Total Pageviews
2:57 AM |
Two Android bad boys duke it out!
However, as we move through the year and more and more Android flagships come out, it’s become evident the Galaxy S7 has some stiff competition. HTC and LG both have strong flagships this year and the OnePlus 3 is apparently just around the corner. But there is a new player in town, one that has been slowly building up its presence in Western markets over the last few years — Huawei.
Labels:
Source : http://www.techtimes.com/
If you've been dreaming of a newly updated MacBook family, all glistening with newly milled metal and amazing new features, then prepare to be slightly crestfallen. Apple, ever the tease, has given its daintiest laptops – the MacBook and MacBook Air – a minor specification bump.
In a game of spot the difference, you'd need a keen eye to spot what's changed in the new, improved Apple MacBook. In fact, you'd need X-ray vision as the big difference is that the MacBook's processors have now been upgraded to the latest Skylake generation of Intel's Core M processors. To round off the upgrade, Apple has bumped up the RAM speeds to 1,866MHz and given the PCI Express flash storage a speed boost, too.
"This is more exciting than it sounds."
The arrival of a new CPU is more exciting than it sounds. At the time of their release, Intel was claiming between 10 and 20% performance increases for the Skylake generation of Core M, and around a 40% improvement to graphics performance thanks to the Intel HD Graphics 515 GPU.
Given that Intel announced the updated Skylake Core M family in 2015, however, there's every chance that Apple has gone straight to the refreshed version of Skylake – codenamed Kaby Lake – for its latest MacBook generation. As Kaby Lake makes various tweaks to the processor architecture, it's likely to provide further performance improvements across the board.
Roses are red
If all this sounds outrageously dull and boring, then fear not for there is a much, much more exciting development in MacBook world: it is now available in Rose Gold. Yes, finally you can buy a MacBook that matches your iPhone and iPad. Jobs be praised.
Not to be left out, the 13in MacBook Air also gets a little upgrade – 8GB of RAM is now supplied as standard.
If you're tempted to rush out and buy a new MacBook right now, then you'll just have to wait patiently. Apple's UK site hasn't yet been updated to reflect the latest changes.
Source : http://www.alphr.com
Since the launch of the iPad Air 2, Apple has released two new tablets - the larger, 12.9in iPad Pro and more compact iPad Pro 9.7.
These two new tablets aren't designed to replace the iPad Air 2, but to complement it, with support for official keyboards and the pressure-sensitive Apple Pencil, for sketching and taking notes onscreen.
For those who still only want a tablet, the iPad Air 2 remains among the best in the business, however, and the good news is it's now £50 cheaper than it was. If you want to find out more, read our original review below.
Apple is a company that knows its customers better than anyone – and at the launch of the iPad Air 2, it was in no doubt as to what they really wanted from their new iPad. A larger screen? Nope. A lower price? Of course not. How about a base model with higher storage capacity? Not a chance. So what was the iPad Air 2's headline feature? It was thinner. Precisely the feature everyone had been clamouring for.
In fairness, Apple has made further changes, but it's revealing that this was the feature it chose to lead on at the tablet's official unveiling. Not a faster CPU, nor an improved display or camera, though it has those things as well, but the tablet's astonishing slenderness. With a tablet so good – and still the market leader even a year after its first launch – it seems Apple has decided there simply wasn't any reason to pile on new features.
All the same, with this new update, Apple has most certainly made its flagship tablet better, and the design department hasn't been entirely unoccupied these past 12 months. Aside from the iPad Air 2's slimmer 6.1mm chassis (the iPad Air was 7.4mm thick), and lighter 437g weight (down from 469g), a number of other small changes have been made: the buttons have been redesigned to match those on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus; the speaker grille on the bottom edge is now a single row of larger perforations, not two; and the mute switch has been removed.
While some may mourn the demise of the latter, it's no great loss as it's still possible to quickly mute the tablet by simply holding the volume down key.
For those with a penchant for bling, the iPad Air 2 ushers in a gold version of the tablet. If this sounds a little too ostentatious, never fear; the Air 2 is still be available in silver and grey versions, as before.
Apple iPad Air 2 review: Touch ID
You do have to look pretty hard to see most of the functional differences between this year's Air and the last, but one of the more obvious is the introduction of Apple's Touch ID sensor.
In look and operation, this works in exactly the same way as it does on the iPhone. To initially register a fingerprint, you repeatedly tap your finger to the sensor, then change the orientation of your finger and repeat the process. Once done, the iPad can be unlocked simply by holding a finger to the sensor.
You can also use the sensor to authorise payment for items purchased through the App Store or iTunes, and now that the system has been opened up to third parties, you can use it with other apps, too. Evernote was among the early adopters – you can use your fingerprint to sign in to the app – but there are now others as well, includiong LastPass and Dropbox.
Now that Touch ID has arrived, the big difference between the current crop of iPhones and iPads is that the iPads have no near-field communication (NFC), so there's no direct support for touch-based payment. This is hardly a great loss, though; we can't imagine that paying via an iPad, even one as slim and light as this, would be particularly convenient.
Continues on page 2: Display and camera quality
Source : http://www.alphr.com
The iPad Air has been superseded by three new models - the iPad Air 2, the iPad Pro and the iPad Pro 9.7 since it first came out in 2014, and Apple no longer sells it on its website. That doesn't mean that you should ignore the original iPad Air, though.
The iPad Air 2, iPad Pro and Pro 9.7 are superior devices, but the original iPad Air is still no slouch, and if you can get hold of it secondhand, it's likely to be much cheaper.
Read on to learn why we loved the original iPad Air, and click here to jump to our iPad Air 2 review and find out why it's arguably the best tablet on the market.
It took Apple CEO Tim Cook a long time to get around to the iPad Air at the company's Autumn launch event last month. After rattling through a set that covered OS X Mavericks and the free versions of the iLife and iWork suites, he finally got to the meat of the presentation: a pair of new iPads, the first of which we have on review here.
Apple iPad Air review: design
So, what's new about the iPad Air, aside from the name? The major change concerns the design. The full-sized, 9.7in iPad is now a dead ringer for its little brother, the iPad mini. It has the same chamfered metal edges around the glass front; those edges are more aggressively rounded than on the iPad 4; and discrete volume buttons have replaced the rocker switch of old. In our view it's a marginally more attractive device, especially in the moody Space Grey livery (it also comes in silver), but there's not much in it.
The headline is the reduced weight and size of the iPad Air. At 469g, the Wi-Fi iPad Air is a significant 28% lighter than the equivalent iPad 4, and it's thinner and narrower across its waist. Hold each in succession and you notice the difference immediately.
In isolation, the weight reduction is less noticeable, but the slightly more compact dimensions make a material difference to the way you handle the Air. It's now possible for people with large hands to stretch their fingers across the back and grip the iPad in one hand. This isn't something we'd recommend you do for any length of time, but it gives you an extra option.
For the most part, you'll grip it by the edge, with a thumb resting on the narrower bezel. This isn't as much of a bind as you'd think: while reading a book in the Kindle app, for instance, you can rest a thumb in the margin without anything untoward happening, and the same goes for the browser. In our time with the tablet so far, the Air's narrow bezels haven't proved a problem.
Apple iPad Air review: battery life and performance
In realising the new design, Apple has reduced the capacity of the battery by 23%: it drops from a huge 43Wh to 33Wh. Yet remarkably, this hasn't had a negative impact on longevity. In our looping video test, with the screen calibrated to a brightness of 120cd/m2 and flight mode activated, the Air lasted 12hrs 55mins – 43 minutes longer than its predecessor.
Clearly, the Air is a much more efficient tablet. According to Apple this is due in part to the low-power M7 processor, which takes over the role of handling data from the tablet's various motion sensors (the accelerometer, the gyroscope and the compass).
A pleasant side effect of having a smaller battery is that the iPad takes less time to charge. Using the supplied AC adapter, the Air charged from 0% to 100% in around four hours. In the same time span, the iPad 4 hit only 80%. This may be a result of the more potent charger, too: the adapter bundled with the Air delivers DC current at 2.4A, compared to the 2A of the previous effort.
Performance, too, has seen a significant boost, with the same dual-core, 64-bit, 1.4GHz A7 CPU as the iPhone 5s on board. In every benchmark we ran, this helped the iPad Air stretch out a significant lead on the iPad 4, which is no slouch. It's also faster than every Android tablet we've tested recently (you can find comparative results in the table below).
In real-world terms, that means swift load times for apps, slick menu and web-page scrolling and sumptuous graphics in games. In Asphalt 8: Airborne, one of the most demanding games around, there's a slightly smoother frame rate than on the iPad 4, and the particle effects and high-resolution textures are stunning.
Apple iPad Air review: display, cameras, audio and wireless
The component that hasn't seen any change is the display, which is an IPS unit with a resolution of 1,536 x 2,048 and a pixel density of 264ppi. We measured the maximum brightness at 410cd/m2 and the contrast ratio at 1,000:1. Eyeballing it next to the previous model, it looks identical, with rich colours and an ever-so-slightly compressed dark-end to the colour spectrum.
Source : http://www.alphr.com
The Surface Pro 4 is one of those products that proves the best route to success is to take an already great recipe and tweak it very slightly, year on year. Using this method, Microsoft turned an average product into a very good one in three years flat, and this latest model builds yet again on that accumulated achievement.
The improvements evident in the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 are mostly small and incremental, then, but don’t, whatever you do, make the mistake of thinking they're “only” iterative. As Apple has proved time and time again, constant iteration leads to products that end up head and shoulders above the competition. That's where the Surface Pro 4 finds itself, and it's why its stablemate the Microsoft Surface Book, though quite, quite lovely, isn't at the same level just yet.
In case you haven’t seen a Surface Pro, or you've been hiding from the multi-million dollar advertising campaign Microsoft has run since the first one launched, it's designed to be the tablet that can replace a laptop. It runs Microsoft's desktop OS software, Windows 10, and as such allows you to run any Windows application on the planet, as well as apps from the Windows Store.
That makes it a very different proposition to the iPad Pro, which only runs iOS apps. It's all at once a powerful laptop replacement that you can use in a business environment to run legacy Windows apps, browse networks and copy and paste files, and a consumer tablet you can use to run casual games and watch Netflix on. It's truly a one-size fits all machine.
It's also built around an Intel processor – in our case, the latest Skylake Core i5-6300U – although you can go up to an i7, or even step down to a Core m3. And prices start at £749 inc VAT for the Intel Core m3 model with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, and rise to £1,799 for an i7 with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. As usual, you’ll have to add on £110 for the (pretty much essential) Type Cover, which means a top-of-the-line Surface Pro 4 won’t leave you much change from £2,000. Microsoft is truly following the Apple model with this one.
Surface Pro 4 review: Design and build quality
That’s not to say, though, that you’re not getting value for money, and you’re definitely getting a design and build quality that’s at least as good as Apple’s here. Although the design of the Surface Pro 4 doesn’t stray too far from that of the Surface Pro 3, there are little touches Microsoft has made that improve it.
There’s still the same, beautiful kickstand, which you can adjust to almost any angle, so it’s close to being a laptop-like experience. You can even angle it all the way back, in which case it makes the Surface Pro very usable without your keyboard attached in a lap – think the iPad with a Smart Cover on it, folded back, and you have an idea of the angle it sits at.
How does it compare with the competition, though? Well, it's a sight better than the iPad Pro’s keyboard stand. Although I don't mind typing on that keyboard, its lack of adjustability - it's set at one angle - lack of backlight and touchpad sets it at a significant disadvantage.
And, while Google has made a much better attempt with the Google Pixel C's magnificent magnetically attachable keyboard, which allows you to adjust the keyboard at any angle and has a stiff, solid base, it suffers from similar shortcomings. It also lacks both a touchpad and backlighting and its small size means it isn't as comfortable to use as the Surface Pro 4's Type Cover.
The body is the same as its predecessor, as is the array of ports: USB 3, mini-DisplayPort, and a microSD slot hidden under the stand. Microsoft hasn’t taken the opportunity to shift to USB Type-C, which I think is a shame. This means we’re also stuck with the weird proprietary power connector, rather than being able to charge from USB Type-C. Oh well, perhaps next time.
One small design tweak that's welcome, though, is the addition of a few magnets on the left-hand side. These hold the Surface Pen – which is now included – firmly to the side of the device. How firmly? Firmly enough that, on a flat desk, I can drag the device along just by holding the pen and pulling. It isn't quite as secure as an internal docking slot, but it comes close enough for me to stop complaining about not having a place to put the pen.
Overall, though, the design and build quality remain the gold standard for this kind of convertible. The Surface Pro 4 looks, and feels, like an expensive, high-quality product. And that’s because it is – on both counts.
The biggest question mark over the design remains its "lapability", as Microsoft has taken to calling it. As with the Surface Pro 3, the Surface Pro 4 is helped considerably by the stand’s ability to tilt the screen to a wide range of angles. While it’s now very steady, it's much longer than a conventional laptop on your lap, which means people who have shorter legs (like me) are likely to find it less comfortable.
Although this is something that's raised again and again by journalists, how much of an issue it is in the real world is debatable. Most laptops in daily use are on tables – lap use tends to be a much rarer event for ordinary people than it is for journalists. If you’re someone who spends a lot of time using your laptop on your lap, the Surface Pro 4 will be less suitable for you. If on the other hand, you’re largely desk- or table-bound, it will be perfectly fine.
Surface Pro review 4: Type Cover
I didn’t hate the Surface Pro 3’s Type Cover. I could happily type on it for hours, but was always happy to get back to a proper keyboard. It wasn’t so much the size of the keys or the travel, but the slight feel of flexing that you got when you hit it.
The good news is that Surface Pro 4’s Type Cover largely fixes this. Microsoft has added some much-needed rigidity to the cover – it’s actually hard to bend it now – which means the keyboard doesn’t bounce in quite the same way. The keys themselves are still a bit clicky, but it’s a nice experience, and I’d be more than happy to type on it all the time.
The trackpad has also been improved. It’s now a little bigger, and topped with glass, with a much better feel. This has, thus, moved from the “I want a mouse now, please” category to “yeah, I can use this”. There are a few small nice extra touches here. For example, the function key now has a tiny light on it and acts as function-lock. The backlighting has also improved, although the keys still leak light in a way that will alarm those used to Apple keyboards, with their highly precise lighting.
There's also the snappily-named Surface Pro 4 Type Cover with Fingerprint ID. Although this accessory has been available in the US since the launch of the Surface Pro 4, it's only recently made it over to the UK and at £135 inc VAT it isn't cheap. I've now had the opportunity to try one out, however, and can confirm that it works very well indeed. Enrolling a fingerprint works in a similar manner to Touch ID on an iPad or iPhone, and once done you'll be able to tap the sensor - located just to the right of the touchpad - to instantly unlock the tablet, even directly from sleep.
It's so good, in fact, that if you're considering buying a Surface for the first time I'd recommend seriously considering paying the extra £25 for the privilege. Also worth noting is that both versions of the Surface Pro 4 keyboard work with the Surface Pro 3 as well. So, if you have an older Pro, I’d definitely recommend running out and buying one as soon as you can.
Source : http://www.alphr.com
Update: As of 20 April at 11.45am, Google.com is showing as “Not dangerous”. Phew.
There are plenty of conspiracy theorists who believe Google is not to be trusted, which was not helped by the company dumping its “Don’t Be Evil” mantra the day it became Alphabet. That number appears to include Google itself.
An eagle-eyed Reddit user has spotted that, if you visit the Google Transparency Report and check on the status of Google.com, you’ll get a warning from the company that all is not well with its own product:
It’s “partially dangerous”, apparently, with Google warning that its own pages may try to install malware on your computer, trick you into downloading something or steal your credit card information.
Amusingly, if you do the same test for Bing.com – Microsoft’s search engine – Google is quick to reassure you that you won’t have any issues at all.
Google.co.uk also gets a clean bill of health:
So, what’s going on here? Well, the safe-browsing tools are automated, and most likely someone was using Google’s services to host something malicious. That comes with the territory when you’re as big a site as Google. Indeed, other huge sites with user-generated content are not immune from being highlighted as dangerous, including Tumblr and GitHub.
It is possible that the malicious sites have already been removed – Safe Browsing isn’t a real-time scanner, according to Google’s own FAQ on the subject. The same FAQ also says that the company has had “very few false positives,” but on this occasion I think we can take the findings with a small shaker of salt.
READ NEXT: Microsoft thinks I’m a golden retriever
The LG G5 is a breath of fresh air in a world of me-too smartphones. Where every other manufacturer seems content to up the pixel count, push the processor speeds and tiptoe forwards with incremental improvements, LG has done something genuinely different. It has reinvented its flagship phone with a modular design that allows it to be upgraded and tweaked with camera add-ons, high-end DACs, and replaceable batteries.
That’s a major deal. Where most other manufacturers seem keen to follow the Apple model of sealing everything inside - even some budget phone manufacturers do it - LG has recognised that its customers are after something different. Instead of attempting to milk its fans for every last penny, LG is giving them what they want.
And the clever thing about the G5 is that LG hasn’t had to revert to a shonky plastic back to do it. Instead, the LG G5 has an attractive anodised aluminium unibody (it isn’t plastic, despite what some early stories would have you believe). This is smoothly contoured and unblemished by dust-gathering grooves or nail catches. It’s elegant and unfussy and perhaps just a tiny bit reminiscent of the Nexus 6P.
I’m not a big fan of the bulging camera housing; it spoils the overall look, but otherwise the G5 a decent design, and practical, too. A subtle ridge around the edge at the rear helps you grip the phone, and the top portion of the glass front curves gently backwards. Best of all, the matte finish on the phone’s chassis doesn’t pick up fingerprints anywhere near as readily as the glass-backed Galaxy S7 does.
I also like the position of the fingerprint reader in the centre at the rear, which doubles as the phone's power button, and also that LG has finally seen fit to reposition the volume buttons. After a few years of rear-mounted volume keys, 2016 sees them return to their rightful place on the edges of the phone. This is most definitely a good thing.
The fact that it’s all wrapped up in a light (159g), slim (7.7mm) package certainly helps, and the mid-sized 5.3in display allows the LG G5 to strike the ideal balance between big-screen readability and easy pocketability.
LG G5 review: A phone you can expand
The only external sign of the LG G5’s modular approach is the pin-line seam that runs across the back of the phone at the bottom edge, and a small button on the left. Push this in and the LG G5’s expansion module disengages, allowing it to be withdrawn, complete with removable battery, from the end of the phone’s chassis.
Plugging in a new module in is a little more complicated. To connect the camera or music modules to the phone (see below for more details) or any of the other units for that matter, you first have to snap apart the battery and the bottom cap, attach the new module to the bottom end of the battery and slide the whole lot back into the phone. To replace the battery, remove the cap, attach it to the new power pack and slot back in.
It’s a deceptively simple idea, yet I’d like it to be slicker. Currently, it smacks very much of an engineering team fumbling its way into things rather than a confident step forward, but that’s what it takes to get a well-designed, solid-feeling phone that’s a little different, then I’m willing to accept that. And, don’t forget, you can also add extra storage via the microSD slot.
The only other thing to note is that, although the G5 is ultra-flexible, there’s no water- or dust-proofing and no dual-SIM capability. You can’t have everything, I suppose, although I can see the latter being added via an extra module at some point in the future - if the concept is a success.
Disappointingly, only two expansion modules will be available at launch. The first is a camera extension: the CAM Plus. This adds a comfortable grip and DSLR-style controls to the phone, with physical buttons for power, shutter, zoom and movie recording. It also adds an extra 1,200mAh battery, allowing you to shoot and record for longer.
The other module is audio-focused – the B&O Play. This expansion module, developed in collaboration with high-end audio specialists Bang & Olufsen, delivers high-resolution audio playback and can be used with the phone, or even as a standalone DAC attached to your hi-fi or PC.
That’s it for now, though, and it’s a fairly slim selection. All of which begs the question: will anyone actually go out and buy any of these modules? I suspect not, and unless LG continues to back the system for subsequent models, it’s an idea that’s likely to quietly fall by the wayside - quirky, intriguing and interesting, yes, but pointless in the long run.
Source : http://www.alphr.com
Electric cars like the Tesla Model 3 might be the future - but hybrid cars will do until they’re truly ready. Sure, electric cars are safe and super-efficient, but they don’t still don’t have the winning combination of range and low-running costs that many people want. If you like the idea of an EV, but want the security and peace of mind that comes with ‘normal’ car, the best hybrid cars give you the best of both worlds. In fact, they’re getting more and more popular by the month: Last year, the UK doubled down on hybrid vehicles, with 14,532 sold in 2015 – a 94% increase on the previous year: Want to join the hybrid revolution? Here are the best hybrid cars you can get in 2016.
1. Audi A3 e-tron (starts at £35,690)
The Audi A3 Sportback is one of the best premium hatchbacks on the market, and the Audi A3 e-tron takes all of that and combines a 1.4-litre TFSI with a pair of electric motors. The result? The Audi A3 e-tron is one of the best hybrids around, and only puts out of 37g/km of CO2, and around 177mpg. Throw in the premium fit and finish you’d expect from an Audi A3, and the result is a eco-friendly and stylish package that makes a lot financial sense.
2. Volvo XC90 T8 (starts at £60,455)
We drove the Volvo XC90 last year and found it was one of the most advanced SUVs we’d ever stepped foot in. It’s no surprise then, that Volvo has also upped the technology under the bonnet too, adding a monstrous T8 twin engine powerplant. In addition to a 320bhp turbocharged and supercharged engine, the Volvo’s T8 powertrain adds an 87hp electric motor. The result? In the aptly named Power Mode, the XC90 T8 can rocket to 60mph in 5.3 seconds – but it can also save you money in Eco Mode. Make sure you charge it from the mains, however, as doing it on-the-go sharply reduces your fuel economy.
3. Toyota Prius (starts at £23,395)
First launched in 1997 to relatively little acclaim, the Toyota Prius is the car that started it all, and it’s now rightly the most popular hybrid car on the road: if you’ve got a minicab or an Uber in the last few days, there’s a very good chance you were in a Prius. This year, Toyota updated its hybrid pioneer with sharper styling and even better fuel performance at 85.6mpg. If you'd prefer a plug-in version of the Prius, you’re in luck; Toyota announced a plug-in hybrid version (PHEV) of the Prius at this year’s New York Motor Show.
4. Volkswagen Golf GTE (starts at £33,755)
The Golf is one of the most iconic, enduring models in VW's history, so it’s pretty significant that Volkswagen has released a hybrid version of the hatchback. From the outside, the Golf GTE looks like any other Golf, but VW has managed to add a 101bhp electric motor to a more traditional 148bhp 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine. Although it lacks the finesse of thoroughbred Golf GTI, the GTE offers good performance on B roads – and even better performance on the motorway. Volkswagen says the Golf can return around 41.7mpg when using a combination of its petrol and electric engines.
5. Mercedes C350 Hybrid (starts at £37,600)
The Mercedes C350 isn’t the company’s first stab at making a hybrid – but it’s the German brand’s best one by a long way. Featuring 208hp from a conventional engine and 80hp from an electric motor, the C50 saloon can get to 60mph from a standstill in 5.9 seconds, with the estate version following at 6.2. But the C35 is economical, too, with Mercedes quoting 134.5mpg for both the saloon and the estate. But the best part? To improve your eco-driving, Mercedes includes a haptic accelerator that pushes back when you’re being too throttle-happy.
6. BMW i3 Range Extender (starts at £34,130)
We included the super-refined i3 in our "Best electric cars roundup", but it also comes in a hybrid version. The i3 "Range Extender" model adds a small 650cc two-cylinder motor, and it only comes to life when the battery drops to 3.5% – or around three miles of range. Interestingly, the motor doesn’t actively power the wheels but instead acts as a generator for the i3’s existing batteries. The result? The Range Extender i3’s range is almost doubled to around 190 miles – but it does cost an extra £3,150. However, if you're interested in an i3 we'd say DON'T buy one just yet. Reports suggest BMW will be new model of the i3 as early as June this year.
READ NEXT: Best electric cars in the UK
Source : http://www.alphr.com
There's an enormous breadth of choice in today's smartphone market – and it's growing all the time. That's why we've put together this comprehensive guide to the best mobile phones of 2016. From mid-range stunners to the finest flagship smartphones, you're bound to find something here that will hit the spot.
If you just want to start shopping right now, then click the menu above to read the reviews of our favourite phones. You'll find quick summaries of our in-depth reviews, as well as all the key specifications you need to help you make a buying decision.
If you're not sure what kind of smartphone is right for you, then have a read of our Buyer's Guide. This will help you decide between Android, iOS and Windows Phone, and run you through all the key specifications you need to know about and look out for when buying a new phone. If you can't be bothered to click the menu above, you can click here instead.
Best smartphones of 2016:
1. Google Nexus 6P
Price when reviewed: £449 inc VAT, 16GB; from free on a £27.50/mth, 24mth contract
| Screen | Camera | Processor | Storage | Battery |
| 5.7in 1,440 x 2,560 | 12MP 8MP | Snapdragon 810 3GB RAM | 32/64/128GB No microSD | 3,450mAh Non-removable |
Everyone had high hopes for the new Nexus phones, and it's fair to say that Huawei delivered on its side of the bargain. Tasked with creating Google's new big-screened phone, it served up the Nexus 6P – a stylish, speedy phone with a long list of talents.
Where to start? There's a pair of superb cameras, great software, impressive battery life and a big, sharp, colourful 5.7in display which is protected by a burly layer of Gorilla Glass 4. You can choose between 32, 64 or 128GB models, and the only thing that'll bother some people is the decision to not include a microSD slot – well, that and the decision to opt for a USB-C charging port. Leave your charging cable at home, and you may end up cursing Huawei's insistence on using the latest USB connector.
"Suffice to say, the Google Nexus 6P is our favourite smartphone."
Suffice to say, the Google Nexus 6P is our favourite smartphone. It was the first phone to knock the Samsung Galaxy S6 off its perch after more than six months at the top. Why is it so awesome? Simple - because this 5.7in handset gets pretty much everything right, and wraps it up in a picture perfect package that doesn't cost a huge amount of money. It's a recipe its rivals are going to find it very hard to beat.
Click here to read our Google Nexus 6P review
Source : http://www.alphr.com
The iPhone 7 is just over five months away. Apple’s next smartphone will need to bring some major design changes and, as with every Apple update, the iPhone 7 will be faster, thinner and even more sophisticated than its predecessor. So what should we expect this September? It looks like the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will become with at least one new killer feature – but this time around, rumours suggest Apple will release a third, image-focused iPhone Pro. But what else? Here you’ll find all the most important predictions for the iPhone 7, including release date, price, specs and more.
1. Release date
Almost every iPhone - apart from the iPhone SE - is released in the last few weeks of September, and we don’t think the iPhone 7 will be any different. Reports suggests that chip manufacturers are already gearing up to increase production in Q2 and Q3 of this year and that fits in with a September iPhone 7 release date perfectly.
2. Specs
Reports suggest the iPhone 7 could come with 3GB of RAM – the largest amount ever shipped in an iPhone. In comparison, the iPhone 6s had 2GB of Samsung LPDDR4 RAM, while the iPhone 6 used 1GB of slower, DDR3 RAM. As for the processor? We expect the iPhone 7 to use an A10 chip, and it's probably going to be made by either TSMC, Samsung or a combination of the two.
3. Dual-camera
Reports from pretty much everywhere suggest the iPhone 7 will have a dual-camera array. The multi-camera technology is reportedly from Linx, a company Apple bought just under a year ago. We think the dual-cameras won't be used for 3D capability, but will make autofocusing faster and give better low-light pictures. Pretty much what the new Huawei does, then.
However, it looks like not every iPhone 7 could have the new double camera setup. Several experts have suggest the dual-camera array will be reserved for the high-end version of the iPhone 7, which will probably be called the iPhone 7 Pro.
4. No headphone jack
This rumour keeps cropping up, so it’s really starting to look like the headphone jack’s days are numbered. First, code in the iOS 9.3 beta suggested the headphone jack was about to go, and then a research memo acquired by AppleInsider, the iPhone 7 will lose its headphone jack – but gain an extra speaker like the iPad Pro. Most of the leaked pictures we’ve seen of the iPhone 7 also don’t have an headphone jack - so it really might be going.
5. Waterproof casing
The iPhone 6s is more waterproof than we thought, but the iPhone 7 should be totally resistant against liquids. After filing a patent for ports that eject water several months ago, Apple filed another for connections that self-heal – solving one of the main challenges of making a phone waterproof. Besides, it's about time Apple made a waterproof handset; its rivals like the Samsung S7 and Sony smartphones have been waterproof for ages.
6. No ugly antenna lines
The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6s are obviously the most refined phones Apple has ever made - buy they weren't without their faults. While the front of the handsets is pretty sparse, the rear of Apple's current flagships feature a protruding camera and antenna lines - designed to improve reception. According to a report by Mac Rumors, the iPhone 7 will look similar to the iPhone 6s, but with one major exception. The website’s source says the new iPhone’s rear camera should be flush with the rest of its body – fixing a major gripe of the iPhone 6’s design.
7. Better battery life
The Chinese site Digi.tech.qq.com leaked images of what could be the iPhone 7’s battery – and it suggests Apple’s next phone could have better battery life.
The image shows a battery with a capacity of 7.04 watt hours (Wh), which is slightly larger than the iPhone 6s’ 6.61Wh. Interestingly, this is almost the same as the iPhone 6’s 7.01Wh. Elsewhere, another report suggests that the iPhone 7 smartphone will include a huge 3,100mAh battery – making it 12.7% larger than that in the iPhone 6s Plus. While that’s already a large increase, improvements in processor efficiency and iOS tweaks mean that figure will probably grow.
8. UK price
The cost of Apple's handset has remained fairly consistent over the years, so we expect the iPhone 7 to launch at around the same price as the iPhone 6s. That means the asking price for the next Apple smartphone should start at around £500 to £550, while the Plus variety should cost between £600 and £650.
READ NEXT: The best iPhone and iPad apps in 2016
Source : http://www.alphr.com
After years of investigations, the European Commission (EC) has issued formal antitrust charges against Google, claiming it has abused its dominant position in smartphone operating systems with Android to support its position in internet searches.
The EC has issued what it calls a formal statement of objections to Google, which is the first step in cases where a company is accused of breaking European Union (EU) competition law.
What are the accusations?
According to Margrethe Vestager, the EC commissioner for competition, Google has harmed consumers and competitors by placing requirements on mobile phone makers and network operators. These forced them to preinstall Google products and, in some cases, make them the default or exclusive options. The company is also accused of giving financial incentives to manufacturers and networks for preinstalling Google Search on devices.
Although Android's code is open source, Google is accused of barring manufacturers from using versions of the operating system built on the open-source code, instead requiring them to use Google's pre-built version of Android.
Why is the EC taking action?
It believes that Google has "implemented a strategy on mobile devices to preserve and strengthen its dominance in general internet search". This strategy "closes off ways for rival search engines to access the market via competing mobile browsers and operating systems. In addition, [Google also seems] to harm consumers by stifling competition and restricting innovation in the wider mobile space."
Using a dominant position in one market to shore up or prevent competition in another market is a breach of EU antitrust law, since it harms competition and reduces consumer choice.
What is Google saying?
Google has yet to release its defence. However, it is likely to argue that its efforts to stop manufacturers from using non-Google variants of Android is an attempt to reduce fragmentation in the market, which itself would damage consumers.
However, according to Kent Walker, Google's senior vice-president and general counsel, "Android has helped foster a remarkable and, importantly, sustainable ecosystem, based on open-source software and open innovation". "We look forward to working with the European Commission," he added.
What happens next?
Google has 12 weeks to respond in writing and request an oral hearing to present its defence. The statement of objections doesn't prejudge the case, and a decision will be taken by the EC only after a full argument has been heard. This can take years.
What is the likely outcome of the case?
Until Google presents its defence, it's difficult to judge the outcome. However, there are strong parallels with several cases that the EC brought against Microsoft in the early 2000s. The EC's first case, which concluded in 2004, concerned Microsoft's licensing agreements with PC manufacturers, which forced them to pay a royalty to Microsoft for any machine they made – even if it didn't have Windows installed. This has parallels with Google's deals with smartphone manufacturers, which prevent them installed non-Google versions of Android.
The second Microsoft case, which concluded in 2009, concerned Internet Explorer, which was pre-installed on Windows computers. The EC claimed this damaged competition in the market for web browsers and led to Windows having a "ballot box" system which allowed new users to choose from a variety of browsers when they first set up their machine.
READ NEXT: Why the EU is targeting Google's global business, not just Europe
Source : http://www.alphr.com
"Flagship killer" and "flagship superkiller" were the English phrases used on stage during the launch of three new LeEco smartphones in Beijing today. The target is Apple, but the Chinese company isn’t aiming to match the US giant's prices, rather bring top-quality hardware to the middle and bottom tiers, with handsets that boast sizeable specs for modest prices.
The smartphones in question are the LeEco Le 2, the Le 2 Pro and the high-end Le Max 2. I had some hands-on time with the devices at the launch event and, from first impressions, liked what I saw.
So, how do the "superkillers" fare? First up, the LeEco Le 2. This looks and feels a lot like Huawei’s Honor 5X, with a 5.5in 1,920 x 1,080 screen tucked between ultra-thin bezels beneath an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. On the back are a 16-megapixel main camera, a built-in flash and a fingerprint sensor.
Inside is one of MediaTek's new deca-core, "tri-cluster" processors – the Helio X20 – backed up by 3GB of RAM and a 3,000mAh battery.
No headphone socket
The second take comes when you look at the phone’s edges: there’s not a headphone port in sight. Instead, the Le 2 has a USB Type-C port with a separate adapter for headphones. It’s a move Apple is rumoured to be pursuing with the iPhone 7, but Apple is in a position to say “jump” and wait for customers to follow.
LeEco, while enormous in China, is relatively unknown in the west, so it remains to be seen how getting rid of the port will play out, should the Le 2 eventually makes it to our shores.
Next up is the Le 2 Pro, which looks and feels near-identical to the Le 2, but comes with the slightly more powerful MediaTek Helio X25 processor (also deca-core) and 4GB RAM, as well as better front and rear cameras (8 megapixels and 21 megapixels respectively).
Finally, there’s the bigger and more powerful Le Max 2, which comes with a 5.7in 2K display that has been “optimised for VR” (think Samsung Gear VR), a 3,100mAh battery and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip with a whopping 6GB RAM.
LeEco Le 2, Le 2 Pro and Le Max 2: Prices and early verdict
All the new phones feel suitably lithe in-hand, and the specs are strong, but the main weapon for these self-professed flagship killers is price. In China, the Le 2 is launching at 1,099 yuan (£118) and the Le2 Pro at 1,499 yuan (£161). The Le Max 2 comes in at 2,099 yuan (£226) for the 4GB model and 2,499 yuan (£269) for the 6GB model.
The hope for LeEco is that combining quality internals with a budget price tag will disrupt the top end, namely Apple and Samsung, and convince buyers to get more for their money. On the evidence of the Le 2, the Chinese company might just do that. LeEco is eyeing up a US launch for the Le 2, but there’s no word yet on whether the phones will come to Europe. We’ll keep you posted.
READ NEXT: The best smartphones of 2016
Source : http://www.alphr.com
The Microsoft Surface was revolutionary when it first debuted four years ago. The idea of a wraparound keyboard case on a tablet that ran Windows meant that – in theory at least – you could forgo the laptop for a lighter, much more portable device.
If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, then it’s a testament to Microsoft that the design is now commonplace, and no longer limited to Windows devices. With the iPad Pro, Apple has at last conceded that a keyboard and stylus is sometimes handy, and now here is Samsung’s alternative. Running Windows 10, it’s a direct competitor to the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 and HP Spectre x2. So how does it do?
Samsung Galaxy TabPro S: Appearance
Retailing at £850, the Galaxy TabPro S is expensive for a tablet, even a 12in one such as this, so it’s just as well it looks the part. The detachable tablet is curved on the edges and flat on the back – like someone took a rolling pin to the Galaxy S7 in the best possible sense. It doesn’t have any physical home button, unlike a phone, and the bezel is perhaps a little thicker than I’d like, but it still looks the part.
Unlike some of its rivals, it’s also pretty cleanly designed, having as it does a single USB Type-C port, used for data connections and charging. This presents its own problems, but in terms of appearance, it keeps things streamlined and minimalist.
Add the faux-leather keyboard case that comes bundled with it and things look, if anything, more stylish. Just as with Microsoft's Surface series of tablets, the keyboard sits completely flush against the table when it's folded up and adds barely any heft at all to the machine as you carry it around.
Samsung Galaxy TabPro S: Screen
The main selling point of the Galaxy TabPro S is its stunning AMOLED screen, and it's the main reason you might consider buying one ahead of its rivals. Anyone who has used a recent Samsung Galaxy S phone will know what to expect here: perfect contrast with true black, impeccable colour accuracy, and sharp, vibrant image quality.
The Galaxy TabPro delivers. At 12in across the diagonal, it's around four times the size of your average smartphone with the same resolution (2,160 x 1,400); the pixel density is a little lower, but bear in mind that it’s still a higher resolution than the majority of televisions. In other words, it’s sharp enough for most people's needs, and just as adding 4K to a smartphone screen is just plain silly, it would be overkill here as well.
So, onto the numbers. In our tests, we registered a top brightness of 363cd/m2, which is extremely high for any laptop screen, and it covers 99.9% of the sRGB gamut. Being AMOLED, its contrast ratio is perfect too. In other words, you’d be hard pushed to find a better display on a device this size, be it a tablet, laptop or convertible.
It's also stylus-compatible, just like the Surface Pro 4 and HP Spectre x2, although Samsung's Bluetooth C-Pen stylus isn't included in the box, which is disappointing.
Continues on page 2
Source : http://www.alphr.com
For many, Netflix is the default way to watch film and TV shows. Move aside iPlayer, Amazon Prime Instant Video and traditional TV services such as Freeview Play – content is entirely on-demand now, and Netflix is to blame.
But as much as UK Netflix is a wonderful thing, you’re actually getting a raw deal compared to our cousins across the pond. Yes, that’s right, US Netflix users can watch more shows, more films and a whole lot more recent content than users anywhere else in the world.
Thankfully, a UK Netflix subscription works on the US version. The trouble is, however, that Netflix has started clamping down on VPN users, making it harder than ever to watch US Netflix. Don’t worry – it’s still possible to crack your way in. That said, if you’re worried about the legality of it all, there are a few things to consider.
Essentially, it’s a grey area. While it isn’t technically illegal to stream the content, because you’ve paid for it with your Netflix subscription – if you were actually in the US, you’d be legally entitled to watch US content – Netflix’s regional licensing agreements make the legal waters a bit muddy.
Currently, we’re yet to see any significant legal disputes arise over out-of-region streaming, but it is certainly morally dubious territory. While Netflix has said it’ll be clamping down on VPNs now that it’s truly a global service, this appears to be a move designed to appease Hollywood and publishers concerned about regional content licensing.
What's Netflix's stance?
For years, Netflix was essentially neutral on VPNs and extra-territorial streaming, turning a blind eye as its global numbers grew. However, on 1 January 2015, the company updated its terms and conditions to state that out-of-region streaming over a VPN was no longer supported, and last year it started to side with publishers over content restrictions.
It seems this has transpired due to the vague threat that some publishers may pull content from the service unless Netflix appears to be resolving the situation.
It’s worth noting that Netflix’s updated terms of service state that it “may terminate or restrict your use of our service, without compensation or notice” if it suspects you’re “in violation of any of these Terms of Use” or “engaged in illegal or improper use of the service”. You have been warned.
If you still want to stream content from US Netflix to the UK after reading all that, here’s how you can do it.
Source : http://www.alphr.com
Apple has been busy employing for Project Titan, but its latest hire could be the most significant. A new report from Electrek suggests that Apple has hired Chris Porritt, former vice president of vehicle engineering for Tesla and former chief engineer for Aston Martin. The report, carried out in conjunction with 9to5Mac, actually states that Porritt will be working on "special projects", but Apple isn’t fooling anyone.
When Porritt joins, he’ll be the most senior member on the Apple Car team, so he could well be leading the project – and his CV implies he should. In the 1990s, Porritt worked for Aston Martin as a principal engineer in vehicle dynamics, and he was then chief engineer until 2013. After that, he made the jump to America to work for Tesla.
Once again, the move shows Apple isn’t taking the car industry lightly. Only yesterday we discovered it's set up an office in Germany – the heart of the automotive industry – and this move shows that Apple is keen to AirDrop in expertise.
Of course, one person who’ll be looking at the move is Elon Musk. Last year Musk called Apple’s Project Titan a "Tesla Graveyard", so it’ll be interesting to see what he makes of the latest hire.
Apple Car: Introduction
The Apple Car is no longer a myth. The latest rumours suggest Project Titan will be released in 2019, and could feature some of the best in-car software we’ve ever seen. As you’d expect, the Apple Car should be all-electric, but apart from that, we still know very little about it. However, we're starting to hear more and more rumours about Project Titan – partly because of the sheer amount of people involved. Here are all the rumours, leaks and news about Project Titan, analysed and in one place.
Apple Car gets a branch in Berlin
According to a report by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Apple has set up shop in the heart of Berlin, and has already hired between 15 and 20 employees to work at its latest branch of Project Titan. The report goes on to say that most of those employees were "progressive thinkers" who were stifled at their previous jobs – exactly the sort of thinkers the Apple Car might need.
What I find interesting is the project’s location – if it’s true of course. Germany is still the heart of the automotive industry, so the fact Apple is going there as well as Silicon Valley shows it understands the difficulties of taking on the car market, and that any experience and expertise it can get will help.
Tim Cook confirms Apple is looking at the car market
In a February interview with Fortune Apple CEO Tim Cook refused to deny or confirm the existence of the Apple Car, but did *sort of* confirm the existence of Project Titan. After skirting around the issue for most of the interview, Fortune understandably asked Cook about Apple’s hiring of automotive engineers, and he had the following to say:
“The great thing about being here is we’re curious people. We explore technologies, and we explore products. And we’re always thinking about ways that Apple can make great products that people love, that help them in some way. And we don’t go into very many categories, as you know. We edit very much. We talk about a lot of things and do fewer. We debate many things and do a lot fewer.” While Tim Cook acknowledges the hiring of several key people, he claims Project Titan is just an investigation at this stage.
“Part of exploring technologies and picking the right one is becoming so familiar with it, you can see ways that it can be used. And for us, we’ve never been about being first. We’ve been about being best. So we explore many different things, many different technologies. And at first we might not know what product it might wind up in,” says Cook.
“And then later we’ll see that really cool technology enables maybe things that we’re doing today to take on something bigger, maybe something new. But once we start spending gobs of money – like when we start spending on tooling and things like that – we’re committed.”
While it’s not the definitive YES answer we were looking for, Cook’s response confirms Apple is looking at entering the vehicle market, and with the world’s of cars and tech continuing to merge, this seems very likely.
Daimler CEO says Project Titan already underway
Traditional automotive manufacturers seem to view cars by Apple and Google with a combination of interest, fear and arrogance, but a new report suggests how things have changed. After a trip to unspecified companies in Silicon Valley, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said the automotive efforts of tech companies were much more advanced than he previously thought.
"Our impression was that these companies can do more and know more than we had previously assumed," Zetsche told the German paper Welt am Sonntag. "At the same time, they have more respect for our achievements than we thought."
Zetsche hasn't always held this attitude, so his change in opinion could be a direct result of his visit. It's possible that the Daimler CEO was in Silicon Valley looking to build relationships for his own car's in-car tech – or because he was offering the services of Daimler to companies such as Apple and Google. Although tech companies might have the tech know-how and vision to create an electric car, they currently lack the experience or scale of huge car companies such as Daimler. We've already heard rumours that Apple wants to partner with BMW for the Apple Car, but perhaps the Californian company could partner with Daimler instead.
Steve Wozniak thinks Apple Car makes sense for Apple
Steve Wozniak may have left Apple more than two decades ago, but he’s still got some interesting views about his former employer – and its new projects. In a Reddit AMA last night, Wozniak gave his thoughts on everything from the Apple Watch to the FBI – but he also had some interesting views about the electric cars
In a lengthy answer to one user, Wozniak described how the automotive is a perfect fit for Apple because it fuses high returns with the opportunity to improve people’s lives. “So the car market makes total sense to me for Apple,” Wozniak said. “But the important thing is that I hope if they get off on a product.” Wozniak goes on to say that if the Apple Car isn’t “insanely great” then the company “should drop it and start over”.
He continues: “Well, I think that's good if Apple says 'We're not making the product that is going to stimulate all of humanity, that's not our business as Apple. We don't want to just be another electric car or self-driving car,' or whatever. So I'm really for that in Apple.”
Apple Car: Release date
Interestingly, the release date is one of the few things we do know about the Apple Car. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Apple will be launching the car in 2019.
The news comes after earlier reports of a huge expansion of Apple’s automotive division. The Project Titan team entrusted with developing the Apple Car originally stood at 600 staff, but the WSJ report suggests this figure is set to triple to 1,800. If Apple does plan to release a car in 2019, logic dictates that they’d need more than 600 people – for example, Ford has 166,000 employees and already knows how to make a car.
Apple Car at a glance
Apple Car: Design
Very little is known about the Apple Car itself, but initial rumours suggest the first Apple Car will resemble a minivan.
Rumours also suggest that Apple may utilise the expertise of BMW to make its car. After Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly visited BMW’s factory in Leipzig last year, it’s looking more and more likely that the Apple Car will be a joint project between the two companies.
Although Apple has expertise in software and tech, building a car is an entirely different proposition, and it may need support.
If Apple does collaborate with BMW, we think it will use the progressive BMWi series as a base. Already one of the best electric cars on the road, the BMWi series already enjoys a good relationship with Apple – its Apple Watch app was one of the first to take advantage of watchOS 2.
Apple Car: Interior
We don’t know much about the other aspects of the car, but it’s likely to continue the design language already seen on the iPad Pro, Apple Watch and MacBook. That means the Apple Car should have clean lines, utilitarian design and the attention to detail shown in Jonathan Ive’s existing Apple products.
It’s almost certain that the Apple Car will feature an advanced version of CarPlay too, but, interestingly, reports already suggest that the Apple Car will not be autonomous. Instead, Apple is tipped to add driverless features to its later vehicles.
Apple Car: Drivetrain
We expect the Apple Car to be powered purely by electricity. Apple has already spent years dealing with issues such as lithium-ion battery life, connectivity issues and power management – and its electric car will surely benefit from that experience.
With the likes of Tesla already showing that electric cars are viable, we’d expect Apple to enter the market with an even greater game changer – much like they did in the tablet market with the iPad. An electric vehicle will need that expertise. Software will also be a key issue, but one you’d expect Apple to nail.
Confirmation?
Although we still don’t have official confirmation that it exists, least year Apple CEO Tim Cook gave the biggest hint yet that the company is working on its own car. Cook didn’t specifically mention the Apple Car – or its code name “Project Titan” – but his comments explain why Apple has finally decided to get into the car market. "It would seem like there will be massive change in that industry, massive change," said the Apple CEO. “You may not agree with that. That’s what I think. When I look at the automobile, what I see is that software becomes an increasingly important part of the car of the future,” he continued. "You see that autonomous driving becomes much more important."
READ NEXT: Best Electric Cars to buy now
Source : http://www.alphr.com
Want to make Kodi even better? Here’s how to install the Exodus addon for XBMC
We’ve already put together a list of great Kodi addons, but Exodus should be one of the first ones you download. Not only is Exodus the most popular extension for XBMC, it’s also one of the best – and gives Kodi users a huge range of content that works. So want to avoid the broken links and download one of the best multi-scrapers on the internet? Here’s how to install the Exodus addon for Kodi.
How to download and install Exodus on Kodi
1. To install Exodus, first go to System | Settings | Add-ons. There you'll see a tab saying "Add source" – click on it.
2. This tutorial works by pointing whatever device you’re using to a web address, and then treating it like a USB stick or removable hard drive. To download Exodus, we’re going to use the web address http://fusion.tvaddons.ag.
3. Make sure you enter it into the textbox exactly as it is, or it won’t work – and then click "Done".
4. To make things easier in the long run, it’s worth naming the source something like "fusion" at this stage.
5. Once that’s done, go back to your Kodi homescreen, and then navigate to System | Add-ons | Install from Zip file. A list of folders will appear, but we’re after the one we just added – which should be called "fusion". Click on it, and then select a file called "xmbc-repos".
6. Click on the file marked "English," and then select the file marked "repository.exodus.x.x.x.zip".
7. After waiting for a notification that should say "Add-on enabled", select Install from Repository | Exodus repository | Video Add-ons | Exodus.
8. All that’s left to do is click Install, and Exodus will be added to your Kodi installation.
READ NEXT: How to install SALTS on Kodi and/or follow Alphr on Facebook!
It’s easy to lose track of login details for websites and product keys for software, but it’s not impossible to retrieve them – you just need to know which tools to use and where to get them from. SterJo offers a one-stop range of software for recovering all sorts of secret information from Wi-Fi passwords to Microsoft product keys, making it easier than ever to recover your forgotten security information.
How to recover your lost and forgotten passwords
To retrieve website logins saved to your browser, go to http://www.sterjosoft.com/ and install SterJo Chrome Passwords or the appropriate tool for Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera. If you want to find saved passwords for a specific social network, you can try the password finders for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
To recover lost keys for Microsoft products including Office and Windows XP onwards, download and install SterJo Key Finder. It recovers software keys, even if the program has been uninstalled, and also works for some non-Microsoft programs including CorelDraw, Nero and WinZip.
If you’ve entered a Wi-Fi password in Windows, SterJo Wireless Passwords can find it again. It reveals info about any wireless networks you’ve previously joined including the network name, password and encryption method, and you can export these details as a TXT file.
It’s easy to forget login details for FTP sites, but if you’ve saved your passwords with FileZilla you can reveal them using SterJo FileZilla Decryptor. The tool shows you the Host, Username and Password for each site, so you can easily use the credentials in another FTP client.
If you’ve ever saved passwords using Windows Credentials Manager, you can unlock them using SterJo Windows Vault Passwords. To reveal logins used for network authentication and remote Desktop connections, you can also try SterJo Windows Credentials.
If you’re unable to recover a password after following the above steps, you can try SterJo Password Unmask, which reveals passwords hidden by asterisks in windows application forms. The tool is particularly good at revealing email account credentials in Microsoft Outlook.
Looking to cancel your monthly Netflix subscription? Here's how
Netflix is, hands down, the most popular on-demand video-streaming service available now (excluding YouTube, of course). It’s helped change the way we digest video content, binge-watching TV shows and giving new life to crappy B-movies time forgot.
Packages start from just £6 a month, rising to £10 if you want Ultra HD footage and multiple accounts per subscription. No matter what package you opt for, you’ll have access to Netflix Originals such as House of Cards, Daredevil and Narcos, plus more fantastic TV shows.
However, you may not fancy keeping Netflix after your month-long free trial has run its course. Many subscription services hide their Unsubscribe buttons in the depths of their settings, but Netflix is surprisingly easy to unshackle yourself from.
How to cancel your Netflix in browser
Log in to your Netflix account and select your profile icon and then click “My Account”.
On your “My Account” page, you should now be able to see everything about your account, including plan details, settings and playback preferences. Click “Cancel Membership” under “Membership & Billing” to cancel your membership.
You’ll now be taken to a confirmation page to confirm your subscription termination. Be warned: if you’re on the cheaper tier as you joined Netflix early on, you’ll pay the higher rate when you return.
The HTC 10 is an excellent phone, but it really has to be. HTC has always made very good flagship handsets, but the brand struggles to stand out against its glitzier rivals from Apple, Samsung LG and Sony.
At an event a couple of months ago, another writer spotted my slightly scarred but still stylish-looking HTC One M8 and commented, “you don’t see many tech journalists with HTC phones”. It was a pretty good point, and a concerning truth for the struggling Taiwanese manufacturer: if even the journalists who are pretty positive about the handsets don’t own them, how do they convince the public to consider a HTC instead of the latest all-singing, all-dancing Apple or Samsung flagship?
One option would be to undercut their opponents, but that’s not an approach HTC seems keen on. The “One” and “M” may have been dropped from the title, but the HTC 10’s launch price is doggedly staying up there with the big boys. At £570 SIM-free, it’s the same price as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and £30 more than the entry-level iPhone 6s.
Say what you like about HTC, that’s a bold statement of intent. Unfortunately, despite being a fantastic smartphone – and the best thing HTC has done in years – it doesn't quite live up to the billing.
HTC 10: Appearance
From the smash-hit One M8 to the somewhat underwhelming One M9, HTC should have learned that the mantra “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” doesn’t always pay off in the technology world. Not only did the HTC One M9 offer few obvious advantages over its predecessor, but also it looked almost identical.
This isn’t the case with the HTC 10 – if you’re looking for an elevator pitch description, it's a bit like the One M8 and One A9 has a baby. A big baby, at 5.2in, but, since both of those handsets are good-looking, this is far from a bad thing. Our review model, which arrived in Carbon Grey, is a rather stylish-looking phone. Since HTC has ditched the logo and speaker beneath the screen, it has found room to swell the screen size a tad and add a touch-sensitive home button that doubles up as a fairly reliable fingerprint scanner.
There are other changes, too, the most obvious of which is that all of your micro-USB cables are in danger of redundancy: HTC has decided that USB Type-C is the way forward. The power button has moved from the top of the handset to the side and now comes with an oddly serrated texture. The headphone jack now sticks out the top, which will prove something of a Marmite move. So far, you might argue, it’s all change from previous HTC flagships.
Turn it over, however, and things feel more familiar. The all-in-one metal design – pioneered by the Taiwanese manufacturer and subsequently “adopted” by almost everyone else – is proudly on display again, as are the familiar lines that slice across the curved corners. The round camera housing is as distinctive as ever, but now protrudes by a couple of millimetres. The HTC logo is embossed in the centre, as before, but the rounded rear is now framed by sharper, chamfered edges running around its circumference.
It’s not the lightest phone. Tipping the scales at 161g, it’s a fair bit heavier than the iPhone 6s (129g) and the Samsung Galaxy S7 (152g), although nowhere near as weighty as the iPhone 6s Plus (192g). Make no mistake, though: the HTC 10’s build quality makes for a phone that feels wonderfully solid and substantial.
Once again, there’s no removable battery, but you’re free to pop in a microSD card and expand the 32GB of storage to your heart’s content (as long as your heart is content with a 2,032GB cap).
HTC 10: Screen
For three generations, HTC has clung doggedly to 1080p as its smartphone resolution of choice. However, with this larger screen comes a substantial resolution boost – the new display now stretches to a Quad HD, 2,560 x 1,440 resolution. The screen is sharp and vivid, although, to the naked eye, the leap from 441ppi to 564ppi is a marginal improvement. At least HTC hasn’t gone down the route of chasing 4K magic beans like Sony.
And a fine screen it is, too. It uses Super LCD 5 panel technology with a protective layer of Gorilla Glass 4, and in our tests it performed very strongly indeed. It reaches a maximum brightness of 449cd/m2, covers 99.8% of the sRGB gamut and serves up an impressive contrast ratio of 1,793:1.
HTC 10 | Samsung Galaxy S7 | Apple iPhone 6s | LG G5 | Google Nexus 6P | |
Pixels per inch | 564 | 534 | 326 | 554 | 518 |
Brightness | 449cd/m2 | 354cd/m2 | 542cd/m2 | 354cd/m2 | 357cd/m2 |
sRGB gamut covered | 99.8% | 100% | 93.3% | 97.1% | 100% |
Contrast | 1,793:1 | Infinity:1 | 1,542:1 | 1,621:1 | Infinity:1 |
To be clear, these are all really good scores – as you’d expect from a selection of handsets very close to the top of our best smartphones of 2016 list – but the HTC 10 locks horns with the best of them, performing solidly in every single metric. For me, the Galaxy S7 just snatches it, despite its seemingly duller screen (a quirk of Amoled technology), but the fact the HTC 10 is in the same ballpark is a strong start.
Continues on page 2
Source : http://www.alphr.com
Got a drone and live in London? Looks like you'll find it even harder to fly around the city, as the government is cracking down on drones this week during US president Barack Obama's visit to the capital.
From now until 10.30pm on Sunday, remote-controlled drones are banned across the capital. Interestingly, drones are also banned in Windsor, where Obama is due to have lunch with the Queen on Friday.
It's not just drones that are banned, with the Civil Aviation Authority claiming that "any small balloon, any kite weighing not more than two kilograms... and any parachute including parascending parachute" are also banned.
These measures form part of the "overarching security plan" for the visit of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
The CAA's restrictions come just days after a drone collided with a passenger aircraft at Heathrow.
Drone regulations are still being shaped by the authorities. Drones can usually be flown up to 400ft (122m), according to the CAA’s rules.
But during the presidential visit, regulations prohibit any aircraft from flying below 2,500ft (762m), unless they are using Heathrow, Stansted or London City airports.
Bans on drones have been enforced for other high-profile visits before, and for sporting events, such as the 2012 London Olympics and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
READ NEXT: Meet the Formula 1 of the future – drone racing