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• Hyundai Australia imports zero-emission ix35 Fuel Cell
• HTC RE emerges just in time for Christmas
• UPDATED: Google Android Wear: what you need to know
• Blip: Minecraft is finally available on Windows Phone now that Microsoft owns it
• T-Mobile's latest Simple Choice offer is an unlimited data family plan
• Instagram adds verified profiles with a major milestone
• Updated: Google IO 2015: what we want to see
• Nokia's Here Maps checks in to Google Play now, iOS in 2015
• Google just showed how serious it is about Cardboard
• Google's new Hangouts feature is neat, though kind of creepy
• Review: updated: Lenovo N20p Chromebook
• Hands-on review: Updated: Project Morpheus
• Industry Voice: Why net neutrality opens the door to the free market capitalism debate
• Shazam deepens Spotify integration with a new built-in music player
• Review: Updated: Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
• The Samsung Galaxy Alpha had Gorilla Glass 4 this whole time
• You can buy the OnePlus One right now without an invite
• Sponsored: Advantages of starting with a hybrid cloud for application development and test
• Sponsored: Red Hat's Open Hybrid Cloud is placing app development in the fast lane

Hyundai Australia imports zero-emission ix35 Fuel Cell Posted: 10 Dec 2014 07:26 PM PST Not happy leaving all the enviro-glory to Tesla, Hyundai has welcomed the first of a fleet of hydrogen-powered ix35 Fuel Cell vehicles into Australia. The zero-emission ix35 Fuel Cell is the world's first mass-produced hydrogen-powered vehicle, and Hyundai plans to operate a fleet of them from Australia, with testing and demonstration drives commencing early 2015. The ix35 Fuel Cell runs on Hydrogen and only emits water vapour – the hydrogen from the car's fuel tank mixes with air and is converted to electricity by a fuel cell stack, which then powers the car's electric motor. Hyundai claims the ix35 Fuel Cell has a maximum range of 594km, and produces 100kW of power with 300Nm of torque. Hydrogen Highways As part of Hyundai's environmental ambitions, installation has also begun on Australia's first Hydrogen Refuelling Station (HRS) at the Macquarie Park Hyundai headquarters in Sydney's north west. The HRS is scheduled to commence operation in early 2015, and Hyundai hopes it will be the first step towards building 'Hydrogen Highways' for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) like the ix35 Fuel Cell across Australia, similar to ones proposed in Europe and the US. Whether or not Hyundai has any success will likely depend on the enthusiasm of governments and other private investors for trumping up the not inconsiderable cost for such a project. Interested in electric cars? The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron is headed to Australia in 2015.

HTC RE emerges just in time for Christmas Posted: 10 Dec 2014 04:41 PM PST Despite being unveiled back in October, the HTC RE is only now landing in Australia. On sale from today, the RE will set you back $249 and is available from Telstra, Fone Zone and Next Byte. Retailers like JB Hi-Fi and Dick Smith are conspicuously absent from that list, but HTC hopes to have the RE more widely available after Christmas. Not that that will help Santa in the meantime. The RE will be available in white, navy and orange, with the possibility of more colours to follow – perhaps the teal that was on display at HTC's event in New York earlier this year. The RE's lack of a display means it requires a smartphone to operate, but HTC claims there are currently no plans to bundle the camera with HTC handsets. Action cam RE-imagined The RE is a unique little camera boasting some fun features including slow-motion and time-lapse, as well as the ability to shoot underwater (30 minutes up to one metre) thanks to its IPX7 rating. Despite the RE's hardiness, HTC is quick to explain that it is not chasing the GoPro crowd. Instead, it hopes the RE will find a place in the hearts of less adrenaline-addicted types. If the price tag is off-putting, there's a good chance that will come down in the near future. The RE has already been discounted by Best Buy in the US, where it's being sold for US$149 instead of the RRP of US$199. Interested in the latest from HTC? Check out our verdict on the HTC Desire EYE.

UPDATED: Google Android Wear: what you need to know Posted: 10 Dec 2014 03:01 PM PST What is Android Wear? Update: Android 5.0 Lollipop for Android Wear is starting to roll out right now and should be on all compatible smartwatches next week. The update is focusing on watch faces which you can download from the Google Play store. Designs are centered around PAC-MAN, Despicable Me, Plants vs Zombies, Porsche and much, much more thanks to a new Watch Face API now available to developers. With the update, users can add and swap out Android Wear watch faces using the companion phone app. The Android Wear app has also been updated to make browsing, downloading and switching watch faces simpler - plus you can now view your apps' battery usage and storage. You can also quickly bring a card back if you've accidentally dismissed it, quickly access various settings by swiping down from the top of the screen, easily block notifications from any app directly from your watch and recently used actions now appear at the top of the list when you tap the watch face. New modes include Theater Mode which lets you keep the screen off and mute vibrations when you're in a dark room, and Sunlight Mode which temporarily boosts the screen to maximum brightness. We'll be sure to give you more details about the new software goodies in action once our own Android Wear smartwatches update. Original article below ... We put the first three Google-powered smartwatches on our wrists in TechRadar's Android Wear review, but concluded that the software is still best worn by early adopters. All three watches - the Moto 360, LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live - rank among the best smartwatch for 2014, but need to lose the computerized design and boast longer battery life. The good news is that Android Wear manufacturers have more smartwatches up their sleeves. We tested the Sony Smartwatch 3, Asus ZenWatch, LG G Watch R. The watches are shaping up as fashionable as they are functional and run the same uniform smartwatch platform we already like. It basically extends the leading smartphone software to the body and gives Google its best shot at taking on Apple Watch. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrqZl2QIz0c Android Wear supports both round and square watch faces, and the lineup won't stop there. Additional manufacturers are committed Google smartwatches. For example, an HTC watch is planned for 2015. More: Everything you need to know about Moto 360 As Android head Sundar Pichai penned in the announcement, these app-driven time pieces understand the context of the world around you and deliver messages and reminders beamed directly to your wrist. Convenient Google Now notifications are literally on hand thanks to Android Wear, and the ability to seek out information with voice controls outfits everyone with the all-encompassing power of the search engine. What Android Wear does Android Wear is intended to provide "information that moves with you" and so far it lives up to that promise. It puts the entire world inches from your suddenly-free fingertips. It doesn't just tell the time. The wearable operating system makes suggestions based on time and it factors location into its context-sensitive data. This is merely the explainer. Read the Android Wear review The best everyday habit example involves riding on a bus and seeing a Google Maps-powered notification countdown to an unfamiliar destination. "4 stops to: Jackson St." intelligently reads the watch. The scary guessing game is taken out of a public transit commute. The new technology also tips off wearers to dangers that lurk, as demonstrated in Google's first Android Wear video. A "Jellyfish warning" prompt can be seen with a surfer's flick of the wrist. A relevant list of nearby beaches saves the video's early adopters who can surf without worrying about the sting of the boneless, brainless ocean creature. Yes, it could save your life, or at least save lots of pain. The first day we tested the Moto 360 at the Chicago Cubs baseball stadium, this was perfectly illustrated. A severe thunderstorm warning flashed on our watch and we knew about the rain before everyone else. All of a sudden, digging that rectangular smartphone or, worse, phablet out of your pocket and pulling up a much more involved directions or notification app seems so pedestrian. Making time for families Google seeds the idea that Android Wear can alleviate our addiction to smartphones in an effort to make more time and eye-contact with our families. This concept is more practical than the similar idea the company has been floated when delivering the Google Glass Explorer Edition to beta testers. Smartwatches feel natural and unobtrusive. A parent is able to attend breakfast with his family while keeping a close eye on the estimated commute time to work thanks to an on-wrist Google Now notification. "No surprises" is the unofficial goal of Android Wear. Leaving too early and breezing through traffic would have filled this parent with breakfast-skipping regret. Leaving too late would've started his day with traffic-influenced anxiety. 'Okay Google' on the wrist Even more touching is the dad who receives a Google Hangouts message right on his Android Wear smartwatch while bathing his son. "Dude, this game is insane!" writes the token friend who doesn't have such responsibilities. The dad doesn't run to a TV or have to awkwardly palm his smartphone with soapy hands for an update. "Okay Google, what's the Syracuse score?" he asks his watch without pressing a button. A scorecard of 28-27, naturally in favor of his college basketball team, pops up. He cheesily shouts "Yay" while raising his hands. His young, halfway washed son does the same without us knowing if he really knows why. He could easily be cheering for having more time with his dad. The increasingly familiar "Okay Google" voice prompt opens up a world of possibilities beyond sports score updates. Android Wear smartwatches can handle questions like, "How many calories are in an avocado?" to more personal queries like, "What time does my flight leave?" "Okay Google" can also accomplish tasks outsourced from a smartphone. Calling a taxi, making restaurant reservations, setting alarms and sending - not just receiving - texts is all possible to do hands-free with the Android Wear operating system. Fitness and third-party apps Google Wear fitness apps Google's Android Wear smartwatches can solve everyone's pesky pedometer gripes, whether it's always losing the easy-to-misplace device or not having it with you at all times. This should remedy the problem we have with Samsung's S-Health app in Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S5. These phones are sometimes sitting idle on a table while we move, robbing us of our workout goal. It'll also give Google a way to rival Apple's iOS 8 Health app that's a part of iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and other iDevices including next spring's Apple Watch. Right in Android Wear's territory. Latching a wearable to our wrist can count every step and chart whether or not we're meeting our exercise goals. Fitbit Force, Nike FuelBand SE, Jawbone Up24 and Samsung Gear Fit have all proven this. Google Fit promises to aggregate data like heart rate, steps taken and blood glucose, and to connect with our favorite fitness apps for real-time speed, distance and time data while walking, running and cycling. So far, Google's app underwhelmingly tracks steps, in the case of Samsung Gear Live and Moto 360, a semi-accurate heart rate. Motorola's Heart Rate Activity app just adds a extra motivational interface. The app needs more metrics and really needs the graphs that break free of the watch interface. Why isn't this data on an Android or computer yet? Maybe we'll that launch with Android L. The wait may be worth it. Fitbit Force and FuelBand lack smartwatch capabilities and, as stylish as the Gear Fit may be, it's only accessible by Samsung smartphones, not all Android devices. That leaves the door wide open for Google among Android owners. QR codes, music and Chromecast Google's Android Wear multitasks you run for an already-boarding flight. You can keep count of calories burned while flashing a QR code in front of the airline employee in order to board the flight. Music doesn't come directly from any current Android Wear smartwatch, though the Sony Smartwatch 3 is kick off housing songs on the wristwatch. All watches can still activate song playing via voice commands. Google calls this a "key to a multiscreen world." Further out, it promises to cast movies to a TV, presumably with its inexpensive Chromecast streaming device, open garage doors with smart home connectivity. "There's a lot of possibilities here so we're eager to see what developers build," wrote Pichai toward the end of his announcement post. Third-party apps on Google Play Android Wear is made even more convincing as a smartwatch because developers will be able to easily translate their apps from Google's mobile ecosystem. There are now more than 44 featured Android Wear apps in the official subsection on the Google Play Store with the best coming directly from Google. Maps makes it convenient to pull up walking directions or, if you're in the car, voice activate navigation to your dash-mounted smartphone without awkwardly leaning over into the steering wheel. Hangouts beams text and instant messages to the wrist. It's one of the best features, as you can quickly dismiss trivial correspondents while getting a head start on the important ones. Though we're waiting for an Uber app, Lyft can call cars with a simple voice phrase, Evernote can help you jot down thoughts, Hue Control can turn your lights on and off and Glympse can beam your location to friends. Outside of the official apps, all notifications that appear in your smartphone's notification tray make their way to the smartwatch. There are also apps and watch faces that don't appear in the Android Wear subsection, but work with the watches nonetheless. We particularly like the unofficial GoldenEye 007 watch face. Ware Aware is also a developer-made top pick for us because it vibrates every time we accidentally walk away from our phone. It doesn't appear in Google's special subsection and it's clear third-party devs are moving quickly. It shouldn't take long for your favorite apps to appear on the Moto 360, Samsung Gear Live or LG G Watch, whereas developers may struggle to navigate Samsung's Tizen platform that's limited to its Galaxy devices. Android Wear watches Android Wear smartwatches so far The Android Wear smartwatch selection is expanding, but you can only buy the LG, Samsung and Motorola models right now. Sony and Asus watches are coming soon, and LG has another up its sleeve. The Moto 360 was front-and-center in the smartwatch announcement, even though Google has offloaded Motorola to Lenovo. There's good reason for highlighting this time piece: it's ambitious. As the name suggests, Moto 360 has a beautiful circular face that contrasts with other watches we've seen like the square Pebble Steel and boxy, but wrist-conforming Samsung Gear Fit. This beautiful watch face has a 1.56-inch LCD display that boasts a 320 x 290 resolution and 205 pixels per inch. It's protected by Gorilla Glass 3 and costs $250 (£200, likely AU$275) It's not the rumored OLED screen and the circular watch face doesn't sit behind sapphire glass, which is the Apple Watch. But it certainly costs less than the so-called iWatch. Sticking with that authentic watch styling, there are no charging contacts or USB ports. Motorola went with an inductive wireless charger, giving us a wire-free reason to own that Qi-compatible Nexus charger sold in the Google Play Store. It doesn't feature a privacy-invasive camera like the Galaxy Gear and Gear 2 either. This just didn't fit into the classic design, according to Motorola. Also, unlike Samsung's non-Android Wear watches, it supports more phones than its own Moto X. Moto 360 is compatible with Android 4.3, Android 4.4 and Android L phones and tablets that use low-powered Bluetooth 4.0 for battery life conservation. Left off the compatibility list is Apple. That means even if you own a brand new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, it won't work with this Android-only device. Moto 360 blends familiar Android menus like Google Now and Hangouts messages with a sophisticated-looking digital watchface, and Motorola touts just-as-premium strap materials that remain comfortable. The company promises a variety of styles beyond the default leather straps, including metal bands and new leather colors. In the meantime, we've taken the toolkit to the watch and added our own 22mm strap. LG G Watch R is even rounder One-upping Motorola's smartwatch is the LG G Watch R that's due out this fall. It boasts what LG loves to refer to as the first full-circle watch powered by Android Wear. It's true. Moto 360's display doesn't form a complete circle. It has a blank spot at the bottom. This chin or horizon line houses its screen components instead of needing a blank circular bezel for the task. Moto 360 isn't ideal for analog watch faces, and LG think it has a solution. LG G Watch R uses a circular bezel on its smaller 1.3-inch Plastic OLED screen, but covers it up with second-hand tick marks. Some people think this looks more like a real watch, while others call it a diver's watch and don't want to wait until it until the Autumn release date or pay its likely expensive price (so far £220 in the UK). Sony Smartwatch 3, Asus ZenWatch coming soon The newest smartwatches were announced at IFA 2014 care of Sony and Asus. They couldn't be more different. Sony said it purposely stuck with a square-shaped display on its Sony Smartwatch 3 because it's better. It also stores music in its 4GB of internal storage and adds a GPS chip to its specs - firsts for Android Wear. Fixing a major complain of ours regarding proprietary chargers, Sony opted to include a micro USB port for charging. Brilliant. It also promises a longer battery life, but that remains to be tested. Asus went a different route with the Asus ZenWatch. It's boxy, but still stylish with a stitched leather strap and 2.5D curved glass. Even though manufacturers can't fundamentally change Android Wear, a nifty Asus ZenUI Wellness app makes use of the watch's nine-axis sensor and makes good on Asus' promise to make a health gadget. The Sony Smartwatch 3 will go on sale in October for $250 (£190, likely AU$275), while Asus ZenWatch is soon to be available for pre-order but no officially confirmed price is known. Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch Samsung and LG had the first Android Wear watches on sale with the Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch debuting for early adopters. LG G Watch is a little more awkwardly titled, as if it's a typo with too many Gs. Just as awkward is the fact that the Moto 360 dissed square-faced smartwatches in its unveil. That happens to be the exact design of the LG G Watch. And, curiously, it's is opposite of the LG G3 that seems to be all about its new quick circle case. LG doesn't seem to be offended, though. The company thinks it's hip to be square with a buttonless design that highlights the boxy watch face even more. With a 1.65-inch LDC IPS display, the G Watch is bigger than the Samsung Gear Live's 1.63-inch display, but has a tad fewer pixels with a 128 x 128 resolution instead of the 320 x 320 resolution. Importantly, the LG G Watch lasts longer than the Gear Live thanks to a larger 400mAh battery. It lasts a day and a half whereas Samsung's watch typically stops ticking just shy of 24 hours. Battery life is key for a wearable device that has to be worn all day long. The Android 4.3-compatible LG G Watch is roughly the same size as the Samsung Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo and water and dust resistant. Also, like the Pebble Steel, it follows the trend of supporting swappable bands for a more personalized look and feel. The LG G Watch costs $229 in the US and £159 in the UK. It's more expensive than the Gear Live in the US at $199, but cheaper than Samsung's UK price at £159. It really depends on where you live. As we predicted, there was no rumored 3G-cabale LG G Watch unveiled. Expect that to be added further down the line in smartwatches and possibly available in South Korea before anywhere else. Where Android Wear stands Android Wear shows more promise on day one than Google Glass has in its year and a half of availability because it's not a stretch to imagine donning Moto 360, LG G Watch or Samsung Gear Live. Since only three watches have released, there are still plenty of questions left to be answered about its future, especially its battery life going forward. Then there's the question of iOS compatibility. Would Android-powered watches ever be able to connect to an iOS 8 device? Google has made plenty of its gadgets, app and services work with Apple's iPhone and iPad hardware. Why not? We're looking forward to seeing how natural the "Okay Google" voice commands progress and if Google-owned Nest creates an Android Wear project of its own. Read up on Sony's PS4 VR headset

Blip: Minecraft is finally available on Windows Phone now that Microsoft owns it Posted: 10 Dec 2014 02:09 PM PST The unbelievably popular Minecraft is finally available on Windows Phone, which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. After all, Microsoft just bought Minecraft developer Mojang for $2.5 billion (about £1.6b, AU$3b) just a few months ago. Minecraft on Windows Phone is the same $7 (about £4.50, AU$8.50) "Pocket Edition" found on iOS and Android, where it's already been available for around three years. One wonders whether Minecraft would have come to Windows Phone at all if not for that acquisition - probably not, right? Now get crafting! More blips Mine more of TechRadar's blips right here. 20th anniversary PS4 sells for insane sums on eBay Turns out the Apple garage was a 'myth' all along Remember Gangnam Style? It just broke YouTube

T-Mobile's latest Simple Choice offer is an unlimited data family plan Posted: 10 Dec 2014 01:52 PM PST T-Mobile has announced a brand new plan that it says will alleviate the headaches of families looking to sign up together for unlimited data. The "un-carrier" says its new Simple Choice family plan is the only such plan to feature unlimited 4G LTE data for everyone. The Simple Choice family plan is available from T-Mobile starting today at $100 per month for two people and $40 each for every additional line after that. As a Simple Choice plan it also comes with unlimited music streaming, unlimited talk and text and unlimited international data and texting, among other bonuses. And for families who don't need unlimited data, T-Mobile is also offering 10GB of LTE data for up to four users for $100GB per month. This was apparently the carrier's most popular promotion from the past decade, and it's available for a limited time. T-Mobile adds another 14 services to Music Freedom Unlimited

Instagram adds verified profiles with a major milestone Posted: 10 Dec 2014 01:32 PM PST You'll soon finally be able to make certain sure you're following the right Katy Perry on Instagram thanks to the impending addition of verified accounts. Instagram announced the overdue feature simultaneously with a major milestone for the photo-sharing social app: it's reached a mind-blowing 300 million monthly active users. This news comes less than a year since Facebook-owned Instagram reached 200 million users in March, showing the service has seen astounding growth. Instagram's verified profiles will be available for public figures and companies, just like Twitter's identical existing feature. Instagram's announcement today also included some specifics on its users, including the facts that more than 70% of active users are outside the US, and an average of 70 million photos are shared per day with 2.5 billion average "likes," for a total of 30 billion photos to date. Twitter continues its efforts to make Instagram irrelevant with photo filters

Updated: Google IO 2015: what we want to see Posted: 10 Dec 2014 01:18 PM PST Google Wallet, Glass, virtual reality and Fit Keep checking back in the months leading up to Google IO 2015 for the latest news and rumors! In the months since the less-than-thrilling IO 2014, Google has unleashed a number of tantalizing products and intriguing concepts that have us looking forward it its 2015 conference. With Android L releasing into the wild, the revelation of the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9, Android Wear smartwatches winding up on wrists everywhere, and experimental devices like Project Ara and Project Tango teasing us with possibilities, Google is setting itself up for even more innovation in 2015. Check out TechRadar's take on Android 5.0 Lollipop! Unlike last year's IO, which was short on exciting announcements, we expect Google to rebound with a thrilling event, one loaded with breakthroughs, surprises and products we can't wait to use. At least we hope that's what G-town delivers during IO 2015. Read on for what we want to see during the annual developer confab, and tell us know in the comments what showstoppers - or showsleepers - you think Google will whip out. Pull out your Google Wallet Now that Apple has gotten serious about mobile payments with Apple Pay, we anticipate Google Wallet getting some love during IO 2015. Mountain View's mobile payment platform has bounced like a bad check, but as Apple gets into the game in a big way (have you been to a McDonald's in the US lately?), Google can't sit idly by as its biggest rival gobbles up NFC payment-dom. The world is still wary of mobile payments, especially in the wake of massive credit card hacks, so it's yet to be proven if Apple Pay (or any service) is the silver bullet to the anti-credit card conundrum. Despite that - or maybe because of it - we want Google to swing for the fences with a revamped Google Wallet. The timing may be tricky as some US retailers are shunning Apple Pay in favor of their own mobile payment system, but we wouldn't put it past Google to corral some big names into its tap-to-pay service circle. Where the heck is Google Glass? OK, Google. The Explorer program is several years old, more apps have found their way onto your loved/loathed wearable and you've allowed US consumers to have their hand at Glass, but when are we going to see the final consumer version and its (hopefully) cheaper price? Yes, Google Glass is part of completely new device category and there's want to get it right, but there's a feeling we can't shake that now that Android Wear has shown its face, Google has relegated its first wearable to the basement. Not helping matters is the fact the consumer edition release date has reportedly been pushed until 2015, and app makers, including Twitter, are distancing themselves from the Glass. To top it off, the Glass poster child, Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin, left his company-made headset behind in the car while he attended a November Silicon Valley event, not exactly sending a singing message that Glass is something you can't leave home without. That sets the stage for a pretty telling IO 2015. Google has two choices, really: either try to re-capture the public's imagination with Glass (or, more fittingly, show it has real-world applications), or keep quiet and let Glass slide quietly out of sight. We think Google will go for the former, otherwise all those years of pushing Glass on developers and executives sporting them on their brows will be for naught. More critically, with other head-worn wearables like Oculus Rift gaining greater visibility, Google can't afford to let Glass' future get any foggier. We expect Google to place lots of emphasis on apps made for Glass, especially since its Glass Development Kit will be around a year old by then, plus show us hardware that's vastly improved and/or vastly cheaper than what one sees bobbing on heads around the Valley these days. When Google met VR Speaking of things you put on your face, Google's DIY Cardboard VR headset was a fun yet potentially conspicuous surprise during last year's IO. Google handed out the headset as a little something extra at the end of its Day 1 keynote, but you didn't need to be in attendance to get one because anyone can build the "no frills" viewer with a few acquired materials. Could Google flush out the concept during IO 2015? We think so, especially since Samsung's Gear VR does virtually the same thing with more premium materials. Whether this means Google delivers a more durable headset, reveals apps and games developed for Cardboard as-is, or introduces some virtual reality features somehow tied Glass, we don't know, but we can say the VR market is too hot for Google to pass up. Update December 10, 2014: Google showed how serious it is about Cardboard by filling us in on the work it's been doing since the viewer was revealed. The company added a dedicated collection page on Google Play for Google apps. There are now more places to pick up a Cardboard viewer, developers have access to SDKs for Android and Unity and makers scored some new building specs. Finally, Google said it's hiring for positions in Cardboard and VR, signaling this is far from the last we've heard about the DIY VR viewer. Focus on your Fit Another carryover from IO 2014 we'd like to see at the 2015 run is Google Fit. The Apple HealthKit rival officially launched as a Google Play app in late October, while developers were given full access to the platform's APIs. As developers create health-enhancing programs for Android users and devices become better equipped to use Google Fit's feature set, there should be plenty to relay come dev con time. We'd like to see just how far Fit has come in a year's time and what the future holds for Google and health. What's more, who's to say Google won't have a fitness tracking wearable to show that puts Fit front and center? The living room, Google watch and other stuff Coming to your living room … again! Stop us if you've heard this one before, but Google will make a play for your living room during IO 2015. What we hope is different this time around is Google coming at your favorite four walls with some kind of cohesive plan in place. The company recently announced Nexus Player, perhaps its most robust and practical entertainment offering to date, but don't expect it to stop there. Even if it should. Google struck gold with Chromecast, the dirt cheap dongle some people own more than one of, so no one would be surprised if the firm returned to the formula with Chromecast 2 or another bargain bin-priced device. In fact, Google is reportedly already working on Chromecast 2, making an IO reveal seem all the more likely. Whatever Google does, we want it to, you know, make cohesive sense. So far, this "scatter gun approach" (hat tip James Rivington) is only creating a series of half-baked products that no one is buying into. That is, except Chromecast. It might be time for Google to put its money on the winning horse, if you catch our drift. 'Android Wear, where you at?' "In watches like the Moto 360, LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live, that's where, TechRadar!" Yes, Google's wearable OS has taken hold in a surprisingly quick turnaround from announcement to market. The only thing missing? Google's own smartwatch running its home-grown Android Wear OS. No biggie, right? Like the Apple Watch before it, the Google watch has been the stuff of legend for what feels like ions. Unlike the Apple Watch, the Google watch is still unannounced. Even more unlike the Apple Watch, the Google watch probably won't be on sale by the time IO 2015 rolls around (the Apple Watch release is slated for early 2015). This leaves Google out of a growing hardware product category while others grab hold. One could argue Google has more than enough of a stranglehold on the smartwatch market with Android Wear, and it's certainly a valid point. However, in order for Google to truly be in the wearable conversation, we need to see its own branded hardware serve as the hallmark for what Android Wear can really do. So, Google, give us the Nexus Watch, or whatever you want to call it. Give us something we can point to and say, "Hey, Apple, you see what Google came up with?" Give us something to strap on our wrists so we can complete the look with our Nexus phone, Nexus tablet and Google Glass. Give us the wearable we've been waiting for. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQHVfNSVmH4 Update December 10, 2014: With the release of Android Lollipop for Android Wear, Google introduced a bevy of custom watch faces for the wearable. The firm also released its Watch Face API, letting developers take a crack at creating their own watch faces. We have an inkling the many faces of Android Wear (plus a whole lot more) are due for some major airtime at IO 2015. And the other stuff Just like ice cream flavors, everyone seems to like the idea of vanilla Android, so don't drop your jaw if Google announces another Google Play Edition flagship phone. Google seems to be spacing its hardware reveals further and further apart, making a new Nexus phone or tablet reveal at IO 2015 feel unlikely. Like last year, the company will probably focus most on its software platforms, stressing the ease of developing for Chrome and Android over OSes-that-shall-not-be-named. Another Android iteration after 5.0 could definitely come (Android 5.5, for example), as could improvements to Google Now and the other services Google offers. Is the Galaxy S5 the best Android phone around?

Nokia's Here Maps checks in to Google Play now, iOS in 2015 Posted: 10 Dec 2014 01:01 PM PST Nokia's Here Maps app has been in beta on Android for some time, and it's now available in the Google Play store. The new maps app is still in beta, but now it's more widely available on Google's platform. Nokia said in a blog post that more than a million users have tried Here Maps on Android, with the most so far concentrated in the US and Germany. The transition for users who currently have the beta version on their Android devices should be simple, since as Nokia points out downloading apps from Google Play is easier than sideloading them. And users' existing maps and voices should remain even with the new app. The new Here Maps app also adds support for 18 new countries, plus bug fixes and performance improvements. Meanwhile Nokia's Here Maps iOS app will launch in early 2015, the company promises. Apple wants you to help it fix Maps

Google just showed how serious it is about Cardboard Posted: 10 Dec 2014 12:34 PM PST The joke seemed to be on Google when it passed out Cardboard, a virtual reality headset literally made of cardboard, at last year's IO conference. But today, the Google Glass maker showed it's quite serious about the headset by announcing updates for users, developers and makers alike. Oh, and it just happened to let slip that there are over half a million Cardboard "viewers," as it calls it, in people's hands. Google said it has been "working to improve" Cardboard ever since it was announced. Part of those improvements now include a dedicated collection page on Google Play for Cardboard apps. The pedigree of these apps is none too shabby; you can sit in on a Paul McCartney concert, tour the Hobbit's Shire and take a test drive. The standalone Cardboard app also received an update. Finally, users can now score a Cardboard viewer from a number of sources, including DODOcase, I Am Cardboard, Knoxlabs and Unofficial Cardboard. Google also released some new specs for the headset in case you're inclined to build your own. But wait The user goodies stop there, but developers can now access Cardboard SDKs for Android and Unity. Google said the SDKs will simplify common VR development tasks so devs can focus on creating apps, not troubleshooting. Google is out with new building specs for Cardboard, this time focusing on specific cutting methods (from lasers to die-cutting to single-blade sheering). Due next year, Google will release a viewer calibration tool to the Cardboard SDK so Cardboard creators can set things like viewer's base and focal length. All Cardboard applications will then adjust to fit the viewing settings. To top it off, Google is hiring for roles in Cardboard and virtual reality and is "working on a few projects ourselves," promising there's more to come. We think Cardboard is due for some Google IO 2015 love

Google's new Hangouts feature is neat, though kind of creepy Posted: 10 Dec 2014 12:04 PM PST Google has updated Hangouts for Android with a helpful new feature for those who don't mind the app actively listening in on their conversations. By paying attention to what you're saying, Hangouts can offer what Google calls "smart suggestions." For example if a friend asks where you are, the app can prompt you to share your location with them directly. Google Hangouts engineer Rhett Robinson described this feature on Google Plus as "the start of something new," though for now it's unclear what else it can do. This Hangouts update also adds 16 new sticker packs, video filters and time stamps that let you know when your contacts were last online, plus "a few other surprises," according to Robinson. The time stamp feature will actually roll out over the next few weeks, though, while an equivalent update for the iOS Hangouts app will take a bit longer to arrive. Microsoft just made Bing search even more like Google

Review: updated: Lenovo N20p Chromebook Posted: 10 Dec 2014 11:15 AM PST Introduction, design and performance Lenovo's N20p Chromebook ($329, £210, AU$380) is the one of the first multi-mode Chromebooks, which is an accomplishment all on its own. With just a flip of the keyboard, this Chromebook transforms from laptop to tablet mode. When you consider that the device is only 3.1 pounds, is sleek and perfect for everyday use, you'll fall in love with this machine. It's more expensive than other leading, laptop-only Chromebooks, such as the Acer C720 Chromebook (starting at $199, £199, AU$399) and the HP Chromebook 11 (starting at $279, £179, AU$399), but the tablet viewing option is worth the extra cost. The N20p is a Chrome laptop with a 10-point, multi-touch display. Features and specs are nothing special or out of the ordinary, but they come together to create a pretty seamless machine. There is an 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768 touchscreen, which won't compare to the Toshiba Chromebook 2's 1080p screen, but is decent enough for everyday use. The N20p also features a quad-core Intel Celeron processor, 16GB of eMMC storage, up to 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 1MP webcam. This is all standard spec-wise for a Chrome OS notebook. It won't impress like the Acer 13 Chromebook, which is powered by Nvidia's ARM Cortex A15-based Tegra K1, but you won't find the computer lagging behind at all. The chiclet-style keyboard is relatively standard, although the 11-inch size of the computer leads to feeling as though some standard key functions are being left off. Plus, some of the icons for functions were difficult to distinguish (although, full disclosure, I am a frequent Mac user). Despite this, the travel between the keys was more comfortable than most small laptops, so that's a plus given that most business uses require ample amounts of typing. The trackpad is crisp, responsive and a very satisfying click when selecting. The non-click touch option with mouse movements and gestures (i.e., two-finger scrolling) is just sensitive enough to require minimal tapping, but not overly sensitive where you'd find yourself making many accidental or phantom swipes. Performance With its 2.16 GHz Intel Celeron N2830 CPU, the N20p feels spritely when completing everyday tasks like checking email and surfing the Web. Even with a large amount of tabs open (which we're all guilty of), there was minimal slowdown of processes as the system relies on integrated graphics processing, which is sufficient for basic Web browsing. An especially nice touch was the super-quick startup time for the machine, making powering down the machine when we were finished using it less of a task and something we could incorporate into our daily routine. Performance is on par with competing systems, with fast boot times (going from cold start to login screen in under 10 seconds) and quick browsing. With the built-in Camera app, 1280 x 720 photos came out blurry, even with relatively good lighting, rendering pictures that were darker than expected. Video chats seem to work better with users on the other end having no issue with the video quality. Speakers, battery life and connectivity One disappointment was the sound quality from the laptop's tiny speakers. Located underneath the chassis, the speakers get some more breathing room in stand mode, where they actually project toward you. But, the sound was still tinny and somewhat lacking bass, which seems to be a norm for small laptops. This was particularly a letdown for this system given the N20p lends itself to video watching, but the audio hardware just doesn't match up. The 34.8-watt-hour battery life is good, as promised (8 hours). After heavy and extended use both for business and leisure activities, the battery life lasted anywhere from 6-8.5 hours. The internal battery allows for a slimmer design, which makes the slate gray device sleek and easily portable. Connectivity It's obvious Lenovo spared no expense in terms of connectivity - and it shows. The N20p features Bluetooth 4.0, as well as 802.11ac WiFi to match. This means this laptop focuses to boost video conferencing and other more intense tasks through the latest WiFi standard. Its predecessors, like the ones from Acer, attempt to do so through the Core (Acer specifically updated to the first Core i series-equipped Chromebook). But, since the Chrome OS relies so heavily on an internet connection, AC networking gives the N20p the edge. Tablet-mode and verdict The best feature is the N20p's touch control and stand mode. The versatility makes this a great leisure and work device. Some difficulty does occur when using it as a tablet, as Chrome isn't entirely tailored to touch as a largely browser-based operating system. We'd recommend using this for recreational activities (think: HBOGo viewing or Pinteresting), rather than business-use. The 300-degree hinge lets you flip the N20p's display backward all the way into stand mode (or 'tent' mode, whatever you prefer), which lends itself nicely to viewing movies or showing presentations as the image flips automatically to orient with the display. Brightness on the Lenovo N20p is a bit on the low side and the display suffers from poor accuracy, color reproduction and viewing angles. Tilting the screen forward or backward just 20 degrees can cause the video you're viewing to wash out or become unusually shadowy. The screen boasts 10-point touch, which is rare in the Chromebook family with just the Acer C270P and the Google Chromebook Pixel (for a pretty penny) sharing this trait. If the image is flipped, a touch keyboard is automatically enabled for your typing needs - the keys are a bit far apart, making typing a bit cumbersome, but the option to touch type is nice. We liked This is one of the "sexier" Chromebooks available, showcasing Lenovo's eye for style. Plus with two USB ports (one 3.0), and HDMI port and an SD card reader, this Chromebook delivers a great bang for its buck. Not to mention it's multi-mode feature and strong battery life, making it a great candidate for leisure use. We disliked While the multi-mode option is great, it would be nice if the device hinged back to the full 360-degrees, rather than stopping 60 degrees short of a full laptop-to-tablet solution. The speakers are also surprisingly weak for a multimedia-focused machine. Verdict The N20p offers arguably more than any other Chromebook of its size. This 11-inch touchscreen device with a 300-degree hinge adds versatility and great WiFi speed for an excellent leisure experience. However, the price is slightly more than the competition, so you really have to want the tablet option. While we wouldn't recommend it for business use, as the extra spend on the touch screen is rendered pretty useless for most uses, it's a sufficient device for the everyday user.

Hands-on review: Updated: Project Morpheus Posted: 10 Dec 2014 08:37 AM PST Update: It's going to be a cold winter, especially if Sony keeps its mouth closed as tightly as it has been concerning their VR headset, Project Morpheus. With what would be the first big splash into console VR, Sony is taking its time, while competitors Samsung has already launched its version of the future, Gear VR. While that's sad, that hasn't stopped us from getting our hands on the work-in-progress. Read on for in-depth coverage on Project Morpheus, or if you're in the mood to read Cameron Faulkner's impressions, who nearly flipped his lid upon first trying it, check that out here. When the creator of Oculus Rift told us that he didn't think consoles were fit for virtual reality, I wondered if he might have a point. But as is the way with VR, seeing is believing, and having taken Morpheus for a spin there's no longer a doubt in my mind: virtual reality on the PS4 is going to be amazing. Morpheus is in prototype right now. Sony told us that the final product will probably be quite different in both look and specs, but the current headset looks pretty damn slick nonetheless. It certainly feels more "finished" than Oculus; not only does the main eyepiece look like a polished product, there's a dynamic plastic headstrap to boot. Getting it to fit wasn't too difficult and the headset felt secure enough for the purposes of the demo. However it does feel like the weight balance needs addressing, and Sony will want to relocate some of those wires that I kept almost chewing on.There's also the tiniest of space near the bridge of your nose. It's not too distracting from the overall experience and, during the more intense sensations, served as an easy reminder that my feet are still planted safely in reality. Morpheus hits the ground running with a 1080p display - some of you will never know the nausea that an SD screen with lag can induce. We asked Sony if its God of Dreams might end up in 4K however it didn't sound promising. As it is, Morpheus is satisfyingly crisp, but I did notice the occasional jaggedly-rendered object and felt the odd frame rate stutter. It's the same stuff we've seen with Oculus. Morepheus's 90-degree field of vision does lose out to Oculus's 110 degrees but this is hardly noticeable - and likely to change come the final product. Lost in space The first game I tried was space simulator Eve: Valkyrie. Already a fan of Strike Suit Zero on the Oculus Rift, I was reasonably prepared for what was about to come. Hurtling through space, admiring the view of giant ships as you pass under them, dodging your way through asteroid fields - this is exactly the kind of stuff we all dreamed about when we were younger. And even though I'd experienced space in VR before, there were a couple of barrel rolls that sent my stomach spinning. It's clear that some people are more prone to feeling physically affected by VR than others, but the clarity and low latency of Morpheus in its current state mean the risks of nausea are low. I felt ok during my 10 minutes with Eve, but like I said, there were a couple of hairy moments. Beyond the sea But as great as space was, it was exploring the ocean depths that really set the pulse racing. The Deep, Sony's second demo, was a perfect tease at what's possible when you wed VR and horror. The game begins with you in a diving cage, floating near the surface of the ocean. What was different about this experience was that I was standing up so the game needed to account for this. Sure enough, when I squatted down I noticed my virtual legs bent at the same time, a feat made possible by the motion tracking. It's these little touches that help make the experience that bit more immersive. As I sunk further down to the ocean depths, it became clear that I'd made an enemy among the aquatic wildlife as a shark began circling my cage. The Deep wasn't a very interactive experience. I could look around me was holding a flare fun that would move with my real hands thanks to the motion-enabled Dualshock 4, however there were a couple of moments where I "broke" the connection between my real hands and my virtual ones. As it turned out, the flare gun was about as effective as a bacon sandwich when the shark started ripping into the cage. But it was fantastic way to experience VR, especially with the lack of any form of HUD. It was just me, under water, face to face with Jaws. And for a couple of brief moments it was absolutely terrifying. Street Luge Where The Deep represented pure fantasy as only a faux-holodeck experience could provide, the Street Luge stood out for its ability to make me cringe, wince, yelp and ultimately feel like I was on a roller coaster without the intense wind and bodily sensations. It started slow, allowing me to get used to the controls - lean left to drift left, lean right to go right. Then came my first car. I dodged left and, in doing so, earned a small speed boost. There was a timer ticking in the corner of my screen that I hadn't noticed before; this was one of virtual reality's first time trials. More cars came and went as I slowly became comfortable balancing the hardware that was secured around my head and the bodily sensations I was starting to feel. I could look straight up at the clouds and left and right over the mountainside. If I hadn't been sharing the road with sedans and semi-trucks this would've been a relatively zen-like experience. Alas. The crowning moment came when, unable to dodge left or right, I slid unscathed between an truck's wheels and looked up into its undercarriage. When I did eventually crash, however, the screen briefly flashed red before I slowed down some - there were no gruesome, Tomb-Raider-getting-impaled-on-a-tree-branch moments here. I crossed the finish line with two minutes and thirty two seconds on the clock. Not bad for my first downhill run. Morpheus Castle The final demo was called Morpheus Castle, a smack-'em-up that served to demonstrate how Move can be used so brilliantly with Morpheus. You may have forgotten about Sony's Wiimote rival, but these glowy sticks may be about to have a serious comeback. By pressing the back triggers you'll curl your fingers into a fist. Extend them rapidly and you'll throw a punch. Because the PS Camera can track your position in a room, you'll be able to walk a few feet forwards and backwards - but not very far left or right. You're asked to punch a hanging dummy. Complete the task and you're rewarded with your first weapon, a sword. I held the trigger on the back of the Move and I was able to cast the sword in huge arches, eventually lopped off the poor dummy's arms, legs and head. This was a smooth, seamless experience and gave me hope that the Star Wars game we've always dreamed of - the one where lightsaber duels are not only plausible, but an enjoyable part of the game - are within arm's reach. (See what I did there?) Next I grabbed a mace that, when extended, felt the force of gravity and hung low on its chain. I swing it a few times to get some momentum going and before long was using it to dismember a newly furnished foe. After which was a crossbow demo, the least exciting part of my experience. I didn't need to hold down a button in the back this time and was only required to press the trigger when I had lined up a shot. The arrow tended to curve down and, while realistic, it felt a little unfulfilling in a so-far, so-good demo. But as with the flare gun in The Deep, there was occasionally a disconnect between my virtual and real hands. There are clearly some technical boundaries when it comes to body motion with VR, and making them harder to break will be key to immersion. Like the Playstation camera and the Dualshock 4's tracking blue light, Move suddenly makes a lot more sense with Morpheus. Sony's master plan is coming together. YouTube : www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OQtByjyD-4 Early verdict The most frustrating thing about VR right now is trying to convey it with words. You really do have to see Project Morpheus (and, indeed, Oculus Rift) to believe it. There's still work to be done - edges were rough and objects seemed a little less than their HD display - but Sony is clearly determined to iron these out before it comes to market. When that might be is hard to say. But take Morpheus for a spin and I guarantee you'll be as excited as I am for what virtual reality will offer. This is the missing piece of the PS4 puzzle, and it's a big one.

Industry Voice: Why net neutrality opens the door to the free market capitalism debate Posted: 10 Dec 2014 08:19 AM PST In a free market, prices are set by consent between sellers and consumers, driven by the forces of supply and demand without government intervention, price-setting monopolies or other external controls. A free market typically entails support for highly competitive markets and private ownership of productive enterprises. By contrast, in a controlled or regulated market, government artificially influences supply and demand through tactics such as laws that create barriers to market entry or directly setting prices. In a capitalist economy such as ours, controlled markets can also be created through "crony capitalism," where businesses depend on their close relationships with government to succeed. They may be shown favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants, special tax breaks, or other forms of state interventionism. Crony capitalism Crony capitalism arises when business cronyism and related self-serving behavior by businesses or business people spills over into politics and government. It can also occur when self-serving friendships and family ties between business people and the government influence the economy and society to the extent that it corrupts public-serving economic and political ideals. President Obama recently invigorated debate by calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to impose "the strongest possible rules" to protect net neutrality – prohibiting internet service providers from favoring some lawful content over others. While a few bloggers, journalists and media professionals support net neutrality, there are many who oppose the president's decision and government intervention in these matters. Added control In January 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals, the nation's second highest court, knocked down the FCC's longstanding regulation requiring "network neutrality," arguing that the commission had overstepped its regulatory authority. In this way, the internet monopoly, which includes network providers (major telecom and cable companies), is lobbying policymakers and seeking to change the rules of the game and secure control of information exchanged over the internet for commercial gain. That control would allow them to charge different prices for access to specific information, to prioritize transmissions by putting time-sensitive packets at the front of the line for a higher price, to charge application fees, or to block specific applications from their networks in favor of others, again based on exacting discriminatory payments. This goes against the principles of the free-market system, which helped transform small start-up companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter into the successful businesses they are today. This shows how growing monopoly capitalism in the Internet of Things (IoT) market is threatening the very existence of a free-market system, due to net neutrality, which led to an exponential growth in this industry. The politics Today, Americans' view of President Barack Obama's economic leadership stands at the lowest level of his presidency. While the president's popularity hits rock bottom, Congress' approval rating, less than 10%, is at its all-time low. In recent mid-term elections, while Congress' approval rating was less than 10 percent, more than 90 percent of these politicians got re-elected in November, demonstrating a failure of U.S. political democracy. The total corporate spending on mid-term elections was close to $4 billion. With big businesses spending such a large amount of money to influence elections' outcomes, a natural result is that the elected politicians work in the best interests of those who paid to help put them in office rather than the electorate who vote for them. This is crony capitalism. With both the House and Senate controlled by Republican politicians, can any elected president having no majority in either chamber expect any cooperation? This is truly a failure of democracy because of political corruption. Major reforms are an absolute necessity to eliminate political corruption, and it is equally important to ensure that while these reforms take place, the economic growth engine does not get stalled. Crony capitalists have been unjustly justifying their crony capitalism under the guise of free-market capitalism to satiate their greed for quite awhile. These crony capitalists have control over the government, stock market, mass media and communications with their big-money influence. Growing income inequality and economic disparity have been perpetuated by the requirement that candidates for public office raise money to finance their campaigns. Since the United States does not have free-market capitalism any more, government intervention in the economy offers one way to stop the growth of corporate monopolies. Hence, President Obama is absolutely correct in calling on the FCC to impose "the strongest possible rules" to protect net neutrality and prevent the creation of internet industry monopolies that would stagnate economic growth. Apek Mulay is CEO of Mulay's Consultancy Services

Shazam deepens Spotify integration with a new built-in music player Posted: 10 Dec 2014 08:15 AM PST Shazam is still recognised as the biggest (and possibly best) music identification app, but now it's starting to push beyond its comfort zone. As of today, people who update their app can now connect their Shazam profile to their Spotify or Rdio accounts. Then, once you have used Shazam, you can listen to that track within the app or instantly add it to a playlist on Spotify. Users can also browse what others are Shazaming and see what's popular in their city, as well as having the opportunity to see who has joined the 'Shazam Hall of Fame' through Shazam's newly released 'real-time music data'. Play that funky music Which records the number of times a track has been Shazamed, meaning you can now see how many others have been looking for the same song as you. However the best feature has to be the Tinder-ification of the in-app listening post. Now users can press 'play all' on a selection of recommended, trending or previously-Shazamed tracks to simply flick through them by swiping left to move onto the next track or swipe right to save a song. The new update is available on Android and iOS right now, but only iOS users will be able to use the new Spotify features. However, Shazam promises that Android users will catch up very soon. Tidal review: stream CD quality music to your mobile

Review: Updated: Sony Xperia Z3 Compact Posted: 10 Dec 2014 07:54 AM PST Introduction and design The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is the latest entrant in Sony's rapidly expanding line of Xperia Z handsets. Though the original Xperia Z was only launched in March 2013, there have since been three main entries into Sony's flagship line (the Xperia Z1, Xperia Z2 and the new Xperia Z3) along with tablets and the occasional compact variant. The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is the smaller version of Sony's latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia Z3. As has become customary with Sony's compact variants, the Xperia Z3 Compact shares quite a bit of technology with its bigger brother, but is it more than just a shrunk down version? With a 4.6-inch screen (compared to the Xperia Z3's 5.2-inch) and an asking price of £429 (around US$703, AU$792) , the Xperia Z3 Compact is one of the more expensive mini variants of flagship smartphones that we've seen. The LG G2 Mini, for example, comes in at around £180 ($295, AU$332), whilst the HTC One Mini 2's asking price is around the £300 ($492, AU$554) mark, both quite a bit under the Xperia Z3 Compact's price tag. The Z3's price tag puts it more in line with smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8. Positioning the Xperia Z3 Compact against other companies' flagship handsets, rather than the pared down mini variants, might seem like a risky move on Sony's part. However while smaller versions of flagship phones have often sacrificed a number of features of their larger brethren, the Xperia Z3 Compact does a very good job of keeping up with the full size Xperia Z3. That doesn't mean that compromises haven't been made, however, and thankfully it seems that Sony has managed to keep these to a minimum. Design The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact takes design cues from the bigger Xperia Z3, along with the Xperia Z devices that have come before, namely in the OmniBalance design. The idea behind Sony's OmniBalance design is that the Xperia Z3 Compact should be comfortable to hold no matter what you're using the smartphone for, be it taking videos, making calls, playing games and more. Another tenet of the OmniBalance ethos is that the phone should look great from any angle. From my time with the Xperia Z3 Compact I can certainly vouch for the comfort aspect of the OmniBalance design of the handset. Throughout using it the Xperia Z3 Compact felt comfortable, no matter what task I was performing with it. Though it has a rather stark look to it, the rounded corners certainly help make it feel nice to hold. This is helped by the dimensions of the Xperia Z3 Compact. Though there's nothing particularly compact about its 4.6-inch display, the thin bezels around the screen don't just make the body look good, but it keeps the dimensions down to 127 x 64.9 x 8.6mm. The smaller size of the screen and body of the Xperia Z3 Compact is one of the areas that the Compact may have an advantage over its bigger sibling, depending on your preferences for the size of your smartphone. While 5-inch and above smartphones are certainly growing in popularity, with Apple being particularly pleased with the reception its 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus has received, not everyone will be comfortable with the Xperia Z3's 5.2-inch screen and 146 x 72 x 7.3mm dimensions. By offering a very similar experience but with a smaller form factor, the Xperia Z3 Compact could find a receptive audience with those who haven't been swayed with the phablet craze. I certainly didn't have any trouble reaching each corner of the screen with the thumb of the hand I was holding the Xperia Z3 Compact in. Helping with the comfort, the Xperia Z3 compact weighs just 129g with a thickness of 8.6mm. While the comfort of the Xperia Z3 Compact is pretty evident, aesthetics are far more subjective. To my eye, however, the Xperia Z3 Compact again impresses. It manages to be minimal without looking plain, with Gorrila Glass covering the front and back, giving it an attractive and premium look. Around the edge of the Xperia Z3 Compact is a translucent plastic surround. While it helps cushion impacts if you drop the Z3 Compact, it also gives the phone a premium frosted look that works very well. As with previous entrants in the Xperia Z line, the Z3 compact is dust and waterproof, with IP65 and IP68 ratings, which among other things means it can be submerged in up to 1.5m of fresh water for 30 minutes. This means that most ports are hidden under plastic covers. While it might prove to be a mild annoyance to have to remove the plastic cover every time you want to charge the Xperia Z3 compact, you'll probably be glad of it if you ever drop the phone in the bath. The covers also help give the body a much tidier look. One port that doesn't need to be covered to be waterproof is the headphone jack, which is convenient while not compromising the waterproof nature of the Xperia Z3 Compact. However, we're starting to see opened charging ports for water resistant phones, which would have been great here. Button placement on the Xperia Z3 Compact is the same as on the full size Xperia Z3. While the power button's location in the middle of the right-hand side is a welcome relief for users of the larger Xperia Z3 who don't have to stretch to the top side of the phone's body, with the smaller Z3 Compact the placement doesn't feel quite so essential. However, the power button, along with the volume controls and the camera button below it, are all comfortable to reach. Though they don't protrude much from the phone's body, they still feel responsive with a satisfying click when pressed. The Xperia Z3 Compact comes in four different colours: white, black, orange and green. I had a chance to use both the green and white versions, and both looked very good. The orange and green versions share the same black front as the black version, while the white variant is white all over. The design of the Xperia Z3 Compact isn't perfect, however, with the screen being a veritable magnet for fingerprints. I was often wiping the screen to rid it of paw marks, and though it's not a major issue in the grand scheme of things, it's never nice to have a touchscreen that makes you feel guilty about laying a finger on it. Also while Sony's ability to cram a lot of power into a relatively small device should be applauded, the Xperia Z3 Compact has a habit of getting very hot during medium to heavy use. An hour's worth of browsing the internet over Wi-Fi made the body quite warm to touch. A few minutes of using the camera along with some of its more intensive video modes again heats the Xperia Z3 Compact up and can cause the camera app to shut down unexpectedly. Here's all the info we have on the Sony Xperia Z4 Key features Perhaps the biggest selling point of the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is how well Sony has managed to fit most of the features, specs and overall experience of the Sony Xperia Z3 into a smaller and cheaper handset. Often a smaller variant of a flagship smartphone comes with a number of compromises that keeps it from reaching the lofty heights of its larger brethren. For example, the HTC One Mini 2 has a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM,compared to the full size HTC One M8's 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 and 2GB of RAM. Feature parity It's to Sony's credit, then, that the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact doesn't suffer from such large discrepancies compared to its bigger sibling. Both feature a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor along with an Adreno 330 GPU. Both feature the same camera as well, with a 20.7MP Exmor RS sensor with a 25mm G Lens and ISO 12800 settings. That doesn't mean they're both identical in specs, and there have been compromises. While the Xperia Z3 comes with 3GB or RAM, the Z3 Compact has to make do with 2GB, still more than enough for most uses, and as we recently found out it's still double the RAM you'll find in Apple's more expensive iPhone 6. Regardless of that compromise, I feel that Sony has done a great job at making sure you don't feel penalised for going with the smaller phone. If you'd rather go for the smaller form factor of the Xperia Z3 Compact, you won't feel like you're missing out. Brighter screen Another key feature of the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is the screen. Sony is a huge company with a lot of fingers in a lot of pies. While this hasn't always worked in Sony's favour, it has its upsides, with technology from its TV and camera divisions winding up in the Xperia Z3 Compact. These features include proprietary Sony technology found in its Bravia TVs such as Triluminos and Live Colour LED, which are used to make the colours as vibrant as possible on the Z3 Compact. Cutting through the marketing speak, what this leaves us with is a very impressive looking display that does deliver on vivid colours. Viewing angles of the IPS screen are also good, though best results are still when viewing the display head on. Brightness levels of the display have also been boosted, with the Z3 Compact's screen able to reach 600nits, compared to the 460nits of the Xperia Z2. Taking the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact outside, even in bright direct sunlight, I was still able to view the screen without any problem. This is a really brilliant upgrade that has excellent real world benefit. However, with the screen another compromise has been made with the shrunken down handset. While the Xperia Z3's 5.2-inch display can handle full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, the Z3 Compact's 4.6-inch display only reaches 729 x 1280. I say 'only' but that resolution on the Z3 Compact's 4.6-inch screen results in a pixel density of 319ppi (pixels per inch). This is a fairly decent level of pixel density (the iPhone 6's 4.7-inch 750x1334 screen equates to 326ppi for comparison), and image quality was sharp and clear. However I can't help but be a bit disappointed that Sony didn't go for 1080p on the Z3 Compact as well, to make the screen truly stunning. Sony apps The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact's final key feature's appeal will vary depending on how much of a Sony fan you are. Sony's handset is closely integrated with a number of Sony services, most obviously the Sony Entertainment Network. This comprises of the video streaming and rental service Video Unlimited, Sony's Spotify competitor Music Unlimited and the PlayStation Network. If you're heavily invested in the Sony ecosystem, then you'll probably be quite pleased. However, if you already have a Netflix account for movies and a Spotify one for music, then Sony's own offerings won't be of much interest, and there's little to encourage you from ditching your subscriptions and going with Sony. Of course you can get Netflix, Spotify and other apps on the Xperia Z3 Compact, but it then leaves you with a number of Sony's own apps that will sit there not being used. Remote Play As with its bigger sibling, the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact features Remote play, which lets PlayStation 4 owners stream games from the console to the Z3 Compact. Being able to stream console quality games to the Z3 Compact almost sounds too good to be true, and when the Xperia Z3 Compact initially launched without the Remote Play feature, I was slightly concerned that it might come in a potted-down version... or worse, not at all. However it didn't take Sony that long to implement the feature, which is just as well as Remote Play proves to be an excellent addition to the Xperia Z3 Compact, making Sony's latest handset even more desirable. Setting up Remote Play is relatively simple. All I needed to do to enable the feature was to download the Remote Play app from the Google Play store. Once downloaded, I turned on the PlayStation 4 and enabled Remote Play. This gave me a code that I could then type in to the Xperia Z3 Compact to securely log in to the PS4. I also needed to pair the DualShock 4 controller to the Z3 Compact via Bluetooth. Sony's earlier attempts at using PlayStation controllers with its mobile phones had to be done using a cable, so going wireless is a big improvement - especially as Sony didn't sell the aforementioned lead and didn't explain where to get it. It can make things a little complicated in other ways, however, as you need to unpair the controller with the PS4 before you pair it with the Z3 Compact. If you don't, and the PS4 is still in range, then the PS4 logs out and the Remote Play session is cancelled. After using the DualShock 4 with the Z3 Compact you then need to re-pair it with the PS4 if you want to play your console directly. It's relatively straightforward but the process could be simplified and better explained - unless you just buy another controller, which kind of defeats the point. However I had no complaints at all about the quality of Remote Play with the range of games I tried, which included GTA V and Assassin's Creed: Unity. Even when using Remote Play on another floor of the house Remote Play worked smoothly. It wasn't flawless, as when other people were using the Wi-Fi network there could be occasional stutters and graphical artefacts, but with a strong Wi-Fi signal I was very impressed. There was very little input lag whilst playing, which means hardly any delay when using the controller. This is essential for fast-paced action games where every button press is important. The fact that each game worked well impressed me a great deal. Sound is also streamed through the Z3 Compact's speakers which offer good quality, though audio quality is improved with headphones. The Z3 Compact's 720p screen means the games aren't quite as impressive looking as on the Z3's 1080p display. However, because of the smaller screen size of the Z3 Compact games still look vibrant and sharp, partly thanks to the additional display technology Sony has shoved in there to offset the lower HD resolution. At 4.6 -inches the Z3 Compact's screen isn't exactly tiny, but although it does a fine job displaying Remote Play games, if you're thinking of buying a Z3 Compact or Z3 mainly for Remote Play, then you might want to consider going for the larger Z3. You can also use the touchscreen to control games. This displays a transparent overlay of the DualShock 4 controls on the screen, and it works OK. However, the Z3 Compact's screen is a bit too small for the feature, so you'd be better off using a physical controller. Overall I was very impressed with the Remote Play feature on the Xperia Z3 Compact, which is easy to set and up works really well. Being able to stream your PlayStation 4 games to the phone while the TV is being used for something else is a fantastic feature. It works just as well as on the more expensive Xperia Z3, although the larger screen size and higher resolution of the Z3 gives it a slight edge. However if you've got a PlayStation 4 and fancy playing your games remotely (but not too remotely – Remote Play for the Z3 Compact at the moment only works with Wi-Fi), then the Xperia Z3 Compact easily fits the bill. Interface and Performance The Xperia Z3 Compact runs Android 4.4.4 (KitKat), and as is customary with Sony handsets, it comes with Sony's own modified overlay. While in many ways similar to the stock Android experience, there are a few tweaks to the interface. Design wise the interface takes visual cues from the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4's Cross Media Bar UI, with a relaxing background swirl and changing colours. As a long time PlayStation 3 user, I was quite happy with the look, being used to it, but I can appreciate that it won't be for everyone. If you're not too keen on that look, it's pretty easy to change the wallpaper and theme, either from your own photographs or from a selection of preinstalled pictures and designs. One nice feature of Sony's own wallpapers is that many of them are panoramic. What this means is that as you swipe between screens, the wallpaper scrolls. It's a nice feature that livens up the background without being distracting. Elsewhere the experience is similar to stock Android, so if you're already accustomed to Google's mobile operating system, you'll feel at home here. As I mentioned earlier, Sony has seen fit to include a number of its own apps that link in with its various services, and your reaction to their presence on the Xperia Z3 Compact will range from 'oh that's handy, I've got a subscription for that' to 'why is this app taking up precious space on my phone?'. I fell somewhere between the two. As a PlayStation owner, I liked the PlayStation app, which let me send and receive messages to my friends on PSN. However, if I had an Xbox rather than a PlayStation, the app would be useless. Using the app wasn't quite a seamless experience, either. When first setting up the Xperia Z3 Compact I was asked if I had an SEN (Sony Entertainment Network) or PSN account. As I did, I was able to sign in with it. Ideally that would have been the last time I needed to sign in to that account, with the Xperia Z3 Compact taking care of the rest. However, on using the PlayStation app I was asked to sign in a number of times. The Walkman app handles music playing duties and was a cute reminder of the days when Sony ruled the portable music player market. The app itself is fine, though it is again tightly integrated with Sony's Music Unlimited service. Not only does it play your own music, but you can stream and buy new music through Music Unlimited. As I, and I'm sure other people, have no interest in this, this feature isn't much use. Still, at least it doesn't go for too hard a sell to get you buying your music through Music Unlimited, and if you've already got a subscription then you may love this app. The Walkman app can also find and play music through your home network via DLNA, which is a nice touch. The Movies app works in a similar way, with the videos you've imported from your PC nestled alongside videos you've taken with the Xperia Z3 Compact's camera as well as video rentals from Sony's Video Unlimited service. The Album app handles photos and ties in to Sony's PlayMemories Online, which is an online storage service for your photos that offers unlimited storage for free. The app can also find photos on any DLNA devices connected to your network. The layouts of the apps are attractive, and I was pleased to see that although Sony obviously wants you to use its services, they're not forced upon you, with your own content given prominence. The presence of Sony's services might not appeal to everyone, but I thought Sony wasn't too obnoixious about it. There are a number of other apps preinstalled, such as AVG AntiVirus and Garmin Navigation Xperia Edition. This is a sat nav device that you can use while driving, which uses the Xperia Z3 Compact's built-in GPS features. The app is free to use for a month, afterwhich you need to pay a subscription to keep using it. The app itself is fine, if a little rough around the edges, with a few extra features over Google Maps that might make you decide to go with a subscription, such as lane and traffic information. A small LED on the top left-hand side of the body of the Xperia Z3 Compact lights up to give you information without having to turn on the screen and use the main interface. This includes a white light to indicate new messages, a blue light for Facebook updates and more. It's a handy reminder when you have the phone on a table or desk near you, but it's of little help if the Xperia Z3 Compact is tucked away in your pocket. Performance Performance-wise the Xperia Z3 Compact is pretty impressive. As I said earlier, Sony has done a good job with fitting a lot of the Xperia Z3's premium hardware into the smaller body of the Z3 Compact. The 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor means that on paper the Z3 Compact can go toe-to-toe with some of the most powerful smartphones on the market today. The GeekBench 3 benchmarks I ran to test the handset's prowess came back with scores of 975 for single core performance, and 2798 for multi-core. While single core performance bested the Samsung Galaxy Alpha's 933 score, the Samsung did better with multi-core processing with a score of 3082. Meanwhile the Z3 Compact was just shy of the HTC One M8's score of 2,899. The last Xperia Compact variant Sony released was the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact (the Xperia Z2 was never granted a little brother), which averaged scores of 2884, interestingly slightly higher than the Z3 Compact's score. Benchmarks may give us a good idea of how well a device performs, but they don't give the whole story. What really matters is how well the device behaves when you're using it for day to day tasks, and in this respect the Xperia Z3 Compact again does very well. The quad-core processor along with 2GB of RAM keeps Android 4.4.4 with Sony's custom overlay feeling snappy and responsive. Throughout my time with the Xperia Z3 Compact I never noticed the phone feel laggy or slow. The extra RAM meant that the Z3 Compact didn't have to reload apps or webpages every time I opened up something different, which meant I could switch back and forth between apps quickly. The only time that the Z3 Compact's performance faltered was when using some of the more intensive camera modes. I'll go into each mode in more detail later, but there are a number of augmented reality modes that can be applied to your photos and videos. These modes place animated effects, such as fires and even dinosaurs, that can be interacted with by the subject of your photos. These effects require a lot of processing power, and using them for too long (which appeared to be more than five minutes), the phone would heat up and the camera app would sometimes shut down, returning me to the home screen. These effects, by their very nature, aren't supposed to be used often or for long periods of time, so it's not a major concern, however it is a shame to see such poor performance alongside the Xperia Z3 Compact's generally excellent user experience. Graphics are driven by an Adreno 330 GPU, which is the same that's found in the Xperia Z3. Game performance was very good, with the Z3 Compact handling a number of graphically intensive games such as EA's Real Racing 3, with aplomb. Along with the vibrant screen, all the games I tried looked and performed excellently. Due to the fact that the Z3 Compact has the same GPU as the Z3, but with a lower resolution, it could be argued that the Z3 Compact will actually give a better experience, at least framerate wise, compared to its bigger brother. However, if you want to play games on a bigger screen at full 1080p resolution, you may be happy to take the odd hit to framerate and go with the Z3. Here's all the info we have on the Sony Xperia Z4 Battery and the essentials The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact comes with a decent 2600 mAh battery, which according to Sony results in a talk time of 14 hours and a standby time of 920. In reality, I found that the battery lasted a decent two days with medium to slightly heavy use. This involved browsing the internet on both Wi-Fi and 4G, listening to music and playing games. On lighter use I was pleased to see the Xperia Z3 Compact manage 2 days and 5 hours without the need to charge. This is the sort of usage you'll most likely use regularly. When the battery reaches a certain level, the Xperia Z3 Compact suggests you switch to stamina mode. When the stamina mode is enabled the Z3 Compact will disable Wi-Fi and mobile data connections while the screen is off, as well as lowering the performance of the phone's hardware to preserve power. This could also be of use if you find the handset is getting too warm when in use. The stamina mode can be customised to some degree, such as selecting apps that you want to keep active even with stamina mode on, and a mode that helps save power if you use the Z3 Compact regularly to check the time. With Stamina mode activated, I was able to prolong the battery life for around an additional day, though this was with very light use. When using the Xperia Z3 Compact more intensively Stamina mode failed to provide such an impressive improvement. Instead, battery life was extended by only a few hours. Because Stamina mode concentrates on turning off app connectivity when the phone is asleep, if the phone is kept awake with near contant use, Stamina mode doesn't get a chance to fully kick in. Whilst the Z3 Compact was in Stamina mode I didn't notice any performance decreases from the handset whilst in use. So whilst Stamina mode can eke out more battery life when the phone is left alone, when used constantly it doesn't help that much, which means there's not too much improvement over the Z3 Compact's standard battery life, which thankfully is impressive enough on its own. There is an ultra stamina mode as well, which severely restricts the Z3 Compact's features to prolong battery life. Essential features such as calls, texts, calendar and even camera are supported, with Sony's estimates showing that enabling the mode will give the Z3 Compact a battery life of over a week. I was a little disappointed to see that the battery is non-replaceable, however. While this might not be the top of everyone's must have list, I do like the security of knowing that I can replace the battery in the future. Though I was impressed with how the Z3 Compact kept its battery from depleting too quickly, I was less impressed with how long it took to recharge the phone. Even with the supplied charging block the battery took a while charge compared to other phones, especially the iPhone 6. In our battery test, where we have a high definition video playing full brightness, the Xperia Z3 Compact's battery was 77% after 90 minutes. This was much higher than the full size Xperia Z3, which using the same test was left with just 31% of its battery. The Galaxy S5 Mini's battery depleted to 84% during the test, whilst the iPhone 6 held on to 74%. The essentials The performance of the Xperia Z3 Compact as a phone is overall very good. Call quality both indoors and outside was very good, and I was impressed with the quality of the speakers when making calls. There are also a few features included to make calls clearer and easier to understand. Background noise suppression does a good job of making my voice clear when making calls in loud environments. You can also turn on speaker voice enhancement which helps boost the voice of the person you're talking to, as well as slow down the speech of the caller. These features won't be to everyone's tastes or needs but its nice to have the option. Messaging The default messaging app is pretty much the same found in stock Android and does a perfectly serviceable job of displaying your messages. The keyboard is large and easy to use, and you can either type out your messages, or use swipe gestures to type, as you would with the Swype keyboard, which works really well. Sony has included tools for the keyboard to monitor how you write using your phone and in apps such as Twitter and Facebook, in an effort to better predict and understand your typing. Though the screen is a bit too small for two handed typing, the onscreen keyboard was fast and responsive to type with one hand. Internet The default browser that comes installed on the Xperia Z3 Compact is Chrome, and it generally works as expected. Thanks in part to the 2GB of RAM and high specs of the Z3 Compact, browsing the internet is a fast and smooth experience, with pages loading quickly, especially on Wi-Fi and 4G networks. Even with a number of tabs open displaying different websites, the Z3 Compact continues to give an impressive browsing experience. However, during long periods of web browsing the handset does warm up, perhaps a sign of the resources the X3 Compact devotes to providing such a slick experience. Media Considering Sony's involvement in various media sectors, it's little surprise to see the media playing credentials of the Xperia Z3 Compact being given heavy emphasis. Music playing duties are by default handled by Sony's Walkman app, which is easy to use, with album artwork and other information displayed within the app. It also has a widget that can be placed on the home screen for quick access. Music playback through headphones and over the built-in speakers is very good, with Sony's background in audio technology being put to good use. The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is able to play a number of varied audio formats, including high resolution audio files, it can also upscale your standard audio files as well, in a bid to make your music sound amazing when played through the Walkman app, no matter what the source is. Turning on the various sound enhancement effects and features of the Xperia Z3 Compact is needlessly complicated, which is a shame considering Sony's efforts in making its user interface simple to use in other areas of the phone. To turn on the sound quality upscaler (known as DCEE HX) I had to launch the Walkman app, open the menu and select settings and then click 'Sound effects'. That's not all, though, as DCEE HX is hidden away under yet another menu titled 'Sound effects', which, rather frustratingly, is greyed out. To be able to access this menu I had to first disable the 'ClearAudio+' option, which wasn't made clear and can be easily missed. Once DCEE HX is enabled it became pretty clear that it wasn't really worth the effort. Though the music certainly sounded a bit louder, and a touch clearer, there wasn't much difference. Is Sony perhaps not that confident with the feature? It would explain why such a headline mode is hidden away under layers of menus and turned off by default. Like the Z3, the Z3 Compact also comes with built-in noise cancellation. When used with Sony's dedicated earbuds (which aren't included), the Z3 Compact will process the sound and cut out any background ambient noise, making phone calls sound clear even in noisy environments. Video playback on the Xperia Z3 Compact is also extremely good thanks to the handset's excellent screen, though you have to make do with 720p resolution, rather than the 1080p of the Xperia Z3. The display really is the star of the show here, with the increased brightness, coupled with an excellent contrast ratio making videos vibrant and crystal clear. Again, Sony includes access to its Video Unlimited streaming service, which is fine if you're a subscriber. If not you're able to disable Video Unlimited content from the Video app through the 'Settings' menu. You can also do this with the Music Unlimited content in the Walkman app, and I appreciated Sony giving me the option to hide away its services. Even when they are enabled they are not too in your face, and if you're in the market for a video or music streaming service, you may be tempted to sign up thanks to the integration with the handset. Overall, the Xperia Z3 Compact is an excellent device for media, with plenty of formats supported. You also get plenty of playback options as well, with the integrated Music and Movie Unlimited streaming services, along with DLNA support for in home streaming. Camera One of the most important bullet points on the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact's spec sheet is its camera. It comes with a 20.7MP camera, the same as the one found in the Xperia Z3. A high megapixel count doesn't guarantee a good camera, however, and Sony has seen fit to back it up with a range of technology that it's used in its digital compact cameras. This includes the Exmor RS sensor and an ISO rating of 12800, designed to drastically improve image quality in low light conditions. The lens is Sony's own wide-angle G Lens, aimed at giving a wider frame for taking photos. Sony's camera app comes with a host of tools and modes including a superior auto mode that optimises the settings based on what sort of shot you're taking. During my tests I was pretty pleased with the superior auto mode, and its ability to detect what type of shot I was going for. For instance, if I was attempting a close up shot, it accurately detected this and switched to macro mode. There's a manual mode if you want more control over your shots, and it gives plenty of settings to tweak. I was reasonably pleased with the quality of the photos taken, especially outdoors, which captured colour particularly well. Detail wasn't brilliant, however, with certain elements missed due to a slight blur. While this means the photos on the whole were free from noise, the lack of detail will mean many will rather go for a standalone compact camera, rather than depend on the Z3 Compact's. Indoor shots and photos taken in low light conditions were also good, yet fell short of what I expected. Other smartphones such as the iPhone 6 might have less impressive sounding camera specifications on paper, they manage to take better photos. Sony has made a big deal of the Xperia Z3 Compact's high ISO rating of 12800, the highest in any current smartphone (bar the full size Xperia Z3, which comes with the same camera). Though this high ISO rating is supposed to help with taking photos in low light levels, and I did achieve some good shots, they still fell short of the iPhone 6's photographs, with a low level of detail and off white balance keeping the images from looking truly stunning. The camera app comes with a number of diverting modes such as AR effects and face in mode. The face in mode takes photos both with the rear facing camera and the front facing camera at the same time, the idea being to capture your expression as you take a photo. It works fine, but there's not much to it. AR Effects places animated objects into your photos for moderately amusing results. For example, you can conjure up a T-Rex to stomp around your friends as you take photos. It's fun for a while, but the effects aren't quite good enough to be anything more than a mildly diverting time waster. You can download more effects from the app store, and these range from the ok to the downright terrible. At least they're free. The video camera of the Xperia Z3 Compact does a decent job of filming, and as with still photos, there are a number of effects you can add. Perhpas the best one is timelapse, which takes a sped up version of a film, which you can slow parts down to 120fps for ultra slow motion. It's not really timelapse per se, but it works surprisingly well, and is quick and easy to use. The Xperia Z3 Compact is also capable of filming in 4K. When launching the 4K mode, a warning comes up saying that the Xperia's temperature may rise, causing the app to close. This did happen a few times, along with a couple of times when using the AR effects. Here's a tip for Sony: if a feature causes your smartphone to over heat and crash, it might be best to drop that feature. Still if you don't mind filming in short bursts and having a slightly toasty smartphone, then the 4K video mode does the trick. If you're worried that all these high resolution photos and 4K video will take a toll on the internal memory of the Xperia Compact Z3, don't worry as you can expand the memory with a microSD card up to 128GB. Camera samples Click here to see the full resolution image Click here to see the full resolution image Click here to see the full resolution image Click here to see the full resolution image Click here to see the full resolution image Click here to see the full resolution image Comparison Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini One of the most obvious handsets to compare to the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini, another example of a smaller version of a flagship handset. With prices around £320 ($522, AU$593), the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini is a bit cheaper than the Z3 Compact. Size wise, both live up to their names, with the Z3 Compacts dimensions measuring 127 x 64.9 x 8.6mm compared to the S5 Mini's 131.1 x 64.8 x 9.1mm. Z3 is slightly smaller than the S5 Mini but Samsung's handset is actually a touch lighter at 120g versus 129g. The weight discrepancy is in part due to the Z3 Compact is made from more premium materials including Gorilla Glass, while the S5 Mini has a whole plastic body. The Z3 Compact's build quality, along with slightly heavier weight, again gives it a more premium feel over the S5 Mini. Both smartphones have a 1280 x 720 resolution screen, though due to the S5 Mini's slightly smaller screen size (4.5-inches compared to the Z3 Compact's 4.6-inch), the S5 Mini manages to have a slightly sharper image. Performance wise, however, the Xperia Z3 Compact is the clear winner between the two, with 2GB of RAM and a quad-core 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor. The full size Samsung Galaxy S5 has the same processor but the Galaxy S5 Mini instead comes with Samsung's own quad-core 1.4GHz Exynos 3 Quad 3470 processor and 1.5GB of RAM, which just can't keep up with Sony's offering. HTC One Mini 2 The HTC One Mini 2 is another small variant of a popular flagship device, and again is a bit cheaper than the Xperia Z3 Compact. The HTC One Mini 2 is both larger than the Xperia Z3 Compact (with dimensions of 137 x 65 x 10.6mm), band more heavy at 137g. Unlike with the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini, however, the HTC One Mini 2 shares a similar premium design with it's bigger brother. It comes with the same 1280 x 720 resolution as the Xepria Z3 Compact, but again with a 4.5-inch screen that results in a 326 ppi pixel density, compared the Z3 Compact's 319ppi. HTC downgraded a number of components in the HTC One Mini 2 compared to the HTC One M8, with a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, which makes Sony's decision to keep the same quad-core 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor that's found in the bigger Xperia Z3 all the more laudable. Both miniaturised handsets do get a cut in RAM, however, though the cut from 2GB to 1GB for the HTC One Mini 2 feels a bit more savage than the Xperia Z3 Compact's cut from 3GB to 2GB. iPhone 6 As I mentioned earlier, the pricing of the Xperia Z3 Compact puts it in a difficult position. It's more expensive than other small versions of flagship phones, and ends up costing around the same as the full-size variants. Perhaps the biggest competitor when it launches, however, will be the iPhone 6. This might not seem entirely fair, as the iPhone 6 costs a good £100 more than the Xperia Z3 Compact, however comparisons may be inevitable due to the fact that both are launching around the same time. Both have similar size screens, with the iPhone 6 just edging it with a 4.7-inch display. With a resolution of 750 x 1334 that results in a pixel density of 326ppi, higher than Sony's 319ppi, you get a clearer and sharper image on the iPhone 6. On paper the specs between the two phones should give the Xperia Z3 Compact the edge, with the iPhone 6 being powered by 1GB of RAM and an 1.4GHz ARM-based CPU. However comparisons aren't that clear cut, as through a number of hardware and software enhancements, the iPhone 6's performance easily rivals the Xperia Z3 Compact's. The same can be said for the camerra. On paper the iPhone 6's 8MP camera should be no match for Z3 Compact's 20.7MP, however the tech behind the iPhone 6's camera has put it ahead, with camera experts DxO labs recently declaring the iPhone 6's camera to be the best ever on a smartphone, scoring higher on its benchmarks than the Z3 Compact. One area where the Xperia Z3 Compact handily beats the iPhone 6 in my opinion is with storage. Whilst the Z3 Compact comes with 16GB internal storage, which is the lowest storage option of the iPhone 6, it at least can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD. For storing videos, music and photos, this is much more cost effective than going for a larger capacity iPhone 6, though of course you can't install apps on to the microSD, so you're stuck with 16GB. Verdict Compared to other small variants of flagship smartphones, Sony has done an excellent job by making the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact a desirable smartphone in its own right. By keeping compromises to a minimum, and keeping some of the best tech intact from the larger and more expensive Xperia Z3, the Z3 Compact holds its own, and you wouldn't feel like you were missing out on much if you'd rather go with the smaller handset. We liked The design of the Z3 Compact is excellent. It looks great and feels comfortable to hold. If you like the look of the Z3 but not sure about the dimensions of the larger phone, then you'll be very pleased with the Z3 Compact. Performance is also excellent with some impressive specifications in a phone of this size. Though the screen resolution has been reduced from 1080p of the Z3 to 720p, it still looks premium. The overall experience of the phone is great and it really feels like a premium product despite its size and price. Battery life is also very good considering what you'll be using this phone for. I was impressed that I could often go two days before having to plug the Xperia Z3 Compact in. PlayStation 4 Remote Play is also an excellent feature that works very well and could be a real selling point of the Xperia Z3 Compact - as long as you own a PS4, of course. We disliked The camera wasn't quite as good as I was expecting. It's a fine camera by smartphone standards, but with all the bluster and big numbers that Sony throws around in regards to the camera, I was expecting to be blown away. I wasn't. The handset also has a worrying habit of getting warm when used for long periods of time, or when using certain camera modes. It never feels dangerous but occasionally it would make the camera app crash, which can be annoying. Sony is obviously aware of the issue, as it includes a warning message when using certain camera modes, but acknowledging a problem with a brief pop up message hardly excuses it. Sadly, that takes away some of the premium experience of the rest of the smartphone. Final verdict There's a lot to really like about the Xperia Z3 Compact. Though Sony seems to be putting out new Xperia Z models every six months, you get the feeling that with each iteration it is steadily improving the formula. Sony has also avoided offering a severely cut down version of its flagship device. Where other manufacturers will cut the specifications of the mini variants, the Xperia Z3 Compact keeps a lot of the features of the bigger Z3, making the compact an excellent choice if you fancy the Z3, but are not too sure about the large size of the handset. The integration of Sony's services and their appeal will depend on how invested you are in the Sony ecosystem. The PlayStation 4 remote play feature probably has the biggest mainstream appeal, and I'm looking forward to testing the feature when it goes live. However, with other Android devices being able to use this feature (though after being rooted), this may dull the impact of this 'exclusive' feature. Heat issues are my biggest disappointment with the Xperia Z3. I don't mind a handset getting warm when being used from time to time, but when it starts to affect the performance of certain apps and features it spoils what usually is a very impressive experience. However, if you are looking for a feature-packed phone that looks fantastic and performs brilliantly, then you'll be very pleased with the Xperia Z3 Compact. Just don't expect to shoot epic 4K movies with it.

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha had Gorilla Glass 4 this whole time Posted: 10 Dec 2014 07:28 AM PST The Samsung Galaxy Alpha represented the South Korean manufacturer's attempt at a more premium handset design. It brought in a metallic frame in order to shed the "plasticy" criticism levelled at earlier phones and give it a means of competing against the likes of the HTC One M8 and iPhone 6. Today, Corning has revealed that its recently-revealed Gorilla Glass 4 is, in fact, used by Samsung's Alpha handset. Yeah, the one that launched back in September. The (now not so) new version of Gorilla Glass is, the company says, the most damage-resistant cover glass to date and is the reason Samsung was able to get the Galaxy Alpha handset down to only 7mm thin. The actual sheet of Gorilla Glass 4 atop the Alpha's 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display is only 0.4mm thick. Alpha Dog The company claims that Gorilla Glass 4 can survive 80% of drops from a height of 1m onto rough surfaces. Further, it's twice as strong as rival glass displays. So if you've been impressed that the screen didn't crack each time you dropped your Samsung Galaxy Alpha, you now know why. Of course, with such secrecy now revealed, there's no telling to what end Corning has infiltrated Samsung. The Galaxy Note 4 for instance? Or potentially the upcoming Samsung Galaxy A5 and A7? Best remind yourself of the Samsung Galaxy Alpha by reading our full, in-depth review.

You can buy the OnePlus One right now without an invite Posted: 10 Dec 2014 07:19 AM PST You should know by now that we at TechRadar love the OnePlus One, so we're pleased to tell you that the phone is currently available to buy without an invite. Until now, you needed an exclusive invitation to get your hands on the phone, but the website is now letting you simply click and buy, with a promise that orders will arrive before December 25. The phone starts at £229/$229 without contract, but if you plan to buy one then you'd better hurry - the phone will only be available until OnePlus runs out of stock. OnePlus One review

Sponsored: Advantages of starting with a hybrid cloud for application development and test Posted: 10 Dec 2014 07:15 AM PST Custom business applications are vital for organisations to take advantage of today's fast-evolving technology trends - from 3D printing to mobile applications, predictive analytics and the Internet of Things. Because of this, it is increasingly the norm for companies to differentiate based on applications (and other aspect of IT). How quickly they are developed and put into service can mean the difference between success and failure. Red Hat's Open Hybrid Cloud is placing app development in the fast lane This is placing an increasing amount of pressure on developers, who are going straight to public clouds - bypassing IT organisations - and spinning up needed compute resources, paying for it with a credit card. This practice, which is referred to as "Shadow IT", can introduce security and compliance risks. It can also result in applications that don't interoperate or that can't be easily transitioned into a production environment. IT organisations can help ward off Shadow IT by deploying a cloud for application development and test (dev/test). Organisations can deliver a cloud for agile application development and test (dev/test) in two complementary ways: By building cloud-style Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), such as that provided by OpenStack, and by delivering complete development environments as Platform-as-a-Service. Public clouds can also be added as part of a managed, hybrid environment. This approach is a good answer because it: Improves developer productivity and accelerates application development Can deliver benefits even at relatively modest scale points, offering the opportunity to start small Provides an internal alternative to current public cloud use and thus can streamline and standardise development workflows Can be independent of production systems and processes - although they can be integrated over time whether through adopting DevOps methodologies or other approaches These are just a few of the main benefits to building a hybrid cloud for dev/test. Find out more about Red Hat's Open Hybrid Cloud

Sponsored: Red Hat's Open Hybrid Cloud is placing app development in the fast lane Posted: 10 Dec 2014 07:00 AM PST Businesses are moving to the cloud for many reasons, one of which is to facilitate the development of custom software. It has long been the norm for organisations to differentiate through their applications, and whether businesses are innovating in areas such as 3D printing, mobile applications, predictive analytics or even the Internet of Things, the ability to put many applications into service quickly can mean the difference between success and failure. Because of this, developers want to procure tools and infrastructure quickly. This has led to 'Shadow IT', where users are bypassing IT organisations and going straight to public clouds for compute resources, paying for it with a credit card. While this can introduce temporary relief, it can introduce security and compliance risks, resulting in applications that don't interoperate or can't easily be transitioned into a production environment. As a result, IT is under pressure to themselves rapidly provide the resources that developers need. The dev/test solution Organisations clearly need to respond rapidly to demands and quickly deliver IT services that are flexible. This is difficult to do when they have a rigid structure to produce and deliver applications. In a bid to create applications reliably, application development and test (dev/test) has traditionally operated as two, often isolated, units - "Development", which builds applications - and "Operations", which runs those applications. With the move to the cloud and DevOps model, these roles have begun to blur and merge together as part of a general shift toward a more nimble and iterative development and deployment process. Organisations can deliver a cloud for agile application development and test (dev/test) in two complementary ways: By building cloud-style Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), such as that provided by OpenStack, and by delivering complete development environments as Platform-as-a-Service. Public clouds can also be added as part of a managed, hybrid environment. In addition to allowing IT to drive innovation, the benefits of this setup for dev/test are numerous. Even when companies start small, it provides an internal alternative to current public cloud use. It can streamline and standardize development workflows. Additionally, it can operate independently of production systems and processes—it can also be integrated over time whether through formally adopting DevOps methodologies or other approaches. Red Hat's Open Hybrid Cloud One company looking to the cloud to solve the dev/test conundrum is Red Hat. A roadmap for IT innovation, its Open Hybrid Cloud (OHC) approach allows organisations to start out by implementing an on-premise cloud for dev/test while maintaining the flexibility to accommodate future needs. This addresses one of the most pressing needs at many organisations: improving developer productivity and accelerating application development. Because of its hybrid approach, OHC allows for solutions that are interoperable and provide portability - whether those are on premise or in private or (managed) public clouds. It embodies both IaaS and PaaS approaches: OHC IaaS Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform builds on top of Red Hat Enterprise Linux to provide an application platform for cloud workloads with a large ecosystem and advanced features for writing new applications. OpenStack allows organisations to build a private cloud with the characteristics of a public cloud, including self-service and on-demand access to computing resources. It allows developers to request compute, storage and networking resources as and when the need it. Essentially, it's a full public IaaS cloud delivered privately. OHC PaaS Java and web developers don't usually care much about underlying infrastructure and only want to write apps in a suitable development environment, which is where a PaaS like OpenShift by Red Hat comes in. OpenShift can be built on top of OpenStack or other infrastructures and takes advantage of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat JBoss Middleware, and all the associated work that makes it a productive and full-featured environment for Java EE development. It's flexible too, allowing developers to work with a wide range of other open source languages, frameworks and tools – such as PHP, Python, Ruby, Maven, Jenkins and Eclipse. Plus, apps developed on OpenShift can be flexibly transitioned from test and development to production on a different infrastructure - including physical servers. Click here to find out more about Red Hat's Open Hybrid Cloud solutions

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