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http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Connected%20home/Apple%20HomeKit/Homekit_Hero_NEW-470-75.jpgFirst look: Apple HomekitIt's easy to be cynical about the connected home. The idea of your kettle talking to your lights and your doorbell feels like a product of science fiction rather than reality, and not something that has the potential to change all of our lives. But the truth is that as the connected home evolves, it has not only the potential to make our lives easier, but it can also save us huge amounts of energy, and could even save a few lives along the way. Apple's HomeKit is a key part of this evolution. It's key to enabling our connected devices to not just be controlled via our smartphones and tablets, but for devices to talk to each other via a shared language. This means that the connected home can move beyond using an app to control your lights to using your voice to control your lights, ceiling fans, door lock, and even your blinds. It means having a lightswitch that can activate your thermostat in addition to just your lights, and it means doing this over a protocol that contains end-to-end hardware encryption as standard. Interested? I've highlighted five steps Apple's going to take to bring it all together. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Connected%20home/Apple%20HomeKit/Nanoleaf_Smarter_Kit-420-90.jpg Step 1: The Home appAt the centre of Apple's HomeKit is the Home app. The app will be included by default on iOS 10, and acts as a central hub for your entire smarthome. Adding a device to Home is as simple as using your phone to scan a unique code which is included in the device's box. This then establishes adds it to your list of devices in the Home app. In order to gain the coveted 'Works with Apple HomeKit' logo which manufacturers can then adorn their boxes with, a manufacturer will need to not only offer hardware encryption on their device (after all, who wants to leave their smart doorlock susceptible to cyber attacks), but will also need to integrate with Apple's HomeKit APIs. These APIs mean that any HomeKit-enabled device can be controlled almost entirely using the Home app. I say 'almost' because not all of the advanced features of each third-party app are accessible through Home; Apple's focus so far has been on simplicity and ease of use. After all, with potentially dozens of devices connected to a single app, having every single option outlined for each app would quickly make the app as a whole unusable. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Connected%20home/Apple%20HomeKit/Home%20App-420-90.jpg The app is divided into a number of different sections. At the top is a list of your favorite scenes, which I'll discuss a little later. Second comes favorite accessories, which offers control of each individual accessory. You can turn on and off different lights or turn up and down different thermostats for example. If you want to view your accessories on a room-by-room basis then you can simply swipe to the left to scroll through your various rooms. Step 2: Setting the sceneScenes provide the most compelling reason for you to use the Home app over sticking with each device's individual controlling application. Scenes are a collection of instructions for different devices that you can group together for ease of use. For example, when you go to bed you might want to turn the thermostat down, turn off all the lights and lock the front door. Alternatively if you're settling down to watch a movie you can set the lights to dim and the blinds to close in order to set up appropriate mood lighting. A scene allows you to group all these actions into a single command which can then be accessed via a single button, a voice command of your choosing, or trigger (again, more on that later). For me, this is the greatest strength of HomeKit. Pulling a phone out might not be more convenient than simply pressing a light switch, but it's certainly more convenient than turning on several lights and a thermostat, especially if you activate the scene from iOS 10's enhanced control centre. http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/av_accessories/Apple/New%20Apple%20TV/Review/Apple_TV_Hero-420-90.jpg Step 3: Step away from the iPhone But you're not going to necessarily have your iPhone on you at all times, and that's where HomeKit's integration with your iPad and Apple TV comes in. Using the Apple TV's Siri remote you can access all of HomeKit's voice commands, which should come in handy if you're the only iPhone owner in the household and others want to benefit from your connected home equipment. More importantly however, having an Apple TV or iPad hooked up to HomeKit means that you can access all of your connected devices remotely, which is beneficial when you reach work only to find out that you're roommate has left every light in the house on, or if you need to turn the heating on before you get home. Step 4: Trigger warningRight, so scenes are predefined scenarios that are essentially scenarios that you setup – it's movie night which means lights go down, blinds go down and, eventually, a HomeKit-enabled microwave makes you some popcorn. But what about if-then scenarios? Instead of setting a scene one piece at a time, triggers are where you'll be able to have some serious fun with your automated home. Triggers are essentially an event which can activate predefined action. This action can be from a single device, or else a group of actions from a scene. So at a basic level you could have a motion sensor set up in your bathroom to turn on the bathroom light. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Connected%20home/Apple%20HomeKit/homekit%20motion%20sensor%20copy-420-90.jpg Or you could set a geofence around your home so that when your phone is detected as being near your home your thermostat automatically heats up. Or you could even have a smoke alarm turn on all the lights in your house in the event of a fire so that you can more easily see your escape routes. For me, alongside scenes, triggers were the thing that most impressed me about the HomeKit experience. Something like the lightswitch is an effortlessly perfect piece of design, and I think an app is going to have a hard time matching the simplicity of pressing a button on your wall as you enter or exit a room. But, by using a smart light switch, you can emulate the experience of using a traditional light switch but you can add any number of other actions to that light switch such as setting the temperature or activating a ceiling fan. While using your phone to turn your lights on and off might complicate a rather mundane task, I think that in the long run people are much more likely to use a combination of switches in the home and triggers in intricate ways to activate their most commonly used smart devices. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Connected%20home/Apple%20HomeKit/schlage-sense-420-90.jpg Step 5: Follow Lego's footstepsThis freedom essentially means that you're able to reconfigure your connected devices in whatever means you see fit. You aren't limited to using the smart light switch that came with your lightbulbs if you'd rather buy another HomeKit enabled switch, and you can make your smart door lock act as a trigger for your entire home. With all these different options for home HomeKit devices can be configured in dozens of different layouts, and as such it's likely that a vibrant community will spring up to suggest plenty of weird and wonderful ways of pairing them together. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Connected%20home/Apple%20HomeKit/Tempo_Monitor_Main-420-90.jpg I'm excited about HomeKit, and in particular the Home app. Home automation products can sometimes feel like walled gardens. You buy smart light bulbs and a switch that works exclusively with that brand of light bulbs. You buy a thermostat and you have an app that controls that thermostat alone. What HomeKit has the potential to do is to turn these devices into a box of Legos that can be combined in any number of ways and seamlessly work with every other device that bears the HomeKit-enabled logo. All that remains is for smart device manufacturers to open their platforms up to be fully controlled through Apple's ecosystem, and from what I've seen that's one lightbulb that's already been turned on. Check out the other great features immanently arriving in iOS 10.

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Wearables/Pebble/Pebble%204.0%20Health%20update-470-75.jpgSmartwatch maker Pebble released a massive update today that brings about an updated UI and new features. Best of all, the update is available for most Pebble smartwatches, new and old. Pebble began targeting the fitness crowd earlier this summer with an updated Pebble Health app for Android and iOS. Today's update focuses on the Pebble Health app on the smartwatch itself, making it easier to quickly glance at important info. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Wearables/Pebble/Pebble%20Health%204.0%20update-420-90.jpg Pressing the Up button on your Pebble will now show you your step and sleep performance. You can press the Right button from each info card to find more in-depth info. Pebble Health for Android and iOS also gets some minor updates that make it easier to understand Activity and Sleep graphs. The update is compatible with the Pebble Time, Pebble Time Steel, Pebble Time Round, and the upcoming Pebble 2 and Time 2. First-gen Pebble owners are, unfortunately, out of luck. Need for speedToday's update also speeds up Pebble's watch interface. From your watch face, you'll be able to see more of your upcoming agenda (up to three days ahead) by pressing down. There's also a new quick launcher that gives you access to your most used features. Simply press the Select button to see these options. Pebble also added quick launch buttons for getting things done quickly. You can program the Up, Down, Back and Select buttons to launch your favorite apps. Even the Pebble smartphone app gets in on the action with cleaner menus and faster performance. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Wearables/Pebble/Pebble%204.0%20quick%20actions-420-90.jpg Last but not least, iOS users can finally act on their emails from their Gmail accounts. Pebble experimented with this feature not long ago, but now it's available to everyone. Pebble's support for iOS Email Actions allows you to Delete, Archive, Mark as Read, Reply All and Star emails on the smartwatch. The update also brings voice replies to email as well, so you can finally answer emails with your voice like you could already do with text messages. Pebble brags it's the only non-Apple smartwatch that can send replies to received iOS Messages, which gives it a leg up on Android Wear on iOS. Using an Android Wear watch with iOS only prompts you to reply by opening the app on your iPhone. "Actionable notifications like Pebble email and text replies are a bit easier to implement for Android users, thanks to that operating system's more open philosophy, but we're always working to make the Pebble experience consistent for both mobile platforms," writes Pebble in a blog post. With the wearables market in decline, Pebble is focused on making its core features faster and better, as well as attracting fitness buffs from companies like Fitbit. Only time will tell if its strategy pays off. Apple Watch vs Pebble Time Steelhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/oW11gOkJnKU

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Features%202/10%20awesome%20camera%20apps%20for%20your%20iPhone/00-hero-470-75.jpg10 awesome camera apps for your iPhoneThe default Camera app that ships with your iPhone (or iPad, or iPod Touch) has gained in creative features over its lifetime, but it's still only functional at best, even on recent models like the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. The stock app's overriding benefits are simplicity, reliability and ease of access – it's one of the few camera apps you can quickly open from your lock screen, for example. And true, it does now also offer panorama, video, time-lapse and slow-mo shooting modes as well as HDR, manual exposure and eight stills filters. But while these are handy features, they're not necessarily enough to sate the needs of today's creative iPhoneographer looking for ever more imaginative ways to frame their images. And since Apple cracked open the iPhone camera innards to developers with the release of iOS 8, there are no shortage of apps to help creatives do just that. So, whether you're a fan of manual controls, long exposures or low light, here are ten top-drawer iOS camera apps that could help you become a better photographer whatever the situation. 1. 645 PRO Mk IIIhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/10%20awesome%20camera%20apps%20for%20your%20iPhone/01-645-Pro-Mk-III-420-90.jpg Price: £2.99 / US$3.99 / AU$5.99 645 PRO is one of the oldest 'serious photography' apps available in the App Store, but it is still regularly updated – now at Mk III – and remains among the best. Photographers familiar with the manual controls of a DSLR will feel right at home here. The busy main screen faithfully mimics both the viewfinder of a traditional camera and the many knobs, dials and buttons. 645 PRO's extensive feature list includes spot and matrix metering, shutter and ISO priority modes, ±3 EV exposure compensation, tap/slide focus override with focus peaking, a handful of classic film stocks, and the ability to export in 'developed RAW' TIFF files. Any camera feature can be controlled with the exception of aperture – sadly still a physical limitation on most smartphone hardware. Twisting the Mode dial around to 'Guide' reveals a 62-page manual that hints at the 645 PRO's depth – however, it is well worth a read to ensure you get the most from one of the most comprehensive camera apps in the App Store. 2. Camera+http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/10%20awesome%20camera%20apps%20for%20your%20iPhone/02-Camera-Plus-420-90.jpg Price: £2.29 / US$2.99 / AU$4.49 Camera+ is one of the best-selling camera apps in the App Store and, with its powerful blend of simplicity and sophistication, it's easy to see why. Front and centre is a clean, minimalist viewfinder with little more than a large shutter release button, zoom slider and menu on display. Don't be fooled by this apparent austerity, though. Manual shooting options are exposed in a slide-out panel allowing focus, exposure, white balance and shutter speed to be separately set via a slider or a touch on the composition. The hamburger menu reveals further camera settings including options to alter output quality starting at social media-friendly small files and up to huge lossless TIFF files. We find the Horizon Level option helpful and unobtrusive, and there's even Apple Watch support for timer shots. The dedicated macro mode deserves a mention too, with Camera+'s viewfinder zoom and focus slider making it one of the easiest apps with which to nail a close-up. The post processing tools in the lightbox are most comprehensive, with a well-considered selection of presets and filters if only a quick fix is required. The Clarity power-up in particular is capable of breathing life into otherwise unsalvageable snaps. Its developers, tap tap tap, recently spawned a free version which eschews some of the manual and advanced features, but for the price we happily recommend the full version here. 3. Custom Camhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/10%20awesome%20camera%20apps%20for%20your%20iPhone/03-custom-cam%20copy-420-90.jpg Price: £1.49 / US$1.99 / AU$2.99 Custom Cam is another app that exposes most of the iPhone camera's innards to the photographer. It's not as slick or as beautifully designed as some, but its focused and minimalist approach might be to many photographers' tastes. On-screen overlays help familiarize with the swipes required to adjust shutter speed, ISO, white balance and so forth, and there are manual, auto and face-detect focusing modes in here too. What's more, two shutter buttons are configurable to match how you want to shoot, and if things are still too cluttered for your liking you can opt to remove one altogether. A novelty here is how Custom Cam embraces more recent iPhone models' 3D Touch capabilities. Like many a physical camera, a half press of the shutter release focuses the image and a full press captures it. Rest assured that the app works just fine for non-3D Touch handsets too. If you wish to try before you buy, Custom Cam Free offers the full feature set (with the exception of uncompressed TIFF output) in exchange for a heavily watermarked image. 4. NightCap Prohttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/10%20awesome%20camera%20apps%20for%20your%20iPhone/04-NightCap-Pro-before-after-420-90.jpg Price: £1.49 / US$1.99 / AU$2.99 You: Siri, you're sacked. Siri: Who me? You: You can't help me take better photos at night, Siri, you are useless. Siri: Checking my sources… You: Forget it, Siri, you're dead to me. I have a new AI friend now, don't I Aidie? Aidie, or 'Artificial Intelligence Derived ISO and Exposure' to give her full name, is the backronym given to NightCap Pro's processing engine, making sure your iPhone camera takes as beautiful shots in low light as it does during the daytime. Aidie makes long exposures simple, has a couple of super-sensitive high-ISO modes up her sleeve and some clever processing tricks to remove unwanted noise. She can also apply her AI to lock focus in low-light environments where usual methods struggle. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/10%20awesome%20camera%20apps%20for%20your%20iPhone/04-NightCap-Pro-car-lights-420-90.jpg NightCap Pro's AI engine is also a fan of star-gazing, meteor spotting and International Space Station trail tracking, with dedicated preset modes for each. A companion Apple Watch app has a live-view mode and remote trigger to minimise wobble on long exposure shots. Alongside Aidie, your other friend for successful low-light photography will be a steady hand or, better still, a smartphone tripod mount. It's a shame Siri can't help you there, either. 5. Red Dot Camerahttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/10%20awesome%20camera%20apps%20for%20your%20iPhone/05-Red-Dot-Camera-420-90.jpg Price: £2.29 / US$2.99 / AU$4.49 Inspired by the similarly red-dotted iconic Leica M Rangefinder bodies, Red Dot Camera promises the full shoot-from-the-hipster retro experience for a mere slice of the price. Shutter speed, ISO and exposure compensation are manually adjusted with the large Leica-like dials to the left while focus is managed by a satisfying scroll wheel to the right - bringing a familiar feel for enthusiasts and making newbies feel instantly more like a pro. Three focus presets are included to satisfy infinity, room and macro requirements, and the standard (but less authentic) touch-to-focus is also present. All are admirably assisted by a loupe in the centre of the viewfinder to help achieve pin-sharp shots. The only other features of note here are a black-and-white mode and the option to crop shots to Rangefinder standard 35mm and 50mm frames, although output pixel counts will reduce as a result. While not the most configurable or customisable of shooting experiences, this is nonetheless a well-designed app that helps you to focus on photography essentials. If you're a photographer who likes a Leica, then you'll love Red Dot Camera. 6. VSCOhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/10%20awesome%20camera%20apps%20for%20your%20iPhone/06-VSCO-420-90.jpg Price: £free / US$free / AU$free (in-app purchases apply) VSCO (or, confusingly, VSCO Cam as it was until recently credited) rose to prominence among an Instagram community that had grown increasingly tired of seeing the same old canned filters time and time again. Its developer originally made its name making pro-photographer classic film presets for Adobe Lightroom. So when its much-anticipated smartphone app launched featuring a fistful of its hip filters it quickly became a match made in Instagram heaven. The app's distraction-free viewfinder is an almost reluctant home to three discrete icons, which expose a settings drawer, flip to the front-facing camera, and enter the app's camera roll. There's a shutter too, but the sparse display allows the entire sidebar to act as the release – more useful than it sounds when concentrating on your subject instead of your screen. Even when open the settings drawer does its best not to detract from you composing your image. The spirit-level and horizon lines are a welcome touch, and the 'tap anywhere to take' option will appeal to some; the standard white balance lock, ISO, shutter speed and exposure adjustments are all present too, albeit neatly filed away. Enter the lightroom to polish your pictures and the power of VSCO's beautiful (if blandly-named) stock filters soon becomes apparent. Filters can be adjusted and further packs (with more tempting titles) are available as in-app purchases. There are useful tools here too to correct perspective and alignment, crop and contrast and so on, and VSCO encourages you to upload your creations to its own curated community. VSCO is a beautiful app of few words, preferring to let its clutter-free camera and velvety-smooth stock of filters do the talking. 7. Manualhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/10%20awesome%20camera%20apps%20for%20your%20iPhone/07-Manual-420-90.jpg Price: £2.29 / US$2.99 / AU$4.49 With only a limited number of features at their disposal it can be a tough job for a developer to differentiate their iOS camera app amid a sea of me-toos. Manual was one of the first apps to take advantage of iOS 8's camera control APIs but while many other camera apps have caught up, it still manages to stand out from the crowd by keeping things simple. First up is another clean-cut interface going big on image but pulling no punches with power settings, although precise control can sometimes be fiddly. A live histogram, exposure and focus are rarely seen elsewhere, and the zoom for manual focusing is always useful. An EXIF viewer lets you peep into the otherwise squirreled-away metadata that accompanies each picture revealing camera settings at the time of capture and the location (if allowed). 8. ProShothttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/10%20awesome%20camera%20apps%20for%20your%20iPhone/08-ProShot-420-90.jpg Price: £2.99 / US$3.99 / AU$5.99 Describing itself as 'the future of professional mobile photography' ProShot sets itself up for a fall but, thankfully, stands solidly as one of the better camera apps in the App Store. Everything that can be tweaked with the iPhone camera is tweakable here and then some, with ProCam squeezing every last ounce of juice from Apple's hardware. Alongside standard manual iOS camera controls such as ISO, focus and shutter speed are useful extras including bracketing, which takes multiple photos of the same subject with different exposures, two different bulb modes for creative fun with light trails and light painting, and time-lapse. Initially the pro-style controls aren't quite pick-up and play but, once familiar with the drive and camera mode dials, ProShot's UI fast becomes one of the most powerful here. 9. Verifeye Media Pro Camerahttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/10%20awesome%20camera%20apps%20for%20your%20iPhone/09-Verifeye-Media-420-90.jpg Price: £free / US$free / AU$free Unless you're a politician, war zone dweller or Top Gear presenter, news stories don't tend to spontaneously happen around you, but if one ever does then it's as well to be prepared. Verifeye Media is a visual news agency which licences newsworthy photographs and videos to media outlets on your behalf. Crucial to this is verification that the photo or video of a breaking news headline is precisely what it purports to be, particularly if it originates from eyewitness sources instead of traditional journalists. That's where Verifeye Media's Pro Camera app comes in. As a standalone camera Verifeye's app leans towards functional rather than elegant, but manual controls for ISO, shutter, focus, white balance and exposure will ensure most photographers' needs are well catered for. Sitting centrally in the bottom of the viewfinder is a large red shutter button, although its placement may prove an uncomfortable stretch for some. However, the app's strengths also lie beyond what gets framed in the viewfinder. Embedded in the images, and continuously woven into video shot with the app, is a rich layer of additional information – date/time, geolocation, altitude, compass bearing and so on. This metadata, when uploaded via the app, helps the Verifeye team to validate the authenticity of the images to news outlets' satisfaction. Verifeye operates a 50/50 revenue split so you will get paid for your work, but it goes without saying that you should be conscious of your own safety and that of others before you crack open your camera in a developing news situation. 10. DxO Onehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/10%20awesome%20camera%20apps%20for%20your%20iPhone/10-DXO-One-420-90.jpg Price: £399.00 / US$439.00 (around AU$611) Okay, you got us. Although there certainly is a camera app here – a very good one at that – the DxO One is all about the plug-in camera accessory. At the heart of the DxO One is a 1-inch 20.2-MP Sony sensor as used in the barnstorming Sony RX100 Mk III. This captures images through an f/1.8 aperture lens with a fixed focal length equivalent to 32mm. This combination of large sensor (15.86mm diagonal versus 6mm on an iPhone 6) and adjustable wide aperture gives detailed low-light images and controllable depth of field, a holy grail for many smartphone photographers. The DxO One plugs securely into the Lightning connector of an iPhone or iPad and turns the screen, courtesy of the DxO One app, into a responsive, lag-free viewfinder. Manual controls over camera functions are as good as any app here and better than many compact cameras. The DxO One shoots in both JPG and RAW, the latter remaining on the microSD card within the main body. Yes, it's not cheap. Sure, it's a little awkward to handle. And perhaps you could buy a standalone compact camera with comparable or better image quality for the same or less cash. But putting all that to one side, if you are intent on taking the highest quality pictures possible using your iPhone then there is no better app or accessory than the DxO One. You've got the camera apps, now fill up with the best iPhone apps aroundhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/NMfmjpFa3bg

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Dummy/Hands%20on/HTC%2010%20review%20(21)-470-75.JPGSense features that should be in stock AndroidWe're big fans of stock Android. There was a time when manufacturer overlays added much needed features, but with Android Marshmallow - and now Android Nougat - the OS has reached the point where it's slicker, more intuitive and better looking than any skin. Having said that, right from the very beginning HTC Sense was always one of the best alternatives to stock, with a beautiful, refined look and minimal bloat - we remember the stunning performance of the HTC Hero with the 'new' way of dealing with Android really impressing. These days we'd be inclined to give stock Android the edge in terms of sheer ease of use, but there are things that Sense has that we really wish Google would borrow. The following five things in particular would make for great additions to the stock Nexus interface - so come on Google, let's see them in Android O, yeah? 1. BlinkFeedhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/5%20HTC%20Sense%20features%20we%20want%20in%20stock%20Android/BlinkFeed-420-90.jpg BlinkFeed is arguably the standout feature of HTC Sense. It takes up a whole home screen, but it fills it with the latest updates from news and entertainment sources of your choice, alongside your social media accounts. With BlinkFeed you can see at a glance everything that's going on in your world - and beyond. It's beautifully presented and a great way to kill a few minutes. With over ten thousand possible sources it's easy to fill it up with stuff that you care about and being on a home screen it's always just a swipe away, which somehow seems a lot easier than launching an app. It's also not forced on you, as HTC thankfully lets you disable it if you'd prefer. But as an option it's great and it's an option we'd love to see on stock Android - it's a good alternative to Apple's News too. 2. Theme Creatorhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/5%20HTC%20Sense%20features%20we%20want%20in%20stock%20Android/Theme%20Creator-420-90.jpg Stock Android looks great, but without heading into Google Play to grab icon packs or scouring the web for new wallpaper it's also not very visually customisable. So we'd love to see something like HTC's Theme Creator added. The Theme Creator built into HTC Sense is a slick, feature-packed way to customise the look and feel of your device out of the box. You can change the colour scheme, icons, sound effects and fonts of your phone, or pick a wallpaper and have the colours automatically match up with it. Or if you're feeling less creative you can choose from a selection of pre-created themes, all of which really shine and feel cohesive throughout your handset. There are enough options to make the phone your own and being able to tweak everything from one place makes it fast and easy. Android is all about customisation, so making it easy to customise the look should be a no brainer and is something we hope Google adds to the stock OS down the line. 3. Sense Homehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/5%20HTC%20Sense%20features%20we%20want%20in%20stock%20Android/Sense%20Home-420-90.jpg Sense Home aims to display the most relevant apps for the place you're currently at, by changing the contents of a widget based on whether you're at home, at work or elsewhere. You can set your home and work locations, or leave the widget to work them out itself, and it will learn what apps you tend to use most at these places, then make sure they're front and centre for you when you need them. So if you tend to use Gmail a lot at work you'll find that in the Sense Home widget while you're at work and it might be swapped for Spotify when you're out and Facebook when you get home. It's not perfect at predicting what you'll need, but the more you use it the more accurate it gets - and we think Google could really make this stunning if it got a massive engineering department working on it. It's a great idea, as it means less time spent swiping around your phone and more time in the apps you want to use. We could see it fitting in well with stock Android (just as long as it remains optional). 4. Gestureshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/5%20HTC%20Sense%20features%20we%20want%20in%20stock%20Android/Gestures-420-90.jpg HTC isn't the only company to include gesture controls on its handsets, but it's something that stock Android doesn't offer and Sense does quite well. There are motion gestures for one, which allow you to answer a call by placing the phone to your ear, or mute a call by flipping the phone face down. But you can also wake up and unlock the handset without ever touching the power button with certain HTC phones, such as the HTC 10. A double tap of the screen will wake it up, while a swipe up will bypass the lock screen entirely if you don't have any security enabled. There are also other shortcuts, such as jumping straight to BlinkFeed if you swipe in from the left. All of these are varying degrees of useful, especially being able to wake up the phone without touching a button. It's a feature that's found on a range of other handsets from the likes of LG and Nokia too and it's about time it was baked right in to stock Android. 5. Power savinghttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/5%20HTC%20Sense%20features%20we%20want%20in%20stock%20Android/battery%20saver-420-90.jpg Android Nougat has some battery saving tools built in, from Doze, which automatically puts your phone to sleep when it's idle (and is now smarter at keeping specific apps in check when the phone's in your pocket), to battery saver, which limits vibration, location services and background data, as well as reducing your handset's performance. But there are two ways in which HTC Sense does battery saving better. The first is that with its similar power saver mode it lets you pick which aspects you do and don't want to limit, while the Marshmallow battery saver gives you no options. The second is Extreme Power Saving mode, which goes far beyond anything offered by stock Android. It limits you to using basic apps and services like the phone, messages, email, calendar and, oddly, the calculator. Essentially it turns your smartphone into a very, very dumb one, but in the process it also eliminates many of the things that guzzle down juice for those times when you really can't afford a flat battery. It's not something you'll use much, but it's great knowing it's there, as it gets rid of the battery anxiety you can suffer from on stock. Samsung is actually probably doing this a touch better at the moment, as with the Galaxy Note 7 it's got a range of options for even the 'extreme' mode - but both brands are getting rather good at making sure you can keep your precious battery safe when the percentage levels get a bit dicey. It's not just Sense that's got something to offer: here are 5 Samsung TouchWiz features we want to seehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/HItQxic2Cvw

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Features%202/5%20TouchWiz%20features%20we%20want%20in%20stock%20Android/touchwiz-android-470-75.jpg5 TouchWiz features we want in stock Androidhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/5%20TouchWiz%20features%20we%20want%20in%20stock%20Android/touchwiz-android-420-90.jpg TouchWiz is Samsung's custom take on Android. For years it was something you just had to live with: packed full of features but a total mess. But you know what? These days it's actually pretty good. It's among the best-looking Android interfaces outside of a stock Marshmallow install, and by paring back some of the extras only 0.1 per cent of people used, Samsung has actually managed to come up with some bonus bits we really like. 2016 is a good year for TouchWiz, and some its features are brand new, not seen before the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge arrived. Here are the TouchWiz features we'd like to see Google bung into Android Nougat - or whatever Android O is called. 1. Always-on displayhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/5%20TouchWiz%20features%20we%20want%20in%20stock%20Android/always-on-420-90.jpg The latest version of TouchWiz has an always-on display mode. And it's pretty neat. You want to keep your phone on all the time? Won't that mean the battery will be dead before you've even had a chance to complain about your train home being cancelled on Twitter? It actually only has a minimal effect on stamina. TouchWiz's always-on screen is here to give you a time read-out even when you haven't used the phone in a couple of hours. This isn't the first time a phone company has glued a feature like this onto Android... far from it. Motorola has used it a bunch of times in its Moto phones, and even before then Nokia made great use of it in Windows phones. It's probably not something that'll be the deal breaker when you're going to buy a phone, but every time we end up using one of these always-on troopers, they make a much better desk buddy than a regular old phone. This is one of TouchWiz's newest features too, having only arrived with the S7 family and now used on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. All it does is to display the time, date, battery life and an icon or two if you have any notifications, in white on a black background. This is a Samsung feature, so it's no surprise you can customise it pretty thoroughly too - and with the Note 7, this includes some pretty fancy space constellation pictures. The only complication is that unless you have an OLED screen or a seriously efficient LCD one, it may eat a chunk out of the phone's run-time. As OLEDs have emissive pixels, only a tiny part of the display has to be powered - but we reckon Google could make this work. 2. Recording of your super-sweet gaming victorieshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/5%20TouchWiz%20features%20we%20want%20in%20stock%20Android/game-launcher-420-90.jpg The new TouchWiz feature all the nerds are talking about is Game Launcher. Our general opinion on even good third-party software extras is usually "yep it's fine, but I'd still trade it for vanilla Android", but Game Launcher has had a good stab at changing that. It's Samsung's nod to the idea that the one thing just about everyone seems to do on their phone is use Facebook and play casual games. Far more people we know do that than make calls these days. This smart feature puts all the games you install into one neat folder, and lets you do all sorts of clever stuff while you're playing. The one that grabs attention was recording of your mobile game footage. You're probably no YouTube star, but this is a feature that could open up a whole new generation of 'Let's Play' mobile game channels. Whether that's a good thing or not is up for debate. If you're not an online video obsessive, this is where someone plays through and commentates on a game, often with hilarious results. Other more practical features of Game Launcher include being able to manually select the game resolution and refresh rate to save battery, and locking your soft keys so you don't boot yourself out of a game in a frantic moment of screen-tapping. 3. Camera apphttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/5%20TouchWiz%20features%20we%20want%20in%20stock%20Android/camera-app-420-90.jpg Perhaps the single weakest part of the vanilla Android experience is the camera app. It's fine but nothing more, when the rest of the OS is flat-out great at this point. Samsung's Galaxy S7 camera app is a lot better. Right out of the gate, it just gives you a very simple and clear Auto interface. Just snap away and you'll be able to get some great shots with no effort. There are several layers to this appy onion, though. More advanced settings are put at your thumb-tips and the further you dig the more modes and settings you'll find. Samsung's camera app used to be a bit of a frustrating mess of extra modes that were given way too much of the spotlight. But after a few years of people like us and you complaining, Samsung sorted its game out. Now it has one of the best Android camera apps out there. As well as being fast and offering super-effective HDR shots, there's manual control and RAW capture. This offers data-rich photos before the phone's processing has put its mark on them, giving you total control - whether that could be baked into all phones though remains to be seen. 4. Disabling of appshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/5%20TouchWiz%20features%20we%20want%20in%20stock%20Android/disable-420-90.jpg Android Nougat does its best to simplify the basics of its interface. However, that means you don't get an awful lot of control over how it looks. One thing TouchWiz lets you do that a lot of other interfaces don't is to effectively uninstall any app on the phone, even ones in the core Google line-up you're not usually allowed to touch. It does this by blasting them from the apps menu without actually removing the app data. It's a cunning 'loophole' of sorts. Previously Samsung used to let you both hide and 'disable' apps, but in the latest version of TouchWiz you can only do the latter. You might argue that we should be able to fully uninstall any app we like, but then preinstalled apps are generally pretty diddy little things memory-wise anyway. What disabling apps lets you do is really cut back all that app bloat without going to the time-consuming, potentially warranty-voiding, effort of installing a custom ROM on your phone. 5. Switching the apps grid layouthttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/5%20TouchWiz%20features%20we%20want%20in%20stock%20Android/grid6-420-90.jpg Android looks and feels good, which is why so many people hanker for its simplicity. It's almost been a decade since Android was born, and only now has it really nailed down totally accessible visuals with a snappy-but-smooth feel. With that has come complete rigidity in its layout, though. Conversely, TouchWiz lets you choose between having four rows of apps on the screen and five, letting you cram in more visual information than a Nexus device. This comes in particularly handy on phones with 5.5-inch screens or larger, where a 4-icon width style just means a lot of wasted space. And app icons that wouldn't look out of place on a tablet designed for kids. Most phones above £200/US$300/AU$400 easily have enough pixels to squeeze in those extra elements without leaving slightly smaller icons looking remotely blocky. There's a lot to like in iOS 10 as wellhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/3C-NbbLaWpo

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/iPhone/iPhone%206S%20Plus/Hands%20on%202/6SPlus-HandsOn-03-470-75.JPGApple released a patch today to fix an exploit that allowed malware to be installed on an iPhone with a single tap. A report from Vice reveals the details of the exploit used to target human rights activist Ahmed Mansoor. Mansoor received a suspicious text that read, "New secrets about torture of Emiratis in state prisons" and included a link. Instead of clicking on the link, Mansoor forwarded the message to Citizen Lab, a Toronto-based digital rights watchdog. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Randoms/Ahmed%20Mansoor%20texts-420-90.jpg The text, it turns out, was malware that allowed an iPhone to be jailbroken in one tap. The malware, codenamed Pegasus, allowed an attacker to steal and intercept all data on an iPhone. Calls could be intercepted, contacts lists exposed and text messages stolen. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Randoms/NSO%20Group%20marketing%20materials-420-90.jpg Citizen Lab collaborated with cyber security company Lookout to dissect the malware and discovered its origins. The malware was created and distributed by a company called NSO Group, known for selling its spyware to governments. "[They're] basically a cyber arms dealer," says Lookout vice president of research Mike Murray speaking to Vice. NSO responded to Vice, saying the company's malware is designed to "help make the world a safer place by providing authorized governments with technology that helps them combat terror and crime." But for journalists and activists living under a corrupt government, this inspires little confidence. Update your phone nowToday's iOS 9.3.5 update patches the exploits used by NSO. Apple recommends all iPhone users update as soon as possible to avoid being a victim of this type of malware. It pays to keep your phone's security up to date and to use common sense when receiving dubious links. Although news of Pegasus is alarming, iOS is still one of the most secure mobile operating systems for consumers, according to Dan Guido, CEO of cybersecurity firm Trail Of Bits speaking to Vice. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Randoms/iOS%209.3.5-420-90.jpg Android's security has often lagged as a result of outdated software running on a majority of handsets. Android 6.0 Marshmallow still only makes up 15.2% of all Android handsets as of August 2016. Note that Android 6.0 is already one version behind Android 7.0 Nougat, which is only available on select Nexus phones right now. While Pegasus may be patched today, it's a constant race between cyber arms dealers like NSO and companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft. It'll be up to software makers to stay one step ahead of their enemies. iOS 10 release date, news and featureshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/GAf-UarD5eg

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/ebook_readers/Amazon/Kindle%20Paperwhite%202015/HandsOn1/settings2-470-75.JPGHere's another thing to add to the list of problems that the Windows 10 Anniversary Update has caused: the Kindle Paperwhite and some other models are reportedly causing PCs to lock up when the device is plugged into a USB port. Yes, it would seem that Microsoft has another fire to fight here, with another thread springing up on the company's Answers.com forum full of Kindle users who are complaining about the issue which is causing a blue screen of death when Amazon's hardware is connected to their computer since the Anniversary Update. Most folks are complaining about the Paperwhite, but there are also users saying the same thing is happening with other models such as the Oasis and Voyage. The crash seems to be a rather flaky one in that it's happening to some folks and not others, and various workarounds have been suggested, but not all of them seem to work for everyone. Any port in a stormSome claim that the BSOD only happens when you plug the Kindle into a USB 3.0 port, and not a USB 2.0 port – so if you're suffering at the hands of this bugbear, you might want to try using the latter. Others have suggested that plugging in the Kindle before the computer boots up avoids the crash, or indeed plugging it in while your laptop is sleeping. Of course, it's worth giving all these potential solutions a whirl, and hopefully you'll find something works until Microsoft gets round to patching this problem – apparently this is a driver issue on Redmond's side. The list of problems caused by the Anniversary Update also includes PCs freezing up in general, Cortana disappearing, and webcams getting broken. Via: The Register Also check out our advanced Windows 10 tips and trickshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/0r-AfNC0NYs

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Novel/NovelMain-470-75.jpgWrite and publish a novel in a monthFree apps for aspiring novelistsWriting a novel appears on many a bucket list, and thanks to free software and digital publishing it's possible to get your work on the virtual shelf in a matter of weeks. Writing a book in 30 days is a challenge attempted by thousands of people during National Novel Writing Month, and the event organisers have prepared a guide to help you overcome the anxiety that comes with that first blank page. Ultimately, the most important things are to set time aside every day for your writing, maintain self-discipline, and have faith in your own ability. You can do this. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Novel/NovelEvernote-420-90.jpg PlanThe first step is research, and Evernote is an excellent tool for the job. It's cross-platform, so you can use it on any device (ideal for getting away from your desk to stimulate creativity), and is remarkably flexible. Your virtual notebooks can hold snippets from websites, useful notes about people and locations, photos, sketches and more. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgThe basic edition gives you 60MB of space for new ideas per month, and lets you sync your notes across two devices. There are also Plus and Premium plans, but most of their features are more business-oriented so the free edition is probably all you need. Microsoft OneNote is similar, and may suit you better if you're invested in Microsoft's ecosystem. It lets you sync across an unlimited number of devices using your Microsoft account. It uses your OneDrive cloud storage to store notes and images (5GB by default), so bear this in mind if you're already using some of that space for Office documents. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Novel/NovelLibreOffice-420-90.jpg WriteOnce you've gathered your thoughts, your next step is to prepare an outline, from which you can write a first draft. The Guardian offers a 30-day schedule for fleshing out your ideas. The outline will give your work direction, and can be as simple or detailed as you like – from a list of points to something that's practically a first draft in its own right. One of the most popular writing apps for novelists is, unsurprisingly, Microsoft Word. "In my book, quite literally, writing is enough of a crazed mental vortex as it is, without throwing some complicated app into the mix," says Jason Arnopp, author of The Last Days of Jack Sparks. "I've tried Scrivener a couple of times, but just find it too fiddly. So here's me, using good old dependable, simple(ish) Microsoft Word. Sometimes I'll break the novel down into five different docs: that's about as fancy as my method gets. Word might be dull, but dammit, it gets the job done." http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgIf you'd rather not fork out for Microsoft's app, LibreOffice Writer is a very similar program that offers almost exactly the same experience. It's open source, so it's completely free to use (even for commercial purposes) and is updated regularly by a team of noble volunteer coders. It can save documents in Microsoft's .doc format, as well as HTML (preferred by Kindle Direct Publishing – more on that later). LibreOffice is an offshoot of Apache OpenOffice, which is also available to download and use completely free. The main differences are that LibreOffice receives more regular updates (it aims for two major releases a year), and offers better compatibility with Microsoft file formats, making it our free office suite of choice. If you just want to write a first draft as quickly as possible, take a look at FocusWriter. It strips away any interface elements that aren't absolutely essential to writing (no more cluttered Microsoft Office ribbon) and includes handy tools like alarms when you've been writing for a certain length of time, or have hit a particular word count. Once you've finished the bare bones, however, you'll need a tool like LibreOffice Writer for re-drafting, editing and exporting in DOC format. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Novel/NovelKindle-420-90.jpg PublishTraditional publishing routes are require a great deal of time and patience – some publishers still run their own slush pile, where unpublished authors can send their work for consideration, but most new writers approach a literary agent who specialises in their genre. Agents receive a huge number of unsolicited manuscripts, so rejection is to be expected. It's a time-consuming and trying process that can take months, if not years, and is far from guaranteed to yield results. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/cloud2-232-100.jpgIn stark contrast, work submitted to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing can go on sale in less than a day. Amazon provides its own guidance on formatting your work in a way that will transfer well to its own MOBI format. The directions are written for authors using Microsoft Word, but will work equally well with OpenOffice or LibreOffice. Have you written and published your own novel? Have any tips for aspiring authors? Share them in the comments below. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/7tL3zc6EODM

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/televisions/Best%20TV%20main/Best%20TV%202016/bestTVsforGaming-470-75.jpgThe 10 best gaming TVs of 2016Picking a TV for gaming just got a whole lot trickier. The launch of the Xbox One S and upcoming PlayStation Neo – not to mention Microsoft's Project Scorpio a year or so down the line – means console gaming is no longer just a full HD, standard dynamic range experience. Forward-thinking gamers also now need to be thinking about 4K/Ultra HD and high dynamic range for their next TVs. These new considerations, of course, come on top of the more traditional gaming TV issues of low input lag (the time it takes for a TV to render its images), good motion clarity, strong contrast (so you can't be easily ambushed by aliens and psychos hiding in dark corners) and bold color handling. In fact, picking a TV that's perfect for gaming is arguably more complicated than picking one for just watching movies and TV. Don't worry, though: martyrs that we are, we've spent countless hours gaming on a huge range of 2016 TVs to come up with the following list of 10 that we reckon are particularly well suited to taking your favorite waste of time to a whole new level of fun. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/televisions/LG/OLED55C6V/LGOLED55C6VAngle-420-90.jpg 1. LG OLEDC6 seriesThe OLEDC6 series give you LG's OLED technology for surprisingly little cash – and make your games look like a million dollars 65-inch: LG OLED65C6V | 55-inch: LG OLED55C6V Gorgeous, contrast-rich picture quality Curved design aids immersion Detail clipping in bright areas Occasional brief colour noiseThe way every single pixel in OLED screens like the OLEDC6 series can produce its own light and color (unlike LCD) has a stunning impact on the way games look. Dark games/sequences, in particular, take on a whole new dimension thanks to the way the screen can deliver black colors that look, well, black. Their ability to show incredible amounts of subtle shadow detail in dark areas also has a more practical benefit – there's less chance of you being ambushed by things lurking in the darkness. The OLEDC6's amazing black level performance also means game colors pretty much explode off the screen, and its 30ms of input lag in its Game mode is also a strong result for a 4K TV. It does HDR and 4K too, and its curved screen aids immersion if you're sat close to it (though a flat alternative, the OLEDB6 range, also works well). The OLEDC6 series offers all this, moreover, for a surprisingly attractive price. Read the full review: LG OLED55C6V Loading gaming TV deals... http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/televisions/Best%20gaming%20TVs%20of%202016/Sony75XD9405-420-90.jpg 2. Sony XBR-75X940DSome games, like first-person shooters, just have to be played big – and TVs don't come much bigger than Sony's 75-incher 75-inch: Sony XBR-75X940D Huge screen tips you into home cinema territory Lovely picture quality Android TV interface is clunky Some HDR backlight bloomingMany games – but especially FPS and racing games – take on a whole new dimension of immersion and excitement when played at near life-sized proportions. Projectors offer the cheapest route to such big-screen experiences, but are seldom convenient solutions for the home. Which is where Sony's immense 75-inch 75XD9405 comes in. This 4K-resolution, HDR-toting monster of a TV recreates your gaming worlds with so much sharpness, color vibrancy, detail and contrast that you feel like you've actually stepped inside the game. It also measured only around 30ms of input lag during our tests, which means it never forces you to suffer that 'running through treacle' feeling you get with TVs that struggle to render their images quickly. Occasionally some very high-contrast scenes can exhibit light blooming around bright objects which can momentarily reduce the immersive sensation, but overall the 75XD9405 is the one TV here that takes your gaming to the movies. Read the full review: Sony XBR-75X940D Loading gaming TV deals... http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/televisions/Best%20gaming%20TVs%20of%202016/SamsungUE65KS9500-420-90.jpg 3. Samsung KS9500 seriesNo TVs better demonstrate what 4K and HDR is capable of from a gaming perspective, if you have a console that can do them justice 65-inch: Samsung UE65KS9500 | 78-inch: Samsung UE75KS9500 | 88-inch: Samsung UE88KS9500 Jaw-dropping, class-leading HDR pictures Unexpectedly good sound Some backlight 'blooming' in dark scenes Color striping in most accurate HDR modeAs you'd expect given their starting price of $1,999, Samsung's KS9500 series are fearsomely cutting-edge TVs. In particular, their maximum brightness output of 1400 nits is way higher than any other TV has managed before, enabling them to present HDR pictures with an accuracy and intensity that takes your breath away. They also use modified Quantum Dot color technology to produce a huge range of colors which, when combined with all that brightness, look more intense than any we've seen before. The prospect of HDR gaming on these TVs is simply mouthwatering. They also deliver arguably the sharpest 4K pictures in the world, while their curved screens can enhance your immersion in a game if you're sitting reasonably close. Finally, their input lag is just 25ms, which is outstandingly low for such sophisticated TVs. Just bear in mind that it's arguably only worth investing in these TVs if you intend to go all-out to feed them with the 'next-gen' gaming sources they deserve. Loading gaming TV deals... http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/televisions/Best%20gaming%20TVs%20of%202016/LGOLED65E6-420-90.jpg 4. LG OLEDE6 seriesIf you can afford the step up from LG's OLEDB6 series, the E6s reward you with brighter pictures and awesome sound 55-inch: LG OLED55E6 | 65-inch: LG OLED65E6 Incredible black level response Exceptional sound quality Missing details in very bright areas It's not cheapThe only reason the OLEDE6 series doesn't feature more highly on this list is its $3,499 starting price, which leaves the cheaper OLEDC6 range looking much more viable for most households (or the B6 series if you prefer a flat screen). The OLEDE6 series does, however, justify its extra cost if you can find enough cash. For starters, its design is something else, thanks to the way its OLED film is mounted directly onto a sheet of glass. It also backs up its predictably stunning, contrast-rich pictures with a much more potent, atmosphere-building sound performance than the C6 series, courtesy of a powerful, expressive and detailed soundbar that sits beneath its bottom edge. Finally its pictures – which deliver not just 4K and HDR but also, unusually, the premium Dolby Vision HDR format – are a touch brighter and more refined than those of the B6, making it a real temptation for the sort of gamer who can afford not to have to compromise. Loading gaming TV deals... http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/televisions/Sony/Sony%20KD-65XD9305/Sony65XD9305AndroidDone-420-90.jpg 5. Sony XBR-X930D seriesSony's new Slim Backlight Drive technology helps the XD9305 series produce some of the most beautiful 4K and HDR pictures 2016 has to offer. 55-inch: Sony XBR-55X930D | 65-inch: Sony XBR-65X930D High contrast for an edge LED TV Beautiful colour and detail performance Some quite defined light 'blocks' with high contrast HDR content Android TV interface isn't very friendly or slickWith the XD9305 series, Sony has joined the other big brands this year in delivering some genuine, HDR-led innovation. In the XD9305's case this takes the form of the Slim Backlight Drive, which cleverly uses two edge-mounted LED light modules and dual light guides to essentially double how locally the XD9305 TVs can control the light in their images. The result is a contrast performance that gets closer to what you'd normally only see from TVs with a direct LED lighting system at a fraction of the price. Sony's Triluminos technology also contributes some mesmerisingly good color handling, while the brand's X1 processing system ensures that both native 4K and upscaled HD sources both looks fantastically detailed and sharp. Occasional rather defined backlight 'blocking' artifacts and the clunky Android TV smart engine stop the XD9305 TVs from challenging for the top spot on this list, but at their best the XD9305's pictures are genuinely sensational. See the best Sony XD9305 deals

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Opera-VPN-android-470-75.jpgOpera has certainly been pushing forward on the VPN front, and following bringing virtual private network functionality to its browser, and then in a standalone iOS app, an Android version has been unleashed. Opera Free VPN is, as the name tells you, a completely free Android app that performs the usual VPN tricks such as keeping your connection secure, and circumventing geographical restrictions on certain services by allowing you to appear to be located elsewhere (it offers a choice of up to five virtual locations you can select from – namely the USA, Canada, Germany, Singapore and the Netherlands ). The app contains an integrated ad tracker blocker to prevent advertisers from tracking you online, and it offers unlimited usage in terms of data allowance, too. There's also a Wi-Fi security test tool which scans the network you're hooked up with, and if it finds any potential weaknesses, it'll advise you to turn on the VPN. Keep it simpleOpera Free VPN is designed to be dead easy to use, with a single switch to enable the VPN, and simple menus to access functionality such as changing your device's virtual location. The VPN service is provided by SurfEasy, an outfit that Opera acquired back in the spring of last year. As mentioned, the Opera browser got VPN functionality baked-in earlier this year, as well as integrated ad blocking. Opera is definitely making big efforts to position itself as a more tempting alternative to the big-name browsers which dominate the market, and these mobile apps all help push its brand recognition forward. Check out our round-up of the best VPN services currently availablehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/MdWSvxQLWS4

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/laptops/Dell/XPS%2013%20(late%202015)/review/Dell%20XPS%2013%20(late%202015)-8-470-75.jpgMicrosoft's OneClip feature, which was leaked last year, is apparently set to be unleashed with Windows 10 and Office at some point in 2017. Indeed, it'll pitch up in a Redstone update next year, and there's a decent chance that will be the first update (Redstone or RS2, which is due to land early 2017). At least, this is the scoop according to Windows Central, which says that OneClip will boast tight integration with Windows and Office. The idea of OneClip, if you're not familiar with it, is to offer cutting and pasting of text and images (along with other content like links or favourites) across devices whether they're PCs, tablets or phones (and across different operating systems – that will include Windows, of course, macOS, iOS and Android). Apparently, the version we'll see next year will be similar to the leaked OneClip we caught a glimpse of in 2015, although the interface will have been completely reworked. OneClip will also be integrated with 'working sets', a feature Microsoft intends to implement in order to help users organise and locate the likes of documents, contacts and so forth under 'sets' – and OneClip will boast further versatility in doing things such as storing and backing up your copied and pasted materials. OneClip convenienceAt any point when working, say for example in Word, you'll be able to pull up the OneClip stream of clips, filter between different types of content, and quickly access anything you've previously snagged with the feature. Windows Central has also heard that the name might be changed from OneClip to Bundle, although in all honesty we prefer the former. Bundle seems vaguer and less satisfying in general. As we heard last week from the same source, Microsoft is planning to bring Office 365 and Windows 10 closer together by introducing an 'Office Hub' to its desktop operating system – a central place to easily access your documents, emails and so on, which will pull off tricks like highlighting when colleagues are working on a shared document in OneDrive. It's not clear exactly how the hub will be implemented at this point, as again this is all very early days, but current speculation points to the Action Center as a likely home. This hub is also supposed to arrive in one of the two major Redstone updates next year, so either RS2 or RS3 (RS1 was the recent Anniversary Update). Via: WinBeta Check out our advanced Windows 10 tips and trickshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/ZNeh6m37VtQ

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/Software/Microsoft/Sonoma-470-75.jpgMicrosoft has pushed out a new productivity app which aims to help shift workers better organise themselves, with the preview version now out for both Android and iOS. Project Sonoma (which probably won't be the final name) is aimed at those working shifts in the likes of factories or restaurants, and is billed as the "one-stop app for deskless workers". It allows employees to see when they're working and who's on what particular shift, make requests for shift swaps, and chat amongst themselves in groups or via direct messages. So it sounds pretty handy indeed for the intended target audience. As mentioned, the app is still in the private preview stage, but there is an official Sonoma website and if you head over there you can sign up to be notified of when the app is ready (and perhaps if you manage to make it into the beta testing program). Not acquiredTechCrunch, which spotted this development, speculated that the app might be the result of a minor acquisition by Microsoft, but Redmond clarified that this wasn't the case, and the software was built from scratch by its own engineers. The firm's statement read: "We're always building and incubating new solutions to help people get more done, and we don't have any availability timelines or details to share at this time. We can confirm that Project Sonoma has been developed internally by Microsoft from the ground up and is not based on an acquisition." To use the Android version of the app, you'll need Android 4.2 or better, and on the iPhone side, you must be running iOS 8 or 9 – but as mentioned, you'll need to be accepted for the preview program first. Only a limited amount of firms are currently involved. Also check out: Microsoft inks deal with Lenovo to bring Office to millions of phoneshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/dqeC41X5T_o

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Google/nexus5/HandsOn2/Nexus5-HandsOn-07-470-75.JPGWe were big fans of both the Nexus 5 and new Nexus 7 – and, being Nexus devices, one of the best things about them was speedy Android updates. But not any more – Google has just confirmed the end of updates for the devices. A Google support page includes a schedule for when Android updates can no longer be guaranteed for Nexus devices, and for the Nexus 5 and new Nexus 7 that support guarantee ended in 2015. We've known for a while this day was coming, but some users held out hope that Google might have found a way through with Nougat. Of course, just because there's no guarantee it doesn't absolutely mean there won't be an update; but it's looking very unlikely, especially as these two devices haven't been included in Google's list of Nexus devices that will be getting Android Nougat in the coming weeks. Safety guaranteedBut if you own a Nexus 5 or new Nexus 7 it's not all bad news, as Google is guaranteeing security patches for three years (rather than the two year guarantee for version updates), so they should remain safe to use for the foreseeable future. The update schedule, spotted by Phandroid, also shows that unsurprisingly the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 will be next to stop getting Android updates. They're both guaranteed support until October 2016, so don't expect to see Android O on them. Owners of the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X will be safe until September 2017, so should get one more big Android update after Nougat. Two new Nexus phones are coming soonhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Qn71VXiNE2A

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/events/Google%20IO%202016/photos/Google_Allo_Incognito-470-75.jpgGoogle incoming Allo app could be more interesting and feature-packed than we originally thought, as its new Incognito Mode seems to be borrowing a few things from Snapchat. We'd already heard that Allo had an Incognito Mode, complete with end-to-end encryption and expiring messages, but now we've learned a few more things about it, such as how those disappearing messages will work. According to Android Police, which obtained information based on a test preview version of Allo, there'll be a timer at the top right corner of each Incognito chat, set to 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, or off, and each message sent in the chat will disappear after that amount of time. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Apps/Google%20Allo%20Incognito-420-90.jpg The duration of the timer can be changed at any point by any of the chat participants, but changes won't apply to old messages, so if a message has already been sent with a 1 week expiry time then changing the timer to 1 minute won't make it disappear any faster. Sounds familiarThe feature sounds a bit like Snapchat, especially as images can be sent as well as text or voice messages, though the timer on Allo can be set to a lot longer than on Snapchat. But the implementation in Allo is also a bit different and potentially slightly clunky, as there's apparently no indicator of how long any specific message will take to expire, and no guarantee that it will be seen before it disappears. Of course this is just a preview version of Allo, so there's a chance the app will be changed and improved before launch, but even with those issues Incognito Mode sounds like it could be useful, and it certainly seems to take security more seriously than Snapchat. For one thing you can't take screenshots of Incognito chats and there are various other security-conscious features, with the conversation list and notifications keeping the content of messages private. Whether Allo will rival Snapchat for popularity remains to be seen, but with it set to launch later this summer we should find out soon. Google's also been busy launching Android Nougathttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/9ra8h_yd88k

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/How%20tos/master%20File%20Explorer%20in%20Windows%2010/fileexplorerhero-470-75.jpgSpeculation points to a new Redstone 2 (RS2) build of Windows 10 pitching up later this week complete with new features for testers to play with. This nugget of info comes from the Core Insider Program Twitter account, and while that's not an official Microsoft source, it has been right about things in the past. As WinBeta spotted, said Twitter account posted that build 14910.1001 would be pushed out "later this week" – and then added a teaser, namely: "did anyone say more system apps?" Pinch of the white stuffSo, it seems we could see some new built-in apps and fresh features imminently, although exactly what these might be is obviously not clear, and as ever, you need your salt shaker handy. Particularly as this speculation does run contrary to what we've previously heard – that the early builds of RS2 wouldn't have any noticeable changes or new features, as Redmond is mostly tinkering with the underlying architecture of the OS at this point. Still, we can but hope, as obviously new features are the juicy stuff which Windows Insiders really want to explore. It's definitely believable that we'll see a new RS2 build this week anyway, so we guess we'll find out soon enough whether or not new system apps are part of the package. Check out how Windows 10 will continue to evolve post-Anniversary Updatehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Sqj-OM9-RHY

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Lenovo/Lenovo%20PHAB2%20Pro/Event%20hands%20on/DSC_0580-470-75.jpgLenovo and Microsoft are partnering up to put the latter's productivity apps on the former's Android devices. In other words, selected Microsoft apps – which include Office, Skype and OneDrive – will soon start popping up pre-installed on Lenovo's 'premium' Android devices. In announcing the partnership, the companies also noted that the deal includes a patent cross-licensing agreement which will allow for the usage of Microsoft's intellectual property on both Lenovo and Motorola hardware. Redmond certainly hasn't been sluggish when it comes to leveraging its IP, and the software giant took the time to remind us that since its IP licensing program kicked off back in 2003, it has sealed over 1,200 licensing agreements. Productive marriageNick Parker, corporate vice president OEM Division, Microsoft, commented: "Microsoft's thrilled that our productivity apps will be pre-installed on Lenovo's premium devices. The marriage of Microsoft's apps and Lenovo's Android-based devices will enable customers around the world to be more productive, more connected and achieve even more." In other recent Microsoft news, yesterday we witnessed the company acquiring chatbot startup Genee, a digital assistant that helps you manage your meetings more effectively. We can doubtless expect Genee's skills to be applied to Office 365 soon enough, although exactly how it will be incorporated into the suite, and how it will fit with the freshly revealed Microsoft Bookings, isn't clear at this point. Check out our list of the 10 best office apps for Androidhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/hca7lM46sc8

http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Ransomware/RansBackupper-470-90.JPGAvoid and remove ransomwareDon't be locked out by ransomwareRansomware – software that encrypts your files or locks your screen until you pay its creators a fee – is no longer the preserve of malicious coders. Virus-writers are now offering their creations for sale on the black market for less tech-savvy criminals to distribute, in return for a slice of the profits. This new tactic means ransomware is spreading faster than ever, and criminals are becoming more inventive with their tactics – one of the latest examples of the type masquerades as a Pokémon Go app for Windows. As with all forms of malware, prevention is better than cure: only download software from trusted sources, don't open unexpected email attachments, question any new programs you don't remember downloading, and remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is. However, it's not always possible to avoid stealthy ransomware attacks – sometimes all it takes is visiting a website that's been compromised – but there are measures you can take to prevent infections, and to deal with any that slip through the net. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Ransomware/RansBackupper-420-90.JPG Back up your dataYou should already be making regular backups of your data – not only as protection from viruses, but also from file corruption, disk damage, and theft or loss of your machine. It might seem like a hassle, but it doesn't have to be. AOMEI Backupper is a free tool that takes the fuss out of this essential part of PC housekeeping. AOMEI makes it simple to back up your whole system, a drive, a partition or individual files, and restore them in minutes. You can also clone one drive to another with a few clicks, and make bootable rescue media for emergencies. Also make sure you have the latest updates for all your software, to patch any newly discovered vulnerabilities. Check your Windows settings to ensure you receive automatic updates, and install Secunia Personal Software Inspector to identify software in need of patching. The first time you run Secunia PSI it will prompt you to install Microsoft Update; you can ignore this if you're running Windows 8, 8.1 or 10. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Ransomware/RansSecunia-420-90.JPG Boost your security suiteAn online security tool is essential, but bear in mind that some are more comprehensive than others. Avira Free Antivirus is our weapon of choice, and Avast Free Antivirus also offers particularly good protection against ransomware. Premium security suites often include additional measures that can stop web pages containing malicious software from even loading. Thanks to generous trial periods, it's possible to get a year of premium antivirus protection completely free, so this option is well worth investigating. Security stalwart Malwarebytes is working on a tool specifically designed to combat ransomware, and you can try it for free before it's rolled into the company's premium security suite. It's still in beta, so it's not perfect, but it provides an extra layer of security on top of your existing antivirus. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Ransomware/RansMalwareBytes-420-90.JPG Unlock your filesIf you're unfortunate enough to fall victim to an attack, your immediate instinct might be to pay the fine and get everything back working as soon as you can. Most ransomware creators will indeed unlock your files once you've opened your wallet, but there's no guarantee. If your PC screen is locked, try inserting your Windows disc, then rebooting your PC. The machine should boot from the disc rather than your hard drive (if not, press [F8] before Windows loads and use the BIOS menu to change the boot order), and you'll be given the option to repair or reinstall the operating system. Alternatively, you can use the Advanced Boot Options menu (again via the BIOS) to access Windows System Restore, to restore your PC to a point before it became infected. Restoring or repairing your system should remove the virus, but your files may still be encrypted – or even deleted. That isn't a problem if you've been making regular backups though, and AOMEI Backupper will enable you to restore them. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/W3dLKpeWq74

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/AAevents/1WWDC2016/screengrabs/012-macos-sierra-470-75.jpgSo how long have we got to wait for the next version of Apple's desktop operating system to turn up? Well, we know that macOS Sierra is due to pitch up in the autumn, but new speculation is pointing to the middle of October as the likely arrival date. And we should stress that this is purely speculation, but Computerworld has thought things through based on the pace with which Apple released preview versions of macOS Sierra, compared to the buildup proceeding the launch of El Capitan last year. Essentially, with Sierra, Apple is around two weeks behind where El Capitan was at this point in 2015. That's based on the fact that the sixth preview version of macOS Sierra emerged at the start of this week for devs, and the sixth beta of El Capitan hit home on August 3 (with previous versions of both more or less mirroring this fortnight gap). Two-week lagHence if we add that two-week lag onto the release date of El Capitan, which was September 30, we end up with a probable mid-October launch for macOS Sierra (most likely the week ending October 16). That would be just less than two months away, and it seems a perfectly realistic landing date. Apple released the first public beta of macOS Sierra back on July 7, allowing the general computing public at large to get a taste of the upcoming operating system, which brings Siri to the desktop, along with a number of other new features like picture-in picture mode and a Universal Clipboard (allowing for the likes of direct cutting and pasting between iOS and macOS devices). Another point worth noting is that Sierra is more demanding than El Capitan – you can check out the hardware requirements for the new OS here. Also check out our round-up of the latest macOS Sierra news and featureshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/Z3IQf4No430

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Windows/Windows%2010%20anniversary%20update/w10-au-start-menu-crop-470-75.jpgAnother piece of research has emerged which has a pop at Windows 10's poor treatment of user privacy – although in fairness, Microsoft isn't the only company to be taking liberties hoovering up data, as the author points out. The latest flak fired at Redmond comes from security analytics firm Plixer, the CEO of which – Mike Patterson – did some digging into Windows 10's privacy settings and the user data sent back to Microsoft's servers. Patterson observed several things: firstly, that by default, Windows 10 sends a hell of a lot of data back to Microsoft if you install the OS with 'express settings' – and let's face it, while clearly those who are even moderately tech-savvy will tweak the setup, there are a lot of folks out there who won't be bothered. The second point, also made by others previously, is that even if you do tweak said settings, and then dive into Windows 10's menus to turn off every data grabbing feature you can find, the operating system will still be sending some data back to Microsoft. Patterson made some interesting further observations, noting that: "Even after disabling everything I could find, I noticed that some form of metadata was still being sent to Microsoft every 5 minutes. Microsoft was making a connection to ssw.live.com over an HTTP connection on port 80. The content was encrypted in a way that made it impossible to determine what was being sent. "This is an interesting choice, as Microsoft could have sent the data over HTTPS via port 443 to prevent eavesdroppers from looking at the data; instead, however, they used an unencrypted HTTP connection over port 80. This extra effort to encrypt indicates that Microsoft not only didn't want non-authorized users of the machine from accessing the data – they also didn't want the end-user knowing what was being sent." In other words, Microsoft isn't just failing to make it clear to users what data is sent back as a baseline, but it's also obfuscating this piped-out data. Of course, there is a group policy feature called 'Allow Telemetry' which can be used to switch off all data collection, but the option to disable everything is only available in Windows 10 Enterprise, not the Home or Pro versions. Although Patterson notes that it is possible, if you're particularly enterprising (pun not intended), to stop the data transmission manually by configuring your firewall to block the servers that Windows 10 hooks up with for telemetry purposes. More than MicrosoftPatterson also observed that Microsoft isn't the only company guilty of this sort of practice. He found that Plantronics (the headset maker) is sending back encrypted data over HTTP port 80 every minute, and security outfit McAfee is sending data back using a DNS lookup that bypasses security mechanisms when it comes to many companies. Patterson said: "While we agree that McAfee is a friendly vendor, we would like to know what they are sending, we want to be able to decrypt it using traditionally accepted decryption methods, and we want the ability to turn it off." More transparency and control is needed, and not just from Microsoft. As Rahul Kashyap, EVP and chief security architect at endpoint security firm Bromium, chipped in: "It's unfortunate that many reputable brands are knowingly engaging in 'sneaky data mining' without providing upfront details to consumers. Moreover, it is important that users should absolutely be told – how long this data will be stored, the security of the data and what will it be used for. Failing to comply is a breach of consumer trust." And in terms of the broader picture, let's not even get started on other firms, such as Google's vast data mining. It's certainly clear enough that the tech industry all round could do with cleaning up its privacy act, but Windows 10 is fully in the firing line right now – with volleys recently fired at the OS by the EFF and French watchdog the CNIL. Check out our guide on how to fix Windows 10 privacy issueshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/XcHFxL_dsxE

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/MacLifeWebContent/Ask/Encryption-Main-470-75.jpg Best VPN services: The top providersWant to find the best VPN service? Keep on readingVPN or Virtual Private Network works by creating an encrypted connection between your computer and a VPN server from a service provider (there's dozens of them to choose from). Anything you do online - sites you're visiting, emails you send or receive, files you download, web forms you complete - passes through that secure tunnel and can't be intercepted by anyone else (unless one of these servers – or your own computer) is compromised but that's another story. Below are the top 10 VPN services that we selected. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/security/Hotspot-Shield/Hotspot-420-100.jpg 1. Hotspot ShieldThe best VPN tool to browse online privately If you want the absolute best VPN service, check out AnchorFree's Hotspot Shield Elite. It is, in our view, the the one that manages to provide all the necessary features at an attractive price with the option of getting a lifetime license. It supports private browsing, virtual locations, allows "access all content", and supports up to 5 devices. Performance results in our tests were excellent, with latency showing only a marginal increase, and both upload and download speeds a little faster once connected. We'd like more configurability and a wider range of locations, but Hotspot Shield Elite's high speeds and low price have a lot of appeal, and the 7-day trial makes it easy to test the service for yourself. Buy: Hotspot Shield 1 week | Hotspot Shield 1 month | Hotspot Shield 6 months | Hotspot Shield 12 months | Hotspot Shield 24 months | Hotspot Shield Lifetime http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/VPN%20services/KeepSolid-420-100.jpg 2. KeepSolid VPN UnlimitedBest for multiple devices Some companies take a one-size-fits-all approach to VPNs, offering the bare minimum of products, but KeepSolid's VPN Unlimited is different. Very, very different. Forget the usual two or three plans. There's a 7-day free trial to get you started, and also a 7-day money-back guarantee for a little extra security. VPN Unlimited's PC client opens with a clear overview of the service state. Your real and virtual IPs are displayed as addresses and plotted on a map and the number of days left on your current plan are visible at a glance. Its choice of servers is lower than some but for a more general purpose VPN, the service does very well. Buy: VPN Unlimited 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 1 year, 3 years or lifetime http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/VPN%20services/NordVPN-420-100.jpg 3. NordVPNFor those looking for an ultra-secure VPN Despite being based in a country located in Central America – hardly a tech hub - NordVPN's current products match or beat the competition in just about every area. 563 servers in 49 countries, 2048-bit encryption, 6-device support as standard, strong DNS leak protection, automatic Kill Switch, handy security extras, optional dedicated IP addresses, and payment options including Bitcoin, PayPal and credit cards. Performance was good, too, with download speeds around 95% of our typical rate. Latency and upload speeds weren't as impressive at 197% and 40% of the regular rates, but overall our system still felt relatively snappy and responsive. Buy: NordVPN 1 month | NordVPN 6 months | NordVPN 1 year http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/VPN%20services/PureVPN-420-100.jpg 4. PureVPNBest for those looking for maximum speed PureVPN's PC client stands out immediately for the sheer volume of connection options and tools it makes available. Its policy on logging is unusually clear: the company records the time you connect to a server and the total bandwidth used, but otherwise there are no logs of the websites you visit, the files you download or anything else. PureVPN did much better on our performance tests, where amazingly it managed to improve most of our download speeds. Latency was a mere 5% higher than normal, upload speeds actually increased by 4%, while downloads were a very surprising 80% up on our normal speeds. Buy: PureVPN 1 month, 6 months, 2 years http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/VPN%20services/IPVanish-420-100.jpg 5. IPVanishBest for P2P traffic While many VPN providers try to stand out with their free plans and cheap commercial products, IPVanish talks more about service quality. It's "the world's fastest VPN" says the website, boasting 40,000+ shared IPs, 500+ VPN servers in 60+ countries, unlimited P2P traffic, five simultaneous connections and more. The price is still going to be an issue for some – it is more expensive than the average competition, but IPVanish's high speeds, choice of locations and excellent client are hard to beat. If you're after quality, take the plunge with this VPN, and if somehow you end up unhappy with the service there's always that 7-day money-back guarantee. Buy: IPVanish 1 month, 3 months, 1 year The next 5 to be considered are: CactusVPNCyberGhost PremiumHide.meHola PremiumInvisible Browsing VPNHow to test and choose your VPN. Free vs. Paid.Why free VPN is not always bestVPN's used to be a premium product, but you don't have to spend big money on them anymore. Some companies now offer a basic service that won't cost you anything at all. As you'd expect, there are catches, and they typically start with a data cap. Avira Phantom VPN's free plan limits you to 500MB a month, PrivateTunnel's is 2GB, ZPN has a generous 10GB: not bad at all. Free products also typically have usage restrictions. Most companies don't want you to soak up all their bandwidth on torrents, so ZPN is typical in blocking P2P. Hide.me's 2GB free plan also has some common limits. There's "best effort" bandwidth, which means paying customers have speed priority and you get what's left. And the choice of locations is limited to three: Canada, Netherlands and Singapore. Hola's free-for-personal-use plan doesn't have the same kind of restrictions, but even here there's a catch. The service routes traffic through its free users rather than dedicated servers, so signing up allow others to (securely) share a small part of your bandwidth and resources. Then there's the adverts and the session limits (CyberGhost) and the general lack of service level agreement: free means that it doesn't come with any implicit warranties. Free plans are fine for simple needs, then, maybe protecting your laptop's wireless hotspot traffic on the occasional trip, but if you're looking for anything more advanced, a commercial product is best. Check out the best free VPN services hereThe immediate benefit is that you know your personal data remains safe, even if you're on a public Wi-Fi hotspot. Local snoopers might be able to see the connection, but there's no way to find out what it is or where it's going. VPNs also give you a new digital identity in the shape of an IP address from another country. This makes it harder for websites or anyone else to track you, allows some people to bypass government censorship, and helps the rest of us avoid those "not available in your country" messages on YouTube or other streaming sites. Best of all, despite the low-level network technology involved, you don't need to be any kind of expert to make VPNs work. For the most part, all you have to do is choose the country where you'd like an IP address, click Connect to start, Disconnect when you're done-- and that's it. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg How to choose a VPN? Here's 6 tipsThere are several factors to consider when you're choosing a paid VPN. 1. Does the plan have servers in every country and region you need? Having more than one server in a country can help spread the load, but doesn't guarantee improved performance, so don't assume a plan with 500 servers will automatically beat another with 100. 2. Check the number of simultaneous connections supported. Typically, this is 3-5, which allows you to have a PC, mobile and tablet connected at the same time. But beware, many companies say this is for a single user only, and they all have fair usage policies to prevent people hogging resources. If you let the entire family download and stream videos separately then you'll run into trouble. 3. Some providers list the connection protocols they use. OpenVPN and IKeV2 are good choices, fast and secure. You might see SSTP and the older PPTP, as well as protocol options (TCP or UDP for OpenVPN). You don't need to understand the low-level details, but having the extra choice can help the service make faster and/ or more reliable connections. 4. All VPN companies say they don't log whatever you're doing online, but inevitably they collect a little data. Some services record the day your account logged on, the amount of data you used, and delete anything else when the session closes. Others add items like your incoming IP address and the server you used, and keep the data for months, even years. If you're concerned, check the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service to find out more. 5. It's important to consider the client, the software which handles your connections. These all have a list of servers and a Connect/ Disconnect button, but could you use more? Some clients display server load and ping time in the interface, helping you choose the right one. Regular users might appreciate a "Favourites" system to save and recall specific servers. If you know what you're doing, having access to low-level network settings will help you tune the whole system. 6. Finally, there's the price. Beware of apparently cheap deals: these may have restricted features, exclude taxes, be discounted for the first billing period only, and renew automatically, so that apparent one-off £3.99 might become almost £10 next month. Look for a "Pricing" link, read the small print, and if possible use something like PayPal where it's easy to check and cancel a subscription yourself. Once you've found what looks like a good VPN candidate, be sure to take it for a trial before you spend any big money. Companies will often provide short trials of just a day or two, maybe offer a refund, but don't pay too much attention to those. Choose what looks like the best service for you, pay for a month, run as many tests as you can, then upgrade to a better value plan (usually yearly) if you're happy. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg How to test a VPN?Our comparisons started by looking at each provider's range of plans. We were looking for features, value, and clear and honest pricing. Free ways to learn more about a service - free plans, trial periods, refund periods - were important, and we also looked for companies which maintained your privacy when you signed up (no email address required, trials available without credit cards, Bitcoin available as a payment option). The official product pages never tell you everything you need to know, so we headed off to the "Privacy Policy" and "Terms and Conditions" pages to find the real details. Does the company log more data than you'd expect, or keep it for a long time? When might it share information with others? Are there any restrictions on who can sign up? (Some providers say you must be 18 or over, or that the service is for personal, non-commercial use only.) Any other catches? VPN performance is difficult to measure as there are so many variables, but we used multiple techniques to try and get a feel for each service's abilities. We first used speedtest.net to measure the latency, upload and download speeds for a distant connection (typically UK to California), repeated the test immediately with the VPN turned off, and looked at any changes. We followed this up with a much shorter connection (typically UK to Netherlands) to see a more typical peak performance, ran a second benchmark to confirm our results, and ran some general browsing tests - including streaming HD video - to look for other problems. VPNs will always give you a new IP address, but some services may have DNS or other leaks which give clues about your identity. We visited IPLeak.net and other privacy sites to look for problems. Running these tests gave us a chance to examine each provider's client. We were looking for good server selection tools (by country, region, server, speed, with filters, a Favourites system, perhaps with server load or ping time displayed), with plenty of configuration options, but also a client which stayed out of your way until you needed it. Finally, we weighed up these individual factors, came up with an overall score, and narrowed these down to the 10 best VPNs around. All the ones in the top five scored 70 points or more, out of 100. You might also be interested inHow to set up and maintain a VPNHow to make your VPN more secureHow to build a dedicated VPN routerHow to use VPN on Androidhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/B5g4xDxdXHI

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Website%20in%20a%20weekend/WebsiteMain-470-75.JPGWebsite in a weekendBuild a free website in a weekendA personal website lets you share your passions with the world. It could be a hobby (photography, writing, cooking and travel are all popular topics), a professional portfolio to showcase your expertise (a kind of online business card), or a place to share information about a club or organization you're involved in. It's not difficult either, and with free tools you can create a website from scratch in a few hours. You don't have to use a dull template to make your site either - with a tiny bit of extra effort you can create something totally unique and utterly stunning without writing a line of code. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Website%20in%20a%20weekend/WebsiteWritemaps-420-90.JPG 1. Make a sitemapBefore you can begin building your site, you'll need an idea of its structure, and how the pages will link to one another. This is called a sitemap, and even simple sites will benefit from having one. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/cloud2-228-100.jpgThere are lots of online sitemapping tools, and our favorite for very small sites is WriteMaps. The free plan lets you create up to three sitemaps and doesn't include any unnecessary frills. Once you've signed up, take 30 seconds to watch the introductory video and you're ready to go. Your map will take a tree-like structure, with pages branching off a central index page. Just hover your mouse over a page, then click the plus symbol to add a 'child' page underneath it. Easy. WriteMaps only lets you create and label branches, which might be all you need, but if you'd like to add notes and colors to make things clearer you can use free mind-mapping software Freemind in exactly the same way. Start with a central index page, then tap [insert] to add child pages branching off it. See all Freemind's keyboard shortcuts. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Website%20in%20a%20weekend/WebsiteGIMP-420-90.JPG 2. Edit your picturesEven if it's mainly text-based, you'll want to include some images on your website - and you'll probably need to edit them a little first, even if it's just to crop and resize them. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgOur preferred tool for the task is GIMP: a completely free photo-editor that's ideal for everyone from novices to experts. You'll find a guide to more advanced image-editing techniques here, but the basic crop and scaling tools are self-explanatory; you'll find them in the toolbox that appears on the right. Once you've finished editing, choose File > Export and select a format to save the image in. There's a comprehensive guide to image formats on Wikipedia, but JPG generally provides the best balance of image quality and file size for photographs displayed online. If you need some attractive images but don't have any of your own, check out Pixabay - it's a fantastic source of public domain photos that you can download and use without worrying about copyright. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Website%20in%20a%20weekend/WebsiteWix-420-90.JPG 3. Pick a hostThis is the most important decision you'll make - the company that will host your website from its servers and ensure it stays online - and your choice will depend on your priorities. If you simply want to get your site online as quickly as possible, you might be happy with a hosting service that only lets you create sites using its own templates. However, if you'd rather make your own pages using a tool like Mobirise (see below), which gives you far more flexibility over the design and layout, then you'll need a host that supports FTP (file transfer protocol) so you can upload it yourself - more details on that below. You also need to consider how large your site will be, and how much site traffic you're expecting each month. Here's our guide to some of the best free web hosts: Weebly URL: www.weebly.comAds: Small Weebly banner on each pageSite builder: YesFTP: NoDisk space: Unlimited (but no single file can exceed 10MB)Monthly site traffic: UnlimitedFreeGreenHost URL: http://freegreenhost.comAds: NoSuite builder: NoFTP: YesDisk space: 1GBMonthly site traffic: 5GBWix URL: www.wix.comAds: Small Wix banner on each pageSite builder: YesFTP: NoDisk space: 500MBMonthly site traffic: 500MBBiz.nf URL: www.biz.nfAds: NoSite builder: NoFTP: YesDIsk space: 1GBMonthly site traffic: 5GBhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/features/Website%20in%20a%20weekend/WebsiteMobirise-420-90.JPG 4. Build your pagesIf you're happy to use a website builder provided by your site host then you don't need to worry about this step, but if you'd prefer to build your own pages then check out Mobirise. No knowledge of coding is required, it's free, and your site will be responsive, meaning it will adapt seamlessly to work with different devices and screen sizes. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgSites are built using a simple system of blocks, and the results look smart and stylish thanks to features like video backgrounds, content sliders and Google Maps integration. Your finished site can be hosted by any service that supports FTP (see above). Keep your sitemap handy while you're working; if you only have one monitor, it might be useful to print it. If you want to make something less flashy, take a look at SeaMonkey Composer, which comes as part of the SeaMonkey internet application suite. It looks and functions much like Microsoft Word and it'll take more effort to create good-looking web pages, but no prior knowledge of HTML is required. Indeed, you're likely to learn quite a lot about basic web design while you're using it. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg 5. Upload your filesAn FTP (file transfer protocol) client is a program used to upload HTML pages, images and other files from your PC to your web host's servers. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/DownloadButtonSmall-266-100.jpgMost site builders include their own built-in FTP clients (including Mobirise - it's accessible via the 'Publish' button on the top right), but if yours doesn't then SmartFTP is a good option. Find out how to get started with SmartFTP. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/DOWNLOADS/roundups/divider-420-90.jpg 6. Get your own domainThis step is entirely optional. Your free hosting will probably provide you with an URL in the format yousite.freehost.com, but to make it truly personal you might want your own domain. You can register a free .tk domain at Dot TK, but bear in mind that the free registration is only valid for 1-12 months - to keep the domain longer you'll need to buy a subscription. Hundreds of new top-level domains have become available since last year, and some are available very cheaply - for example, a domain ending in .site, .xyz or .online will cost a fraction of a .com or .org. You can investigate your options at domain registrars like 123-reg or GoDaddy, then search around for the best price. It won't be free, but it's likely to be very cheap - particularly if you get a discounted subscription for the first year. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/58jwY8f2n-g

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/internet/best-internet-speed-test-470-75.jpgBetween 2011 and 2015, the average amount of data used per month in a British home rocketed from 17GB to 82GB. Mobile data usage shows a similar pattern. More of us are using more data than ever before. That fact is troubling computer scientists at Lancaster University, who've written a research paper titled "Are there limits to growth in data traffic?". It argues that the increase in data use as accompanied a huge increase in energy use, despite improvements in efficiency. This energy use comes with a massive carbon footprint. Right now, the internet accounts for about five percent of global electricity use - but it's growing at about seven percent per year. Some predictions, the researchers say, find that IT could account for as much as 20 percent of total energy use by 2030. Natural LimitsThere are some natural limits to how much data humans can use. There are a finite number of people on the planet, and they need to sleep sometimes. But a significant chunk of the growth in data usage doesn't come from humans - it comes from machines. From smart thermostats and other household gadgets, to connected cars and industrial equipment, more and more technology has an internet connection. These objects don't sleep and are proliferating very rapidly. There are currently 6.4 billion connected Internet of Things devices and it is estimated this could reach 21 billion by 2020. "The nature of internet use is changing and forms of growth, such as the Internet of Things, are more disconnected from human activity and time-use," explains Mike Hazas, who co-authored the paper. "Communication with these devices occurs without observation, interaction and potentially without limit." Volume QuotasThe researchers conclude that the world should be examining whether limits should be applied to data growth, ideally before it occurs. Ways that could be accomplished include volume quotas, and different pricing for different internet services - though this would fall foul of network neutrality laws. "The Internet of Things is still in the making and it is important to consider existing ideas for a 'speed limit' to the system, especially in comparison to having to retrospectively reduce internet traffic in the future," said Hazas. This leather jacket doubles as a personal, wearable cloudDuncan Geere is TechRadar's science writer. Every day he finds the most interesting science news and explains why you should care. You can read more of his stories here, and you can find him on Twitter under the handle @duncangeere.

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20file%20recovery%20software/data_ontrack-470-75.jpgIntroductionhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20file%20recovery%20software/data_intro-420-90.jpg You know the drill by now. And if you don't, you should: your data is far more important than the hardware you're running it on. Laptops can be replaced, but the ones and zeroes they contain absolutely cannot. But perhaps they're not gone forever. Photographer Peter Krogh once wrote that there are two kinds of people: those who've suffered a storage failure, and those who'll have one in the future. With this in mind he posited the 3-2-1 rule of backups which calls for three copies of your data on at least two kinds of media, one of which is stored off-site. If disaster strikes and you haven't done this, you're not necessarily out of luck – you may be able to get something back. Nothing is 100%, so these packages won't replace a good backup routine, but you're at least in with a chance if something goes wrong or if you've been a bit delete-happy. If you're on a budget, also check out our top five free data recovery packagesOnTrack EasyRecovery 11 Professionalhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20file%20recovery%20software/data_ontrack-420-90.jpg Price: £129 ($172) per year Available for Windows, OS X Specifically geared to looking after small to medium businesses, EasyRecovery Professional offers the deep scanning functionality of its smaller Home sibling (£69 per year, that's around $90) but adds a selection of advanced tools. These include specific email recovery functions which dig into Outlook mailbox files, and diagnostic tools to find bad blocks on your failed drives. There are also imaging and copying tools to ensure both an easy backup process and a quick restore when all the nasty file recovery business is complete. OnTrack also includes a disk refresher – we're not entirely convinced that it'll be able to do much more than make you feel better about yourself, but if it can sniff out bad sectors early enough you might be able to strike before anything goes wrong. Upgrade to the Enterprise edition if you're looking for hardware or software RAID recovery, network recovery or integration with virtual machines, but be prepared to pay an eye-watering £299 (around $395) for a 12-month license. GetDataBackhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20file%20recovery%20software/data_getdataback-420-90.jpg Price: $79 (£50) Available for Windows One purchase gets you three flavours of GetDataBack: Simple, which has a streamlined interface and can be pointed at FAT, NTFS or EXT formatted drives to hunt for files, and a pair of classic versions focusing on NTFS and FAT drives specifically. The latter two have been around and updated since 2001, and while their age may suggest they may be splitting at the seams, data is still data. They can find it. All three packages can be run from a live CD or from within a WinPE bootable Windows environment, meaning you can fire them up without risking much destabilisation of your drives. GetDataBack Simple is, we'd suggest, particularly useful for laypeople – if you don't know how a particular drive is formatted, or even what FAT or NTFS mean, the unintimidating interface and basic language might still be able to help you pull files back. More advanced users, though, could benefit from looking elsewhere. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Prohttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20file%20recovery%20software/data_easeus-420-90.jpg Price: $149 (£112.50) Available for Windows EaseUS isn't overstating the 'Wizard' part of this software's title – it really is straightforward to use, taking you step-by-step through the recovery process. Run it quickly enough after disaster has occurred and it'll be able to resurrect just about everything, from inadvertently-deleted partitions to virus-ruined files. While you can get a version without it for a slightly smaller investment, we recommend the WinPE-equipped Data Recovery Wizard Pro + WinPE (RRP is $149, but look for it around $99 – that's around £75) since it includes bootable media for recovery from serious system crashes. It's one of the cheaper solutions we've seen for resurrecting crashed RAID setups – certain packages hide this functionality away in their premium versions – and what's more, a single fee qualifies you for free lifetime upgrades. While there are definitely more advanced recovery packages out there, and certainly some cheaper ones, this is the one we'd keep on our shelf for those not-so-special occasions. Data Rescue PC3http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20file%20recovery%20software/data_datarescuepc3-420-90.jpg Price: $99 (£75) Available for Windows Optical media might be gasping its last breaths, but it still has uses. It's notably handy for enabling the likes of Data Rescue PC3, which comes on a bootable CD so that you don't risk damaging a bad drive any further when you come to retrieve your lost files from it. Fire up Data Rescue, follow the simple steps, hook up an external drive, and it'll do a deep forensic scan for your files and pull off the files you select, as long as they're recoverable. It'll also run as an application, grabbing your files from external discs and SD cards. If you're in a hurry we'd look elsewhere, because the painstaking scan takes a good long while to run through, and also because you'll obviously need to get hold of this on physical media rather than in downloadable form. It does use excellent recovery routines, picking up more files than most, so it's a good option if you've exhausted all other possibilities. Mac users lacking optical drives should look towards Data Rescue 4 instead. It is specific OS X software which comes on a bootable USB drive and can cope with Boot Camp partitions as well as regular OS X drives. Paragon Backup and Recoveryhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20file%20recovery%20software/data_paragon-420-90.jpg Price: $39.95 (£30) Available for Windows We've previously looked at Paragon Rescue Kit Free in our guide to free recovery software. Now along comes its big brother, stomping in and demanding money. Should you acquiesce, given that there's such a powerful tool already available for free? Perhaps. Bear in mind that this is a two-pronged tool, half of which will squirrel your data away safely while the other half concentrates on getting you back on your feet in the event of a crash. It's not meant for those moments where you've stupidly deleted your files or formatted a partition – it's more suited to those times when everything explodes. There's support for bootable WinPE recovery media, advanced backup facilities to ensure the exact bytes you need are cared for, and when you're ready to recommit them to a new drive, Paragon Backup and Recovery even helps you get up and running on hardware which may be very different from that which you were using originally. Very handy. MiniTool Power Data Recoveryhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20file%20recovery%20software/data_minibox-420-90.jpg Price: $69/£52 (personal), $119/£90 (commercial license) Available for Windows, OS X MiniTool is broken down into five distinct modules. There's 'undelete recovery' which, as you might expect, attempts to pull files back after accidental deletion. 'Digital media recovery' tries to put right SD cards or USB drives that have somehow gone bad. 'Lost partition recovery' is there to look after your boot records if one of your partitions has somehow gone missing, while 'damaged partition recovery' is the real powerhouse of the suite, pulling data off otherwise uncooperative drives. It's the fifth tool that we're most interested in here, though: CD/DVD recovery. How many of us have made backups onto CD-Rs not realising that they're very much a temporary storage method? While crumbling discs can't all be rescued, run them through MiniTool and you may at least see some results. It's a slow process, but it could be worth it. Recover My Files Professionalhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20file%20recovery%20software/data_recovermyfiles-420-90.jpg Price: $99.95 (£76) Available for Windows Few of us run just a single PC these days, so it's handy that a single Recover My Files license covers two installations. It can cope with FAT, NTFS or OS X HFS-formatted drives, offering up a preview of its found files before you pick what to recover – sometimes files are deleted for a reason, and you may prefer them to stay that way... We've plumped for the Professional version ($99.95, around £76) here mainly because of the inclusion of a hex editor and RAID recovery, features the Standard edition ($69.95, around £53) doesn't include and which it could be costly not to have. You probably don't need to go the whole hog with the Technician edition ($349.95, around £265) unless you're administering a whole network of machines – it includes a hardware USB dongle which enables you to move your software activation to the machine that needs it, but that price is way beyond personal use. Mac Data Recovery Guruhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20file%20recovery%20software/data_macdatarecovery-420-90.jpg Price: £69.90 ($92) Available for OS X It may be a specialised Mac recovery app, but Recovery Guru doesn't limit its talents just to OS X file systems – it's happy to seek out lost files on USB sticks, SD cards, and even Android phones. Its deep scan works very hard, not limiting itself to single sectors or traditional file system layouts but iterating through every single byte on your compromised drives and searching for patterns related to files. Slow as treacle, then, but potentially worth the wait. When your scan's done, you'll be presented with folders full of files of specific types, which you can later sift through and sort out. This is arguably a better method than selecting the files you want to keep on-the-fly as absolutely everything that can be rescued will be rescued, and you can leave Recovery Guru to work on what could potentially be a rapidly-failing drive while you either drink tea or sort yourself out some hardware that actually works. Crashplanhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20file%20recovery%20software/data_crashplan-420-90.jpg Price: Free/$59.95 (£45.50) per year Available for: Windows, OS X, Linux Our official company machines here at Techradar all run Crashplan, and it's saved our bacon on more than one occasion. It's not quite the same as the traditional file recovery apps that we've covered in this article – it's a backup service first and foremost – but it's so comprehensive that it almost counts. Crashplan, you see, stores absolutely everything. It chugs away in the background and makes full, detailed backups of your entire machine starting with the newest files first. It then sifts everything into virtual buckets so you can get quick access to the files that matter most. Critically, though, Crashplan even stores files you've deleted. You can switch this feature off, but we wouldn't: your backups are fully encrypted, so even those deleted files will be safe from prying eyes, and you never know when you might need to retrieve that long-discarded (or virus-removed) file. Piriform Recuva Prohttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20file%20recovery%20software/data_recuva-420-90.jpg Price: £19.95 ($26) Available for Windows Recuva is a full recovery toolkit, dealing with deep scanning, retrieval of data from damaged drives, extracting files from removable devices and more. It's not the most comprehensive tool, but it's certainly powerful enough for the price, particularly given that the pro version also adds disk imaging tools for taking full backups of your drives. Perhaps Recuva's most interesting feature is one that's contrary to its main aim: using its secure delete tool, you can completely obliterate files. Note that usually files are only ever truly deleted when they're overwritten by another occupying the same space on the drive – otherwise, it's merely the reference to their data in the OS that's removed. By overwriting each of their bits repeatedly with zeroes, even the most advanced data forensics tool won't be able to get them back. Perfect for those highly questionable documents that absolutely need to stay deleted... http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/jIp-PPEYiHE

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Features%202/Speech%20Center%20VR/Speech%20Center%20VR%20practice-470-75.jpgSpeech Center VRThe forest is on fire. Flames lick at the trees surrounding me, pouring smoke into the atmosphere. I look for an escape, but I'm trapped. There are three rows of people sitting around me, with hands in their laps, patiently waiting. Don't they see the flames? I whip around and there's a huge screen in front of me with a PowerPoint presentation that I'm supposed to give. I begin speaking, ignoring the burning forest. Soon, the trees and fire become irrelevant. My unflinching audience becomes irrelevant. I'm nailing this presentation. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/Speech%20Center%20VR/Speech%20Center%20VR%20city%20presentation-420-90.jpg Being trapped in a fiery forest is just one of the scenarios used to simulate a high-stress environment in Speech Center VR, a Samsung Gear VR exclusive. You can choose to practice public speaking in more typical settings too, such as a lecture hall or boardroom, but perhaps a burning forest is the most effective at inducing anxiety. Developed by virtual reality startup Cerevrum, Speech Center VR aims to help people conquer their fear of public speaking with lessons, practice, and interaction. But why tackle public speaking first, as opposed to any other phobia? "We were shocked that knowing the greatest fear is the fear of public speaking. It's greater than [the fear of] death," Olga Peshe, chief operating officer at Cerevrum, tells TechRadar during a recent demonstration of the app. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/Speech%20Center%20VR/Speech%20Center%20VR%20board%20room-420-90.jpg The US' biggest phobia is in fact the fear of public speaking, according to the Chapman University Survey on American Fears (via The Washington Post), with 25.3% of participants saying they feared speaking in front of a crowd. More Americans are afraid of public speaking than they are of heights, bugs, or even drowning. The fear of public speaking, also known as glossophobia, is so widespread because of how much it's required in our jobs and daily lives. From sales reps introducing a product to students giving a presentation in the classroom, just about everyone relies on their public speaking skills. Speech Center VR hopes to help people overcome glossophobia as their first venture into VR therapy and education since it's such a universal fear. "We're trying to make this as pragmatic as possible and to solve business problems," says Zach Henry, Cerevrum's chief growth officer. " width="420">YouTube : From the boardroom to a candle-lit dinnerThe business world may be the most obvious place for Cerevrum's tech, but the company thinks Speech Center VR's killer utility will be as a dating course. "We want to help people be more confident," says Peshe, and the app will include virtual environments like a candle-lit dinner table in a restaurant to do just that. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/Speech%20Center%20VR/Speech%20Center%20VR%20romantic%20dinner-420-90.jpg While Speech Center VR's visuals are quite basic, it didn't stop me from feeling like I was in the settings I saw. The avatars in the app look sort-of like characters you'd find in The Sims, with brightly colored eyes and an empty stare. More realistic graphics would surely help Speech Center VR feel more immersive, but it'd require much more powerful hardware than a mobile phone can provide, at least right now. "We're in love with mobile VR," Peshe says, noting it gives people the chance to train wherever they go. Speech Center VR is only available on the Samsung Gear VR, which is a shame as I think the more accurate tracking of the Oculus Rift - and its future hand controller support - would elevate its immersion. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/Speech%20Center%20VR/Speech%20Center%20VR%20avatars-420-90.jpg I also think that eye tracking technology would go along way for training eye contact, something that none of the VR headsets on the market offer just yet. Speech Center VR works around this limitation by having the avatars start browsing on their phones and looking bored if you face away from them for too long. Real-world connectionsWhile the app's environments are virtual, you'll also be able to interact with real humans using the app. I got to sit down in a virtual conference room with my fiancée, who was physically in another room, to have a serious business negotiation about where we were going for lunch. Audio was loud and clear using headphones, and the latency was minimal. I was surprised at how real it all felt. Having a virtual environment to meet in made the conversation feel a lot more natural than a simple phone or video call. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/Speech%20Center%20VR/Speech%20Center%20VR%20menu%20interface-420-90.jpg I found myself instinctively wanting to wave to my fiancée since the interaction felt so natural, but, alas, the Gear VR doesn't offer hand tracking. Instead, I tapped on the back button on my headset to bring up a menu to select from a series of pre-configured reactions, such as laughing and smiling. May I have your undivided attention?One of the reasons Speech Center VR is so compelling is that it requires your full attention. While students in a real lecture hall can browse Facebook or text, you can only concentrate on practicing and learning to be more confident. Cerevrum hopes to have certified speech trainers give public speaking courses to Speech Center VR users starting this September. The app can support up to 1,000 people at a time for a massive open online course. One of the app's neatest features is its ability to record your presentations and upload them to the cloud, so you can listen and share with people in your company. "In some cases, the senior staff is so busy that they don't have time to listen to a pitch deck," says Henry. "So one of the functions [is] a junior staffer can record their deck in VR and forward that to senior staff to watch later. Nothing can replace person-to-person contact, but there's certainly room to use VR to ease the pain of road warriors." http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/Speech%20Center%20VR/VR%20in%20the%20classroom%20-%20image_credit-Cerevrum-420-90.jpg In my demo, the audio recorded from Speech Center VR played clearly from the cloud - I cringed as I heard my own voice giving a mock presentation. Cerevrum hopes to monetize Speech Center VR by offering courses, more environments, and online storage for presentations. The company hasn't nailed down the app's pricing yet, so time will tell if it's affordable. Fears overcome?Virtual reality therapy isn't anything new. Its first trials were documented in the mid-1990s with the US Army's financial support. Even though VR technologies from 20 years ago pale in comparison to what we have today, studies showed that VR therapy was 90% successful in helping participants get over their fear of heights. More recently, a 2006 study performed by professors from the University College London and King's College London showed that low fidelity visuals were still effective in generating anxiety from patients. Speech Center VR's visual are definitely low fidelity when compared to the visuals of PC-driven VR games, but that didn't make the experience any less effective. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Features%202/Speech%20Center%20VR/Speech%20Center%20VR%20White%20House-420-90.jpg Although I still felt some nervousness presenting in front of a room full of virtual avatars, I would've probably felt more nervous in front of a live audience. This will change with the introduction of live classes as well as one-on-one training with a speech trainer as you'll know real people are listening and ready to provide feedback and criticism. Even without a live audience, I felt more comfortable giving my mock presentation at the end of my hour-long demo than I did at the start. There isn't a lot of new research on the merits of virtual therapy, but that'll start to change now that VR is much more accessible. With Speech Center VR, anyone with a Samsung Galaxy phone and Gear VR headset can tackle glossophobia from the comfort of home, or even on the road. Sure, the experience could be a lot more immersive, but having the ability to take these speech courses wherever you are is invaluable. Games and entertainment are just the beginning for virtual reality, and Speech Center VR proves that virtual reality can be a powerful platform for education and therapy. Top phone credit: Cerevrum Our 5-star review of the HTC Vivehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/K57Offxt12A

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/AAevents/Apple%20March%2021%202016%20Event/9.7%20iPad%20Launch/9-7-ipad-pro-hands-on-3210259.j9-7-ipad-pro-hands-on-g-470-75.jpgIntroductionhttp://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/AAevents/Apple%20March%2021%202016%20Event/9.7%20iPad%20Launch/9-7-ipad-pro-hands-on-3210259.j9-7-ipad-pro-hands-on-g-420-100.jpg Note: Our top business apps for iPad round-up has been fully updated. This feature was first published in July 2012. Some people think of the iPad as something of a toy – a basic computing slab suitable for little more than lounging on the sofa poking around at Facebook and Candy Crush. But those people would be wrong. A large list of critical business functions, like email, messaging and many administration tasks can be performed on the iPad with only its default apps. Add in a thing or two from the App Store and your iPad can become even more powerful. We've trawled the deepest recesses of the store to highlight our current top 10 business apps for Apple's tablet, whether you've got a vanilla iPad or one of the Pro models. This is a collection of software which can make a real difference to your efficiency, improve your relations with customers and clients, not to mention helping you out creatively. Try a few of them out and you might just find your iPad becoming your go-to office tool. Not that we won't permit a little bit of Candy Crush in your downtime, of course… 8 business apps every IT leader needs on their smartphoneiWork suitehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20iPad%20apps/ipad_iwork-420-90.jpg Price: Free/£7.99 ($9.99) each This entry actually covers three different applications, Apple's iOS versions of Keynote, Numbers and also Pages, each available for £7.99 ($9.99) or free with post-2013 iPads. If you're already used to working in the Apple environment, these streamlined tablet versions of its desktop apps will be instantly familiar. While they're not quite as well-equipped as their larger desktop counterparts, there's enough here to keep you working on your essential documents without issues. It's quite liberating to be able to dance around a spreadsheet with your fingers or generate charts on the fly, and while we're not keen on typing large documents with the iOS keyboard, a Bluetooth keyboard is the perfect accompaniment to Pages. Keynote could be particularly useful if you're equipped with slightly more kit – pair it with an iPad VGA adapter and you'll be able to hook your tablet straight up to a projector, and if you're lucky enough to have an Apple Watch on your wrist its (simplistic) app is perfect for subtly advancing slides or activating animations. Google Drivehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20iPad%20apps/ipad_googledrive-420-90.jpg Price: Free/£1.59 ($1.99) per month for 100GB The ying to iWork's yang, Google's online office suite (and storage locker) is well-suited to anyone already integrated with its ecosystem, which we'd have to presume is a vast majority of its potential users. Everything you create is auto-saved to Google Drive's cloud storage, and the iOS specific apps – Docs for word processing, Sheets for spreadsheets and Slides for presentations – support all the major formats. Once you're finished with something, you can instantly share it with anyone just by sending them the appropriate link. We love the collaborative element of Google's apps, which means several team members can access and work on the same document simultaneously, but the real key here is that you can also work offline, so if you're travelling somewhere without an internet connection you won't lose valuable work time. Everything's saved automatically as you work and synchronised with Google's servers when you next connect online. Genius Scan+ PDF Scannerhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20iPad%20apps/ipad_geniusscan-420-90.jpg Price: £4.99 ($6.99) This is a fantastic idea on the face of it. Take pictures of documents with your iPad's camera, and Genius Scan will turn them into PDFs. In practice, it's just as effective as that simple explanation suggests. Once you've snapped a document, Genius Scan attempts to draw a frame around it, which you can tweak if it's not quite bang on. Scan the document, and Genius Scan applies a transform to your photo, flattening it out and allowing you to export it as a PDF or JPG. This is perfect for sending signed contracts on the fly, particularly if you're not near an actual hardware scanner, and it's a great idea for cataloguing receipts for later expense claims without having to carry an overflowing wallet. In fact, if you're looking to reduce any stacks of paper in your office, Genius Scan's batch scanning function could be the perfect tool – just import all that paper, process it as you go, and have it sent right to Dropbox or OneDrive. You can even protect your PDFs for extra security. Evernotehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20iPad%20apps/ipad_evernote-420-90.jpg Price: Free/$49 (£35) per year Efficient projects are well-organised projects, and keeping all the information you need in one place is paramount. There's a reason so many diligent individuals rely on Evernote to manage their information streams – it's a great place to store everything from written notes to photos and web content. Integrated sharing options and Evernote's group notebooks make team collaboration easy, and it's all entirely platform-agnostic, so anything you do on your iPad will automatically be reflected anywhere else you have access to the service. We'd definitely recommend plumping for the $49 (£35) annual subscription option – you'll get 10GB of uploads per month as opposed to the free version's paltry 60MB, synchronisation to unlimited devices, the ability to attach and search PDFs and Office documents, and PDF annotation tools which come in handy more often than you might think. Once you've integrated Evernote into your workflow, you'll never turn back – especially as rival services like Google Keep don't even come close. Penultimatehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20iPad%20apps/Penultimate-420-90.jpg Price: Free In the spirit of saving paper and reducing the number of things you have to lug around in your bag, here's awesome note-taking app Penultimate. It gives you access to beautifully rendered and smooth inks, which make your quickly-jotted notes look amazing, and you get a host of papers to use them on (with more available through in-app purchases). As the name implies, it's best used with a stylus – owner Evernote naturally recommends its own Jot Script Bluetooth stylus (£45/$45) – mainly because scribbling notes with your index finger both gives comparatively poor results and looks ridiculous. Highly useful for taking notes in meetings or for collaborative planning exercises, Penultimate is packed with features that integrate with Evernote. As long as you don't have handwriting like a cross-eyed GP, Evernote will attempt to interpret your scrawls and make your notes searchable, and you can quickly and easily catalogue them in folders, meaning all of your projects will stay well-organised. Stocks Trackerhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20iPad%20apps/ipad_stockstracker-420-90.jpg Price: £11.99 ($15.99) Apple's preinstalled and staunchly non-removable Stocks app is a bone of contention for some because they don't need it, and for others because it's not quite up to the task. Replace it with the beautiful and clean Stocks Tracker app (then spend the £11.99/$15.99 on the full version upgrade) and you'll see just what you're missing. It puts real-time quotes on US stocks at your fingertips, with support for just about every worldwide exchange. You can make the most of its highly customisable graphs and views to create your own personal stocks frontend, and use its custom push notifications to keep a close an eye on your portfolio. While its abilities to track historical earnings and offer buy/sell indicators are undoubtedly useful, you might find even more inspiration in the integrated social feed, where other traders discuss the stock they find interesting and what they're doing with it. 1Passwordhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20iPad%20apps/ipad_1password-420-90.jpg Price: £7.99 ($9.99) Every business has a host of systems, and usually these aren't interconnected, meaning you'll need to remember a bunch of logins and passwords for every single one. Forget that. 1Password lets you manage all of your access credentials on your iPad, and it even integrates with Touch ID and a master password to ensure that you're the only one who can gain access to your password vault. You can use it with many online services to make your accounts more secure – not having to remember a password means it can literally be a random jumble of characters and punctuation, something 1Password can generate for you. And the app can even automatically update your accounts with new info to avoid duplicates or insecure logins. Everything is 256-bit AES encrypted to ensure you're fully secure, and the iOS app also supports 1Password for Teams, a specific version of the system with differing access levels allowing a central manager to control who can see what. Workflowhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20iPad%20apps/ipad_workflow-420-90.jpg Price: £2.29 ($2.99) Making the most of the recently implemented Extensions feature in iOS, Workflow essentially allows you to create your own mini apps using the features of others you have installed. Think of it as analogous to Automator for the Mac: if there's a task you're forever doing, you can create yourself a quick macro to get it done in a single tap. Workflow also features IFTTT integration, meaning the app can extend its abilities beyond your iOS device and through to anything you use online. With 150 actions built in – think things like 'Select phone number' or 'get upcoming calendar events' – you're sure to be able to come up with creative ways to use it, and this software is user-friendly enough that even more complex activities are reasonably straightforward to set up. When you're done, you can run your workflows in the app, or add a shortcut to your home screen for quick access. Skitchhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20iPad%20apps/ipad_skitch-420-90.jpg Price: Free Annotations are very important. If you're not clear with your clients and contacts, your meaning can get lost, so make sure you've got a tool which can clarify your message with ease. Skitch (another app from the Evernote stable) is perfect: you can take snaps from your camera roll, add quick annotations and mark-ups, and send them on with ease. Do it with screenshots and you can make maps more useful, ensuring everyone ends up where they're supposed to be. Plump for the $1.49 (£1.49) add-on and Skitch will also enable you to add your own highlighting to PDF files, pointing out important passages with a couple of swipes. It's worth pointing out that you don't have to rely on the camera roll – you can take pictures in Skitch and annotate them immediately before sharing them via email, social or any number of other methods. MindNodehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Best%20iPad%20apps/ipad_mindnode-420-90.jpg Price: £7.99 ($9.99) Putting your ideas down on paper in a mind map is a great way to turn them from ideas into reality – or at least sift out the crazy stuff from the concepts that might work. Fire up MindNode on an iPad in the middle of a meeting room and you and your colleagues can get to work straight away. The canvas expands, so no matter how many ideas you need to get down, you'll fit them on. Add connections, stick on a few photos and before you know it you'll have a solid plan. When you later come to revisit and revise, you can shut off entire branches to ensure the focus stays on what's important, then turn individual nodes into tasks when it's time to make the plan into a reality. There's a huge list of export formats, so no matter what your backend supports you'll be able to export your mind maps and use them later on. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/g_zLmm7yW7c