sincity

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/broadcast/Amazon%20X%20Ray-470-75.jpgAmazon has added a new feature to its Fire TV and Fire TV Stick which allow you to access X-Ray from your TV screen, instead of needing a tablet. X-Ray is the Amazon service that gives actor and trivia information about what's happening on screen as you watch. Previously the service was only available with an Amazon tablet, but now the firm has allowed you to access the information at the press of a button, on your TV. This is a cool addition, and means that you can quickly ask the question "where do I know this guy from?" without the need to pick up a tablet first. The service works because Amazon bought IMDB in 1998, a service which now contains 180 million pieces of movie and TV related data. There is trivia along with blooper information and detailed breakdowns of both actors and characters. Amazon points out in its release that Jurassic Park holds the record for most trivia stored. We have used X-Ray on the Kindle Fire 8.9, and we have to say that it's really rather good. The experience is a tiny bit like a DVD commentary, but you can glance at it when it suits you, and without distracting yourself too much from the movie. That's even more convenient now it can be summoned to your TV screen, but expect grumbles from your spouse, because there's always one person in a room who gets cross about this sort of thing. Your Fire TV will need an update for this to work. You'll get notified of that, or you can force a check. We tried to get it on our Fire TV Stick, but no dice, sadly. Read our reviews for the Fire TV and Fire Stick

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/Abstract/Cyber%20lock/iStock_000020317880Small-Henrik5000-470-75.jpgIntroduction and attack surfaceMany people have, over the years, bought an Apple Mac believing not just that they are a thing of beauty, but also much more secure than a Windows PC. But has the security of OS X been overplayed? Take, for example, the recent FREAK vulnerability – it hit OS X just as badly as it hit Windows PCs, leading Apple to roll out a security update to machines running OS X (and iOS and Apple TV devices as well). In IT security firm Secunia's Vulnerability Review 2015, Apple's Mac OS X placed 13th with 147 vulnerabilities, with Microsoft's Windows 8 in 20th place (on 105). More and more organisations are deploying Macs and so OS X has increasingly come into the sights of criminals looking for a way into an enterprise's infrastructure. And that's why it's wise for businesses to consider and discuss the risks of Apple's operating system. Attack surfaceOS X has not represented a large enough 'attack surface' to warrant the attention of professional hackers, though this is changing, as we have seen the last 18-24 months. "There have been a number of high-profile examples including Flashback, Wirelurker, and more recently, Thunderstrike," says Jeff Erwin, chief ececutive of Intego. "Therefore businesses should consider not only protecting their OS X installations from malware, but also pay close attention to the other aspects of IT security." He says that features such as Gatekeeper and OS X's stricter application controls are helpful, but they only protect against threats that affect a local machine. Operating under the radar"Any non-Windows system which isn't being actively managed is a risk, but Macs are more likely to be implemented just under the radar, and in departments that don't have an acute sense of security," says Ken Munro, senior partner at ethical hacking firm Pen Test Partners. He says that part of the issue in managing Macs is one of a clash of cultures. "Macs occupy a strange position, technology-wise, between UNIX box and Windows box, and that makes them difficult to understand from the perspective of Windows or UNIX sysadmins." Munro says there's a 'them and us' mentality, which sees many pro-PC IT teams view Macs with suspicion at best and downright disdain at worst. "But in reality, there are some parallels between Windows and Mac OS X in that attack vectors are roughly similar," he adds. Browser-based attacks are the most common but others include Flash, Adobe Reader, and Java, yet there are few Mac-friendly information security tools that work on OS X. Some Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for example only covers USB device control, which is a tiny piece of what some companies uses DLP for. Munro says that despite the common ground, the Mac community still tends to operate in isolation. "We've seen this manifested in very limited local lockdown of Macs, and excessive privileges being given to them. The problem tends to be compounded when there are just a handful of Macs being used in a broadly Windows environment – usually in marketing departments where they're used by design and dev creative types," says Munro. In these scenarios there is often a separate sys admin for the OS X assets, who doesn't sit under the Head of IT, and who also has very little interest (or knowledge) in information security. Munro says that centrally managing OS X assets in this kind of set-up isn't easy. "Even if the IT Sec team do manage to persuade the OS X sys admin to do the bare minimum and install antivirus on all Mac devices, it then isn't centrally managed, and alerts don't report back to a management console. There was no way to report on it, nor know if they were up to date," he adds. Yosemite and password problemsSecurity lagging behindAnother issue is endpoint security and David Flower, EMEA managing director of Bit9 + Carbon Black, says in the enterprise this is lagging behind Windows. "Despite the fact that Mac OS X is becoming increasingly popular for enterprises, there are still significantly fewer security solutions available to protect it. The built-in security mechanisms for Macs are as good as those for Windows, but to combat today's advanced threats, the ecosystem needs to be stronger," he says. Flower adds that most security solutions in the Mac ecosystem are signature-based, which just isn't sufficient for dealing with advanced threats. "Signature-based defence works well against known, documented threats, but just can't handle today's Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs)," he says. He says that it is crucial that companies bear in mind that hackers are deliberately targeting them. "They'll be looking for any vulnerabilities or weak links in the security chain. Despite being less familiar with Mac endpoints than they are with Windows, they may well target them because there just isn't as much security to bypass," says Flowers. http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/Software/Yosemite/Finder%201-420-100.jpg Is Yosemite safer?Munro says that updating OS X to the latest version, Yosemite, is crucial to avoid some vulnerabilities. Also, knowing which version a Mac is running would be helpful too. "If you have no idea what OS X version a Mac device is running, and how well updated it is, it could well be vulnerable to the Firewire/Thunderbolt encryption bypass attack, enabled by the Inception tool. Recent OS X and FileVault versions are okay, but older versions (Lion 10.7.2 or previous) are open to this abuse. So updating is crucial," he says. Password problems hit Active DirectoryMunro says that with Macs something as straight forward as a password refresh can cause real headaches. "One corporate environment I was in recently had a Mac/Windows base that used Active Directory (AD) for managing users," he says. "They had a large amount of problems getting Macs to change passwords on password expiration. This meant that all of their Mac users ended up with static passwords, of which most of them were the default set by the helpdesk. This lead to half the users in AD with a password of 'Password1'. So, there will be issues with integration between different technologies – make sure this is worked out before it goes live." Protecting your organisation's Macs from threatsWhat an organisation does to protect its Macs from secuirty risks depends on how many there are in the network, according to Munro. "If there are only a smattering of devices then you should audit them by hand. Review OS versions, check patch freshness, review apps etc. and draw up a simple policy for maintenance and use," he says. Munro adds that if there are more than a handful of Macs then an enterprise really should have the policies and software in place to diminish the risk. "In our experience it is the organisations with huge numbers of Windows boxes and just a few Macs that suffer the biggest problems in this respect. If I wanted to target such an organisation the least supported/most neglected desktop OS would be my favoured vector," he observed. Future security threats and the explosion in amateur cybercriminalshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4558c2ec/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851476270/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4558c2ec/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851476270/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4558c2ec/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851476270/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4558c2ec/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851476270/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4558c2ec/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851476270/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4558c2ec/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/7Eig9YBmyUQ

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Windows/windows-insider-achievement-470-75.JPGBecause putting up with Windows 8 wasn't enough of an achievement in itself, Microsoft has baked Xbox-style achievements into Windows 10. As noted by Neowin, the latest build of Windows (10056) gives you a virtual back clap for undertaking certain tasks by displaying an on-screen notification message in the bottom-right hand corner. Because well done you. Opening the Windows Insider program hub, which keeps Windows 10 preview users up to date, has been uncovered as one of the first achievements. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/software/Windows/Windows%2010/windows10-notifications-420-90.JPG Awesome unlocked We're hoping for some edge-of-your-seat Achievements action when Windows 10 lands later this year. Microsoft, if you're listening, allowing us to unlock the following only makes sense: Achievement unlocked! Mashed keyboard during gaming sessionAchievement unlocked! Moved Taskbar fifty-five timesAchievement unlocked! Used Spartan (for something other than downloading a different browser)Achievement unlocked! Changed wallpaper to Steve BallmerAchievement unlocked! Drew a cat in fresh paintOur lives are waiting to be changed, guys. Other things you might want to know about Windows 10http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4557a16b/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/225506776229/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4557a16b/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/225506776229/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4557a16b/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/225506776229/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4557a16b/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/225506776229/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4557a16b/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/225506776229/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4557a16b/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/6Yd0CGLxQ7E

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/Windows%20Phone/Windows%20Phone%2010/DSCF7042-470-75.JPGThe newest build of the Windows 10 for phones Technical Preview finally includes Microsoft's new browser, Project Spartan. The Internet Explorer alternative recently became available in the latest build of Windows 10 as well, but this is the first time it's appeared publicly on phones. Internet Explorer 11 is still the default browser, but it now exists alongside Project Spartan in Windows 10 for phones. Project Spartan Program Manager Kyle Pflug said in a blog post that the browser on phones "has the same new rendering engine available on the desktop, with the same support for the latest standards and the same strong focus on interoperability with the modern Web." This build of Windows 10 for phones is currently available to Windows Insider members in the "fast ring" for releases, and on a ton of new devices - the full list is laid out on the Windows Blog. Multiple apps have been revamped as well, including the phone, messaging, mail, calendar, people, maps and app switcher apps, and a slew of bugs have been fixed. The iPhone 6 is bigger, better, sleeker and fasterhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/454b1665/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851463609/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/454b1665/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851463609/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/454b1665/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851463609/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/454b1665/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851463609/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/454b1665/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851463609/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/454b1665/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/KAUEh4LShkg

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBCNews/blackboard-470-75.jpgEducation technology firm Blackboard has further bolstered its offering for students across the UK and Ireland through the acquisition of Remote-Learner UK. The move means Blackboard can offer an even more extensive open source solution to the education industry in the UK and Ireland and provide an extensive set of services and solutions for institutions that use Moodle. At the heart of Remote-Learner UK's stable is an Enterprise Learning Intelligence System (ELIS) that centres on learning programme management and has a number of features such as enrolment management, notifications, reports, analytics and learning outcomes. Juking it out with Google"The addition of Remote-Learner UK to the Blackboard family expands how we are able to support any organisation, regardless of its Learning Management System (LMS), with the right blend of technology, resources and services that meet their unique needs. We couldn't be more excited to work together to improve the educational experience for students all over the world," added Mark Strassman, senior VP of product management at Blackboard. Blackboard has been active in the open source community since acquiring Moodlerooms and NetSpot in 2012 and has since contributed code, big fixes, quality assurance and platform integrations to Moodle. It sits in a competitive learning management space that includes Google's Classroom platform as well as the open source providers Moodle and WebCT. Five ways mobile technology is transforming educationhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/45503667/sc/28/mf.gifhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/rPIJAbgQsTc

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/press/windows10-08-470-75.jpgMicrosoft has made it even easier to try out universal apps in Windows 10 after adding the previously announced unified store into the latest technical preview build. Anyone downloading the latest build will be able to see first hand how the new unified store works and it will eventually give a one-of-a-kind store-front on every Windows device including tablets, PCs, smartphones, Xboxes, Internet of Things devices and any other devices running Windows 10. Store beta opening its doors also means that the Movies & TV page immediately becomes more useful. When the new video app was released early last month the feature was almost completely useless as a buying tool because you couldn't get any content. That has all changed and users can now browse and search for videos, and rent or purchase movies and TV shows in store beta and then play them in the video preview app. Music up nextWindows Insiders in a range of countries including the UK, USA and Australia can enjoy the thrill of buying and renting visual content right now and Microsoft has promised that a music page will be next to join the buying and selling party in the coming weeks. Universal apps form a big part of Microsoft's grand plan to bring a unified Windows 10 experience to users regardless of whether they are flipping open their smartphone, glancing at a smartwatch or viewing life through the HoloLens. Check it out: Windows 10 release date, price, news and features http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4546d208/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851435302/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4546d208/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851435302/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4546d208/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851435302/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4546d208/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851435302/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4546d208/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851435302/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4546d208/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/_oTXffoBW2c

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/windows-10-full-470-75.jpgIntroductionhttp://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/press/windows10-04-420-100.jpg So you are thinking about installing Windows 10 on your computer (laptop, tablet or desktop)? If so, we've put together a list of 5 things you need to do before installing Microsoft's latest operating system. The current iteration, 10049, is probably the most stable version to date and likely to be the penultimate one before the beta version is officially launched at Build 2015 in San Francisco later this month. Sandwiched between the two will be build 10051, which has already been leaked. Also, make sure you read through my article 'Want to install Windows 10? Check what I learnt first' before embarking on getting Windows 10 up and running. Upgrade or clean install?http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/Win%2010%205%20things/windows%2010%20preparing%20screen-420-90.JPG Deciding whether to update the existing version of Windows or go for a clean install will impact on the entire installation process. Some devices, especially with a low amount of on-board storage, can only do a clean install. I prefer a clean install for two main reasons; it saves space and removes any risk of conflict that might arise. Plus you won't be able to roll back to Windows 8.1 from Windows 10 anyway. Also, do make sure that you noted down your product ID key for Windows and have a boot disk handy, just in case the Windows 10 experiment doesn't go according to plan. Regardless of your installation process, you will need to download the Windows 10 Technical Preview ISO, either 32-bit or the 64-bit one, the former for systems with less than 4GB and the latter for those with more than 4GB. If you don't know what an ISO is, it's probably not a good idea for you to proceed further – note that this isn't my advice, but Microsoft itself. Once you get hold of the ISO, you can either burn it on a blank DVD or use something like this Windows USB boot tool to create a bootable Windows 10 virtual disk. Windows 10 TP expires on October 1, 2015http://cdn0.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/press/windows10-06-420-100.jpg The Technical Preview of Windows 10 will expire in October 2015 which will give you ample time to play with, tweak and evaluate whether the OS will be a good fit for you. You can always contribute to the Windows Insider Program (WIP) if you are encountering any sort of issues. WIP provides you with a standard forum where you can query other Windows 10 users, and fairly often get answers directly from active Microsoft-vetted members. After that, you will either need to buy it, or get it for free by upgrading from an existing installation of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1. Microsoft has already confirmed that it will be releasing the final version of Windows 10 sometime in the summer, perhaps coinciding with the next iteration of its business suite, Office 2016. Create a Microsoft accounthttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/Win%2010%205%20things/microsoft%20account%20creation-420-90.jpg If you don't have a Microsoft account already, do create one as it will allow you to save your existing settings and all your files to the cloud (on Microsoft's OneDrive), files that you will then be able to recover after installing Windows 10. Create that account BEFORE you start the installation. You don't actually need a Microsoft account to install Windows 10 (but then you will probably need to document your login details); the vendor made it more difficult to complete the installation of Windows 10 without getting one first. Getting your own Microsoft account also means that you will get 15GB of online storage, which you can double if you link your phone or tablet (Android, Windows or iOS). Note that your browser's details are likely to be separate if you're using Chrome or Firefox, so you will need to have logins or save these separately. Make a list of software to installhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/Win%2010%205%20things/windows%2010%20laptop-420-90.jpg It's unlikely that you'll need to actively search for and download drivers since Windows 10 usually does it pretty well. However, do make sure that you know what the components inside your computer are, just in case. Having that list makes it easier to troubleshoot afterwards; use an application like AIDA64 to find these out. It's also worth compiling a list of all the applications you might want to install after you (hopefully) have installed Windows 10. I usually trust a nice little updater called Ninite with my installation troubles which essentially batch-installs a list of popular applications. The applications are mostly open source ones and are always the latest official versions – they have been tested for malware, won't badger you with any questions, and will say no to toolbars and extra junk. Plan, plan, planhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/Win%2010%205%20things/windows%2010%20TP%20on%20tablet-420-90.JPG One of the oft-forgotten aspects of installing Windows on a computer is connectivity. You need connectivity to get hold of the latest drivers and very often, you won't be able to have access to Wi-Fi. I usually use a USB NIC which plugs into any USB port, and is very handy in a number of situations (especially when you have an Ultrabook). I also have a micro-USB to USB converter and a 4-in-1 USB hub, both of which have been life savers for installing Windows 10 on tablets. Other accessories that might come in handy include a wired keyboard and a wired mouse (if you're looking to install Windows 10 on a tablet) as well as an Ethernet cable. If you want to get Windows 10 for cheap, you can always use the upgrade route, grab a cheap Windows 7 license online and update when Windows 10 becomes available. However you need to be wary of Microsoft's rather complex licensing scheme which we tried to analyse in a recent article. Windows 10: release date, price, news and featureshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/45458133/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851384950/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45458133/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851384950/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45458133/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851384950/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45458133/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851384950/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45458133/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851384950/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45458133/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/50YgQuIAtlA

http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/apple-watch-apps-list-470-90.jpgApple Watch apps listhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/apple-watch-apps-list-420-90.jpg Your formerly naked wrist is about to be weighed down by these 63 Apple Watch apps, just dozens of the 1,000 WatchKit apps currently in development. The official Apple Watch app list includes 20 built-in apps by Apple, made specifically for its iPhone-compatible smartwatch, and another 43 apps by top-name developers. Ahead of tomorrow's Apple Watch pre-order, we explore how Twitter, Nike, Evernote, Siri and more apps look and function behind 38mm and 42mm sapphire glass, and if any of them are worth that steep Apple Watch price. Messaging appsMessageshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/messages-app-220-100.jpg Messages are about to become a whole lot easier to respond to or ignore, as they move from the hip (your iPhone in your pocket) to the wrist with Apple Watch. It flashes iMessages and text messages onto the wearable OLED, immediately telling you if it's the one you've been eagerly awaiting for a whole internet 10 seconds, or some marketing promo you signed up for, but haven't responded "STOP" to yet. Responding with your voice cuts down on the autocorrect typos. Dropping your current location into the message makes "Where are you?" responses obsolete too. Phonehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/phone-app-220-100.jpg Full-time Apple CEO and part-time Dick Tracy wannabe Tim Cook said that he's wanted to make and receive phone calls on this wristwatch since he was five years old. It's one of the few major differences in our Apple Watch vs Android Wear comparison. No, talking to your wrist isn't the ideal way to carry on a conversation, but quick access to loved ones in tight situations - when driving a car or holding a baby - make it convenient. Just seeing who is calling with the flick of your wrist makes it a worthy app. Mailhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/mail-app-220-100.jpgCut through the junk mail and surface the important conversations with email alerts on Apple Watch. The mail app includes the ability to scrolls through your inbox and read full messages. This is where the side-mounted Digital Crown really comes in handy, allowing you to scroll while reading an unobstructed screen. Is a message worth responding to? Flag it send or beam it to your iPhone for a proper response. Not worth your time? Send it to Apple Watch's surely-eco-friendly virtual trash bin. Calendarhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/calendar-app-220-100.jpg When is your next appointment? What's your day look like? Why do you have to pull out your phone and unlock it every time there's a new meeting to RSVP to? I'm never not there. Can't I just respond if I'm not going to be there? Apple Watch's calendar app keeps nuisance questions like this at arms length. Glancing at the appointment times and details like location make your day-to-day a little easier to manage. Plus, whenever someone asks what your day looks like for and you're not in a good mood, you can simply say, "Talk to the wrist." Fitness and map appsActivityhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/activity-app-220-100.jpgTim Cook recently said that "sitting is the new cancer," so it's only fitting that Apple Watch's Activity app reminds you about your movement and, too often, non-movement. Three colorful rings make up its interface, and they're hard to ignore as they capture your steps, exercise minutes and sedentary moments in real time. Calories burned since midnight is another stat calculated one menu deeper. Yes, it's basic compared to the cheaper Fitbit Surge, but more colorful than the lackluster Google Fit ecosystem. Workouthttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/workout-app-220-100.jpg When you're moving and you really mean it, Workout is the Apple Watch app that steps up with coaching capabilities. It tracks running, walking and cycling in real time with stats for time, distance, calories, pace and speed. In short, the difference between the Activity and Workout app is analogous to the difference between an activity tracker and more robust fitness tracker. We'll be sure to put Workout and the heart rate monitor through their paces in our final Apple Watch review. Mapshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/apple-maps-app-220-100.jpg Clutching a flashy iPhone to look at directions isn't always advisable in every neighborhood, especially one you're not familiar with. Peaking at an Apple Watch's turn-by-turn directions instead is a little less obvious and a little safer. Yes, it uses Apple Maps, but that means it's also initiated by Siri and searches nearby restaurants, gas stations and stores. Apple Watch Maps also taps you on the wrist so that you subtly know to turn left or right. Constantly glaring at the screen is no longer necessary. Passbookhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/passbook-app-220-100.jpg Passbook on the iPhone is great - when it works. However, at the airport, I'm typically toting a just-passable carry-on suitcase, being weighed down by an electronics-filled laptop backpack and violently shoving my pockets' gadgets into these stuffed bags due to a lack of TSA bins. The last thing I want to do is navigate to the lockscreen for Passbook. It requires stopping my current phone activity, locking the phone, waking it up and sliding to open the Passbook lockscreen menu item. Passbook on Apple Watch solves this dilemma, and it's also good for movie tickets, sports tickets and even paying for things through Apple Pay. Info at a glanceSirihttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/siri-app-220-100.jpg Siri reminds me of the Apple Watch itself. The much-hyped personal assistant was met with skepticism and some considered it an immediate "flop." However, it's not meant to run your entire life like a human secretary. It's great in more subtle ways, like setting a timer for cooking or doing laundry, or calling Home hands-free. All of those Siri benefits come to Apple Watch without the hassle of locating your phone for the same menu-heavy tasks. You don't even need to tap the smartwatch. Simply saying "Hey Siri, call Home" works, as if your iPhone is plugged in (an unfortunate requirement of the "Hey Siri" feature on the phone). Weatherhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/weather-app-220-100.jpg Meteorologists may not always be correct, but the Weather app on Apple Watch at least looks fancier than the interface of rival smartwatches. The forecast is arranged like a watch face, with the conditions, temperature and chance of rain on an 11-hour dial. This Apple Watch app uses location data to check the weather of the city you're standing in, but it can also see the forecast around the world. Siri helps out with that too. Stockshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/stocks-app-220-100.jpgApple Watch comes with a built-in Stocks app with three key menus. There's a list of your favorite stocks that display each company's market share and daily percentage change. Tapping into a company reveals drilled-down information, like its highs and lows. Sliding up a specific stock reveals a stock graph. It displays performance for the day, week, month or six months. The graph stops there. Beyond that, elite traders need to fetch their diamond studded iPhone to widen the chart. Settingshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/settings-app-220-100.jpgThere's nothing incredibly glamorous about the Apple Watch settings menu, but like Google's Android Wear menu, it has options to enable and disable Airplane mode and Bluetooth. There's also a way to set Do Not Disturb and mute. What has to be the standout feature of this often-underappreciated menu is the ability to ping your lost iPhone. I'st a whole lot easier to do it from an always-with-you Apple Watch than to borrow a friend's phone and log into the Find My iPhone app. Multimedia appsMusichttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/music-app-220-100.jpg Apple is often at the intersection of technology and music, as much as the founders of Tidal dislike that thought. So it's no surprise that Apple Watch expands the iTunes ecosystem by letting you control the music on your iPhone. Better yet, you can leave it at home by storing some of your songs on the smartwatch itself. That's right: Apple Watch works without an iPhone in a few cases. Through a pair of wireless Bluetooth headphones, you can listen to about 2GB of music on the go. That's around 200 songs, plenty for a 10K marathon. Remotehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/remote-app-220-100.jpg Pump up the volume to the main speakers in your house with Remote, an Apple Watch app designed for Apple TV, and Mac and PC iTunes programs. Scroll through your entire iTunes library using the digital crown and remotely select and skip songs, playlists and videos. The Remote app is a good replacement to that way-too-tiny Apple TV remote. It's been lost in my couch cushions for several months. RIP Apple TV remote. Camera Remotehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/camera-remote-app-220-100.jpgSome of the best DSLR cameras can be controlled remotely with an iPhone app, so why not control your iPhone camera app with its own remote gadget? After all, it is the most used camera in the world. That's exactly what Apple Watch delivers with the handy Camera Remote app. It beams the iSight camera of the iPhone to your wrist, complete with a live preview of what the iPhone sees. That's perfect for distant phones, especially if your eyes are going bad because you've been staring at a smartphone for far too many years. Photoshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/photos-app-220-100.jpg Photos on the Apple Watch don't make much sense to me yet. It's far too small at 42mm and even smaller at 38mm, but there's an app for that anyway. It involves using the digital crown to zoom into individual images from a gallery, and swiping to move through a slideshow. I'm always looking to AirPlay my iPhone photos to an Apple TV with a larger display to show a group of friends, or immediately publish them to the web for an even larger group of friends (the internet). With a restriction of just 75 MB for photos without an iPhone, this app may be the first one I delete. Clock appsTimerhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/timer-app-220-100.jpg Let's contrast something. Setting a phone's timer for a midnight snack cooking in the oven seems like a good idea. Then the timer goes off for a solid minute in an otherwise silent house because, surprise, you left your phone in another room! Apple Watch straps the alarm to your wrist and the digital crown sets the right time. Siri also helps out, expanding upon one of my favorite uses for Apple's personal assistant. Alarmhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/alarm-app-220-100.jpg Alarm apps are nothing new, but this Apple Watch app makes it easier to set and dismiss the nuisance-sounds you bring onto yourself. It lets you manage, label and edit multiple alarms right from your wrist and allows you to import existing iPhone alarm times. The app uses the digital crown to cycle to your desired wake up time, and it wisely separates the AM and PM on the top left and top right sides of the watch. Stopwatchhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/stopwatch-app-220-100.jpg Apple Watch finds a way to make its Stopwatch app at least a little bit exciting vs the Android Wear app. It gives picky users the choice of digital, analog and a hybrid view. It also throws in a graph view, which charts previously-boring, and still-fairly-boring, lap times at the bottom of the OLED. This real-time chart provides a nice rising visual and displays the average lap time to boot. World Clockhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/world-clock-app-220-100.jpgWorld clock needs to come to an Apple Watch face near you. It's a fine-looking app, one in which Apple asks, "Doing business in another time zone? Calling a friend overseas?" That's exactly why this should be a default watch face. Traveling internationally demands it. Social and sharingApple is also promoting 42 third-party apps from key partners like Twitter, American Airlines and Nike. They will be available through its App Store in time for the Apple Watch launch along with the 1,000 other apps submitted by developers. Twitterhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/twitter-app-220-100.jpg Twitter is a lightweight social media network, so why not have a lightweight Apple Watch app to go with those 140 character tweets? Okay, there's one reason why not. Those audible notifications sound and "gentle taps" for every new tweet are bound to get annoying, just like the iPhone app's high-pitched tweet-sound notification. But disabling that, I like the idea of checking the timeline and trending topics, and receiving direct messages, retweet and favorite alerts. Instagramhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/instagram-app-220-100.jpgThere's no official Facebook app for Apple Watch, but its filter-friendly photo and video network lets you browse your feed and favorite photos with the a double tap on the Force Touch screen. When someone hearts your posts or tags you in a new picture, that notification is sent to your wrist. Apple Watch is the fastest way to know you want to untag yourself in a picture. You also can leave comments - in the form of emojis. Remember, there's no on-screen keyboard for Apple Watch - yet. Evernotehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/evernote-app-220-100.jpg Evernote for Apple Watch makes a lot of sense, especially for those moments I have what I believe is a brilliant thought, but no way to write it down in an instant. It's the fastest way to do just that thanks to the smartwatch's built-in microphone. Dictation is its biggest feature, but the app also lets you review recent notes, reminders and find what you've jotted down based on location. eBayhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/ebay-app-220-100.jpg Selling off everything you own to afford a classier Apple Watch? This miniaturized eBay app may come in handy. No, you can't fully communicate with prospective customers and answer the annoying questions you already answered in the description. But, so far, it lets you scout your watched auctions and relays outbid notices. Travel appsExpediahttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/expedia-app-220-100.jpgExpedia is more than just a travel site with a catchy jingle. It's also on the cutting-edge with an Apple Watch app that provides a detailed itinerary on your wrist. Have a flight to catch? See the gate, terminal and time information at a glance. What's the hotel check-in and, more importantly check out time? The hotel address and phone number are here too, so don't dive into your email for it. Of course, this all requires you to book through Expedia. Otherwise the app is pretty useless. TripAdvisorhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/tripadvisor-app-220-100.jpg The Apple Watch app for TripAdvisor lets you explore new destinations once you deplane or check into that hotel. The site is filled with smart user reviews and best of lists, and I expect the same on a 38mm and 42mm display. Without a proper Yelp app for the smartwatch at launch, it may be your best bet for finding nearby restaurants, sights and tourist hotspots without taking out your phone in unfamiliar territory. American Airlineshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/american-airlines-app-220-100.jpg American Airlines is the first US airline with an Apple Watch app, which almost makes up for my multiple flight delays leaving MWC 2015 last month. Almost. In addition to all of the usual gate and departure time notifications, it beams critical info: gate changes, connection and baggage claim information to the watch. It also differs from Passbook with flight path map that shows the time remaining until you touch down. Starwood Hotels & Resortshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/spg-app-220-100.jpg One of the world's largest hotel companies has already announced an "early check-in" for the Apple Watch App Store, yet it's a major no-no if you try to check into one of their rooms at noon. Go figure. That's okay, because its SPG (Starwood Preferred Guest) app can unlock your door with the watch. Yes, there are other hotel stay details within the app, but not having to pull an unpredictable keycard out of my wallet, with an often-chafed magnetic strip, is the only important detail here. Babbelhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/babbel-app-220-100.jpg Babbel bills itself as a fun and easy way to learn a new language online. On Apple Watch, its app displays new words based on your location. The point is to help you learn new words related to food when you're at a restaurant or for travel terms when you're at the airport. Its success depends on how relevant these words are compared to the actually helpful full site. Fitness appsNike+ Runninghttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/nike-running-app-220-100.jpg Nike didn't become the Apple's relay partner in creating the iWatch, but, the company did get a headstart on its Nike+ Running app that can calculate your running distance, duration and pace. Friends can cheer you on, just like on the phone app, and it pairs with Bluetooth headphones so you can listen to music on the go. To me, that seems unnecessary. This Apple Watch app requires your phone to be with you to function anyway, and who wants to waste more Apple Watch by streaming music from it? Runtastichttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/runtastic-app-220-100.jpg Runtastic displays all of the same basic fitness information: speed, distance, duration, pace, even how many calories you've burned. It also requires your iPhone to be on you during runs. However, I've always liked the Runtastic user interface and it should bring the same to Apple Watch with easy to check your stats mid-run. If you're haven't started collecting Nike Fuel points for several years, this may the more straightforward running app to try out. Stravahttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/strava-app-220-100.jpgStrava for Apple Watch is a little more detailed and a little more versatile. It has a mode for both runners and bike riders, and includes real-time stats like elevation gain, average speed, distance and heart rate. It has segment-by-segment workout visuals to give you glanceable motivation during long hauls, and promises a trophy whenever you break a personal record. It's going to be one of the few if not the only bike app during Apple Watch's launch window, so it's a must download for twin-tire pedalers. Lifesumhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/lifesum-app-220-100.jpgExercising apps for Apple Watch are easy to find, but elusive nutrition apps are going to be harder to download than me sticking to a New Year's resolution diet come Valentine's Day. Lifesum motivates you to skip that celebratory chocolate and other high calorie meals. It's all about picking the right foods and portions. I also like its easy-to-tap water gauge to check off how far along I am on downing eight glasses of H2O a day. Sports and city appsESPNhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/espn-app-220-100.jpg Stuck in a meeting and missing the big game? You can at least keep an eye on the score with ESPN's app that features breaking sports news and the ability to follow specific games. Real-time scores and player stats go as far as detailing who is up at bat or in the red zone. No word on if it'll alert you when broadcasters have been suspended for saying something stupid on-air or athletes get arrested for doing something reckless. MLB.com at Bathttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/mlb-at-bat-app-220-100.jpg Baseball fans can get even better MLB stats from the official MLB.com at Bat app for Apple Watch. It promises "subtle notifications," which include following just your favorite teams, not all 30 teams. Best of all, you won't need to shell out for an MLB.tv subscription after cleaning out for savings for the Apple Watch price. The day goes by a lot easier with pitch-by-pitch updates, Webgem-worthy text highlights and live scores beamed right to your non-throwing hand wrist. PayByPhone Parkinghttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/paybyphone-parking-app-220-100.jpg Apple Watch apps that get me the most excited are the clutch ones that get you out of terrible first-world binds. Case in point, PayByPhone Parking lets you pay a meter without having to go back to your car. You can always keep on eye on the time remaining in case want to skip dessert and avoid putting more money into the virtual meter in the first place. Citymapperhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/citymapper-app-220-100.jpg We're still - somehow - waiting for public transit directions from Apple Maps - hopefully in iOS 9. Until then, Citymapper lays out the fastest route using bus and train information. It has enough room to list the next three arrivals and uses the Taptic engine to nudge you when you're at your stop. That's really handy on long commutes. At home appsBMW iRemotehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/bmw-app-220-100.jpg Hyundai's Blue Link app for Android Wear proves that car makers are interested in letting you start your vehicle from a smartwatch, but for now you'll have to settle for lighter Apple Watch apps, like this one from BMW. It allows you to see if you're doors are locked, view service reminders and see how far along a charge is on an electric BMWi. Doing all of this may deplete your non-energy efficient Apple Watch. Bonus: Cabin temperature can also be adjusted via the Watch. Honeywell Lyrichttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/honeywell-app-220-100.jpg Whether or not the popular Nest thermostat ever works with Apple Watch remains to be seen. The company is now a part of Google. However, the Honeywell Lyric Apple Watch app makes the same functions available for Honeywell's similar products. It asks you if you want to set the thermostat to "I'm away mode" when far from the house, and it auto-adjusts conditions back to normal when you get closer to home sweet home. It can save you on your energy bill now that you're powered your smartwatch nightly. Lutron Casetahttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/lutron-app-220-100.jpg Another Apple Watch energy saver comes from Lutron Caseta. It controls lights in your home wirelessly, just like the iPhone app. Whether you're nestled in on the couch and too lazy to get up, or legitimately on vacation and forgot to turn off the lights, the smartwatch app makes it a easy to get the job done. It'll even send you a notification giving you the option to turn them off remotely if you leave them on and blank. Green Kitchenhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/green-kicthen-cooking-app-220-100.jpg Apple Watch could become an all-star cooking companion thanks to instruction-filled apps like Green Kitchen that can be followed mess-free. It's designed for healthy, organic recipes and there's less chance of olive oil-filled smudges on this out-of-reach wristwatch than on my iPad Air 2 or MacBook keyboard. While the LifeSum app lets you track your healthy food intake, Green Kitchen tells you how to make it all. Out and about appsOpenTablehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/opentable-app-220-100.jpg Dinner reservations are a pain to remember the day of, especially when you booked a table through OpenTable several days in advance. However, this app gives you a reminder at arms length with upcoming reservation details and a map that explains how to get to the restaurant. It's much better than digging for an email or a slightly easier to access vs reaching for the phone app. Booking a new table or making changes to an existing reservation still requires your phone, though. Targethttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/target-app-220-100.jpg There's nothing more daunting than wandering into a big department store like Target, looking for a single item, like, say, a needle, in its many isles, aka haystacks. That's where the Target Apple Watch app becomes a worthy shopping partner. It lets you view your shopping list and tells you where to find items in a jiffy. It should also help you stick to your list and not wander aimlessly into the video game isle to demo the latest and greatest. Sky Guidehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/sky-guide-app-220-100.jpg Miss the last lunar eclipse? Didn't even know there was one in some parts of the world? Sky Guide is always on hand with astronomical events. From the basics like full moons to rare events like meteor showers, it remembers to watch the skies for you while you're busy looking down at your shiny new smartwatch everyday. As an added bonus, it lets you tweet at International Space Station when they're overhead. No word on whether or not you can send them your heartbeat via Apple Watch yet. Dark Skyhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/dark-sky-app-220-100.jpg Dark Sky is an iOS weather app that uses technology to predict whether it will rain or snow, down to the minute. You just might have enough time to drive furiously to get that last carton of milk in the store. Having this information on the wrist is obviously a plus. Of course, you don't need to wait for a notification to see if the weather is going to turn. The Apple Watch app allows users to look several days ahead too. Fandangohttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/fandango-app-220-100.jpg I used Fandango on my phone to reserve movie tickets for Furious 7 over the weekend and it worked flawlessly - except for the nagging service fee. It beat standing in a 100-person line and nabbing the best seats. I gamed the system. Having the stubs on my wrist would've helped me carry a popcorn, large soda and hotdog back to my seat, without me nearly spilling everything. I swear, it wasn't all for me, and the popcorn was a medium, by the way. Work appsMayo Clinic Synthesishttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/mayo-clinic-app-220-100.jpg Fit for doctors who can afford the gold Apple Watch Edition price, the Mayo Clinic Synthesis is a narrowly tailored app that lets busy M.D.'s manage their daily schedule and alerts them of patients waiting in the lobby. Time to make them move from a big waiting room to the next, smaller waiting room. Also available through this Watch app in basic patient information: their age, sex and weight. Not available is a list of excuses as to why you can't take their health insurance. Sorry, doc. Redfinhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/redfin-real-estate-app-220-100.jpgThis real estate app for Apple Watch lets customers browse listings, view photos and scroll through the neighborhood map. It also managed to fit in key data, like prices, number of bedrooms, square footage and days on the market. All of this sounds easier to do on an iPhone, especially when you're thinking about making a big decision like bidding on a house, but it's one of the major apps ready to download on day one. Salesforce Wavehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/salesforce-app-220-100.jpg Most Apple Watch apps are consumer-focused, but if there's going to be some enterprise software here, it might as well be from the popular, but not-yet-profitable Salesforce. Its customer relationship manager gives you an overview of your business analytics, so CRM data like your company's top 10 sales opportunities are viewable with the flick of your wrist. Procreate Pockethttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/procreate-app-220-100.jpg This Apple Watch app isn't what it sounds like at first. It's all about creating new art on the iPhone and using the Apple Watch as a remote color palette. It's a 21st century update to the old-fashioned wooden handheld color mixer. The watch app also has buttons like undo, erase and add effects, which clear the iPhone app's interface for extra canvas space. Finance and to do list appsMint Personal Financehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/mint-app-220-100.jpg Mint is one of the best personal finance trackers on iOS and Android, yet it's not available for any of the Google-based smartwatches running Android Wear. Instead, we've had to take a chance on an app called Level. Good news: Mint is coming to Apple Watch with an app that tracks monthly spending goals and helps you keep within a budget. It'll be like a deliberate shock every time you make a purchase. This is a must-have following for froogle folks who dropped money for the Apple Watch pre-order. CommitTo3http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/committo3-app-220-100.jpg The idea behind this to do list app is fascinating. It requires writing down just three core tasks for the day and sharing them with a team, usually coworkers or friends doing the same thing. Everyone sees each other's progress, leading to more motivation. It works on the web, and the smartwatch may act as a handcuff-like reminder that your goals need to be met. Apple Watch is just an easier way to tick off "commits" and see how everyone else on the team is doing. Invoice2gohttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/invoice-2-go-app-220-100.jpg Job time-tracking apps are wonderful, but I often forget to start the timer. Invoice2go remedies this fatal flaw thanks to geofencing and a notification as soon as your arrive at the job site. Clocking in is a little bit easier with the Apple Watch app, though it still requires an iPhone to work, edit times and send that invoice in the end. There's no automated way to get out of that part of the job with a Watch. CitiMobile Litehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/citi-app-220-100.jpg Citi is one of the first major banks with an Apple Watch app. No, you can't make deposits with Citi Mobile Lite, but the app lets you track your checking, savings and credit card balances. The smartwatch app can display the detailed information about your last five transactions, and it watch vibrates whenever your card is used online or in stores. News and kids appsNPR Onehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/npr-app-220-100.jpg Done with "Serial" and looking for a new NPR addiction? The US public radio network lets you search for shows on Apple Watch using dictation and control playback functionality using the touchscreen. It also imports iPhone playlists, so the news and stories you love are ready to go on as soon as the Apple Watch launches. CNNhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/cnn-app-220-100.jpg On television, CNN is a little overly obsessed with telling stories using over-the-top computer graphics, but on Apple Watch, it serves up classic breaking news headlines. The app features 12 categories from which you can receive alerts. Beyond easy-to-read-and-dismiss headlines, smartwatch app lets you tap to either save a story or open it up in full on an iPhone. New York Timeshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/ny-times-app-220-100.jpg The New York Times app has all the news that's fit to print on a small Apple Watch. In other words, it lets you swipe through breaking news headlines and little else. It does incorporate the Apple's useful Handoff feature to read the rest an iPhone or iPad, or tap "Save for Later." PlayKidshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/playkids-app-220-100.jpg Thankfully, this isn't a kids app that attracts them to your expensive watch. It's actually a way to get them off your iPhone and iPad, which they have already taken over. If they're watching a PlayKids video, the watch remotely forces them to take break, or sends them a "special message" - something you type in, like "Time has expired on the iPad. Commence brushing your teeth. -Santa." That usually works. Game and music appsDon't expect Apple Watch sales to be boosted by game apps like the iPad and iPhone before it. Android Wear has a small share of serviceable games, like adorable Flappy Bird spin-off, Floppy Droid. But they're nothing special. Of course, that hasn't stopped app developers from trying to make the first batch of Apple Watch games. Ruleshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/rules-app-220-100.jpg A cutesy brain teaser game, this Apple Watch app features speed-intensive puzzles that are ideal for waiting in line in real time - it has just 10 daily stages. It results in a score and keeps track of your stats, so it's kind of important not to mess up this quiz-on-a-wrist. BoxPophttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/boxpop-app-220-100.jpg Apple Watch games have to stay simple, and that's exactly what BoxPop does. It's inspired by chess, with L-shaped paths that a knight is allowed to take, but there are no chess pieces here. It's all about ridding the grid of one-dimensional boxes throughout 40 levels. Amplifi Remotehttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/amplifi-app-220-100.jpg Apple Watch apps can be narrowly focused, as evidenced by the Amplifi Remote. It lets you connect with the hybrid Amplifi Bluetooth speaker-guitar amp and play guitar tuning sounds from the watch instead of the iOS app. It's meant for weeding out sharp and flat notes. Pacemaker DJhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/pacemaker-dj-app-220-100.jpg Apple Watch may be the world's smallest mixer thanks to Pacemaker DJ. Its inventive Autopilot DJ feature, also part of the iPad app with the same name, blends tracks together from iTunes, allowing a DJ to beatskip and loop, even when away from his or her turntables. Shazamhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Watches/Apple%20Watch/Apps/list/shazam-app-220-100.jpg What's the name of that song again? You could ask Siri, or go straight to the Shazam app for Apple Watch and cut out the middle-robot. It's a touch-based smartwatch app that still uses the iPhone to listen to the song. However, it shows the song's name, artist and, for some reason, lyrics on your watch. http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/45420830/sc/23/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851411287/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45420830/sc/23/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851411287/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45420830/sc/23/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851411287/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45420830/sc/23/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851411287/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45420830/sc/23/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851411287/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45420830/sc/23/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/zufIqd7GgZQ

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/iPhone/Apple%20Pay/Hands%20on/Apple%20Pay%20Review%20(1)-470-75.JPGApple has been steadily adding new retailers to the list of Apple Pay supporters since the service debuted, and the latest slew will let you buy phones, video games and tasty subs with your iPhone 6 (and your Apple Watch, soon). The company updated its Apple Pay hub this week with the new retailers: T-Mobile, GameStop, Firehouse Subs, Acme, Davis Food & Drug, Luby's, and Rubio's. Also new is one more NBA arena: in addition to the Orlando Magics' Amway Center and the Golden State Warriors' Oracle Arena, iPhone users can now check out with Apple Pay at the Phoenix Suns' US Airways Center. You may have struggled at first to find retailers that accepted Apple Pay, but the list is growing every month. And by all account the service is doing well. The question is: can anyone - like Google or even Microsoft - topple Apple Pay from the top of the pile now? How can you get your Apple Watch pre-order?http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4541a607/sc/28/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851368137/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4541a607/sc/28/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851368137/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4541a607/sc/28/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851368137/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4541a607/sc/28/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851368137/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4541a607/sc/28/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851368137/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4541a607/sc/28/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/86f70eANqv4

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/events/Microsoft%20cloud%20Oct2014/07-nadella-close-up-470-75.jpgMicrosoft has detailed a speedy Nano Server preloaded with born-in-the-cloud applications and containers, all of which will make new container option an important part of Windows Server 2016. The purpose-built OS is designed to cope with the ever changing band of modern apps and cloud technologies, which require speed, agility and lower resource usage than traditional servers. At its heart, the Nano Server is a extremely slimmed down version of Windows Server. Microsoft has stripped out the GUI, 32-bit support, MSI and a range of the other Server Core components allowing it to provide faster restarts, better resource utilization and stricter security. What's more, it will require fewer software updates and patches. The TechNet blog highlighted that compared to an older Windows Server it has a 93% lower VHD size, 92% fewer critical bulletins and 80% faster reboots. Beyond performance the Nano Server also focuses on two different scenarios. The first being born-in-the-cloud apps, which it can support through a wide range of programming languages and run times running in containers, virtual machines or on physical servers. The second scenario, meanwhile, is the Microsoft Cloud Platform infrastructure that includes support for compute clusters running Hyper-V and storage clusters running Scale-out File Server. New containerAlongside this announcement, Microsoft detailed a new container option for Windows Server 2016. Called Hyper-V Containers, they provide an extra security cushion by running around the container and not the whole OS and as such give another isolation layer. This adds to the popular Docker containerisation technology that Microsoft added to the next version of Windows Server last year. Nano Server won't be a part of the next Windows Server 2016 update due next month and will instead be added at a later date. Check it out: Windows 10 release date, price, news and featureshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4540d747/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851414330/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4540d747/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851414330/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4540d747/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851414330/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4540d747/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851414330/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4540d747/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851414330/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4540d747/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/fgFSE6ebJ-E

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/other/AU%20News/game-of-thrones-new-470-75.jpgUpdate: Sling TV has announced that HBO will sync up with its TV-streaming service staring April 9. If you're a cord cutter that enjoys HBO's Game of Thrones as much as this editor does, then you're probably copping off of your parents' or friends' cable subscription account. But if you want to finally pay up like a goddamn adult, Sling TV is about to provide another option. Dish Network today announced that HBO will launch on its new live TV-streaming service in time for the GoT premiere this Sunday, April 12. The channel will cost an additional $15 a month on top of Sling TV's base monthly rate of $20. The news confirms a slight delay that will keep the service under wraps until "before Saturday, April 11." HBO was originally scheduled to launch on Sling TV on April 8. Unlike HBO Now, the network's standalone service that just launched on Apple TV for the same price, HBO on Sling TV will both appear as a live channel and offer the on demand content found within HBO Go. So, why is Sling TV putting off the launch for another few days? Getting ready for the onslaughtBasically, Sling is battening down the hatches. In the same announcement of the delay, the company detailed a short list of improvements to the service that will launch alongside HBO. First and foremost, Sling is working on "various enhancements to reduce overhead and load on our servers," the release reads. In other words, Game of Thrones brings on the traffic, and Sling wants to be ready. The update will also roll out parental controls across all of its available channels that allows parents to manage TV shows by rating. Given that HBO's programming runs the gamut from the incest-ridden Game of Thrones to rebroadcasts of Pixar movies, it makes sense. Finally, the Sling TV mini guide will score an update that makes it easier to find shows by subject and genre. This last change will only apply to Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku players, Roku TV models and Xbox One. A delay is never the best news, but hey, if Sling can pull it off before April 12, then all good. Now, let's see how the stream holds up when the clock strikes 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific. How about that Apple TV 2?http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4538fff8/sc/28/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851390048/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4538fff8/sc/28/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851390048/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4538fff8/sc/28/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851390048/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4538fff8/sc/28/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851390048/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4538fff8/sc/28/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851390048/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4538fff8/sc/28/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/4XFg7WeuKDs

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/TRBC/windows-10-menu-470-75.jpgIntroductionhttp://cdn0.mos.techradar.futurecdn.net//art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/press/windows10-06-420-100.jpg I've probably installed Windows 10 Technical Preview (TP for short) about 20 times over the last few months on tablets, laptops and desktops, and in the process have learnt quite a few things about the all-important installation journey. The current iteration, 10049, is probably the most stable version to date and likely to be the penultimate one before the beta version is officially launched at Build 2015 in San Francisco later this month. Sandwiched between the two will be build 10051, which has already been leaked. Windows 10 TP needs a CPU with an NX bit to workhttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/Win%2010%205%20things/NX%20error-420-90.JPG Microsoft added Windows 10 to its list of operating systems that require the NX bit to work. NX stands for no-execute and is a security feature that helps protect your computer from malicious infections. This is done by preventing the execution of code that resides in certain areas of the memory. Buffer overflow was a common attack method that used this technique. Trawling auctions sites for the oldest computer on sale, I originally managed to get hold of a Celeron processor clocked at 1.7GHz. While it would run Windows 7, it would not run Windows 10. Trying to install it produced the error message: "You can't install Windows 10 Technical Preview because your processor doesn't support NX". Although on paper, the NX bit looks like a logical step to secure a device, users have been complaining that this also prevents alternative operating systems (like Linux distributions). You can check my (successful) attempt to install Windows 10 on an Athlon 64 3200+, a processor that was launched in September 2003 and the oldest x86 processor that supports the NX feature. Windows 10 managed to run on only 256MB memory. You can't install TP on a compressed OShttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/Win%2010%205%20things/Linx%20and%20other%20tablet-420-90.JPG Fancy getting Windows 10 running on one of those super cheap tablets available for under £100 (the Linx 7, the Bush MyTablet or the Tesco Connect)? Then you won't be able to upgrade to run the installer from within the operating system as the Windows OS running in them is not a standard one. Microsoft refers to them as a compressed OS, one that comes with the WIMBoot feature. WIMBoot stands for Windows Image File Boot and is essentially a way to save precious space, especially on devices like low-cost tablets, by compressing some system files. The easiest way to proceed is simply to perform a clean Windows 10 install from the USB drive (assuming you can load the BIOS settings and change the boot sequence) – we did manage to get Windows 10 running seamlessly on the Linx 7 this way. Don't expect TP to boost your PC's performance http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/Win%2010%205%20things/AMD%20CPU-420-90.JPG If you're planning on getting a performance boost from a Windows 10 install, that's unlikely to happen. We haven't extensively tested Windows 10 for performance (that will be done at launch) but the handful of cross-platform benchmarks we've done didn't show any clear improvement in benchmarks or numbers. That, in itself, is a feat bearing in mind that Windows 10 is still in pre-beta mode. What this means is that performance in the final iteration of Windows 10, to be announced later this summer, is likely to, in the worst case scenario, stay the same, and indeed you would hope it will improve marginally. Microsoft developers can still tweak things here and there and the cadence of new builds (roughly one every 14 days) shows no sign of slowing down. Windows 10 doesn't need to be on the mainshttp://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/Win%2010%205%20things/windows%2010%20TP%20on%20tablet-420-90.JPG Installing Windows 10 on a laptop and a tablet taught me one thing – Windows 10 doesn't need to be connected to the mains all the time. While this might seem to be a trivial point, it is actually a vital one if you want to get Windows 10 on devices that have only one USB port for charging and for data (no, not the new Apple MacBook) but can't use them both at the same time. Windows tablets fall in that category and being able to run a Windows installation on a fully charged device without being tethered is a refreshing experience (the same, of course, applies to laptops and even to desktops connected to a UPS) Using on-board solid state memory accelerates the installation although Windows 10, regardless of the hardware, is one of the fastest, if not the fastest OS Microsoft has ever devised, when it comes to the installation process. It's still early days for Windows 10http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/TRBC/Software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/Win%2010%205%20things/windows%2010%20preparing%20screen-420-90.JPG One of the more frustrating experiences I went through with Windows 10 installation was, ironically, on a desktop when I couldn't get Windows 10 to run at any resolution other than SVGA (a bit of an annoyance when your monitor can support more than 17 times that resolution). As expected, it was a driver issue and AMD got an updated version of Catalyst out that did eventually support Windows 10 and native 4K. This goes to show that being part of the earlier batch of alpha testers (we're still in pre-beta phase, remember that) means that you often have to live with issues. After all, Windows 10 is not set to be launched for another three to four months. The one thing that is nagging me at the moment is that touch capability on the Linx 7 tablet doesn't work under Windows 10 at all. But fear not, Microsoft is already aware of this, or at least, it has been reported on the company's Windows Insider Program. Windows 10: release date, price, news and featureshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/453fb636/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/225506657707/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/453fb636/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/225506657707/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/453fb636/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/225506657707/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/453fb636/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/225506657707/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/453fb636/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/225506657707/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/453fb636/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/U03QPDxvwO4

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/AAevents/Apple%20Watch%20event%202015/hbo-now-logo-470-75.jpgHBO NowFilm critic Roger Ebert once said, "We live in a box of space and time. Movies are windows in its walls. They allow us to enter other minds, not simply in the sense of identifying with the characters, although that is an important part of it, but by seeing the world as another person sees it." HBO Now, a new standalone service from Home Box Office, will offer its users just that: a window into the world that many have not seen before today. Starting today the service, which costs $14.99 (about £10, AU$20) per month and has a free one-month trial, rolls out to Apple iTunes users with an Apple TV or devices running iOS like the iPhone 6 and iPad. HBO Now will eventually come to other services, we assume, as HBO Go, a streaming service offered by HBO that requires an active cable subscription, is available on Amazon Fire TV devices, Xbox One, PS4, Roku and myriad other set-top devices. Aside from seasons of Game of Thrones and Girls like you might expect, HBO Now offers dozens of movies, a plethora of its best series going back to The Sopranos and several … ahem ... "after dark" skin flicks. We've highlighted the best of the best content below, as well as some pertinent info for what could be the biggest and brightest innovation the network has ever released. HBO Now priceHBO Now's pricing is pretty straightforward. The service is available to US customers for $14.99 per month paid via the iTunes Store. New subscribers are given an option for a one-month free trial vis-a-vis your iTunes account. Taking HBO up on the offer isn't without a catch: You're automatically enrolled into the program, which means you'll need to physically unsubscribe at the end of the free month-long trial to stop your card from getting charged. Despite that one shortcoming, there's a lot to like here. Unlike its sister service HBO Go, there's no cable subscription required, nor are you locked into a contract. At launch, HBO Now is limited to the US, unfortunately, but we've reached out to HBO to see if it has any plans to release the service in the UK in the near future. How do I get it?Subscribing to the service is cake … if you own an Apple device. iOS users can just head to the App Store and download the HBO Now app. From there you'll be prompted to create a new account and start your one month free trial. Apple TV users can mirror these steps on their devices. However! If you're a resident of New York City and subscribe to Cablevision, there's actually a third way to get HBO Now by adding it to your basic cable package. New contentAt this point, everything is new content. When HBO releases its next monthly batch of new content, we'll update this section with the latest programming coming to the service. Best shows on HBO NowGreat original programming is HBO's bread and butter. While nearly every show deserves a call out, I feel the following are the best shows on the service. http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/other/Onetimers/hodor-420-100.jpg Game of Thrones - Like Winter, you probably knew this one was coming. George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice saga has enraptured us season after season with its brutal telling of lords and ladies fighting, conniving and … uh, kissing, to win a horribly uncomfortable looking chair. There are currently four seasons on HBO Now, with a fifth season available starting April 12. http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Streaming%20Services/Presto/Presto-HBO-The%20Wire-420-100.jpg The Wire - Shows about cops and robbers were a dime a dozen in the late '90s and early 2000s. It seems like every week there was a new crime drama that either took place in the courthouse or out on the streets where gritty, foul-mouthed badges upheld the law with a sidearm and implacable morals. The Wire is a lot like the old shows, sure, but it improves upon them by giving you truly deep characters on both sides of the law that you wanted to succeed, and some you just can't wait to see bite a bullet. There are five seasons currently available on HBO Now. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Movies/silicon-valley-420-90.jpg Silicon Valley - I know what you're thinking, "Nick, how can you recommend Silicon Valley when the show goes out of its way to mention TechCrunch and Engadget, and purposefully leaves out good ol' TechRadar?" Well, that's a good question. But we all make mistakes, and one day the awesome show about the people who run this crazy region will recognize true technology journalism when it sees it. You may as well start watching this excellent show right now, however, as that day could take awhile. There is currently one season on HBO Now with a new season set to debut April 12. Best movies on HBO NowIn addition to TV shows, HBO Now offers a bevy of full-length films to choose from. These are some of the best. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Movies/grandbudapest-420-90.jpg The Grand Budapest Hotel - Weird, quirky and quintessential Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel is easily one of the best films of last year. Following the adventures of a dutiful bell clerk on his rise to the top, TGBH will make you laugh one minute and cry your eyes out the next as Anderson weaves a beautiful yarn in exotic and too-often-dangerous lands. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Movies/pacific-rim1-420-90.jpg Pacific Rim - After The Grand Budapest Hotel fills that soft spot in your heart, you can move on to the more important things in life, like watching a giant Gundam-style robot fight a 250-foot kaiju to save humanity from the brink of destruction. Flat, two-dimensional and full of more CGI than most video games, Pacific Rim is everything we love about monster movies. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Movies/Her-420-90.jpg Her - As a technology lover myself, I really get director Spike Jonze's Her. While Joaquin Phoenix's character may take that love to a new (and somewhat creepy) level, the grappling questions of "What is love?" and "What does 'human' mean?" not only pervade, but elevate the movie to one of the must-watch films of the past five years. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/broadcast/Movies/12%20years%20a%20slave-420-90.jpg 12 Years a Slave - "They're not going to show that," you think to yourself. "There's no way they can show someone getting beaten within an inch of their lives." Guess what? They can and they do. 12 Years a Slave is the brutal, true story of one man who was born free but is taken into the slave trade to endure some of the worst cruelty humanity has ever known. It won three Academy Awards, a Golden Globe and it's available on HBO Now.

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Apple/Photos/Photos%201%20-470-75.jpgApple's new Photos app has finally arrived with the latest OS X Yosemite operating system for Macs. Now, users on Apple's Mac Pro, iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook will have access to Apple's new photo viewing and editing app, which replaces iPhoto and Aperture, along with other features on OS X 10.10.3. The new Photos app allows users to organize their photos into Moments, Collections, Shared albums, Albums, and Projects. The new app also allows users to convert their digital memories into analog ones with options to purchase prints and photo books. In addition to the new Photos app, the update also contains bugfixes and performance improvements. OS X 10.10.3 should improve Wi-Fi and Bluetooth performance, improve reliability of screen sharing, and bring better security to the Safari browser. Developers will find support for the new Force Touch touchpad on the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and the new 12-inch MacBook. Other new featuresFor enterprise customers, OS X 10.10.3 also: Addresses an issue that could cause Macs bound to an Active Directory server to become unresponsive at startupProvides the ability to set a umask that's respected by GUI appsFixes an issue installing a configuration profile for 802.1x with EAP-TLSResolves an issue where folders from a DFS share point might "disappear" when viewed from the Finder on some MacsAdditionally, the update brings with it 300 new emoji to Apple's Messages app to keep it in line with the release of iOS 8.3 for iPhone and iPad users. The main feature of the emoji is the use of different skin tones as Apple embraces racial diversity. Additionally, iCloud Photo Library is now out of beta. With iCloud Photo Library, users can browse their photo collection from any OS X Yosemite or iOS 8 device, making it easier to share photos and organize pictures into shared albums. OS X 10.10.3 is now available as a free update in the Mac App Store. Read our OS X Yosemite reviewhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4538582f/sc/28/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851325891/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4538582f/sc/28/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851325891/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4538582f/sc/28/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851325891/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4538582f/sc/28/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851325891/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4538582f/sc/28/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851325891/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4538582f/sc/28/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/GX8ttA3o6qk

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/mobile_phones/iPhone/ios83_emoji_diverse-470-75.jpgApple's latest iOS update arrives today for all users, bringing with it a greater diversity of emoji and other improvements. The update, which brings the system up to version 8.3, adds more than 300 new emoji - including the universal gesture, the thumbs up - with a wider range of skin colors than before. More countries' flags are also represented, and naturally there's a new Apple Watch emoji too. This update also tweaks the iPhone's keyboard, expanding the space bar at the expense of some of the "." button's real estate. CarPlay and moreThe other major change is the addition of Apple CarPlay support, which lets users connect their iPhones to their cars' dashboard displays. And the update includes additional languages for Siri and dictation, plus improvements to orientation/rotation, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. iOS 8.3 rolls out over the air to all users beginning today. iPhone 6: bigger, better, sleeker and fasterhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/45385846/sc/28/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851325890/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45385846/sc/28/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851325890/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45385846/sc/28/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851325890/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45385846/sc/28/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851325890/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45385846/sc/28/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851325890/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45385846/sc/28/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/uR_H41ZNtGE

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Skype/Skype%20Translator%20screen-470-75.jpgMicrosoft has delivered a number of useful updates to its Skype Translator preview for Windows to make it even easier to speak to colleagues across the globe. The update, which is available through the Windows Store, contains four changes that include text-to-speech translation, continuous recognition, automatic volume control and a mute button for translated voice. Heading up the new features is the text-to-speech translation tool that takes any instant message sent to you and relays it back in your home language, just so long as the language is supported by Skype. The addition of automatic volume control means Skype prioritizes the translated speech over your partner's voice so that while the translation is still happening the respondent can continue to speak. There is also the chance to turn off translated speech at any time by hitting the mute option. For those that use Skype for instant messaging the continuous recognition feature translates text as it is being typed and makes global interaction much easier. Over 40 languagesSkype Translator began its technical preview back in December and currently allows voice translation between English and Spanish as well as instant message translation in over 40 different languages. The translation service will also play an integral role in the recently unveiled Skype for Business that has replaced Microsoft Lync and provides businesses with a collaboration tool that works across all devices including even smartwatches. Microsoft wants to turn Skype into iMessagehttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/45387151/sc/28/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/225506619853/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45387151/sc/28/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/225506619853/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45387151/sc/28/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/225506619853/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45387151/sc/28/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/225506619853/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45387151/sc/28/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/225506619853/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45387151/sc/28/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/vQxukGkKeBw

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Google/GMeetleak-470-75.jpgAfter launching video calls with Google Hangouts, Google may be looking at transforming regular teleconference calls with a new app and service called GMeet. Screenshots of the unannounced app were uncovered by Google+ user Florien Kiersch, revealing that teleconference calls could be easily joined with a single click, rather than requiring users to dial in a string of numbers to enter a room. Florien claims that the service is only open to Google employees, but it's unclear if GMeet is intended solely for Google employee use, or if it's undergoing internal testing ahead of an official reveal. Google has not publicly announced its plans for such a service at this time, and this is the first that we've heard of GMeet. The screenshots reveal that the smartphone-based app uses Google's latest Material Design language that debuted with Android 5.0 Lollipop. No numbers needed to call in From what we can tell based off of the leaked shots, Google Meet would work in a similar way as Google Hangouts, allowing for voice and/or video calls to be conducted over the service. Conference calls will likely be routed over the internet, similar to VoIP calls made on Google Hangouts or Google Voice today. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/software/Google/GMeetleaked2-420-90.jpg The service could be useful for enterprise customers, particularly those who use Google Apps for Work, as one of the screens show a meeting agenda with quick, clickable links to join various upcoming teleconference sessions. There is also a search tool to find existing meetings to join, likely reserved for users within the same organization, or under the same Google Apps domain. The ability to quickly join conference call rooms will be a useful time-saver for business customers. By clicking on a link, users will no longer need to remember a dial-in number to reach a teleconference service, nor would they need to key in the room code to join a teleconference session. Additionally, sending a link to customers, guests, or participants of a teleconference call is much easier than requiring them to dial into a conference service. Phandroid reports that searches for GMeet and Google Meeting returned code snippets dating as far back as 2011, but that "most of the code references things we already have access to in the latest rendition of Hangouts, such as whiteboards, screen sharing, and integration with Google Calendar." Likely, if GMeet debuted, it would provide users with an app and UI that works on top of the existing Google Hangouts infrastructure. In addition to an Android app, Kiersch noted in his post that there appears to be a Chrome extension, so users of Chrome OS and the Chrome browser can also easily access GMeet. Read our Google Apps for Work reviewhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4530e5ce/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851329289/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4530e5ce/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851329289/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4530e5ce/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851329289/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4530e5ce/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851329289/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4530e5ce/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851329289/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4530e5ce/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/a0pSAJndgj0

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/hands%20on/windows10-closeup-470-75.jpgThis story has been updated Windows 10 might be well on the way, but that hasn't stopped Microsoft's next Windows project - codenamed Redstone - from peeking out publicly for the first time. First reported by Neowin, the Redstone project will be a Windows OS update next year and it's thus far unclear whether it will refresh Windows 10 or be a part of Windows Server 2016. Redstone will be released in two waves, one in June of 2016 and one in October 2016. The Redstone name itself comes from the Microsoft-owned Minecraft video game where it is a construction "block" and this follows the policy of naming projects after features from games such as Cortana and Spartan from Halo. A large-scale update to Windows 10, though not impossible, is unlikely at such an early stage after its release and Redstone can be expected to be a smaller update that makes small tweaks to the new OS. Windows 10 for freeIt could also be related to Windows Server 2016, which gets its first release next year, something that breaks with Windows Server's tradition of being released side-by-side with the new Windows OS. Windows 10, now well into its technical preview period, will be released later this year and is offered as a completely free upgrade for all Windows 7 and 8.1 users for at least 12 months with pirated copies also able to be updated for free. Check it out: Windows 10 release date, price, news and featureshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/45300b68/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851287683/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45300b68/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851287683/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45300b68/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851287683/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45300b68/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851287683/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45300b68/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851287683/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/45300b68/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/lGJoOtYl-IA

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/logos/microsoft-1-bett-470-75.JPGMicrosoft is finally ready to release the second technical preview of Windows Server 2016 more than six months after the previous incarnation was outed. First reported by ZDNet, Microsoft plans to roll out the next technical preview at some point in May and to do so it is extending the date of the first version, which was slated to run out on April 15. "Microsoft will release a solution to extend the current Windows Server Next Technical Preview until the next preview is available. The next preview will be available in May," a Microsoft spokesperson told ZDNet. Microsoft's first preview build of Windows Server 2016 came out way back in October 2014 and it's speculated the next version will have built-in containerization support, protected virtual machine mode and a few other tweaks. Breaking with traditionMany of those migrating to the new Windows Server will do so from Windows Server 2003, which gets to its end-of-life next month and has already been called the "biggest security threat of 2015" by one IT specialist. Windows Server releases have traditionally happened alongside new versions of Windows, however, the upcoming release won't arrive until 2016 and as such misses the chance to share the limelight with Windows 10. Windows Server 2003 end-of-life presents a $100bn opportunityhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/452e95ec/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851304898/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/452e95ec/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851304898/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/452e95ec/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851304898/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/452e95ec/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851304898/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/452e95ec/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851304898/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/452e95ec/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/UHej4Od8jQM

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/press/windows10-08-470-75.jpgWindows 7 and 8.1 users have received yet more encouragement to download Windows 10 later this summer after Microsoft secretly implemented a nudge in the right direction as part of a new update. The optional KB3035583 update for the two older versions of Windows includes "additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications when new updates are available to the user" and upon further inspection Myce found that this was in fact a Windows 10 installer. Users that choose to download the recommended-but-not-essential update will find that a new folder is added inside System32 called "GWX." This contains nine different files and an additional folder called "Download." The file that matters is "GWXUXWorker.EXE," because inside the file description it includes the wording "Download Windows 10." Further to this, the config.xml file in the folder has the "OnlineAdURL" line that directs you to go to "https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=526874," where the update will presumably be waiting once released. Freebie for the piratesIt applies to PCs running either Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and anyone that wants to get hold of it has to manually check the box next to the update to receive it. Microsoft confirmed in January that all Windows 7 and 8.1 PCs will get a free upgrade to Windows 10 upon release and that even includes pirated copies of the OS. Windows XP users, meanwhile, have to install Windows 7 or 8.1 before being able to use Windows 10. Check out: Windows 10: release date, price, news and featureshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/452e63cd/sc/15/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851324914/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/452e63cd/sc/15/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851324914/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/452e63cd/sc/15/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851324914/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/452e63cd/sc/15/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851324914/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/452e63cd/sc/15/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851324914/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/452e63cd/sc/15/a2t.imghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/-aam_zJzxKE

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Microsoft/Windows%2010/press/windows10-04-470-75.jpgMicrosoft could be ready to reveal the Windows source code for the first time at some point in the not-so-distant future as part of the exciting new era under new CEO Satya Nadella. First reported by CNET, Microsoft engineer and technical fellow Mark Russinovich told the ChefCon summit that "it's definitely possible" the OS at the heart of most PCs worldwide will one day become open source to sit aside the likes of Linux. Wired went on to add that the vision is part of "the new Microsoft" being led by recently appointed CEO Nadella and goes against the reigns of both Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates where the source code was as closely guarded as the colonel's secret recipe. Before anyone gets too excited, Russinovich added that, even though discussions have taken place and continue to happen, the move to an open source model isn't expected to take place any time in the near future and is instead part of the longer term thinking of the company. More and more openWindows currently sits alongside Apple's OS X in the closed OS category due to the fact the code used to enable the software is not made available publicly. Other operating systems, such as Linux, make that code available and it makes it easier for the developer community to edit to their hearts content. This isn't the first time that Microsoft broke with its closed-sourcing tradition. In November it made the .NET development platform open source and it has been making a concerted effort to take its applications onto Android and iOS platforms ever since Nadella took over the CEO role a little over a year ago. Check out our Windows 10 hub for all the latest newshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/452e63db/sc/15/mf.gifhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/software-news/~4/GsDpLEqHkqA

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/av_accessories/Netflix%20and%20Amazon/amazon_prime-470-75.jpgAmazon Prime Instant Video has a rocky history with Android. First it was only available on iOS, and then, when it did come to Android, it was limited to Amazon Fire tablets and Android phones, but not most Android tablets. That changes today, as the latest version of the Prime Instant Video app is now available on all Android tablets. The app is still slightly gated - it requires you to go through Amazon.com in a web browser before actually playing a video in the Prime Instant Video app - but at least it works on more devices. And you still have to get it through the Amazon Appstore instead of Google Play, but hey, at least things got a little bit better today. Thankfully there are plenty of other options for watching Prime Instant Video. It's not natively supported, but when you mirror your entire device to a TV using Chromecast, you can even stream Prime content to the big screen. Samsung's Galaxy S6 is a beautyhttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/4517b46c/sc/28/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851175506/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4517b46c/sc/28/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851175506/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4517b46c/sc/28/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851175506/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4517b46c/sc/28/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851175506/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4517b46c/sc/28/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851175506/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/4517b46c/sc/28/a2t.img

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/Connected%20home/Philips%20Hue/Philips_Hue_Go2-470-75.jpgLooking for a new device for your space-age, connected bachelor pad? Philips today announced the launch of Hue Go, an addition to its Hue range of smartphone-controlled bulb and lighting products. To quote the breathless press blurb, "Philips Hue Go is an iF DESIGN AWARD-winning, fully portable wireless lamp… meaning that it is now possible to experience the light that you want, wherever you want as you move around your house and garden… This newest addition to the extensive Philips Hue system delivers total freedom with light." So in other words: a battery-powered light. Look how much these ladies are digging it. http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/art/Connected%20home/Philips%20Hue/Philips_Hue_Go-420-90.jpg Philips Hue Go can last for up to three hours on battery alone, and is humidity-resistant enough to take from your lounge to your kitchen, but it won't survive an assault by wind and rain, so for God's sake get it back inside, or at least under cover, if the weather turns. The Hue range now has over 200 third-party apps to do everything from waking you with an artificial sunrise, to turning your hallway into a disco, with a lightshow that pulsates in time with your music, and Hue Go taps into that. This also means you can receive messaging notifications through a subtle colour-change of the lights, and link the Hue Go with other Hue products, while having dinner with your friends Hugh and Hugo. Smartphone control of something as fundamental as lighting isn't everyone's bag, so Philips has also included a control button on the product itself. This cycles the light through seven light settings ranging from warm white light to a bluer simulated-daylight type light, to five effects: "Cozy Candle, Sunday Coffee, Meditation, Enchanted Forest and Night Adventure, to enrich, "a romantic dinner, a relaxing bath or a Zen moment." Mmm-mm. The cost of this next-level, wholly-portable-for-three-hours-at-a-time lighting experience? £80/$100/AUS$160. The Philips Hue Go joins the other Hue products which include the white-light-only Hue Lux and Hue Phoenix and the Friends of Hue line of light fittings.

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/desktop_pcs_and_macs/Asus/Chromebit/google-chromebit-470-75.jpgGoogle is going way beyond Chromecast with its latest HDMI dongle, the transformative and affordable Chromebit. The Google Chromebit, made by Asus, turns any TV with an HDMI jack into a full-fledged Chrome OS PC - and it costs just $100 (about £70, AU$130). The Chromebit comes in blue, silver and orange, and it swivels to fit in any HDMI port. Google's Chromebit uses a Rockchip RK 3288 chip and quad-core Mali 760 graphics, 2GB of memory, 16GB of solid state storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and a USB 2.0 port on the end. Borrowed bitsAs Gizmodo points out, this is not a wholly original idea. Chinese companies already sell Android-based TV dongles - which also use the Rockchip processor - and Intel in January announced a Windows 8,1-based HDMI gadget clumsily dubbed the Compute Stick. The site said this entry-level Chromebit won't be the only version, either, and that Asus isn't the only company with one in the works. The first Google Chromebit should launch some time this summer. Roku Streaming Stick is a decent Chromecast alternative

http://cdn.mos.techradar.com/art/software/Google/GmailUnifiedInbox-470-75.jpgGoogle's latest update to its Gmail app for Android devices brings a unified inbox so you can view emails from multiple accounts at the same time. "Starting today you'll be able to view all your mail at once, regardless of which account it's from, using the new "All Inboxes" option," Google announced. "This way you can read and respond to all your messages without having to hop between accounts." The unified inbox is a convenient feature to triage email if you have multiple accounts to check. Business customers and consumers will no longer need to switch between different accounts to see their emails within the Gmail app. The Gmail app supports emails from Yahoo, Outlook, and other services. These features help to bring Gmail up to par with the pre-installed email clients on Android devices, third-party email clients from the Google Play Store and Microsoft's new Outlook app. Threaded conversations, better Drive integrationAdditionally, to make it even more convenient for non-Gmail users to use the app, Google now brings threaded conversation view to Yahoo and Outlook mail. With the threaded messages view, related emails with the same subject line are grouped together in a single conversation, making it easy for users to follow all the replies. Google is also improving its auto-complete feature to make it easier to find what you're looking for. "The new Gmail app for Android has better auto-complete, so you can find what you need even faster," Google said. Other new features include responsive animations, larger attachment previews and the ability to save files to Google Drive with a single tap. The update is available today from the Google Play Store, but it may take a while to get pushed to your Android devices. Read our review of Google Apps for businesseshttp://rss.feedsportal.com/c/669/f/415085/s/44f3aa8d/sc/28/mf.gif http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851042371/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/44f3aa8d/sc/28/rc/1/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851042371/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/44f3aa8d/sc/28/rc/2/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851042371/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/44f3aa8d/sc/28/rc/3/rc.img http://da.feedsportal.com/r/224851042371/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/44f3aa8d/sc/28/a2.imghttp://pi.feedsportal.com/r/224851042371/u/49/f/415085/c/669/s/44f3aa8d/sc/28/a2t.img