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• Jeremy Laird: Google driverless car hysteria shows humans are too stupid to drive
• AMD's Kaveri processor is coming to a mobile device near you
• HP introduces the detachable HP Pro x2 612 and the Elite 700 Series
• Sony has a new all-in-one Blu-ray home cinema system
• Review: BlueAnt Pump HD Sportsbuds
• LG G Watch, Moto 360 prototypes shown in latest Android Wear tease
• Samsung's Tizen TVs could be here sooner than you think
• Apple code pretty much confirms new sizes for iPhone and iPad
• Is this short and square phone really the BlackBerry Q30?
• Touchy Office for Android tipped to arrive before Windows version
• COMPUTEX 2014: Intel launches a line of solid-state drives designed to better reduce latency
• Apple's iOS 8 to offer location-based access to apps from lock screen
• Fashion's Diane von Furstenberg takes a stab at Google Glass
• COMPUTEX 2014: Intel unveils a fanless Core M processor aimed for thin, silent devices
• Chrome goes 64-bit with latest Windows channel builds
• Review: Asus Zenbook UX301LA
• Review: Creative Sound Blaster Roar SR20
• Buying Guide: The best Motorola Moto E deals
• Instagram gets creative with a brand new set of editing tools
• Buying Guide: The Best Sony Xperia Z1 Compact deals
• Buying Guide: The best Samsung Galaxy S5 deals
• How to avoid a data loss disaster
• Buying Guide: The best iPhone 5S deals
• In Depth: Sony Xperia Z3: what we want to see
• Updated: 4OD on iOS now streams over 3G and 4G, and it's about time too

Jeremy Laird: Google driverless car hysteria shows humans are too stupid to drive Posted: 03 Jun 2014 11:00 PM PDT People are hysterical about driverless cars. They just don't get it. That's what's really interesting about both the design of and the reaction to Google's latest self driving car. As it happens, there's a fascinating archive episode of Horizon on BBC iPlayer that dates from 1978. It's about computer chips and how they will make us all unemployed. It basically predicts end of days if we don't stop the computer chip from replacing nearly all of us as workers. It predicts even doctors will be gone soon. There's a similar hysteria surrounding driverless cars right now. That's despite the fact that from top to bottom, Google's new driverless car is design to allay fears. With its friendly face, it looks like it wouldn't squish a fly. It's limited to 25mph. The front is made of soft foam and the windshield of soft, bendy plastic. None of that, in my view, has anything to do with actual safety. It's all about reassuring the masses that they're not about to be mown down by a fleet of four-wheeled robotic overlords. After all, Google's existing driverless cars, based on cars like the steel-bodied Toyota Prius, have been faultless up to now. The only incidents they have been involved with were due to human error, not robo-car malfunction. Forget about infallibility That's not to say that Google's technology is infallible. It isn't and it won't ever be. Nor will anyone else's. But it's probably already safer than any human driver. Not that most people can get their head around that notion. In fact, reactions to Google's vehicle prove that most people struggle to grasp even the most basic benefits of driverless cars, let alone the more nuanced possibilities. Here are some of the more common misconceptions that people have: 'When the computer crashes, so will you!' 'How will these things know what pedestrians are going to do? They'll have to drive around at a snail's pace to be safe!' 'If they start driving out of town, they'll have to go much faster than 25mph. If they crash they might kill people.' 'Surely it will only work if all cars are autonomous? How will it cope with human-driven cars?' 'They'll have to restrict them to special lanes.' 'Surely it won't be able to see as well as a person?' 'What happens when one breaks down and blocks the road?' 'If two people jump out in front of it, how will it chose which one to run over?' 'Skynet! Terminator! End of days!' Fearing the future You get the idea. OK, the last one was, shall we say, heavily edited for brevity. But there's been plenty of mention of a dystopian science fiction future, that's for sure. A few themes here are pretty common. One is that people are ignoring the safety benefits of driverless cars and the perilous dangers of human-driven cars in equal amounts. They're concerned about being killed by a driverless car and they're ignoring the fact that around a million people die on the world's roads each year, almost all of them due to human error. Of course, driverless cars will make mistakes. But if the choice is between a million deaths at out own hands or a few hundred (and probably close to zero) caused by driverless cars, which would you chose? Loopy logic There's loads of broken logic being used, too. Some argue that you can't have driverless cars mixed with human-driven cars because humans are so bad and erratic at driving. But if humans are so bad, how do they cope with each other? The bottom line is that driverless cars will be much, much more accurately and reliably controlled than human-driven cars. And that includes reacting to poorly-driven human cars. That doesn't mean a driverless car will be able to avoid any and all collisions with poorly driven human cars. What it means is that if there is any scope for avoiding the collision, the driverless car will always exploit it. And it will exploit it better than any human driver could. Indeed, it seems nobody is immune. Not even experts. One of the lines above comes from none other than car guru Quentin Willson. Can you guess which one? He's a nice chap, but he couldn't be more wrong. No more fun That said, there's one one talking point among all the hysteria that is actually correct. 'This will be an end to driving for fun. Human drivers will be banned.' That one is bang on. Autonomous will eventually be proven undeniably and dramatically safer than human driven cars. You basically won't ever be killed by a robo car. What's more, nobody will care about driving when they can Facebook, Instagram and tweet to their heart's content / watch TV / play games / dabble in the stock market / bet on the horses / sleep / whatever to and from work. And do that in total safety and not worry about taking the kids to school or picking them up. But everyone will remember that lots of people used to die at the hands of human drivers. Human drivers will be seen as a risk to everyone else. Think about that and ask yourself if you honestly think the vast majority are going to allow a small minority to threaten their safety in the name of pleasure seeking when that small minority can always drive their cars on private roads and tracks? It's not going to happen. Instead, human drivers will almost definitely be banned. It's just a question of how long it take. Maybe be 50 years before it happens, but it's inevitable either way. Right now, that seems a very draconian restriction of freedom. But in time, it will actually be what all of us want. It's a bit like, say, smoking on planes. Used to be the norm. Now seems a bit bonkers to have hundreds of people setting fire to things at 30,000ft. So it will be with human driven cars and deaths on our roads. Seems normal now. But it will look horrifying and insane in the future. And we will be relieved that humans are no longer allowed to drive so dangerously. Now read: Why driverless technology will be the best thing that ever happened to cars

AMD's Kaveri processor is coming to a mobile device near you Posted: 03 Jun 2014 09:01 PM PDT You don't have to be a graduate from MIT to understand why the third generation of AMD's APUs (called Kaveri) are a good idea. Take the best parts of a standard CPU - functions like data throughput, queuing, and processing - combine it with the best parts of a GPU, and what you'll have is what AMD is calling "compute cores." There's up to 12 (4 CPU + 8 GPU) of these guys on the top-tier chips and with the ability to change between GPU and CPU functionality on the fly, we could be looking to Kaveri to lead the charge for the next-generation of processing. I'll take a Kaveri … to go AMD has big plans for Kaveri in 2014, which it unveiled today, most of which include battling Intel for control of the mobile processing space. Yes, the same AMD-A Series processors you've seen in desktop builds are finally coming to high-performance laptops, and boy, do they look good. Last month, TechRadar was invited to an announcement event to talk about the future of AMD. We saw two-dozen slides that had the same message: AMD's FX APU beats Intel Core i7. They had numbers and figures to back it up, too. One slide showed the AMD FX-7500 was over 50% faster than the Intel i7-4500U in 3DMark 11 tests, while another touted 45% more system performance using BasemarkCL than the leading Core i7. The figures sounded staggering, but it wasn't the best AMD had in the bag for us. The science of software So how exactly did AMD pull these kinds of numbers from a hat? It starts with better system integration tools like AMD's Homogeneous System Architecture (HSA) and Graphics Core Next. HSA, as best as it can be explained without talking about things like memory addresses, is a way for AMD processors to use parallel computations some of the time when working on graphics-oriented tasks, and serial processing for the more data-driven tasks. This effectively gives the CPU and GPU sides of the processor the same access to data, eliminating the need to go back and forth between the two. GCN, on the other hand, allows GPUs to perform at higher speeds and even works to upscale 1080p outputs to a 4K resolution. If this all sounds too tricky to wrap your head around, don't worry. It's all just the technical explanation behind why AMD's processors - at least in some scenarios - should run circles around Intel's Haswell chips. Business Pro-fessionals The last announcement of the day was an interesting one: a "Pro" series of mobile processors that will accompany the consumer Kaveri products but with added stability for changing business environments. Look at the specs. The AMD A10 PRO-7350B with Radeon R6 Graphics starts at 2.1GHz but can be overclocked to a solid 3.3GHz speed. Plus, it only draws a miniscule 19W, making it a shoo-in for battery life-dependent mobile systems. Supposedly, these systems are going to receive priority updates with the focus on stability and longevity - which should be music to the IT professionals' ears. The first off the production line will be HP's EliteBook 725, 745 and 755 G2 notebook, the EliteOne All-in-One and the EliteDesk desktop PCs, coming later this year. Vacuum-sealed wrap up The numbers are in, and they look good. On paper, it looks like Kaveri will give Haswell a run for its money, and with its reduced power requirements you can plan on seeing a bunch more AMD-powered mobile devices in the near future. Thankfully, a few manufacturers that have already been signed up for mobile Kaveri products like Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and Toshiba just to name a few. More are to be announced at Computex Taipei. What AMD still needs, however, are more application developers to adopt the HSA style of thinking - putting graphics and data processing on equal footing. Don't know if you should pick AMD over Intel? Check out our helpful guide! Are you going to pick up a Kaveri-powered machine? Let us know in the comments! Will Nvidia ever adopt Mantle? AMD would be A-OK if its rival decided to

HP introduces the detachable HP Pro x2 612 and the Elite 700 Series Posted: 03 Jun 2014 09:01 PM PDT HP will launch a detachable PC designed for enterprise users focused on content creation and mobility, the company said during a press conference on June 3. HP also unveiled its EliteBook 700 series, which includes 11 PCs designed for business users. The HP Pro x2 612, which will become available in September, features a 12.5 inch display and 14 hours of battery life. The tablet-notebook hybrid comes with Intel Core i3 or i5 processors, and can include Intel vPro technology for added security. The device can be purchased with an HD or full HD screen. Pricing has yet to be determined. The Pro x2 612 comes with a powered keyboard that, when used in conjunction with the tablet, gives the device 14 hours of battery life. Organizations can also purchase a standalone tablet, the HP Pro Tablet 612, which does not include the powered keyboard. The tablet features 8 hours of battery life. Under the hood The Pro x2 and 612 and Tablet 612 run Windows 8.1 and provide support for Windows 7. They come loaded with a digitizer pen stored directly the display. Both models feature 3g or 4g LTE options, a USB 3.0 port, a micro SD card reader, and a micro SIM card reader. HP will provide flexibility for customers who want Celeron or Pentium processors. Both options also include HP BIOS, HP Client Security, HP Sure Start, a Smart Card Reader, TPM and an optional fingerprint reader. The devices also come loaded with dual HD webcams. The Power Keyboard is a full-size keyboard, that is backlit, spill resistant, and features a touch pad. The keyboard comes with a VGA cord, a RJ45 network cord, one display port, two USB 3.0 ports, and a connector for the HP ultra-slim dock. The keyboard also includes a full-size SD card reader. Mobility is the key For users looking for a more mobile keyboard, HP also provides a Travel Keyboard option. The Travel Keyboard is backlit, features a USB 3.0 port, an audio jack, and kickstand functionality. The Travel Keyboard does not feature a secondary battery. "HP has a mobility strategy," said Daron Chalk, Worldwide Category Manager at HP. "Two of the pillars [of that strategy] are 1) notebook replacements and 2) optimizing workflows with a strong focus on vertical opportunities. Those [pillars] will be built primarily around tablets...We see this as a new category, a very strong area of growth and we do intend to provide a lot of strong leadership in this category." The HP Elite 700 Series The HP Elite 700 series includes three notebooks powered by AMD A-Series Pro APUs. The HP EliteBook 725 starts at three pounds, features a 12.5-inch diagonal HD or Full HD optional touchscreen, and an optional 4G LTE module. The HP EliteBook 725 is expected to be available in June starting at $799. The HP EliteBook 745 features a 14.0-inch diagonal HD, HD+ or Full HD display and includes a touch-enabled option. The HP EliteBook 745 is expected to be available in June starting at $739. The HP EliteBook 755 features a 15.6-inch diagonal HD or Full HD touchsceen, and AMD Radeon Graphics. The HP EliteBook 755 is expected to be available in June starting at $749. The 700 series also includes three notebooks powered by Intel: The HP EliteBook 720 starts at 2.94 pounds, and features HD, HD Premium or HD Premium touch options. The HP EliteBook 740 is an Ultrabook that features HD, HD+, HD+ touch or FHD screens. The HP EliteBook 750, which also offers Ultrabook models, features an HD, Full HD, or Full HD touch 15-inch diagonal screen. In addition to the notebook line, HP also unveiled the 700 series line of PCs, which includes: The HP EliteOne 705, which features a 23-inch diagonal IPS Full HD display with AMD PRO A-Series APUs with AMD Radeon graphics. The EliteOne 705 is expected to be available in September. Pricing has yet to be determined. The HP EliteDesk 705 Desktop comes in three different configurations: the Desktop Mini, the Microtower, and the Small Form Factor. Mini is expected to be available in September. Microtower and Small Form Factor are expected to be available in July. Pricing will be set closer to availability for all three versions. The HP EliteDesk 700 Small Form Factor and The HP EliteDesk 700 Microtower PC both feature Intel processors and are expected to be available in September and November, respectively. Pricing will be set closer to availability.

Sony has a new all-in-one Blu-ray home cinema system Posted: 03 Jun 2014 07:59 PM PDT In case you didn't buy the PS4 and don't have a Blu-ray player, Sony has a new all-in-one home cinema package, the BDV-N9200W Blu-ray Disc Home Cinema System. Featuring multi-channel 5.1 surround sound, Sony is boasting its new speakers to have been built with Magnetic Fluid Speaker technology - which is tech that originally developed by NASA, according to Sony. The speakers use magnetic fluid material, which is meant to reproduce all spectrum of the recorded sounds as faithfully as possible. Sony is also touting its surround sound speakers to have been specially engineered to recreate the way audio is delivered in the London O2 Arena. A smarter Blu-ray Besides the speaker tech that Sony is boasting, the Blu-ray all-in-one system also allows users to stream music from home networks or via connected USB drives. Music can also be streamed from smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth or NFC. These wireless connections also allows for mobile screen mirroring The BDV-N9200W is available in Australia in two colours, with a price tag of $1199 in black or $1299 in white. Here are the 12 best Blu-ray players in the world

Review: BlueAnt Pump HD Sportsbuds Posted: 03 Jun 2014 06:49 PM PDT Any athletic person will tell you horror tales of tangled wires and popped headphone cables as they attempt to listen to music on their iPhone 5S while running. Which is why stereo Bluetooth is such a perfect fit for active people. The catch is that quite often, Bluetooth headphones don't tend to work well with the sweat they invariably start to drown in when used during fitness or sport. Whether it's the salty liquid getting into the electronics components, or just having the earbuds pop out of your ears, Bluetooth headsets for runners haven't exactly set the world on fire. Aussie company BlueAnt Wireless is trying to overcome these obstacles with its Pump HD sportsbuds. Rocking Bluetooth 3.0 for crisp, stereo audio and a waterproof, over-ear design, the Pumps are made for runners and other athletes who don't want to deal with the troubles of wired headphones. Design The Pumps aren't exactly revolutionary in terms of design - we've seen other behind-the-ear Bluetooth headphones before. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Pumps rest rest fairly comfortably behind the ear, with narrow extensions connecting to the earbuds that go in your ear holes themselves. Connecting the two earpieces is a fairly short, flat, tangle-free cable, which makes storing and transporting the headphones easy. Available in a variety of colour schemes, the Pumps are sporty in both performance and looks, which should help them appeal to the athletic crowd. Built with both kevlar and teflon in the speaker enclosure, and a smooth rubberised exterior, the BlueAnt headphones are fairly comfortable to wear and impervious to liquids. There's only a single covered Micro-USB port for charging the headphones, with three control buttons located on the right earpiece doing everything else. Because audio quality from in-ear buds comes largely from how well the buds fit in your ear, BlueAnt has stuffed the box the Pumps come with full of ear buds of different sizes. There are four small, medium and large attachments, plus a couple of "awareness tips" that don't block out external sound, and two sets of "stabilizers" designed to lock the earbuds in place in your ears. Even without the stabilizers, the Pumps feel secure when worn. But clip those extra bits of plastic on and these headphones aren't going anywhere. That's not an inconsiderable achievement, and something athletic types will be more than happy to hear. The stabilizers do make getting the earpieces in your earholes a touch more difficult, but the security of never having to worry about them falling out is definitely worth it. Also in the box is a cable tie for the cord behind your head. It seems like an unnecessary inclusion given the cable is fairly short anyway, but the fact it's in the box is a welcome addition. All of these extra attachments are important though, as having the right earpieces attached is essential. If you opt for an earpiece size too small, the buds are likely to go a little too deep in your ears. While wearing with the medium buds, my jaw would seal the earbud every time I swallowed, blocking the music I was listening to. Changing to the larger sized buds fixed the problem though, even if they did feel like they sat a little further out than I was used to. From a comfort perspective, the Pumps feel fairly easy on the ears for extended sessions, so long as the stabilisers aren't attached. When you do pop the extra plastic attachments on though, the headphones can get very irritable. Its' the price you pay for absolute security of connection though. Audio quality Having the best fitting headphones leads to the best possible audio quality. But if you're looking for a massive range in a pair of compact sporty Bluetooth headphones, you're going to be disappointed. For their size and weight, the Pumps produce decent audio quality. Not great audio, by any stretch of the imagination, but decent. Bass is always the challenge with smaller earphones, and there's plenty of room for improvement on that front. Even with a perfect seal, the bass is understated, and without clear definition. The midrange, too, sounds a bit washed out. We tried the headphones with a range of music and there is a distinct lack of clarity in the mid range, while up top, it's decent without being spectacular. That may sound like the Pumps are akin to listening to cats shrieking through a tin can, but the truth is that the sound is passable. What's more impressive is that the headphones manage that sound while feeling secure enough to never fall out of your ears. Naturally, the Pumps also double as a Bluetooth handsfree device, allowing you to make and receive calls while listening to music. With only three buttons controlling both the music playback/volume and the call settings, remembering which combination of button presses does what is a challenge. We constantly put the phone into voice control mode when trying to skip a track by double-pressing the play button, for example. On the upside, battery life is pretty decent - BlueAnt promises 7-8 hours of audio playback, and we got around that number. For such a compact pair of headphones, that's a respectable number. We Liked We've tried plenty of Bluetooth headphones designed for active people that fall out of ears the second you move from meander to fast walk. The Pumps are incredibly secure in the ear, even without the included stabilizers attached. But when those stabilisers are attached, you could listen to music while falling over Niagara Falls in a barrel and they wouldn't fall out. They'd keep working even if you fell out of the barrel and got drenched thanks to being waterproof, which is another big tick. We Disliked Frankly, audio quality is a bit disappointing. It's not exactly terrible, but compared to audio from Bluetooth speakers like the Plantronics BackBeat 903+, it was certainly underwhelming. The lack of physical buttons also adds to some control confusion. Given you'd quickly learn the various combinations over time, this is hardly a dealbreaker though. The Verdict For athletes, there is a lot to love about these headphones – namely the fact that you can run/dance/basejump without ever fearing that they will fall off, as well as being able to wash them off after a workout. Battery life is good, and the Pump HD Sportsbuds are reasonably affordable too. But for all the benefits of a secure, waterproof fitting, the Pumps are left wanting in the audio quality department, especially given their 'HD' moniker. There are better sounding Bluetooth earbuds on the market, but not many that fit better. So you have to ask yourself: What's more important? A secure fitting or audio quality? If you answered the former, these are a solid choice.

LG G Watch, Moto 360 prototypes shown in latest Android Wear tease Posted: 03 Jun 2014 03:06 PM PDT Apple's WWDC keynote may have left us without the iWatch, but rival Google's IO conference later this month is already promising plenty* on the wearable front. In fact, Google seems so amped about its Android Wear platform that it's already showing two devices, the LG G Watch and Moto 360, in action, teasing what they can do and what apps on the smaller screens will look like. Roman Nurik and Timothy Jordan, a pair of design and developer advocates on Android Wear, took to the Android Developers Blog to talk up - and show off - the work they're doing designing apps on prototypes of the wearables. Using a walking tour app Nurik cooked up for a Google Glass design sprint as a launching point, the two started creating mock-ups for the round-faced Moto 360 and square-jawed G Watch. Instead of using voice commands to launch the app, the duo imagined walking tour suggestions cropping up as wearable wearers went about their day, relying on contextual awareness to send the appropriate notifications. Context is king The two also discussed the challenges of designing for smaller screens, with rounded ones seemingly more difficult. However, Nurik and Jordan said while working in a constrained space was challenging, it forced them to find the most effective and simplest way to deliver information. In addition to the walking tour mockups, the duo also toyed with an Android Design Preview tool that lets users mirror part of computer screens to a connected Android device, in this case the Android Wear wristers. The big takeaway from Nurik and Jordan's post is that Android Wear devices will rely heavily on contextual information to pull up relevant information, something that's been said before but now shown in application. Their walking tour app is a prime example of a function the wearables can perform that keys into the wearer's surroundings and what they are or could be doing at that very moment. What's more, the post is a wink at developers who may be skittish about developing for a UI that's only 160 x 160p on the G Watch and 108 x 108p on the Moto 360. *Nurik and Jordan say as much in their own blog post addendum: "Have we mentioned #io14 will have tons of great content around both design and wearable computing?" There may have been no iWatch, but there was iOS 8

Samsung's Tizen TVs could be here sooner than you think Posted: 03 Jun 2014 02:59 PM PDT Samsung has shown off an early version of its Tizen-based Smart TV interface and promised sets packing the OS will arrive 'very soon.' At the third annual Tizen Worldwide Developers' Conference the firm wheeled-out a 65-inch television set, offering what Jong-Deok Choi, Samsung's executive vice president, called a "sneak peak at something big." Samsung then demonstrated what was dubbed a flat, content-focused interface and a web-based remote control that would work on any smartphone and act as a wand for moving the on-screen cursor. Choi then added in no uncertain terms: "Read my lips, they will be on the market very soon." Smarter than smart Just this past weekend Samsung announced it would be releasing an SDK in July to allow developers to build apps for Tizen-based televisions. It promised the sets will have access to Smart Interactions like voice and gesture controls. Samsung revealed the televisions will have multi-screen functionality and also play nicely with other Tizen gadgets like the Gear range of smartwatches and the newly-announced Samsung Z smartphone. Initially, it seemed likely that Samsung would wait until next year's CES, where it usually does most of its TV business, before revealing Tizen goggleboxes, but Choi's vow may offer a hint they'll be arriving as soon as the IFA conference in September. Keep your eyes peeled for more news. You can bet your top dollar Samsung is working on 4K TVs

Apple code pretty much confirms new sizes for iPhone and iPad Posted: 03 Jun 2014 02:22 PM PDT There's been no shortage of rumors about the iPhone 6 and the next iPads (from the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 to the rumored iPad Pro), and by most accounts those devices might come in new sizes and even shapes. Now a hint has been uncovered in Apple's just-released beta code for Xcode 6 that reveals we're in for some new looks with the forthcoming hardware. French blog Mac4Ever was first to report that two new hardware configurations have been added to the list of iOS devices that can be simulated in the coding environment: "Resizable iPhone" and "Resizable iPad." These additions don't point to anything specific, but do suggest Apple will release new smartphones and tablets of previously unseen dimensions, possibly in time for iOS 8's release this fall. Minor and major updates The latest rumors pertaining to the iPhone 6's size suggest there might actually be two new iPhones in the works: a 4.7-inch iPhone and a 5.5-inch "iPhablet." The latter is rumored to be so thin that Apple is actually having trouble finding batteries for it. We're expecting to see these devices, and likely new iPads as well, at Apple's customary September unveilings in the fall. For more on Apple try TechRadar's MacBook Air review

Is this short and square phone really the BlackBerry Q30? Posted: 03 Jun 2014 02:15 PM PDT Blackberry has been awful quiet about releasing new smartphones since the Z30, but we may have finally caught our first glimpse of its next entry, "Windermere." New pictures of Windermere have surfaced on the tech blog N4BB and to be honest, the smartphone is surprisingly square. No, it hasn't been cropped, if you're wondering. This is the phone's square body, one that's reminiscent of a playing card, if you ask us. Windermere, or the Q30 as it has been unofficially codenamed, is BlackBerry's most box-shaped handset yet. While it shares a similar shape to some of Nokia's stouter handsets, the Q30 looks like an odd peg in an increasingly elongated-phone world. It's also the first BlackBerry to have the barest of essentials for its QWERTY keyboard, which has been squished from four rows of physical keys to just three. Beauty is only skin deep Despite the unorthodox shape and height of this potential BlackBerry handset, Windermere might be the company's most innovative phone yet. As we reported previously, the Q30 features a physical keyboard that's also capacitive, allowing users to use the keyboard as a touchscreen surface. The phone also manages to find enough room to squeeze in a screen bigger than four inches with a 1440 x 1440 Full HD resolution (though the exact display dimensions are still unknown) . Underneath the small-statured frame is a quad-core Snapdragon MSM8974 processor backed by an Adreno 330 GPU and 3GB of RAM. Additionally, the battery supposedly has a healthy 3,450mAh charge that should be good for all-day use. All in all, these admirable specs for such an odd-looking phone, but we'll have to wait for the official announcement before we pin this item as the real Q30. Last we heard BlackBerry saved the Q30 from the chopping block along with the Z50, though just where in limbo these two phones live is unknown. In other smartphone news, here's everything we know about the iPhone 6

Touchy Office for Android tipped to arrive before Windows version Posted: 03 Jun 2014 01:49 PM PDT Microsoft may be preparing to throw another Office-based curve ball by launching the touch-centric version of its productivity suite on Google Android devices before it lands on Windows 8. According to the well-connected Mary Jo Foley's of ZDNet's sources, the Android OS is next in Microsoft's sights for Word, Excel and PowerPoint touch, following the roll-out on iPad earlier this year. Microsoft prioritised the iOS version in order to capitalise on its greater-than-Windows market share (and probably just to shut people up), so adopting Android next would represent a similar strategic manoeuvre. The software giant has made it clear in recent months it will no longer discriminate against rival platforms and will instead seek to have its products and services available on as many as possible. Conceding defeat or the smart move? The launch of Office touch for Windows had been rumoured for the autumn of 2014, but it now appears Microsoft may wait until early 2015 before pushing out the next generation suite on for its own operating system. Meanwhile, the Android version will arrive before the end of 2014, according to Foley's sources. Opinion: Why Office for iPad makes sense for Nadella's Microsoft

COMPUTEX 2014: Intel launches a line of solid-state drives designed to better reduce latency Posted: 03 Jun 2014 12:44 PM PDT Intel will launch a line of solid-state drives (SSDs) designed to improve performance over traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), the company said June 3. The Intel Solid-State Drive Data Center Family for PCIe includes the Intel SSD DC P3700 Series for write-intensive applications, the Intel SSD DC P3600 Series for mixed workloads and the Intel SSD DC P3500 Series for read-heavy uses. The new line of Intel SSDs uses PCIe 3.0 specification and a PCIe interface controller architected with NVMe. The PCIe with NVMe is built to moves data and storage closer to the processor, in order to eliminate latency. The line is expected to deliver up to 2.8GB per second read speeds, up to 1.9GB per second write speeds, and up to 460,000 input and outputs per second. The NVMe 1.0 Industry Standard, which the new SSDs will utilize, feature a new storage interface protocol developed by the NVMHCI Work Group that is meant to boost performance and reduce latency. The reduced interface latency is designed to exceed 6 Gbps SATA SSDs. Specs The line of SSDs works on Windows and Linux. The drives are backed by Intel's 5-year limited warranty and have an average time between failures of 2 million hours. The P3700 Series offers 10 full-drive writes per day over the life of the drive, which totals 36 petabytes, or 459 years of high-definition video. The P3600 Series delivers three drive writes per day, and the P3500 Series offers 0.3 drive writes per day. The Intel SSD Data Center Family for PCIe will be offered at a starting price of $560. On June 3, Intel also introduced its new processor family, the K-series, an Intel Pentium processor Anniversary Edition to celebrate the 20 years of the brand, and a slim 2-in-1 tablet and laptop that feature's Intel's new Core M processor. What is Intel's Broadwell processor?

Apple's iOS 8 to offer location-based access to apps from lock screen Posted: 03 Jun 2014 12:41 PM PDT Apple detailed many of the new features for the forthcoming iOS 8 update at WWDC on Monday, but here's one neat little tool the firm left out of its keynote address. Judging by the iOS 8 beta, now in the hands of the Apple's army of app developers, users will be able to access relevant applications from the lock screen, depending on their geographical location. According to those testing the software, apps like the Apple Store and Starbucks are appearing in the bottom left corner when users enter the vicinity of a store, allowing them to open with a simple upward swipe. Other users tell MacRumors they've seen apps for train stations and even icons for apps they haven't yet installed appear. Swiping on those will take users to the location's App Store page. Easier purchasing The functionality appears to be designed to make it easier to access applications that allow them to make purchases or access prevalent information on their surroundings, but many other potential uses spring to mind. Those who utilise the Passbook feature for digital store cards will notice location-based notifications will pop up on the lock screen when in the vicinity so this feature appears to be a useful, non-intrusive extension of that. Current iOS 7 users also are able to make use of the quick access feature to open the device's camera. Here's everything else you need to know about iOS 8

Fashion's Diane von Furstenberg takes a stab at Google Glass Posted: 03 Jun 2014 11:58 AM PDT Google Glass already hit the catwalk and got a bold Titanium makeover, and now it's getting even more fashionable. American fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg has created a new collection for Google Glass that Google hopes will make the headset "chic" cool, the company announced on Google+. The DVF Google Glass collection will include five new frames and eight new shades for the smart eyewear. They'll go on sale beginning June 23 on Google.com and online luxury retailer Net-A-Porter, at which point the Google Glass Titanium collection will also go on sale on online men's retailer Mr. Porter. Turn to the left / turn to the right Recall that DVF was the brand that used Google Glass in its runway show way back in 2012 - although it didn't look nearly as fashionable back then. Google wrote that "these new designs build on the style choices we gave Explorers when we launched the Titanium Collection in January." The company even quoted "Diane" herself (apparently they're on a first-name basis) saying that "technology is your best accessory." Seems like a stretch coming from a fashion designer, but who are we to argue? Ray-ban and Oakley are also working on Google Glass

COMPUTEX 2014: Intel unveils a fanless Core M processor aimed for thin, silent devices Posted: 03 Jun 2014 11:50 AM PDT Intel just unveiled a stunningly slim 2-in-1 tablet and laptop to showcase its latest Core M processor. Announced at Computex 2014, the 12.5-inch tablet prototype is Intel new reference PC design that measures a mere 7.2-milimeters thin and it does not need any whirring fan to keep it cool. With the extra weight of the fan taken off, the tablet weighs a stark 670-grams. The device also comes with a clip-in keyboard and it could be the first in a long line of extremely thin tablets and laptops. Intel describes its new 14mm chipset as the most energy efficient Core processor in the company's history. According to Engadget the new system on a chip boasts a 20 to 40% performance improvement while lowering power needs by up to 45% and producing 60% less heat. Intel promises customers will see the first Core M processor powered devices on sale starting next year. Cut the fan We've already seen some amazingly slim devices such as the Microsoft Surface Pro 3, but in our review the obtrusive fan still helps the device back making it unnecessarily noisy. With Intel's Core M processor we could finally see more tablets become as light as the iPad Air whilst still having all the power to run a full version of Windows 8.1. Beyond tablets, laptops such as the rumored 12-inch MacBook Air could become even slimmer as they also move to a fan-less, passively cooled design. Could the next 13-inch MacBook Air also get a Core M processor?

Chrome goes 64-bit with latest Windows channel builds Posted: 03 Jun 2014 11:16 AM PDT When it comes to bits and bytes, more are typically better - and the latest developer and beta builds of Google's Chrome browser finally ratchets the speed up to 64-bit on the Windows platform. Google's Chromium Blog today announced the addition of 64-bit support for the Chrome browser, available to download in both Dev and Canary builds for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users. Promising a "faster and more secure browsing experience," the 64-bit builds install directly over an existing version, so users won't have to sacrifice their favorite bookmarks or settings to give them a spin. Google has frequently touted Chrome's trio of core principles - speed, security, and stability - and the latest and greatest versions continue this tradition thanks to the additional processing power and protection features offered by 64-bit processors. S x 3 Speed is a given: After all, 64-bit support takes advantage of everything the Windows PC has to offer, and Google touts an average 25 percent improvement in overall performance as a result. When installed on Windows 8, 64-bit Chrome is also more secure thanks to High Entropy ASLR, which helps keep browser data safe from exploits while shoring up Google defense features like heap partitioning. Last but not least, 64-bit Chrome is more stable compared to the 32-bit version, with crash rates for web content processes effectively cut in half. All that remains is picking which 64-bit poison to download: Chrome Canary is considered the "bleeding edge" version aimed at early adopters prior to eventual release to the public, while the Dev version is essentially the same thing targeted at Chromium developers. Feast your eyes upon our updated review of Google Glass!

Review: Asus Zenbook UX301LA Posted: 03 Jun 2014 10:00 AM PDT Introduction and performance The original 2011 Asus Zenbook was one of the first laptops to adhere to Intel's Ultrabook specification, which places strict design guidelines on manufacturers. To earn that label, laptops must meet certain requirements regarding its dimensions, battery life, and so on. Fast forward to now, and Intel's modern Haswell mobile platform, called Shark Bay, requires Ultrabooks to be no more than 20mm thick, with a battery that can cope with 6 hours of HD video playback. A touch-sensitive screen is now mandatory, along with support for features such as Intel's WiDi wireless display. This is all standard in the 2014 Asus Zenbook UX301LA, an Ultrabook with a 13.3-inch IPS screen that retains the 13-inch MacBook Air-like wedge shape of its original incarnation. It has been given a fresh look with new materials replacing the older version's aluminium lid and chassis, a style that has become all too predictable from laptop designers. The Asus Zenbook UX301LA is now dark blue, which appears almost black under dim lighting conditions. The lid is covered in a layer of scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass, and the area around the chassis is made from ceramic, for a smooth but solid feel. As with the majority of modern computers, the backlit keyboard uses the familiar isolated or chiclet style, which is great for typing on, but might not appeal to gamers wanting big and chunky WASD keys. Asus has gone beyond the basic Ultrabook specification. The Asus Zenbook UX301LA comes with 802.11ac wireless networking, a choice of high-PPI touch-sensitive screen resolutions of either 1920 x 1080 or 2560 x 1400, 8GB of memory, a dual-core Core i5 or Core i7 Haswell processor, which naturally comes with Intel's Iris integrated graphics, and dual 128 GB Sandisk SSDs in RAID 0. The 802.11ac wireless card is a two-stream Intel 7260 adapter. The variant I received came with an Intel Core i7 4500U processor, and retails for around £1,450 (about $2,429, AU$2,625), a price that hovers towards the very upper end of the Ultrabook market. It's 15.5mm (0.61 inches) thick and weighs 1.4 kg (3.08 pounds). The Core i7 4500U runs at 1.8 GHz, with a maximum turbo frequency of 3 GHz, and the graphics are handled by an integrated Intel HD 4400 graphics processor. There's the option of a faster Core i7 4558U processor as well. Typical of Ultrabooks, there's only a small handful of ports. Mini DisplayPort, micro HDMI, Two USB 3.0, an SD card reader and an audio jack occupy the sides, along with the power connector. When held, the Asus Zenbook UX301LA is bulkier than you might expect. The glass surface on the lid feels pleasant but shows up fingerprints wherever it's touched. For this reason, a micro-fibre cleaning cloth and non-alcoholic fluid would definitely make a great companion purchase and it seems Asus may have missed a trick by not including something similar in the stylish packaging that accompanies the Zenbook UX301LA. The main section of the laptop feels strong – I pushed it quite hard and didn't notice even the tiniest amount of flexing, but the screen easily bends under comparatively little pressure. The trackpad has a generous amount of space, but no physical buttons. Instead, left and right clicking can be done by pressing at the bottom, and there's custom software to allow for gestures, such as swiping to go back in a web page, and scrolling up and down with two fingers. These work excellently, and can all be customised in the software. However, one shortcut becomes highly irritating: swiping at the side of the trackpad to switch between desktop and Windows 8 Modern UI application. It's very easy to do this accidentally, and is best disabled. Compounding the issue with fingerprints on the lid is the glossy display. Touch-sensitive laptops have a substrate layer that requires them to have a glossy screen, but it's seems especially noticeable in the Asus Zenbook UX301LA, perhaps because the dark casing highlights the reflections more than a lightly-coloured chassis might. Performance A critical issue currently facing PC laptop designers is the use of high-resolution screens in small displays, when text in Windows and third-party applications appears too small to see. With the Windows desktop DPI set to default, a full HD resolution on a 13.3in screen is really pushing the boundary of usability, so I'd really hate to see what the 2560 x 1440 variant looked like. Windows 8.1 automatically adjusts the desktop DPI, which makes text legible and improves usability a lot. It has to be done manually with vanilla Windows 8 or Windows 7 though, so raising the DPI setting is the very first thing I'd do on any laptop with a high resolution screen, which includes the Asus Zenbook UX301LA, which arrived with Windows 8. But as with other laptops I've tested, not all third-party applications adhere to the DPI settings, and remain at their standard size with tiny text, an issue for which there is no current solution. Since there's no PC version of Apple's proprietary PCI-Express storage connector it now uses in its computers, designers have to be creative to boost SSD performance beyond the limits of the SATA interface. But using two SSDs in Raid 0 can offer mixed performance, especially since Sandisk SSDs, as found in the Asus Zenbook UX301LA, aren't the fastest around. Benchmarks 3DMark: Ice Storm: 52,285; Cloud Gate: 5,151; Fire Strike: 693 Cinebench 15: CPU: 240 points; GPU: 22.6 fps PCMark 8 Home: 2,421 PCMark 8 Battery Life: 5 hours and 32 minutes Having two of them provides some hefty burst transfer speeds: 981 MB/s when reading data and 586 MB/s writing. But overall SSD performance is affected by more than just burst data transfer. Other results, such as a random 4K write result of 233.7 MB/s are indicative of worse overall IOPS performance than some high-end single SSD. CPU performance was as expected from a low-voltage processor. I measured 240cb in Cinebench 15, which is significantly less than you'll get from a high-end laptop, but more than enough for such tasks as document editing, media playback and web browsing. That said, the Asus Zenbook UX301LA didn't feel particularly quick. Although boot times were fast, switching between Modern UI and the Windows desktop wasn't quite as instantaneous as I'm used to. A few times, resuming from sleep took longer than I'd like as well. I loaded up an 1080p encoded rip of Avatar, and had absolutely no problems with playback. I tested the battery life by playing this file looped in Windows Media Player, with the screen brightness set to 120 cd/m2. On a full charge, it lasted well into the third play of the film, conking out after six hours 45 minutes, enough time to be really tortured by Avatar's dreadful script and plot. The PCMark 08 battery life test wasn't as good though, lasting five hours 32 minutes. The Cinebench 15 OpenGL result of 22.6 points to limited gaming performance. I ran 3DMark and saw some slightly better results, but for high performance in modern demanding 3D titles such as Battlefield 4, it's clear that a more powerful discrete graphics card is needed. Although light gaming and older software will work fine, if you want a gaming laptop, or a system for demanding tasks such as video encoding, Ultrabooks are not the best choice. On the plus side, Asus has ensured the fans are fairly inaudible when they inevitably speed up once the Zenbook UX301LA is under load. This is refreshing, given the number of portable systems that sound like the launch of Apollo 11 whenever they see the slightest hint of a CPU-intensive application. Verdict We liked The Zenbook UX301LA crams plenty of features into a small space. It's undoubtedly a great example of a modern Ultrabook, with slim dimensions, more than enough battery life, and some nice additions such as the glass lid and ceramic chassis. The trackpad's gesture control software works very well, and really helps navigate. I'm in two minds about the touch-sensitive display. It's hardly a must-have feature, since it's really not much use on the desktop, but it's useful with the larger buttons in Modern UI applications. Some people do like having touch-sensitive displays on laptops, and the Asus UX301LA caters for them well. Although it doesn't handle bass all that well, the mid and treble tones from the speakers are a lot better than many other laptops on the market. Along with the quiet system fans, Asus seems to be taking the audible aspects of its computers more seriously than certain other manufacturers, who consider it an afterthought. We disliked Although Asus has tried to hard to give the Zenbook UX301LA a premium feel, with very little use of plastic or other cheap materials, it just doesn't feel like a £1450 laptop. Granted, preference for aesthetics is a personal issue, but I just didn't like the design of the UX301LA. Perhaps it's the prevalence of glossy, reflective materials, or the fingerprints that cover the lid. It's a laptop that gets the job done, but no more than that. It lacks a single stand-out feature that justifies its price, and for similar money you could get a more powerful laptop such as a MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina Display, which has more storage, a beefier processor and what I consider a better overall design. The SSD Raid array sounds like a must-have feature, but Raid doesn't mean simply twice the performance of a single disk. And at this price, I see no reason to not provide a storage capacity of 512GB or even 1TB. Likewise, the Gorilla Glass coating on the lid sounds awesome, but is less impressive in practice. As with many other laptops, the high-resolution display can be really problematic at times. I'd undoubtedly choose the Asus Zenbook UX301LA with a 1920 x 1080 screen over the version with a 2560 x 1440 display. Verdict I'm slightly underwhelmed by the blandness of the Asus Zenbook UX301LA. There's nothing to really hate about it, but nothing to truly love either. Anyone who buys one wont find any real faults with it, but is unlikely to relish the opportunity to open and use it. When sitting in a computer shop, along with row after row of other similar laptops, it's hard to imagine the Asus Zenbook UX301LA drawing crowds. In that situation, the immediate stand-out feature will certainly be the price tag, and it may take a creative salesperson to convince a customer that the UX301LA is significantly better than another Ultrabook that costs a third less.

Review: Creative Sound Blaster Roar SR20 Posted: 03 Jun 2014 09:47 AM PDT Introduction and design Consider the best wireless speaker you've ever owned. What did you like about it? If I worked on a betting website, I'd say it'd be features like superb audio quality, a low-latency connection, and the ability to charge your mobile device. How does Creative's latest Sound Blaster portable speaker stand up to that list? Well, it might not set the new standard in portable audio, but at $199 (about £119, AU$213), the price is right for this bass-heavy Bluetooth speaker. We legitimately liked last year's JBL Pulse Wireless Bluetooth speaker. The device's multi-colored LED light show dazzled us and its sound quality, though limited to highs and mids, was above par. In many ways, the SR20 takes the biggest flaws in that cylindrical spectacle and fixes them, full stop. Design Where the Pulse seemed to pander to a younger crowd with its lava lamp-style lights, the SR20 looks more like a hefty novel with chrome accents and a jet-black trim. It may not make for a great conversation piece like JBL's Pulse, but the SR20 is refined, elegant, and would look sharp almost anywhere in the home. This Sound Blaster is compact, too. Measuring 2.24 x7.95 x 4.52 inches (W x D x H), the device should be easy to bring around town or, thanks to included international adapters, on a trip overseas. It's a bit hefty, though, at 2.5 pounds, which may make you think twice. Controls are easy to reach on top of the box, and the built-in NFC sensor makes it easy to connect up to two Bluetooth devices to about 40 feet in range. The speaker's rear is host to a slew of ports – aux-In, 2.0 USB, micro USB, and microSD card slot – and additional media and recording (!) controls. The MicroSD card slot serves both as a way to store music and, more impressively, record audio. (More on this in a second.) The USB port can either connect the SR20 to a computer, making it a very practical alternative to computer speakers - or, in a time of need, serve as a power source for charging your other electronics. It's impossible to fit everything into this form factor, but an LCD panel would've gone a long way here and its absence is felt. Still, what's there works well and for as compact as the SR20 is, there're more bells and whistles than you might expect. Performance, features and verdict With the SR20, you don't get what you pay for – you get more. It sounds like a $200 speaker should, and its feature list is about a mile long. That said, the best word to describe it is "surprising"; this Bluetooth box had a new trick up its sleeve every time I went to use it. Sound quality It may not look it, but the SR20's casing actually houses three drivers and two passive radiators. Ideally, the two 1.5-inch, front-facing drivers handle the highs and mids, while a top-firing driver takes care of the mid to lower registers. Finally, two side-firing passive radiators cover the lowest of the lows and rounds out the audio spectrum. In practice, this works much like it was described, creating a balanced, clear, bass-heavy sound. Overall, it's a bit quieter than some other speakers in the same price range (e.g. the JBL Pulse), though that's not for lack of trying. The "Roar" button – located next to the volume controls – raises the bar beyond regular volume levels and increases the projection distance to cover a larger space. Even with the added sound, I think it would work well in a dugout or dorm room. It can even fill smaller houses with sound, making it a great alternative to Sonos. And, to the SB20's credit, it never sounds cheap. It's common to see $50 speakers rattle and shake at their volume limits, and anything past the 75% mark starts to take on an unwanted "tinny" sound. There are no such problems here, and that's to be commended. Internal microphone I must admit: including an internal microphone was a risk for Creative. Call quality and voice recording could have failed due to poor internals and, instead of lifting the SR20 into must-own territory, dragged it down to the audio peripheral abyss. Thankfully, both experiences were a delight. The internal mic works extremely well for conference calls and handles regular voice recording – for an interview or voice memo – pretty handily. Just make sure to have a microSD card on hand to plug into the back. Unfortunately, the SR20 is a bit too sensitive to record a multiple voices, as its 360-degree mic picks up every minute sound in the room. I wouldn't recommend the speaker for any professional use, but, if you're in need of a recording device that's more powerful than your phone, this will suffice. Faux pas features While the ability to use the SR20 as a recorder blew me away, some features – like the siren-simulating emergency and random-noise-playing Life Saver modes – weren't all that practical. It's tough to pan the product for what we'd consider "bonus" features, but it's hard to believe the hours spent integrating these modes couldn't have been better used elsewhere in the product. Additionally, you can set alarms using the Sound Blaster iOS app. This would be more helpful if you could have your regular iOS alarms sync to the app. Sadly, this just wasn't possible. Using the proprietary software isn't much of a hassle, but for such a phone-centric product, there should be tighter integration at the hardware level. Perfect for… The SR20 should appeal to a vast array of lifestyles, but here are a few scenarios where the Bluetooth box really excels: as a somewhat-portable speaker for laptops and phones; as an alternative to standard PC speakers; as a travel speaker – especially for the international nomad; or for use as a decent, makeshift sound bar, thanks to the 3.5mm jack. Just be careful outside. Because it's not waterproof, the SR20 really shouldn't be taken with you to the beach or on a potentially rainy camping trip. For a speaker ideal in those conditions, check out the SR20's waterproof sibling, the Sound Blaster AXX 200. The speaker's battery lived up to the 8-hour claim on the box, and it even works as a phone charger, thanks to the micro USB port on the back. This will, of course, drain the battery much faster, but when desperate times called for desperate measures I was thankful for the feature. We liked I dig the SR20's ability to maintain a low-latency, far reaching connection. Sure, this should be a given in a $200 Bluetooth speaker, but it's good to see both points are present and accounted for here. The ability to store media via a microSD slot is useful and, the internal mic works well for leisurely chatting. Of course, the audio sounds great too! We disliked Because it's not waterproof, it's hard to recommend the SR20 as an actual portable speaker – at least as one that you'd want to use outdoors. Beyond that, lackluster mobile integration and a slightly unimpressive max volume were our only two qualms with an overall solid setup. Final verdict While it won't replace your soundbar or high-end speaker, the feature-rich SR20 is a cut above its compact competitors at the $200 price range. You'll get low, rumbly bass, pretty rich mids, and lukewarm highs. For its sleek trim and low price tag, the Sound Blaster Roar SR20 claims a spot in the pantheon of great audio equipment.

Buying Guide: The best Motorola Moto E deals Posted: 03 Jun 2014 09:05 AM PDT The Motorola Moto E is already one of the most affordable smartphones around, retailing for around £89 SIM free. But if you'd rather get it on a contract then it can still be worth hunting down the best offers as there are a lot of deals available. We've done the hard work for you and found the cheapest contracts along with some that aren't so cheap but come with generous allowances and 'free' gifts. Bear in mind that the Moto E doesn't support 4G so all the data allowances only refer to 3G data. Vodafone The Moto E can be grabbed on a £29 per month Vodafone contract with 600 minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB of data. There's no upfront cost but that still comes out at £696 over 24 months, which might not sound great, however it includes either a 43" HD ready Samsung TV or a pair of Beats by Dr Dre Studio Headphones. Or you can spend a little more per month and on the face of it get a little less, with 300 minutes, unlimited texts and 250MB of data for £39 per month. But that's a 12 month contract, so you're not tied in for as long and it comes out at a cheaper £468 in all. That deal nets you a free Playstation 3 Slim 500GB too. T-Mobile Opt for a T-Mobile contract and you can get a slightly better deal. The Moto E is available for £27.99 per month with no upfront cost and for that you'll get 500 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data, making it ideal if you plan to use a lot of mobile data. It also includes a free set of Beats by Dr Dre Studio Headphones in either black or white and comes out at £671.76 in total. Orange If you'd rather spend less money each month then it's worth considering getting the Moto E on Orange with 500 minutes, unlimited texts and 250MB of data for just £16.99 per month. As there's no upfront cost that adds up to £407.76 over 24 months and it even includes a free Sony DSC-W830 black 20.1MP camera. We've found some great deals for the Motorola Moto G too.

Instagram gets creative with a brand new set of editing tools Posted: 03 Jun 2014 09:00 AM PDT Instagram is getting creative, with the photo app adding photo editing tools to its service. With competitors increasingly ramping up the ability to edit photos within the app, looking beyond the simple filters that have defined its meteoric rise is a necessity for Instagram. So the arrival of editing tools is a welcome one for its millions of users, who previously had to adjust their selfies and arty landscapes in other apps before adding them to Instagram. Filter on As Instagram explains it in a blog post: "When you reach the filter selection stage, you'll now see a new wrench icon. Tap it and you'll find a tray of photo editing tools ready for you to explore. "You can also now adjust how much of a filter you apply to a photo by double tapping the filter icon." The new tools arrive on Android with the announcement, with the iOS version of the app expected to get the update in the coming days. Instagram addict? You'll be needing one of these

Buying Guide: The Best Sony Xperia Z1 Compact deals Posted: 03 Jun 2014 08:50 AM PDT Sony's mini marvel is that rare beast: a phone with a fairly small screen but high-end specs. While it won't cost you as much as the Xperia Z2, the fact it's stuffed to the rafters with top end tech means the Xperia Z1 Compact can still be pretty pricey. We're talking a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, a premium build and a great camera, all packed into a 4.3-inch screen that makes it a lot nicer to hold in the hand. But while it's going to be priced towards the upper end of the market wherever you get it, you can still save yourself a substantial chunk of money, or come away with some generous allowances, if you take a look at the following deals. EE EE has a strong Z1 Compact deal right now, which will get you the handset in black with 1000 minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of 4G data for just £29.99 per month and no upfront cost for the handset. It's a 24 month contract, as all these deals are (unless specified otherwise), and comes out at £719.76. EE also has the Xperia Z1 Compact in black or white for even less money: £23.99 per month but it doesn't come with the most generous of allowances. Again, there's no upfront cost but on this deal you only get 500 minutes, 500MB of data and unlimited texts. Over the life of the contract it adds up to £575.76, though, so a pretty cheap way to get a top phone. O2 With O2 you can get the Xperia Z1 Compact in black for just £18 per month, plus a £99 charge for the handset. That will net you 500 minutes, 500MB of data and unlimited texts and comes out at £531 after 24 months. Alternatively you can get the phone in black with 1GB of data and unlimited texts and minutes for £28 per month with no upfront cost and £90 cashback. That totals £582 over 24 months once you factor in the cashback. If you're after more data you could do worse than paying £33 per month to get the Xperia Z1 Compact in lime green with 5GB, alongside unlimited minutes and texts. There's no upfront cost so that's £792 in all and you get a free refurbished 8GB Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 for your trouble. Vodafone Vodafone has a couple of tempting deals for Sony's diminutive darling for £30 or less per month. First up: pick up the Z1 Compact in black with 300 minutes, unlimited texts and 250MB of data for just £21 per month, which, as there's no upfront cost, comes out at £504 overall. Or if you're going to need more data and minutes you can get the smaller Xperia in black with 3GB of 4G data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts for £30 per month. Once again there's no charge for the handset itself, so the deal works out at £720 for the duration of the contract. Vodafone also has a 12 month tariff which, at £47 per month, isn't exactly cheap, but does give you more flexibility in changing your handset earlier. It comes with unlimited minutes and texts and 1GB of data. You even get £48 cashback with it. That's for the phone in black and there's no upfront cost so it's £564 overall. If that's a bit steep for your tastes you can alternatively get it in black on a 12 month contract for £39 per month, with 300 minutes, unlimited texts and 250MB of data. That comes out at £468. Three Three has a couple of different deals at £38 per month with no upfront cost. On the face of it, that's a lot of money to spend when you can get it £300 cheaper on another network, but you get quite a lot for your money too. One of the deals gives you a choice of the handset in white or black and comes with unlimited data, unlimited texts and 600 minutes, so it's a good choice if you tend to use a lot of mobile data. It also includes £20 cashback so that will cost you £892. The other deal gives you the Xperia Z1 Compact in lime green and only comes with 2GB of data, but it includes unlimited minutes and texts, so that's a better bet if you want to be able to make a lot of calls. That one comes with £15 cashback so it's £897 in all. While Three does offer peace of mind with unlimited elements of its deals, it's pretty expensive compared to the others on show here. T-Mobile and Orange T-Mobile is offering the handset in lime or white with 500 minutes, unlimited data and unlimited texts for £27.99 per month with no upfront cost. It even comes with £156 cashback so overall that's £515.76, which is pretty good value, though remember you only get 3G data with T-Mobile. You can get the phone in black on the same deal, but there's no cashback so it costs £671.76. Last but not least there's Orange, which also offers the Xperia Z1 Compact for £27.99 per month in black or white with £156 cashback, so as there's no upfront cost it totals the same £515.76. But here it's with 1000 minutes, unlimited texts and just 500MB of 3G data. We're inclined to say that that's a worse deal overall than the T-Mobile one, but obviously it's a better bet if you value minutes more than data. Want something slightly bigger? There are some great Xperia Z2 deals too.

Buying Guide: The best Samsung Galaxy S5 deals Posted: 03 Jun 2014 08:30 AM PDT The Samsung Galaxy S5 is bound to be one of the best selling phones of the year, just as the Galaxy S4 before it was and the Galaxy S3 before that and...you get the picture. But it's available at a lot of different prices with a lot of different minute and data allowances, so if you're one of the many people that's planning on buying Samsung's latest super phone, don't just run to your nearest store. Instead, shop smart and get it on one of these deals, which are the best around at the moment. Read our in depth Samsung Galaxy S5 review EE On EE you can get the Galaxy S5 in black or white with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 4GB of 4G data for £37.99 per month and no upfront cost. It's a 24 month contract so overall it will cost you £911.76. Alternatively you can get it in blue with 1GB of 4G data, 1000 minutes, unlimited texts and a one year membership to the Gourmet Society for £29.99 per month. Overall that will cost you £719.76. As you only get a quarter of the data though it's probably not as good a deal. Vodafone With Vodafone you can get the gold version of the Samsung Galaxy S5 with 1GB of data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts for £33 per month, with no upfront cost. In all that comes to £792. It's also eligible for £48 cashback, bringing the price down to £744. Data may be pretty limited, but it's also quite cheap. Or you can get it in white with 2GB of data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts for £38 per month with no upfront cost. That's £912 overall but then you get twice as much data as on the previous deal, plus this one is eligible for £96 cashback, bringing the price down to £816. If you want even more data you can get the Galaxy S5 in blue with 3GB, along with unlimited minutes and texts for £38 per month, but this time there's no cashback, so it will cost £912 in total. Don't fancy committing to two years? Then get the Galaxy S5 in white, blue or black on a 12 month deal for £47 per month with a cost of £109.99 upfront. That will give you allowances of 1GB of data and unlimited minutes and texts and come out at £673.99. O2 On O2 you can currently get the white and black versions of the Galaxy S5 for £33 per month, with 1GB of data, unlimited minutes and texts and no handset cost. That amounts to £792 over 24 months, making it identical to the first Vodafone deal, except without the cashback. For a little more data you could always opt to pay £38 per month and get 5GB along with unlimited texts and minutes, though there is an upfront cost of £29.99. That amounts to £941.99 in total. Oh, and that's for the black version of the Galaxy S5. Three Here's a deal for data fiends. You can get the black Galaxy S5 on Three with unlimited 4G data, unlimited texts and 600 minutes for £41 per month and no upfront charge. In total that comes out at £984 over 24 months, which puts it on the pricey side, especially given that it doesn't include a huge amount of minutes, but if you use a lot of data then not having to worry about limits should make it well worth the asking price. The good news is that this deal comes with £15 cashback, taking the total cost down to £969. Alternatively you can get the S5 with the same 600 minutes, unlimited data and unlimited texts for a slightly lower £36 per month, but that does also carry a £19.66 upfront charge. It's worth it in the long run though as it comes out at just £883.99. But the best deal on Three is for the S5 in blue with unlimited everything for £39 per month, with a £19.66 upfront charge. All in all that comes out at £955.66. T-Mobile You can get the black or white version of the Samsung Galaxy S5 for £37.99 per month on T-Mobile with no handset cost. For that you'll get unlimited texts, unlimited internet and 500 minutes, though bear in mind that as this is T-Mobile you'll only get 3G data. Over 24 months the handset comes to £911.76. If you'd rather have a lower monthly charge you can get it in blue with the same allowances and a monthly cost of just £27.99. However you'll have to pay £119.99 up front. It still saves you money over the life of the contract though, coming out at £791.75. Orange One of the best tariffs at Orange right now is for the phone in black, blue or white with unlimited minutes and texts but only 1GB of 3G data for £37.99 per month, with no upfront cost. As that amounts to £911.76 overall it's hard to recommend as other networks have it either cheaper or with more and faster data. Tesco Mobile With Tesco Mobile you can get the Samsung Galaxy S5 in black for £38.50 per month and that includes 3000 minutes, 5000 texts and 3GB of 4G data. There's no cost for the handset, so over 24 months that amounts to £924. Alternatively you can get it in black or white with 1500 minutes, 5000 texts and 1GB of 4G data for £34.50 per month with no upfront cost. Over the life of the contract that comes out at £828, so you can save yourself £96 over the above deal but you'll have to get by on a third of the data and half the minutes. Virgin Mobile Virgin Mobile also has a competitive deal, where you can get the Galaxy S5 in blue with unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 2GB of data for £47 per month. However there is a £99 upfront cost so over 24 months it will cost you £1,227. That's on the pricey side, but if you're a Virgin Broadband, TV or home phone customer you can get the same tariff for £37 per month, bringing it down to £987. More interested in the HTC One M8? We've got all the best deals for that too

How to avoid a data loss disaster Posted: 03 Jun 2014 08:00 AM PDT With catastrophic data losses from major companies appearing almost cyclically in the tech headlines, the issues around data protection are becoming increasingly prevalent. However, it's easy to forget that these issues affect the everyday user just as much as they do they major corporations, with priceless, personal information on our mobiles and computers being at risk. We spoke to Paul Le Messurier, programme and operations manager of data recover specialist Kroll Ontrack to find out how data loss disasters can be averted. TechRadar Pro: We hear so much about data loss in the press, but why how concerned should we really be? Data loss impacts everyone and there's a lot to lose from a financial and personal perspective. Our recent study reveals the average cost of data loss to companies per year is over £2million and most companies never fully recover if data isn't restored in 10 days. 50% of businesses go bust within 5 years. Can you imagine the impact that has on SMEs, start-ups and freelancers? Data has value, and we need to safeguard it – the same way we do with our physical possessions - like our tablets, phones and computers. We buy insurance to prepare for the worse but we need to protect data by backing it up too. Why put yourself at risk? Paul Le Messurier: Can you put a price on data? How desperate are people to get it back? Businesses obviously value their data – losing it can damage their reputation and their profits, Our research found that the financial cost per breach for corporations is increasing in the UK compared to other regions because of regulatory requirements and penalties. The NHS Surrey, for example, had to pay a £200,000 fine in 2013 as a result of just one data breach. But individuals also have strong attachments to data. When a phone gets lost, it's not the phone that's mourned. Usually it's insured and more chances than not people will even get an upgrade when they go into the shops to get a replacement phone. What causes grief is the loss of all those apps and emails and financial information; the precious photos of a new baby; the sentimental amateur videos. A recent survey by one company tried to put a price tag on personal data by asking phone theft victims how much they'd be willing to spend to get their stolen data back. 50 per cent of phone theft victims would be "somewhat likely to extremely likely" to pay up to $500 to retrieve their stolen data. Over 70 per cent said they would even resort to vigilantism to get it back! TRP: What are the main causes of data loss? PLM: According to our research, 67 per cent of data loss is caused by traditional hardware failure from hard drives. Despite the recent rise in popularity of SSD technology, only 13 per cent of UK users reported data loss from SSDs. Only 5 per cent lost data from their mobile device. TRP: Are you surprised by the findings? PLM: Not really. HDDs aren't more failure prone, there's just a lot more out there than other storage devices. What is surprising is how many people still forget to back up data - despite the fact that crashes do happen and data loss is a subject that's frequently a news item in the media. TRP: Is data safer in a virtual environment? PLM: In theory, yes, but obviously there are still causes of data loss. With virtualisation, you get different levels of hardware and software and things get very complex. If one of those layers malfunction or a disk crashes, they need to be rebuilt or fixed. This can lead to further damage when trying to repair the malfunction and something goes wrong in the process. In fact, our research reveals 45 per cent of data disasters in the virtual space are usually caused by human error while 30 per cent are caused by hardware problems. In a virtualised environment the most important component is the data and this is the only thing that doesn't get virtualised. Users can reconstruct and recreate any other component in a virtual environment inside but this cannot be done with the data that is created. Businesses should be spending more money protecting data when they move to a virtual environment – and this doesn't always happen. TRP: Is there a particularly memorable data recovery mission your company has performed? PLM: Our engineers came to work one morning to find a businessman waiting in the parking lot. The gentleman had flown directly from Japan and was told by his company to not come back until the problem was solved. The man worked for one of the world's biggest automotive companies and the blue print for a new sports car they had spent a lot of time and money designing had disappeared in a terrible data disaster. Without the information, the company would lose money as well as its market position as other competitors prepared for the launch of their new sports cars that same year. So the team went straight to work on the files the man brought from Tokyo. Not only were they burdened with retrieving the lost data, but they also worried about saving the man's job! Fortunately for the car company, there was a happy ending. After many hours of careful analysis and several painstaking attempts, all the data was restored. The manufacturers were thrilled and the sports car was launched. It quickly became one of the most successful Japanese cars of all time. TRP: What's the best advice you can give in terms of protecting data? PLM: Back up data whenever possible - preferably in multiple sites. Also, test your back up to make sure that your data has been properly saved. Make sure you are prepared if an accident should happen! Run a virus scan regularly and keep the virus software updated. Computer viruses are one of the worst enemies to data protection. If you hear strange noises or grinding sounds, turn off the computer immediately. Further operation may damage their hard drive beyond repair. Even if your hard drive is damaged by water, the data may still be recoverable. Never attempt to dry it by exposing it to heat. Instead, place the media in a container that will keep it damp before shipping to a data recovery company. The key is to never be caught ouy during a data disaster. Always back up data and keep it safe.

Buying Guide: The best iPhone 5S deals Posted: 03 Jun 2014 07:50 AM PDT While the iPhone 5S is being quickly outshone by the glut of new flagships from the likes of Samsung, HTC et al, there's still a great deal of lust for Apple's flagship phone. Its age doesn't show either, thanks to a high end build and impeccably fast performance. This sadly means it still commands a high price tag too, but if you're dead-set on owning one, then hopefully these deals will soften the blow on your wallet. EE EE is arguably the best 4G network right now, at least in terms of widespread coverage. So if you want superfast mobile data on your iPhone 5S you could do a lot worse than these here deals. Right now the handset is available in grey, silver or gold for £37.99 per month with no upfront charge and that gets you 4GB of 4G data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts. Over 24 months that comes out at £911.76. Plus if you opt for the grey or gold handset you get a free case, car charger and car holder. O2 On O2 one of the best deals you can currently get the iPhone 5S for, in gold, grey or silver, is with 5GB of 4G data alongside unlimited minutes and texts for £38 per month, with no upfront cost. That's £912 over 24 months, so roughly the same as the EE deal, except with slightly more data. On the other hand O2's 4G coverage isn't as comprehensive, so check if you've got good service before plumping for the extra gigabyte. Vodafone Vodafone currently has a pretty cheap deal where you can get the iPhone 5S with 1GB of data and unlimited minutes and texts for just £33 per month - plus £48 cashback. It's available in grey or gold and there's no charge for the handset itself, so you'll be paying just £744 over 24 months, which makes it one of the cheapest deals around. Vodafone also offers 12 month contracts for the iPhone 5S, the best of which is probably a £57 per month one, which comes with 5GB of data plus unlimited minutes and texts, though you will have to pay £29.99 upfront and you'll be getting a refurbished handset, not a new one. All in all that comes to £713.99, meaning you'll be spending less than most 24 month contract deals and be able to get the iPhone 6 when it appears. Three Three has a great deal available at the moment if you're looking for unlimited data with your iPhone 5S. With no upfront cost you can get the handset in silver with unlimited minutes, data and texts for £39 per month. That comes out at just £936 over 24 months, which considering there are no limits is pretty good. Or if you can live with just 600 minutes you can get it in gold with unlimited texts and data for £37 per month. Again there's no upfront cost, so that will set you back £888. It's not quite as good a deal as the unlimited everything one, but it is cheaper and if you only need 600 minutes there's nothing to lose. T-Mobile If you're happy with a 3G tariff then you can get the iPhone 5S in grey, gold or silver on T-Mobile with unlimited data, 500 minutes and unlimited texts. That costs £37.99 per month, plus you get £24 cashback and there's no upfront cost, so it's £887.76 over the course of 24 months once you factor the cashback in. That's not a bad price but Three has a similar tariff which comes out around the same and includes 4G data. Orange Orange also has a £37.99 per month tariff (plus £24 cashback) for the iPhone 5S, but this one comes with unlimited minutes and texts but only 1GB of 3G data. So if calls are more important to you than mobile data then this is obviously a better bet than the T-Mobile one. This deal is for the handset in grey and totals the same £887.76 over 24 months. However you can also get the same tariff for the phone in gold, but this one comes with £200 cashback and one year's membership to the Gourmet Society, so at £711.76 after the cashback it's one of the cheapest ways to get the iPhone 5S. Or you can get it on the same tariff in silver, but there's no cashback at all there so it will set you back £911.76 over 24 months and isn't really worth it unless you really crave the handset in silver. If you're more of an Android fan we've found some great Samsung Galaxy S5 deals too.

In Depth: Sony Xperia Z3: what we want to see Posted: 03 Jun 2014 07:25 AM PDT It seems like the Sony Xperia Z2 has barely been available any time at all and yet already there are a few rumors circling around the Sony Xperia Z3. That's not entirely surprising, the smartphone world is fast moving at the best of times and while most companies bring out one flagship a year Sony has started releasing one every six months or so, which means the Xperia Z3 may not actually be all that far off. In fact, early rumors point to a launch as soon as August, while also claiming that the Xperia Z3 will have a metal frame, just like its predecessors, except that this time around it will be coated in PVD, which should make it more environmentally friendly, corrosion and scratch resistant and give it increased impact resistance. The same source (Chinese site IT168) claims that it will have a 2.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor, 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 420 graphics chip clocked at 500MHz. However it will apparently only have a 1080p display. The source even supplied some images which supposedly show the phones super-slim metal frame. However Twitter tipster DooMLoRD disagrees slightly, claiming that the Xperia Z3 won't have a Snapdragon 805 chip, which suggests it will instead be stuck with the same Snapdragon 801 chip as the Xperia Z2. But he does say that it will be just 7mm thick, which fits with the slim line frame images we've seen. According to DooMLoRD the Xperia Z2 will also have a new design and slim bezels and will be out in September, not August as the initial rumors suggested. That's all we've heard so far but with the Z3 potentially launching just a few months from now we expect that more leaks and rumors will start pouring in soon. In the meantime, this is what we want to see: A sleek design There's no denying that the Sony Xperia Z2 looks good with its metal frame and glass back, but it also looks a bit industrial and its angular design can make it uncomfortable to hold. Not to mention the fact that the large bezels above and below the screen detract from the otherwise premium design and make the whole handset bigger than should be necessary. So for the Xperia Z3 we'd love to see more curves and smaller bezels. The good news is that we may well get that, as one of the rumors doing the rounds is that the Z3 will have slimmer bezels and a new design. Improved 4K video recording The Sony Xperia Z2 can record high quality 4K video, but the phone gets worryingly hot in the process and longer videos can cause it to crash, so hopefully Sony will sort out these quirks for the Xperia Z3 or the 4K functionality may remain little more than a novelty. More power While the Sony Xperia Z2 is certainly a powerful phone there are times when it struggles a little, such as when using Background Defocus on the camera. Its Geekbench 3 score also puts it a little behind the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8, so a bit more power would be desirable. With so little time between the Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z3 we can't realistically expect a huge difference here, but giving it a Snapdragon 805 processor and a slightly faster clock speed would surely help as perhaps would some software optimisations. A 5.2-inch screen This might seem an odd thing to wish for given that the Xperia Z2 already has a 5.2-inch display, but smartphone screens are growing at a worrying rate. While there's certainly a market for phablets we're not convinced that 5.5-inch screens and above have the same mass market appeal as say 4.7-5.2 inch displays. 5.2 inches is a good size. It's big enough to comfortably watch videos, play games and browse the web and is still just about compact enough to operate with one hand. Any bigger and it risks becoming cumbersome, so we hope Sony resists upping the screen size again. More built in storage Sure, the Xperia Z2 has a microSD card slot and we fully expect the Xperia Z3 to follow suit, meaning that storage isn't a huge issue. But it would still be nice to have a decent amount built in rather than feeling like a microSD card is essential from almost day one. The Xperia Z2 only had 16GB of built in storage and we'd like to see the Sony Xperia Z3 double that at the very least. Better battery life The Sony Xperia Z2 already has great battery life by smartphone standards but smartphone standards just aren't good enough. We want a phone that can last all week and while it's not realistic to expect that from the Xperia Z3 we'll take any improvements we can get. A QHD display LG has brought Quad HD (QHD) smartphone displays to the mainstream with the LG G3 and while it's questionable how much difference it really makes on screens this size it's certainly a selling point. Now any phone that doesn't have a QHD display risks being unfavourably compared to the G3, so Sony won't be doing itself any favours if it sticks with a 1080p screen. We're dreaming about the Samsung Galaxy S6 too.

Updated: 4OD on iOS now streams over 3G and 4G, and it's about time too Posted: 03 Jun 2014 07:21 AM PDT Channel 4 has added the ability to stream its 4OD app over 3G and 4G - and not a second too soon. iPhone and iPad users can go update the app straight away and start buffering on the go. Sorry Androiders – you're stuck on the WiFi for now. A spokesperson for Channel 4 told TechRadar: "More details on how Channel 4 is evolving its mobile experience across iOS and Android will follow soon." Streaming on the go? Perhaps it's time for a Netflix subscription

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