVD Mastering Software Included
The included Roxio Toast 8 Basic CD/DVD recording software enables you to burn recorded DVB-T or standard cable television shows directly within EyeTV. For both DVB-T (in most cases) and digitized analog television shows, the EyeTV recording format is DVD-compliant MPEG-2, which eliminates lengthy re-encoding. Users can simply click the Toast button in EyeTV after finishing their (optional) edits, then insert a DVD into the Mac’s disc drive.

Pricing and Availability
EyeTV 250 Plus is available immediately for £139.95 including VAT at the Apple Store, the Online Shop, as well as through resellers. The package includes EyeTV 2 software (CD-ROM), Roxio Toast 8 Basic (CD-ROM), User manual (PDF document), a breakout cable with Composite and S-Video as well as audio (RCA) inputs, a USB extension cable, EyeTV infrared remote control, printed Quick Start Guide, and a miniature antenna for reception of digital terrestrial television in regions that feature a broadcast infrastructure optimized for “portable indoor” reception.

System Requirements
Macintosh computer with a , G5 or Intel processor, 512 MB of physical RAM, integrated USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X v. 10.4 or newer. The download of program guide data requires an Internet connection.

Visit : Elgato.com

As a UK iTunes users we rely on Elgato’s EyeTv for TV recording and manually converting our DVD library as the main source of media for our AppleTV. This said AppleTV still has a lot to offer the UK customer ! Currently we have a range of movies, our photos, 3000 songs and music video purchased from iTunes and the quality if excellent.

If you are facing the conversion challenge for your growing DVD collection then the Elgato Turbo.264 is a useful tool to speed the process up. We aim for each movie to be around the 2gig mark in terms of space and adding the media to the AppleTV is reasonably quick process once converted. We recently upgraded our wifi to an N router and we can definitely see the benefit once we purchased the N upgrade for our iMac (£1.25). Having experienced both N and G I can say the upgrade is not essential and the G transfer was perfectly adequate.

One really nice feature is the ability to subscribe to video podcasts and have them update automatically on the AppleTV. I am hoping when the ability to purchase TV shows comes to the UK we will be able to subscribe in much the same way.

The YouTube feature is also excellent. This feature has a parental control feature where a 4 digit pin number can stop kids gaining access to Youtube. We have also had a fair few hours entertainment looking at some of the kid suitable content on there. The AppleTV system is intuitive and we have found a 4 year old can work their way around the system effortlessly.

On the topic of parental control it would be great if the user could mark media files as child safe. I recently recorded ‘Rambo’ on EyeTV and although I would like it on my AppleTV I don’t really want everyone in the house having access to the movie. A simple tickbox in the info would be enough to protect the file but perhaps this will come in time.

The AppleTV brings iTunes to the living room in a small yet slick way. The ability to view your Aperture or iPhoto library as you listen to your latest music is great. Yes there are other products on the market that offer similar but for ease of use I can not fault the Apple device. The device is not only simple to use but very easy to set up!

I have read on some blogs that the AppleTV is a flop and will fail but I can’t see that point of view. Personally I think a great product has simply been over shadowed by the subsequent release of the iPhone. I really can not recommend this product enough, if I could afford it I would purchase another AppleTV for another part the house.

The Turbo.264 pack includes the Turbo.264 device (obviously) a quick start guide, a USB extension - although it is only about 5-5 centimetres long and a CD containing the driver / conversion software.

The supplied software could not be easier to use simply drag the video file on to the interface and Turbo.264 will do the rest.

Turbo.264 supports batch conversions and even offers exports of unprotected DVD content (VOB files). Turbo.264 also accelerates exports from the most important Macintosh video applications such as iMovie, QuickTime Pro, , and EyeTV.

Turbo.264 Under Test

We firstly converted a 19 minute episode of a TV programme recorded using the EyeTV software. We are using a G5 dual core 2.0GHZ PowerPC with 3gig of ram as the test machine and expect that an intel machine will be quicker again. Users should note that you can tell that the Turbo.264 is connected by the ‘export’ graphic in EyeTv.

The first Image shows exporting from EyeTv without Turbo.264

Now with Turbo.264 connected we have a red speed line with a series of red dots under the progress bar.

Conversion Time

Purple : Standard iPod Export (no Turbo.264) Time : 30 minutes and 23 seconds.

Blue : Standard iPod Export (Turbo.264 connected) Time : 14 minutes and 15 seconds. This is under half the time of a normal export !

We then repeated the test on an Core Duo with 1gig of Ram. The test was to convert a 4 minute 10 second .mov file using Quicktime Pro.

Purple : Standard Export (no Turbo.264) Time : 2 minutes and 16 seconds.

Blue : Standard Export (Turbo.264 connected) Time : 0 minutes and 53 seconds. Again this is under half the time of a normal export !

Conclusion

When considering the Turbo.264 we had only two questions,
1. Can it do what it says ?
2. Is it worth the money ?
The answer is simply yes for both ! Okay technically it is probably not essential as your Mac already performs the tasks the Turbo.264 offers. Although if you own an iPod or Apple TV and are using it with DVD or video then any device that cuts the video conversion time this significantly surely is well worth considering.

If you watch TV on your Mac with the likes of EyeTv and would argue at $99 this device is a must ! As for ease of use Elgato could not make this device any simpler the hardest part was opening the box !!

Pricing & Availability

Turbo.264 is available immediately for US$99.95 in the Elgato Online Shop as well as through distribution. The package includes the USB 2.0 Hardware Encoder, the Turbo.264 software on CD-ROM, a user’s guide on CD-ROM, a quick start guide as well as a USB extension cable.

Note : Times in this review are not officially verified and as accurate as the author can achieve. These are guide times only.