sincity

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/Daily%20download/dd-panda-470-75.jpgDownload of the day: Panda Free AntivirusSecurity suites are notorious for being bloated programs that slow your PC to a crawl. Panda Free Antivirus is different – it does all its heavy processing in the cloud, so you'll barely notice it's there. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgIts virus detection rates are superb as well; in independent tests by virus lab AV-TEST it achieved near-perfect scores against known threats and zero-day attacks. Best of all, because it's cloud-based, Panda Free Antivirus doesn't require daily database updates, meaning you're never left vulnerable in between downloads. Why you need itYou might not realise at first, but Panda Free Antivirus begins scanning as soon as it's installed to ensure your PC is protected immediately. You can also perform three types of manual scan: Full, which does a thorough analysis of your whole system.Critical areas, which checks your PC's memory, currently running processes and cookies to check for any currently active viruses.Custom, which lets you choose which directories to scan.The suite's other tools include a process monitor, which lets you see active processes and whether they are using a secure connection. Processes that don't are blocked, but you can undo this manually if you're confident it's safe. There's also a handy vaccination tool that checks attached USB drives for malicious software. We recommend changing the settings so it runs automatically to pick up any threats as soon as possible. If one of your PCs has been locked by a malicious program, Panda Free Antivirus can create an emergency rescue USB drive that you can use to scan the affected machine. This feature uses Panda Cloud Cleaner – a specialist scanner that detects viruses and malware other scanners might miss. All of of these options are presented in a clear dashboard, with moveable tiles that you can customize to suit your preferences or remove if you never use a particular feature. Key featuresCloud-based virus scanningProcess monitorUSB device vaccinationEmergency rescue mediaWorks onWindows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 PricePanda Free Antivirus – FreePanda Internet Security – £27.99 (US$34.99, AU$69.99) per PC per yearPanda Global Protection – £34.99 (US$48.99, AU$87.49) per PC per yearPanda Gold Protection – £55.99 (US$66.49, AU$125.99) per PC per yearhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/JaAZ2awhjus

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Connected%20home/Apple%20HomeKit/Tempo_Monitor_Main-470-75.jpgIt seems like Apple's one step closer to releasing its Amazon Echo-style smart speaker, with a new report saying that the device in question is already in some homes of Apple employees. The smart device, which is rumored to include an always-listening speaker and built-in Siri, was detailed by Apple insiders to Bloomberg Technology who said that the technology will also likely include a camera and facial recognition software. The software, the insiders say, will not only be able to recognize who's in a room, but also what their current emotional state is. Bloomberg Technology corroborates the feature, pointing to Apple's recent acquisitions of facial recognition startups Faceshift and Emotient. Like the Amazon Echo series of products and the upcoming Google Home, Apple's take on the smart speaker would theoretically allow you to control smart home devices that have been approved by the Cupertino company and sport the HomeKit-approved seal. Admittedly, there's a good chance these claims are true. Apple's recently made a large push for HomeKit in the latest iOS 10 software and has been ramping up the approval process for HomeKit products, both of which suggest something large is coming in that area. However, the Apple product in question could face stiff competition from Amazon, who just released a new, cheaper version of the Amazon Echo Dot, and Google, who is expected to reveal the release date and pricing of its Home speaker at its upcoming October 4 press event. This is Apple TV vs Chromecast vs Amazon Fire TV all over again. First look: Here's how Apple HomeKit will revolutionize your househttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/cwd-aps0Eus

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/Servers/HP/MicroServer%20Gen8/hp-proliant-gen-8-470-75.JPGIntroductionhttp://cdn0.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/servers/hp-proliant-gen8-420-100.jpg Mention servers in a conversation and most people will draw a blank. To others who work in tech, that will bring back memories of massive black metal boxes that are expensive, heavy but also powerful and love to live in groups (called server farms or data centres). How to choose the right server for your businessThings are however changing as more and more people are considering stand-alone servers because they offer a number of advantages compared to other tech solutions around. Here are five of them, some of which are actually quite surprising. Top 10 best servers of 2016 for SMBsServers are built to lasthttp://cdn3.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/servers/dell-poweredge-t20-420-100.jpg It won't come as a surprise that servers are solidly built machines, designed with pragmatism in mind rather than aesthetics. The resulting products (and looking at standalone servers mainly) will take more than a few knocks and bumps than consumer PCs before they give up the ghost. Most server designs have been tweaked over decades rather than being dictated by looks, servers tend to use different, tried-and-trusted components sets as well. And just to give you that extra peace of mind, they will usually come with an option to upgrade the warranty to next business day, multi-year, onsite warranty. Room for expansionhttp://cdn2.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/servers/hp-proliant-gen9-420-100.jpg Because they don't look to achieve visual perfection, these workhorses tend to offer a lot of room for expansion; and that's even the case for micro-servers. Models from Lenovo, HP or Dell will often offer several PCI Express slots and vast amounts of space inside to ensure adequate air flow for cooling. A mini tower will routinely hold four RAM slots with enough space for four standard hard disk drives, for a total of around 40TB. And because they are actually designed for easy maintenance, you will find small details like a tool-less case and a built-in tray to be surprisingly useful. Plenty of ports http://cdn2.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/servers/scan-server-420-100.jpg If won't come as a surprise that servers usually come with a lot of ports, far more than any desktop PCs you will come across, making them ideal for DIY projects like Digital Video Recorders (DVR) or home servers. A lot of them will carry legacy ports (VGA, Serial and PS/2) with plenty of USB ports (about a dozen) both in front of and behind the chassis. Some, like Dell's T20, have some surprising combinations including a pair of DisplayPort ports, a connector usually found on workstations costing a thousand pounds or more. Servers are very versatilehttp://cdn3.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/servers/asus-server-420-100.jpg Most servers are built for continuous operation with little or no downtime making them ideal for a much wider range of case uses, compared to say NAS (Networked Attached Storage) devices or a classic desktop PC. Sure, they are bigger but that's the downside of offering extra flexibility. It will require someone with reasonable technical knowledge to do any upgrades but the universal nature of the x86 ecosystem will, at least allow you to exploit the versatility of the platform. That includes changing the processor or any other components, as well as operating systems, down the line. Great value for moneyhttp://cdn1.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/servers/fujitsu-primergy-420-100.jpg Best of all though, stand-alone servers don't have to cost the earth, the cheapest models from the big three vendors often cost under £200 once you factor in cashbacks – which are often very substantial at the entry level. Servers are amongst the cheapest new computers on the market but bear in mind that, because of their target audiences, they don't usually come with an operating system. Nevertheless, getting Linux to boot shouldn't be an issue (check out our starter guide to Linux here). If you plan to get a computer with plenty of expansion opportunity, on a budget and with some cracking components, then you certainly can't go wrong with a server. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/j5FuhMxgexY

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/magazines/Tap/Issue%2025/TAB25.kit_2.philipsbulbs-470-75.jpgWith the arrival of iOS 10 comes Apple's much anticipated Home App, which will allow iOS users to control and automate all of their smarthome tech from a single app. I was impressed when I got a chance to see the Home app in action at a recent demonstration, but in the weeks since as I've been happily planning the automated home I one day hope to own, I keep running into something of a roadblock. My problem is that I own a Nest, the smart-learning thermostat produced by a company that was acquired by Google back in 2014. In an ideal world, my upgrade to HomeKit would involve piecing together the Lego block-style system that Apple has constructed. I'd maybe buy a couple of smart HomeKit-enabled radiator valves to place throughout my house, pair them with some temperature sensors, and use my existing Nest thermostat to control the boiler itself. But because of Nest's association with Google, it's unlikely that we'll ever see the thermostat integrated into Apple's ecosystem. For a product that costs $249 (£249 / AU Price tba) that's a bitter pill to swallow. Early adopter syndrome What Apple is attempting to do with standardising home tech, and bringing it together under a single umbrella in undoubtedly necessary if the smart home is to break into the mainstream. But limiting a smart home to a single phone operating system is an intimidating proposition when you expect to use home tech for far longer than your next mobile is likely to last you. Of course these companies might be planning to have users upgrade their smart home equipment as often as their phones, but I can't think of anything more nightmarish than having to replace all my lightbulbs every couple of years. Home automation technology is expensive enough as it is; the prospect of having to tie your smartphone purchase into the ecosystem as well might scare off most mainstream consumers. An Android competitorOf course the big problem at the moment is that there's no equivalent ecosystem for Android. Nest has its own 'Works with Nest' program which allows the thermostat to share information with other smart home devices, but the program is a far cry from the functionality and usability of this centralised app now offered by Apple. So where will this go in the future? It stands to reason that Google will hit back at HomeKit with an equivalent home automation app built into Android 'O', but this won't be the end of the story. When that happens, we have to hope that it will be possible for manufacturers to release products that work with both ecosystems, although it might be a stretch to expect Nest to ever work with Apple's setup. http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Connected%20home/Google%20Nest/new%20Nest%20thermostat-420-90.jpg With no announcement from Google regarding a response to HomeKit it's hard to speculate how this might work, but if we end up in a situation where manufacturers have to produce items specific to each home automation system then this would be a bad move for consumers. These criticisms are nothing unique to home automation, but they all point towards the area still firmly being in its early-adopter phase. Items still appear to be associated with one ecosystem or the other, and with no serious competition to HomeKit yet announced, buying into home automation currently requires you to pick a very expensive side, with no guarantee you'll ever be able to leave. What consumers need is choice. They need to be able to choose between two or more roughly equal ecosystems, and they need to know that picking a side won't forever lock their home into either Apple or Google's software. Until that is convincingly offered, home automation could well remain the preserve of the enthusiast. Check out our first look at Apple HomeKit. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/uQfoVnyaqJU

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/featured/Audacity/kara-main2-470-75.jpgMake your own karaoke tracks with AudacityAudacity is the world's best free audio editor, and it's a budding karaoke star's dream thanks to its ability to strip the vocals from your favorite songs. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgIt's a simple process: vocals are usually in the center of a stereo tracks – half on one channel and half on the other – so by inverting one channel you can make the two parts cancel each other out. With a good quality sound file, it's usually very effective. Naturally, you should only use this to make karaoke songs for personal use; don't redistribute the resulting files without permission from the copyright holder. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/featured/Audacity/kara-split-420-90.jpg First, a little preparation. In order to export your finished karaoke song in MP3 format, you'll need the LAME MP3 encoder. This isn't included in Audacity by default, but you can download it free here, then install it by opening the EXE file. Once that's done, download and install Audacity. Import your chosen track by dragging it into the main window. On the left-hand side of the waveform, beside the name of the track, you'll see a black downward-pointing arrow. Click this and select 'Split stereo track'. Double-click the bottom track to select it, then click Effects > Invert. Click the menu arrow beside each track's waveform and select Mono, then click File > Export Audio. MP3 is a good format so you can play it using any media player, and you can stick with the standard export settings. Choose whether to edit the track's metadata (adding the word 'karaoke' to the title might be helpful) and click OK. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/featured/Audacity/kara-meta-420-90.jpg Lots of sites publish song lyrics to help with your home karaoke sessions (particularly useful if you've chosen to croon along to REM), but MetroLyrics is our favorite thanks to its accuracy, excellent search tool and the fact that it compensates copyright holders for the right to publish their lyrics. The music used to illustrate this guide is 'Let It In' by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/NaaKr5qz8QU

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/Daily%20download/dd-freeoffice-470-75.JPGDownload of the day - SoftMaker FreeOfficeSoftMaker FreeOffice is a free office suite containing three top-quality apps: TextMaker (text documents)PlanMaker (spreadsheets)Presentations (slideshows)All of these programs support Microsoft Office file formats (from 1997 to the present day) and all the popular open formats, so you'll have no trouble sharing and collaborating on documents. The 2016 edition of FreeOffice uses new file filters for near-seamless compatibility with Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and is fully compatible with the OpenDocument format used by LibreOffice and Apache OpenOffice. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgIt's worth bearing in mind that some features (including a thesaurus, tabbed browsing and bibliographies) are only found in the paid-for SoftMaker Office, but FreeOffice contains much more than just the bare essentials and could easily become your main productivity software. Why you need itSoftMaker FreeOffice's apps are very well designed, with a similar appearance to Microsoft Office before the introduction of the controversial ribbon interface. As a result, you'll barely need to glance at the superb user manuals unless you need some of the more advanced functions. TextMaker doesn't just handle simple word processing – it can also open and create PDFs, complete with tags and bookmarks. There's a handy autocomplete function, automatic page numbering, tracked changes and comments (essential for collaborative working), and spell-checking in 58 languages. It's all rounded off with optional touchscreen controls and support for 4K monitors to make the most of new hardware. PlanMaker also lets you create PDFs, and includes an import engine for text and database documents. It has hundreds of calculation functions and comprehensive formatting options, with support for pivot tables and over 80 Excel-compatible chart options. The Presentations app comes with a set of editable templates, or you can create your own designs using a master slide that updates all others automatically. Your presentations can include images, videos and sound files, which can play automatically or when triggered by a certain event. A library of animations and transitions lets you bring your slides to life, and a virtual pen and highlighter lets you illustrate points while presenting. Key features:Three feature-packed office applicationsFully compatible with Microsoft Office formatsHuge selection of templatesCan be used as portable apps from a USB driveWorks on: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10LinuxPriceFree http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/v2YSWyaoKhw

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Randoms/Apple%20Pie-470-75.jpgiOS 10 is now officially available to everyone, and as with any major OS release, a few kinks were bound to slip through. Unfortunately for Apple, the ones found in its latest update are kinkier than most. Originally reported by Deadspin, instances of hardcore pornography have been discovered in the newly-updated Messages app's GIF search functionality, with relatively innocuous terms such as 'huge' bringing up… Well, we'll leave that to your imagination. To combat this, Apple is currently removing a number of potentially NSFW words from its search terms, leaving behind some gaping holes in the process. According to Apple Insider, the aforementioned search term 'huge' no longer brings up any results, which is sure to dampen that Donald Trump zinger you had in your back pocket. The Cupertino company has also expanded its list of blocked words to include the likes of 'bounce', 'hard' and 'nipslip'. Though the app's search is powered by Bing, the slip up would be seen as a huge embarrassment to the staunchly anti-porn Apple, with the late Steve Jobs once declaring, "folks who want porn can buy an Android phone." iOS 10 problems: Here's how to fix the most common issueshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/99H4wxR4vFA

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/Daily%20download/dd-tunnelbear-470-75.jpgDownload of the day - Tunnelbearhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgTunnelBear is a superb free secure virtual private network (VPN) service that redirects your internet data via secure connections called 'tunnels'. These link your PC to a remote server, giving the impression that you're browsing from that location. TunnelBear has servers located throughout Europe, Asia and North America. Why you need itTunnelBear makes it impossible for unscrupulous advertisers and would-be hackers to find your IP address and physical location, and lets you avoid regional censorship and other content blocking. It can also boost your connection speed by circumventing any throttling implemented by your ISP – ideal for faster streaming. Its connections use secure 256-bit encryption protects your personal information from prying eyes, and the service doesn't log any of your online activity. What sets TunnelBear apart from other free VPN services is its ease of use. There's no need to tinker with proxy settings – simply install it, select a remove server location, flick the switch, wait for it to connect and you're ready to start browsing the web securely and anonymously. In addition to its desktop app, which redirects all your internet traffic via your chosen tunnel, TunnelBear is available as an extension for Chrome that only tunnels data sent via your browser, as well as a mobile app for iOS and Android. Key featuresSecure servers in 20 locationsAES 256-bit encryptionSupports up to five devicesMulti-platformWorks onWindows Vista, XP, 7, 8, 8.1, 10Mac OS XAndroidiOSPriceFree – 500MB data per monthUS$7.99 (about £6, AU$10) per month – unlimited dataUS$49.99 (about £38, AU$70) annually – unlimited datahttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/pQHFlUH9c5g

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/audio_systems/Amazon/Amazon%20Echo%20UK/Amazon-Echo-skills-470-75.jpgAmazon Echo UK: the best connected services The Amazon Echo has finally launched in the UK, with the smart speaker hitting homes 28 September and the smaller smart-enabled Echo Dot arriving in October. The Amazon Echo and Amazon Echo Dot are smart, really smart. Equipped with seven microphones and connected to the cloud, they use Alexa, Amazon's voice assistant to not only play music but arrange takeaway deliveries for you, control your home and even try and organise your life. This isn't all Amazon's doing, though - it's opened up to third-party app manufacturers which means that the list of services you will be able to use with your new Echo will continue to grow. In the US, for instance, there's now 3,000 apps that work with the Amazon Echo. These services are called 'Skills' and can be found by going to the Alexa app and clicking on the Skills section. There you will see the many different Skills on offer. Preorder the Amazon Echo smart speakerAs the Echo is brand new in the UK, the Skills list will be smaller at launch but this is our pick of the services you should be using with the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot. Music and audiohttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/spotify-inflame-420-90.jpg Given the Amazon Echo is a smart speaker, music and audio services will be the most used on the device. While there's noticeable absentees here - Google Play Music and Apple Music aren't currently supported - there's plenty more that are.... Spotify"Alexa, play Ed Sheeran for me" is something you should never say, ever. But if you really wanted to listen to the ginger whinger you can do through the Echo by muttering the magic words. Prime MusicThis is an obvious one. Amazon is baking in as many Amazon-related services into the Echo and Echo Dot as it possibly can - given that's where its money lies. Prime Music is one that will work straight away with the Echo. Just say something like: "Alexa, play tawdry '90s tunes that will make me reevaluate my life and wish I had really learned something at school on Amazon Prime please." If that doesn't work: "Alexa, play Colplay on Prime Music" will. TuneInAmazon Echo will also work with TuneIn, which is a big bonus if you are someone who likes to hear some of the more obscure radio stations the world has to offer. "Alexa, play Obscure Fm on TuneIn" will no doubt be muttered in homes across the UK in no time. Radio PlayerRadio Player is the much more UK centric radio app, made in conjunction with the BBC. Which means you can get awesome stations such as 6 Music just by asking Alexa for them in your dulcet British tone. AudibleAnother Amazon company, Audible is the biggest proprietor of audiobooks around and now you can listen to them through an Echo, just by asking Alexa for the book - making it the most hands-free (non)reading experience yet. Travelhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/car%20tech/Uber/Uber%20app-420-90.jpg There's an array of travel-related Skills available for the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot, which may seem strange as these aren't portable devices. But the idea is you can get travel information from the device and even book services as well... BMWBMW is a launch partner, with the car company linking its own BMW Connected personal assistant up with the Echo. This means you will be able to get battery and fuel level information before you set foot in your car, as well as the ability to lock your car remotely. National RailThat's right, Alexa will now tell you the inevitable: your train IS late and it's because of leaves on the train, or other such nonsense. Having National Rail functionality means that you can plan your journey in advance without having to go into the National Rail app - Alexa will just tell you the bad news instead. UberUber is always first to jump on innovations and that's what's happened here. One of the first Skills you will be able to download for you Echo will be the ability to order an Uber by asking Alexa nicely. Perfect if you are still in your house, not so perfect if it's 3am and you've stumbled out of a club into the middle of nowhere. Shouting "Alexa, Alexa!" at this time will merely garner strange looks from drunken folks munching on their kebabs. SkySkannerThe brilliant SkySkanner app will be available through the Echo. So you can search for flights with a voice command and Alexa will notify you of any bargains that may be worth snapping up. Food and drinkhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Just-Eat-420-90.jpg Just EatIf you ask Alexa nicely, it will order a takeaway for you, thanks to Just Eat. And you can be really lazy with it too - it'll even take the command: "Alexa order the last thing I had from Just Eat again." Jamie OliverThis 'prawper nawty' Skill means that you won't have to touch your smartphone or tablet with food-encrusted hands again. Mr Oliver has made his recipes available through Alexa and the Echo, so the recipes will be recited to you, rather than you having to scroll through them. You can't blame Alexa if your food doesn't taste quite like how Jamie envisioned it, though. That's down to your own terrible baking skills. Newshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Sky/SKY_SPORTS_NEWS_HQ_HUB_SETUP-420-90.jpg Whether it's good or bad news, Alexa and Echo is there if you want to hear breaking news snippets before heading out of the house into the scary big world... Sky SportsAlexa and Echo will also offer up sports information that comes with a UK slant. Anything you need from the Premier League and beyond will be available through the Sky Sports Skill - even if skill is something that's lacking in the latest Sunderland game. The TelegraphIf you are a fan of the Telegraph and its definitely-not-Tory-skewed rhetoric then you can get all the latest world goings-on from Alexa in this way. Just mutter: "Alexa, ask the Telegraph for the top stories" and get ready for a Bexit-fest. The GuardianThe Guardian is also available through Echo and Alexa. "Alexa, ask the Guardian for headlines" will shower you with a more left-leaning news offering. Sky NewsGiven Sky News throws around the words 'breaking news' like they are confetti, you may regret asking for the main stories of the day, but you can do so through Alexa, just by asking for Sky News. Smarthomehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Hive-heating-420-90.jpg Home is where the smart is when it comes to the Amazon Echo and Alexa. The smart speaker really wants to be the centre of the smarthome and that's why Amazon has teamed up with a whole array of smarthome makers... HiveHive has slowly but surely become a powerhouse in the UK smarthome sector. Owned by British Gas it has branched out into smart heating systems, smart bulbs and sensors. Its partnership means that saying "Alexa, tell Hive to set the temperature to 22 degrees" will do just. You can also control the lights in the room with your voice, as well as anything connected to a Hive active plug. Smart stuff. EDF EnergyEDF Energy has teamed up with Echo so you can check your meter readings, billing etc by asking Alexa. Warning: hearing about your electricity bills will be as painful as reading about them. NetatmoAnother smarthome contender has joined the dots with Alexa. The Netatmo Smart Thermostat can be controlled by your Amazon Echo, just by asking to turn up or down the temperature. WemoWemo is already part of Apple's HomeKit so it makes sense that it is available through the Amazon Echo and Alexa too. Wemo specialise in smart plugs and lighting so you will be able to switch off Wemo integrated appliances by asking Alexa. TadoAs well as launching in the UK, the Amazon Echo is also now available in Germany - a place where Tado is huge. It's also gaining traction in the UK too, and will have Alexa integration. Tado deals in the hot area of smart heating. HuePhilips has done wonders with Hue, its smart bulb business. While they are a little pricey, the ability to control the lighting in your home and offer an array of fancy colours is great - and now you can do all this with your voice, thanks to Alexa. Productivityhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/audio_systems/Amazon/Amazon%20Echo%20UK/Alexa-app-420-90.jpg The Amazon Echo works best when it is trying to essentially sort out your life. You can ask it what the weather is going to be like, what meetings you have and it'll even sort your washing out for you... LandrappLaundry isn't the sexiest thing to do - no matter what those old Levi adverts tried to tell us - so the ability to get someone else to do it through an app is fantastic. And it's now even better you can ask Alexa to wash your filthy smalls for you. Google CalendarThere's many smart things you can do with the Amazon Echo, such as setting alarms, but having calendar integration is one of the best. Alexa will tap into your Google Calendar if you let it and tell you when you have big meetings coming up. JeopardyOkay, so this is pretty much the antithesis of productivity but if you are bored, then you can also play a little game of Jeopardy with Alexa. Say, "Alexa, play Jeopardy" and you will be saying "What is the new smart speaker system with Alexa on board?" in no time. Preorder the Amazon Echo smart speakerHere's how Apple HomeKit will revolutionize your househttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/BindIHwnNgg

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010%20Lenovo/Embargoed%20until%209PM%20PDT%20on%2028%20JULY/Cortana%20Tracking%20Packages-470-75.JPGIf you're running an outdated preview of Windows 10, be warned that Microsoft is changing things with its Insider program to mean that such old builds won't work anymore – and in fact a machine using them won't boot at all. In other words, those who think they can happily run a PC with an old preview version of the OS will be forced to update to the latest build, because after all, that's what the Insider scheme is all about – testing new changes Microsoft has just made, and letting the Windows team know how well they work (or how badly they are bugged). Not just freeloading a copy of Windows 10. The changes to the way build expiration works were announced in a blog post detailing the release of preview build 14926 of Windows 10. Escalating consequencesFrom today, those running old preview builds will get a nag notification telling them to upgrade to the newest offering. But the big changes come in October, when on the first of the month, PCs running such builds will be forcibly rebooted every three hours, as a very inconvenient reminder that you need to update. And finally, in a month's time on October 15, these PCs will cease to boot completely. So you most definitely want to update before that happens. To grab the latest build (14926), you need to head over to Windows Update (in Settings, Update & Security). This fresh build, incidentally, has an expiration date of May 1 next year. As for the changes in this new build, they include one very welcome tweak – when Windows 10 goes through a major upgrade, it will no longer reinstall apps that you've uninstalled. That should have been in there from the get-go, mind you, but better late and all that. Various tweaks have been made to Edge as well, including new extensions, and a 'snooze' action which lets you close a tab you've been keeping open to remind you to do something related to that site, and instead get Cortana to remind you about it. Some known issues were also documented, including the fact that some integrated Windows 10 apps such as Calculator, Alarms & Clock, and Voice Recorder will no longer function with this build. To solve this, you'll need to head to the Windows Store and download then install these apps again. Via: Digital Trends Also check out: Intel's latest CPUs will only support Windows 10http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/zwlI2BpaGcU

http://cdn3.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/games/Nintendo/Pikachu%20detective-470-75.jpgIn excess of half a million people have downloaded a Pokemon Go guide for Android that installed malware that could allow access to the phone. Now that Niantic's smash hit augmented reality mobile game is available worldwide, those seeking to do harm have turned to guide apps in order to lure unsuspecting Pokemon trainers into infecting their own phones. Anti-virus giant Kaspersky Labs highlighted the issue, and explained that the Trojan disguised in the app was a fairly sophisticated bit of software that had infected at least 6,000 phones. "It doesn't start as soon as the victim launches the app. Instead, it waits for the user to install or uninstall another app, and then checks to see whether that app runs on a real device or on a virtual machine," explained Kaspersky Trojan phone homeAfter finding out you are indeed using a phone the Trojan will actually wait a couple of hours before communicating with its 'home' server and then only proceed after getting a call to action back. "This approach means that the control server can stop the attack from proceeding if it wants to - skipping those users it does not wish to target, or those which it suspects are a sandbox/virtual machine, for example. This provides an additional layer of protection for the malware." In the world of Black Hats it seems you don't have to catch them all, but by spreading the net wide you can bag yourself a scarily large selection of nasties. Here's how to download and play Pokemon Go and if you need some help - instead of downloading dodgy guides - check our our Pokemon Go tips http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/CVytsh8hBtA

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/review/Anniversary%20update/win10%20au-470-75.jpgBack in July, we heard that the Anniversary Update would have a staged rollout that would come in waves and would 'take some time' – but we didn't anticipate the length of the timeframe Microsoft was thinking about. Dona Sarkar's comment at the time didn't mean that not everyone would get the update in the first week or two, but in actual fact, that not every PC would receive it in the launch month of August – or indeed September, as some of you have no doubt discovered (we did get our AU download through in August ourselves, about a fortnight after the rollout began). And furthermore, some folks won't get it this month – or possibly not in October for that matter. According to new details unearthed by ZDNet, it could be the start of November before some folks get the update delivered. Three's the not-so-magic numberIn an email, Microsoft stated: "The Anniversary Update will download and install via Windows Update. The download is automatically available to you. It will begin rolling out on 2 August 2016 and may take up to 3 months to reach all users." Of course, there's a positive side to having to wait so long for the upgrade to arrive, namely that earlier users have found some fairly nasty flaws, and these will have been patched up for those later adopters. A good example is the bug which kept freezing up PCs, and was cured a couple of weeks back. The webcam problems are also expected to be solved with a patch this month. Indeed, as ZDNet notes, part of the reason for the slow pace of the rollout is so Microsoft can monitor progress and bugs, cross-referencing the latter with the hardware they're encountered on, building up stats and an overall picture of where problems lie, and taking appropriate action. Hopefully though, the full three month wait will only be experienced by a very small minority of users, perhaps those running Windows 10 on less common devices. But who knows – a fair few folks may be left tapping their fingers impatiently on their desks… How good is the Anniversary Update anyway? Check out our fully updated Windows 10 reviewhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/6fQ-Txhdqrw

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/audio_systems/Amazon/Echo/Echo_Pizza-470-75.jpgIf you've always felt like Twitter needed more in the way of voice control and response, good news: the platform has announced its very own Amazon Alexa skill, which means the digital assistant app can read out trends, tweets, notifications and more for you. Alexa originally appeared on the Amazon Echo but is starting to spread to more platforms and devices, including the latest set of tablets from the online retail giant. If you've got an Echo at home you don't need to lift a finger to find out who's been @replying you. While Twitter hasn't published a full list of commands, they seem to be pretty straightforward: "Alexa, ask Twitter has anyone retweeted me?" and "Alexa, ask Twitter for my mentions?" are two of the inputs available to you. Speak up at the backYou can also look up trends across Twitter as a whole or for a specific area, and get the latest tweets from your timeline by saying "Alexa, ask Twitter what is happening?" It doesn't look like you can send tweets through your Echo yet though. Those of you outside the US could be getting your hands on Echo speakers very soon, as Amazon is expected to announce UK availability on 14 September at a special press event in London. When it turns up, there'll be a new Alexa skill on offer. Earlier this year Amazon announced there are more than 1,000 skills (sets of voice commands) available through Alexa, although their quality varies: you can use your Echo to do everything from get the weather forecast to order an Uber. Amazon may take on Microsoft's Cortana with Alexa voice assistant for PCsOur review of the new Galaxy Note 7: " width="420">YouTube : http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/_f-uh2hDSqw

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/office_365-470-75.jpgWork on Microsoft's cloud-based productivity suite is, of course, a continual process, and the company has made another change to Office 365 in order to bolster collaboration. The feature in question is guest access for Office 365 Groups, which allows you to include folks who aren't actually staff members within your organisation in a group. Such external users can be invited by the group owner, as of today via the web version of Outlook – that's the only avenue by which you can pull off this trick to begin with, but further functionality will be added in a phased rollout. You can invite a guest into your group no matter what email account they use, whether that's a business or consumer domain, and it doesn't have to be Outlook.com. However, if the guest's email is linked to a Microsoft account, they can simply sign in with those details – if not, they'll have to create an account via a sign-up page. Welcome to the clubOnce a guest has been successfully added to the group, they will get a welcome email, and will start receiving messages from the group (and calendar invites) in their inbox. They will also be given access to group files in SharePoint online. Microsoft notes that there are clear 'visual indicators' to remind those in an Office 365 group that a guest is a current member. Another recent change to Office 365 saw Microsoft bolstering security with the addition of a Service Assurance Dashboard to impart details of privacy, security and compliance controls, including third-party auditing of those measures. Via: WinBeta Check out our battle between Office 2016 vs Office 365 vs Office Onlinehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/fz8DRaGmWyo

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/internet/Google/Chrome/chrome-browser-pixel-470-75.jpgGoogle is busy upping its game with Chrome in various different ways – most recently improving its efficiency so the browser doesn't drain laptop batteries so swiftly – and another fresh initiative is a move to tighten things on the security front by clearly showing when the likes of online shopping sites are failing to use HTTPS. HTTPS connections are secure and encrypted to protect any data transferred – which is obviously vital when that's the likes of your credit card details, or account passwords – whereas plain HTTP connections don't offer that security and leave users potentially open to exploits. Currently with Chrome, if you're visiting a site which uses HTTPS, that fact is highlighted clearly by a green lock icon next to the URL in the address bar. Sites which use HTTP are simply marked with a neutral icon (although if you click it, this will inform you that 'your connection to this site is not private'). Risky businessHowever, starting with Chrome 56 (due to arrive at the beginning of next year), Google will actually flag sites which use HTTP and transmit financial/card details or passwords as 'Not secure'. Thus letting users see more clearly that they're taking something of a risk. In a blog post spotted by CNET, Emily Schechter of the Chrome Security Team observed that this was part of a "long-term plan to mark all HTTP sites as non-secure". So while this might just be a measure for websites dealing with sensitive data when it first arrives with Chrome 56, eventually it will apply to every site across the web – and such sites will be clearly marked with a red triangle warning icon. This is, essentially, Google's not-so-subtle nudge to website developers to get their skates on transferring over to use HTTPS. How many websites in total now use HTTPS? According to Google's stats drawn from its browser, just over half of Chrome desktop page loads are completed over HTTPS. Also check out how Google wants to make Chrome 'unbreakable'http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/d9C2jpblVWk

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/O2%20Home-470-75.jpgThere's a lot of smart home technology available – from Philips Hue lightbulbs to the Nest Learning Thermostat, but none of it seems to have quite taken off to the same extent as smartphones and other consumer tech. O2 is seemingly looking to change that though, with its newly launched O2 Home service, which provides everything you need for a basic smart home setup in a single package, and lets you control it all from a single app on your phone. The packages come with a monthly subscription of £20 or more, but avoid hefty upfront costs, so there's not much barrier for entry. As each package includes multiple smart devices you can make your home smarter all in one go – though there are extra devices that you can add at any time too. Other than spreading the cost and providing all the basics in one, the main angle of O2 Home seems to be that it will be installed professionally, making a smarter lifestyle accessible to less tech-minded people. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/mobile_phones/O2%20Home2-420-90.jpg Take your pickThere are three packages available, with O2 Comfort giving you a tado smart thermostat, two smart plugs, a presence sensor and an O2 Smart Hub, to link everything up, while O2 Home View is focused on security, providing an O2 Smart Hub, a Samsung SmartCam, a wide view camera, one open and one close sensor and a presence sensor. Those two packages each cost £30 per month, but for £20 you can get O2 Home Connect, which includes an O2 Smart Hub, two presence sensors, two open and close sensors and two smart plugs. As well as the devices themselves your subscription includes an annual health check of your smart home system and free call outs for any issues that can't be solved over the phone, but when a big aspect of things like smart thermostats is to save you money on your energy use it seems a bit questionable to be paying a hefty monthly subscription for the privilege. If you fancy giving O2 Home a try it's available from today in the London area, and will be rolling out to the rest of the country in the near future. Amazon Echo could soon be making UK homes smarter toohttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/5spU0BECuH4

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/audio_systems/Amazon/Echo/Echo_Pizza-470-75.jpgUK tech fans don't have it too bad when it comes to waiting for gadget launches, but there are some bits of kit that seem to take an age to make it over the Atlantic - the Amazon Echo, for example, which is still unavailable despite launching in the US way back in June 2015 (and even earlier for Prime members). If you don't have a calendar handy, that's more than a year ago, but there could be light at the end of the tunnel: Amazon has sent out invites to a press event in London, scheduled for 14 September. People are putting two and two together and coming up with a UK launch for the company's smart speaker. There's more evidence from Alexa, the personal assistant bot that comes built into the Echo. When quizzed about the upcoming event, Alexa says "I promised I wouldn't tell", another hint that we are indeed in line to see a British launch. Despite a rather low-key launch, the Echo has grown to become one of Amazon's most innovative and exciting products, with new features being added all the time. In fact it's been so successful that Google has already copied it and Apple is rumoured to be about to. Whatever's happening on the 14th, we'll bring you the news on TechRadar. Amazon may take on Microsoft's Cortana with Alexa voice assistant for PCsHere's our hands-on with the Samsung Gear S3 from IFA: " width="420">YouTube : http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/4SfseCNrhdQ

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/events/F8%202015/f8-messenger-platform-470-75.jpgFacebook Messenger is getting yet another feature today, now allowing you to share live video instantly with a friend. The new feature is called Instant Video and works, unsurprisingly, much like Snapchat's own video messaging offering. Facebook Messenger does already have a video chat feature, but Instant Video aims to get users to share tidbits of their lives instead of having a full conversation. "Instant Video is a reflection of the ubiquity of video — we simply expect to have that ability in real-time, all the time," writes Facebook in a blog post. "With Instant Video, you can bring your conversations to life in the most authentic way — seamlessly and instantly." http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Apps/Facebook%20Messenger%20Instant%20Videos-420-90.jpg Facebook imagines Instant Video will be used in situations where you want to quickly get your friend's opinion on a pair of shoes or need to ask a friend what ice cream flavor he or she would like. Short and sweet, and possibly actually helpful. How it worksTo use Instant Video, you and a friend need to have your chat open in the Facebook Messenger app. Only then will the video button pulse, letting you know you can start an Instant Video. By default, videos show up in a window without sound, but can be enabled with a tap. Users can choose to enable their camera to show their reaction. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Apps/Facebook%20Messenger%20Instant%20Videos%20demo-420-90.jpg Both Snapchat and Facebook Messenger support sending video notes as well if you don't need an immediate response. Both services also support traditional video calling for longer conversations. Instant Video is just one of the many features Facebook hopes will keep its users from going to another chat app besides WhatsApp (Facebook owns WhatsApp). Collectively, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp have about 2 billion active users, showing Facebook's dominance in the segment. For comparison, Snapchat has 150 million active users. Although Instant Video may not end up being a popular feature, it doesn't have to be. Facebook just has to match its competitors and leverage the massive popularity of its social network to get users talking to one another. How to stop WhatsApp from sharing your data with Facebookhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/-nKN6dmMckw

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/Software/Microsoft/SharePoint-Online-team-sites-470-75.jpgMicrosoft has revealed several enhancements to SharePoint Online team sites, one of which is tighter integration with the Office 365 suite. If you're not familiar with the concept of SharePoint's team sites, as the name suggests, these are internal websites which can be set up for, say, the sales team to access, allowing staff to share announcements, reports, files and so forth. The first major move is the introduction of a new page authoring and publishing system that allows users to create flash looking feature-rich pages with multimedia content. It's possible to swiftly add images, picture galleries, videos, or indeed elements such as Yammer feeds to make these pages dynamic. All of those bits and pieces can be added to a 'publishing page' via a simple toolbox, and by using the SharePoint Framework, devs will be able to add custom features to this box of tricks. You'll be able to concoct a page simply by opening the Settings menu (the gear icon top-right) and then selecting Add a page. Group integrationMicrosoft has also more deeply integrated team sites with Office 365 groups, so that now, when you create a group within Office, as well as a shared inbox, calendar and so forth, you get a SharePoint team site into the bargain (and vice versa when you create a SharePoint team site, i.e. you also get a group). Existing Office 365 groups will also get their own SharePoint team site going forward. Furthermore, another piece of good news is that the SharePoint Online site collection storage limit is set to be upped massively from 1TB to 25TB. The new features will be deployed to existing Office 365 Groups initially, and will begin rolling out to First Release customers starting next week. And the new 25TB storage cap will also start going live next week and should be in place for all Office 365 users inside a month. Via: Neowin Also check out: If you want to test Microsoft Office, you'll need to know thishttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/TmbHN5PoSac

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/office_365-470-75.jpgIf you're a Windows tester, you'll be familiar with the concept of fast and slow rings for the delivery of previews – and Microsoft has now decided that Office Insiders should use the same system when it comes to the deployment of early builds. In actual fact, Office for Mac users already had the option for slow and fast releases with preview builds, but now that has been expanded to those testing Office on Windows (and Windows Mobile). For now, those testing the productivity suite on rival mobile operating systems iOS and Android won't get the choice, but it's in the pipeline for them as well. Doing the preview quickstepIf you select Office Insider Fast, or the fast ring as it's commonly known, you'll get preview builds delivered more quickly, allowing you to play with new features as soon as possible. But these earlier versions are somewhat rougher around the edges, and you may well encounter a good deal more bugs. The slow ring drips previews out at a slower pace, naturally, but they're more polished. Talking about the fast ring, Microsoft's Kirk Koenigsbauer, Corporate Vice President, Office 365 Client Apps and Services, commented that "these builds are what Microsoft employees have access to internally." He added: "Office Insider Fast is best for Insiders who want to use the earliest preview builds to identify issues, provide feedback to help make Office great, and who don't mind a bit of risk using unsupported builds." Via: Computerworld Check out our top 10 best alternatives to Office 365/Office 2016http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/M7IQlxuiTRs

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Home%20Tech/Google_Home/Google_OnHub-470-75.jpgGoogle's line of OnHub smart routers is partnering up with Philips Hue to put control of your home's lights directly at your fingertips - all without the need to download any extraneous apps. OnHub owners can now access their Hue controls simply by typing "On.Here" into their web browser. From there, you're free to adjust the setting, brightness, and even color of your lights with a single tap. http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Home%20Tech/Phillips_Hue/OnHub_Hue-420-100.jpg The feature was added in celebration of OnHub's one-year anniversary - making Philips Hue the first connected home device to be fully compatible with the smart router. That said, OnHub can still automate other smart devices in the home - including Hue - though the function is done through IFTT integration. While the feature is certainly useful, concocting an IFTT recipe might require more tech savvy than could be worth it just to dim some bulbs. OnHub's other features go beyond controlling your home's ambiance - the router can also set up guest networks, control what devices visitors can access, test your internet's connection strength, and even wear special shells to compliment your home's decor. " width="420">YouTube : Our first look at Apple's home automation system, HomeKit

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/featured/Cold%20Turkey/ct-main-470-75.JPGBeat procrastination with Cold TurkeyBeat procrastination with Cold TurkeyTabbed browsers are both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, you can keep multiple sources open simultaneously for cross-referencing, and on the other, you can easily keep your social media feeds alongside your work, with numbers in the tab titles steadily climbing as fresh content appears in your feed. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgIt's the same with emails; if you're honest with yourself, how many of the messages you receive throughout the day truly require an immediate response? And how often do you check your inbox? When you have to knuckle down to some serious work, it can take real grit to resist the lure of those little numbers. That's when you need Cold Turkey – a superb free app for Windows that acts as a high-dose willpower supplement. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/featured/Cold%20Turkey/ct-blocklist-420-90.JPG Cold Turkey is the most effective distraction-blocker around, working as a firewall to deny access to specific websites in all browsers. It comes equipped with a preset list of notorious time-thieves, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and BuzzFeed, which you can customize with your personal procrastination destinations. Cold Turkey also lets you create new blocklists, which can be activated individually. To start blocking, just select 'Timer', enter a time and date for the block to end, and switch it on. Forking out US$19 (about £15, AU$25) for the premium edition lets you block sites on a schedule and add break periods, but the free version of Cold Turkey (as its name implies) is a cruel all-or-nothing affair. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/featured/Cold%20Turkey/ct-uninstall-420-90.JPG Once you've set the blocker, it's very hard to get around it. You can't uninstall Cold Turkey when you've frozen yourself out, or sidestep it using desktop clients or Windows apps. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThe only way we've found to thaw the Turkey is to access the forbidden sites via a proxy server - but forget we told you that. Provided you can find the self-discipline to avoid pretending you're accessing Facebook from Greenland, you won't find a more effective procrastination-blocker. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/-YRwrCcAjmQ

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010%20Lenovo/Embargoed%20until%209PM%20PDT%20on%2028%20JULY/Cortana%20Tracking%20Packages-470-75.JPGFollowing Intel's official unveiling of its new Kaby Lake (seventh-generation) processors, and a rash of incoming notebooks set to use the CPUs, Microsoft has confirmed what it announced earlier this year – that only Windows 10 will support this new processor. And it's not just Kaby Lake either, but all future processors such as rival AMD's incoming Zen. Back at the start of the year, Microsoft said that: "Windows 10 will be the only supported Windows platform on Intel's upcoming 'Kaby Lake' silicon, Qualcomm's upcoming '8996' silicon, and AMD's upcoming 'Bristol Ridge' silicon." When PC World asked Microsoft to confirm that this was still the case, a company spokeswoman replied: "As new silicon generations are introduced, they will require the latest Windows platform at that time for support." "This enables us to focus on deep integration between Windows and the silicon, while maintaining maximum reliability and compatibility with previous generations of platform and silicon," she added, restating what Terry Myerson said at the beginning of this year. Intel and AMD on boardBoth Intel and AMD representatives who were contacted also confirmed that the policy was in place for future processors like Kaby Lake and Zen. AMD said its CPU roadmap was "fully aligned with Microsoft's software strategy", and Intel clarified: "No, Intel will not be updating Win 7/8 drivers for 7th Gen Intel Core [Kaby Lake] per Microsoft's support policy change." So it's most definitely Windows 10 or bust if you want your PC to have a cutting-edge CPU. However, you may recall that Microsoft did have a rethink on withdrawing extended support for those running Skylake (sixth-generation) processors with Windows 7/8.1 (meaning only critical security patches would be provided). Originally, Microsoft was looking to cajole those on Skylake hardware to move to Windows 10 by ceasing extended support for Windows 7/8.1 in July 2017, but following much complaining, that deadline was first pushed back to July 2018 – and then earlier this month things changed again with full support for Skylake being extended to end-of-life (January 2020 for Windows 7, and January 2023 for Windows 8.1). Read our full review of Windows 10http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/02ZG3sJIE6g

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Connected%20home/Apple%20HomeKit/Home%20App-470-75.jpgApple HomeKitIn terms of revolutionary technologies happening right now, none is as ambitious as the connected home. It promises to save us time, energy (both electrical and personal) and, if the promises of connected smoke alarm manufacturers are to be believed, it also has the potential to save lives. But for all the talk of how connected all these devices are going to be, so far they haven't been that good at, well, connecting. Of course they can connect to the internet and by extension to your phone, but so far as connectivity between these smart devices goes, "piecemeal" is probably the best word to describe it. The ultimate aim of the smart home is to have all these devices acting in unison, but up until now they've been working as isolated actors. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Connected%20home/Apple%20HomeKit/Apple%20HomeKit%20Device%20Types-420-90.jpg The future of the connected home doesn't mean taking out your phone to turn on your lights using a dedicated smart-lighting app. It means having a sensor by your front door that automatically tells your lights, your thermostat, and your ceiling fan that you're home and responds appropriately. HomeKit is Apple's attempt to make the promises of the smart home a reality, and to do it the company appears to be making use of the same philosophy that made its App Store a force to be reckoned with back in 2008 – namely, a stringent approval process and an ever-growing ecosphere of devices. But, in order to fully understand how it hopes to achieve this, we're going to need to explore what it was that made the App Store such a significant step forward when it first launched. A history of the App StoreApple wasn't the first company to allow third-party software to be developed for its phones, but its App Store completely changed how the process worked. Previous devices such as Microsoft's Pocket PCs and the Palm Pilot allowed third-party software to be installed on them, but the process was completely decentralised. Developers had to host their software themselves, and then had to deal with customer payments themselves. But the problem was even worse for consumers, who had to navigate to third-party sites of questionable quality, enter their credit card details, and then download software which had been quality checked by the developers themselves. When the App Store came along, it was a massive improvement for developers who had a central location to upload all their software to, but it was completely revolutionary for customers, who for once could download mobile software that they could be sure would meet certain minimum standards due to Apple's own certification process. http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/other/Onetimers/App%20Store%20apps-420-90.jpg Apple's control over its ecosystem means that for the first time third-party mobile software became mainstream. Users who would have never previously installed software on their phones previously loaded their iPhones up with apps. The App Store was not just a big deal for Apple, but it also meant that mobile software in general has supplanted desktop software in importance. The future of technology is all in the app, and its a revolution that started with Apple's App Store, and the philosophy it brought into this new area. But what does this all have to do with HomeKit? Turning the App Store philosophy to HomeKitWhen you download any piece of software from the App Store you know it's going to work – almost without exception – and Apple wants to bring that same philosophy to HomeKit. Instead of a location on Apple's virtual storefront, though, you can tell a product has been officially certified by Apple by the small 'Works with Apple HomeKit' logo which can be found on the box of the device. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Connected%20home/Apple%20HomeKit/HomeKit%20Logo%20copy-420-90.jpg What this logo means is that the device has been fully tested by Apple and is compatible with Apple's new 'Home' app – which allows you to control all of your HomeKit devices from a single app – and HomeKit APIs in order to offer a fully consistent experience. It will support Apple's secure protocol, which means that your smart connected front-door lock is protected against cyber-attacks, but this end-to-end encryption means that not even Apple can gather information about you from your smart home devices. From a usability point of view, a HomeKit-compatible device will also fully support Apple's APIs, and will be fully interoperable with other HomeKit devices. It also means that you can connect any products into the Home app by scanning a small card in the box to quickly and easily integrate it into the app alongside the rest of your HomeKit accessories. You can then control it directly from the app, regardless of the manufacturer's own software. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Connected%20home/Apple%20HomeKit/HomeKit%20Quick%20Start%20copy-420-90.jpg One interconnected ecosystem One could easily argue that the App Store was so successful because developers only needed to be approved once to make it on any number of Apple devices. Soon, Apple's certification process and APIs mean that HomeKit enabled devices will form a single unified ecosystem across the entire Home app. What this means is that so long as a smartbulb is HomeKit-enabled it should be controllable like any other smartbulb. It's a consistent experience, both for developers and manufacturers as well as the people like you and I who want one simplified, interconnected experience. No longer will one poorly designed and completely isolated app ruin your experience. Similarly, Apple's design guidelines on the App Store means that Apple can prevent apps that don't meet these same standards from making it onto their store. It's a mark of quality that should mean that takes the risk out of buying something new because you know that it will meet a minimum standard set by Apple. Taking the automated home mainstream Early adopters are prepared to put up with flakey interfaces and devices that you need to creatively coax into working with one another. But Apple has never been one to target these early adopters – there were smartwatches long before the Apple Watch, for example. It wants to catch the mainstream users, those who are willing to spend money on a product only once they have the assurance that it will work the way it should do right out of the box. http://cdn4.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/mobile_phones/iPhone/iOS-10/ios-10-apple-home-3d-touch-420-90.jpg When it came to the App Store, Apple achieved this through its rigorous certification process that meant that people knew what they could expect from any piece of software. Now, with HomeKit, Apple is working its certification magic once more to ensure that users can buy home automation devices secure in the knowledge that they'll work as intended both behind the scenes and on the stage. Whether this is enough bring the mainstream consumer completely on-board remains to be seen, but Apple's implementation is a great deal more seamless than the existing wild-west of home automation. Check out how Apple HomeKit will revolutionize your house.

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/internet/Amazon/Dash-Ariel-470-75.jpgAmazon's latest push to make shopping with the company has friction-free as possible has finally arrived in the UK. Amazon Dash buttons are small Wi-fi-enabled dongles that you can attach to pretty much anything in your house. The idea being that when you run out of an item, you press the branded button, it will sync with your Amazon account and that item will be sent out to you, no fuss. The buttons, available to Prime users, have been in the US for over a year now, and since launch the amount of partners on board has ballooned to over 150. In the UK Amazon is starting with fewer brands than are currently available in the US – with closer to 50 signed up – but the companies on board are a nice, eclectic mix. Dash in the atticYou have everything from Air Wick to Wilkinson, with many coffee, shaving and cleaning products also waiting for their buttons to be pressed. There is a cost for each Dash button. As per usual, Amazon has changed the $4.99 US price into pounds, so each branded button costs £4.99 but with that purchase you get £4.99 worth of credit with the Dash, so they are free in a very roundabout way. Some of the brands that stand out – mainly because they aren't coffee or detergent – are Nerf (so when your children run low on those Nerf bullets you can one-click order some news ones) and Durex, for when your condom stash is running low. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/internet/Amazon/Dash-Gilette-420-90.jpg According to Daniel Rausch, Director of Amazon Dash, these are brands that have been drawn to the service because of two things: simplicity and convenience. "We didn't know that toys would be of interest, until Hasbro wanted to offer Nerf and Play-Doh through Dash, said Rausch. "And while the most-popular items are what you would expect, there is a niche area of products that are less comfortable buying in retail, such as condoms and incontinence products - customers can now buy these from the comfort of their home and they will always be around." On the DashAmazon is also launching a new Dash-based replenishment system that digs a little deeper into the internet of things. It's teamed up with the likes of Grundig, Whirlpool, Bosch and Siemens to integrate Dash into selected products that will tell if you are running out of things like detergent, dishwasher tablets, printer ink, and automatically re-order this stuff for you. There's no word yet on Amazon teaming up with the likes of Samsung to integrate the technology into a smart fridge – which is surely the Holy Grail for this type of tech – but it's interesting to see Amazon getting into the connected home arena. "Stay tuned on the fridge," added Rausch. "When you are taking all of the power of Amazon and putting it into a household product, there's a lot you can do. When you have a scalable service, people go and invent things." How to set up your smart home with IFTTThttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/ZzweA2-h3DY