IT-Code-News: IT News Head Lines (Techradar) 10/20/2014

Fighting Talk: Apple's tablets are getting thinner, but its lineup is now far too fat

It's 1997, and Steve Jobs is back at Apple reviewing its enormous product range. "Stop!" he shouts. "This is crazy!" Jobs draws a two by two grid with a magic marker. "Here's what we need," he says, marking one column "consumer" and the other "pro", one row "desktop" and one "portable". Jobs told Apple to focus on making four great products and to cancel everything else.
What do you think he'd make of the current Apple range?
As Jobs' biographer Walter Isaacson recalls, Jobs used to like asking Apple engineers and executives for their top ten things Apple should do next. He'd promptly slash seven from the list and say "we can only do three." Towards the end of his life, he similarly advised Google's Larry Page to cut the crap. "The main thing I stressed was focus," he told Isaacson. "What are the five products you want to focus on? Get rid of the rest, because they're dragging you down."
Apps

Jobs warned Page that having too many products turned you "into Microsoft. They're causing you to turn out products that are adequate but not great."
Apple currently makes five different iPads (ten if you include the cellular ones), six kinds of Macs, four kinds of iPhones, three kinds of iPods, a set-top box and soon, 34 different styles of watch. And that's before you consider its music and movie businesses, its software business and its imminent role as a global payment service. It's even taking on the phone networks with Apple SIM.
Should somebody be shouting "stop!" and reaching for the whiteboard?

Good advice

Invoking the trope of whether Steve would have done X is often used to slam whatever Apple's currently up to, but I think it's relevant here. Jobs' simplification of the product line was necessary because Apple was trying to do too many things at once. Instead of doing a few things well, it was doing a lot of things badly.
Today's Apple clearly isn't in the same boat, or at least it isn't at the moment. But the combination of the spectacular iOS 8 launch cock-up, the U2 debacle, one of the worst keynotes we've seen for a long time and an increasingly cluttered product range is enough to give long-term Apple watchers cause for concern.
The iPad range is a good example of what I'm talking about. The new iPad Mini 3 is last year's iPad Mini given TouchID (and nothing else) so it'll appeal more to the enterprise market. Last year's iPad Mini is still hanging about, and it's called the iPad Mini 2. The previous year's iPad Mini is still on sale too, as is last year's iPad Air. And of course there's the newly announced iPad Air 2.
Apple is famous for its grip on the supply chain: it's not the kind of firm that ends up with mountains of unsold products when it updates its product lines. The continuing existence of the oldest iPad Mini clearly isn't a case of clearing out the warehouse, then. It's a deliberate strategy, a way to drive down the price of the cheapest iPad even if that means selling an almost obsolete product.
Retina Mac

The new retina iMac is another example of how the Apple grid has broken down. The appeal of a retina screen for pro users is obvious... so Apple's put it in a consumer Mac instead. Not only that, but it's a consumer Mac that's too expensive for many consumers, a consumer Mac with a notebook-spec graphics card, albeit a good one, which is hardly ideal for driving 14.7 million pixels. You can't even hook it up to a Mac Pro using Target Display Mode.
I'm the first to mock the Apple-is-doomed crowd, and I'm not about to join them today. But it's clear that Apple is abandoning the extreme simplicity that helped turn it from a basket case into a world-beater, and that's a dangerous road to go down. As Steve Jobs told Nike CEO Mark Parker, Nike "makes some of the best products in the world. Products that you lust after. But you also make a lot of crap. Just get rid of the crappy stuff and focus on the good stuff."
It was good advice then. It's good advice now, and not just for Nike.

Our MacFormat columnist Chris Phin is inclined to agree on simple being better... except when it comes to the Apple Watch.

Week in Gaming: Project Cars delayed, hope for Pokémon Snap 2, and the bread simulator you never knew you wanted

Another week, another delay. The latest casualty is Project Cars, which has been moved from its late November release date to March 2015 to avoid competition and undergo a few more tweaks.
A statement from Slightly Mad Studios head Ian Bell explained that the team wanted the opportunity "to polish the game even further to the high standards that both ourselves and our community demand and expect."
Meanwhile, on the game's forum, project director Andy Garton wrote: "This delay has come about because a couple of other big games have announced they are shipping around the same time as our planned first date. We know it might be a little hard to believe but this would have had a very significant impact on our initial sales."

Ubisoft: The Crew is en route to hit 60fps on PC

We can see the problem: Driveclub, Forza Horizon 2 have only just launched, and Ubisoft's The Crew will arrive on December 2 (speaking of which, this week Ubisoft told TechRadar that the game will run 60fps on PC), all making for a very crowded end to the year.
But Project Cars was first supposed to launch in 2013 for Xbox 360 and PS3, before getting binned in favour of next-gen, so we've been waiting quite a while as it is.
However we can think of one other small silver lining on this cloud. It's been announced that Project Cars will support Project Morpheus, Sony's answer to the Oculus Rift, and while we don't have a confirmed release date as of yet March 2015 would obviously nudge Cars and Morpheus closer together.

Design nightmare: just how smart is Alien Isolation's monster?

Still, another one for the pile. Little ironic that Cars is being pushed into what is quickly becoming the most crowded year ever for gaming.

Crust has risen

Hey, what do you get when you cross Octodad with bread? This:
YouTube : www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDE4rsLVB9A
Erm, yeah. Surgeon Simulator maker Bossa Studio has a new game, I am Bread, and it's essentially a bread simulator. That is, if bread could skateboard and thrust vigorously.

Android's local multiplayer feature could be an actual game changer

The goal is to increase your deliciousness in time for breakfast without ending up in the toilet or on the ceiling fan. We expect that's easier said than done.
We're not calling this idea half-baked - it could be worth your dough - but we're going to wheat a bit longer before we let excitement levels rise. Bossa's not confirmed a release date yet, let alone which platforms it'll be on.

Snap happy

Show us a person who doesn't want a new Pokemon Snap and we'll show you a liar; gamers have been crying out for a sequel to the compact N64 title for well over a decade. But this week, a very tiny morsel of hope was thrown our way.
Speaking in an interview with CVG, Pokemon game director Junichi Masuda revealed that, like most of us, he'd like to see a new Pokemon Snap game, though the biggest problem could actually be a licensing one.

The new PS4 update is kind of a big deal

"For Pokemon Snap specifically, that wasn't originally developed by Game Freak," he said. "As a player I definitely want to play a cool new version of Pokemon Snap but at the same time I also think if it was just a remake with better graphics I don't think it would be as interesting as a lot of people are imagining.
He added: "If someone was to end up developing it they'd have to come up with some cool ideas to really make it a good game for the current generation."
Masuda gave a similar response in a Q&A with Kotaku, concluding: "Pokemon Snap was developed by HAL, originally, which is now part of Nintendo. I'm the director at the Pokémon Company, and we're certainly not stopping it from coming out!"
So there you go, there's hope for Snap 2 yet, albeit a very, very small glimmer. But if that doesn't brighten up your weekend, we don't know what will.

Opinion: Microsoft has laid the groundwork for a smartwatch with Windows 10

The wearables space is, according to almost everyone in the industry, going to get pretty big, pretty soon. The Moto 360 offers one of the most compelling designs of any technological device released in the past few years and shows that the future is bright for "smartwatches" as they have come to be known.
Samsung has devoted considerable resources to its watches – the Gear Fit, focused more on sport, and the Gear S, a more traditional watch – which raises the profile of the smartwatch space, getting them into the hands of consumers through bundles with the Galaxy line of phones and through Samsung's enormous advertising clout.
Apple has also given us a first look at the Apple Watch, which many industry observers – both of technology and, more importantly, of watches – have claimed is the first 'real' device to pay homage to a watch, offering versions fashioned from stainless steel and various karats of gold.

Is the new OS any good? Read our hands on Windows 10 review to find out

Where's Microsoft?

The one company that has been noticeably absent from the conversation surrounding smartwatches is Microsoft. I've written previously that Microsoft could leverage the nascent nature of the smartwatch space – no clear winner has emerged, yet – to get a foothold in a new revenue stream and to claw back some cultural relevance. The Microsoft of 2014 is very different to the Microsoft of the 1990s, which was propping up Apple, having lost almost all relevance to consumers except in the rapidly decreasing PC and laptop space.
With the unveiling of Windows 10 – which wasn't, as many predicted, called Windows 9 – we may have a clue as to whether Microsoft will be releasing a smartwatch and, most importantly, when.
Windows 10 unveiled an all-too-familiar look for Windows, harking back to Windows 7. Unlike Apple, Microsoft is a firm that is incredibly interested in consumer feedback and shaping the company through the process of asking users what they want. Steve Jobs famously quipped that "people don't know what you want until you've showed them it". Microsoft has always taken the opposite route, showing and then iterating based on feedback from a small but influential group.
The majority of consumers who picked up a laptop with Windows 8 or upgraded from Windows 7 on their own PC likely didn't miss the Start menu, choosing instead to utilise the new tiled interface. A small, but vocal, majority did, however, and Microsoft was therefore abridged to reintroduce the Start menu, albeit modified to include tiles.

One vision

What Microsoft also unveiled with Windows 10 was something that the company has been trying to introduce for years, and has only just now been able to: One Windows. The "One Windows" vision has been around since the time of the first version of Windows and essentially means that Windows runs across all devices.
Early on in Microsoft's existence this was possible as all devices were essentially desktop PCs. At one time, Microsoft controlled over 95% of the desktop and laptop PC market (ceding the remaining 5% to OS X and Linux), essentially creating a Windows-only world.
Nowadays, things are very different. The success of the iPhone, Android and iPad have meant that Microsoft can no longer lay claim to controlling over 90% of the world's internet devices. In fact, Windows Phone devices count for less than 5% of all smartphones currently on the market.

All devices great and small

According to Microsoft VP Joe Belfiore, Windows 10 can run on the smallest devices to the largest – anything from the Internet of Things to 80-inch TVs and everything in between. While it was only the desktop and laptop version of Windows 10 that was shown off at the recent press event – arguably the most relevant as most people will use this version – this subtle hint could encapsulate the future of Microsoft and will lead the way for wearables.
Back when Windows 8 was announced, one of the most basic ideas was that Windows would, at least, look the same on all devices, whether they were phones, tablets or desktops. In many ways, Windows 8 succeeded: Windows Phone looks like Windows 8, Windows 8 on a tablet looks like Windows on a desktop and so on. But the core of Windows Phone and Windows 8 was different – apps created on Windows 8 couldn't run on Windows Phone and vice versa. Obviously, this impeded the "One Windows" vision.
Microsoft has listened and has unveiled a singular Windows Store which will allow users to download a single app that will run on all devices. The benefits of this are obvious, even beyond the cost of only having to download one app. Windows 8 has tens of millions of users – an obvious target for developers – and having universal apps will inspire them to create for Windows Phone, thus solving the app drought, and, ultimately, for the Windows wearable.
Having a whole host of available apps out of the gate which seamlessly work with Windows Phone and with Windows 8 is a massive selling point of Microsoft's device over an Android Wear version or the Apple Watch.

Too late?

What the Windows wearable will look like remains an abject mystery, with not a single leak out of Redmond. Perhaps Microsoft is being especially careful to keep the project under wraps, or the device doesn't exist yet. Windows 10 is scheduled for release in late 2015 and it would stand to reason that Microsoft will push the wearable device out with Windows 10 as both an example of the synergy between versions of Windows, and to have a long enough time frame to develop, test and produce the wearable device.
While late 2015 may seem a long way off, the Apple Watch has a release of early 2015 with reports coming from The Information stating that Apple is optimistically aiming for Valentine's Day 2015.
Can Microsoft be successful with a device that arrives late 2015? That question can only be answered when the Apple Watch is released. So far we have seen no clear market leader in smartwatches.
The Moto 360 has been slated by critics for failing on the battery life front, while Samsung and LG's efforts have been lacking in both design and functionality. If the Apple Watch succeeds and brings the smartwatch to the attention of consumers at large, then Microsoft's chances of gaining cultural and fiscal relevancy grow increasingly high.

Best advanced mirrorless compact system camera

Mirrorless compact system cameras are gaining ground on traditional digital SLRs. The top models now have autofocus systems that can match or even beat the speeds of those in digital SLRs, and many have EVFs (electronic viewfinders) with very high resolution and high refresh rates – they can almost match the visual quality of an SLR's optical viewfinder, and they can show a much wider range of shooting information and camera settings. They can even show you what your picture will look like with the current settings, filter effects or picture styles applied.
You can check out the latest camera reviews on our cameras home page, but we've also picked out our top advanced mirrorless compact system cameras in this guide.
One of them is so new that we've not yet been able to publish a full review, but all of them push back the frontiers of mirrorless camera technology, and they all have the potential to topple the traditional digital SLR camera from its top spot in the digital camera market.

Fuji X-T1

Sensor size: APS-C | Resolution: 16.3Mp | Viewfinder: EVF | Monitor: 3-inch tilting display, 1,040,000 dots | Maximum continuous shooting rate: 8fps | Maximum video resolution: 1080p
The Fuji XT-1 looks and handles like an SLR, but in fact it's a mirrorless compact system camera with an electronic viewfinder. This means the body is slimmer than a regular digital SLR's, which gives the Fuji the feel of a traditional 35mm film camera.
Its strength is the way it combines old-fashioned external controls with thoroughly modern digital camera technology. On the top is a shutter speed dial with an 'A' setting for aperture-priority control (the camera sets the shutter speed) and some of Fuji's lenses have an aperture ring – again, there's an 'A' setting, this time to give the camera control over the lens aperture. If you set both to 'A', the camera is in program AE mode, and sets both the shutter speed and lens aperture automatically.
Not all of Fuji's X-mount lenses have an aperture ring. For those that don't, the lens aperture is controlled by the camera body, as it is with regular digital SLRs and compact system cameras.
The X-T1 has a high-resolution 2,360,000-dot OLED electronic viewfinder with a claimed 0.005-second lag time. The weather-resistant body is made from aluminium alloy, and wi-fi is built in – you can control the camera remotely from a smart device using Fuji's Camera Remote app.
There is also a Fuji X-T1 Graphite edition, with a Fuji X-T1 firmware update pre-loaded. This brings a high-speed 1/32,000-sec electronic shutter, a Classic Chrome film simulation mode and a Natural View live view option.
See our full Fuji X-T1 review.

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Sensor size: Micro Four Thirds | Resolution: 16.3Mp | Viewfinder: EVF | Monitor: 3-inch tilting display, 1,037,000 dots | Maximum continuous shooting rate: 10fps | Maximum video resolution: 1080p
The Olympus OM-D E-M1 has all the styling and features of a high-end digital SLR, but in a much smaller package. In fact, it's highly reminiscent of Olympus's classic OM-1 and OM-2 35mm film cameras.
It joins the existing OM-D E-M5 and E-M10 in the Olympus range as the new flagship model, and where the other two use conventional contrast autofocus systems, the OM-D E-M1 has Olympus's new Dual Fast AF system. This combines contrast AF and phase-detection AF to produce even faster focus speeds.
The E-M1 is designed for hard use, with a dust, splash and freeze-proof body and a continuous shooting speed of 10 frames per second. Olympus claims its electronic viewfinder is 1.3 times larger than the average digital SLR's.
Like Olympus's other mirrorless compact system cameras, the E-M1 takes Micro Four Thirds lenses, and Olympus is steadily building up a range of pro-spec lenses to extend its appeal to serious users. You can also use existing Four Thirds lenses using Olympus's optional MMF-3 adaptor. These lenses were designed for Olympus's previous E-series digital SLR range – the sensor size was the same, but these cameras had mirrors, so the distance from the back of the lens to the sensor was larger.
Olympus has released a new E-M1 Silver edition pre-loaded with its Version 2 firmware update. This brings in-camera keystone correction, tethered shooting software, new Art Filters and the Live Composite feature first seen in the OM-D E-M10.
See our full Olympus OM-D E-M1 review.

Sony a7R

Sensor size: Full frame | Resolution: 36.4Mp | Viewfinder: EVF | Monitor: 3-inch tilting display, 921,000 dots| Maximum continuous shooting rate: 4fps| Maximum video resolution: 1080p
The Sony a7 is the first ever full frame mirrorless compact system camera, delivering full-frame image quality but in a body much smaller and slimmer than a full-frame digital SLR's.
In fact, there are three different a7 models. The a7R offers the highest resolution at 36 million pixels, the a7 is the cheapest and has 24 million pixels, while the A7s has just 12 million pixels but is designed to excel in low light.
The a7 takes full-frame E-mount lenses – not to be confused with the smaller APS-format E-mount lenses made for other Sony alphas – and Sony is steadily extending the range available. Currently there are seven full-frame E-mount lenses, but Sony has a short-term goal of 20. It's also possible to use alpha lenses designed for Sony's older SLR and SLT (single-lens translucent) cameras via an adaptor.
The a7 uses a regular contrast autofocus system rather than the generally faster phase-detection system used in digital SLRs, though the advantage of sensor-based autofocus is that you never need to recalibrate it – the focus is based on what the sensor itself sees, rather than a separate autofocus module.
Sony has paid great attention to quality, both in the camera's design and its output. The body is made of magnesium alloy, and it uses 16-bit processing to output 14-bit RAW files – the greater the 'bit depth', the better the tonal quality.
The a7R is designed for top-quality video, too, with focus-peaking for precise manual focus and full HD video at up to 60 frames per second. It has external mic and headphone sockets too, for professional sound recording and monitoring.
See our full Sony a7R review.

Samsung NX1

Sensor size: APS-C | Resolution: 28.2Mp | Viewfinder: EVF | Monitor: 3-inch tilting display, 1,036,000 dots | Maximum continuous shooting rate: 15fps | Maximum video resolution: 4K
This camera is so new we've not yet had time to test it fully, but the specifications make it one of the most exciting cameras of the year – and certainly Samsung's best mirrorless compact system camera to date.
It has a 28-megapixel sensor using 'backside-illuminated' technology first developed for the compact camera market – the electronic circuitry is relocated to back of sensor to leave the photosites unobstructed and able to gather more light. This is the highest resolution yet for an APS-C format camera and we look forward to running it through our lab tests.
There's much more besides. The Samsung NX1 can shoot continuously at an amazing 15 frames per second – that's faster than the best professional digital SLRs – and has a super-sophisticated autofocus system with 205 phase-detection AF points, 209 contrast-detection points and a novel AF mode which Samsung says can predict the perfect moment to take a shot.
Previous Samsung mirrorless compact system cameras have clearly been aimed at the consumer market, but the NX1 has features to appeal to professionals, including a dust and splash-resistant magnesium alloy body, an optional battery grip with vertical controls and a new 50-150mm f/2.8 constant-aperture telephoto lens. Samsung is steadily building a range of pro lenses to attract more serious users.
Perhaps most interesting of all is the NX1's 4K UHD (ultra high definition) video, which looks set to be an important growth areas for digital cameras.
See our hands-on Samsung NX1 review.

Panasonic GH4

Sensor size: Micro Four Thirds | Resolution: 16Mp | Viewfinder: EVF | Monitor: 3-inch articulating display, 1,036,000 dots | Maximum continuous shooting rate: 12fps | Maximum video resolution: 4K
The GH4 is Panasonic's top-level professional camera. It's styled like a digital SLR, but it's actually a mirrorless camera with an electronic viewfinder. On paper, it might not look that different to the Panasonic G6, but there are important differences.
First, the body is made of die-cast aluminium and has sealing on every joint, dial and button to make it splash and dust-proof.
Second, the Panasonic GH4 has a highly durable shutter mechanism rated at 200,000 cycles (the number of shots Panasonic would expect it to take before wearing out).
Third, the GH4 shoots 4K video, which is the new standard for ultra high definition movies and offers four times the resolution of full HD. To cope with the massive increase in data, the GH4 has a quad-core CPU – it can also output uncompressed video to an external recorder.
Movie makers will appreciate the zebra pattern highlight warning, time-lapse and stop-motion modes, and you also get a focus peak display and highlight/shadow control. Both microphone and headphone sockets are built in.
The GH4 has a high-resolution 2,460,000-dot OLED electronic viewfinder, and on the back of the camera is an articulating touch-sensitive screen.
The GH4 isn't designed solely for movies, though – it's also a highly capable stills camera, with a maximum continuous shooting speed of 12 frames per second.
See our full Panasonic GH4 review.

Email marketing services: top five on the market

Introduction, iContact and Constant Contact

Email marketing gives companies a chance to communicate directly to their customers or stakeholders, but lots of companies don't do it well, or in some cases at all. Alongside social media, email provides an opportunity for organisations to market their products and services to an audience that has already expressed their interest by opting in to communications. As such, it should be one of the first marketing channels added into an organisation's marketing mix.
Sending emails in bulk, however, can't just be done from a work email address. In addition to limits on the number of recipients to which emails can be sent, there is no sender authentication and it's possible that any email will end up in a spam folder.
As well as avoiding these issues, email marketing services provide a number of additional benefits. Emails can be designed with HTML layouts, and they can be personalised and tracked for response analytics. Recipients are also provided with a means of unsubscribing, which is a legal necessity, and the recipient database can be kept clean.
There are a large number of email marketing services available from which to choose. Most offer much of the same functionality, but there are some differences in approach, and different services are better suited to different organisations. Factors such as usability, size of recipient database, price and security might all play a part in an organisation's choice of provider. This article looks at some of the most popular email marketing services, providing an overview of each.

iContact

Web: http://www.icontact.com
Price: From £10 (around US$16, AU$18) per month
iContact is widely regarded as the best in the business where email marketing services are concerned. Whether or not that's the case, it's certainly one of the best. The firm has been providing email marketing services since 2003 and is aimed primarily at small and medium-sized businesses.
iContact's email marketing platform provides a drag-and-drop email builder that allows users to build HTML emails without requiring any HTML coding knowledge. For those who are au fait with HTML, it's still possible to build emails by code or to import and edit existing templates. iContact also offers a variety of existing templates that users can select if they don't want to go through the process of creating their own design.
In order to ensure emails reach the intended recipients, iContact offers a spam checking service that tells a sender if they need to address any potential issues with their email before sending, and this minimises the chance of emails being caught in an ISP's spam filter. The company has a dedicated team monitoring and working on the delivery of emails from its servers, and the measures taken by the company help to keep it whitelisted amongst ISPs.
In addition to its strong feature set, iContact is reasonably priced, starting at £10 a month for small numbers of email send-outs. Tailored provisions can also be made for organisations with recipient databases of more than 15,000, or those that need advanced features. Discounted prices are offered for non-profit organisations.

Constant Contact

Web: http://www.constantcontact.com
Price: From £15 (around US$24, AU$27) per month
Constant Contact was founded in 1995 and today boasts over 600,000 small organisations amongst its clients. Like iContact, it provides users with a means of creating, sending and tracking the responses to bulk emails. Ready-made templates and a drag-and-drop editor make creating emails straightforward and it's also possible to create landing pages for email campaigns.
This year, though, Constant Contact rolled out what it calls its Toolkit, of which its email services are a part. The Toolkit is aimed at providing users with an integrated all-in-one marketing solution. Users are able to manage email campaigns, social media campaigns, plan events, run promotions, collect donations and carry out surveys all from one place. Single campaigns can be coordinated across multiple marketing channels.
The Constant Contact Toolkit starts at £15 a month with more fully loaded plans available. It's possible to have a personal marketing coach to provide guidance on using the Toolkit to greatest effect, and there are discounts for non-profit and pre-pay customers. Constant Contact also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee in case users aren't satisfied with the service.

Benchmark, GetResponse and AWeber Communications

Benchmark

Web: http://www.benchmarkemail.com
Price: From US$9.95 (around £6, AU$11) per month
Benchmark was set up in 2004 and aims to ensure sender deliverability and reputation. The company says it is "committed to bringing users the most up-to-date marketing trends and methods." Amongst its main features, says Benchmark, are list management, campaign creation, AB split testing and inbox checker tools.
Users can build recipient lists using existing contact data and web forms that can be created using Benchmark. Lists can be updated manually and kept clean by automatically removing email addresses that result in bounce-backs, duplicated addresses and dead email addresses. It's also possible to segment contacts into different targeted lists for different campaigns, using both preset and custom fields.
As with other platforms, Benchmark provides users with a variety of email templates from which to choose, a drag-and-drop email editor and the ability to schedule send-outs for certain dates and times. Images can be hosted on the company's servers and it's also possible to drop videos into emails. An organisation's send-out archive can be stored online for future viewing.
Benchmark's AB split testing tool allows users to send two different variants of an email to different segments of a list to see which will work better. In this way, it's possible to improve the design of emails over time. Variations might be as small as using a different subject line to see what sort of style gets the highest open-rate.
Benchmark's inbox checking tool allows users to see what an email will look like rendered by different email providers and on different devices. It is possible to see how an email will appear to various recipients, and to check for example if there are differences between Gmail and Outlook or laptops and tablets.
Users of Benchmark can benefit from unlimited sending, dedicated IP addresses and a 25% discount for non-profit organisations.

GetResponse

Web: http://www.getresponse.co.uk
Price: From £12 (around US$19, AU$22) per month
The GetResponse email marketing platform was set up by Implix in 1999. The site now offers a variety of services and has over 350,000 customers. It aims to provide "affordable, feature-rich self-service solutions." Features include a landing page builder, responsive email design and AB split testing functionality.
GetResponse says that landing pages can be put together within just 10 minutes. It offers over 100 templates and provides a drag-and-drop editor. The platform's email builder also provides a selection of templates users can choose from, and the option to edit using a drag-and-drop approach.
The company says that it automatically makes all emails look good regardless of what device or size screen they are being viewed on. Like Benchmark, it's also possible to use AB split testing to see what variations within an email will produce a better response.
Users can import email contacts from a variety of different services, including Gmail, Magento, Salesforce and Highrise. It's also possible to design new subscriber sign-up forms to suit the destination in which they'll be embedded. Inbox previewing allows users to see what their mail-outs will look like as presented by different email providers and on different devices.
Prices start from £12 per month with discounts for annual payments and non-profit organisations. Special provisions can be made for enterprise and/or high volume senders.

AWeber Communications

Web: http://www.aweber.com
Price: From US$19 (around £12, AU$22) per month
AWeber was established in 1998 and operates with six core values: to create remarkable experiences, to execute with passion, to foster respect and cooperation, to invite feedback and listen to what people say, to learn, educate and innovate, and to not take themselves too seriously.
In addition to boasting many of the same features offered by other email marketing providers, it also offers some more unique features. Users can input an RSS from their website or blog for new articles to be sent out to subscribers as emails, and online versions of emails can be shared automatically with social media followers.

5 tech tips every email marketer should know

Industry voice: Unleashing IT leaders through managed services

UK IT leaders are facing the constant headache of having to do more with less as business IT becomes increasingly consumerised and their budgets dwindle.
Employees now expect the latest fads in IT policy – from BYOD to Big Data – as a given, creating a mountain of problems that the IT department has to solve, rather than focusing on designing and implementing systems that will help the company progress.

Increased pressure

CIOs, IT managers and IT directors are under increasing pressure to deliver revenue streams and efficiency, on top of headcount and budget restrictions. As a result, Managed Services – whereby an external company manages IT tasks – are increasingly entering the IT buying conversation.
This is an approach that is starting to benefit companies from across all industry sectors, which are beginning to realise the cost and time benefits that managed services can reap.
It gives businesses the option of fixed, affordable pricing and enhanced monitoring of corporate systems, while freeing up the time (and therefore the true potential) of the IT Manager or CIO.
IT leaders can now focus their attention on devising IT policies that will add value to the business, safe in the knowledge that their IT infrastructure is being managed effectively by specialists around the clock.
But to successfully begin utilising managed services and have a positive impact on business efficiency and productivity, they must do their prior preparation.

Methodology, goals and objectives

Firstly, IT leaders must devise a methodology that proactively monitors and analyses their IT infrastructure to make sure it runs smoothly and all applications are in place.
They should not only have a clear idea of where their IT assets are, but whether they are being used to their best ability and capacity.
It will also be the role of the IT Manager or CIO to determine which managed services provider is able to understand their specific technical challenges, work culture and business inside out.
A trustworthy provider should outline goals and objectives, to ultimately add value to the organisation and give advice to the requirements needed.

Clarity via a full audit

To meet these goals and objectives, managed service providers must have a clear picture of where the organisation is going and how they can support its future.
It is therefore essential for providers to complete an audit of the organisation's environment to gain a true understanding of their IT infrastructure, challenges and business objectives.
Shifting IT tasks to a managed services approach can transform business IT policies, processes and systems. It gives businesses the reassurance of high quality of service, which will keep costs down and unlock innovation.
As advances in technology expand at a dramatic rate, managed services can give IT leaders a vital lifeline.
This flexible, secure 'resource on tap' helps them manage their IT systems, while reducing costs and delivering operational efficiency, as they focus their attention on how to implement highly desirable strategies that have a direct impact on their business.

Simon Walters leads MTI's growing Managed Services division, and has more than a decade of experience in the IT services industry.

HBO's standalone subscription service might cost $15 a month

HBO finally entered the modern age this week by announcing a standalone streaming service that customers will be able to subscribe to without a cable package.
The standalone HBO service is a joyous announcement for those frustrated with cable companies but who nevertheless want to enjoy HBO's quality programming.
One important question remains, though: how much will it cost?
According to The Information, the answer to that question is $15 per month.

A shade too much

As the site notes, that would make HBO's standalone service more expensive than competitors like Netflix, Hulu Plus and others - only by $6, yeah, but that might be enough to make a difference.
The problem appears to be that HBO doesn't want to undercut its existing pay TV package offering, which costs the same amount.
But will internet-only customers be put off by that price? We won't know for sure what this will really cost until it launches in 2015, so for now file this away under "hopefully going to change."

Netflix overtakes HBO to reach impressive milestone

Sony Smartwatch 3 makes its debut in the Google Play store

We still don't know when the Sony Smartwatch 3 will actually be released, but the Android Wear smartwatch has at least made its appearance in the Google Play store.
The Sony Smartwatch 3's listing notes that it's "coming soon," which is what we heard when the wearable was revealed in September.
But at least the listing revealed that the new Sony smartwatch will cost $250 (about £155, AU$285).

Trying new things

The Sony Smartwatch 3 marks Sony's first wearable that departs from the custom OS the company used on the Smartwatch 2 and the Sony SmartBand.
The new wearable has innards similar to other smartwatches, plus a GPS chip for using fitness apps without a smartphone connection.
No doubt Sony will let us know when it has more to share about the Smartwatch 3's release date.
In the meantime, there are plenty of other options available.

Best smartwatch: what's the best wearable tech for you?

Does a Google exec shuffle herald Chrome OS and Android's convergence?

In 2013 Google put Sundar Pichai in charge of Android, and he brought his prior experience with Chrome to bear on the mobile OS.
Now Chrome OS and Android are getting even closer together on Google's internal food chain, according to sources who confided in The Wall Street Journal.
According to these people Google's Vice President of Chrome Engineering Linus Upson has stepped down and been replaced by Vice President of Android Engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer.
Lockheimer will reportedly serve in both roles simultaneously. Hopefully he's getting a pay bump to make up for all that extra work.

With great power

Google began porting Android apps over to Chrome OS this year, and the Chromium team has even experimented with Material Design-like UI elements for Chrome OS, mimicking the latest versions of Android.
There's been plenty of speculation that the two operating systems might converge some day, fueled largely by comments Google co-founder Sergey Brin made way back in 2009.
With Lockheimer reportedly heading both systems' engineering divisions and reporting directly to Pichai, that day might be getting closer.
We've asked Google to confirm or deny these details, and we'll update here if we hear back.

Nexus Player: everything you need to know about the Android TV box

Snapchat is adding ads for the first time starting this weekend

Recent security hiccups aside, Snapchat is almost universally well-liked by its users. So will they tolerate a few ads here and there?
Beginning this weekend, a single video ad will appear in the Snapchat app's "recent updates" section.
"It's going to feel a little weird at first, but we're taking the plunge," reads a Snapchat blog post about the move.
The ads won't be tailored to individuals, but users will be able to choose whether or not to watch them. They'll disappear once viewed, or within 24 hours if they're simply ignored.

Not to be rude…

This move only applies to the US for now, but if users don't complain too much it Snapchat will no doubt expand its ads to other countries.
Given the fleeting messaging app's popularity worldwide, they'd have to be crazy not to.
However ads won't appear in your snaps or your chats, because "that would be totally rude," the blog post reads.
"We want to see if we can deliver an experience that's fun and informative, the way ads used to be, before they got creepy and targeted," it says.
They certainly have a point, so let's hope this works out.

The source of the Snapchat leak has fessed up

Blip: Watch this guy's reaction to his screw-up during an iPad Air 2 demo

Apple announced the new iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 on Thursday, and along with it came plenty of demos (and lots of patting itself on the back).
One demo in particular stood out to us, and not because it was a cool app. Well, it was a pretty cool video editing app, but the man behind the demo made a small screw up. No big deal of course, but his reaction is kinda priceless.
Let us know if you think Steve Jobs would have fired him for this little slip-up, or whether this highlights the difficult life of an on-stage virtual keyboard typist.
Also, click on the video settings (the gear wheel where you'd normally adjust your video quality) and watch it in slow motion at 0.25 speed at around 0:15 seconds into the video. Priceless.
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUvZFX5jAGc

More blips!

Read on for more great blip worthy moments.

Facebook is taking a proactive approach to fighting password leaks

Facebook's security department has begun monitoring the news for mass password leaks using an automated process that will help the company alert its users when their data has been compromised.
Given all the security mishaps that have surprised users lately, this precaution is probably a good idea.
Facebook's process scans the news and monitors websites like pastebin, where hackers sometimes distribute leaked credentials, Facebook Security Engineer Chris Long wrote in a blog post.
When Facebook discovers a breach has occurred, the process automatically compares the leaked data to its own (encrypted and/or hashed) databases.

Who watches?

When it finds matches, Facebook alerts the users whose data was accessed and walks them through changing their passwords.
Long wrote that Facebook has actually been doing this since Adobe was hacked back in 2013, but it's only just now made it an official and permanent process.
Even so, Facebook users (and everyone else on the internet) would be wise to enable two-step authentication wherever possible.

Facebook forcing us to download Messenger is brilliant

The new PS4 update is kind of a big deal

Sony has divulged further details about the PS4's biggest update yet, scheduled to launch this fall and bring the system's software up to version 2.0.
Previous updates added social features and 3D Blu-ray playback (it didn't launch with that? What?), but the next PS4 update, code named "Masamune," changes the game in bigger ways.
Chief among the new features is Share Play, a feature so cool that for once Sony isn't exaggerating when it says it's the first of its kind.
The company describes Share Play as a "virtual couch" that lets players jump into one another's game's for co-op even if the other person doesn't own the game, or hand off the controller and let another player take over your game remotely.

'Xbox, turn on the PS4'

The update also adds a simple feature that both the PS4 and the Xbox One were lacking at launch (and which the Xbox One is also finally getting soon): interface customization themes and colors.
PS4's 2.0 update also gives it YouTube sharing features and a dedicated YouTube app.
There are more new social features, too, including a "Players You May Know" tile that will connect you with acquaintances. And you'll be able to sort your content more effectively and even listen to music while you play with a new USB Music Player app.
There are some new voice commands that will let players with the PlayStation Camera see a list of all commands, start and stop live broadcasts, and more.
And finally one very welcome new feature in the next PS4 update will allow PlayStation Plus subscribers to add new free games to their library without having to download them, so they'll have them available when they want but can save hard drive space.
Sony still hasn't revealed exactly when this fall the update will arrive, but we'll let you know when it does.

13 features the PS4 needs to be a kick-ass console

Review: Vizio S3851W-D4

Introduction, setup and design

Vizio has always been a practical, consumer-driven company focused on delivering high value at the lower end of the market. Its S3851W sound bar lives up to that legacy, offering excellent value and true 5.1 surround sound in an easy to set up package priced at just $279 (about £171, AU$312).
The whole reason sound bars exist is to do one (or more) of three things: save space, save money and/or make setup easy. For the ease of setup, many sound bars offer so-called "virtual surround," a technique that uses multiple drivers in the front unit to bounce sound off the walls and ceiling to create the illusion of rear speakers without having to run wires or do any mounting.
Vizio, however, takes a different approach with the S3851W. The unit houses conventional left, center and right channels in the front unit, then wirelessly pairs to a powered subwoofer in the back of the room that drives two rear speakers that wire directly in to it.
Vizio S385W-D4 review

I like the honesty and simplicity of this approach. High end virtual surround sound bars (particularly those from Yamaha, the company that pioneered virtual surround) can work very well, because they employ sophisticated DSP technology to compensate for different room configurations.
But at the low end, there's a good chance they're faking it, hoping the bargain price distracts you from the lack of rear definition. Vizio makes a great call with the S3851W by putting an actual, physical set of speakers behind you.
The wiring problem is partially solved by pairing the front unit, which is wired to your input source, with the subwoofer – designed to be placed in the back of the room, then wiring the rear speakers from the sub. It's a solution that delivers true surround sound for just $279. There's the small matter of finding good places to put those rear speakers, but it's a small price to pay for such an effective solution.
Still, you can't get caviar for the price of pretzels. While this setup is a serious upgrade from your TV's built-in audio, it does have limitations, the first being overall power. This package is fine for a smallish setup, but don't expect it to fill an enormous room.
But for modest home theater use, Vizio delivers plenty of performance for most non-audiophiles. Speaking of which, while the system does a only competent job with music and should be viewed as a stereo of convenience, rather than one that provides a true high fidelity experience.

Setup

One of the joys of the sound bar approach is the simplicity of the setup. Here is all it took for me to get 5.1 sound working: 1) Plug the front sound bar into a power outlet and attach to my TV's optical out. 2) Plug in the subwoofer. 3) Attach the rear speakers to the subwoofer via included wires (one wire per speaker, RCA to RCA). 4) Turn it on.
That was it. I had the S3851W pumping out 5.1 sound in under 5 minutes. Of course if you're installing this system permanently, you're going to want to spend some time figuring out the optimal placement for your rear speakers.
Mounting them to the wall will cost you a little drill time and you'll want to figure out a good solution for the wires between the sub and the rears – at 25 feet, they're long enough to give you a lot of placement flexibility – but in terms of basic functionality, the setup couldn't be simpler.
The wireless auto-pairing between the sound bar and subwoofer worked instantly and flawlessly. After weeks of use, I never experienced any hassle with it.
The included remote allows you to adjust the sound bar's basic functions. You can pan sound to the left or right, adjust the levels for the rear speakers and subwoofer as well as the audio delay (to make sure audio is in sync with what's happening onscreen). The helpful Speaker Test function calls out each speaker in turn to make sure everything is functioning correctly and placed in the proper location.
Vizio S385W-D4 review

One nice touch is the panoply of connection cables Vizio ships with the system, including an optical cable, RCA cables, and a coaxial cable. Note: the system does not have an HDMI input, which would have been nice, but not necessarily expected at this price point.

Design

Sized for screens 42 inches and larger, the black, unassuming S3851W won't win any design awards, but neither is it ugly. There's a good chance it will just fade away under your screen, and that's just fine.
The small remote is simple and intuitive, with a helpful LCD screen that lets you know what part of the sound bar you're manipulating at any given time. Small LED lights on the front unit provide helpful visual feedback of the adjustments you're making.
The subwoofer is meant to be heard and not seen, and as such is an unremarkable black block with a power switch and three jacks (power and the two rear speaker inputs).
Vizio S3851W-D4 review

The rear speakers are small and light and feature mounting screws on the back for wall brackets or stands. They feel a little cheap, but they get the job done just fine.

Performance and verdict

The generously proportioned 38-inch front unit is wide enough to provide some basic stereo separation and the subwoofer pumps out ample bass tones. However, I found the high end a tad distorted at top volumes
Bear in mind, of course, that this sound bar costs just $279 and lives at the value end of the market. It's never going to compete with a serious home theater audio setup involving a discrete amp and high-end speakers. It performs more than admirably for the price.

Performance

We would have liked to have seen (or rather, heard) greater stereo separation, but the physical constraints of the 38" front unit mean that can only go so far. I did notice the center channel (where most dialogue is passed) suffered from poor separation at higher volumes, something I remedied by boosting the center channel a bit.
Also of note, at the sound bar's default settings, I found the system's rear speakers too loud, but this is easily remedied with a few touches of the remote.
Vizio S3851W-D4 review

Since the system relies on an optical connection for its audio, it can accept and decode compressed formats such as Dolby Digital and DTS. However it won't give you the uncompressed audio that HDMI can deliver. Again, however, this is something we'd only expect to find on a higher-end unit.
When I tested the S3851W using scenes from Skyfall, Collateral and Breaking Bad, it performed admirably, delivering a very engaging experience. My video game testing was similarly successful, with Uruk-hai hordes coming from behind feeling appropriately menacing.
The subwoofer performs surprisingly well for its size and is able to reproduce deeper bass tones than I was expecting. If the system falls down anywhere, it's in the front stereo separation. With the right and left channels chained to each other, there's only so much it can physically do with the sound, though.
In terms of music, the unit performs decently if not spectacularly. The fake-surround version of 2-channel audio sounded eerie and artificial, but with surround turned off it was passable, with the subwoofer doing an excellent job on the low end.
Vizio S3851W-D4 review

Again, right and left separation is the primary issue, along with a lack of the overwhelming power a high-end stereo can provide. If you don't need to crank it up and plan to use it primarily for casual listening, it does quite well and the inclusion of Bluetooth is a great touch.

We liked

The wireless-sub-to-wired-rear-speakers approach is a winner. Instead of mucking about with virtual surround voodoo, this system puts actual rear speakers behind you, a great approach that delivers serious value at this price.
The subwoofer is a wonderful surprise, offering great performance in a small package. In addition, the setup is almost eerily painless and the price-to-value ratio is right in the sweet spot.

We disliked

The system lacks HDMI support, which is a bummer given its plug-and-play nature. I also found some distortion when I turned the volume way up.
Probably the biggest performance negative is the limited stereo separation on the front right and left channels and some muddiness in the center channel. Also, the rear speakers do feel a little cheap, but again, for the price I can't really argue.

Verdict

Hands down, the Vizio S3851W-D4 is a strong product at a stronger price. If you're currently listening to movies through the speakers on your TV and are looking for an inexpensive step up, this is a great choice.
But even those who already own audio system should consider this option. If you have a low-end system without a subwoofer, this is also something of a no-brainer upgrade.

Review: Mini Review: Optoma GT1080

If potential TV buyers ever found out how great projectors are, panel manufacturers would be in a heap of trouble. Nine times out of 10, projectors are easy to setup, come with a built-in, decent-sounding speaker and produce a picture that’s just as sharp as their LED counterparts at twice the size.
There’s a tenth time, though, where the shoddy speaker, the temperamental picture and the inconvenient setup – not to mention the hefty price tag – make those $250 720p, LED HDTVs pretty appealing.
Which group does Optoma’s latest 1080p, $1,399 (about £870, AU$1,600) gaming projector fall into? I’ll give you a hint: It’s not the first one.