TechLife Magazine
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- Avoid geo-blocks - we'll show you how to get content to your door regardless of where it's from.
- Apple Watch - we get hands on with the new smartwatch.
- Tough tech - we rode a motorbike to Ayers Rock and back to test just how tough this gear was!
- Handy how-tos: tech tools for tax time, remove bloatware, core photography skills and more!
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Grab your copy from newsagents from 13th May 2015 or download the digital edition or subscribe online from:
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In Depth: Apple Watch OS 2: what you need to know
watchOS 2 release date and more
With WWDC 2015 winding down, we finally know more about the imminent Apple Watch OS 2 update.Developers now have access to the smartwatch's sensors and controls like the Taptic Engine, Digital Crown and more, meaning apps will get native apps opposed to ones that are simply ported over. Native apps allow faster run time and greater app capabilities.
The wrist gadget will also see a ton of refreshed features to enrich your experience - Siri is smarter, public transit will show up in Maps and new watch faces are just a few of the enhancements Apple VP Kevin Lynch discussed.
Here's the rest of what to expect when watchOS 2 launches.
Apple Watch OS 2 release date
The update is heading to wrists in the fall. An official date hasn't been specified but it seems to fall in line with the launch of iOS 9.Just like past major Apple OS updates, the Apple Watch's software upgrade will be free.
Sensors and controls
The Digital Crown will provide functionality beyond zooming in and out. Rotating the crown will let you "Time Travel" showing various events up to 72 hours into the future or past events, right on the watch face. Weather and news headlines are also other complications that Time Travel will work with. Insteon is another example of controlling house lights with a simple turn of the crown.
The microphone will be accessible which should makes the Voice Memo app pretty useful on the wrist. This should mean developers will also be able to use the microphone in their builds.
Developers will now have access to the accelerometer so you can expect future apps to utilize this feature. Apple demoed golf app Ping that measured a person's swing.
Different vibrational feedback and sounds for various apps should arrive with the Taptic Engine being open to devs.
Tetherless Wi-Fi
Yes, this sounds exactly like what you think. The Apple Watch will be able to connect to open Wi-Fi networks without needing to connect to your iPhone first. You'll be able to leave your phone in another room and your wrist will be a perfectly suitable alternative. Android Wear's latest update already supports this feature, so it's nice to see the iOS device receiving it as well.
Watch faces
There are already 10 customizable Apple Watch faces and as we expected, there are more on the way.
Time Lapse - Hong Kong, London, Mack Lake, New York and Shanghai are the five cities Apple shot time-lapse videos over 24 hours to create the new faces.
Photo - Just like iPhone backgrounds, your collection of pictures are now fodder for your smartwatch faces.
Photo Album - This option will show a rotating gallery of images from any photo album every time you raise your wrist, just like the Motion watch face.
Complications
New "complications" or information in the various watch faces will be able to display third party apps. Flight times, home controlled systems with Homekit devices can be accessed from your wrist, your electric car charge information and more should show up as options when OS 2 is released. The complications can be changed on the Modular face along with the majority of the other faces.
Nightstand
Nightstand mode will flip your Apple Watch face to show horizontally while it's charging. The Digital Crown becomes a snooze button and the side button turns off alarms. If you're not a fan of lights, the display screen won't show unless you touch it or one of the buttons.
Email replies
One option that has been sorely missing will finally make it onto the Apple Watch: email replies. Just like text messages, you'll be able to reply directly from your wrist with voice dictation, emojis and smart responses. However there's no details on whether editing messages will be allowed, or how long your replies can be.
watchOS 2 videos, Siri and more
Videos
Tiny videos and itty bitty FaceTime will also make it onto watchOS 2 but only short form videos like Vines can be watched. Apple promises the quality of the videos will look great despite the small size because of the watch's OLED that sits behind the Ion-X and sapphire glass screens. It should be interesting what other kinds of videos make it onto the smartwatch since Vines generally aren't the best quality to begin with.
Fitness, Siri and Maps
Workouts will be more useful with the OS 2 update. HealthKit will be available with more metrics shown on the watch and a real-time heart rate monitor that will be able to stream from your wrist.
Saying the "Hey Siri" prompts a workout, and can be as specific as "Hey Siri, start a 30 minute run" or "Hey Siri start a 300 calorie walk" all without needing to open the app.
Speaking of Siri, the little AI assistant will be able to provide Glances by saying "Hey Siri, show me the Instagram glance." Siri will also be able to control HomeKit devices and give you transit directions.
Apple Maps' new transit directions will show up on your wrist with train, bus and subway schedules. However like Google Maps' updated service, only select cities around the world will provide the information. Though previously available with Apple Maps, walking directions to and from transit stops will be part of watchOS 2.
Wallet and Apple Pay
Wallet, or the freshly re-dubbed Passbook, will also be updated in the fall. All the new options you can use in iOS 9 with Wallet will be available on the wrist as well.
For those who enjoy the convenience of using Apple Pay on the smartwatch, OS 2 will allow more credit cards and reward cards stored on the device for better access.
Friends and Digital Touch
For the popular folks who have more than 12 friends, you'll be able to add more people to your Apple inner circle right from the watch instead of adding from the app. They can even be categorized into different sets that show up on different screens for better organization.
Your tiny sketching experience will also be improved. Digital Touch will let you use more than one color so people can be more creative.
Activation Lock
One thing Apple didn't discuss during WWDC is the Apple Watch's new security feature, Activation Lock. It's found on iPhones and turning it on will require iCloud Apple ID and password.
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Loved by their peers, these tech CEOs show how to lead
Google's Larry Page and Nike CEO Mark Parker both defy Machiavellian expectations to show that you can be loved and lead effectively from the top.
Page tied Parker for the top spot in a recently published survey by online careers website Glassdoor, which ranks CEOs based on feedback from within their organizations. In addition to Google, a number of CEOs from technology companies made the cut.
"The list ... recognizes the 50 Highest Rated CEOs at large companies (1,000 or more employees), determined by the people who work for them in the US - their employees," Glassdoor said of its survey. Glassdoor also has a separate survey ranking 25 CEOs from small and medium businesses (SMBs).
Google takes the lead
Moving up into the top spot from number 12 a year ago is Larry Page, the Co-founder and CEO of Google. It's not surprising to see Page land the top spot with a 97% employee approval rating, considering the culture he helped build at Google favors hard work and rewards employees with office perks not heard of before in Silicon Valley."You'll see Larry and Sergey at TGIF and you'll admire how they lead the company," one Google employee wrote on the Glassdoor forums. "They are brilliant, goofy, low key but intense, and likable."
"Hires the best and the brightest people and works on ambitious goals. You work on things that matter in the world. Larry has a great vision for the company," another Googler added.
Page isn't the only likable geek in town, however. He is joined by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg at number four, Apple's Tim Cook at number 10, T-Mobile's passionate and outspoken John Legere at number 14, Salesforce's founder Marc Benioff at number 21 and Airbnb's Brian Chesky rounds out the list for tech at number 48.
The likability index proves that you can be effective without being abrasive in leadership, a trait that was often attributed to late Apple CEO Steve Jobs who was known for instilling fear in his employees.
Last year's most beloved CEO, Linkedin's Jeff Weiner, dropped to the twelfth position on the list this year with a 93% rating. Weiner's drop in the rankings may be in part due to the changing culture at LinkedIn as it grows, adding more bureaucracy and red tape.
- Read about the best feature coming to Android M
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Samsung's latest OLED can be a mirror, a window or a TV
Drop everything you're doing … unless what you're doing is putting up a new 4K Ultra HD TV.
Samsung today unveiled a line of transparent and mirrored OLED displays that it intends to sell to retail stores for use as interactive displays. While Samsung made no specific remarks about releasing them to the public, the show floor models serve as a window into a possible future for our living rooms.
The firm showed off these new panels at Retail Asia Expo 2015, an annual event held in Hong Kong that - despite what its uninteresting name suggests - shows off some interesting new technology from Canon, Sony and Samsung.
Besides their states of opacity, the new Samsung panels come integrated with Intel Real Sense that will enable gesture control via a built-in camera. Samsung plans to roll these panels of the future out to retailers first, creating a "visually compelling, interactive closet," but could come to our homes after its commercial trial run.
While the technology isn't quite ready for the living room, a press release on Samsung's press site detailed some pretty impressive specs:
"Samsung Display's Mirror OLED display panel ... delivers at least 50 percent higher reflectance than competitive Mirror LCDs now in limited availability and a much improved color gamut (over 100 percent vs. around 70 percent of NTSC), as well as an exceptionally high contrast ratio (over 100,000:1 vs. 4,000:1) and a much faster response time (under 1ms vs. 8ms) than LCD transparent panels.
"Compared to conventional LCD alternatives for today's digital signage market, Samsung Display's Full HD Transparent OLED display panel has a substantially higher color gamut (100 percent vs. around 70 percent of NTSC), sharply increased transmittance (45 percent vs. around 10 percent), and better clarity through a wider range of viewing angles. It features a transparency level of over 40 percent, much higher than the 10 percent level of today's transparent LCD displays."
Better image quality, gaming-quality response time and a snazzy reflective surface? Can't wait.
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Face fine? iPhone 6S will have an improved selfie snapper
Rejoice, selfie-generation! The iOS 9 code indicates that some pretty impressive front-facing camera upgrades are coming to Apple's next line of iPhones.
Developer Hamza Hood burrowed through the code of the first beta released iOS ever and stumbled on some interesting coding that evidently supports some substantial updates to the FaceTime camera, including 1080p video, 240fps capture at 720p, front-facing flash support (finally) and even selfie panoramas.
While virtually no one has ever bought or passed on a phone because of its front-facing camera, it's more of an upgrade of convenience. No one's shooting short films with the selfie-cam, but it'd be nice for iPhone 6S users to take a selfie at a concert and not look like 19th century ghosts for once.
Apple's also been playing the field lately when it comes to photo tech, recently acquiring Israeli camera tech firm LinX, which creates multi-aperture camera gear for mobile units, for some $20 million. It's possible we could see the integration of some of LinX's tech in any of the upcoming iOS devices.
Apple pushing some it's powerful back-facing camera tech to the front isn't a life changing upgrade by any stretch of the imagination, but the popularity of the selfie movement can't be denied or changed, even by Apple. And you know what they say, if you can't beat em', make a better front-facing camera than everyone else and own the competition.
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Kaspersky Lab may have been an indirect target of larger cyberattack
Antivirus company Kaspersky Lab revealed that its systems had been recently hacked, but the company is adamant that clients and partners are safe. Kaspersky believes that the hack was carried out by a nation-state looking to access other targets.
"We discovered an advanced attack on our own internal networks," CEO Eugene Kaspersky wrote on the company's blog. "It was complex, stealthy, it exploded several zero-day vulnerabilities, and we're quite confident that there's a nation state behind it."
The sophisticated attack, called Duqu 2.0, is said to involve three previously unknown zero-day techniques. Kaspersky believes the attack was detected at an early stage, but it will continue to check its systems.
Duqu 2.0
Described as "one of the most sophisticated campaigns ever seen," the Duqu 2.0 hack is believed to be related to the 2011 Stuxnet attacks against countries like Iran, India, Ukraine and France. The attack was discovered in early spring.The hack exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft's software installer files, which allows IT managers to install software on remote computers.
Kaspersky as a middle-man target
The goal of the Kaspersky attack is still unclear. One theory is that Kaspersky may be used as a target to reach other targets, something that Kaspersky implied as it stated that the attack was used to spy on "several prominent targets."If this is the case, it would be similar to the RSA attack a few years ago where the target was a US defense contractor.
"Spying on cybersecurity companies is a very dangerous tendency," said Kaspersky.
- Read our picks for the best antivirus tools
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The next iPhone update will finally fix the iPhone-killing bug
Remember that string of characters that frustratingly crashed your iPhone’s Messages app? Apple is finally addressing the issue with the iOS 8.4 update, set to arrive on June 30.
The fourth beta of iOS 8.4 has now been issued to developers, and it officially nipped the message crasher in the bud.
The code has also been shown to affect third-party apps from Snapchat to WhatsApp and is related to how certain notifications process Unicode.
When a string of characters was sent over Messages, the recipient’s device would immediately respring, crash and reboot rapidly. After that, any attempt to open Messages crashes the app.
Apple eventually posted a temporary workaround to the problem, but iOS 8.4 will destroy the annoyance at its core by the end of the month
In other iOS 8.4 news, Apple Music is coming with iOS 8.4 on June 30th, challenging Spotify and Tidal in the world of music streaming. Thankfully, it looks like you’ll be able to message your friends about your favorite new tracks without worrying about crashing their phone.
Via The Verge, Macrumors
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Smooth 4K video, a reality with Sony's new full-frame camera
Since the introduction of the Sony A7 Mark II it was inevitable Sony would upgrade the rest of its line with new second generation models and at long last we have the A7R Mark II.
Sporting a similarly beefed up body, the Sony A7R Mark II brings with it a 5-axis image stabilized full-frame CMOS sensor. Sony has also upgraded the megapixel count of the sensor from 36.4 MP on the Sony A7R to 42.4 MP.
Along with being one of the highest fidelity sensors Sony has ever produced, the Japanese electronics-firm has also implemented some backside illumination technology to boost the ISO range to 102,400, which should help shooters to capture images in the dimmest of lighting situations.
With the new sensor in tow, the new Sony A7R Mark II can also record 4K (QFHD 3,840 x 2,160) footage at a maximum of 30p in the XAVC S 4K format.
Harder, better, faster, stronger
Aside from the sensor improvements, Sony promises the A7R Mark II will be much faster compared to its predecessor.Firstly, the autofocus system has been given a huge boost with 399 phase-detection AF points, which cover about 49% of the frame to make locking focus 40% faster. All Sony A7R users will know AF performance can be slower than molasses and so this speed boost should come as a boon for new users and those looking to upgrade.
Additionally, Sony has upped the data transmission speed from the sensor to by 3.5 times. The original Sony A7R signature thunderclap shutter slap has been dampened significantly. What's more, the Mark II's new shutter also produces 50% less vibration, which ought to make handheld long exposures actually possible with this high-MP camera.
The Sony A7R II full-frame interchangeable lens camera will be available in August for $3,200 (about £2061, AU$4131).
Pocket rocket
Aside from announcing a new megapixel king, Sony also introduced the latest version of its premium compact camera, the RX100 Mark IV.Like its predecessor this Mark IV version comes with a familiar housing sporting the same 24-70mm (35mm equivalent) f1.8-2.8 lens. However, the sensor is a newer generation 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS chip coupled with a new DRAM chip to speed up processing and boost the burst rate up to 16 fps. The pop-up electronic viewfinder has also been upgraded to a 2.35 million-dot display from the original 1.44 million dots with the Sony RX100 Mark III.
One of the coolest features to come to the RX100 Mark IV is the ability to record 4K footage in camera, though this Ultra-HD video recording capability is limited to a max of five minutes. The Sony RX100 IV can also record 40x super slow motion video at 960 fps, 480 fps and 240 fps.
Last but not least, the new Sony RX100 Mark IV is outfitted with a high-speed anti-distortion shutter that supports up to a maximum shutter speed of 1/32,000 second – clutch when trying to shoot with the aperture in the lens wide open on a sunny day.
The new Sony Cyber-shot RX100 IV compact will be $1,000 (about £644, AU$1,293).
Sony RX10 Mark II
In its final camera announcement, Sony has also brought forth a new RX10 Mark II bridge camera.The new camera offers a 1-inch type stacked 20MP CMOS sensor that can shoot 4K videos up to 29 minutes long. Once again this is thanks to the improved readout speed provided by the newly installed DRAM chip.
Other new features include a new 2.35 million dot XGA OLED viewfinder, 14 fps continuous shooting speed, 40x super slow motion video mode and anti-distortion shutter supporting 1/32,000 second exposures.
Otherwise your looking at a very similar Sony RX10 body design while the lens is still a Zeiss-branded 24-200mm equivalent f2.8 glass element. Later this July, the and Sony Cyber-shot RX10 II will also be available for $1,300 (about £837, AU$1,679).
- What's the best mirrorless camera on the market?
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In Depth: 9 things you might not know about the Microsoft Surface Hub
Ever since Microsoft unveiled the exciting new Surface Hub, a digital whiteboard for offices and conference rooms, the major question has been: What will it cost? Now that we know it will run you $19,999 (about £13,000, AU$15,000) for the 84-inch 4K model and $6,999 (about £4,600, AU$5,350) for the 55-inch full HD model, I thought I'd break down a few interesting things you may not have heard about this gargantuan device.
1) 'Kin' you hear me now?: We've all been on video conferences during which noise pollution overshadows the main speaker. Those of us from major cities are especially familiar with the typical shrieks of passing ambulances and police cars. Fortunately, the Hub leverages Microsoft's Kinect technology to locate the direction of the most powerful voices near the device so that distant, ambient noise gets blocked out. So long ice cream truck music! Hello performance assessment dude!
2) I can see up your nose, brah: Unlike the webcam located at the top of your tablet, the Hub has two cameras along each side. This allows the speaker to more gracefully transition from one side of the unit to the other without exiting the video screen, or worse, blocking it completely with his/her big giant head.
3) Keep sexy selfies safe: You ever volunteer your laptop in the middle of a videoconference and accidentally open images or chat conversations you didn't want your coworkers to see? Well, with the Hub, all content is automatically beamed onto the screen when an HDMI cable is connected. So no more fumbling around with tabs and file folders to find the setting that lets you output images. It will happen automatically.
4) No mo' B.O.: Presenters can edit original content directly from the Hub. So, if your smelly boss wants to mark up your PowerPoint, he/she doesn't have to lean over your shoulder to adjust content on your laptop to make an example of you in front of all your peers. With the Hub, your boss can make edits directly on the 84-inch screen and the edits will be reflected on the original file.
5) Wake up, slacker: Unlike with your laptop, you can't record meetings onto the Hub. So, bring a video camera or a tape recorder if you're planning to sleep during your boss' state of the union address. You can, however, receive an email directly from the Hub detailing all of the visual edits and drawings your boss made onto the whiteboard.
6) Not for Avatar: The Hub does not output 3D video or stills. There are displays on the market designed for instruction, like the HP Zvr, that come with 3D glasses so that teachers and supervisors can provide step-by-step virtual direction for surgeons and pilots, among other professions.
7) A Hub for your orgy: If you want to get really wacky, the Surface Hub can receive input from up to six pens at one time. However, only three presenters can ink at once. I envision this being particularly useful for after-hours group Pictionary sessions. However, I guess it can also be useful for design teams making edits to large format images, or multiple presenters making notes during a brainstorm.
8) 'App're vous: All core Microsoft apps are free whenever you purchase a Hub. So if that monthly $9.99 Office subscription is what's keeping you from purchasing the $20,000 Hub, rest assured, Microsoft has chosen to be the bigger person and it has added the subscription gratis.
9) The 'Glassy' Knoll: Microsoft is not revealing the manufacturer that makes the Hub's screen. Here's what we do know: The Surface Pro 3 is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. We also know that Microsoft has received a lot of flack for the weakness of the Surface Pro 3's screen. I'd venture a guess that Corning is still the manufacturer, but Microsoft doesn't want to pull the bandage off of that wound by mentioning that partnership again. That could absolutely be 100% false, but I love a good conspiracy theory.
- Read our initial reaction to the Microsoft Surface Hub
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The new Moto X could miss out on one key feature
A new set of leaked photos for the next Moto X have hit the web, and the leaker hints that Motorola's next flagship may not include a fingerprint sensor, diverging from competitors Apple and Samsung.
Leaker HelloMotoHK took to Facebook and shared 3 images of the upcoming handset, revealing its inner workings. According to the source, previous leaks were old engineering models and that the final product will look similar to the device he or she posted - one without a fingerprint sensor.
From one of the leaked images, it looks like the phone could also support wireless charging, which would be a handy upgrade. Unfortunately, the photos and the leak itself don't appear to tell us much about any specific details of the phone.
It's hard to trust any leaks nowadays, especially when it comes to the Moto X. It seems like just about every day we are getting conflicting rumors about different features either being included or excluded from this handset.
Just earlier this week, a contradictory leak saying a fingerprint sensor is being expected in the Moto X was released, making it even more difficult to know which source to trust.
Before this phone ever hits the shelves, we can expect to get many more leaks just like this one. Some will prove true, some will likely be debunked and almost all of them will raise more questions than they answer. Until that time, I would advise anyone interested to tread lightly in the Moto X rumor mill.
- Check out our thoughts on the first Moto X.
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Review: HP EliteBook Folio 1020 G1
Introduction and design
If you think business notebooks have to be boring and boxy, think again. HP designed its premium EliteBook Folio 1020 G1 ($1,249, £820, AU$1,640) to look as sleek as a consumer-class Ultrabook without sacrificing durability, security and manageability.With a 12.5-inch display, the EliteBook Folio G1 competes in the same space as the boxier enterprise-class HP EliteBook 820 G2 ($1,290, £845, AU$1,695), Lenovo ThinkPad X250 ($800, £525, AU$1,050), and Dell Latitude 12 7000 Series ($1,079, £710, AU$1,415).
In the consumer space, the Folio faces stiff competition from the five-star-rated Dell XPS 13 ($729, £480, AU$960) and Apple MacBook ($1,299, £850, AU$1,115). The Ultrabook also goes up against convertibles and hybrids, like the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro ($1,099, £720, AU$1,440) and Microsoft Surface Pro 3 ($799, £525, AU$1,050), though you'll have to add in the cost of the detachable keyboard cover with Microsoft's slate.
Design
If it wasn't for the giant HP logo on the notebook's silver machined aluminum lid, you'd be forgiven for mistaking the EliteBook Folio 1020 G1 for Apple's 12-inch MacBook. Before Apple fans scream foul of a copycat design, the Folio was shown off publicly at the end of 2014, ahead of Apple's reveal of the MacBook earlier this year, and I am referencing the MacBook given its visibility and familiarity in the market today.
Rather than a small notch in the center edge of the keyboard deck, a tiny lip on the laptop lid makes it easy to open the Folio with one hand when it's sitting on your lap or on a desk. This gives the same effect as Apple's notched approach on the MacBook line, but HP's implementation results in a cleaner design with uninterrupted lines on the lid and keyboard deck.
Even though the Folio is the thinnest and lightest business-class machine, according to HP's claims, it is heavier and larger than consumer systems like the Dell XPS 13.
The optional QHD resolution IPS display on our review unit of the Folio is framed by a black bezel and coated with edge-to-edge glass. Dell's infinity makes the 11.98 x 7.88 x 0.6-inch (30.4 x 20 x 1.5 cm) XPS 13 more compact than the 12.2 x 8.27 x 0.62-inch (31 x 21 x 1.57cm) Folio. The XPS is also lighter at 2.6 pounds (1.26kg), compared to the Folio's 2.68-pound (1.22kg) weight.
The screen looks gorgeous with bright colors, rich saturation and wide viewing angles. Windows 8.1 was able to scale the resolution so text and images didn't appear tiny with the increase in pixel count.
On the keyboard deck, like the MacBook, a strip of perforated speaker holes sits atop the keyboard, which comes with island-style keys. The Folio also comes with chamfered edges that frame the screen and the keyboard deck.
Unlike some other business-class notebooks, especially ones with a dedicated number pad like the Lenovo ThinkPad W550s mobile workstation, the Folio has a trackpad that's centered with the spacebar key. The symmetry makes it look more like a consumer notebook than a utilitarian business tool.
But don't let the consumer aesthetics fool you – there are plenty of features that business users will appreciate on the Folio, including Military Specifications (MIL-SPEC) 810G certification, a spill-resistant keyboard that directs spilled fluids out of a drainage hole on the bottom of the notebook, integrated fingerprint reader on the right side just below the keyboard, docking port that integrates with the HP UltraSlim Dock with cross-compatibility between different HP laptop models and optional TPM support.
The undercarriage of the Folio is coated with a soft-touch finish. Although I found some flexing on the bottom cover if I push hard – it doesn't feel as solid as the machined aluminum keyboard deck or the lid – the cover is still comprised of a magnesium alloy metal and helps keep the weight down.
HP claims that up to 12 MIL-SPEC tests were performed, subjecting the Folio's durability against humidity, dust, vibration and drop.
Ports are located on the side edges of the Folio. HP included an adapter for the slim side docking port for users requiring legacy and ethernet ports.
Specifications and performance
Equipped with a power-efficient and fanless Intel Core M processor, there are trade-offs that users who choose the Folio must accept. You will trade in raw performance and a beefier battery for a slightly longer battery life and a slimmer design.Here's how the unit sent to TechRadar for review was configured.
Spec sheet
- Processor: 1.2GHz dual-core Intel Core M-5Y71 with vPro (up to 2.9GHz with Intel Turbo Boost)
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5300
- Memory: 8GB RAM (DDR3, 1,600Mhz)
- Storage: 256GB M.2 SSD
- Screen: 12.5-inch QHD UWVA touchscreen (2,560 x 1,440)
- Camera: 720p webcam
- Wireless: Bluetooth 4.0; dual-band 802.11ac (B/G/N), dual-band Wi-Fi
- Ports: HDMI, 2x USB 3.0 charging, microSD, docking connector, headphone/microphone combo
- Battery: Four-cell 36Whr
- OS: Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit
- Enterprise security: TPM 1.2/2.0 (Infineon, soldered down); Fingerprint reader; Full Volume Encryption; Preboot Authentication (Password)
John Hagan, product manager of HP's business system, explained that HDMI is preferred over DisplayPort because it's found in more places – hotel room TVs, small conference room projectors, monitors – and that the optional docking station provides DisplayPort access.
When pressed about HP's choice to go with a microSD card reader over a full-sized one, Hagan confessed that the company ran out of space on the Folio and couldn't accommodate a regular SD card reader.
Performance
The Intel Core M and integrated graphics on the Folio will appeal to business users who spend most of their time inside PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, Word documents and the browser. As such, if you work with large Photoshop files or do heavy video production work you should look for a stronger Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor coupled with discrete graphics. If you're spending your time surfing the web, writing reports and creating presentations, the Core M CPU delivers enough power while stretching your battery life.Benchmarks
- PCMark 8: Work: 2,268
- PCMark 8 Battery Life: 4 hours and 35 minutes (50% screen brightness)
- 3DMark: Fire Strike: 407; Cloud Gate: 1,551; Sky Diver: 1,526
- Cinebench: GPU: 15.44 fps; CPU: 139
The 15.44 GPU and 139 CPU scores generated using the Cinebench test is lower than both the 26.22 and 207 scores from the Aspire R13 and the 23.86 and 249 scores on the ThinkPad T450s, respectively.
In fact, the upgraded Core M-Y571 (compared to the Core M-Y510) on the Folio delivers similar Cinebench scores as the Dell Venue 11 Pro 7000 Series and the Microsoft Surface 3. The Surface 3 performed slightly better with a CPU score of 17.70 and a CPU score of 144.
However, processor performance using PCMark 8's work test is on par with Intel Core i5 systems. The Folio's score of 2,268 falls shy of the ThinkPad T450s's 2,896 and bests the Aspire R13's 2,190. The power efficient Core M processor on the Folio outlasted the ThinkPad's three hours and 45 minutes of battery life and the Aspire's three hours and fifteen minutes, but not by a significant margin.
Graphics performance was a different story, and the Folio scored significantly lower marks with 3DMark's Sky Diver, Fire Strike and Cloud Gate tests than the ThinkPad and the Aspire. The tests evaluate performance with heavy video rendering and gaming, and the results posted by the Folio are on par with other Core M systems, including the Venue 11 Pro 7000 Series, but weaker than systems with a Core i processor.
In my use, I got more than seven hours of battery life on the Folio using productivity software like Microsoft Office 2013, streaming short video clips on YouTube and working inside the browser using Google Apps. Battery life is on par with the Ultrabook category, but still falls short of MacBook's nine hours.
Keyboard and ForcePad
HP promotes the keyboard on the Folio as one of the best on the market, and I found those claims to be true. Evenly spaced keys, consistent key pressure and satisfying key travel make typing a joy on the Folio.While the keys are evenly spaced, spacing between each key is smaller on the Folio than on the MacBook Pro. It's unclear why HP opted for closer key spacing as there is plenty of room to expand the keyboard. Because of the layout, typing feels cramped at first, but after a brief adjustment period, I was able to type accurately at full speed.
I noticed that the keys are also springy and responsive, but typing on the Folio's keyboard sounds more muted than on the MacBook Pro. HP placed the key cap extremely close to the underlying key dome mechanism to dampen key sound, something that's important if you're looking to type meeting notes in a quiet conference room.
The water resistant keyboard drains at the bottom in the event you spill water. This business-class feature ensures that you don't lose data or ruin your system if you spill coffee in the morning, an important consideration for road warriors working in cramped space. The Folio also comes with backlighting for use in dark environments.
HP uses Synaptic's pressure-sensitive ForcePad for the touchpad. While the branding sounds similar to the Force Touch touchpad on the Apple MacBook, there are a few notable differences. Both touchpads are buttonless, clickless and recognize gestures, but HP's implementation does not come with haptic response to give your fingers the illusion that you're clicking down with subtle vibration motors. Instead, if your volume is turned on, an audible click is played to simulate a button click.
I found the ForcePad to be usable, but without haptic feedback I wasn't always confident that a click was registered as I like to mute the volume on my machines when using them at work.
Enterprise users will appreciate the HP Sure Start technology, featuring a self-healing BIOS. HP claims that there is a second copy of the BIOS that's stored on the system. In the event of a malware attack on the BIOS, the system will boot safely into the second copy of the BIOS. Once that happens, the Folio will wipe the affected BIOS and copy the unaltered BIOS over for booting.
Display
The main complaint I have with the display is that it only opens up to about 135 degrees. This is fine when you're using the notebook on a desk, but ergonomics is compromised when using the Folio as a laptop.Typing with the notebook in my lap, it seems that I am straining to look down on the Folio's display, rather than at the screen. It seems a bit shortsighted of HP to not include a 180-degree lay-flat hinge for better collaboration.
If you're using the display to watch movies, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how loud the speakers get. Even though the Folio doesn't have audio tuning from HP's Beats or Bang & Olufsen partnerships, sound output quality should be more than adequate for personal movie watching.
Verdict
The HP EliteBook Folio 1020 G1 blends the best elements of a consumer Ultrabook with an enterprise laptop. Even though the Folio is built with the durability required by enterprises, it doesn't share its design with boxier rivals. Instead, the sleek unibody Ultrabook looks more like a consumer laptop that's been enhanced with security features, including TPM support, fingerprint scanning and data encryption.What we like
The HP Folio 1020 G1 has a gorgeous design that's atypical of business-class notebooks. Cloaked in a unibody aluminum shell, the fanless Folio is one of the lighter, more attractive business portables we've tested, but HP didn't skimp on enterprise-friendly features.The system comes with an ergonomical keyboard, fingerprint scanner, docking station compatibility and brilliant display. It has all the accoutrements that IT managers seek, and users who choose to adopt the Folio will likely pay a premium given the relatively higher $1,250 price of entry.
What we disliked
While the Intel Core M processor holds up well to basic office productivity tasks, the laptop feels sluggish when it's pushed to the limits. This makes the Folio less versatile than a notebook with an Intel Core i5 processor, and users who game, work with graphics or edit videos likely should skip the Folio for something more powerful.Despite the trade off in power, the Core M doesn't add enough battery life to compensate for the degraded performance, nor is the processor worthy of the price premium that HP charges for this business system. Real world battery life is on par with, but not quite better than, systems with a mainstream Core i5 or Core i7 processor.
Other quibbles include a screen that doesn't recline enough – I would have loved to see a hybrid version of the Folio with a 180- or 360-degree hinge – and the choice to go with a microSD card reader over a full-sized one.
Final verdict
The HP Folio 1020 G1 is a laptop with stunning good looks, mediocre performance and rugged durability. The downside is that the energy efficient Intel Core M processor doesn't deliver more performance or battery life.Despite its gorgeous QHD resolution touchscreen display, users with graphic needs should steer clear of the Folio, but the average office worker who lives inside Chrome, Office and YouTube will find a lot to love about this business Ultrabook. HP's design attention, security focus and emphasis on durability makes this a winner for road warriors who need a light system for travel.
Compared to business-class rivals like the Lenovo ThinkPad X250, the Folio doesn't score particularly well on a pure price-to-performance ratio, but there's no denying you're getting an attractive, if somewhat underpowered, system.
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Buying Guide: 10 best Bluetooth speakers available today
Best Bluetooth speakers
Your phone cut the cord, now it's time for you to set your music free and buy a Bluetooth speaker. Thankfully, there's one suited for everyone out there.Some Bluetooth speakers excel at packing in as much functionality as the unit can handle while keeping the price down. Other speakers shuck excess functionality in favor of premium build materials instead. Whatever path you choose to go down, you'll be greeted with many options to suit your personal tastes.
The only thing standing in your way is sorting out what's worth your money and what most definitely is not. To help you in your journey, we've compiled a list of the best Bluetooth speakers available right now in terms of value, performance and design.
1. Creative Muvo Mini
A capable, weatherproof Bluetooth speaker with subtle style
Weight: .6 pounds | Battery life: 10 hours | Wireless range: 32 feet | Frequency response: N/A | Drivers: Two micro drivers and one bass radiator | NFC: Yes | Bluetooth version: 4.0 | Aux-in: Yes | USB charging: No
10-hour battery
Weatherproof
Can't charge devices
It's
not tough these days to find a Bluetooth speaker full of desirable
features like full sound, weather-proofing and a good-performing
battery. Most of the time, however, the options capable of all those
feats won't be cheap. That's where Creative's Muvo Mini comes in to
play.For $59 (£49, AU$69), this speaker handles all these impressive feats, wiping the floor clean of the competition in the process. It'd be enough to recommend it based on its cheap price alone, but it's actually a really good all-around speaker, so there's that too.
Read the full review: Creative Muvo Mini
2. UE Boom
A Bluetooth speaker packed with surprises at every turn
Weight: 1.1 pounds | Battery life: 15 hours | Wireless range: 50 feet | Frequency response: 90Hz - 20kHz | Drivers: Two 1.5" drivers and two 2" passive radiators | NFC: Yes | Bluetooth version: N/A | Aux-in: Yes | USB charging: Yes
Unmatched style
Impressive feature set
Too dependent on phone
Not true 360-degree sound
There
aren't that many Bluetooth speakers out there with as much "pop" as the
UE Boom. For $199, it packs in a ton of functionality – much more that
your standard Bluetooth speaker – thanks to the companion app for
Android and iOS. With it, you can customize your own equalizer and even
join it up with another Boom or with it's little bro, the UE Mini Boom,
for a surround sound effect.Read the full review: UE Boom
3. Harman Infinity One
This stunning Bluetooth speaker lives up to the legacy
Weight: 2.8 pounds | Battery life: 10 hours | Wireless range: 30+ feet | Frequency response: 70Hz-20kHz | Drivers: Four 1.8" drivers and two passive radiators | NFC: Yes | Aux-in: Yes | Bluetooth version: N/A | Weatherproofing: No | Charges devices over USB: Yes
Vibrant, rich sound
Charges devices
High asking price
The
Harman Infinity One is the most expensive speaker on our list and it's
also one of the best values around. The sound performance is
best-in-class with amazingly deep bass and rich sound making up the rest
of the signature.Additionally, this speaker houses every modern feature that one could desire in a Bluetooth speaker, like NFC connectivity, USB charging and conference calling. A big part of the price goes to the stunning design put forward by Harman. The entire enclosure is a matte grille that allows for sound to pour out of each side. You're getting your money's worth here.
Read the full review: Harman Infinity One
4. UE Mini Boom
Big sound from a tiny, ruggedized Bluetooth speaker
Weight: .6 pounds | Battery life: 10 hours | Wireless range: 50 feet | Frequency response: 130Hz - 20kHz | Drivers: Two 1.5" drivers, one 3" x 1.5" passive radiator | NFC: Yes | Aux-in: Yes | Bluetooth version: N/A | Weatherproofing: No | Charges devices over USB: No
Lively design
Surprisingly deep sound
Foggy highs
Don't
knock the UE Mini Boom for its small size. What it offers out of the
box in terms of sound performance and battery life isn't just
impressive, it's a steal at $99 (£79, AU$99).Just as we were, you'll likely be surprised by the capabilities of this speaker through its companion app. Packed into a fun, durable form-factor, this speaker is a fantastic value for music lovers.
Read the full review: UE Mini Boom
5. Bose SoundLink Color
A vibrant Bluetooth speaker that packs impressive sound
Weight: 1.2 pounds | Battery life: 8 hours | Wireless range: 30 feet | Frequency response: N/A | Drivers: N/A | NFC: No | Aux-in: Yes | Bluetooth version: N/A | Weatherproofing: No | Charges devices over USB: No
Fun, curvy design
Booming sound
Lacks some modern features
When
it comes to Bluetooth speakers, Bose is a major player. But something
that's been missing from the company's product line is a relatively
affordable option that has the same full-bodied sound crammed into a
small form-factor.With the $130 (£120, AU$180) SoundLink Color, Bose has achieved just that, plus a splash of color. There are a variety of flavors to choose from, but whichever you choose, you'll be treated to stellar sound and battery performance. Bose performance now comes cheap with this portable Bluetooth speaker.
Read the full review: Bose SoundLink Color
6. Fluance Fi30
Music to your ears (and your wallet)
Weight: 8.3 pounds | Battery life: N/A | Wireless range: 30+ feet | Frequency response: 50Hz - 20kHz | Drivers: Two 3" woven glass fiber composite drivers | NFC: No | Aux-in: Yes | Bluetooth version: 2.1 | Weatherproofing: No | Charges devices over USB: Yes
Strong sound performance
Affordable
No internal battery
One
look at this speaker might make you think that it costs a small
fortune. Coming in aggressively at $149, the Fluance Fi30 loves defying
expectations and the act doesn't stop at its shockingly low price. It
also sounds great. With room-filling audio, we've got a value-packed
speaker that can bring down the house.Unlike the others on this list, the Fi30 isn't portable at all. Not just for its size, but also because it requires being plugged into an electrical socket for power. Minor negatives aside, this makes for the perfect porch companion or boombox-sized speaker for your pad.
Read the full review: Fluance Fi30
7. TDK TREK Flex
A rugged Bluetooth speaker made for the elements
Weight: 1.2 pounds | Battery life: N/A | Wireless range: 30+ feet | Frequency response: N/A | Drivers: Two 1.5" drivers and one 3.5" x 1.5" passive radiator | NFC: Yes | Aux-in: Yes | Bluetooth version: N/A | Weatherproofing: Yes | Charges devices over USB: No
Appealing design
Surprising sound quality
360-degree sound isn't true
Looking
at the TREK Flex, it's clear that the design is one of this speaker's
strongest suits. What's more, it yields some nifty functionality too.
Whether you stand this speaker vertically or lay it on its sides, you'll
be pleased with the performance here.The TREK Flex can stand up to the elements with dust and water resistance. It may not look like it, but this speaker can take a beating, which makes it perfect for camping trips.
Read the full review: TDK TREK Flex
8. Koss BTS1
For $59, Koss makes a convincing argument with the BTS1, similar to how UE did with its Mini Boom, that size doesn't matter.This Bluetooth speaker is just bigger than a deck of cards, yet the sound is rich, the battery is long-lasting and hey, what more could you want for the price of a video game?
9. Creative Sound Blaster Roar SR20
Tell iHome to go home
Weight: 2.5 pounds | Battery life: 8 hours | Wireless range: 40 feet | Frequency response: N/A | Drivers: One 2.5" driver, two 1.5" drivers and two passive radiators | NFC: Yes | Aux-in: Yes | Bluetooth version: 3.0 | Weatherproofing: No | Charges devices over USB: Yes
Sleek, novel design
Great lows and mids
Not the loudest speaker out there
A few useless functions
The
Creative Sound Blaster Roar SR 20 packs novel functionality and roaring
sound into an appealing body for a price that rings it at a pleasing
tune of $129 (about £104, AU$155). This speaker is about the size of a
hard-cover book and can compliment a bookshelf or a table top nicely. Touching on features, the built-in internal microphone allows you to make or take calls with ease. The Roar SR20 supports a microSD card, which you can use either to record calls onto or listen to stored music from. Something else you don't see often in a Bluetooth speaker is an overdrive button. "Roar" mode cranks the sound performance up a few notches.
Read the full review: Creative Sound Blaster Roar SR20
10. Harman Kardon Esquire Mini
A compact, powerful and chic Bluetooth speaker
Weight: .5 pounds | Battery life: 10+ hours | Wireless range: 30+ feet | Frequency response: 180Hz - 20kHz | Drivers: Two 1" drivers | NFC: No | Aux-in: Yes | Bluetooth version: N/A | Weatherproofing: No | Charges devices over USB: Yes
Full sound
Amazing battery life
Grille is lint-prone
Expensive for its size
It's
hard not to be partial to this speaker based on its looks alone, but
thankfully, its performance packs a surprising punch. For its size, the
battery life and sound quality will impress.It's rather expensive for its size ($150, £129.99), but the pocket-sized form factor, premium build and respectable sound make it a worthy option.
Read the full review: Harman Kardon Esquire Mini
We'll update this page as we review more speakers, so stay tuned. Let us know if you have suggestions for us to check out in the comments below.
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Review: Updated: Netgear Nighthawk X4 R7500
Introduction and design
The Netgear Nighthawk X4 is a quad-stream 802.11ac router promising faster wireless speeds than we've seen so far from triple-stream routers. Technically, 802.11ac allows for up to eight separate 5GHz wireless streams, each of which can send data at 433Mb/sec. With three antennas, a router can offer a theoretical maximum of 1300Mb/sec, as long as a connected client similarly has a triple-stream 802.11ac receiver.This speed is already far superior to the maximum transfer rate of 802.11n wireless, but with the extra channel, you should expect even faster speeds, up to 1733Mb/sec.
Combined with improved 600 Mb/sec 802.11n wireless, its powerful 1.4GHz dual-core processor, twin USB ports and an eSATA port, the Nighthawk X4 is a seriously powerful piece of home networking kit. But it carries a high premium – retailing for £230 (around $360, or AU$460) it's one of the priciest 802.11ac routers you can buy (though you can, as ever, get it cheaper if you shop around online). So, is the extra speed and performance worth it?
Design
The Nighthawk X4 looks almost exactly like the original Nighthawk model, save for the addition of an extra antenna. It uses the same black, angled design, with only a few subtle differences. The antennas are now positioned around the unit, possibly for better performance, and this gives the router a look almost like a robot, with arms on each side.It stands out, and is a whole lot better than the boring box designs that have been endlessly recycled by networking firms for what seems like forever.
As before there are a large number of LEDs at the front, 13 in total, to relay status information to the user. Most of the time, it feels like overkill, with so many lights flashing on and off, but they can be turned off, which is preferable if you want to leave the Nighthawk X4 in a corner and not get in the way.
Inside, the 1.4GHz processor is quite a boost from the 1GHz processor inside the original Nighthawk. Additionally, there's a separate "offload" processor that runs at 500MHz to handle additional functions.
Of course, as well as the four 5GHz 802.11ac streams, the Nighthawk X4 works just fine if your laptop or USB wireless adaptor only supports fewer streams, 802.11n, or earlier standards. The AC2350 figure is rounded up from the 1733Mb/sec of 802.11ac combined with the 600Mb/sec enhanced 802.11n performance.
A subtle change has been made to the positioning of the USB 3.0 ports, which are both now located on the left-hand side, with an eSATA port on the right. With three storage expansion options, Netgear is describing the Nighthawk X4 as Network Storage Ready on the packaging, quite an interesting claim, since the file management functionality built into most router software is often severely lacking.
Software and features
The software is just about the same as before. Netgear's interface has a rather sparse look to it, not helped by the prevalence of white in its visual design. Compared with the software on the Asus RT-AC68U, it looks plain boring, but it's certainly not lacking in features.One new addition is an improved QoS setting, which can run a bandwidth check on speedtest.net directly from the router, and can retrieve device information from a database to make a better judgment on the speeds it should allocate.
The ReadyShare section, for managing clients and shares on connected USB devices, is fairly good too, although it still doesn't quite match a dedicated NAS.
However, while power users like to tinker with every setting to squeeze as much performance as possible from routers, in Netgear's own survey, the company found, on average, only 6% of users ever bother to log in to a router's on-board software. While the number is likely to be higher for more savvy users who purchase a high-end model such as the Nighthawk X4, the overall focus is now on mobile and desktop apps that can be used to control a router, as it's so much easier than having to log in via a browser.
Netgear's Genie software fills this requirement, with versions for iOS and Android as well as Windows desktop software. It doesn't provide access to every setting – users who are more likely to use mobile software to control a router might not need access to its advanced features, but for general use it provides much of the same information.
It's okay, but there's a lot of room for improvement. The iOS version crashed once in use, and like the on-board software, doesn't have a particularly pleasing aesthetic style. It looks a bit naff, in truth. There's so much untapped potential for networking companies to create amazing mobile apps, it's a shame Netgear (and others) haven't put in the real effort to make them work.
But looks can be deceiving and the on-board software is still reasonably good. Setup is particularly simple. You log in by entering www.routerlogin.net into a browser, and the router automatically configures itself, including downloading any firmware updates.
Testing and performance
In order to see any benefit from the 4x4 antenna configuration in the Nighthawk X4, you need a client device that also supports four 802.11ac streams. As of writing the number of laptops that support the faster 802.11ac speed is zero, and likewise, there are no USB adaptors. No doubt, in time new laptops will appear that support quad-channel 802.11ac, but right now most laptops can only transfer at 3x3 speeds, or lower.In order to test the faster speed, Netgear sent me a pair of Nighthawk X4 routers. With one connected via Ethernet to my server, a second router configured as a bridge, and a client connected to that via Ethernet, I could create a 4x4 802.11ac wireless network, and test the speed accurately by moving the routers different distances from one another.
Given the lack of any quad-capable client hardware, I also tested the Nighthawk X4 with a standard 3x3 receiver, as well as the 2.4GHz 802.11n speed.
I used a pair of Macs for testing, mainly because of some great software called Wi-Fi Perf. This program runs on both computers, sending data directly between the two over a network. With this tool, there's no chance the speed of the storage device could bottleneck the performance level, as with a standard file transfer.
Wireless performance
The results are encouraging for 4x4 802.11ac wireless, with a clear performance advantage over 3x3 speeds. This is most noticeable at medium distance, where many 802.11ac routers slow down from the fast speeds you get at short range. Even at long range, there's a speed improvement.Netgear Nighthawk X4 802.11ac Wireless Performance (Client to server, 4x4)
- 1 metre - 764 Mb/sec
- 5 metres - 603 Mb/sec
- 10 metres - 183 Mb/sec
- 1 metre - 738 Mb/sec
- 5 metres - 669 Mb/sec
- 10 metres - 364 Mb/sec
Netgear Nighthawk X4 802.11ac Wireless Performance (Client to server, 3x3)
- 1 metre - 731 Mb/sec
- 5 metres - 286 Mb/sec
- 10 metres - 78 Mb/sec
- 1 metre - 711 Mb/sec
- 5 metres - 426 Mb/sec
- 10 metres - 395 Mb/sec
Netgear Nighthawk X4 802.11n 2.4GHz Wireless Performance (Client to server)
- 1 metre - 138 Mb/sec
- 5 metres - 110 Mb/sec
- 10 metres - 62 Mb/sec
- 1 metre - 138 Mb/sec
- 5 metres - 98 Mb/sec
- 10 metres - 48 Mb/sec
These results show that quad-stream offers a performance boost over triple-stream 802.11ac, albeit one that's relatively slim. In fact, the 4x4 speeds are the best wireless transfer rates I've ever recorded, by a small margin.
In fact, even when using the Nighthawk X4 with a 3x3 receiver, the performance is better than many other routers. That could be down to the faster processor handling packets better. The real gain from the extra channel and antenna seems to be at mid and long range.
But the overall gain isn't huge. Generally, after testing dozens of 802.11ac routers, I usually expect to see real-world performance of (very roughly) 600Mb/sec from triple-stream 802.11ac. The Nighthawk X4 is excellent then, at short range. However, I can't ignore the fact that right now, nothing can take advantage of 4x4 802.11ac, unless you're using two routers, as I have for testing.
USB speeds
Moving on to the performance from the USB ports, I connected a 2.5-inch hard disk to a USB 3.0 port on the Nighthawk X4 and ran Blackmagic Design Disk Speed Test, as well as transferred a 5GB folder of large files.The speeds seemed to vary slightly in Disk Speed Test, starting around 15MB/sec both reading and writing, although after a while this leapt up to 32.3MB/sec write and 89.3MB/sec read. The folder transfer completed in less than a minute. It took a lot longer with a folder of smaller files though, which puts the processor under heavier load. But these are very good results, given that until recently, many USB ports on older 802.11n routers couldn't even manage speeds beyond 5MB/sec.
As one final test I measured the Nighthawk X4's power consumption when idle, then when transferring files via USB. At idle, the router consumed 5.2W of power, but with the bus-powered drive connected it jumped to 24.3W. These results are what I expected to see.
Verdict
We liked
The Nighthawk X4 is capable of delivering record-breaking wireless speeds over 802.11ac, and is a further example of what a great improvement this new wireless standard is over previous generations. The performance at range is also a lot better.At triple-stream speeds, the Nighthawk X4 is a great performer too, matching or beating most of its competitors.
The style of the router is excellent, with the inclusion of fast eSATA and USB 3.0 ports, and its striking black angled design. This matters to a lot of people, given the fact that a router is often placed in a big open space in their home.
We disliked
A year ago, 802.11ac was a white-hot technology, with high prices across the board. It's a bit more mature now though, and you can pick up routers for less than £100 (around $150, or AU$200), which makes the Nighthawk X4 seem really expensive. A little too much maybe, for what amounts to fairly slim performance improvements.The real killer feature it offers is only supported by a small number of devices right now. While I'm sure more laptops will arrive with built-in 4x4 wireless throughout 2015, as of the time of writing it's only something scribbled onto the box rather than a truly useful asset.
And while I beat nearly every networking company with this same stick, the software really could do with a more modern appearance and design.
Final verdict
Although the Nighthawk X4 is undoubtedly fast, and worth considering if you don't mind spending considerably more for the very fastest possible performance, I'd hesitate to recommend it over any other router on the market. Its biggest advantage is a feature that, right now, nobody can make use of, improves speeds only by a small margin, but adds considerably to the price.If you're reading this article in 2016, then there will hopefully be plenty of laptops and USB adaptors that support quad-channel 802.11ac to choose from, rendering this point somewhat moot. But it seems like the market for 802.11ac wireless kit will be fragmented with some devices getting slower speeds, given that routers seem to be improving performance faster than clients can catch up.
And the speed difference isn't all that great anyway. The Nighthawk X4 is fast, but it isn't a huge leap ahead of most 3x3 routers, some of which can be found for less than half the price.
Although the software could be slightly better, it's solid and the USB 3.0 performance is excellent. It adds to the feeling that the Nighthawk X4 deserves a tentative recommendation, but I'd argue that if you're desperate for faster 802.11ac it might make sense to wait and see how good the quad-channel routers from other networking firms are in the coming months.
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Updated: 16 best PC games: the must-play titles you can't afford to miss
Introduction
The PC is either making a comeback or never went away in the first place, depending on who you ask.
Whichever camp you're in, a deluge of triple-A titles, virtual reality and (whisper it) decent console ports make picking the PC over the Xbox One or PS4 a no-brainer.
Whether you're a mouse-and-keyboard diehard who mutters "boom, headshot!" in their sleep, or a joypad-wielding adrenaline junkie, the PC has no shortage of blockbuster and indie titles to help you waste away the hours.
We've rounded up the best games currently available for the PC. If you don't agree, let us know in the comments below. So here we go - click on for best games currently available today.
1. Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylines is SimCity updated for the modern era, proving a breath of fresh air for would-be mayors. Its core gameplay lets you dig deep into the various aspects of running a sprawling virtual city - from economics to macro and micro management and land planning. But Cities: Skylines really shines when it comes to mods, which allow you to create custom maps, assets and tools to share with other online players.
2. Dragon Age: Inquisition
Dragon Age: Inquisition places you in the heart of a huge, vibrant world on a far greater scale than its predecessors, and it does an excellent job of making you feel in command. Packing in a huge 90 hours (and the rest) of gameplay into its storyline, Inquisition's smart dialogue, compelling plot, savvy progression system and massive sandbox world will have you engrossed for months on end. Think the Elder Scrolls games meets the Diablo franchise and you're halfway there.
3. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
A card game from the makers of World of Warcraft, Hearthstone is easy to learn, but hard to master. Like Blizzard's famous MMO, Hearthstone combines classes, characters and a bit of tactical luck when throwing you into battle against computerised or online opponents. Stick with it and you'll be rewarded by its tactical, deep gameplay. Though available on iOS and Android, its low system requirements, excellent presentation and great sound effects mean it's best experienced on the PC.
4. Pillars of Eternity
Pillars of Eternity is a sprawling RPG in the vein of Baldaur's Gate or Icewind Dale that combines highly detailed technical combat with hundreds of hours of gameplay. It has refreshingly low system requirements on the PC but still looks incredible thanks to its simple but effective art style, which harks back to those aforementioned isometric fantasy RPGs of the 2000s. But it's not all about nostalgia: Pillars of Eternity has enough interesting characters, baddies and clever writing to make it a modern classic of its own.
5. Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most anticipated console ports to ever hit the PC. You probably didn't need telling twice to head back into Los Santos's hugely detailed and interactive world, but it's ten times more fun with the PC's richer graphics and smooth 60 frames per second gameplay. Once you're done with its 31-hour storyline or had your fill blazing around the city causing chaos, an ever expanding list of GTA V mods - from ones to fine tune cars or throw vehicles around with a Gravity Gun - are bound to keep you entertained for some time.
6. Alien: Isolation
Set in the future but based on the past, Alien: Isolation is the suspense-packed game that Alien fans have been crying out for. Inspired by the first Alien movie, Isolation is first and foremost a stealth game that pits you against an Alien on the Nostromo deep into space. A distinct lack of weaponry, particularly excellent graphics on high-end PCs and clever AI all help ramp up the dread, leaving you to quiver when turning every corner.
7. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Counter Strike: Global Offensive remains a fantastic update to a timeless classic that continues to live on thanks to its vast online communities. A well-rounded tactical shooter that builds on the simple Terrorists vs Counter-Terrorists gameplay mechanics of Counter Strike 1.6 and Counter Strike: Source, CS: GO updates classic maps such as Italy and Dust while keeping adding new modes in Arms Race and Demolition. Simpler than Battlefield but more nuanced than the Call of Duty franchise, it's a shooter for those who like to run, gun and think - if only a little bit.
8. Far Cry 4
Ubisoft's latest shooter marks Far Cry's most beautiful outing yet. Its graphically-rich world is eye-popping on high-end PCs, and you'll see plenty of it thanks to a 30+ hour-long campaign. Aside from the main campaign, there are plenty of things to do in Kyrat - from hostage rescue and assassination missions to escort quests, resource collecting and, of course, avoiding being killed by bullets or rampaging animals. Whether you're tearing across the savanna in a rickety car or slinging grenades around like tennis balls, survival has never been such a blast.
9. FTL (Faster Than Light)
FTL (Faster Than Light) puts you command of running a spaceship and looking after its crew. Featuring a complex game mechanism that involves maintaining weapons, engines, shields and other areas, in addition to tactical combat, FTL can get extremely in-depth over time. Whether you're ordering your crew to quite literally put out fires on deck in the heat of battle, or are navigating through asteroid fields, FTL is as much about long-term progression and satisfaction as it is quick fixes. Don't let its indie stylings fool you: this is game with untold depth and scary levels of addictiveness.
10. Grim Fandango Remastered
A 90s classic brought back to life (unlike its main protagonist), Grim Fandango Remastered is a successful attempt at bringing back one of the PC's best adventure games of all time. Combining writing that matches the funniest dark comedies with clever puzzles and a still-impressive art style, Grim Fandango was the most entertaining work of art to take place in a Mexican setting for years until Breaking Bad came along. Now with updated graphics, sound and better controls, Manna Calavera's adventure has never looked so good.
11. Skyrim
Four years after its initial release, Skyrim is going as strong as ever thanks to a vast selection of mods and high-resolution texture packs. Even if you're only interested in playing the vanilla version of the RPG, it offers more than 100 hours of gameplay.
Throw in three action packs DLC expansion packs (Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn), and it lasts even longer. That Skyrim has been compared to graphically superior but similar RPG blockbuster The Witcher 3 is testament to its enduring popularity. Step into Skyrim and you too can be an adventurer - just try not to take an arrow in the knee.
12. Day-Z
Originally launched as an Arma II mod, Day-Z is a standalone zombie shooter with a difference. Not only do you have to mind the undead when wandering around its sprawling maps, but other online players too. Armed with a lead pipe and carrying nothing but a backpack and a flashlight, you'll need wits and guile to survive.
Pretty much the opposite of adrenaline-packed zombie fests such as Left4Dead, you'll spent half of the time evading the undead and the other using a shovel to fend off any humans who are bent on trying to steal your last box of matches. And take it from us - they will try.
13. Minecraft
The phrase "build it, and they will come" quite literally rings true when it comes to Minecraft, the sandbox game that has been bought by more than 19 million people. The survival-themed sandbox RPG lets players build their own worlds or explore others, using the game's multiple "block" types to construct anything from small huts to extravagant castles and beyond.
Minecrat's ultimate appeal revolves around its open-ended nature; creative type can build and destroy to their hearts' content, while solo players can concentrate on not being eaten by the zombie hordes that emerge at night. A modern-day classic that has spawned its own genre, it's not to be missed.
14. The Orange Box
The Orange Box may be showing its age, but it remains a must play collection of games - particularly for FPS fans. Half-Life 2, technically still the most recent game in Valve's franchise (excluding its Episode 1 and 2 add-ons), remains a modern masterpiece and is famed for being the first game to intelligently apply physics to its puzzles and combat set-pieces.
The collection's other titles aren't too shabby either: Portal takes gravity-based puzzles to the extreme by equipping the player with the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device (also known as the Portal Gun), which places two portals for objects to pass through, while Team Fortress 2 continues to go from strength-to-strength thanks to the introduction of custom gear and well-balanced team combat.
15. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
Gorgeous graphics? Check. Huge explorable environments? Check. Enthralling combat? Of course. The Witcher 3 stands tall as one of the most ambitious open-world RPGs yet, combining Skyrim's unrestrained epic-ness with Grand Theft Auto 5's scale. While the game has been criticised for its inventory niggles, less-than-enthralling plot and not quite living up to the graphics shown in its promo materials, it's so ambitious and jam-packed with detail that the package lives up to the hype. Huge, beautiful and an absolute time-sink, you'll want to scour every inch of The Witcher 3's glorious world.
16. Project CARS
Project CARS is a racing simulator that guns for realism without leaving excitement back in the pit stop, as some racers tend to do. Slightly Mad Studios' graphically-stunning title has enough car customisation and handling options to keep the keenest of petrol heads happy. Car types on show range from F1 to road, retro, kart, Le Mans, GT and more. Throw in realistic weather effects and driving assistance by Le Mans driver Ben Collins - formerly BBC Top Gear's 'Stig' - and the smell of burning rubber will be floating up your nostrils in no time.
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Buying Guide: 5 best UHD 4K TVs of 2015
5 best UHD 4K TVs of 2015
If you're buying a new television this year then chances are you're after an Ultra HD TV. It's the new buzzword in TV tech and it can deliver sharper, crisper, high-fidelity visuals than possible at a measly 1080p.Every manufacturer is now lining up to offer you a 4K TV. But where it was once almost a content-less gimmick, limited to showfloor showreels, there is starting to become more and more UHD movies and TV shows on offer from all over.
Ultra HD Blu-rays will be on sale by the holidays this year, Samsung offers a UHD content pack with its TVs and Netflix is now setup to deliver 4K content online to its premium subscribers.
There are also a host of broadcasters testing out live UHD content too. They're even working on 8K broadcasts for the Women's World Cup this year!
Ultra HD is not just about that 3840 x 2160 resolution any more either.
With technologies such as Quantum Dot, OLED and HDR able to deliver your 4K movies with frankly stunning levels of picture quality there's a whole lot more to UHD than just 8.3 million pixels.
And it doesn't have to cost the earth to get on the Ultra HD rollercoaster either.
Here is our choice for the best 4K TVs in the world today, from the wallet-busting 65-inch beasts to the best 48-inch TV we've ever seen.
1. Samsung UE65JS9500
"Nothing short of a milestone in TV picture quality"
Screen size: 65-inch | Tuner: Freeview HD, Freesat HD | Resolution: UHD 4K | Panel technology: LED Backlit | Smart TV: Tizen | Curved: Yes | Dimensions: 917 x 1450 x 379mm
Ground breaking picture quality
Feature-rich smart TV platform
Super expensive
Curved screen is divisive
Samsung's
2015 flagship TV leverages new brightness and colour technologies to
take LCD picture quality to a whole new level - especially once true HDR
content starts to roll into town. The difference its HDR technology
makes to picture quality is immense - more impactful by far, in fact,
than the step up from HD to UHD. What's more, while you need native HDR content to see the TV at its absolute cinematic best it still delivers superb results with current sources.
It's much easier to use than previous Samsung smart TVs too. We just wish more people would be able to afford it.
Read the full review: Samsung UE65JS9500
2. LG 65EC970V
"The first 4K OLED TV is finally here."
Screen size: 65-inch | Tuner: Freeview HD | Resolution: UHD 4K | Panel technology: OLED | Smart TV: LG webOS | Curved: Yes | Dimensions: 880 x 1447 x 257mm
Jaw-dropping design
webOS works brilliantly
Limited HDR options
Needs accurate set up
For
many home cinema fans the LG 65EC970V is a dream come true. There are
many, many occasions where its combination of a native 4K UHD resolution
and OLED screen technology delivers pictures more beautiful and natural
than any we've ever seen before on any television.Its webOS operating system, moreover, ensures that the 65EC970V is still easy to use despite its cutting edge nature, and its design is gorgeous.
If you're lucky enough to have six grand to spare you're faced with a stark TV choice between the LG 65EC970V and the Samsung UE65JS9500. The bottom line though is that it's another ground-breaking moment for TV picture quality.
Read the full review: LG 65EC970V
3. Sony KD-65X9005B
"A masterclass in 4K TV design and performance."
Screen size: 65-inch | Tuner: Freeview HD | Resolution: UHD 4K | Panel technology: LED | Smart TV: Sony Entertainment Network | Curved: No | Dimensions: 916 x 1716 x 320mm
Sensational image quality
Best in class audio performance
It's huge
Distracting social view function
We're
still hanging out for the new 2015 Sony 4K TVs to drop, but the current
generation of its UHD displays are little short of stunning and now
great value too.The Sony KD-65X9005B is a thoroughly intoxicating example of leading-edge 4K tech. The UHD image quality with native content exhibits a depth and detail that's beguiling, while its 4K upscaling talents are top notch. You can be confident that this set will make all your current TV favourites look better than they've ever done before.
Overall, the KD-65X9005B is still a genuine showstopper. Sony is back at the top of its TV game.
Read the full review: Sony KD-65X9005B
4. Panasonic TX-55AX902
"Beautifully built, with candy-rich colours and integrated HEVC decoder for Netflix 4K"
Screen size: 55-inch | Tuner: Freeview HD, Freesat HD | Resolution: UHD 4K | Panel technology: LED | Smart TV: My Home Screen | Curved: No | Dimensions: 741 x 1238 x 283mm
Rich, vibrant colour performance
Solid smart portal
Poor motion handling
Limited black level
When
we first checked out the TX-55AX902 it was Panasonic's flagship TV and
at £3,200 it was a bit rich for the visual reward. Fast forward just a
few months and you can pick up this 55-inch 4K beauty for just £2,000.Elements of the AX902 definitely impress. Panasonic's image scaling is highly effective, taking everyday Full HD content and adding density and depth. Blu-ray in particular shines. The screen also delivers rich, vibrant colours.
Panasonic's engineering team have pulled out all the stops for the TX-55AX902, including a full array backlight for uniform image consistency and some inventive local dimming tech.
Read the full review: Panasonic TX-55AX902
5. Samsung UE48JU7000T
"The bottom line is the set is capable of being brilliant."
Screen size: 48-inch | Tuner: Freeview HD | Resolution: UHD 4K | Panel technology: LED | Smart TV: Tizen | Curved: No | Dimensions: 683 x 1087 x 278mm
Affordable for high-end UHD
Outstanding contrast
Needs careful setup otherwise…
…there's significant motion blur
Samsung's
48-inch affordable 4K TV was almost on a hiding to nothing. When we
first checked it out the image quality was blighted by terrible motion
blur at its out-of-the-box settings. With a bit fiddling around though you're left with a beautiful UHD panel.
The UE48JU7000T produces one of the best contrast performances we've ever seen from a non-HDR TV, which in turn helps it produce some of the most vivid and effective colour performances we've seen from an LCD TV. Its Tizen Smart TV system is well populated and easy to use, too.
Read the full review: Samsung UE48JU7000T
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This device will make your music sound better - and protect your ears
Tailor-made audio sounds like a strange concept, but with services like Tidal using high bitrates it starts to make sense.
People's ears are different - some are more sensitive than others - and Aumeo wants to solve this problem by tuning your earphones to match the sensitivity of your ears.
Aumeo is just a small box that lives between your music device and your headphones. After performing a simple test to see how good your ears are at detecting certain frequencies, Aumeo will alter the audio output to better match your sonic profile, providing more detailed audio that you'll be able to enjoy without turning the volume up to a drum-damaging level.
Or at least that's the promise. Aumeo has just smashed its Indiegogo goal and plans to ship to backers this November. You can read more about it here.
The device will also come with a companion app for iOS and Android, which you can download right now.
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Innovators: Great tech innovators: Claude Zellweger
- Known for: HTC
- Quote: "The Porsche 911 has evolved over a generation. It's incremental. Really, what we focused on, is making things that are already good about the One even better."
Zellweger left Switzerland for the US and spent his younger years earning a degree in industrial design from the Art Centre College of Design in Pasadena.
With that under his belt he went straight into the Silicon Valley working for a number of firms including IDEO and Pentagram Design before heading on to join One & Co and becoming Creative Director in 2001.
There he continues to work on brand and design development with clients such as Sony, Kodak, Nike and Microsoft. One & Co was later bought out by HTC in 2008 allowing the opportunity mould one of the best phone manufacturers around.
It's working for HTC that Zellweger has created some of his best work. He soon joined the creative team within HTC becoming Leader Designer on the HTC brand.
In 2013 he was an integral part of realising and releasing the HTC One brand – one of the most beautiful smartphones we've seen in years, before following it up a year later with the HTC One M8.
Team members Scott Croyle and Jonah Becker, who worked on the HTC One line as well have since left leaving Claude as the sole baton carrier for beautiful design in the HTC One line.
His ethos of simple, yet beautiful design has been an inspiring factor of the company and lead HTC to great success in its flagship line. We've got our fingers crossed he continues his great work at the company to ensure next year's HTC One 10 will be the best looking yet.
- In partnership with Microsoft, powered by the HP Spectre x360
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Review: Updated: Microsoft Lumia 435
Introduction and design
The Microsoft Lumia 435 is an odd little phone. Immediately recognisable as a Lumia, given its bold colours and polycarbonate body, yet boasting sharper lines, a more boxy design and a Microsoft logo, this is a different breed of Windows Phone.As the first 400-class device in the Lumia family, the Lumia 435 is designed to appeal to a different audience from its older siblings. It's for those graduating from their first feature phone, those looking for a device to hand their child, or those seeking a back-up.
Given the price point, this is clear to see. Available from under £60 ($95, around AU$12), and as low as £40 (around $62, AU$80) SIM-free and a mere £24.99 on PAYG in the UK, this is a low-risk investment.
Given a year, Microsoft will likely be handing them out with Happy Meals. Yet, for this price, what do you get?
Typically, buying a 'good' smartphone for less than £100 ($150, AU$200) has been a difficult proposition. With every increment, more features are dropped. The 435 is competing with the likes of the ZTE Kis 3 Max, Vodafone Smart 4 Mini and not really much else. Regardless, the spec sheet is reasonably beefy.
The device touts a 4-inch 480 x 800 pixel screen (with 233ppi), a dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, a healthy 1GB of RAM, HSDPA+ connectivity and 8GB of internal storage. For the price, this is quite decent.
Despite this, for just a little bit more the new Moto E (2015) has a better, bigger screen, more battery life, a better processor and 4G. The same is true of the Honor Holly - better specs for a little more money.
Both of these devices also have access to the superior Android app ecosystem. With such fierce competition, can the Lumia 435 successfully prove its worth?
Design
At first glance the Microsoft Lumia 435 has an unmistakable shape about it, almost unlike any other Lumia. I could see distinct design influences from Nokia's ill-fated X-series of forked Android devices.After a long stare, however, it hits you: this is the successor to Nokia's Asha line of advanced feature phones, with their odd, angular aesthetic – especially the Asha 503.
Despite this unusual first impression, the Lumia certainly impresses. For the price, this device is solidly crafted.
With a tiny 4-inch screen, the 435 sits comfortably in almost any hand. The sides hug the palm snugly, with no sharp edges to be found. At 134g, the phone is light but not insubstantial, and the even weight distribution ensures that it has a nice balance, making texting on the go a pleasant experience.
With a removable back cover users have the option of a number of different colours; my unit came in a blindingly radioactive orange. The shell is constructed from a sturdy matte polycarbonate, meaning the 435 feels as though it can take hits in its stride.
When the back is removed, the MicroSD slot can be accessed to add in some supplementary storage, while the MicroSIM holding mechanism is hidden under the 1560 mAh battery.
The sides are relatively uncluttered in the normal Lumia style, with the power and volume keys all clustered on the right side of the phone, which is potentially something of a problem for left-handed users. All of the buttons have a nice click and are easy to tell apart, revealing some nice attention to detail.
As usual the USB is hidden away on the bottom, while a 3.5mm headphone jack is placed on top.
From the sides, the back rises in a gentle curve, much like the Lumia 930, with the contours easily hugging the palm. Sporting a single rear-firing speaker, the Microsoft branding and a fixed-focus 2MP camera, this is a mostly minimal affair.
The screen is where the first obvious sacrifice has been made, as it lacks Gorilla Glass. It doesn't have the distinct oleophobic coating that would otherwise allow it to shun fingerprints. Within minutes of using the Lumia 435, the screen hoarded my fingerprints as if they were going out of style; with regular use it will require the odd wipe.
This phone isn't going to win any style awards, nor will it be carried by Dolce & Gabbana any time soon. It is a comfortable utilitarian box, that's completely unthreatening.
As such, for the price and its intended audience, the Lumia 435 is something of a quiet triumph.
Key Features
Screen
The four-inch screen is standard for devices of this price class, and unfortunately it does not impress a great deal, even by such low standards.With 233ppi pixellation on small text is quite noticeable, meaning that reading web pages can be quite a difficult proposition. Outdoor lighting also presented a number of problems, and the milky blacks on offer meant that holding a WhatsApp conversation while on the go required the use of a second hand for shade.
Despite this, auto brightness is available, something omitted from last year's budget Lumia models. It isn't the most sensitive, but its mere presence meant that I wasn't constantly forced to manually adjust the screen lighting throughout the day, making things a little more convenient.
As might be expected, viewing angles are poor. Colours fade away and light levels drop rapidly when viewed from odd angles, though overriding the auto-brightness can occasionally make things a little better. Back-lighting is also a little uneven, and this becomes very noticeable under certain lighting situations.
Despite these issues, the screen is nice and sensitive; I had no problems with touch responsiveness.
Apps
Though much improved from years ago, the Windows Phone app store still lags behind its rivals. Microsoft likes to trumpet the gains made in this area, and indeed progress has been quick.
But Windows Phone still lacks the app 'culture' that draws in developers and ensures quality native apps, rather than poorly coded ports.
When apps do arrive, they are often updated irregularly, and with the introduction of universal apps and Windows 10 Mobile later in the year, things are set to change again.
Navigating through the Windows Phone store helps to compound the problem – despite typing 'Wordpress' verbatim in an attempt to find that particular app, I was presented with a number of completely unrelated options, finding the app in question involved a mobile web search.
Apps may come to Windows Phone when Microsoft's grand vision of Windows 10 Mobile comes together, but, for the moment, the platform still struggles.
OneDrive to rule them all, one Office to bind them
Part of Windows Phone's appeal as a mobile operating system has been the promise of easy, integrated connectivity with all of Microsoft's software offerings.OneDrive has long been Microsoft's answer to the likes of Dropbox and Google Drive, and bundled with the Office functionality baked into Windows Phone, this made working within my Microsoft ecosystem a very fluid experience.
The
OneDrive app itself has a very clean interface and is laid out
sensibly. When camera upload is activated, images are launched into the
cloud with a moment's notice, with a minimum of waiting. Images uploaded to the camera roll folder do not count against the storage limit, meaning that keen shutterbugs can get quite a lot of mileage from this service.
Working with Office, it was easy to create, edit, upload and share files on the go, including Powerpoint and Excel files. Though the appeal of this is admittedly niche, having the option was certainly pleasant and offered a tangible improvement to my daily routine.
With the likes of Dropbox being the only real cloud-storage competitors in the Windows Phone space, it is easy to dismiss OneDrive, yet this is a real bonus for users.
Owners of the Lumia 435 will receive 30GB of free OneDrive storage from Microsoft, making this potentially quite an attractive offer for some.
Cortana
Cortana, Microsoft's little nod to Halo fans, is touted as a main selling point of Windows Phone. Is 'she' worth the attention? The answer is complicated.In daily use, Cortana makes for a pleasant comparison. Lacking the robotic sterility of Google Now and possessing a few more features than Siri, Cortana is certainly entertaining. Ask her for a joke and you will most likely laugh.
However, her insistence on using Bing for search is unfortunately seemingly incurable.The app launches quickly, displaying relevant news for the day based on what interests you have selected. From there, you can type or speak a command or search request, after which you'll be taken through the depths of Bing to lands (often) unknown.
By selecting the hamburger menu on the top right, you are given access to various options in Cortana's Notebook, where all of the information on you is stored. There, you can edit things such as interests, quiet hours and frequent places to personalise the experience of using Cortana.
She also sports a reasonably accurate music recognition functionality, something which should occasionally come in useful when a catchy song comes on that you don't know.
By far the most useful feature is quiet hours, which allows you to specify times that you do not wish to be disturbed. As default, this will come on during meetings detailed in the calendar, but can also be triggered manually, making a good night's sleep a little easier.
Cortana is still in beta, and there are still a few growing pains (not least when trying to understand my Scottish burr) for her to get through. For the moment, however, it is a solid feature, though whether a voice assistant alone can sell phones is an unknown.
Music
Given the price point and the youthful demographic this device is aimed at, music playback is a major concern, and luckily the Lumia 435 does not disappoint.
Though lacking the high-end Dolby audio options of other, more expensive, Lumia models, the 435 makes for a great little music player. With a good pair of in-ear headphones inserted, bass and treble were nicely layered and volume was excellent.
As the speaker is rear-firing, it would be a reasonable assumption to make that audio reproduction would be poor. This is mostly true, but for the price it is difficult to beat.
Definition is lost in higher treble and lower bass frequencies, but this speaker can really crank up the volume.
If you like to host impromptu back-of-the-bus parties, the Lumia 435 is likely a phone for you.
Performance and battery life
With a dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, it would usually be a safe assumption that the Microsoft Lumia 435 would be something of a weakling. This is only half true.A fluid user experience has always been the hallmark of Windows Phones. From Windows Phone 7, which could easily have run on a waffle iron, the OS has been a lightweight, tight affair.
With the introduction of Windows Phone 8.1, however, things have begun to change.
For the most part, swiping through the OS on the Lumia 435 was snappy. Apps open and close without complaint. Coming from another operating system, especially from Android with developer animations removed, reveals the extent to which Windows Phone relies on these.
Almost every action prompts a swoop or a fade, making for a pretty transition and masking the sometimes annoying loading times.
Despite this, performance on day-to-day tasks was mostly solid, the average user, and indeed the target market for this device, will find very little to complain about.
Gaming
is a different matter, however. As might be expected, light titles such
as Angry Birds and Jetpack Joyride ran easily and remained eminently
playable. When moving to a more intensive class of titles, things began
to change.Though Asphalt 8: Overdrive mostly achieved playable framerates, textures were quite jagged and loading the app took several minutes. Subway Surfers and Temple Run 2 also suffered, becoming unplayable as the processor struggled to handle the increase in pace as the games progressed in difficulty.
Multitasking, not a strength of the platform to begin with, is also something of a chore. Apps are closed when not in use, meaning that navigating between a text conversation and the music app involves constant reloading.
Having 1GB of RAM, this phone is being sold by Microsoft as upgradeable to Windows 10 later in the year, meaning that this device is more future-proof than most others in this price class.
Battery life
At 1560mAh the battery on the Lumia 435 is hardly the most substantial in the world. Yet, when coupled with the low-power dual-core CPU and the sub-HD screen, things are evened out a little.In everyday usage, the Lumia 435 fares quite well. Across a 16-hour day, checking and updating social media accounts, texting, listening to music on headphones for an hour and a half, watching a few YouTube videos, indulging in some light gaming, making around an hour of calls and browsing the internet on HSDPA+ for around half an hour, the battery lasted until the end with 12% spare.
However, utilise the phone more sparingly and you are likely to see around two days of light usage, as Windows Phone standby times tend to be quite strong.
As you might expect, the situation changes when it comes to more intensive tasks, such as heavy gaming or browsing the web while on the go. In these situations, the battery almost seems to drop in real-time, meaning that if you want an extended session of Asphalt you will have to fork out for a spare battery.
Windows Phone does have a Battery Saver app included, and this does a reasonably efficient job of telling you what is eating battery life.
If needed, there is a power-saver mode available, which (mercifully) does not throttle CPU performance but merely restricts background app usage even further.
Activating this will typically see at least an extra hour of estimated battery life added, which is mostly backed up by real world usage.
Road warriors will want to pump out for an extra battery, for although the Lumia is a solid performer, it is certainly of its price class.
This isn't a massive 3,000 mAh battery as is seen in many modern flagships such as the LG G4 however, as such expecting similar performance isn't a realistic proposition.
Essentials and camera
As is very important for most people who want to use their phone as a phone, the Lumia 435 is excellent for making calls. Call quality was rock solid, with voice reception clear on both ends, with very little distortion.The in-built microphone also did an excellent job of separating the noise of a busy street from my voice, something which I did not expect at this price point.
The People Hub also remains one of the finer points of the Windows Phone OS and Microsoft has done a good job of building a 'smart' contacts list.
In the hub, all contacts are pulled together in a neat little list, and in a nice twist information is pulled from social accounts, making the People Hub a great way to stay updated.
Internet connectivity proved to be strong. HSDPA+ performance across the Bath and Bristol area on the O2 network proved to be strong, without any major hiccups.
Being a country bumpkin, having no 4G proved not to be an issue, certainly not at this price point.
Using the internet never proved to be an issue. Internet Explorer, Windows Phone's native browser, proved to be a fairly swift guide through the darkness of the net, however Flash heavy-sites did cause some stuttering. Pages mostly loaded quickly, and I had no major complaints regarding the Lumia 435's performance in this area.
The Windows Phone in-built email client also proved to be quite useful. As a native offering, it is relatively feature-rich, pulling three email accounts into one inbox proved to be a very easy process and it worked fluidly throughout the review process.
As for text editing, the Windows Phone keyboard remains an excellent option.
Though the platform doesn't have the ability to select from a host of different option, the keys are well spaced, the feedback is nice, gesture typing works well and auto-correction is mostly faultless.
Finding a better option elsewhere is certainly possible, but when compared to the default keyboards of certain Android OEMs, the Windows Phone offering is solid.
GPS performance was adequate, achieving a lock within a reasonable time frame.
Camera
The last, and biggest sacrifice to cost, asides from the processor and the screen, comes in the form of the rear-facing camera of the Lumia 435. It is a 2MP fixed-focus effort, seemingly transported straight from a candy-bar phone in 2005. Needless to say, images are not excellent.Even in bright lighting, with good visibility, the images produced by this tiny sensor are very soft, with little fine detail. As might be expected, when viewed on the smaller screen of the phone, this is less apparent; when blown up, it is a completely different story.
Given the fixed focus of the lens, shots are often very blurry and must be aligned correctly for acceptable results. As might be expected at this price, there is no flash.
For such a cheap phone, this is hardly surprising. Yet as 5MP auto-focus efforts are slowly working their way down the pecking order into more and more budget handsets, it is unusual to see such a poor snapper, especially in a range which is known for its camera performance.
However, very unusually for such a budget device, a front-facing camera has been included. In addition to allowing for the ever-important selfie, this facilitates video-calls.
With a VGA resolution, however, Skype calls eventually begin to resemble conversation through cataracts. This is a good effort for the price, yet remains essentially unusable. Those looking for a better selfie cam are best advised to look at the Lumia 535, which has a nice wide-angle 5mp front-facing sensor for only £30 more.
Video from the rear-camera was similarly poor, with footage being very shaky, though recorded audio was surprisingly decent. Footage can either be recorded in FWVGA or VGA resolution.
Camera samples
Verdict
The story of the Microsoft Lumia 435 is one of sacrifice. Coming in with a sub-par screen, a small battery and poor camera, this phone isn't going to please the high-end crowd.Yet at roughly a 10th of the cost of a new iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy S6 or LG G4, competing at such a level is not a priority for the Lumia 435.
As more budget devices arrive touting 4G, Quad Core processors and 720p screens, it is difficult to tell if the Lumia 435 will continue to have a place in the mobile phone market.
We liked
The build quality of this device, for the price level, is excellent. The unit feels very solid and could most likely survive the extended attention of a clumsy child. With no flex or give, and the ability to buy new back-plates, this would make a great companion for the accident-prone.Despite the device's lower-end specs, using the Windows Phone OS was a fluid and enjoyable affair. Juggling various email accounts with texting and instant messaging proved to be a good experience overall, with the battery lasting through a busy day of communicating.
Music playback proved to be something of a treat. As an MP3 player, this device is a strong pick, especially with the option to add more storage via MicroSD. The speakers reach satisfyingly loud volume levels, making rocking out all the easier.
We disliked
Gaming performance, as a whole, is under par. Subway Surfers, which has been optimised for budget devices, becomes unplayable in its later stages, when faster reaction times are required, as the processor simply can't keep up.The screen is very difficult to view in sunlight, often whether it is bright or not. This is made worse by the auto-brightness sensor, which is confused very easily. Viewing angles are also poor, and reading text can become a little difficult on certain webpages.
Apps on the Windows Phone store remain sparse. What options are available are rarely updated, navigating the store remains a chore, and with universal apps on the way later in the year, it is yet to be seen how many developers will choose to port their apps over.
Final verdict
The Microsoft Lumia 435 is a funny little phone. With its eye-catching looks and a sturdy, comfortable design, it makes a great first impression.In day-to-day use, this mostly remains. Navigating the OS is a relatively painless affair and listening to music is something of a treat. The fact that this phone will receive Windows 10 also makes it a tantalising offer for those who want to try something a little different later in the year without breaking the bank.
Yet with a poor screen, bad cameras and laggy performance in many tasks, this is a device that has many drawbacks.
What it all boils down to, however, is price. The Lumia 520 became the most popular Windows Phone handset not because of its obvious superiority or wonderful good looks, but because of its price. By the end of its shelf life, Microsoft was practically giving them away. This is where the 435 is intended to sit, and as a phone meant to be sold in shovels, it is well worth a look.
First reviewed: April 2015
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