Everything Everywhere plans to roll-out 4G mobile internet for Orange and T-Mobile customers by the end of the year, providing it gets the green light from Ofcom.

The company has announced that a new 4G test on the 1800Mhz spectrum will commence in Bristol this April as part of its hopes to launch before the year is out.

In order to create the 4G network, it would be necessary for Ofcom to allow EE to convert some of its existing 1800Mhz spectrum license from 3G to 4G use. The regulator says it is considering the offer.

Everything Everywhere is also extending its 800Mhz spectrum 4G trials in Cornwall until the summer as it seeks to built the UK’s best 4G infrastructure.

This announcement comes as a major boost for UK smartphone owners as it was thought we wouldn’t see 4G speeds until 2013 at the very earliest.

3.5G speeds also on the up

Everything Everywhere also announced that it will complete the roll-out of HSPA+21 (otherwise known as 3.5G) by Q2, bringing download speeds of up to 21Mbps for some users.

The company is also planning to furnish its 3G customers with even faster HSPA+42 download speeds by the end of the year, making it by far the fastest 3G network in the UK.

CEO Olaf Swantee said: “Everything Everywhere’s vision is to launch 4G for Britain as soon as possible, and the roll out of 3.5G HSPA+ and our 4G trials across Britain are major steps towards delivering on that promise.

“The integration of the Orange and T-Mobile networks has already given our customers the widest 3G coverage in the UK – and I am pleased to say that with our advanced HSPA+ roll out they will also benefit from the fastest.

“I am also very proud to announce that, subject to regulatory approval by the spring, Everything Everywhere will be in a position to begin the roll out of 4G before the end of the year.

“There is a great opportunity for the UK to have the 21st Century network that it so deserves, putting the nation on a level playing field with other parts of Europe, the USA and Asia.”

Sort it out, Ofcom

A spokesperson for Ofcom said: “Ofcom has received an application from EE to vary its licence for 4G use. Ofcom is considering that application and once it arrives at a view it will consult with stakeholders.”

If Everything Everywhere can get approval from Ofcom, which has been frustrating everyone by dragging its feet on this matter, then Orange and T-Mobile users will get a huge head start on O2 in this area.

A planned auction for 4G mobile spectrum has been pushed back until the end of the year, much to the chagrin of networks keen to get the infrastructure up and running.

OnLive has added a subscription tier to its OnLive Deskop application for the Apple iPad, which now adds Internet Explorer 9 and access to the company’s super-fast cloud internet service.

The OnLive Desktop app first launched in January offering remote access to a full version of Windows 7 (including the in-demand Microsoft Office) through the company’s servers.

The new $5-a-month OnLive Desktop Plus service now brings Internet Explorer 9 functionality, which allows users to access the flash videos and websites that will not play on Apple’s Safari browser.

However, there’s more to this than just another Flash-enabled web browser.

Gigabit internet on your iPad

A subscription will give users priority access to OnLive’s cloud-enhanced web speeds of up to a gigabit. Early tests have revealed download speeds of 650Mbps and upload speeds of 200Mbps.

It works by channeling your connection through OnLive’s mightily impressive servers based in the cloud.

That means, regardless of how fast or slow, your home Wi-Fi connection is, OnLive Desktop Plus’ cloud-accelerated connection will dramatically enhance page-loading and streaming speeds.

It’ll also offer lightning-fast download speeds when opening webmail attachments from Gmail and Yahoo Mail, and transferring files from Dropbox.

Nothing short of breathtaking

“Experiencing a full Flash-enabled Web experience at gigabit speeds on iPad is nothing short of breathtaking, and OnLive Desktop Plus is your ticket to ride,” said Steve Perlman, OnLive Founder and CEO.

“Combine that with OnLive Desktop’s full-featured Microsoft Office and Adobe Reader PC applications and not only do you have the world’s fastest mobile browser, but the world’s most powerful productivity tools literally at your fingertips.”

The company says a launch for UK users is coming soon, as well as versions for Windows, Mac and Android in the not-too-distant future.

What’s the best 13-inch laptop?

The 13-inch laptop has gone on leaps and bounds recently, thanks massively to Intel’s Ultrabook specifications.

At the moment, all Ultrabooks feature 13-inch screens, with 14 and 15-inch models incoming later this year.

In many ways, a 13-inch laptop is the perfect size for a portable PC; they’re not as fiddly and squint-inducing as netbooks, but not as heavy and awkward as a full-on notebook.

The price of these machines is higher than netbooks though, so if your wallet’s feeling the strain we recommend you take a look at our guide to the 15 best netbooks in the world today.

Or for a broader view, look at our 20 best laptops in the world today. But whatever you do, read on to find our favourite 13-inchers of the past few months – all in price order.

1. HP Envy 13 – £533

HP’s Envy cost a whopping £1499 when we reviewed it, and we rightly criticised it for being far too expensive. Now that price has dropped to under £1000, making it a worthy competitor to Apple’s 13-inch MacBook. Like the MacBook, it sports a quality build, lozenge-type keys, a lovely screen and a dedicated graphics card. Unfortunately, battery life isn’t that great, but if you fancy buying something of Apple’s inscrutable quality without the Apple branding, look no further.

Read our HP Envy 13 review

2. Acer Aspire S3 – £680

Acer’s take on the Intel Ultrabook specifications may not be quite as skinny as half-sister company Asus’ Zenbook, but the price is certainly slimmed down. Packed with a Core i7 processor and 4GB of memory, the Aspire S3 proved a capable multi-tasker able to run powerful photo and video editing software. The keyboard is impressive for such a slim machine, and we were impressed by just how quietly it ran. 149 minutes of battery life won’t see you taking it on extended trips, but the price and form factor makes it an ideal first venture into the Ultrabook market.

Read our Acer Aspire S3 review

3. Lenovo IdeaPad U300S – £893

Sitting firmly between other Ultrabooks in terms of both price and performance, Lenovo’s IdeaPad still proved that Intel’s specifications make for versatile and powerful little lappies. Lenovo has prioritised business use on the IdeaPad, so you’ll find a comfortable keyboard and matt screen. While the latter may not be ideal for photos and movies, it’s perfect for working outside or in the glare of the sun. Long battery life and low weight make it great for long business trips, and while the design is nothing special it’s still head and shoulders above non-Ultrabook laptops.

Read our Lenovo IdeaPad U300S review

4. Toshiba Satellite Z830-10U – £900

Toshiba’s Ultrabook somehow includes a sub-woofer, an ethernet port and three USB ports in a package that weighs a mere 1.1kg and is just 16mm wide at its thickest point. The miracle of micro-engineering comes at a cost, though: it’s one of the flimsier Ultrabooks we’ve looked at. It’s not quite as powerful as other Ultrabooks we’ve looked at, although it proved perfectly adequate for photo editing and was quick to boot up and shut down. Battery life impressed, too, and we reckon it’ll last a full day of real-world use.

Read our Toshiba Satellite Z830-10U review

5. Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Late 2011) – £942

Intel’s Ultrabooks may have Apple’s 13-inch ultraportable firmly in their sights, but they still have quite a fight on their hands. The MacBook Pro’s handsome looks make everything else look a little bit pathetic, and the buttonless touchpad is one of the best we’ve ever seen. This update includes a faster processor and larger hard drive, on top of standard Mac-centric luxuries like a backlit keyboard, an excellent screen and an HD webcam.

Read our Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Late 2011) review

6. Asus Zenbook UX31 – £1,000

An incredible introduction to Intel’s Ultrabook specification, Asus’ Zenbook is a draw-droppingly well-designed piece of kit. It draws favourable comparisons to Apple’s MacBook Air, with an ultra-slim form factor (just 17mm at its widest point when closed) and distinctive concentric design on the lid. Add to this powerful components, long battery life and excellent sound, and you’ve got an immensely capable little laptop. The fact that the biggest problem we had was with the trackpad buttons says it all here, really.

Read our Asus Zenbook UX31 review

7. Dell XPS 13 – £1,000

The Dell XPS 13 makes its debut in March and it looks like a cracker. The first thing that strikes you about the XPS 13 is how compact it is. Despite it being a 13-inch display, the 31.6 x 20.5 cm footprint is narrow and Dell makes no secret of its desire to be smaller than the 13-inch MacBook Air but with a similar screen size. It’s thin, too, with a 6-18mm footprint and is a gorgeous-looking device. Our previous Ultrabook design best has to be the Asus Zenbook but the Dell XPS 13 really cuts it. It looks the part and feels it too at 1.4Kg.

Read our hands on: Dell XPS 13 review

8. Samsung 9 Series – £1,300+

Although we’ve reviewed the old model – check out our Samsung 9 Series review – we got hands on with its successor at CES 2012. The original Series 9 was one of the world’s thinnest laptops, but Samsung has managed to shave another 4mm from its size-zero body, and the updated 13″ model measures just 12.9mm when closed. The 15-inch version measures just 15mm, and one certainly gets the impression that Samsung wants to prove a point to the Ultrabook crowd. Duralumin, the tough alloy used on the original model, has been axed – possibly because it was prone to scratches – and replaced by standard aluminium, which feels much more resilient, and should stand up to contact with other items in your bag.

Read our Hands on: Samsung 9 Series review

9. Sony VAIO Z Series – £1,931

Just under £2,000 is a lot to spend on a laptop, especially one so small. But this Sony VAIO is basically a desktop in a tiny laptops’ clothing, and it includes a proper desktop Core i7, 6GB of DDR3 RAM and an Nvidia GT 330M graphics chip. You needn’t worry about this beefy setup draining the battery, either: we got a decent 285 minutes out of it. It’s all wrapped up in VAIO’s exquisite style and rugged build quality, and the screen is a sight to behold. As we said in our review, “this is easily one of the best laptops you can currently buy.”

Read our Sony VAIO VPC-Z12V9E/X review

Wi-Fi Direct: everything you need to know

The world is falling out of love with cables, but the Wi-Fi we know and love isn’t always the best way to connect devices.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could effortlessly connect Wi-Fi devices without messing around with access points and lengthy passphrases? That’s what Wi-Fi Direct promises.

Wi-Fi Direct is a proper standard

It comes via the Wi-Fi Alliance, the global industry association in charge of certifying Wi-Fi kit.

Wi-Fi Direct is Wi-Fi without the internet bit

The idea behind Wi-Fi direct is that simple tasks need simple connections. For example, you might want to print from your laptop or smartphone to a wireless printer, or to share images with someone else in the same room, or to transmit video from your phone to your TV. None of these things requires an internet connection, but they do need to connect – to the printer, or to the other person’s hardware, or to the TV. With Wi-Fi Direct, that bit’s easy.

Wi-Fi Direct can have the internet bit too

If you have a Wi-Fi router connected to the internet, you can connect to that too.

Wi-Fi Direct doesn’t need a wireless access point

Wi-Fi Direct devices can connect to each other without having to go through an access point: they can establish ad-hoc networks as and when required, letting you see which devices are available and choose which one you want to connect to. If that sounds very like Bluetooth, that’s because it is.

Wi-Fi Direct uses Wi-Fi Protected Setup

You don’t want any Tom, Dick or Harriet to be able to connect to your stuff – for example, you might not want to see what the neighbours are beaming to their TV on your TV – so Wi-Fi Direct uses Wi-Fi Protected Setup [PDF] and WPA2 to prevent unauthorised connections and keep your communications private. There are two ways to establish a connection: with physical buttons – “press the button on gadget X and then the same one on gadget Y”, or with PIN codes.

Wi-Fi Direct knows what’s nearby

Wi-Fi Direct includes two potentially useful things: Wi-Fi Direct Device Discovery and Service Discovery. Your device doesn’t just know there are devices available; if developers have enabled it, your device will know what kind of devices are nearby and what’s on offer – so for example if you’re trying to display an image, you’ll only see devices that you can beam images to; if you want to print, you’ll only see devices that are or that are connected to printers. Crucially this can happen before you connect, so you don’t waste any time trying to connect so something that doesn’t do what you want it to do.

Wi-Fi Direct uses the same silicon

Manufacturers don’t need to add extra radios to their kit: the idea is to have Wi-Fi Direct as part of the standard Wi-Fi radio. It’s backwards compatible too, so you don’t need to throw out your old Wi-Fi-enabled kit.

Wi-Fi Direct is part of DLNA, and Android too

In November, the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) announced that it was including Wi-Fi Direct in its interoperability guidelines, and Google has added Wi-Fi Direct support to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (for example it’s in the Samsung Galaxy Nexus‘s networking options). DLNA says it “expects DLNA Certified and Wi-Fi Certified Wi-Fi Direct smartphones to grow strongly through 2016.” That could be an awful lot of smartphones.

YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je2lWjfpywQ

Samsung has taken the wraps off a new learning platform for its Galaxy Tab 10.1 and 8.9 which will go head-to-head with iTunes U.

Called Learning Hub, it will be on hand to offer educational content which is set to include 6,000 textbooks and videos from 30 different education service providers.

Samsung is expected to reveal more details of Learning Hub at Mobile World Congress 2012 next week.

High score schooling

So far the company has only offered up a handful of screenshots that don’t tell us a great deal, however it has revealed that the platform aims to encourage individual learning using an automatic scoring system to motivate less disciplined students.

Document annotation will also be enabled, which could see a Galaxy Note S-Pen-alike accessory for the Galaxy Tab produced.

iTunes U has been a huge success for Apple, helping it get the iPad into many schools and learning institutions. Samsung is obviously (and understandably) keen to get a piece of that action with its own tablet offerings.

So far only Samsung Korea has released news of Learning Hub, so we’ll have to wait until MWC 2012 next week to see what Samsung has in store for the rest of the world.