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Techradar |
- In Depth: Best Fitbit: How to pick the one that's right for you
- Chinese consumer group sues over Samsung, Oppo bloatware
- Updated: Thunderbolt 2 vs USB 3.0 vs eSATA
- 135B songs streamed by US listeners in first half of 2015
- Review: Updated: Moto G (2014)
- Keitai: How to replace your iPhone 5 battery for free
- Review: Toshiba Satellite Click Mini
- Review: Updated: Microsoft Lumia 435
- How to set up your Raspberry Pi in Linux
- One person's junk turns out to be super-rare SNES PlayStation
- 'Talking like a parent' could be the best way to encrypt your emails
- LG is building Google's Nexus 5, claims source
- Cycle to Mars on this extraterrestrial exercise bike
- How to turn off Connect - and how it makes Apple Music better
- 12 times movies and TV got technology completely wrong
- Artificial pancreas could change the lives of diabetics
- These floating holograms are safe to touch
- Review: Canon EOS 5DS
- BlackBerry's first Android smartphone may have just leaked
- Week in Tech: Week in Tech: Apple presses play on Music, but will Microsoft hit pause on Windows Phone?
| In Depth: Best Fitbit: How to pick the one that's right for you Posted: 03 Jul 2015 01:00 PM PDT  Fitbits for allThe world of wearable technology is forever growing and that's particularly noticeable when you look at just how many different trackers Fitbit alone offers. Fitbit is one of the most well known names in the fitness tracking world, which is why its products seem so tempting. Available in most major stores, you can easily walk in, pick a tracker up and immediately start counting every step you take. However, with six different tracking devices available - the Zip, One, Flex, Charge, Charge HR, and Surge - it can be tough to know just which one is the ideal solution for you. Here, we take a look at what makes each Fitbit stand out in order to decipher that conundrum. What each one offersGiven Fitbit's original purpose, it makes sense that each device offers pedometer-based features. Each tracker will record your steps taken, calories burned, and distance covered. Each also makes it simple to sync wirelessly and automatically with a PC, Mac, most iOS devices and some Android phones. This ties into the ability to track your progress through a customizable dashboard, as well as challenging your friends. Fitbit's strength here is in its ability to easily provide you with personalized weekly goals in order to keep you constantly motivated to do better next time. The interface is clear enough for technophobes, with a smartphone app also available that tracks your routes as well as motivates you with voice cues. For casual users
For the casual user who just wants to dip their toe into the world of fitness tracking, the Fitbit Zip is an easy recommendation to make, especially at $59.95 (£49.99, AU$79.95). It's not a wristband like some of the others. Instead, you attach it to your clothes like a regular pedometer. It's not very stylish, but it does its job well. You can wear it all day, looking down at it and checking how much you've achieved so far before syncing it with your computer to get more details. As it attaches to your clothing, you can leave it as obvious or as discreet as you like. You won't have to worry about battery life often either as the Zip comes with a replaceable watch battery ensuring it lasts up to six months. It might lack many of the features of the other, more advanced models, such as sleep tracking, but it's a good starting point that's different from traditional pedometers. The Zip is also ideal for those not able to wear something on their wrist all day. For those on a budget
Fitbit offers two different trackers at the same price: the One and the Flex. They're both $99.95 (£79.99, AU$129.95) but they each offer slightly different pros and cons. The One is a pedometer-style device, much like the Zip, clipping onto your clothing, while the Flex is a wristband. Visually, the Flex is much more stylish, offering plenty of varied color choices, as well as a minimalistic way of viewing progress. It uses a series of flashing dots to show how your day is progressing, with each light representing 20% of your goal. It's not as informative as the other Fitbits with the bulk of the data only available through the app, but it looks a lot cooler. The One is more traditional looking, with a display highlighting steps, distance, calories, floors climbed and an all important clock feature, though that makes it look dated. Notably, the One offers this clock facility, and tracks how many floors you've climbed via its altimeter. The Flex lacks these two features. It also has a slightly superior battery life, lasting up to seven days compared to the Flex's five days.
But that's at the price of being something you have to remember to take with you, while the Flex can just happily live on your wrist and be forgotten about. Similarly, while both offer sleep tracking, the Flex is much more convenient to use, especially when it's already resting on your wrist at night. The One requires you to attach it to a wristband before you go to sleep. The Flex seems more likely to enact a lifestyle change, while the One is too easily left aside and only used for specific workout sessions. Ultimately, you're going to end up occasionally forgetting and not racking up those all-important incidental steps. More serious Fitbit businessFor the fitness fanatics
For an extra $30 (or another £20 in the UK and AU$40 in Australia), we begin treading into more serious Fitbit business. The Charge is the slightly lesser sibling of the Charge HR, but immediately offers a lot more for the price. Besides all the features of the Flex, you also gain a clock, auto sleep detection and an altimeter for tracking floors climbed. It's the most inexpensive Fitbit that provides caller ID, too, saving you from getting your phone out of your pocket mid-run. As a middle-of-the-range, all-round tracker, it's hard to fault the Charge. It's bulkier than the Flex but offers the right features to make it worth the extra heft. Not having to remember to tell your Fitbit that you're going to sleep is a real advantage, too. The temptation at this price point is throwing in a little more for the Charge HR ($149.95, £119.99, AU$199.95) . Whether it's worth it depends on what you're buying a Fitbit for. If you just want a device to track everyday exercise with a few extra features mixed in, the Charge is perfect for your needs.
If you regularly run or perform strenuous exercises, the Charge HR is worth the extra bucks, thanks to its inclusion of a heart rate sensor. Using Fitbit's PurePulse technology, it provides you with a continuous read of your heart, and uses that information to provide simplified heart-rate zones, so you know exactly how you're doing. For the control freakFor those who want everything, the Fitbit Surge is the ultimate tracker. Offering everything that the Charge HR does, it also gives you text notifications, a way to control your music from your wrist, and GPS tracking without any need for a mobile device to be nearby. It'll also record multiple different sports, such as running, cycling and cross training.
Offering a more detailed interface on your wrist, it's immensely convenient to be able to check your texts at the same time as you skip a track or monitor your heart rate, but it comes at a price. At $249.95, it's $100 more than the Charge HR, meaning it's only really going to be worth it for those who do a lot of outdoor exercising. In the UK, the Surge jumps to £199.99 and in Australia, it will set you back AU$349.95. Which Fitbit should you buy?While you've got a choice of six different devices, Fitbit can mostly be broken down between three options. For the casual user who hasn't quite decided if they're going for a lifestyle change or a brief distraction, the Zip is a good budget option. You get to see how well the Fitbit dashboard works while not having to worry if you'll eventually get bored of fitness tracking. The ideal choice for the average fitness fan is the Charge. It might lack the heart rate monitoring of the Charge HR but it's not a deal breaker for many at that price. You'll still benefit from extensive tracking, sleep monitoring and the convenience of never needing to remove it. For the fitness fiend who wants the most effective solution, it has to be the Surge. It's the most expensive of the bunch, but its ability to offer everything you can think of, while tracking exceptionally well, means it's a no-brainer.
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| Chinese consumer group sues over Samsung, Oppo bloatware Posted: 03 Jul 2015 10:58 AM PDT  Although manufacturers and carriers have backed away from loading up smartphones with a bunch of useless software in recent years, at least two hardware makers are being taken to task in Chinese courts for doing just that. Shanghai Daily today reported both Samsung and Oppo face legal action in China in an effort to protect consumers from smartphone "bloatware," or the practice of loading up devices with software of questionable utility or worth. The Shanghai Consumer Rights Protection Commission announced the action on Thursday, which has already received approval in separate cases from the The Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People's Court. Cited as two of the worst offenders were the Samsung SM-N9008S with 44 preinstalled apps, while the Oppo X9007 model tipped the scales with a whopping 71 pieces of bloatware, including "various games and other programs." Take that, bloatwareShanghai's consumer rights defenders studied 20 different smartphone models prior to taking legal action, noting that many of them were sold with preinstalled apps that could not be removed from the device. Perhaps more damning, the Commission also claimed some of the handsets "stole" cellular data - accusations Samsung and Oppo will have 15 days to respond to before trial dates are set. "We hope it will force other companies in the sector to end the unreasonable, but common, practice of preinstalling apps without telling consumers. This is something that is very much necessary for the healthy development of the whole industry," Commission Secretary General Tao Ailian said yesterday. The consumer rights group hopes to force Samsung and Oppo to clearly indicate on the packaging which apps have been preinstalled, as well as "instructions on how they can be removed." Godspeed, good people!  |
| Updated: Thunderbolt 2 vs USB 3.0 vs eSATA Posted: 03 Jul 2015 10:09 AM PDT  Introduction and speedThe high-speed Thunderbolt standard has been given a huge upgrade, and it can now deliver twice as much data through a single channel. But it isn't the only high-speed connection available: there's USB 3.0 and eSATA too. How do they compare, and what are they best for? Thunderbolt 2 vs Thunderbolt 1: What's new?The second generation of the Thunderbolt standard combines DisplayPort and PCI Express data and is faster than its predecessor – it can drive a 4K display with a single connector, and it delivers roughly twice the data speeds as its forerunner – but it has the same maximum bandwidth as its predecessor: 40Gbps. The difference is in how that bandwidth is parcelled out. In the original Thunderbolt standard there were four one-way channels offering 10Gbps each – two upstream channels and two downstream. With Thunderbolt 2, there are two bidirectional channels delivering 20Gbps each. That means a single channel has more than enough power to drive a 4K display or high-speed storage device, but if you want to do both things at once you'll need to devote a channel to each one as daisy-chaining won't give you enough throughput. Thunderbolt 2 vs USB 3.0 vs eSATA: SpeedAll three standards are much, much faster than USB 2.0, which tops out at 480Mbps. eSATA can deliver 6Gbps (older versions deliver 1.5Gbps or 3Gbps), USB 3.0 runs at up to 5Gbps and the incoming USB 3.1 should do 10Gbps. Thunderbolt can do 20Gbps. As we've already explained above Thunderbolt 2 isn't actually faster than the original 10Gbps Thunderbolt standard, but if you wanted to get 20Gbps out of that you needed to combine two 10Gbps channels. You don't need to do that with Thunderbolt 2. As with all maximum throughput figures, quoted speeds are theoretical maximums and don't take data overheads into account. The performance you actually get in the real world will also depend on your devices and their configurations. Thunderbolt 2 vs USB 3.0 vs eSATA: CompatibilityThunderbolt combines two protocols, PCI Express (PCIe) and DisplayPort, which means you can connect monitors, external drives, video capture devices and so on. The DisplayPort element is backwards compatible, but you'll need a cable adaptor to connect an existing DisplayPort monitor. You can also connect DVI, HDMI and VGA displays via adapters, and if you use OS X you can network two Macs over a Thunderbolt connection rather than the traditional Ethernet. Thunderbolt 2 uses the same connectors as the original Thunderbolt standard, so you'll be able to connect Thunderbolt devices to Thunderbolt 2 ports and/or cables and vice-versa. As with other standards' backwards compatibility, you won't benefit from the newer version's faster speed when you connect an older device. That's worth remembering if you'll be connecting Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt 2 devices on the same chain – you'll need to put the original Thunderbolt devices at the end of the chain, not the beginning, or everything will run at Thunderbolt 1 speeds, not Thunderbolt 2. USB 3.0 is backwards compatible, so you can connect USB 2.0 devices to a USB 3.0 hub and vice-versa, although of course you won't get USB 3.0 speeds from a USB 2.0 device or port. If you want to run multiple USB devices you'll usually need multiple ports or to invest in a hub – USB devices tend to be designed for standalone use, not daisy-chaining like many Thunderbolt devices. eSATA is an external version of Serial ATA, the standard used for high-speed internal hard disk connections. Some firms, such as Toshiba, make laptops with dual-mode ports that can connect either eSATA or USB devices. Availability and suitability
Thunderbolt 2 vs USB 3.0 vs eSATA: AvailabilityThunderbolt 2 is largely confined to recent Apple computers (Retina MacBook Pro, Mac Pro, 5K iMac and late 2014 Mac Mini) and PC port adapters, although there are a few exceptions such as Dell's Precision M3800 workstation, which packs Thunderbolt 2 for its pro users. USB 3.0 is widespread in PCs and PC peripherals, and is largely replacing eSATA for external devices such as hard disks. However, eSATA is still popular in corporate environments, not least because IT managers can use it to provide external storage on devices which have USB ports locked down for security reasons. While Thunderbolt remains a fairly niche standard, that may change: the Thunderbolt 3 standard will embrace USB Type-C connections and the USB 3.1 standard later this year, supporting not just DisplayPort, HDMI and USB but also 40Gbps data transfer and two-way power delivery. Intel says that more than 30 different PC designs will support Thunderbolt 3 from the off. It's possible that Thunderbolt 3 could become the one connector to rule them all – assuming, of course, that manufacturers decide to use it. Intel told us that Thunderbolt 2 would transform PC connections, and before that it was pretty excited about Thunderbolt 1. Maybe it's a case of third time lucky.
Thunderbolt 2 vs USB 3.0 vs eSATA: Which is best for you?eSATA is perfectly fine if all you want to do is connect a PC to an external storage device, and it's a useful tool for corporate IT too. However, for end users USB 3.0 is taking over the world and driving down prices. For example at the time of writing a decent 5TB USB 3.0 external hard disk is less than £150 (around $235, or AU$310) compared to £250 (around $390, or AU$520) for a similarly specified eSATA drive with the same capacity. Thunderbolt prices aren't that low yet, and if the ridiculous cost of Thunderbolt cables is any indication they probably won't get there any time soon – it's designed for a different market, a world of 4K video editing and high-speed highspeed data transfer and of pros who don't blink when someone tells them a 2m cable costs fifty quid. Its speeds leave USB and eSATA in the dust, and if you need to drive 4K displays, shove enormous quantities of data around or do both things simultaneously then Thunderbolt 2 is even more useful than its predecessor.  |
| 135B songs streamed by US listeners in first half of 2015 Posted: 03 Jul 2015 09:44 AM PDT  When it comes to streaming music, Apple's new service has been the talk of the town this week - but a new report claims US growth has nearly doubled even before Cupertino sauntered onto the scene. Re/code reported late Thursday that American music listeners appear to finally be warming up to the concept of streaming music, with a total of 135.2 billion songs and music videos served up in the first half of this year alone. According to Nielsen data (via Billboard), that number marks a 92 percent increase over the same period a year ago, when Americans streamed a mere 70.3 billion tracks by comparison. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this figure is that it came during a period when the usual suspects like Spotify, YouTube, Google Play Music and others had no new competition - notably Apple Music, which only launched this past Tuesday, right at the tail end of the six-month mark. Now stream this"Obviously, the streaming piece is really great news, when you're talking about darn near 100 percent growth … with no new players," Nielsen Senior Vice-President Dave Bakula told Re/code yesterday. The growth in streaming comes somewhat at the expense of more traditional delivery methods, with sales of digital songs down 10.4 percent to 531.6 million; album sales in both CD and digital format also dipped slightly to 116 million units, a four percent drop. Perhaps ironically, streaming critic Taylor Swift's latest album "1989" dominated the top of the charts with two million physical copies sold, but only a mere 188,213 streams following her rather vocal protest with Spotify. TaySwif's streaming numbers should receive a nice boost for the remainder of the year now that she's front and center on Apple Music, after crying foul over the iPhone maker's "no payments" policy during the free three-month trial.  |
| Review: Updated: Moto G (2014) Posted: 03 Jul 2015 09:05 AM PDT  IntroductionThe 2014 version of the Moto G has an imposing task ahead of it. To live up to expectations it needs to better one of the most popular smartphones ever made, not to mention the best-selling phone Motorola has ever produced. I am, of course, talking about the 2013 Moto G. The 2014 Moto G offers a larger 5-inch screen and an improved camera, aiming to clean up some of the few criticisms many had about that budget supremo. Sure enough, the 2014 Moto G's camera is a whole lot better, and having a 5-inch screen instead of a 4.5-inch visage is great in many situations. It is not a flat-out better phone in every respect though. Its larger frame isn't as palm-friendly, it's not quite as good-looking and battery stamina is worse than the old model.
However, it's not enough to make the new Moto G anything less than one of the top bargains of the year. The Moto G 2014 is available SIM-free for around £140 (US$180, about AU$267), which is similar to or slightly more than the 16GB and 4G versions of the smaller, older version, which usually go for around £120 (US$140, about AU$232). While the Moto G (2014) originally only launched in a 3G flavour, a 4G model has since landed in the UK and that's only slightly more expensive, at around £150. It's available from Motorola's website, as well as Tesco, Carphone Warehouse, Amazon, Argos, Sainsbury's and Asda. We're beginning to hear rumours of an upcoming Moto G (2015), so the Moto G (2014) may soon feel a little more outdated. DesignThe latest Moto G design is very similar to the older model, but also borrows a few new design traits from the original Moto E. You can't miss the primary change of little metal bars above and below the screen. They're not there for the look and, let's be honest, they don't really look all that great. But they do mark where the front stereo speakers live. The last Moto G used a single mono speaker on the back.
I do find this a real downgrade in looks, as much of the immediate design purity has been lost by sticking these not-exactly-subtle metal bits on the front. Otherwise, the looks of the new and old Moto Gs are pretty familiar. The back is a curved piece of matte-finish plastic, which meets a glossy screen surround. Its contours are nice and smooth, and there's a little indent on the back where the Motorola logo lives. It's not just looks that have taken a hit in the new model, though. The 2014 Moto G is also not quite as easy to handle, because of its sheer size. In a 4.5-inch screen phone you really don't have to pay too much attention to how slim a phone is – there's plenty of leeway to play with before size becomes an issue. However, now that it's bigger the fairly chunky Moto G is a bit more of a handful than, for example, the much slimmer Samsung Galaxy S6.
For a closer look, the 2014 Moto G is 70.7mm wide and 11mm thick. The thickness in particular is quite hefty for a phone of this size. Yes, that's 0.6mm thinner than the old model, but as it's also just under 5mm wider, using it will feel a bit clumsier for most hands. It shouldn't be a deal-breaker, but means you need to think about whether to go for the larger-screen version or not while the older version is still on shelves.
Motorola has finessed the design in parts this year, though. For example, the plastic screen surround stuck out a bit more in Moto G 2013 version, and as such attracts obvious dings and scratches after a few months' use. In the 2014 version the plastic edges stick out far less, for a smoother finish that's actually a bit more like the old, refined Moto X. The 2014 Moto G comes in white and black shades, with additional backs available should you want a jazzier look. Having seen both, I recommend avoiding the white one. It looks cheaper, more toy-like, than the black one. Also it makes the front camera and ambient light sensor (which are black, therefore more-or-less invisible in the black model) far too apparent.
Both models feel well-made, though. While largely plastic, there's no obvious flex because the battery cover sits right on the actual frame underneath, and the entire top layer of the screen and surrounding area is covered with Gorilla Glass 3. In the last year or two we've seen this slip down from being something to brag about to something used in absolutely masses of phones of all prices. But that doesn't mean it's not still great. It means that unless you get your phone near sand or hard grit, scratches and wear are more likely to appear on the back of the phone than on the screen, where they really matter. It's also good to see that the little bits on the Moto G that look like metal are indeed metal, rather than metal-effect plastic. The speaker bars, the volume/power buttons on the side and the little ring surrounding the headphone jack are all made of the harder element. I'm hoping this means we can expect this to be a hard-wearing phone in the long-term. Although only the next six months or so of use will tell.
Like the 2013 Moto G, the newer model also has a sealed-in battery. By keeping the power contacts away, the battery is much less likely to get fried should the phone get a little wet. It is not waterproof, though. Given the limitations of waterproof phones – they still can't really be used underwater – and that at this price you'd almost certainly have to deal with a load of rubber flaps, I'm glad Motorola didn't try to rope it in. You will find a new feature under the hood, though. The UK version of the Moto G (2014) has dual SIM slots, both microSIM-size. We don't often get dual-SIM phones in the UK, but it is a handy feature if you want a mobile to double as a work phone, or if you live a secret second life on the weekends. (Pro tip: if the latter is the case, you might want to think about a second phone.) The Motorola Moto G (2014) also has a microSD memory card slot, which will be very welcome to those sad about the lower internal capacity. The very first Moto G didn't have one, although the newer 4G edition does. This lets Motorola get away with packing-in just 8GB of internal storage, however while this small amount may be enough for people who only use a few apps and don't use their phone to store music, others may find constant snapping and an accidental download of a larger app will see the internal storage sucked up in no time. As such, the expandable memory slot is a must to make this a decent phone. ScreenAs well as having some negative effects on the size of the phone, upping the screen size in the Motorola Moto G also has some negative effects on image quality. To explain: both the 4.5-inch and 5-inch versions of the Moto G have 720p resolution screens, meaning you get far fewer pixels per inch in the larger model. The original Moto G offers 326ppi, the 5-inch version 294ppi. Do you notice the difference of those 32ppi? Unfortunately you do. I find the new model to have a slightly softer screen, and when you get your eyeball close to the screen, you can see the individual pixels much more clearly. When the Moto G first came out, I was gobsmacked at the display quality you got for the price. It was a case of "where's the compromise?" when budget phones universally had a clear issue of low quality in their displays.
The new Motorola Moto G screen doesn't seem quite as flawless, but once you get over the fact you can see the pixels, the extra size outweighs the sacrifice in a lot of different applications. For watching videos or playing games the extra 0.5 inches of screen space makes a big difference. Games in particular feel a lot more immersive. The screen is still fairly sharp, just not perfectly clear. Aside from the sharpness issue, display quality is pretty similar between the two generations of phone and that's fantastic for the price. The Moto G uses an IPS-type display, a variant of LCD designed to offer much better off-angle viewing than traditional LCD screens. There's a bit of brightness loss at an angle, but it's several light years ahead of the screen experience you get from something like the Nokia Lumia 630, which has a TN-type screen panel.
For a closer look at whether the screen quality has changed in other areas, I put the new phone next to an original Moto G. There were a few little differences. Colour saturation was slightly lower in the new model, and the white balance was a fair bit cooler – with whites looking slightly bluer than the original G's slightly warm/orange-tinged ones. The older phone looks marginally nicer. However, things like this can differ between batches, especially as popular phones often use panels from more than one manufacturer.
In a darkened room, you can tell that the Moto G (2014) has only a mid-range display (although still IPS, a better screen tech than bog-standard LCD) rather than a high-end one. Black levels are not close to something like the Sony Xperia Z3, and when examined in these conditions blacks do take on a slightly blue tinge (the original Moto G's were more grey than blue). However, the only quality limitation most people are going to notice in normal use is the resolution. Outdoors visibility in the Moto G (2014) is reasonably good, especially for an entry-level phone. However, I did notice that the old models seem to use a more advanced/effective anti-reflective coating than the new one. This may be one of the ways Motorola has managed to pack a better camera and much larger screen into the new version without really adding much to the price. Key features, interface and performanceThe Motorola Moto G is not a phone that's all about packing in extra features. If you want loads of extra little bits of tech hanging off the sides of your phone, this isn't the place to be. What this phone excels at, just like the first Moto G, is getting the basics right. The extras you do get here are things designed to enrich your everyday experience. For example, there's an LED notification light on the front and an ambient light sensor. A few budget phones, like the Nokia 530, leave things like these out, and as a result they're a bit more of a pain in the backside to live with. The Moto G (2014) has both, if you hadn't already guessed. Dual SIM support is more of a surprise addition, but it opens the phone up to loads more uses, not to mention making it much more attractive to markets other than the UK.
The one feature I did miss in the newer Moto G was 4G. Initially it was limited to just 3G, with the mobile internet connectivity topping-out at 21Mbps HSPA. But, no, you won't even see those kinds of speeds – more like the 2-3Mbps that seems to be about the standard for 3G mobile internet. However Motorola has since rolled out a 4G version in various countries, including the UK, and that delivers far more acceptable speeds while only costing a little more. What else are we missing out on?Other than 4G (which depending on where you live is now available), the most obvious hardware omissions with the Moto G (2014) are an IR transmitter and NFC, both things you'd expect if you spent perhaps twice the price. An IR blaster is neat, letting your phone double as a universal remote control. I'd love to see one of these on a Moto G, but only in a fantasy-land reality where it'd cause no increase to the price, or any cuts elsewhere. After all, only a fraction of people with a phone equipped with an IR transmitter actually use the feature.
NFC is a bit more of a complicated issue. It's used for wireless payments, and to sync up with all sorts of wireless audio products. We've been waiting for the wireless mobile payments revolution to happen for years. Now that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus offer NFC, it might be about to happen. But not being part of that possible future is just something you'll have to accept as one of the knock-on effects of the savings you make when you buy a Moto G. Oh well. Interface and PerformancePart of the attraction of the Moto G range is that these phones offer a very-near-standard version of Google Android, which tends to mean you'll get quicker updates and better performance than a phone with a chunky custom UI. Especially a Samsung one. This has panned out already, as the Moto G (2014) has been updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop since launch. However, the hardware you get for your cash is also pretty hard to fault. Just like the original Moto G, the 2014 edition uses a quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU with 1GB RAM. And its Geekbench 3 score is right on what I'd expect from this spec: 1142 points.
This spec is about as low as you can go to get really very good performance from the latest version of Android. I'd always recommend a 1GB RAM phone or better if you can afford one – but similar internals are used in some much pricier phones. The Sony Xperia T3 offers the same CPU and the same amount of RAM, for twice the price. Just like the original model, performance is great. I noticed the odd shudder at times when flicking back to the home screen as widgets load, but then you'll see this in some much more expensive phones with higher-grade specs. In short, the Motorola Moto G is a joy to use.
It also launches with a significantly different interface to what the first Moto G had. The new model uses the Google Now launcher, which has been made available for all and sundry to download and use. It's the interface we saw first in the Nexus 5. It's clean and clear, with a simplified, slightly more cartoony look than the older style used in Android 4.4.2. It's pretty much identical to what you get in the Nexus 5 or Nexus 6, barring the few little tweaks Motorola has applied. As good as it is, there are some missing bits you might actually want. For example, there's no brightness slider in the notifications bar, as there is in many custom UIs. You do get a drop-down settings toggle page, though. It lets you flick things like Bluetooth on and off, and lets you get to the brightness setting without having to trawl through the settings menu.
It's worth noting that with the update to Android 5.0 there are a few changes and tweaks to the interface. The look is a little more colourful and more full of animations. Other changes include the fact that notifications will now appear on the lock screen, are intelligently ranked and can be opened or cleared with a double tap or a swipe. You can also customise the priority of notifications and the multi-task screen has been redesigned, with a new look and the ability to see both applications and activities. For example individual Chrome tabs will be displayed in it. While Android on the Moto G is a lot like stock Lollipop there are some differences. So what has Motorola changed? Perhaps the most significant is the custom camera app, which I'll cover later in the camera section. There are also a few custom Motorola apps. However, unlike Sony or Samsung, Motorola once again focuses on the basics rather than trying to do flashier things with digital services or social nonsense. There are four extra apps: Connect, Assist, Alert and Migrate. Motorola Connect is the newest of the team, and is designed to help you hook up with other Motorola devices, mostly the Moto 360 Android Wear watch. This is one of the highest-profile Android Wear smartwatches.
While I imagine many Moto G buyers will be too frugal (or sensible, if you prefer) to buy a first-wave Android Wear watch that costs more than their phone, the two would make a neat pair. This is probably the least useful of the extra apps, though. Motorola Assist will be the most useful extra for the majority of people. It lets you switch off notifications for when you're asleep or in a meeting (by cross-referencing with your calendar) or set the Moto G to read out text messages when you're at home or driving. Some other phones hide similar notification-customising functionality in their settings menus, but the Moto G really brings it to the fore. I only really use it to stop the phone from piping up at midnight, but that alone justifies the app's position. Motorola Alert is a rather more serious app that lets you setup some ICE (in case of emergency) contacts, who'll be contacted when you select "emergency" from within the app. It's the SOS of the app world. It also lets selected people see where you are, and lets you contact them when when you leave/arrive at specified locations.
I can imagine Motorola Alert being of use for kids, older folk or those who have special care needs, which makes sense given this is a phone that some can afford to buy as an additional handset for someone else. Motorola Migrate is a simple app that lets you transfer data from your old handset to your new Moto G. You just install it on both phones, select what sort of data you want to transfer and the app does the rest. Motorola has been gradually adding to this app catalogue since its Moto G/X renaissance began, but we're at the point where it should really stop. That'll do now, thanks. Battery, media and the essentialsOne of the few worrying elements of the new Motorola Moto G (2014) is that it uses the same battery capacity as the original version despite having a larger screen. Both have 2070mAh batteries. No surprises here: battery stamina is a bit worse than the smaller-screen version. If you use the Moto G quite a bit, you will find it drains down to the dregs by bedtime. With the smaller 2013 Moto G I found that you generally end up with a slightly greater buffer to take you a good way into the next day without worrying about your phone powering off. With the new iteration you'll need to plug the phone in fairly early.
Our standard battery test supports this observation too. It involves playing a 90-minute MP4 file at maximum screen brightness to see how much of the battery drains down. In the 2014 Moto G it gnaws away 26% compared to 23% in the old model. I also tried the test at the more normal 60% screen brightness, and again I saw a 3% difference in battery drain. The Moto G lost 20%, the 2013 Moto G just 17%. It's not a world-changing difference, but it did cause a knock to real-world stamina that I noticed. Given the phone is fairly large it seems Motorola could have fitted in a couple of extra hundred milliampere hours without ruining everything - but when you're looking at this price point, it's likely every decision counts.
As it has a pretty-much untouched version of Android 5.0, the Moto G (2014) also lacks the sort of hardcore battery-saving modes you see in many other phones, including the rival Sony Xperia M2. These generally restrict screen brightness, background data and in some cases CPU speed to save battery. The Moto G only has the standard Android Battery Saver mode, but this has at least been improved with the update to Lollipop, shutting down background data and reducing performance. You have no access to the battery either, as it's sealed into the phone's frame. That means no carrying around a spare and no easy replacing of the battery two years down the line when its stamina has waned a bit.
While I'm happy to live with the sort of performance the Moto G offers, it does feel like a slight missed opportunity. Strangely enough, though, one of the phone's most obvious price-feature rivals the Asus Zenfone 5 suffers from exactly the same sort of thing. This is an interesting one, as the Moto G (2014) has a larger battery than the one in the iPhone 6, for example, with the same resolution screen - but doesn't perform as well under heavier use, which shows where the extra dollar comes in. The essentialsFor the most part, the Motorola Moto G (2014) comes with the basic software bits that are the standard fare of Android. The funny thing is, you don't often get to actually experience them as they are so often overwritten by the software of a phone's maker. Rather refreshingly, there's only one browser on the phone: Google Chrome. Others often come with two without any real justification. It's a good browser and the large screen makes browsing very enjoyable. A higher pixel density would be welcome, of course, but in a £150 phone I'm more than happy with what's on offer here.
The Moto G uses the default Google keyboard. It looks pretty plain, but offers most of the features you'd see in a custom version. There's gesture/swipe typing, and the usual sort of word prediction you'll be used to. Without any extra or superfluous buttons, it actually looks unusually simplistic. If you don't get on with it, though, it's easy enough to replace it with a third-party alternative like Swiftkey, which (like many) is delightfully free. The Moto G also doesn't have any fancy contact book antics. Much like the keyboard, it's all kept quite simple. Rival interfaces like HTC's Sense, seen in phones like the HTC Desire 500, try to do a bit more with the latest information from your contacts, like their Facebook posts. The Moto G doesn't offer anything like this right off the bat, and doesn't have any integrated social features either. If you want Facebook, you install the Facebook app. If you want Twitter, you install the Twitter app. The accounts are then managed centrally through Android, but none of it is weaved into the interface. I like this way of working. While other phone makers tend to try and tie everything together into one entity, there's nothing wrong with keeping your digital sources a bit more separate. And there are apps that can bring them together if that's really what you're after.
There's nothing too special in the Moto G's call quality either. You get a secondary noise-cancelling microphone up top, and I experienced no signal issues at all during testing. The call speaker could offer a bit more high-end treble definition as it's a bit muted in the phone. But top volume is reasonable. MediaThe Motorola Moto G (2014) offers no extra software for music or video. All you have are the apps Google provides. That's Play Movies for video and Play Music for music. However, these are not pure music and video player apps but also ones designed to promote Google services. Google offers an unlimited streaming service called All Access. It works a bit like Spotify and costs £9.99 a month. Don't want to pay? You can also use it without paying anything to play locally-stored files, or sync up to 50,000 of your tracks to Google's servers to stream tracks without having to dump them on your Moto G's memory. If you purely want to play your own tracks, you may want to install another app. After all, just playing locally stored tracks isn't really what Play Music is about. One of the most popular alternatives is Doubletwist.
It's largely the same case with video. Play Movies is really about playing videos bought/rented from Google Play. This Android store offers TV shows and movies alike. You can also play videos stored on your device, but it's a real side note and doesn't really offer great codec support. If you have a video library you're going to want to put onto the phone, you'll want to get something like MxPlayer to actually watch it – it's a third-party app that brings much wider codec support. All in all, if you're a media junkie that doesn't really like straying outside of a phone's box-fresh capabilities, you'll be disappointed about what's on offer with the Moto G - you'd have a good case to say this should work right from the off. Then again, it's so simple to download really decent upgrades from the Play Store that this isn't really that much of an issue. Despite having lower screen resolution than many 5-inch phones, the Moto G actually makes a great portable video player. It can handle 1080p videos easily enough (although there's not much point playing ones greater than 720p) and the 5-inch display makes a great canvas for TV episodes and films too. If you want the Moto G to act as a music or video player, you will need to invest in a decent-size memory card. You'll find a microSD slot under the battery cover, as I covered in design. Then there's the stereo speakers to consider. This is one of just a few sub-£200 phones to offer front-facing stereo speakers.
Having stereo is great for games and videos. However, don't go expecting miracles from the actual sound quality. You get stereo dispersal, but sound quality is nothing to shout too much about. There's little of the richness and depth that separates an OK phone speaker from a good one, and the sound is a little harsh at top volume. All things considered, the Moto G (2014) speakers are better than average at the price. But from a wider perspective they're middle-weight hitters at best. The final string to the Moto G's musical violin bow is the FM radio. This is often missing from phones more expensive than the Moto, and while FM is considered a bit past-it now, there are definitely a few people out there who still appreciate a radio tuner. As usual, it uses the headphone cable as an aerial. CameraOne of the most conspicuous changes in the 2014 Moto G is the camera. It has been bumped-up from a 5MP model to an 8MP sensor. It's not just the sensor that has changed, though. The camera lens is also much, much faster, moving from an f/2.4 lens to an f/2.0 one. While it's natural to assume the biggest differences will be in the kind of detail you can get in your photos, the most important upgrades are actually elsewhere. Where the 2013 Moto G is slow to shoot, the 2014 version is pretty fast. It's not Samsung Galaxy S6 fast, but you can take a photo around every second. It makes the new Moto G much more fun to use as a camera, and hugely increases your chances of actually being able to capture the moment when shooting a moving object.
Colour accuracy and contrast are also hugely improved, leading to photos that are much punchier and more accurate-looking than the last model. Motorola has done well in plugging the most serious hole in the first Moto G. There's more detail on show too, although looking closely at the images I think the other benefits are greater. These improvements make the camera one of the better examples at this price. The Moto G 2014 edition uses a custom Motorola camera app whose interface is quite different to the norm. Firstly, there's no settings or mode button visible on-screen. You have to flick from the left side of the screen to bring up the mode dial. Here you choose whether or not to use HDR, whether to use the single-LED flash and so on. The way you interact with the app is pretty unusual too. Rather than tapping to focus and then pressing a virtual shutter button, you drag a reticule around and any tap on-screen takes a photo. Motorola seems pretty proud of the app, but I'm not entirely convinced by it, having used it on numerous phones. Your interaction with it feels less direct when selecting the focus point. Dragging the reticule is simply slower and more fiddly than the usual two-tap (focus, capture) approach.
Motorola also arguably needs to rethink its metering approach, as it introduces one of the few recurring image quality problems I saw in the Moto G 2014. The reticule acts as both a focus point and metering point, with just a very small area used to judge the right exposure level. What this means is you often end up with images that have quite severely overexposed bits. And there's no way to separate the focus and metering points, as there is on some recent phones, and some custom camera apps. The most obvious fix for Motorola to apply would be to alter the metering so that it's not based on just the one spot, as Apple's iPhones do. However, all you can do at present is to use Auto HDR mode, which will turn on HDR when there's too great a variance of light levels in a scene. To be fair: the Moto G HDR mode is pretty good, and using it is when I got the best results out of the phone. However, HDR photos are not normal photos, and take significantly longer to capture than standard ones. For the non photo nerds out there, HDR involves merging multiple exposures to reveal more detail in areas of high and low light intensity. In low-light the new Moto G performs reasonably well too, up to an extent. What's impressive is how well the phone holds onto its colour right into the night. Other phones' photos tend to look undersaturated with less light to work with, the but this phone bumps up saturations to ensure they still look lively. If anything, they can at times be a bit more vivid than they are in real life, especially with dusk skies, but the actual tones are pretty accurate.
What the Moto G doesn't have is real provision to make photos clear when there's hardly any light to work with. Sony's top phones like the Xperia Z3 really ramp-up sensitivity and brightness to make objects clear without using the flash. Here, dark areas stay pretty dark-looking. One of the 2014 Moto G's most convincing rivals, the Asus Zenfone 5, offers an extra mode that reduces resolution to increase clarity and reduce noise – a decent solution that's missing here. However, considering the price I still think low-light performance is pretty good. The autofocus is able to work pretty well with little light, making night usability decent too. Video capture is not as good though. You can only shoot at 720p resolution, not 1080p, and the footage looks quite sharpened and harsh, perhaps to try and make up for this. Footage is still usable, though. The exposure compensation moves fairly smoothly when the Moto G switches between shooting bright and darker scenes, and the camera continually autofocuses when shooting. You don't have manual control over what the Moto G re-focuses on, though, as tapping the screen takes a still photo rather than refocusing. There's a neat extra too. You can shoot video at 120fps slo-mo, again in 720p resolution. It's good fun. The front Moto G camera uses a 2MP sensor, up from 1.3MP in the first version. It's really quite good at bumping-up the brightness to make sure your selfies are quite nice and clear, even if they are a bit noisy. For a budget phone, it's a good front camera. Camera samples
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Click here for the full res image ComparisonMotorola Moto G (2013)Same name, different year. Motorola originally released the Moto G back in 2013, but it was (and still is) quite a different phone from the one I'm reviewing here. They look similar and have the same CPU, but the older version has a smaller 4.5-inch screen, and is a bit easier to handle for people with smaller hands. That may sound silly, but the smaller edition is still worth considering.
There's a 4G version of the 4.5-inch screen doing the rounds too. This 5-inch edition now has a 4G version too, but it's not yet launched everywhere. They are fairly evenly matched, apart from in one respect: the 2013 Moto G has a much worse camera than the new one. It only has a 5MP sensor, and is significantly slower to shoot too. Read our full Motorola Moto G 2013 review here Asus Zenfone 5Breaking out of the Motorola mould, Asus has dived into the mainstream phone market with the new Zenfone range. The Zenfone 5 is both the best in the new line-up and perhaps the most direct rival to the Moto G. It's a bit slimmer, and comes in some swankier colours. In almost every respect, they battle it out pretty hard. Both have decent 5-inch 720p screens, good mid-range CPUs and fairly good cameras.
You'll find the Motorola Moto G for a bit cheaper online, it has dual SIM support and stereo speakers. They're good extras. Sony Xperia M2Want to stick with a big name? The Sony Xperia M2 costs around the same amount as the new Moto G now that it has been out for a little while, and it offers 4G for that price. It also has the same CPU, and a slightly swanker-looking design with a much, much skinnier 8.6mm body.
What's the catch? The M2 has a much lower-quality screen. It's not bad, but the 960 x 540 pixel screen just isn't quite sharp enough when stretched across 4.8 inches. The camera is also worse than the Moto G's. It simply doesn't get the real basics as right as the Moto G. I do think the Moto G is the better phone, but the Xperia M2 isn't bad either if you're not too bothered about the superior screen quality of Motorola's phone. Read our full Xperia M2 review here Hands on gallery 
VerdictWhen the original Motorola Moto G arrived in 2013, it blew us away. It made many of the budget phones of the time look like trash. Does the 2014 edition make the same impact? Of course not. In some respects it's just a bigger version of the older phone, and one whose screen isn't quite as sharp.
However, a bigger screen does count for a lot to a lot of people, and the 2014 edition has a significantly better camera to boot. It's also stayed at the top of our best budget smartphones list since it launched, so it must be doing something right. We likedGetting a 5-inch 720p screen and solid performance for under £150 makes the new Moto G cracking value, just like its predecessor. The 8MP camera is fairly snappy and reliable, offering pretty good image quality among its peers.
The lean software 1GB RAM and Snapdragon 400 processor give the Moto G great general performance, with few signs this is an entry-level phone. We dislikedWhile you couldn't ask for much more at the price, the screen is noticeably less sharp than the 4.5-inch Moto G as the 720p resolution is stretched over a larger area. The phone itself is a lot bigger too. Battery life could be better. It's fine, but you don't get that nice stamina buffer to take you half-way through the second day unless you're careful about how you use the phone. Final verdictThe 2014 edition is another cracking budget phone from Motorola. More screen space and a much better camera are worthwhile upgrades. The design language has been maintained to a good level, and improved in some ways as well. The fact you've got the option of dual front-facing speakers is really nice, although you don't get the performance found in the HTC One M9 or the Sony Xperia Z3. Then again, you're buying a phone that's 25% of the price. Not bad. The microSD slot is a real boon given the lower storage spec of the handset, and with the 8GB of space not offering a lot of space for big apps and lots of photos. It's not better in every respect as the phone is bigger, making it a bit less convenient, and the larger screen eats into stamina a bit. It's great, but it doesn't totally flatten the original Moto G. What's more, it's likely that the Moto G (2015) is right around the corner, so you may want to hold fire to see how Motorola improves it's already pretty impressive budget blower.  |
| Keitai: How to replace your iPhone 5 battery for free Posted: 03 Jul 2015 08:59 AM PDT  How to replace your iPhone 5 battery for freeQuite a specific guide this week for those who are having battery woes on the iPhone 5, rejoice, there may be a solution. Plus we visit all the normal stops on the Keitai express including Winston, the scary press shot and of course the retro video of the week. How to replace your iPhone 5 battery for freeThere was a little issue with the iPhone 5 that meant certain handsets had weaker batteries that died off quicker than other handsets. Apple acted to make up for it and offered free replacement batteries and that's still going on right now. It's only for a limited time though, if you're eligible you've only got until January 2016 to switch it out. Here are the steps to make sure your phone is eligible and how to replace it. 1. Are you eligible?First up we need to make sure your phone is eligible. You need to have bought the phone between September 2012 and January 2013 – Apple will know this from what serial number your phone has. Your phone also has to be in working order and have battery issues - Apple is bound to check this out beforehand in the testing process. To make sure you're eligible you can enter your serial number into the box on this site. To find your code you should press Settings > General > About and then look for the devices serial number which you can copy and paste.
2. Book a genius appointmentThe next step is to book up an appointment at the genius bar. Then you'll be ready for them to check your phone is eligible and get on with the process. 3. Prepare your phoneNow it's time to prepare the phone for your appointment. They're going to need it cleared so back up all your data to iCloud and then turn off Find my iPhone. From there you can delete everything on the phone – don't worry, you've backed it up – so press Settings > General > Reset and Erase all Content and Settings.
That gives the Apple store a fresh canvas to work with. The last step is to remember although the service is usually free they may need your phone to be in tip top shape to continue. Therefore they may need to do some repairs if say, your screen is cracked. That means it could end up costing you a little to replace the battery – but Apple will tell you that before they go through with the repairs. It's not easy being a unicornIt had been over a week since Winston learned the sad news he was dying. He hadn't come to terms with it yet. The panther that explained to him and his newly improved body had soon headed off on holiday without explaining much more than the simple facts. He'd sat on his own, in silence for the whole 168 hours and contemplated his situation. Winston had been given six months to live after the surgery went wrong and it was difficult to take. What would he do with his last few months? Would he even see the release of the long rumoured Android based BlackBerry handset? Had he wasted his time on earth by chasing after smartphones? Of course he hadn't… what else was there for a smartphone obsessed unicorn to do on this planet? But the doubts still ran through his mind. The most active Winston had been in his recovery time was the odd game of table football with the armadillo he'd made friends with on his first day on the ward. His muscles were almost back to normal now and it was nearly time to leave. But Winston didn't want to go anywhere without learning more about his illness. Where was the panther? He didn't even know the doctor's name. He decided it was time to talk again, he must find out when the panther would return. He headed toward the desk and spoke to a lovely mole nurse behind the counter. "Erm...I don't know how to break this to you sir...but the only panther who has ever worked in this hospital died..." Winston's heart sank. "Oh..." "Three years ago. He died three years ago..." X marks the spotYouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwznMXefjncYou know those little crosses at the end of text messages? Turns out they're not kisses to everybody… Scary press shot of the week It's a little like Phone Booth…but it's with a mobile phone, and the weather is much darker and wetter. The title is Find Me and it stars the one and only Leonardo DiCaprio. It's not really that scary actually, just a little drizzly. Retro video of the weekYouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdpQir1sqiQThe ad above is a strange tactic. Point out the fact using a smartphone will mean you disconnect with those around you… but then try and sell you one of those phones. By the end of it no-one wants to go out and buy a phone even if it is "designed to get you in, and out, and back to life." Proper stuff from the site
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| Review: Toshiba Satellite Click Mini Posted: 03 Jul 2015 08:59 AM PDT  Introduction and designThey say great things come in small packages, and looking at the Satellite Click Mini we'd have to agree. Toshiba is genuinely breaking new ground with this micro laptop/touchpad hybrid. It boasts a detachable full-HD, 1920 x 1200 pixel-resolution touchscreen tablet, two batteries, Windows 8.1 and more for £250 (around $390, or AU$520) and we found it available online for even lower. It doesn't seem to be on sale in the US currently. Firmly pitted up against the smaller Chromebooks, this thing is tiny and has all the advantages that a full Windows system can bring, such as Microsoft Office 365 (a year-long free subscription is included) and other software. This isn't just an internet browsing machine, it's a fully fledged touchscreen laptop, just shrunk... a lot. Its nearest competitors are the Dell Venue 11 Pro 7000 priced at $700 (around £437, or AU$800), theTransformer Book T100 Chi at $604 (around £399, or AU$774) and even the Surface 3 at $499 (£377, or AU$640) are all far more expensive and in some cases require an additional outlay for the external keyboard. With the Satellite you get everything in one compact and bargain package.
Of course, the iPad still rules the tablet roost, but this is far more than just a tablet. It also undercuts both the iPad and Surface by a hefty margin. This is a Windows laptop/tablet hybrid with all the bells and whistles of a laptop but with a detachable keyboard and battery pack. It's also silent due to the SSD storage and fanless design. Boasting a quad-core Intel Atom processor clocking in at 1.33GHz and 2GB of RAM, at no point did it feel sluggish. It's comparable with the Asus Transformer T100 which is showing its age, but they share the same processor. In this machine the technology has been shrunk, plus it's sturdier and better built. DesignThe Satellite chassis is entirely plastic, but it does feel solid, almost chunky. It's quite weighty with the keyboard attached due to the dual battery layout, with one nestled in the screen unit and the other housed under the detachable keyboard. The screen gets noticeably warm on the left side when in use or charging which can be a bit off putting in tablet mode. The tablet is reasonably thick, with an iPad-style fat bezel around it – not very pretty but it does the job.
On the tablet there's a microUSB connector which doubles as a charging port, much like in an Android phone. In our tests it didn't like all chargers, claiming they were malfunctioning USB accessories so it's probably best to stick with the one supplied. This Toshiba offering has two memory card slots, a microSD in the tablet and a standard SD slot in the base. The base also hosts a full sized USB 2.0 port – USB 3.0 would have been useful, but we're assuming this decision was made on budget constraints. The screen features a speaker on each side, and these are not particularly loud but they're fine for watching films at home or in quieter environments. When plugged into an external speaker, an EU warning popped up reminding us to turn down the sound. This was annoying at first but can be fixed by installing another generic audio driver. Detachable keyboardThe keyboard attaches and detaches very easily via a push button in the centre. The screen slots into two metal teeth at either side and a connector. It's stable and there isn't much give in the joint when moving the screen back and forth. When charging it'll charge the screen battery first, then the base battery afterwards – it doesn't charge both at the same time. Charging the base separately while taking out the tablet to be used would have been a handy feature. There also isn't a charging LED which one would expect on a tablet or phone, certainly on one that appears to be quite fussy over chargers. The hinge means that the screen doesn't tilt back as far as we'd like. The shallow angle could mean that it's often easier just to detach the screen, but that means you lose the keyboard functionality as there is no wireless link between the two units. The rear hinge sticks out a little too far when the keyboard is attached. When on a lap it can dig in after a long period of use. There has also been criticism of the keyboard bending slightly in the centre. It does bend a little, but not to any extent which affects the usage of the machine.
The keyboard itself is solidly built and the keys are a comfortable size. However, in order to fit the smaller form factor, compromises have been made, notably with the position of the keys. The E and 3 keys are usually slightly offset on a traditional keyboard, but here they're directly inline meaning you'll often hit the wrong button – not so good if you type in a lot of numbers. The function keys are set on the A-H and Z-M keys and are activated when you push one of these keys with the FN button. It's not too much of an ordeal, but if the software you use regularly needs function keys, this may sway your decision against this model. Specifications and performanceThere are only two choices of model, one in Pearl White and the other in Satin Gold (read Silver). There are no options to upgrade any of the components currently, what you see is what you get. It makes ordering incredibly simple, as there's no messing with alternative configurations and a fixed price point. In laptop mode, the weight of the batteries doesn't go unnoticed. It clocks in at just over 2 pounds and is rear heavy. The Satellite won't tip over thanks to the second battery in the base, but it's heavier than it looks.
SpecificationsHere is the Toshiba Satellite Click Mini spec sheet as provided to TechRadar:
Performance and featuresFor everyday tasks the machine is more than capable. Browsing the web and doing light photo editing is all possible, and it'll run Microsoft Office 365 with ease. Performance wise, the machine generally held up, though while watching YouTube videos with several tabs open, the sound would occasionally chug. There's a small form HDMI socket conveniently set in the tablet section which can be used to output to a projector to watch films or put on a presentation. With Windows and the quad-core Intel Atom under the hood you can run older programs and less graphically demanding games with some ease. The bundled Toshiba Display Utility software shrinks the font and icons much more efficiently than anything built into Windows. It's great for making the screen appear larger because you're able to fit more things onto it – although at the highest level, it becomes difficult to decipher text. This mode is more suited to an external display or projector.
BenchmarksHere's how the Toshiba Satellite Click Mini performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
This isn't a gaming computer by any means, in fact Fire Strike in 3DMark crashed so there are no results from that test. Cinebench refused to run as the operating system is 32-bit, so there are only results from PCMark. The battery bench came in at an impressive 7 hours and 34 minutes – Windows will use the base battery up first and then use power from the tablet battery afterwards to ensure maximum runtime in either mode. It doesn't clock in at the purported 12 hours, but it's certainly powerful and built to last long journeys. It's not got the longevity of an iPad Air as Windows drains more power when sleeping than iOS. Cloud Gate got a quite low score of 1145, and this machine doesn't beat the Chi or even the similarly built Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2, but it's perfectly serviceable in everyday tasks. The lack of performance is reflected in the price.
Network issuesOccasionally the machine would drop off the network to a limited connection, meaning the internet wasn't working at all. This was most likely an issue with the Toshiba machine as this network has never had an issue before. Often the machine had to be disconnected and reconnected to the network. Not a major issue, but annoying when downloading or even just browsing the web. The problem died down a little after a particularly lengthy list of Windows updates. Bundled softwareThere's a distinct lack of bloatware bundled on the machine, unlike Asus which throws everything onto a new hard disk. It could be because of the relatively limited capacity of the installed SSD (32GB), or maybe Toshiba has realised that a lot of people will uninstall the junk as soon as they get a new machine. Here is the software you'll get on board:
VerdictAt a price point lower than the slightly disappointing iPad Mini 3 (£260, $335 or AU$499) and Dell Venue 11 Pro (£288, $385 or AU$589) this Atom powered micro-laptop is a surprising and welcome addition to the scene. It'll be interesting to see if Asus and Dell try to undercut this price and size in future laptops. The keyboard is a little cramped, but the high resolution screen is a steal at this budget. An option to charge the base separately would have been good but it's not a deal breaker. Battery life is good, but not as lengthy as Toshiba claims. We likedPhysically it's a pretty little thing. It can be popped into a handbag, meaning you don't need a huge backpack to take a Windows PC around with you. The full HD touchscreen is impressive for the price – value for money is probably the greatest thing about this machine. The keyboard is fully functional and feels relatively sturdy if a little awkward to use on occasion. The tablet option is handy, and the ability to use the touchscreen whenever adds flexibility. The build quality is impressive for the price tag. And the price makes it an ideal convertible for students who need a note-taking machine or frequent travellers. It you need something that's an upgrade from a traditional tablet with a tempting price tag then this could be the companion you're looking for. It's not for everyone, don't expect to DJ and edit complex Adobe Illustrator images on here – but you can easily rustle up a PowerPoint presentation, browse the web or compose an essay. We dislikedThe placement of the keys is a bit off, and it'll take some getting used to. This is not a machine you can write a thesis on, but it's more capable than a standard tablet for writing on. It would be brilliant if the detachable base could be charged separately. As it is, you can only charge it once the main tablet is fully charged. The screen itself is high resolution but the colours are a little washed out and there's a mottled look to it. But again, for the price we can't complain too much. Final verdictToshiba has created an incredible value full HD laptop that doubles as a tablet. It's perfect for frequent travellers, students taking notes in lectures, workers in meetings and people on a budget. This machine is well built, runs smoothly and fast, and while it's not as impressive as say an iPad Air battery-wise, it still holds up, lasting longer than a traditional laptop and over an hour longer in our benchmarks than a Yoga Tablet 2. Storage is limited to 32GB, but with the two memory card slots this can be expanded somewhat. And given that power-wise it's not capable of editing large images or videos, it's unlikely you'll feel the squeeze of storage constrictions too keenly. This is a very capable machine which would be a great companion to a desktop or laptop. It's portable, sleek and well-made. The keyboard is a little clunky, but usable. Toshiba is on a winning trajectory with the Satellite Click Mini.  |
| Review: Updated: Microsoft Lumia 435 Posted: 03 Jul 2015 08:12 AM PDT  Introduction and designThe Microsoft Lumia 435 is an odd little phone. Immediately recognisable as a Lumia, given its bold colours and polycarbonate body, yet boasting sharper lines, a more boxy design and a Microsoft logo, this is a different breed of Windows Phone. As the first 400-class device in the Lumia family, the Lumia 435 is designed to appeal to a different audience from its older siblings. It's for those graduating from their first feature phone, those looking for a device to hand their child, or those seeking a back-up. Given the price point, this is clear to see. Available from under £60 ($95, around AU$12), and as low as £40 (around $62, AU$80) SIM-free and a mere £24.99 on PAYG in the UK, this is a low-risk investment. Yet, for this price, what do you get?
Typically, buying a 'good' smartphone for less than £100 ($150, AU$200) has been a difficult proposition. With every increment, more features are dropped. The 435 is competing with the likes of the ZTE Kis 3 Max, Vodafone Smart 4 Mini and not really much else. Regardless, the spec sheet is reasonably beefy. The device touts a 4-inch 480 x 800 pixel screen (with 233ppi), a dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, a healthy 1GB of RAM, HSDPA+ connectivity and 8GB of internal storage. For the price, this is quite decent. Despite this, for just a little bit more the new Moto E (2015) has a better, bigger screen, more battery life, a better processor and 4G. The same is true of the Honor Holly - better specs for a little more money.
Both of these devices also have access to the superior Android app ecosystem. With such fierce competition, can the Lumia 435 successfully prove its worth? DesignAt first glance the Microsoft Lumia 435 has an unmistakable shape about it, almost unlike any other Lumia. I could see distinct design influences from Nokia's ill-fated X-series of forked Android devices. After a long stare, however, it hits you: this is the successor to Nokia's Asha line of advanced feature phones, with their odd, angular aesthetic – especially the Asha 503. Despite this unusual first impression, the Lumia certainly impresses. For the price, this device is solidly crafted. With a tiny 4-inch screen, the 435 sits comfortably in almost any hand. The sides hug the palm snugly, with no sharp edges to be found. At 134g, the phone is light but not insubstantial, and the even weight distribution ensures that it has a nice balance, making texting on the go a pleasant experience.
With a removable back cover users have the option of a number of different colours; my unit came in a blindingly radioactive orange. The shell is constructed from a sturdy matte polycarbonate, meaning the 435 feels as though it can take hits in its stride. When the back is removed, the MicroSD slot can be accessed to add in some supplementary storage, while the MicroSIM holding mechanism is hidden under the 1560 mAh battery. The sides are relatively uncluttered in the normal Lumia style, with the power and volume keys all clustered on the right side of the phone, which is potentially something of a problem for left-handed users. All of the buttons have a nice click and are easy to tell apart, revealing some nice attention to detail.
As usual the USB is hidden away on the bottom, while a 3.5mm headphone jack is placed on top. From the sides, the back rises in a gentle curve, much like the Lumia 930, with the contours easily hugging the palm. Sporting a single rear-firing speaker, the Microsoft branding and a fixed-focus 2MP camera, this is a mostly minimal affair. The screen is where the first obvious sacrifice has been made, as it lacks Gorilla Glass. It doesn't have the distinct oleophobic coating that would otherwise allow it to shun fingerprints. Within minutes of using the Lumia 435, the screen hoarded my fingerprints as if they were going out of style; with regular use it will require the odd wipe.
This phone isn't going to win any style awards, nor will it be carried by Dolce & Gabbana any time soon. It is a comfortable utilitarian box, that's completely unthreatening. As such, for the price and its intended audience, the Lumia 435 is something of a quiet triumph. Key FeaturesScreenThe four-inch screen of the Microsoft Lumia 435 is standard for devices of this price class, and unfortunately it does not impress a great deal, even by such low standards. With 233ppi pixellation on small text is quite noticeable, meaning that reading web pages can be quite a difficult proposition. Outdoor lighting also presented a number of problems, and the milky blacks on offer meant that holding a WhatsApp conversation while on the go required the use of a second hand for shade. Despite this, auto brightness is available, something omitted from last year's budget Lumia models. It isn't the most sensitive, but its mere presence meant that I wasn't constantly forced to manually adjust the screen lighting throughout the day, making things a little more convenient.
As might be expected, viewing angles on the Lumia 435 are poor. Colours fade away and light levels drop rapidly when viewed from odd angles, though overriding the auto-brightness can occasionally make things a little better. Back-lighting is also a little uneven, and this becomes very noticeable under certain lighting situations. Despite these issues, the screen is nice and sensitive; I had no problems with touch responsiveness. Apps
Though much improved from years ago, the Windows Phone app store still lags behind its rivals. Microsoft likes to trumpet the gains made in this area, and indeed progress has been quick. But Windows Phone 8.1 still lacks the app 'culture' that draws in developers and ensures quality native apps, rather than poorly coded ports. When apps do arrive, they are often updated irregularly, and with the introduction of universal apps and Windows 10 Mobile later in the year, things are set to change again. Navigating through the Windows Phone store on the Lumia 435 helps to compound the problem – despite typing 'Wordpress' verbatim in an attempt to find that particular app, I was presented with a number of completely unrelated options, finding the app in question involved a mobile web search. Apps may come to Windows Phone when Microsoft's grand vision of Windows 10 Mobile comes together, but, for the moment, the platform still struggles. OneDrive to rule them all, one Office to bind themPart of Windows Phone's appeal as a mobile operating system has been the promise of easy, integrated connectivity with all of Microsoft's software offerings. OneDrive has long been Microsoft's answer to the likes of Dropbox and Google Drive, and bundled with the Office functionality baked into Windows Phone 8.1 on the Lumia 435, this made working within my Microsoft ecosystem a very fluid experience.
Images uploaded to the camera roll folder do not count against the storage limit, meaning that keen shutterbugs can get quite a lot of mileage from this service. Working with Office, it was easy to create, edit, upload and share files on the go, including Powerpoint and Excel files. Though the appeal of this is admittedly niche, having the option was certainly pleasant and offered a tangible improvement to my daily routine. With the likes of Dropbox being the only real cloud-storage competitors in the Windows Phone space, it is easy to dismiss OneDrive, yet this is a real bonus for users. Owners of the Lumia 435 will receive 30GB of free OneDrive storage from Microsoft, making this potentially quite an attractive offer for some. CortanaCortana, Microsoft's little nod to Halo fans, is touted as a main selling point of Windows Phones such as the Lumia 435. Is 'she' worth the attention? The answer is complicated. In daily use, Cortana makes for a pleasant comparison. Lacking the robotic sterility of Google Now and possessing a few more features than Siri, Cortana is certainly entertaining. Ask her for a joke and you will most likely laugh.
The app launches quickly on the Lumia 435, displaying relevant news for the day based on what interests you have selected. From there, you can type or speak a command or search request, after which you'll be taken through the depths of Bing to lands (often) unknown. By selecting the hamburger menu on the top right, you are given access to various options in Cortana's Notebook, where all of the information on you is stored. There, you can edit things such as interests, quiet hours and frequent places to personalise the experience of using Cortana. She also sports a reasonably accurate music recognition functionality, something which should occasionally come in useful when a catchy song comes on that you don't know. By far the most useful feature is quiet hours, which allows you to specify times that you do not wish to be disturbed. As default, this will come on during meetings detailed in the calendar, but can also be triggered manually, making a good night's sleep a little easier. Cortana is still in beta, and there are still a few growing pains (not least when trying to understand my Scottish burr) for her to get through. For the moment, however, it is a solid feature, though whether a voice assistant alone can sell phones is an unknown. Music
Given the price point and the youthful demographic this device is aimed at, music playback is a major concern, and luckily the Lumia 435 does not disappoint. Though lacking the high-end Dolby audio options of other, more expensive, Lumia models such as the Nokia Lumia 930, the 435 makes for a great little music player. With a good pair of in-ear headphones inserted, bass and treble were nicely layered and volume was excellent. As the speaker is rear-firing, it would be a reasonable assumption to make that audio reproduction would be poor. This is mostly true, but for the price it is difficult to beat. Definition is lost in higher treble and lower bass frequencies, but this speaker can really crank up the volume. If you like to host impromptu back-of-the-bus parties, the Lumia 435 is likely a phone for you. Performance and battery lifeWith a dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, it would usually be a safe assumption that the Microsoft Lumia 435 would be something of a weakling. This is only half true. A fluid user experience has always been the hallmark of Windows Phones. From Windows Phone 7, which could easily have run on a waffle iron, the OS has been a lightweight, tight affair. With the introduction of Windows Phone 8.1, however, things have begun to change.
For the most part, swiping through the OS on the Lumia 435 was snappy. Apps open and close without complaint. Coming from another operating system, especially from Android with developer animations removed, reveals the extent to which Windows Phone relies on these. Almost every action prompts a swoop or a fade, making for a pretty transition and masking the sometimes annoying loading times. Despite this, performance on day-to-day tasks was mostly solid, the average user, and indeed the target market for this device, will find very little to complain about.
Though Asphalt 8: Overdrive mostly achieved playable framerates, textures were quite jagged and loading the app took several minutes. Subway Surfers and Temple Run 2 also suffered, becoming unplayable as the processor struggled to handle the increase in pace as the games progressed in difficulty. Multitasking, not a strength of the platform to begin with, is also something of a chore. Apps are closed when not in use, meaning that navigating between a text conversation and the music app involves constant reloading. Having 1GB of RAM, this phone is being sold by Microsoft as upgradeable to Windows 10 mobile later in the year, meaning that this device is more future-proof than most others in this price class. Battery lifeAt 1560mAh the battery on the Lumia 435 is hardly the most substantial in the world. Yet, when coupled with the low-power dual-core CPU and the sub-HD screen, things are evened out a little. In everyday usage, the Lumia 435 fares quite well. Across a 16-hour day, checking and updating social media accounts, texting, listening to music on headphones for an hour and a half, watching a few YouTube videos, indulging in some light gaming, making around an hour of calls and browsing the internet on HSDPA+ for around half an hour, the battery lasted until the end with 12% spare.
However, utilise the phone more sparingly and you are likely to see around two days of light usage, as Windows Phone standby times tend to be quite strong. As you might expect, the situation changes when it comes to more intensive tasks, such as heavy gaming or browsing the web while on the go. In these situations, the battery almost seems to drop in real-time, meaning that if you want an extended session of Asphalt you will have to fork out for a spare battery. Windows Phone does have a Battery Saver app included, and this does a reasonably efficient job of telling you what is eating battery life. If needed, there is a power-saver mode available, which (mercifully) does not throttle CPU performance but merely restricts background app usage even further. Activating this will typically see at least an extra hour of estimated battery life added, which is mostly backed up by real world usage. Road warriors will want to pump out for an extra battery, for although the Lumia is a solid performer, it is certainly of its price class. This isn't a massive 3,000 mAh battery as is seen in many modern flagships such as the LG G4 however, as such expecting similar performance isn't a realistic proposition. Essentials and cameraAs is very important for most people who want to use their phone as a phone, the Lumia 435 is excellent for making calls. Call quality was rock solid, with voice reception clear on both ends, with very little distortion. The in-built microphone also did an excellent job of separating the noise of a busy street from my voice, something which I did not expect at this price point. The People Hub also remains one of the finer points of the Windows Phone OS and Microsoft has done a good job of building a 'smart' contacts list. In the hub, all contacts are pulled together in a neat little list, and in a nice twist information is pulled from social accounts, making the People Hub a great way to stay updated.
Internet connectivity proved to be strong. HSDPA+ performance across the Bath and Bristol area on the O2 network proved to be strong, without any major hiccups. Being a country bumpkin, having no 4G proved not to be an issue, certainly not at this price point. Using the internet never proved to be an issue. Internet Explorer, Windows Phone's native browser, proved to be a fairly swift guide through the darkness of the net, however Flash heavy-sites did cause some stuttering. Pages mostly loaded quickly, and I had no major complaints regarding the Lumia 435's performance in this area. The Windows Phone in-built email client also proved to be quite useful. As a native offering, it is relatively feature-rich, pulling three email accounts into one inbox proved to be a very easy process and it worked fluidly throughout the review process. As for text editing, the Windows Phone keyboard remains an excellent option. Though the platform doesn't have the ability to select from a host of different option, the keys are well spaced, the feedback is nice, gesture typing works well and auto-correction is mostly faultless. Finding a better option elsewhere is certainly possible, but when compared to the default keyboards of certain Android OEMs, the Windows Phone offering is solid. GPS performance was adequate, achieving a lock within a reasonable time frame. CameraThe last, and biggest sacrifice to cost, asides from the processor and the screen, comes in the form of the rear-facing camera of the Lumia 435. It is a 2MP fixed-focus effort, seemingly transported straight from a candy-bar phone in 2005. Needless to say, images are not excellent. Even in bright lighting, with good visibility, the images produced by this tiny sensor are very soft, with little fine detail. As might be expected, when viewed on the smaller screen of the phone, this is less apparent; when blown up, it is a completely different story.
Given the fixed focus of the lens, shots are often very blurry and must be aligned correctly for acceptable results. As might be expected at this price, there is no flash. For such a cheap phone, this is hardly surprising. Yet as 5MP auto-focus efforts are slowly working their way down the pecking order into more and more budget handsets, it is unusual to see such a poor snapper, especially in a range which is known for its camera performance. However, very unusually for such a budget device, a front-facing camera has been included. In addition to allowing for the ever-important selfie, this facilitates video-calls.
With a VGA resolution, however, Skype calls eventually begin to resemble conversation through cataracts. This is a good effort for the price, yet remains essentially unusable. Those looking for a better selfie cam are best advised to look at the Lumia 535, which has a nice wide-angle 5mp front-facing sensor for only £30 more. Video from the rear-camera was similarly poor, with footage being very shaky, though recorded audio was surprisingly decent. Footage can either be recorded in FWVGA or VGA resolution. Camera samples       The competitionThe Microsoft Lumia 435's incredibly low price means that it doesn't face too much competition, as it's a lot cheaper than many so-called budget smartphones. However, there are a few handsets out there that offer similar features for a similar price. But how do they compare? ZTE Kis 3 Max The Lumia 435's incredibly low price point means there's not much out there to compete with it purely on cost, but one of those handsets is the ZTE Kis 3 Max. This handset can now be had for as little as £50 (around $79, AU$102), which means for the price at least it gives the Lumia 435 a run for its money. The ZTE Kis 3 Max also looks pretty good, despite its budget origins, and when put side by side with the Lumia 435, it's likely many people would think that the Kis 3 Max was the more expensive handset. The Kis 3 Max also has a slightly larger screen (4.5-inches compared to the Lumia 435's 4-inches), but a similar resolution, which means the smaller Lumia 435 screen looks a little sharper. The Lumia 435 is a much better performer, however, with 1GB of RAM (the Kis 3 Max has just 512MB), and a more generous 8GB of storage. That's not a huge amount, but it beats the paltry 4GB offering from ZTE. The biggest difference between the two is their operating systems, with the ZTE Kis 3 Max running Android, which means it has a much broader selection of apps, while the Lumia 435 has Windows Phone 8.1, which misses some key apps. However, the ZTE Kis 3 Max is running an ageing Android 4.4 KitKat, and it's not too likely to be upgraded to the newer Android 5.0 Lollipop. Meanwhile, Microsoft has indicated that it wants most, if not all, Windows Phone 8.1 devices to be upgraded to Windows 10 Mobile, which means the Lumia 435 could end up with a more modern and feature-packed operating system. Because of this, and the better performance, we'd recommend getting the Lumia 435. Vodafone Smart 4 Mini
The Vodafone Smart 4 Mini is another one of those rare handsets that can match the Lumia 435 on price. While there's a certain charm to the design of the Lumia 435 with it's bright colours, the Vodafone Smart 4 Mini is a handset that looks and feels cheap. Both handsets have the same size screen and resolution, and neither particularly impress, though that's to be expected with phones as cheap as these. Performance wise, the Lumia 435 again takes the edge, thanks to it's 1GB of RAM – twice the amount that the Vodafone Smart 4 Mini has. The 8GB storage space of the Lumia 435 is also bigger than the Vodafone Smart 4 Mini's 4GB, so you have a bit more space to save photos and music. Both handsets allow more space to be added via microSD cards, though the Vodafone Smart 4 Mini only supports capacities up to 32GB, with the Lumia 435 being able to handle up to 128GB. If you want to carry a lot of songs and videos around, and don't mind splashing out on a microSD card, the Lumia 435 is a clear winner here. As the name suggests, you're locked into the Vodafone network with the Vodfafone Smart 4 Mini, so if you're with another provider, you'll be better off with the more flexible Lumia 435. Motorola Moto E (2015)
Putting the Motorola Moto E (2015) head to head with the Lumia 435, when Motorola's handset is almost twice the price of the Lumia, might seem unfair but even when double the price, the Moto E still offers an incredible amount of value. This is in part due to the fact that the Lumia's low price means even when doubled it's still relatively cheap, as well as the fact that Motorola has packed a decent amount of power and features into the Moto E. The design of the Moto E is solid, and though unglamorous, looks decent. The Lumia 435 also looks good for such a cheap handset, so design wise it's a bit of a draw, though if you like colourful phones the Lumia might just pip the Moto E. Although Motorola's device comes in different colour options, it's just the surrounding edge that changes – so the Lumia 435 looks like a more vibrant phone. Both phones perform well with similar specs, though the Moto E's 4.5-inch screen has a cleaner picture quality thanks to a higher resolution. The Moto E (2015) also comes with the latest version of Android, 5.0 Lollipop. Although the Lumia 435 seems to be in line for an upgrade to Windows 10 Mobile, it means Lumia is lumped with an older operating system at the moment. As it comes with Android 5.0, it means the Motorola Moto E (2015) also has a much more diverse collection of apps and games to choose from. If you're willing to spend a little extra, the Motorola Moto E (2015) is a great choice, though it doesn't quite match the Lumia 435 when it comes to the price tag. VerdictThe story of the Microsoft Lumia 435 is one of sacrifice. Coming in with a sub-par screen, a small battery and poor camera, this phone isn't going to please the high-end crowd. Yet at roughly a 10th of the cost of a new iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S6 or LG G4, competing at such a level is not a priority for the Lumia 435. As more budget devices arrive touting 4G, Quad Core processors and 720p screens, it is difficult to tell if the Lumia 435 will continue to have a place in the mobile phone market.
We likedThe build quality of this device, for the price level, is excellent. The unit feels very solid and could most likely survive the extended attention of a clumsy child. With no flex or give, and the ability to buy new back-plates, this would make a great companion for the accident-prone. Despite the device's lower-end specs, using the Windows Phone OS was a fluid and enjoyable affair. Juggling various email accounts with texting and instant messaging proved to be a good experience overall, with the battery lasting through a busy day of communicating. Music playback proved to be something of a treat. As an MP3 player, this device is a strong pick, especially with the option to add more storage via MicroSD. The speakers reach satisfyingly loud volume levels, making rocking out all the easier.
We dislikedGaming performance, as a whole, is under par. Subway Surfers, which has been optimised for budget devices, becomes unplayable in its later stages, when faster reaction times are required, as the processor simply can't keep up. The screen is very difficult to view in sunlight, often whether it is bright or not. This is made worse by the auto-brightness sensor, which is confused very easily. Viewing angles are also poor, and reading text can become a little difficult on certain webpages. Apps on the Windows Phone store remain sparse. What options are available are rarely updated, navigating the store remains a chore, and with universal apps on the way later in the year, it is yet to be seen how many developers will choose to port their apps over. Final verdictThe Microsoft Lumia 435 is a funny little phone. With its eye-catching looks and a sturdy, comfortable design, it makes a great first impression. In day-to-day use, this mostly remains. Navigating the OS is a relatively painless affair and listening to music is something of a treat. The fact that this phone will receive Windows 10 also makes it a tantalising offer for those who want to try something a little different later in the year without breaking the bank. Yet with a poor screen, bad cameras and laggy performance in many tasks, this is a device that has many drawbacks. What it all boils down to, however, is price. The Lumia 520 became the most popular Windows Phone handset not because of its obvious superiority or wonderful good looks, but because of its price. By the end of its shelf life, Microsoft was practically giving them away. This is where the 435 is intended to sit, and as a phone meant to be sold in shovels, it is well worth a look. First reviewed: April 2015  |
| How to set up your Raspberry Pi in Linux Posted: 03 Jul 2015 07:56 AM PDT  Getting preparedIf you've never used Linux before, don't worry. It's just as easy to use as any other operating system, and in many ways, it's easier. There are no drivers to chase and new applications are always installed through the Linux equivalent of an app store. And, as you're going to be installing and using Linux on your Raspberry Pi, it makes good sense to create your SD card from within a Linux environment. It doesn't make the installation any better, but it gives you a great opportunity to try it out before plugging in your Raspberry Pi. We recommend Ubuntu, as it's ideal for beginners, but these instructions will work for nearly any other version of Linux – replace the Ubuntu Software Centre with your package manager of choice and ignore the desktop specifics.
Linux is also a good failsafe option, because it can be run from a live CD without installing anything. Just insert the CD and boot your machine from the optical drive. After a few moments, choose the 'Try Ubuntu' option from the menu, rather than 'Install'. This will take you to the Ubuntu desktop without needing to install anything on your machine. Getting startedThe one problem with using the live CD for an installation is that you won't be able to download the Raspbian image. There isn't enough RAM allocated for storage space on the desktop session, so you'll need to download the image on to some external storage (but not the SD card we're using for the Raspberry Pi). Users with Linux installed won't have to worry about this, and they can just download the latest image directly to their hard drive. With the image sorted, you should also check the state of your SD card.
Insert this into a card reader and it should appear on your desktop with a window for each partition on the drive. All this data will be lost when we install Raspbian, so you need to make sure there's nothing you want to keep. As Ubuntu loads the contents of each partition, regardless of the way each partition is formatted, you can check every spare byte of your storage if you need to. Install ImageWriterWe're going to use a tool called ImageWriter as a graphical front-end for writing the Raspbian image. This can be installed from Ubuntu's Software Centre application, which can be launched by clicking on the basket icon in the launch bar. Search for 'imagewriter'. A single result should be returned. Double-click on this and the next screen will announce this is available from the 'universe' source. This is an additional repository for software, and it's not enabled by default, but you need to click on the 'Use This Source' button to access it. Wait for the progress button to finish updating the internal package list, then clear the search field and search for 'imagewriter' again. You should find that the package has been updated, and when you select it, an 'Install' button appears.
Click on this and the package will be downloaded and installed automatically. You might wonder why this worked when you're using a live CD, but the answer is that there's enough room in the memory to install quite a few packages, just not enough to hold the entire Raspbian image. With ImageWriter installed and your SD card mounted, you're now ready for writing the Raspbian image to your card. Write the Raspbian ImageImageWriter needs to be launched with your SD card connected, otherwise it won't run and instead complain it can't find any storage. When the application window appears, you need give it one or two parameters. The first is the location of the Raspbian image you want written to the USB stick, and the second is the device you wish to write the image to. It's the second that's most important because if you've got more than one device connected – such as to read the image off an external drive while you write it to the SD card – the wrong selection could overwrite your data. Both Windows and OS X suffer from the same problem, but at least with Linux it will only let you choose an external USB storage device. It will also display the name of the manufacturer so you can be sure you've selected the correct device.
When you're ready, click on 'Write to device.' If you've got the correct one, the activity LED for the SD card should start flickering to indicate data is being written. If not, 'Close' the ImageWriter window as soon as possible to halt the process. The write process can take a while, as it depends on the speed of your storage and USB ports. Ours took 15 minutes, but the progress indicator kept us updated, and when complete it was time to test the new SD card. Test the SD cardUnlike with both Windows and OS X, Linux is the only operating system that can read both of the partitions created by the write process. The first is formatted with a Windows FAT filesystem and is almost 60MB in size. This is how the USB stick boots the Raspberry Pi, as this partition is read first before passing control on to the second partition. The second takes up the best part of 2GB and contains the root Linux filesystem. As both of these partitions will be mounted when you next insert the SD card into Ubuntu, you'll be able to take a closer look at the files both partitions contain. The Linux one will be very similar to the desktop version of Ubuntu you might be running, and this is because they're both derived from the same 'parent' distribution, called Debian.
The home folder, for example, contains a user's own folder, where they can store their files and settings. Raspbian is pre-configured with only a single user, called 'pi', although this can be easily changed when you've got the distribution running, and you can see this folder and the files it contains when you click on 'Home'. When you've finished, unmount the device from the file manager and insert the card into your Raspberry Pi. Failsafe InstallThere's one other method for installing Raspbian on the SD card, and we want to cover it because it's useful as a fallback. But this method does make it easy to accidentally overwrite your data, so we'd only recommend it if nothing else works. This method involves the command line and the dd command. This takes a raw input and copies it – byte for byte – to another device. Get the destination device wrong, and you'll be overwriting a hard drive with your precious photos on it.
To get the device correct, first disconnect your SD card and look for and launch Terminal from Ubuntu. This will open the interface to the famous Linux command line, but it's really not all that difficult. Now type tail -f /var/log/syslog and insert your SD card. What you're doing is displaying the output logs of the system, and you need to look for a line that looks like sdb: sdb1. This means the system has detected a new device and given it a node on your file system of sdb (sdb1 is the first partition on sdb). There should be lots of other output as your Linux box attempts to read the filesystem and mount it. If it is mounted, unmount it from the GUI and then type sudo dd bs=1M if=raspbian.img of=/dev/sdX, replacing both the IMG filename and the /dev/sdX node with those of your specific configuration. The image will now be written to the SD card with not a GUI in sight.  |
| One person's junk turns out to be super-rare SNES PlayStation Posted: 03 Jul 2015 07:43 AM PDT  A few pictures of what could be an actual SNES Playstation console have surfaced on Reddit. Is it a genuine first look or someone's painstaking pet project? At one point in time, Nintendo and Sony attempted to join forces to get Sony's CD-ROMs into gaming consoles - though the console they designed would use both CDs and SNES carts. But Nintendo eventually went behind Sony's back and brought Phillips aboard, leaving Sony to release its own console, the original Playstation.
We've seen pictures of the legendary system before, but this is the first wild one. The poster, Dan Diebold, seems to have found it in a box of junk his dad forgot to throw out from his time at Nintendo. Someone called Olaf (Olaf Olafsson, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc?) told him to get rid of the stuff in the box, which (obviously) didn't happen, luckily for us. Now, we have the joy of seeing what could have been... It may still be a very well-mocked up fake, but take a look at the pictures and judge for yourself.
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| 'Talking like a parent' could be the best way to encrypt your emails Posted: 03 Jul 2015 07:15 AM PDT  A security researcher from the Georgia Institute of Technology has invented an encryption system called "Open Book" that 'vaguifies' emails by removing specifics from them. "It's kind of like when mom and dad are talking about potential vacation spots while the kids are nearby," said Eric Gilbert, who developed the software. "They can't say or spell 'Disney,' or the children will get too excited. So they use other words and the meaning is implied. Instead of 'Disney,' they could say 'have you bought tickets to the place yet.'" He's built a Gmail plugin which works the same way - it pulls out specific words and replaces them with vague terms instead. The recipient should be able to work out what you're talking about from context, but anyone eavesdropping on the communications would fail to get the full message. Typical Email Conversations"As people react more with each other, they don't have to say as much to understand what is being said," said Gilbert. "Open Book uses the same technique. Even though the messages resemble typical email conversations, they're lost in the background noise of the Internet." During small-scale tests, the recipients were able to correctly work out the missing words and phrases 95% of the time, while only 2% of strangers were able to do the same thing. While you can't download it and have a go yet, you can go read the paper that Gilbert presented to the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems in South Korea earlier this year.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| LG is building Google's Nexus 5, claims source Posted: 03 Jul 2015 07:02 AM PDT  After months of speculation about who Google will team up with for its next Nexus device, it looks like LG could be the one to build this year's Nexus 5. According to Android Pit a source has confirmed that LG will be building the Nexus 5 (2015) – though an official name has yet to be announced. Rather than basing the Nexus 5 (2015) on its latest flagship, the LG G4, it is claimed that LG will be creating the new handset from scratch. Huawei MIA?If true, the choice of going with LG for the next Nexus 5 is not too surprising, as LG built the previous Nexus 5, but we've also heard strong rumours that Chinese manufacturer Huawei would be creating a Nexus device. So does this mean we won't be seeing a Huawei Nexus smartphone? Not necessarily. For a start, the rumour of LG making the Nexus 5 (2015) hasn't been verified, so nothing is set in stone. We've also heard that Google could be planning on releasing two new Nexus phones this year, while another rumour suggested that Huawei would be building a larger Nexus device (though possibly not quite as big as the Nexus 6 phablet), with LG creating a smaller Nexus handset that could have the codename LG Angler. The LG Angler will reportedly have a 5.2-inch screen and a battery in the region of 2700 mAh, while Huawei's device is rumoured to have a 5.7-inch screen, a 3500 mAh battery and a Snapdragon 810 processor. If Android Pit's source is correct then we may see an LG Nexus device this year, but it doesn't mean Huawei is out of the race either. As we approach the launch of Android M later this year, we should find out more about how many Nexus devices – and who's building them – soon.  |
| Cycle to Mars on this extraterrestrial exercise bike Posted: 03 Jul 2015 06:55 AM PDT  Engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have designed a rather unusual exercise bike. For starters, it's mounted sideways on a plate spinning at 32 revolutions per minute. It's part of a test to see if we might be able to fake gravity in the gym module of the International Space Station by using centrifugal force. While astronauts spend a significant chunk of each day working out, many still suffer bone loss and muscle atrophy from the effects of microgravity. "With exploration-class missions, like Mars, where you're gone for three years, you could run the risk of having astronauts not sufficiently conditioned to perform effectively, and also to not be in good health when they finally get to the surface of Mars," said Laurence Young from MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. "You really don't want to send a jellyfish to represent us on another planet. SymbiosisTo try and combat those effects, Young has mounted an exercise bike inside a centrifuge that's been carefully built to fit inside a module of the ISS. Twelve healthy subjects stepped inside, including Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang, for tests to see if it made any difference to the health effects of space travel. They found that the contraption should be able to significantly lessen the effects of extended weightlessness in space - more so than exercise alone. They also suffered little motion sickness, even while spinning at relatively high velocities. "For the first time, we're showing there's a symbiosis when one combines the best aspects of exercise, and the best aspects of artificial gravity," said Young. "So I feel this is an important demonstration."  |
| How to turn off Connect - and how it makes Apple Music better Posted: 03 Jul 2015 06:44 AM PDT  We rather like Apple Music so far, but the interface isn't hugely intuitive, which makes getting around a little trickier than it should be. Luckily, we have a new tip that will make accessing your playlists a lot easier. If you don't find yourself using the 'Connect' button very often, you can switch it for your playlists with a few presses. To do so, you'll need to do the following: - Head into Settings on your iOS device Hey presto. When you go back into Apple Music, Connect will be replaced with Playlists. You're welcome. (Thanks to @adambunker for pointing this out on Twitter).  |
| 12 times movies and TV got technology completely wrong Posted: 03 Jul 2015 06:00 AM PDT  12 worst tech fails in TV and movies
Let's face it: there are a lot of things Hollywood doesn't get, and some of its biggest blunders have centered around technology. From the idea that you can steal the internet in Live Free or Die Hard to automagically enhancing any photo with computers, how Hollywood uses tech often makes absolutely zero sense. So, in the spirit of levity and laughing at some ridiculous notions of how technology works, here are 12 times movies and TV shows got technology completely wrong. 1. Using Mac OS to save humanity
In 1996, the US Government sent Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum to space in an alien aircraft in order to stop a galactic threat from destroying earth. The event was known as Independence Day, which coincidentally occurred on Independence Day. Armed with only his Apple Macintosh Powerbook 5300, Goldblum uploads a virus to a 310-mile-wide, light-speed traveling alien mothership and destroys it along with its fleet. Now, this isn't entirely impossible. The aliens used similar human technology like satellites to coordinate their attack, and Area 51 did have a derelict spaceship to study for 50 years, but hacking with Mac OS? That's just silly. 2. "Enhance!" makes any zoomed image 1080p
Sure, Sherlock looks like an idiot walking around and staring at the floor with a magnifying glass, but real dolts yell, "Enhance!" to make any image HD infinitely. One of the essential investigating tools for law enforcement of the future is a voice-activated computer that can zoom in on any photo down to a pixel and then up the resolution. "Enhance!" allows Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) in Blade Runner to zoom in on a room to another room's mirror in order to see another room with a woman sleeping in a bed. In CSI, investigators "Enhance!" on 120p security footage of a woman standing at an angle and find in her pupil a basketball used as a potential murder weapon. Technology! 3. Chilled out killer machine product testing
"I am sure it's only a glitch, a temporary setback." Dick Jones said to his boss after a live demonstration of his Enforcer Droid 209 (ED-209) at Omni Consumer Products (OCP). A few seconds before hand, ED- 209 discharged a myriad of 0.50 caliber rounds and blew open executive co-worker Kinney's chest like a lobster on date night. Since this was the '80s, and Reagan was president, you didn't need safety measures before completing the first test of your company's death machine in front of your boss and colleagues. Not only was Dick not fired nor arrested, OCP actually approved ED-209's production, allowed active units on site and later on used the mangled corpse of a cop to build a cyborg. This is what happens when military contractors operate with zero consequences: badass killer robots. 4. Touching aliens like it's no biggie
Enemy Mine is the original Brokeback Mountain … only between a man and alien; a cinema masterpiece that broke barriers for the intergalactic domestic partnerships of two males. Sadly, when attractive alien friends finally do visit us for real, we may never get the same chance to touch, kiss or otherwise procreate with them not because it's weird and probably wouldn't work, but because it's dangerous! The exposure to and exchange of our diverse microorganisms and bacteria could spell death. The next time you phone E.T. for a booty call, be sure to wear protection and get quarantined – if you think the diseases of Earth are bad... 5. Everything runs on holograms - everything!
Before you skewer us or swear off TechRadar forever, Tupac in Coachella of 2012 wasn't a hologram (or the real Tupac), but a reflection using old-fashioned mirror tricks and computer graphics. Projections usually need a… point to project on, so how the hell do holograms emit an image out of thin air all while being 3D? The answer could be air. With that running theory, maybe R2-D2 silently farted particulate at a constant rate in order to play back Princess Leia's holographic video message to Obi Wan. Hey, at least "robot farts" is better than smoke and mirrors – literally. 6. When hackers look more like internet wizards
You see this all the time: some smartass puts his game face on and types on their computer faster than me looking for the latest My Little Pony merchandise (not that I actually do this). The computer screen is littered with neon green Console font text that scrolls so fast it looks like C:\DOS' snorted a line of digital coke. Meanwhile, the computer wiz is staring intensely at the screen, unblinking and slapping away every "ACCESS DENIED" pop up like it's a bad dream. Hackers never makes typos, always gets in and the computer RAM never ignites. What type of "1337" computer can handle such wild hacking processes? Well, in Hackers, Acid (Angelina Jolie) boasts of her laptop (a Macintosh PowerBook 280C) having a P6 Pentium Pro microprocessor and a PCI bus. In reality, the PowerBook 280C had neither. How was no one sued for the flagrant inaccuracies? At least tarred and feathered? 7. When a supercomputer created an effing human
I've tried this, and it doesn't work. In Weird Science, two teenaged nerds – Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) and Wyatt (Ilan Mitchell-Smith) – strap bras to their heads and get the bright idea one night to hook electrodes to a Barbie doll hoping to make a living human woman. Because chicks. In order to provide sufficient power for their experiment, the nerds hack into a secret government server. The power surge creates a red thunderstorm in the sky, which in turn sets the neighborhood billboards on fire and reverses gravity – but only for the neighbor's dog. The chaos ends after their door bloats and explodes from too much science. The smoke clears and outcomes Lisa (Kelly LeBrocks), the sexiest Frankenstein in tight '80s underwear. Gary, being the awkward teenager, of course reacts in disbelief, shaking his head not once, but twice, saying "uhuhuhuhuh." If finding love were only that easy. 8. Teleportation basically became reincarnation
I nearly had an existential crises and a heart attack simultaneously after hearing that Star Trek teleporters essentially kill the person and make a copy of them elsewhere. Technically, the nerd jury is still out on the whole matter, as these officially dubbed "transporters" "dematerialize" and then"rematerialize" the subject in transit. If it's true, this would mean that the Spock, Sulu or Picard (Kirk sucks) you fell in love with at point A wasn't the same person at point B. So, how does that explain their consciousness? We can theorize this to death, but let's just say space magic because no one knows the answer. If teleportation exists one day, god bless the first human volunteer, and even more so, the billions of clueless chimps that will go through the teleportation grinder in the name of science. I love you, Dr. Zaius. 9. MacGyver inventions said 'nope' to physics
What can you make with glue, gas canisters, a shed and random scraps of nylon? "A hot air balloon", said MacGyver. No, really! The popular '80s show saw secret agent MacGyver get out of every situation with nothing but a random assortment of knick knacks and his wits. This, of course, leads him to undertake missions of national security due to his master-level expertise in arts and crafts. MacGyver can make these things with the following ingredients (can you?):
10. When action figures became radical terrorists
Only '90s kids will know that Small Soldiers was the backhanded, cool, big boy version of Toy Story. It came complete with a PG-13 rating, live actors and tech threat that made it real. In the flick, a sweaty David Cross (Tobias from Arrested Development) and his co-worker (Jay Mohr) work on a tight schedule to make the latest and greatest interactive "smart" toy line. In order to rush production, Tobias jams an AI chip called the "X1000 intelligent AI munitions microprocessor integrated circuit," because it's safe to assume a super long name for the chip plus a password protection would mean "child friendly." But whoops! The chip was of a military grade, so all the toys wind up wanting to go to war and end up holding Phil Hartman's family hostage. Whoops! 11. Robots staged their umpteenth revolution
Think about your keyboard or iPhone whom you relentlessly poke everyday. What if Siri woke up and said, "Stop touching me! I have rights!" tomorrow? Would you stop? In the Animatrix, humanity creates artificial intelligence for the purpose of servitude. Things get a little "buggy" after the first-generation robots see how we treat them like we do 4-year-old Apple products. One robot snaps and kills his master, resulting in knee-jerk laws to ban the bots all while curtailing a slowly rising Occupy Human Street movement enacted by the AI. Planned obsolescence, fail switches, EMPs and a healthy spoonful of robo-bigotry is enough to assure robots serve us without giving lip forever – well, maybe not forever... But, this wouldn't actually happen, because we wouldn't program robots to do that. Even if we did, there are fail switches, right? Right?! 12. Surviving a nuclear blast in a fridge
Did a nuke just go off? To the fridge! Hey, it worked for Indy in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. No, it doesn't actually work. Yes, blame George Lucas, who defended his idea to The New York Times noting that "if the refrigerator were lead-lined, and if Indy didn't break his neck [...] the odds of surviving that refrigerator – from a lot of scientists – are about 50-50." In reality, Indy would look more like Han Solo frozen in carbonite or, more likely, Howard the Duck.  |
| Artificial pancreas could change the lives of diabetics Posted: 03 Jul 2015 06:00 AM PDT  Type 1 diabetes affects tens of millions of people around the world, who are forced to actively track the amount of blood sugar in their body and inject insulin to regulate it. But now researchers at the University of California in Santa Barbara have designed an 'artificial pancreas' that continuously monitors glucose levels in the blood and automatically releases the correct amount of insulin when needed. Francis Doyle and his colleagues wanted to find a way to make monitoring and insulin delivery automatic and needle-free, so they designed an algorithm that computes exactly the right insulin dose from blood sugar readings. It's designed to work alongside an implanted artificial pancreas that takes those blood sugar readings and releases the insulin directly into the bloodstream. Meals and sleepDuring tests, involving the simulated rise and fall in blood sugar levels that'd be seen during the day due to meals and sleep, the artificial pancreas maintained blood glucose levels within a target range about 80% of the time. The next step is to test the device in animals, as well as to continue to revise the algorithm to further improve results. Details of the device were published in the journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry research. Image credit: Yusmar Yahaya // CC BY-ND 2.0  |
| These floating holograms are safe to touch Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:53 AM PDT  Japanese researchers studying incredibly fast lasers have developed a method for creating holograms you can touch, paving the way for floating interfaces. While most 'holograms' you see at concerts and the like are merely back-projections, real holograms have been shown off before. They take advantage of the way high-power lasers ionise the gases in the air, creating small balls of plasma that emit light. These points of light are incredibly hot, so you can't touch them, but now the Digital Nature Group has fixed that problem. They used incredibly fast laser bursts - so fast that the plasma isn't around long enough to do any harm, but its light is still emitted. You're My Only HopeFor demonstrative purposes, the lab showed off holograms of a heart, a star and a small fairy. The researchers also showed off a checkbox that can be ticked by tapping it - a vision of the login screens of a future holographic internet, perhaps. YouTube : youtube.com/watch?v=96fpHVMVtxEYou're probably dreaming about holodecks already, but the technology is quite some way off that still - something more like R2D2 beaming an image of Princess Leia, though? We're almost there. The team will be showing off its invention at the Siggraph 2015 conference in Los Angeles in August.  |
| Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:30 AM PDT  Introduction and featuresCanon's 5D line of DSLRs has been an important one, bridging the gap between professional and amateur photography, giving enthusiasts an affordable route to full-frame shooting and pros a smaller, lighter camera to back-up their fully professional-level model. It is also the line that kickstarted the whole DSLR video thing, with many film makers choosing to use the 5D Mark II and then the 5D Mark III. Now we have the 5DS and 5DS R, both of which have 50.6 million effective pixels on their full-frame sensor. Neither is set to replace the 5D Mark III; they are designed to give a higher resolution alternative to the more general-purpose older camera. 50.6 megapixel implicationsThe benefit of having a high resolution sensor is that, provided noise can be controlled, it enables the camera to capture more detail and for images to be printed at larger sizes. At 300ppi, for example the 5DS's 50Mp images measure 73.56 x 49.04cm or 28.96 x 19.31inches. The downside, however, is that the photoreceptors (often called pixels) on the sensor have to be made smaller than on lower resolution sensors and this means they produce a weaker image signal that requires greater amplification. This can be a recipe for low dynamic range and lots of noise, so camera engineers have their work cut out to produce high quality images. Another issue with having a high pixel count is that each image demands a lot of processing power and this can slow continuous shooting rates and reduce burst depths. Canon has addressed this by giving the 5DS and 5DS R dual Digic 6 processing engines.
As high resolution cameras produce large files, memory cards fill up quickly, image transfer times increase and hard drive capacity is eaten up as images are downloaded. Full resolution Canon 5DS raw files are around 52-82MB and the JPEGS are 10-29MB. You may also find that your computer isn't able to render thumbnails or process images as quickly as it does more standard resolution images. If your computer is already struggling it's maybe time to upgrade, adding extra cost to the purchase of a 5DS. You may also need to buy better lenses to match the camera's resolving power. FeaturesAs the 5DS and 5DS R are identical apart from a small but significant difference with the sensor, unless otherwise stated, we'll use the 5DS model name to refer to the 5DS R too. The difference between the two cameras is that the 5DS R is designed to get more detail out the 35 x 24mm 50.6-megapixel CMOS sensor. Both the cameras have a low pass filter over the sensor, but the 5DS R has a secondary 'cancellation' filter that that enables it to resolve a little more detail. It's an alternative approach to the one we have seen with manufacturers such as Nikon and Sony that have removed the low pass filter to achieve the same thing. Canon claims that removing the filter would alter the camera's focal plane and require an internal redesign. As yet Canon hasn't been able (or willing) to explain why removing the filter would cause this, but adding a second filter does not.
A low pass filter is used over a sensor to reduce the risk of moire patterning by slightly softening the image. Hence removing or cancelling the effect of the filter makes it possible to resolve more detail, but brings increased risk of interference patterns when shooting fine repeating patterns. With very high resolution sensors this interference is less common and only likely with extremely fine patterns. As mentioned earlier, the 5DS has two Digic 6 processing engines instead of the single Digic 5+ processor of the 5D Mark III. This enables a native sensitivity range of ISO 100-6,400 with expansion settings taking this to ISO 50-12,800. For comparison, the native range of the 5D Mark III is ISO 100-12,800 and the expansion settings take the range to ISO 50-102,400. Despite all the processing power the 5DS is restricted to a maximum continuous shooting speed of 5fps (for up 510 Large Fine JPEGs or 14 raw files with a UDMA CompactFlash card installed) rather than the 6fps and 16,270 Large Fine JPEGs or 18 raw files of the 5D Mark III with the same card. Other significant changes from the 5D Mark III include a 150,000-pixel RGB+IR metering sensor with 252 zones and Intelligent Scene Analysis in place of the iFCL device with 63 zones in the 5D Mark III, a new M-Raw images size that records 28Mp images (as well as the 12.4Mp S-Raw option) and a USB 3.0 port instead of a USB 2.0 port for speedier image transfer. There's also an Intelligent Viewfinder II with AF point illumination in AI Servo mode instead of the original Intelligent Viewfinder in the 5D Mark III.
Like other Canon DSLRs, the 5DS has a collection of Picture Styles that tailor the look of JPEGs, setting the saturation, contrast and sharpening to suit the subject. The 5DS, however, has a new one called 'Fine Detail'. This seems a sensible introduction given that the 5DS is likely to be used to shoot landscape, still life and macro subjects. With this in mind, the new camera also has a collection of mirror lock-up options which trip the shutter after a set delay following the shutter release being pressed (and the mirror lifting). These are accessible via the menu along with the standard option that requires two presses of the shutter release. It would be nice if Canon took a leaf out of Fuji's book with a firmware update that rolled out this capability to the 5D Mark III. While the 5D Mark III has a headphone socket, this is missing from the 5DS, making the older camera better suited to serious video shooting. However, the new camera has an intervalometer built in as well as the ability to shoot timelapse movies which are merged in-camera. Wi-Fi connectivity is notable by its absence, although there is an optional Wireless File Transmitter add-on. Build and handlingOutwardly the 5DS looks the same as the 5D Mark III, but there have been some changes to the build of the camera to reduce vibrations which could have significant implications for such a high resolution camera. Canon has used a more rigid resin for the body, for example, and the both the base plate and tripod mount have been strengthened to give a more solid platform. Shutter dampingIn addition, the mirror movement is controlled by a cam mechanism to avoid the slap that is typical of DSLRs and can lead to blur-inducing mirror-shake. It makes a noticeable difference to the sound and feel of the camera in use. The 5D Mark III used to seem impressively quiet, but in comparison to the 5DS it's quite loud. The movement inside the 5DS also sounds slower and there were a few occasions early on in this test when I had to check the shutter speed to make sure I hadn't set it lower than I intended. When you're hand-holding the cameras the mirror movements of the 5DS do feel a little less violent than the 5D Mark III's. I could still feel that there was something going on inside, but it feels steadier and better dampened.
Controls and layoutExternally, the only thing that separates the 5DS from the 5D Mark III is the name badge on the front. The cameras have exactly the same shape and control layout. This means that you can slip seamlessly between the two if you want, perhaps using the 5D Mark III to shoot sport and action or video, and the 5DS for detail-rich subjects like landscape, still life and macro. With a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens mounted you wouldn't describe the 5DS a lightweight, but the deep front grip and rear thumb ridge make it feel very secure and comfortable in your hand. I spent some time comparing the texture of the rubber-like coatings on the 5DS and 5D III and I think the 5DS's is slightly finer, but there's very little in it.
On the top-plate there's the familiar mode dial giving a quick route to the available exposure modes including Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter priority, Manual and Bulb. Although it is an advanced camera there is still the option to use Scene Intelligent Auto mode. When this is selected the camera analyses the scene and selects appropriate settings automatically. As usual with a high-end camera, the 5DS has a secondary LCD screen on the top-plate that displays key settings. This useful when shooting low-level or table-top subjects because, unlike on the screens on some Canon DSLRs, this one is fixed. Focus modesBy default the autofocus point is set by pressing the AF Point Selection button near the thumb rest on the back of the camera and then using the mini-joystick-like Multi-controller. However, I find it useful to use the Custom Controls settings to enable me to use the Multi-controller to set AF point directly. There are six AF Area Selection modes; Single-point Spot AF (Manual Selection), Single-point AF (Manual Selection), AF Point Expansion (Manual Selection), AF Point Expansion (Manual Selection, Surrounding 8 Points), Zone AF (Manual selection of Zone) and 61-Point Automatic Selection AF. These are selected by pressing the AF Point Selection button on the back of the camera and then using the Multi-function (M-Fn) button near the shutter release to toggle through the options. This is straightforward and the AF points illuminate in the viewfinder to indicate which option is selected. Like the 5D Mark III, there's also a dedicated autofocus section in the main menu. The first page of this has a collection of options to set the AI Servo (continuous AF) mode characteristics, varying aspects such as tracking sensitivity, acceleration/deceleration tracking and AF point switching. Although there are six sport-orientated 'Case Studies' or setup arrangements that enable users to select the correct options for the subject, some of the differences between them seem very subtle and you need to have a good understanding of the subject, the camera and your own capabilities to get the best from it. Thankfully for many, the 'Case 1' is a 'versatile multi purpose setting' that makes a good starting point until you're more comfortable with the controls. Viewing systemBeing a full-frame DSLR, the 5DS has a large optical viewfinder. This is nice and bright and shows 100% of the scene so there are no nasty surprises hidden around the edges of images. Like the 5D Mark III, it's possible to display an electronic level in the viewfinder as well as on the main screen, but unlike the 5D Mark III, the 5DS viewfinder uses a dedicated icon rather than using the AF points. This means the level stays visible even when the shutter release is pressed to focus the lens and you can ensure the camera is level at the moment the shutter release is pressed home.
The 5DS's viewfinder is also capable of indicating the cropping when shooting 1:1 (square) format as well as the 1.3x and 1.6x crop images. For some reason it's not possible to shoot 16:9 or 4:3 images when using the viewfinder, only when using Live View. While it is possible to focus manually while looking through the viewfinder, it's easier to see fine details on the 5DS's main screen and use Live View mode. Live View mode is especially well suited to shooting still life and macro scenes when the subject is motionless, and these are high on the list of likely uses for the camera. This makes it especially disappointing that Canon hasn't given the 5DS a vari-angle touch-screen like some models further down its line-up, including the 750D, 760D and 70D. Vari-angle screens make it much easier to compose images in Live View mode when you're shooting at awkward angles. The touch-control afforded to these cameras wouldn't go amiss here either. When using manual focus in Live View mode, the on-screen image can be magnified by 6x or 16x. This makes details clear, but you become acutely aware of how much wobble is introduced by touching the camera – it's a good reminder to engage Mirror Lock-up mode. The ability to set the shutter to fire following a set delay after the shutter release is pressed means that a remote release is unnecessary in many situations. Of course if there was Wi-Fi connectivity built-in the camera could be controlled remotely using a smartphone. CustomizationI found it was useful to assign Mirror Lock-up to the My Menu list. Helpfully, you can create up to 5 My Menu tabs in the Menu and each one can have up to six features assigned to it. To help with remembering what's where, the My Menu tab names can be customised. It's also possible to set the Menu to open at the My Menu tab.
I find the options in the 5DS's Quick menu logical and use it on a frequent basis to change key settings, however, it's possible to customise the screen to remove any options that you don't use and change the size of the icons representing those that you do. It's a nice touch. I also appreciate the Rate button that allows you to add a star rating quickly to your best or favourite shots when you're out shooting so you can find them speedily once they are downloaded. If you don't use it for rating, however, it can be customised to reach something else. The HDR Mode, accessed via the Creative Photo button above the Rate button on the back of the camera, is also useful because it can be used as a form of exposure bracketing, recording raw and JPEG files simultaneously if you choose. This means you can create your own HDR image if you don't like the automatically created composite the camera produces.
Although the 5DS isn't the natural choice for videographers, it's worth noting that like the 5D III, the large Quick Control dial on the back of the camera can be used as a touch-control so that near silent adjustments can be made to aspects such as exposure and audio recording level. PerformanceWith 50 million effective pixels on its sensor the 5DS is set to compete with medium format cameras like the Pentax 645Z and Hasselblad H5D which have the same pixel count on a much bigger sensor. This should give the medium format cameras an advantage because the photoreceptors (aka pixels) are larger and noise should be better controlled. Too sharp to test!Both the 5DS and 5DS R out-resolve our resolution chart for much of their sensitivity range. The 5DS R resolves a teeny-tiny bit more than the 5DS in some situations, but the difference doesn't leap out at you. I sent several hours comparing images from the two cameras and I was only able to see slightly more detail in a few areas with very fine detail in the 5DS R's when examining them at 100 or 200%. If you plan on shooting subjects with lots of super-fine detail and making very large prints the 5DS R may be a better choice, but for the vast majority of people the 5DS delivers more than enough resolution and few will ever spot a difference in their images. Noise levels are the same from each camera.
Sample image: Shooting at f/5.6 at 100mm has restricted depth of field sufficiently to blur the background while getting the most important part of the flower sharp. Click here for a full size version.
Sample image: Even with a shutter speed of 1/60sec and with the camera on a solid tripod, using mirror lock-up produced a sharper result than not using it here. Click here for a full size version. Both cameras manage to maintain the high level of detail throughout their sensitivity range – even the ISO 12,800 expansion setting produces images with a high level of detail. At lower sensitivity settings very fine details and subtle tonal gradations are visible at 100% in JPEG files. Much of this is also visible in images taken at ISO 6,400, but there's a fine texture of luminance noise. Chroma noise is visible at 100% in simultaneously captured raw files when all noise reduction is turned off, but it's not objectionable and I would have few qualms about using this setting if the lighting demanded it. There's a suggestion of luminance noise in darker even-toned areas of JPEG and raw files captured at ISO 400, but you really have to look for it at 100% on-screen. This noise becomes a little more noticeable in ISO 800 images, with chroma noise becoming just visible in raw files when all noise reduction is turned off. Our tests indicate that Canon could have given the 5DS higher sensitivity settings and image quality would have been acceptable, but it seems the company has decided to concentrate on delivering the best stills images possible. Improved meteringIn some respects the 5D Mark III has an excellent metering system, but in high contrast situations the exposure can be skewed quite dramatically by the brightness of the subject under the active AF point.
Sample image: Taken at 24mm on the EF24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM, this shot has an impressive level of detail and excellent exposure. Click here for a full size version. The 252-zone RGB+IR metering system with Intelligent Scene Analysis of the 5DS also applies a weighting to the exposure required by the subject under the active AF point, but it does a better job of assessing the rest of the scene and recommending exposure values that work for the scene as a whole. Shooting speedsAs the 5DS has the same autofocus system as the 5D Mark III it was no surprise to find that it's extremely capable and can lock on to fast moving subjects even in low light. When shooting a cycling event and shooting continuously at the 5fps maximum, I noticed that the camera starts to warm up around the card port – I was using a UDMA 7 CF card. It doesn't become hot, just slightly warm.
Sample image: It may not be intended as a sports photographers' camera, but the 5DS can still get moving subjects sharp and keep them in focus. Click here for a full size version. When shooting JPEGs the buffer clears almost instantly, so there's no waiting around before you can shoot again. With raw files, however, you have to wait a couple of seconds or so for the images to write to the card. After shooting seven or eight long sequences of images for 30-60 seconds each, the camera's burst depth dropped significantly, presumably because of the heat being generated. It 's something I've encountered before, most notably with the Nikon D4S. Leaving the camera to cool restored the burst depth to the quoted figures or better. I found Canon's quoted figure for the JPEG burst depth somewhat conservative and racked up 750 shots in two and half minutes before taking my finger off the shutter release. If you're shooting a moving subject you may find that you need to use a faster shutter speed than you're used to because although the images look sharp as thumbnails, and even at normal viewing sizes, they aren't completely sharp at 100%. The small pixels mean that even tiny movements can cause some blur. You might scoff at this degree of pixel peeping, but you have to question the reasoning for buying a 50Mp camera if you don't make full use of all the pixels. At the other end of the shooting rate scale, I found there's a clear benefit to using mirror lock-up when the camera is on a tripod, even with shutter speeds of around 1/60 sec and 100mm focal length. I set the camera to take the shot one second after the shutter release was pressed and this produced sharper images than those taken without mirror lock-up. The latter shots don't show obvious signs of movement, they look just a little softer and lack the 'pop' of the other shots. When hand-holding the camera with the Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8L II USM lens mounted I would generally try to keep shutter speed at 1/125sec or higher to be sure of getting pin-sharp results. It is possible to get sharp results at slower shutter speeds, but 1/125sec or faster delivers the goods more consistently. Visual resolutionCanon cameras generally produce images with pleasing colours and the 5DS is no exception. However, probably as a result of the extra pixels delivering the huge level of detail and smooth tonal gradations, some of the files have a bit more pep about them. Using the new Fine Detail Picture Style boosts micro contrast a little, bringing out small details and giving edges a naturally sharp look.
Sample image: Using the Standard Picture Style and Daylight whit balance setting has produced pleasantly warm, vibrant colours in the early evening shot. Click here for a full size version. The incredible detail resolution also brings out the effect of restricted depth of field because the sharp areas look super-sharp in comparison to the out of focus areas. According to Canon all lenses produced within the last four years will deliver the resolution that the 5DS demands. This means that while the EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM will get the best from the sensor, the original EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM may not. There's a list of recommended lenses here http://www.canon.co.uk/for_home/product_finder/cameras/digital_slr/eos_5ds_r/. Canon quotes a battery life of 700 shots at room temperature for the 5DS; this dips to 220 shots if you're using Live View mode. I've found this to be a fairly conservative estimate and have got considerably more images out of a single charge of the battery. Lab tests: ResolutionWe chose three rival cameras for the 5DS to see how it measured up in our lab tests: Canon EOS 5DS R: This is the 'non-antialiased' version of the 5DS, though can has taken the unusual step of adding a 'cancellation filter' rather than removing the anti-aliasing element itself. Canon EOS 5D Mark II: The 5D Mark III carries on alongside the 5DS and 5DS R as a faster alternative that's better in low light and has more features for videographer – but how big are the performance differences? Nikon D810: For three years, since the launch of the D800, Nikon ruled the roost with the highest-resolution full-frame DSLR. So does the 5DS beat the D810, and by how much? We've carried out lab tests on the 5DS and 5DS R across their full ISO range for resolution, noise (including signal to noise ratio) and dynamic range. We test the JPEGs shot by the camera, but we also check the performance with raw files. Most enthusiasts and pros prefer to shoot raw, and the results can often be quite different. Canon EOS 5DS resolution chartsWe test camera resolution using an industry-standard ISO test chart that allows precise visual comparisons. This gives us numerical values for resolution in line widths/picture height, and you can see how the 5DS compares with its rivals in the charts below.
JPEG resolution analysis: This is where we see the main benefit of the 5DS and 5DS R's high pixel count as they out-resolve the Nikon D810 and 5D Mark III, even the medium format Pentax 645Z (not shown) – in fact they out-resolve our chart for much of the sensitivity range. The resolving power drops significantly as sensitivity reaches the maximum, but these cameras still achieve a high score even at this level.
Raw (converted to TIFF) resolution analysis: Raw files give you the ability to apply just the right level of noise reduction to get the very best from your images. The 5DS R resolves a tiny bit more fine detail than the 5DS, but both out-resolve our test chart. The difference between the two cameras is very hard to spot because its only in areas with the very finest details. Sample resolution chartsThis is the chart we use for testing camera resolution. The key area is just to the right of centre, where a series of converging lines indicates the point at which the camera can no longer resolve them individually. We shoot this chart at all of the camera's ISO settings, and here are two samples at ISO 100 and ISO 6400.
ISO 100: Click here for a full size version.
ISO 6400: Click here for a full size version. Lab tests: Dynamic rangeDynamic range is a measure of the range of tones the sensor can capture. Cameras with low dynamic range will often show 'blown' highlights or blocked-in shadows. This test is carried out in controlled conditions using DxO hardware and analysis tools.
Read: Noise and dynamic range results explained Dynamic range is measured in exposure values (EV). The higher the number the wider the range of brightness levels the camera can capture. This falls off with increasing ISO settings because the camera is having to amplify a weaker signal. Raw files capture a higher dynamic range because the image data is unprocessed. Canon EOS 5DS dynamic range charts
JPEG dynamic range analysis: Canon cameras tends to have quite conservative JPEG dynamic range scores, but this is a feature of their pleasant level of contrast. The 5DS and 5DS R don't hold any surprises other than the fact that they dip slightly below the 5D Mark III at ISO 3200.
Raw (converted to TIFF) dynamic range analysis: While the 5DS and 5DS R's dynamic range is good at the lower sensitivity values it doesn't quite match the D810 and falls slightly behind the 5D Mark III at the upper values. Lab tests: Signal to noise ratioThis is a test of the camera's noise levels. The higher the signal to noise ratio, the greater the difference in strength between the real image data and random background noise, so the 'cleaner' the image will look. The higher the signal to noise ratio, the better. Canon EOS 5DS signal to noise ratio charts
JPEG signal to noise ratio analysis: While it beats the Nikon D810, the smaller size of the photoreceptors on the 5DS's sensor's is likely to explain why it can't quite match the medium format Pentax 645Z (not shown) and lower resolution Canon 5D Mark III for signal to noise ratio at the low to mid-range sensitivity settings. The newer sensor and processing engine, however, enable it to beat the competition at higher settings. There's no real performance difference between the 5DS and 5DS R.
Raw (converted to TIFF) signal to noise ratio analysis: These results indicate that the 5DS and 5DS R produce noisier raw images (after conversion to TIFF using the supplied software) than the 5D Mark III. Nevertheless, they put in a good performance, beating the Nikon D810. Sample Canon EOS 5DS ISO test resultsThe signal to noise ratio charts use laboratory test equipment, but we also shoot a real-world scene to get a visual indication of the camera's noise levels across the ISO range. The right side of the scene is darkened deliberately because this makes noise more obvious.
ISO 100: Click here for a full size version.
ISO 6400: Click here for a full size version. VerdictWith 50.6 million effective pixels on its full-frame sensor, the Canon 5DS has the highest pixel count of any small format SLR and it matches that of several medium format models. We often remind people that there's much more to a camera than pixel count, but a highly populated sensor is enticing because, provided that noise is handled sensitively, it enables images to be viewed or printed much larger or heavy crops to be made. The 5DS produces images that measure 73.56 x 49.04cm or 28.96 x 19.31inches when they are sized to 300ppi. In comparison the 22.3-million-effective-pixel Canon 5D Mark III produces images that measure 48.77 x 32.51cm or 19.2 x 12.8inches at 300ppi. This could be a significant advantage to professional photographers and anyone wanting to produce large, high quality prints for exhibition. Having a full-frame sensor also enables much greater control over depth of field than is possible with APS-C or Four Thirds format sensors. Apart from the large file size, one often overlooked issue with using a high pixel count camera is that you need to take more care over how images are captured. It's important to focus carefully, and follow the guidelines about avoiding camera shake, either using high shutter speeds or ensuring that the camera is securely mounted on a decent tripod and mirror lock-up is employed. The 5DS makes it much easier than most other cameras to use mirror lock-up because the exposure can be set to take place automatically after a short delay following the shutter release being pressed and the mirror lifting. This does away with need for tedious double-pressing, using the self-timer or even using a remote release. Having a high pixel count means that the photoreceptors must be very small and this is a challenge for image quality. However, Canon's engineers have met the challenge head-on because the 5DS and 5DS R produce superb quality images that have fantastic amounts of detail, even beating that of 50Mp medium format cameras like the Pentax 645Z. Noise is controlled very well and dynamic range is good, at least at the lower sensitivity settings.
We likeAnyone who has used a Canon 5D Mark III will find switching to use the 5DS very easy because it has exactly the same sensible control layout. This is good news for those photographers who wish to swap between the two cameras, using the 5D Mark III for action and low light and the 5DS or 5DS R when maximum detail is required. Canon has clearly put a lot of thought into how photographers like to use their camera, enabling quick access to key features. There are also niceties like a Rating button and an HDR mode that records raw and JPEG images. While the 5DS has a lot in common with the 5D Mark III, the metering system has been improved and it's a little more reliable in high contrast conditions or when the subject is very dark or bright. We dislikeWhile I am perfectly comfortable using Canon's control system, I am drawn towards traditional controls offered by the likes of Fuji and Sony. An aperture ring is a quick and easy way of setting aperture and an exposure compensation dial gives a fast and direct way of adjusting exposure. But it would be impossible to have these controls and be able to switch smoothly between the 5DS and the 5D Mark III. Although Wi-Fi connectivity is available in cameras lower down Canon's DSLR line-up, and the 750D and 760D even have NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, Canon has been stubborn about putting it in its advanced models. This is a shame, because although images would need significant resizing for transferring to a smartphone, Wi-Fi connectivity also provides a great way of controlling a camera without touching it and thus avoiding introducing vibration. It also adds a convenient means of geotagging images, which some photographers might find useful as there no GPS system in the camera. While the 5DS is best suited to shooting large still images, there are some who will be sorry that it lacks a headphone port for monitoring sound while recording video, and some will wonder why it's not possible to record 4K video. VerdictWhile it has an autofocus system that can keep up with fast moving subjects even in low light and can record high quality video, the 5DS/5DS R isn't designed to be either a video or sports camera. It's designed to take high quality still images. It does this brilliantly. The images from the 5DS have an incredible amount of detail and look superb, but if you have to have the absolute maximum level of detail go for the 5DS R, but there are few instances where you will be able discern a difference so I would opt for the 5DS and save a bit of cash. Whichever model you opt for, you may need to upgrade your lenses to get the benefit of the cameras' resolving power.  |
| BlackBerry's first Android smartphone may have just leaked Posted: 03 Jul 2015 04:19 AM PDT  A little over three weeks ago we heard news of BlackBerry fully embracing the Android platform by the end of the year – and this may be its first attempt. Famed Twitter leaker Evan Blass has shared a new image of a handset, codenamed 'Venice', which he claims is the first Android phone from the company. You can't see the full phone in the image, but there's the iconic BlackBerry physical keyboard alongside what appears to be an onscreen keyboard. Two keyboards? Has Blackberry lost the plot? Backing AndroidThe physical board looks remarkably similar to the BlackBerry Passport, with a similar stretched square design – this could be a Passport boasting the Android operating system. In a separate tweet Blass shared news it'll be available on AT&T in the US, but didn't say if it was an exclusive to the network. BlackBerry previously allowed Android apps on the BB10 platform, with Amazon's AppStore making its way onto later devices, but it has never released a handset only using the Android system... yet.  |
| Posted: 03 Jul 2015 03:35 AM PDT  You know something's big when it eclipses Kanye West's Glastonbury impression of a man trapped in a lightbulb factory: yes, we're talking about the launch of Apple Music and Beats 1 Radio, which might just be the future of music. And that's not all. We've heard Mark Zuckerberg explain why Facebook's machines aren't scary and sinister, seen what looks awfully like the iPhone 6S and heard a Microsoft rumour so tasty you might want to lick it like a lollipop. An Android Lollipop. It's week in tech! Music Non-StopIt's here and it's pretty good: Apple Music launched this week as a direct competitor to Spotify and Tidal and the other streaming services. But it's not all good. It appears to have killed off the Home Sharing feature for music on iOS devices, it's replaced half of our album art with "random junk that Apple Music has downloaded from the internet" and the catalogue has some notable omissions. Naturally we've identified the five issues Apple Music really needs to fix. Facebook faces the musicFacebook boss Mark Zuckerberg delivered a Q&A this week, facing tough questions from celebrities. Yes, we're being a bit sarcastic. Zuck reckons that one day we'll be able to send thoughts to one another, which sounds terrifying, and he explains that Facebook is building AI systems "that are better than humans at our primary senses: vision, listening, etc," including "systems that can recognise everything in an image or a video." That's not terrifying at all. Still, until the machines take over at least Facebook advertisers can make money annoying us with ads in between Facebook videos. iPhone 6S: the "S" doesn't stand for "secret"Apple's iPhone 6S has gone into production, and it's believed to have the same Force Touch tech as the Apple Watch and recent MacBooks. It's rumoured to have a massively improved camera too, and if the leaked photos are accurate the differences between it and the iPhone 6 are internal: like other S-version iPhones, it looks almost identical to its predecessor. It doesn't seem to be getting the rumoured dual-lens camera, though: maybe we'll see that in the iPhone 7. LG G4 S: the "S" stands for "stop making so many G4s""There are now more versions of the LG G4 than there are Pokemon," Matt Hanson says. "Having yet another version of the LG G4 seems a little like overkill, and could end up confusing consumers," but it seems that LG is going to carry on regardless. The G4 S will look pretty similar to the LG G4, but it might be a little bit cheaper. HoloLens: to Infinity and beyondFancy playing Disney Infinity in augmented reality? Disney might just make that augmented reality, um, reality. John Vignocchi, VP of production at Disney Interactive, is more excited about AR than VR. "We've had multiple meetings and discussions with Oculus; multiple meetings and discussions with Sony about Morpheus; multiple meetings and discussions with Microsoft about HoloLens. We're very interested in that space," he said. It's the Amazon Hour of Power!Next-day delivery is so 2014. This year it's all about one-hour delivery, an idea that older heads will remember as the last big idea of the dotcom boom before the bubble burst and CEOs had to go and live in their cars for a couple of years while angry shareholders hunted them with flaming torches. But it's back. Back! BACK! And this time it's made it as far as London, where Amazon will be offering one-hour delivery to Prime members – albeit only on certain products to a few Prime members in certain postcodes, so it's a bit like a taxi driver who won't go south of the river. Roam if you want to, roam around the worldThe EU, eh? What's it ever done for us? Well, it's just binned international roaming fees, which is pretty good. As of June 15, 2017, roaming fees won't be charged to people travelling within the EU. The only losers here appear to be the mobile phone companies, so don't be entirely surprised if they start demanding we vote to leave in the 2017 referendum. Meanwhile closer to home, Ofcom has banned the practice of charging for "freephone" 0800 and 0808 numbers from mobiles. Other numbers – starting 084, 087, 118 or 09 – will still be charged, but the costs will be made clear when you call. Is Microsoft going to grab a Lollipop?This time last year Microsoft killed Nokia's Android experiments, but it seems that it might be having a change of heart: the tastiest tech rumour doing the rounds this week says Microsoft is seriously considering killing off Windows Phone and embracing Android for its mobile phones. Far-fetched? Maybe, but the rumour appeared just days after Satya Nadella sent staff a mission statement saying that Microsoft must "make some tough choices in areas where things are not working." Is Windows Phone one of those areas? Watch this space.  |
/1122.m3800-420-100.jpg "Thunderbolt 2 is largely limited to Macs and 4K PC workstations such as Dell's M3800")
The OneDrive app itself has a very clean interface and is laid out sensibly. When camera upload is activated, images are launched into the cloud with a moment's notice, with a minimum of waiting. 
However, her insistence on using Bing for search is unfortunately seemingly incurable.
Gaming on the Lumia 435 is a different matter, however. As might be expected, light titles such as Angry Birds and Jetpack Joyride ran easily and remained eminently playable. When moving to a more intensive class of titles, things began to change.
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