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• UPDATED: Apple Watch vs Moto 360
• Download of the Day: LiveCricket
• Review: Updated: Microsoft Band
• Updated: Best laptops 2015: which notebook should you buy?
• Microsoft promises faster Windows 10 updates
• Unfixed Safari bug saves every site you visit in private browsing
• Hands-on review: UPDATED: Oculus Rift
• updated: Best Bluetooth speakers 2015
• Review: mini review: UE Mini Boom
• Is this strange-looking Sony leak an Xperia phone?
• Review: Western Digital DL4100
• Android may get a whole lot safer on public Wi-Fi
• In Depth: Best Netflix TV shows: 25 great Netflix television series in the US
• In depth: 4K TV and Ultra HD: Everything you need to know
• In depth: 4K TV and Ultra HD: Everything you need to know
• Microsoft to launch Cortana on iPhone and Android
• Week in Tech: Week in Tech: Apple prices its Watch, Sony kills PlayStation Mobile, Google opens a shop
• 7 Days in Smartphones: 7 days in smartphones: How Apple murdered time
• Google gaffe outs hidden whois data for almost 300,000 domains
• Updated: The best smartphones of 2015 - Samsung Galaxy S6, iPhone 6S and more

UPDATED: Apple Watch vs Moto 360 Posted: 13 Mar 2015 11:51 PM PDT Display, design, straps and watch faces It's circle vs square in the Moto 360 vs Apple Watch comparison, and we're one month away from being able to wear both, given the newly announced Apple Watch release rate. Of course, wearing both would be ridiculous, so now that we know more about what's been hiding up Apple CEO Tim Cook's sleeve, we can see if it's really better than Motorola's fashionable Moto 360? The duelling smartwatches feature premium stainless steel designs among the options and only work with their respective operating systems. Apple Watch needs an iPhone and Moto 360 an Android. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr72v7Z7m4Y You can pick one or the other in this Apple Watch vs Moto 360 comparison, so it may come down to which has the best features and price if you're sitting on the Android 5.0 Lollipop or iOS 8 fence. Display Circle beats square, even though both smartwatches boast impressive displays. It's just that we're tired of boxy computerized watches before. Moto 360 offers something ambitious with its round 1.56-inch LCD screen, while Apple Watch sticks with a tried-and-true rectangular shape in two height: 38mm (1.5 in) and 42mm (1.65in). Apple's iPhone-compatible watch has the advantage of an "flexible Retina AMOLED display" laminated with a single crystal layer of scratch-resistant sapphire glass, at least among its higher-priced editions. Winner: Moto 360. Yes, the Apple Watch comes in two sizes and features a nice Retina display that'll likely beat Motorola's good-but-not-good enough LCD. But the round look wins out. Build quality Neither watch falls into the trap of looking plastic. The tiny smartwatch components are housed in premium metal cases. The Moto 360 is encircled with a stylish stainless steel frame. It contrasts with the plastic found in earlier Android Wear watches like the Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch. Apple Watch takes things a step further with three editions. The standard "Apple Watch" comes in a polished or space black stainless steel and Apple Watch Sport features either a space gray or silver anodized aluminum case. Apple Watch Edition really steps things up with an 18-karat rose or yellow gold case. There's also two sizes of Apple Watch - perfect for those with smaller wrists. Winner: Apple Watch. For once, the Cupertino company is offering customers more choice than its Android-based competitor. Straps Whether you call them straps or bands, Apple Watch brings more variety to the wristwatch in this category too. There are six watch straps materials, each available in a range of colors. Leather options with various closure styles include Classic Buckle, Modern Buckle, Leather Loop, while the Sport Band is ideal for gym-wear thanks to its rubber-like elastomer makeup. The two metal bands are both stainless steel. There's the Link Bracelet with butterfly clasps (we demoed a similar one for Moto 360 in Chicago last week) and flexible magnetic mesh Milanese Loop. Best of all, it's easier to swap out the default straps depending on your mood or the occasion. Winner: Apple Watch. Sure, Moto 360 has metal bands now too, but there aren't as many choices and they're not as easy to change out despite being 22mm. Watch faces One of the biggest beefs I've had with Android Wear smartwatches is the lack of watch face options, though the Moto 360 does boast some customizations to default watch faces. Its Motorola Connect app lets circular smartwatch owners tweak the six pre-loaded watch faces with new color options. That's in addition to the Google Play Store's multitude of third-party watch faces. Apple Watch on the other hand has previewed 11 different watch faces and all of them can be customized even further with what it calls "Complications." Don't like the color, design element or functionality? Tweak it. Want to even include stock quotes, weather reports, your next calendar event, and a daily activity tracker? Add that too. Apple claims that there are "millions" of different watch face available this way. Winner: Apple Watch. Motorola does a decent job of letting you alert existing faces, but you have to rely on third-party watch faces for truly custom designs. Specs, interface, apps and fitness Internal specs At the heart of the Apple Watch is a custom-made S1 processor that confines its key specs to a single miniaturized chip. It sounds powerful, but we can't know for sure until next year. Also onboard is what Apple calls its Taptic Engine to initiate haptic feedback that feel like taps on your wrist. Alerts, notifications and friends' conversations all produce a unique vibration. We know more about Motorola's smartwatch at the moment. A Texas Instruments OMAP 3 processor makes it tick along with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. The Moto 360 is noticeably slower than the earlier Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch, as both Android Wear rivals went with a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. It won't ruin your day, but we expect the Apple Watch S1 processor to surpass both chipsets on April 24. Winner: Apple Watch. Truthfully, smartwatch specs are boring without monster processors and state-of-the-art graphics chips. Apple Watch could push it with new chip innovation. Interface Android Wear's Google Now-inspired interface isn't perfect, but it's an impressive start for the rather new product category for the company given its launch nine months ago. Google's know-it-all software predicts what we're interested in before we even move. I looked up the Chicago Cubs' Wrigley Field and my Moto 360 nudged me that it's 24 minutes away. As I walked in a few innings into the baseball game, it told me the score whenever I asked "OK Google, what's the score of the cubs game?" Sitting in the stands, it reminded me about my flight back home the next day. Apple's software could be equally impressive thanks to its time-saving Glances feature and Siri that could make "OK Google" seem "just OK." It also has a digital crown input on the side of the smartwatch, in contrast to Moto 360's small-screen swiping. Zooming and scrolling won't get in the way on the Apple Watch. Winner: Tie. For now. Apple isn't known for data mining to the same degree as Google, so its ability to surface our need-to-know information at a glance is unproven. But the digital crown is a nice touch considering our fingertips (and fingerprints) hog smartwatch touchscreens. Apps Apple Watch isn't launching until April 24, and yet the company has been demoing several apps for its smartwatch several months in advance. You'll know what to do in life with Calendar, where to go with Maps and how to check in with Passbook and keep your wallet in your back pocket with Apple Pay. Apple Watch will also let you set the tone with Music or Remote for Apple TV and iTunes, and remember the best moments in life with the Camera Shutter remote and Photos app. Stopwatch, Time and Alarm apps keep you on time, while Stocks keep you in the black. Weather should keep you dry. The thing is, most of these apps are available on Moto 360 via Android Wear, as Google has had a few months to grow its Google Play Store smartwatch subsection before the Apple Watch launch. Winner: Tie, but eventually Apple Watch. Moto 360 is here right now, but Apple Watch already has a healthy amount of apps ready for launch and it'll be able to handle phone calls from the wrist. Fitness Apple is taking fitness seriously with the Apple Watch that tracks activity with three metrics. Move shows how many calories you've burned while wearing the watch. Exercise keeps track of your most active minutes and Stand actually measures how long you spend on your feet. Dedicated cardio exercise makes use of the Apple Watch's Workout app, which has real-time stats for your total exercise time, distance, calories and pace. Keeping you motivated are goals, reminders and achievements. Like me after eating a cheeseburger, fitness isn't Moto 360's forte. Google Fit tracks steps like a pedometer and monitors your heart rate. Motorola's slightly more robust Heart Rate Activity app goes an extra mile with a motivating countdown to 30 minutes of daily brisk activity and week-long streak indicators. It also features an optical heart-rate sensor to keep track of your active (or less than active) ticker, but we're waiting for a Moto 360 update to really get the blood flowing. Winner: Apple Watch. There's more to come, says Motorola and while the Moto 360 does some fitness chores, it's just pedometer and heart-rate information. Apple Watch is already demoing this and more. Battery charging Moto 360 and Apple Watch are designed to be worn seven days a week, but it also requires recharging them on a nightly basis. That's why it's extra important to make juicing the battery as straightforward as possible. What we like about the Motorola's recharging method over the Apple Watch is the Qi standard. Moto 360 uses the more widely adopted Qi wireless charging. In addition to coming with a dock that doubles as a nightstand, the smartwatch can be powered back up using Google's own Nexus Qi wireless charger meant for the Nexus 7 tablet and Nexus 5 smartphone. Apple Watch uses a similar inductive charging solution with magnets for proper alignment. It's modelled after the MagSafe adapter used by MacBooks, but it's a proprietary charger. Winner: Moto 360. Grabbing a single multi-purpose charger for a roadtrip or borrowing a friend's Qi charger in a pinch is a little closer to reality when owning the Moto 360. I tested it out and it works with my universal Nexus Wireless Charger made by Google. Which one should you buy? You can't get away with using both, as Moto 360 and Apple Watch are tied to their respective Android and iOS platforms. Then again, you can only buy the Moto 360 right now. Is Apple Watch worth waiting for? It certainly appears to have better build quality, out-of-the-box band variety and watch face selection thanks to Apple's incredibly rare gift of user customization. It's also keener on fitness tracking compare to any Android Wear right now, including Moto 360. Google Fit really needs to catch up. None of this changes the fact that Moto 360 sports a classic circular watch face that's infinitely more stylish. You can't go around knocking Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch for very computerized square displays and then praise Apple Watch for the exact same design. In an ideal world, I'd fit the iOS 8-compatible Apple Watch into a round Moto 360 display, call it iWatch, and then call it a day. But that's not the ambitious design Jony Ive went with, at least not this time. Apple Watch is worth the wait to see how it performs, but you may want to hold out (or at least not splurge on the ultra-expensive Apple Watch Edition) until Tim Cook and company make a circular version in the future too.

Download of the Day: LiveCricket Posted: 13 Mar 2015 11:04 PM PDT With the Cricket World Cup currently in full swing Down Under and summer on the horizon there's no better time to download LiveCricket to keep track of those important scores all day long. Why you need it Cricket is hardly the most frenetic sport on the planet and as such doesn't lend itself to you spending chunks of your working day checking the score. That in mind a desktop score service is just what the doctor ordered and LiveCricket's simple interface is a great way to track scores, scorecards and follow England all the way to glory (*the last part we can't guarantee). Installing LiveCricket is a doddle and there's no adware to worry about so once it's on your desktop the only thing you'll be harassed by is your country or team losing wickets at a rate of knots. The small application starts off as a un-intrusive scoreboard in the bottom corner of the desktop that displays the current score, run rate, and last three overs bowled. A small pop-down feature is also a part of the program and can be configured to show the score of each side, the scores of the two batsmen currently at the crease and the bowling stats of the two players hurling the cherries at the stumps. LiveCricket can go into even more detail than that though. Hover over the application to bring up the scorecard of all the day's proceedings where detailed batting and bowling stats appear for both teams plus the umpires, man of the match and everything else you would need to know about the match taking place. When a game is in progress a ticker updates every time a significant event takes place and anyone that wants an even less intrusive experience can choose to turn off the alerts to only come up when a wicket is taken or choose to have the full experience where there's an alert for everything. Any cricketing fans in your office will be smitten with what LiveCricket offers and as an sports ticker it is particularly quiet compared to what else is on offer elsewhere. Key features Works on: Windows 7 and 8.1 Price: Free Instant Updating: Scores update in real time meaning that when a wicket falls, century is passed, or a side wins you will be informed. Custom Alerts: LiveCricket won't irritate you every time a run is scored or a dot ball bowled as it can be customised to only send out alerts when certain events take place.

Review: Updated: Microsoft Band Posted: 13 Mar 2015 04:51 PM PDT Introduction and display Update March 2015: The Microsoft Band has been updated with a bunch of new features. Both the wearable and the Microsoft Health app are getting a hefty update including a web dashboard, biking functionality, new ways to scan and respond to incoming notifications, and integration with Microsoft HealthVault and MapMyFitness. Check out the interface and apps/fitness pages for more information on how they've improved my experience with the Band. How does the Microsoft Band stack up against the Apple Watch so far? Original review below ... Microsoft quickly and quietly launched its Microsoft Band when no one was really expecting a wearable. The company promptly released the sensor-intensive Microsoft Band after its announcement (without much fanfare, with a price tag of $199 (about £125, AU$230). Despite the high cost, the ninja release and the Microsoft brand seemed enough to keep people curious and ravenous for the Redmond ware, as its been sold out online and in stores for months now. It's not available globally just yet, though it eventually will be according to the company. Sneaking into a growing ocean of wearables, Microsoft has a long way to go, if it wants to remain a top contender in the fitness tracking competition. Jawbone already has the successful UP24, plus the UP3 coming out soon, and likely another after. Fitbit also has a lineup that's gotten the masses in a running frenzy, including the newest three of the brood - the Fitbit Flex, Fitbit Charge (and Charge HR), and Surge. Whew. Not to mention every smartwatch has some version of fitness tracking built in. With the space inundated, what's to keep everyone interested in the Microsoft Band other than brand name recognition? Let's find out. Display The 1.4-inch TFT (320 x 106 pixels) full color display screen is crisp and bright with no pixelation in sight. Its 11mm x 33mm is much smaller than the Samsung Gear Fit's curved 1.85-inch AMOLED screen. But you don't need a huge screen, since the fitness tracker isn't going to be showing off any intensive graphics. The Band's display is big enough that I can read everything clearly but small enough to remain unobtrusive. Not many fitness trackers even have screens, let alone colorful screens - except the aforementioned Gear Fit. The Fitbit Force, Surge and Razer's Nabu have simple OLED displays which are far less fancy than the Microsoft Band's. In most cases, this is perfectly sufficient considering a lot of fitness trackers are also simplified notification hubs. The Band also fits in this category but like the Gear Fit, it lets you read and reply to messages with generic pre-written responses - but not on the iPhone. Design and comfort The Microsoft Band isn't going win any prizes for being the most attractive fitness tracker, but it's not the most hideous either. At best, it's simple and modest, which is far better than looking flat out ugly. Despite the amount of tech packed inside and its 11mm x 33mm screen, the band retains a relatively slim form factor. It's a little thick where the clasp is, but it doesn't jut out too far. The Band also looks bulkier and feels heavier in the hand than it really is, because of the sensors taking up a lot of space. When wearing it, the band doesn't feel any chunkier than any other tracker. There are only two buttons on the device. One is a power button and the other is an action button. I'm used to just tapping on the center portion or touch screen of other fitness trackers, so pressing the power button took some getting used to. I found myself wishing that a simple tap could activate the band. The action button however, isn't too bad. Basically, it starts or stops work out session timers, sleep tracking and the stopwatch. So far, the band only comes in black and isn't interchangeable. It's made of a thermal plastic elastomer material and is pretty comfy against the skin. The band can get a bit linty, and became annoying to dust off though. Mine has also been lightly scuffed up here and there. Unfortunately, the bezel around the display has taken most of the damage, and I honestly don't even know how. Regardless, it's been quite durable and I can't see it breaking from a drop. Almost all the trackers in the wild have their own unique way of fastening around your wrist, and the Microsoft Band is no exception. So far I've seen a simple wrap around like the Jawbone, pinholes like the Misfit Flash and different variations of both. The Band has chosen a sliding clasp route that is both easy to use and easy to adjust. Comfort The Microsoft Band fits on the wrist like a Jawbone UP24 in the sense that both are a little rigid, and don't completely wrap around small wrists. But the adjustable clasp helps the Band fit better; people with larger wrists shouldn't have this issue. There are three base sizes (small, medium, large) that fit snugly once you fiddle around with the clasp. I opted for a small tracker, of course, and it's been the most comfortable wearable I've worn so far. There are two ways you can wear the band, and I found myself switching between both. When typing at my desk, if I wasn't charging it, I would have the screen on top because I didn't want it constantly hitting the desk. When I wear it out and about, I like to have the clasp on top with the screen on the inside of my wrist. This is especially useful when I'm driving since all I have to do is slightly turn my wrist to quickly read a notification. Admittedly, I can see people feeling annoyed at switching, but I enjoy that you can wear it whichever way you want. I've also heard that the screen is more comfortable if worn on the inside for some people, though seeing the clasp on top isn't as visually appealing. Specs, performance and interface As I mentioned earlier, the Microsoft Band has a whopping ten sensors: an optical heart rate sensor, 3-axis accelerometer, gyrometer, GPS, ambient light sensor, skin temperature sensor, UV sensor, capacitive sensor, microphone and a galvanic skin response sensor. To crunch the data from the sensors, the band has 64MB internal storage and an ARM Cortex M4 MCU processor. Sadly, the band isn't waterproof, though it claims to be "splash resistant" meaning light rain and hand washing it is A-OK. Everything else, showering, swimming and submerging it in water is off the table. Performance The sensors are pretty self-explanatory, but accuracy is a whole other story. The heart rate monitor worked consistently for the most part. I've only experienced one occasion so far, in which it randomly spiked from 75 to 140 beats per minute, then back down to 78. I wasn't doing anything but sitting on a stool watching the most boring concert of my life, so I'm not sure why it would have suddenly jumped. The sleep tracking has felt consistent as well. The first night I used it, my "actual sleep" was five hours and I woke up only twice. I felt great the next day despite the short duration. The next night I slept for eight hours and felt horrible. The app told me I woke up 10 times which seems like an accurate assessment of why I was so tired even though I had a full night of sleep. I think I would have to keep using it more and comparing the graphs - which incidentally are really easy to read - and all the metrics. Decent accuracy aside, I wish the sleep tracker was automatic; you have to select the app then press the action button to begin and end monitoring which can be annoying at times. Step tracking, like the other pedometers in all the fitness trackers and smartwatches out there, is dubious at best. There were times when I felt like it wasn't tracking my steps because the counter wouldn't change. But for the most part, the band's sensor kept up with my mental calculations. I reset the steps and walked the same distance - one block - at about the same speed - two steps per sidewalk crack - with the resulting number remaining consistent every time. On the whole, the band runs quite smoothly with its platform-agnostic operating system. Interestingly, Microsoft decided to use a wearable architecture that has been optimized for low-power micro-devices, instead of Windows 10 or a modified version of Windows. There's been no lag, and the touchscreen is super responsive. At times, it was actually a little too sensitive; I would be scrolling through the apps and it would open one, falsely registering that I had selected it. Two of the best features of Microsoft's wearable are the GPS and the band's ability to download workouts. This basically means you don't have to lug your phone around if you're exercising or going for a run. You still need a phone at the end of the day to sync your info though. Still, I liked how I didn't have to worry about carrying around a phone for the band to function. The second function allows you to "download" workouts from the Microsoft Health app to your phone over Bluetooth. Similar to the GPS, you won't have to carry around your phone to start exercising. Interface The set up is easy enough on the band, but you'll have to sign up for a Microsoft account right off the bat if you don't already have one. This thoroughly upset me, but the annoyance subsided once I realized there was no way around it. I understand that an account is probably needed for all the data Microsoft will be gleaning from you, but it's still another process, plus I already have enough accounts under my belt. It takes an extra five minutes or so and then another couple of minutes for the band to sync and pair up with your phone over Bluetooth. I used my iPhone 5S to start with, and it worked perfectly fine. If you shudder at the thought of using anything remotely Lumia-esque or reminiscent of the Windows 8 tiles, you're out of luck. The interface of the Microsoft Band is essentially a simplified Windows platform. But instead of a bunch of resizable, colorful squares you get … a fixed number of small, non-resizable, colorful squares. It's not as awful as it sounds, though. The interface actually works really well with such a small amount of real estate. If you've enabled the always-on watch face, it will show the time and date. Pressing the power button takes you to the home tile which displays the time in color; you can replace the date by pressing the action button and customizing it to show your heart rate, steps taken, calories burned, or miles from the day. You can also pick from 12 different wallpapers for the home tile alone, with 10 colors that will also deck out the tiles, plus three "discreet" options - or dark grey solid colors with three different font colors. Scroll horizontally to go through the list of apps and vertically to read messages. Tapping on the main watch face (after pressing the power button) takes you to a list of your fitness goals, like steps taken, miles walked/run, calories burned and the heart rate monitor. Holding down the home watch face and pulling to the right will display battery life (no percentages though), show whether you've enabled the heart rate monitor and your Bluetooth connection. Notifications were easy to read, but if someone sent an extra long text message, you'd have to read it off your phone. You can't reply with non-Windows devices; all you can do is read social media messages, texts, calls and so forth delivered to your wrist, which I guess is sufficient enough for a fitness tracker. Update March 2015: Though a little unsettling at first, Quick Read has become a staple in my daily Microsoft Band usage. Essentially, any message you get can show up as fast one word messages on the screen so you can quickly eyeball without needing to scroll. All you need to do is simply press the action button and incoming texts, emails and other notifications, like Facebook and Twitter, will be scanned and "read" to you. Review continued below ... It's an extremely straightforward interface that isn't hard to grasp at all, which I appreciate since I find Microsoft's Windows 8 interfaces tend to be cluttered and difficult to figure out. The only change I'd make is to include the option for continuous scrolling. It's a little thing, but it would have been ideal if I didn't have to scroll all the way back to the home screen to see the time or another feature. I can also see the perk of having vertical orientation like the Gear Fit but reading messages wouldn't work well on the band's small screen. Apps and fitness More apps would be a boon for the Microsoft Band, because there aren't very many right now. It's nice how you can sync up so much data from other apps, but do I really want to have five different app accounts along with all my Band fitness data? Not really. I wasn't using the partnered apps in the first place and I didn't really feel like downloading them. Microsoft offers 17 stock tiles, or apps, you can mix and match from the Microsoft Health app. Of the 17, you can choose 13 to display on the band. Your options are the run of the mill apps: messaging, mail, calls, calendar, run, exercise, sleep, alarm/timer, guided workouts, weather, finance, UV, Starbucks, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Twitter and a notification center. You can also sync up the UP by Jawbone app, Runkeeper, MapMyFitness and MyFitnessPal so Microsoft Health app has more info on you. There are a few random ones, like UV which takes a reading - low, moderate, high, very high, no UV - of the UV rays when you're outside. While fun to try, it gets old after using it once. It seems a little unnecessary since it doesn't really do anything - it's pretty obvious if you're being exposed to too much sun. The Starbucks app is pretty neat in that it stores the barcode of a gift card for easy access when you're the cafe. You can only store one card at a time though. Fitness This wearable was basically made to make you an exercise machine. There are so many sensors and apps dedicated to fitness, it's kind of crazy, if verging on excessive. However, it's definitely been fun using them all (and painful realizing how out of shape I am). My favorite fitness feature is the guided workouts app. Microsoft partnered with Gold's Gym, Shape, Men's Fitness and more to compile a series of workouts that you can "download" to your band. It's not as fancy as it sounds, but it gets the job down. Essentially you pick whatever workout you want from the Microsoft Health app under "Find a workout." These range from activities under running, bodyweight and strength categories that last for five minutes to an hour and incorporate different reps. I chose a 14-minute beginner's crunch and plank routine to start with. The app synced with my band and after choosing the tile, it would start the timer and I would begin the workout. After each rep, the haptics would buzz, letting me know there would be a moment to rest, then it would buzz again beginning the next set. If you aren't sure how to do an exercise, there are short videos that accompany each workout that you can watch from you phone beforehand. It's a barebones way to exercise, but easy and great for people like me who prefer to keep an already arduous chore as hassle free as possible. Update March 2015: Five new indoor biking workouts have been added to the Guided Workouts app, including: Indoor Bike Tabata Sprints, Indoor Bike Hour of Sweat, Indoor Bike Total Body, Indoor Bike Pyramid and Indoor Bike Intervals. A completely new Bike app has been added to the band's exercise-heavy roster as well. It lets you track your rides outdoors, or indoors if you prefer, hence the new guided workouts. When the Bike tile is active, the heart rate monitor becomes "optimized specifically for biking activities." It can also track elevation and elevation gain, distance and duration and calorie burn which is viewable in the Microsoft Health app. You can also map out your ride via GPS, track your current and average speeds both on the band and in the mobile app, and review your custom splits and see an estimate for how long it will take your body to recover from the ride. Review continued below ... The running app is even simpler. All you have to do is select it, and it begins a timer. Keeping the GPS on measures the distance you've run and tracks your pace and route. the app can also retrace your steps, so you can challenge yourself later. The metrics then show up on the band under the Run app and on your mobile device. You can also measure yoga sessions, weight lifting and cycling. Basically, Microsoft is trying to say the Band can do everything to make you the most macho, buff, fit person ever. In fact, the Microsoft Health platform has been touted as being an actual service that uses a series of algorithms to collect the data you input from the Band, and even Jawbone or Runkeeper, etc. It then continuously changes up routines, tells you different things and so forth to help motivate you. Most of the sensors are used when you're exercising to give you the fullest picture of well, you. But it's not quite there yet … I was expecting a lot more from what Microsoft has plugged about the platform. I even downloaded and signed up for the partnered accounts, but it's been disappointing so far. Just like the lack of apps, it's too early for the Health app to really work. Where are the suggestions to help motivate me? I was expecting some sort of creepy AI to be my personal trainer and yell at me (through haptic feeds and text messages or something) to get my lazy bum away from Netflix binging and into a pair of running shoes. OK, maybe that's wishing for too much, but Microsoft did promise "valuable, personal insights" to help me reach my fitness goals. The Microsoft Band webpage reads, "Built in the cloud, Microsoft Health will continually evolve to offer you better experiences and more valuable data over time. The more you share with Microsoft Health, the more accurate and helpful your insights will become." Again, what insights? The graphs that charted my sleep and exercising have been great so far, but where's the part where Microsoft said it would help me be a healthier person? Apparently it's not ready yet. Update March 2015: I spoke with Zulfi Alam, General Manager of Personal Devices at Microsoft about the lack of solid data from insights. He said that the new update with the Band is the first step in creating a wider net to catch more information because the "back engine needs rich data, and thousands of users are needed to generate this." In other words, the more people who use the fitness tracker and fill it with data, the more we'll actually see the insights with heightened accuracy. One of the ways Microsoft plans on helping you glean more information? The Microsoft HealthVault - which is now connected to your Band. Data from the wearable, including workout and sleep info, is automatically uploaded to the HealthVault account - which you should be able to log into with the same credentials used for the Band. According to Microsoft, the HealthVault is supposed to help you organize your health information in one place, and help gather, store, use, and share information and records with healthcare providers. To link a Microsoft HealthVault account to Microsoft Health data, simply go to "Connected Apps" in the menu of the Microsoft Health app. Microsoft Health Web Dashboard has also been added as an upgrade. The web dashboard is basically a bigger version of the information stored in your mobile app but it can be accessed through any web browser. Compatibility and battery life It's such a little luxury, but the first world problem of having too many devices really is a hassle. That's why it's fantastic that the Microsoft Band is compatible with iOS 7.1, iOS 8, Windows Phones 8.1 and Android 4.3-4.4 devices through Bluetooth. Most fitness trackers are cross-platform, but there are still a few out there that aren't. The majority of smartwatches are in the Android Wear camp, meaning you can only use Android phones. Then there's the Samsung-only Gear series. Despite the cross-platform support, the band works best with Windows Phones, thanks to Cortana. Using the Halo-inspired virtual assistant requires a data or Wi-Fi connection, but with it, you can use voice commands to set alarms, dictate short voice notes, create time/location/people based reminders, ask Bing questions, create calendar events, play music through your phone, and tell it to call or text message people. You can also respond to notifications with short, pre-written responses but again, the band only lets you do so with Windows Phone devices. Battery life Microsoft says the band should last two days with regular usage; prolonging battery life means going into your settings and turning off watch mode (so the display is blank), setting the brightness to auto or low, shutting off the GPS when running and toggling off the display when exercising. Despite the recommended settings, I was actually able to get two full days with almost everything on after fully charging the band. I received notifications from Facebook Messenger, Twitter, other app notifications (Instagram likes, LinkedIn requests, etc), phone calls and text messaging. I kept the heart rate monitor running, left the GPS on, had the brightness on high and had the clock face showing constantly - except at night when I was sleeping though the band was still on tracking my sleep. I didn't exercise for long amounts of time during the first two days though. I attached the little magnetic end of the USB charger in the afternoon on Monday for a full charge and, like clockwork, it died at the same time on Wednesday. The band powered down a bit sooner from Thursday to Friday after using it for multiple exercising sessions - two 20 minute guided workouts - and having the GPS on while running, but it still managed to last a day and half, opposed to a full two days. Microsoft says it takes about an hour and a half to get a full charge. This matches up well with my experience. The band was in the red low battery warning stages when I plugged it in after the first two days of usage, and after 60 minutes it was at 80% which was faster than I expected. It took the full hour and a half after exercising and using more of the band's features. At the end of my week, I was pretty pleased with the band's battery life and charging time. It did what I expected, and there are reasonable ways to conserve its energy. Trying to figure out how to keep the batteries alive as long as possible is a huge sore spot for wearables, but something a lot of companies are making headway in solving. Misfit's Flash and Shine fitness trackers last up to six months and the Garmin Vivofit lasts a year by using old fashioned watch batteries. However, both are pretty simple devices, with neither screens nor the ability to give you notifications. Verdict Time and again, Microsoft has been known to throw curveballs, or enter markets prematurely - Microsoft Tablet PC, anyone? - and it's rarely been good for the company. The Microsoft Band didn't necessarily release prematurely, but there's definitely work to be done. None of this is to suggest that the tracker won't be excellent one day, but this is what you should know before hitting up the Microsoft Store. We like The battery life isn't spectacular, but for something running a lot of programs, lasting a full two days, or nearly so, isn't too shabby. The fitness-centric ecosystem is also so intensive, you probably wouldn't need any other fitness tracker after the Microsoft Band. It's also been a really comfy device to wear - it has practically become an extension I don't even notice anymore. The GPS function also helps the band be a little more independent and helps it feel untethered even though it's not. We dislike I really wish the Microsoft Health app was as good as it claimed to be. I was looking forward to a device that could send me motivational messages or tips straight from the tracker. A variety of apps is also sorely missing from the band. Having Cortana and quick replies on iOS or Android would have been really neat too, but the appeal of cross-platform has been slightly squashed because of the Windows Phone favoritism. That said, this is also likely because the CPU inside the Band likely isn't capable of running Cortana on its own. Also, for how jam packed the band is for active types, I'm really surprised it's not waterproof. Final verdict There is so much potential here it's killing me. I love the Microsoft Band, but it's breaking my heart, knowing it can do so much more. It seems as if Microsoft thought cramming fitness, fitness and some more fitness would make the band a feasible tracker. It's not a bad idea, but it would be nice to do something with all that data. I can see the Microsoft Band reaching Jawbone UP24 levels of awesome once the Health app really gets going. The company has struck a fine balance between fitness and functionality, but I'd like to see it executed better, and I feel like Microsoft can definitely do better - heck, it's 80% there in my book. For now, $199 (about £125, AU$230) is too high a price to pay for a fitness tracker. That's especially knowing you can find a device among the hordes of other trackers out there that is, dare I say, just as good as the Microsoft Band.

Updated: Best laptops 2015: which notebook should you buy? Posted: 13 Mar 2015 04:40 PM PDT Best laptops: all your buying questions answered Updated: A hot new slew of notebooks have just been announced and as such we've got a few new laptops on our radar. Read on to see the hottest tech in mobile computing we're looking forward to. With Windows 8.1 here and Windows 10 on the way, Ultrabooks taking off in popularity and laptop-tablet hybrids seeing more releases, figuring out what is the best laptop is more difficult than ever. Cheap laptops, like Chromebooks, are more powerful and capable than ever, while high-end devices are often perfectly good replacements for your desktop computer, able to cope with more intensive programs. To pick the best laptop for your needs, it's important to start off by deciding what it is you're doing to be doing with it. Those after a fast boot up time and a lightweight machine to carry might drool over an Ultrabook. Serious gamers will want a machine tailored to their graphical and processing needs, while those after flexibility might fancy a convertible laptop-tablet hybrid. It might seem overwhelming at first – and it can be what with all of the choices – but we're here to help you find the best laptop for you. Believe us when we say that there is a perfect laptop out there for you. With this guide, you'll find not only that, but which is the absolute best. Our latest addition The Gigabyte P37X is the latest laptop to join the thin and light gaming laptop craze. It's a refreshingly bland 17.3-inch machine that skips on all the pazazz that screams "I'm a gamer" to focuses purely on delivering high-octane performance in a compact 0.88-inch frame. The P37X offers fantastic performance thanks to its beefy configuration with a top tier Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia GTX 965M humming under the hood. All of the benchmarks were run at 1080p in maximum detail, and it coped just fine - most impressive for a portable system. There's loads of memory, a fast quad-core CPU and a highly powerful GPU. What's more this system has a superb 17.3-inch IPS display panel to provide the spanning view of all the in-game action. Amazingly despite the large screen and energy hogging components, the Gigabyte P37X managed to run for a surprisingly long 4 hours, mroe than long enough to watch two films on a long flight or train ride. Break down the types of laptops for me Back in the day, there were simply laptops for leisure and those for labor. Today, there are several options for both sides of the fence, some of which jumping back and forth over it. Let's start with the basics: Ultrabooks These laptops are essentially devices that must meet certain standards of thinness, lightness, power and size established by processor-maker Intel in an effort to help Windows-loyal notebook vendors compete with Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air a few years ago. The result has been some seriously premium machines that have lately been enough to rival Apple's best. Think of laptops under an inch thin with long battery life and crisp screens, like the Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus or Acer Aspire S7. And lately, folks have been squeezing dedicated GPUs into the form factor, like the Acer Aspire S3. Workstations Designed almost solely for work, hence the name, these usually beefy laptops have one thing in mind: productivity. Vendors generally equip these units with professional-grade GPUs, like the Nvidia Quadro series or AMD FirePro line. Other characteristics of workstations include a wider variety of ports and easier access to internals than most consumer-grade notebooks. Not to mention more legacy inputs, like trackpoint cursors, and hardware-level security options, like fingerprint scanners. Examples include the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbonand HP ZBook 14. Chromebooks These laptops run on an all-new operating system created by Google and called Chrome OS. As the name implies, Chromebooks rely almost solely on Google's homebrewed browser, Chrome. This means that everything from creating word documents to listening to music to printing and beyond is handled with the Chrome browser. The result is a system that can run with super low-end hardware, which lends Chromebooks to best serve the budget market and education sector. Of course, Chromebooks are best in areas with wireless Internet access, but Google has vastly boosted their offline functionality over the years. Check out the Dell Chromebook 11 and Toshiba Chromebook for a better idea. 2-in-1 laptops (or hybrid laptops) If you find yourself jumping back and forth between your laptop and tablet, then perhaps the hybrid was made for you. Enabled by Microsoft's dual-purpose Windows 8, these devices either come as tablets than become more like laptops with accessories, or as laptops that can detach from their keyboards and become tablets in a pinch. Of course, the idea is to provide one device that successfully serve both use cases, rather than have homes and businesses overwhelmed with gadgets for every scenario. The category has fought an uphill battle toward mainstream acceptance, but by far the most shining example of its potential is Microsoft's own Surface Pro 3. Gaming laptops You'll always know a gaming notebook when you see one: hulking size, pulsating lights, garish paint jobs and whirring fans. But with thin-and-light (and stylish) products like the Razer Blade or MSI GS60 Ghost Pro, even that paradigm is starting to shift. Generally speaking, gaming laptops are equipped with the latest mobile GPUs from Nvidia and AMD in order to play the latest games close to how well they run on their more sedentary counterparts. (In some cases, they're enough to outright replace the desktop.) Look at the Origin EON17-S and Alienware 17 for more perspective. General use laptops Notebooks of this sort are tough to categorize. They still adhere to the standards established decades ago of what a laptop is, only vastly refined. Given how the market has siloed itself into several distinct categories at this point, this variety of laptops is generally considered "budget" or "mid-range". Ranging in screen sizes from 11 to 17 inches, there usually aren't many stand-out characteristics with these mostly-plastic clamshells. These laptops are easy to peg as jacks of all trades: readily able to handle all of your daily tasks, but suffer in more extreme or specifically demanding scenarios. What does TechRadar recommend? We're so glad you asked! Below you'll find what we think are the absolute best laptops in a number of categories, always up-to-date. Best Ultrabooks The most premium computing experiences around with the price tags to match Ultrabooks tend to be made with design in mind, so they come in more expensive than most mid-range home laptops. They tend to start from around $999 (about £584, AU$1,063) in the lower end, going to nearly $2,000 (around £1,169, AU$2,129) at the very high end. You're likely to ultimately spend between $899 and $1,500 for a newer model, though you can get some older models for even lower prices. See which we think are the best Ultrabooks Best Chromebooks Google's Chrome-packed computers make for an unbeatable budget buy Chromebooks focus on what computing has been all about since the late '90s, the web browser, through Google's Chrome operating system. What should you look out for in a Chromebook? The majority of these Google laptops use either the same or similar low-power components. This is largely what is behind the unquestionable affordability of these mobile rigs – most of which start under $300 (about £175, AU$319). Our picks for the best Chromebooks, always updated Best gaming laptops These machines excel in pixel-pushing performance with panache Focused on real-time, 3D image rendering for the latest games, these laptops almost always come with a premium attached. If you want (at least something close to) the PC gaming experience with the flexibility to move around the house, the asking price generally starts at $1,300 (about £760, AU$1,384) at the low end and maxes out at around $3,000 (around £1,753, AU$ 3,194). Here are the best gaming laptops that we've reviewed Best 2-in-1 laptops Business up front, party in the back – the mullets of the computing world Otherwise known as hybrid laptops, these devices generally sit in the same price range as Ultrabooks, given their mission to serve as two devices in one. That generally gets you a Windows 8 touchscreen device that either flips around its hinge to become a tablet or detaches from its included keyboard accessory (which hopefully doubles as an extra battery). These are the best 2-in-1 laptops at the moment Best laptops for students The tech you need to help you land the career you want Whether you're a freshman in liberals arts or an MBA looking to rock the business world, you need a laptop that will best enable you for the perfect price. While some will naturally be more expensive than others, these are the clamshells best suited for your field of study and, ultimately, your budget. Here are the best laptops for students in 2014 Best mobile workstations The best tech to get you through the work week Whether you're a small business owner with need for a small, lightweight fleet or a spreadsheet cruncher in need of a locked-down, spacious powerhouse, we know which mobile rig fits you best. Even if you're a digital artist, there's a work-ready laptop out there for you. Just be prepared to spend (or expense). These are the best mobile workstations right now Laptops on our radar for 2015 You've checked out the best laptops out there and now you're hungry for more. Don't worry: so are we, which is why we want to give you a glimpse of some of the hottest devices set to launch soon. Whether you're thinking about picking up a new 2-in-1 to test Windows 10's Continuum feature or intend to replace your ageing gaming laptop in a few months' time, we're keeping an eye on tomorrow's technology so that you can start saving those pennies today. The new Apple MacBook Apple has really outdone itself with the new MacBook. For months and even years, we've been waiting for the Cupertino company to upgrade the MacBook Air with a high-resolution Retina screen. Then Apple blew us away with an all new 12-inch MacBook with a thinner frame, redesigned keyboard and trackpad, newly developed batteries, a shrunken logic board, and of course the long awaited 2,304 x 1,440 resolution display. To meet that benchmark for a thin body, Apple had to make a few concessions including reducing the number of ports to just one USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The USB 3.1 port will allow users to still charge their laptop in-lieu of the missing magsafe connector. However, if you want to do anything else at the same time, you'll need an adapter to do so. It's the both the most forward thinking and frustrating laptop that has more than a few of us here at TechRadar all riled up. Chromebook Pixel Just days after the new MacBook hit the scene, Google announced its own new Chromebook pixel. The new high-end Chromebook features the same aluminum frame and 12.9-inch, 2,560 X 1,700-pixel resolution display. What's new to the laptop is an Core i5 processor from Intel's new crop of 5th generation Broadwell chips. The Chromebook Pixel is also just the second notebook to adopt USB-C with two ports flanking its sides. The new model asks for a pretty penny with a $1,299 (£875, AU$1,715) price tag, which easily places it as the most expensive Chromebook out there. We'll soon find out if this cloud-based computer is worth every penny in our upcoming full review. Dell Chromebook 11 Google's Chromebooks have flourished in the education space due to their simple operation, cloud-based apps and affordable nature. Dell's Chromebook 11 for 2015 is a particularly durable model that possesses some nifty features including rubberized edges for protection, a spill-proof keyboard and a light on the lid that can help shy students grab the teacher's attention. Even if you've left the classroom, the Dell Chromebook 11's low price, touted all-day battery life and rugged stylings help it stand out from competing Chromebooks. MSI GT80 Titan The MSI GT80 Titan certainly lives up to its name. A hulking beast of a gaming laptop, it's the first to feature a mechanical keyboard and houses not one, but two meaty Nvidia GTX980 GPUs. Adding to the MSI GT80's unusual nature is the fact that it can be upgraded should you want to swap out its mobile graphics cards. We were so enamoured with the feat of engineering that is the GT80 that we called up MSI to find out how they did it - which you can read here. While its size and cost means it won't be for everybody, it certainly impressed us and we'll be bringing you a full review on these pages soon. Asus ROG G501 Nvidia has added a couple of new graphics cards to its GTX 900 series of Maxwell GPUs destined for gaming laptops, and at the head of the pack is the Asus ROG G501. With it comes an impressive spec sheet including a 3,840 x 2,160 display Surprisingly all it needs to drive this 4K display is a Intel Core i7-4720HQ processor with a capable, but still low-end Nvidia GTX 960M GPU. Another feature that has us hot and bothered about Asus new ROG gaming laptop is a it's 0.81-inches thick and weighs in at only 4.54 pound. That's fairly thin and light for a 15.6-inch laptop. You can be sure we'll be reviewing this, so stay tuned. What else should you consider? Like any other major purchase, in buying a laptop you're battling for your bottom dollar. This is a decision that you're making for the next few years, at least. So, if buying a laptop is like going to battle, arm yourself with our guide to the grittier details of picking out a shiny new notebook. Go big or go, well, small Across all categories, laptops generally range in size between 11 and 17 inches, with a few outliers in both directions. Your decision on what size laptop to purchase should consider these two factors: screen real estate and weight. Firstly, your laptop's screen size directly dictates how much content it can display and the size of it, of course. However, also keep in mind that, as you increase screen size, its resolution should also rise. You should accept nothing lower than 1366 x 768 for laptops between 10 and 13 inches, and nothing lower than 1920 x 1080 for those 17 to 18 inches. Second: be prepared for each 2-inch bump up in screen size from 11 inches, expect an increase in weight of about a pound, more or less. Of course, there are exceptions, like recent thin-and-light designs that tend to buck this trend. You might want the biggest, sharpest laptop screen around, but are you willing to cart that around in your backpack? What features should you look for? Like most consumer technology, laptops often come chock-full of features that you may or may not need. The features listed below are ones that you shouldn't do without in your next laptop. USB 3.0: The latest standard in USB data transfer technology. Be sure that the notebook you buy has at the very least one of these for speedier file transfers between your laptop and, say, a USB 3.0 flash drive. 802.11ac Wi-Fi: For what seems like the longest time, 802.11n was the fastest wireless Internet available. But in the past year, even quicker 802.11ac routers have cropped up, with laptop makers just now catching up. If you plan on streaming or downloading a lot of files and content to your laptop, you should strongly consider this as a selling point. SD card reader: With the inevitable smartphone camera takeover of the point-and-shoot industry, many notebook vendors are quick to send these media slots to the chopping block. But whether you're a photography enthusiast or just still fond of your compact shooter, the lack of an SD card reader might be a deal breaker. Touchscreen: While the merits of a touchscreen on an otherwise normal laptop are questionable, no one knows whether that will be the case in a few year's time. Though, it could also be an expensive. In short, sort your personal priorities before plunging on a touch panel. Questions to ask before buying Before you run off and buy the coolest-looking laptop, ask yourself these basic questions. They should help point you toward the notebook that's right for you. What will you primarily use the laptop for? If it's just the standard web browsing, occasional video streaming, and video calling mom back home, then you might want to consider going the mainstream or budget route. Big into gaming? Then there's your answer. If you travel quite a bit and need something as thin and light as possible, then consider an Ultrabook. Your primary function with the laptop will almost always send you in the right direction. How much do looks matter to you? Laptops come in all shapes, makes, models and sizes – not to mention coats of paint … or plastic … or metal. If you're the type that scoffs at fellow coffee shop-goers for their ugly computing devices of choice, then you'll probably want one encased in aluminum, or at least a quality soft-touch plastic. But beware, being pretty comes with a price. How much are you willing or able to spend? This is the ultimate barometer for the laptop you're about to buy, and never should you spend outside of your means. Your disposable income will dictate which laptop category you should spend your shopping time within, and ultimately save you time. *Bonus tip: Be sure to check both online and brick-and-mortar retailers for the best possible deal on a given laptop. Good luck! Originally contributed by Dan Grabham

Microsoft promises faster Windows 10 updates Posted: 13 Mar 2015 02:39 PM PDT If you're getting antsy that Microsoft's Windows 10 Technical Preview hasn't seen an update since late January, you're not alone. After an early leak, Microsoft has confirmed that it will be increasing the pace of new build releases for Windows 10. Microsoft General Manager of the OSG Data and Fundamentals team Gabriel Aul confirmed on Twitter that the company is testing a new build candidate internally. After that testing is finished, Microsoft would roll out the new build to preview customers, but Aul did not give a timeline for when that will happen. "We have a good build candidate with some new features I think you'll like," Aul said in a Twitter post. "Running through our internal rings now." Stepping into the fast lane At this time, Microsoft allows Windows 10 Technical Preview customers to choose how often they receive updates. More adventurous customers who prefer to experience new features and functionality ahead of everyone else could join the "Fast" ring, while users who want a more stable experience can choose the Slow ring. Fast ring customers will get to see updates first, but because the software is still in the technical preview stage, all the bugs may not be worked out. Slow ring customers trade in the experience of being first to try out new features with a more reliable build. As Microsoft is increasing the rate of release of new builds, the company is advising customers to move over to the slow lane if they want a more stable experience. "No new build today, but we will be posting an announcement in Insider Hub. Suggesting people who want lower risk to move to Slow," Aul cautioned. "For now we've decided to try to increase pace of Fast, and that means letting people know first." If you're a business or enterprise user, or if you're running Windows 10 Technical Preview on your only computer, you likely want to move to the Slow ring. Pulling over If you're not in a rush to try all of the latest features and additions to Windows 10 Technical Preview in the Fast ring, you can pull over and move to the Slow ring. From your Windows 10 system, click on the Start Menu and choose PC Settings. You'll want to choose the Update and Recovery option, and navigate to Preview Builds. From there, you can choose to go with the Slow or Fast build. Aul's comments apply to Windows 10 for tablets, laptops, and desktops. Updates for the Windows 10 for phones technical preview will roll out on a different schedule. Read our full coverage of Windows 10

Unfixed Safari bug saves every site you visit in private browsing Posted: 13 Mar 2015 02:34 PM PDT "Private browsing" should mean leaving no trace of where you've been online, but thanks to what's most likely just a bug Apple's Safari browser does things a little bit differently. And this years-old Safari bug - by which the browser inadvertently keeps a record of sites you've visited, private mode or not - still hasn't been addressed, according to Apple Insider. Is the Surface Pro 3 a laptop killer? The bug causes Safari to retain records of all sites you've visited in the form of "favicon" icons (the ones that appear in the URL field and bookmarks) with accompanying URLs. As of this week's OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 build 14D98g, the latest update to be released to developers, Safari is still saving these easily accessible nuggets for every page you visit, the site says. Hopefully this is something that Apple addresses soon, although the fact that this has been a known issue for years is not a good sign. For now the best thing you can do is to trash the "WebpageIcons" database in the Safari folder of your system's Library directory, clear your history and website data within Safari, and be aware that your web browsing is never truly private. We think the iPad Pro is still happening

Hands-on review: UPDATED: Oculus Rift Posted: 13 Mar 2015 02:11 PM PDT Hands on at CES 2015 and GDC 2015 Update GDC 2015: Oculus didn't announce a new SDK or final build of the Rift during GDC 2015, but there was a new demo on the show floor that we tried out. Still focusing on immersive experiences, the Rift took us into a scene from The Hobbit where Bilbo meets the fearsome Smaug for the first time. Except you're Bilbo. With the dragon still hidden underneath the piles of gold, you can take the opportunity to get closer to the shiny trinkets all around you, like a conveniently placed helmet on a treasure chest nearby. Of course prodding it means you're just crazily poking the air in real life. Then all of sudden, Smaug starts shifting causing rivulets of gold to fall towards you. At this point, not only are the VR visuals stunning making you want to greedily pocket the goods, but the sound of the clinking coins coming at you with 360 degree audio is starting to make you think twice about sneaking into a dragon's chamber - especially when Benedict Cumberbatch/Smaug starts telling you he can smell you. The quick demo ends with you getting fried in a fiery inferno of dragon breath. The flames burst up from all directions making you really feel the heat and then the scene goes black. Morbid. But so deliciously fun. It's not the awesome shoot out we experienced with Move controllers and Sony's Project Morpheus but if watching movies on the Oculus will be anything like this in the future, count us in. Update CES 2015: We went hands on with the Oculus Rift Crescent Bay prototype during CES 2015, however the demo was the same one revealed during Oculus Connect. The company has also continued to remain mum on the spec details of the latest audio equipped HMD. Though the audio itself has a few new things under the hood. Specifically, a new Oculus Audio SDK will be part of the CV1 package. This means devs will be able to incorporate 3D positional audio for an even deeper immersive experience. The same SDK will be available for the Samsung Gear VR, another virtual reality venture Oculus is part of. We've included a few photos of the CES experience and an interview with Oculus's Head of Mobile, Max Cohen where he explains the significance of adding sound to VR. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvDb0C5pGYI#t=30 Update November 12 2014: There has been a recent 0.4.3 release of the Oculus PC SDK, which features Linux support, a number of performance and stability improvements and support for developing Rift content with Unity Free. Another PC update will be released this month, perhaps to coincide with the impending release date of the head mounted display. Hands on Oculus Connect 2014 Oculus held its first ever Oculus Connect virtual reality conference in Hollywood on September 20, and the growing company used the opportunity to show off its newest Oculus Rift prototype: Crescent Bay. The lighter, more comfortable Crescent Bay Rift prototype has beefed-up specs and, for the first time, integrated headphones designed by the engineers at Oculus VR. But unlike with past prototypes like DK2 or "Crystal Cove," Oculus is being less than upfront about Crescent Bay's specifications. They bumped the last headset up to 1080p, and Crescent Bay certainly appears to have an even higher resolution, but the company won't confirm as much. That's because they want to focus on the Oculus Rift as a full package rather than as a simple amalgamation of its various components, all of which will no doubt change by the time the consumer version Rift - CV1, as the company refers to it - is finally ready. "It's the combination of the resolution with the optics, with the mechanical engineering and industrial design of this thing, that allow for it to look like it's a higher resolution, even though it may or may not be," Oculus Vice President of Product Nate Mitchell told TechRadar. "The synergy of all the components together is what takes it up a notch." What Oculus instead focused on with the Crescent Bay demos it showed off at Oculus Connect was the level of "presence" the Rift can make users feel under optimal conditions and with content designed specifically to be as immersive as possible. Down with the Bay Whereas every past official Oculus Rift demo took place with users seated, this time the company had journalists and other Oculus Connect attendees standing up and walking around with the headset strapped to their faces. In interviews afterward, Mitchell and Oculus VR founder Palmer Luckey emphasized that the stand-up Rift experience is not the experience that they're stressing for consumers, but was simply meant in this case to crank up the immersion as high as possible. Mitchell called this demo "conceptual," and Luckey said "the Oculus Rift is a seated experience. It's very dangerous to stand up." As true as that may be - you probably shouldn't try walking blindly around your home while the Oculus Rift is tricking your brain into thinking you're on a different planet or in a submarine - the stand-up experience demonstrated with Crescent Bay at Oculus Connect was undoubtedly the most immersive and impressive virtual reality demo ever. The experience consisted of about a dozen demos developed by Oculus's new internal content team. Luckey said these demos are the cream of the crop as far as what Oculus has developed, and many more experiences were scrapped or sidelined. Over several minutes they showed off a variety of potential Rift applications, eliciting a number of very different responses. The demos The Crescent Bay demos took place in a highly controlled environment: a small, empty room with four plain, grey walls. A camera - larger than the one used with Crystal Cove - was mounted on the wall, tracking users' positions as they walked around a small, black mat on the ground. By tracking the Crescent Bay prototype's white-studded surface (these nubs are now located all around the headset, including on the back of the strap) this camera can accurately understand your position in the room, allowing you to walk around freely in virtual space. Not to get too dramatic, but it really is a mind-blowing experience. The demos themselves consisted of several non-interactive environments, from a creaking submarine chamber to a sunny museum in which a life-sized (looked that way at least) T-Rex sniffs around and ultimately steps directly over you. These short experiences lasted less than a minute each. One highlight took place at the top of a skyscraper in a steampunk, BioShock-inspired city. Standing up in that grey room, you could walk to the edge of the virtual roof and look down hundreds of feet to the traffic below. And as with the T-Rex's roar, the Crescent Bay Rift's attached headphones - technically stereo, but with simulated surround sound - made the experience seem all the more real with traffic noises, hissing wind and more. That demo called to mind the Game of Thrones "Ascend the Wall" Oculus Rift experience designed by visual effects firm Framestore. Used by HBO at promotional events like the premiere of Game of Thrones' fourth season, Ascend the Wall put users inside an actual metal cage - replicating the elevator from the series - that rumbled and blew cold air at them as they virtually ascended to the top of the show's fictional 800-foot-high Wall. The more points of feedback these demos are able to simulate, the more "presence" users feel, Oculus contends. These feedback points range from that feeling of cold air being blown in your face - which is not very practical - to ambient sound, which is practical - to something as simple as standing up, which is not ideal for every situation but nevertheless ramps things up considerably. "You stand up, and suddenly your balance kicks in, and you're like, 'woah!' and you feel your weight shift subconsciously," Mitchell explained to us after the demo. "When you stand up suddenly [your subconscious] is totally engaged." All of these demos showed off the ways that standing up can enhance virtual reality. For example, within environments that appear small, like a tiny cartoon city or a sci-fi terrain map that could be used for a strategy game, walking around makes you feel like you're playing an Ender's Game-like simulation. But one of the most fun demos involved simply standing and facing a curious alien on a distant planet. As the user bends down and moves around to better examine the alien, it does the same to the user, clucking in a strange tongue. You actually get the sense that it's talking to you, and it's easy to see how this type of interaction could be used to make video games better. Yet another demo had you staring into a mirror, with your head represented by a floating mask. No matter how hard I tried or how fast I moved, I couldn't detect a shred of latency as the mask in the mirror reflected my every movement. Again, the grey room in which this took place was a more controlled environment than most people's homes, but it was nevertheless impressive. Early verdict The final experience - and the most game-like - showed off exactly how cool an Unreal Engine 4 Oculus Rift game might be. Futuristic soldiers shot at a hulking robot as it fired right back, explosions sending cars flying in slow motion as the point of view crept slowly down the street toward the machine. It felt natural to physically dance around, dodging incoming bullets and ducking under flipping vehicles, no matter how ridiculous I might have looked to onlookers who couldn't see what I was seeing. This could legitimately be the future of gaming - if Oculus can figure out the input problem. Although many Oculus Rift demos have used an Xbox 360 controller, there's still no standard input device for Rift games. Like Crescent Bay's integrated audio, though, this is a problem Oculus is actively working on. "There's a very real possibility that we would have come to the conclusion that audio is something we were going to leave to third parties," Luckey told us at the conference. "We came to the conclusion that we had to do it ourselves, and we had to do a good job, because it was so important to get right. I think input is in that camp." That's just one of the problems Oculus needs to solve before the Rift is ready for consumers, and given that Crescent Bay is just the latest of many prototypes it's unclear when it will be. But when Oculus Rift CV1 is ready, it has the potential to change entertainment forever. Hands on at Comic-Con and GDC 2014 Update: Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2 is on its way to game makers and it's being used for by movie studios. We revised our hands-on review and added facts about its Galaxy Note 3 screen and Mac support. Hands on impressions by Matt Swider and Alex Roth As Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2 starts shipping to pre-order customers, we got more face time with the virtual reality headset at PAX Prime and Comic-Con. Codenamed Crystal Cove, the updated Oculus Rift DK2 costs $350 (about £207, AU$373). That's $50 (about £30, AU$53) more than the first-generation developer kit. However, the improved specs make it well worth the price bump if you're a developer with a passion for cutting-edge technology and the patience for beta hardware. The face-worn display outfits developers with an HD screen that's 1080p or 960 x 1080 per eye. It finally meets our next-generation gaming needs. Believe it or not, the Oculus Rift DK2 display actually uses the 5.7-inch Super AMOLED panel from the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Behind its rubber casing is same exact front panel, "Samsung" logo and all. YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hyeUkB44IM This makes sense. Oculus was rumored to be working with Samsung on the South Korean electronics giant's own virtual reality headset. Whether or not that pans out remains to be seen. Despite both the physical and theorized Samsung ties, Mac compatibility has been added to the Oculus Rift DK2, making good on the start-up company's promise to support Apple machines. All five OS X game developers are rejoicing right now. Oculus Rift DK2 drops the first interation's control box in favor of integrating the guts into the headset itself. Only a single cable - HDMI and USB woven together - dangls from your face. The new kit also comes with a motion-tracking camera, which allows for greater movement within the world of the Rift. It looks a bit like a webcam, and a lot like a PlayStation Eye camera from the PS3 days. It features a blue "on" light and an Oculus logo, but its true power isn't visible to the naked eye. It uses forty infrared LEDs on the headset to track your head movements and integrate them into the game. These LEDs were visible on the version we tried at CES 2014, but not anymore. In the demos we saw at GDC 2014, this meant players could lean in for a closer look at in-game objects and characters. These were the same demos we saw at CES, with the exception of a new one by Epic Games, which integrated the player into the game a unique way. The game was a one on one battle between two sword and shield wielding avatars. It takes place in a living room, where players can see representations of themselves seated in the room, controller in hand. To keep an eye on the fight we had to swivel our head and crane our neck. The Rift was a surreal experience as always; when our opponent turned his head or leaned forward it gave his neck a stretched, snake-like appearance. And when one of the battling avatars leapt up onto your lap, you half expect to feel his little feet on your legs. If you've used the previous Rift, know that Crystal Cove is a night and day difference. The higher resolution makes all the difference in the world; it's like going from Skyrim on a four-year-old PC to one from last year. Note that we say last year; the Oculus Rift still isn't sporting visuals that you could call next gen. There are still jaggedly rendered objects, but the immersive nature of the experience trumps graphics any day, and is one you need to see to believe. Movies come to Oculus Rift at Comic-Con Comic-Con 2014 provided a different sort of experience - with entertainment at the forefront - and maybe one we can expect more of now that Facebook owns Oculus VR. Both Twenty Century Fox and Warner Bros. were backing new Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2 units at the cosplay-filled San Diego convention with demos for their X-Men and Into the Storm films. The X-Men Cerebro Experience provided the more surreal experience as attendees slipped into the wheelchair and saw through the eyes of mutant leader Professor Charles Xavier. He, fittingly, donned the just-as-snug brain amplifying mutant detector Cerebro on his own head. The concept involved seeking the shapeshifting mutant Mystique by looking 360 degrees in any direction. She was hiding in a Comic-Con crowd that was fictitious and barren - it would have been cooler if it used augmented reality here. The actual hunt was automated and fairly boring, but Professor X's replica wheelchair at the Fox booth provided developers with the opportunity to predict the location of our limbs and torso. It accurately overlayed his body onto our own. Obviously, this demo didn't call for much movement and that worked to the movie studio's advantage. It could easily trick your mind into thinking that the Professor's subtle finger tap on the armrest was your own with a "Wait, I didn't just do that!" Into the Storm upped the energy level with simulated tornado winds inside a small glass both built by Warner Bros. Through the first-person perspective, we saw three characters hunker down behind a gated sewer entrance, truck-sized debris smash against its ironclad bars and pipes burst with gushing water. It didn't have the advantage of a stationary wheelchair-bound character to map our bodies and there was no interaction whatsoever, but Warner Bros did aptly demo its new disaster movie with this terrifying scene recreation. It also messed up our hair. Both X-Men Cerebro Experience and Into the Storm also gave us insight into how big-name movie studios intend to use Oculus Rift to invent new ways of enjoying theatrical experiences. Video games were just the beginning. Hands on CES 2014 Oculus Rift gets more impressive every time we see it, and the futuristic virtual reality headset's appearance at CES 2014 was definitely no exception. Since E3 2013 Oculus VR has gained impressive talent and raised an extra $75 million in funding, and the result is the Oculus Rift Crystal Cove prototype (named for a state park in southern California). It's significantly easier on the eyes than older versions of the headset and, by extension, closer than ever to the Rift's final, fully functional, consumer-facing form. The two game demos Oculus co-founder Nate Mitchell showed us in a private meeting room at CES were designed to showcase two new features: positional head-tracking and low persistence, both of which help make the virtual reality experience more immersive and address some users' complaints with the headset, including motion blur-induced nausea. The head-tracking is the most obvious improvement. The new white studs on the Oculus Crystal Cove prototype's face are indicators that communicate your head's position to a new external camera, mounted near your monitor. As a result the full movements of your upper body, not just the sideways and up/down movements of your head, are detected and translated to the game world. That means you can lean forward while playing CCP Games' extremely impressive 3D space-shooting game EVE: Valkyrie, bringing your in-game face closer to your space ship's various monitors and switches so you can better read their warnings and instructions. Since the very first demo Oculus Rift has inserted players into virtual worlds, and with this addition it's a more immersive experience than ever. Get low, low, low, low Second and more subtle is the low persistence, which makes the Oculus Rift's somewhat notorious motion blur a thing of the past. Now the graphics remain more clear and sharp even when you move your head around rapidly. There's still a tiny amount of blurring, but it's a massive improvement over the previous version of Oculus Rift. To prove it Mitchell turned low persistence off and then on as we moved around, and although the image became darker with it on, it almost totally alleviated what was previously one of the Rift's biggest issues. The tech behind the low persistence is somewhat complex, but Mitchell explained the gist of it. Essentially the new "Crystal Cove" Oculus Rift's OLED display has zero latency, so it takes the pixels no time at all to change color. Even then, Mitchell said, there was some blurring, but Oculus alleviated it even further by programming the pixels to consistently but imperceptibly flicker on and off, only turning on when they have "good" data to display. That new OLED display is also full HD 1080p, just like the prototype Oculus showed off behind closed doors at E3 2013. That of course helps as well. Wizard Chess We played EVE: Valkyrie at E3 2013 as well, though on the older, lower-resolution Oculus Rift. In 1080p, and with minimal motion blur and the new positional head-tracking, it was even more immersive now than it was back then - and that's saying something, because even that first time it was totally mind-blowing. Piloting a space ship with an Xbox 360 controller while you look around the cockpit and target enemies with the motions of your head is one of the most impressive gaming experiences ever created. It feels like the first time you played Super Mario 64, or Halo, or Wolfenstein - completely fresh and like it has the potential to change the world of gaming. And right now it's only a demo. The other software Oculus had at CES was a very basic defense game built by Epic Games in Unreal Engine 4. It's an evolution of one of the original Oculus Rift demos Oculus showed around - the one where users simply walked or floated around several beautiful but interaction-light Unreal Engine 4 environments, including a snowy mountain and the lava-filled lair of a scary-looking demon lord. Now, that demon sits on his throne across from you, the player, he being your apparent opponent. Around you is his cavernous, fiery lair, and before you is something like a 3D board game with moving pieces. He sends tiny dwarves marching inexorably toward your goal, and you press buttons on the Xbox 360 controller to fire arrows, cannonballs and flamethrowers at them. There are two views: one overhead and one from closer to the game's level, almost like you're leaning down toward it to put on your thinking cap. And thanks to that positional head-tracking you can actually lean forward to peer into the game and examine the little dwarves up close. You can look into their faces as they're pinned with arrows and crisped with fire. The experience of playing a game inside a game world is not unique to Oculus Rift. This little game, though still very basic, could conceivably be a mini-game within some epic, sprawling RPG. But like with everything else, playing it on Oculus Rift makes you feel like you're really there. Early Verdict Mitchell said the camera that enables the positional tracking may be only a temporary solution. But whatever Oculus settles on to make sure the final version of Oculus Rift features full six-point head-tracking will be included with the unit, whether that means bundling a camera in or something else. There's still no projected release date or final pricing for the consumer product that the Oculus Rift Crystal Cove prototype will eventually become, despite rumors of a Christmas 2014 goal that Mitchell would neither confirm nor deny. And the conspicuous indicator lights on the Crystal Cove's front aren't final either, Mitchell revealed, even if they do look kind of cool. Mitchell and his colleagues at Oculus VR seem to think the Rift still has a long way to go. That may very well be true, but the fact is the Oculus Rift is the coolest product in the world right now, and it gets better every time we see it. Alex Roth and Matt Swider also contributed to these hands-on previews Earlier previews Update: It's E3 2013, and it's been several months since TechRadar last saw Oculus Rift. The virtual reality headset has undergone two major changes since January: a new prototype now comes with full HD 1080p visuals, and it's now got something resembling an actual video game. Hands on impressions by Matt Swider and Alex Roth We went hands on at the show to check out what's new with Oculus Rift, and we came away extremely impressed. Catching snowflakes Oculus VR is now using Epic's Unreal Engine 4 to demo its Rift headset. Specifically, the company is showing players the lava and snow demo that debuted in videos in late March. Wearing the standard-definition headset (similar to the one we saw at CES, but with an extra top strap for added comfort), we felt like we should be able to catch a snowflake with an open mouth when we looked up at the virtual sky. It's that real-looking, and when we put on the brand new prototype HD Oculus Rift that sensation was only heightened. Oculus Rift is incredibly immersive, and part of that is thanks to its true stereoscopic 3D. The two screens inside the goggles become extensions of your own eyeballs, and your brain quickly adapts to the point that you'll raise your arm and expect to see them in the game world. You can truly sense the world's depth, and despite knowing it's an illusion it feels very real. We didn't experience any nausea, but we only used it for a few minutes. We did get a touch of vertigo as we looked down from the top of a virtual mountain, though. The consumer version of Oculus Rift, which Oculus VR Vice President of Product Nate Mitchell said is coming in "months and not years," will likely come in HD like the prototype we saw at E3. As you can imagine it's absolutely a superior experience. Mitchell was hesitant to divulge too many specifics, though, mostly because they're always subject to change. "We want to continue to improve the hardware," he said. "Display technology keeps getting better. Sensor technology keeps getting better. We're adding new features and things like that, a lot of which we haven't announced." He said they want to keep the price point around $300 (about UK£191, AU$312), though. FutTv : gkBi1Kyu99L9d To infinity (and beyond) The other big development in the world of Oculus Rift came not from Oculus VR itself, but from EVE Online developers CCP Games. The first development kits for the headset went out a few months ago, and in that time CCP built an impressive demo that they showed off at E3 this week. In it players fly a spaceship using an Xbox 360 controller while the Oculus Rift tracks their head movements. This works incredibly well because just like when you're controlling a vehicle in real life, you can look around and move independently. The multiplayer demo - which unfortunately is just that, a tech demo - allowed multiple players to fly around in a large outer space environment while shooting lasers and missiles at one another. We could shoot lasers straight forward while targeting other players above and to the sides of our ship by simply moving our head and visually targeting them. The sense of space in this demo (no pun intended) was simply astounding. Tilting our head down, we could see our knees in the game; we found ourselves moving our arms and expecting our in-game avatar's arms to move as well. That sensation caused some dissonance as our brain tried to differentiate the virtual body it was seeing from the body it's attached to. That could be solved with a Kinect-style sensor that tracked your arm movements used in tandem with Oculus Rift, though Mitchell said they don't have plans for anything like that. The dev kits are out there, though, and it's not impossible. In fact, it seems we're just beginning to explore the possibilities of Oculus Rift, and if what we've seen so far is any indication then it's time to get very, very excited for what's in store. Original article: Oculus Rift made headlines last year for its wildly successful Kickstarter project. The enterprise to create a commercially viable virtual reality headset raised $2,437,429, and at the pre-CES 2013 Digital Experience event, TechRadar got to experience Oculus Rift eyeball-to-eyeball. The VR headset has been through several iterations, but the one we saw at CES was the most refined. It isn't perfect (and as we found out, it might not ever be perfect for some players) but it's undoubtedly superior to any previous attempts at a virtual reality display. Instead of a clunky skull-encompassing helmet, Occulus Rift is more like a set of ski goggles, with room inside for small eyeglasses if you wear them. Inside are two lenses, which each feed a separate 640 x 800 image to your eyeballs. Combined, they form a unified 1280 x 800 image. Motion tracking means it responds to your head movements, as though you're looking around an actual 3D environment. Oculus VR (the company behind Rift) showed off its remarkable new kit with the Epic Citadel demo - a standard video game input (in this case, from Xbox 360) in first-person view. This plunged us into a medieval marketplace populated by humble townsfolk and knights in armour, with snow softly settling around us. Wear it well The first time we moved was rather perplexing and disorienting. It's almost like walking for the very first time. However, the visuals seem extremely fluid and natural. And in less than a minute, we felt that Oculus Rift really could be the new face of playing games. Unfortunately, not long after that TechRadar's motion-sickness susceptible reviewer began to feel something else. He was only able to tolerate ten minutes before nausea spoiled the party. The time it takes for sickness to kick in appears to depend on the game's frame rate, camera system and other factors that have yet to be isolated. But surprisingly, while Oculus VR's representatives say this initial reaction is common among first-timers, they also report that most (though not all) players subsequently become accustomed to the experience. Early verdict There is still no target release date for the final product, let alone price. At CES, two versions were shown: the somewhat rough prototype, which is covered by black tape; and the developer kit, which looks far more polished. But whenever it appears, Oculus Rift seems set to mark a big shift in gaming. Clearly, though, there's work to do if the headset is to fulfill its potential - we can't see it becoming truly popular if it gets a reputation for making players sick.

updated: Best Bluetooth speakers 2015 Posted: 13 Mar 2015 01:00 PM PDT Best Bluetooth speakers Update: We've recently added the excellent UE Mini Boom and the Fluance Fi30 speakers to the list. These two entries couldn't be more different in size, one being small, the other is quite massive. But each fought their way for placement with great sound, design and value. The bazooka-sized boomboxes of yesteryear are no more, and haven't been for a while now. They have made way for portable, wireless speakers that are more capable, and sometimes, are as small as a soda can. But the path to glory for the Bluetooth speaker hasn't always been strong. In fact, it's been downright shaky at times, as innovation in design flew past the actual execution of reliably streaming music wirelessly in its early years. Most of the bugs have been shook loose, and the Bluetooth speakers arriving on store shelves today are better and more affordable than ever. What with long-lasting battery life, stunning audio reproduction and other useful features, these speakers can turn any trip away from home into a tune-filled party. We've done the digging to present to you our picks for best Bluetooth speakers. Harman Infinity One For a heavy-hitting option, look no further than the Harman Infinity One. After all, Linkin Park helped develop it, so you know it has got to be good. (*wink) In all seriousness though, this Bluetooth speaker can fill the room with rich sound from top to bottom. A slouch, the Harman Infinity One is not. You'll find all of the important features here, like speakerphone and NFC capabilities, as well as a solid battery life. At $300, it's quite a steep investment for most just looking to pipe sound wire-free. But if you're looking for a stellar-looking option that boasts enough good qualities to justify its price, your search ends here. Get this if your entertainment center is longing for a bold-looking and powerful companion. Read our Harman Infinity One review Fluance Fi30 One look at this speaker might make you think that it costs a small fortune. Coming in aggressively at $149, the Fluance Fi30 loves defying expectations and the act doesn't stop at its shockingly low price. It also sounds great. With room-filling audio, we've got a value-packed speaker that can bring down the house. Unlike the others on this list, the Fi30 isn't portable at all. Not just for its size, but also because it requires being plugged into an electrical socket for power. Minor negatives aside, this makes for the perfect porch companion or boombox-sized speaker for your pad. Read our Fluance Fi30 review JBL Charge 2 Coming in at $150 (£129, about AU$170) is the JBL Charge 2. It's about the size of a large can of energy drink, but we promise that it has more functionality than one. With great sound quality that booms through the cylindrical chamber, the deal is only made sweeter with its fantastic battery life, which can charge your power-hungry devices if you're away from an electrical source. Sure, it's not as flashy looking as the LED-decorated JBL Pulse, but its capabilities blow it out of the water for your money. Get this if you want a durable speaker, but don't care too much how it looks, so long as it performs well. Read our JBL Charge 2 review Dell AD211 A good Bluetooth speaker is something we all deserve, but it's also something we can't all afford. Thankfully, Dell stuck this stellar option in the budget Bluetooth speaker category. The Dell AD211 won't win awards for design, though some may dig its simple style. Whatever bad we had to say about (not much) it, can be mostly ignored once you hear that it retails for a staggeringly cheap $59 (£68.39, AU$79). Taking value into consideration, you'll have a hard time finding an affordable speaker with good battery life, NFC compatibility and a built-in microphone. But the AD211 has it all, and for a bargain. Get this if you're ballin' on a budget and you need the most feature-packed speaker for your money. Read our Dell AD211 review Harman/Kardon Esquire Mini While this chic Bluetooth speaker is marketed to the on the go business professional, always catching flights to go catch more flights, the Harmon Kardon Esquire Mini is an easy recommendation. It's hard not to be partial to such a good-looking speaker, but thankfully, its performance ranks just as high in our book. Albeit a tad expensive for its size ($150, £129.99), it makes up for the financial burden with great battery life and fantastic style. If size is of utmost importance, you'll be pleased with the Esquire Mini, as it's about the thickness of two smartphones. Of course, you wouldn't guess that the voluminous sound would be coming out of such a small device. Get this if want a pocket-friendly Bluetooth speaker that's fashion-savvy. Read our Harman Kardon Esquire Mini review Best Bluetooth speakers continued Creative Sound Blaster Roar SR20 Just like people do, some Bluetooth speakers try to do everything. And just like people, some Bluetooth speakers can do this gracefully and some cannot. The Creative Sound Blaster Roar SR20 succeeds at being a multi-functional speaker that rings it at the pleasing tune of $129 (about £104, AU$155). Compared to other speakers on this list so far, its design stands out, for starters. It's about the size of a hard-cover book and can compliment a bookshelf, if you please, or just a table top. This speaker houses a bunch of cool features, even some you may not use. The 'aux in' port allows it to amplify beyond what your computer is capable of. Its internal microphone can even record audio to a microSD card. Get this if a cool, novel-sized Bluetooth speaker packed with premium sound and fun features (recording audio, "Roar' volume boost) appeals to you. Read our Creative Sound Blaster Roar SR20 review Bose SoundLink Color Sound performance isn't something that's new to Bose. When it comes to Bluetooth speakers, they've nailed down a full-bodied sound in a small form-factor. There's something that's been missing though: Color. With the Bose SoundLink Color, you have 5 options available to match your taste, each of which can power your listening experience for 8 continuous hours. At $129, Bose performance comes cheap with this portable Bluetooth speaker. Denon Envaya The grille is usually an afterthought in a Bluetooth speaker, just a fancy cover to protect the speakers inside. But with the Denon Envaya, the grille reveals a whimsical splash of color underneath. At $199, it's a bit expensive for its desk-friendly size, but it makes up for it booming sound, NFC pairing and 10 hours of battery life. It can also be oriented to lay on its back or propped up on the stand to find that perfect listening angle. UE Mini Boom Big Bluetooth speakers are known for their loud, full sound performance. You'd think that small Bluetooth speaker are doomed to lackluster, tinny sound performance. In the case of the Ultimate Ears Mini Boom, that's simply not the case. For $99, UE packs an impressive amount of "oomph" into the Mini Boom. Just as we were, you'll likely be surprised and impressed. Packed into a fun, durable form-factor, the UE Mini Boom is a fantastic value for music lovers. Read our UE Mini Boom review Koss BTSi Riffing off of the trend set by the UE Mini Boom, the Koss BTSi looks to take the idea of a value-packed, miniature Bluetooth speaker to a new level. For $59, Koss makes a convincing argument with the BTSi. While it isn't the bass-heavy juggernaut that the Mini Boom is, it's capable of a sound that is more rich. We'll update this page as we review more speakers, so stay tuned. Let us know if you have suggestions for us to check out in the comments below.

Review: mini review: UE Mini Boom Posted: 13 Mar 2015 12:50 PM PDT The adage "never judge a book by its cover" applies to more than just books. In the case of the Ultimate Ears (UE) Mini Boom: don't judge this Bluetooth speaker by its size. If you do, you'll miss out on an affordable option that defies its small appearance with awesome sound for a fraction of the price of some bigger tweeters. At $99 (£79, AU$99), Ultimate Ears's miniature speaker confidently shows that size doesn't always matter. Competition beware, the UE Mini Boom is on a mission to usurp the throne as your go-to speaker and is one of the best values around. Design This fist-sized Bluetooth speaker begs to be your anytime, anyplace companion and achieves just that with its durable, no-nonsense design that minimalists will love. The speaker is housed in a uniform rubber casing. Ultimate Ears provided TechRadar with the orange flavor in the Mini Boom line. It's a festive neon color that gives the speaker a whimsical look. The Mini Boom also comes in the sleek black and red you see above, in addition to variations of black, purple and green. It's not all about looks, though, the band of rubber acts as a bumper, providing a good amount of protection from tumbles, scratches and dings. Embedded flush on the top of the speaker is a simple panel of buttons that offer a satisfying, tactile click. From left to right, we have decrease volume, Bluetooth pair and increase volume rounding out the offering. Nestled next to the panel is a discrete microphone for taking phone calls with a push of the pairing button. Connecting through NFC is also possible by holding your capable device near the top of the Mini Boom. All in all, this is a user-friendly design that even Bluetooth initiates should feel right at home with. Moving around the Mini Boom, its front-facing grille is splashed in white and is made up of unique diamond-shaped perforations. A bright blue LED lights up to signify a successful tether over Bluetooth. Other than that, there isn't much to see here, but there exist a few more details on the back. Here, you'll find an on/off switch, micro USB charging port and a 3.5mm input hanging out together on a little island of plastic on the rear metal grille. There's also a hollowed-out area on the back that allows the surprisingly deep bass to radiate through. The speaker works right out of the box, but Ultimate Ears encourages you download its aptly titled companion app (available for iOS and Android), Mini Boom, to boost its capabilities. With it, you can browse the product manual, adjust EQ settings, change the name of your speaker and even pair with a second Mini Boom for stereo sound. It's not a must-have, but only adds to the value packed into this little boom box. Performance The UE Mini Boom tackles design with finesse, giving the market a shake with an utterly simple and elegant miniature Bluetooth speaker. But wouldn't you know it, that's not even the Mini Boom's strongest suit. When it comes to performance, the Mini Boom offers a surprising level of fidelity from its small form-factor. What's more appealing is that the sound delivery is bass-heavy, which is nearly unthinkable for something of its size. Performance in general, regardless of genre, is generally impressive through the mighty Mini Boom. Jazz sounds warm and hip-hop is deep. However, it's not all perfect. Ultimate Ears clearly put the majority of its focus on deep bass and mids. While the speaker can fill the room with ease, I noticed a haze hanging over the highs. Fans of rock and pop will love the full sound that the Mini Boom can provide, but the lack of ultra-crisp delivery will leave you wanting more definition. Battery life is yet another strong suit of the UE Mini Boom. Although the charging period is a bit lengthy at four hours, I was able to squeeze the advertised 10 hours of performance out of this little one at a variety of volumes. Connectivity via Bluetooth and NFC is quick and simple, as it's meant to be. With the companion app, the Mini Boom is capable of pairing wirelessly to another Mini Boom to mirror the music from two speakers placed within the impressive 50-foot range. We had another one in the office, so we actually had the opportunity to test out the functionality. What's cool is that it's also possible to switch it into stereo mode with the appropriate channels coming through each Mini Boom. We liked The UE Mini Boom strikes a particularly sweet chord as a versatile Bluetooth companion that is portable, durable and sleek. It's even better then that sound and battery performance deliver surprisingly beefy results, especially coming from such a small speaker. We disliked While sound performance is booming on the whole, highs don't get the deserved attention in the sound signature. The emphasis on bass and mids will cater towards portable party-goers (or hosters), but the lack of shine in the sound will be apparent in more tame environments. Final verdict In the Bluetooth speaker market, you're going have a difficult time finding a better value. Combining impressive sound, long-lasting battery life and a cool design, the UE Mini Boom makes a huge statement for being such a little thing.

Is this strange-looking Sony leak an Xperia phone? Posted: 13 Mar 2015 12:48 PM PDT The image above popped up briefly on Chinese social network Weibo, where it was reportedly posted - and then quickly deleted - by Sony itself. The thing is, though, no one seems to have any idea what it actually is, including iapps.im, the Chinese site that originally spotted it. The mysterious Sony phone doesn't really look anything like past Xperia phones, which is not to say it definitely isn't the Xperia Z4. But the round home button, the placement of the front camera, and the squared edges - the Xperia Z3 was more rounded - all point to the possibility that this is something else entirely. Why did Sony allegedly post this image to social media? What phone is this? What the heck is going on? We've reached out to Sony to find out the answers to these questions, and we'll update you if we hear back. The Apple Watch is almost here

Review: Western Digital DL4100 Posted: 13 Mar 2015 12:10 PM PDT Introduction and specs As someone who works in technology and does a ton of work at home, I always perform backups on my computers. I have external drives, I have internal RAIDs, and I have cloud backups, but they always require manual setup. I live in a world where everything seems to be automated and finding a way to simplify backup and transfer processes is a must. Well, there is a solution - enter the Western Digital My Cloud DL4100 Network Attached Storage (NAS), which offers the options and features required to fit the needs of many small businesses, web developers, freelancers, photographers, and even some medium-sized businesses. The DL4100 comes in several different formats. It comes in a standard diskless model ($529.99, £356.57, AU$689.52), an 8TB model ($849.99, £571.87, AU$1105.57), a 16TB model ($1,169.99, £787.07, AU$1522.17), and a behemoth 24TB model ($1,529.99, £1029.24, AU$1990.53). The price might be high, but if you're running a business at home, a small start-up, or if you're a freelancer, then all of your data is critical, and you will want an easy-to-use, reliable backup solution. The DL4100 is an investment that is definitely worth making. Specs The Western Digital My Cloud DL4100 NAS is pretty heavy at 14.03 lbs (6.36 kg). The dimensions of the DL4100 are 5.82 inches (147.8 mm) in height, by 8.51 inches (216.1 mm) deep, and 4.28 inches (108.6 mm) wide. The DL4100 is no taller or wider than a mini desktop and I found that hiding it near my cable modem was easy to do. The NAS supports up to four drives with four drive bays. You can also buy a diskless model and provide your own hard drives or purchase different models that come with the drives. I received the 8TB model with RAID-1 configuration drives that are combined as one volume for redundancy. RAID-1 configuration means that you have one volume on two hard drives, which enables the hard drives to replicate. This is a neat feature because if one hard drive fails, your data is still saved. You can configure this NAS in a RAID-0 (striped, where data is split on two drives so that it reads the data faster but without redundancy), RAID-5 and RAID-10, but more on that later. The DL4100 has a lot of cool features, such as a web-based panel where you can set users, shares, permissions, RAID types, and backups. More importantly, the web-based panel features integrated web-apps to back up with cloud services (such as AWS) or integrate with Dropbox or Box. The Western Digital My Cloud DL4100 NAS has two gigabit ethernet ports, three USB 3.0 Ports, one USB 2.0 Port, and two AC/Adapter connections for redundancy. This is a really sweet feature that allows you to be able to connect this to separate power sources as well as network sources. While this might not be applicable in a home-office setting, it is something that is useful for those who rely on very reliable backups. This feature ensures the DL4100 will always be powered on and is seemingly fault tolerant, meaning it won't fail if, say, a switch or a power cable were to break. There is an LCD screen on the front panel of the device that tells you the IP address, status of the RAID, hard drives, and other important basic information. What I also like are the LEDs under each individual drive bay that will glow orange if there is a problem. The Western Digital My Cloud DL4100 NAS is powered by an Intel Atom 1.7 GHz C2337 dual-core processor and comes with 2GB DDR3 memory stock. You can upgrade the NAS to use 6GB DDR3 Ram to improve system performance if needed. Performance and verdict The DL4100 NAS has a plethora of features on the software side that allow you to use this as just a redundant backup drive or to turn the device into an Active Directory with encrypted volumes that backup regularly to Amazon AWS's S3 storage. You can even host an FTP server directly from the device with no extra software, and share files with clients and coworkers remotely. This NAS supports multiple network file service protocols, so there is no need to worry about configuration for different machines as it supports the almost defunct AFP, SMB, NFSv3 for Linux users, it can do DFS (Microsoft Distributed File System) for those in a Microsoft Domain, and can be a WebDAV server. The abundance of apps allow you to connect the DL4100 to your website (Joomla, Wordpress), to your torrents (Transmission), to P2P clients (aMule), and to a phpMYAdmin connector for account management. You can even stream content from your DL4100 to your TV by installing IceCast directly on the NAS and configuring it from there. The DL4100 can also create iSCSI targets and automatically copy information from HTTP sites. You can mount other external USB hard drives and it will back them up or auto-share them on the network regardless of whether or not one external drive is a Windows NTFS and another is a Mac OS X HFS+. No need to format and worry about data, the Western Digital My Cloud DL4100 NAS handles it with ease. Testing Setting the device up couldn't be easier - you plug in the power, plug in the network, and just point your web browser to the setup page and it will automatically walk you through creating a password, setting up a user account, and bringing you to the splash screen. Once logged in, you can see the performance, the disk space, etc. I hooked up the DL4100 to DynDNS, turned on FTP access, set up email and SMS alerts in case the system failed (so awesome), and NTP Service. I did this so I can connect to my device remotely on my iPhone, my Droid Tablet, or my computer with ease. I also made it so that I can connect with some friends of mine to share pictures of a trip we went on together (I just uploaded a folder and sent my friends the FTP information. It went very smoothly). After that, I set up my storage on the NAS. I used the 8TB drive, which comes with two 4TB drives, I configured them to be RAID-1 so I can have redundant drives. I didn't create users or extra folders - it is easy to do - because I wanted to see file transfer speeds. I have an 8TB RAID array in my gaming tower, and I have some big data to transfer. Unfortunately, I found this confusing to set up. You need to download Western Digital's My Cloud and SmartWare apps (both for Windows and Mac OS X) to perform a direct backup. The My Cloud app connects the drive and the SmartWare allows you to do direct Backups. So, I ran my 3TB backup of miscellaneous files, including some major file sizes, and it took roughly 10 hours to complete because the transfer killed my wireless network. My router and my computer feature 802.11ac Wi-Fi, so if you are using G or N then expect this process to take a lot longer. If you are connected directly to the device using Gigabit Ethernet then your connections will be far better. Also, I am running RAID-1 which means that the files are written twice. Doing a Read/Write test was difficult as I couldn't get the DL4100 NAS to mount to my computer plugged in via USB. I downloaded a program called Parkdale and ran a couple of tests on read/write speeds over the network. Here was its performance: 100 MB File Read speed was 96.9 MByte/sec Write speed was 106.4 MByte/sec 250 MB File Read speed was 117.8 MByte/sec Write speed was 92.6 MByte/sec 1 GB File Read speed was 96.9 MByte/sec Write speed was 106.4 MByte/sec 4 GB File Read speed was 91.5 MByte/sec Write speed was 69.9 MByte/sec The speeds are not bad, but what I did find is that the bigger the file, the better chance of losing wireless connectivity. For example, backing up 100 20MB files performed way better than, say, backing up one 30GB file. Verdict The DL4100 does nearly everything well. I wasn't a huge fan of the web interface, and large transfers crushed my Wi-Fi, but other than that, every task I conducted on the device performed admirably. There are definitely some features I would improve for the next release, but the specs, the design and the functionality of the DL4100 are top-notch. We liked It is so easy to set this machine up. Once you have all your settings in place, and if you're not on Wi-Fi, the Western Digital My Cloud DL4100 NAS just runs. Period. The DL4100 NAS is a business class NAS through and through. It comes with a ton of cool features that are perfect for a wide range of NAS users, from the novice to the expert. The addition of integrated apps, the ability to set up alerts via SMS and email if the device has a problem, the ability to connect it anywhere - amazing. We disliked Using this over Wi-Fi is annoying. The DL4100 cuts out from time-to-time depending on the volume and weight of the data you are trying to back up. I don't really like the web interface. In terms of look and feel, it's fine, but I found it really difficult to actually use. It took forever to load when I made a setting change, or my network would knock out, and I would have to manually reconnect to the web interface continuously. It's not that the interface is awful in conception or execution, but I found that the performance was not up to par with what the DL4100 offers. Final verdict The Western Digital My Cloud DL4100 NAS is an impressive machine that offers a ton of features. As long as you keep it plugged in via ethernet you will be able to perform an abundance of tasks - from transferring files to backing up data to streaming content - without having to manually log each and every step. Although the price is somewhat high, the DL4100 is an investment that home and small office users would be wise to make.

Android may get a whole lot safer on public Wi-Fi Posted: 13 Mar 2015 11:46 AM PDT With security and privacy on everyone's minds these days, it should come as no surprise that Google appears to be working on a VPN service for Android. A VPN - or Virtual Private Network - can help keep you secure even when you're on public Wi-Fi, and big clues in the latest Android update suggest that Google might make it a standard feature. 2015 is the year of cool gadgets Pocketables discovered a new system app called "Google Connectivity Services" on the Nexus 6 running the newest Android update - Android 5.1 - and it seems to betray Google's intentions. To protect and obscure The app is only viewable in the list of apps in Android's settings menu, and it can't be launched by normal means (like, you know, tapping on it). But once it is launched, it displays a pop-up titled "Google VPN." "To help protect you on open Wi-Fi networks, your data will be transmitted securely through a Google VPN," it reads. It's possible to get a little further, but not to actually connect to a VPN at this point. Still, this is a big clue pointing to one possible conclusion: that Google is working on a VPN service for Android. When it might arrive it more nebulous, but we've asked Google to clarify just in case, and we'll update this article if we hear back. Chromecast is brilliant

In Depth: Best Netflix TV shows: 25 great Netflix television series in the US Posted: 13 Mar 2015 10:00 AM PDT Best Netflix TV shows: 25 great Netflix TV series Netflix's transition from a DVD rental service to a streaming behemoth has been impressive to watch. The company has sunk tons of money and effort into making itself into the Number 1 destination for on-demand content that it isn't just a place to watch things, it also creates them. So much so that the big TV and movie studios are rightly running scared. While Netflix slowly makes a land grab for movies, it's perhaps its television output that is the reason most people have an account. There's a ton of TV content to feast upon - too much to ever consider watching in one lifetime. This is why we've created the TechRadar guide to the greatest TV shows on Netflix in the US right now. We'll keep this best TV show list constantly updated with the latest television shows that you should be watching and also tell you why. Check out our in-depth Netflix review 1. American Horror Story The idea that Ryan Murphy, creator of saccharine sing-a-thon Glee, had turned his hand to horror was enough to have most people running scared, but American Horror Story is simply brilliant television. Changing the characters and plot focus each season, but retaining most of the cast, is an ingenious idea that makes this horror anthology tick. It has also meant we have so far seen the wondrous Jessica Lange as a housewife, witch, nun and freakshow owner. And the fact that Murphy has revealed that each season is actually related in some way adds to the mystique of a show that finally manages to do horror on TV well. Seasons on Netflix: 3 2. Archer Given that Archer is set at the International Secret Intelligence Service (unfortunately abbreviated as ISIS), recent terror atrocities have meant the animation has been getting headlines for the wrong reasons. But don't let this unlucky nomenclature put you off. Archer is a brilliant send-up of spy movies of yore, complete with some of the best voiceover talent - many of which have been pruned from the cast of Arrested Development. While the fifth season 'reboot' wasn't the success it should have been, Archer is still one of the best cartoon comedies around. Seasons on Netflix: 5 3. Arrested Development If it wasn't for Netflix, Arrested Development would have stayed as a three-season wonder. The streaming giant decided to take a gamble and fund a fourth season of Mitchell Hurwitz's brilliant family comedy and we are glad it did. While splitting the family up for most of the season meant some of the spark had disappeared - this was done to fit in with the actors' busy schedules - the fourth season proved that there was still a lot to like about the dysfunctional Bluth family. Filled with season-long in-jokes, perfect site gags and spot-on wordplay, Arrested Development is a comedy that needs to be watched on repeat - and even then you will find something new to laugh at. Seasons on Netflix: 4 4. Battlestar Galactica Before the world was awash with gritty superhero reboots, Battlestar Galactica proved you could take some slightly campy source material and make it into something special. Given it is set in space, Galactica never quite gets the plaudits it should but believe us: it's not just one of the best sci-fi series ever made, it's one of the best series full stop. It has the perfect blend of politics and space dogfights, human drama and extraterrestrial exploration. From the perfectly realised mini first season to the last, there's enough themes in Galactica to fill a university course. Unmissable stuff. Seasons on Netflix: 4 5. Mad Men Mad Men is more addictive than the cigarettes Don Draper is trying to market us. If you've never watched it, essentially Mad Men is a show about everything we now consider taboo in glaringly harsh light. Set in 1960s America, inter-office intercourse is par for the course, along with ashtrays overflowing with cigarettes, sexism at the highest levels and a complete disregard for morals so long as it serves the characters on their climb to the top of the corporate ladder. Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and his assistant Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) shock and entertain us by showing the lifestyles of the advertising executives who got the public to buy cigarettes long after they knew the health risks. Seasons on Netflix: 6 6. Black Mirror There's no better person to portray not-so-distant future dystopias than Charlie Brooker. He's been holding a warped mirror up to the ridiculous nature of the world's media for years, mixing cutting comments with comedy, but Black Mirror sees him entering darker territory. Each series is just three episodes long but they are all standalone treats, twisting reality in their own unique way while commenting on things we seem to hold dear today - namely technology and television. Seasons on Netflix: 2 7. Breaking Bad More addictive than the meth pushed by Walt and Jessie, Breaking Bad is brilliant binge-watching television. The initial plot is simple: a straight-laced teacher is told he has cancer and to make sure he leaves his family with the best possible life, he turns to drug making and dealing. There's method to his madness as he ends up being pretty good at it. Creator Vince Gilligan has created such a good group of characters, he is currently mining the same world again with Better Call Saul. But that has some way to go reach the highest highs that Breaking Bad offers. Seasons on Netflix: 5 8. Parks and Recreation We always knew Amy Poehler was funny. Sketch after sketch on Saturday Night Live proved she had the comedic timing of a professional stand-up mixed with the creative capacity of an executive producer. Each episode of Parks and Rec is a chance to see Poehler do what she does best, with an excellent supporting cast of Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza and Rashida Jones behind her every step of the way. While we were sad to see the show come to a heart-wrenching conclusion this year, the finale in February was the perfect excuse to go back and binge-watch the entire series from start to finish. Series on Netflix: 6 9. Louie If you like Louis C.K.'s stand up, you're going to love Louie. It's dark. It's funny. It makes us look at ourselves and our situations and just think "Huh, I guess it could be a lot worse." Each episode is divided into two parts: a stand-up segment where Louie tells jokes to a faceless audience and a fictional vignette that either refutes or enforces the previous joke. So how can a comedian's life, even a fictional version of it, be funny? We have no idea, but it just works. Series on Netflix: 3 10. Fargo There was a collective groan by Coen Brothers fans the world over when Fargo the television show was announced. But what could have been darn tootin' awful ended up being fantastic, thanks to the casting of Billy Bob Thornton who is both funny and psychotic - well, his character is anyway. The series thankfully didn't retread the movie but added to it, acting as a strange but sublime companion piece. It's so good, the Coens initially refused to have their name on the show - until they saw it and loved it. Seasons on Netlflix: 1 11. Fringe Not since X-Files has a show managed to balance 'monster of the week' storylines with an overarching story that goes beyond this universe and into many more. Fringe was always a shows that never quite gained superstar status but, thanks to stellar casting (which included the late Leonard Nimoy and Pacey from Dawson's Creek) and mind-bending themes, it was consistently one of the brainiest and craziest things on television. It was thanks to its cult support that Fringe actually had an ending too - and a decent one that managed to wrap all that went before it with a poignant conclusion, even though we were a little sad to let go of Walter Bishop and co. Seasons on Netflix: 5 12. House of Cards If there ever was a poster boy for Netflix, House of Cards would be it. Funded completely by the streaming service, Cards' first season boasted direction by David Fincher and acting by Kevin Spacey and was addictive television. The reason: Netflix positively wanted you to binge watch, putting all episodes up at once. Now in its third season, Netflix's Card trick is still impressive and shows just how far Netflix has come, given it's shot in both 4K and HDR. Seasons on Netflix: 3 13. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Initially made on a shoe-string budget, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia first season had a cult following, but low viewing figures meant it was destined to be a one-series wonder. Thankfully, everything changed when Season 2 was eventually green-lit, thanks to some big-time star power. Danny De Vito joined for a 10-episode run that was extended because he loved it so much. He's still in the show that's now in its 10th season, bringing with him huge viewing figures. The antics of Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Rob McElhenney, the show's creator), Charlie (Charlie Kelly) and Sweet Dee (Kaitlin Olson) won't be for everyone - at its darkest the show's 'comedy' themes range from nazism to drug abuse - but stick with it and this deliciously depraved classic will reward you. Seasons available on Netflix: 9 14. Firefly After he had produced the perfect female lead in Buffy and before he was Hulk smashing with The Avengers, Joss Whedon created a short-run sci-fi series that has spawned not only a massive cult following but, quite astonishingly, a movie. The reason it was such an underground success was because Firefly takes the Star Wars framework of making space messy, where everything is a little rough around the edges - including the crew. It even has its own Han Solo in the form of Nathan Fillion's Malcolm Reynolds. Whedon's witty words permeate the whole of Firefly, which is not so much a space opera but a space rock opera. Seasons on Netflix: 1 15. The Killing The US version of The Killing is a strange beast. It starts out to be an inferior version of the Nordic original but thanks to some interesting plotting and a longer series run it ends up being better. The cast is great, too. Donning the infamous jumper is Mireille Enos and her partner is rebooted RoboCop himself Joel Kinnaman. Netflix has also been the show's saviour, picking up the fourth season when it looked unlikely to be renewed. And the Seattle backdrop is even more menacing than the bleak outskirts of Copenhagen. Seasons on Netflix: 4 16. The Walking Dead Most shows that take place after the apocalypse dry up after a season or two, typically because things can only go from bad to better so many times before the survivors set up a new utopia. It's good then that The Walking Dead isn't like most shows. Sure, sometimes situations go from bad to better, but that's only before things fall apart and the situation becomes even more dire than when the episode started. Oh, and the old joke about main characters always being safe when they're in a room together? That doesn't apply here. No one is safe, and that's what makes The Walking Dead a show that works season after season, episode after episode. Seasons on Netflix: 4 17. Orange is the New Black It may have never reached the heady heights of House Of Cards, but Orange Is The New Black is another show that proves Netflix is now up there with HBO when it comes to offering decent programming. Set in a woman's prison, Orange doesn't shirk the big issues of violence and rape but manages to mix these with a heady dose of black humour. Oh, and its first series was actually more popular than Cards which is a surprise as Netflix's advertising has always been very Spacey heavy. Seasons on Netflix: 2 18. How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother filled the laugh track-filled void in our lives where Friends used to be. A winning combination of actors and actresses like American Pie's Alyson Hannigan, Jason Segel and Neil Patrick Harris, set against a few dozen plot twists and red herrings, set the stage for one of the must-watch sitcoms of the last decade. Getting sucked into Ted Mosby's search for the one is a heartfelt and earnest affair as you root for everyone to succeed and the group to keep it together for one last season. Whatever you think of the final season, the on-screen chemistry feels downright natural and Ted's struggle, albeit a bit drawn-out and convoluted, is relatable on the most basic of levels. Seasons on Netflix: 9 19. The West Wing Producer Aaron Sorkin's Hollywood-meets-Washington show about politics and the people behind them is a cultural institution. For seven seasons its ideas entertained the wannabe politicians inside all of us and has gone on to inspire a renaissance in the youth's interest in government. Insightful, funny, witty and always gripping, The West Wing struck the perfect balance between being airy, feel-good television and a dramatic, no-holds-barred cry fest. For all the emotional highs and lows it brings along the way, there's almost no better way to spend 45 minutes of your day. Seasons on Netflix: 7 20. Scrubs We'll be the first to admit that Scrubs outstayed its welcome - any show that essentially reboots itself is one that doesn't know when to let go - but there's been nothing since that has completely filled its madcap hole. Packed with more (a)sides than a tetrahedron, watching Zach Braff and co daydream their way through hospital life is always a joy and you will be pleased to know that Netflix hasn't yet got the awful ninth season so we can all pretend like it never happened. Seasons on Netflix: 6 21. Sherlock It shouldn't work but it really really does. This modern retelling of the Sherlock Holmes stories is as good as it gets. Benedict Cumberbatch is everything you want in a Holmes - someone that wallows in wit, weirdness and warmth. While Martin Freeman plays Dr Watson as he plays all his characters - he's the everyman that has to learn how to deal with his extraordinary colleague. Episodes are scarce but each one is feature length, which gives them time to breath. Let's just hope these two superstars can find time in their busy schedules to keep doing the show. Seasons on Netflix: 2 22. Friends If there's any show more '90s than Friends, we'd like to see it. The story of Rachel, Ross, Chandler, Phoebe, Joey and Monica needs no introduction and no selling point, rather it's a trip down memory lane to a time before we all had cell phones living in our pockets and computers with 16GB of RAM. Every season had its share of twists and turns before culminating in a season finale with one or two paradigm-shifting events that, like a can of Pringles, kept us coming back week after week. Netflix has all 10 seasons which means, unlike your youth, you won't have to wait a whole week to spend time with your … wait for it … friends. Seasons on Netflix: 10 23. Sons of Anarchy There's very good reason Sons of Anarchy is the highest rated show on FX ever - its Shakespeare-esque plot (think Hamlet on bikes), following the tumultuous lives of a motorcycle gang, has everyone who watches it gripped. The show ended in 2014 after seven glorious seasons - although later seasons could never quite reach the glory days of one to three - and is perfect fodder for those looking for another Breaking Bad-style fix. Seasons on Netflix: 6 24. Cosmos Cosmos had quite a legacy to live up to. The original series was hosted by Cornell Professor Carl Sagan, and inspired untold amounts of scientists to drive the needle forward. Now hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey lives up to the original in every way imaginable. Cosmos makes you think about your place in the universe by showing you the outermost reaches of the stars and then grounds it with stories of the humans who figured it out. It's as informative as it is intrepid, the show lifts the curtain on human understanding to make you feel small, only to build you back up with new knowledge and the encouragement that a single discovery can make all the difference in the world. Science TV will never be the same again. Seasons on Netflix: 1 25. Freaks and Geeks On the list of shows that were tragically cut down before their prime, Number 1 is Firefly. Number 2, however, is Freaks and Geeks, the show that served as a launching pad for some of our favorite stars in comedy today. Brash, mischievous and hysterical, James Franco, Jason Segel and Seth Rogen provide a perfect counter-balance for the tepid (and completely loveable) Linda Cardellini. The show scores the last spot on our list and in our hearts because at the end of the day we've all been Cardellini's character, Lindsay. We've all been picked on, called a nerd and genuinely loved something - whether that's cellphones, computers, televisions, whatever. And just when you think you'll never fit in, the right group of people somehow find their way into your life. Seasons on Netflix: 1

In depth: 4K TV and Ultra HD: Everything you need to know Posted: 13 Mar 2015 10:00 AM PDT 4K Update: We got a sneak peek at the next generation of 4K Ultra-HD TVs at CES 2015. Be sure to check out our Samsung Curved 4K SUHD TV, LG EG9900 4K Flexible OLED TV, LG 65-inch UF9400 Quantum Dot 4K UHD TV, Sony XBR-X900C Series 4K TV, Sling TV hands ons as well as our Smart TV platform comparison. 4K TV sets are now available from most of the major TV manufacturers, including Samsung, LG, Sony, Sharp, Panasonic and Vizio and a slew of second tier players. But these are merely the tip of the technological iceberg. This new standard affects not just the world of TV and cinema, but cameras, smartphones, tablets, computer monitors and video games. Practically anything that displays images or records video will need to reckon with 4K in the coming years. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let's make sure we all understand the basics. What the heck is 4K and why should you care? What do I need to know about 4K? In a minute we're going to explain precisely how 4K is defined, how it works and why you should care, but to tell you the truth, you only need to know one thing about it: 4K means more pixels. That's it? That's it. How many more pixels are we talking about? About 8 million. Which is around four times what your current 1080p set can display. Think of your TV like a grid, with rows and columns. A full HD 1080p image is 1080 rows high and 1920 columns wide. A 4K image approximately doubles both those numbers, yielding approximately 4 times as many pixels total. To put it another way, you could fit every pixel from your 1080p set onto one quarter of a 4K screen. Why is it called 4K? Because the images are around 4,000 pixels wide. And before you ask, yes, the industry named 1080 resolution after image height, but named 4K after image width. For extra added fun, you also might hear this resolution referred to as 2160p. Welcome to the future. It's confusing here. Do all those extra pixels matter? They matter very much. More pixels means more information. More information means sharper pictures. Sharper pictures are more engaging. More engaging content is more fun. And fun... well fun is the thing, isn't it? So I'll see a huge difference? That's where it gets sticky. We're talking about a similar jump in resolution as the one from SD (480 lines high) to HD (1080 lines high). And 4K screens are noticeably sharper than 1080p screens. But there are a few reasons you might not feel the same thrill you did when you upgraded your old CRT to a flatscreen. When most people went from a 480 to a 1080p set, there was a good chance they were making a big jump in TV size as well. In terms of wow factor, display size is more powerful than any resolution jump could ever hope to be. Last time around most people got big jumps to both screen size and resolution. But this time screen sizes are staying about the same, with the most popular models falling in the 40 inch to 70 inch range. Most importantly, though, you'll only be able to see the resolution difference on a 4K set if you're 1) watching 4K content through it and 2) you're sitting close enough. Sitting close enough? Yup. Remember when Apple made a big fuss about "retina" displays a few iPhones back? "Retina" refers to screens that have sufficient resolution that at a normal viewing distance your eye can't make out individual pixels. Get far enough away from a 1080p set and, hey presto, It's a retina display! More importantly, at that same distance, your eyeballs won't be able to squeeze any more detail out of a 4K image than a 1080 one. If you're at "retina distance" from your 1080p set now and don't plan on moving your couch closer, upgrading to 4K may not make a big difference to your experience. This chart shows how close you need to sit at any given screen size to see the difference. So I should sit closer? Oh my yes. The ability to get up close to the screen without the image breaking down is one of the most intoxicating things about 4K. Sitting closer allows the same sized screen to fill more of your visual field, which yields greater immersion. The up-close factor is one of the reasons 4K computer monitors have become one of the technology's fastest growing sectors. 4K monitors remain pin-sharp even when you're just a foot or two from the screen, as you are when you're sitting at your desk. Difference between Ultra HD and 4K Technically, "Ultra High Definition" is actually a derivation of the 4K digital cinema standard. However while your local multiplex shows images in native 4096 x 2160 4K resolution, the new Ultra HD consumer format has a slightly lower resolution of 3840 X 2160. This is one reason why some brands prefer not to use the 4K label at all, sticking with Ultra HD or UHD instead. However, the numerical shorthand looks likely to stick. As a broad brush label it's so much snappier! Why should I care about 4K Ultra HD? There are many reasons why 4K should make you rethink your next TV purchase (actually, there are eleven and you can read about them here), not all of them immediately obvious. Photographers who routinely view their work on an HD TV are seeing but a fraction of the detail inherent in their pictures when they view them at 2160p. A 4K display reveals so much more nuance and detail – the difference can be astonishing. While 3D has proved to be a faddish diversion, 4K comes without caveats. Its higher resolution images are simply better. The higher pixel density of a 4K panel also enable you get much closer without the grid-like structure of the image itself becoming visible –this means you can comfortably watch a much larger screen from the same seating position as your current Full HD panel. Currently all available 4K Ultra HD TVs are in excess of 50-inches. You also said "and up." Can UHD also designate higher resolutions than 4K? Yes. This is the slightly confusing part. An 8K display would also be UHD. What is this 8K you speak of? It's the next resolution standard up from 4K. Basically it doubles the pixel height and width again to yield approximately 32 million pixels. It's a regular pixel party. That sounds awesome. Should I just get one of those? Absolutely not. The 8K standard is primarily for the exhibition market (aka movie theaters). To make that many pixels matter, you need to be feeding a truly gigantic screen and sitting right in front of it. Besides, you can't buy an 8K screen today without having it custom built, which would cost approximately seven hojillion dollars. And there's no commercially available 8K content. You'd need to get movies directly from distributors the same way theaters do. You do not need this unless you are Jerry Bruckheimer. (If you are Jerry Bruckheimer, though, give me a call. I know a guy.) My friend told me about 4K OLED. What's that? More acronyms! Isn't this fun? OLED - organic light emitting diodes - have been around for some time, but producing big screens using this technology has proven to be prohibitively expensive, something which has so far prevented OLED television from being a mainstream proposition. It's a real shame because OLED technology can be stunning, offering vibrant colors, deep blacks and bright whites. But don't give up hope just yet. Several companies (most prominently LG) are laboring away to bring OLED to 4K televisions. We recently took a look at LG's new 4K OLED sets, but while they're gorgeous, pricing remains sky high. Hopefully that will change soon, though. "I believe the price and yield rate will be higher immediately and the price will be down," Mr K I Kwon, president of LG Electronics UK, told TechRadar recently. We hope his predictions hold and we aren't ruling out OLED as a big player in the next generation of televisions. I've heard Netflix is going to start streaming in something called HDR. What is that? HDR, UHD, OLED ... there's no shortage of acronyms in home entertainment. HDR, or high dynamic range, is a concept borrowed from digital imaging which combines three images - one with normal lighting, one with underexposure and one with overexposure - to give more contrast to an image or video. Netflix will be the first content provider to release HDR video in 2015. You won't necessarily need a UHD screen to get it, but to really see a difference in picture quality you'll want to step up to the higher resolution. Quantum Dot sounds like theoretical physics It does indeed. But unlike some problems in theoretical physics, the solution is already here. Quantum Dot displays (QD for short) are simply LED panels with a thin film of nano-crystals in between the backlight and the display. Manufacturers like LG and Sony claim that this increases color depth by around 30% without adding extra pixels or implementing a wacky algorithm to digitally manipulate the display. We went hands on with a few QD panels at CES 2015, including the LG UF9400 Quantum Dot 4K UHD TV and Samsung SUHD Curved TV, which uses a variation of Quantum Dot. We liked what we saw, mostly, and especially on the Samsung SUHD. The LG had some issues with oversaturation ... but that may be fixed by the time the TV comes to market in Q2 2015. What about 4K content? Can I get that? Yeah, about that... There's actually not much 4K content to be had right now. Why not? Because every 4K frame contains four times the information of HD, 4K content is four times more bulky than regular HD content in terms of its raw file size. That makes it a challenge to get it to you. Broadcast TV hasn't made the 4K switch yet (indeed, it's only recently that hard drive sizes have gotten big enough to manage DVRing HD programs comfortably). There is a 4K Blu-ray standard coming, but the Blu-ray disc association is only just finishing it and won't start licensing it to manufacturers until early 2015. Victor Matsuda, chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association Global Promotions Committee told us we should see 4K players and discs in time for the 2015 holidays. On the streaming side, bandwidth is a definite issue. The internet's bandwidth is already dominated by Netflix's traffic, prompting ISPs to go after them for extra cash, and that's with most of its streams at SD and HD levels. Upping everything to 4K doesn't sound like a reasonable option just yet. And even if it were possible to stream 4K content to everyone without breaking the internet, streaming 4K content requires a 25Mbps or faster downstream internet connection, which is faster than most people have at the moment. So what can I watch? The good news is many new films and some TV shows are now filming in 4K as a future-proofing measure. The bad news is all that content will have to wait until we have established avenues for getting it to people. Your best UHD options right now come from Sony and Netflix, with Amazon to follow suit this fall. Sony launched its Video Unlimited 4K service in 2013, which offers more than 70 films and TV shows for rental or purchase. It requires Sony's 4K Ultra HD Media Player, the FMP-X1 ($350), which comes with a 2TB hard drive and is only compatible with Sony 4K TVs. 24-hour TV show rentals are $4 and 24-hour film rentals cost $8. Film purchases are $30. It's not exactly instant gratification, though. Once you rent or buy something, it needs to download to your player, which Sony estimates can take 8 to 15 hours, depending on your Internet connection, so you'd better think ahead if you're planning a 4K movie night. If you want to watch right away, Netflix is testing the 4K streaming waters with select shows (House of Cards, Breaking Bad, The Blacklist) and films (Ghostbusters, The Smurfs 2) if you own a Samsung, Sony or LG 4K TV and have a 25Mbps internet connection. Currently, however, the content selection is limited at best. And contains The Smurfs 2. Netflix has announced that it will require new subscribers to be on the highest tier four-stream Family Plan in order to access 4K content. Existing subscribers will be grandfathered into 4K for two years on their existing lower-tier plans. In addition, Amazon recently announced that it would begin streaming 4K content to TVs by select manufacturers in October. By the time the holidays roll around, it looks like 4K pioneers will have at least a few options to choose from. Is it me or are those options are almost comically limited? It's not you. Why are we even talking about 4K then? Because it's awesome. Seriously, the pictures look amazing. You're going to love it. How does that help if there's nothing to watch? It's a fair point. There is definitely a chicken and egg problem here. No one wants to spend money putting out 4K content until there's enough significant demand for it, and that means 4K sets showing up in homes. But 4K sets are a tough sell if there's nothing to watch on them except regular HD content. Which means we've been in this weird in-between time, waiting for significant numbers of people to make a relatively illogical decision to buy an extra-expensive TV that will only look marginally better than their old one for the next year or two. That's really dumb. Hey, let's be careful with our mean words! Still, you've got a point. The current situation is a little silly. But 4K is legitimately awesome. And we're going to get there. We went through a similar transition a few years back with the move to HD (which came complete with the HD-DVD/Blu-ray format war and massive marketplace confusion) a few years back. Luckily that transition was eased a bit by the simultaneous move to the flatscreen form factor and a significant jump in screen sizes. So should I buy a 4K set now or should I wait? It depends. If you want the absolute best TV you can get right now and don't mind paying a premium for it, it's a 4K set. If you're buying from one of the top tier manufacturers, you're going to get a good product that's reasonably future-proofed. As we said before, the sets look great. However, don't expect to be watching most of your video content in 4K for another two to three years. And make sure any set you buy has HDMI 2.0 ports (the first wave of 4K TVs used the previous HDMI 1.4 standard). On the other hand, if you're price sensitive or want to wait until the content side of the equation is a bit more solved, it absolutely makes sense to wait. You're not missing out on much at the moment. There are incredible values to be found in generously-sized 1080p sets right now. And 4K sets are only going to get cheaper.

In depth: 4K TV and Ultra HD: Everything you need to know Posted: 13 Mar 2015 09:50 AM PDT 4K Update: We got a sneak peek at the next generation of 4K Ultra-HD TVs at CES 2015. Be sure to check out our Samsung Curved 4K SUHD TV, LG EG9900 4K Flexible OLED TV, LG 65-inch UF9400 Quantum Dot 4K UHD TV, Sony XBR-X900C Series 4K TV, Sling TV hands ons as well as our Smart TV platform comparison. 4K is the hottest techy buzzword of 2014, and it's a technology that's rewriting the rulebook when it comes to image quality. It affects not just the world of 4K TV and cinema, but also cameras and image capture, smartphones and tablets, computer monitors and PC games - practically anything that displays images or records video. 4K TV sets are now available from most of the major TV manufacturers, but they're merely the tip of a very cool technology iceberg. So what, we hear you ask, is 4K really all about? YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiOEgz2eG_c What is 4K? The headline fact is simple and dramatic: 4K Ultra HD TVs (also known as UHD TVs) deliver four times as much detail as 1080p Full HD, that's eight million pixels compared to two million pixels. What that means in terms of potential image clarity is more fine detail, greater texture and an almost photographic emulsion of smoothness. But this is just for starters. Prior to a roll-out of TV services, broadcasters are working out what else they can upgrade under the 4K banner. In the UK, a working group chaired by the BBC and BSkyB are mulling over every possible tweak, from higher frame rates to greater contrast and a wider colour spectrum. Some of the biggest names in the video industry including Samsung, LG and Sony have split-off to form another group called the UHD Alliance, which will work to set standards for the new format. But talk to the engineers steering this 4K broadcast bandwagon and they'll tell you everything spec-wise is up for grabs. If this indicates to you that the 4K standard is anything but set in stone, you'd be correct. Ultra HD is going to be a work in progress for years to come, but that doesn't mean you should wait for the dust to settle before improving your image. Difference between Ultra HD and 4K Technically, "Ultra High Definition" is actually a derivation of the 4K digital cinema standard. However while your local multiplex shows images in native 4096 x 2160 4K resolution, the new Ultra HD consumer format has a slightly lower resolution of 3840 X 2160. This is one reason why some brands prefer not to use the 4K label at all, sticking with Ultra HD or UHD instead. However, the numerical shorthand looks likely to stick. As a broad brush label it's so much snappier! Why should I care about 4K Ultra HD? There are many reasons why 4K should make you rethink your next TV purchase (actually, there are eleven and you can read about them here), not all of them immediately obvious. Photographers who routinely view their work on an HD TV are seeing but a fraction of the detail inherent in their pictures when they view them at 2160p. A 4K display reveals so much more nuance and detail – the difference can be astonishing. While 3D has proved to be a faddish diversion, 4K comes without caveats. Its higher resolution images are simply better. The higher pixel density of a 4K panel also enable you get much closer without the grid-like structure of the image itself becoming visible –this means you can comfortably watch a much larger screen from the same seating position as your current Full HD panel. Currently all available 4K Ultra HD TVs are in excess of 50-inches. Projectors While 4K UHD TVs are on the fast track, the same can't be said for video projectors. Only Sony offers 4K models, the high-end quasi pro VPL-VW1100ES and the home cinema friendly VPL-VW500ES. Currently there's no consumer 4K solution for LCD, D-ILA or DLP projectors, although that's likely to change in 2015, when Texas Instruments is expected to begin shipping its first 4K DLP chipset for home hardware. How expensive is an Ultra HD TV? The first wave of 4K TVs were large, really large. Both Sony and LG launched with 84-inch panels, the KD-84X9005 and 84LM960V respectively. Consequently, they were saddled with price tags in excess of £20,000/$30,000. Not to be outdone, Samsung weighed in with the 85-inch S9 at £35,000/$55,000, clearly aimed at footballers and oligarchs! However, prices have fallen dramatically as screen sizes have shrunk and brands have predictably embarked on a tit for tat price war. You'll now find 4K TVs for less than $1000, though we'd encourage you to be careful when choosing one - a 4K resolution won't necessarily give you a better picture if the processing electronics behind the panel are bad. Generally speaking, a market-leading 65-inch 4K TV like the Sony KD-65X9005B will set you back a little over $3,500/£3,000... and they're getting cheaper. So how small will 4K Ultra HD screens get? In the short term, screen sizes are likely to stabilise at 55-inches and upwards. That's because as the screen size shrinks the advantage of having such a pixel dense display starts to diminish. There's also an irrefutable relationship between screen resolution and viewing distances. While seating will vary from home to home, generally speaking a large 4K TV will provide an upgrade for a smaller 1080p screen. However, the 4K resolution will ultimately be about more than just definition. High frame rate UHD broadcasting could have an even greater impact than resolution when services begin – and the benefits of HFR are not restricted to larger screen sizes. When this second generation 4K UHD breaks cover, expect high-frame rate 4K TVs to drop further down the size scale. How far should I sit from a 4K TV for the best picture? 4K Ultra HD is a much more intimate viewing experience than Full HD. In many respects, the best way to view 4K is analogous to the way we view films in a cinema. Old style cinemas were shoe-box shaped and most patrons sat typically 3-5 screen heights away, because that was the most comfortable viewing distance. Contemporary cinemas are wider, and now the optimum viewing distance is 1.5 screen heights back. From this vantage point you can take in all the visual information that's available and comfortably fill your field of vision. Translated to the home, that makes the most comfortable distance to view a 65-inch 4K screen approx. 1.5m. Of course, in many homes that simply isn't practical. Consequently, a large 4K screen is probably best viewed at a distance of between 2-3m; time to rearrange your furniture? Is 4K OLED on its way? OLED - organic light emitting diodes - have been around for some time, but producing big screens using this technology has proven to be prohibitively expensive, something which has blighted the chances of OLED televisions becoming mainstream. Which is a real shame, because OLED technology can be stunning - with vibrant colors, deep blacks and bright whites. And obviously some companies agree because the likes of LG are labouring away to bring OLED to 4K televisions. "I believe the price and yield rate will be higher immediately and the price will be down," Mr K I Kwon, president of LG Electronics UK, told TechRadar recently. So, although LG's next 4K OLED television will remain too expensive for mass market, we shouldn't rule out OLED as a big player in the next generation of our televisions just yet. 4K TV channels There are currently no 4K TV channels being broadcast. But in July 2014 the DVB Steering Board approved the DVB-UHDTV Phase 1 specification, allowing for over-the-air transmission of 3840x2160 resolution pictures at 60Hz and promising much improved colour depth with 10 bits per pixel rather than 8. The standard is expected to be ratified by the ETSI shortly, which is likely to open the floodgates for broadcasters to start launching Ultra HD TV channels. The main problem with this new standard is that current TVs and set-top boxes will be incompatible, so you'll need to buy new gear to make use of it. You can read more on this in our news story. What 4K content is available for me to watch? As of April 2014, Netflix became the first big name to deliver 4K content to the home. When you open the Netflix app on a 4K TV, 4K content will stream automatically where it's available. From the start, that's just House of Cards Season 2, but don't worry - there's LOTS more 4K content ready to be piped into your home. Read: Home entertainment in 2015: what you need to know YouTube offers a nascent 4K channel, but you'll require a powerful PC with a 4K capable graphics card, of which there are few that make economic sense. But the lack of native 4K isn't quite the big deal you might at first imagine. The truth is today's Ultra HD screens do such a remarkable job with 1080p content that you almost certainly won't feel shortchanged. Rather than just linearly scale, big brand sets utilize all manner of database interpolation to upscale images, and the results are spectacular. To take advantage of this, Sony has released a selection of Mastered in 4K branded Blu-rays. These are in fact standard 1080p Blu-ray discs, albeit ones based on the best available transfers which take full advantage of available disc capacity. They have also been mastered with a wider colour range than standard Blu-ray platters. A 2160p upgrade on the Blu-ray standard is inevitable, of course, which will allow for true Ultra High Definition movies to be sold on disc. Sony meanwhile has rolled out a download service in the USA for owners of Sony 4K TVs – however there's no sign of that arriving in Europe just yet. How important is HDMI 2.0 to 4K Ultra HD? HDMI 2.0 is the latest iteration of the HDMI specification. While the existing HDMI 1.4 standard can deliver 4K video, it's limited to 30 frames per second (or 30Hz). While this is fine for most movies, broadcasters are looking for higher frame rates for TV. HDMI 2.0 increases bandwidth up to 18Gbps and supports 4K Ultra HD at 50/60 fps, with 12-bit 4:2:2 colour (you don't need any special cables for HDMI 2.0 interconnectivity, any current high-speed cable will work). However, only Panasonic currently offers an HDMI 2.0 compatible 4K TV, in the shape of the TX-L65WT600. So where does that leave the remaining first generation 4K sets? Well both Philips and Samsung, whose 4K panels are coupled to separate connection boxes, say they'll simply introduce new tuners which owners can upgrade to. Sony and others are looking to implement a firmware fix; by shedding colour sub pixels they reckon they'll be able to fit high frame-rate 4K down a HDMI 1.4 pipe, most likely with 8 bit 4:2:0 colour. How visible this kludge will be remains to be seen. For what it's worth, we've seen JVC's 4K e-Shift3 projectors running 4K at the same colour resolution, and they look spectacular so the omens are good. I've heard Netflix is going to start streaming in something called HDR. What is that? HDR, UHD, OLED ... there's no shortage of acronyms in home entertainment. HDR, or high dynamic range, is a concept borrowed from digital imaging which combines three images - one with normal lighting, one with underexposure and one with overexposure - to give more contrast to an image or video. Netflix will be the first content provider to release HDR video in 2015. You won't necessarily need a UHD screen to get it, but to really see a difference in picture quality you'll want to step up to the higher resolution. Quantum Dot sounds like theoretical physics It does indeed. But unlike some problems in theoretical physics, the solution is already here. Quantum Dot displays (QD for short) are simply LED panels with a thin film of nano-crystals in between the backlight and the display. Manufacturers like LG and Sony claim that this increases color depth by around 30% without adding extra pixels or implementing a wacky algorithm to digitally manipulate the display. We went hands on with a few QD panels at CES 2015, including the LG UF9400 Quantum Dot 4K UHD TV and Samsung SUHD Curved TV, which uses a variation of Quantum Dot. We liked what we saw, mostly, and especially on the Samsung SUHD. The LG had some issues with oversaturation ... but that may be fixed by the time the TV comes to market in Q2 2015. Hang on, what about 8K? If 4K offers four times the resolution of Full HD, then 8K will deliver 16 times the definition. 8K screens comprise a staggering 33 million pixels. This is an order of magnitude beyond any display technology currently available, and only one broadcaster, Japanese state owned NHK, has publically said it intends to commercialise the technology. Also known as Super Hi-Vision, a number of 8K trials have been conducted, including acquisition at the London 2012 Olympics. NHK has since pledged to shoot and transmit the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the format. Of course, bringing 8K to market is a formidable technical challenge. As with 4K, HEVC, is currently favoured as the best compression technology for the job. However, because the benefits of 8K image definition only really become apparent on screens 84-inches and larger, the format is not seen as a commercially viable platform by most broadcasters and TV manufacturers. If you're waiting to jump from Full HD to 8K, you could be kicking your heels for quite some time. So should I buy a 4K set now or should I wait? It depends. If you want the absolute best TV you can get right now and don't mind paying a premium for it, it's a 4K set. If you're buying from one of the top tier manufacturers, you're going to get a good product that's reasonably future-proofed. As we said before, the sets look great. However, don't expect to be watching most of your video content in 4K for another two to three years. And make sure any set you buy has HDMI 2.0 ports (the first wave of 4K TVs used the previous HDMI 1.4 standard). On the other hand, if you're price sensitive or want to wait until the content side of the equation is a bit more solved, it absolutely makes sense to wait. You're not missing out on much at the moment. There are incredible values to be found in generously-sized 1080p sets right now. And 4K sets are only going to get cheaper. Choose a 4K TV 10 best Ultra HD TVs in the world today

Microsoft to launch Cortana on iPhone and Android Posted: 13 Mar 2015 09:36 AM PDT All three of the big phone operating systems now have voice command of some kind. Apple has Siri, Google has its impersonal and nameless search box and Microsoft has the perky Cortana. But it seems that Microsoft has aspirations of spreading its assistant's wings far and wide, and will soon launch a version of Cortana on Android and iPhone. In many ways Microsoft has really created a decent personal assistant with Cortana. Jovial when needed and helpful when required, Cortana takes a handful of best bits from Siri with some of the cleverness of Google and its location aware services. Cortana, for example, can remind you of things to ask when a specific contact is called. It also allows geo-fencing, which lets you set specific reminders when you get somewhere. The project name at Microsoft is "Einstein" although it's not entirely clear if that's the name of the project to put Cortana on other devices, or if the name Cortana will remain exclusive to Microsoft products. The search assistant, who takes her name from a character in Halo, will be coming to Windows 10 when it launches later this year. More than just voice search According to Reuters, Microsoft has ambitions for Cortana that stretch way beyond what Google and Apple currently offer. It seems the firm sees this project of being much more like artificial intelligence, offering you context-sensitive information when you need it, and helping you be more efficient. The big problem with moving Cortana to other devices, of course, is that it needs to be integrated quite tightly with the rest of the OS to work at its best. That will likely be the biggest challenge here for Microsoft.

Week in Tech: Week in Tech: Apple prices its Watch, Sony kills PlayStation Mobile, Google opens a shop Posted: 13 Mar 2015 09:10 AM PDT It's either the beginning of a new kind of computing or the beginning for the end for Apple. Yep, we're talking about the Apple Watch, which the internet says will either make Apple sales boom or send it to its doom. But that's not all, because Apple also unveiled a revolutionary new MacBook, and Google opened a shop. Time to catch up on this week in tech! At last, it's the Apple Watch It's been months since Apple unveiled its potential game changer, the Apple Watch, but this week we learned when the wearable will be available, and got our hands on it (again). The hands in question belong to Gareth Beavis, who reckons it's "probably one of the best smartwatches on the market" – but it's "still not enough to convince us this is a real category." It might be an idea to see how the market develops before dropping eight grand on the gold Edition. Apple Watch: good news for Google The launch of the Apple Watch is great news for Google's rival smartwatch system, Android Wear. That's what Hugh Langley reckons, anyway: "If Apple does turn the smartwatch into a must-have, can't-live-without device, Google and others will share the spoils," he says. "Android Wear has got too comfortable; now that Apple is in the picture, it can only encourage others to up their game." The biggest threat to Android Wear isn't Apple, it's "the fragmentation going on within its own camp." Google nobbles a Nexus, crafts a new Chromebook We knew it was coming and now it's official: the Nexus 5 is no more. The former flagship has disappeared from the Play Store and from Google's new store too – although a new one might be coming later this year. But while Google taketh away, Google also giveth – and this week it gave the world a new Chromebook Pixel laptop with twin USB-C ports, the latest Broadwell i5 processor (and a faster i7) and fast charging. New MacBook: thin is in Remember when Apple binned the floppy disk, or when it killed off DVD drives? Now it's turned its attention to the humble port, and binned that too. The new, incredibly thin MacBook is smartphone-skinny, and that means there's no room for Ethernet or even USB. Instead there's a single do-everything USB-C port, a fanless logic board, a super-thin new keyboard design and a redesigned trackpad with haptic feedback. It's an astonishing piece of engineering and we expect it to be ripped off widely in the coming months and years. PlayStation Mobile hits the skids After just three years, Sony has pulled the rug out from underneath PlayStation Mobile. It isn't a huge surprise – support for Android devices was put on the back burner back in August when Lollipop launched – but it's bound to leave a few sad faces among gamers. Sony hasn't said why it's shutting the service down, but the smart money says it's because it simply didn't attract a big enough audience. As David Nield says, "Sony has also been making noises about streamlining its operations over the next few years, a strategy that this closure fits into." Make your own Moto 360 Wouldn't it be great if you could customise smartwatches as well as smartphones? Motorola certainly seems to think so, because it's just expanded its excellent Moto Maker service to include the Moto 360 smartwatch. You can choose between three case finishes, nine different bands and a whole bunch of watch faces, and you can buy bands separately if you fancy changing your watch's look from time to time. As Michael Rougeau points out, the launch – just 24 hours after the Apple Watch event – "is as much a coincidence as the secret service showing up everywhere Obama goes." Google opens a shop Google has opened a shop in London's Tottenham Court Road where you can pop along and buy people's personal data. Only kidding: it sells hardware and shows off some of Google's services. The shop, tucked away in a corner of a Curry's PC World, looks like an experiment: as James Peckham says, "The space Google has created is nothing revolutionary and we expect it's more of a proof of concept for Google to begin rolling out its own flash dash branded stores à la Samsung's highstreet move last year." Google has also tidied up its online retailing, with a new Google Store for "the latest products made with Google." The cheapest Apple Watch could be the hardest sell, says Max Slater-Robins

7 Days in Smartphones: 7 days in smartphones: How Apple murdered time Posted: 13 Mar 2015 09:00 AM PDT The watchmen don't watch the Watch Rejoice! It's once again time to gaze upon TechRadar's roundup of all things smartphone, tablet and wearable related, this week brought to you by red wine, caffeine and copious cold and flu nasal spray. Catch up on 7 days in smartphones | Follow Winston on Twitter A flick of the wrist This week kicked off to a promising start with Apple's much anticipated Spring Forward event. Both the internet and real life (that thing where you talk to actual people with your face) were vibrating with speculation about what would be revealed. One of the less surprising items was the appearance of the Apple Watch, but before we were allowed a look at that, we were forced to sit through a lengthy preamble extolling the virtues of ResearchKit and the ways it could help medical research and potentially save lives. Although there's certainly a lot of potential with HealthKit, it wasn't the real reason we'd tuned in (and nor was it why we'd sent Gareth Beavis to wait in line at an Apple Store in Berlin). Like everyone else, we wanted the watch. We watched Tim Cook strut across the stage. We saw an impish smile play on his lips. We held our breath and waited, and he announced... a new MacBook. Sure it's really thin, pretty expensive and comes in gold, but again that's not what we were there for. With our patience beginning to strain, Cook finally unveiled the Apple Watch (again), and we got some answers to the questions that have been swirling since Apple first announced its smartwatch. How long does the battery last? According to Cook, it will offer "all day battery life across a range of activities." So it lasts 24 hours then? Err... not exactly, with Apple admitting that by "all day", it really means "up to 18 hours." The good news is that once the battery gets to a certain point, a power reserve mode will kick in, prolonging the battery for 72 hours and letting you check the time (and only the time), just like those old fashioned watches people used to wear in wartime. Another pressing question was how much will it cost us? Once again, Apple's answer wasn't terribly straightforward. The entry level Watch Sport starts at $349 (£299/AU$499), going all the way up to the 18-carat gold Watch Edition at – wait for it – $10,000 (£8,000/AU$14,000). Price breakdown: how much every Apple Watch will cost LG likes its curves It looks like LG wants to get its curve on, with a number of renders leaking this week which appear to show the upcoming LG G4 with a slightly curved body. As I'm sure you're aware LG is no stranger to curved smartphones, having dabbled in the bendy form factor with the LG G Flex and the LG G Flex 2. If these renders are accurate then the LG G4 will feature a slightly less bowed design than its forebears, which means it could be the perfect smartphone for those of us who like a bit of a curve in our phones without wanting to feel like we're talking into a tennis ball. Emergence All was darkness. All was lost. Or was it? Two thin slits of light creeped in as Winston, nobody's favourite smartphone-obsessed unicorn, slowly opened his eyes, having passed out the week before. "How… how long was I out?" he croaked, still feeling confused and lost. "Seven days" a reassuring voice replied. "Well..." less reassuring now, "seven old days. Since our Apple overlords have decreed that a day is only 18 hours, you've actually been out for 9.33 new iDays". Winston could feel his already fragile grasp on reality weaken. He stretched out a trembling hoof in a futile bid to find his beloved BlackBerry. "Where is my phone?" he asked. His vision had now returned and he glanced about to locate his handset. The doctor exchanged a nervous look with a colleague. "We don't have it I'm afraid. But here, take mine". He offered a slick, smooth, oval shaped device, with an Apple logo stamped on the back. Winston took the smartphone and stared at the buttonless touchscreen. "But...where are the keys?" he enquired. "Ah, about that," the doctor replied, pausing to remove his glasses and clean them. "We have some bad news..." How will Winston the Smartphone Unicorn react to a world without keys on smartphones? Tune in next week to find out! Same unicorn time, same unicorn website. Ive been hanging on the phone Witness the first ever public phone call made on an iPhone, when Steve Jobs rang up Jony Ive (who was still sporting a lowly flip phone) at the iPhone launch event. Sure it's a little staged and cheesy, but it's also the moment when phones changed forever. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPd3P3UuGb8 Scary press shot of the week Why is the lady eating the phone? What is this image trying to convey? Is it a play on "all you can eat data?" Probably not, that phone looks like it's so old it wouldn't recognise mobile data if it came up and slapped a photo of a cat in its face. But why is the lady eating the phone? Why? Eating? Phone? Why? I'm scared. Retro video of the week Touchscreens? Pah! The only way to navigate your smartphone is with the Navi Roller, an uncomfortable scroll wheel that debuted with the Nokia 7110 in 1999. This archaic advert from THE LAST MILLENNIUM employs strangely literal visual metaphors and near pornographic close up shots of the 7110's Navi Roller to show us the smartphone future. As the narrator confusingly states: "Life is too short to stand in line. The Nokia 7110 supports world wide web." The internet on our phones? That'll never catch on. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vvy-vQ2i56Y Proper bits from the site Apple might have had all the headlines regarding wearables this week, but we also think it's been a great week for Android Wear. Android Lollipop is fresh out of the oven, but it looks like that's getting updated to Android 5.1 any day now on Nexus devices. HTC smartphones and tablets will be getting it soon as well. Is the Apple Watch worth getting if you don't have an iPhone? We explain all the things you can do without connecting them up. The Nexus 5 is officially dead as Google stops selling it in its official store.

Google gaffe outs hidden whois data for almost 300,000 domains Posted: 13 Mar 2015 08:55 AM PDT Google has committed an epic blunder that leaked the whois data for some 280,000 domains that were otherwise meant to be hidden and protected. First reported by Ars Technica, 282,867 domains registered through the Google Apps for Work service saw information such as names, addresses, phone numbers and other registered details leaked out into the public domain. Researchers working on behalf of Cisco Systems counted up the domains, which amounts to some 94% of the addresses registered to Google Apps through a partnership with registrar eNom. Under that deal customers could sign up for a $6 (around £4, or AU$7.87) per-year extra that promised to shield whois information from public view. Information began leaking out in mid-2013 due to the software defect with Google Apps and data was made public when a domain was renewed. Cisco's Talos Security Intelligence and Research Group uncovered the flaw on February 19 and it was plugged up some five days later, almost two years after it first occurred. Google sounds warning Google warned Google Apps customers of the breach this week and a spokesperson confirmed to Ars Technica that the problem stemmed from the way Google Apps integrated with eNom's domain registration program interface. Luckily much of the information contained within whois data is a mix of fake names, addresses and other data, though some of it will be genuine and some of those that protected their privacy will be understandably worried about the information publicly linking them to a certain domain. Google Apps for Business 2014 review

Updated: The best smartphones of 2015 - Samsung Galaxy S6, iPhone 6S and more Posted: 13 Mar 2015 08:52 AM PDT The best smartphones of 2015: Intro Mobile phone line-ups are a little like Hollywood movie franchises, and by now we have a pretty good idea of what we should be expecting to see over the next 12 months as all the big players will be producing sequels to their blockbusters of 2014. What's the top choice right now? The current best smartphones - 2015 edition With the HTC One M8, the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus, the Nexus 6, the Galaxy S5 and many others we've been spoiled over the last year, but there's always room for improvement: QHD displays, DSLR-quality cameras, high-end audio, 4K video and the Snapdragon 810 should make 2015 a year to remember for smartphone buyers. So here's our handy guide - if you're looking to upgrade at some point in the next 6 months, these are the ones you should check out. The best smartphones of 2015: HTC One M9 Predicted release date: March 31 Estimated price: £579 / $649 / AU$849+ How excited are we? 4/5 The HTC One M9 has been unveiled and it's perhaps the most beautiful phone we've ever seen, with a refined version of the curved metal design found on the HTC One M8. It's got more going for it than looks though, with a powerful octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB of RAM and a new 20.7MP camera, though you'll still find UltraPixels in the front-facing snapper. Plus there are changes on the software front, with a new theme creation app and a location-sensitive homescreen, while it's got the same sharp 5.0-inch 1080p screen as its predecessor and a promisingly large 2840 mAh battery, making this a flagship to get excited about. Check out all the specs and features of the HTC One M9. The best smartphones of 2015: Galaxy S6 Edge Predicted release date: April 10 Estimated price: Around £650, $950, AU$1234+ How excited are we? 5/5 While the Galaxy S6 will be Samsung's big seller it's the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge that we're really excited about. It has all the same specs as the Galaxy S6, including a 5.1-inch QHD display, an octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, a 16MP camera with optical image stabilisation, fast and wireless charging and a stylish new metal and glass design. But it also has a screen that curves down both edges, which both gives it a futuristic look and adds additional features, such as using the curves to display video controls and other context-sensitive buttons so they don't obstruct your view of the main screen. It's expensive, but it's also one of the most innovative and feature-packed phones we've seen in a while. Keep up to date on all the Galaxy S6 Edge happenings with our constantly updated guide. The best smartphones of 2015: iPhone 6S Predicted release date: September 2015 Estimated price: At least £539 / $649 / AU$869 How excited are we? 4/5 You can usually set your watch by Apple's annual iPhone refresh, and 2015 should be no different with the release of the iPhone 6S/7. The refreshed 2014 design is unlikely to change significantly in 2015, so expect a similar look and screen, but there are rumours of Apple's innovative 'Force Touch' technology being incorporated. It's bound to have a new A9 processor, set to be 15% smaller, 20% more powerful and 35% more power efficient than the A8 in the iPhone 6. Plus it's thought that Apple might finally double up on RAM to 2GB. There are already iPhone 6S/7 rumours emerging. Check out our seasoned guide to all of them for yourself. The best smartphones of 2015: LG G4 Predicted release date: April 2015 Estimated price: Around £500 / $600 / AU$800 How excited are we? 4/5 The LG G3 impressed us a great deal but we still want more from the LG G4. The rumoured reduction in screen size to 5.3 inches would make handling it a touch easier and it looks like it will be slightly curved, but not as much as the LG G Flex 2. The 20.7MP camera upgrade we've heard rumours about would be most welcome and there's talk of a metal case too. Like many other flagships we're expecting an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor and 3GB of RAM, so it should certainly be powerful if nothing else. And LG usually charges a lot less for the same premium features, so it's definitely worth checking out. Keep up to date with all the LG G4 news and rumours. The best smartphones of 2015: Sony Xperia Z4 Predicted release date: Summer 2015 (probably IFA in September) Estimated price: At least £549 / $630 / AU$849 How excited are we? 3.5/5 There's a lot riding on the Xperia Z4 for Sony and the company is clearly taking its time as it now seems like we won't see it until the summer. There's talk of an octa-core Snapdragon 810, 3GB of RAM and a beefy 3420 mAh battery, alongside an improved 20.7MP snapper. Of course we'd like to see the 4K video recording feature actually work this time around, while a QHD display is the logical next step up for the screen, though there are conflicting rumours as to whether it will get a QHD upgrade or stick with 1080p. The hardware design is due a refresh too: look forward to a mirrored front and back, thinner bezels and more rounded corners. Check out our constantly updated guide to all the Xperia Z4 news and rumours. The best smartphones of 2015: Galaxy Note 5 Predicted release date: October 2015 (launched at IFA 2015) Estimated price: At least £620 / $720 / AU$920 How excited are we? 4/5 Will the Note 5 be Samsung's first device to sport a 4K UHD display? We wouldn't complain at a 2160 x 3840 pixel resolution or a 746ppi density rating, even if we have to wait until October to get our hands on it. Beyond that be prepared for a 6-inch display and an even better version of the S Pen stylus. Plus it may well have a metal frame and glass body like the Galaxy S6. There's nothing much in the way of specs rumours yet, but we'd wager it will be one of the most powerful phones of the year, beating even the Galaxy S6 for raw power. The best smartphones of 2015: The next Nexus Predicted release date: October 2015 Estimated price: At least £499 / $649 / AU$700 How excited are we? 2.5/5 Where does Google take the Nexus smartphone next (if indeed it takes it anywhere at all)? It can't use the Nexus 7 name for one thing. Lollipop is a mobile OS that looks good and works well so its successor should also hit the mark, and as for the hardware we'd like to see something that can be used easily in one hand — and how about a fingerprint scanner too? Huawei is being pegged as the maker of the next Nexus, which may mean one of its own chips will be used, while Google's mobile phone service could be exclusive to the device, at least initially. The best smartphones of 2015: Lumia 1030 Predicted release date: September 2015 Estimated price: At least £499 / $649 / AU$700 How excited are we? 3/5 We've been waiting for a successor to the Lumia 1020 since 2013 and in that time Microsoft has taken over the reins from Nokia. A leaked image we saw a little while ago suggests the wait might finally be over sometime this year- but not until the second half, at least. If the rumoured Lumia 1030 is actually a real device then the star of the show is likely to be its 50MP camera. A snapper of that quality with the Lumia technology behind it might even be worth switching to Windows Phone for, especially since that itself is undergoing some major changes as it becomes Windows 10. The best smartphones of 2015: Moto X+2 Predicted release date: September 2015 Estimated price: At least £269 / $349 / AU$400 How excited are we? 2.5/5 We've only quite recently been treated to a revamped Moto X (originally known as the X+1) so the next version is still some way off. What we really want to see is more of the same from Motorola: clever features like Active Display, competitive pricing, a stand-out screen and some internal improvements would be just the job, with more customisation options as well. With the current Moto still quite nascent, and Lenovo taking over the brand, not a lot has leaked thus far so it's hard to get too excited, but with a less is more approach combined with the same stylish build and relatively affordable price tag as last year's model it could be a cut-price king. The best smartphones of 2015: OnePlus 2 Predicted release date: July - September 2015 Estimated price: At least £420 / $499 / AU$534 How excited are we? 4/5 The OnePlus One delivered high-end specs at a budget price and we'd expect that formula to continue with the OnePlus 2. One upgrade we can predict is the arrival of Android 5.0 Lollipop to the OnePlus line-up, albeit with a new OxygenOS ROM. Early rumours also point to an octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, 4GB of RAM and a big 3300 mAh battery. The screen is said to be staying at 5.5 inches, but there's a chance it could be boosted to QHD resolution, while the body is reportedly going to be slimmer and possibly made of metal. We might have a while to wait for it though, as the release has been pushed back to the third quarter, so expect it sometime between July and September.

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