Review: Updated: Asus Zenbook UX305
Introduction and design
With the ever shrinking size of 13-inch laptops, the line that separates small laptops and Ultrabooks gets thinner every day. Laptop makers are pushing the envelope on compact systems: Dell unveiled a new XPS 13, which crams a 13-inch laptop into an 11-inch frame, while Lenovo LaVie Z feels as light as an iPad.
Asus has answered this call for thinner and lighter machines with its own Intel Core M powered ZenBook UX305. Unlike the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro,
this Ultrabook is a truly fanless machine. The most stunning thing
about the UX305 is it comes at a starting price of $699 (about AU$902)
with a full HD display and a 256GB SSD. This machine is also available
in the UK for £649, though with only a 128GB SSD.This makes the Asus ZenBook far more affordable than most premium Ultrabooks, like the glass surfaced Acer Aspire S7. And yet, this machine is just as carefully crafted as the all-metal Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus. Has Asus struck the perfect balance of affordability and luxury with its latest offering?
Design
You could easily mistake the Asus ZenBook UX305 for a sketchbook when holding it. It's stunningly thin, measuring just 0.5-inches thick and weighing 2.6 pounds (1.17 kg). This makes the Zenbook a tiny bit lighter than the equally-thin Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro. The 13-inch MacBook Air is by no means fat at 0.68-inches thick, but newer devices are easily overthrowing its place on the throne as the thinnest and lightest laptop you can buy.Although the device is nice and compact, it does not feel flimsy at all. The machine is entirely made of aluminum. The interior deck is one solid piece of metal that features an anodized and slightly gritty finish, which is by no means abrasive and instead adds an extra bit of texture for your wrists to sit on. The laptop's underside also sports an anodized sheen, but it's a separate piece. So, this is not a completely seamless design, like the MacBook Air.
For a bit more style on the UX305's screen lid, Asus went with a brushed aluminum finish. However, instead of going with the traditional straight lines, the UX305 has been given a radial pattern that's both attractive and conveniently draws your attention to the Asus logo in the center.
Despite the small size of this Ultrabook, the trackpad is extremely roomy and extends over a third of the laptop's depth. Not only is it big, the trackpad is nigh frictionless. Better yet, clicks are tactile and audible whether you're pressing on the dedicated left and right buttons or pressing anywhere on the surface.
Similarly the keyboard does not feel cramped at all. It follows the standard keyboard format with a full length backspace and enter key. The keys are springy as well to round out this great typing experience.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
There's no denying the Asus ZenBook UX305 looks exactly like a MacBook Air. From the hinge, the bezel around the screen, the position of the trackpad to the recessed keyboard, you can easily see the similarities to the MacBook Air. The hinge even helps to prop up the entire book at a tiny angle just like Apple's ultra light notebook.
One of the few original touches Asus has added to the design are its chamfered edges as opposed to the MacBook Air's razor sharp sides. Otherwise, the UX305 looks like the MacBook Air after it's gotten a nip-tuck job to make it marginally slimmer and lighter.
While the new ZenBook seems extremely derivative, this all isn't necessarily a bad thing. If the MacBook Air helped set the benchmark for Ultrabooks, the UX305 has surpassed and improved on the design.
Specifications
The Asus ZenBook is an impeccably thin machine measuring just 0.5-inches (120 mm) thick with a 12.8 x 8.9-inch (355 x 226 mm) footprint. Though the 13 x 9-inch (33 x 228 mm) Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro is just as thin, the UX305 is just tenths of an inch smaller on almost all sides. Similarly, the Asus Ultrabook weighs 2.6 pounds, a fraction less than the 2.63-pound (1.19 kg) Lenovo 2-in-1.Comparatively, the 13-inch MacBook Air is the largest machine out of this trio with 12.8 x 8.94 x 0.68-inch (325 x 227 x 172 mm) dimensions. It's also the heaviest, weighing in at 2.96 pounds (1.34 kg).
Here is the Asus ZenBook UX305 configuration given to TechRadar for this review:
Spec Sheet
- CPU: 800MHz Intel Core M 5Y10 (dual-core, 4MB cache, 2GHz with Turbo Boost)
- Graphics: HD Graphics 5300
- RAM: 8GB DDR3
- Screen: 13.3-inch FHD 1,920 x 1,080 (matte)
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Ports: 3 x USB 3.0, micro HDMI, SD card slot, headphone/microphone combo jack
- Connectivity: 802.11n + Bluetooth 4.0
- Camera: 1.2MP HD webcam
- Weight: 2.6 pounds
- Size: 12.8 x 8.9 x 0.5 inches (W x D x H)
Asus also plans to ship a $999 (about £648, AU$1286) version of the UX305, with a 3,200 x 1,800 resolution display starting this April. On paper, this upcoming WHD+ version of the UX305 will surpass the resolution of the 2,560 x 1,600-pixel display on the Samsung Ativ Book 9 (2015), as well as the Lenovo LaVie Z and its 2,560 x 1,440 WQHD panel.
The Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro comes at a heftier starting price of $1,299 (£999.99, $2,099). While this hybrid laptop comes at a higher premium, it's also equipped with a slightly faster clocked 1.1GHz Intel Core M-5Y70 (or a 1.2GHz M5Y71 for UK and Australian models) processor, AC Wi-Fi and a 3,200 x 1,800 QHD+ display by default. Otherwise, the Asus and Lenovo are very similar in that they both come outfitted with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM by default.
Compared to the 13-inch MacBook Air, the Asus UX305 still wins out as the most affordable Ultrabook. The base configuration of the 13-inch Air starts at $999 (£849, AU$1,199) and the price nets them a more capable 1.4GHz Intel Core i5 CPU - but that's the only bonus. Otherwise, the MacBook Air is stuck in last year's spec war with a low resolution 1440 x 900 screen, plus just 4GB of RAM and only 128GB in SSD storage.
Performance
With an 800MHz processor on tap, you might expect some sluggish performance, but the UX305 managed to run Lightroom even more smoothly than my 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. Thanks to the ZenBook's processors' ability to clock up to 2GHz, I never ran into any snags while playing 1080p video or swapping between web pages with 20 open browser tabs.Save for a few instances when the video driver crashed during a Google Hangout video call (which I hope Intel can rectify with a future update), I had no problems doing anything with the UX305.
Here's how the Asus ZenBook UX305 fared in our benchmark tests:
Benchmarks
- 3DMark: Cloud Gate: 4,210; Sky Diver: 2,190; Fire Strike: 594
- Cinebench CPU: 202 points; Graphics: 21.28 fps,
- PCMark 8 (Home Test): 2,107 points
- PCMark 8 Battery Life: 5 hours and 21 minutes
In terms of graphics horsepower, the UX305 and Yoga 3 Pro share the same Intel HD Graphics. Somehow, the Asus Ultrabook took a commanding lead once again, with a Fire Strike score of 594 points over the 329 points the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro achieved in the same test. Even with this impressive score, do not expect to game much on the Asus UX305, as its 4,210-point performance in 3DMark Cloud Gate makes it a poor candidate for playing titles even with the lowest graphics settings.
We weren't able to compare the performance of the UX305 directly against the 13-inch MacBook Air, but the thin and light Apple laptop has been proven itself to be a capable little machine. In our review, we were even able to get in some light gaming with the MacBook Air, which is a weak point of all the Intel Core M chips we have tested thus far.
Powering down
I was consistently pleased with the ZenBook UX305's solid performance until I reached the last 10% of the laptop's battery life. During the final stretch of my 5 hour and 26 minute battery test, the UX305 began tripping over itself whether I was playing a 1080p YouTube video, opening a webpage or just editing a document in Microsoft Word.These were all tasks I had no problem with throughout my anecdotal battery life test, so the system likely locks down the processor to its minimum clock speed when it dips below the critical battery life threshold.
That said, the battery life is spectacular at over 5 hours, and during that time I was editing images in Lightroom for an hour and half while unplugged. The PCMark 8 test also yielded a similar 5 hour and 21 minute battery life duration. I expect users running less resource intensive applications, such as simple web browsing and local video playback, will be able to squeeze out another, at most, two hours of juice.
The Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro's battery life topped out at 4 hours and 30 minutes, though, this convertible also has the extra power drain of a 3,200 x 1,800 resolution display. Sticking with a lower resolution 1,400 x 900 allows the MacBook Air to last a much longer 12 hours, but I have no doubt the ZenBook would also last just as long with a less pixel-rich screen.
Media ready
A 1080p screen on a 13.3-inch device is a treat, and the display that the UX305 ships with is a gem. The colors pop off the screen without being overly saturated, and you can easily distinguish grays from blacks thanks to the display's excellent contrast levels. Asus has also treated the panel with a matte coating that virtually removes any sign of glare even under bright room lights or direct sunlight. Out of all the laptops I've tested, the UX305 is the only one with a perfect screen.While the screen is nearly perfect in every way, the Zenbook's speakers leave a little more to be desired. The two drivers are located on the bottom of the laptop, marked with two speaker grills on the left and right edges of the notebook. Turning the volume up to 20 brings in some significant distortion, and the sound is noticeably tinny no matter what you're listening to. So, be sure to pack a pair of headphones for a decent audio experience when you use this laptop.
Bundled software
Unfortunately, the Asus ZenBook UX305 also comes with large sampling of bloatware. A few of the apps you'll want to uninstall from the get-go include TripAdvisor, Line and Music Maker Jam, as these apps will just ask you to pay money to do anything at all. Here's the short list of applications you'll actually want to keep on your machine.- Asus Giftbox - A quick collection of recommended applications.
- Asus Webstorage - Asus's in-house cloud storage solution.
- iHeartRadio - A desktop streaming music app will be mainly pertinent to existing iHeartRadio users.
- Freshpaint - A gussied-up variation of Microsoft Paint, though, users may want to plug in a Wacom tablet as the app seems to be optimized for such a peripheral or a touchscreen interface.
Verdict
While the Asus UX305 does not necessarily break any new ground in the Ultrabook scene, it's an excellent machine in almost every regard. It's as thin as the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro while being more capable to boot. It's also significantly more affordable than a 13-inch MacBook Air or just about any other competing Ultrabook. It's a nearly flawless device, for an extremely affordable price and that in itself is worth high praise.We liked
The ZenBook UX305 is a superbly-built machine that's thin, light and very attractive. The fully metal build and slightly off-violet color of the chassis makes it stand out from all the white Acer Aspire S7's and black Lenovo Ultrabooks of the world without being too flamboyant.Our time with the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro soured us on the capabilities of Intel's Core M chipset, but the UX305 provided a much better experience. This lightweight system' performance was consistent whether I was browsing the web, watching video or editing images. What's more, you can get excellent battery life out of the machine considering its 1080p display.
Of course, the most striking thing about the UX305 is that it comes at a $699 or £649 (about AU$902) price. This is a great price for any mobile computing machine, but in this case you're getting a premium, full-metal Ultrabook with an excellent full HD display and a 256GB SSD to boot.
We disliked
The list of things I don't like about the ZenBook is fairly short.While I had an excellent overall experience with the UX305, once the laptop digs into its reserve battery tank, the Intel Core M chip performance suddenly plummets. It's a problem you'll likely never run into until after 5 hours of usage, but was a huge annoyance when I struggled to even draft a single email as the laptop slowed to a crawl.
I also wished the laptop's speakers were a tiny bit better especially, considering they were engineered by Bang & Olufsen. The built-in tweeters are in no way close to the worst speakers I've ever heard, but it's nonetheless a weak point of this overall excellent machine.
Final verdict
The Asus ZenBook is the most affordable Ultrabook you can buy currently, though it's not exactly a shining symbol of innovation in this space of ultraportable notebooks. However, Asus has struck a great balance between components to price with an excellent build quality and perfect 1080p screen.Unless you're in the need of a convertible 2-in-1 machine, I would pick the Asus ZenBook UX305 1,000 times over the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro in spite of the latter option's 3,200 x 1,800 resolution display. Additionally this Asus – and most recent Ultrabooks, for that matter – makes the 13-inch MacBook Air look awfully dated.
This year at CES 2015, every brand had updated their respective Ultrabook lines. The new Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo LaVie Z standout as two unique Ultrabooks that are already turning heads . Likewise, Samsung will soon release its sharpest Ultrabook yet, the Ativ Book 9 that will also utilize an Intel Core M CPU.
However, despite all these new models coming out soon, the Asus ZenBook UX305 will still be the most affordable Ultrabook, and it won't disappoint you.
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Netflix Australia is coming to Fetch TV
Australia’s best PVR just got even better, with the announcement that Fetch TV will be bringing its subscribers Netflix Australia when it eventually launches.
Fetch TV subscribers will be able to sign up for Netflix Australia and watch it directly from their Fetch set-top boxes through an integrated Netflix app.
While a launch date has yet to be announced for Netflix in Australia, the Netflix app will be available on 2nd generation Fetch TV devices as soon as the streaming media service does arrive on our shores.
A rather fetching couple
As Fetch TV already has 170,000 subscribers in Australia, the agreement puts Netflix in front of a huge amount of potential customers, while also giving Fetch TV users who were thinking of jumping ship to the new service a strong reason to stick around.The addition of Netflix to the Fetch TV package also gives the IPTV service a huge selection of back-catalogue movies and television shows, to go along with its existing on-demand movie rentals, live television channels and catch-up services like SBS On Demand and ABC iView.
Netflix Australia is expected to some time in March, and while service has no confirmed pricing, it’s rumoured to be under ten bucks a month.
- Check out our in-depth Fetch TV review
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EB Games Expo 2015: What to expect from this year's show
We are still a long way out from October, the traditional celebratory month of the EB Games Expo. We're so far out in fact that the games retailer hasn't yet confirmed the show will be happening.
But given the success of the past couple of years, it's probably a foregone conclusion that gamers of all ages will be heading to the Sydney Showgrounds some time in October once again, to get their hands on the latest games, consoles and interactive experiences at the EB Games Expo 2015.
We're still a long way from knowing exactly what to expect this year, but if history is any indication, there are a few safe bets on the types of areas we can expect to see.
We'll keep this page updated with details as they come to light, but in the mean time, here's everything we expect to see at the EB Games Expo 2015
Games, Games, Games
For the past few years, the big three console manufacturers have all had pretty massive stands, with an emphasis on trying to showcase the benefits of the next-gen lineup of consoles, from the PS4 and Xbox One to the Wii U.Naturally, a big part of these stands are the exclusive titles destined to be released, and with games like Uncharted 4, Halo 5 and Forza 6 all destined to launch this year, we expect this year's show to be a hotbed of awesome gaming action.
And that doesn't even take into account the publisher's stands. In past years, Ubisoft, Activision, EA and Bethesda have all had a significant presence at the show, and we don't expect anything to be different in 2015.
2. EB Community
If there's one thing gaming expos have shown us, it's that gamers love listening to people from the gaming industry talk. Whether it's a panel on making a AAA title or industry veterans discussing moving trends and challenges they face in their work, you just can't have a gaming expo without panels.
At the EB Games Expo, these panels fall under the banner of EB Community. Last year, a 1,000 seat stage area hosted Q&A sessions with the team from Good Game, some comic performances, Cosplay competitions and heaps more.
This year, we expect a similar lineup, but we'll have to wait and see exactly what to expect.
3. EB Megastore
EB Games may host a pretty successful gaming Expo, but it's also a pretty successful games retailer. So it's no surprise that a big section of the show floor is dedicated to the EB Megastore.EB makes it nice and easy for anyone impressed by a game on the show floor to pre-order or purchase, with a convenient shipping option so you don't have to carry your purchase around all day.
There's also a huge amount of collectibles available, so make sure your credit card is fairly empty before joining the EB Games Megastore queue.
4. Family Day
Even though the average aim of the modern gamer is well over 30, there's still a massive market for the kiddies out there.For the past few years, the EB Games Expo has dedicated its Sunday to being a Family Day, with dedicated shows and panels specifically targeting a younger audience.
If previous years are any indication, this year;'s event will feature specific events for kids, a whole heap of kid-friendly games on show and exclusive competitions for the kids to win.
5. Home Grown Gaming
Aussie developers are the best developers. Well, they're as good as any other developers around the world, anyway.
The EB Games Expo 2015 will undoubtedly dedicate a section of the show floor to showcase some of the best local indie developers and their games.
In previous years, more than 20 local devs have had a stand to show off their games, which were among some of the highlights of the show. Definitely worth checking out should you head to the event.
6. Cosplay aplenty
It wouldn't be a celebration of geek culture if there wasn't cosplay, and given just how big a part of last year's show Cosplay was, we expect the same this year.While some will just dress up for the thrill of it, EB Games Expo attendees will also undoubtedly have the opportunity to enter Cosplay competitions on each day of the event, with the chance to win some pretty sweet prizes.
7. More to come
We expect EB Games to confirm dates for this year's show in the near future. But until then, we'll keep an ear to the ground, our eyes on the prize and our hopes that this year's EB Games Expo is going to be bigger and better than previous years.And when the show happens, you can bet that we'll be on the show floor, covering all the news from the event.
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Can businesses stick with Windows XP and still avoid a hacking disaster?
Introduction and upgrade issues
Even though the deadline for any type of support for Windows XP was up last April, many organisations are still using the venerable operating system to power their PCs and the applications that run on them.But XP was never a truly secure OS to begin with and despite numerous patches over the years, new vulnerabilities have been found. Of course, since April 2014, no more updates have been provided by Microsoft on general release and this has left anyone still running XP very much exposed to hacking and security breaches.
According to figures from IT security firm Secunia taken from scans by its Personal Software Inspector, around 15.17% of computers around the world are still using Windows XP. Nearly 18% of users are still running with an old version of Internet Explorer.
Data protection
Kasper Lindgaard, Secunia's Director of Research and Security, advises that small businesses should definitely migrate away from Windows XP if they want to protect their data."Generally speaking, newly discovered vulnerabilities in XP are unpatchable for private users. XP users are 'free-for-all' to hackers, who can create and use exploits at will," he says.
"Additionally, patches to the other Windows operating systems are likely to be reverse engineered by hackers, to discover which vulnerabilities were fixed by Microsoft, and can be modified to work against Windows XP."
Hype and noise
The hype around the XP deadline was similar to that of Y2K, says Sergio Galindo, general manager at GFI Software, and while the date came and went, nothing blew up.Galindo notes: "XP attacks do continue, but all the other operating systems remain under attack as well. Although continuing to use Windows XP and older versions of Internet Explorer is unsafe and not recommended, ultimately the question businesses must ask themselves is: how much risk are we willing to take, and how does it compare to the cost of an upgrade?"
Keep on running
But why do firms still insist on running the software? While reasons can range from anything to do with their familiarity with the system, to training requirements or anticipated costs attached to upgrading, the big issue is compatibility as many companies have an aged estate of apps with either OS or IE dependencies, according to HP's Chief Technologist James Morrish.Microsoft does offer emulation modes, but most companies don't trust this, and the process can be complex to setup and test.
"The challenge is that most businesses have thousands of applications, and typically a Windows 7 migration will also include either extensive application testing or rationalisation and modernisation which would be a huge amount of work," says Morrish. "Many businesses have been avoiding the changeover because they fear the lack of compatibility and loss of productivity during the transition."
"So also, to a certain extent the issue is wrapped up in the cost equation. For the most part, it isn't just that companies can't afford to refresh their hardware, it is that they don't also have the budget and time to test the compatibility of the thousands of applications that the company runs."
Is it possible to safely use XP and IE now there is no more support? It is possible, says Andrew Avanessian, EVP of consultancy and technology services at endpoint security firm Avecto, but he doesn't recommend it.
He says firms that are forced to keep using legacy operating systems can significantly reduce the chance of a cyber-attack by adopting a proactive defence in depth approach to security.
"The default for these old systems is that users are given administrative rights, but removing admin privileges and dealing with the challenge areas with privilege management solutions has been found to mitigate 92% of critical Microsoft vulnerabilities, and can therefore significantly reduce the attack vector," says Avanessian. "Layering other defences on top of that, such as application whitelisting, will mitigate most targeted cyber-attacks."
Breaking away
Cost appears to be the main issue in moving away from XP, so how can organisations migrate from the platform in a cost-effective manner?Galindo suggests organisations isolate the XP machines from the internet or the network if possible, then purchase low-cost replacements to fill in the functionality that is not achieved on XP.
"In some instances, it may be viable to run XP and any applications that need it in a virtual machine on a modern Windows or Mac computer, allowing the organisation to decommission the older hardware, whilst still allowing legacy software to work," he observes.
But Daniel Simmons, Technical Architect at Trustmarque, says that while replacing non-compatible applications or hardware with a new version is certainly the most reliable method, unfortunately, it's the most expensive as well.
If the application is mission-critical or otherwise strategic to operations, then if possible, this is the preferred route. Otherwise, there are a number of tools that can be used together to fix some compatibility problems when migrating operating systems, such as group policy and shims.
"This is the more cost-effective route, and might be the only option if the application vendor is no longer around. There are also a number of third-party tools, such as AppZero, that can help bridge compatibility issues and can be very useful in migration strategy," says Simmons.
Stuck on you
We can talk about moving away, but will organisations ever truly move away from XP and IE? Morrish thinks it will eventually happen but will take time. "Pockets of XP will remain, but proportionally they'll become fewer and more niche."Galindo says that as long as Windows XP and older Internet Explorer versions keep working, there will be businesses out there that will carry on using them. "It wouldn't be a surprise if we still see XP in use at a business for at least the next five years," he says.
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Move over Tesla, Apple Car reportedly revs its engine in secret
Need to drive somewhere? There may one day be an Apple Car for that, one that goes miles beyond the iPhone-compatible Apple CarPlay infotainment system.
Several hundred employees are said to be secretly working on an Apple-branded electric car, one that CEO Tim Cook greenlit almost a year ago, according to The Wall Street Journal.
While unconfirmed, the ambitious-sounding Apple Car project is said to have taken on the codename "Titan" and been set up to act as a competitor electric cars from Tesla Motors'.
The report also suggests that the alleged Apple-developed automobile is not a challenger to Google's self-driving car, which puts robots in the driver's seat instead of humans.
Why an Apple Car makes sense
An electric car designed by Apple makes sense for a number of reasons, including backing up comments made by its own man at the top, Tim Cook."There are products that we're working on that no one knows about," he said in September to interviewer Charlie Rose. "That haven't been rumored about yet."
That comment happened after September's Apple Watch announcement, so the company could finally be making good on its promise to introduce new product categories - with a plural.
And this is hardly the first time that the Apple Car development has been rumored. This week alone, there were two different reports that Apple poached staff from other top car makers.
Hit the brakes on expectations
Don't expect to be cruising around in an Apple Car any time soon. In fact, it might not even happen, as not all of the company's prototypes become full-fledged products.After all, as ambitious as the new iPhone 6 and ultra-thin iPad Air 2 are, this is a car. It would take years for Apple to develop and obtain the safety certifications.
The teams involved could end up using all of their car-making research for other projects, from building more advanced batteries to designing a better CarPlay system to support its current projects.
- Swipe to start the ignition on our Apple CarPlay explainer and Hyundai Blue Link review
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In Depth: 10 things the GCHQ-NSA privacy ruling means for you
5 things you need to know about the GCHQ ruling
On 6th February 2015, in an unprecedented ruling, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) ruled that for a period of seven years the UK's intelligence services had been acting unlawfully in accessing communications collected by the NSA.It was unprecedented in that it was the first time since the IPT was formed fifteen years ago that it had ruled against the intelligence services. As it is the only court tribunal that is empowered to investigate into the intelligence services (MI5, MI6 and GCHQ) this is a ruling that is very significant. Though, particularly as the ruling only applies to past activities of GCHQ, it may not be quite as monumental as some reports have suggested.
Nonetheless, it does matter, and there are some significant things that should be noted about it.
1. Seven years of data
GCHQ now has seven years of data gathered through a process now ruled unlawful. Seven years of data gathered about millions of innocent people. Privacy International has challenged GCHQ to delete it all, and are working on putting together an online form to help people do so for themselves.It seems unlikely that GCHQ will comply without a fight, and even if it does, it can be presumed that it will have analysed, condensed and filtered out as much valuable information as it can from it before it does.
2. Whistle-blowers matter
None of this could have happened without the revelations of Edward Snowden and that makes it clearer than ever that whistle-blowers matter. Without them, we remain in the dark and we are unable to challenge the authorities when our rights are infringed.The last few days have shown this in a very different field. It was through a whistle-blower that the scandal of HSBC aiding clients to avoid and evade taxes came to light. Now, more than ever, we need to protect and support whistle-blowers.
3. Civil society matters
The case at the IPT was brought by four NGOs (non-governmental organisations), not-for profit groups working for the benefit of people generally. These NGOs: Privacy International, Bytes for All, Liberty, and Amnesty International, have done a sterling job and not for the first time.It is hard for individuals to assert their rights in the face of the seemingly overwhelming power of the authorities (and indeed the corporates) and the role that civil society plays on our behalf is critical. It isn't the first time this has happened – the role of Digital Rights Ireland in taking the case to the CJEU that resulted in the Data Retention Directive being declared invalid was even more significant.
Civil society matters and we should celebrate and support it, by joining or helping to fund them.
4. Privacy can win
That last story, the declaration of invalidity of the Data Retention Directive, was a critical milestone in the challenges to surveillance – last week's IPT ruling is another that confirms the key point that privacy can win.It is often suggested that privacy is 'dead'. Most recently, in Davos, it was suggested by a group of Harvard professors – but rulings like this suggest that rumours of its death have been exaggerated. The 'war' has not yet been lost, and it's still worth fighting.
5. GCHQ's surveillance was illegal
This, the essence of the ruling, should not be forgotten. GCHQ was acting illegally, primarily because the rules governing its access to data from the PRISM and UPSTREAM programmes were kept secret.That illegality, though it might be dismissed by the authorities as a technicality, is highly significant. It blows the idea that the authorities have always acted within a legal framework out of the water – and should make us wonder about the legality of other projects and programmes GCHQ is involved in.
These are just two examples from the plethora of programmes revealed by Edward Snowden, and it would be highly naïve to think that Snowden revealed everything. GCHQ's shining armour is tarnished now and that matters.
5 more things you need to know
6. Privacy has become headline news
A few years ago things like surveillance were primarily of interest to geeks and nerds: now they are headline news. The IPT ruling made headlines all over the world, on TV and in newspapers, and that matters.If the media is interested, that means first of all that people are interested and secondly that people become more informed, and ask more questions. The debate grows, political significance grows, and it's harder to just keep things hidden, which is what recent history makes very clear is what the authorities really want.
7. Shining a light on surveillance matters
That, indeed, may be the most important thing of all – when we shine a light on surveillance, changes start to happen, and sometimes the whole basis of the surveillance shrivels away into nothing.When we become aware of surveillance systems we can start to challenge them, and ask for evidence that they function. That evidence, to date, has been conspicuous by its absence.
It might be naïve to hope that politicians and civil servants are starting to ask whether they themselves have been hoodwinked into accepting surveillance systems and programmes that do very little to address the real issues. However, they might have noticed that the perpetrators of none of the recent terrorist events, from Paris to Boston, Woolwich to Sydney, seem to have been identified, not by mass surveillance, but by conventional intelligence should be an indication. They might start to ask for proof.
8. The IPT won't always rule in favour of the intelligence services
This is the first ruling against the intelligence services in favour of our rights (and not just our privacy rights) and that in itself matters. The IPT can no longer be regarded as a 'rubber stamp' tribunal that does whatever it is told.The NGOs that brought the case to the IPT cannot have expected much from the IPT, given its past record, but they have been proven right to bring the case, and to put the IPT under pressure. More cases will almost certainly follow and the authorities should be worried.
9. We should be concerned about what we don't know
Donald Rumsfeld famously said that there are known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns. Nowhere is that more true that in the field of surveillance. That should always be kept in mind.The case at the IPT was about two of the programmes that we now know about, PRISM and UPSTREAM – how many more programmes are there that we don't even know about? We need to be aware that what we know about may well be a mere fraction of what is out there – so we should keep looking, and keep challenging.
10. Surveillance isn't just about privacy
Though advocates have said so for a while, the IPT ruling is one of the first official acknowledgments that surveillance impacts upon more than privacy. The ruling specifically talks of infringement of both Article 8 (the right to a private life) and Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention of Human Rights.The chilling effect of surveillance has been noted by activists for some time – American PEN's recent report is just one example – but to get recognition of this by a court is significant. If surveillance impacts on more rights (and it has a huge effect on our rights to freedom of assembly and association too) then the evidence needed to support it must be stronger. The bar must be higher.
The bad with the good
To end on a more negative note, perhaps the biggest takeaway from the IPT ruling is that for those seven years, it clearly did not concern the authorities that their surveillance programmes were unlawful.Indeed, their main reaction to the ruling was to essentially dismiss it, and to focus on the part of the ruling that said that their current actions are now lawful. Authorities can and do always give themselves the benefit of the doubt, and interpret laws in the light most favourable to themselves.
What that should mean for us is that when drafting new laws – and the continual attempts to reintroduce the Communications Data Bill (the 'Snoopers' Charter) are the most important here – we should be careful to reduce the scope for such doubt as much as we can.
Open-ended, broadly-couched laws should be avoided because that can and will be interpreted in ways that allow for more and more intrusive surveillance.
We must do whatever we can to stop this and we should continue to investigate, to challenge, and to keep all the issues raised by surveillance in the public eye.
There is a great deal at stake and the IPT ruling, though its immediate impact may not be as great as it appears, is a step in a positive direction. It should give those campaigning for a free, more privacy-friendly internet some reassurance that their work is not in vain.
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Running Man of Tech: 10k a day: Running from my past
Looking back to make me faster
It's been a tricky one this week - I've got a glut of stuff that I want to tell you about, but for the past fortnight or so I've been casting my mind back to the days before I was running these stupidly high levels of mileage each week.Moving past the fact that the amount of running I'm doing is making me actually consider getting a sports masseuse on retainer to save some money, I've been thinking a lot about my first love while pounding the pavements. The time I felt... a little bit different, like the world was suddenly a very different place. The first time I tried technology on a run.
(Although I equally could have been referring to the first time I noticed April O'Neil's yellow jumpsuit was very fitting and it felt... nice).
In my case it was nearly 7 years ago, two weeks after I joined TechRadar, and I was handed a clever little tie-in between Samsung and Adidas.
And it changed everything.
The Samsung Adidas miCoach phone
Even writing those words is evocative... not only was it my first assignment on TechRadar, trialling this phone / fitness combination, but it was something that made me realise that despite being rubbish at self motivation I could still force myself out onto the streets with a semblance of regularity.
The reason was the structured plans of Adidas' miCoach system, with a few simple taps into the phone (using buttons of course... these were the days when a 2-inch LCD screen was just for looking at mostly) giving me my own training plan.
I dimly remember it basically telling me to 'go out and run' on certain days, which I duly did, the electro-competitiveness giving me the jolt needed to want to keep up with my digi-training overlord.
But it was more than that. I'd been 'running' before (well, 7 minutes to the nearby bridge before deciding that I couldn't go any further ever, ever again) but now I had something to finally give me the push I needed. This phone packed something else: sensors.
Well, not exactly packed. You had to clip the stride sensor through your laces like a complicated dreamcatcher, and the heart rate monitor was strapped around my rotund trunk. Still, suddenly seeing my heart rate pop up on the screen was genuinely one of those 'wow... technology is GOOD, eh?' moments, and amazingly the stride sensor was able to tell me how far I was running without the need for a map and compass.
(As a side note, I've recently discovered how wrong that sensor was. I ran the same course recently with GPS tracking on, and when I was celebrating hitting 5KM in 2008 I was barely across 4KM... that was rather deflating).
According to the press release issued by Samsung and Adidas, this was a phone with a 2MP camera and 'rugged' chassis for good grip, which I remember translating to 'bumpy plastic'. Apparently music was delivered to help boost performance, or, according to the release: "The miCoach phone also delivers music to motivate athletes to exceed their limits."
While I certainly never even approached my limits with that phone, it was the first step into the running world and without it I wouldn't have kept going, so thanks for that, guys.
And the great thing is the technology there has a direct evolution in today's running gadgetry: the Adidas miCoach system has developed into a sprawling wonderment of training plans, sensor support and smartphone use, while Samsung's first steps into the fitness world were finally put on the big stage with the Galaxy S4's S Health functionality.
Nike Lunar TR1+ training system
While the phone made running that much easier, there was another thing that came across my desk that helped in a very different way.The premise was both simultaneously simple and complicated: multiple sensors in the shoes could read pressure and correspond to activities being fired at you by the Nike+ Training app.
Easy in theory, but opening the app and trying to pair the shoes was a mission of failed connectivity and confusing training plans on the iPad / iPhone (Android users were sadly kept out in the cold), so it meant you REALLY had to want to use the system and pay top whack for the privilege.
But I will say this: they were really, really cool. Like the miCoach phone's heart rate monitor, when I finally paired the shoes with the app and saw a 'heat map' of where my weight was shifting in the shoes in real time it was an awesome moment, one that made me think, definitively: 'this is the future of training'.
And for the most part, the accuracy was sensational. Whether it was burpees (ask your Mum), squats or lunges, there was no way to pretend that I had actually performed all the reps asked of me when I'd been just eating crisps, as the app would sit there and quietly admonish me for not doing better than last time.
Side note: when thinking about using the app, I had to work out why I was left with a strong sensation of a fluffy rug... then I recalled finishing one workout, being so tired that my legs gave way and accidentally licking the carpet. I'm not ashamed to admit that happened in a bid to prove I did at least give this stuff a thoroughly good go.
The shoes also had a function that could help tell you about your running gait, although that wasn't the point of the TR1+ range... the annoying thing was that these purple monstrosities were no use for running, as they were too inflexible and solid in the sole, so it felt like I'd lightly dipped a pair of running shoes in concrete.
But for strength workouts - a pivotal part of my training these days as I destructively search for more speed - they were brilliant.
So here's the curious part. As I thought back to these shoes, I decided to dig them out. I found the sensors, the cradle to charge them, and I realised they would still be brilliant for training. I went to pull up the app on my iPad... only to find it wasn't there any more.
The Training app from Nike has been pulled from the App Store. The shoes are no longer supported. The sensors have been quietly walked into the woods and shown the wrong end of a blunderbuss, it seems - which is weird given they worked so well.
Admittedly, the cost was too high (over £200 for the system) but I thought that technology like that was going to be the future. Apparently not.
That said, the Lunar TR1+ system does have a bearing on today's fitness technology. While the sensor idea seems to have been cast away from shoe design (in a similar way to Nike giving up on the FuelBand) the use of smartphone and tablets to track a workout is more prevalent than ever.
All brands (not just Nike) have realised that removing the cost barrier to entry (of having to buy expensive shoes and sensors) will mean more users will jump on the fitness bandwagon. Where the Training app back in 2012 had a handful of users, there are many, many more using the pre-defined plans on this and multiple other options.
In short, by doing away with the sensors Nike helped make the smartphone the ultimate fitness tool - although I'm still angry that this awesome technology from three years ago already doesn't work.
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Opinion: The Withings Activité has shown me why most other fitness trackers are pants
There are two different kinds of people who buy fitness trackers. The first are athletes – people like our own Gareth Beavis – or at least those who aspire to athleticism. The second group is bigger, both in the sense that it contains more people, and that those people are probably carrying a few extra pounds. I fall – heavily, plumply, resignedly – into that latter camp.
For me, and for many like me, I think, a fitness tracker such as the Jawbone Up24, Nike FuelBand SE or even the Apple Watch is about trying to motivate us – shame us, even – into being less sedentary.
I've been wearing fitness trackers of various kinds, and tracking my weight with a set of Wi-Fi connected scales, for years, and I've been fascinated to watch the subtle psychological effect the mere act of gathering data and paying attention to it has on my general health.
If you know you're supposed to walk 10,000 steps in a day and you see, as 5pm draws near, that you've only walked 4,000, you might opt to walk home rather than take the bus. With an altimeter in your phone, when you reach to press the button to call the elevator you might recall that you only walked up five flights yesterday and so take the stairs instead to try to beat your record.
If you're trying to lose weight, you'll notice a little up-tick in a graph long before you feel your trousers starting to tighten, and can then decide that no, you won't have that brownie with your morning coffee. Thus, slowly, but inexorably, day by day, you improve. You walk more. You take the stairs. You lose weight – not so much by actively losing weight but by refusing to gain it. You're gamifying your health.
To be sure, this only works if you're predisposed to being persuaded in the first place. If you see the graph going up but your only reaction is 'ah well; I'm a lost cause so pass the pies' then tracking your weight ain't gonna help. But if you can be nudged to improve your activity levels by being easily reminded of how little you've done so far, then great.
That's one of the reasons I love wearing the Activité watch from Withings. In anticipation of reviewing its cheaper sibling, the Activité Pop, when it hits in the spring, I borrowed the original Activité from Withings, and it's been revelatory.
Why? Because on the surface it's a perfectly ordinary watch – all the smarts are behind the dial, and it syncs over Bluetooth 4. As well as telling the time with traditional analogue hands, there's a single inset dial with a hand that shows your progress towards your step goal.
By taking an old-fashioned approach to 'data display' (that is, actual, physical moving objects rather than a do-anything but transient screen) Withings has ensured that the data is always visible. I know it sounds a bit obvious, but the effect is remarkable. Now, every single time I glance at the time I can't hide from how inactive I've been up to now. And so I can do something about it.
The Activité isn't the only fitness tracker that can force you to confront your laziness in this way – the always-on e-paper display of the Pebble can be configured to show activity levels, for example – but this confrontation is key to improving your general health with the help of one.
One huge, fundamental potential flaw in most fitness trackers, you see, is that you have to _do something_ with them before they tell you how far along your activity goal you are. You have to press the button on a FuelBand, you have to sync a Jawbone Up with your Android phone, you have to unlock your iPhone and launch the Health app.
This means that it's all too easy to ignore your progress, and what's more, to ignore it until it's too late in the day to make the changes you need to in order to hit your goals. What use is it if you realise you're only 50% towards your activity goal if you only think to check in when you're relaxing in front of the TV after dinner?
In fairness to these devices, the reason you have to trigger their display, or to sync the data to a device that has a display, is because keeping screens or even just a grid of LEDs lit burns through batteries, and you absolutely can't have an activity monitor crapping out before the end of the day.
Athletes might get away with checking their activity tracking only after having completed a run or a workout session, but for those of us who need encouragement not even to be fit but just to be less sedentary than our lifestyle permits, then we need our activity trackers to force us to confront our sloth, like a foot-tapping, tutting schoolmarm.
On which note, I'm off for a walk.
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Interview: IT contractors in demand – but need business savvy as well as tech smarts
The number of IT contractors who are out of work has halved over the past year as demand for IT skills has rebounded, according to a leading bellwether survey recently conducted by SJD Accountancy. We spoke to Claire Johnson, Managing Director of SJD Accountancy, about the survey, IT skill shortages, "hybrid" staff, and whether contractors are more sought after than permanent staff members these days.
TechRadar Pro: What is the current state of the market for IT skills?
Claire Johnson: The market is definitely on an upward trajectory. The number of IT contractors who are out of work has halved over the past year as demand for IT skills has rebounded. We sampled 600 IT contractors and found that 6.5% were out of work compared to 12.6% the previous year, so that's a very dramatic fall in joblessness over a relatively short period of time.
TRP: Are contractors more in demand than permanent staff?
CJ: It is often said that contractors are the first into and first out of a recession. We typically see demand for IT contractors pick up first and the market for permanent skills lagging behind. In fact, according to National Statistics, record numbers of workers are self-employed, so this seems to be mirrored in the wider economy. For some IT departments, the attraction of contractors as a flexible resource may give them the edge over permanent staff at the moment, but as confidence builds CIOs will also look to create more permanent roles.
TRP: IT contractors suffered cuts to their daily rates over the last few years – is that continuing?
CJ: Rate cuts are an occupational hazard of contracting. It's generally much easier to cut contractor rates than salaries for permanent employees. On the flipside, contractors are often able to command higher rates than permanent employees when demand recovers.
The proportion of IT contractors who have seen their earnings fall has effectively halved to 11.7% at the time of our survey, compared to 21.2% the year before. With the number of jobless IT contractors rapidly falling, pressure on rates is building. As the market strengthens and skills shortages bite harder, rates should start to move northwards at a much faster pace.
TRP: Are skill shortages becoming a more widespread issue?
CJ: It's a truism, but talent is always in short supply whatever the market. With the proportion of IT contractors out of work falling so sharply – which is a very useful bellwether for demand for skills across the board – skill shortages will undoubtedly intensify.
CIOs frequently say that skills are among their top concerns, and as new technologies become mainstream, skills need to be reassessed to meet demand. As the economy recovers and investment in IT grows, this will fuel demand for candidates experienced in the latest technologies.
TRP: To what extent are projects which were put on hold during the recession now being revived?
CJ: The recession saw many IT projects put in the deep freeze, or else investment channelled to projects that would produce a short-term return. With IT budgets edging upwards, there are clearly projects which, while difficult to sell to boards a few years ago, are now much easier to construct a compelling business case for.
Our data shows that contract lengths (IT contractors are typically engaged on fixed term contracts) are, on average, growing, indicating that end user clients are increasingly willing to commit to longer term projects. Just 9.9% of contracts are currently three months or less, compared to 11.6% the previous year.
TRP: Why might IT departments bolster contractor numbers rather than increase permanent headcount?
CJ: Contractors represent a relatively low risk way of increasing capacity without adding to fixed costs. It's not unusual, however, for contractors to take permanent roles in IT departments, but for many it is an attractive lifestyle choice. With the recovery not on a firm footing as yet, contractors are an attractive way to engage IT skills.
TRP: What areas are CIOs looking to invest in?
CJ: Our data doesn't lend itself to forecasting, but IT departments are currently increasing spending on digital technologies, such as web and mobile platforms, as consumers continue to demand greater innovation in how they interact with businesses.
Marketing technology is another of the fastest growing areas of IT spending as the marketing needs of organisations take a larger slice of IT budgets, such as linking marketing and customer relationship management systems, or putting big data at the disposal of marketing teams.
TRP: What kind of candidates are most attractive to hirers?
CJ: Digital skills are in demand, but IT professionals with good business skills, who can marry the strategic needs of an organisation to technological solutions, are at a premium. These hybrid candidates have long been in demand, but the direction of travel is still very much slanted that way. Increasingly, IT is no longer just an enabling technology but core to the strategy of many organisations, which is why candidates with non-technical skills are often highly sought after.
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Industry voice: The future of healthcare: can technology cure all your ills?
Imagine computer-controlled A&E rooms, DNA tests on your smartphone and 3D printed drugs tailored to your body. What sound like scenes from The Matrix are, in fact, becoming a reality, as the technology sector increasingly shifts its focus to health-related gadgets and apps.
Sales of fitness bands have come thick and fast, and this year is allegedly going to be the one in which smartwatch sales explode – driven, of course, by the upcoming Apple Watch. Healthcare is undoubtedly an increasingly hot topic within the technology sector, but this development isn't just a one-way street!
Pharma companies themselves have in turn started partnering with tech giants to create smarter tools and more efficient treatments for patients. One example of such a symbiosis we saw last year was Novartis' partnership with Google to develop smart contact lenses that monitor blood sugar levels through your eyes – a device that could completely revolutionise the way people with diabetes regulate their insulin intake.
Look to the future
It's astonishing what we can already do with the technology we have to hand today, but what else does the future have in store for the global healthcare industry?We asked this question at our 30:30 Vision event last year, in which startups and well-established companies, all working in the healthcare sector, joined us to cast an eye 30 years into the future and come up with their vision for what their industry will look like in 2044. They were joined by someone who knows how to seize opportunities from converging sectors – Sir Richard Branson – and collectively agreed that there are major developments ahead, from home support to mobile healthcare.
But if we leave the glitz and glamour of the newest consumer gadgets aside and focus on the fundamental healthcare questions that are currently being asked, we see that technology is already providing solutions to healthcare professionals and patients every day – both in the private and public healthcare sectors.
The NHS, for example, is under constant pressure to reduce spending while ensuring high-quality treatment for all patients. With fewer specialists to hand and an increasing number of patients, one solution is to create a network that connects specialist consultants to hospital sites in order to give out-of-hours medical advice. We've worked with Cumbria and Lancashire NHS Trust to enable such a network for stroke victims and not only does it guarantee that patients get the professional treatment they need as quickly as possible, it already saves the NHS a whopping £8 million per year.
Making treatments as efficient as possible for both the patient and the institution is a constant concern, especially in the private sector. By embracing modern technologies, companies are currently looking at introducing smart lanyards that can track staff in and out of appointments to streamline processes and coordinate availabilities.
Virtual appointments
Finally, with an aging population comes an increased need for treatment and medical advice. Providing high-speed broadband access to key hubs like nursing homes or leisure centres, allows medical check-ups to be conducted via videoconference as doctors are able to remotely advise patients from their offices, drastically increasing the number of patients they can 'see' each day.The big technology revolution of the healthcare sector is underway – and we can already see the first results of this great collaboration benefitting thousands of people across the UK. If healthcare and technology companies continue to work hand in hand, this can only get better. The future of the healthcare sector is ambitiously exciting, working towards a future where we save time and vital budget whilst providing better care.
- Duncan Higgins is marketing director at Virgin Media Business
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