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It’s no secret that cloud technology has been leading the movement towards digital transformation. In fact, a recent survey found that 83 percent of enterprise workloads will be in the cloud by 2020. However, the statistic doesn’t account for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), which have traditionally been hesitant to adopt cloud technology – or any technology, for that matter. While some SMBs are recognizing the value of moving their operations to the cloud, many are still faced with hurdles that are preventing their digital transformation. Notably, concerns around security, maintenance and costs are burdening small business owners, particularly those who don’t have a dedicated IT person to manage it all. However, what many of SMBs don’t know is that the cloud can alleviate the daily stresses of monitoring data security, housing expensive hardware and dedicating teams to maintain it all. Here's why SMBs need to stop letting these three barriers hinder their digital transformation. Best ways to transfer files online in 2019Best ways to share big filesBest ways to share files securely1. SecurityWhile all businesses are at risk of data breaches and cyberattacks, SMBs are particularly vulnerable. According to Small Business Trends, 43 percent of cyberattacks specifically target small businesses. Unfortunately, the same study found that upwards of 60 percent of small businesses that fall victim to a hack will go out of business within six months of being hit. With that in mind, it’s not surprising that security is one of the top barriers to cloud adoption for SMBs. When it comes to securing business data, the concept of moving information to a place that does not live within the walls of the business can be unnerving. However, keeping data locked up in a hard drive can actually lead to disastrous consequences. According to the creators of World Backup Day, more than 140,000 hard drive crashes occur each week in the U.S. The estimated cost of this failure and resulting disruption to the average small business would amount to $15,000 per day. The potential risks don’t end there; by relying on hardware, SMBs are also extremely vulnerable to ransomware attacks. In September 2017, Hickory Home and Garden Center, a small retail business in Hickory, NC, fell victim to a vicious ransomware attack. Not only were all the files on the server encrypted, but the attack had also encrypted everything on the external hard drive the company used as a backup. After this incident, the company sat down with their ERP provider to understand how a cloud solution might have prevented this from happening. They learned that their data would have been secured from the start through their provider’s strong firewalls, penetration and vulnerability testing and layered storage capabilities – all of which are key benefits of the cloud in preventing cyberattacks. It is extremely important that small businesses understand the implications of refraining to move their data to the cloud. While business data might not be physically in the owner’s hands everyday like it is with hardware, it is just as accessible and even more secure when stored in the cloud. 2. Maintenance A survey report from Techaisle LLC found that the fourth biggest challenge that SMBs face, following budget constraints, mobile security and excessive data growth, is finding qualified and trained people to manage their IT applications. To combat this, SMBs should look for a provider with data centers that are managed by professional IT personnel with experience in the cloud environment and who dedicate themselves to maintaining the success of their customer’s software. Prior to their cloud adoption, Hickory Home and Garden Centers had to back up their servers to an external hard drive every day. Afterwards, they backed the servers up to a flash dive, which ate up too much of the team’s time. They would have to go into the store early and stay late in order to maintain the software updates and tend to other maintenance issues. Instead of searching for in-house resources to maintain IT structure, SMBs should identify cloud providers that offer trusted support for their cloud maintenance needs. 3. CostAdded costs to a small business’s tech stack is always a topic of concern to owners. However, moving to the cloud makes operations significantly more affordable for small businesses. According to NSK Inc., 82 percent of companies have saved on costs by utilizing cloud technology in their business. Instead of setting up a local system that requires annual investments in maintenance and trained IT staff, cloud providers are pooling their resources to house large-scale data centers for their SMB customers. Although switching to the cloud may come with slight upfront costs such as installation or migration, in the long run, it will save small businesses a lot of money. Small business owners who let concerns around security, maintenance and cost prevent them from moving their processes to the cloud are at risk of falling behind as their competitors embrace digital transformation. With secure and reliable data protection capabilities, efficient server maintenance personnel and cost-effective subscriptions, identifying a cloud provider is the simple answer for any SMB to alleviate the common stresses of data security, hardware maintenance and overall technology costs. And, while it is smart to weigh out the options and potential risks of adopting a new technology, it is also important that small businesses consider how their current operations might be hindering them more than they realize. Grant Howe, Chief Technology Officer of ECi Software Solutions, brings more than 21 years of product development and management experience. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/4dDc-ak5-UQ

Bamboozled by TV tech terms OLED, LCD and LED? Wondering why OLED is so expensive? Or unsure of the benefits of LCD and LED TVs? Where do QLED TVs come into it? If you're buying a TV and have questions like these buzzing around in your head, we're here to help. Let's face it, the most important part of any television is the picture quality. Nowadays most smart TV platforms meet the same general requirements, and TVs in general don't vary too much in shape or the kinds of sizes available – but the sorts of panels and picture processors you'll find in your TV can vary hugely between manufacturers. Here we'll be running through the differences between OLED, QLED, and LCD-LED: competing technologies that each offer a trade-off between price and picture quality, with their own strengths and weaknesses in the picture department. All of these screen technologies support the increasingly essential 4K resolution, as well as accompanying 4K color-boosting tech like HDR, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. There are hosts of other terms that can distinguish between sets – like 4K HDR Processor X1, Dynamic Range PRO and Triluminos Display (Sony), NanoCell and IPS 4K Quantum Display (LG) and 4K SUHD and Ultra HD Premium HDR 1500/2000 (Samsung). These technologies certainly make a difference, but they're hardly the be all and end all. When buying a TV, we'd recommend keeping your mind less on all that marketing bluster and more on the important picture quality differences between OLED, QLED, and LCD-LED. We'll explain everything you need to know here. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/g8HWmF4tUmLcJrWoDfkKMg.jpg OLED is a self-emissive display technology (Image Credit: Sony) What is OLED?Watching an OLED TV for the first time is genuinely a pure ‘whoah!’ moment. So smooth, fluid, colourful and contrasty are the images that it's really hard to go back to your old LCD or plasma TV. Does that mean OLED the flat TV tech we’ve been waiting for? Almost as flat as wallpaper, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is a breakthrough moment for TVs. Critically, it emits its own light, so the huge backlight used by most TVs isn’t there. As well as being slim, in an OLED display each pixel self-illuminates, so you can control images at an individual pixel level. In an OLED panel, organic films are placed between semiconductors, then supplied with an electrical current, which effectively means that each and every pixel can be switched on and off individually. This process simultaneously uses less power to create more brightness, and makes total black possible. So video that features both darkness and extreme brightness, such as a star-filled night sky, looks realistic. With unlimited contrast, it means the whitest whites and the darkest blacks – and everything in between. Expect eye-popping color, and, crucially, lightning-fast response times. There are downsides to OLED too though: it’s very expensive, and no one is quite sure how long panels will last. OLED panel manufacturing is also more environmentally friendly than traditional panels. While LCD panels require the greenhouse gas Nitrogen Trifluoride in their production, OLEDs don’t. So, if you want to save the planet and have a better picture quality, you may want an OLED set. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bRHqJiyQAKGCNjekBos4Mg.jpg Basic LCD TV tech is quickly fading from the market (Image Credit: Samsung) What is LCD & LED?If you can’t justify spending big on an OLED or QLED TV, the good news is that all major TV brands are still selling plenty of LCD-LED TVs. LCD (liquid crystal display) and LED (light-emitting diode) TVs are often thought of as competing concepts, but they actually refer to identical display technology. In an LCD TV, liquid crystals rotate polarized light, effectively acting as a light valve that illuminates all pixels simultaneously. Instead of the pixel-by-pixel lighting of OLED TVs, in a standard LCD TV all light comes from a big energy-guzzling backlight. The result is a uniform brightness, and relatively low contrast images. LCD is an outmoded technology, so much so that you can’t easily buy basic LCD TVs of any size anymore, at least not in the original configuration. That's where LED-backlighting comes in – instead of having a one-piece backlight that limits contrast, LED TVs are illuminated by (you guessed it) LEDs. They’re ranged in either clusters behind the panel (so-called full-array local dimming) or on the sides (called ‘edge’ or ‘edge-lit’ LED TVs). The latter is more common, largely because the resulting TV is flatter. There are a few drawbacks, namely that both techniques still get their light from an external source that increases the components and size of the finished TV. If you watch in a completely black environment, you’ll notice blotches and uneven brightness on the panel too, and a lack of shadow detail in dark areas of the screen. That said, images are usually very bright, and very colorful, and you can buy an LED TV in virtually any size you want. They're great value. Brands are always trying to shout about new innovations (such as LG’s recent chatter about Nano Cell technology), but they're often just tweaking old technology. LED-backlit LCD TVs provide the current sweet-spot for TV technology, and that's not going to change anytime soon. Best LED TVs: Our pick of the best LCD LED televisions you can buy todayhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/amzkFxLsRFxf6pxiDthYSg.jpg QLED is Samsung’s name for its latest LCD tech (Image Credit: Samsung) What is QLED?Another premium TV technology that’s only recently gone on sale, QLED (quantum-dot light emitting diode) is very different to OLED. QLED panels are not self-emissive, instead lit by LEDs along the edge (just like an Edge LED-backlit LCD). The advantages of QLED TVs are that they use a quantum dot color filter and are capable of significantly higher brightness than OLED TVs. Cue eye-popping color, but slower response times than an OLED TV. However, the contrast and blacks aren’t as good as OLED TVs. So far, QLED has had only modest success, but that could change. At CES 2018, Samsung announced that its QLED TVs for 2018 would use direct, local-dimming backlighting, and boast even higher brightness. If the black level performance and motion blur issues can be improved, Samsung could be on to something. But only if they’re cheaper than OLED, which for now remains the benchmark. Read our full guide to Samsung QLED TVhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6ixYiopBYebVJKnxePeetU.jpg Philips’ 6 Series of OLED TVs come with Ambilight (Image Credit: Philips) Should I buy an OLED, QLED, LCD or LED TV?Most TV brands sell whatever TV technology is popular. However, there is a schism in the market; as noone really sells both OLED and QLED (excluding Hisense, who are flirting with both quantum dot LED displays and their first OLED set). OLED panels are manufactured only by LG, and QLED panels only by Samsung. Other brands use them on license and try and add their own secret sauce to give their particular models the edge. What you decide to buy largely comes down to price. Future innovations could turn that advice on its head, but for now, if you have money to burn and want the best, go for an OLED – no question. Want a brighter panel? Go for a QLED. If price is more of a concern and you don't need the blackest blacks around, then an LED-backlit LCD TV could well be the one you want – they might not have quite the same level of contrast, but depending on the manufacturer's technology they could come very close. It may all seem confusing at first, but when armed with a little knowledge about the differences between OLED, QLED, LED and LCD, buying a TV isn't quite as tricky as you might think. For a deeper look at the two rivals of the moment, check out our QLED vs OLED explainerhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/yd34JS3AsOU

Update: Fitbit just announced four new products you'll probably want to know about. There's new fitness trackers called the Fitbit Inspire and Fitbit Inspire HR, as well as a new tracker for kids called the Fitbit Ace 2. Alongside that, the company has unveiled its cheapest smartwatch ever called the Fitbit Versa Lite. It's a reworking on last year's Fitbit Versa, which you'll find in the list below. Fitbit was one of the very first wearable tech companies to bring us step counts, badges and calorie burn information to our phones with its early devices, like the Ultra, the Fitbit One and then the Fitbit Flex. Fast-forward a decade and the company is still going from strength to strength. That's because the brand has stayed on top of what customers want and the latest health tech trends, but it's also stayed true to its simple, easy-to-use and accurate roots. These days Fitbit has a wide range of products that are bound to suit most lifestyles and most budgets. From those who love running outdoors to those who love the gym to those who just want to count steps each day or even buy a tracker for their kids. Late in 2018 we saw the introduction of the Fitbit Charge 3, and earlier in the year we heard all about the Fitbit Versa. Before that we saw the Fitbit Alta HR and Fitbit Ionic smartwatch following on from the Fitbit Charge 2 and Fitbit Flex 2 that came out the year before. Now we've seen the introduction of the new Fitbit Inspire trackers alongside the Fitbit Versa Lite. We may also see products like the Ionic 2 or Charge 4 launch later in 2019. Products such as the Fitbit Blaze and Fitbit Surge aren't available directly from the company any longer, but you can quite often find them on sale at third-party retailers so they're still included in the list below. It's also worth noting the company now has its own tracker for kids called the Fitbit Ace, but you won't find that below in our ranking as it's not designed for adult users. Looking for something different? Check out our best fitness trackersNeed to save money? Check out our best cheap fitness trackersOr maybe try one of the best Wear OS smartwatches?If you've bought a Fitbit, check out our selection of the best Fitbit bandsGet the most our of your band with our fitness tracker tips and tricks guideBelow you'll find our full ranking of the best Fitbit activity trackers that you can buy right now. We've taken design, features, fitness prowess, price and many other elements into account when making this list. The best Fitbit for fitness tracking is the Charge 3, which has a much larger screen compared to the last few versions of the Charge series. It's one of the best fitness trackers you can use right now and comes with fitness features such as a heart rate tracker, guided breathing, swim tracking and improved notifications. If you opt for the Fitbit Charge 3 Special Edition, you'll get Fitbit Pay compatibility as well. It connects with the GPS on your phone to keep track of your runs as well, but unfortunately can't keep tabs on your location without your phone. With that in mind, it might not be the best option for serious runners. Everything is just a bit better on the Charge 3, and considering it's the same price at launch as the Charge 2 it'll likely be a suitable tracker for anyone looking for a Fitbit in 2019. Read the full Fitbit Charge 3 review What's next? Could we hear about the Fitbit Charge 4 soon? It's unlikely, so you're safe buying the Fitbit Charge 3 without worrying about it becoming obsolete. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EZ7rFt2Q6x4VU83qDQk68A.png Image Credit: Fitbit Do you want a fitness tracker that is easy to use and uncomplicated? The Fitbit Flex 2 may be the best device for you. You'll be able to use this while swimming as it's waterproof and it'll also keep an eye on how well your dips in the pool are going. On top of that it comes with all the other basic tracking features you'd expect plus a slim and light design too. It's a touch cheaper than the Fitbit Charge 2 as well, so it may be the perfect Fitbit tracker for you. If you're considering buying a Flex 2 for yourself, it has great fitness tracking on board and a super subtle design that's bound to appeal to almost everyone. The only thing it's seriously lacking is a screen, so for an upgrade consider a Versa instead. Read the full Fitbit Flex 2 review What's next? Despite the Flex 2 being one of Fitbit's most popular trackers, we've yet to hear any leaks or rumors of the Fitbit Flex 3. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pbpPWmjExggrReE9Z8otKY.jpg Image Credit: Fitbit Packing a lot of the features we saw debut on the Ionic, the Fitbit Versa has condensed them down to a smaller package with a lower price tag and if you want a slimmer watch on your wrist this may be better for you than the company's first watch. The price is already lower than the now cheaper Ionic, and while it doesn't feel as premium we enjoy the smaller design that sits closely to your wrist. It comes with Fitbit Pay, all of the apps on the Ionic, storage for music and much more. If you're looking to use it for running the Versa is sorely missing GPS features so you'll have to take your phone with you to track where you're jogging, but it's still a great smartwatch from Fitbit. Read the full Fitbit Versa review If you're after a smartwatch from Fitbit, there's also this. The Fitbit Ionic isn't the fantastic smartwatch some hoped it would be but it succeeds if you're looking for a fitness focused device that can tackle running, weight lifting, swimming and much, much more. Dedicated workout programs and Fitbit Pay are among the other highlights of the Ionic, but it doesn't perform as well as say the Apple Watch 3 or LG Watch Sport if you're looking for a full blown smartwatch experience. It's not cheap either and the Fitbit Ionic is also low in our list of the best Fitbit products because it's just very expensive for what it can offer you. However, if you're an outdoor runner the Ionic is your best bet. Not only is it durable, but it has built-in GPS, meaning you can leave your phone at home. Read the full Fitbit Ionic review What's next? We've put together a list of things we'd like to see if the company decides to announce a Fitbit Ionic 2. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7aJvx22rEd5c7nztJED2TW.jpg Image Credit: Fitbit The Fitbit Alta HR takes the slim, stylish Fitbit Alta and jams a heart rate monitor into its slender frame, without bulking it up. Where the original Fitbit Alta feels a bit light on features, and puts form over function, the Alta HR is an admirable tracker which goes beyond basic step tracking, but still looks good. It's still not the most feature-packed - there's no GPS for a start - but it strikes a good balance and is the sort of thing you'll be happy to wear 24/7 (other than when swimming - this isn't waterproof), which is handy, because it can also track your sleep, and the heart rate monitor helps there too. With basic message / notification alerts pulled from your smartphone and an almost week long battery life too, it's well worth considering if you don't need the features - or don't want the bulk - of something like the Fitbit Ionic. Read the full Fitbit Alta HR review Until earlier this year, the Charge 2 was our favorite Fitbit. It has a much larger screen compared to the original Fitbit Charge and the Charge HR, and it's packed with extra fitness features. There's Multi-Sport tracking that allows you to keep a track of outdoor runs, walking, weight training and many more exercises. It also connects with the GPS on your phone to keep track of your runs as well. You won't be able to use this in a pool though, if you want to go swimming with your tracker we'd recommend looking at the Fitbit Flex 2 above or the Fitbit Charge 3. Read the full Fitbit Charge 2 review The Fitbit Blaze is the dark horse of the Fitbit family. This is one of the stranger devices on the roster as it was (sort of) meant to be the first smartwatch from Fitbit, but it's not. Despite the design, the Fitbit Blaze is just a fitness tracker at heart. The design is a little quirky, but that may be something you want to go for in a fitness tracker that you want to use more as a watch. The display also offers up notifications for your text messages, but not for any other apps you may want to see. The Blaze does offer up a variety of fitness features - such as SmartTrack, which will track your exercise even if you haven't told the wearable what you're going to be doing - allowing you to burn through those calories quickly and easily. Read the full Fitbit Blaze review What's next? Don't expect to see a Fitbit Blaze 2. Instead the company replaced the Fitbit Blaze range with its newest smartwatch called the Fitbit Versa, which sits above in this list. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iK29D4D7oK4rvVF6BSnzJH.jpg Image Credit: Fitbit The Surge is no longer the most expensive wearable in Fitbit's stable thanks to the Ionic which replaced it, and that means it's now a lot harder to find a Surge on sale. The Fitbit Surge comes with GPS technology built-in, which means you can take it out without having to keep your phone in your pocket while you're jogging. It comes with a heart rate monitor and a classic watch-like design that some of the other Fitbit products don't offer. There's a slightly weaker battery life on this Fitbit and the design isn't to everyone's taste, but if you like to run this is one of the best choices of Fitbit for you. Be warned though, it may not be on sale for much longer. Fitbit has replaced the Surge on its official website with the Ionic, so it looks like the company has stopped selling it and you may now only be able to find it at third-party retailers, where stock will one day run out. Read the full Fitbit Surge review http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NSwLXqBye7W7fehoHGX7vS.jpg Image Credit: Fitbit The Fitbit Alta has a big focus on the design rather than its fitness features. The style is customizable with various straps so you can switch them out for whatever you feel like that day - you aren't limited to just one choice as you are on some Fitbit devices. In our review, we found it also had a week-long battery life, which is even more than the five days Fitbit claims for the Alta. It's not all great though as the Alta's screen isn't very sensitive and it's not waterproof either. But if you're looking for an all-round fitness tracker, the Alta may be a good option for you. All of that said, the Alta's position in this list largely comes down to the fact there's now the Fitbit Alta HR, which is a far superior option and should be your first choice. Often we see the price for the HR version is lower too. Read the full Fitbit Alta review See our selection of the best Fitbit Ionic and Fitbit Versa appsPhoto illustration: TechRadar; Fitbit http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/SDmou6l9wXY

Having a good laptop is a basic necessity for any individual in 2019. But the only reason for anyone to buy a 13-inch laptop would be its ideal size. While 12-inch is still a size that leaves you squinting, a 15-inch laptop is just too big. 13-inch laptops fall in a sweet spot, where they are decent for consuming content and fit most backpacks as well. We still love the Dell XPS 13, but it’s not the only ‘right’ choice. We’d get it if you wanted the new MacBook Air, or even the HP Spectre x360. Yeah, the XPS 13 is beautiful, but the best 13-inch laptops all excel in different ways. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9Z5L5yHVAzdj4JbWFC8DCY.jpg The Asus ZenBook 13 is both lightweight and pretty powerful- always a good combination, especially when 'affordable' fits in somewhere. With Intel’s latest Core i5 processor and an Nvidia GPU, the ZenBook 13 sits pretty near the top of the pile when it comes to the best 13-inch laptops. Heck, it might even be the best, since the hardware is a touch better than even the well-beloved Dell XPS 13. Of course, there's bound to be a few catches- the touchpad works almost too well, and you can't lay the screen flat if you want to use a stylus- but it's still a great option, especially considering the price point and the features. Oh, and the display is something special, too. Read our full Asus ZenBook 13 review Best laptop 2019- our pick of the 15 best laptops you can buy this yearhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/46AkJQeyNiw4hahATrfdr9.jpg Dell XPS 13 Its changes are subtle, and yet the Dell XPS 13 is still one of the best 13-inch laptops you can buy. On the high end, it now offers a 4K display, for a sharper picture across the board. But even if you can’t afford higher tier configurations, the beautiful design, lengthy battery life and even the SD card slot are still there – plus you’ve got a quad-core processor no matter what poison you pick. Better yet, the 13.3-inch display of the XPS 13 has been squeezed into a smaller frame, which explains Dell’s marketing line: ‘the world’s smallest 13-inch laptop.’ Now stew on that, as you admire the Dell XPS 13’s gorgeous, albeit more expensive, Alpine White finish. Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/By7EcopmWPSdBsEFUo3MVW.jpg The HP Spectre 13 certainly won't weigh down your backpack; it won't weigh down your work, either. Packing an Intel Core i7-8550U processor with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of PCIe-based SSD storage space, the Spectre 13 is a better-looking, slightly more expensive alternative to the Dell XPS 13. The display leaves something to be desired, as does the trackpad, but it can handle the average workload (though people with graphics-heavy jobs should look elsewhere) with zero crashes, and the battery life is a pretty solid 6+ hours. HP Spectre 13 full review http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bYyxBQ7BP49EbFZ2Hjh7ZR.jpg It’s not as powerful as its 15-inch counterpart, but everything else about the 13.5-inch version of the Surface Book 2 makes for one of the best 13-inch laptops for anyone looking for a mobile workhorse. No matter if you’re a professional or creative, the Microsoft Surface Book 2, with its more compact form factor, rocks an aesthetic that’s just as gorgeous as its predecessor. What’s more, the dynamic fulcrum hinge is even stronger now, which only complements its robust, quad-core processor. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/72bHDTCLu6WwmXbZ3FdBpP.jpg You wouldn’t expect a Razer laptop to be prettier, thinner and lighter than a MacBook Pro, but this is the world we live in. The Razer Blade Stealth – in its all new gunmetal finish – rocks not only a gorgeous and practical aesthetic with its 400-nit display brightness and full-size USB 3.0 ports, but it also has a few tricks up its sleeve to make it a performance beast. The 8th-generation Kaby Lake R U-series processor makes the Razer Blade Stealth a force to be reckoned with. It doesn’t have the best battery life in the business, but it’s worth the 16 minutes of battery life to have one of the best 13-inch laptops. Read the full review: Razer Blade Stealth http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4bp3UwcZTJXAXNB2PdjUm3.jpg HP Spectre x360 The HP Spectre x360 is the one you introduce to your parents. It’s strikingly well-crafted, boasting a silvery design that makes it every bit as cutting-edge on the outside as it is within. Given the choice between a 7th-generation i5 or i7 Ultrabook-class processor and a 1080p or 4K screen, HP has given plenty of room for customisation. It’s not under powered, nor does its battery life suffer from overcompensation. In fact, in our own video loop test, the HP Spectre x360 lasted a whole 8 hours and 45 minutes. The only real catch is that like a lot of its competitors, the Spectre x360 lacks an SD card slot, opting instead for a pair of USB Type-C ports. Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bktdG68XikJj5yh5EP9syQ.jpeg Asus ZenBook Flip UX360 CA Asus extended its ZenBook lineup in September 2016 with its very own UX360 CA. Though it carries similar features as its predecessors, its 2-in-1 flexibility is what makes it stand out. The laptop is powered by a sixth-generation Intel Core M6Y30 processor and 4GB RAM. It's also available with 8GB RAM in the international market, but Indian customers will have to satisfy themselves with a 4GB variant. The laptop’s capabilities of bending backwards that allows users to experience both laptop and tablet form is an added edge. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SygUGjkKS3yJjcUEb6DVF.jpg Lenovo Yoga 910 The Lenovo Yoga 910 is all about second chances. The company reimagined the design with this one, opting in favour of a more pristine outward appearance and a heavy duty Intel Core i7 processor, as well as a 4K display. Lenovo also managed to squeeze in a larger, nearly 14-inch screen into the 13-inch chassis of the Yoga 900. Even with the implementation of USB-C ports, the Lenovo Yoga 910 doesn’t completely neglect USB Type-A, dragging the precious connection standard of the past along with it. Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga 910 http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mVomFCvG4yGgPuSfCSteMg.jpg 13-inch MacBook Air The MacBook Pro 2018 feels like the final form of Apple’s pro series laptop since its 2016 redesign. It keeps the thin and light design, but brings a wealth of improvements, both to the hardware within and, more importantly, Apple has vastly improved the Butterfly keyboard – making it quieter and more reliable. So, you no longer have to worry about it breaking cause a piece of dust appeared under the spacebar. So, if you need an ultra-portable workhorse running macOS Mojave and you can justify the cost, the 2018 MacBook Pro won’t let you down. Keep in mind, though, the model without the Touch Bar is still running last year’s hardware. Read the full review: MacBook Pro (13-inch) Want something a little more portable?Check out list of the best tablets in the market. And these are the best tablets that run exclusively on Android.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/7FIbuAbsz7w

The Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro is priced at Rs 21,990 on Amazon. Given that there are multiple handsets in the same price range, does it really make sense to get this one? Well, we certainly think so. Here’s why. DisplayThe mammoth 5.7-inch Full HD (1920x1080) Super AMOLED display is a treat for the eyes, and easily one of the best displays you can find in smartphones that are priced under Rs 25,000. Given that Samsung has specialized in the production of AMOLED panels, there really is no company that can rival these display panels. Cameras16MP rear cameras have become quite a common fixture on mobile devices. However, the Galaxy C7 Pro comes with a 16MP camera on the front as well, promising impressive selfies. Both the front and rear cameras are using f/1.9 sensors, so they’re pretty high-end. Read : Oppo's notchless F11 Pro officially revealed with pop-up camera ProcessorThe handset is packing the octa-core Snapdragon 626 processor with Cortex-A53 CPU cores at a clock speed of 2.2 GHz each. This makes the Galaxy C7 Pro a pretty strong device in terms of raw power. Samsung’s OS optimization should also help the CPU run at its best. The device uses the Adreno 506 GPU to handle the graphics on the device. BatteryThe Galaxy C7 Pro comes with a massive 3,300mAh battery under the hood, which gives it a distinct advantage over the competition. It might not be on par with some 5,000mAh monsters, but will still get the job done for most users. There’s fast charging on board as well, which has become a common feature on flagships but is seldom seen on mid-ranged offerings. RAM/StorageWith 4GB of RAM by default and 64GB of internal storage, the Galaxy C7 Pro is pretty well equipped in this area. The device also comes with expandable storage on board, giving you the liberty to add more storage if you so desire. ConnectivityThe Galaxy C7 Pro uses the reversible USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer. The company has been mindful enough to offer a 3.5mm headphone jack as well so that the users can charge the phone using a conventional cable and still be able to listen to music. Also Read : Samsung Galaxy A60 could be the affordable Galaxy S10 alternative you want http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/EiGBzuo-nXw

In 2018, we saw some great mid-range phones like the OnePlus 6T, the Huawei P20 series, Mi Mix 2 and more,, but most of them were launched over Rs 30,000. The Rs 20-30k price range seems like an open ground for smartphone brands in India right now. There are options that offer great value in the segment. If you are finding it difficult to find the best suited phone under Rs 25,000, this list will help. Don't need to worry about cost? Check out our best phone listhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QArSgUhr9gqCQJQeyu7jsF.jpg The Oppo F11 Pro is the freshest offering on this list, and with its 48MP rear camera, it goes head-to-head with the also-fresh Redmi Note 7 Pro. The real selling point of the F11 Pro, however, is the pop-up selfie camera, which allows the company to eliminated the display notch altogether. It's a bit of a bummer that the F11 Pro only gets an LCD screen, when the cheaper Oppo K1 got an AMOLED panel. But that seems small potatoes when you line up the pros and cons, so it definitely looks like a it's worth a gander. The Oppo F11 Pro is priced at Rs 24,990, and will go on sale on Amazon from March 15. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Yr6FpddQ6xXPzPfXPvdEV4.jpg The Note 7 Pro is one of Redmi's first two launches as Xiaomi's official sub-brand in India (the other being the Note 7). It brings the 48MP camera to the budget smartphone market, and while the design isn't new, it's certainly a revamp for the brand. Under the hood is the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 octa-core chipset, and an Adreno 612 GPU. There are two storage variants- the 4GB/64GB variant is priced at Rs 13,999, while the 6GB/128GB version is priced at Rs 16,999. It will go on sale on March 13 at Mi Home stores, mi.com, Flipkart and Mi Partner stores. Hands-on: Redmi Note 7 Pro reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ea4VxBUh5EgYbqLLcXHYHg.jpg The Honor 10 Lite is for those who want a good-looking phone with an attractive display, mid-range power and performance, and a well-stocked camera with tons of modes and editing options. It is well built, has a fairly good display and average cameras. The performance is good for a phone in its price range, but multi-tasking could be an issue with this one. Battery life works out well, since the performance doesn't over-tax the Kirin 970 processor; it strikes a balance between power and performance for the mid-range class. The camera is good- the night mode might be a tad too stylised, but it's better than having poor shots in low-light, a common feature of budget devices. The daylight camera is fairly good too, though the photos might lose nuance due to high contrast. You'll have to toggle a but to find the settings that suit you. Overall the Honor 10 Lite is pretty great for a sub-25k device. It retails for Rs 18,900 on Amazon India. You can read our Honor 10 Lite review here. Comparison: Honor 10 Lite vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YEAtXiMRpo9dX3GSXrzXei.jpg The Moto X4 inherits features from the Moto X-series and the Moto Z-series, like a dual-lens camera, water resistance, a fingerprint scanner and a lot of the same design cues. Inside is where it sets itself apart, with its mid-range Snapdragon 630 chipset. The mid-range phone may look like a minor upgrade from the Moto G5 Plus or Moto G5S Plus in terms of hardware, but it packs some unique features that are rare at this price. It looks good, and has solid one-day battery life. The out of the box Android Nougat may not be all that thrilling, but the X4 started receiving Pie updates last year, so you should be able to upgrade soon. The Moto X4 is the most feature-packed and good looking option under Rs 25K. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/r936i9qdtuEHhDCTwbh6sG.jpg Samsung has struck good balance between performance, software, battery life and camera with the Galaxy C7 Pro. The full metal shell looks premium with its smooth finish and sleek form factor, and stands out from other Samsung phones. The battery life is really impressive, and so is the display and performance, but Samsung's software might upset stock Android lovers. While the front camera does a pretty good job, the rear camera struggles in low-light. It is the best phone for multimedia consumption on this list. It's neither huge, nor too small for one-handed usage, and coupled with the display, makes for a good phone for the Netflix-on-the-go types. Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro for Rs 21,990?http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aag6dGgHwV9HshXjv5P5m5.jpg For just Rs 16,999, the Mi Max 2 is a one of a kind phablet in this range. When compared to its predecessor, the new phone is an incremental upgrade in terms of design, camera and display. It is the right fit for those who like big display phones that do not compromise on performance, build or battery life. It has a huge battery that can last for more than 24 hours, as well as a big display with a decent set of loudspeaker that is great for multimedia consumption. Moreover, it's a sleek phone at just 7.6mm with a sturdy metal design. Feature-wise, it's similar to the Redmi Note 4, but bigger. But if you are not a big phone person, don't buy this - it's hard to fit it in pockets, has poor single-handed usability and is prone to drops. Read our full review here: Xiaomi Mi Max 2 review http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/csEySKbuqWCFVx6wDjB8hT.jpg The iPhone SE makes this list because it's the only iOS phone in this price range that offers value. The only con of this phone is its size. But the 'small phone' argument aside, we can say it's a complete phone. The software experience on iOS is fluid, and the performance is still up to date, even compared to Android phones in this segment. It has the best set of cameras on both front and back, which was also seen on the iPhone 6S. We must warn that if you are moving from a more than 5-inch display phone, you may find the display crammed. It's not the best display to watch videos or play games, but it's certainly a great option if software experience, performance and camera are your priorities. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/QTR58t4cgxM

After a year hiatus, smart lock maker August is back with arguably its most consumer-friendly product yet: the August View. The wireless smart doorbell features a three- to six-month battery life, a 1440p camera, motion alerts, two-way communication, cloud storage options and multiple faceplates to help match your outside decor. The August View will be available starting on March 28 for $230 (around £175, AU$325), which will make it August’s most expensive doorbell and puts it around the same price as its main competitor, the Ring 2. Need a smart lock? Don't miss the August Smart Lock ProWe've got a list of the best smart home productsAs well as a list of the best smart speakersIf you’ve seen August’s previous doorbells, the View will seem like a substantial change for the company whose previous smart locks were bulky, square and wired. The new slim design will allow it to fit on the front of more homes, and the change to a more traditional doorbell design instead of a weird oversized pad seems like a smart move all things considered. That's on top of the switch to a wireless model that will enable folks in apartments without wiring to own a doorbell. The downside to August’s upcoming product, as The Verge rightfully points out, is that you’ll only be able to watch five-second clips of cloud footage after the camera records movement without subscribing to a protection package. You’ll get notifications every time the camera detects movement, and you can always directly access the camera via a live feed, but clips are only stored for 24 hours and viewable in five-second increments right out of the box. The silver lining is that August is still platform agnostic and will work with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa once the View is available in March. (Sorry, Apple users: no HomeKit support just yet.) These are the best smart cameras in 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/p184yCJdtGI

While Oppo’s line of flagship handsets has been relatively safe in its designs, its mid-range and premium offerings are both arriving with some seriously novel design features. The Oppo F11 Pro has officially been announced, showing off, rather prominently, the lack of a notch and pop-up selfie camera that enables this uninterrupted screen. While there is a thin chin bezel, this mid-range handset has very little surrounding its screen on the top and sides. Oppo R17 Pro hands-on reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QArSgUhr9gqCQJQeyu7jsF.jpg Image credit: Oppo Thanks to the removal of the notch, the F11 Pro has a screen-to-body ratio of 90.9%, letting the 6.5-inch, 1,080 x 2,340 display take center stage. The slim bezel on the top of the handset is home to a microphone, light sensor and two proximity sensors. The pop-up camera is rated to last extensive use, and is able to survive being opened and closed 100 times a day for six years. This tidy face means that the rear of the device sports a fingerprint scanner alongside an impressive 48-megapixel dual-lens camera. This snapper apparently has improved night shooting capabilities due to its sensor with a larger 1/2.25-inch photosensitive area. Oppo’s new 10x lossless zoom technology lets you wave goodbye to blurry photosSome other impressive features for the handset are its 4,000mAh battery, which should provide a battery life of 15.5 hours with typical use cases, and Oppo’s proprietary VOOC flash charging 3.0 will top it back up quickly. It seems that Oppo has taken note of the criticisms of its premium Find X handset, which featured an entire shelf that slid up for taking both forward- and backward-facing photos, and opted to minimize the size of the mechanically moving part. It’s worth noting that Oppo is the sister company of OnePlus, sharing the same supply chain, and the recently leaked OnePlus 7 could well be sporting much the same pop-up camera design and tech that we see here on the F11 Pro. At present, the F11 Pro is available in India from Rs. 24,990 (about $350 / £270 / AUD$500) for the 6GB RAM / 64GB storage model in either Thunder Black or Aurora Green. Officially, there’s no word on whether it will release in other regions, but we can likely expect it to land in Australia and the UK at a later date given Oppo’s previous releases. OnePlus 7 leaked renders offer more evidence of pop-up camera and no notchhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/a6G5s-XVcwg

A few months ago rumors circulated about an all-digital Xbox One S console. It was reported at the time that the system didn’t have a disc tray, and would instead rely on digital downloads and Xbox Game Pass to install new games. Not only is that system actually in development but, according to new sources, it could be coming out as soon as May. Sony is skipping E3 and the PS5 could be the reason whyPS5 could be compatible with the PS1, PS2, PS3 and PS4Both next-gen consoles could feature this 7nm AMD chipThese sources spoke confidentially to Windows Central, who reports that the new system – informally called Xbox Maverick and formally to be rebranded as the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition – will be available globally in all regions in May 2019. That would mean the console would be available ahead of E3 2019 and Microsoft's keynote, which many speculate the company could use to announce the next generation of Xbox consoles. The evolution of XboxIf all the details are accurate, the All-Digital Xbox One S is a crucial system for Microsoft. It will test the waters for the next-generation of consoles and could prep the company for an all-digital future. If a single report isn't convincing on its own, it's worth mentioning that this follows months of reports about a disc-less next-gen console from Microsoft called Project Scarlett and would come just weeks after Microsoft’s Project XCloud talk that’s slated to happen at this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC 2019). If true, it would be a historic first for the game industry – Microsoft would be the first of the Big Three console makers to try a non-physical media home console. (Sony released an all-digital handheld called the PSPGo almost 10 years ago, but that was discontinued once the PS Vita came out.) Beyond an interesting design philosophy, the All-Digital Xbox One S could be an incubator for Microsoft's XCloud game streaming service and double as a way to grow the number of Xbox Game Pass subscribers. That said, if users don't adopt the new console or take umbrage with its eschewing of physical media it could be a potentially bad omen for the next generation of consoles. Editor's Note: The above image is a photoshop rendering of what the All-Digital Xbox One S could look like, and is not a representation of the final product. Here's everything we know about the next Xboxhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/cmEZNwMVuGo

New research from Veritas Technologies has revealed that UK consumers face a tough choice between deleting their data or paying extra to keep it. The firm conducted a study to learn more about consumers' data habits and found that 38 percent of the 2,000 respondents would not pay for extra data storage on top of what is available on their personal devices. This leaves them with the choice to save more of their data or sacrifice the performance of their devices. When running out of storage on their personal devices, 82 percent said they would rather delete data than pay extra to keep it with the data types most likely to face deletion being films and TV shows (45%), text messages (45%), apps (41%) and videos (35%). Store your photos in the cloud with the best cloud storage for photos and picturesLooking for a new smartphone? Check out the best unlocked phonesKeep all of your data backed up with the best cloud storageVeritas also discovered that in some cases, consumers put more value on their work-related data than on their personal data with 33 percent willing to delete personal emails compared to 31 percent that said they would delete work emails. Delete or buy more dataOnly 22 percent of those surveyed said they would delete their photos over other data types suggesting photos hold the greatest sentimental value for UK consumers when it comes to data. Surprisingly, over a quarter (27%) admitted to keeping all of their images out of fear of losing them. However, when it came to film and TV show content, 41 percent said they would delete the data stored on their devices instead of storing it. Veritas' study also revealed that almost a fifth (18%) of consumers could be classified as data-hoarders who refuse to delete any of their data. Unfortunately, UK consumers are highly opposed to the idea of paying for storage with over a third (38%) refusing to purchase a monthly data storage subscription of any kind. Of those who said they would purchase a subscription to a data storage service, the highest they would pay for 1GB is £5. Senior Director of Northern Europe at Veritas, Jasmit Sagoo explained that consumers have grown accustomed to data storage without limits, saying: “Not all data is created equal, and consumers have strong views on what types of data matter most to them. The widespread availability of content distribution platforms, such as video streaming services and social channels, enables users to save content without limits or costs. As a result, consumers have become used to data storage being plentiful, accessible and cheap.” We've also highlighted the best cloud backuphttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/5MpwYQiYqdI

A new Russian law could soon isolate the country's Runet from the rest of the internet as it seeks to tighten its grip on the information that flows in and out of the country. A new bill, backed by President Vladimir Putin and Moscow lawmakers, is currently being pushed through parliament which would create a single command post from which local authorities can manage and even halt information flowing across the internet in Russia. The country's so called “Sovereign Internet” bill is being portrayed by Putin as a defensive response to the Trump Administration's new cyber strategy that would allow the US to launch offensive measures against Russia and any other nation states known for committing nefarious activities online. Kaspersky Lab shifts customer data out of RussiaRussia cracks down on VPNs with new law to maintain censorshipThe blocking of VPNs in India and China spells trouble for our internet freedomAndrei Soldatov, author of “The Red Web: The Kremlin's Wars on the Internet”, told Bloomberg that he thinks the law isn't aimed at foreign threats but at quelling civil unrest, saying: “This law isn’t about foreign threats, or banning Facebook and Google, which Russia can already do legally. It’s about being able to cut off certain types of traffic in certain areas during times of civil unrest.” Sovereign internetThe law, currently in draft form, was co-authored by KGB veteran Andrei Lugovoi who's wanted in the UK for the murder of a renegade agent, is actually a mixture of several bills, some of which have been in development for years. According to Putin, the ultimate goal is to ensure that the Runet continues to function in the event that the US tries to block Russia from accessing the rest of the internet. If the bill does pass, the country would install special boxes with tracking software at the thousands of exchange points that link it to the rest of the web. These units would feed data into a central nerve center from which regulators could analyze web traffic and reroute traffic that they do not deem appropriate for the Russian populace. Russian censorship has grown stronger in recent years and if Putin has his way, the country's internet will soon resemble that of China's where access to the outside web is blocked by the Great Firewall. Via Bloomberg Access the internet freely from anywhere on Earth with the best VPNhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/-t91DGP3F-I

Everyone’s getting excited about 5G, the next-gen network tech that will let you casually download data on your smartphone at lightning-fast speeds, including T-Mobile. Yet unlike Verizon, Sprint and AT&T, T-Mobile has yet to confirm a lineup of 5G phones that will work on its 5G network. Why? Because of the network itself, which works differently than those of other carriers. The other carriers will operate on higher-frequency "millimeter wave" bands, which will supposedly provide faster speeds but have less range. The signature phone coming to many of these carriers? The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G with its Snapdragon 855 chip, which doesn’t have a formal release date yet, but will be available to Verizon customers sometime in Q2 2019. T-Mobile did hint that it was working on what we all assume to be the Galaxy S10 5G in a previous blog post, but didn't indicate when (or how) the phone would work with its distinct network. T-Mobile is opting for low-band (sub-600MHz) spectrum to power its early 5G networks, which is expected to offer the opposite: less speed than high-frequency networks, but more range for better coverage. Eventually, it plans to supplement this with mid-frequency bands as part of its spectrum of service – it's currently testing millimeter wave in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Ohio and a few other places (potentially covering 100 million people), per an MWC 2019 interview with PC Mag. But the carrier plans to add much of its mid-frequency bands after the carrier’s proposed merger with Sprint – which US Senators have opposed. In lieu of those other bands, T-Mobile has carried on testing its sub-600MHz 5G network, but won’t launch it in its planned first 30 cities until the second half of 2019, per an interview T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray gave CNET. The reason? There just aren’t any phones out that’ll work with the low-band network. Not yet, anyway. Remember the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G? Its Snapdragon 855’s LTE modem doesn’t support 5G, so the phone relies on a discrete modem – the Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 – to connect. But the X50 modem doesn't support 'sub-6GHz' (aka sub-600MHz) networks. At a Snapdragon summit back in December, Qualcomm’s president implied that a modem won’t be available to support T-Mobile’s early 5G networks until at least mid-2019, per PCMag. T-Mobile's 5G rollout plansT-Mobile previously asserted back in 2018 that it would bring 5G to 30 cities to start, and the first customers to get it will be in New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Las Vegas. We don't know how much infrastructure the company has already built out, and the network won't launch until mid-2019 anyway. After that is a broad rollout to rural customers. T-Mobile opted for sub-600MHz for its farther range, which should cover more area with less infrastructure than the high-frequency networks other carriers are building out. Once fully launched, T-Mobile claims its network will cover over 95% of the country's around 62 million rural residents, per a company blog post. They might not see the network's about 450Mbps average download speeds, but two-thirds of them will get above 100Mbps by 2021 (up to 90% in 2024), which is still far better than the 30-40Mbps you'll get today. Could this change?So, in summary: we don’t know what phones T-Mobile will offer on its 5G network, both because we’re unsure when it will go live and due to the lack of 5G-capable phones (which are few in number anyway) that will work with T-Mobile’s particular network. If the carrier merges with Sprint, it's unclear if the combined company’s ur-network would be able to support higher-band devices like those packing the Snapdragon 855/Qualcomm X50 modem setup (like the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G). That’s currently the only chip/modem combo available in the US, though that could change if T-Mobile secured a device running an existing but international 5G setup not run in the US (like that from Huawei or Samsung). Likewise if Intel or MediaTek release a 5G chip/modem later this year which works with T-Mobile’s low-band setup. But that's just for early 2019. Later this year, things will change – starting with the next generation of Qualcomm modems the company announced before MWC 2019. The Snapdragon X55 modem will surpass this year's X50 in several ways, including supporting virtually any band in any region in the world. The X55 is expected to appear in phones later this year, which could include the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 or Google Pixel 4. It's all speculation from here, but the X55 should have a stronger showing in 2020 – when more phones appear that could connect to T-Mobile's 5G network. In fact, T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray confirmed to PC Mag that the carrier would only launch its 5G network once phones were available on the X55 modem chip. We'll just have to wait for more phone details as they appear. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/SFX_bv80GoQ

Emails containing malicious URLs are up by 125 percent when compared to last quarter according to new research from Mimecast. The email and data security company's latest Email Security Risk Assessment (ESRA) report has revealed that the delivery of emails containing malicious URLs is on the rise as the lines between email and web security are blurring. This is the first year that Mimecast has tested for malicious URLs in its ESRA report and the firm detected 463,546 malicious URLs in over 28m emails that were deemed “safe” by an organization's existing email security system for an average of one malicious URL in every 61 emails. Banish those winter blues with email securityEmail cyberattacks on the rise - are you protected?One in five email attacks uses compromised accountsThe firm also conducted recent research with Vanson Bourne independently to confirm that malicious URLs are a rampant problem with 45 percent of 1,025 respondents saying the volume of these URL-based attacks has increased over the last year. Undetected email attacksIn addition to malicious URLs, Mimecast's latest ESRA report also found 24m spam emails, 26,713 malware attachments, 53,753 impersonation attacks and 23,872 dangerous file types. In total, the firm inspected over 230m emails that contained a variety of attack types missed by today's security solution providers that put both organizations and individuals at risk. Cybersecurity strategist at Mimecast Matthew Gardiner provided further insight on the ESRA report's findings, saying: “Email and the web are natural complements when it comes to the infiltration of an organization. Email delivers believable content and easily clickable URLs, which then can lead unintended victims to malicious web sites. URLs within emails are literally the point of intersection between email and the web. Organizations need the visibility across both channels in order to have the protection required to stay on top of today’s ever evolving and expanding threats and having a single vendor in an integrated solution can help. Cybercriminals are constantly looking for new ways to evade detection, often turning to easier methods like social engineering to gain intel on a person or pulling images from the internet to help ‘legitimize’ their impersonation attempts to gain credentials or information from unsuspecting users.” Mimecast's research with Vanson Bourne also brought attention to the fact that impersonation fraud continues with 41 percent of respondents reported seeing an increase in impersonation fraud from vendors or business partners asking for money, sensitive information or credentials. Furthermore, 38 percent said they've seen an increase of impersonation fraud from well-known internet brands. Protect yourself from the latest cyber threats with the best antivirushttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/7FEvLR3q1TM

Winter is coming...unseasonably early this year. The last season of Game of Thrones is fast approaching, with a release date set for April 15, and Sky Atlantic has just dropped the trailer. Giving a tantalizing glimpse of what's to come, you can watch the newly launched trailer below – a word of warning, you might want to hold off if you haven't seen the previous seven seasons: If you've been eagerly awaiting the conclusion of the hugely popular series and you don't have Sky TV, you may want to get your hands on a Now TV entertainment pass in anticipation of its April 15 release date. Check out the best Now TV pass offer, boxes, and voucher deal pricesRead our Now TV reviewThe best Sky TV deals, packages, and Sky Q offersPrepare for the endChances are, you already have a device capable of running the Now TV app (tablets, gaming consoles, smart TVs etc), but if you don't, you can get a Now TV Smart Box or Now TV Smart Stick, which will allow you to use your entertainment pass. If you feel like you need a recap on what Arya, John Snow, Cersei, and Daenerys have been getting up to ahead of the last season, you can still watch seasons one to seven on Now TV and Sky Atlantic. Not in the UK in April? If you still want to watch shows from your Sky or Now TV subscriptions, then you'll need to download and install a VPN . How to watch Game of Thrones online: stream Season 8 or catch up from anywherehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/MDWnNdJ1oG4

Apple has released a number of other large handsets since the 8 Plus, all stocked up with a bunch of new features but they are still dragged down by the expensive price points they carry and not all of us can afford those £1000 plus phones. This is where the iPhone 8 Plus deals come in. If you want one of the newest large screened Apple smartphones, but the price of the iPhone XS make you feel dizzy, then the 8 Plus will be the one for you. So how are iPhone 8 Plus prices looking. On average, if you shop wisely (using our price comparison chart below) you'll save yourself around £300 if you go for this handset over the iPhone X. We've seen monthly tariffs as low as the £25 region if you're prepared to stick a wedge down upfront. Still feeling a bit overwhelmed by these prices? Don't forget that iPhone 8 deals are also available if you'd prefer the smaller smartphone, along with the smaller prices. And you can save £10 on the upfront cost of any iPhone 8 Plus deal at Mobiles.co.uk by using the voucher code 10OFF at the checkout. See also: iPhone X deals | iPhone 8 deals | iPhone XS Max | Samsung Galaxy Note 8 deals | Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus deals | Best mobile phone deals | Best SIM only deals The top 5 best iPhone 8 Plus deals you can get in the UK today:iPhone 8 Plus price: how much does it cost?A mighty £699. That's how much the 64GB iPhone 8 Plus will cost you in the UK according to the RRP. That might seem like a lot but that's one hundred pounds cheaper than when it first came out. Need more memory? Then your only other option is spending an extra £150 and grabbing a £849 256GB iPhone 8 Plus. If you opt to buy the iPhone 8 Plus upfront without a contract you will save money in the long run, but of course £699 is a lot of money to pay. If you can afford it though it the way to go once you pair it with a cheap SIM only deal. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dmhQz6qsuw3Bxn9mKY9KN3.jpg This is the iPhone you want if you can't quite afford the iPhone X or iPhone XS Max. It's got the larger battery, same powerful innards and strong camera. If you don't mind the poorer screen, it's a good option - and the screen is still a beaut. And we prefer it quite a lot more to the regular iPhone 8. Read more in TechRadar's full iPhone 8 Plus review http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/Bg8gA7HitsY

The issues of data privacy and data security are a source of significant concern for organisations in today’s digital world. Whether this is due to increased emphasis on regulatory compliance (GDPR), or the efficiency of cyber criminals seeking out vulnerable data, there is no getting away from how important it is to have the right processes and solutions in place. However, it’s becoming more difficult to ensure data is safe and secure. In fact, 64 percent of global IT decision-makers agree that protecting business-critical data has not become easier over the past five years, despite advances in technology made to do so. The general public is also increasingly sensitive about the security of their data, especially considering recent high-profile incidents (some even involving data protection providers) and have been known to cut ties with organisations they deem unworthy of their trust. In this climate, any loss of customer data could severely dent an organisation’s reputation and customer confidence. Which raises the question, how can organisations be better positioned to deliver on customer expectations? VPN services can protect your privacy. Here are some of the best VPN services around.Did you know there is a day dedicated to your privacy? What is Data Privacy DayHere are the best free privacy software of 2019Consider the real impact of inadequate data protectionWhile every organisation, regardless of industry, is prone to slip-ups, trust takes only seconds to break and a lifetime to repair, so protecting data and recovering from a breach is more critical than ever. Organisations must bear in mind the true cost economic cost of a breach, a GDPR fine of €20 million or 4 percent annual turnover comes with non-compliance, which is a significant amount of money for any organisation, large or small, to pay. It is easy to assume GDPR fines and the other consequences bad data practices are something for big multi-nationals to worry about, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. While most small and medium sized companies may not get the same amount negative press as the Facebooks and British Airways of this world, bad data handling for them could easily lead to negative public reviews, ratings and referrals. Data protection is an issue for every department. Not just ITData protection concerns every aspect of a business, and not just your IT team. The effects could have far reaching consequences for the wider business – including the sales, marketing and business development teams. As a result of a cyber-attack in October 2015, UK telecoms provider TalkTalk is reported to have lost £60 million, as well as over 100,000 customers. This highlights the real-world impact of cyber-attacks and ongoing hypersensitivity around how data is stored and used. It is vital for organisations to invest in solutions and processes that allow them to reassure their end users that they are taking the security of their sensitive data as seriously as they are. They must invest in solutions that prioritise compliance and security, so that they can conduct their business with full confidence, as well as infrastructure that enable a quick recovery from an attack or breach. Practice makes perfect when it comes to data protectionWith many solutions in the market, organisations are spoilt for choice when it comes to data protection, which is why they should turn to providers with a tried and tested track record of delivering the level of service needed. Organisations should also consider solutions that not only protect data, but also mitigate the consequences as it is virtually impossible to stop every attack. Focusing on recovery and resiliency provides the best kind of insurance for when the worst does happen. Organisations need to also create data tiers: know where data is, how it’s being stored and whether it is critical, especially for data held which counts as PII (Personally Identifiable Information). Don’t risk what’s worthwhileThe stakes are high, threats to data privacy are growing and customers expect their data to be protected. For any organisation to thrive in today’s competitive business landscape, data protection and good data privacy practices must be at the top of their agenda. Mick Bradley, has an extensive knowledge across technology, solutions and service with over 25 years’ experience. Prior to his role at Arcserve he has held positions at HP, Kaminario and Violin Systems.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/gEVmuliB5cM

If you're looking for a cellphone plan that doesn't have complicated contracts or annoying fees attached, then you've come to the right place. Tello, a low-cost cell phone carrier, is offering cheap cell phone plans that will double your data for as low as $10 a month. Right now Tello is offering 1GB of extra data for free with all of its 1GB plans - so a much more generous 2GB of data for the price of 1GB. Tello allows you to build a plan that's customized to your needs and budget, with the monthly price changing as you add more calls. So $10 a month gets you the 2GB of data with 100 minutes of calls and unlimited texts. The plan goes up to $12 per month for 300 minutes, while $14 gets you completely unlimited calls. Tello's plans are all prepaid, so that means there's no early termination fees or activation fees and you pay month-to-month. All you need to do is check if your phone is compatible and enroll it with a Tello plan. So ideal for people who want to buy the latest and best smartphones, but don't want a long-term carrier contract attached to it. And if you're also in need of a cell phone, Tello offers over a wide selection of mobile phones that you can buy directly from the site. This offer will only be valid for a limited time though, so make sure to take advantage of this stellar deal while you can. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VgyagGS9HpAEPUQtUJBfrg.jpg If you're looking for a cheap phone to go with a Tello plan then see our 15 best unlocked SIM-free phones, prices and deals that are currently being offered. Looking for a new phone and other plans? We also have the best mobile phone deals and plans that are currently going on. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/e-2TmPPrLtA

It's no secret that the modern office is becoming increasingly populated with gadgets and tools aimed at improving connectivity, efficiency and productivity. But how can you spot the products that will give you that extra boost? We've rounded up some of these clever extras, from an ultra-secure USB drives, through a tiny docking station, to one of the weirdest gadgets ever to land on Techradar Pro, courtesy of a Kickstarter campaign. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U6D3ofXKriRQ8SrHtFkjL4.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jT4mkmqPqyJGpsHJdRNyRE.jpg Image Credit: TechRadar Another Indiegogo/Kickstarter campaign brings us a product range that will put a smile on owners of Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops. The DockCase adapter is essentially a docking station that expands the number of connectors that the aforementioned notebooks offer. Unlike previous attempts, the designers have opted for a enclosure that wraps around the Apple power supply unit and essentially augments its capacities: think of it as an exoskeleton for the USB-C power adapter. The 30W MacBook adaptor gets a HDMI connector (v2.0, so capable of handling 4K) and a USB 3.0 port, the 61W MacBook Pro 13-inch model gets an additional USB port while the 87W dock for its bigger sibling adds another two. We had access to one of the first finished units and we’re glad to report that, after a few hiccups, it worked as advertised. Check if the Apple power brick is well connected with the product; the light will be lit up once DockCase Adapter is connected to the MBP. Also use the cable in the box, rather than your original cable as the Apple cable for MBP can only transmit power, not data. We’d love if DockCase’s bundle cable could be a tad longer and would wish that Seesaw use a sturdier white plastic case for the dock design. One thing we can't really complain though is how affordable it is, at least during the early bird period. The MacBook HDMI model costs a mere $40, reaching $47 for the MBP 13 and $52 for the MBP 15 (costs are without shipping) with adding a pair costing $30, $35 and $44 respectively, great if you work at home and in an office. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U6D3ofXKriRQ8SrHtFkjL4.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eyY7NFibZTmtR89GECtgXJ.jpg We don't often get Indiegogo projects on our list but we're making an exception for the EyeDisk, which hails itself as the first unhackable USB flash drive. The concept is pretty simple; use your iris as your password rather than cumbersome passwords. Research has shown that iris recognition is more secure than facial recognition and fingerprint encryption and as a working prototype, it works perfectly well even with the dark. It boasts a binocular registration method and a monocular/binocular verification one. It is compatible with Windows and Mac but not Linux and you will have to run an app every time you plug it in a client. There's no password to log though, just your iris to be scanned and this takes a few seconds to be registered. You just need to look at a mirror on the side. We'd prefer to have a sturdier model as this one is made of plastic and would probably not last long in a rugged environment. You will also need to carry a USB type-C at all time to activate the drive as it doesn't have an actual male connector. Other than AES256-bit encryption to keep your data secure, the EyeDisk flash drive consumes only 2W of power and weighs a mere 20g. It managed some very decent numbers on CrystalDiskMark (130MBps transfer rate on read and 84MBps on write) which means that it won't keep you long. At the time of writing, you can only pre-order it via Indiegogo, the crowdfunding platform, and it is scheduled for delivery from March 2019. With a starting price of $59 plus shipping for the 32GB version and $99 for the 128GB, it is reasonably priced although the prices are likely to go up once the early bird offer ends. We'd love to see something similar come to Windows laptops equipped with a Type-C connector although one has to say, competition is likely to be far more intense. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U6D3ofXKriRQ8SrHtFkjL4.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cRD5ZVqc8WvWK8Ke8mzBoU.jpg Having a great display is becoming increasingly important in many home offices, especially as more of us move to a multi-screen environment. Dell's newest 32-inch 4K monitor, the Dell U3219Q. offers a bright and vibrant Ultra HD display that is perfect not just for video or gaming, but for workplace applications such as video-conferencing and data modelling. The unit is fairly bulky once unpacked, but when set up can be adjusted to fit a number of different space allowances, and thanks to an moveable height option, should mean it's not a strain on the eyes or neck. The U3219Q features an incredibly useful collection of connectivity options, sporting not just HDMI, USB and DP ports, but USB-C as well, meaning it'll easily slip alongside your existing laptop or PC. The unit even ships with a USB-C and HDMI cable, meaning set-up is quick and easy - just what you need to smarten up your office. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aMbyBEFVRA66ceH66tKvTf.jpg The Mophie Powerstation USB-C XXL looks like no portable battery we've seen before. It uses a soft fabric finish and while it has some hard edges, it minimizes the risk of getting your items scratched by eliminating pointed corners altogether. At $149.95 though, it will be a tough sell with so many choices out there in the market. Its relatively low capacity (19,500mAh) will be a concern when competitors routinely offer 30,000mAh or more. That said, Mophie claims that the battery will be able to add up to 14 hours to the battery life of a USB-C Macbook which is no small feat especially as Mophie says that this would be additional video playback time rather than having the laptop just sitting idle. Apple states that the MacBook has a battery life of up to 10 hours so you'd be more than doubling that. The battery charger also supports Fast Charge and can send 30W of power to any compatible devices. At 390g for a thickness of merely 23mm, it is very portable. Add in a two year warranty and it looks like a decent deal. Bear in mind though that it has only two ports (one USB Type-C and one USB-A) and that the competition offers more features at less than half the price (albeit without the cachet). Jackery, for example, offers a 19,200mAh battery with a 45W output that can charge bigger laptops, ditto for the RavPower Turbo series which packs a larger 20100mAh battery. Both have three USB ports and come with a very significant discount compared to the Mophie (up to 67% off). Note that there is an even bigger (and even more expensive) Mophie 3XL battery that comes with an additional port and a third extra capacity. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VdzZpG6n4oLzCDBm6BaZMS.jpg The D300S was announced by Kingston and is an updated version of the D300, launched in 2016, with the suffix S standing for Serialised; more on that later. The drive looks like a standard USB drive but sturdier and much, much more expensive. The smallest capacity - 4GB - retails for £100 while the largest one - a 128GB one - sells for a staggering £520. Now there is a reason why the D300S carries such a premium according to Kingston. The drive uses custom hardware for encryption (FIPS 140-2 Level 3 256-bit) and decryption which eliminates vulnerabilities associated with any process done on the host system. That chip and the rest of the hardware is sealed in a tamper evident epoxy material that hardened when it dried. The drive is also waterproof up to 120cm and should handle bumps and falls easily. The D300S also uses a digitally signed firmware which makes it impervious to the BadUSB attack and it will delete the encryption key after 10 invalid attempts, thwarting any brute force attacks. Two additional features that separates the S model from the standard model is a barcode and a unique serial number; together they allow system administrators to scan or read the code when configuring the drive. There's also a virtual keyboard that reduces the risk of having a keylogger storing the password. Sadly though, it does suffer from the fact that you need to install an application prior to using the drive on Windows and the write speeds claimed by Kingston are shockingly low at 40MBps. Read speeds are better at 250MBps. All in all, Kingston delivers a solid product but this is a very competitive market with the likes of Aegis, Secure Data or Datashur providing some interesting alternatives. Note that a Serialised Managed (SM) model will follow shortly if Kingston's website is to be believed. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HBEHcVZyHnb4j9VzwTY4Jf.jpg If you need to have small amounts of sensitive data being carried around, then the 3NX could well be a life saver. It brings advanced data protection features to a mainstream market thanks to its attractive low price ($59 for the 2GB/4GB model) and $189 for the 128GB one. What you do get is some military grade, enterprise-level features like FIPS 140-2 level 3, real time hardware-based encryption, a platform-agnostic setup and a rugged extruded aluminum enclosure. The data is encrypted using an onboard 10-digit keypad and is powered by an onboard battery. The 3NX comes with a three-year warranty as well as an IP67 rating. Apricorn claims that the device can hit read/write speeds of up to 77MBps/72MBps, which is more than decent for a USB 3.1 device. As part of the package, the key can be configured to support independent admin and user PINs. Having the keypad on the key itself makes it near impossible to hack as the encryption hardware is sealed inside the USB drive, not on the host computer. Furthermore, the buttons are wear resistant and designed not to reveal the most used buttons. Just make sure you don't forget your PIN as you will only have as few as four attempts before the drive deletes the encryption key and with it the ability to decrypt the data stored. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZAsfMHvwmnd5i5Z6ii69DK.jpg The thought of packing the equivalent of nearly 1,000 CD-ROMs on something barely bigger than the average human fingernail would have been unimaginable only a decade ago. Now storage companies like Samsung, Sandisk or Integral are slowly pushing 512GB microSD cards in the market, fuelled by demand from mobile devices. PNY is one of the latest to do so with the Elite, a card that has a rated reading speed of up to 90MBps and enough capacity to store over 80 hours of full HD video content, plus the bonus of having lifetime warranty. At $350, it is comparable in price with other products in the same category but far more expensive than the 400GB SanDisk Ultra which can be had for about a third of the price for three quarters of the capacity. We managed write speeds of around 21MBps and read speeds of 66MBps, which are decent numbers without being spectacular, Owning a 512GB card, the highest commercial capacity available, will allow you to dramatically increase available storage on your smartphone. 512GB is the maximum storage capacity available on phones likes the Samsung Galaxy Note9 and a 512GB card essentially doubles that amount; great for 4K footage of field visits or business videos. Other devices like Microsoft’s Surface Pro 6 tablet will also benefit if you want to extra (removable) storage capacity although the read/write speeds are likely to confine the card to a pure secondary storage role. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RRFcuvhtrvXwcfhYtvuGYF.jpg Omnicharge's Omni Ultimate battery charger is not for everyone. It is big, it is bulky and expensive. Note that the Omni Ultimate has been approved as plane safe - so you can take it with you in the cabin when travelling. You just need a form to fill in for it pre-boarding, which you can get at the airport/gate. For a growing community of demanding power users though, this battery pack is likely to be an absolute godsend. So much so that an Indiegogo campaign started beginning of October 2018 is likely to raise nearly $1 million from more than 4000 backers, nearly 20x its original flexible goal. The external battery is built like a tank and is both dust and splash resistant with rubber flaps covering its power outputs. And its list of features is just as impressive: it has a power outlet that can delivery up to 150W DC or 120W AC output, a 40.3Ah/145Whr capacity, a USB Type-C connector that can deliver up 60W power, two USB ports supporting 15W (5V3A) each, a three-hour fast charging (QC3.0-compatible), pass-through charging and a useful OLED display that shows you battery capacity in real time (and to three decimal places). You can charge it using a solar panel and it is equipped with pass-through charging plus you can even add a spare battery pack. Note that there is a 230V EU version available (but no UK because of the plug size). With an SRP of $599 though, it will be a tough sell especially when there are cheaper (but less powerful) options around. The MaxOak K2 for example is cheaper and has a higher battery capacity but doesn't have AC output or USB Type-C connectivity. The RavPower AC Power Bank can output to AC but has a battery capacity of only 27Ah. The Omni Ultimate will be available via Amazon in Q1 2019 (planned for end of January/start of February) in the UK and in the USA. Other territories will follow. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JrRRCakzRSAU9sof3cpfKo.jpg Ensuring your device is powered up on the go is a daily worry for many of us, and there's nothing worse than running out of battery at a crucial time. Linedock thinks it has the answer with its slim and stylish power bank to keep your Macbook charged up when you need it the most. At just 9mm across, the device slips in neatly under your laptop and packs in a massive 20,000mAh rechargeable battery that should keep you powered up on the move. Linedock has nine ports in all, including three USB-C ports, three USB 3.0 ports equipped with Qualcomm QuickCharge 3, an SD card and a DisplayPort hub, and multiple devices can be connected at once. But that's not all - as Linedock can also act as a spare SSD for your device, with the option of adding 256GB or 1TB of storage as an extra bonus to make this a true mobile work hub. Lindeock has been designed for 13in MacBook Pro devices, but the company says that it is compatible with any laptop powered by USB-C, meaning PixelBook owners are in luck. At $299, this is simply a must-have for Mac users that work on the go, offering style, power and flexibility. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SHgxtnLVDoTrom7ayNEcCD.jpg With conference calls becoming an increasingly common part of modern business life, the need for reliable hardware to support this is greater than ever. The OfficeCore M2 is the latest release from Chinese firm EMeet, and looks to provide a smart and stylish way to make sure your calls go off without a hitch. The OfficeCore M2 offers 360-degree voice recognition thanks to a number of embedded microphones, supporting a range of up to 26 feet away, with the company adding that should support calls with up to 12 people without interference. The device can also link to mobile smart assistants to facilitate greater communication, with Siri, Cortana and Google Now all supported via Bluetooth, although our tests found that this was often patchy to set up. The major selling point of the OfficeCore M2 is its portability. Equipped with a 2500mAh battery that should easily last through even the longest conference calls, the device can quickly be picked up and carried around in a shoulder bag or rucksack. At $189, it's not the cheapest speakerphone on the market today, but if you're in the market for a device that can easily be taken on the go, this could be the one for you. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uLvpV4y9LrSof6a77C4RmZ.jpg Staying online when working on the go has become an incredibly important issue for all mobile workers, as an unreliable connection can be a disaster. Netgear is looking to solve these worries with its new Nighthawk M1 mobile router, which it says is the company's fastest yet. Capable of supporting Gigabit LTE speeds, the Nighthawk M1 uses four-band carrier aggregation and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X16 LTE modem to support mobile downloads of up to 1000MBps, as well as uploads of up to 150MBps. Our time with the device found the actual speeds to be fractionally lower, however streaming and uploading were both fast and reliable, both at home and out and about. The Nighthawk M1 is slim and lightweight, meaning it can be easily carried around in a rucksack or messenger bag. Netgear says that the battery life of the can last 24 hours, and our tests found it comfortably survived a full working day. Set-up is a quick plug-in process, with no external software needed, and the device can even use its USB connectors to charge your mobile device. In the UK, the Nighthawk M1 can be purchased from Amazon for £299, or via pay-monthly contract with BT or EE. Both options are fairly pricey, with EE offering the device for £29 a month for 24 months after a £99 upfront payment, but if you're looking for fast and reliable connections, this device is ideal. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2QxWTdNxojbvMshrpkz55S.jpg Offices can often be noisy places to work, so if you are looking to cut yourself off from the world around you, Jabra's latest Bluetooth headset could be the answer. The Jabra Evolve 75e is the company's latest attempt to help boost the productivity of office workers everywhere with a comfortable headset that offers long battery life and stylish design. Jabra says that the Evolve 75e are the world’s first professional UC-certified wireless earbuds, making the device ideal for carrying out external or conference calls wherever you are without the need for tangled phone wires or complicated UC set-ups. Set-up is simple, as the headset connects to your smartphone, laptop or desktop via Bluetooth and a USB plug-in. There's no need to download any extra apps or services, meaning you can jump on calls right away. The sound quality was excellent, with the buds cancelling out the noise of an active workplace, and the in-built microphone able to deliver a clear input. The only issue we had with the Evolve 75e is that Bluetooth connectivity would occasionally drop for no apparent reason, but with the compact design and long battery life (Jabra promises up to 14 hours) provided, this seems like a minor hiccup. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/h3Af7gW26sWqFrjC52yhqG.jpg As more and more consumers ditch cash for contactless and digital payments, businesses of all sizes also need to adapt. Square has long been one of the most exciting payments companies around today, and has now finally brought its Reader product to the UK for the first time. The product acts as a mobile POS, allowing customers to quickly pay for their items using a contactless card, mobile or wearable device. Targeted predominatly at small businesses or traders, the Square Reader is slim and compact, easily fitting in the palm of your hand. The £39 reader weighs in at just 56g, meaning it can be handheld, or tethered to a till or counter using an additional £19 dock, allowing for a truly mobile steup. Anyone signing up to Square's service can get approval to start using the system within the hour, taking much of the headache out of setting up a new payments platform, with Square’s own software system offering a POS service as well as in-depth analytics. The tool seems like an invaluable asset to any small business looking to grow or expand, or any company looking for a more mobile setup. Perhaps our only gripe would be that the device is potentially too compact, and could be lost - but asides from that, a Square Reader could be the key to taking your business to the big time. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/STRcPqsAzEjEgiVVfsHXBC.jpg Dealing with a number of connectivity options is now an increasing challenge not only for office workers, but also those whose working habits are a bit more flexible. If you're someone who is constantly connecting in different locations, for example hot-desking in multiple offices, then StarTech has you covered. This new mobile hub hooks up to your smartphone or laptop via USB-C, coming with connections ports for USB, HMDI, ethernet and USB-C, meaning you should never be caught short - and it's small and light enough to be carried in your pocket. The HMDI connection supports UHD 4K displays, with the USB-A supporting Fast-Charge technology, meaning you can power both the adaptor and your device in one go. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2aaLoYFkX8upZwEY9xPdpS.jpg Many of us know the pain of conference calls being ruined by poor connection or call quality, and with many businesses today choosing to embrace mobile working ideas and services, the need to stay flexible yet connected is paramount. Sennheiser is looking to solve these woes with its ultra-mobile TeamConnect Wireless - in essence a portable conference room, which can be packed up and carried around for workers on the go. Made up of four speakers, all carried around in a stylish case which doubles as a charging hub, the system can be connected to any laptop, smart device or VC system via Bluetooth, USB or 3.5mm jack. Set-up is quick and easy, allowing users to get up and running in a matter of minutes, with Sennheiser saying the kit can support up to 24 participants at once. Our tests showed the audio quality to be very effective, even with multiple participants on different lines, with no connectivity issues. The ultra-portable design of the TeamConnect Wireless is the major selling point here, as the stylish case is able to charge up the speakers to ensure you're never caught short, and takes up less space than a rucksack. However this stylish product doesn't come cheap, costing £3,940, meaning it may be out of the price range for some SMBs. For those that can splash out though, this is an eye-catching piece of kit that allows you to stay connected and conversant with your team or customers wherever you are. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg Check out the best productivity apps you can get for your mobile devicehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kpj5DBZu82qfcrmKGnJAFA.jpg Another option for workers constantly on the go, the TP-Link M4750 offers download speeds of up to 300Mbps, and 50Mbps. That's not enough to reliably stream high-quality media or teleconferencing, but if you need to work on documents or other files, the LTE Cat 6 network connection should be ideal. Our tests found that the device was reliable in reaching these speeds, even in central London, and more than enough to enjoy reliable connections whilst on the move. The battery life for the device was excellent, lasting a full working day with ease, as TP-Link says that the M4750 can offer up to 15 hours of juice, and recharging the huge 3000mAh battery is also quick and easy using the microUSB port. The M4750 is also light and portable, being small enough to fit inside a jacket pocket, and its rubber build will help protect from any accidental drops or bumps. Set up is remarkably easy, requiring you to just insert the SIM card and turn on, making this much more straightforward than other similar devices. The device can also work as a wireless hotspot, supporting up to 32 devices at once, across 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, meaning you can set up multiple connections around the home, or even in a small office if needs be - although speeds will drop if you do so. However buying the device in the UK is a bit tricky, as you'll have to go through a reseller to get your hands on one - with prices varying among stores, so stay on the lookout for the best deal. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mC7rW6Ypmqe9tK82PqAnKo.jpg More and more industries are now choosing to use mobile devices in day-to-day operations out in the field thanks to their portability. The FLIR ONE Pro offers a compact and powerful thermal imaging camera than can show up in-depth information about the world around you. Attaching via USB-C, the device clips onto the bottom of your phone, acting as an extension to your normal camera, and displaying heat information on the world around you, with hotter objects showing up in brighter colours (see below). The technology could prove incredibly useful for a number of industries, such as home inspectors looking to find insulation leaks, or electricians aiming to identify an over-heating connection. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/azyYYMpWEBb5QMUsraLRVK.jpg You’ll need to download and register with the free FLIR ONE app in order to start using the device, which is an unneeded extra step for many, but does grant you access to the company’s helplines, galleries and app store. The actual app was often slow to recognise when we had the device plugged in and turned on, however, and sometimes failed to detect it at all, which was slightly annoying for us, but for a worker in the field could be a major hindrance to getting your work done. Once you do get it up and running, however, the FLIR ONE Pro’s VividIR imaging system reveals a wealth of information on the world around you, and the compact build and design means it’s easy to carry around (although could also make it easier to lose in a crowded toolbox as well….) Battery life is also not very long, with our tests only finding the device lasting just over an hour, although re-charging was a speedy process. If you’re out working in the field with a cable though, this could be a major downside. The FLIR ONE Pro also doesn't come cheap, costing £349.95 in the UK, but it could prove invaluable for workers in such specialised areas, and is definitely worth your consideration. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/M7963CDzLjXbNpDFJptF5o.jpg TP-Link says that the M7650 is the fastest Wi-Fi router it has ever made, offering speeds of up to 600MBps, which is easily enough to stream video to your laptop or tablet whilst on the move, as well as high-quality VoLTE audio through your phone - useful if you don't want to miss that conference call. Our tests found that the device often reached speeds of over 500MBps, which is impressive for central London, and more than enough to enjoy reliable connections whilst on the move. The M7650 can support up to 32 devices at once, meaning you can set up multiple connections around the home, or even in a small office if needs be - although speeds will drop if you do so. Set up is remarkably easy, requiring you to just insert the SIM card and turn on, making this much more straightforward than other similar devices. Battery life for the device was excellent, lasting a full working day with ease, as TP-Link says that the M7650 can offer up to 15 hours of juice, and recharging the huge 3000mAh battery is also quick and easy using the microUSB port. The M7650 is also light and portable, being small enough to fit inside a jacket pocket, and its rubber build will help protect from any accidental drops or bumps. However buying the device in the UK is a bit tricky, as you'll have to go through a reseller. This means you'll also need to be on the lookout for differing price options, but if you get the right deal, the M7650 is a must-have. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eJbU99rA8LbUdtcv6yZANb.jpg We love our smartphones so much so that we carry them all the time even at our work, prompting businesses to consider shedding regular landlines and simply embrace the BYOD (bring your own device) paradigm. Which is why it is so surprising that few companies have come up with a product like the Invoxia NVX200. In a nutshell, this £209 device converts/transforms your smartphone into a desk phone with a Bluetooth speaker and a charging dock thrown in. It comes with a bunch of connectors and adaptors to connect most smartphones. Most Apple devices (including the iPod, iPad and iPhone) are supported, as are the latest Android smartphones, thanks to a USB Type-C port. A clever adjustable stand means that any device will sit snuggly on the NVX200. Connect the device via Bluetooth to the latter, put your smartphone in place and you’re ready to go. Hold down the voicemail key bring up the settings and you will be able to configure the device to your taste, down to the ringtones. Outwardly, it looks just like a normal desk phone, with lots of curves, a soft surface and a handset with a cable that’s sufficiently long for the user to stand up. Setting it up is straight forward: connect the device to a power socket, dock your smartphone, connect it to the NVX200 via Bluetooth and you’re ready to go. We did encounter some issues though. The test smartphone, a Sony Xperia Z3, has a micro USB port located on the side rather than at the bottom of the device. To make matters worse, it is not anywhere near the middle which makes it impossible to dock in landscape mode. Things got a bit more complicated when you factor in the casing used to protect it. Altogether a wireless solution, which integrates no-wires charging, might have been a better solution but would have restricted its appeal. We couldn’t get the speaker to play music wirelessly but it did somehow play music via the micro USB connector but only, and only if Bluetooth is disconnected. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U6D3ofXKriRQ8SrHtFkjL4.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/St8e7LTorHgPyyWRYRMSpA.jpg Fed up with losing your connectivity when out and about? Then check out the Multivox Multisim. It is a service that allows access to multiple UK mobile networks from a single SIM card. No need to swap tiny pieces of PCB or opt for a sub-optimal dual-SIM smartphone to eliminate the issues associated with poor connectivity, especially when you are out and about. The technology works on almost any recent smartphones and feature phones and doesn’t need a dedicated app. If there is no coverage on the primary access network, then your phone will search for another available UK mobile network and if there is one available, it will connect to it. If there are multiple networks available, then it will pick up and run on the network with the strongest signal. The Multisim works without having to manually select a different network to switch to and you get to keep your phone number regardless of the network. The only caveat is that a call will drop when the network being used loses coverage altogether; there is no “incall” switching. You get unlimited UK calls to mobiles and landlines as well as unlimited texts, all courtesy of EE’s network. Four data packages are available, ranging from 2GB (£29.40) to 10GB (£41.90) excluding VAT. The packages can be configured at Immervox. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U6D3ofXKriRQ8SrHtFkjL4.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YRsyYUNTai9xb6mcT5c6TG.jpg There are a fair few solutions available for digitally-savvy globetrotters looking who whiz across the globe for leisure or pleasure. We might have uncovered one of the best ones yet. From Knowroaming comes a global hotspot that uses a Novatel Wireless Mi-fi, the 6630, and can connect you up in more than 140 countries with 92 of them offering unlimited data for a flat fee of $7.99 per day (about £6.40), a price that even include free, unlimited Whatsapp. We tried it during a recent trip to Japan where the cost of connectivity is prohibitive and international data roaming is a no-no unless you want to spend hundreds. The Mi-fi device comes in a nice pouch with a few accessories; we just took it out and used it for a few days. It is sturdy enough to withstand a few knocks. The 6630 is about the size of a Tic-tac box and its user interface is intuitive with only three buttons and a small screen on its front. On top is the power button as well as two USB ports, one for charging up and the other to provide power to external devices. Inside the 6630 is a 4,000mAh battery that can power the device for up to 20 hours. It is compatible with Cat4 LTE although KnowRoaming only supported 3G for now and an LTE offer is in the pipeline. In use, the service was as seamless as it could be. Switch it on and connect to it using the provided login details. Note that you can’t change these from the device itself; that can only be done by accessing the device via a browser. Various options exist on the Mi-fi device including the ability to set a number of restrictions, the ability to view your consumption, the number of devices connected at any time and the battery life left. The 6630 supports dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi but no 802.11ac. Since this is primarily marketed as a business device, it comes with a number of security features including VPN pass-through, NAT firewall, security hardened web interface, Anti-CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) and session timeouts. Sadly though you won’t be able to buy a consumer version of that yet. Instead, the device is only being sold to corporates for $199 (about £160) with discounts being offered for multiple purchases. As it stands, the service is meant to be managed centrally by an administrator or IT manager with an entire backend, cloud-based infrastructure provided by KnowRoaming. Suggested improvement to the Mi-fi device would include a thinner, more pocketable model, support for 802.11ac, the inclusion of a microSD card reader and having a smartphone app to allow you to access admin essential information from your smartphone, rather than through a browser. Find out more at Knowroaming http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MRNhwyn9SSz6TenAobvgtG.jpg If you've ever been stuck for mobile signal when travelling to a new country, then the NUU Konnect i1 could be the gadget for you. Able to provide 4G connections in over 100 countries, the i1 looks to offer a simple, portable way to get online wherever you are in the world. Most current mobile hotspots are only able to connect to 3G networks, so the Konnect i1 already has an advantage there, thanks to its LTE Cat 6 Qualcomm modem. The device supports VPNs and Wi-Fi calling, and is equipped with LTE bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/17/20/39/40/41, meaning there's a wide range of possible connections. NUU Mobile says that it is trying to target frequent travellers with the Konnect i1. The device itself is small enough and light enough to easily slip into your pocket, and is able to power up using its microUSB port. Setting up is easy enough, with the capacity to connect up to five devices at any one time. What's more, you'll only play a flat rate of $10 a day to use the device as much as you want, with no contract or sign-up fees. However, after the first 500MB of data, you'll be dialled back to HSPA+ networks for the next 500MB you use, and then down again to just 128Kbps speeds for anything more than that, unless you spend more for further LTE usage. For the moment, you can only get hold of the Konnect i1 if you backed the product on Kickstarter, with news of a wider release not available just yet. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3dJRvuqanEudzDKKW2diUW.jpg If you're in the market for something a bit more heavyweight when it comes to your 4G roaming needs, then you may be interested in the YRoam YR4. YRoam's services are available in over 100 countries worldwide, including popular business travel destinations such as the USA, Singapore and France. Simply select one of the company's price plans, starting at 5.9p per MB when you buy a 2GB worldwide package. If you're only travelling to one location, YRoam also offers a UK, US or EU specific package, lasting for 30 days. Any data usage you purchase can be used either on a PAYG basis, or the ability to top up later. YRoam also offers discounted rates for connections in your home country, say if you're out in a remote locations not served by your current provider, starting at just 3p per MB. You can connect up to five devices at any time, meaning you could have a laptop, phone, tablet and more all online at once. The device features a huge 6,000mAh battery, although this does mean that you're stuck with a fairly heavyweight build. However this means that the device doubles up as a power bank to recharge your devices in case of an emergency, with a USB and microUSB port to connect up. Overall though this is a sturdy hotspot that should serve you well wherever you are in the world. TheBestVPNFor.Mehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gTgzu73iVo48atAeokuTRW.jpg If you've just started your own business, or need to work from home often, having a flexible and reliable technology set-up should be one of your top priorities. In order to keep you from wasting time setting up complex systems, teleconferencing experts GoToMeeting have you covered with an all-in-one box of tools that should allow you to get up and running quickly. The pack contains an Asus Chromebox PC, Logitech wireless keyboard, Logitech 1080p HD webcam and a FLX UC 500 conference phone from Revo labs - pretty much everything you need to get started. The products have all been specially selected to work seamlessly together, meaning most of the usual set-up process can be sped through quickly and easily - even if you're not particularly tech-savvy. Setting up your new kit can be done in a matter of minutes - all you need is a monitor to hook the PC and webcam up to, with all the rest of the hardware able to just plug and play. The tiny Chromebox PC is incredibly powerful for something so small (at just 12.4cm wide and 4.2cm tall), coming with a powerful 1.7Ghz processor, 4GB of RAM and 16GB storage, making it a great choice if you are strapped for space in your office. The PC also features 4 USB ports alongside DP, HDMI and LAN connectors, offering everything you should need to get started. Space saving is also helped by the Logitech wireless keyboard, which connects to the Chromebox via USB tracker, and also includes a trackpad in place of a mouse. If you do prefer using a physical mouse, you'll have to splash out on a separate piece. All the devices work together quickly and easily, meaning you'll be able to start working, calling and even videoconferencing in no time. The webcam is once again surprisingly powerful for its size, offering a smooth video experience, although we did see some slowdown in some cases. The only minor downside is the need to buy the entire package, meaning that if you only need a conference phone, or a compact PC, you may be better off buying these separately. At the time of writing, the kit is only available to buy in the USA, costing $999, with a subscription fee of $99 a month, making it a fairly pricey proposition - however if you're already an existing GoToMeeting customer, it can be built into your current subscription. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2C4pbm4nCUELurJZj6ZC8G.jpg As many jobs require more computing power, the need for extra connectivity is also becoming a common demand among workers. StarTech's latest hub allows users to connect two PCs, allowing for multi-hardware and screen access all from a single source. The hub supports two Mini DP PC connections, and resolutions up to 4K AT 60Hz, making this ideal for designers, animators, or other graphics-based roles. Switching between the two connected PCs is as simple as pushing a button on the front of the hub, and users can also set up hotkeys to make usage even easier. As well as the PC connections, there are three USB 2.0 ports on the front, including a dedicated mouse and keyboard slot that offers plug-and-play support for Windows, Linux and Mac accessories. The hub is also small and light enough at 845g to be carried around in a laptop case or backpack, making it an ideal partner for those moving around different locations. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/C7jdqT7ShbpKHNonWBBGt.jpg If you're someone who travels for work a lot, staying powered up on the move may often prove a challenge. Although power banks for mobile devices have been popular for some time, anyone looking for a laptop equivalent could be caught short. However Orico's new SC28 offering provides a huge capacity that should be perfect for staying charged up on a trip. With a capacity of 28,800mAh, the SC28 provides easily enough juice for even the thirstiest laptops, which can be quickly recharged via USB or power socket. The latter features a number of adaptors for different markets, meaning you should never be caught short, with Orico promising five hours of life for a 13in laptop. The SC28 can charge up to three devices at once, meaning you can power your laptop, phone and router all at once for the ideal mobile working solution. The device itself looks stylish, with a sleek aluminium alloy body that weighs in at just under 1kg, but should still easily slip into a rucksack or laptop bag. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qZas5ECjHTn5tnNn8M4FoG.jpg In modern busy offices, it can be tricky to get some quiet - particularly if you’re trying to carry out a conference call or video meeting from your desk. Sennheiser, which is perhaps better known for its consumer headphone line, is looking to address this with a new headset targeted at business customers. The MB 660 may resemble normal ‘cans’ style headphones, but in fact can act as a Bluetooth-enabled wireless headset, allowing you to use them as a meeting accessory in today’s UC-dominated workplace. As you would expect from a brand such as Sennheiser, the audio quality is excellent, whether that’s with a voice call, watching video or even listening to music. This is complimented by the noise-cancelling ability of the headset, which comes with three separate settings that allow you to select your level of isolation. This high-standard audio quality does come at a price, but if you value your calls and media, it may be worth shelling out. The headset comes with its own stylish and compact carry case, which also house the charging cables and USB connector. Battery life was excellent, with the headset not needing a recharge during our week-long test - and when we did plug it in, recharging was quick and effective. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8uk694AJtx3KXSdYYJ4Pkc.jpg If you're looking for a slim and stylish accessory to help guide you through your presentations, then Logitech may have just the tool for you. The company has released a new edition of its Spotlight presentation remote, promising "a whole new standard" in presentation control. The new product offers a stylish minimalist design made out of polished metal, weighing in at just 49g, with the slim build meaning it sits nicely in the palm of your hand. Three programmable buttons on the front giving you the opportunity to control your presentation however you like. The remote is able to highlight and magnify certain areas on screen, allowing you to focus on specific items or points, and has a range of up to 30 metres for those grander presenting occasions, connecting via Bluetooth to your Windows, Mac OS, Chrome OS or Android device. It even comes with a timer, which can show how long you've been speaking for and vibrate to tell you if you're about to run over your allotted presentation time. Battery life is substantial enough to last you through a working day, and is quickly recharged. The only downside is the price - at £119.95, it is quite an expensive option, but if you're looking for an effective and stylish presentation helper, this is the tool for you. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wKcKQ3im3bNLAFS3v3vnzn.jpg If you thought that the era of writing stuff down using pen and paper was dead, then Moleskine is here to prove you wrong. The iconic notebook provider, well-known for its leather-bound pages, is embracing the technology world with its new Smart Writing Set, which it says combines the pleasure of writing with pen and paper with the ease and speed of editing offered by modern word processing software. The kit consists of a smart Pen+ tool, which, when used to write on the accompanying 'Paper Tablet', will also display what you are writing on an accompanying phone or tablet device. Connected via Bluetooth, your device, boosted by the Moleskine Notes App, then allows you to record and edit your scribblings, meaning you can add extra colour, highlights and more. The app, which is available on iOS and Android devices, stores all the writing done in your Paper Tablet, meaning you can delete or move pages across devices, and even sync using your Google Drive or Evernote account. As for the kit itself, it resembles your traditional writing tools, with the Pen+ taking after a standard fountain pen - albeit with a hidden camera by the nib which traces and digitises everything you write. The Paper Tablet is slightly thicker than a usual Moleskine, but features NCode technology embedded in every page to allow the Pen+ to pick up your writing or drawing. All in all, the device works well - once you're registered on the app, using the Pen+ is smooth, and the data transfer is effective, even if like us, you aren't particularly artistically-minded. But whilst this is clearly a clever product (and at £199, a premium one too...) there remains a slight nagging question about what it's trying to achieve. Those of us used to writing with a pen and pad will find some advantages, most notably the chance to edit and remove notes, but with tablet devices and lightweight laptops so commonplace today, it still seems like an odd choice of platform for Moleskine. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/V7RoDjieM7RLjbtVGLHwB.jpg The idea behind the F3 is a simple one: provide with a stand that simplifies and organises a desk while maintaining a clean, functional style, without an expensive price tag. Satechi achieves it with this product which packs some interesting features on top. It has two, rather than one, preset height options thanks to a pair of sturdy aluminium legs with rubber pads. Physically, it is a fairly big slap of plastic (550 x 231mm) available either in white or anthracite. Plastic usually infers flimsiness but there wasn’t any in sight. This is proper solid stuff. The aluminium legs slot in within seconds after the shorter, permanent ones are deployed. There’s plenty of connectivity as well; four front facing USB 3.0 ports plus headphone/microphone ports with long cables to connect to your PC or laptop. It doesn’t require power as the ports are essentially passive ones. The F3 took the weight of a 27-inch monitor without flinching and there are reports of customers using it with a 34-inch behemoth. You will be able to put items weighing up to 11Kg on top. There’s enough clearance (about 30mm) underneath the actual plastic stand to slot in a keyboard. Adding the aluminium feet adds another 50mm. A few more USB ports or a smartphone stand might have been useful together with a couple of extra height options. There’s also the fact that a more premium material like glass or aluminium might have been a better, albeit more expensive, option. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U6D3ofXKriRQ8SrHtFkjL4.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3f790da7d3d32b86cce9bf574cc1f9ae.jpg A few vendors (Acer, Lenovo) have tried to deliver laptops with dual displays but these proved to be niche products with high prices and they were commercial failures. Enter PackedPixels (£149 each, about $194, AU$252), a deceptively straightforward product from Dovetail Technology that brings multiple displays to laptops with one big caveat. Your laptop will need to be equipped with a DisplayPort or Thunderbolt 1 or 2 ports. Newer Thunderbolt 3 ports won't work even with an adaptor, and obviously older ones like HDMI, DVI or VGA are out of the picture. Note that you can use a USB 3.0 to DisplayPort converter according to the manufacturer. That is what you will have to do on non-Apple laptops. If you have a DP or a TB1/2 port (Dell XPS 13 first generation, MacBook Pro etc) then using the bundled universal adaptor, you will be able to connect either one or two displays, each of them 9.7-inch in size and with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels. That's a 4:3 aspect ratio, something that works well in cramped spaces and is actually the same screen as the iPad Retina Display. The designers made the right decision to hide the connecting ports (DisplayPort and USB) where the stand is supposed to slot. Bear in mind that using two extra screens will eat up your battery faster, although, as Dovetail technologies suggests, you might also use a mobile phone adapter or an emergency power bank (like the Aukey 30Ah) to help out. Given the connector, you won't need any additional driver installation for any operating system. The screens are automatically adjustable and can be used in portrait or landscape mode. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ogm5YkkBFG5YSWfRu2o2oX.jpg Jackery is a little known company that focuses - like so many out there - on producing portable laptop and smartphone chargers. Its flagship product is the massive PowerPro, a 500Whr/140Ah Portable Power station rechargeable battery pack, The Jackery Titan S is a portable battery (72.4Whr) that can not only charge your mobile or tablet but also, according to its manufacturer, the popular Apple MacBook laptop. We didn’t have one at hand to test that claim sadly; note that it is also available in orange which for some reason has a lower capacity. Its black metal aluminium casing ensures that it will survive more than a few drops and it does feel very solid. Shame though about the sharper-than-usual edges on both sides and we’re not fans of the curvy profile of the Titan S as this caused it to slip a few times. This is a portable charger/battery pack so don’t expect too much innovation; it doesn’t switch off automatically but does identify the connected device by itself, charging it at the maximum permitted power. Other than a big power button and a 4-led battery status indicators which means you will never really know when the item will be fully charged when you reach four blue dots or discharged when it shows one blue dot. There are two full size USB ports - a 15W one (5V, 3A) and an 18W one (supporting variable voltages thanks to Quick Charge, up to 3.4A) - and a USB Type-C one that can deliver 15W power (5V, 3A); the latter can also be used to charge the battery. At 155 x 80 x 22mm for a weight of 435g, it is a tad smaller (volume wise) and lighter than the Aukey Powerbank although the latter has a far superior capacity (30Ah compared to 20.1Ah). The Jackery Titan comes with a micro USB charging cable and a two-year warranty but no carry case. The item is out of stock in the UK at the time of writing. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FiFXLpKkowqZNJSeBxtbQJ.jpg This printer is not for everyone. It is slow, expensive to buy and to maintain, and it is not even wireless! But then not all printers can list on their spec sheet that they're the world's lightest all-in-one printer, one that can not only print (obviously) but also scan and copy. The Primera Trio uses only a normal microUSB cable to charge and to connect to the host computer, and unlike most of the competition, it is truly portable (as in it has a battery inside) and boasts a smaller footprint than most laptops. Outside of this nifty gadget, you'll be hard pressed to find a compact device that you can take with you to print important documents that need immediate signatures (or at least draft copy). The scanning capability is not a big deal – you can always take pictures instead – although with the Trio, you will be able to do copies fairly easily. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XjqUiL2gJizNTMEfVyvaQF.jpg Home working can often be a battle for space within a fairly cramped environment, so wireless accessories have become more and more popular in the past few years. The Gyration Air Mouse Voice looks to take wireless mouse technology one step further, offering flexible use cases from the desk to the boardroom and beyond thanks to the power of voice. The device, which costs $99, is able to act as a typical desktop mouse, connecting via Bluetooth, but thanks to in-built microphones, can also double up as an in-air meeting pointer, where it can work with voice recognition to skip through slides. The voice commands can also be used to zoom in on specific details in a slide, and even open up your web browser - all activated just with a push of a button. Asides from the voice control, the device can also be used as an in-air mouse, allowing to to navigate around a companion PC or laptop whilst in use, which could be super handy for launching new documents or finding specific details. Set-up is quick and easy, with no special drivers needed, and each of the three device buttons able to be programmed to specific commands via a desktop app. The Air Mouse voice has a wireless range of 70 metres, meaning it’s ideal for both the boardroom and the conference hall, and works with both Windows and OSX software. The mouse itself may not feel particularly premium, with a rather fragile-looking plastic finish, but if you need to give presentations on a regular basis, this could be an ideal product to take your work to the next level. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/86MqN8LtT7Rg3mkcJNSjDN.jpg Your daily meetings might be about to get even more interactive thanks to the GoTouch pen from Anyractive. Comprised of a wireless pen and camera unit, the device is in theory able to turn any wall, table or even floor into a display that can be written on. The GoTouch works by connecting to a smartphone or Windows PC connected to an external display, which is then broadcast to your surface of choice. Unfortunately setting up the device is quite fiddly, requiring a separate app download before you can start projecting. Linking to your Android or iOS device is then done by Bluetooth, which is rather spotty, and means connecting your display and smartphone to the app, which can take some time - not ideal if you quickly need to start a presentation. Once we did get the GoTouch operational, the pen was largely successful when writing, but did cut out several times. As a pocket-sized projector, however, the GoTouch camera was rather more successful. Battery life was good, with the camera staying operational for several hours of broadcast, and recharging speedily via USB, however the pen is powered by physical batteries, meaning it might need keeping an eye on in case of embarrassing power failures during a presentation. Ordering the GoTouch may also be a bit tricky unless you are fluent in Korean, with the company’s online store not offering an English-language version just yet. This also means we have no idea how much it actually costs, as although Anyractive’s Kickstarter page (which says the GoTouch costs $89) smashed its initial $300,000 target, the device is yet to start shipping. Overall, the GoTouch is a great idea, but one let down hugely by setup problems. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/G2oZ2mdWjsBBohvN5pC4pm.jpg Monoprice's latest 27in monitor looks to offer a premium display without the high price, and for the most part, it succeeds. The Monoprice 18545 comes with a 27in LED backlit IPS display sporting a 16:9 2560x1440 maximum resolution - equating to 1440p. This does mean it isn't 4K-equipped, however our tests showed the display to perform well with HD video content as well as regular day-to-day use. The device comes with 178° viewing angles and the company's Pixel Perfect guarantee, which promotes the wide range of colours. Thanks to a flexible rear hinge, the device can also be angled for your viewing preference, with a tilt range from +15 to -5 degrees, which can be useful if you sit near a window. The monitor comes with an incredibly slim build which is just 2.1in thick, meaning that the screen should easily fit into most workplace desktop environments - and the metal base is pleasingly solid, meaning you shouldn't be able to accidentally knock it over. The polished grey metal design of the Monoprice 18545 should help blend in to your home or office, but be warned though, the corners of the aluminium build can be remarkably sharp if you catch it unexpectedly. The rear of the display was also quick to warm up quite alarmingly on several occasions, although this did not appear to impact performance. Given that it isn't 4K-ready, the $279 price tag for the Monoprice 18545 is certainly reasonable, however if you are looking for a truly top-of-the-range offering, it might be worth spending a little more money elsewhere. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/meQqzwX9q7ouzLRcVzkLVe.jpg Keeping workplace data safe is a major consideration for many workers, and the Aegis Secure Key 3Z features one of the toughest alternatives around. Primarily targeting those workers who are out and about a lot, and also want to keep their valuable information secure, the device is equipped with a physical keypad to protect what's inside. Despite only being the size of a regular USB stick, the Aegis Secure Key 3Z is one tough cookie, able to stand up to almost any work environments. The rubber exterior, which is IP58 protective against dust and water, safeguards a rugged aluminium build inside and out, meaning that there is no easy way to break into this device. The Aegis Secure Key 3Z also features top-of-the-range encryption that meets government standards alongside the onboard keyboard to enter a custom PIN and access the data within. Despite all this protection, setting up and using the device is fairly straightforward, not requiring any extra software or complex processes, with all the protection contained within. In fact, the only downside appears to be the high price - at $79 for the 8GB model we reviewed, this is a far pricier alternative than other devices around today. But if security is your number one concern, then this is the storage device for you. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PWsiMBWNYFHaUujCqKrKz.jpg With data security becoming paramount for many of us these days, the diskAshur Pro looks to offer a comprehensive security offering to ensure your important data stays intact. The key selling point of the diskAshur Pro is its obvious physical security - the device comes with a keypad that will only grant access to the data stored within upon entering a PIN number. Far from your usual ATM PIN number though, the device requires an identifier between seven and 15 digits, offering far tougher security, with the number able to be quickly personalised and changed, in order to keep your data safe. Asides from the physical security (which extends to IP56 water and dust resistance and even a self-destruct feature), the diskAshur Pro also comes with some enviable encryption, sporting XTS-AES 256-bit real-time full disk hardware encryption and EDGE technology to offer even more levels of safety. This version of the drive offers 500GB of storage, which should easily be enough to store all your vital documents, media and more, and connects to your PC or laptop via a standard USB 3.1 port. The diskAshur Pro works across all major operating systems, including Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Linux, and requires no extra additional software to be installed, meaning using the device is incredibly easy. Getting hold of the product may be the main issue with the diskAshur Pro, with the company manufacturing and selling many other models of the device on its site. We found this particular model for sale on Amazon for £211.96, and on iStorage's own site for £209. If you are able to get one, however, the diskAshur Pro is unparalleled in both its physical and internal protection, and the compact build and hard-wearing design make this a must-have for the security-conscious. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nv4PdbFngjaUyJutNjbTkh.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/84yeihnStETHKWgyTzG8hS.jpg The Apricorn Aegis Secure Key cuts a familiar figure; it does look a lot like the iStorage one but has 60x more capacity while costing about five times more. Comparing it to other secure USB drives, it does come across as being a bit of a bargain if you want to store massive amounts of data although it costs around three times the cheapest 512GB USB drive. The USB drive itself incorporates a full 10-key alphanumeric keypad with two function keys plus three status lights. It then slots into a hardened epoxy-potted rugged aluminum enclosure which makes it dust and waterproof; the device is also certified IP-58 and at 46g and 93mm long is fairly chunky, putting a bigger strain on a device’s USB port than most USB drives. As expected, it comes with built-in hardware encryption (256-bit AES) which means that it is totally independent from the host client and OS-agnostic. No keyloggers and no BadUSB vulnerability. It can be used where no keyboards are present and doesn’t require any drivers or software. It also means that it is powered by a battery which, unfortunately, adds another potential point of failure, especially as it runs rather hot in use. The Aegis Secure Key has also received a FIPS 140-2 level 3 accreditation from NIST, the US-based National Institute of Standards and Technology, which oversees US government IT and computer security. Setting the drive up is the hardest part of the process. There is no factory default PIN so you need to create your own PIN (at last 7 numbers up to 16) to use it. The drive can be configured with an admin PIN and a user PIN, both of which are independent and is a particularly useful option in a corporate setup when multiple units are deployed. The presence of an on-device keyboard makes brute-force attempts difficult and after 20 incorrect PIN entry attempts, the drive automatically deletes the encryption key, rendering the data unreadable. What’s more, it auto-locks when it is disconnected from the host PC or after a set period. Note that it may not work with a USB-hub because of higher power requirements. There is also a read-only mode that prevents the user from tampering with data on the drive. Add in a rated data transfer rate of up to 190MBps/160MBps (read/write speeds) and a three-year warranty and you get a very solid product. As always, bear in mind that such a device – especially of this size- doesn’t remove the need to have a secure backup; drives – even those with high MTBF - do fail, get damaged or lost. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U6D3ofXKriRQ8SrHtFkjL4.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rXo7saQ3M7Wzws6jHVPx5n.jpg Plug in the Kingston Ironkey D300 (IKD300/8GB) in your computer and the first thing you will notice is that the drive shows up as a CD Drive with a 14.4MB capacity. Surely some mistake! Well, you actually need to initialise the drive before using it for the first on any computer. Note that Kingston strongly advises not to use the drive via a USB hub. Launching the application will request that you create a password (between eight and 16 characters) and will go on to format the drive. You will confusingly end up with two “drives”, one with the initialisation software and the other one being the actual empty drive. Insert it in another computer (Linux, Mac or Windows) and you will be prompted to enter the right password. Otherwise, as for other similar solutions on the market, enter the password wrong 10 times in a row and your content will be erased. As for the drive itself, it is an 8GB model with a zinc casing – which also doubles as a heatsink as the D300 heats up a fair bit under use - and tamper-evident epoxy seal for physical security. With its cap on, it is waterproof (up to 4ft) and dustproof and at 51g, feels solid. More importantly though, the more compelling protection happens inside the device itself. It is a FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified device with 256-bit AES hardware encryption. There is a hardware cryptographic module inside the device itself which means that the encryption and decryption is done on the drive rather than on the host PC, with digitally signed firmware which makes the D300 immune to the notorious BadUSB exploit. The D300, which comes with a five-year warranty, also offers a read-only option which allows any user, once authenticated, to open and view content on the drive but not change, update or erase the content. There’s also a managed version of the drive which, as its name implies, allows the drive to be deployed en masse across an organisation but requires Ironkey EMS by Datalocker which allows for the drives to be centrally managed. This allows for drive-specific policies and allows administrators to disable lost or stolen drives remotely and more. The drives are available in capacities ranging from 4GB to 128GB. The rated transfer rates of the drive vary between 80MBps to 250MBps (read) and 12MBps to 85MBps (write) depending on the capacity. Rule of thumb is the lower the capacity, the slower it will be. The 8GB model performed better than expected with CrystalDiskMark benchmark results hitting 237.6MBps and 58.69MBps on Read and Write respectively. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U6D3ofXKriRQ8SrHtFkjL4.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xMb4TBZGc6Rhhx5XM3nyfU.jpg The trend for thinner, lighter and more aesthetically pleasing laptop designs gave us the Apple Macbook, a stunningly beautiful device with only one connector, a lonely USB Type-C port. There's a plethora of accessories - adapters and docking stations - on the market to solve that problem though, especially as more and more laptops are following Apple's lead and cutting the number of connectors to a minimum. The Satechi Slim Aluminum Type-C Multi-Port Adapter is one of them. Available in four Apple-friendly colours, this device quadruples the amount of ports of the aforementioned MacBook. There's a pass-through USB Type-C as well as two USB Type-A ports and an HDMI connector capable of supporting 4K video content, albeit at 30Hz - we'd certainly have preferred a DisplayPort. Physically, the device is about 105mm long and comes with a 150mm USB Type-C cable. The enclosure is made entirely of aluminium which has a propensity to get scratched and marked when flung around too often.Compared to other products on the market, having a cable is preferable to avoid accidental damage to your laptop's port. Note that each USB port on the Slim Type-C hub can provide 5V/1A (or 5W) and that Satechi advises that the maximum power load on the hub shouldn't exceed 10W, which excludes using it for heavy duty activities (e.g. charging two tablets). The product comes with a one-year warranty. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U6D3ofXKriRQ8SrHtFkjL4.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hpe9ZL6pfpUQtrC9eNv36i.jpg Sandberg's Powerbank is neither the cheapest or the most powerful around. However, it does come with a couple of features that make it a rather enticing option. It outputs to a number of voltages (12V, 16V, 19V and 20V), automatically choosing the right one depending on the device connected to it. There are also two USB ports and these are obviously hardwired to output 5V on both. There are also 12 different charge tips but none would fit my Dell XPS 13, and they won't be useful for USB Type-C models like the Dell XPS 13 2016 edition. There are a couple of things that differentiate this from most of its rivals on the market: it uses a brushed, premium, aluminium finish, with bright blue LED status lights that clearly indicate the amount of juice left or how close the battery is to being charged. Speaking of charging, Sandberg decided to equip the Powerbank with a dedicated input port which allows the device to be charged in record time thanks to a 36W (18V/2A) power supply unit. In comparison, the Aukey 30Ah we reviewed recently could only be charged using a 12W USB port which makes charging a lengthy process, often an overnight affair. It also means that you don't rely on your laptop or mobile charger to get the battery replenished. Sandberg has equipped the Powerbank with an automatic 'switch on and switch off' mechanism to save power. It can deliver up to a total of 85W meaning that it can accommodate a massive 70W on its laptop/DC Out port. Note that the device comes with an industry-leading five-year warranty. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U6D3ofXKriRQ8SrHtFkjL4.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JyAKEvBjKhkzV9gVKqzRkU.jpg Quite a lot of Ultrabooks (and even a fair few graphics cards) now come with Mini DisplayPort connection as standard in lieu of the traditional D-Sub or HDMI ports; which can prove to be a pain if you're planning to deliver a presentation at a client's office and they only have a HDMI projector. In theory, Mini DisplayPort – which is popular with Apple - has enough bandwidth to drive 4K monitors at 60Hz (HDMI can only do it at 30Hz) which results in a smoother end-user experience. However, today's product doesn't achieve this (it does reach 4K at 30Hz though). What it does is merely converting the Mini DisplayPort to a HDMI port, all for just over £23 (about $35, AU$45), more specifically from DP m1.2 to HDMI 1.4 without the need for drivers or external power source. Unlike other passive video adaptors, this one offers active signal conversion which means that it doesn't require a multi-mode DisplayPort source signal (like AMD's Eyefinity) which greatly expands its compatibility option. In addition, mDP supports 5.1 Surround Sound out of the box and is compatible with most Intel Thunderbolt devices. You will still need to have a HDMI cable at the other end though. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U6D3ofXKriRQ8SrHtFkjL4.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BygkX572AtrBAoF6BL27Hf.jpg From a distance, it looks like a standard USB cable with a microUSB connector on one end and a bigger-than-average one on the other. But look closer and you will see that it is a mirroring and KM (keyboard and mouse) sharing accessory. The KMC6105 allows you to view and interact with your Android device regardless of the brand and platform (i.e. tablet, Chromecast, smartphone) as well as sharing your keyboard and mouse. Perhaps more importantly, it charges your Android device while in use, something that the previous generation model did not offer. Unlike that one, it allows you to use your smartphone as an additional screen. It also offers copy/cut and paste as well as drag and drop across the platform. You will need to install a small executable file that is located on the device itself. Otherwise it will only behave like a standard (expensive) cable. You will need to enable Developer Options in newer smartphones by clicking seven times on the "build number" menu. Subsequently, you will need to allow USB debugging which is how the KMC6105 works its magic. The installation process will also download the device's driver where necessary. Note that the device carries a standard two-year warranty and is USB 2.0 only. The Android OS Mirroring and KM sharing cable is on sale at Lindy for £24.96. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U6D3ofXKriRQ8SrHtFkjL4.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KxoTvQmKmo8HVPBV5i6tNi.jpg Audio has historically never been a forte for laptops and that hasn't changed for Ultrabooks especially for those at the lower end of the spectrum (one might even say that it became worse). Which is why something like an external sound card comes in quite handy. USB devices in general usually carry a performance penalty mostly because they use the host's processing power. They also have a small impact on the battery life. However, given how powerful the recent crop of Intel-based processors has been, that shouldn't be an issue. The ICUSBAUDIOMH External USB Card lets you add an S/PDIF digital audio output or a standard 3.5mm analog audio connection to your system through USB and essentially adds a 5.1 sound card. The device, which is about the size of a lighter, has two 3.5-inch jacks for headphone and microphone (some Ultrabooks like the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro only have one port). Startech's external card comes at the end of a rather long USB cable, uses a Via VT1630A chipset and is capable of sampling audio at up to 96kHz. Available in black or white, it does support Sony's PlayStation 3 gaming console and comes with a two-year warranty. This USB Stereo Audio Adapter External Sound Card is available for sale at Startech. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/9pfrfzpK0YA

Update: An Intel spokesperson has provided us with the following statement on the Spoiler vulnerability: “Intel received notice of this research, and we expect that software can be protected against such issues by employing side channel safe software development practices. This includes avoiding control flows that are dependent on the data of interest. “We likewise expect that DRAM modules mitigated against Rowhammer style attacks remain protected. Protecting our customers and their data continues to be a critical priority for us and we appreciate the efforts of the security community for their ongoing research.” Original story follows below… There’s another nasty speculative execution hole in Intel’s processors – similar to the infamous Spectre vulnerability – which goes by the name of Spoiler. The flaw was highlighted in a research report written by computer scientists at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, and the University of Lübeck in Germany, who made it clear that while this vulnerability runs along the same lines as Spectre attacks, it works differently – which makes it more dangerous. The paper observes: “Spoiler is not a Spectre attack. The root cause for Spoiler is a weakness in the address speculation of Intel’s proprietary implementation of the memory subsystem which directly leaks timing behavior due to physical address conflicts. Existing spectre mitigations would therefore not interfere with Spoiler.” Intel comes clean on Amber Lake, Whiskey Lake Spectre defensesWe show you how to protect against Meltdown and SpectreWe’ve picked out the best antivirus software of 2019However, like Spectre, this vulnerability allows an attacker to exploit the way the PC’s memory works to glimpse data from running programs and potentially other critical data which should otherwise not be accessible. Note that Spoiler only affects Intel silicon – that’s all processors from first-gen Core models and onwards – and not AMD or ARM chips which the researchers also tried to exploit. As the Register reports, any attacker would need some kind of foothold on your PC to drive the exploit, such as malware, or potentially a piece of malicious JavaScript running on a dodgy website. Silicon significanceAnd worryingly, the researchers believe that not only is Spoiler unaffected by any existing countermeasures for the likes of Spectre, but that it can’t be easily mitigated against without, in their words, “significant redesign work at the silicon level”. So it seems like this is a threat Intel will have to be seriously evaluating with a view to baking in protection when designing upcoming chips. As we already mentioned, the exploit is a danger to all of Intel’s Core processors from the first-generation models onwards, and it works against all operating systems, and also can be leveraged from within virtual machines or sandboxes. Spoiler isn’t an acronym, and doesn’t stand for anything, except the first two letters ‘sp’ which refer to ‘speculative’ execution – and of course it also underlines the fact that this nasty critter could really spoil your day. In recent times, speculative execution vulnerabilities have come to be viewed as a new class of highly dangerous threats, and the likes of Microsoft have already implemented bug bounty schemes to try to detect and stamp out such flaws before they can be exploited on a wider level. We’ve picked out the best laptops of 2019http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/4XHX5HtxdHE

If you have a Roku TV or streaming device like the Roku Streaming Stick+, you can now control it using Alexa – as long as you have an Alexa-enabled smart speaker, that is. This is thanks to a brand-new Alexa skill, which you can set up by opening the Alexa app on your smartphone, heading to settings, and selecting 'TV & Video'. Once there, you can enable the Roku skill and link it to your account. Check out our Roku Streaming Stick+ reviewInterested in the competition? Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick reviewBest TV streaming service 2019As Alexa isn't built directly into Roku devices, you will need a compatible speaker like the Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, or Echo Show to use this new skill. Roku says that you can "pause a show, launch a streaming channel, and search for entertainment", by saying things like "Alexa, find comedies on Roku", or "Alexa, pause Roku." Increased flexibilityThis isn't the only way you can control your Roku device with your voice, however. Roku devices were recently updated with a new Enhanced Voice Search feature, so users can search for their favorite shows and movies by speaking directly into the Roku mobile app – or the remote, if you're using the Roku Streaming Stick+. So, why bother creating an Alexa skill when Roku already has a form of voice search? Senior vice president of Roku OS, Ilya Asnis explains that it's about flexibility. “Consumers often have multiple voice ecosystems in their homes," Asnis said in a press release announcing the feature. "By allowing our customers to choose Alexa, in addition to Roku voice search and controls, and other popular voice assistants, we are strengthening the value Roku offers as a neutral platform in home entertainment.” If you're already using Alexa to control other aspects of your smart home, it might be useful to keep your streaming device in the same smart family. Right now, the Alexa skill is only available in the US, with no word yet on when it will become available in other territories. The best Alexa skills and commands: the best Alexa tip ands trickshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/U57RZF9KKJQ

Want to buy a decent camera, but don't want to break the bank? The good news is that there are some cracking cameras out there if you're on a tight budget, including some great entry-level DSLRs, sleek-looking mirrorless cameras, advanced high-end compacts, bridge cameras with huge zoom lenses, not to mention travel zooms and pocket compacts. And while some of these cheap cameras may not be the latest and greatest models available right now, they still deliver the goods. We've compiled a selection of the best budget cameras going, so whether you want something to simply slot in your pocket for the odd snap that will be better pictures than your smartphone ever can, or a camera you can get a bit more creative with, you'll find it here. If you need a bit more help figuring out what kind of camera you need, then read this article: What camera should I buy? And if you want to spend a little more money, then check out our other camera buying guides at the bottom of the page. http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg Best cheap cameras in 2019http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rL4txv9GRFQ9KwZUQotcGS.jpg Sony's latest camera in its RX100 line, the RX100 VI, is one of our favourite compact cameras right now, but there's no getting away from the fact that it's a pricey option. The good news is that all of the previous generation models are still available at much more tempting prices. Sitting in the middle of this is the RX100 III and while it might not offer some of the latest features it's still a great compact at a bargain price. The large 1.0-inch sensor delivers excellent levels of detail, with the broad and fast range of the zoom lens making it a versatile travelling companion. There's also a built-in pop-up viewfinder and a tilting screen (though its not touch-sensitive). Take into account the sleek, premium finish and it all adds up to a great compact camera at a great price. Read our in-depth Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Tdg5TwRSL3jAhukPqJrQZ9.jpg Launched back in 2015, the Lumix FZ300 (also known as the Lumix FZ330 outside the US) it's now getting on a bit, but that makes it an even better value option as it's come down in price so much since launch. The 25-600mm zoom range offers plenty of reach, meaning you can fill the frame with your subject, no matter how far away it is. While the zoom range is pretty typical for a bridge camera, what's impressive is the constant f/2.8 maximum aperture - really useful when you're shooting at the longer end of the zoom range and helping you isolate your subject. There's also a splash-resistant body, a vari-angle touchscreen and high resolution electronic viewfinder. That's not forgetting Wi-Fi connectivity and a decent image stabilization system. A great budget buy for the novice or enthusiast photographer. Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix FZ300 / FZ330 reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ajjJB6ZAYH67XM5B3xo74G.jpg Nikon's D3400 was a hugely successful and popular DSLR, and it retained plenty of appeal once the D3500 was introduced, as it managed to offer much the same thing for less money. Now, the D3500 has dropped enough in price to make it the clear best buy. Key changes over the older D3400 include a newly developed APS-C sensor (though still with 24MP) and an even better battery life of 1,550 frames per charge, next to the D3400's very capable 1,200 shots per charge. You also get a better grip and a slightly redesigned body that's a bit lighter too. The D3400 is still around and remains an excellent first-time buy, but this newer model just has a slight edge. Read our in-depth Nikon D3500 reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MUPpJEuyCKX2XDRNyhDQtJ.jpg Panasonic's Lumix ZS / TZ series of compacts has long dominated the compact travel zoom market, and that's still the case with the ZS50 (known as the TZ70 outside the US). While it may be eclipsed by its larger-sensor siblings, the ZS100 / TZ100 and ZS200 / TZ200, the ZS50 / TZ70 has the advantage of packing a huge 30x zoom into a pocket-sized body. There's even space for a (modest) electronic viewfinder, ideal for when the lighting makes it tricky to compose or review shots on the rear screen. You can use the camera like an advanced point-and-shoot compact, simply leaving it in auto for the camera to take care of settings, or you can shoot high-quality raw files, and make your own decisions about aperture and shutter speed. Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix ZS50 / TZ70 reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/a391eadf9619aed87cbfb90d71a4facb.jpg The EOS Rebel T6 (known as the EOS 1300D outside the US) is one of Canon's most affordable DSLRs in its line-up and while it doesn't share the same latest tech as newer models, it's still a great a solid choice for first time users. The 18MP sensor is starting to show its age a little, while the AF in live view is a bit on the slow side, but when you consider you're getting a DSLR for the price of an average compact, then it doesn't look too bad at all. It's actually better than the newer EOS 4000D as well. Read our in-depth Canon EOS Rebel T6 / EOS 1300D reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ykPUvYkuZNRVUUvuVqJiCZ.jpg Don’t let the price fool you. The A6000 costs the same as other entry-level DSLR and mirrorless cameras, but it’s an advanced and powerful camera that has only dropped to this price through being on the market since 2014. So it may be old, but most of the specification still looks pretty fresh today. This includes a 24MP sensor, a fast hybrid 179-point autofocus system and continuous shooting at 11 frames per second (fps). Its age shows in other areas, though; it only shoots 1080p Full HD video and not 4K, and the screen isn’t touch sensitive. And while it’s cheap enough, the A6000’s high-end features make it a little advanced for beginners. Read our in-depth Sony Alpha A6000 reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wBFQbyMFq6krHDxbbMvFNK.jpg The D5300 was around for little more than a year before the D5500 technically replaced it, which has in turn been replaced by the D5600. It shares the same 24.2MP sensor with an identical maximum ISO25,600 sensitivity as the D5500, whilst the D5300's EXPEED 4 image processor and 39-point autofocus system have also been carried over to its replacement. Whilst the D5300 doesn't sport fancy touchscreen control, you do get GPS instead. The D5300's 600-shot battery life has since been beaten by the D5500, but it'll still outlast a Canon EOS Rebel T6i / 750D. All in all, it may not be the latest entry-level DSLR, but the D5300 is still a smart buy. Read our in-depth Nikon D5300 reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nRAKMSkqn2rTSShmXyGj7D.jpg The new Alpha A7 III is one of our favorite cameras rights now, packing in a great performance for a brilliant price. If your budget can't stretch to it though, the Alpha A7 II is still worth a look as in some cases, it's half the price of its newer sibling. It might not have all the latest features, but you still get a very good 24.3MP full-frame sensor, a very capable AF system and excellent image stabilization. Handling isn't quite as refined though as the newer camera, but for the incredibly tempting price, this can be overlooked. You'll be hard pressed to find a better camera for your money. That is unless you want something even cheaper in the shape of the original Alpha A7. Read our in-depth Sony Alpha A7 II reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/k4odFdKB3VxEm8UzHaZjWR.jpg Considering its entry-level target audience and budget price tag, the GX85 – also known as the GX80 – is phenomenally well specified. Sure, the 16MP sensor is nothing fancy, but good luck finding the same combination of 4K video recording, a 2.76million-dot viewfinder, 3in tilting touchscreen, 8fps burst shooting and sensor-based image stabilization for this kind of money elsewhere. If you want something more compact and even lighter on the wallet, you may want to look at the GX850 – also known as the GX800 or GF9, depending on where you are in the world – instead, which sticks to a similar idea and adds a selfie-friendly LCD, but drops the viewfinder. Read our in-depth Panasonic GX85 / GX80 reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4dseVPvcvEaNYUawCjEyVA.jpg The PowerShot SX710 HS is appealing to both absolute beginners and to those with a little more experience of photography. On the back is a small mode dial which enables you to quickly switch between different exposure modes, including full manual and semi-automatic modes for those who want to take control, plus fully automatic and scene modes. The 30x optical zoom covers an excellent range of focal lengths and gives plenty of flexibility for the average holiday shooter. There's no touchscreen however, but you can't really complain at the price. A nicely capable camera for those who just want a point and shoot compact with a long focal length zoom range. Read our in-depth Canon PowerShot SX730 HS reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vUzX5zwq2XM6AMMZ8y6Eyk.jpg If you're wanting a compact camera that can do a better job than your smartphone the Cyber-shot WX220 ticks a lot of boxes, especially when you consider the extra flexibility offered by the 10x optical zoom, running from 25-250mm. Images are bright and punchy, with decent detail – ideal for sharing online or printing at typical sizes – while it's nice to see Wi-Fi connectivity included as well. The 2.7-inch screen is a little on the small side, but that does help to keep the dimensions of the camera to a pocket-friendly size. The WX220 may not have lots of bells and whistles, but what it does do, it does well. Read our in-depth Sony Cyber-shot WX220 reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vaZZfufw6enwi96XEMaehm.jpg Despite it being one of the cheapest bridge cameras available, you still get a lot of camera for your cash with the Panasonic Lumix FZ70 (known as the FZ72 outside the US). Let's start with the lens. The Lumix FZ70 packs in a staggering 60x optical zoom, running from an impressively ultra-wide 20mm-equivalent to 1200mm, so you won't have any excuses for not filling the frame. You also have the option of full manual control (as well as a host of helpful auto modes), raw format shooting, and decent image quality from a sensor this size. Downsides? While there is an EVF, it's not the best quality, and there's no touchscreen functionality or wireless connectivity. Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix FZ70 / FZ72 reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oyYK5qmxghsTkZPPmJ3DbK.jpg Best compact cameraBest waterproof cameraBest travel cameraBest bridge cameraBest entry-level mirrorless cameraBest mirrorless cameraBest entry-level DSLRBest DSLR Best action cameraBest instant camerahttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/8rR2POq_EN8

If GTA V taught us anything, aside that Trevor can't be trusted with stuffed animals, it's that the Red Dead Redemption 2 price was going to take forever to come down. The most popular games from Rockstar continue to sell throughout the year, so there's little incentive for stores to come up with a good offer. Which is why we were taken aback by today's deal, to be honest. We thought we'd be waiting even longer than this for a significant saving as the game's been enormously successful since its late October release. That hasn't stopped Walmart knocking a massive $20 off the previous price. That's right you can now get a new copy of Red Dead Redemption 2 for just $39.88 on PS4 and Xbox One. Red Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4) | $59.88 $39.88 at WalmartRed Red Dead Redemption 2 (Xbox One) | $59.88 $39.88 at WalmartRed Dead Redemption 2 has shifted millions of copies already, but perhaps Rockstar is extra keen to sweep up those holding out for a better deal sooner rather than later. And considering millions of players have flocked to free-to-play favourites like Fortnite, and more recently Apex Legends, you can perhaps see why Rockstar might have some tough competition on its hands for gamers' time. We'd thoroughly recommend stepping into Arthur Morgan's boots though as this is one of Rockstar's finest achievements yet, and it looks absolutely stunning on a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X. Fancy it on a new 4K TV? We've rounded up the latest TV deals and salesPlay in 4K HDR via one of our PS4 Pro deals or Xbox One X bundleshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/LcBo4UyegN8

Much like it did with the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9, Samsung has delivered another record-breaking screen with its Galaxy S10, according to the world's leading display authority, DisplayMate. Earning DisplayMate's highest ever A+ grade, the S10's OLED display reportedly "matches or sets over a dozen new smartphone display performance records", including a "high brightness mode that is up to 17% brighter (1,215 nits) than the Galaxy S9." Of the many distinctions earned by the device's screen, perhaps the most impressive involves its ability to produce lifelike colors, with reviewer Dr. Raymond M. Soneira calling Samsung's OLED "the most color accurate display we have ever measured". Read our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S10 reviewRead our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S10e reviewRead our hands-on Samsung Galaxy S10 5G reviewThe immense praise didn't end there, with Soneira further describing the S10's color accuracy as "visually indistinguishable from perfect, and almost certainly considerably better than your existing smartphone, living room HDTV, tablet, laptop, and computer monitor." Along with its numerous records, DisplayMate also lists several other improvements over last year's models, including improved viewing angles, blue light spectrum and display power efficiency. To find out how Samsung's latest flagship fared in our tests, check out our in depth Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/jFLDeRtMSlo

A bug has been revealed that inadvertently allows Android TV users to view the accounts of hundreds of other Google Photos users, enabling them to access their private images. First discovered by Twitter user Prashanth, the bug has since caused Google to completely disable the sharing of Google Photos via Android TV while the tech giant resolves the issue. How to back up to Google PhotosWhile this privacy concern was initially discovered with Prashanth’s Vu LED TV and seemingly only showed the Google accounts of users that also owned the same model of TV, another Twitter user (Aarjith Nandakumar) noticed the same issue occurring with his iFFalcon Android TV. You can now stream Google Photos right to your Apple TVQuick fixThe other Google users appeared under “linked accounts”, showing both their name and profile picture, and allowed access to their photos (albeit at random) when choosing Google Photos as a source for the ambient screensaver. Speaking with Android Police, Google verified that “it was not an issue of Vu Television but it was a software malfunction of the Google Home App”, and continued to defend Vu’s commitment to privacy. We don’t yet have a timeline of when the issue will be resolved, but considering Google has had to disable viewing, accessing or casting photos to all Android TV devices, we can assume the problem is being given some priority. Google Photos is now available as a desktop app – sort ofhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/-ecTeWUiPbA

Even for the most ravenous of book lovers, dedicated ebook readers can be a fairly easy idea to dismiss. After all, if you've got a modern big-screen smartphone or a tablet, it's dead simple to just download Amazon's Kindle app to get your ebook fix. According to a 2014 report from the Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning, however, the way we read on our smartphones and PCs is different from how we read on paper. Thanks to the internet, we've trained our eyes to skim and dart around on screens, constantly hunting for the information we're after – a non-linear behaviour the Stanford paper calls 'surface reading'. When reading from a paper book, by contrast, our brains switch to a more concentrated form of information processing – dubbed 'deep reading' – and it's a mode that actually helps us better absorb and comprehend what's on the page. To us, that sounds like a great argument for giving books their own space, away from the distractions of apps and constant notifications on our modern do-all devices. And while there's certainly something irreplaceable about curling up with a good hardcover or paperback, nothing beats the convenience of a digital device when it comes to size and browsing for new books – but with a dedicated ebook reader, you can arguably have the advantages of both. By design, they're a simpler device made for the singular purpose of reading – and they have advantages too, such as batteries that last weeks rather than hours, and much-clearer legibility in direct sunlight. Here are the best ebook readers you can buy today: Kobo Formahttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9Z775XSFQ4HJL2FEMXbvmL.jpg Just how premium will ebook readers get before people stop buying them? That’s a question that market-leaders Amazon and Kobo have both been testing over the last couple of years, releasing bigger and more full-featured devices at ever-more-expensive price points. The latest (and priciest) to date is this new Kobo Forma, a $429 ereader that's essentially Kobo's answer to Amazon’s 'luxury' Kindle Oasis (see below), which is now in its second generation. Adopting a similar asymmetrical design to the latter, the Forma provides a significantly wider bezel on one side in order to make it more comfortable for prolonged one-handed holding. Where the Forma one-ups the Kindle – and perhaps attempts to justify its $40 price premium over the $389 Oasis – is by adding an extra inch to the display, for an expansive 8-inches in total. Despite their size disparity, the two devices have surprisingly similar weights. Compare the two side-by-side and it’s immediately apparent that the Kobo's build quality isn’t as premium as on its Kindle counterpart. In place of the Oasis’s slick aluminium chassis (which gives it a somewhat iPad-like exterior) the Forma has opted for a more standard soft-touch plastic casing that's dimpled on the back side. But while the Oasis’ metal exterior certainly feels more durable, it's also much more slippery. The Forma's rubbery and textured back, on the other hand, means that despite its bigger size your grip never wavers and its bigger footprint helps keep that weight feel more evenly distributed. The Forma's main power button is slightly mushy, and it’s genuinely difficult to tell that you’ve pressed it much of the time. The page turn buttons likewise aren’t as crisp as on the Oasis – although unlike the power button you can at least feel when you’ve pressed them, and to their credit there’s a nice big empty vertical space between them for nestling your thumb within. You can hold the Forma in either your left or right hand (or even in landscape) and the display orientation automatically rotates within a couple of seconds of switching. And it’s clear the Forma uses newer and snappier E-Ink tech than Kobo’s previous flagship device, the Aura ONE, with full screen refreshes required less often and a touch more responsiveness when turning pages or using the onscreen keyboard. It’s fast. As is common with all Kobo devices from the last few years, the Forma's backlight also offers colour-temperature adjustment, so you can opt for an orangey-yellow light tone rather than the standard (and potentially sleep-disrupting) blue light. The Oasis has no such option. It’s the reading experience that ultimately counts, though, and the Forma undoubtedly shines in that regard: it’s asymmetrical design and large screen do undeniably make it more comfortable to use for long periods, so if you’re an ebook junkie looking for an reader that can keep pace this one’s still got the goods. Read our full Kobo Forma reviewKindle Oasishttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pQFZncppLHEvPKrSecmzyB.jpg Amazon's original Kindle Oasis has been around for a while now, a premium ebook reader that dropped jaws with its unconventional design – where one side is considerably thicker than the other – and rather outlandish price; in Australia, the Kindle Oasis launched at a jaw-dropping $449. Amazon’s second-gen Oasis ups the ante on its forebear in numerous areas and this is a redesign that, by and large, has definitely been worth it. With an aluminium body and a matte-finish glass panel to cover its high-res, 7-inch E Ink display (adding an inch over its predecessor), the new Oasis has an almost iPad-like feel that's both classy and durable. It’s also the first Kindle to include water-proofing, where it beats most flagship smartphones with an IPX8 rating. And yet despite those improvements, the price is also more palatable in Australia, dropping $60 to a slightly more reasonable $389 for the 8GB model – although opting for the bigger 32GB model will still set you back $529. The asymmetrical design gives you a nice big holding area on one side of the display and thin bezels everywhere else. Swap from holding the Oasis in your left to right hand (or vice versa) and the screen orientation automatically flips around to accomodate. The two dedicated page-turning buttons have a super-satisfying and reassuringly-stable click when you press them, and that 7-inch, 300dpi display is gorgeous too, rendering text and images with the same sharp and smooth results we saw on the first Oasis. There’s another neat new trick underneath the Oasis’s hood, too: Audible audio-book support. There’s a big caveat, though, in that you can only output audio via Bluetooth – there are no inbuilt speakers or a 3.5mm headphone jack, so you’ll need to have a wireless speaker or set of headphones to use it. Amazon has added a new optional viewing mode, letting you reverse convention and have white text on a black background, which should help reduce the amount of blue light being bounced into your eyes. You still can’t borrow library ebooks in Australia if you're a Kindle user. Our libraries use the Overdrive system, which the Kobo range of readers support, but Kindles do not. There’s also no native integration with a read-it-later service, like Kobo has with Pocket, although you can email stories or use a free service like Pocket 2 Kindle to achieve this. Read our Amazon Kindle Oasis (2017) reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jqP2haEQneSwhFZeTmMJYL.jpg Kobo Clara HDhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WJcdx8SJsVEpAbEGSjGnPm.jpg Kobo's new Clara HD ereader is more than capable of giving its direct competition – Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite – a run for its money. Priced $40 cheaper than its Kindle counterpart, the Clara HD manages to outperform Amazon's most popular ereader in almost every area that matters. Key among those is the screen. The Clara HD's 6-inch front-lit display matches the Kindle for sharpness (both are 300ppi) but integrates a blue-light filter which uses your timezone to automatically change screen brightness at night to reduce your exposure to sleep-disrupting blue light. It fits that display into a compact body that's lighter than the Paperwhite, making it easier to slip into just about any bag. Cover art and text are rendered at a higher DPI (dots per inch) on the Clara HD than other older Kobo ereaders, making them appear significantly sharper in comparison. The Clara HD also introduces a new 'rapid page turn' engine which allows you to quickly move forward in an ebook by holding down the bottom left corner of the screen. The slight caveat is that this feature only works with KEPUB ebooks, ie the ones bought directly from Kobo. The responsiveness of the new E-Ink screen was also much faster and more precise than we're used to seeing on either Kindle of Kobo ereaders, which makes things like text selection for dictionary lookup (or highlighting and note-taking) much less hit-and-miss than before. It also has wireless Overdrive functionality, so you can browse and borrow from your local library's ebook collection directly on the device. With battery life that lasts a couple of weeks, the Clara HD is a feature-packed device with a display that's the best-in-class for an ereader at this price point. Read our full Kobo Clara HD reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jqP2haEQneSwhFZeTmMJYL.jpg Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 (2017)http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/comyJYenouRbvKzRFNycyg.jpg Kobo beat Amazon in the race to launch a waterproof ebook reader by releasing the first iteration of the Aura H2O way back in 2014. It wasn't just splashproof, it had complete waterproofing, in case you dropped it in the bath or in the pool. The Kobo Aura H2O Edition 2 adds to the revolutionary features of the original model, for the same price of $239, to become a rather formidable competitor in the ebook reader market. Continuing the waterproofing trend, the Aura H2O Edition 2 comes with IPX8 waterproofing, beating most smartphones in the market today, despite the charging port not being covered (like in its predecessor). The addition of ComfortLight PRO means the e-reader's backlight will change colour as the day progressing – daytime reading's blue light exposure will gradually reduce, changing to a warmer yellow hue. Kobo has retained the previous Aura H2O's solid build in the second iteration, although it is still thicker than the Aura One at 8.9mm. It boasts a screen resolution of 1440 x 1080, making words appear clear and sharp, even at maximum font size. Battery life is also rather good and should last an entire week, although charging it back up to full capacity does take a while. And, like the outgoing model, the Aura H20 Edition 2 is easily customisable in terms of fonts, margin widths and justification, adding to a great user experience. Read our Kobo Aura H2O (2017) reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jqP2haEQneSwhFZeTmMJYL.jpg All-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2018)http://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sgMG24uTRYZLoRMQtb9LVk.jpg Amazon may have discontinued the waterproof Kindle Voyage, but the tech giant has taken everything that's good in the Oasis and produced an affordable all-new Kindle Paperwhite that's not waterproof as well. The Paperwhite has always been Amazon's most popular Kindle offering, and the new version also comes in at the same price point as the predecessor. However, there is a 32GB version as well, for those who need plenty to read and then some. While the new Paperwhite might feel plasticky in the hand, it's comfortable to hold but can get a tad grubby with fingerprints on the rear. The bezel sit flush with the screen and resembles the new discontinued Kindle Voyage. It shares the same display as the original Paperwhite – a 6-inch screen with 300 pixels per inch resolution. The brightness, however, has been improved, but not enough for anyone familiar with the older model to notice too much. The biggest improvement on the new Paperwhite is audiobook integration. You can now listen to your Audible titles on the ereader by using a set of Bluetooth headphones or a wireless speaker. If you happen to have the ebook version in your library, you can seamlessly switch from one to the other without losing your place. What all Kindles lack is support for library-lending in Australia, or the ability to read ebook files beyond Amazon's own formats (mobi and azw3) and PDF. That does limit the third-party stores you can buy ebooks from, which generally use the ePub format. Still, at $199 the Wi-Fi version is a reasonable deal – although we'd steer clear of the $369 Wi-Fi+4G model. At that price, you might as well spend the extra $20 and get the better Kindle Oasis instead. Read our Amazon Kindle Paperwhite reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jqP2haEQneSwhFZeTmMJYL.jpg Kobo Aura Onehttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6fee4030ef3a7091902fd2adfaaba499.jpg The Kobo Aura One might cost a whopping $350 but it is undeniably one of the best ereaders money can buy, with Kobo doing more than just improving its older basic models. Compared to the 6-inch standard, the Aura One gives you a spacier 7.8-inch display that’s also at a higher 300dpi resolution (or 1,872 x 1,404 pixels), rendering text nice and crisp right down to the tiniest of font sizes. You also get ample storage space (8GB), plus waterproofing, so you can safely read by the pool or in the tub. The inbuilt backlight has been improved with an orange-hue option that's less disruptive to sleep. The One is also more enjoyable to hold and use, thanks to its more modern design language. And despite its size, it’s a tad thinner and lighter than the H2O, and all the corners are now comfortably rounded. Combined with a textured rubber back, it’s easier to grip and hold up for prolonged reading. On the software side of things, not a lot has changed from the H2O. There are still lots of options to customise font types and sizes, as well as margins, and all the exclusive features we love – like the ability to sync with Pocket (so you can easily read saved web articles in more comfort, whenever you like) and support for the OverDrive ebook lending platform (which is widely used by Australian libraries) – are still in place. If the One has a main flaw, it’s that it doesn’t feel as robust or well-built as last year’s Aura H2O – which is frankly a bit of a tank – or most current Kindles for that matter. On top of that, the bigger screen and new backlight seemingly team up to drain the battery more quickly than before. That said, we think that’s a fair trade off for the added screen size and general reading comfort. Unfortunately the Aura One isn't widely available any more – you will have to get it straight from Kobo online – but if you are going to spend that kind of money on a premium ereader, you're better off waiting for the Kobo Forma. Read our Kobo Aura One reviewhttp://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jqP2haEQneSwhFZeTmMJYL.jpg Interested in getting a new ereader? Compare the latest prices of ebook readers in Australia on our sister site Getprice.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/techradar/digital-home/~4/xfhz-XvmNsE