Industry voice: Wearable tech and the future: from solar clothes to smart tattoos
Wearable tech currently allows us to interweave technology even further into everyday life. In fact, wearable technology is set to transform our lives: from healthcare to gaming and augmented reality. Will we all soon be wearing tech devices? Probably. So it is no wonder that there could be one public Wi-Fi hotspot for every 20 people on this planet by 2018. Without Wi-Fi, wearable technology would not exist.
What is wearable tech?
Wearable technology is absolutely as it sounds – any electronic technology or computer that is incorporated into items of clothing and accessories. Most of us own a smartphone and many have heard of fitness trackers and even smartwatches. You guessed it, there is even more out there to explore.The smartest of these wearable devices can perform more tasks than we might expect from a computer or laptop that is already on our desk waiting for us when we arrive at work. In fact, in many cases, wearable tech is even more highly developed and sophisticated – this is because it can be used to scan, track and provide sensory feedback on ourselves as well as for biofeedback or physiological functions.
Wearable tech communicates in real-time
This means that we can get our information instantly from our smart wearables, be they smartwatches, smart glasses or hearing aid devices. The whole idea of wearable technology is that we remain hands-free, online all the time, and we can experience seamless and portable access to the data we need exactly when we need it. At present, we are completely getting used to having data presented to us instantaneously.Let's discuss a couple of prominent examples of wearable tech…
Health tracking devices
These remove any form of denial when trying to get fit and healthy – think New Year's Resolutions (if you haven't already broken them)! Health trackers are actually classed by some as a type of smartwatch as they are worn on the wrist. They basically allow your body to talk to you as you attempt to improve your BMI. Health trackers provide feedback on things such as heart rate, body fat and weight, and even your skin's electric conductivity.The Simband, for example, is equipped with six sensors. The six sensors it comes with can keep tabs on your daily steps taken, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and how much sweat your sweat glands are producing.
Listening to your whole body can be important for the maintenance of good health. For example, measuring your GSR (galvanic skin response – or sweat to you and I) can provide an indication of how stressed you might be. It could also be a great measure of situations causing the highest stress response, to warn people who are suffering from stress-related illnesses, and highlight which situations are best avoided.
This can be difficult, of course, should stress relate to work or the school run. However, it might also indicate which behaviours lead to the least stress response and maybe where to go, or what to do, to reduce the effects of any stressful experiences. All of the information can be wirelessly synced to statistics with online graphs, to keep you on track when it comes to all your personal health and fitness goals.
Smartwatches
If total feedback on your body's health doesn't sound like quite enough info, then perhaps it's time look into a smartwatch. Some smartwatches will enable you to download all fitness data onto apps as well as being a small portable computer. This technology effectively lets you get the measure of your whole life.A smartwatch originally performed what now seem like simpler tasks such as calculations, translations, and games. A traditional smartwatch still acts as a timekeeping device but also includes the features we expect from our devices today: calls, texts, emails and even web browsing. The earlier smartwatches required a paired smartphone, connected wirelessly through Bluetooth to work.
Standalone smartwatches now operate on their own, without the need for a paired smartphone, often taking SIM cards just like a cell phone. They include all of the same functionality of a full-featured smartphone, just in a wearable form where data can be accessed through Wi-Fi. Nowadays smartwatches are like mini-wearable computers which run mobile apps, are media players, and some can be used as a mobile phone to take calls.
The future of wearable tech
Wearable tech doesn't necessarily have to mean that it is taken off as easily as the examples above. There are more invasive versions of the tech such as microchip implants or even smart tattoos – not for the faint hearted.What wearable tech will actually be able to do is so far reaching it's mind blowing. There are obvious benefits in that it has implications in the fields of medicine, health and fitness. In fact, wearable technology is set to transform the health and wellness industry.
And that's not all…
There is also bound to be a fun aspect to wearable technology and for gamers there is the promise of more realistic gaming environments with augmented reality. Augmented reality combines the real world and some computer generated sensory input, so gamers can become even more immersed online.
It could even be used in retail where you are literally 'wearing' the technology. Via virtual mirrors, you can have your body shape scanned and clothes projected onto you as a way of trying on before you buy without actually taking off the clothes you are in.
All that's left now is to develop a range of aesthetically pleasing designs.
As well as practicality and functionality of wearable tech, researchers are also considering design and even fashion. We may start to see wearable technology in our favourite brands of clothes: T-shirts, jackets, headbands and jewellery.
In fact, wearable devices may transform the use of mobile devices altogether in the not-so-distant future. The potential wearable trends of the future include solar clothes that can recharge your phone, a tracker to work out where each outfit is in your wardrobe, bike helmets with a built-in navigation system (which is better than using a smartphone whilst cycling along).
There are also going to be smart socks that work out if you are making injurious movements whilst running, smart bras that track your heart rate, and even more luxurious clothing that uses technology to enhance its appearance.
These are exciting times for wearable technology, that much is certain.
- Gavin Wheeldon is the founder of So Purple Group Limited
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Download of the day: Sigil
Download Sigil and you'll be able to create a professional-looking ebook in no time, no matter what your experience level is.
Why you need it
Thanks to the connected nature of the world today, publishing your own ebook and getting your work seen by readers across the world is a real possibility. And if that's something you aspire to, downloading Sigil is a great start.That's because Sigil is a free ebook creator that can be used by beginners and experts alike. The WYSIWYG ('what you see is what you get') interface allows novice users to dive straight in and create an ebook, while expert users can get extra control by tweaking the ebook code directly.
Sigil is packed with features that give you plenty of control without bewildering the user. The interface is clean and clear, with a book browser on the left, a document viewer in the middle and a screen displaying the table of contents on the right. Icons are similarly intuitive, while a range of tools allow you to check spelling, insert chapters and images, check HTML for errors and more.
So if you're looking to create an ebook and get your work seen by a wider audience, Sigil is an excellent free tool to help you along the way.
Key features
- Works on: PC, Mac, Linux
- Versions: Free
- Create ebooks: Sigil can help you get your written work ready for distribution in ebook format
- Can be used by all: Whether you're a novice or a seasoned expert, Sigil has features to suit all users
- Handy features: From a spell checker to a chapter creator, Sigil has all the tools you'll need to create a professional-looking ebook
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Review: HP 255 G3
Introduction and performance
We've noticed a trend over the last 12 months or so – the cheapest laptop models for all the main vendors come from their business ranges. We saw it already with the Lenovo B50 series, the Toshiba Satellite Pro C50 and the Dell Inspiron 15 3531. HP is the fourth vendor to offer a business laptop as its cheapest SKU (stock keeping unit); the HP 255 G3 is an update to its 255 G2, the model that we tested last year.Its business credentials are further backed by the sparse documentation in the box, most of which had the word "business" plastered all over.
Don't expect the HP 255 G3 to turn any heads thanks to its design or performance. However, this machine costs just £200 (around $350, AU$390) and joins the growing ranks of laptops selling for about that price. The rising popularity of Chromebooks over the last two years may have convinced Microsoft, AMD and Intel that they have a common rival in Google and ARM, in the entry-level laptop market.
Microsoft unveiled Windows 8.1 with Bing last year to reduce the desirability of Chrome OS and it is likely that tier-one vendors such as Lenovo or HP can get licenses for the operating system for very cheap, or perhaps even free.
Tech spec
While last year's model featured an AMD E2-3800 APU (Application Processing Unit), the new G3 comes with a more powerful A4-5000 APU which was launched back in May 2013 and shares its CPU DNA with the Xbox One and the PS4. So, oddly enough, the older G2 ran the newer E2 APU while the newer G3 is powered by the older A4-5000.Delving deeper, though, it seems that other than a marginal increase in clock speeds for the CPU and the GPU, there's not much that separates these two. Both run AMD's Jaguar core, are built using a 28nm process, have 256KB L1 and 2MB L2 cache, have a TDP of 15W, four cores and four threads.
The feature lists of both APUs are remarkably similar which leads us to believe that AMD has been struggling to get low-power parts produced on a 28nm geometry. Intel's Bay Trail parts, like the one that powers the Pipo X7, have been using 22nm and the manufacturer is lining up 14nm for the next generation of Atom-based Celeron processors.
So where are the differences? AMD somehow managed to increase the operating frequency by 200MHz (about 15.4%) for the CPU and 47MHz (about 10.4%) for the GPU (a Radeon HD 8330, in lieu of the HD 8280).
The rest of the specification of the G3 is similar to what we saw on the G2. It boasts 4GB of 1600MHz DDR3 RAM, some of which is shared with the on-board graphics subsystem, a 500GB hard disk drive with 8MB cache and a 5400 RPM spin speed, a DVD optical drive and a 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.
Connectivity includes Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi via a Qualcomm Atheros chip, HDMI, VGA, a 10/100Mbps Ethernet port, one USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, an audio jack and a card reader – which interestingly is located dead in the middle, underneath the palm rest, in between two speakers.
Design
The G3 is lighter than the G2 at 2.15kg (4.73 pounds) and at 25.3mm thick (just under an inch) is a tad thinner than its predecessor. Its width (345mm, about 13.6-inch) and depth of 244mm (9.6-inch) are similar to other aforementioned entry-level 15.6-inch laptops.The chassis is solid, uninspired and as functional as you can get. You won't spend hours admiring its design or catch yourself pondering on the hinge design. HP opted for the same black matte finish for the outside shell but once you open the lid, the G3 stands out compared to its competitors. Gun metal is the finish adopted by the palm rest and the area surrounding the keyboard.
Speaking of the keyboard, it uses what I call Scrabble tile shaped keys, which are adequate for everyday use. The large touchpad is textured but still smooth and its two buttons are large and responsive.
As for the screen, one of the weak points of the previous 255 G2, HP appears to have swapped it for a better model; it still has poor viewing angles but colours are not washed out and image quality is more than adequate.
It's worth noting that we had to install AMD's latest Catalyst drivers in order to get our full suite of benchmarks to run. These were not on the G3 by default – and may well have had a positive impact on our qualitative assessment of the display.
Performance
Scores for the G3 were marginally better than the G2 with less than a 10% improvement in all our test benchmarks; that was expected given the similarities between the APUs powering both laptops. The G3 scored decent marks on 3DMark 11, PCMark 8 and Cinebench 15 – decent at least for a £200 (around $350, AU$390) laptop.- 3DMark: Skydiver: 1349 points; CloudGate: 2218 points; Firestrike: 348 points
- PCMark 8 Home: 1443 points
- PCMark 8 Battery: 3:09 hours
- PCMark 8 Work: 1590 points
- PCMark 8 Creative: 1140 points
- Cinebench 15: CPU: 106 points; GPU: 12.97 FPS
Verdict
We liked
The G3 is a very affordable laptop from a recognised technology company. This machine is equally at ease in a business environment or in a student's room. It is thinner than what I was expecting and probably slightly lighter as well. On top of that it is well designed and the shift to a gun metal finish actually works well, giving it a fresh new look.We disliked
A three hour battery life for a non-gaming laptop is a disappointing anomaly that HP should solve with the next iteration. Likewise, a 10/100Mbps Ethernet port is an anachronism given that GbE is now widely available.Final verdict
This laptop is probably the most powerful new laptop you can purchase for around £200 (around $350, AU$390) with the A4-5000 giving it the edge on its low-cost rivals. Whether it is the best for you depends on your taste though – the diminutive Asus X200MA wins hands-down when it comes to portability and battery life, plus it has a touchscreen display and a tiny power adaptor.This HP 255 G3 laptop was supplied by Ebuyer and is currently available for £199.98 (around $350, AU$390) including next day delivery. You can add an additional three-year warranty for £56.50 (around $85, AU$110).
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Facebook, Twitter and eBay will help launch the Ubuntu Phone - but WhatsApp won't
The world's first Ubuntu Phone, the BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition, goes on sale on Monday 9 February and we've been told by Cristian Parrino, VP of Mobile at Canonical, that we can expect some big name apps appearing on the new mobile operating system.
When asked what native apps are coming to Ubuntu Phone Parriono said "Several. Facebook, Twitter, eBay, Time Out, Yelp, as well as community developed apps working on Spotify and Dropbox APIs. Lots. Just about every digital platform, in some cases the top brand, others from valid alternatives".
However there was one major app that won't be appearing on Ubuntu Phone just yet – WhatsApp. The incredibly popular social app won't be part of the almost 1,000 apps from big names around the world that are coming to Ubuntu Phone.
New ecosystem, new challenges
The Ubuntu Phone is a completely new mobile operating system, and as Cristian Parrino pointed out "we're not coming out with another iOS or Android –Ubuntu Phone offers whole new way to interact".Unlike in Android and iOS where apps are tightly restricted and controlled by the platform owners (especially in Apple's case), and placed in a grid for users to poke at, Canonical is trying something rather different with Ubuntu Phone.
Rather than displaying separate apps in grids, Ubuntu Phone is looking to aggregate content and services via "Scopes", which will integrate various apps and services into an easy to use interface, so users don't have to scroll through screens of icons.
Scopes offer up different home screens that aggregate sources, so you could have a music Scope that combines the MP3s you've stored locally with your playlist of favourite tracks on YouTube. Clicking the YouTube source would open it up full screen to be used much like a native app.
According to Parrino "Scopes are a game changer for us. They can be made at a fraction of the time it takes to make an app".
A whole new ecosystem means that native apps need to be built from the ground up for Ubuntu Phone but Canonical is looking at making it easy to port apps from its desktop Linux distribution Ubuntu to Ubuntu Phone, promising a future where desktop and phone apps will use the same code.
The quality and quantity of apps on an emerging mobile operating system is essential – just look at Microsoft's struggle with Windows Phone – so it's good to see that Ubuntu Phone will get some big name apps. If you're a fan of WhatsApp, however, you'll want to stick with iOS or Android for now.
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World's first Ubuntu Phone wants to shake up the home screen
The BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition will be the world's first Ubuntu Phone when it goes on sale in Europe on Monday 9 February, after years of false starts and broken promises.
It comes with a 4.5-inch QHD display, a MediaTek Quad Core Cortex A7 processor clocked at 1.3GHz and 1GB of RAM. It also features a 5-megapixel front camera and an 8-megapixel rear camera.
Ubuntu Phone looks set to shake up the way we interact with our smartphones and the apps we've installed on them. Rather than laying out all the apps separately in grids as with Android and iOS, Ubuntu Phone is bringing in the revolutionary idea of "Scopes", which as Cristian Parrino, VP of Mobile at Canonical claims, is "a game changer".
Ubuntu Phone is looking to integrate content and services via "Scopes", which will integrate various apps and services into an easy to use interface, so users don't have to scroll through screens of icons.
For example the NearBy scope will aggregate local services centred around where you are and what you're doing, giving you reviews of local restaurants nearby, as well as the weather in your area. It should mean you no longer have to open up separate apps or web pages to view all of this information.
Act fast
It will go on sale exclusively across Europe for €169.90 (around £127, $194, AU$249) on Monday 9 February in a flash sale. The website for the sale and the exact time the virtual doors will open will be revealed on @Ubuntu and @bqreaders on Twitter.If you want to get your hands on one, you'll need to be quick as there will only be a limited amount of BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition devices available on Monday. Rodrigo del Prado, Deputy Director General of BQ, told us that further flash sales, and then more widespread availability across Europe will follow in the next two to three weeks.
A number of networks in Europe such as amena.com, giffgaff, and Portugal Telecom will offer SIM bundles with the BQ Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition.
We spoke to Cristian Parrino, VP of Mobile at Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu Phone, who told use that "Launching a new product is a journey, this is the first step", and that for the time being Canonical is focusing on early adopters who are bored of iOS and Android, rather than fighting for shelf space among more well known brands.
Time will tell if this direction will pay off and Ubuntu Phone can get the attention of disgruntled iOS and Android users.
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Week in Tech: Week in Tech: Google's starting again, Swatch has an ace up its sleeve
This week we've mainly been staring into crystal balls, because all kinds of interesting technology is imminent. The Apple Watch is just weeks away and the Samsung Galaxy S6 is closer still - and while Google Glass has been binned the project is continuing under new management. Not only that, but we've discovered all kinds of exciting things about home entertainment kit and unearthed details of the latest Android app developer: Apple.
Apple Watch vs Swatch
The Apple Watch may have a new rival: fashion watch firm Swatch is building its own smartwatch, and as Hugh Langley explains, it "will hit the Apple Watch where it really hurts: the battery. Swatch's device will communicate with the internet 'without having to be charged'." Expect a launch just before Apple's effort ships in April.Apple embraces Android
Don't get too excited - Apple isn't shipping iPhones running Lollipop. But it is building its very first Android app, based on the Beats Music service it acquired last year. Hugh again: "Rather than using the existing Beats app, Apple is developing a new app, baking in Beats' technology and content, that will replace the current Music app on iOS devices" - and it's working on an Android version of it too.That's not the only interesting Apple rumour we've encountered this week. Details of the new Retina MacBook Air are continuing to leak, and we might see the new, ultra-thin laptop as early as this month. We're expecting a 12-inch screen and a case so thin you can shave with it.
Google Glass 2: electric boogaloo
Google Glass is dead. Long live Google Glass! The search giant's electric specs might not have set the world on fire so far, but while the existing programme has been canned that isn't the end for the fancy facial furniture. Former Apple man and Nest creator Tony Fadell is now in charge of the project, and he's working on it with jewellery designer Ivy Ross.While Google concentrates on AR (Augmented Reality), Samsung's focus is on VR - and Hugh Langley spent a week with the Samsung Gear VR headset fixed to his face. It needs the Note 4 to do anything and the tech clearly still has some way to go, but it's a great showcase for VR.
New Lollipop drops
If you're still waiting for the Android Lollipop 5.0 update, it's time to get annoyed all over again: Google is releasing an even newer version, the cunningly titled Android Lollipop 5.1, which will start rolling out to devices this month. Expect battery life improvements, tweaks to Material Design and better memory management.Samsung's not-so-secret S6
Samsung's incoming Galaxy S6 smartphone is nearly ready, and that means leaks are coming thick and fast. We've seen its metal shell, which looks awfully like the iPhone 6, we're almost certain that the official launch will happen on March 1, and we're expecting to see a Galaxy S Edge version with a curved display too.EE by gum
As we predicted back in December, EE is now BTEE - BT has bought the EE mobile network, adding mobile broadband to its portfolio at a cost of £12.5 billion. The deal won't actually go through until next year, and the competition commission may have some input - especially given that Three has just snapped up O2.That's entertainment
2015 is going to be a really big year in home entertainment, with innovations including HDR TVs, High-Res Audio and Quantum Dot Displays. If you haven't a clue what any of those things mean, we can help: we've sifted the great from the gimmicks to create a guide to everything you need to know about home entertainment in 2015. Don't buy a TV, speaker system or streaming box until you've checked it out, because exciting things are imminent.
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Blip: Drones are trying to spoil Star Wars
Keeping the last Star Wars film under wraps was no church picnic, but at least the probe droids were part of the set.
This time around, drones - possibly very much like these ones - are being sent in by the prying public, giving director J.J. Abrams an extra thing to worry about. Mark Hamill, who's set to reprise his role as Luke Skywalker in The Force Awakes, revealed that he had to take a few extra precautions to evade airborne snoopers.
"You know, the security on it is just crazy," he said before a screening of his new film Kingsman: The Secret Service. "I'm surprised I can even admit I'm in it… I like being surprised. It's a whole different era now. When we made the original films, you had the odd reporter hanging around the studio bribing people to give them stories."
"Now, I said to them, 'Do I really have to wear this robe and this hood that covers my entire head to go from the trailer to the soundstage?' They said, 'Yeah, there's drones.' Seriously! There's drones flying over the studio trying to get pictures of whatever they can get pictures of."
More blips!
Never tell me the odds! Just give me the blips.- We need to talk about HTC's rap video
- Six million years of evolution have brought us to the Super Gorone Desk
- Someone has invented the belfie stick - has science gone too far?
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Downloads: Essential security software for your PC
It doesn't take long for a PC to fill with unwanted programs: depending on who you believe, a brand new PC will be infected with malware within 4, 7 or 8 minutes, before you get it out of the box or before you even get it home.
While some of the threats are massively overhyped, malware and other online problems are extremely irritating and, in many cases, major time thieves. These apps will keep you and your PC happy.
Avast Free antivirus
Avast is one of the most downloaded programs of all time, with good reason: it offers effective anti-virus protection without slowing your PC to a crawl or making you install security modules you're unlikely to ever need.
The free version doesn't have all of the security features of its paid-for siblings, which add anti-spam and phishing protection, but it covers the basics brilliantly and can remove unwanted browser add-ons.
Ad-Aware Free
Lavasoft's malware protector Ad-Aware has been on our essentials list for years, and once again the free version offers more than enough security features for everyday PC use. The main attraction here is Ad-Aware's superb anti-spyware protection, which can find malware and adware and banish it forever.
There's something of an arms race going on between security firms and malware developers, but Ad-Aware's automatic updates should keep your software current and capable of spotting even the most obscure malware. The program can also protect you from fraudulent websites and dodgy downloads, and Game Mode keeps it quiet when you're gaming.
CleanMail Home
If our inbox is anything to go by, approximately 99.9% of all email is spam – and that means 99.9% of our email time is spent getting rid of it. CleanMail has a better idea: if you use POP3 mail it uses the award-winning SpamAssassin anti-spam engine to identify incoming junk mail and get shot of the lot.
It's always learning, analysing junk messages to help it become even better over time. It can whitelist specific senders so the boss's mails never end up in the bin, and it can block entire domains of known spam senders.
Ghostery
You may not realise it, but your surfing habits are probably being tracked by dozens of websites keen to sell you their products. These tracking cookies are not malicious, but you may not want Amazon and friends collecting your data and knowing exactly what you're thinking of buying. If not, try Ghostery – available for Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari and more. It's available for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Android and iOS, and its job is to block the various tracking systems that attempt to follow you around the internet to sell you stuff.
You can simply install it and let it get on with its job, but looking at each site's Ghostery report is a real eye-opener: some sites have so many different trackers and advertising networks it's a miracle their pages ever load. Ghostery also tells you exactly what each company is looking at and likely to do with your data, so if you'd rather not share every click with marketers, its a must-have.
AdBlock Plus
AdBlock Plus is a controversial one. Publishers of ad-funded websites say it's depriving them of income and putting their sites in danger; fans of AdBlock Plus says that if publishers didn't make ads so invasive and annoying, we wouldn't need to block them. Not only that, but AdBlock Plus automatically blocks sites known to serve malware, so it keeps you both safe and sane.
It also features a URL typo corrector, ensuring you don't accidentally visit malware sites with vey similar names to famous brands.So if you want to control what kinds of content appear on web pages, adding Adblock Plus to Firefox, Chrome, Opera or Internet Explorer can make the web a much quieter place – and its Acceptable Ads list means you can whitelist the sites that don't go out of their way to yell at you.
LastPass Password Manager
We know that our passwords probably aren't tough enough – although at least we don't use the UK's favourites, "123456" and "password" – but remembering unique passwords for stacks of sites and services is a nightmare. Thank heavens, then, for LastPass – available for Firefox, Google Chrome and more.
LastPass creates a vault for your passwords and bank cards, generating really strong passwords and recalling them when you need them. It syncs via the cloud, too, so it's available not just in your browser but on your phone or tablet too. It even generates one-time passwords for logins you don't intend to use again or sites you're not sure you can trust.
Hotspot Shield VPN
Sometimes other people's networks just aren't good enough. Your ISP may block perfectly legal websites with overzealous filters, the site you want to see might use geotagging to lock out people from particular countries, or you might be in a coffee shop where you're pretty sure the Wi-Fi hotspot isn't secure enough to make online banking a good idea.
Enter Hotspot Shield, a virtual private network (VPN) that can disguise your real IP address, secure other people's hotspots, bypass censorship and make your own internet connection more secure. That makes it a useful tool for protecting both your privacy and your computer. The free version is ad-supported, but you can pay for an ad-free version if you prefer.
Unchecky
Software developers need to feed their families, we know, but sometimes their attempts to earn a few coins are way over the top: if you've ever installed a trial program and discovered it's stuck another eleventy-three unrelated and unwanted programs onto your PC, you'll know exactly what we mean.
Unchecky prevents that from happening and ensures that when you install a minor app you won't suddenly find your home page and default search engine have changed. It's available for any Windows from XP onwards, and if you install a lot of demos, you'll soon be shouting its praises from the rooftops.
Eraser
Most of us have some things on our PCs we don't want others to access: our finances, perhaps, or our disturbing fan fiction about Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh. Even when you think you've safely deleted sensitive files, that's not necessarily the case.
Because if you're using public computers or selling a PC and need to be sure that your sensitive data is deleted, emptying the Recycle Bin doesn't cut it: all that does is hide the files and tell Windows it's safe to overwrite them when it needs the space. Recovering those files is a doddle unless you use a proper file eraser such as Eraser, which thoroughly overwrites deleted files and destroys them properly, keeping your private files private for good.
WindowsUnlocker
Kaspersky Lab's WindowsUnlocker exists to fight one of the most awful kinds of malware: ransomware, which locks up your PC and threatens to keep you locked out - or worse, to delete your files - if you don't pay a ransom. It's a growing problem, but it's easy to ensure your PC won't become a victim: just download and install WindowsUnlocker to keep the bad guys out.
If it's too late and a stranger's already demanding money with menaces, the same firm's Rescue Disk 10 acts as an emergency locksmith, getting you into your PC from a CD/DVD or USB device. Don't give up and pay the ransom – Kaspersky's software can get you out of trouble.
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Is Motorola going to make your smartphone look stupid?
What on Earth is Motorola working on?
A tweet posted by Ricciolo, a Twitter account that is well known for its mobile phone leaks and scoops has hinted that the company is working on a flagship smartphone that could put its competitors to shame.
The tweet asks if you're looking for a flagship device that's 'smarter' than any other smartphones. It also offers a hint in the form of the Motorola icon and the cryptic promise of 'coming soon...'
A later tweet by the same account clarified that 'soon' means 'sooner than expected'. So what do these tweets mean? The fact that this upcoming device is 'smarter' than other smartphones could point to beefed up specifications that will make it faster and more powerful than the competition.
Or it could be referring to new features, a brand new interface or even a completely new operating system. We're also not sure if the device could be a new generation of the Moto X, or even the Nexus 6.
The fact that the Ricciolo account makes a big deal of the word 'hint' could itself be a cheeky hint at a possible successor to the Motorola Hint, an in-ear Bluetooth device that allowed owners of the Moto X to control the device hands free. Who knows?
Still, it's exciting to speculate, and the 'soon' could be referring to Mobile World Congress, which kicks off on March 2. Hopefully if Motorola does have something revolutionary up its sleeve, it won't keep us waiting for long.
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Review: Updated: OS X 10.10 Yosemite
Introduction and user interface
Yosemite is the second version of OS X since its reboot last year, when Apple switched from naming its annual OS X updates after big cats to places in California. It also neatly side-stepped the problem of where to go after 10.9 by avoiding the use of numbers altogether (although they do still exist in the geekier parts of the OS like System Information, where Yosemite is referred to as OS X 10.10).So, what's new? Quite a lot, actually, and nearly all of it in the name of greater consistency between OS X and iOS. That's not to say that Apple is gradually merging the two operating systems – there's no evidence at all that's on the agenda. Nevertheless, several alterations and additions in Yosemite do tie OS X more closely with iOS 8.
Even in the early days of its tenure, Yosemite can already be counted as a success in one way. According to metrics company Net Applications, Yosemite accounted for 36.6% of all instances of OS X, setting a new Mac adoption record in the process. Like OS X 10.9 Mavericks that came before it, Yosemite was made available as a free download, racing out of the traps on October 16. In comparison, Mavericks, which hit the App Store on October 22, 2013, gained a Mac-only user share of 32% after its first month of availability.
Apple has been focusing on fixing Yosemite's bugs now that it's out in the wild. In the first week of December it released a second beta of OS X Yosemite 10.10.2 for developers to download from the Mac App Store. That was followed by a third beta released on December 12, which asked testers to focus on Wi-Fi, Mail and VoiceOver. Should developers find that the release has been successful in fixing those problems, it will go onto general availability and hopefully cure Yosemite's lingering W-Fi issues once and for all.
Interface
The most obvious change, visually at least, is the new interface. Yosemite does to the Mac what iOS 7 did to the iPhone and iPad. Its user interface is flatter – though not flat, there are still drop shadows and other nods to the third dimension, it's just that now they exist for a purpose rather than being merely eye candy. No more glassy textures.
There's more translucency in Yosemite than its predecessor, Mavericks. Where once it was limited to the Finder's menu bar, it now pops up in lots of places, including Finder menus and the sidebar of Finder windows. It's been tweaked so that the underlying image is blurred and less distracting than in Mavericks, but we suspect it will still be a love it or hate it feature. If you do hate it, you can 'reduce' it in the Accessibility pane of System Preferences.
- Want to get more out of OS X? Check out these OS X Yosemite Tips & Tricks from Mac|Life!
Some of OS X's application icons have changed to resemble their iOS counterparts. iTunes, for example, now has a red icon instead of a blue one.
Finder
Not a huge amount has changed here, but there is one key addition: iCloud Drive. Your iCloud storage drive now shows up in the Finder and you can drag and drop files and folders to it just like any other location. It also displays the files you've opted to store there from apps like Pages, Numbers, and Text Edit.
Folders are now a brighter blue, but Apple hasn't taken the opportunity to rethink its confusing implementation of tags, which is a great disappointment. For those of us who used to mark Finder files and folders with a specific colour to indicate action that needed to be taken, for example, the tagging system is an irritation more than an aid.
Dock
The shelf has gone, which will be a great relief to many, and the Dock has now reverted back to its original format, a rectangle. Not so good is the loss of the Dock preferences from the Apple menu – to change things like magnification or show/hide, you must now pay a visit to System Preferences.Windows and buttons
The traffic light buttons at the top left of windows have, like everything else in Yosemite, lost their glassy texture and are now flat matte red, amber, and green. But there's a more significant change – the green button now acts, by default, as the full-screen switch in apps that support full-screen use. The arrows at the top right corner of windows are gone. In apps that don't support full-screen operation, the green button reverts to its regular duty of maximising windows. Holding down the Option (Alt) key also switches the green button from full-screen to maximise.Dark Mode
Brand new in Yosemite is Dark Mode, which turns some aspects of the OS a much darker shade of grey, to make it more comfortable to use your Mac in dim lighting. These include the Finder menu bar, Dock, and application switcher. During the beta period some elements of Dark Mode, such as Finder menus, were poorly implemented, and it remains to be seen whether they have been fixed in time for the full release.Spotlight, Safari and iTunes
Notification Centre
Hands up if you used Notification Centre in Mavericks? No, us neither. But Yosemite makes it much more interesting by adding a Today panel that works in a similar way to iOS 8's Notification Centre. It displays your Calendar appointments, the weather, world clock, and other elements you choose. And it supports third party widgets too. Oh, and it's another OS X element to be given the translucent treatment.
Spotlight
Spotlight in Yosemite is unrecognisable from its predecessors. Where once it slid almost apologetically into view underneath the magnifying glass on the menu bar, it now leaps into action in the centre of the screen. It looks, and operates, much more like a launcher such as Launch Bar, Quicksilver, or Alfred, than Spotlight of yore.There's a good reason for the change, however; Spotlight is now much more useful than it used to be. It hooks into online data sources to pull out information and display it on-screen. Type in the name of a movie, for example, and you'll get a thumbnail image and a plot summary with credits courtesy of Wikipedia. Type in the name of a restaurant or hotel, and Spotlight will display a snippet of a map, along with details of the establishment and reviews from Yelp.
For local files, it displays inline previews of documents and, as before, can be used in lieu of a calculator when you're in a hurry. It might just be enough to tempt you away from your favourite launcher.
Safari
The first impression Safari makes when launched is that it's smaller and lighter than it used to be. Apple has reduced the height of the menu bar and the result is the loss of toolbar favourites. They no longer display by default, though you can switch them back on again from the Bookmarks menu.New tabs now open with a display of tabs from the Favourites folder, rather than Top Sites. And those Favourites tabs appear again when you start to type in the address bar. A new tab switcher, accessed by pressing a button on the menu bar which is identical to the tab switcher in iOS, displays open tabs from all the devices connected to your iCloud account in the main window. You can navigate to any open tab, or close tabs on other devices.
The only other items on the sparse toolbar are a share icon, again identical to the iOS 8 share button, navigation arrows, and a button to show or hide the left-hand pane which displays Bookmarks, Reading List, and Shared Links. There's no Home button.
The address bar is now even smarter, though, and works similarly to Spotlight. Movie titles display snippets from Wikipedia under the address bar, and hotels and restaurants show the same details as Spotlight. Click once and you're given a more detailed preview, click again and you're taken to the relevant website.
iTunes
Besides the new icon, iTunes has had its interface overhauled. The Albums view looks even smarter than it did before, with better use of album covers' predominant colours for backgrounds. And the Artists view now gets a similar treatment to Albums.
Navigation has been made less intrusive. There are only three options at the top of the window now: My Music, Playlists, and iTunes Store. View options are now in a dropdown menu on the right, and Movies and TV Programmes, along with other content, have been moved from a dropdown menu to icons on the toolbar. By default, only music, movies, and TV shows are shown, but an Extras menu item allows you to add more.
The iTunes Store has had an overhaul too, and is now as clean and crisp as everything else in Yosemite. Here too, navigation has changed, though not necessarily for the better. It took us a bit of poking around to find out how to get to the App Store, for example. It turned out that it's hidden by default and you need to enable it from the same Extras menu that you use in the Library to view additional content there.
It seems as though Apple has deprecated the App Store in iTunes, at least in terms of making it easy to access, perhaps in recognition that many of us now buy iOS apps directly from the iOS App Store rather than iTunes.
There's still no sign of iTunes Radio in the UK.
Messages, Photo, Calendar and Continuity
There are, however, two important new features. The first is Mail Drop, which allows you to send multi-gigabyte attachments (up to 5GB) by first sending them to iCloud and then allowing the recipient to download them at their leisure.
The second new feature is a poster child for Yosemite's Extensions, a feature which allows third parties to add functionality to Yosemite apps and features, in a similar way to iOS 8's Extensions. This one's called Markup and allows you to annotate image attachments from within Mail.
Photo
No - you haven't spotted a typo - Photo is OS X Yosemite's new application for photos that is set to replace iPhoto in Yosemite. iPhoto is currently the default app for photo management, but Photo, which was introduced in the OS X Yosemite 10.10.3 beta in February, is expected to replace it when the update is pushed out to users. Photo showcases a much more streamlined view of your snaps and allows you to push your full-resolution photos to iCloud, making them available on every Apple device. In addition to viewing imags, Photo has Aperture-like editing capabilities that are likely to appeal to starting out photographers.Messages and FaceTime
Messages gets the same flat speech bubbles as iOS 8. That, however, is the least significant change. You can now send SMS messages directly from Messages to any phone, as long as you have an iPhone connected to your iCloud account on the same Wi-Fi network.Likewise, FaceTime now allows you to make and receive telephone calls on your Mac, using your iPhone as a proxy.
In Messages, you can now remove yourself from busy threads, switch on Do Not Disturb to mute notifications, and send audio snippets as well as text or images.
Calendar
Day view in Calendar now uses the right-hand side of the window to display details about any event or appointment you click on, with the left-hand side showing the full day, hour by hour. It looks great and is very useful, but comes at the expense of the multi-day appointment display that used to inhabit the left-hand side of Day view.
Continuity
The ability to use Messages and FaceTime for SMS messages and phone calls is part of what Apple calls Continuity. The theory is that you should be able to use whichever device – Mac, iPhone, or iPad – you want at any time, and accomplish anything on one you could do on another.Handoff is another aspect of Continuity. The idea is that you could, say, start typing an email on your Mac, and then pick it up on your iPhone and carry on, without ever having to close or save it, or think about how to do this.
It works like this: whenever you have a handoff compatible app open on an iOS device nearby (hardware and software compatibility allowing), the app's icon appears to the left of the Dock. Click on it and you open the OS X equivalent app and continue working on the open document. The other way round, the icon appears on iOS 8's Lock screen or at the very left of the app switcher and you tap it to call up the document.
It's a very clever and very useful feature, but does some nifty behind the scenes work that uses both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. So to use it, and other Continuity features, you'll need a device and a Mac that supports the latest version of Bluetooth. That means an iPhone 5 or later, iPad 4 or later, including the iPad mini, or an iPod touch 5th generation. Apple started introducing Bluetooth 4 in the Mac on the mid-2011 MacBook Air – but you'll need to check if your specific Mac supports it.
We tested it using the public beta of Yosemite with iOS 8.0.2 on a Retina MacBook Pro and it worked pretty well both ways round. It did take a bit of fiddling to get it to work the first time, and trying to figure out where the icon on iOS had gone after the Lock screen disappeared took a few minutes (it's to the left of the current app in the app switcher, so obscured when you initially invoke the switcher), but nevertheless, it worked.
The other aspect of Continuity is AirDrop. Where previously you could AirDrop files between Macs or between iOS devices, you can now swap them between Mac and iOS devices.
AirPlay
Yosemite allows Mac users to 'mirror' the Mac's audio and video output to an Apple TV without either being on a Wi-Fi network. The two devices can create a peer-to-peer network to connect with each other. However, you'll have to have the most recent Apple TV, released in March 2013, as older models don't support the feature. And you still can't mirror an iOS device on a Mac's display in order to, for example, watch video stored on your iPad on your iMac screen.Verdict
We liked
Continuity is an excellent addition, and the ability to make and receive phone calls from your Mac in particular is something we've been waiting for since the advent of Bluetooth a decade ago.iCloud Drive is also overdue, particularly for those of us who pay for additional storage, and it's good to see that it's as easy to use as Dropbox or OneDrive. The Today view transforms Notification Centre and we can't wait to see what developers do with Extensions.
We disliked
Apple introduced tags with Mavericks. We didn't like the implementation then, and the way it hijacked colour coding, and we still don't. Handoff, while great, isn't intuitive and it's easy to become frustrated when trying to get it to work.There seems to be no reason for the removal of Dock preferences from the Apple menu, and while it's a minor irritation, it's an irritation nonetheless. And the ability to AirPlay to, rather than just from, a Mac looks like it must remain on the wish-list for at least another year.
Final verdict
Yosemite is as big a deal for the Mac as iOS 7 was for the iPhone and iPad. Visually it takes a bit of getting used to, and there will no doubt be a period of bedding in as Apple smooths out one or two rough edges. If you were a fan of glassy textures and 3D tropes, you'll be disappointed. For the rest of us, however, the user interface is cleaner, crisper and looks particularly stunning on Retina displays.User interface aside, the biggest news is the ever-tightening link between Apple's two operating systems. If you're uneasy with being 'locked in' to Apple's universe, prepare to be very uncomfortable.
Apple's mission is clear: it wants to make swapping between iOS and OS X as seamless as possible, while retaining the strengths of each platform. That involves compromises, however, and one of them is using iCloud and an Apple ID for all your stuff. If you can live with that, Yosemite is very good indeed.
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Hands-on review: Samsung Galaxy A7
Samsung has made something of a shift in its design ethos with its Alpha and A range of smartphones. Instead of the plastic chassis of the Samsung Galaxy S5, an all-metal unibody design has been used. This design is a major hint at what to expect when the Samsung Galaxy S6 eventually arrives.
The A range is sleeker and a whole lot more stylish than the S5 - and suits phablets too, as the Samsung Galaxy A7 proves.
For some unknown reason, the Samsung Galaxy A7 wasn't shown off at CES 2015. But TechRadar managed to get hands on with the device at the company's European Forum in Monaco this week.
It will come as no surprise the Samsung Galaxy A7 offers many of the same specs as the Samsung Galaxy A3 and the Samsung Galaxy A5, albeit in a larger frame. But it does improve somewhat on both screen quality and chipset power.
The A7's screen measures 5.5 inches, just shy of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4's 5.7 inches. In contrast the A5's screen measures 5 inches and the A3's 4.5 inches. It's not hard to spot the pattern here.
There's a big reason the Galaxy Alpha A7 has a 5.5 inch screen, and that is the iPhone 6 Plus. This has definitely been released to rival Apple's bigger handset and, hopefully, take a slice of the market share that Apple is currently getting.
Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, a phone which sparked off Samsung's new all-metal look but came with no expandable memory, you will be pleased to know that the A7 has a microSD card slot. This is situated on the right side of the device, next to the SIM card slot. Both of these can be opened with a special pin.
Samsung has made sure that its A range of smartphones are the skinniest yet - the chassis measures a mere 6.3mm. It's beautifully slim, which means it sits well in the hand - despite the large screen size - and it is Samsung's thinnest handset to date.
Another way the Samsung Galaxy A7 differs from the others in the range is screen quality. While the A5 and A3 were given 720p screens, this one comes with a 1080p Super AMOLED.
The European Forum was ablaze with light when I tried out the A7 but it still managed to look bright, with colours both vivid and crisp. The 401ppi pixel density made sure that I was impressed with the look of the screen.
To make sure there is sufficient power in the A7, Samsung is using the Snapdragon 615 chipset. This is definitely a marked improvement on the Snapdragon 410 chip that's found in the A5.
Also inside is 2GB of memory and a rather paltry 16GB of built-in storage. Thankfully this can also be expanded by 64GB, courtesy of the SD slot.
In the hand, the phone feels perfectly premium. The metal chassis doesn't extend to the back of the device, though, but I have a feeling that this is something that Samsung is holding back for the Galaxy S6.
Camera-wise, Samsung has decided that 13MP should be the norm for this series but that's not something you can argue with. It means there's plenty of megapixel power to make sure the shots you take on the A7 match that of a compact camera.
Granted it's not the 20.7MP sensor that is found in the Sony Xperia Z3, but you won't have too much to complain about here.
If you are into the dreaded selfie, then this will also come out crisp and clear as there is a 5MP sensor on the front of the Galaxy A7. To help you with your picture-taking narcissism, there's two selfie-infused features on board: ultra wide shot and auto selfie.
Other camera functions include, touch to focus, face detection and geo tagging. The back camera is one thing that let's the design of the phone down - it does protrude, much like the camera on the Galaxy S5 but it is flanked by the LED flash and the speaker grill.
Early Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy A7 is a great-looking device but I will have to wait until our full review to see if it has the chipset power to help raise it above its mid-range leanings.If you don't fancy wielding an S Pen, however, and want a big-screen phone then the A7 does fit this category.
While it doesn't match Samsung's current flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S5, on specs - except for a better front-facing camera - this design will no doubt carry on in the Samsung Galaxy S6. And that is definitely something to get excited about.
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Industry voice: How to deal with the challenges of the smart meter rollout
With smart meters set to become a game changer for the industry, it is imperative for all entrants in the race to prepare their IT systems for the switchover and ensure that the customer always comes first in the race to the finish line. However, despite the impending deadline, there are still key hurdles for companies to overcome to enable them to compete in an industry that is gathering pace.
In this article, we'll outline some of the challenges ahead and how companies can get their IT infrastructure in order, to cope with the long road ahead.
Get a head start
Before taking the plunge and overhauling billing and customer management systems, energy suppliers need to understand the strain that will be put on their systems by the introduction of smart meters. "Big billing" – the upgrade of billing and customer information systems to turn the increasing volume of data from smart metering into revenue – will be one of the main challenges facing utilities companies as they look to cope with both the increased levels and opportunities associated with data and information.Energy retailers are devising tactical plays in pinpointed market segments, greater interaction with consumers via connected devices, and even forays into entirely new, non-energy markets. If they are to realise these ambitions they will all need competencies in billing and customer information that are orders of magnitude greater than current needs, and that existing systems support.
So before they venture forth into this data-dominated realm, energy retailers need assurances their system upgrades will hold up. After all, in looking to make radical changes to data systems, the retailers will find themselves stripping down the engine that keeps their business on track. There can be no spanners in the works. Closer dialogue between information professionals and the board of directors will be vital in understanding what is involved and the impact that software and infrastructure failures could have on the business' ability to stay competitive if billing systems fall over when smart metering goes live.
With many established utilities companies bogged down by legacy systems, traditional infrastructures will struggle to cope with these future big billing scenarios. They were designed for a different landscape and the complex multi-platform environment will add additional strain.
The key to success will be for utilities companies to apply change quickly and confidently. System design, build and testing will need to consider this, in particular end-to-end regression testing will need to grow and utilities companies will need to become more adept at testing in-home devices. It is therefore imperative that when the upgrade happens, regular quality testing forms a key part of the process to ensure big billing will be well supported and that there are no nasty surprises at the end of the process.
Although the rollout of smart meters isn't scheduled until 2020, 62% of consumers are sceptical that the rollout will go smoothly, as many previous big IT projects have faced delays or gone over budget. With this is mind, companies must not underestimate the challenge ahead and need to put appropriate due diligence in place now when overhauling systems, to ensure a smooth transition when everything goes live.
With reputations and market share on the line, providers cannot afford to have IT departments in disarray and angry customers knocking on the door when processes fail.
Increased expectations
But it doesn't stop there. Consumers won't just expect a smart meter system that works, they will want more for their money and will increasingly demand more modern, flexible billing options and customer care solutions that can accommodate varying combinations of products and services.At least three of the large energy suppliers have recently fallen foul of customer ire and dissatisfaction – and the subsequent wrath of the regulator – following errors in newly implemented systems. Billing-related issues accounted for 84% of complaints to the Energy Ombudsman between January and June 2014, demonstrating the harm that can arise during changes to billing and customer interface systems and why thorough testing of the systems is vital.
In the smart meter age, competitor price differences will be minimal and potentially level the playing field, increasing pressure on energy supplier price margins but also customer retention. This could spark competition between suppliers for prepayment meter customers, through price and tariff offers and mobile phone-type incentives. Suppliers will need to retain and win customers and offer added value to their deal, rather than becoming reliant on pricing alone.
A lesson learnt
One sector that has gone through a similar transition is the telecoms industry. Within this highly competitive market, providers are offering additional bonuses to incentivise their customers – for example Orange Wednesday cinema tickets (though that scheme will come to an end at the close of this month), O2 Rewards and Vodafone Freebees.Although some energy players are deliberating on expansion beyond their utility operations, they need to embrace the idea of using non-commodity and value-added services to create highly differentiated propositions, or risk losing customers to competitors during the switch.
However, many of the legacy systems currently in operation in the energy sector lack the flexibility and efficiency to respond to smart meter-related market trends and customer expectations. The challenge is to find a balance between migrating from legacy systems to upgraded customer service and billing that will allow for change while keeping customer disruption in check. New entrants to the sector, however, are not weighed down with the same challenges. They are, in fact, set up to be more fleet of foot in bringing products to market.
Reaching the finish line
With so much imminent change in the industry, suppliers have got to keep their eye on the prize. They have to be smarter, slicker, and faster at dealing with all the challenges ahead, such as regulatory compliance, and the things that make them money.Meanwhile they have to deliver on other changes to keep ahead of the competition. If they just deliver the business as usual, without going through the necessary due diligence and testing new systems, it will damage their business and future success. Now is the time to test everything, and then test it again – or turn to the experts who can test it for you. There won't be a second chance to get this right.
- Angus Panton is Director of Power and Communications at SQS
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How good is the Olympus E-M5 Mark II's 5-axis stabilization?
We spoke to Janne Tarvonen, New Media Designer/Producer at KAUAS to find out more about the video, how it was made and how they got on with the OM-D E-M5 Mark II. He told us the whole video was shot handheld, without using any rigs or external stabilisers – and he had lots of other great insights too.
Where was this filmed and how cold was it?
JT: The filming took place in Koli National Park, Finland. It was around -20-25 degrees celsius.
Some of the scenes are shot in really low light, so how did the camera cope with that?
JT: In low-light scenes ISO800 was the maximum usable ISO. In better light conditions we were able to use ISO1600 when exposed right. We had also few lights with us which was helpful.
Did you use AF or manual focus or both?
JT: We used both. Manual focusing was easy with focus peaking and autofocus worked pretty well when shooting moving objects. We even shot some scenes with a 300mm focal length and lots of movement in the picture. The autofocus worked really well here, especially the scene where the snowmobiles are moving down from the hill.
Did you do any comparisons with the stabilization and without it?
JT: We shot mainly with the stabilizer on because all the shots were done handheld. It worked really well with small and bigger movements. We did a stabilisation test before the trip and didn't change the settings after that.
Auto exposure or manual exposure?
JT: Manual exposure. The buttons and functions in manual mode were positioned in good places and even with thick winter gloves we were able to use the buttons. One disappointment was that the changing the shutter speed or aperture was not possible during recording. We didn't experience shooting with auto exposure and we don't believe that not many professionals would use that.
Any comments about the camera and the things you like about it from a videographer's point of view?
JT: The stabilizer is a game changer really. It doesn't only work in big movements like when following the subject by walking, but also in small movements like doing really small pulls and pushes [moving in and out] with the camera. The stabilizer gives so much freedom in run-and-gun style shoots where you can't really carry a lot of gear with you. This really isn't a low light camera, but in good light conditions the image quality is competitive. Also the 77 Mbps bitrate gives surprisingly good results when you do color grading [color matching/correction] later on. We think that well done 1080p is much better choice than second-rate 4K.
- KAUAS website
- Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II news story
- Olympus OM-D E-M5 review
- Best compact system camera
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Tech Bargains: TechRadar Deals: TVs, Smartphones, Xbox One pads, Nooks and storage
Each day TechRadar brings you great deals on tech products from around the web and today we've got some excellent bargains for you.
First up, we have two products that were made for each other. You can currently get the 50-inch Panasonic TX-50AS520B home cinema TV for just £449.
And while you're at it, why not get someone to play with it? The Nintendo Wii U Mario Kart Premium Pack is currently available at Amazon for £199.
Valentine's Day: quick links
- TechRadar: Valentine's Day Gift ideas
- John Lewis: Valentine's Day Deals
- Amazon: Valentine's Day Deals
- Very: Valentine's Day Deals
- Interflora: Valentine's Day Surprises
- Hotel Chocolat: Valentine's Day Gifts
Today's Hot Deals
Smartphone: If you're looking for a cheap and cheerful Android smartphone either for you or for a family member, this is a great deal. The Motorola Moto E is available online for just £60 - it would make a great first mobile for someone!
Xbox: Got an Xbox One and need another controller? The average price for a spare pad is £40 but Zavvi currently has an Xbox One pad and a copy of Minecraft all for jsut £29.99. Do not though, that this is a wired pad, not a wireless one.
eReader: Want an eBook reader that's powered by Android and doesn't cost the Earth? You can currently get a Nook HD 8GB, compatible with Google Play and the games and apps that come with it, for just £49.
Storage: Need some external storage for all your photos, music and/or files? Get the excellent Samsung M3 drive with 1TB (1000GB) capacity for just £45.99.
Storage: Or if it's a USB stick you want, this one will happily sit on a key ring and stay out of the way until you need it - it's a 16GB drive for just £5.90.
MORE HOT DEALS
Anker® Ultra Portable Pocket Size Wireless Bluetooth Speaker with 12 Hour Playtime - £12.99 at Amazon.co.ukNokia Lumia 630 UK SIM-Free Smartphone - Black (Windows, 4.5-inch, 8GB) - £77 at Amazon.co.uk
PortaPow 15W Rainproof Foldable Dual USB Solar Charger with Fast Charge USB sockets for Portable Electronics - £36.49 at Amazon.co.uk
Brother HL-L2340DW A4 Mono Laser Printer - £79.20 at Amazon.co.uk
Sonos BRIDGE - Expand your Wireless Hi-Fi - £29 at Amazon.co.uk
Pure Jongo A2 Wireless Hi-Fi Adapter with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth - Piano - £34.99 at Amazon.co.uk
Microsoft Arc Keyboard - UK Layout - £19.97 at Amazon.co.uk
Hot Deals on Games
Murdered: Soul Suspect - £13.85 at Amazon.co.ukEvolve (Xbox One) - £42 at Tesco
Dead Rising 3 - Xbox One - £21 at Tesco
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare - £25 at Amazon.co.uk
Alien: Isolation - Nostromo Edition (PS4) - £17.99 at Base.com
Metro Redux (PS4) - £16.99 at Base.com
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo 3DS) - £25 at Amazon.co.uk
Football Manager 2015 - £18.49 at Amazon.co.uk
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Is this our first look at the Galaxy S Edge and its multiple screens?
A new image has been leaked that could give us the clearest idea yet of what Samsung has in store for its upcoming Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S Edge smartphones.
The image was leaked to CNET Korea and apparently shows both handsets in and out of Verus-branded cases. Verus is a well known mobile accessory maker in South Korea, so if the image is legitimate it could be marketing material for the manufacturer.
The handset on the far left of the image is apparently the Samsung Galaxy S6, and according to this render there won't be many surprises with the final design, with a metallic frame similar to the Galaxy Note 4.
It also looks like the Samsung Galaxy S6 will come with a protruding camera, which could mean Galaxy S6 owners will be getting an improved snapper at the expense of being able to place the smartphone flat on its back on a table.
Double-edged sword
The render of the Samsung Galaxy S Edge is more interesting as it apparently confirms rumours that this handset will come with a screen that curves over two edges, rather than just one like the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge.We're not entirely convinced these renders are accurate, so take all of this with a pinch of salt. Samsung has an event at this year's Mobile World Congress on March 1, so we should find out everything we need to know then.
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Hands-on review: Samsung NX500
There's a very good reason that Samsung NX1 garnered 5 stars when we reviewed it: it's the best camera Samsung has ever produced, complete with features evened seasoned photographers cannot ignore.
It's with much excitement then, that Samsung has decided to port its class-leading APC-S 28MP sensor into a superb-looking compact system camera – the Samsung NX500.
TechRadar managed to get hands on with the NX500 at the company's European forum in Monaco this week and while we couldn't test the camera to the best of its abilities, first impressions are very good.
As you would imagine, the NX500 is much smaller than its NX1 bedfellow. It weighs just 287g, which means it feels solid in the hand but isn't going to give you arm ache if you use it for long periods of time. Samsung has also improved the grip on the NX500, so you never feel like the camera is going slip from your hands.
Samsung has looked at the features of the NX1 and has been clever in the way its carried them over into the NX500, managing to squeeze them into a much smaller space.
For a start, nothing has been taken from the 28MP APS-C sensor. It's still backlit, so as much light as possible can hit it. When it comes to outright resolution, it outclasses any APS-C sensor Sony, Fuji and Olympus has created.
It's this sensor that has pushed Samsung into the camera big league and I am glad it decided not to mess with it. It also means that, for once, the high ISO range that the NX500 offers up is warranted. The NX500 can manage a sensitivity range from ISO 100-25600 – this is expandable to 51200.
The camera felt good in the hand when I tried it out. The smaller frame will definitely suit those new to photography, both in the ease of how you can handle it and that it's simply not as daunting to try out as the NX1 was.
Samsung is hoping that the NX500 will bring in the burgeoning photographer crowd and has simplified the controls, so that if you just want to point and shoot you can and the results will impress.
To help with this, the Samsung Auto Shot (SAS) autofocus mode that was first seen on the NX1 has made it to the NX500, alongside a 4K option, all of which can be found on the jog wheel on the right of the NX500. Also situated on the chassis is a covered USB 2.0 and mini HDMI slot on the left-hand side of the camera. The SD card and battery can be found underneath the NX500 and on the top neat the jog wheel is a WiFi button and hotshoe.
There are a number of other buttons situated on the back of the NX500. This is where you will find the photo playback, ISO options and a way into the camera's myriad menus. If physical buttons aren't your thing then you can use the 3-inch AMOLED touchscreen. I found this the best way to navigate through the camera's options.
It's also the only way to view what you are actually taking a picture of. This is because Samsung hasn't seen the need to add an electric viewfinder to the NX500 – as this is a slimmed down camera, that would have added unnecessary bulk.
The screen also flips out to 180 degrees which makes it a lot easier when you want to take a selfie. Yes, Samsung has decided to embrace the selfie generation and has made it as easy as possible to take pictures of yourself. While most will baulk at this idea, it will definitely pique the interest of younger photographers.
While the NX500 can hold its own in the imaging stakes against the NX1, there are a few things that have been omitted. The biggest is the 15fps continuous shooting option. This has been trimmed down to a less impressive 9fps. Given this easily beats all but the most serious pro DSLRs on the market at the moment, however, it's a small quibble.
The NX1's patterned AF illuminator also didn't make the cut, instead you get an AF assist light to help you with your low-light shooting.
But it does have the addition of one-touch WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, which means Samsung has made it really simple to send your pictures to a smartphone so they can be uploaded to a social network of your choice.
Early Verdict
The Samsung NX500 packs a lot of features into a diminutive frame. It's light and adaptable – everything a CSC should be – but has a class-leading sensor that puts it head and shoulders above many of the other cameras in its range.While we will have to try it out under full test conditions, Samsung looks to have successfully created another fantastic camera that won't be beaten on specs, especially at its mid-range price point.
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UK government staff can now choose what laptop they want to use
The British government is looking to swap BYOD (bring your own device) with CYOD (choose your own device) in what has been called a "major technological transformation" within the Tory-led government.
As part of the deal, more than 2000 civil servants have been asked to choose between five laptops (rather than being give one by default).
On offer were the MacBook Air (11 or 13-inch models), the Dell XPS 13, a Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga S1 or the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, the latter retailing for more than £1000.
A spokesperson has confirmed that staff at the Cabinet Office, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Crown Commercial Service have been offered the option to choose the laptop they want to use.
Flexi-time
Fujitsu is likely to be the biggest loser as the British government looks set to make its contracts more flexible and insource some of the aftersales support.Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude confirmed at a recent event that the move could mean savings of at least 40% and give the public sector more flexibility and agility, a lot of which is due to the inherent characteristics of working on the cloud.
Source: V3
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Canon's new 750D (T6i)/760D (T6s) D-SLR double-act targets novices and enthusiasts
Canon's announcement of two new cameras is just one part of the story. The other is that they use a new 24-megapixel sensor, made by Canon, which features a new version of its Hybrid CMOS AF system.
This uses phase-detection 'focusing' pixels spread across the sensor to aid faster autofocus in live view mode and when shooting movies. This latest Hybrid CMOS AF III in the 750D and 760D has more focusing pixels arranged in a more regular array, and Canon says it's about 4x faster than version II (used in the EOS 100D) and two generations ahead of the original Hybrid CMOS AF system in the EOS 700D.
Pixel power
The 24-megapixel sensor is especially interesting because this gives the 750D and 760D parity with rival Nikon D-SLRs like the D3300 and D5500. It's also a sign that Canon could be pensioning off the venerable 18-megapixel CMOS sensor still used in the 700D and EOS 100D.
The increase in resolution hasn't harmed the ISO range, though, which goes from ISO 100-12800 (25,600 in 'expanded' mode). The processing is handled by Canon's DIGIC 6 processor, a step up from the DIGIC 5 processor used in the 100D and 700D.
Both cameras offer 5fps continuous shooting and Canon's more powerful 19-point AF system (all cross-type), compared to the 9-point AF on the existing entry-level models.
Round the back, they both have articulating 3-inch touch-screen displays with a resolution of 1,040,000 dots, and both cameras can shoot full HD movies at 30fps, 25fps and 24fps. They also feature Canon's new Flicker Detection technology, first seen in the EOS 7D Mark II, for more reliable exposures under artificial light.
EOS 750D vs EOS 760D
So what's the difference? It's all about the design rather than the features. Both cameras will be part of Canon's entry-level EOS line-up, but they're aimed at different kinds of user.The EOS 750D is aimed at beginners who want the reassurance of automatic modes and simpler controls of the kind they might be used to on a compact camera.
The EOS 760D, however, is designed for enthusiasts who want more creative and manual control. This is the one to choose if you already know the basics and want to move on.
There's little difference in the size and weight, but the 760D swaps the mode dial over from the right side of the camera to the left to make room for a mono status LCD. This displays key shooting information in a clearly visible way without the need to check the more power-hungry LCD display on the back.
The 760D also has a second control dial on the rear of the camera. This makes it changing key camera settings much quicker, especially when shooting in the semi-automatic or manual modes where you want to adjust the shutter speed and lens aperture independently.
Price and availability
Although the 760D is for more advanced users, the prices are not that different. The EOS 760D will cost £650/US$850 (about AU$1086), body only, while the EOS 750D will cost £600/US$750 (about AU$958) body only or £690/US$900 (about AU$1150) with Canon's EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens. Both cameras go on sale from April 2015.Canon says that they're additions to the Canon range rather than replacements, and they they are designed to slot in between the EOS 700D and EOS 70D.
Putting aside any potential bafflement over which model to buy, and why there are two at all, the EOS 750D and 760D do represent a real step forward, with a newer, higher resolution sensor and much improved autofocus – we look forward to giving them a proper test.
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Canon's new EOS M3 compact system camera takes no chances
Canon's slogan for the EOS M3 is 'The power of EOS, only smaller'. Well, it's not all of the power, and it's not massively smaller.
One of the issues with the original EOS M was that its 18-55mm kit lens was hardly any more compact than a regular DSLR's, so no matter how small and neat the body, adding the lens turned it into an unpocketable lump.
That hasn't changed. So while Canon's CSC-making rivals switch to space-saving retracting lenses and ever-smaller bodies, the EOS M3 is still caught in the middle; smaller than a DSLR, but not small enough.
And there's still no electronic viewfinder. The Fuji X-T1 and Olympus OM-D series has shown that DSLR-style compact system cameras can look great, handle brilliantly and really capture the camera-buying public's imagination. Canon could have followed this route with the EOS M3 and produced a radically different camera, but it hasn't.
You can fit the add-on EVF designed for the PowerShot G1 X Mark II to the accessory shoe on the top of the EOS M3, but that's an expensive extra.
Better, faster, more creative
On the plus side, the M3 uses the brand new 24-megapixel sensor fitted to the just-announced EOS 750D and 760D. This also has Canon's latest 49-point Hybrid CMOS AF III autofocus system. On the 750D and 760D this gives a 4x speed improvement over the previous version (in the EOS 100D), but here you get a 6x speed gain over the original EOS M. The EOS M also has the more powerful DIGIC 6 processor used in the 750D and 760D (DIGIC 5 in the EOS M).
Canon has added a contoured grip to the front of the camera to make it easier to hold and the touch-screen display on the back now tilts up to 180 degrees upwards and 75 degrees down. It also has a new Creative Assist mode where you can adjust brightness, background blur, color saturation, contrast, warmth and filter effects and see them applied live – and then you can save these effect combinations to use them again. Wi-Fi and NFC are built in, and you'll be able to control the EOS M3 remotely with a smart device using Canon's Camera Connect app.
We're looking forward to trying out this new 24-megapixel sensor properly, and testing its performance across its usefully wide ISO range, from 100-12800.
The EOS M3 goes on sale from April 2015 and will cost £600.
Canon Ixus 275 HS (ELPH 350HS)
Canon's new DSLRs were the stars of the show, but Canon took the opportunity to launch two new compact cameras too.
The Ixus 275HS is slim and stylish and packs a 12x optical zoom and 20-megapixel sensor. It has NFC and Wi-Fi communication built in and offers wireless remote control with a smart device running Canon's Camera Connect app.
The Ixus 275 will be available from May 2015 and will cost £190/US$210 (about AU$268).
Canon PowerShot SX410 IS
Canon's new PowerShot has a 40x optical zoom and fits roughly in the middle of Canon's PowerShot range. It's not quite as large as Canon's top-end bridge cameras like the SX60 HS and SX510 HS, but it still has a substantial lens barrel at the front so it's not really a pocket-sized 'travel' camera like the slimline SX710 or SX610.
Inside there's a 20-megapixel sensor and Canon's 'Intelligent IS' image stabilization system to keep camera shake under control – the ergonomic grip on the front should help too.
It does shoot movies, but only standard 720p not full HD, which is a bit of a surprise but hardly a deal-breaker, in that you don't really buy a camera like this for its movie quality.
The SX410 IS goes on sale from March 2015 for £250/US$280 (about AU$358).
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Canon 5DS 50-megapixel monster set to redefine the professional DSLR market
What is it?
Canon's new full-frame sensor offers a resolution of 50.6 million pixels (megapixels). That's 40% more than the Nikon D800/D810, a camera which caused jaws to drop on its own launch, just three years ago.Comparisons with Canon's own cameras are even more stark. The EOS 5D Mark III was previously Canon's highest resolution DSLR, with 22 million pixels – but the 5DS more than doubles this at a stroke.
Who needs it?
This kind of resolution might be overkill for the average amateur photographer, but for professionals it could be crucial. It could even take away the need to move up to the much more expensive world of medium format digital photography, and will be particularly well-suited to landscapes, architecture, fashion and portrait photography. It provides the kind of resolution needed for large-scale displays like advertising billboards or posters.
Professionals are the main target, but Canon also talks about 'personal' photography. The EOS 5DS isn't cheap, but it's not unattainable either. It goes on sale from June 2015 at a price of £3,000/US$3700 (about AU$4726), which is not a whole lot more than the EOS 5D Mark III and much less than Canon's flagship EOS-1D X model.
The Nikon D800/D810 has shown that there are plenty of committed amateur/semi-pro photographers out there who are prepared to spend serious amounts of money to get the best possible quality.
The 5DS R is sharper still
When Nikon launched the D800 in 2012, it also announced a variant the D800E. Until that point, all DSLRs had an optical 'low-pass' filter in front of the sensor to prevent moiré (interference) effects with fine patterns and textures. This slightly softens fine detail as a side-effect, and the D800E variant had the low pass filter effect removed (reduced actually – it was removed entirely for the D810).Canon has done the same. The 5DS is the 'regular' version with a low pass filter, while the 5D R has the low pass effect removed.
Canon hasn't simply taken the filter away, incidentally, since this would have shifted the sensor's focal plane and required an internal redesign. Instead, the 5DS R has a second optical low pass filter to counteract the effect of the one that's already there.
The 5DS R will, in theory, provide slightly sharper ultra-fine detail, but with the possible risk of moiré effects with some subjects. Canon says it should be fine, however, for subjects with 'organic' detail, like landscapes.
The Nikon D800E proved surprisingly popular – people wanted that extra ounce of resolution, whatever the risk. As it turned out, nobody reported any moiré problems anyway, so it'll be interesting to see which of these two 5DS variants proves the most popular.
The 5DS R goes on sale at the same time as the regular 5DS in June 2015 at a price of £3200/US$3900 (about AU$4981).
Where it fits in
It's interesting that Canon has chosen to put its new sensor in the 5D body, not the 1D. Again, there's a parallel with Nikon's approach. The Nikon D800/D810 is cheaper than the flagship D4s, but the D4s designed specifically for high-speed/low-light sports and press photography. Canon's in the same boat with the 1D X. That's a specialised and expensive high-speed model, where the 5D has always been the 'affordable' pro camera.
In fact, apart from the resolution and a some external details, the 5DS is practically the same as the 5D Mark III. The 5D Mark III will continue alongside the new models too, and not just as a cheaper but outdated predecessor – it's better in low light, for a start. The 5DS has a maximum non-expanded ISO of 6400, but the 5D Mark III goes up to ISO 12800. The 5D Mark III is better suited to movies, too, because for the 5DS Canon has dropped the headphone socket for monitoring audio levels in favour of a USB 3.0 port for faster transfer of its huge image files.
Key specs
The EOS 5DS packs dual DIGIC processors to handle those massive 50-megapixel files, and this helps give it an impressive 5fps continuous shooting speed. There are plenty of faster cameras than this, but 5fps is enough for most jobs and a real technical achievement given the sheer quantity of data being captured by the sensor.You don't have to use all 50 million pixels, though. The 5DS offers a 1.3x crop mode to simulate the sensor size of the old EOS 1D series cameras, and a 1.6x crop mode to simulate Canon's smaller APS-C consumer models.
These produce 30 megapixel and 19 megapixel images respectively, so you'll still get plenty of detail – but the 1.6x crop mode does NOT mean that the EOS 5DS can take smaller EF-S format lenses. There are physical differences that makes this impossible, and the crop mode is simply there to simulate the smaller sensor sizes.
This is more useful than it might sound. You might be used to the 'reach' your 70-300mm telephoto gives you on your APS-C Canon, and now you can get the same effective magnification on the 5DS. You'll also get much more manageable file sizes – 50MP is brilliant, but you won't necessarily need it all the time.
The 5DS uses the same high-tech autofocus system as the EOS 5D Mark III, with 61 AF points including 41 cross-type sensors and 5 dual cross-type. It uses Canon's 'Intelligent Tracking and Recognition AF' (iTR) to track both faces and colour.
The 150,000 pixel RG+IR light metering sensor has the Flicker Detection first seen on the EOS 7D Mark II for more reliable exposures under artificial light (notably fluorescent light).
There's a new Fine Detail Picture Style designed to offer advanced sharpness adjustment without the need for a computer, and it's now possible to customise the Quick Control screen with your own favourite settings.
Keep it sharp
With the 5DS, Canon has also introduced a new Mirror Vibration Control System which uses cams to drive the camera's mirror up and down in a controlled fashion, avoiding sudden stops that could jar the camera and blur the picture.This highlights a key point with the 5DS and, indeed, the Nikon D800/810 before it – the resolution is so high that small camera movements or focus errors that would go unnoticed in other cameras can start to become visible.
The 5DS will never record less detail than a camera with a lower resolution sensor, but you will need to take more care over focusing and camera shake to really see its full potential. You'll also need to think seriously about getting some bigger memory cards (it takes both CF and SD) and a bigger hard disk for your computer (or maybe a newer, faster computer) to handle those 50-megapixel files.
The EOS 5DS and 5DS R aren't out until June, but we will bring you a full review just as soon as we can. In the meantime, Canon announced another product which will be available much sooner and could be just as exciting for serious/professional Canon owners...
Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM
Oh, right (you think), so this is another APS-C format super-wideangle lens? But it's not. Despite the super-short focal lengths, this is a full-frame lens and, to be more precise, the world's widest angle rectilinear zoom lens. You can get fisheye lenses which are wider still, but they produce a strong, circular distortion effect – this 11-24mm lens records straight lines as straight (hence 'rectilinear') and it's just stunning.
It's going to be especially useful for landscapes and architecture, but it will also be excellent for interior shots, where there never seems to be quite enough room to step back and get everything in.
The new lens has three aspherical lens elements, including one ground aspherical element (most are 'moulded', which is cheaper).
It goes on sale from March 2015 at a cost of £2800 and, given what this lens can do, we're not remotely surprised it costs that much. Even at this price, you'll probably need to pre-order to be sure of getting one.
We'll get one in for review just as soon as we can.
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