A Kindle World blog: September 2015

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Canon i-Sensys LBP7780Cx

Canon’s flagship A4 laser, the i-Sensys LBP7780Cx, is one of the more expensive workgroup models on the market – but over time it pays for itself with low running costs. Add in 32ppm colour printing, a fast duplex speed and a beefy recommended duty cycle of 5,000 pages per month, and you have a laser geared up for print-hungry users.

Dell is shooting for the cloud with the E525w, a colour laser MFP that reaches out to mobile users. It supports Wi-Fi Direct and AirPrint (but not NFC), and has both wired and wireless 802.11n connections as standard – although they can’t be used simultaneously.

Small businesses looking for a feature-packed colour laser will have an eye on Brother’s HL-L8350CDW. For less than £200, it offers both wired and wireless printing, a claimed 30ppm print speed and top-notch mobile device and cloud support.

Darien Graham-Smith discovers how LinkedIn can help you find high-calibre staff, reach new customers and grow your business

Linkedln is a unique networking site with more than 380 million registered users. The basic functions are free, so if your business isn’t already signed up, you’ve nothing to lose by trying it out.

David Briddock explains why OnHub is no ordinary wireless router

These days Google seems to make technology news headlines almost every week as it continues to diversify from its search and online ad origins. Driverless cars, touch-interactive textiles, green power technology and even smart contact lens for diabetes patients are just a few of its well publicised innovations. This time they’ve teamed up with networking device manufacturer TP-Link to build the Google OnHub router (on.google.com/hub).

We look at the increasing growth of a particularly nasty form of malware

All forms of malware are unwanted, vicious and a pain in the backside. However, ransomware has always been particularly nasty in its execution. There’s a certain level of vindictiveness about ransomware that separates it from the usual splurge of malware. Something a little sinister.

YouTube recently announced the launch of YouTube Gaming. What is it, and what will it mean for other online gaming services? Sarah Dobbs finds out

Ever got stuck on a game and turned to the internet for help? Chances are, you ended up watching a walkthrough on YouTube to help you nail that tricky puzzle in Portal or seemingly impossible quest in Skyrim. Whatever your console of choice, whatever your gaming style, there’s a video of someone else playing your favourite game on YouTube – plus hours upon hours of people showing off weird game glitches, explaining how to cheat or just talking about their high scores.

Microsoft is declaring the first month of Windows 10 a success. But what conclusions can we really draw about the reception of this critical update?

Technology companies can be rather frugal with concrete information from time to time. This is understandable, because hard numbers sometimes misrepresent a good situation as bad. However, they can also represent a bad one as exactly what it is, unfortunately.

Build an Android display PPI calculator app with David Briddock

Over the last few issues we’ve used App Inventor 2 (AI2) to build a useful timer, a motion-activated dice shaker and a fully functional web browser.

This time we’re going to build a display pixel density calculator based on a pixels-per-inch (PPI) formula.

Remember, all you’ll need to play along is a Windows/Mac/Linux PC, a web browser and a Google account. Ideally, you’ll also have an Android smartphone or tablet, but even this isn’t essential.

LG Watch Urbane

Great features, performance and battery life – the LG Watch Urbane is the best Android smartwatch

Round faces are all the rage among Android Wear manufacturers, and with the Watch Urbane it’s easy to see why. It might be a little thicker and heavier than your average mid-range timepiece, but it looks like the kind of watch that people – albeit mostly men – actually buy. Not all of us like the styling or admire the finishing, but with its leather strap and the right watch face, the Watch Urbane looks sophisticated. There’s no danger of forgetting that it’s there, though, at 67g.

Blu-ray is supposed to offer the best quality for film buffs, but does that claim stand up to scrutiny? We pitch the online services against it to find out

Online video streaming services are the easiest and most convenient way for people to get the latest movies. When it comes to renting, streaming is often the only option. While convenience is important, we wanted to find out what you might lose along the way, so we used our HDMI capture kit to find out how Blu-ray stacks up against its online rivals and if the disc is still the best format for those who really want the best quality.

iOS 9. Apple Goes On The Business Offensive

Apple is relying on growth in the business sector by making iOS9 devices fit for live systems, which was previously Microsoft’s domain

Apple unveiled the new version of its iOS mobile operating system at its WWDC developer conference. If you take a bird’s eye view of the many minor improvements, you will realise that the ninth version of iOS is moving away from being a snazzy operating system geared towards the mobile domain, and turning into a flexible allrounder that is compatible with PC functions. With this, Apple is wandering into Microsoft’s territory. And not without good reason, either: Apple has recently begun to focus ntensively on business clients – And they want flexibility.

Soon, the Microsoft operating system will only be able to boot up with a crypto-chip, which checks whether the computer is infected with malware

Windows 10 is more than just a free update that brings back the sorely-missed start menu. The new version is also quite futuristic with regard to things like the system start procedure. In this particular area, Microsoft is strengthening the anti-malware protection by mandating the use of a crypto-chip.

The worse place to surf online is on public domain WIFI networks. We share steps on how to remain anonymous online

You are always under observation when you’re surfing the internet. Many entities – such as curious companies, the authorities or intelligence agencies – can find out which sites you’re visiting and who you’re communicating with. The technology itself is to blame - after all, when the internet was being developed, considerations related to data protection was not exactly a high priority.

Adventure Game Studio

Rick Lane speaks with Wadjet Eye Games about the most prolific game engine you’ve never heard of

While the majority of engines are designed to cater for a broad range of game types, Adventure Game Studio is entirely focused on a single genre – 2D adventures in the vein of those developed by LucasArts in its heyday. Yet unlike SCUMM, which was evolved to be used by a very specific set of people, AGS is a one-stop design shop intended for everyone regardless of skill level.

We haven’t enjoyed your behaviour, Windows. You’ve spoiled what could have been quite a lovely past few years for desktop PC users. Now go home and think about what you’ve done, and don’t come back until you’ve learned your lesson!

Admittedly, there were some contrarians who liked Windows 8 on the desktop, but they’re the same sort of masochists who pop up in online comment sections saying that Prometheus is the best Alien film, or that Metallica’s St Anger isn’t really that bad. Whether a few people liked Windows 8 or not, though, it was generally a disaster for desktop users, with many PC makers still having to offer Windows 7 as an option when ordering. But now Windows 10 is now finally out, and Microsoft promises that it’s learned its lesson.

Boards from Gigabyte’s Gaming range now sport a predominantly red and white colour scheme, giving the Z170X-Gaming 7 a great racy look, with a huge white plastic shroud covering much of the left side of the PCB. Hidden under this shroud you’ll also find a multi-colour lighting system that’s configurable in the EFI. There are PCI-E slot metal shrouds too, which also look fantastic, and Gigabyte has included silver SATA cables too – whether you like these touches depends on your taste, though, and some folks may find them a little garish.

While Asus’ new Hero lacks the metal PCI-E slot shrouds included with both the Gigabyte Z170X-Gaming 7 and MSI Z170A Gaming M5, Asus has finally changed the red and black colour scheme of its ROG offerings.

The Hero’s heatsinks sport an elegant dark grey coating, while the board has red details and a black PCB. The large plastic shroud that covers the I/O panel also extends down to the audio circuitry and gives the Hero a racy look that’s a little subtler than the Gigabyte board. In addition to the new colour scheme is RGB lighting control, which enables you to alter the colour and lighting mode of the chipset heatsink’s LED using a downloadable software program.

Can Intel really take on AMD when it comes to integrated graphics? We pitch Skylake’s IGP against the GPU in AMD’s latest Kaveri chips to find out

Intel has reportedly made a lot of progress with its CPUs’ integrated graphics and, let’s face it, this wouldn’t take much, but can Intel really take on AMD at its own game? To find out, we’re testing the gaming performance of the GPU in AMD’s A10-7870K against the one in Intel’s new Core i5-6600K. In addition, we’re also testing the Core i5-4690K to see how Intel’s integrated graphics have improved during the transition from Haswell to Skylake.

With its extremely customisable shape and feature set, even including the ability to 3D-print your own parts using your own designs, or templates available online, Roccat’s Nyth isn’t your average gaming mouse. Included in the box are two hot-swappable sides to change the shape. The first is a slimmer one that’s well suited to claw and finger grips, while the second is a fuller, hand-filling one that’s comfortable with a palm grip. Switching from one to the other takes seconds as well, thanks to the magnetic design. However, they could do with a rubber grip applied to the sides to help combat the low friction on the mouse’s main body.

Mionix’s peripherals have picked up lots of Custom PC awards in the past, and its mice in particular have rarely failed to impress us. They generally offer excellent comfort and ergonomics, plenty of features and reasonable prices, and the new Castor looks set to continue these trends. At £60 inc VAT, it isn’t bad value for money, although the Logitech G402 is a fair bit cheaper at around £40 inc VAT.

Venom hails from Melbourne, Australia, but the firm is making a global push by offering free worldwide shipping on its laptops, with a single price in US dollars. The BlackBook 15 is its flagship machine, and the U02507 model sports an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M GPU. This chip has a 924MHz core and 1,280 stream processors, using the same GM204 core as the range-topping GTX 980M. It also has 3GB of dedicated memory, which is fine, although Nvidia does produce a version of this core with 6GB of RAM.

The custom case scene is a growing one and, with the likes of Parvum Systems carving a small but popular niche for unusual enthusiast-orientated cases, UK-based Hex Gear has now joined the fray too with its new R40.

Now, though, the case is readily available to everyone via Hex Gear’s website for a slightly eyebrow-raising sum of £200 inc VAT. However, when you pick up the box, you immediately understand the price. The case sports a huge amount of aluminium – an expensive material, which makes up the side panels, several internal fittings plus the four large curved profile sections. Just the latter weigh in at 3kg, while the case in total weighs a hefty 14kg.

Program without code using Scratch

After overcoming some initial scepticism, Kevin Partner discovers that drag-and-drop programming isn’t just for kids

The graphical Scratch system (scratch.mit.edu) is a great introduction to programming. One of its strengths is that it teaches the principles of structure separately from any commands or syntax. Understanding how to divide code into large-scale blocks is a huge help when it comes to learning other languages: Google can show you how to put together a while loop in (for example) Python once you know that’s the structure you want to use. And with the release of Scratch version 2, which adds custom functions, cloning and extensions, it’s no longer just for kids.

Davey Winder investigates whether Google Chrome really deserves its reputation for hardened security – and shows how to make the browser even safer

Ask a roomful of people to name the most insecure web browser and hands will quickly shoot up to answer: “Internet Explorer”. Ask people to pick the safest, and “Chrome” will be the answer on the lips of many. But how true is that in reality?

Is any device as annoying yet as necessary as the PC mouse? I’ve tried to use touchpads and flirted with touchscreens. I’ve even used a trackball in my time. Yet, when it comes to controlling Windows, I just can’t kick the mouse habit.

Sure, I know that keyboard shortcuts can be faster, but when I launch programs, make selections or choose options from a dropdown menu, my brain just goes into autopilot and starts clicking. When I pull out a laptop to work on my kitchen table, I still plug in a mouse within minutes. I’ve even bought one for the Windows 10 tablet I use away from home, because I can’t bear to do any serious work without one.

Solve any sign-in problem, recover lost messages and contacts, and restore blocked or closed accounts

You can’t sign in

Many things can stop you logging into your Microsoft account. The most obvious is that you’re using the wrong username or password, though you might be convinced that you’re not. Check that Caps Lock isn’t enabled, but don’t forget Num Lock too, as this can also cause incorrect input – particularly on laptops, as yours might have an ‘embedded’ numeric pad. Microsoft obscures typed passwords with dots, so open Notepad to check your keyboard is correctly typing what you’re inputting. You can even copy your confirmed details from Notepad using Control (Ctrl)+C and then paste it into the username or password field with Ctrl+V. Finally, check that the relevant Microsoft service is working. For instance, Outlook.com (née Hotmail) has a service-status page at www.snipca.com/17597 – so use this to discover if the problem is at Microsoft’s end. If all else fails, read the next tip.

Extend the Taskbar across all displays, find a lost cursor and save time with keyboard shortcuts

Speed up navigation

One downside to multiple-monitor setups is having to push the mouse that bit further to get around the extended Desktop. Thankfully, Windows can help. Click Start (followed by Run in XP), type main.cpl and press Enter. Select the Pointer Options tab then drag the Motion slider to the right to speed up how quickly your cursor travels across your screen. Also, tick the ‘Enhance pointer precision’ box, as this will ensure the fastest movement only when Windows detects you’re trying to move the cursor over a long distance.

Once you upgrade an OS in the land of Apple, chances are you won’t be able to change your mind

I’m firmly of the opinion that the iPhone is the greatest piece of technology I’ve ever owned, which is why it’s infuriating when the thing decides it’s very much not going to work – doubly so, given that so much of my work is centred around reporting on iPhone-related apps, games, advice and accessories. What happened this time, though, was down to Apple.

A few of questions we’ve yet to answer…

1 Missing Hard Drive Space

No matter what size hard drive you get, after using it for five years or so, you’ll likely find it teetering at the edge of complete capacity. Somehow, that huge drive you bought has filled up full of applications, games, movies, music, photos and more. However, you can be sensible about things by keeping all your media files on a different drive, which has the added advantage of protecting those files if your operating system goes wrong. But even if you do that, you’ll still somehow run out of space, and no matter how many apps you uninstall, you can never seem to get it all back again without wiping the system and reinstalling the OS. Before you do that, though, check out the free program WinDirStat, which can help you work out what’s taking up all the space.

Zotac’s new GTX 950 offers a unique blend of performance and style

First impressions are always important, and the ones I got unpacking this video card were great in a way that many other pieces of technology fail to achieve.

Even compared with some very expensive designs, the Zotac GTX 950 AMP! feels like a precisely tooled piece of high technology engineering. Sporting what Zotac has branded as ‘Exoarmor’, the whole outer shroud of the card is metal, and it’s gorgeously finished.

Boundless views from a virtually frameless monitor

One of the main problems we have with the various monitors that we review is the use of a thick bezel around the screen. Too often, manufacturers take great panel technology and then ruin the appeal by using an extraordinarily thick lump of plastic around the edges of the screen. That’s not the case here, though.

Improve your autocorrect

Autocorrect is fantastic, until it gets something wrong. Jane Hoskyn shows you how to teach autocorrect to write perfectly on your phone, tablet and PC

Let’s not be too hard on autocorrect. OK, Stuart Andrews was dead right to say it’s infuriating, and you’d be forgiven for viewing it as an arrogant, presumptuous imposition on your phone, tablet and even your PC. But it has come a long way – after all, Word’s spell-checker has been around since people first typed “Arrgh!” and the spell-checker automatically changed it to “Earth!”.

A Windows 10 desktop PC with all the trimmings

It used to be a running joke among technology journalists that while Moore’s Law said everything would get twice as powerful every two years, Sod’s Law said a decent PC would still cost £1,000. As quickly as hardware improved, software would demand more of it. You can pay less for a PC, but only if you compromised.

D-Link PowerLine AV2 1000HD Gigabit Starter Kit

A faster way to network through your mains circuit

Both thick-walled old houses and modern insulated homes can stifle wireless networks, so most of us will find far-flung corners of our home where the signal is weak. Powerline network kits are the easiest solution. They come as a pair of three-pin power plugs. You put one in a mains socket beside your router, and the other in your Wi-Fi blackspot. They then use the 240-volt electrical ring main in your house to pass data. Any computer connected to the remote plug will receive a signal as if it were directly connected to your router.

50 most useful Command Prompt commands. Part 5

In the final part of our series, Jane Hoskyn reveals 10 commands for keeping your PC safe from hackers

41 Access your user info

The ‘cmdkey’ command, when used with certain parameters, lets you check usernames, passwords and other credentials stored on your PC (Windows Vista and later).

A tablet that can get online anywhere

EE is a mobile network, and the reason it wants to sell you a tablet at a reasonable price is to get you to spend more on a data tariff. Most people buy a tablet with Wi-Fi only, for when you’re at home or near a hotspot. But if you want to get online almost anywhere, the Harrier Tab connects to EE’s 3G/4G network.

New version of an old favourite

We’ve never tired of recommending the Moto G. It’s always been a very affordable phone (even without a contract) with no significant compromises. If we were being picky, it could look a bit swankier and work a bit faster. Well, now it does. This third version is the best yet, and once again a contender for top Android phone under £200.

Programs don’t have to be malware to devastate your PC. Jane Hoskyn reveals the software you must remove now – before it turns against you

Software. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Soft, sweet and friendly. Not at all like viruses, worms, rootkits and other nefarious creatures of the night that are out to steal your money or secrets or both.

A ‘cloudbook’ at an enticingly low price

As we mentioned recently (see our Toshiba Satellite Click Mini review): the netbook is back. Actually it never really went away, but it was so dull we all ignored it for a few years. Let’s face it, the combination of a scaled-down laptop chassis, a tiny screen and an underpowered processor is not the stuff dreams are made of. Nobody, upon winning the lottery, immediately thought: ‘Now I can get that netbook!’

New version of the affordable e-reader

When we reviewed the Kobo Glo HD, we said Amazon had better watch out, because this ebook reader had a sharper screen than its similarly priced Kindle Paperwhite. As it turns out, Amazon already had an answer up its sleeve: a new version of the Paperwhite, upgraded from 212 to 300 pixels per inch (ppi).

Leica Q Typ 116

The prestige compact with a full-frame sensor

The Leica Q might seem eye-wateringly expensive, but what you’re getting for your money is arguably the best compact camera ever built. Okay, so its built-like-atank aluminium and magnesium alloy body isn’t exactly light or compact, its lens is fixed, and its price-tag is, well, Leica-esque, but excluding Sony’s RX cameras, the Q is in a league of its own. With styling that alludes to the brand’s M-series, this camera has a fixed Summilux 28mm f/1.7 ASPH lens. Sharp and virtually distortion-free, the optic lacks none of the performance the brand is associated with. While its fixed focal range may put off some users, 28mm is wide enough for landscapes and perfect for street photography. Combined with the full-frame sensor found in the camera, its wide f/1.7 aperture provides the shallowest depth-of-field and maximum light-gathering capabilities of any compact available on the market.

A super speedy shooter with 4K video recording

Building on the success of the popular RX100 lineup, the IV brings a new sensor design to the table, and with it a host of speedy new features. At its core is a 1in 20.1MP CMOS. While this is the same size and resolution as the one found in the RX100 III, it was previously back-illuminated, while the new model is stacked and incorporates a DRAM chip. This arrangement allows a higher signal processing capacity and a data readout speed that Sony claims is more than five times faster. Not only does this facilitate the camera’s new top shutter speed of 1/32,000sec, it also enables it to capture slow motion video at 40x speed. Burst shooting is possible at an excellent 16.5fps in Speed Priority mode, while a respectable rate of 5.5fps can be achieved with AF turned on. Native ISO stretches from 125-12,800, with the camera maintaining noise control very well below ISO 1600.

Super telephoto reach at a fraction of the size

Okay, so it may be more of a bridge camera than a true compact, but with its massive 25x optical zoom we couldn’t resist bringing the G3 X into our roundup of fixed lens releases. With its extensive 8.8-220mm barrel (24-600mm full-frame equivalent) its larger size can be forgiven, especially considering that achieving a similar focal length on a DSLR would usually involve a lens three times the size. However, while this superior focal range is to be applauded, the G3 X’s optic is not without its drawbacks. With a variable aperture of f/2.8-5.6, the lens sacrifices a wide constant aperture for more reach, forcing slower shutter speeds to be used when at its longest. This, combined with the lack of a built-in EVF (aiding support of the camera when held against the face), and a display that blacks out during its relatively slow 3.2fps burst mode for JPEGs, means it’s not as well suited for wildlife and sports as may first appear. The lens is fairly sharp, though some corner softness can be seen at all apertures. Distortion and chromatic aberration are, however, well controlled considering the lens’ massive zoom range. The 1in 20.9MP back-illuminated sensor is plucked straight from the much smaller G7 X, and while capable of better images than many compacts, it can’t rival the larger sensor found in the GR II. ISO range is 125-12,800.

DSLR image quality in a truly pocketable body

Despite being the lightest compact in our roundup at 251g, the GR II packs an impressive 16.2MP APS-C sensor, the second largest in the group. The follow up to 2013’s GR, a camera that received the ‘Highly Rated’ award in our recent premium compact test, the GR II maintains much of its forebear’s specifications, but with a series of improvements including the addition of Wi-Fi and NFC. Its 18.3mm f/2.8 lens provides a relatively wide 28mm full-frame equivalent focal length. While this fixed lens makes it a less versatile camera then some of its rivals, it’s a perfect length for street photography and in-situ portraits. Producing sharp results, this optic combined with the large sensor captures image quality that would be on par with many entry-level DSLRs. The ISO range stretches from 100 to 25,600, and thanks to that APS-C sensor captures far less noise than all but the Leica in this group. Its burst shooting speed of 4fps may not set the world on fire, but with an expanded buffer of ten shots, there are far worse cameras for continuous shooting than this. There are options for HDR images, interval shooting and 17 effect modes that can be applied to images as you shoot.

Affordably priced performance with OM-D styling

Previously only available for purchase in Japan, the Olympus Stylus 1s may look like part of the brand’s OM-D line of CSCs, but it’s a surprisingly slender compact with a retractable f/2.8 optical zoom. An update on 2013’s popular Stylus 1, the 1s gains an improved battery life, enhanced features and a re-textured grip. At 12MP the camera’s resolution may be the lowest in this roundup, but it does ensure that despite its smaller 1/1.7in size, its back-illuminated CMOS sensor maximises its light-gathering capabilities. It’s still more than able to provide quality prints at sizes easily large enough for the average user.

Panasonic RP-HD10

Sporting some interesting technical features, the well-built and keenly-priced HD10 ought to be the headphone to bring Panasonic back to audiophile attention. Ought to... Review & Lab: Keith Howard

I may be wrong about this, and it’s pure supposition, but I suspect that Japanese manufacturers no longer enjoy as healthy a share of the UK headphone market as once they did, led from the front by Sony. Perhaps among average buyers of audio products the familiar Japanese names still have kudos, despite the rise of brands like Skullcandy, but in the audiophile arena they’ve been eclipsed – in terms of column-inches at least – by newcomers such as Audeze and Oppo and those speaker manufacturers who’ve added headphones to their inventory to cut a slice of the action.

Panasonic’s highest resolution CSC is finally here. Matthew Higgs checks out the enthusiast-level GX8

Packing a brand new sensor, a redesigned image stabilisation system and all of Panasonic’s latest 4K shooting options, the GX8 is a high-end CSC aimed at the advanced enthusiast. The model builds on the success of its predecessor, the popular GX7, bringing to the table a range of Panasonic’s latest tech developments. Physically larger than its forebear, it offers the highest resolution of any Micro Four Thirds camera yet, at 20.3MP. But with a price-tag of £1000 body-only, will its re-imagining have gone far enough, or will it fall flat against some stiff market competition?

In the past couple of years, drones have gone from being highly specialist pieces of kit to mainstream photographic tools. There are now several serious consumer-level models on the market, but the most impressive is DJI’s immensely popular Phantom 3 quadcopter. The Phantom is available in three kit options: the Standard (£649), the Advanced (£899) and the Professional (£1159). In this review we’ll take a detailed look at the Advanced model.

King’s Quest: A Knight To Remember

It's worth going back to the well

This might just be the most pleasantly surprising game we've played this year. We say that because when we heard that King's Quest was being revived by the behemoth that is Activision (through its Sierra subsidiary), the cynic in us was primed to expect a soulless take on the source material designed to capitalise on the nostalgia of King's Quest fans. When we heard that the season would be selling at near twice the price of other episodic titles like Life Is Strange and some of Telltale’s output, we further furrowed our brow at what looked like an attempt to capitalise on the popularity of episodic gaming at Activision prices.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Friday, September 18, 2015

Thursday, September 17, 2015

You can’t sign in

Speed up navigation

1 Missing Hard Drive Space

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

41 Access your user info

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Monday, September 14, 2015

Friday, September 11, 2015