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• Industry voice: Looking back at 2014: a year of triumph for cybercriminals?
• In Depth: How to edit photos in iOS 8
• The LG G3's Lollipop update is 'coming soon' in the US
• Walmart really is selling a Vudu-only streaming dongle
• In Depth: Laptops on our radar for 2015
• ZenFone 2 product page tells you everything you wanted to know
• Have a small look at Android Lollipop running on Sony Xperia phones
• Hands-on review: Surface Hub
• Microsoft to boost Office 365 with Equivio purchase
• Galaxy S6 could launch in March with a 20-megapixel camera
• Buying Guide: The ten best stylish wearables
• Intel Broadwell arrives on Fujitsu's enterprise Lifebook, Stylistic Ultrabooks and convertibles
• Beleaguered Windows RT is not dead yet says Microsoft
• Industry voice: What does 2015 have in store for online businesses?
• Hands-on review: In Depth: Hyundai Blue Link
• Download of the day: Blender
• Microsoft wants to turn Skype into iMessage
• Spartan joins Internet Explorer on Windows 10
• Tech Bargains: TechRadar Deals: TVs, soundbars, Android tablets, storage and more!
• Industry voice: Why businesses must take note of the fact that mobile video is here to stay

Industry voice: Looking back at 2014: a year of triumph for cybercriminals? Posted: 24 Jan 2015 12:55 AM PST 2014 could go down in history as a highlight year for cybercriminals. Cybercriminals have shown that no organisation is safe, regardless of size or reputation. The victim list now boasts the likes of Sony, Apple, eBay, JP Morgan and DIY giant Home Depot to name just a few. To finish 2014 with a bang, cybercriminals brought down both the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live at Christmas, just "because they could". Big targets Last year cybercriminals targeted the financial industry and managed to walk away with information for 76 million households and seven million small businesses from JP Morgan, after invading its core network for two months unnoticed. The jig was finally up when a (rare) sloppy mistake gave up the perpetrators. During the time spent infiltrating JP Morgan, the cybercriminals even deleted their tracks, making investigators' jobs harder. JP Morgan spent £165 million (around $247 million, AU$310 million) in cybersecurity measures last year, which thankfully, kept its most critical data safe from unauthorised eyes. Cybercriminals have also hit the retail sector hard. In 2013, cybercriminals scored one of the largest hauls in history when they stole 110 million payment card details from Target. Last year, cybercriminals hijacked Home Depot for 56 million payment cards, costing it £41 million (around $61 million, AU$77 million) in remedial charges to recover from the theft. The public, and the industry at large, is getting used to news like this and consumer confidence isn't as easily shaken anymore. It's a far cry from 2007 and 2008 when cybercriminals cracked TK Maxx parent company TJX and Hannafords – creating headline news and causing significant concern for affected consumers, as well as financial and reputational damage to the businesses targeted. iCloud woes Then there was Apple. The iCloud breach created one of the bigger media storms in 2014 and drew the most attention in light of the data stolen. This one was clearly just for fun and to remind us that cybercriminals enjoy celebrity gossip as much as the rest of us. A classic phishing scam duped celebrities out of their logins and some clever third-party forensics software allowed cybercriminals to lift data right from iCloud. Then, they were kind enough to share the bounty of photos with everyone, ensuring that celebrity gossip sites and forums had a field day. In the US, cybercriminals expanded their reach to healthcare when they swiped four million electronic health records (EHR) from Community Health Systems. The primary reason for such a theft – each EHR is worth fifty times more on the black market than a credit card number. The FBI Cybercrime Division even issued a warning to the healthcare community that security measures were inadequate and couldn't defend against a basic attack, let alone an advanced threat. EHRs sell for about £35 (around $52, AU$65) each and can generate profit in many ways – it's possible to sell the medical identity so someone can get an operation they otherwise couldn't afford. Details, like a mother's maiden name, are most likely included as well – extremely useful for identity theft. The FBI acknowledged the value of this opportunity, calling healthcare "a rich new environment for cybercriminals to exploit." Truly organised crime Cybercriminals also demonstrated increasingly impressive organisational skills. They began selling hacking services, and running an organisation in a very notably corporate fashion. The BlackShades malware reflects this growing sophistication. After infecting over half a million machines across more than 100 countries, we learned that cybercriminals were running their hacking operation like a very organised and professional business, replete with paid staff, customer service personnel – even a marketing director to promote BlackShades. Now that is well organised crime! The list goes on, pointing to an outstanding year. The cybersecurity market is estimated to be worth about £50 billion (around $75 billion, AU$94 billion) annually, and demand for security solutions is at an all-time high. Yet cybercriminals remain effective. As the industry has improved at stopping them, they have improved their methods, making them more sophisticated and advanced. Cybercriminals caused a lot of damage and nuisance to businesses and individuals last year, but the key lesson to learn from all of this is that on a corporate and personal level, we must never let our guard down and not fall for the old tricks of clicking on malicious links in emails or websites. Businesses will need to ensure that they drill corporate IT security policies into the minds of employees, as well as ensure that systems and any applications are patched to minimise the threat of exploitation. Cybersecurity trends and upcoming threats to businesses in 2015 A warning for 2015 While 2014 saw headlines dominated by large businesses falling victim to cybercriminals, it is worth noting that in 2015, no organisation big or small will be safe. Therefore, security measures including patching, antivirus, education and other security methods will be key. As was the case with Sony's PlayStation Network and Microsoft's Xbox Live, cybercriminals will carry out an attack "just because they can". Sergio Galindo is general manager at GFI Software

In Depth: How to edit photos in iOS 8 Posted: 23 Jan 2015 10:27 PM PST Your iPhone's camera is capable of taking amazing shots, but the fun doesn't end there: you can apply a variety of adjustments and effects to liven up your pictures. Photos in iOS 8 has a bunch of new editing tools and holds its own against costly desktop editing apps. The tools you're likely to use most often are crop-and-rotate and, for portraits, Remove Red-Eye. You may also find the Auto Adjust option handy: one tap of this can improve many images. For more control, you'll want to get to know the new adjustment options inherited from iPhoto. In Photos in iOS 8 you can manually adjust Light (exposure, brightness and contrast) and Color, and create custom mono conversions. There's also a range of photo filter effects to add the look of cross-processing, instant-camera shots, or "Chrome" among others. There's everything you need to freshen up your shots or transform them completely. The real stars, however, are the extensions. These enable the Photos app to plug into other apps and add a near-limitless range of new effects and filters. How to edit photos quickly Edit and Auto Enhance Open Photos to review the shots you've snapped, tap on one, then tap Edit (top right). The editing options appear; their location will vary depending on whether your iPhone is in portrait or landscape mode. Often the most immediately useful is Auto Enhance (the magic wand icon). Tap this and Photos attempts to improve the color and contrast of your photo. Crop and rotate Tap the Crop tool. If Photos detects a line in the image that it thinks should be horizontal, it automatically rotates the shot. You can fine-tune by using the wheel, or undo by tapping Reset. To crop, drag the white frame border or its corners, or tap the preset icon to select a fixed aspect ratio. A rule-of-thirds grid appears to help you perfect the composition. Using Photo Filters Use Photo Filters to add instant effects. Tap the filters icon to reveal a row of effect previews. Tap each in turn to see how it affects the image. Tap Done to finish. You can remove an effect by tapping its preview again or tapping None, and add further adjustments afterwards. You can revert to the unedited shot at any time, even if you've closed and reopened it. How to add advanced effects Remove red-eye Red-eye (caused by reflected camera flash) can be a problem in portraits. Photos has a built-in red-eye removal tool, which will appear if the app detects a face in shot. Tap the tool (the eye-shaped icon), then tap on each affected eye. Sometimes you need to tap a few times for Photos to locate the red-eye; it can help if you pinch to zoom in first. Tap Done. Adjustments The new adjustment options offer both simple and advanced modes. Tap the dial icon, then tap the option you want to adjust (Light, say). You'll see a spectrum of small preview images. Drag this either way to apply the adjustment (lightening or darkening the image, increasing or reducing color saturation and so on). Tap Done to apply or Cancel to reject it. Expert editing Want more control? Tap the arrow next to Light, Color, or B&W (or the menu icon with three horizontal lines next to any spectrum of previews) to reveal further controls. Tap an option, such as Highlights, then use the slider to adjust that specific setting. Tap the menu icon to return to the full set of controls. These make it possible to fine-tune images with precision. How to use extensions in Photos Install and activate Extensions are a new addition to the Photos app, and they change everything. First you need to install a photo-editing app that supports extensions - we're using Camera360 Ultimate. After installing the app, open Photos, pick a shot and tap Edit. Now tap the Extensions icon (the circle with three dots in it), tap More, and switch on your chosen extension app. Access Extensions Your chosen app now appears in the list that pops up when you tap Extensions in Photos. Tap it (you might have to OK an alert the first time) and you'll see a bunch of new editing options, depending on the extension app you've chosen. In Camera360 there is a Blur option: tap this and choose the circular Blur icon. Tap the tick icon to apply the effect to your shot. Add Effects Continue adding effects with Camera360. When finished, tap Done to return to Photos, then Done again to save all your adjustments (including those added using Camera360). Tap and hold one finger on the image to view the original, so you can compare it with your edited version. To remove all edits, tap Revert, then Revert to Original. You can do this at any time. 10 best iPhone camera and photo editing apps

The LG G3's Lollipop update is 'coming soon' in the US Posted: 23 Jan 2015 04:56 PM PST LG's USA mobile Twitter account has revealed that the LG G3 is about to be upgraded to Android 5.0 Lollipop in the US. "Introducing Lollipop: a sweet treat for your #LGG3," the message reads, with an image that spells "coming soon." "Life with your LG G3 is about to get sweeter," the image further says. Lollipop began rolling out to LG's current flagship in November, though only in Korea. It was only a matter of time before it made its way here. We've no idea on the time frame beyond "soon," so keep an eye out for the update to arrive if you're a proud LG G3 owner just waiting to be back on the cutting edge. Android 4.4 has been usurped, but it was king in its day

Walmart really is selling a Vudu-only streaming dongle Posted: 23 Jan 2015 04:21 PM PST Last November we reported that Walmart made its own streaming stick, the Vudu Spark, and that it would exclusively play content from Vudu, Walmart's own streaming service. It wasn't 100% certain, but now that wonderful dream has been realized, as Walmart has begun selling the Vudu Spark, reports GigaOM. Vudu.com has a dedicated section for the dongle, where you can get a good look at it and find out "how it works." Here's a summary: you give Walmart $25, take the tiny Spark home, plug it into your TV, and enjoy streaming content from a single service until you run out of things to watch. Or, for $10 more, you could buy a Chromecast and watch content from a wide variety of apps and services, including whatever you're playing on your computer. But whatever, you do you. Looking for the best laptops? TechRadar has you covered

In Depth: Laptops on our radar for 2015 Posted: 23 Jan 2015 02:32 PM PST Laptops are one of those few devices you keep for the long run. Unlike smartphones or tablets, notebooks can cost twice or even three times as much as a mobile device and often last three to five years before you need to upgrade. Like any other big gadget purchase, it's crucial to pick out the best machine on the market. However, in the lieu of Intel's new Broadwell-U chip packed into many of the machines we saw at CES 2015, as well as more Nvidia Maxwell GPU-toting gaming laptops on the way, it's also important to keep an eye what's just around the bend. Each laptop is unique in its own way, with eye-catching qualities like gorgeous displays, notable features – like a mechanical keyboard – or a list of components that makes us simply drool. The machines highlighted below are new releases we've only had a short time with, newly announced units that have piqued our interest, or laptops we've only heard about through rumors and reports. With that in mind, here are the hottest laptops yet to come. Retina MacBook Air Starting with the most anticipated laptop of the year, we're hoping (and hearing) that Apple will finally add one of its Retina screens to the MacBook Air. A sizable number of Utltrabook competitors have already upgraded to beyond-HD screens, including the Quad HD Dell XPS 13, 2160 x 1440 resolution Surface Pro 3 and the Samsung Ativ Book 9's sharp 2,560 x 1,600 pixel panel. A Retina MacBook Air seems like a no brainer since Apple's entire product line from the iPad Mini 2 to the iMac 5K already features the Cupertino company's patented high-definition display technology. According to a few early reports, such a machine will launch in the first quarter of 2015 with a 12-inch display to replace the current 11-inch model, while the 13-inch option will remain. Both models will also purportedly come equipped with one of Intel's latest Broadwell-U processor and a new buttonless trackpad allowing for an even thinner design. Dell XPS 13 (2015) Through an amazing feat of engineering, Dell has somehow fitted a 13-inch laptop into an 11-inch notebook chassis. The Dell PS 13's design even tops the MacBook Air, which has long been considered the OG Ultrabook. Senior editor Juan Martinez got some hands on time and wrote, "80% of the XPS 13's upper panel is actually made up of screen. That is 11% more real estate than the MacBook Air 13, despite being 23% smaller than the MacBook." Aside from the svelte profile, everything about this laptop feels premium from the Gorilla Glass screen, aluminum bezels to the carbon fiber palm rests. The thin and light machine also has some impressive specs behind it as well including a Quad HD (3200 x 1800) resolution and a Broadwell-U processor. On paper, the Dell XPS 13 looks like a strong contender for our compendium of the best Ultrabooks and we can't wait to get some more time to thoroughly review it. YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw4xl6sLvQs Lenovo LaVie Z HZ750 Lenovo (with a lot of help from NEC) has pulled out all the stops to build the Lenovo LaVie Z as a laptop that's even lighter than some tablets. Claimed as the world's lightest 13-inch convertible notebook at just 2.04 pounds, the HZ750's design hews closely with the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro with a hinge that allows the screen to rotate backwards a full 360-degrees. Being thin and light isn't the only thing this remarkable convertible laptop has going for it. At CES 2015, we were blown away with the HZ750's lighter sibling, the HZ550, which at the time was running a full Windows experience on a 13.3-inch 1,920 x 1,080 IGZO screen with a brand new Broadwell Intel Core-i5 processor humming under the keyboard. Acer Chromebook 15 We've got high hopes for this laptop, as its the world's first 15-inch Chromebook. Additionally, the Acer Chromebook 15 is also the very first to be powered by a Core-i3 chip from Intel's new Broadwell-U line of processor. Add in a 1080p screen to round out the package and this looks like a great, affordable notebook for students. Parents with younger and more accident-prone tikes might want to also check out the Acer Chromebook C740. Acer has promised the its latest 15-inch model will have an all-day battery life, as we've come to expect from all Chromebooks. While we haven't got a chance to check out the machine ourselves, we've got high hopes this large-screen Chromebook will add another wrinkle to the affordable laptops market. MSI GT80 Titan We've reviewed some big gaming laptops. After lugging around the enormous, 12.06-pound Alienware 18, we thought notebooks couldn't possibly get any bigger. Well MSI proved us wrong, and threw a full mechanical keyboard inside its MSI GT80 Titan. This is literally the closest thing you can get to a foldable typewriter. Jokes aside, the MSI GT80 Titan is one of the most capable gaming laptops currently out. Aimed squarely at hardcore PC gamers, the MSI GT80 isn't to be taken lightly – this is a fully capable mobile gaming rig equipped with two Nvidia GTX 980M GPUs in SLI. We've tested some of the best laptops in the world

ZenFone 2 product page tells you everything you wanted to know Posted: 23 Jan 2015 02:02 PM PST Asus officially outed the ZenFone 2 at the beginning of January, and now it's revealed everything there is to know about the phone. The ZenFone 2's product page at asus.com lists its specs and provides some great looks at the upcoming handset. Here's the scoop: the Asus ZenFone 2 rocks a 5.5-inch full HD IPS display with 403ppi density, a 3.3mm bezel, a 2.3GHz quad-core 64-bit Intel Atom processor, 4GB of memory, a 13-megapixel PixelMaster rear camera, fast-charging tech that gives you 60% power with around 40 minutes of charging, and Aus's ZenUI over Android 5.0 Lollipop. We knew a lot of that, but it doesn't end there - the official site has a full and comprehensive specs sheet. The only thing it's missing is the phone's release date, but the Asus ZenFone 2 is expected to launch around the second quarter of 2015. The Moto 360 ran circles around the competition

Have a small look at Android Lollipop running on Sony Xperia phones Posted: 23 Jan 2015 01:32 PM PST If there's one thing Sony Xperia users everywhere have been just dying to see, it's how their phones' navigation buttons will look once Android Lollipop arrives on Xperia devices. Today's a very lucky day, as Sony released some screenshots promoting a recent update to its Movie Creator app - and inadvertently revealed exactly what those soft buttons will look like, reports XperiaBlog. There's nothing very surprising here, but it is interesting for Xperia fans to catch a glimpse of the simpler, cleaner button icons. We know that Android 5.0 Lollipop is scheduled to hit the Sony Xperia Z3 in February, but chances are we'll see more leaks before then. Read the TechRadar review of Apple's iPad Air

Hands-on review: Surface Hub Posted: 23 Jan 2015 01:02 PM PST There are plenty of giant screens and plenty of whiteboard systems. Surface Hub - which is the new name for the latest Perceptive Pixel system - uses Windows 10, OneNote and Skype for Business to turn the great PPI touch interface into a way to take the pain out of meetings. It's big - and likely pricey - but it's also clever. The advantage of a whiteboard is that you can walk up to it and, assuming you don't have to clean off the last session, start sketching or making lists. Someone can walk up and write on it with you. Surface Hub is remarkably like that. Even though it's a PC, there's no lock screen or password, just a set of onscreen buttons you touch to start a Skype for Business call, open the whiteboard app or connect a phone or computer. Or you can just pull the pen off the side of the Surface Hub and the whiteboard opens automatically - like clicking the button on the Surface Pro 3 pen to open OneNote. That's no coincidence; the whiteboard app is actually a special version of OneNote, designed to make it easy for up to three people to write on screen at once - and if you have a remote meeting the attendees can write into OneNote from their PCs too, if they have a pen. If you've booked the Surface Hub for a meeting - it shows up in Skype for Business like a room, the way you're used to in Lync - that will be listed on the welcome screen. A touch of the screen will let you start. What you get when you start a meeting is called the Stage; remote participants are in a strip down the side and you can see a thumbnail of your own camera view. There's a bug in this early version so it doesn't switch between the two cameras automatically. The cameras and speakers are tilted in from the sides to give better spatial sound - the Kinect-style 4 microphone array does beam forming so it can pick up one person talking clearly even in a noisy room. In the middle is the whiteboard, or you can bring up apps you want to use, including Microsoft apps like Power BI or third party apps. I tried several, including Siemens CAD viewer, and the high resolution touchscreen makes them easy to control. If you connect a phone or PC - which you can do with a cable if you have a Mac, or using Miracast for Android and Windows - you can project your screen. I used a Surface Pro 3 with a dongle to send a PowerPoint I could control from the PC, or by swiping and pinch-zooming on the Surface Hub. You can have one app open or drag two apps side by side; a CAD app and a PowerPoint, or two screens from different computers connected to the Surface Hub, or the app you're looking at and the whiteboard you're taking notes in. Surface Hub is designed for lots of people to use at once - it can detect all ten fingers from ten different people at once, although even 84 inches is a bit small for that big a group. It's very comfortable for two people to stand side by side and write at once. You don't interfere with each other, and you can change the colour of your ink or switch to the lasso or the eraser without affecting the other pen. Inking is very smooth, and rubbing things out is even smoother because the harder and faster you rub, the more ink disappears at once. The pen is actually touch, but it has a chip in so the Surface Hub knows which pen is which. You can have lots of pens, but only three will work on screen at any one time. What would be nice is if the pen could be tagged as your pen, so the Surface Hub knew who was writing what. This would also make sure you only joined your own meetings, although you can always set Skype for Business to ask you to log in for security. The camera also means you could easily spot someone who's in the wrong meeting. A 4K screen looks nice on your desk but you don't really need it unless you work with images or video. Surface Hub isn't just 4K at 120Hz, making it a beautiful screen. Like the Surface Pro screen it's optically bonded so there are no gaps between the different layers making up the screen, which means it never looks fuzzy and there's less reflection. On the wall, that plus 4K means you can see enormous amounts of detail up close, or see slides and documents and text clearly from across the room. And it makes the ink crisp, clear and smooth. It's just like writing with a real pen, but you get a copy of what you wrote mailed to you - and everyone in your meeting - when you're done. And if you have to share the Surface Hub (it will probably be pricey enough that you probably do), then it will wipe your content clean when you're done. Thankfully, a copy is sent your way, too. Early Verdict The next version of the PPI screens is even nicer than previous models, thanks both to the beautiful screen, the Miracast support from Windows 10 and the simple interface. Technology sometimes gets in the way in meetings; this feels so easy to use, you might actually get more done. If you can afford it in the first place, that is…

Microsoft to boost Office 365 with Equivio purchase Posted: 23 Jan 2015 12:34 PM PST Microsoft has announced that it has purchased Equivio, an Israeli-based text analysis software startup. Equivio's aim is to help its customers tackle "legal and compliance challenge" that's linked to managing large amounts of email and documents. Office already offers some of these features but the acquisition of Equivio should boost that significantly, not least because of its machine learning capabilities, which can be improved simply by adding more compute resources, either locally or through the cloud (think Azure). In theory, it means that an Equivio system can be trained and replicated across several locations and can benefit – almost instantly - from a corpus of knowledge acquired from other similar Equivio systems as well. Speed demon It's not the first purchase by Microsoft in that field; the company purchased FAST, an enterprise search product, back in 2008 for a whopping $1.2 billion, which became the core of Microsoft's Enterprise Search Group. FAST technology is also what powers a new Office product called Delve, which uses the Office graph to facilitate information discovery. Details of the deal haven't been disclosed but various reports put the deal value between $150 and $200 million. Check out our review of Office 365

Galaxy S6 could launch in March with a 20-megapixel camera Posted: 23 Jan 2015 11:49 AM PST Samsung will reportedly benefit from the release of the Galaxy S6 in more ways than one. Samsung's Electro-Mechanics subsidiary (SEM), which makes its camera modules (among many other things), is supplying the phone with a 20-megapixel optical image stabilization-equipped snapper, reports Korea's ETNews. And the Samsung Galaxy S6 will launch in March, the site seems to say; SEM will apparently see growth in the first quarter of the year, and the S6 is reportedly launching "a few weeks earlier than originally planned." That's by no means clear cut, but if the site's data is correct then it seems we could see an announcement in early March around MWC 2015 - which would come as no surprise at all. Meanwhile there's more and more evidence that the Galaxy S6 will use a Samsung chip instead of the Snapdragon 810 - oh, and the rest of its specs apparently leaked as well. Chromecast is smart TV in a stick, and it's brilliant

Buying Guide: The ten best stylish wearables Posted: 23 Jan 2015 11:00 AM PST Let's be honest, the first wearables tended towards the blocky and cumbersome, as they attempted to put a phone on your wrist, chest or head. As they've advanced, they've become a lot easier on the eye (not to mention the wrist/chest/head), with top designers lining up to make their own tech-packed fashion statements. These devices have the brains but also the looks to earn a place on your person. HP MB Chronowing Putting the "smart" in smartwatch, this was designed by Michael Bastion, whose CV includes Sotheby's, Tiffany & Co. and Ralph Lauren. A melding of stainless steel and mineral-hardened crystal, with a choice of nylon, leather or rubber straps, it's more attractive than, for instance, a Pebbleand works with iOS and Android devices, lasts a week before needing a recharge, and shows you sports scores, weather, music controls, calendar appointments and more. You can choose from the standard model or the limited edition black version. $349.99 (£230) Montblanc TimeWalker Urban Speed e-Strap You like the idea of a smartwatch, but you can't bring yourself to part with your trusty old ticker. What to do? You could buy this smart strap instead, which adds smart skills to your standard watch. The 0.9-inch screen has a 128x36-pixel resolution, and shows emails, incoming calls, texts, appointments and notifications. But it also doubles as a fitness tracker, complete with a pedometer and accelerometer, and can control music stored on your phone. And all without harshing the look of your classic timepiece. It will also come as standard on certain Urban Speed models. £TBC Mira This bracelet tracks your steps and calories, but also gives you tips on how to get fitter. Example: "Here's a booty-friendly boost: Start your next walk with 20 squats." Cheers. It's sleek enough to fit in with most jewellery, and comes in two colours: gold and purple. You can take the tracker out and clip it to your clothing, if you prefer. $169 (£111) Polo Tech Shirt by Ralph Lauren Wearables aren't just devices you strap to your wrist. This shirt tracks your biometric data while you work out and streams it to your smartphone or tablet. Fire up the companion app, and you can see a breakdown of how hard you worked and when. It reads your stats using biosensing silver fibres woven into the shirt, and can tell you how many calories you burned per hour, your maximum heart rate and steps taken. You can compare these over time, which should be ample motivation. The fabric also wicks away your sweat. £TBC Ringly This ring comes with a choice of four stones: black onyx ("Stargaze"), pink sapphire ("Wine Bar"), rainbow moonstone ("Daydream") and emerald ("Into the Woods"). There's also a limited edition version with a tourmalated quartz ("Dive Bar"). Whichever you choose, it'll come with an 18-carat matte gold setting that's very stylish too. It works with iOS and Android and vibrates to alert you to calls, texts, appointments, emails and Twitter and Facebook notifications. There's no screen, so you'll have to look at your phone to see why it's buzzing. But that's a small price to pay to look this good. It'll be out in the spring. $195 (£129) Intel MICA MICA stands for My Intelligent Communication Accessory, and it does what it says on the tin. The bracelet features a curved sapphire touchscreen, but it's the catwalk credentials that have garnered headlines: it's designed by fashion house Opening Ceremony, and comes clad in either black water-snake skin, pearls from China and lapis stones from Madagascar, or white water-snake skin, tiger's eye from South Africa and obsidian from Russia. Premium indeed. Intel handles the guts, and like others of its ilk it gives you notifications when they pop up on your smartphone. Interestingly, it also has its own 3G connection so doesn't have to pair with a phone. $495 (£329) Sony SmartEyeglass Attach Fashion and tech aren't always such great bedfellows. That's why we love the Sony SmartEyeglass Attach – instead of being a new pair of tech specs, it's an add-on to your existing glasses, so you can get smart skills without letting an IT specialist decide how you look. A module containing a processor, sensors, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sits on your glasses' arm, with a small OLED display above your eye to show info. You get data like a heads-up display, so you can read emails, text messages, see who's calling, and the rest. £TBC Withings Activité Pop This takes most of the features from the premium Activité, packages them in a device that's £200 cheaper, then adds the word "Pop" on the end. With a monochrome design and PVD-coated case, it keeps the clean, simple look of the more expensive Activité but makes it more youthful, urban and better value. Your day's activity is measured on the sub-dial, so you can see it at a glance, and it doesn't swamp you with features: swimming, how many steps you've taken, run detection and basic sleep tracking are your lot. Sometimes less is more. £120 Altruis This isn't just one piece, it's a whole range of jewellery. Every ring, necklace, bracelet and stone contains a circuit board, Bluetooth, vibration motor and sensors. It syncs to your smartphone and alerts you to what's new. Each piece looks decidedly non-techy, with materials including rose gold and platinum, and you can swap the stone between pieces, so it can be a ring one day and a necklace the next. The app is where the magic happens: choose which alerts you get, who can reach you and keywords to look out for. And you're all set. NB: dungarees are not included in the price. £290 Netatmo June This could save your life. The June measures your exposure to the sun and pings info to your smartphone, giving you advice on how to proceed. Worried you're not using the right SPF? Think it's time to move into the shade? The June gives you peace of mind. Of course it is a pretty face too – it's cut to resemble a diamond, and comes in three colours: platinum, gold and gunmetal, with a choice of either a leather or silicon wristband. The perfect beach companion. €95 (£72)

Intel Broadwell arrives on Fujitsu's enterprise Lifebook, Stylistic Ultrabooks and convertibles Posted: 23 Jan 2015 10:50 AM PST Fujitsu has unveiled a new Stylistic tablet, two new Lifebook convertible laptops, and an Ultrabook running Intel's latest fifth-generation Core processors known as Broadwell. Broadwell's biggest appeal is stronger battery life, and Fujitsu claims up to 20-hour computing time on the Lifebook T935 convertible. The enterprise class systems are equipped with Intel's vPro technology and come with security features such as Smart Card readers, embedded TPM, encrypted drives, and fingerprint scanners. The range of devices include an Ultrabook-class Lifebook T935 2-in-1 with a swiveling tablet hinge, a Lifebook T725 2-in-1 with modular expansion bay, the 14-inch Ultrabook Lifebook U725, and a detachable Stylistic Q775 2-in-1. Lifebook T935 and T725 convertible 2-in-1 Both 2-in-1 hybrid systems feature a bi-directional rotating hinge to convert the laptops into tablet mode. Fujitsu is highlighting the MIL-STD testing and features like strengthened glass displays and spill-resistant keyboards for road warriors on both systems. The 13.3-inch T935 features a premium design with materials like magnesium housing and an aluminum palm rest that help keep the thickness at just 0.75 inches (1.9 cm). Though this model will give you up to 20 hours of power on a single charge, mobile users will appreciate the removable battery in the T935, allowing you to carry a spare when you run out of power. Trading in the slimness of the T935, the 12.5-inch T725 is a no-compromise system with 15-hour battery life and a multitude of expansion options. The modular bay in the T725 can be used to accommodate a second battery while the Lifebook E Series docking station expands the number of available ports when you're using the T725 in the office. Both models also support optional built-in 4G LTE mobile broadband connectivity. Lifebook U745 Targeting users of the competing Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Fujitsu is billing its U745 as a 14-inch business-class Ultrabook. The 0.75-inch (1.9 cm) thick U745 features an HD+ anti-glare display with optional touchscreen configuration and the same magnesium housing and aluminum palm rest as the Lifebook T935 2-in-1. With easy access to the battery, memory, and internal storage, users or IT departments can upgrade to a larger capacity SSD or change to a spare battery in the field if needed. A legacy VGA port is also found on the system, allowing easy connection to projectors. For additional ports, the U745 works with the Lifebook E Series docking station. A backlit keyboard is not a standard option on this device and unlike the 2-in-1, the U745 doesn't benefit from a more rugged MIL-STD tested design. For security, the U745 also has an option for a palm vein scanner. Stylistic Q775 2-in-1 Unlike the Lifebook T935 and T725 convertibles, the Stylistic Q775's hybrid design allows you to detach the 13.3-inch display from the keyboard dock for tablet use. Boasting a semi-rugged design, the Q775 has a strengthened 13.3-inch glass display and MIL-STD tested design. The Q775 also features support for pen input. The optional Shell Concept adds Smart Card, Palm Vein, mounting and mag stripe shells for different computing environments. Availability All systems will be coming in February of this year except the the Stylistic Q775, which will arrive in March. Fujitsu has not announced pricing for any of the systems at this time. For comparison, the base model Ultrabook Lifebook U904 that we reviewed came with a suggested retail price of $1549 (around £1363 or AU$1660). Find out what the ten best tablets are for business.

Beleaguered Windows RT is not dead yet says Microsoft Posted: 23 Jan 2015 10:11 AM PST Microsoft has confirmed that it hasn't yet pulled the plug on Windows RT, its once-promising, often-misunderstood operating system based on Windows 8 and running on ARM processors. Windows veteran Paul Thurrott was told that Windows RT will not be upgraded to Windows 10 but will get an update that will offer some of the functionality of Windows 10. Windows RT was supposed to be Microsoft's vision of the future, a platform that borrowed the best bits from mobile and desktop operating systems like an app store and a tightly controlled environment. For Microsoft, it also meant being able to work with a whole new set of processor vendors (instead of relying on Intel only). Significant backing There was some significant industry backing at launch with all major players – bar Acer - having at least one Windows RT device but things quickly fizzled out for two main reasons. Users were confused as to what Windows RT did (and the fact that it wasn't compatible with existing x86 applications) and also the relatively poor performance of products. Microsoft released a Surface RT device, dropped the RT when it launched a Surface 2 tablet before launching Surface 3 Pro without a Surface 3 sidekick. Via Cnet Check out our feature on what we want to see from Surface 3

Industry voice: What does 2015 have in store for online businesses? Posted: 23 Jan 2015 09:50 AM PST 2014 was the year of the domain, with new domain name extensions becoming available for the first time. The new gTLDs (top-level domains, like .com, .net or .org) created new online real estate. Location extensions such as .London and .NYC, and more general names – like .Photography and .Expert – changed the web forever, and made it easier for businesses to find a place online to call home. But what are the key trends set to shape 2015, and what do the next twelve months have in store for those navigating the world of online business for the first time? Let's take a look at a few of the considerations and trends that online businesses should take into account over the course of this year. Multiple domains Many businesses have been quick to capitalise on the availability of new TLDs. The new domains offer businesses a big opportunity to define themselves, launch new services or showcase the extent of their offerings. Companies such as West Ham United Football Club, Fortnum and Mason, Meantime Brewery and Metro Bank were among the first to launch websites using the new .London domain last year, and 2015 will likely see a greater number of businesses, both large and small, look to link their company to physical locations or countries. 2015 is also likely to see a growth in the number of domains a company has – tailoring a company's digital identity to suit numerous audiences. For example, airlines offering trans-Atlantic flights could register domains based on route names, as a landing page for flight bookings. Optimised for mobile Last year, smartphones and tablets became the dominant devices for those looking to spend online. With the launch of the iPhone 6 and the continued success of larger devices from other manufacturers, 2014 saw a move away from the smaller phone norm as the phablet grew in prominence. As phones get larger, it becomes ever easier for consumers to browse and shop online, increasing the need for great looking mobile sites. Leveraging the mobile web doesn't consist solely of an effective UI: geo-referenced business info, a balanced adoption of high-res photos and videos, direct interactions thanks to click-to-call solutions, and social media integration should also be considerations. The ability to make payments via mobile is also vital, and a professional, trustworthy site is indispensable if you want to convert an accidental visitor into a repeat shopper. Marketing shift from globalisation to personalisation Marketing is becoming more regionalised, localised and personalised. The internet has levelled the playing field between small and large businesses – but if David is to keep pace with Goliath, small businesses will need to replicate how the bigger boys manage and market their global brands Personalisation is not a trend. It is a marketing revolution which will transform how we think about and how we manage global brands. Companies will decentralise their structure and increase regional and local influence. Small businesses have the chance to benefit from this in 2015. They have speed, passion and urgency. They spot opportunities, can move quickly and explore new ideas, and can create a connection with their local customers that a larger business simply cannot. Stefano Maruzzi is VP of EMEA at GoDaddy

Hands-on review: In Depth: Hyundai Blue Link Posted: 23 Jan 2015 09:00 AM PST It's not often that Apple and Google are brought together under one sunroof, but that's the idea behind the Hyundai Blue Link system that is making its debut in the 2015 Hyundai Sonata. This mid-size car features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay within its infotainment console in addition to its own proprietary Blue Link service and navigation suite. The South Korean auto maker didn't stop there, however, and that's why it drove away with TechRadar's Best Car Tech award earlier this month at CES 2015. The cherry on top came in the form of Hyundai running an Android Wear demo in which Blue Link could start the car from a smartwatch and the sound of my voice. Blue Link at its base Hyundai's cloud-based Blue Link platform has already allowed drivers to use their smartphone in order to connect to their car. Right now, it's all done via an iOS and Android-compatible app. From a phone or the web, you can remotely start your vehicle, unlock and lock the doors and activate the horn and lights. All of this can be done from afar for $99 (£66, AU$125) a year after a 90-day trial. Just in case you're away from your car simply because you can't find it, this remote package includes a "find your car" feature. If it's stolen, Blue Link can assist the police is locating and stopping the car. Blue Link's more-typical guidance package includes a destination search function for the same price, but it happens to be powered by Google. Google knows a thing or two about search. Putting the link in Blue Link, it even lets you send search results to your vehicle via the web or app so that you're not re-typing in the address after having searched for it on the computer on phone. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto in one Of course, you never need to use Hyundai's navigation system because the more familiar maps from both Apple and Google are a part of the forthcoming 2015 Hyundai Sonata update. Plugging in my own iPhone 6, I was able to navigate Las Vegas via Apple Maps, play my iTunes song and ask Siri to send out text messages and iMessages. It was all second nature to me. Best of all, the 4.7-inch phone was no longer a distraction. As soon as the square app tiles powered up on the car's in-dash screen, my iPhone 6 went blank following a short Apple CarPlay logo. The Apple CarPlay menus are simple and effective, albeit too dark next to Android Auto. Google's design reflects its Material Design layout that's found in Android 5.0 Lollipop. Android Auto is also a bit smarter thanks to its personalized Google Now main menu that pops up as soon as an Android phone is plugged in. Like my iPhone 6, the demo's Nexus 5 showed a distraction-free logo. The overall Android Auto experience is laid out better than Apple Carplay, though I wasn't able to use my own Nexus 6 to toy around with the superior Google Maps, messaging and music apps. In addition to Android Lollipop, it requires a container app - sort of like the Android Wear app - and that's still in a developer beta. Standalone smartphone-linked systems Before I highlight the smartwatch functionality, another way in which Hyundai stands out with Blue Link is that, eventually, the company isn't going to force you to buy its system if you don't want to. Starting in 2016, the auto manufacturer plans to offer head units that can be powered by Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but eschew Blue Link's Navteq GPS navigation options. That's going to be a cost-savings, and for car-buying millennials who would rather use their new iPhone or Android, this is going to be a bottom-line incentive when haggling at the dealership. Blue Link smartwatch controls There's already a lot going on with Blue Link, but Hyundai didn't come to a complete stop there. It demoed its new Android Wear smartwatch app for the first time. It put the car controls right on my wrist when I held up the Asus ZenWatch and said "Okay Google, start Blue Link." This smartwatch app, currently in beta, is due out before the end of March. With the app started, I was able to voice-activate the remote engine start, which would have revved up the engine had it not been a demo within the crowded Las Vegas Convention Center. Other voice controls include remote engine stop, door lock and unlock, flash lights or honk the horn and car finder. Call roadside assistance and call the Blue Link service center are also available commands. Early verdict I test drove plenty of smartphone-connected car ideas in the past six months, but Hyundai Blue Link has me convinced that this is the car tech of the very near future. It marries Apple CarPlay and Android Auto together and puts them in same Blue Link package, and eventually they'll be available in a standalone head unit without the unnecessary NAVTEQ GPS for a more affordable price. I didn't expect that. The Android Wear smartwatch integration may seem like a neat car trick. But I can just imagine myself headed out the door with my morning coffee and laptop bag, and want to remotely start my car hands-free. It also just shows that Hyundai is on the right track for tech-savvy millennials who are looking for a car with cutting-edge tech, but without an outrageously expensive Tesla price. As I wait for car makers to roll out self-driving vehicles in the next decade, cars like the 2015 Hyundai Sonata with Blue Link seem to be headed in the right direction.

Download of the day: Blender Posted: 23 Jan 2015 07:00 AM PST Build stunning 3D models, flesh them out and animate them, or even create your own games – it's all possible in Blender, and totally for free. Why you need it Learning the ropes when it comes to 3D modelling can be a time consuming process, so why pay for a program before you feel confident? Blender is a genuinely comprehensive, professional 3D modelling program that is available completely for free, making it ideal if you're dabbling in 3D work but don't want to shell out a small fortune if you're not even sure it's for you. One of the great things about Blender is its versatility. Whether you want to create photorealistic renderings for use as product mockups, or you just want a quick creation to help you sketch out an idea, Blender has the tools available to help you achieve your goal. So, for example, there's support for HDR (high dynamic range) lighting to help you ensure your models are perfectly lit, easy weight painting and skinning to turn skeletons into fleshed out models, powerful animation and sculpting tools and much more. Blender also has its own compositor, so there's no need to export your work to a third party app – saving you even more money. The same goes for Blender's game engine, which allows you to code in game logic, Python scripting and more. There really is an amazing array of features available in Blender, which seems all the more incredible given it's completely free and open source. Key features Works on: PC, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD Versions: Free Create 3D models: At its core, Blender is a 3D modelling program, so you'll find everything you need right here Create games: Blender has its own game engine, so you can create assets and then build your game around them, all within the same program Tons of uses: There are so many features contained in Blender that it should be of use no matter what your project is You'll also like Sketchup Free DWG Viewer Lightworks Avidemux Windows Movie Maker

Microsoft wants to turn Skype into iMessage Posted: 23 Jan 2015 06:40 AM PST Microsoft is heavily integrating Skype into its upcoming Windows 10 operating system, and it looks like it's taken a leaf from Apple's book. At a recent press event Microsoft showed off various features of Windows 10, including a revamped built-in Messages app with integrated Skype that lets you make and receive video and audio calls alongside instant messages. All messages sent via the app will be synced over any PCs, tablets and phones that you use the app on. It all sounds very exciting and innovatve but the screenshots Microsoft showed, as well as some of the features of the app, are very reminiscent of Apple's iMessage service. For example, you won't need to know a contact's Skype username to message them, you can just use their phone number. Although Apple might have got there first with a few of the features, Microsoft does have a clear advantage, as iMessage is only available on Apple products. Skype, meanwhile, is available on Android, BlackBerry, Windows and even Apple products as well. Everything we know so far about Windows 10

Spartan joins Internet Explorer on Windows 10 Posted: 23 Jan 2015 05:59 AM PST Microsoft has confirmed that it will ship Windows 10 with both the "old" Internet Explorer 11 and the "new" Spartan rendering engines, but the company has made it clear that it will be focusing its resources on the latter. It also seems as if two separate browsers will be available with Spartan being seen as the way forward for Microsoft, according to the Group Program Manager for Internet Explorer, Jason Weber. What's up with Windows 10's HoloLens? Webber wrote on the MSDN blog that Spartan is designed to work across the entire Windows 10 device family regardless of whether they come with traditional input peripherals (mouse, keyboard) or whether they will rely on touch entirely. On call The IE11 engine, he suggested, would be kept for legacy enterprise websites "when needed" with the new rendering engine used for websites. That apparent "forking" ensures that the browser is compatible across a very broad spectrum. "Interoperatbility" was mentioned six times in the post which shows how focused the company is on making sure that its brand new browser works with the rest of the web. Will Spartan join our list of best web browsers? Surely, probably… Everything you need to know about Windows 10

Tech Bargains: TechRadar Deals: TVs, soundbars, Android tablets, storage and more! Posted: 23 Jan 2015 05:40 AM PST Take a deep breath, everyone - it's nearly the weekend. So while you wait for the clock to tick past five O'clock , have a browse through this week's final round-up of tech deals. As usual we've got tablets, TVs, soundbars, accessories, portable storage and more! Let's kick off with a great deal on an excellent HD TV. Samsung's H6400 series was one of our favourites from 2014. It already represented great value, but now things are even better. You can get the 48-inch Samsung UE48H6400 TV, with Freeview HD, voice control, 2x 3D glasses, free 12 month MUBI movies subscription and a 3 month pass to music streaming service Deezer - all for just £529! Today's Big Deals Looking for a super cheap Android tablet? Look no further than the heavily discounted Lenovo S5000 7-incher. Currently going for £87.99 at Argos/eBay. Great deal on the Wacom Bamboo Pad Light Touchpad with digital stylus - now just £19.54 at Amazon. No room for a soundbar in front of your TV? Think about getting a soundbase which your TV can sit on top of. This one from Orbitsound is great and currently just £119.99 at Amazon. Want a Mac for less than £340? You can currently get a refurbed Mac mini with Core i5 Intel CPU for just £339. And if you're an extreme sports enthusiast with a GoPro, you can currently get a good deal on an extension pole for your action cam. This GoPole is currently just £35.99! MORE DEALS EE 4G 6GB Pay As You Go Mobile Broadband Combi Sim - £14.99 HP 15 Laptop, Intel Core i3, 4GB RAM, 1TB, 15.6" - £349.95 WD My Passport Ultra 1TB USB 3.0 Portable Drive with Auto and Cloud Backup - Black - £50 Swees® 50W 5V / 10A 5 Port USB Charger Wall Charger Adapter - £13.99 Toshiba 320GB Store.E Basics Portable Hard Drive - £29.99 SEIKI SE39UY01UK 39-Inch 4K Ultra HD - £259.99 Duracell MN2400 Plus Power Alkaline AAA Size Batteries (Pack of 12) - £4.50 Sony MDRZX310 Foldable Headphones - Metallic Black - £12.50

Industry voice: Why businesses must take note of the fact that mobile video is here to stay Posted: 23 Jan 2015 05:35 AM PST The modern employee is no longer tied to an office desktop. Whether it is on a smartphone, a laptop or a tablet, employees are increasingly taking their work with them wherever they go. The requirements of modern business necessitate a mobile workforce, capable of meeting the demands and expectations of their clients whenever they arise. As such it is not surprising to learn that 72% of enterprise decision makers say that mobile capability is a very important if not required factor when selecting a video solution for their business. Mobile video consumption is increasing across the globe. Driving force The development and advancement of mobile video in the enterprise is being driven by both users and video producers. As more and more workers choose to work out of the office, a strong demand for mobile capabilities within workforces has developed and business executives must meet that demand by providing engaging content. Enterprise video is at heart a creative tool that enables the spread of knowledge within an organisation. You only have to look at the breadth of the enterprise video market to see that mobile video apps can be effectively implemented within a variety of industries ranging from energy and utilities to financial services. Video is not simply a tool for training, videoconferencing or any other single-use implementation. It is a blank canvas that businesses can deploy for myriad uses and applications. The increase of BYOD Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is becoming ever more of a mainstream option as almost 50% of business executives use their personal smartphones for work (32% using a tablet for the same purpose). As Generation Y employees enter the workplace, their expectations of a company's flexibility in facilitating mobile working will push this trend ever further towards the norm. The complexities of embracing BYOD in the age of video It is telling that three out of four employees under 40 regularly watch video on a mobile device and as 4G devices increasingly become the norm this number will continue to increase. Modern businesses need to react to the expectations of their employees in order to be considered an attractive employer in their space. By facilitating BYOD policies and backing that up with effective software architecture you are demonstrating an inclusive attitude towards your workforce. This is central to unlocking another aspect of mobile video: user-generated content. By enabling and encouraging your employees to create video content for use within the company you are tapping into a huge resource of knowledge and experience, sharing it across the business. In this way, appropriate and effective video technology can make a real difference to a developing business. The right culture Optimising your business for mobile communications represents a laudable attitude towards meeting your clients' demands, enabling your employees to work in a way that suits them best, and fostering a culture of sharing and respect for the content of your peers throughout your company. The trend for mobile enterprise video is here to stay and it is up to business managers to react accordingly. Martin Nurser is Vice President of Qumu EMEA

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