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Looking for a high quality vacuum cleaner? Then you're in the right place to grab a cheap Dyson deal. Dyson has built itself up to be a leader in the vacuum cleaner market. Its innovative designs have set benchmark after benchmark and its popularity as a manufacture has extended way beyond vacuum cleaners - check out our latest Dyson Supersonic hair dryer deals too. With innovative design and top quality comes premium pricing, but that's where we come in. On this page we're listing all of the cheapest deals and offers on Dyson vacuums including uprights, cylinders and cordless models. We'll update the page regularly to include official Dyson sales, discount codes, retailer offers and hoover sale highlights. So, here they are, the best Dyson offers and deals. If they look a bit too pricey, it may be worth holding on for a Black Friday deal. Dyson special offers in AustraliaBefore we head into a thorough round-up of the best Dyson deals around the internet, we've gone ahead and handpicked some the best Dyson deals currently being offered by some of Australia's biggest retailers. Check out the list below. Dyson V6SLIM Cordless Handstick – $299 ($100 off)Dyson V6 Animal Handstick Vacuum Cleaner – $399 ($150 off)Dyson V6 Absolute Handstick Vacuum Cleaner – $499 ($100 off)Dyson V8 Absolute Handstick Vacuum Cleaner – $749 ($150 off)Dyson V8 Absolute+ Handstick – $849 ($150 off)Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Multi Floor – $549 ($150 off)http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5557db8af772c9fcf48ad5e6a2def374.jpg Dyson Small Ball offers and dealsLooking for something lightweight but not bothered about going cordless yet? The Dyson Small Ball is the lightest of the regular upright vacuum cleaners in Dyson's range at 5.5Kg and has a collapsible handle allowing you to store it in smaller spaces than most uprights. The Small Ball is also available in an 'Animal' variant that comes with a turbine tool for getting stubborn pet hair off the furniture. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/a930fc342a58939fdcae1f7da8254b50.jpg Dyson DC40 offers and dealsIf you need something with a little extra storage and suction power, we'd recommend taking a look at the Dyson DC40 range with a larger storage bin to hold more household dirt, cereal, lego et al. The DC40 is also available in a 'Animal' variant that comes with a turbine tool for getting pet hair off the furniture. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/0e0abac53860455398892d3c0788f096.jpg Dyson Cinetic Big Ball DC75 offers and dealsSo you're after the beast huh? The 120AW suction power rating should pick up anything you and the kids can throw on the carpet. Hell, those carpet tacks better look out! With a 2.18 litre storage bin you'll be hoovering for ages before needing to empty it out and the 15m reach should let you get around most of the house without having to swap plugs. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9859ab8580545e816bffaf4d64a7e4c0.jpg Dyson V8 Animal offers and dealsThe V8 is Dyson's flagship cordless rechargeable vacuum cleaner. The super lightweight design means you can easily reach high areas and the detachable section transforms it into a handheld, for super simple stair cleaning. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/d44fa8da721834b1b112e2c9aace0b89.jpg Dyson V8 Absolute offers and dealsThis is the ultimate version of Dyson's newest cordless rechargeable vacuum cleaner. The super lightweight design means you can easily reach high areas and the detachable section transforms it into a handheld, for super simple stair cleaning. The Absolute model comes with a soft roller head in addition to the regular one. The soft version is particularly adept at picking up on hard surfaces. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8d636c923725bf8591c79c5abdc959eb.jpg Dyson DC39 offers and dealsThe Dyson DC39 cylinder vacuum cleaner offers superior steering abilities over regular drag along hoovers meaning it's less likely to bash the furniture and tip over. The Animal variant includes a turbine tool for getting pet hair off the sofa and you can switch the main turbine head's modes for different floor types via a switch on the handle eliminating the need to bend down. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/GDSzbE_u25Q

It's one of the most exciting days of the year for Apple fans – the opening day of WWDC 2017, and the keynote speech during which the latest OS updates and new hardware are revealed. As expected there was lots of attention on Apple’s latest macOS, watchOS and tvOS, plus a new iPad Pro and more. But it’s the major iPhone software update we’re really excited about – yup, it’s time for iOS 11. To save you trawling the interwebs to find out just what delights are coming to your phone and iPad in the next major upgrade, we’ve listed the best bits of iOS 11 right here… Siri has slowly been improving as it gets more and more use and learns as it goes. iOS 11 will see a major bump in the brain department for the artificially intelligent assistant. Siri will now learn more about you from your habits and iPhone uses, allowing it to offer deeper understanding. It will also offer a better integration across your devices, always learning based on what you’re doing across iOS, watchOS, tvOS and iCloud. The voice has been improved and is now more human, with an ability to add different tones for the same word, for example. Contextual learning means Siri can see you looking up Iceland in a browser then when you open News it’ll offer Iceland-related stories. It even works for your keyboard and will offer foreign Iceland related words ready for you. Smart. Another year, another Apple Music revamp. Now Apple has added in the ability to see what your friends are listening to so you can find new songs. The upgrade also lets other apps access the smarts of Music. That means Shazam could find a song and automatically add it to you library, for example. You can now make payments directly to other Apple Pay users thanks to peer-to-peer payment support in iOS 11. This allows you to send money to mates easily, helping you to split bills, pay for drinks, chip into groups and more all with a few phone taps. This all works within the Messages app, so you can simply send or request money. This then hits that person’s Apple Pay Cash Card to be moved about to a bank, to others or to pay for items. This all works with Touch ID for authentication, and can be even be done on the Apple Watch. Apple Maps has been upgraded to offer better navigation in the car and more depth on foot. Users can now zoom in on shopping centres and airports to see inside, and even move about floors – ideal for timing your walk to your gate before a flight. Don’t expect this to appear outside of the US for a while though. Navigation has added speed limits and lane guidance for easier driving. When using Apple Car mode you can have notifications hidden and the phone will even auto-reply to people who are trying to contact you, to let them know you’re driving. On top of that there’s an emergency mode that lets people push through that layer to contact you if they really need to. The speaker category of HomeKit is finally getting love in the form of an AirPlay 2 update that lets users set up a multi-room system right there in iOS. That means you can play music on certain speakers in the home right from within Apple Music. You can even use the Apple TV as a speaker, and control music from there using Siri. It’s been a long time coming, but Apple has at last revamped the App Store. You now get a Today section on launch so you can see what’s new for that day. Sections have been added for Games and Apps too. This allows you to find content easier, but also lets creators add in-app purchases right there. Reviews and star ratings are also more clearly laid out now, so you can find the best app to do what you need. Apple has upgraded its Control Centre for iOS 11 to make everything even easier to use. Now all your Control Center icons are found right there on one page. This makes it super-simple, but thanks to 3D Touch you can also tap into icons for more in-depth controls. There are even icon animations and interactions right there with digital sliders for volume, for example. Apple has changed up file types to save you space. That means more room on your device, but also smaller files for easier and cheaper sharing. Videos are no longer in H.264 but are now stored as HEVC files. Photos, that were JPEGs, are now stored as HEIF. All this means photos are videos are half the size they previously were while offering the same level of quality. On top of all that they can be easily shared and are compatible with other devices, says Apple. This app pulls in all your files and even works with third-party apps like Dropbox or Google Drive, so you have everything all in one place. Of course this works across your Apple devices via iCloud too. Apple has added augmented reality smarts to its iOS 11 operating system that will allow developers to create amazing, world-warping experiences. Apple demoed a 3D video on a table that showed a battle with flying ships, exploding buildings and more, all while looked at through an iPad. This was impressive, and is from Peter Jackson’s dedicated studio, suggesting this could be the start of a whole new wave of entertainment. And what we wanted that didn’t show up…FaceTime groups, multiple users, automatic low power mode, dark mode – but hey, at least we've got something to look forward to in iOS 12… http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/iKfDmXuAX6c

Apple has unveiled the new Apple HomePod, its play into the smart speaker space that's coming later this year for $349 (about £270 or AU$460). That's a fair bit more expensive than the two leading speakers, the Amazon Echo and Google Home but, according to Apple, it has a few tricks that the other two can't match. So which of these three speakers deserve a spot on your mantle? We'll break it down feature-by-feature in a second, but first let's review what smart speakers are and why the three biggest tech companies in the world are making them. Smart speakers are, by their definition, a Wi-Fi speaker taken to the extreme. Not only can they stream music directly from your phone or tablet, but they can grab streams of online music from popular services like Google Play Music and Amazon Prime Music. They've also got a smart assistant built-in. Building Siri, Alexa and the Google Assistant into your household speaker makes a lot of sense. Although it's often embarrassing to start talking to your phone in public, the same social pressures don't exist in the home where you can be as weird as you like with your new robot pal. Google established itself with voice automation on phones, but it was Amazon who was the first to build a voice assistant into a static home speaker. Google followed up with Google Home, a smart speaker that made use of the company's own Google Assistant voice technology. And now, two years after the Echo's launch, Apple has entered the fray with the Apple HomePod, an internet connected speaker that establishes Apple's Siri voice assistant in your home. Amazon has an early lead, but don'y underestimate Google or Apple, which have been steadily developing their voice assistants on mobile for years now. So which one should you buy? Here's what we think about them so far. HardwareAesthetically speaking, the Google Home and Apple HomePod are very, very similar. They're both air freshener-shaped smart speakers that are bulbous and relatively unobtrusive. The Amazon Echo is a bit taller than the other two, and is itself a simple black cylinder with blue LEDs along the top rim. Of the three, however, the Home offers the most mutability, offering a multitude of colored bases to allow you to customise the look of your speaker. While it can't be customised, the Echo comes with a remote in the US, which is interesting when you consider that all of that basic functionality can be accessed by uttering a few words. Still, should you ever find yourself out of Alexa's earshot, having a remote with a built-in microphone will prove handy. The Apple HomePod, from what we know, will be the middle-child in terms of design. It's going to stand at 7 inches high – making it taller than the Home and shorter than the Echo – but have a bit larger circumference than either. So which one, you know, actually sounds better? Well, from the hardware specs alone, it sounds like Apple's HomePod will be the real winner. It has a 7-beam forming tweeter array and a hefty subwoofer on its underside. That's compared to the built-in 2.0 inch tweeter and built-in 2.5 inch woofer on the Amazon Echo, and the 2 inch driver and dual 2 inch passive radiators on the Google Home. In terms of hardware, Apple might win out over the other two but we'll just have to wait until we hear it for ourselves later this year. For now, we’d have to give the hardware crown to the Home for its versatility and sleekness. PriceHere's where things get a bit tricky. While the Echo is not what you'd describe as cheap, the Echo Dot, the cheapest device to integrate Alexa, only costs $50/£40 – making it the cheapest smart home speaker. If you want to compare apples to Apple, however, the standard Echo unit costs $180/£149, meanwhile Google Home has been priced at $129 (£129 / AU$170) and Apple's HomePod coming it at a crazy-high $349 (about £270 or AU$460). So who has the best price? As you can see, Apple's out of the running here, but whether Google or Amazon is on top is a bit of a push. If you're looking for the dead cheapest smart speaker, Amazon's Echo Dot is it. But if you want a cheap smart speaker that actually plays music at full volume, Home is the winner. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HCRgWk8noWg4VzNMJ9TC6M.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eko9D73RLqcsxzhoPJKksJ.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8yzPAu9wfJeHmpY4rnegeG.jpg FeaturesWhile they seem about the same on paper at this snapshot in time, Google and Apple have the potential to blow Amazon out of the water thanks to the massive library of existing services they have at their disposal. Apple has a half-dozen popular devices that we all have in our homes already – including iPods, iPads, MacBooks and iPhones – which means it should have no problem integrating into our lives. Google has tons of software that it could tap into like Gmail, Voice and Docs, but it for some reason hasn't done so yet. Let's break it down, feature-by-feature. Music and Video playback Amazon might have Prime Music, but Google not only has its own rival service, Google Play Music, but even offers integration with the Google Cast ecosystem. Both devices support the third-party service Spotify. Apple, the relative newcomer, has so far only announced integration with Apple Music, but will very likely work with a half-dozen other services. While there's definitely parity between which software the smart speakers can access, only Home has the ability to send music and videos to your TV – a feature that Apple would be wise to borrow for its HomePod and Apple TV. If you have a Chromecast Audio then you can simply ask Google Home to play music through the speakers it's connected to. Meanwhile the Echo is limited to playing music on its own speaker, and the Echo Dot can only be connected to a single speaker at a time through either Bluetooth or a wired 3.5mm connection. In theory this should give the Google Home the edge, but in practice its Google Cast functionality could be better. Once you’ve got it casting to a speaker it won’t remember that this is the case and it will default to playing music out of its own speaker unless you specifically tell it to continue to cast the next song. Google Home does however have the advantage of integrating with Chromecast in a video sense. You can easily play shows from Netflix, YouTube and other supported apps using just your voice, however again in practice this could be better since you’re unable to specify particular episodes and it will default to picking up where you left off. Not bad when you’re marathoning a series, but less than ideal if you’re just dipping in. Productivity Google Home integrates with a number of Google's other services, from planning routes using Google Maps to translating using Google Translate. It will also draw from your Google Calendar, which is a handy feature. However again, while there’s potential here, Google Home doesn’t make nearly enough use of this functionality. You can get basic directions by car on Google maps, but it can’t handle public transport and definitely doesn't do email. Meanwhile, Amazon has an ever-growing list of compatible apps including Domino's Pizza, Just Eat in the UK and Uber, allowing you to either have your pizza delivered or request a ride over to the store to pick it up yourself. Support is good, but these apps feel like they add fun side-functionality rather than core productivity services. Although Google Home has more potential in this area, at the moment the three smart speakers are more or less equal. Smart Home Of course, music and services are just two parts of the smart speaker equation. If you're buying a Home, Echo or HomePod, you're also looking for a smart assistant to help control the burgeoning field of smart appliances that are making their way into homes now. To that end, Amazon has recently taken an interest in smart home device manufacturers too, creating partnerships with Samsung to integrate SmartThings control into the Echo, and with Philips's Hue lighting system. Though it's not like Google, owner of Nest, is hurting in the home automation department. Google Nest, for obvious reasons, is also integrated into Home's functionality. As for Apple, it's started its HomeKit program ages ago which means it has dozens of devices ready to go for its HomePod on day one. That said, there are a number of third-party devices that will work with all three smart speakers. With very few exclusives here, there’s no clear winner in terms of smart home functionality. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/39f038f331c847c0075fc380fdd74273.jpg Multiple UsersBoth Google Home and Amazon Echo support multiple users, which is important if you don't want to be subjected to your other half's calendar when you ask your speaker what you're up to today. However, the way the two speakers handle multiple accounts is slightly different. With the Amazon Echo you'll have to manually switch between user accounts by saying "Alexa, switch accounts", or "Alexa, switch to Jon's profile." Google Home is slightly more clever, and will recognise different users by the sound of their voice alone. You'll need to train the speaker to recognise each person's voice by saying "OK Google" and "Hey Google" a few times, but after that point you shouldn't have to worry about accidentally getting traffic information for someone else in your household. As for Apple HomePod, well, we'll just have to wait and see. Which speaker is more intelligent?When it first launched, Alexa's functionality was fairly basic and limited to more mundane conversations like asking about the weather or the time. As Amazon continued to develop the software, however, Alexa gained the ability to talk about calendars, sports and what we should have for dinner. We're not quite living in a Star Trek-esque future, where the device will understand your every command, but Alexa is advanced enough to understand multiple phrasings of the same question, for example. Amazon has a strong track record for the past two years, sure, but it's going up against Google, a company that's had a strong track record in information parsing for the last two decades. Although Google Assistant, the software powering Google Home, is new, the technology is based on the work Google has already put into its Google Now voice search functionality. This prior research, in addition to Google's impressive search abilities, means the speaker has a lot of information at its disposal. Google Home can, for example, correctly guess a song that's described in the vaguest of terms. Echo can play songs by song lyric, which is handy if you forget quite what the name of the song is. Both speakers are a work in progress in this regard, with incremental updates coming out all the time, but we will say that Amazon’s seems better at hearing your commands in the first place. VerdictAmazon's Echo functionality is proven, and has been refined over the course of its first year of release. It's on a successful trajectory that, if it should continue, will make the Amazon Echo a mainstream commodity in the next few years. Meanwhile, Google's existing services already heavily integrate a number of different external apps and functionality, but although the search giant is planning on making full use of its existing services, including Google Translate, Google Maps and YouTube, this integration isn’t perfect yet. Apple's HomePod is the wild card. It has a load of potential – not to mention the brand name that people want in their homes – but its higher price tag might be off-putting for some. Whether it morphs into the Sonos-meets-Echo product we want it to be, however, remains to be seen. We're excited for the future of these products, obviously, and will continually update this hub as they grow, shift, and evolve over the coming months. 5 reasons why Google Home will beat Amazon Echohttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/ZVjRw5ZtsBk

Unveiled at WWDC 2017, the Apple HomePod is Apple's answer to Amazon Echo and Google Home, equipped with the existing Siri voice assistant that we're familiar with from its inclusion on the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac devices. After first appearing on phones, voice assistants entered the home in a big way with the Amazon Echo, a speaker that was equipped with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. While Apple has had a voice assistant, Siri, on its phones for some time now, it has so far been left behind when it comes to smart speakers. Competitor Google brought its own voice assistant to dedicated hardware with the Google Home speaker last year. That all changes with the introduction of the HomePod. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v6iwMpzbcUGUHQGs79mZ6K.jpg Rumors have been circulating for a while now that both Microsoft and Apple are planning on bringing their voice assistants, Cortana and Siri respectively, to the home in the form of smart speakers, and at WWDC 2017 Apple finally announced its version. We first heard reports of Apple employees testing the 'Apple Speaker' in their own homes in September 2016, and another round of rumors suggested home testing was still ongoing. More recently we heard rumors that the speaker was actually entering production. And now it's all confirmed. So, read on for all the information we have so far about Apple’s HomePod. Cut to the chaseWhat is it? A smart speaker equipped with Apple’s Siri voice assistantWhen is it out? December 2017 in the US, UK and AustraliaWhat will it cost? The speaker will cost $349Apple Siri Speaker release dateThe Apple HomePod will be released in December 2017 at a price of $349. It will be available in both white and space gray. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/X7MnGCHeLpPm8Yh87qyPsV.jpg Apple Siri Speaker featuresThe HomePod is equipped with 7 tweeters on its base, along with a 4-inch upward-facing woofer. You can also pair two of the speakers together for a stereo configuration – but no specific mention yet of the ability to use the speakers in a 5.1 home cinema configuration, as is possible with rival Sonos gear. The speaker itself is around 7-inches tall, and Apple has promised that setup will be as easy as it was with the W1 chip-equipped Apple AirPods. You'll need an iPhone 5s or later running iOS 11 if you want it to be compatible with the speaker. Apple has confirmed that the new speaker will be spatially aware, so it should know how to optimise its sound to suit your home. It can detect the space that it's in, directing channels as appropriate depending on its location. Hopefully this should mean its sound won't boom too much if its left in a corner, but we'll have to see how it performs in the real world before we can say for sure. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/72N4D6ig4tAQ4oWrH9wbZk.jpg The speaker is equipped with 6 microphones that it will use to listen for voice commands. You can not only use it to control music, but you can also ask it questions about the music that's currently playing, such as for the name's of participating band members. "Who is the drummer in this?" was one specific (and cool) query Apple highlighted at the speaker's reveal. You can tell the speaker when you like songs in order for Apple Music to recommend more that's similar to the tunes that's currently being played. Apple boasts that the microphone array is intelligent enough to cancel out background noise so that the speaker can hear you over the sound of its own music. This is helped by its included A8 chip, which Apple claims is the most powerful processor to ever be found in a speaker. The A8 chip first appeared in the iPhone 6 back in 2014, so it's not the newest chip Apple has to offer - but that's still incredibly powerful for a speaker. The HomePod is also compatible with a number of non-music features, such as reminders, giving weather information, and controlling HomeKit supported smart home devices. Interestingly Apple has also said that the HomePod is "a great way to send messages", suggesting that it will include iMessage integration. Check out our full list of the devices that work, or will work, with Apple HomeKit.http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fzAvtXXLx2q43Q8QjGiUC8.jpg However, Siri has some significant problems compared to competing voice services, and we'll have to see whether the HomePod is able to address these issues. For example, at the moment Siri heavily prioritises Apple’s own apps rather than allowing you to use alternatives. Ask Siri to play some music, and it will only be able to play songs that are located in your Apple Music app. Apple has explicitly said that HomePod is designed to work with an Apple Music subscription. This is in contrast to both Alexa and Google Assistant, which both allow you to use a music app of your choice, rather than restricting you to Amazon Prime Music and Google Play music respectively. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uJjC7EdLA3NdnP9jJqo4YB.jpg Amazon has been especially open with allowing developers to integrate their services into its smart speakers. It allows the creation of ‘Skills’ which essentially act as apps for the smart speaker, and so far there have been over 10,000 of them created for the speaker. On a basic intelligence level, Siri also has a number of problems. Ask it when the Mona Lisa was painted (the year 1503, art buffs), and the voice assistant will happily tell you that ‘the answer is one thousand, five hundred and three,’ rather than being intelligent enough to realise that the year should be read aloud as ‘fifteen oh-three’. Of course there’s always the chance that Apple will put significant effort into improving Siri before the HomePod is released in December. Google did a similar thing when it overhauled Google Now, creating Google Assistant, in the months before the Google Home was released. Disappointingly, recent comments by Apple VP Phil Schiller which suggested that Apple was thinking along the lines of a Siri speaker with an integrated screen - turned out to be false. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9kUF7AvmnDMsLQJuH5tJ7R.jpg A new challenger has entered the arenaSmart speakers are one of the most unexpected and cool technologies to have come out over the past couple of years, and interesting to see each of the technology giants repurposing their existing voice assistants to work in a home context. Apple isn't the only one with such a device on the horizon. Harmon Kardon is readying a home speaker equipped with Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant, and between that and Google's existing smart speaker efforts, the market is set to get crowded very quickly. Apple has a real chance of standing out when it comes to its home automation efforts thanks to HomeKit, but it's not as strong when it comes to integrating with non-Apple services such as Spotify. Hopefully the HomePod's audio technology will allow it to stand out against the competition. Amazon Echo vs HomePod vs Google Home: the battle of the smart speakershttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/y6CEtSs87ho

Update: New for 2017, we've updated this article to include the new Roku Premiere+, Chromecast Ultra, Amazon Fire TV (2016) and latest Apple TV. If you're only here because you want to cut the cord and stop the rich, monopolistic cable overlords from siphoning your hard-earned dollars every month, I only have one thing to say to you: You've come to the right place. Look, we believe that paying for great TV shows and movies shouldn't cost more than your groceries, and that there's no better way to save some green every month than ripping that money-sucking cord out of the wall and delivering that long-winded "you're fired" speech to the cable company. We're here to help you make that next buying decision the best one possible by ranking the five best set-top boxes from best-to-worst and, in very clear writing, tell you which one will feel right at home in your home entertainment center. So how did we narrow down the field? We looked at the amount of content available on the system - not only the number of apps available, but the quality, too - as well as its feature-set, usability and potential to grow in the coming year. The competition is fiercer than ever in 2017 – from the insanely powerful 4K-ready Roku Premiere+ and Chromecast Ultra, to the recently released app-heavy Apple TV – all the players have come out for the final showdown, but only one can leave with the crown. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cYR8dk3TjqUMBFoPmDhvgK.jpg The Roku Premiere+ is hands-down the best intersection of value and performance for a 4K streaming player available right now. It's a capable piece of hardware, and has some of the best content-rich software on it, too. It offers the most channels of any streaming player and has the best universal search function that allows you to track down shows and movies wherever they may be hiding. Sure, we may never watch a spaghetti western on the Six Gun Cinema channel, but it's great that Roku gives us that option. And if the niche movies aren't your scene, you'll find every major player here as well - Netflix, HBO Go, Amazon Instant, Google Play Movies & TV, Hulu, Sky News, ESPN, MLB.TV, Spotify, Pandora...the list goes on and on. But, best of all, you're not limited to one ecosphere: Roku is the agnostic Switzerland of streaming sets. It doesn't care whether you download a video from Amazon, Google Play Movies & TV, or spend your money somewhere else, all it wants to do is get you the content you want to watch. Read the full review: Roku Premiere+ http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ccaw9nTuZUgvkTjzTYNCFT.jpg Too often, there's a discrepancy between a product's price (what it costs) and its value (how much it's really worth). Thankfully, Chromecast Ultra isn't one of those products: it's worth every penny. Coming in $69 (£69 or about AU$90), the petite, USB-powered Chromecast offers all of the functionality of boxes three times its size at half of the price. It completely outshines its closest competitors - the Roku Streaming Stick and the Amazon Fire TV Stick - and is ultimately the best bang for your buck for a small form factor player. Plus, if you're an Android user, you'll even be able to mirror your screen via the built-in cast functionality. Read the full review: Chromecast Ultra http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Dmog6YNkrGo9d2Z4jADebT.jpg There are some other options out there around the Shield’s price point that are worth giving full consideration. But, should you desire a 4K video streaming player that can handle some of your favorite games, the Nvidia Shield is the perfect addition to your audiovisual armory. What we liked about it is that it turns out powerful video game-ready internals also make for a pretty smooth streaming experience. What really seals the deal for gamers, though, is that instead of a remote, the Shield comes with a controller that syncs up effortlessly and can play any number of Android TV or PC-quality streaming titles from GeForce Now, Nvidia's game-streaming service. Read the full review: Nvidia Shield Android TV http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8ab978852ba9ea34e2ba527960375e68.jpg Coming in at our #4 spot, the Fire TV is snappy, fun and probably the best bet if all you want from your system is content from Amazon Instant Video. It has more games and apps than you can shake a Fire TV Stick at, and it scores full points for having some of seriously powerful hardware. Its biggest shortcomings are that it truly prefers to play Amazon content above all else, basically becoming a paperweight for non-Amazon Prime subscribers. The new Amazon Fire TV is fine, and for the Amazon faithful it offers easier access than the abortive web interface – but if you're just after a media streamer it's only okay. Read the full review: Amazon Fire TV http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8db7f28f2312598ab80ae781e5ca9edd.jpg Coming in at the end of the list is the beautiful, but still-barren Apple TV. The latest iteration of Steve Jobs' passion project has made plenty of steps in the right direction by opening the Apple TV App Store to all developers instead of a select few, and even found a compromise with Amazon that will bring the streaming app to Apple TV devices. Why isn't Apple TV a bit further up on the list? It's stuck in 1080p, and caters mostly to Apple's own video stores to find content. If one of those two things changes in the next year or so, though, Apple might give streaming media moguls like Roku, Amazon and Google a run for their money. Read the full review: Apple TV http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/ayeU13LxfNA

Convergence is something of a holy grail for the big hitters in the OS world – Apple is slowly bringing iOS and macOS closer together, and of course Windows 10 is the one OS to rule all devices for Microsoft – but it seems Google’s ambitions have faltered, or at least changed dramatically, with the word on the grapevine being that Andromeda has died. For the uninitiated, Andromeda was Google’s big play to merge Android and Chrome OS to make a single unified operating system that would run across phones, tablets and laptops. But the idea of a mobile-style touch-friendly OS with more heavyweight desktop capabilities added – Andromeda was rumored to be Google bringing Chrome OS features to Android, rather than vice versa – has apparently been shelved by the company. At least according to Stephen Hall, managing editor of 9to5 Google, who just tweeted to say that he has spoken to another (second) source who claims that this is the case. Hall tweeted: “So yeah, got a second source on this now: Andromeda was shelved. Some of the work being moved to other things, though. Trying to learn more.” Related hardware that Google was developing, such as tablets and the ‘Bison’ laptop, are all also assumed to be shelved as a result – although the work done here won’t be wasted, apparently. Focus on FuchsiaHall added that a separate project, Fuchsia, isn’t dead, and has effectively become Andromeda’s ‘spiritual successor’. We heard more about Fuchsia last month, and it’s different in that it isn’t aiming to be a hybrid OS bringing existing mobile and desktop efforts together, but an entirely new built-from-scratch platform. Albeit still one designed to work across a range of modern-day devices from phones to larger-screen tablets and laptops. However, Fuchsia is still very much an experimental project at an early stage, and its exact end goal is pretty fluid at the moment – it sounds like Google isn’t certain precisely where it will end up. And as it’s a far bigger undertaking than Andromeda in terms of going back to the drawing board, nothing is likely to be happening anytime soon. At any rate, the overall picture doesn’t look good for Andromeda itself, and unless these sources are way off the mark, it’s now one particular galaxy of the OS universe that we won’t ever get to visit. But what eventually arrives in its place in the form of Fuchsia could well have far more impact. These are the best Chromebooks you can buy right nowhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/eSdhnRG0_Uk

After surpassing 10,000 skills earlier this year, Amazon is giving its Alexa digital assistant yet another ability, making it even more useful for everyday use. Starting today, the assistant that powers Amazon's Echo smart speakers and other devices can now set reminders and named timers to help keep you on track. With reminders, you can ask Alexa to remember something for the future — whether it be to check on the oven in just five minutes or to send a card to Dad next week so that it arrives in time for Father's Day. While Alexa was able to set timers before its latest update, the skill has now expanded with the ability to give each timer a name. For example, you can use two separate timers for doing laundry and then ask Alexa how much time is left for the "washer timer," as opposed to the "dryer timer." Reminders and specified timers are rolling out today to Alexa users in the US and are expected to reach other regions over the next few weeks. Alexa users can anticipate even more useful skills heading their way in the coming months, such as voice notifications for certain skills and hands-free calling. Via The Verge How to keep your Amazon Echo securehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/bYJhHddtK3U

Amazon Echo and Google Home likely won't make it to Christmas without a little extra competition, as it appears Apple's smart speaker debut has been put into motion. A Siri-powered speaker from the iPhone maker has reportedly entered production, with an announcement to follow as soon as next week during Apple's WWDC 2017 event, sources familiar with the project tell Bloomberg. Though the unveiling of Apple's rumored Siri Speaker could come as soon as June 5, the report says it's not expected to ship out until later this year. This isn't the first time we've heard tell that a Siri Speaker would show at WWDC. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted earlier this month that Apple will reveal its smart speaker at the conference, alongside a new iPad. Several other reports and rumors also placed their chips on a Siri Speaker reveal at WWDC, and we can't blame them — Amazon Echo and Google Home have found an audience, leaving Apple and its suite of products like Apple Music, Apple Homekit, AirPlay, and almost entirely unattended by the smart speaker market. As for when we'll get the official word on the Siri Speaker, we only have to wait until this coming Monday, where we also plan to learn more about what Apple has in store for other products like the iPad Pro, iPhone SE 2, the MacBook, and possibly even iOS 11. Amazon Echo vs Google Home: Which smart speaker is best (so far)?http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/n0fan-zBqY4

If you are keenly waiting for the arrival of the mobile apps for Office 365's Microsoft Planner, then we have some good news: they’ve now gone live for iOS and Android. That means folks who use Planner can install the companion apps on their smartphones or tablets to update plans while they’re on the go. This has, unsurprisingly, been a much requested move by Office 365 customers who use Microsoft’s planning utility, which allows you to break a project down into tasks, and keep track of the progress of those tasks. Microsoft stated: “For people who are new to Planner, you can first get started by visiting tasks.office.com. Once you’ve created your plans in the web app, you can view and update those plans in the mobile experience.” Future featuresSo you can’t actually create plans within the mobile app yet – but that feature is coming in the future, and there are plans to add push notifications, plus full Intune integration is also on the cards. Microsoft Planner is available to Office 365 Business Essentials and Business Premium users, as well as those on Enterprise E1-E5 subscriptions, and education plans. The software giant said it welcomed feedback from users who want to help further shape the iOS and Android apps. Maybe you’ll use Planner on one of our top 7 business smartphoneshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/nokzN7vncwk

There are some amazing free photo editors, but sometimes you don't want to go through the hassle of downloading a program just to give one or two pictures a quick boost. For those occasions when you want a quick and easy way to enhance a few snaps, a free online photo editor is a much better option. You might expect browser-based editors to be simple Instagram-style affairs, but there are also some serious image-enhancing web apps out there. In fact, some are so feature-packed they rival premium desktop tools, with support for layers, masks and batch editing. You can use these online photo editors in most modern web browsers, though Flash-based editors won't work in mobile browsers. You'll need an HTML5-based editor if you want to boost your photos away from your desktop, or look for a free app designed for your device. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AJAYZGpoY7owAkNWVJXwhJ.jpg 1. Pixlr EditorThe best free online photo editor, with layers, masks and more. If you're a casual photographer, it might be the only creative tool you need Most browser-based free photo editors are simple Instagram-style affairs that give you a set of filters and little else. Pixlr Editor is different. Provided you have a reliable internet connection and don't mind the lack of plugins, this free web app is almost as powerful as the best free desktop photo editors. Load up a photo and you'll have access to layers, masks, clone stamps, selection tools, and everything else you'd expect from a top-notch image editor. There's no batch-editing unfortunately, but you can open several pictures at once and edit them individually. You can use it in any browser that supports Flash. Unfortunately this rules out most mobile devices, and since its developer is currently working on HTML5 versions of other other software, it might give the superb Editor the chop before too long. For the time being, however, Pixlr Editor is easily the best free online photo editor. The closest thing to Photoshop for your web browser. Try it online: Pixlr Editor http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XyaPbrLxhUMZQBSmTA6VW9.jpg 2. Adobe Photoshop Express EditorAn extremely capable online photo editor that’s thoughtfully designed and easy to use – as you’d expect from the biggest name in creative software As its name suggests, Adobe Photoshop Express Editor is a trimmed-down, browser-based version of the company's world-leading photo editing software. Perhaps surprisingly, it features a more extensive toolkit than the downloadable Photoshop Express app, but it only supports images in JPG format that are below 16MB. Again, this is a Flash-based tool, but Adobe provides handy mobile apps for all platforms so you won’t miss out if you’re using a smartphone or tablet. This free online photo editor has all the panache you’d expect from Adobe, and although it doesn’t boast quite as many tools as some of its rivals, everything that’s there is polished to perfection (with the exception of a couple of options that are currently in beta). The burn, sharpen and soften tools all perform a expected, and we particularly like the ability to preview each effect before committing to it. You can also reset your image at any time, and use a slider to view the edited and original versions side by side. The Pop Color tool is particularly interesting, enabling you to quickly change the hue of a particular part of your image. Fill Light is a welcome addition too, helping compensate for photos taken in less than ideal lighting conditions. On top of those, theres also a healing brush, automatic color correction, and manual adjustment of white balance and exposure – all very slick and simple to use. Adobe Photoshop Express Editor is a pleasure to use. Its only drawbacks are the limits on uploaded file size and types, and lack of support for layers. Try it online: Adobe Photoshop Express Editor http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/i7YSpCmwdzVAmqC28GEwNd.jpg 3. FotorA fun free online photo editor that’s particularly good for livening up portraits before sharing them on social media We love the free Fotor desktop software, and the online photo editor is exceptional too. There’s a file size limit of 8MB on uploaded files, but the editor will helpfully resize your pictures if they’re too large. Fotor’s Flash-based interface looks fantastic, with clever use of icons and collapsible toolboxes to make navigation straightforward. The one-tap enhance tool is excellent for giving lackluster photos a quick boost, and there’s an impressive array of manual tools for more granular adjustments. Unfortunately for photographers watching the purse strings, options marked with a green diamond are only available to premium users. Don't be discouraged, though – Fotor's free offering is still impressive. We particularly like the tools for boosting portraits, including makeup and tooth whitening – convincing if used with restraint, and pleasingly ridiculous if not. The strength of the wrinkle-smoothing tool is set in years rather than an arbitrary scale from one to 100, which is also satisfyingly silly. There are fun stickers too, including some practical options like seasonal greetings, all of which can be tweaked with custom colors and opacity. Once you’re satisfied, you can save your work to your PC, send it to Dropbox, or fire it over to your printer. There are also export options for Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and even Google+. For fun social-media-ready portraits, Fotor is hard to fault. Try it online: Fotor http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VYQevpdYB2gLNa5UzVZqKA.jpg 4. piZapAnother free online photo editor made with social media in mind. Add stickers and text, then share your work on all the biggest social networks Free online photo editor piZap is available in both HTML5 and Flash editions, making it suitable for any device. You can choose to work with a photo from your hard drive, Facebook, Google Photos, Google Drive, Google Search, or a catalog of stock images. This is an impressive choice, though some of the stock images are only available to premium subscribers, and you'll need to watch out for copyright issues if you use a pic straight from Google Images. piZap’s editing interface has a dark, modern design that makes heavy use of sliders for quick adjustments – a system that works much better than tricky icons and drop-down menus if you’re using a touchscreen device. Like Fotor, piZap offers lots of stickers, with many more available to users with a paid account. All the options have a fun, cartoon aesthetic (though some of the clipart is a bit corny), and together with the meme tool that adds custom text to the top and bottom of images, prove that this is an online photo editor created with social media sharing in mind. Interestingly, piZap also includes a cutout tool that lets you superimpose a selected area of one picture over another. This works well, and isn’t something we’d expect to find in an editor designed chiefly with silly memes in mind. When you’re done, you can share your creation on all the biggest social media networks, as well as piZap’s own servers, Dropbox and Google Drive. Alternatively, you can save it to your hard drive, send it via email, or grab an embed code. You can only export your work in high quality if you’ve opened your wallet for the premium editor, but for silly social sharing that’s unlikely to be a problem. Try it online: piZap http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XpjytZKadYHuY5Kqsnopd7.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yfqUskg4iDuDFuvk9raJZe.jpg 5. FotoFlexerAn excellent online photo editor with advanced tools and support for layering, though we could live without its cheesy early-2000s effects FotoFlexer might look dated, but give it a chance and you’ll discover a surprisingly powerful free online photo editor, complete with layers for complex work using multiple images. It uses Flash, so it won’t work in mobile web browsers, but it’s a solid choice for desktop-bound photographers. Upload a photo (or select one from its list of supported hosts) and you’ll be presented with a tabbed interface. The Basic tab contains everything you need for quick jobs like resizing, cropping, rotating, flipping, and adjusting contrast, brightness, hue and saturation. There’s also a one-click optimization tool to give washed out pictures a quick boost, and a red-eye corrector. The Effects toolkit is packed with creative filters, though some of them are rather old-fashioned, like good old Neon and Ink Stamp. If it’s convincing retro effects you’re after, you’re better off looking elsewhere. The Decorate and Animation tabs are a similarly cheesy affair, with text (including a ghastly early 2000s style animated glitter option), stickers, and simple drawing tools. You’re not likely to get much mileage out of these for serious photo editing, but they’re nice to have – if only for ironic use. Beautify includes smoothing and sharpening tools, a healing brush and a wrinkle remover (basically a smudge tool), and the distortion tab contains a set of simple liquify tools. Those might prove handy, but the really interesting stuff is tucked away under the last tab – the slightly patronizingly named Geek. Here you’ll find tools for editing curves and working with layers using cutouts. We could live without many of FotoFlexer’s outmoded frills, but the basic photo editor is excellent and very capable for a browser-based tool. Try it online: FotoFlexr http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/vknHD2Oik9g

From Andy Rubin, the creator of Android, comes a new smart speaker called Essential Home. It looks like a cross between an Amazon Echo Dot and a Nest thermostat that wants to get your smart home gadgets talking to one another. The speaker works in a similar way to the Amazon Echo, although it will be equipped with a large circular screen, much like the upcoming Amazon Echo Show. The aim is for the Essential Home to act as a hub for your entire smart home. You can interact with it through both touch and voice, and early images suggest that the speaker is able to control lights, play music, and get responses to various questions. The power of suggestionSo far, so Amazon Echo, but the interesting thing about the Essential Home is its Ambient OS, which promises to rely on the cloud a lot less than competing devices. As well as being helpful for security, this will hopefully also mean that your whole home won’t grind to a halt when you’re internet connection is acting up. Another unique feature is that the speaker has a focus on making suggestions rather than directly taking control of your smart home. One example given in a blog post on the company’s website is that the speaker will let you know that a light has been left on if your previous routine suggest that it should currently be turned off. Essential isn’t the first company to attempt to unify the smart home in this way. The aforementioned Amazon Echo offers integration with numerous smart home devices, and Google offers similar integration via its ‘Works with Nest’ and Google Home functionality. Both Apple and Samsung also have their own initiatives in the form of HomeKit and SmartThings, which allow smart home devices from different providers to connect and communicate with each other with varying levels of success, and Apple is also rumored to be working on its own Amazon Echo competitor, a Siri Speaker. With so many smart home companies currently supporting some combination of these services, Essential will have its work cut out if it wants to convince them to integrate with Essential Home and Ambient OS as well. Theres' no word yet on how much the Essential Home will cost or when it might be available, but hopefully we’ll get more details when Rubin takes to the stage at Code later today. Check out the competition with our review of Google Home and the Amazon Echo.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/pNOe0-dlDpI

The objective of free indie game RiskyPhone is simple – make your way to the station and catch your train before it leaves. Walk into one of your fellow pedestrians (crash test dummies marching blindly with fierce determination) and you’ll both be sent sprawling onto the pavement (or road, if you’re particularly clumsy). Shaking hands with a car isn’t a good idea either – the world will tumble and turn black and, just in case you weren’t certain, you’ll be informed that yes, you are indeed dead. That’s tricky enough, but it’s made even tougher by the need to concentrate on your smartphone as you roam the streets. Rather than something useful like Google Maps, your app of choice is a game that requires you to tap a button corresponding with the color displayed on the screen. To throw yet another spanner into the tool-clogged works, this word might be ‘purple’ written in blue, or ‘blue’ in yellow. Risky indeed. Tap, swipe, crashThe navigation takes a while to get used to, using a variation on the usual keyboard and muse system. You move using the WASD keys, but instead of making your character turn, A and S make you strafe left and right, respectively. You can look around using the mouse, but this won’t affect your direction of travel. That awkwardness just adds to the slapstick fun, though – it’s reminiscent of the classic track and field game QWOP, in which each of the athlete’s limbs is controlled independently. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/C3gNR5XVskq4rXsm9qWDWe.gif Your fellow pedestrians' indifference to traffic lights has exactly the outcome you'd expectRiskyPhone also has a delightful synth-heavy soundtrack that matches the moody marching of its faceless inhabitants. You might never catch that train, but it’s brilliant fun. To play the game, download and extract the ZIP archive, then run the file SmartPhone.exe. Download here: RiskyPhone http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/iRjn_oRrCK0

Fancy yourself the next Stevie Wonder or Rick Wakeman? No? Well, you should give Synthesia a go anyway. This brilliant little game works much like Guitar Hero, but for the piano, and is also a great tool if you're learning to play in real life. To play, just select a song and Synthesia will highlight each key you need to hit to play it. There's a good selection of songs in the free game, with varying degrees of difficulty, and more are available if you decide to splash out on the premium version. Depending on how you've set the preferences, it will either pause until you've mashed the right one, or carry on without you and dock points at the end if you didn't keep up. You can play by tapping letters on your ordinary PC keyboard, or attach a MIDI keyboard if you're interested in learning to play properly (or you have one gathering dust in the garage). Keyboard warriorsSynthesia lets you play with one hand or both, and there are specific options for practicing the melody (with the song pausing until you hit the right note), the rhythm (with the song moving on at a constant speed), or a full recital (one playthrough at full speed). http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BMZ3cRhqKbrYyUZ2nzxndQ.gif If you never progressed past a wonky performance of London's Burning at school, this is your chance to shineAt the end you're given a grade for your performance - though sadly none of the applause and whoops you get in Guitar Hero, pianists presumably being above that sort of thing. Download here: Synthesia http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/cJj6KjGK8_I

Looking for the best Google Home prices on the net? You're in the right place, as we search for and list the best deals every day! Google Home is one of the leading voice-activated smart speakers on the market, similar to Amazon's Echo and Alexa devices. Simply say 'Ok Google' and ask it any question you like and Google Assistant uses the enormously powerful Google search engine to bring you the answer. Unlike Alexa, you can then ask follow up questions without using the trigger phrase for a more natural conversational vibe. More features and apps are being added all the time, but right now you can stream music from Google Play, Spotify, Tunein or your phone. There are smart home tech features to pair it with too - so get those smart lights and thermostats told who's boss. Even the basic features prove incredibly handy, such as adding items to shopping and to-do lists, or setting alarms - finally no more burnt pizza! So how much is the Google Home? Most prices start around the $129/£129 mark, but retailers are slowly getting more competitive. We're seeing more discounts nowadays, or bundles often including a Chromecast dongle for free. Expect plenty of competition from the Amazon Echo deals come Black Friday. The best Google Home bundle prices:We regularly spot bundles with some freebies to take advantage of too, so keep an eye on the section below too, just-in-case they've not appeared in our price comparison chart yet. Google Home + Chromecast £124 @ John LewisGoogle Home + Chromecast £129 @ CurrysGoogle Home + Chromecast £129 @ ArgosHey where are the US Google Home bundles you ask? It doesn't look like any retailers are bothering right now, but keep us bookmarked and check back in later. On the plus side, you're paying the equivalent of $35 less than the UK for a Google Home, which is about the price of a Chromecast anyways, so technically you're not losing out on these Google Home prices. What are Google Home bases?The bottom part of the Google Home speaker can be swapped out for different 'bases' to replace the default grey one. They're not cheap though and the official ones are only available from the Google Store at the time of writing. Fabric bases are the cheapest at $20/£18 and come in Mango (orange), Marine (green) and Violet. Metal bases are $40/£36 and come in Carbon (black), Copper and Snow (slightly grey). We might just have to splash out for that Violet one though. We've seen some third-party sales and knock-offs, mainly leather-style ones, at Amazon and eBay, but nothing particularly tempting so far and the prices aren't that much cheaper either. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/cWFNnLb6r-4

We do love a good voucher code, especially when it makes devices like the Amazon Echo Dot even cheaper than Black Friday. Amazon's massively popular smart device is getting better and better over time, and it's never been cheaper to bring one into your home. Most of the time, you'll find it selling for around £49.99 at Amazon, John Lewis and other electronics retailers. However, several stores this week have tried to push ahead and have been selling it for closer to £44. Only one store deserves your cash today though, and it's Tesco. Using the TDX-GHWP voucher code you can knock the store's decent £44 price down to £39. That's the best price yet! We saw it briefly dip down to £40 in the November deals frenzy, but this is an exceptional deal to brighten up your living room, bedroom or kitchen with Alexa's skills. Tesco voucher code: TDX-GHWPView deal: Amazon Echo Dot (white) - £39View deal: Amazon Echo Dot (black) - £39Update: Stock has just sold out of both the black and white models, but you can sign up for a stock alert to be the first to know when they come back in. With the voucher code being valid until June 6, there's a good chance stock will return in in time. We'll update as soon as we hear too. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/3z9mRHF2hE8

It's been some time since we heard from home automation company Nest and its internet of things-powered gadgetry, though it appears the Alphabet-owned company has been keeping busy developing a new high-resolution camera. Nest is reportedly developing a 4K-resolution home security camera that will be announced at the end of the month, sources tell Android Police. Intended for indoor use (tough luck to those looking to upgrade their outdoor Nest Cams) the USB-C connected camera is reportedly capable of capturing footage in 4K — but with that comes a bit of a catch. According to the report, the image a user sees is capped at 1080p, meaning you won't be getting a 4K-resolution stream of your house, per se. 'Nest, zoom in and enhance!'Instead, the rumored new Nest Cam uses its 4K recording to zoom in on a subject (according to Android Police, the camera tracks motion) while keeping the image at 1080p. If we understand correctly, the feature works like a real-life version of those security cameras in TV detective dramas that zero in on a criminal's face without any noise or pixelation — which is pretty cool. That functionality comes at a price, however, as Nest's supposed new 4K camera will cost $300 at launch — more than either its predecessor or even its weatherproof outdoor variant, both of which run for $200/£159 (about AU$275) a pop. Nest may release a cheaper thermostat next year as wellhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/DwsXnuzGzxA

On May 2 at its special education-focused event, Microsoft revealed Windows 10 S to the world. This edition of Windows 10 allows schools, businesses and home users to use a version of the popular operating system that's restricted to installing apps from the Windows Store. This allows for tighter management of what is run on Windows 10 S devices, so they're unlikely to be infected by viruses included in dodgy downloads. Limiting what apps can run on the device can also allow low-cost – and low-power – devices to run Windows 10 S, where they might struggle with standard Windows 10 installs. The potential for Windows 10 S is huge, but we still had a few questions about how Windows 10 S will work, the compromises we’ll need to make if we want to use it, and what Microsoft’s end goal is in creating Windows 10 S. So we chatted to Robert Epstein, UK Product Marketing Director for Windows, about Windows 10 S, and what it means for the future direction of Microsoft. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QEsJodPpFapX7EADTJRT9R.jpg Windows 10 S is Windows 10One of the biggest questions many people had when Windows 10 S was revealed was whether it was a brand new and separate version of Windows. Epstein was quick to point out that this is not a new version of the OS. “Windows 10 S is not an edition, it’s what we call a configuration of Windows 10,” Epstein explained. “So actually, the code is pretty much the same. Underlying it is Windows 10 Pro, configured to ensure we have the best security, and ongoing high performance for Windows users.” That means that choosing a machine with Windows 10 S installed won't mean you’ll be missing out on many – if any – features of Windows 10. “Windows 10 S can do everything Windows 10 does, because it is Windows 10, you can have it on hardware that uses Pen and touch,” Epstein added. “So everything that Windows 10 comes with, all the same Microsoft apps in the box, Windows 10 S will have as well – the only real difference is that applications are only installed via the Windows Store, rather than the gamut of ways you can install things from all over the place.” “Windows 10 S can do everything Windows 10 does.“ While we’re not too surprised to learn that Windows 10 S will support stylus and touchscreen inputs, what Epstein then revealed did surprise – and excite – us. “Later on – on the right hardware – Windows 10 S will be compatible with our mixed reality devices,” he said. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kftKsQWH9MqR36BgrvKZ28.jpg That’s right – in the future devices running Windows 10 S should be able to use mixed reality headsets such as Microsoft’s own HoloLens, its mixed reality controllers, and third-party headsets like the ones created by Acer. Of course, this will depend on the hardware of the Windows 10 S device itself, but the move makes sense considering that Microsoft is pushing Windows 10 S as an operating system for teachers and students, while also extolling the virtues of mixed reality as an educational tool. What this means is that you can get a Windows 10 S device and not worry that you’re going to miss out on any new features and devices that Microsoft brings to Windows 10. That includes future major Windows 10 updates, such as the upcoming Fall Creators Update. “In that respect everything is just the same as Windows 10,” Epstein said, when we asked about future Windows 10 updates coming to Windows 10 S. What can Windows 10 S do for us?So if Windows 10 S is so similar to Windows 10, what does it offer to users? There are two major advantages that Microsoft wants to highlight: security and guaranteed performance. “The idea behind this is to ensure that we have a more managed environment for Windows,” Epstein explained, “and therefore users can be confident in the security of the software they’re installing”. So, rather than downloading a program from a website that could be hosting malicious software, you can confidently download the app from the Windows Store, knowing it has been checked by Microsoft. “Everything that goes into the Windows Store has been tested and verified to make sure it does not contain malware,” Epstein added. “But also, because of the way apps are installed from the Windows Store into a secure environment, we don’t have applications leaking into the operating system, we don’t have things writing to the registry and causing problems for the system over time.” As with apps installed on smartphones and tablets running Android or iOS, apps from the Windows Store are kept separate from the operating system, which means they won’t be able to change system-level settings that could cause security problems. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9KRiZCfs8VMVsSgzxnirGY.jpg Maintaining performanceHaving tightly managed apps that don’t change system settings isn’t just about keeping your machine secure – it can also keep it running fast. It means programs don’t load themselves into your PCs memory when they’re not being used. Many programs do this (just open up the Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Del to see), and while it makes the programs load faster when you do decide to use them, it can also slow down your PC. “The idea behind Windows 10 S is that the experience a Windows user has on day 1,000 is exactly the same as they get on day one.” “There’s plenty of software out there that is installed in a traditional way, where it will set itself up to load into memory during the initial boot sequence – even though the software may not be used during that session,” said Epstein. “That might make the software look great, because when a user does decide to run it, it can pop up really quickly, but of course actually it just slows the boot experience down for users every time. “Similarly, some software when it’s uninstalled doesn’t uninstall properly, so they leave bits of themselves behind, or have corrupt registry settings.” Uninstalling programs only to find they’ve left bits and pieces on our PCs is incredibly frustrating, and the prospect of apps not being able to do this does make Microsoft’s Windows Store-only vision for Windows 10 S appealing. With a regular OS, the more programs you install – and uninstall – the slower your PC will become over time, and it looks like Microsoft’s aim with Windows 10 S is to overcome this. “The idea behind Windows 10 S,” Epstein continued, “is that the experience a Windows user has on day 1,000 is the exactly the same as they get on day one.” “It is a more secure, stable and managed environment.” The claim that a machine will run as well when it’s three years old as when it was first bought is a bold one, but Epstein and his Microsoft colleagues have enormous faith in Windows 10 S. “We can be confident in the performance, we can be confident that things aren’t unnecessarily eating battery, or running in the background, eating memory,” he told us. “It is a more secure, stable and managed environment.” Thanks, Windows Store (never thought we’d say that)In the run-up to the reveal of Windows 10 S there was speculation that Microsoft was preparing to launch a stripped-back, lightweight version of Windows that would run fast on even the weakest hardware. However, given Microsoft’s revelation that Windows 10 S is using pretty much the same code as Windows 10 Pro, that’s obviously not the case. “If you took two identical machines, fresh out the box, one with Windows 10 S, one with Windows 10 Pro, and switched them on and did a performance benchmark then and there, you’re not really going to see any difference, because it’s the same Windows,” Epstein told us. However, rather than focusing on faster performance, Microsoft is targeting consistent performance over the years with Windows 10 S. That means that no matter how old your Windows 10 S install is, it should still run quickly. “When you install things from the Windows Store, Windows is able to manage your system much better.” “The challenge is what happens when people use their machines over a long period of time. They get links to software they are not entirely sure of, or they have gone and installed some niche piece of software that wasn’t particularly well written. They might have tried to uninstall that, and it doesn’t do that very well. Over the years of use, then they may see degradation in performance”. So how can Microsoft guarantee better long-term performance than Windows 10? Through the reliance on Windows Store apps. “When you install things from the Windows Store, Windows is able to manage your system much better, to ensure therefore that we’re not going to have unnecessary battery loss,” Epstein explains. “There’s not going to be things that will be in conflict with – or muck up – system configurations. What you will see is, sometime later, after typical use, we would expect a Windows 10 S system to be delivering that consistent experience, as well as security.” http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hp6qrMRqps2yoi7NdiJkA9.jpg Improving Windows StoreWhile we can see the benefits of downloading apps from the Windows Store – especially for Microsoft – there is a bit of an issue. The Windows Store isn’t great. Sure, it’s made progress since its inception with Windows 8, but it’s still woefully understocked compared to the Android and Apple app stores. With Windows 10 S demanding its users rely solely on the Windows Store, the pressure is on to make sure the Windows Store is in a position to offer them what they want – and need. According to Epstein, Microsoft is on the case. “We’re continuing to work with developers to help bring apps to the Windows Store. In particular, we have something called the Desktop Bridge, which allowed developers to bring their existing desktop applications and easily port them into the Windows Store. Now they can almost bring their code as is and the Desktop Bridge application and environments will allow them to convert it easily enough.” While Desktop Bridge focuses on developers, Microsoft has also launched the Template Studio, which is aimed at less technical users, but still with an eye to encourage more people to design UWP (Universal Windows Platform) apps that will appear in the Windows Store. “We are seeing several hundred apps already converted from traditional desktop applications into Windows Store applications.“ “We also hope many developers will add additional features that the Universal Windows Platform provides, to allow them to really get the best out of the Windows environment,” said Epstein. “So it can make it easy for them to design an interface that works on a number of screens and form factors, be it phone, tablet, Xbox, and more. “All of that is at the choice of the developer. We are seeing several hundred apps already converted from traditional desktop applications into Windows Store applications via the Desktop Bridge.” Could the fruits of Microsoft’s labors finally be starting to appear? Recently a few major pieces of software have launched as apps on the Windows Store. “We’re pleased to announce that the Spotify app is coming to the Windows Store, and even Apple has announced that iTunes is coming to the Windows Store,” said Epstein. “So these great brands, like iTunes, like Spotify, who have millions of users out there, are starting to see the opportunities the Windows Store provides.” Could this be a turning point for the Windows Store? Epstein hopes so. “There are 500 million users of Windows 10 devices now, and that’s a great set of consumers and users that developers, we hope, will want to target through the Windows Store.” http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Vkox7PFD7kgUjZvFNmUW24.jpg Who is Windows 10 S for?Still, no matter how wide the range of apps available on the Windows Store becomes, Windows 10 S users won’t have access to the sheer breadth and freedom that those running standard Windows machines enjoy. The security and performance implications of only using the Windows Store make sense, but is that really enough to encourage people to drop that freedom in favor of Microsoft’s walled garden? When we put that question to Robert Epstein, he was keen to point out that mobile operating systems had set a precedent in this respect. “The industry is moving that way. If you think about people’s mobile devices, phones, tablets that run Android or iOS, you can only install applications from their stores,” he said. “So they are that sort of more managed user experience. I think what we want to do for the right customers, is to ensure they have the same benefits that [a managed user experience] brings to their Windows experience as well.“ Epstein’s reference to “the right customers“ is important to note. Microsoft is keenly aware that the mobile OS-like approach of Windows 10 S won’t be for everyone. “The idea for me,” Epstein continued, “is we want to ensure that customers are buying the right device. So for people who need that open flexibility of Windows there are thousands of machines they can go and buy today with Windows 10 or Windows 10 Pro, and of course customers should buy that product.” So who is Windows 10 S for? “Students, schools, small businesses where they don’t have IT management. And my parents, my in-laws – right now they would definitely be Windows 10 S, and I’d expect to get a lot less tech support calls when they are running Windows 10 S!” “My parents, my in-laws – right now they would definitely be Windows 10 S, and I’d expect to get a lot less tech support calls!” So in a way Windows 10 S is an ‘easy mode’ for Windows 10 for less technical people. “‘There are going to be a lot of people who want a great Windows 10 PC, possibly one that’s a 2-in-1, is thin, light, has Pen capabilities, and most of their PC requirements will be met by the applications that ship with Windows itself,” Epstein continued. “And then they will find a large number of applications available to them in the Windows Store to allow them to achieve what they want. In which case the question is why would they need anything other than Windows 10 S?” http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sLkEtw93eqqXLWdr3kiwmG.jpg Windows 10 S in schoolsWindows 10 S made its debut at Microsoft’s education-focused event, titled #MicrosoftEDU, and it’s clear from what Microsoft said at the event, and what Robert Epstein is telling us, that Microsoft envisions a future where Windows 10 S is used in schools and educational institutions around the world. However, this comes at a time when schools in many countries are under intense pressure, with staff shortages, budget cuts and crowded classrooms; kitting out students with new Windows 10 S-toting laptops is going to be pretty far down their to-do lists, if it’s even possible at all. But Epstein pointed out that schools wouldn't necessarily need brand new machines. “The only exception that we announced to Windows 10 S only being available on new machines is that we are actually going to make it available as a free upgrade to schools, so they can upgrade their existing Windows 7 Pro, Windows 8 Pro, machines to Windows 10 S.” So, rather than seeing classes full of brand new Windows 10 S devices, we’re more likely to see older machines running Windows 10 S, hopefully prolonging the life of ageing hardware – something that lightweight Linux distros have excelled at. “So the schools now have an opportunity to wipe these machines clean and install a fresh Windows 10 S configuration on them.” “Where schools have purchased PCs some time ago, particularly when a lot of schools went out and bought a lot of low-cost netbooks, then two years on, three years on, from the original purchase they are now maybe struggling with performance,” explains Epstein. “So the schools now have an opportunity to wipe these machines clean and install a fresh Windows 10 S configuration on them, and then they know they have that ongoing stability and security going forward, and this should be a big boost to effectively reuse a lot of the existing hardware they already have.” Some of these older machines will be running on ARM hardware, rather than more traditional Intel or AMD processors, and will be using Windows RT, which was specially built for that hardware. Will those machines be able to upgrade to Windows 10 S? “No, being on ARM, Windows 10 S currently requires an Intel processor at launch,” Epstein said. “We have made some announcements about what’s coming in the future with Windows on ARM. But we haven’t yet announced on what devices or when it will come, or what configurations that will come in. So I don’t know if that will come as Windows 10 Pro, or Windows 10 S.” http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9t9abfNEaP7RWPXun9V6Pm.png Getting Windows 10 SAnother question was raised at the launch event when Microsoft declared that at any time a Windows 10 S user could switch from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro quickly and easily – though for a small fee ($49 in the US – prices for other territories haven't been confirmed). What we wanted to know was would it be just as easy (or even possible) to switch from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 10 S? Sadly, it appears not. “So, you can’t go from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 10 S,” Epstein explained. “A Windows 10 S machine will need to ship as a device with Windows 10 S already installed.” So it looks like the only way to get Windows 10 S for many people will be to buy a Windows 10 S device with it preinstalled. “Should somebody do that and realise they absolutely do need other applications and benefits that Windows 10 Pro will provide, you can convert the configuration. So that’s easy enough to do from the Windows Store. There’s a small fee to pay, and then you’re on Windows Pro 10.” “You can’t go from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 10 S.“ Something else we wanted to know after watching the initial reveal of Windows 10 S was will it be as easy to switch back to Windows 10 S from Windows 10 Pro? “Once you’re there [on Windows 10 Pro] you can’t go back,” Epstein told us. “Because, of course, we can’t guarantee what may have happened or been installed whilst it was in its more open environment.” That’s a shame, but surely upgrading a Windows 10 S machine to Windows 10 Pro isn’t completely irreversible? What about using the System Restore tool to reset the device to its factory settings? “Yes, so if you are absolutely prepared to completely remove everything from that machine and return to that factory image, depending on how the OEM has configured it,” Epstein said. “Most OEMs do have small partitions that have the factory config on it, and if you’re prepared to lose everything on the machine and go back to that, then yes, you can go back to Windows 10 S.” http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AMP6CzHskVKEBQLyToS2s5.jpg What kind of Windows 10 S devices can we expect? “We expect to see a wide variety of Windows 10 S machines.“ After the reveal of Windows 10 S, details began to emerge about upcoming Windows 10 S devices. Of course, there was Microsoft’s own flagship Surface Laptop device, but a number of manufacturers such as HP, Asus and Acer have announced they're also creating Windows 10 S devices, with prices starting at $189 (around £145, AU$250). So does Microsoft have a vision of what sort of Windows 10 S devices we may see in the future? Is there a set of requirements the company sends to manufacturers when building a Windows 10 S machine? “‘No, the hardware requirements are exactly the same as Windows 10,” explained Epstein. “So we do expect to see a wide variety of Windows 10 S machines. Obviously at launch we’ve announced the Surface Laptop, that’s a high-end configuration machine. “But we are expecting a wave of machines, probably at the end of this summer, from most of the major PC manufacturers that will be on low-cost devices targeted at students and the education market, featuring Windows 10 S. Beyond that, it’s hard to say. We do expect a variety of form factors and price points.” http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/626c000b552010a46cc6fa56d7cfec8f.jpg Will Windows 10 S kill Windows 10 Mobile?At the recent Microsoft Build event, where the company talked about its plans for the future, there was a noticeable lack of announcements regarding Windows 10 Mobile, Microsoft’s struggling smartphone operating system. Given this fact, along with the focus on Windows 10 S, many people assumed that Microsoft was readying Windows 10 S as a possible replacement. However, Epstein was keen to stress that this isn't the case. “We’re still committed to the Windows 10 Mobile platform – there are some devices out there today from HP, Acer and a couple of other partners.“ Pointing out that there are “some devices out there“ isn’t hugely encouraging for anyone hoping that Windows 10 Mobile is due for a resurgence, but it does mean that Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 10 S will coexist. “We’re still committed to the Windows 10 Mobile platform.“ “What I took away from Build personally is how we’re trying to ensure that Windows gives users a great experience across their range of devices,” said Epstein. “So whilst Windows is likely to be the core PC experience that users have, we’re very aware that many Windows users will have an iPhone or Android phone.” Recognising that a large number of people use Android and iOS, and are unlikely to switch to Windows 10 Mobile, is a wise move, as is Microsoft making its apps and services available to that vast audience. “We want to ensure that they still get a great ability to roam their information and data across all those different devices,” Epstein added. “So Microsoft has a great range of software that runs on other people’s platforms as well, that helps them interact with that device. The phrase we had on stage was ‘Windows loves all of your devices’.” So what was the reason for Windows 10 Mobile’s absence at Build? “We are absolutely committed to Windows 10 Mobile as a platform, but have nothing more to announce at the moment on that,” said Epstein. “As Satya [Nadella, CEO of Microsoft] has publicly stated, there’s no point doing another ‘me too’ platform. We need to be clear on what Windows can bring uniquely into the mobile space.” http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/RLkzZvtG9_A

Software is eating the world. Soon, hardware may cease to hold meaning; we're already talking less about hardware and more about apps. Why? All IT is becoming software-defined, and it's happening at a dizzying pace. “The drive for digital transformation means enterprises are embracing cloud in all its forms, and with it, the Internet of Things (IoT),” says Hubert Da Costa, VP EMEA, Cradlepoint. It has become fashionable to talk about software-defined everything – or SDx – but it's worth considering the main elements that are disrupting IT right before our eyes. What is software-defined networking?Software-defined networking (SDN) makes IT quicker and easier. "SDN changes the way companies build and manage their IT environments, allowing them to be more flexible," says Mark Lewis, EVP Communications & Connectivity, Interoute, adding that SDN should also allow customers to change their own IT footprint. At its core, SDN is about capacity, and using AI to optimise networks so they don't creak under the pressure of streaming video and fast-growing numbers of IoT devices. "Software-defined networking enables IT managers to maintain visibility, security and control over the next-generation wide-area networking," says Da Costa. "SDN holds great potential for productivity increases in IT because it acts as a unifying force between disparate elements – computing, networking, virtualisation and information," says Lewis, adding that SDN can also help streamline IT expenditure. However, within the umbrella concept of SDN is software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) and, more recently, SD-Perimeter. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ewD5QnrYZWPsjQPFrePFzc.jpg Software-defined networking makes IT quicker and easierWhat is SD-WAN?It's basically a way in which an expanding global company can use software to gradually grow its network traffic and performance. "SD-WAN addresses the ‘places’, the branch networks piece of the puzzle," Da Costa says, explaining that it's about leveraging traditional infrastructure technology and making an intranet cheaper, faster and easier to configure. SD-WAN is going to be big: Cisco has just purchased US-based SD-WAN software provider Viptela, and analysts at IDC think the SD-WAN market will be worth $6 billion (around £4.5 billion, AU$8 billion) by 2020. “While companies use different wide area networks (WANs) – from MPLS and broadband to 4G and public Wi-Fi – to expand and grow, all present challenges like poor branch application performance, connectivity issues and rising network maintenance costs,” says Marc Sollars, CTO of specialist integrator Teneo. "SD-WAN products leverage companies’ existing network investments and cloud applications, improve local application performance visibility, and boost branches’ agility – from the centre." What is SD-Perimeter?SD-Perimeter as a concept originates from the Cloud Security Alliance. "SD-Perimeter deals with people and things, and is effectively SDN for the internet," says Da Costa. SD-Perimeter is essentially for companies adopting IoT projects and using public cloud services. "It extends the same level of visibility, security and control to the network that’s built over the internet, and the traffic that travels on it," he adds. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/C9SCztC2jrveYrWophchtc.jpg Software-centric infrastructure like Dell’s VRTX is poised to make big wavesWhat is software-defined telephony? Telephony now sits in the cloud. VoIP is not new, but what it has done to business models is. “Cloud telephony is just another software application running on the network,” says Rami Houbby, MD at cloud telephony provider NFON UK. Its capacity is almost limitless and extensions or home offices can be added or removed as required – it’s just software, after all. “There are huge operational efficiencies – updates can be applied across the whole customer base, whereas an on-premise solution update required on-site updates, which mean delays and increased costs,” explains Houbby. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/stbi5ZxewzgzZy8VeUN25d.jpg Software-defined data centres are constantly self-optimisingWhat are software-defined data centres?SDDCs are all about virtualising infrastructure and hyper-scaling, largely by using software to automate all functions. “An SDDC is where all infrastructure is virtualised and automated by intelligent software," says Michael Allen, VP EMEA at Dynatrace, explaining that they're constantly self-optimising, so always at optimum performance, easier to deploy, and offer rapid scalability. Data centre components can be managed and maintained via software, rather than manually, and that is a turning point for IT. “It represents the moment when networking infrastructure and IT infrastructure completely merge into one platform,” says Lewis. However, SDDCs are tricky for IT staff to assess. “As a result, companies with SDDCs are increasingly turning to AI and advanced machine learning to detect and remediate issues before they affect end-users,” notes Allen. Everything you need to know about the software-defined data centreWhat is software-defined storage?This one has been overused by incessant marketing, but it's a simple concept; using programming to eliminate the constraints of physical hardware. "We are seeing an increasing number of IT managers move away from traditional infrastructures that consist of lots of different pieces of hardware, and opt for software-defined storage and hyper-converged solutions," says Albie Attias, managing director of hardware supplier King of Servers. "It means running a storage array on a single unit of commodity storage hardware." Just 9% of UK businesses currently use software-defined storage, according to a recent survey by SUSE. What is software-defined radio?Who needs modulators, amplifiers and detectors when you've got software? Software-defined radio (SDR) replaces and automates all that hardware with computing power and data processing, and can consequently change frequency, bandwidth or radio standard in an instant, allowing a much more dynamic use of the radio spectrum. One type is Digital-RF, which processes GHz radio signals in digital circuits. "The Moore’s Law-driven cost advantage of digital circuits will mean that Digital-RF radio will eventually displace analogue radio from many applications," says Bryan Donoghue, Digital Systems Group Leader, Cambridge Consultants, which created a Digital-RF radio system called Pizzicato. "These flexible radios will allow engineers to be far more creative, perhaps allowing cellular and other radio standards to evolve at rapid pace." However, radio engineers won’t be out of business just yet; analogue circuits are still used to amplify and to filter out some radio signals. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7FctdjiirHjPvuYHtjggoc.jpg Rami Houbby, MD of NFON UKThe end of hardware… or a hybrid future?The budgets, long lead-times, complex installations and messy maintenance contracts – all of these were intrinsic to IT. However, there's been a significant shift away from pre-programmed hardware and software vendors in the last decade or so. So is hardware dead? “What's dead are the long procurement cycles needed to access hardware resources you need," says Patrick Malatack, VP Product at Twilio, whose API is powering communications for Airbnb, WhatsApp and TransferWise. Businesses are seeing competition from tech giants like Amazon and Google, but also from nimble startups who are disrupting their category because they can ship better services faster. "Every established enterprise is feeling the pressure to compete in this new era of software," he says. “Although software is on the rise, hardware is far from dead," says Attias, who thinks that hardware's physical form will merely change, adding: "In 10 to 15 years I expect robots, drones and smart devices to become a regular feature of the modern workplace." Others agree, but for different reasons. "There is a way to go until hardware is phased out completely," says John English, Senior Product Manager at Netscout, who gives the example of the telecoms industry's effort to create virtualised environments. "Functions cannot be simply transferred from hardware to the cloud – they need to be rewritten to be cloud-native and micro service and container-based, and this is going to take time – a lot more time than people realise." The foreseeable future, then, is one of hybrid networks where software and hardware work in sync. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7h46w7PGMg5wjiXgcmDnyc.jpg Michael Allen, VP EMEA at DynatraceWho are software-defined people?So forget the machines; in this new era the IT industry needs a ‘software people’ mind-set. "The ability to adapt and thrive in the digital environment decides which companies will succeed and which will face extinction," says Malatack, who thinks that software people view the world through the lens of software, and share the belief that any problem can be solved with it. “To meet increasing customer demand, businesses need to move away from the era of high-stakes IT with costly professional services and once-in-a-decade purchasing decisions – the era of cloud APIs puts the roadmap back in control of enterprises, enabling them to ship updates quickly and innovate often,” he says, adding: “With software, it is no longer a case of build or buy, but build or die.” How the software-defined workspace is reshaping enterprise client computinghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/8sVFd4DXEpc

Last August we got wind of a brand new operating system in development at Google, codenamed Fuchsia. At this year's Google I/O event in Mountain View, Android's Dave Burke shed a little bit more light on the mysterious, upcoming platform. But only a little. The early rumors were that Fuchsia could eventually replace Android, or Chrome OS, or both - Google hasn't revealed much about the OS, but we do know that it's being built from scratch for modern-day devices, and we've seen a sneak peek at its interface. So what's the story? "Fuchsia is a early-stage experimental project," said Burke when pressed, as 9to5Google reports. "We, you know, we actually have lots of cool early projects at Google. I think what’s interesting here is it’s open source, so people can see it and comment on it." Pivot and morphThat's all well and good, but what's it actually for? Sounds like not even Google's own team is certain at the moment. "Like lots of early stage projects it's going to probably pivot and morph," added Burke. There’s some really smart people on it, people we’ve worked with who are great." It doesn't sound like Android is currently under threat though, at least for the time being. Burke concluded his waffling: "And so it's kind of exciting to see what happens. But it's definitely a different sort of independent project to Android. And yeah, that's basically it." Google must've had some kind of plan in mind when work on Fuchsia started, but it's not getting revealed yet - and as you might expect from an "experimental" project, it sounds like Fuchsia's purposes could change as the market and our devices evolve. We'll be using Android and Chrome OS for a while yet. Meanwhile the Android updates just keep on cominghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/CRKwHcjcQn4

During all the announcements made on day one of Google IO 2017, the global internet giant slipped into the mix the tidbit that Google Home, it’s popular AI-assistant speaker, will officially be available in Australia starting mid year. That date means it could well arrive before Amazon’s local retail launch — which may be when the Amazon’s competing Echo assistant speaker arrives in Australia. Google has also announced a slew of improvements to the Home device, including Bluetooth connectivity and hands-free calling. While Google has yet to confirm, it’s likely that this new and improved version is the one that will launch Down Under. If you’re unfamiliar with Google Home, the device is pitched as a dedicated assistant for the home, designed to help with simple digital tasks around the house – such as switching lights on and off, performing web searches and answering questions, compiling shopping lists, playing music and so much more. Stop the importsAustralians who’ve wanted to purchase a Google Home or Amazon Echo device have so far needed to either import them from the US or purchase international stock from local vendors like Tandy (which was bought up by Kogan last year). But functionality for imported devices are US-centric, limiting what they’re capable of when used in Australia. With official local stock soon to come to market, Australians can look forward to getting weather reports for their city, traffic updates that aren’t from a foreign land and, perhaps, even local news. Australia isn’t the only country set to get the device – Google announced that Canada, France, Germany and Japan will also be seeing local launches starting “this summer”. Australian pricing and a specific launch date has yet to be revealed. Want a quick catch-up on all the happenings at Google IO 2017? Here are the five most important announcements made so far.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/dYfITppWLuE

Google might not have shown up with new Home hardware to Google IO 2017, but its latest software update will make the six-month-old Google Home feel like a new machine. On stage today at Google IO, Rishi Chandra, Vice President of Product Management and General Manager of Home Products, iterated four major changes coming to Google Home: proactive assistance, hands-free calling, Bluetooth and visual responses. While some of these changes will have more of an impact than others (you can now make phone calls from Google Home without a landline or a cell phone at no cost!), all of them will reshape you use the Home going forward. OK, Google, show me what you can do Let’s start off by covering the two biggest announcements first: hands-free calling and Bluetooth. According to Chandra, the way calling is going to work is that you’ll import contacts from your phone and then, when you want to make a phone call, all you’ll need to do is ask. The Home will make the call from either a private phone number or, if you have your Google account tied to your cell phone, using your own number. From the sounds of it, all Home needs is an active internet connection to make the calls – that means you won’t need a landline or even a cell phone to make calls at home. The other bombshell announcement Chandra made is that Home will now be able to use Bluetooth to sync up to other devices – a feature the Home’s competitor, Amazon Echo, has had since it launched and had so far been strangely absent on Google’s smart speaker. In addition to the Bluetooth announcement, Chandra announced that the Home will support the free version of Spotify, SoundCloud and Deezer in addition to the music streaming services it already supported later this summer. Echo with a screen? Home can use your TVThe other two announcements – proactive assistance and visual responses – while neat, aren’t going to radically change how you use Home. Visual responses, a new feature on Google Home that allows the speaker to send visual information to either your phone, tablet or TV, definitely feels like a swing at the recently announced Amazon Echo Show. However, while Amazon’s device comes with a built-in speaker to show you events on your calendar or what the weather outside looks like, Google Home transmits data to whichever device you’d like. To demonstrate, Chandra used the Home to ask what he had in his YouTube TV library which was then displayed on the TV. Including YouTube TV, Home now has voice support for dozens of new streaming services including HBO Now, Hulu, Google Play Movies and TV and more. Finally, proactive assistance for Home will check what’s happening in your day in real time to try and bring you information before you need it. Home can warn you that there’s a traffic delay on your way to work, for example, notifying you ahead of time so you can leave earlier, or give you weather warnings – handy if you commute in an area prone to blizzards. How soon can you expect these changes to go live? Google didn’t have an exact release date for the new functionality, but we’ve reached out to Google for more specifics. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/wKgoBNaUxig

Google had a host of new features to announce for its smart home speaker, Google Home, at this year’s Google IO. From offering proactive notifications, to free phone calls (in the US and Canada), expanding its music support and offering visual responses to queries, Google is working hard to expand its smart speaker’s functionality. But what was surprising about many of the announcements is how closely they mirror similar ones made by Amazon with its Amazon Echo in the past couple of weeks. Google has been closely watching what Amazon’s up to, and it’s determined not to let the online retailer get ahead. Is there an Echo in here?Proactive notifications? Announced by Amazon in a developer post earlier today. Phone calls? Announced by Amazon just over a week ago. Visual responses to queries? Sounds a lot like the Amazon Echo Show to me. I’m not trying to claim that Google is playing catch-up to Amazon in every respect. After all, Google has managed to integrate voice recognition into Google Home while Amazon is still fumbling with its multi-user support. But these developments show just how closely Google is keeping an eye on the competition and, frankly, it’s an amazing thing for the emerging smart speaker market. This level of competition between the two major players means that both products are developing at an astounding pace. Barely a week goes by without a new feature being announced for either smart speaker, and for the most part they’re coming as free software updates rather than entirely new pieces of hardware (Amazon Echo Show and Look notwithstanding). This is only partially about winning over potential customers, it’s also about winning over manufacturers, who are rushing to integrate voice control into their appliances and audio visual equipment. Both Amazon and Google know that they need to fight hard to make sure their virtual assistant platforms are the obvious choice for other hardware manufacturers. We’ve seen dozens of pieces of hardware already this year with either one assistant or the other, and this is only going to become more common in the future. What’s clear is that it’s impractical for hardware manufacturers to support both assistants in the future, and both of them want to be dominant. These assistants are nowhere near finished, but if development continues at this pace, then the future might be a lot closer than we think. It’s a good thing for the industry, and it’s a great thing for consumers. Check out how the two speakers compare in our guide to Google Home vs Amazon Echo.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/DoQoutNeBmc

If nothing else, Amazon should be commended for how it has continued to improve its Amazon Echo month after month with a steady stream of useful updates. Now a new post on Amazon's developer site has said that Echo devices will soon have the ability to visually show you when they have notifications available. They'll do this with a pulsing green light and a chime which you can then respond to in order to hear all of your notifications one after the other. A new world of possibilities I think this functionality is long overdue for the Echo. The speaker could, for example, light up in the morning if there's travel disruption on your route, rather than relying on you asking how the traffic is every single morning. Or the speaker could give you a notification if it's going to rain to save you having to constantly ask about the weather. We've got some reservations on how notifications will work on a device that's supposed to serve multiple users in a household. How will Amazon prevent my flatmates from being pestered by my news alerts, for example? Amazon's multi-user support is still in its infancy, but these are issues that Amazon will need to overcome if its Echo's are to become an integral part of the home, rather than a toy for just one member of the household. Check out our full review of the Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo Dot.Via Engadget http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/5OCT0PtRw7o

As Amazon's Alexa develops new skills, competitor Google is turning up the heat by opening up its own digital assistant to more home appliances. Starting today, Google Assistant is compatible with GE's Geneva Home control system, giving users an extra layer of hands-free control over appliances in their abode. Owners of Google Assistant-powered devices like Google Home and applicable GE Wi-Fi appliances can get more done around the house hands-free thanks to a sizable selection of voice commands, such as, "OK Google, ask Geneva Home if the dishes are clean," or "OK Google, ask Geneva Home to preheat the oven to 350 degrees." From heating up water to turning on the ice maker to preheating the oven for turkey (that really is a command), Google Assistant can do it all. GE is among the first to take advantage of Google Assistant to help control its electronics, the company says. However, this isn't the first time GE has worked with a third-party digital assistant, as Amazon Alexa has been integrated with Geneva Home since last fall. Google Home vs Amazon Echo: which is better for you?The types of appliances that will take orders from Google Assistant include GE's Geneva Home-equipped refrigerators, wall ovens and ranges, dishwashers, washers, dryers, geospring heat pump water heaters and room air conditioners. As Alexa and Amazon's line of Echo smart speakers continue to give Google Assistant a run for its money, we look forward to learning what more the search giant has in store for Google Assistant during this week's Google IO 2017 developer's conference, which kicks off today with a keynote. Here are all the devices that work with Google Assistanthttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/iyw-PAHYJtc

Not content with just announcing a new addition to its Echo line of smart speakers, Amazon continues to upgrade Alexa to be your go-to digital assistant. Amazon will soon add another ability to Alexa's repertoire in the form of notifications — giving users spoken updates from Alexa on what's new across a selection of the digital assistant's 12,000-plus skills. Like most of Alexa's talents, catching up on notifications is as easy as a voice prompt of "Alexa, what did I miss?" or "Alexa, what are my notifications?" to their Echo or other Alexa-compatible devices. According to Amazon, companies like AccuWeather, The Washington Post, Just Eat, and Life360 will be among the first to update their skills with notification functionality as the feature begins to roll out to developers. SkillstreakWhile Amazon doesn't have a hard date for when notifications will make its way to the Alexa-using public, the feature will be opt-in per applicable skill and can be temporarily muted or deactivated completely at the user's choosing. It's been a busy growth period for Alexa, as Amazon also announced new skills like Google Account support, improved voice recognition, and taking your calls with the digital assistant within the past month. As for competition, we believe Google hasn't been sitting idly by with its competing Google Home smart speaker, which is rumored to be adding some features of its own soon. Seeing as Google's IO 2017 conference kicks off tomorrow, we won't have to wait long before learning what the team behind the Google Assistant-powered smart speaker has to offer against Amazon's Alexa. How to keep your Amazon Echo securehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/kaYLlh-W500