Table of contents for November 2015 in Tech Advisor

Anyone who thinks modular smartphones are a cool concept was dispirited when Google postponed tests of its Project Ara until next year. Developing such devices is, however, particularly challenging, because of issues with size, performance and price. Here we look at the top seven reasons why it’s so difficult to develop smartphones that let users swap out the processor, camera and storage options. Architecture The biggest technical challenge to building a modular smartphone is the underlying architecture, the structural frame and data backbone of the device, which makes it possible for all the modules to communicate with each other. It has to be so efficient that the overall performance doesn’t take a hit, yet still be cheap and frugal with power consumption. Durability The Project Ara team recently posted and…

Ericsson is working on LTE with faster upload speeds, as well as using unlicensed spectrum to speed up downloads and customising the technology for Internet of Things applications. The Swedish telecom equipment vendor is showed off some of the developments at the CTIA Super Mobility conference in Las Vegas. Although 5G was one of the hottest topics at CTIA, LTE still has lots mileage left – after all, the first two letters stand for Long Term. And it’s a lot easier to upgrade an existing network than roll out a new one. One of the more contentious upgrades is using unlicensed spectrum for LTE. Detractors fear it will affect Wi-Fi performance, which uses the same frequencies. To prevent that from happening, a number of methods are being developed to make…

£999 inc VAT Contact msi.com Specifications 15.6in (1920x1080, 141ppi) IPS matt anti-glare display; Windows 8.1; 2.6GHz Intel Core i7-4720HQ (3.6GHz Turbo) 4C, 8T; nVidia GeForce GTX 960M (2GB GDDR5) + Intel HD Graphics 4600; 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 RAM; 128GB M.2 SATA SSD + 1TB 7200rpm SATA HDD; gigabit ethernet; 802.11ac, 1x1 MIMO; Bluetooth 4.0; tray-load DVD±RW drive; 3x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0; Mini DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 1.4; Kensington Lock Slot; SDXC card slot; stereo speakers (Dynaudio); webcam and mic; UK tiled keyboard with numberpad; two-button multi-touch trackpad, 103x61mm; 50Wh lithium-ion, non-removable battery; 387x258x27.8mm; 2355g The MSI GE62 2QD gaming laptop hides its frame well, since the bare specification of just under 2.4kg and 28mm thick doesn’t sound especially portable. Pick it up though, and this 15in notebook seems thinner,…

£579 inc VAT Contact acer.co.uk Specifications 15.6in (1920x1080, 141ppi) AH-IPS matt anti-glare; 2.2GHz Intel Core i5-5200U 2C, 4T; Windows 8.1; nVidia GeForce GTX 940M with 2GB DDR3 + Intel HD Graphics 5000; 8GB (1600MHz DDR3 RAM; 1TB 5400rpm HDD with 8GB flash; gigabit ethernet; 802.11ac; Bluetooth 4.0; tray-load DVD±RW with M-Disc; 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0; HDMI, VGA D-Sub; Kensington Lock Slot; SD card slot; stereo speakers; 0.9Mp webcam and single mic; 3.5mm headset jack; UK tiled; buttonless multi-touch trackpad, 106x78mm; 37Wh lithium-ion, non-removable battery; 381x259x24–28.5mm; 2212g The Aspire V3-574G is a 15in all-rounder of a laptop, featuring styling touches and specification that raise it well above the cheapest budget machines. The metal lid back has an unusual reeded effect that’s similar to carbon fibre and not unattractive. The…

£59 inc VAT Contact tronsmart.com Specifications Android 4.4 KitKat TV box with custom UI; 1.5GHz Mstar MSO9180D1R (Cortex A9); 1GB DDR3 RAM; 8GB flash storage; 801.11b/g/n;10/100 ethernet; 2x USB 2.0; 1x USB 3.0; microSD slot; supports 4K streaming and HDMI recording; remote control; HDMI cable; 12V/2A external power adaptor; 148x148x26mm; 297g Tronsmart’s Pavo M9 is an Android TV box that plugs into your TV via HDMI and turns it into an Android computer. It supports up to 4K streaming (depending on your TV), as well as HDMI-in recording. This is the second Tronsmart Android TV box we’ve reviewed, having previously seen the Tronsmart Draco HW80. At £59 this one is not only cheaper, but there are several reasons why we prefer it. For starters, the plastic Pavo M9 is surprisingly…

£470 inc VAT Contact synology.com Specifications 1.4GHz Annapurna Labs Alpine Al-314 quad-core ARM processor; Synology DSM 5.2 operating system; 2GB DDR3 RAM; 2x USB 3.0; 2x eSATA; 2x 80mm cooling fans; 1x PSU fan; 157x248x233mm After the most basic single-and two-bay network-attached storage drives, the four-bay NAS becomes a popular choice. This introduces the chance to combine three or more disks into a RAID array that can provide better performance and maintain true redundancy if a disk should fail, all without losing any data. Synology does offer four-bay devices such as the DS414 and DS415+, but unusually also has five-bay NAS drives in its extensive range – usually aimed at more data-hungry applications demanded by businesses and home power users. The DS1515+ is the latest such five-bay NAS from Synology,…

£149 inc VAT Contact rha-audio.com/uk Specifications Dynamic driver (model 770.1); 16Hz to 40KHz; 16 ohm impedance; 100db sensitivity; 1.35m cable; multicore OFC Connections 3.5mm, gold plated; 41g The T10is from RHA are in-ear headphones with what the manufacturer describes as customisable sound, as well as mouldable ear hooks. They have three changeable tuning filters that can adjust the sound to bass, reference or treble. The full kit includes a three-button remote control with 360-degree mic for call and track control. Premium earphones, the RHA T10i offer full noise isolation, and are made from injection-moulded steel, with what RHA calls an oxygen-free copper cable. Price You can purchase these from RHA-Audio for £149. Flip across to Amazon and at the time of writing you could get a minor discount at £139.…

£33 inc VAT Contact choetech.com Specifications 15,600mAh power bank; 1x Qualcomm Quick-Charge 2.0-certified 5V 2.4A (12W)/9V 1.7A (15.3W)/12V 1.3A (15.6W) USB output; 1x 5V 1A (5W) USB output; 1x Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 5V 2.1A (5.5W)/9V 1.5A (13.5W) Micro-USB input; 1x 5V 2.1A (5.5W) Lightning input; 4-LED status system; no auto-on/off; no passthrough charging; no LED torch; no carry case; 147x78x16mm; 356g Opposite, we review the MiPow Power Tube 3000, which includes Bluetooth connectivity so you can pair it with an app and monitor the remaining capacity and device temperature – a hot topic, thanks to a recent EE Power Bar fire-safety scare. Here we have the Choetech Portable Power Bank, the first power bank we’ve seen to include support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 – and not only for…

Camera £169 inc VAT Home alarm £249 inc VAT Contact getmyfox.com/uk Specifications 720p HD camera; 130-degree wide angle lens; night vision; motion detection; two-way audio; battery back up; 110db siren; Intellitag proactive break-in detection; Personalised fob key and panic button; automatic deactivation of alarm system upon your return Smart devices are all the rage, and you can pick up anything from a smart bulb, such as the MiPow PlayBulb Color (page 51), to a smart kettle or smart washing machine. MyFox claims to have produced the “world’s first proactive smart home security system”. Design Visually, MyFox’s Home Alarm and Security Camera look gorgeous. The aluminium and white plastic design is sleek and understated, and will blend into your home environment. The home alarm is a pretty large, circular unit with…

Out of all the tech kit in your home, you probably pay little attention to your router. But the humble router is arguably the most important piece of computer equipment. Hidden inside that unassuming plastic box, a combination of hardware and software sorts and delivers every last piece of data that flies around your home network as fast as possible. Your router handles everything you do online, from browsing the web to streaming music and playing online games. Plus, it has to deal with more devices than ever before: phones, tablets, PCs, thermostats, cameras, audio systems, set-top boxes, games consoles, printers, network storage devices: the list is almost endless. But what makes a good router? Most devices connect via Wi-Fi, so you’ll want a router that’s capable of delivering strong…

All of us know a house’s weak or dead Wi-Fi spots, and it’s frustrating when these are where you need a strong Wi-Fi signal most. Wi-Fi black spots are most often caused by distance from the wireless router (wireless signals weaken with range), thick stone walls, and interference. Here’s some tips and tricks and inexpensive gadgets that will help improve your wireless signal. Update your wireless router If your house suffers from weak Wi-Fi, we first recommend that you think about upgrading your wireless router. The oldest to newest Wi-Fi standard are: 802.11b, g, n and ac. If you have an older wireless ‘b’ or ‘g’ router, you should consider replacing it with a newer wireless ‘n’ or ‘ac’ device that offers longer ranges and faster connection speeds. Try asking…

Have you added your phone number to your Facebook account? If the answer is yes, did you know that anyone can find out information about you simply by typing your phone number into Google? They don’t even need to know it’s your phone number – they can just enter a string of digits and the results returned will be your data on a plate. When you first create an account, or when you upload pictures or videos from your phone, Facebook will prompt you to add your phone number. Your phone number can also be used for extra security to prevent others from entering your account. However, if you don’t customise your privacy settings, anyone can type your number into Facebook and then collect information about you that might seem…

Nuisance calls are one of the modern evils of the world. Whether it’s sales, marketing or just people you don’t like, having your phone ring at all hours only to find these interlopers interrupting your day is no fun at all. Of course, if you’re in the UK, you can sign up to the Telephone Preference Service (tpsonline.org.uk), which does its best to stop unwanted calls, but some of the more persistent offenders often manage to sneak through. In this how to we’ll take a look at the options open to you, and hopefully return your life to the peaceful, robot-salespersonless way it was meant to be. As the layout of Android varies on different handsets we’ve separated the methods out by manufacturer, though many of the same principles apply…

If your PC or laptop is running slow, or strange windows keep popping up as you browse Windows, your computer may well have been infected by a virus, spyware or one of the myriad other types of malware that proliferate on the web. In this how to, we reveal how to remove malware from a PC or laptop, and clean up your system after infection by a virus or spyware. We’ll start, however, by giving you some quick and basic advice on prevention. Prevention Check now: do you have on your PC internet security software that includes up-to-date firewall, antivirus and antispyware? That is the very least you need in your security arsenal. The easiest way to get such security on your PC is to purchase an internet security suite.…

Installation details Go to My Computer, right-click the DVD icon and open the disc. Select Files 244/ABBYY PDF Transformer + and click the Windows install button on the cover-disc interface. Online registration required: Follow the instructions within the program before 10 November 2015. System requirements Windows Server 2003/2008 R2/2008/2012/XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10; 1GHz processor ABBYY PDF Transformer+ delivers intuitive tools for viewing, editing, commenting and efficient collaboration on PDF documents. Whether you wish to edit or add comments to a PDF document, add password protection, discuss with others or simply read a PDF file in a friendly environment, then PDF Transformer+ is the software for you. Featuring an intuitive interface and collaboration tools, combined with ABBYY’s Optical Character Recognition technology and Adobe PDF Library technology, PDF Transformer+ ensures easy work with any type…

At Gamescom in Germany, Intel unveiled two new 14nm desktop Skylake CPUs aimed at PC enthusiasts and gamers. Expectations are running high for the new chip, which is a ‘tock’ in Intel’s processor roadmap. For years, Intel has worked on a ‘tick, tock’ cadence for CPUs. Ticks are used to introduce new process changes and bring fairly conservative improvements, while the follow-on tocks are expected to bring a performance boost. The two Skylake CPUs include the 4GHz Core i7-6700K and the Core i5-6600K. Both are quad-core, desktop chips, with the key differentiator being support for Intel’s virtual CPU Hyper-Threading technology. While unattributed reports earlier this year had performance differences between the sixth-generation Skylake and the fifth-generation Haswell wildly high, Intel officials say to expect 10 percent over 2014’s fastest Haswell…

Microsoft is well on the way to achieving its goals with Windows 10, as the company boasts of more than 75 million installs in four weeks. The statistic was revealed by Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of marketing for Windows on Devices. He noted that more than 90,000 unique PC and tablet models have seen the upgrade, including some PCs manufactured eight years ago. The adoption rate is nearly twice that of Windows 8, which sold 40 million licenses after about a month. Microsoft had previously claimed that early Windows 8 adoption was roughly in line with Windows 7. The take-up of Microsoft’s new operating system has also blown past Vista (20 million licenses in a month) and XP (17 million licenses after one month). Of course, Windows 10…

Qualcomm is promising to improve security and privacy on high-end smartphones with Snapdragon Smart Protect, which uses on-device machine learning to detect zero-day malware. The popularity of smartphones has started to catch the imagination of hackers, resulting in the need for better protection. Qualcomm’s latest contribution is Snapdragon Smart Protect, which the company announced in August. The anti-malware technology looks at what’s going on in the smartphone and warns about what it thinks is abnormal behaviour to protect users. At its most basic, that could be an app that takes a photo even though the display is off, or a program sending an SMS without any user interaction. “We can look at many different aspects of what applications are doing; what resources they request, what system calls they make, and…

A wireless charging system that packs enough power to replenish a laptop battery should hit the market in 2016, helping realise the long-held dream of a cable-free desk, according to Intel. The chipmaker is developing a system that can handle up to 20W of power – about four times the amount available from the wireless charging mats already available for some smartphones. At the IFA trade show in Berlin, the company demonstrated a wireless charging unit that can be attached to the underside of a desk and send power to devices sitting on the desk. It charged two smartphones simultaneously and, with them moved out of the charging zone, a convertible PC. The charging station sends energy through up to 5cm of desk to an area about 20cm in diameter.…

£1,000 inc VAT Contact toshiba.co.uk Specifications 13.3in (1920x1080, 166ppi) IPS matt anti-glare display; Windows 8.1; 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-5500U (3GHz Turbo) 2C, 4T; Intel HD Graphics 5500; 8GB 1600MHz DDR3; 256GB mSATA SSD (Toshiba THNSNJ256GMCU); 802.11ac 2x2; Bluetooth 4.0; 3x USB 3.0; HDMI 1.4; SDXC card slot; stereo speakers; 0.9Mp webcam; dual mics; 3.5 mm headset jack; UK tiled keyboard with two-stage backlight; buttonless multi-touch trackpad, 104x59mm; 51Wh lithium-ion polymer battery, non-removable; 45W mains charger with IEC C5 inlet; 315x206x18mm; 1083g You can find ultraportables cheaper than the £1,000 Kira-10D, but Toshiba has invested in quality components for this small notebook to provide a more premium product. Its 13.3in display is a high-grade IPS type, which gives superb image quality, and its full-HD resolution in this size means a higher…

£799 inc VAT Contact google.co.uk Specifications 12.85in (2560x1700, 239ppi) high resolution IPS; Broadwell U Intel Core i5; Intel Core i7 Intel HD Graphics 5500 (Integrated); 8GB LPDDR3 RAM; 32GB SSD; 1TB Google Drive cloud storage; 72Wh lithium-ion battery; dual-band Wi-Fi; 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compatible; Bluetooth; 2x USB Type C; 2x USB 3.0; SD card slot; 4K display out, with optional HDMI or DisplayPort adaptor; 60W charging; integrated 720p HD camera; backlit Chrome keyboard; multi-touch, clickable glass trackpad; built-in stereo speakers; 297.7x224.55x15.3mm; 1.5kg Two years on from its first iteration, Google has updated the Chromebook Pixel, making an already impressive, best-in-class laptop an even more tempting machine. The price is still high, but if Chromebooks are your thing then this is as good as it gets. In terms of design, the Pixel has…

£100 inc VAT Contact silicondust.com Specifications 2x DVB/DVB-T2 tuners; 10/100 ethernet; 5V/1.1A power adaptor; ethernet cable; DLNA compatible; 92x93x28mm Until recently receiving Freeview HD on your choice of any computer or mobile device was not possible, with Elgato abandoning the opportunity to update its DVB-T Netstream product. A solution now finally exists for the DVB-T2 service though. Step up the SiliconDust HDHomeRun Connect. It’s a network TV adaptor with two separate tuners, allowing two programmes to be watched or recorded at once. The device just needs an aerial feed, such as from your usual wall socket, and a wired ethernet connection to your router. If your home has enough family members with divergent tastes to make two stations too few for comfort, you can add another device, with a second…

£500 inc VAT Contact orbitsound.com Specifications Bluetooth 2.1 with aptX; Toslink optical digital input; 3.5mm minijack aux input; USB port for firmware updates; Soundbar: 1.95kg, 750x65x74mm; Subwoofer: 7.9kg; remote control, optical cable and analogue cable included in box Orbitsound may not be as familiar as the biggest names in speakers and soundbars, but this is no reason to discount it. We’ve long appreciated the British company’s focus on sound quality over frills, but the new A70 airSound Bar adds those as well in a great package. The last Orbitsound speaker we reviewed was the SB60 airSound Base: a large ‘soundbase’ that sits under your TV and incorporates a subwoofer rather than being a thin bar which can be mounted on the wall or sit in front of your screen. The…

£92 inc VAT Contact steelseries.com Specifications Engine 3 software; USB 3.0 (cable supplied); 3x IR sensor; 80x366x55mm; 318g Eye-tracking technology has been around for a number of years but we’ve not seen it in many consumer products. SteelSeries has partnered with Tobii Technology to produce an eye-tracker for gaming. This slightly odd-looking bar sits below your monitor (or laptop screen). It uses three infrared micro-projectors to scan your eyes 50 times per second, so it knows where you are looking at all times. This lets you analyse your performance after a gaming session, and gives you the ability to look around in a game without moving your mouse. It’s therefore great for Twitch and YouTube streamers, as it allows viewers to see exactly where they are looking while they play.…

£34 inc VAT Contact mipow.com Specifications 3000mAh power bank; certified for iPhone 5/5c/5s/6/6 Plus, iPod touch 5th-gen and iPod nano 7th-gen; 1x 5W (5V, 1A) USB; 1x 5W (5V, 1A) Lightning connection; 3-LED status system; JuiceSync companion app; no torch; no passthrough charging; no auto-on/off; 25x25x105mm; 85g Well, we really thought we’d seen it all with power banks, but the MiPow Power Tube 3000 has something entirely new: built-in Bluetooth. This enables it to pair with MiPow’s free JuiceSync app on your iPad or iPhone and allow you to monitor the remaining battery capacity and power bank’s temperature. You can also set an ‘Away Alert’, which will warn you if you accidentally leave behind the power bank. Heat monitor The ability to monitor the power bank’s temperature will be a…

£1,299 inc VAT Contact dji.com Specifications Flight time: 23 minutes; charging time: 55 minutes; Spare battery cost: £105; 2000m claimed range; Camera resolution: 4K (up to 4096x2160 pixels, 30fps, 60Mb/s); stills resolution 12Mp; Photo functions: single shot, burst shooting 3/5/7 shots; auto exposure bracketing (AEB) 3/5 frames, bracketed frames at 0.7EV bias; 1.28kg It may look the same as before, but DJI says it has rebuilt the Phantom 3 from the ground up to make aerial imaging as simple as smartphone photography. It doesn’t stop there, either, with the company claiming that this is the best consumer quadcopter that has ever existed, and offers the ultimate flying experience. Bold claims indeed, considering the increasing competition in the world of drones. So, let’s get the bad news out of the way…

Fed up with slow Wi-Fi round your home? Bored to death of waiting for HD TV to stream from iPlayer or Sky? Love action-packed computer games or need a fast internet connection to your shed, sorry home office? Sounds like you need to give your home network a boost. Most of us position our internet router/modem in a different room to our entertainment devices – smart TV, Sky+, Tivo, Apple TV, games console, and so on. Increasingly, these gadgets require a fast internet connection for optimal use, and your home’s wireless signal often just doesn’t make the grade. You could try a Wi-Fi extender or repeater, but these are hit-and-miss, and only push an already weak signal around your home, rather than genuinely boosting speeds. There is, however, something much…

Windows 10 is here and Microsoft has made it easy to reserve your upgrade copy of its newest operating system by adding an icon in your notification area (it’s a small white Windows logo). But if you can’t seen this option, you might need to do a little tinkering to ensure that you’ll be able to get your free copy easily when the big day comes. Here’s how to check you’re running the right version of Windows, and what to do if the icon just won’t appear. Check your version While Microsoft said that Windows 10 is a free upgrade to existing Windows customers, it’s actually a little more complicated than that – only select versions of the operating system are eligible for the free offer. If you’re running Windows…

Facebook Messenger is the somewhat useful, if at least partially controversial, messaging app from Facebook. It is a means of text messaging groups and individuals with whom you have a Facebook contact. A free messenger app that doesn’t rely on you knowing someone’s phone number, it is at best a useful rival to WhatsApp. At best. At worst, it is both a privacy threat and a irritation. A privacy threat because you are forced into installing a new app. It’s also an irritant because any of your Facebook ‘friends’ can message you, and by default you will get a notification somewhat akin to receiving an SMS. This how to is for those times when you don’t want to leave a Facebook Messenger conversation, but you do want to mute the…

Batteries are one of tech’s most boring subjects, that is until your phone, tablet or laptop dies. While most of us live in fear of a fading phone battery when we’re out and about, we don’t worry too much about their eventual lifespan, but there are ways to keep your battery in tip-top shape for a long and fruitful life. Don’t charge battery from zero to 100 percent The rule with Lithium-ion batteries is to keep them 50 percent or more most of the time. When it drops below this, top it up a little if you can. A little a few times a day seems to be the optimum to aim for. Try not to charge it all the way to 100 percent. It won’t be fatal to your…

Staff cuts at Lenovo and HTC, a failed patch from Google, and Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones all highlight just how tricky selling Android smartphones has become. Apple’s stranglehold on the market for the most expensive handsets have left most vendors in the Android camp scrambling to make a living off of cheaper devices with lower margins. Recent data from market research company IDC illustrates how Android is losing ground in the £500+ segment. Just 8 percent of smartphones sold during the second quarter of this year was in this category, down from 11 percent in the same period in 2014, according to Francisco Jeronimo, research director at IDC. At the same time, 82 percent of iPhones fell into this category, up from 60 percent last year. Samsung is still convinced…

Chipset vendors such as Broadcom and STMicroelectronics (STM) have launched products that’ll make it possible to offer gigabit speeds over fibre, as well as over copper and cable networks. Broadband operators are already offering gigabit speeds over fibre, but the development of new technologies will help make super fast broadband networks more common during the next couple of years. STM recently announced that its DOCSIS 3.1 chipset, code-named Barcelona, which goes into home cable modems and gateways. It will enable higher speeds at a larger scale and more cost-effectively, which could help convince cable companies to roll out faster networks. It’s difficult to predict what speeds users will end up getting, but the maximum capacity is 10Gb/s downstream and 1Gb/s upstream. Barcelona, or STiD325, is currently available in small numbers…

£722 inc VAT Contact chillblast.com Specifications 13.3in (1920x1080, 166ppi) AAS matt anti-glare, PWM backlight display; 2.2GHz Intel Core i5-5200U (2.7GHz Turbo) 2C, 4T; Intel HD Graphics 5000; 8GB 1600MHz DDR3 RAM; 250GB mSATA SSD (Samsung 850 EVO); gigabit ethernet; 802.11ac, 1x1 MIMO (Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 3160); Bluetooth 4.0; 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0; HDMI; SDXC; stereo speakers; 0.9Mp webcam with single mic; 3.5mm headset jack; UK tiled keyboard; buttonless multitouch, 105x64mm; 45Wh lithium-ion, non-removable battery; 45W mains charger with IEC C5 inlet; 324x217x19.1mm; 1374g This laptop from Chillblast starts at a tuppence short of £700, with a similar specification and an attempt at duplicating the all-metal casework. The Helios i5 is a 13.3in ultraportable weighing under 1.4kg, measuring 19mm thick, and packing the latest Broadwell Intel processor, plus…

£125 inc VAT Contact amazon.co.uk Specifications 6in (1280x800, 252ppi) touchscreen; quad-core 1.5GHz processor; 1GB RAM; Wi-Fi 802.11n; Bluetooth 4.0; 2Mp rear-facing camera; VGA front-facing camera; 8- or 16GB storage; 169x103x10.7mm; 290g When we first saw the Fire HD 6 back in October 2014, we said it made a good kids’ tablet. This was partly down to the smaller size – a 6in screen – and the low price of £79, but also because the Freetime app meant you could restrict the apps, books and games that children could access and the amount of time they could use the tablet each day. Since then, Amazon has put together a subscription package, which sees the app renamed Fire for Kids and gives them access to a wide selection of books, games, educational…

£11 inc VAT Contact xiaomi-mi.co.uk Specifications 10,000mAh lithium-ion power bank; 1x 10W (5V, 2A) Micro-USB input (charges in 5.5 hours with 10W adaptor); 1x 10.5W (5V, 2.1A) USB output; passthrough charging; auto-on; flat white USB- to Micro-USB cable provided; nine layers of protection; no LED torch; no carry case (silicon protection cases are available); 91x60.4x22mm; 207g When we first took the Xiaomi power bank out of its box, we were confused. As is standard with Xiaomi products, all the writing on the box and in the supplied quick setup guide was in Chinese. We thought we were getting a 10,000mAh power bank, yet this thing is closer in size to the 6,000mAh Zendure A2 (see opposite). And, indeed, the specs mentioned something about 6250mAh. But we hadn’t been duped. Unlike…

£54 inc VAT Contact mipow.com Specifications 3W LED; 3W Bluetooth speaker; 100- to 240V/50-to 60Hz; Bluetooth 4.0 and Bluetooth Smart; 135Hz to 15KHz frequency response; pairs with MiPow PlayBulb X app for iOS or Android Smart light bulbs that connect to an app on your phone or tablet, and can change colour to help you create a desired atmosphere, are nothing new, but those that also serve up audio are so much cooler. We’ve previously tested the Olixar Light Beats Bluetooth Speaker Bulb, and were impressed with its ability to blast out music from our ceiling (a great position for directing audio to all corners of the room without obstruction), but that smart bulb is a one-trick pony. Not only can the MiPow PlayBulb Color play audio, but it can…

Everyone needs faster, stronger Wi-Fi. You rely on your broadband connection for more than ever before. These days we don’t just surf the web from a single PC in one place – we stream music, radio and movies around multiple connected devices, around the home and in the garden. In this article, we explain why you may need to upgrade your Wi-Fi equipment. We also show you how to boost your Wi-Fi signal using your existing kit, and simple ways to make your broadband faster, more stable, go further, and be more secure. Wi-Fi standards Your wireless broadband will work only as fast as the slowest part of the chain – the signal you receive down the line depends on the quality of the line and the service you pay…

Formula One star Jenson Button and his wife Jessica Michibata found themselves in the headlines recently when it emerged that the pair were robbed while on holiday in a Villa in St Tropez. Thieves made off with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of items, including Jessica’s £250,000 engagement ring. Since the news came to light, reports have suggested that their use of Instagram could be partly to blame for the break-in. Before the theft Jessica had posted a photo of herself sunbathing, with the ring clearly visible. The image had a location attached to it that anyone could see, potentially giving away where the couple were staying and therefore leading the thieves straight to them. This left us thinking. We are guilty of showing off new and expensive purchases…

WhatsApp is now available on the web via the Chrome browser and in a tablet app, meaning it’s possible to simultaneously access your account on your phone, tablet, laptop and PC without a hack. It works with Android, BlackBerry, Nokia and Windows phones, and iOS users. You must also be using the Google Chrome web browser, and make sure you are running the latest version of WhatsApp (in Android, launch the Google Play Store, tap the three lines icon at the top left, choose My apps and check whether an update is available). Though WhatsApp originally claimed that WhatsApp web wouldn’t be available for iPhone or iPad users due to restrictions in its iOS system, the company has quietly added support for the service. If you head over to the…

Android security has hit the headlines recently following a report from cybersecurity firm Zimperium that suggests Android phones can be infected with a picture message, allowing hackers to take complete control of a phone. Before you panic, here’s how to avoid the Stagefright Android MMS virus. We should note that although there is a patch for the flaw, known as Stagefright and to which some 950 million devices are said to be vulnerable, the various flavours of Android in use and the need for both mobile operators and phone manufacturers to be involved in any software updates makes it impossible for Google to automatically roll out a patch to all Android users. Those using older handsets will likely never get the patch. Traditionally, Android malware comes through the installation of…

Installation details Go to My Computer, right-click the DVD icon and open the disc. Select Files 244/Abelssoft Toolbar Terminator and open the install file. Online registration required: Follow the instructions within the program before 10 November 2015. System requirements Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10/Server; 512MB RAM; 50MB drive space Toolbars that take over your web browser can get into your system when installing many free software applications today. They change your browser’s start settings, take control about features and install malware. Most won’t let you uninstall them properly. Instead, they integrate themselves into your system. Toolbar Terminator has been developed to remove toolbars and throw them out of your system. The software can also remove unwanted applications that those toolbars have installed on your PC.…

Installation details Go to My Computer. Right-click the DVD icon, and open the disc. Select Files 244\ Apowersoft Streaming Audio Recorder and open the install file. Enter pcadvisor@apowersoft.com when prompted and type in: 10298534910155975410. Online registration required: Follow the instructions within the program before 10 November 2015. System requirements WindowXP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10; 1GHz processor; 512MB RAM Apowersoft Streaming Audio Recorder is a comprehensive program that lets you record any audio source from a computer’s sound card and microphone. Within this program, you can record streaming music from music sites, including Spotify, Jango, MySpace, and so on, plus record internet radio stations such as Sirius Radio and BBC Radio. If you’re recording music, the track’s info will be identified automatically. Its built-in ID3 tag editor can help you edit the detailed information of…