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SUPER SOUND! EPIC HEADPHONE HEAD-TO-HEAD ISSUE 117 JULY 2021

Live life smarter

Boost EXPERT

Page 80

Inside the global chip crisis!

Who’s hurting, and who o’s w winning

GUIDE

rhnk Pb&Ʈ

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Backyard tech

Get stronger wireless coverage everywhere in your house!

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LG Gram 17 A productivity POWERHOUSE PLUS: Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 Apple AirTag DJI Air 2S & more!

OLED vs QLED Which is the better TV technology?

A few words from the boss...

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where all of Future Australia’s technology titles come together to find the best new PC products of the last year.

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We’re looking forward to presenting these awards this year, so be sure to tune in over the three nights of the show, on June 23, 24, and 25. We’ll all be there, along with our host Nich Richardson.

It’ll be a fun, informative night.

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CONTENTS Inside this issue of TechLife

Boost EXPERT

PAGE 50

GUIDE

ƛŎƀŬ ÃĤ̪Ʊ Get stronger wireless coverage everywhere in your house!

HOW TO GET SMART IN THE GARDEN The smart home has well and truly escaped the bounds of its traditional four walls and is taking over your yard. Page 76.

4

THE GLOBAL CHIP SHORTAGE CRISIS Charlotte Henry looks at the ongoing global shortage of computer chips and what the consequences might be for Apple. Page 80.

Intro 003

Editorial

Hotspot 008

LG Gram 17

010

Essential tech news

012

Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga

014

Pop science

016

LG G1 Gallery OLED TV

018

Gadget Guru

020

Earfun Air Pro

Test Bench

64 86

032

Asus Chromebox 4

034

DJI Air 2S

036

Sennheiser HD 250BT

038

DƀĴĤƱĺł RŅŰŹØƚ nĤŅĤ ˛˗

040

!ŎŬŰØĤŬ c˝˜ nĤŅĤ căƛòŎØŬû

041

Corsair K55 Pro XT

042

SCUF H1

043

ÈĤØŎłĤ nĤ ÃØŹõĠ

044

Viofo A139

045

căŅƕŎŎû ' Â̪ ˝˗˘Ã

046

nƛłŎ ƀŅŅĤŅę ĠŎă DĤŅûăŬ

047

Apple AirTag

048

!ØŅƔØ ÃăòŰĤŹă ƀĤĺûăŬ

049

Google Photos

Features

47 34

050

ŎŎŰŹ ƛŎƀŬ ÃĤ̪DĤ

064

Headphone head-to-head

076

How to get smart in the garden

080

The global chip shortage crisis

Help Station 086

Enhance skies in Luminar

090

Get started with PCalc

092

Fine tune your photos

094

How to create a Smart Home with Android

096

ØŰŰƕŎŬû nŎŅĤŹŎŬŰ

098

Revisiting powerline networking

100

ÃĠĤõĠ ĤŰ ŹĠă ò㏏ăŬ §Â technology? OLED v QLED

46

102

Shed those pesky kilos with Lifesum

104

Capture distraction-free cityscapes

106

Take control of colour with Photo Lab

38

Buyer’s Guide 110

The best tech products

The back page 114

Ridiculous tech

5

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HOTSPOT Your guide to hot new tech

2020 EDITOR’S CHOICE

$2,999, www.lg.com

LG Gram 17 (2021) LG’s latest is a productivity powerhouse.

The LG Gram 17 (2021) is the latest 17-inch variant of the company’s so far superb lineup of productivity-oriented laptops that are focused on being as light as possible. Powered by Intel’s 11th-generation mobile CPUS, the LG Gram 17 (2021) mostly allows for fast, hassle-free productivity to make your workload seamless.

While the LG Gram 17 (2021) certainly isn’t going to win any awards for style, what the laptop ûŎăŰ ŎƫăŬ ĤŰ ŨƀŬă ėƀŅõŹĤŎŅ̐ promising it as one of the best choices for workplace use. If you can stomach the price, that is.

Even though the ‘LG Kilogram’ might be a more literally accurate name for this laptop, the LG Gram

ƱŬŰŹ ŹĠĤŅę ƛŎƀ̵ĺĺ ŅŎŹĤõă ØòŎƀŹ ŹĠă ĺØŨŹŎŨ ƕĠăŅ ƱŬŰŹ ŨĤõķĤŅę ĤŹ ƀŨ ŎƀŹ of the box.

It’s hard to truly gauge the value of this without holding the laptop yourself, but trust us when we say its light weight of just 1.35kg is a remarkable achievement for a 17-inch laptop.

That weight positions the LG Gram 17 (2021) as one of the lightest 17-inch laptops around.

Other productivity-based laptops certainly don’t fare as well in this regard. The Gigabyte Aero 17, for example, weighs almost twice as much at 2.49kg, while the XMG Pro 17 fares a bit better at 2.3kg.

That’s still roughly a whole kilogram the LG Gram 17 (2021) has over its competition, then. Still, if you want to go even lighter, the LG

cheaper to boot. Those could be better options if you’re concerned about the extra real estate taken up by the LG Gram 17 (2021).

Speaking of real estate, the LG Gram 17 (2021)’s dimensions are 381 x 261 x 17.78mm. While the larger screen does take away from some of the portability aspect of its 14 and 16-inch counterparts, the impressively thin depth makes it õŎłŨØõŹ ăŅŎƀęĠ ŹŎ ƱŹ ĤŅŹŎ ØŅ appropriately sized laptop bag with no issue.

Those who consider ports as a purchasing factor won’t be disappointed either. The LG Gram 17 (2021) features two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports used to power the laptop and charge its battery. §ĠŎŰă ØŬă ƲØŅķăû òƛ Ø N'nR ŨŎŬŹ and an audio jack on either side,

17 (2021) is shockingly light regardless. It’s arguably the very

Gram 14 and 16-inch variants weigh even less and are slightly

the former allowing the laptop to be connected to other displays.

Design

8

On the laptop’s right side we have two USB 3.2 ports and a microSD card slot, giving users an abundance of options when it comes to slotting in portable storage devices as well as for connecting devices like smartphones and tablets for charging or file transfer and management purposes.

Performance The LG Gram 17 (2021) has impressed us from a design perspective, then, but it’s no slouch under the hood, either.

Intel’s 11th-gen processor does a great job at multitasking, allowing you to juggle multiple projects on the go simultaneously.

The model given to us for review

you more than the LG Gram

features the aforementioned Intel

17 (2021).

Core i7-1165G7 as well as Intel Iris

In our time working with the

Xe integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. Those last

laptop on a day-to-day basis, the machine remained whisper quiet

two also help the laptop’s speeds tremendously.

The laptop proved its worth in performing tasks quickly, even under the stress of multiple tabs and programs open at the same time. Google Chrome has traditionally been a resource hog, but it didn’t represent an issue for the LG Gram’s top of the line components.

Photo editing is also handled fantastically, and can provide both enjoyable and accurate results thanks to the screen’s high image quality. Long sessions of editing of photos at 4K and above can start to tax the laptop, though, so if that’s part of your day to day, a more specialised laptop might benefit

throughout, with only slight humming and heat buildup registering during our benchmark tests, which is to be expected.

As a laptop made for work and school use, then, it gets the fundamentals right. Although one drawback is the LCD screen is prone to glare which can prove to be distracting in brightly lit office environments.

LG’s latest Gram easily the lightest laptop if its size we’ve ever seen.

Battery life The LG Gram 17 (2021)’s battery life is the real star of the show here, easily registering hours in the double digits during our benchmark tests.

Our PC Mark 10 battery test clocked in at 13 hours and 48

An excellent array of ports adds to the Gram’s versatility.

minutes with the laptop’s screen set to 50 percent brightness. While this will undoubtedly vary depending on the type and amount of programs you’re running, it’s safe to say that the LG Gram 17 (2021)’s battery will last you a full work or school day without needing to be plugged in.

The laptop also excels with video. We tested looping a 1080p video, again at 50 percent brightness, with the battery lasting a whopping 12 hours and two minutes before needing to recharge. Once again, mileage may vary based on the number of programs running in the background. If you’re on the move, then, the LG Gram 17 (2021)’s stellar battery life will allow you to keep yourself occupied with movies and shows for an extended period of time.

Believe it or not, the LG Gram 17 (2021) will need charging eventually, and that’s where the superbly fast USB-C charging ports come in. Using the USB-C charger included with the laptop, the laptop fully charged from zero in just under a couple of hours when plugged into the mains.

The LG Gram 17 (2021) is spectacular for productivity, boasting an impressively sharp screen, incredible battery life and overall great performance.

Rhys Wood 9

HOT SPOT What you need to know

Microsoft Edge’s new money-saving feature might make you ditch Chrome In the latest Canary build of Edge 92 for Android, there’s an experimental setting called Shopping Site Coupons. You can probably guess what this does – it lets you know when money-saving coupons are available for the online store you are shopping at. The browser will automatically apply any available coupons and voucher codes so savings are applied without any extra work from you.

Covid-19 outbreak at Foxconn factory hits iPhone production Production of iPhones at a Foxconn plant in India has been hit by a surge in Covid-19 cases among employees, highlighting the continued risk of the pandemic to the global mobile industry.

According to Reuters, Foxconn has imposed a ‘no entry’ measure on the factory, meaning that once employees have left the site, they may not re-enter.

Nikon denies its Z-mount lenses have been hit by major delays It’s been an extremely quiet start to the year for Nikon, but the camera giant has hit back at growing rumors that its new Z-mount lenses have been delayed. We asked Nikon if it’s true that there have been delays to its Z-mount release schedule, and it told us in no uncertain terms that “there is no such delay – we are planning on expanding the Nikkor Z lens lineup to approximately 30 lenses by the end of the fiscal year 2021”.

10

Dell’s new Latitude laptops could be perfect for the business power user Powerful performance and plenty of ports.

After launching the Latitude 7320 Detachable just a month or so ago, Dell is back with two new additions to its Latitude line of business laptops.

The new Latitude 5421 and Latitude 5521 feature 11th Gen Intel Core processors, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity and can be outfitted with up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM as well as Nvidia GeForce MX450 graphics. When it comes to ports, both laptops have two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB-A 3.2 ports, HDMI 2.0, Ethernet, a microSD card reader, a headphone jack and a SIM tray.

The Latitude 5421 and 5521 even come equipped with built-in AI capable of boosting application performance and improving battery life by adapting to users’ work habits. These new devices were also designed with Dell’s 2030 sustainability goals in mind and they are the company’s first laptops to use bioplastics made from Tall Oil in their lids and reclaimed carbon fiber in their design.

Both laptops will be available this year, though a release date has not yet been set.

Anthony Spadafora

New Google Chrome update for iPhone and iPad includes widgets – here’s how to use them Fire up the Dino widget.

Google has released a new version of its Chrome browser for iPhone and iPad, which brings widgets to your home screen, alongside bug fixes and the ability to edit your username and passwords from the app.

On either an iPhone or iPad running iOS 14, hold down on the home screen for three seconds and once the icons are wiggling, select the ‘add’ icon towards the

one of three widgets: • Dino Game – Immediately launches the game inside the browser.

• Search – Perform a Google Search.

• Quick Actions – Query a new topic with your voice or a QR code, or open a new tab in Incognito mode.

You can drag and drop a widget to anywhere on your home screen on your iPhone, or to a section in the column of

top of the screen.

There should be a Google Chrome section in the ‘add widget’ window to add

widgets on your iPad. Daryl Baxter

Instagram for Kids is a really bad idea, Facebook told by US lawyers And they aren’t the only ones who aren’t fans of Facebook’s idea.

Facebook’s rumored plans for an ‘Instagram for Kids’ app haven’t been very well received so far – and they’ve just come under even more fire in a bombshell letter written by a group of 44 US attorneys general.

The Instagram for Kids app, which isn’t yet official, could apparently allow children under the age of 13 to use the modified photo-sharing app.

Currently, Instagram requires all users to be 13 or older to use the service.

But a letter signed by the 44 US attorneys general has told Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, exactly why the kid-friendly version of Instagram shouldn’t be introduced.

Their arguments against Instagram for Kids include Facebook’s apparent “record of failing to protect the safety and privacy of children on its platform”, research that “increasingly demonstrates that social media can be harmful to the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children” and the alleged prevalence of cyberbullying on Instagram.

BuzzFeed News was the first to report on Facebook’s plans back in

asked the social media giant to rethink its plans.

March, and since then many experts and organisations have already

The evidence raised by the US attorneys general points to

What is Instagram for Kids?

Facebook hasn’t outlined any details of its Instagram for Kids app publicly, so we can’t say for certain what it’ll involve. Though leaked details give us an idea of what we might see.

Rather than being a kid-only Instagram platform, it instead looks likely to be more like YouTube Kids.

On that app, parents are given control over a child’s account and can filter the kind of content that they are allowed to watch – right down to specific channels and videos.

We imagine that on Instagram this could mean parents will control over who their children can follow, what they can post, who is allowed to follow them. But this is all just speculation until Facebook makes an official announcement on the service.

Analysis: Why does Facebook want to make an Instagram for Kids?

Instagram for Kids being a poor idea, so why is Facebook keen to launch the service? Facebook argues it is trying to make Instagram safer for children, by giving them a guarded way to use the platform so they don’t create an account using a fake birthday.

While this could be true, we imagine that growing its already huge user base is a core reason too. We hope that Facebook won’t introduce child-specific advertising on Instagram for Kids, but even if it doesn’t do that immediately, it could be playing the long game.

If Facebook can get people using Instagram earlier in life, they could remain rooted in that ecosystem even as they grow older – at which point Facebook would have a great understanding of what sponsored content that user will interact with.

The Instagram for Kids concept certainly hasn’t been well-received so far, and it’s possible that Facebook could instead change tack by clamping down on Instagram’s safety for young people Proper age verification could be one step, and continued safety tools and support would also help. We’ll have to wait and see what decision Facebook takes next in all of this, but we hope it listens to the warnings.

Hamish Hector 11

HOTSPOT Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga

2020 EDITOR’S CHOICE

$1,649, www.lenovo.com

Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga An excellent 2-in-1 that falls just short of greatness.

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga 2-in-1 is a business-focused convertible laptop that delivers excellent performance at a fair price, while wrapping it all in an attractive package – even if it’s a ƱŅęăŬŨŬĤŅŹ łØęŅăŹ̖ This is a solidly midrange 2-in-1, ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă ăŅŹŬƛ̪ĺăƔăĺ õŎŅƱęƀŬØŹĤŎŅ coming in at just under $1,700, and it has some attractive features for ŹĠă ŨŬĤõă̖ §ĠĤŅęŰ ĺĤķă Ø ƱŅęăŬ̪ŨŬĤŅŹ scanner built into the power button, physical webcam privacy shutter, and a fast-charging ęØŬØęăû ŰŹƛĺƀŰ ûăƱŅĤŹăĺƛ ŨƀŹ ĤŹ above other midrange 2-in-1s, and that alone makes it one of the ò㏏ăŬ ŎŨŹĤŎŅŰ ØŹ ŹĠĤŰ ŨŬĤõă ŨŎĤŅŹ̖

The design of the Lenovo

all-aluminum construction is fairly light at just over three ŨŎƀŅûŰ ̦˘̖˜ķę̐ ŹŎ òă ăƚØõŹ̧̐ ƕĠĤõĠ makes it slightly heavier than some of its competitors, like the õăŬ ŨĤŅ ˜̐ òƀŹ ĺĤęĠŹăŬ ŹĠØŅ ŎŹĠăŬŰ ĺĤķă ŹĠă ŰƀŰ ÂĤƔŎòŎŎķ DĺĤŨ ˘˛̖ There isn’t much in the way of vents on the 14s Yoga, but it also doesn’t get uncomfortably hot – it’s really not powerful enough to ŬƀŅ ƀŨ ŹĠă ŹăłŨăŬØŹƀŬă ŹŎŎ łƀõĠ̖ The keyboard layout is your typical island-style design, but unlike the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano, the Control and Function keys on the bottom-left side are in ŹĠă ØŨŨŬŎŨŬĤØŹă ŨŎŰĤŹĤŎŅ̖ §ĠăŬă̵Ű great key travel for a laptop of this kind and the keys are whisper quiet even if you are furiously typing away on a school paper,

ThinkBook 14s Yoga is easily one of ĤŹŰ òăŰŹ ŰăĺĺĤŅę ŨŎĤŅŹŰ̖ §Ġă

report, or a certain review right up ŹŎ ŹĠă ûăØûĺĤŅă̖

Design

12

The ThinkBook 14s Yoga is a slick-looking piece of tech.

The trackpad is smooth and responsive and has a silvery trim around the edge, which makes it look more premium than it probably ĤŰ̖ §ĠăŬă̵Ű ŨĺăŅŹƛ Ŏė ŬŎŎł ŎŅ ŹĠă ŨØû as well, which makes multitouch gestures feel more natural than on ŰłØĺĺăŬ ŨØûŰ̖ The stylus is also a decent enough size for a pen that stows away into the side, but like many others of its ķĤŅû̐ ĤŹ̵Ű ŅŎŹ Ø ėƀĺĺ̪ŰĤƤăû ŨăŅ̖ Ű Ø result, it also feels a bit more on the brittle side compared to a full-sized stylus, so you’ll want to be careful ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠĤŰ ŎŅă̖ DŎŬŹƀŅØŹăĺƛ̐ ĤŹ ûŎõķŰ ĤŅŹŎ ŹĠă ŰĤûă ̦ƕĠĤõĠ ØĺŰŎ õĠØŬęăŰ ĤŹ̧̐ so you only need to pull it out when necessary and can stow it away ūƀĤõķĺƛ ƕĠăŅ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ûŎŅă̖

Performance The performance of the Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga is also a major

standout among competing 2-in-1s like the HP Spectre x360 (2021), though this comes at a cost of its battery life.

The 14s Yoga is a rarity nowadays as most major laptop releases are almost always Intel Evo certified, which is a certification process where Intel works with laptop manufacturers to ensure energy efficiency, security, and performance all reach the high standard set by Intel.

The 14s Yoga falls short of this, most likely in the battery life metric. In both of our battery life tests, the 14s Yoga fell just short of the nine hours needed for Intel Evo certification, though it exceeded in every other area as far as we could tell.

This is pretty apparent when you compare it to the Spectre x360, which lasts 12 hours 52 minutes in PCMark 10’s battery test and 11 hours 22 minutes in our HD movie test compared to the 14s Yoga’s eight hours 45 minutes and eight hours 34 minutes, respectively.

On the other hand, both the 14s Yoga and Spectre x360 we reviewed had the same Intel Core

tests by a healthy margin.

In Geekbench 5, the 14s Yoga scored a 1,549 on the single core test and a 4,783 on the multi core test, compared to the Spectre x360’s 1,317 and 4,541, respectively.

It’s the same story in PCMark 10 Home, where the 14s Yoga scored a 5,242 compared to the Spectre x360’s score of 4,721.

Whether that extra performance is worth the price of a substantial hit to battery life depends on what you need from your 2-in-1. If you need to go half a day without a charge, then the Spectre x360 is clearly the 2-in-1 for you. If you need the best performance possible from a 2-in-1 or will have ample opportunities to plug in your laptop during the day (the 14s Yoga also features Rapid Charge as well), then the 14s Yoga is the better bet.

i7-1165G7 processor, but the 14s Yoga scored higher on our Geekbench 5 and PCMark 10 Home

there are a few apps preloaded for notetaking, Lenovo Pen Settings, and the ability to take notes on the

Software and features For a laptop at this price, we’re happy to report that we didn’t see much in the way of bloatware here beyond what comes standard with Windows 10. Considering that this is a 2-in-1 with a garaged stylus,

It’s not the best stylus in the world, but it gets the job done.

display even when it’s locked, which is helpful for jotting down something in a hurry.

There’s a service hotkey (the F9 key) which loads up a webpage with information about the laptop’s warranty and other information specific to your device. While this is helpful for those who need it, accidentally hitting the F9 key also means your mistype is going to open up an active web page when you’re in the middle of something else.

Other notable features include the fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button which sets up easily with Windows Hello for improved security. We also can’t express the importance of the 14s Yoga’s physical privacy shutter for its webcam. There are still laptops in 2021 that do not have privacy shutters and that is simply unacceptable at this point.

The Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga 2-in-1 is a solid and affordable convertible laptop with some great features and excellent performance, but its battery life holds it back from wiping the floor with the competition.

John Loeffler 13

Pop Science

SPACE

NASA detects rare ‘double quasar’ What burns brighter than a quasar, the hungry, supermassive black holes that outshine entire galaxies as they voraciously gobble up everything in reach?

How about a ‘double quasar’?

Astronomers used NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to peer 10 billion years into the cosmic past, where they detected two gargantuan quasars on the verge of colliding.

14

star formation is thought to have peaked in the universe about 10 billion years ago, and galactic mergers were much more common then. These mergers funnelled huge amounts of matter towards the black holes lurking in the cores of galaxies. As those black holes sucked in matter at near-light speed, they released a flood of radiation, becoming quasars.

Quasars can outshine large galaxies, though their brightness

a haystack.”

Researchers focused their search on the distant universe, as

may fluctuate every few days, weeks or months, depending on how much matter they’re

An artist’s rendering of the double quasar, located in two merging galaxies about 10 billion light years away.

gobbling up at the time. Because of this finicky eating schedule, a double quasar may appear to ‘jiggle’ in place when one member of the pair brightens or dims, while the other remains static.

With the help of the Gaia space observatory and Sloan Digital Sky Survey, researchers targeted several jiggling quasars in the distant universe, then zoomed in using the Hubble Space Telescope.

Two of these jiggling light sources turned out to be ancient double quasars, both flickering towards their inevitable collisions.

© Alamy

Sitting at the centres of their respective galaxies, these hungry quasars have less than 10,000 light years of breathing room between them, putting them far closer to each other than Earth’s Sun is to the centre of the Milky Way, about 26,000 light years away.

To ground-based telescopes the quasar neighbours look like a single object, and one day, thanks to the unstoppable collision of their home galaxies, they will become one.

This is not the first double quasar that astronomers have ever detected. More than 100 have been discovered to date. However, the ancient pair of blazing lights is by far the oldest double quasar in the known universe – and it’s not alone. Researchers reported the detection of a second double quasar, also dating to 10 billion years ago.

“We estimate that in the distant universe, for every 1,000 quasars, there is one double quasar,” said Yue Shen, associate professor of astronomy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“So finding these double quasars is like finding a needle in

Pic: © Getty

A replica of a painting of bison from the Cave of Altamira in Cantabria, Spain.

HISTORY

Ancient people created cave art while hallucinating Stone Age people may have deliberately ventured into oxygendepleted caves to paint while having out-of-body experiences.

Studying merging quasars can help scientists understand the nuances of galaxy formation – and their destruction. As quasars grow, their radiation can generate powerful winds that may ultimately blow all of the star-forming gas out of their way.

When this gas is gone, star formation ends, and the galaxies that house the quasars enter early retirement, slowly waiting for all their old stars to burn out and fade away.

BRANDON SPECKTOR

In the 19th century, researchers discovered a series of decorated caves that date back between 14,000 and 40,000 years to the Upper Paleolithic era, or Late Stone Age, across Western Europe. Found mainly in Spain and France, they were filled with paintings, many of them in areas that could be accessed only through narrow passageways. The depictions were painted in black and red and primarily showed animals, with some hand stencils, handprints and geometric abstract signs.

But why would people go through the trouble of walking through narrow cave passages to make art? To answer this question, a group of researchers at Tel Aviv University focused on a characteristic of such deep, narrow caves, especially those that require artificial light to navigate: low levels of oxygen. The researchers ran computer simulations of model caves with different passageway lengths that lead to slightly larger ‘hall’ areas where paintings may be found, analysing the changes in oxygen concentration if a person was to stand in the different parts of the cave burning a torch.

They found that oxygen concentration depended on the height of the passageways, with the shorter passageways having less oxygen. Such low levels of oxygen can

confusion and restlessness. But hypoxia also increases the hormone dopamine, which can lead to hallucinations and out-ofbody experiences. For caves with low ceilings or small halls, the oxygen concentration dipped as low as 11 percent, which would cause the more severe symptoms.

The researchers hypothesise that ancient people crawled into these deep, dark spaces to induce altered states of consciousness.

“Hypoxia might well be a plausible explanation for many of the depiction locations, which are far from the cave mouth and require passing through low, narrow passages,” researchers wrote. “We contend that entering these deep, dark caves was a conscious choice, motivated by an understanding of the transformative nature of an underground, oxygendepleted space.”

Caves had a special significance for these ancient civilisations. They were seen as “portals that connect to the underworld,” says Yafit Kedar, a doctoral candidate in the department of archaeology and nearEastern cultures at Tel Aviv University. The findings suggest that the ancient people sought altered states of consciousness and created cave depictions as “a way to maintain their connection with the

induce hypoxia in the body, a condition that can cause headaches, shortness of breath,

entities” of the underworld.

YASEMIN SAPLAKOGLU 15

HOTSPOT LG G1 Gallery OLED TV (OLED65G1)

2020 EDITOR’S CHOICE

$4,995, www.lg.com

LG G1 Gallery OLED TV (OLED65G1) The new LG G1 Gallery OLED turns things up to 11.

The LG G1 OLED is the follow up to the sleek Gallery OLED model that debuted last year, but a host of improvements – including a shot in the arm to brightness – make the G Series a more tempting proposition than ever.

Adding a new high-efficiency ‘Evo’ panel design and enhanced colour system allows the G1 OLED series to boldly go where no LG OLED has gone before. It means, after all, that the spectacular black level and local contrast talents that LG OLED TVs have always boasted can be partnered with more of the raw brightness and colour reach that’s so important to a true HDR experience.

16

Design

hanging in mind – so much so that it even lets you display digitised artworks on it, turning it into a Louvre exhibition when you’re not using its primary TV function.

The LG G1’s ultra-slim design is incredibly flat, with no awkward protubing sections to spoil the slender profile. The wall mount that ships with the TV is even designed to fit into a recessed area on the TV’s rear, making the LG G1 sit as flush as flush can be against the wall. Add to all this an extremely trim bezel, and it’s hard to imagine how a 65-inch TV could make less of a dent on your living room.

Of course, most people don’t hang their TVs on a wall. So if you want the G1’s extra picture quality but don’t want to wall-mount it,

The LG G1 OLED’s design isn’t called ‘Gallery’ for nothing. It’s designed very much with wall-

you will need to purchase desktop feet for the LG G1 OLED as an optional extra. LG does its own

The LG G1 is more than just a television – it’s a piece of art.

reasonably robust and attractive options, as well as a striking new Gallery floor stand that fits the TV onto a tripod-style pole – but you won’t get a countertop stand out of the box (do make sure any feet you get you get are pretty robust, as the screen is unusually heavy by today’s standards).

Despite its slim profile, all of the LG G1 OLED’s connections and speakers are built into the screen’s casing, and the input support is pretty outstanding. All four of the HDMIs support full HDMI 2.1 feature sets – complete with cutting-edge gaming in 4K at 120Hz, with HDR and variable refresh rates. In fact, the LG G1 even supports all three current variable refresh rate ‘variants’: Nvidia G-Sync, AMD Freesync and the standard HDMI 2.1 system.

The G1 also provides three USBs for multimedia playback or

recording, as well as the nowubiquitous Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity options.

LG has revamped the design of its ‘Magic’ remote control for 2021.

It’s longer and slimmer, and features a pronounced recess in its rear side that helps it feel very balanced and comfortable to hold.

There are now direct app access buttons for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, but it happily retains both LG’s distinctive ‘point and click’ navigation option and a dial to help you spin rapidly through menus.

because full-screen interfaces with icons all over the place can be a bit overwhelming for some. It doesn’t help, either, that webOS 6.0 doesn’t seem to make the best use of its new full-screen real estate.

Many screen-filling icons seem unlikely to figure much in most household’s day to day use – though the now prominentlyplaced search function takes you to a remarkably comprehensive and well-presented search result screen, showing why LG gives the search engine so much home screen weight.

Smart TV The LG G1 OLED ushers in LG’s most substantial revamp to its renowned webOS smart platform since it launched nearly a decade ago.

The most immediate change comes with its home screen, which now occupies the whole screen, rather than just superimposing a neat row of app icons over the picture’s bottom edge as previous webOS systems have.

We were pretty hostile to this change at first. Partly because it

The LG G1 OLED’s Evo panel is the first really substantial OLED TV hardware revision LG has introduced for years. That’s not to say there haven’t been lots of small, iterative hardware improvements along the way. But the differences here are big enough to prompt LG to actually shout about it through the ‘Evo’ branding exercise.

The Evo panel isn’t a jawdropping overhaul, but the change is definitely noticeable, and

means you can no longer keep watching TV while you browse for new content to watch, and partly

improves things for the better.

The Evo panel uses new materials that enable it to run

Picture quality

The LG G1 OLED is designed to hang on a wall, but you can still mount it on a stand if you want.

more efficiently, meaning it can hit higher brightness levels without either ramping up power consumption or, crucially, increasing the chance of its screen suffering permanent screen burn.

Our own measurements yield a peak brightness reading on a 10 percent (of the screen) white HDR window of just over 870 nits. It’s a small but notable improvement over the 754 nits of last year’s GX range – and the peak brightness reduces by 100 nits or so when you shift from the (inadvisable) Vivid picture preset to Standard. The extent of the G1 brightness improvement versus the GX, though, tends to be between 10 percent and 20 percent across all picture presets, and that’s always enough to make its presence felt in two key ways.

The way the LG G1 OLED combines a bit more brightness with OLED’s renowned black level and local contrast prowess – without, so it’s claimed, increasing the chance of OLED screen burn – makes the LG G1 OLED easily the best OLED TV LG has ever made.

And given the quality of LG’s previous OLED TVs, that’s really saying something.

John Archer 17

DISCOVER Gadget Guru

Gadget Guru Our tame tech expert lets us into his shed of knowledge.

Which kind of headphones offer the best experience?

Jim Gilbert

18

Presuming we’re leaving out ear buds and on-ear headphones here, both for reasons of space and because each category is a subjective minefield, GaGu will limit this selection to only over-ear kit. There are a couple of key kinds of cans, both of which tend to have a very different feel: closed-backed and open-backed.

The former is a completely sealed enclosure. Sound goes one way, towards your ears. This means the majority of outside noise can’t make it in to ruin

closed-back cans. They’re close, warm, and keep the real world away – they’re core to the patented Guru familyavoidance technique.

GaGu’s top pick doesn’t stray far from the meta, as he’ll suggest the Sony WH-1000XM4 all day long – but those Apple AirPods Max do sound mighty amazing.

Open-back headphones allow air through to your ears, preventing pressure from building up; they therefore

other sound in, and bleed their own sound out. If you can find a quiet spot to sit back and relax you’re in for something wonderful, but if you can’t you’ll be able to hear your children screeching and they’ll be able to hear that you’re listening to the Bee Gees on a loop. The Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro is a heavily favoured set on the low end; head to the high end, and you find utterly incredible kit like

your tunes, and is the logical reason that you’ll only find noise cancelling cleverness in

sound much more natural, and have a far, far wider soundstage.

Hooray, except: they let every

Focal’s Utopia – but they do cost $5,499.

There are a couple of key kinds of cans, both of which tend to have a very different feel: closed-backed and open-backed.

Treadmill, static bike, or something else?

GEMMA WILKINSON Before GaGu gives you a proper answer, let him òằƀŅõĠØŬØõŹăŬĤŰŹĤõØĺĺƛ łŎŹĤƔØŹĤŎŅØĺ ̦ŎŬ ĴƀŰŹĤƱØòĺƛ ûăłŎŹĤƔØŹĤŎŅØļ̖́ Rė ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă òƀƛĤŅę ØŅ ăƚăŬõĤŰă ûŎŎûØû òăõØƀŰă you’ve piled on the ol’ Covid-19 kilos, don’t. Just don’t. There’s ŨĺăŅŹƛ Ŏė ŹĤłă ŹŎ ƕŎŬķ ŎŅ ûĤ㏠ØŅû ăƚăŬõĤŰă ŎŅõă ŹĠă ƕŎŬĺû ĠØŰ stopped being a hideous daily nightmare, and you are entirely ėŎŬęĤƔăŅ Ĥė ĠŎŎķĤŅę ŹØķăØƕØƛ õƀŬŬƛ ŰØƀõă ƀŨ ŹŎ ƛŎƀŬ ƔăĤŅŰ ĤŰ ŹĠă ŹĠĤŅę ŹĠØŹ ęăŹŰ ƛŎƀ ŹĠŬŎƀęĠ̖ ØŬŹĤõƀĺØŬĺƛ Ĥė ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ŹĠă ŹƛŨă ŹŎ ęØƤă upon a dusty bit of home gym kit and wonder quite why you ûăõĤûăû ŹŎ ŰŨăŅû Ø łŎŅŹĠ̵Ű ƕØęăŰ ĤŅ ŎŬûăŬ ŹŎ ĺŎŰă Ø ŹĠĤŬû Ŏė ƛŎƀŬ room’s footprint.

RŹ ƕŎƀĺû òă ęŬăØŹ Ĥė FƀŬƀ õŎƀĺû ĴƀŰŹ ę㏠ŎŅ ØŅû ØŅŰƕăŬ ƛŎƀŬ ūƀăŰŹĤŎŅ̐ ŬĤęĠŹ̗ ÉăØĠ̐ ĤŹ ƕŎƀĺû̐ òƀŹ ƛŎƀ̵Ɣă ØŰķăû Ø ūƀăŰŹĤŎŅ ƕĠĤõĠ õŎłŨĺăŹăĺƛ ăĺĤłĤŅØŹăŰ ŹĠă ėØõŹŎŬ ŹĠØŹ ĤŅŰŨĤŬăû ŹĠØŹ ƱŬŰŹ ŨØŬØęŬØŨĠ rant: you. GaGu doesn’t know if you like to hike, bike, run or whatever. He doesn’t know your levels of motivation, and he ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź ķŅŎƕ ƕĠØŹ ŰŨØõă ƛŎƀ ĠØƔă̖ ÉŎƀ õŎƀĺû ęŎ ėŎŬ̐ ŰØƛ̐ Ø ăĺŎŹŎŅ̐ ƕĤŹĠ ĤŹŰ ŨŬĤõăƛ ĤŅŰŹŬƀõŹŎŬ̪ĺăû ŰƀòŰõŬĤŨŹĤŎŅ ØõŹĤŅę ØŰ Ø ėØĤŬĺƛ ûăõăŅŹ ûŬĤƔăŬ̐ òƀŹ Ĥė õƛõĺĤŅę ĤŰŅ̵Ź ėŎŬ ƛŎƀ̐ ŎŬ ƛŎƀ ûŎŅ̵Ź ĠØƔă ŹĠă ƲŎŎŬ ŰŨØõă ėŎŬ ŹĠă ̦ØûłĤŹŹăûĺƛ õŎłŨØõŹ̧ òĤķă̐ ŹĠØŹ̵û òă ŅŎ ęŎŎû̖ Ŏ ĺăŹ̵Ű ŹØķă Ø łŎŬă ˙Øł ĤŅėŎłăŬõĤØĺ ŹØõķ̐ ØŅû ėƀĺƱĺ FØFƀ̵Ű ĺăęØĺ ŎòĺĤęØŹĤŎŅ ŹŎ ęĤƔă ØŹ ĺăØŰŹ Ø ŨØŬŹĺƛ ŰØŹĤŰėØõŹŎŬƛ ØŅŰƕăŬ òƛ ŰƀęęăŰŹĤŅę ŰŎłă ķĤŅû Ŏė ƕăĤŬû ĺŎŎķĤŅę łƀĺŹĤ̪ăƚăŬõĤŰăŬ̖ qăƕ RłØęă̵Ű DR§§ ŬØŅęă õŎƔăŬŰ Ø ĺŎØû Ŏė ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ NRR§ ƕŎŬķŎƀŹŰ ØŅû ĤŹ̵Ű Ø RR§ ęŎŎư̂ ŹĠă DR§§ !ƀòă õŎƔăŬŰ ƛŎƀ ėŎŬ Øĺĺ ķĤŅûŰ Ŏė ŬăŰĤŰŹØŅõă ØŅû ĴŎĤŰŹ̪ĺŎŎŰăŅĤŅę ĺăØŨĤŅę ØõŹĤŎŅŰ̐ ƕĠĤĺă ŹĠă DR§§ Fƛł ęĤƔăŰ ƛŎƀ Ø òƀŅõĠ Ŏė ĤŅõĺĤŅă ØŅû ƲØŹ ŰĺĤûĤŅę ØõŹĤŎŅŰ ƕĤŹĠ ƕĠĤõĠ ŹŎ ŹŎŬŹƀŬă your abs. Neither is super expensive, both are small enough that ƛŎƀ ƕŎŅ̵Ź õƀŬŰă ŹĠăł̖

FØûę㏠FƀŬƀ̵Ű łØęĤõ òŎƚ Guru’s trials and tribulations in the home renovation game are well known by now, but following the departure of his previous builder from the project (apparently he’d made a mint on Bitcoin, so could no longer be bothered) GaGu saw the setback as an opportunity to make things much smarter and much more complex.

This means a new bathroom complete with the Mira Mode smart shower, which lets you set the temperature in-app so you don’t scald the kids. The kitchen gains an induction hob and extractor fan both equipped with AEG’s Hob2Hood function: a Bluetooth connection that apparently links the two so o when things get hot, the hood turns on. That’s pretty neat.

Guru has also spent an absolute fortune on Hue e GU10 White Ambiance bulb bs to get the atmosphere jusst so.

Stay tuned to find out if these e

Can I make my own cheese? things actually work or not.

A vast amount of credit is due to the ReMarkable 2 for its invaluable help in getting all of this sorted out. Mrs Guru is absolutely in love with the draw-on-it e-paper tablet, so much so that she’s already mashed through one of its pen nibs with her notes. The fact that they’re all in one place, easily PDFed up to send to an increasingly confused builder, is just the icing on the cake.

It’s mostly work and little play around these parts, but Guru would also like to give a special mention to Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. Guru Jr was lucky enough to get it for his birthday, and d the living FPV racing around h a lot of fun. room is just such

HAYLEY Sure, though Guru will not give you all the steps, nor explore in any detail what rennet ØõŹƀØĺĺƛ ĤŰ òăõØƀŰă ĤŹ̵Ű ŹĠŎŬŎƀęĠĺƛ ęŬŎŰŰ̖ ÉŎƀ ƕĤĺĺ Ņăăû ŰŎłă ŹĠĤŅęŰ ŹĠØŹ FƀŬƀ õØŅ ĠăĺŨ with, though: a good waterproof digital ŹĠăŬłŎłăŹăŬ̐ ØŅû Ø ūƀØĺĤŹƛ ŰŹŎõķ ŨŎŹ ĤŅ ƕĠĤõĠ ŹŎ ŨăŬėŎŬł ƛŎƀŬ łĤĺķƛ ØĺõĠăłƛ̖ {Ņ ŹĠă ƱŬŰŹ õŎƀŅŹ̐ ƕĠĤĺă łØŅƛ Ŏė FØFƀ̵Ű ŬƀŬØĺ õĠăăŰă ăŅŹĠƀŰĤØŰŹ ėŬĤăŅûŰ ŰƕăØŬ òƛ ęŎŎû ̵Ŏĺ łăŬõƀŬƛ ĤŅ Ø Źƀòă̐ Ġă ƕŎƀĺû ûĤŬăõŹ ƛŎƀ ŹŎ Ø łŎŬă ˙˘ŰŹ õăŅŹƀŬƛ ûăƔĤõă ĺĤķă ŹĠă !Ġăė ĺØŬł ėŬŎł 1§R̖ RŹ̵Ű Ø̀ûĤŰØŬłĤŅęĺƛ õĠăØŨ ûĤęĤŹØĺ ŹĠăŬłŎłăŹăŬ ƕĤŹĠ Ø ƕĠŎĺă ĠŎŰŹ Ŏė ėƀŅõŹĤŎŅŰ̐ ŹĠă łŎŰŹ ĤłŨŎŬŹØŅŹ Ŏė ƕĠĤõĠ ėŎŬ ƛŎƀŬ õĠăûûØŬ ĤŰ ĤŹŰ ûØŅęĺƛ̀ŨŬŎòă ŹĠØŹ õŎłăŰ ƕĤŹĠ Ø̀ƔăŬŰØŹĤĺă ŨŎŹ õĺĤŨ̖ The pot you employ will need to be ŅŎŅ̪ŬăØõŹĤƔă łăŹØĺ ĺĤķă ŰŹØĤŅĺăŰŰ ŰŹăăĺ̐ ęĺØŰŰ̐ ŎŬ ŨŬĤŰŹĤŅă ăŅØłăĺ̖ FƀŬƀ ŬăõŎłłăŅûŰ ŹĠă ĤŅûƀõŹĤŎŅ̪ėŬĤăŅûĺƛ õØŅŨØŅ RłŨØõŹ ŹŎõķ ŎŹ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ĤŰ ØŬŎƀŅû ͊˞˗ ØŅû ŎƫăŬŰ Ø ęŎŎû õŎŅŰĤŰŹăŅŹ òŎŹŹŎł ŹăłŨăŬØŹƀŬă̖ nƀõĠ ĺĤķă GaGu himself.

19

HOTSPOT LG G1 Gallery OLED TV (OLED65G1)

$175, www.myearfun.com

Earfun E f

2020 EDITOR’S CHOICE

20

i Pro P

A mostly brilliant and sonically balanced set of budget b buds.

Keeping up with true wireless earbud releases is no mean feat.

Brands are constantly trying to break into what’s becoming a very crowded market, and enjoying varying degrees of success.

1ØŬėƀŅ̐ ØŅ ŎƀŹƱŹ ƕĤŹĠ Ø ŅØłă worthy of an early team task from The Apprentice, is one such example. In the past year its new releases have garnered some positive attention, and with the Air Pro buds it’s seeking to cement its reputation.

While they’re priced solidly in the mid-range, they come with some bold marketing claims, including audio tuned by ŬăŰŨăõŹăû ŰŨăØķăŬ òŬØŅû 1ûĤƱăŬ̐ active noise cancellation, and a long battery life.

From a design perspective they’re certainly a win. They have

overly garish, and will be as at home on the train or bus as they ØŬă ĤŅ ŹĠă ŎƬõă̖ Ãă ûĤû ƱŅû ŹĠØŹ ØėŹăŬ ØŅ ĠŎƀŬ ŎŬ Ãă ûĤû Ʊ so of use they could start to become somewhat uncomfortable e, although thi his could be b chalked ûŎƕŅ ŹŎ ŨăŬŬŰŎŅØĺĤƤăû ƱŹ ĤŰŰƀăŰ̐ and of courrse will be a largely subjective thing. t A range of ear tip ps are include ed in the box, as is standard nowadays. n stand

The Earfun Air Pro are e the produ uct of a company that wan nts to set its produ ducts apart from m the likes of the Apple ods. The build is le A AirPods angular and industrial, though still comfortable while providing a tight seal against the ear canal.

We generally found that these buds were comfortable, but during

clean, angular lines and aren’t

longer listening sessions they

Design

be egan to chafe. This will vary from listener li to listener, though, and you do get a range of eartips included in the box.

Being slightly bulkier than some other earbuds means there’s room for a relatively large battery in each bud, and allows the microphone to be positioned closer to the mouth for clearer calls.

There are drawbacks too of ourse; the larger footprint means co hat the charging case is slightly th larger than we’d like. Though it will la ăØŰĤĺƛ ƱŹ ĤŅ ĺŎŎŰă ĴăØŅŰ̐ ĤŹ ĤŰŅ̵Ź ūƀĤŹă on the same level as the Galaxy Buds ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠăĤŬ ŹĤŅƛ õØŰă ŹĠØŹ õØŅ ƱŹ nearly anywhere. ŹĤĺĺ̐ ŹĠăƛ̵Ŭă Ø ęŬăØŹ ƱŹ ėŎŬ commuters, who may value a longer battery life more than a slim charging case.

you, though, as was the case with

You’re far more likely to run out

aware of light flaring, as the

older Instax cameras. The small

of film than you are power, but at

off-centre viewfinder can trick

mirror on the lens barrel helps line up your shots, although the

least AAs are in wider circulation than the awkward CR2 batteries

you into thinking you have a well-composed shot, only to lose

convex shape does distort your reflection a fair bit.

As with most instant cameras, the viewfinder is separated from the actual system optics. It sits off-centre here, and gives a generous representation of what will fit in the frame. You can often get a bit closer to your subject than you expect, which can be something of a learning curve.

Each print is mechanically ejected via a slot in the top of the camera, and will take upwards of five minutes to fully develop. Instax has the edge over Polaroid’s I-Type film in this respect, although that’s to be expected given the smaller size.

The flash fires every time you press the shutter button, regardless of lighting conditions, as the auto exposure system is calibrated to expect it. It can vary shutter speed between 1/2 and 1/250, so should be able to cope with both brightly lit and dim scenes, particularly when shooting indoors.

It runs on two AA batteries,

Fuji used to use for its instant cameras.

half the scene to overexposure.

Fuji isn’t alone in this respect, with other instant cameras being just as guilty.

The forced flash naturally makes the biggest difference indoors, exposing both subject and background in a way that, while not natural, doesn’t leave huge areas of your shot in darkness. In our experience, not having to think about whether or not to fire the flash and just letting the auto exposure system do its thing meant a greater percentage of shots developed the way we expected. On Fuji’s older cameras, a 20% attrition rate (or higher) wasn’t unheard of.

Image quality If you’ve used an Instax camera before, the Mini 40’s blend of dark shadows and pale bright hues will feel very familiar. They aren’t quite as dreamlike as rival systems from Lomography, capturing more precise details and without any kind of light leakage.

Don’t expect the pinpoint precision you’ll get with digital, though: edges are soft and darker parts of a scene often blend together. For the best results, always shoot away from the sun, as the sensitive film struggles to expose both well-lit skies and subjects that are in shadow.

The combination of physical film and a fixed-focus lens copes best with portraits, as the further away from a subject you get, the less detail is preserved in your shot. This softness often works to its favor, though, giving

Each print is mechanically ejected via a slot in the top of the camera, and will take upwards of five minutes to fully develop.

which typically last for around 100 shots, or ten packs of film.

landscapes a more ethereal vibe.

If you are shooting in direct sunlight, you also have to be

By taking the foolproof functions of the Instax Mini 11 and adding a healthy dose of retro styling, the Mini 40 is sure to appeal to both newcomers and existing fans of instant film. Auto exposure and variable shutter speed help cut down on user error, meaning more shots come out how you intended, and the selfie mode adds flexibility – even if the results aren’t a major improvement over the standard shooting mode.

The new looks bring added cost, though, so it’s not quite as easy to recommend as the Mini 11.

Tom Morgan 39

DISCOVER Emerging tech

Bleeding edge: the best of emerging tech TechLife’s practical monthly roundup of emerging tech experiences, including all the latest virtual and augmented reality apps, alongside AI apps and other useful tools.

22

With the launch of a couple of new VR headsets and leaked

XR

details about others, this month gives us a good insight into what the VR landscape will look like over the next year or so.

Niantic has created an impressive developer tool that should see some exciting progress in smartphone AR, and the Oculus ØûûŰ RŅƱŅĤŹă {Ƭõă ėăØŹƀŬăŰ ŹŎ ăŅõŎƀŬØęă ŨŬŎûƀõŹĤƔĤŹƛ use-cases for its headset. AI is working to save languages at ŬĤŰķ Ŏė òăõŎłĤŅę ăƚŹĤŅõŹ ØŅû ĤŰ ĠăĺŨĤŅę ŹĠă ® ƱŅû ĺŎŰŹ parcels faster, but we’re expecting even more development on this front with a new US$110 billion package to advance America’s emerging tech space.

Vive Pro 2 The next gen Vive Pro has a 5K 120Hz display. $1,229 | vive.com/vive-pro2 Top shelf PC VR is getting another update with the new Vive Pro ˙ ŎƫăŬĤŅę ˙̖˜c ĠŎŬĤƤŎŅŹØĺ ŨĤƚăĺ ŬăŰŎĺƀŹĤŎŅ ŹŎ ăØõĠ ăƛă ØŅû ØŅ ØƕăŰŎłăĺƛ ėØŰŹ ˘˙˗NƤ ŬăŰŎĺƀŹĤŎŅ̖ §Ġă Ņăƕ ĠăØûŰ㏠ĤŰ ØĺŰŎ ŎƀŹŨØõĤŅę õƀŬŬăŅŹ õŎłŨăŹĤŹĤŎŅ ƕĤŹĠ Ø ˘˙˗̪ûăęŬăă Ʊăĺû Ŏė ƔĤŰĤŎŅ for a more immersive experience and RGB sub-pixels to remove ŹĠă ŨĤƚăĺØŹăû Ʋƛ ŰõŬăăŅ ăƫăõŹ̖ DŎŬ ŨăŎŨĺă ĺŎŎķĤŅę ŹŎ ƀŰă Ø Â headset purely for recreation the Vive Pro 2’s top shelf specs are on the pricier side of your choices, but at least it’s backwards compatible with any existing accessories you may have.

XR

AI

Quest 2 Desk in VR

Niantic Lightship is a new kind of AR dev platform

Oculus is letting you redesign the homepage to make it more productive.

Free | oculus.com/blog/ Hand tracking is a major perk of the Quest 2, allowing seamless transition between the headset and the computer that it might be connected to and Oculus is keen to enhance that functionality further by introducing the ability to build your desk space into the home menu. The V28 update for Quest is ĤŅŹŬŎûƀõĤŅę Ø ŬØŅęă Ŏė RŅƱŅĤŹă {Ƭõă ėăØŹƀŬăŰ ĤŅŹăŅûăû ŹŎ łØķă it useful for productivity purposes. Oculus is even partnering

Depth, physics, occlusion and semantic segmentation tools for programmers.

Free | niantic.dev The now large team behind the AR sensation Pokemon Go has updated its Real World Platform to include a new suite of dev tools like real-time spatial mapping. These easy-to-use tools have already been used to create proof of concept experiences like giant dice that bounce around and interact with real world objects in your smartphone camera. The tool also includes sophisticated multiplayer integration to allow you to throw things between

ƕĤŹĠ eŎęĤŹăõĠ ŹŎ ĤŅŹăęŬØŹă ŹĠă c˟˚˗ ĺĤƔĤŅę ŬŎŎł ķăƛòŎØŬû ŹŎ òă usable with the headset too.

players and semantic segmentation to identify objects.

Sony patents shadow banning Automated body language algorithms will trigger new VR bans.

With full body avatars now available in VR there is a unique opportunity for people to act inappropriately by using their characters to make rude gestures. Since AI

Google Woolaroo Preserving and passing on indegenous languages.

AI

AI will find your missing post Nvidia helps USPS track lost mail.

Free | blog.google/outreach-initiatives/ Google’s latest Arts and Culture project

Free | blogs.nvidia.com/ blog/2021/05/06/edge-ai-usps/

wants to learn endangered languages so that it can keep them intact and pass

The United States Postal services has enlisted Nvidia to build an edge-

them on to any future generations that wish to learn them. Triggered by a need

computing AI network that allows it to keep track of all its parcels to cut

to preserve the Yugambeh language of

down the time taken to locate

the south east Queensland First Nations

missing items. Cutting the time from

people, the experimental software now includes ten endangered languages from

several days to just hours, the new AI system uses OCR to identify packages

around the globe. The app can draw on Google’s cloud vision API to let you point at objects with your smartphone and translate them into the traditional languages.

from 20 terabytes of images a day to keep track of where all these parcels are at any given point in time.

the platform’s player base is still largely children, the company has come up with a ‘shadow ban’ that will remove players found to be acting against various parts of the platform’s code of conduct. The system seems to automatically calculate a risk score based on proximity, gestures, language and other factors to trigger a ban that is not immediately disclosed to the offender.

US senate committee proposes US$110 billion advanced research subsidy AI, quantum computing, and biotech to receive subsidies over the next five years.

With a number of governmental and commercial reports over the last year highlighting the fact that the US was losing its leadership position on AI development to China, it’s not that surprising that there’s a new bill to encourage development in emerging technologies. The package designates US$95bn will go to R&D, commercialisation, and training, with another US$10bn going to develop ten tech hubs as a supply chain crisis response

AI

Autonomous Robot Evolution project Self-building robot project wants to ‘breed robots’ on other planets. $NA | york.ac.uk/robot-lab/are/ Iterative, self-replicating robots have been created by scientists, who are hoping to ‘breed’ the robots of the future. Alan Winfield, a professor of Cognitive Robotics at the University of the West of England is hoping to change the way robots are designed and built by getting them to learn how to do it themselves. He and the other founders of the Autonomous Robot Evolution project believe that self building robots will be an excellent addition to exoplanet missions, allowing them to build robots for unexpected tasks.

AI

network to help mitigate the impact of

AI Architecture

future silicon shortages on US companies.

StyleGAN used to create new mid-century socialist architecture.

Free | instagram.com/moullinex/ Portugal-based producer Moullinex created a music video to one of his songs that featured a morphing set of AI generated building designs constructed using the General Adversarial Network StyleGAN2. The AI tool was trained on a dataset of brutalist architecture before being allowed to riff on the style it had learned by creating images of new buildings. The video follows the transitions from one building to another as the network continues

Apple Car heads-up display patent

to iterate.

X-ray-like vision showing you signs, or

Apple wants to add X-ray like vision to the iCar A patent lodged with the US Patent office details the company’s development of an in-windshield display technology that will give the driver visual information in a position that means they won’t have to look away from the road. The AR heads-up display claims that information can include vehicle speed, with information positioned in a visual space that is reflective of the speed they’re going. It’ll also apparently give you relevant street exits if they are obscured by vehicles on the road.

23

DISCOVER Best new apps

Best new apps Hope Corrigan reviews the most interesting new apps for iOS and Android.

2020 EDITOR APPROVED

Dog Scanner – Dog Breed Identification

24

Tonestro for Brass & Woodwinds: Learn & Play Songs

ABOUT AS GOOD AS GUESSING. Android/iOS, Free/$24.99 We’ve scanned plants and rocks, now it’s time to identify some furrier friends. Dog Sanner boasts being able to identify dogs based on their photographs. To do this either upload or take a picture with the app – you can choose more than one if you have them. Dog Scanner will then spit out its estimate, and like most of these apps it’s... ok at best. Every dog I’ve scanned has come out as ‘mixed breed’ ƕĠĤõĠ ĤŰ ŹĠă òăŰŹ ûŎûęă Ŏė õŎŅƱûăŅõă R̵Ɣă seen yet. It does give percentage based options for what those breeds might be, ØŅû õŬăûĤŹ ŹŎ ĤŹ ĠƀŰķƛ ƕØŰ ŹĠă ƱŬŰŹ ŬăŰƀĺŹ for my very obvious husky. However, it had no idea about less common dogs like my white shepherd. As with these things it may learn with time, and it does have a forum section to get other users’ input.

Unfortunately, this social aspect of the app is also already full of bots posting ads,

ALL YOUR WIND IN ONE PLACE. Android/iOS, Free/$68.99 first year There have been some saxophone apps in the popular section lately, and as someone who already wasted their time learning to play this instrument, I thought I might be able to help assess.

One of the biggest is Tonestro and, aside from sounding like an MCU villain, it comes in a few packages. One looked geared towards wind instruments in ęăŅăŬØĺ̐ ŰŎ R ŹŬĤăû ĤŹ ƱŬŰŹ̖ DŎŬ ò㏏ăŬ ŎŬ worse this is actually more of a catch all ØŨŨ ėŎŬ §ŎŅăŰŹŬŎ̵Ű łŎŬă ŰŨăõĤƱõ ƔăŬŰĤŎŅŰ̖ You choose an instrument and the app will be the same as the one you would download for that instrument. It’s for people who are wanting to swap between Ø ėăƕ ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ŹĠĤŅęŰ ŎŬ ėŎŬ ŨØĤû memberships to keep everything in one place – as it’s the same cost for all or one.

If you’re wanting to save space on your device you might want to grab one of the

so I don’t have a lot of hope.

ŰŨăõĤƱõ ØŨŨ ƔØŬĤØŅŹŰ̖

2020 EDITOR APPROVED

Tonestro Saxophone ANNOY YOUR NEIGHBOURS. Android, Free/$68.99 first year I used the saxophone section within the Tonestro wind app as well as downloaded ŹĠă ŰŨăõĤƱõ ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ ØŅû ŹĠăƛ Űăăłăû exactly the same. However, the saxŰŨăõĤƱõ ØŨŨ ŬăęĤŰŹăŬăû ĤŅ łƛ ŨĠŎŅă ØŰ Ø game, so that might be of some consideration. The beginning lessons are nice and slow and start with basics like rhythm and tempo with single notes. It’s also fairly easy to read and use. When playing songs, the sheet music is easy to understand with the combined prompts, and it will mark notes you miss or just mess up a bit. The app picked me as an ØûƔØŅõăû ŨĺØƛăŬ ØŅû ŎƫăŬăû ŹŎ ŹƀŬŅ ŎŅ further criticisms in reference to my tone and stability of notes, so that’s cool and not at all soul-shattering. Overall it really felt like this app could do a fair job of teaching folks how to play, and that’s pretty damn cool. It is fairly limited without paying, but the free version gives a good idea of whether or not this is for you.

2020

2020

EDITOR’S CHOICE

EDITOR’S CHOICE

3D Saxophone Fingering Chart HUR HURR HURRRR. iOS/android, Free Looking into apps that teach Saxophone I found one thing wanting in particular.

Fingering, as lovely a word as it is, refers to the buttons on the saxophone that need to be pushed to get certain notes. This seems straightforward but there are a surprising number of random keys on a sax. The very top key on a saxophone, and where many players instinctively put ŹĠăĤŬ ƱŅęăŬŰ̐ ĤŰ ŎŅă ŰƀõĠ ØŨŨăŅûĤƚ Ŏė Ø key. Most diagrams don’t make this obvious enough. That’s why a good clear chart is important. Despite looking very basic, this is the best I found for clarity. It ØĺƕØƛŰ ŰĠŎƕŰ Ø ėƀĺĺ ƛ㏠ŰĤłŨĺĤƱăû saxophone rendering with hands that can òă ŹŎęęĺăû ŎŅ ŎŬ Ŏƫ̖ §Ġă ķăƛŰ ØĺŰŎ òăõŎłă coloured so you can actually see what the hands are pushing. It even has some high octave notes that experienced players may wanna check on, so it has uses for many skill levels.

Unfortunately, in use so far I’ve been a bit let down. I’ve had a few consignment numbers simply not be recognised so they can’t be added to the system.

Sleep Sounds

Parcel

MORE THAN SNORING. Android/iOS, Free/playpass/$49.99 Apps to help you sleep are a dime a dozen and litter the stores, so I’m always keeping my eyes closed for the best ones. I saw an advert for Sleep ŎƀŅûŰ òăĤŅę ŨƀŰĠăû ŰŎ R ƱęƀŬăû R̵û check it out, and I’m quietly impressed.

This gives a wide range of options for almost anything you could hope to listen to falling asleep. But where it really shines is in all the little customisations. You can layer the sounds, so if a thunderstorm isn’t really doing it for you, you can add more thunder, or perhaps some bird sounds, or even music. You can even create custom tracks and play lengths to suit your needs. That dime a dozen comment wasn’t for nothing. Most of these apps try to get money for every little feature but Sleep Sounds does a lot at little cost, or everything for free if you have a play pass sub. Well worth looking into for

PART AND... iOS, Free/$4.99 per annum I get a lot of deliveries from tonnes of ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ŨĺØõăŰ̖ R łĤęĠŹ ĠØƔă ŹĠĤŅęŰ coming from Auspost, Amazon, Couriers, and frankly who knows what other unholy delivery beast. Parcel is an app that lets you display all of these in one handy place on your i-device. Plus it has widget features so you can have this all displayed on your home screen which is neat. It even has functionality to import from Amazon and your emails if you choose to connect those accounts, so in theory Parcel was looking good.

Unfortunately, in use so far I’ve been a bit let down. I’ve had a few consignment numbers simply not be recognised so they can’t be added to the system. The free version also only lets you add three items at a time, which doesn’t really feel ƕŎŬŹĠ ŹĠă ăƫŎŬŹ Ŏė ŹĠă ØŨŨ̐ ŹĠŎƀęĠ ͊˛̖ˠˠ per year is pretty reasonable for a paid sub. I still don’t mind it as a quick glance widget but overall Parcel hasn’t delivered

some relaxing ambiance.

for me.

25

DISCOVER Games news

Gears of War studio confirms it’s not working on a Star Wars title The Coalition recently revealed that all future projects will be developed on Unreal Engine 5.

Fortnite PvE survival mode Daybreak referenced in latest patch Files datamined from this month’s 16.40 patch aren’t the first to reference an “open world simulation sandbox.”

Noted Fortnite leaker Hypex recently tweeted out what seem to be images of the new map and some of the props on the island. Leaked documents from the Apple vs Epic trial seemingly connect the images with the upcoming Daybreak mode.

Resident Evil Village is the fastestselling game in the series

26

Gears of War studio The Coalition is shutting down rumors that it’s developing a new Star Wars title.

With the news that The Coalition is shifting development of all future projects to Unreal Engine 5, a recent rumour from GamesBeat’s Jeff Grubb naturally made its way into the Reddit conversation, but the Gears studio wasn’t having any of it. In a reply to a comment invoking the rumor, Gears of War community manager TC Kilo, in no uncertain terms, squashed it.

“Just to clarify regarding the Star Wars thing,” reads the response from The

Coalition. “We are not working on any such title. We have nothing else to announce at this time.”

In announcing that The Coalition is moving to a next-gen development engine, the studio also made sure to temper expectations about new game announcements more generally. “Shifting to a new engine is a big undertaking, so we want to be clear that we will not be announcing any new projects or titles for some time.”

JORDAN GERBLICK

Battlefield 6 reveal set for June, EA confirms Expect the first proper Battlefield 6 trailer real soon now.

Resident Evil Village sales have surpassed three million in four days, Capcom has announced.

This puts Resident Evil Village in the joint-first position for the best game launch in the series.

Back in 2012, Resident Evil 6 also managed to sell three million units in four total days, but Village is well ahead of both Resident Evil 2 Remake’s

As spotted by Battlefield News, EA CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed the June reveal during the company’s earnings call on Tuesday. A specific date wasn’t mentioned, but more info drops were teased for the remainder of the summer.

It’s not like there were a ton of other ways to perceive the tease we reported on below, but it’s good to know for sure that we won’t be waiting much longer to finally witness Battlefield 6’s introduction.

awaited proper reveal “soon,” along with confirming that, whatever it is, it will be headed to PC and new-gen consoles this year. Not very specific, right? Well, it sent out another Tweet with the observation that both the words “June” and “boom” rhyme with “soon.” Hm. Hmm. EA hasn’t announced its own official E3 2021 event yet, but that’s hardly a surprise since it has done its own EA-adjacent event with EA Play for the last few years anyway.

launch, and Resident Evil 3 Remake’s debut.

EA and DICE teased back in April that the next Battlefield game would get its long-

CONNOR SHERIDAN, JORDAN GERBLICK

HOW TO Manage network devices

1

NETWORK KNOW–HOW Most routers provide an app that allows you to

2

TAKE BACK CONTROL You can control individual devices, perhaps

3

DAY BY DAY Another really useful feature – but not found in all apps –

is the ability to create daily or weekly schedules to control your kids’ internet

adjust various settings. The features in

blocking devices you don’t recognize, or

these apps can vary quite a lot, but they generally start by giving you an overview

pausing the kids’ internet at dinner time.

Some apps provide filters to block

of all the devices that are currently

unsuitable material – but watch out for

connected to your network.

additional subscription fees here.

they’re not on Instagram or TikTok all night long.

TEST AND TRACE The Linksys router here has a good app, which includes a speed test to check your Wi–Fi performance. It can even monitor the Wi-Fi channels being used by nearby networks and suggest which channels will work best for you.

4

GAME ON! Some activities, such as gaming or streaming video, need a really fast connection. Many apps allow you to give priority to specific tasks – or to individual devices, such as a games console – so that they get the best possible speeds.

5

6

7

8

9

DUAL BANDS Some routers merge the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands into a single network – which means you can’t choose which band you connect to.

However, this interface allows you to create two separate networks on those bands.

WI-FI ASSIST If your Wi-Fi is really unreliable, you can use “Wi-Fi Assist” on your iPhone (or iPad with mobile broadband), to automatically switch to mobile broadband. Go to Settings/Mobile Data and scroll right down to find this option.

access. That way you can make sure

BROWSER INTERFACE The apps provided with most routers tend to be fairly basic. To find additional controls you may be able to use a web browser to log directly in to your router’s advanced interface (check the router’s manual to find this option).

PERSONAL HOTSPOT In emergencies, you can use your iPhone’s mobile broadband to create a “personal hotspot” that acts as a temporary Wi-Fi network. These last two options both use mobile broadband, so watch out for extra charges!

55

DISCOVER PC & console games

Early rumours suggested this started life as Resident Evil Revelations 3, before being reworked and upgraded to a Resident Evil 7 sequel, and having finished it I can believe that.

$75, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, www.residentevil.com

Resident Evil Village A great start cannot maintain its momentum.

I feel like I want to give Resident Evil Village a running commentary of scores, such is the range and variety of its sections: 8, 9 (...Jesus, maybe a 10?), 8, 7, 6… There’s so

fun – full of atmosphere and intrigue as you explore (and features a part that’s probably one of the best stand-alone horror levels of the year). While the latter half veers into ‘okay’ territory, with some combat slogs, a boss fight that’s a bit of a stretch even

by Resident Evil standards and, while it’s still good, it lacks the same spark and craft as the beginning.

To be clear, I enjoyed Resident Evil Village, as when it’s great it’s

while exploring and unlocking the titular village is satisfying. But it does feel like a mishmash of directions. Early rumors suggested this started life as Resident Evil Revelations 3, before being reworked and upgraded to a Resident Evil 7 sequel, and having finished it I can believe that. The change between the first and second halves feels like a gradual drift from the sinister tone of the last game, to Revelations’ louder, fun action movie vibe. That said I’m going to have to try to explain as much as I can without spoiling anything, because Capcom has impressively managed to keep about 90 percent of the game secret and only shown off the first maybe three or four hours. Almost everything I could mention that isn’t Vampire Mummy or a werewolf will be a surprise I don’t want to ruin.

Oddly, for a series known for its

on fire. Characters are entertaining, there are some lovely ‘holy shit what?’ twists and turns,

puzzles, it’s the one area where the quality is consistently… low. Bar one brilliant set piece sequence

much going on but it chops and changes from beat to beat in such a way you can almost see the line between sections. Most noticeably it feels like there’s a real difference between the first and second half.

The opening is strong, clever, and

28

most of the challenges feel phoned in - there’s a treasure map that leads you to an obvious, completely unhidden locked gate you previously passed during a scripted sequence, while one puzzle literally has the solution next to it; not some enigmatic hint you have to decrypt, just the answer, next to the buttons you need to press. Most of what passes for puzzles boils down to finding something later you then take back to somewhere you were earlier.

It’s only in the latter half where things start to alternate between some good bits, some fumbles, and at least one moment of ‘oh my God, what?!’ shark-jumping excess that wouldn’t look out of place in a Fast and Furious trailer.

A strong start and okay finish makes this average out as a decent but not amazing installment.

Leon Hurley

SUPERGUIDE Networking

FAQ Networking troubleshooter We take a look at some of the most common network problems, some quick fixes, and debunk some Wi–Fi theories.

My new router won’t connect to the internet

to the internet, and allows it to set up ƛŎƀŬ Ņăƕ̐ ėØŰŹăŬ ÃĤ̪DĤ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ̖

I recently bought a new router

No Wi–Fi in the attic

to replace the ancient, slow router that was supplied by

We’ve just converted our attic into a new bedroom, but the ÃĤ̪DĤ ŰĤęŅØĺ ĤŰ ƔăŬƛ ƀŅŬăĺĤØòĺă̖

łƛ R ØòŎƀŹ ėŎƀŬ ƛăØŬŰ ØęŎ̖ ÃĠăŅ R Ű㏠ƀŨ ŹĠă Ņăƕ ŬŎƀŹăŬ łƛ nØõŰ ØŅû Ĥ{ devices can see the new Wi-Fi network that it has created, but the router itself

Do we need to buy a new router?

If your Wi-Fi works well in

̀

õØŅ̵Ź õŎŅŅăõŹ ŹŎ ŹĠă ĤŅŹăŬŅăŹ̖

other parts of your house, and it’s just that one room up in the

A router on its own can’t actually connect to the internet, so the original router

ĺŎėŹ̀ŹĠØŹ ĤŰ ăƚŨăŬĤăŅõĤŅę Ø ŨŬŎòĺăł̐ ŹŬƛ ØŅ ØƫŎŬûØòĺă ŬØŅęă ăƚŹăŅûăŬ̖ Ãă̵Ɣă

ŨŬŎƔĤûăû òƛ ƛŎƀŬ R ĤŰ ØõŹƀØĺĺƛ Ø õŎłòĤŅăû łŎûăł ŬŎƀŹăŬ̖ RŹ̵Ű ŹĠă modem, or modulator/demodulator, that handles the actual internet connection while the router is responsible for creating the Wi-Fi network and transmitting data to/from ŹĠă ĤŅŹăŬŅ㏠ŹŎ ƛŎƀŬ õŎŅŅăõŹăû ûăƔĤõăŰ̖ Most new routers that you might buy as an upgrade don’t include a modem, ŰŎ ƛŎƀ łØƛ Ņăăû ŹŎ ŬăŹØĤŅ ƛŎƀŬ R ̵Ű Ŏĺû router in order to keep using its modem ŹŎ ĠØŅûĺă ƛŎƀŬ ĤŅŹăŬŅ㏠õŎŅŅăõŹĤŎŅ̖ You’ll need to use an Ethernet cable to connect your new router to an Ethernet ŨŎŬŹ ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ R ̵Ű Ŏĺû ŬŎƀŹăŬ̖ §ĠØŹ Ethernet cable connects your new router

You don’t need to buy a new router for iPhones with Wi-Fi 6.

Three o the best Wi–Fi extenders

62

TP–Link RE450/AC1750

Linksys RE9000

Netgear EAX20

$99.99 tp-link.com You can get cheap extenders for as little as $20, but it’s worth paying for one that provides decent performance. The RE450 provides dual–band 802.11ac

$149.99 linksys.com It may look like a regular router, but that’s the point — this tri–band extender has a 10,000sq ft range and offers speeds of up to 3,000Mbps — making it

$149.99 netgear.com Netgear’s EAX20 is one of the first Wi–Fi 6 range extenders, and it will work with older 802.11ac routers too. It provides dual–band Wi–Fi at 1,800Mbps

Wi–Fi running at 1,750Mbps, plus one Ethernet port.

great for 4K video and gaming.

and has four Ethernet ports for additional wired connections.

DISCOVER Mobile games

Mobile games James Pinnell reviews the latest games for android & iOS smartphones & tablets.

2020 EDITOR’S CHOICE

Dadish 2 MY FAVOURITE PATERNAL RADISH. Ad-supported ($3.49 Full Unlock) I have a soft spot in my heart for a radish

Project Cars Go PROJECT: FAILED. Free with IAP Project Cars as a franchise has certainly had its fair share of ups and downs. One of the closest competitors to the Forza and Gran Turismo powerhouses of Xbox and PlayStation, Slightly Mad Studios ĠØŰ łØûă ĠĤęĠ ƱûăĺĤŹƛ̐ ŹŬƀă ĠØŅûĺĤŅę̐ dynamic surface and weather environments an obsession. As a result, even the original version of the software that came out in 2015 still looks and runs exceptionally on PC and is considered best-in-class as far as simulators go.

So, it’s somewhat of a shock that a game that focused so heavily on realism would choose to emulate one of the other recent disappointments in mobile racing – Forza Street – which also took a franchise focused on control and pace and removed all sense of excitement and complexity. Project Cars Go, like Forza̐ ŬăūƀĤŬăŰ ŎŅĺƛ Ø ŰĤŅęĺă ƱŅęăŬ ŹŎ control, thus removing steering, acceleration and breaking strategy.

Instead, races focus on timing button presses at checkpoints to control all of these aspects.

The reasoning for this is fairly clear,

30

since it’s much easier to monetise a vehicle that doesn’t require skill to control. The speed and navigation of the car against others is on rails, and upgrading the intrinsic components (wheels, engine, breaks etc) just bumps up the access to certain races. At its core, I don’t really have a problem with the game as it stands – it runs well enough, looks good – but there is nothing to it. Other mobile racers, such as Asphalt 9, CSR2 or Rebel Racing, all ensure players have full control over their vehicles, with a mess of control schemes and controller support, showing it’s more than possible on mobile.

In 2021, with the vast majority of phones capable of running graphically intensive games with real controls, physics and a host of other features – titles like this feel lazy and exploitative.

Right now, you can play Forza Motorsport on your Android device (and by time of print, iOS) via Cloud Streaming – so why bother with this? If you are looking for a decent racer, look elsewhere.

dad. Especially a caring radish dad. In this sequel to the insanely popular original, our favourite sentient root vegetable took his kids to work and they all managed to get lost across 50 levels of platforming adventure. Standard troubles, eh? On the way there’s bosses, giant hamburgers, silly dialogue and lots of weird little surprises. Dadish 2 is really the perfect mobile game – it’s simple to control and hard to master, it looks and runs wonderfully on almost any device, including tablets. Great soundtrack to boot, with controller support, secret areas and quite an endearing story about ėØŹĠăŬĠŎŎû̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ĤŰ ĠØŬû ŹŎ ƱŅû ĤŅ Ø casual platformer. It’s also made across the ditch in NZ, which is an added bonus.

There are also a bunch of improvements on the original – new mechanics, a much łŎŬă òŬƀŹØĺ ûĤƬõƀĺŹƛ õƀŬƔă ØŹ ŹĠă ĠĤęĠăŬ levels, physics-based puzzles, and it’s also just a hell of a lot funnier. Really. The dialogue in the game is hilarious and some of the level design is extraordinary – the space station levels were exceptionally good and I could have played the entire game inside of them.

While the touch screen controls are simple and responsive, its highly recommended playing Dadish 2 with a controller – it was certainly designed with this in mind. You can play the entire game with ad support, but it’s highly recommended to unlock the full title early with a single $3.49 purchase.

2020

2020

EDITOR’S CHOICE

EDITOR APPROVED

2020 EDITOR’S CHOICE

Tiny Room Stories: Town Mystery

Blast Beats

Rusty Lake Hotel

DOOF, DOOF...

UNSETTLING ANIMALS.

TINY ROOMS, LARGE EXPERIENCES. Ad-supported ($2.49 Full Unlock)

Ad-supported ($1.99 Full Unlock) I love a good rhythm game. There’s

$1.99 Rusty Lake Hotel is the second point

Tiny Room Stories won a staggering amount of awards on its initial release and there’s good reason why – it’s an exceptional puzzler that makes fantastic use of a touch screen, thanks to the innovative rotation mechanism that allows the game to hide clues and items in plain sight. There’s also a great story built in to boot across its 15 chapters for the bargain price of $2.49 for the full game.

At its core, Tiny Room Stories is a detective game. You are presented with a single screen scenario – which may involve a house or a room you need to access and once inside, there are generally a set of logic-based puzzles to complete in order to proceed in the ŰŹŎŬƛ ØŅû ƱŅû ŎƀŹ ƕĠØŹ ĠØŨŨăŅăû ŹŎ your missing father and the other residents of the town he contacted you ėŬŎł̖ ÃĠĤĺă ûĤƬõƀĺŹ̐ ŨƀƤƤĺăŰ ØŬă ŬØŬăĺƛ silly or focus on some insane sort of process – they are almost entirely mechanical.

Every level is fully 3D and exceptionally detailed, providing a ĠŎŰŹ Ŏė õĠØĺĺăŅęăŰ ŹŎ ƱęƀŬă ŎƀŹ ŹĠă mysterious reasons why the residents vanished.

While the ads are non-invasive I would highly recommend forking out the small cost early, which certainly heightens the immersive nature of the game, which can be spoiled somewhat by a garish slots advert or similar.

something especially enthralling about getting to interact with a great track, and after thoroughly enjoying the Queen mobile experience a few months back, I’ve been on the lookout for another great game to get my thumbs tapping again. Blast Beats is a Rock/EDM focused one-tap “Rhythm Experience” that keeps things fun and simple – just tap to the beat.

There’s not a lot to say about Blast Beats that isn’t already clear from its marketing; there’s 15 arguably great tracks, fun and quirky pixel art graphics, and great responsive controls.

There’s even a little video doco series built in that goes into how the developers came up with the ideas and made the game, which - as a journalist - I actually enjoyed more than the game itself. One thing I didn’t like was that there was no haptic feedback for taps, whether successful or not, which made ĤŹ ûĤƬõƀĺŹ ŹŎ Źăĺĺ Ĥė ƛŎƀ̵û łØûă Ø õŎŬŬăõŹ tap or to get into the tempo of the beats.

It really detracted from what is largely a fun experience.

The game, like most of the others I’ve reviewed in this issue, is mostly ad-supported but you can unlock it for $1.99, which is a great price. I’ve been impressed with the move away from microtransactions or excessive ad unlock prices of late and it shows a dedication to providing choice outside

and click adventure I played this month, and it turned out to be a deep and wonderful experience although with a much more creepy aesthetic, mature themes, exceptional narration, story, and characters. It was also hard almost to the point of frustration, but managed to keep me engaged throughout.

Rusty Lake Hotel begins with a number of guests, each one a ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ØŅĤłØĺ ĤŅ ĠƀłØŅ õĺŎŹĠĤŅę̖ §ĠăŬă ØŬă ŰĤƚ ŬŎŎłŰ ØŅû ƱƔă ûĤŅŅăŬŰ̐ each with a host of puzzles and ûĤØĺŎęƀă̐ Øĺĺ õŎØŹăû ĤŅ Ø ƲŎƕĤŅę narration and a wonderful soundtrack. Being a point and click title (or tap in this case), puzzles are single screen related and can get quite intense – especially when the story begins to ramp up.

Animation and animals aside, this is certainly not a children’s game. It can get quite chilling and mature, and some of the events may be shocking for anyone under the age of 14. But the mysteries as they gradually unfold, while shocking, are intense, intimate and engaging for adults. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a more complex and mature game.

For $1.99, it’s a steal. Especially recommended for tablets and a pair of good headphones.

excessive monetisation for a lot of the indie games especially.

TL

31

TEST BENCH Reviews

2020 EDITOR APPROVED

$499, www.asus.com

Asus Chromebox 4 Small, simple and versatile computing for cheap.

As the way we use computers has changed – and productivity has moved more towards online tools – so has the value of Chrome OS (which powers many of the best Chromebooks). The Asus Chromebox 4 is a good example of what it can do; a box which can handle basically any online tool you can throw at it, and as long as you’re careful not to ask too much of its relatively limited hardware, it’s a machine with a surprising amount of pep for its price.

It’s small and subtle, able to sit behind a monitor or quietly on a desk, with a very good collection of connectivity ports and enough graphical power to output in 4K – perhaps, if you’re really looking to push it, over multiple screens at a time. The Chromebox 4 is a roundly positive device.

This will, we’re sure, not come as a huge surprise, but there’s not an awful lot about the Chromebox 4

generation, a rounded square box ƕĤŹĠ Ø ŰĺØŰĠăû Ŏƫ õŎŬŅăŬ ėŎŬ ŹĠă power button, and with a similar size to the Mac mini.

That pedestrian design is not a Ġƀęă ŰƀŬŨŬĤŰă ̪ ŹĠĤŰ ĤŰŅ̵Ź ƲØŰĠƛ hardware. Had Asus imbued it with RGB, had it used some sort of magnesium alloy case in place of the basic plastic employed here (called ‘gunmetal’ by Asus, but let’s be honest, it’s very, very dark gray) it would have been wasting its time and your money. This is a machine that’s just built to get on with its job for the least outlay possible.

Not that Asus hasn’t been clever. The ports are spread over two of the edges, with a pair of high speed USB Type-A ports, a microSD reader and an audio combo jack on one side, and three more USB ports (one high speed) as well as a pair of HDMI outputs (as opposed to one on the previous generation), a DisplayPort-compatible Type-C

This isn’t just idle layout, since the Chromebox 4 includes a specially-designed VESA mount in the box, practically begging you to mount it on the back of a monitor – this port layout puts the right things in the right place if you do, with the power button pointing upwards and the ports on either side. It’s also, y’know, a pretty sensible way to lay things out even Ĥė ƛŎƀ ĠØƔă ŹĠĤŰ ƲØŹ ŎŅ Ø ûăŰķ̐ ƕĤŹĠ ĤŹŰ ûăƱŅăû ėŬŎŅŹ ŬăØûƛ ŹŎ ęĤƔă external drives maximum attention, and everything else cabled out of the back.

If we were to pick one little niggle, perhaps one of those HDMI ports could have been swapped for a full-sized DisplayPort socket.

Sure, the USB Type-C port is convertible, and the resourceful user can feed just about anything into anything, but the versatility of having all three possible outputs would have made this that much more universal.

that’s remarkable. It’s basically the same design as the previous

port and an Ethernet jack on the opposite side.

Performance

Design

32

The experience of working on a

your tab management. The Asus Chromebox 4 (and again, this is the Celeron version – higher-end models get 8GB RAM) is a

ChromeOS device has come a long way since the earliest Chromebooks, with extra underlying power helping everything move along at a clip and small – if not revolutionary – upgrades turning the operating system itself into a very usable environment. If all you need is the web, if you’re working with a small number of online tools at a time, it is absolutely adequate – and if you need more, like the ability to run Linux applications or compatibility with Android apps, it has that too.

The Celeron spin of the Asus Chromebook 4 is not a powerful one, but it’s a hardware combo that can still manage a surprising amount. The jump up from an 8th-gen to 10th-gen CPU since the previous generation gives the Asus Chromebox 4 a solid bump

The Chromebox 4’s ports make it super easy to mount on the back of a monitor.

in muscle over the equivalent Chromebox 3, and in general things feel rather snappy on the desktop. From a user experience ŨŎĤŅŹ Ŏė ƔĤăƕ ŹĠĤŰ ĤŰ ƱŅă ėŎŬ ŹĠă most part, but things get a lot more syrupy if you’re bold enough to open more than a few heavyweight Chrome tabs.

Its RAM might be running at an impressive 2,666MHz and have the relatively light job of supporting a fairly minimal OS, but it turns out 4GB is simply not an adequate amount for a modern machine basically being forced to run one of the most memoryintensive browsers out there.

It’s particularly galling in a box which touts its ability to support three 4K screens at once; Intel’s integrated graphics can manage it, but don’t expect desirable results unless you’re very hot on

machine you have to hand-hold if you want it to play nice.

Of course, it is a modern ChromeOS device, which means it’s capable of more than Chrome-based web apps. Android here is containerised and slightly out of date, running apps on top of a version of Android 9. It’s functional, but don’t expect great results from more intense apps; we ran three-year-old Asphalt 9 ĤŅ ØŅ ØŹŹăłŨŹ ŹŎ ŰĠŎƕ Ŏƫ ŹĠă Chromebox 4 to a young family member, and even they were able to detect its sluggish performance and frequent frame ûŬŎŨŰ̖ eĤęĠŹăŬ ƕŎŬķ ėØŬăû ƱŅă̐ with smart home apps and things like the Android Reddit app giving us no trouble.

Linux apps work, with the usual Chrome OS niggles, though CPU-intensive apps like GIMP did feel somewhat more challenged by the hardware than the browser did when performing similar tasks on sites like Photopea.

There’s plenty to love about the Asus Chromebox 4, but this Celeron-powered version lacks power and, well, it’s really not very exciting.

Alex Cox

33

TEST BENCH Reviews

2020 EDITOR’S CHOICE

$1,699, www.dji.com $

D Air 2S DJI T fantastic Air 2 The 2S is ourr new favorite drone.

H on the heels of the DJI FPV, Hot FPV t drone giant shows no the n signs o slowing with the of a announcement of the D DJI Air 2S. A And while the name suggests o only an incremental up pgrade on t Mavic Air 2, there’s the s a lot in t this new model to whett the a appetite of consumer and p professional drone pilo ots alike – most importantly, a 1-inch 1 s sensor packed inside a compact drone.

The headline feature of the DJI Air 2S is the 20MP 1-inch sensor, which improves image quality and provides an improved high ISO respone compared to the Mavic Air 2. Then there’s the ability to capture 5.4K video at 30fps, alongside 4K at up to 60fps, as well as 1080p at up to 120fps, which opens up ŰĤęŅĤƱõØŅŹ õŬăØŹĤƔă ŨŎŹăŅŹĤØĺ ėŎŬ capturing video. Even better, this larger sensor camera has increased the weight of the drone compared to the Mavic Air 2 by just 25g.

34

Design and controller On the outside, the Air 2S looks s extremely similar to the Mavic c Air 2, with just a few subtle ûĤƫăŬăŅõăŰ̖ Ű ƛŎƀ̵û ăƚŨăõŹ̐ ĤŹ features the folding design that Mavic drones are known for (even if DJI has now dropped the Mavic name). The front arms swing out, while the rear

The Air 2S folds down into an easy to store and transport form factor.

foldable and is larger, larger with a weight of 393g. While it connects to the aircraft fasterr than the Mavic 2 controller it, ƀŅėŎŬŹƀŅØŹăĺƛ̐ ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź ŎƫăŬ Ø simple screen showing basic ƲĤęĠŹ ØŅû õØłăŬØ ĤŅėŎŬłØŹĤŎŅ Ņ̖ Without the folding arms to o support a phone, the phone attaches to the top of the

arms rotate down and out for ƲĤęĠŹ ØŅû ĠăĺŨ ķăăŨ ŹĠă ûŬŎŅă highly transportable.

The Air 2S is small at just 180 0 × 97 × 80mm when folded, and 183 × 253 × 77mm when unfolded. It’s barely any ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ŹŎ ĤŹŰ ŨŬăûăõăŰŰŎŬ̐ òƀŹŹ that puts the folded length at 4mm shorter than the Mavic Air 2. And at just 595g, the Air 2S is just over half the weight of the DJI Mavic 2 Pro and just 25g heavier than the Air 2, which is very impressive considering its larger camera.

The controller is the same as the one you get with the Mavic Air 2. Unlike the Mavic 2 Pro’s

controller using a telescopic grip, and the control sticks are stored in rubberised sections at the bottom of the controller.

It’s a comfortable controller to use, but it’s a shame it’s larger

controller, though, it isn’t

video modes, collision

and heavier than the Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom’s controller.

Features and flight Flying the DJI Air 2S is extremely easy, and indeed ŰØėă̐ ŹĠØŅķŰ ŹŎ ŹĠă ƲĤęĠŹ features that the Mavic series have become well-known for.

Whether you’re an absolute beginner or a seasoned expert, ŹĠă ƲĤęĠŹ łŎûăŰ̐ ØƀŹŎłØŹăû

avoidance and manual flight

difference in testing –

control provide as little or as

everything just worked. These

significantly better than the

much assistance as you need.

The Air 2S features all of the

modes include Rocket, Circle, Dronie, Helix and Asteroid, and

Mavic 2 Pro, which will make it possible to shoot at higher ISO

camera functions you’d expect including Single Shot, Timed Photo, AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing), HDR, Panoramas and Hyperlapses. Plus, there’s a new SmartPhoto mode that records full-resolution photos using scene analysis and deep learning to automatically choose the best of three options – HDR, Hyperlight and Scene Recognition – for your photo.

This is great for photography beginners who want to capture a high-quality image with minimum effort, but not so much for more advanced users. Still, if you’re capturing stills in raw+JPEG mode, the JPEG will be processed as a SmartPhoto while the Raw file will be unprocessed, so you can edit it yourself if you wish.

Video users also get the usual QuickShots, which are DJI’s automated camera moves – for example, choose ‘Boomerang’ and the drone will automatically circle around you. These have apparently

they’re another big bonus for beginners looking to quickly shoot a pro-looking video.

settings, when necessary in low-light conditions, without having to deal with prominent chroma and luminance noise.

In fact, the Air 2S blows the Mavic 2 Pro out of the water in this respect.

In terms of video, it’s possible to shoot 5.4K at up to 30fps, 4K at up to 60fps and Full HD at up to 120fps, so slow-motion video is available. There’s also the 8x digital zoom, which starts at 4x with 4K at 30fps video and goes up to 8x with 1080p at 30fps.

Zoom recording isn’t available while shooting 10-bit videos or 120fps videos though, sadly.

Video and image quality It doesn’t matter how many bells and whistles you put on a drone, it’s the image quality that’s often the most important feature.

And the Air 2S undoubtedly delivers here.

It features a 20MP 1-inch sensor, with the camera providing an 88-degree field of view or a full-frame equivalent focal length of 22mm. Like the Mavic Air 2, the Air 2S also unfortunately has a fixed f/2.8 aperture with a focus range of 60cm to infinity.

The most significant improvement in image quality over the Mavic 2 Pro has to be the high ISO noise handling of the Air 2S. Images shot at ISO 3200 are surprisingly clean for a drone, even one with a 1-inch

Whether you’re an absolute beginner or a seasoned expert, the flight modes, automated video modes, collision avoidance and manual flight control provide as little or as much assistance as you need.

been upgraded on the Air 2S, although we didn’t notice much

sensor. It’s only at ISO 6400 where noise becomes more noticeable.

In a nutshell, ISO handling is

By combining the DJI Mavic Air 2’s compact design and the Mavic 2 Pro’s image quality, the Air 2S is now the best all-round drone you can buy. It delivers several new features over the Mavic Air 2, including a large 20MP 1-inch sensor and digital zoom, and squeezes all of this into a folding design that weighs just 595g. While it’s slightly pricier than its predecessor, it’s well worth the extra cost.

James Abbott 35

FEATURE The global chip shortage crisis

The global chip shortage crisis Charlotte Henry looks at the ongoing global shortage of computer chips and what the consequences might be for Apple.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every aspect of our lives, not to mention the industries we depend on both professionally and personally. One that might not immediately spring to mind for many people is the production of electronic devices, and, in particular, the chips that sit at the heart (or maybe the brain…) of such products. It should though.

Semiconductors – including memory chips, microprocessors, and integrated chips – have been in short supply in the tech industry, and all those that rely on them are in the midst of a genuine crisis. While Apple is better placed than many to ride out the storm, nobody is quite sure at this point when it will end.

What’s the problem?

Like so many workplaces around the world, the factories that produce these vital components 80

had to close as the COVID-19 pandemic escalated. This inevitably led to significant production delays.

When they were able to get back operating, the pandemic had caused such a spike in demand for things like new computers, smartphones and smart home devices that supply could not match demand. Car makers, who slowed down orders during the pandemic, also suddenly found themselves in need of more of these components than before, further adding to demand. As a result, there has been a global shortage of semiconductors, and manufacturers are still trying to catch up.

“Chips are everything,” Mirabaud’s media and tech analyst Neil Campling told The Guardian in March. “There is a perfect storm of supply and demand factors going on here. But basically, there is a new level of demand that can’t be kept

attention to the minutiae without a) sounding prissy about it or b) ignoring the bigger picture. They simply identify and reveal any fine detail lurking at the back or the edges of a recording, and then hand it over in proper context.

The highest frequencies are crisp, and attacking with a level of drive that’s just the right side of relentless. The midrange, always so crucial in making any pair of headphones sound realistic and convincing, is open and properly focused – so voices sound poised, naturalistic and characterpacked. At the bottom end, Sennheiser has made an executive decision to prioritise momentum over out-and-out depth – which isn’t to say they’re lacking weight, but rather that they never drag at tempos. As a consequence, transducers inside those closed-back earcups.

Battery life is as much as 25 hours from a single charge, as long as you’re a) not caning the volume and b) listening to bog-standard SBC content.

Recharging is via the USB-C socket at the bottom of the right earcup, which is also where you’ll find the extremely brief selection of physical controls. Arranged in the classic three-button strip, they cover ‘power on/off/pairing’, ‘play/pause’, ‘skip forwards/ backwards’ and ‘answer/end/ reject call’. The single telephony mic is here too.

Music is the pure focus here, with no real design bells or whistles.

Even hi-res audio files will sound great on HD 250BTs.

Audio performance Every review needs a headline, and here’s one for the Sennheiser HD 250BT: they sound way more accomplished than seems credible at the price.

Given the best stuff to work with – and in this instance that means an MQA-powered Tidal Master file of King by Lilith Czar – the HD 250BT impress in pretty much every respect. Most immediately notable are the sheer levels of detail the Sennheiser HD 250BT manage to extract – nothing is too remote or too transient to escape their notice.

And the 250BT manage to pay

rhythmic expression is strong.

Dynamically, the Sennheiser HD 250BT are rather understated – those who like the sonic fireworks of a ‘quiet/loud/REALLY VERY LOUD’ recording may find the 250BT can squash this expression just a little. The harmonic dynamics that differentiate one guitar strum, say, from another are made perfectly obvious, mind you.

There’s more than enough space on their soundstage for every element of a recording to happily coexist – Townes van Zandt’s Pancho and Lefty sounds as wide-open as its subjectmatter. This sensation of spaciousness doesn’t affect integration, though – so there’s a very agreeable unity to the HD 250BT presentation, and impressive stereo focus to go along with this separation.

Not luxurious, and not exactly stacked with features – but the Sennheiser HD 250BT have it where it counts. The fact that the HD 250BT don’t look, or feel, any more costly than they are is more than compensated for by the sound they make. Yes, the headband is unpadded, but the soundstage is wide open and properly defined – and that’s what counts.

Simon Lucas 37

TEST BENCH Reviews

2020 EDITOR APPROVED

$169, www.instax.com.au

Fujifilm Instax Mini 40 Back-to-basics instant camera with added retro flair. §Ġă DƀĴĤƱĺł RŅŰŹØƚ nĤŅĤ ˛˗ ĤŰ ăŰŰăŅŹĤØĺĺƛ ØŅ ăƔŎĺƀŹĤŎŅ Ŏė ŎŅă Ŏė ŎƀŬ ėØƔŎŬĤŹă ŰŹØŬŹăŬ õØłăŬØŰ̐ ŹĠă DƀĴĤƱĺł RŅŰŹØƚ nĤŅĤ ˘˘̖ RŹ ŬăŹØĤŅŰ ŹĠØŹ õØłăŬØ̵Ű ŰŹŬĤŨŨăû̪òØõķ ŎŨăŬØŹĤŎŅ̐ òƀŹ ŰƕØŨŰ ŹĠă ŹŎƛ̪ĺĤķă ŰĠØŨă ėŎŬ Ø ƔĤŅŹØęă̪ĤŅŰŨĤŬăû òŎûƛ ŹĠØŹ ƕĤĺĺ ĺŎŎķ ėØŬ łŎŬă ØŹ ĠŎłă ĤŅ ØûƀĺŹ ĠØŅûŰ̖ RŅŰŹØŅŹ ŨĠŎŹŎęŬØŨĠƛ õØŅ òă ăūƀØĺ ŨØŬŹŰ ØŨŨăØĺĤŅę ØŅû ėŬƀŰŹŬØŹĤŅę̐ ăŰŨăõĤØĺĺƛ ėŎŬ ŅăƕõŎłăŬŰ ŹŎ ŹĠă łăûĤƀł̖ Ņû ƕĠĤĺă ŹĠăŬă̵Ű ŅŎ ŰĠŎŬŹØęă Ŏė õØłăŬØŰ ŹŎ õĠŎŎŰă ėŬŎł̐ ŹĠă ŎŅăŰ ûăŰĤęŅăû ėŎŬ ƱŬŰŹ̪ŹĤłăŬŰ ƀŰƀØĺĺƛ ĠØƔă õĠĤĺûŬăŅ ĤŅ łĤŅû̖ eƀõķĤĺƛ̐ ŹĠă RŅŰŹØƚ nĤŅĤ ˛˗ ĤŰ Ø łŎŬă ęŬŎƕŅ̪ƀŨ ØĺŹăŬŅØŹĤƔă̖

Design and features RŹ łØƛ òă łăõĠØŅĤõØĺĺƛ ĤûăŅŹĤõØĺ ŹŎ ŹĠă nĤŅĤ ˘˘̐ òƀŹ ŹĠă nĤŅĤ ˛˗̵Ű ėØƀƚ ĺăØŹĠăŬ ƱŅĤŰĠ ØŅû ŰĤĺƔăŬ ŹŬĤł ûăŹØĤĺŰ ęĤƔă ĤŹ Ø łŎŬă łØŹƀŬă ØŨŨăØŬØŅõă̖ §Ġă ûăŰĤęŅ ĤŰ õĺăØŬĺƛ ĤŅƲƀăŅõăû òƛ ŹĠă łŎŬă ăƚŨăŅŰĤƔă DƀĴĤƱĺł RŅŰŹØƚ nĤŅĤ ˠ˗̐ òƀŹ ƕĠĤĺă ŹĠĤŰ łŎûăĺ ĤŰ õŎŅŰĤûăŬØòĺƛ ĺăŰŰ

38

ăƚŨăŅŰĤƔă ØŅû łØûă ØĺłŎŰŹ ăŅŹĤŬăĺƛ ėŬŎł ŨĺØŰŹĤõ̐ ĤŹ łØŅØęăŰ ŹŎ ØƔŎĤû ėăăĺĤŅę õĠăØŨ̖ RŹ̵Ű ŰĺĤęĠŹĺƛ ŰłØĺĺăŬ ŹĠØŅ ŹĠă nĤŅĤ ˘˘̐ òƀŹ ŰŹĤĺĺ ŅŎŹ ŰłØĺĺ ăŅŎƀęĠ ŹŎ ƱŹ ĤŅ Ø ŨŎõķ㏠̩ ƛŎƀ̵ĺĺ Ņăăû ŹŎ ĺŎŎķ ŹŎ ĠƛòŬĤû ĤŅŰŹØŅŹ õØłăŬØŰ ĺĤķă ŹĠă !ØŅŎŅ ÒŎănĤŅĤ ŎŬ DƀĴĤ̵Ű ŎƕŅ nĤŅĤ eĤ ĺØƛ Ĥė ŨŎŬŹØòĤĺĤŹƛ ĤŰ ķăƛ̖ Năĺû ƔăŬŹĤõØĺĺƛ̐ ŹĠă nĤŅĤ ˛˗ ĤŰ ĺĤęĠŹ ăŅŎƀęĠ ŹŎ ƀŰă õŎłėŎŬŹØòĺƛ ƕĤŹĠ ŎŅă ĠØŅû̐ ØŅû ŹĠă ŬƀòòăŬĤŰăû ŹĠƀłò ŬăŰŹ ŨŬŎƔĤûăŰ ŨĺăŅŹƛ Ŏė ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹ̖ §ĠăŬă ØŬă ŎŅĺƛ ŹƕŎ òƀŹŹŎŅŰ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ØŬă òŎŹĠ ėŎƀŅû ŎŅ ŹĠă ėŬŎŅŹ ėØõă̏ ŎŅă ăƚŹăŅûŰ ŹĠă ĺăŅŰ òØŬŬăĺ̐ ŹĠă ŎŹĠăŬ ŬăĺăØŰăŰ ŹĠă ŰĠƀŹŹăŬ̖ §Ġă òƀĤĺŹ̪ĤŅ ƲØŰĠ ĤŰ ØƀŹŎłØŹĤõ ØŅû õØŅ̵Ź òă ûĤŰØòĺăû̐ ăƔăŅ ĤŅ òŬĤęĠŹ ŰƀŅĺĤęĠŹ̐ ŰŎ ƛŎƀ ŬăØĺĺƛ ûŎ ĴƀŰŹ ŨŎĤŅŹ ØŅû ŰĠŎŎŹ̖ ÉŎƀ ƕŎŅ̵Ź ăƔăŅ ƱŅû Ø ŹŬĤŨŎû ŹĠŬăØû ŎŅ ŹĠă òŎŹŹŎł Ŏė ŹĠă òŎûƛ̖

Ŏė ŹĠă ƲĤŨ̪ŎƀŹ ŬăØŬ ûŎŎŬ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ĤŰ ƕĠăŬă ƛŎƀ ĤŅŰăŬŹ ŨØõķŰ Ŏė Ʊĺł̖ Ű ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă nĤŅĤ ˘˘̐ ĤŹ̵Ű ŰĺĤęĠŹĺƛ Ŏƫ̪õăŅŹŬă ŹŎ ŹĠă ĺăŅŰ̐ ŰŎ ƕĠØŹ ƛŎƀ Űăă ŹĠŬŎƀęĠ ĤŹ ĤŰŅ̵Ź ăŅŹĤŬăĺƛ ŬăŨŬăŰăŅŹØŹĤƔă Ŏė ŹĠă ƱŅØĺ ŨŬĤŅŹ̖ ŰłØĺĺ ƕĤŅûŎƕ ĤŅ ŹĠă ŬăØŬ ûŎŎŬ ŰĠŎƕŰ ĠŎƕ łØŅƛ ŰĠŎŹŰ ƛŎƀ ĠØƔă ŬăłØĤŅĤŅę ĤŅ ŹĠă õƀŬŬăŅŹĺƛ ĺŎØûăû ŨØõķ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ŰĠŎƀĺû ŨŬăƔăŅŹ ƕØŰŹăû ŰĠŎŹŰ òƛ ŎŨăŅĤŅę ŹĠă Ʊĺł ûŎŎŬ ăØŬĺƛ̖

The design is clearly ĤŅƲƀăŅõăû òƛ ŹĠă łŎŬă ăƚŨăŅŰĤƔă DƀĴĤƱĺł RŅŰŹØƚ nĤŅĤ ˠ˗̐ òƀŹ ƕĠĤĺă ŹĠĤŰ łŎûăĺ ĤŰ õŎŅŰĤûăŬØòĺƛ ĺăŰŰ Performance ăƚŨăŅŰĤƔă ØŅû łØûă §Ġă ŰŨŬĤŅę̪ĺŎØûăû ĺăŅŰ ØĺłŎŰŹ ăŅŹĤŬăĺƛ ėŬŎł òØŬŬăĺ ŨŎŨŰ ƀŨ ŎŅõă ŹĠă ŨĺØŰŹĤõ̐ ĤŹ łØŅØęăŰ ŹŎ ŬăĺăØŰă òƀŹŹŎŅ ĤŰ ŨŬăŰŰăû̖ ĠƛŰĤõØĺĺƛ ØƔŎĤû ėăăĺĤŅę õĠăØŨ̖

§Ġă ƔĤăƕƱŅûăŬ ŰĤŹŰ ŹŎ ŹĠă ŬĤęĠŹ

ŨƀĺĺĤŅę ĤŹ ėƀŬŹĠăŬ łŎƔăŰ ĤŹ ĤŅŹŎ ŰăĺƱă łŎûă̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ĤŰ łăØŅŹ ėŎŬ ŰĠŎŎŹĤŅę òăŹƕăăŅ ˗̖˚ ØŅû ˗̖˜ł ̩ ƀŰă ĤŹ ėŎŬ ØŅƛŹĠĤŅę õĺŎŰăŬ ØŅû ŹĠă ŬăŰƀĺŹŰ ƕĤĺĺ òă ƔăŬƛ òĺƀŬŬƛ̐ ŰŎ ûŎŅ̵Ź ŹĠĤŅķ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ŹŬăØŹ ĤŹ ĺĤķă Ø łØõŬŎ ĺăŅŰ̖ RŹ ûŎăŰ łăØŅ ƛŎƀ ûŎŅ̵Ź ĠØƔă ŹŎ õØŬŬƛ ØŹŹØõĠłăŅŹŰ ØŬŎƀŅû ƕĤŹĠ

you, though, as was the case with

You’re far more likely to run out

aware of light flaring, as the

older Instax cameras. The small

of film than you are power, but at

off-centre viewfinder can trick

mirror on the lens barrel helps line up your shots, although the

least AAs are in wider circulation than the awkward CR2 batteries

you into thinking you have a well-composed shot, only to lose

convex shape does distort your reflection a fair bit.

As with most instant cameras, the viewfinder is separated from the actual system optics. It sits off-centre here, and gives a generous representation of what will fit in the frame. You can often get a bit closer to your subject than you expect, which can be something of a learning curve.

Each print is mechanically ejected via a slot in the top of the camera, and will take upwards of five minutes to fully develop. Instax has the edge over Polaroid’s I-Type film in this respect, although that’s to be expected given the smaller size.

The flash fires every time you press the shutter button, regardless of lighting conditions, as the auto exposure system is calibrated to expect it. It can vary shutter speed between 1/2 and 1/250, so should be able to cope with both brightly lit and dim scenes, particularly when shooting indoors.

It runs on two AA batteries,

Fuji used to use for its instant cameras.

half the scene to overexposure.

Fuji isn’t alone in this respect, with other instant cameras being just as guilty.

The forced flash naturally makes the biggest difference indoors, exposing both subject and background in a way that, while not natural, doesn’t leave huge areas of your shot in darkness. In our experience, not having to think about whether or not to fire the flash and just letting the auto exposure system do its thing meant a greater percentage of shots developed the way we expected. On Fuji’s older cameras, a 20% attrition rate (or higher) wasn’t unheard of.

Image quality If you’ve used an Instax camera before, the Mini 40’s blend of dark shadows and pale bright hues will feel very familiar. They aren’t quite as dreamlike as rival systems from Lomography, capturing more precise details and without any kind of light leakage.

Don’t expect the pinpoint precision you’ll get with digital, though: edges are soft and darker parts of a scene often blend together. For the best results, always shoot away from the sun, as the sensitive film struggles to expose both well-lit skies and subjects that are in shadow.

The combination of physical film and a fixed-focus lens copes best with portraits, as the further away from a subject you get, the less detail is preserved in your shot. This softness often works to its favor, though, giving

Each print is mechanically ejected via a slot in the top of the camera, and will take upwards of five minutes to fully develop.

which typically last for around 100 shots, or ten packs of film.

landscapes a more ethereal vibe.

If you are shooting in direct sunlight, you also have to be

By taking the foolproof functions of the Instax Mini 11 and adding a healthy dose of retro styling, the Mini 40 is sure to appeal to both newcomers and existing fans of instant film. Auto exposure and variable shutter speed help cut down on user error, meaning more shots come out how you intended, and the selfie mode adds flexibility – even if the results aren’t a major improvement over the standard shooting mode.

The new looks bring added cost, though, so it’s not quite as easy to recommend as the Mini 11.

Tom Morgan 39

TEST BENCH Reviews

$159, www.corsair.com

Corsair K65 Mini Keyboard Hard to ignore performance in a compact design.

40

60 percent mechanical keyboards like the Corsair K65 Mini have become a niche product of both PC gaming markets for several reasons. Losing things like function keys, number pads and individual media controls delivers a compact peripheral with no frills.

Though manufacturers like HyperX and Razer have already had success with their takes on the small form factors, Corsair is next to bat. From the premium build to keystroke performance, there’s much to appreciate here – just be mindful that it’s expensive and lacks any elevation latches if you need them.

Out of the box the Corsair K65 Mini feels great in-hand. Weighing a little under two pounds, the keyboard should easily survive rustling inside a backpack or even some sheer drops. And to add to the portability and longevity, it even features a removable USB-C cable.

Utilising a black matte plastic makes the RGB lighting really pop.

that can definitely be uncomfortable if you’re not used to that. The keys themselves feel loose enough for fast-paced gaming or general typing sessions while being tightly locked and secured. PBT double-shot keycaps adds to durability claims: Corsair claims the K65 Mini will last through 100 million keystrokes.

Included in the K65 Mini packaging is a Corsair logo ESC key and spacebar replacement.

However, the default spacebar does have a comfortable texture to it. The Corsair K65 Mini uses Cherry MX Speed Silver key switches, which is as good as it gets outside of Razer’s optical keyswitches. Alongside the 1.2mm actuation distance and Axon hyper-processing technology, gaming or general typing feels amazing. Full N-Key Rollover also provides 100 percent AntiGhosting.

There was never a moment where keystrokes didn’t register

Unfortunately, the angular design leaves out elevation latches

correctly – something competitive gamers (and aspiring ones) will

Matte black plastic really makes the RGB lighting seem particularly bright.

most definitely value. Whether in Google docs or in WASD movement in Doom Eternal, the K65 Mini can keep up. Response times were great regardless of games played such as first-person-shooters or real-timestrategy. Though wrists may feel some strain over prolonged use, finger positioning feels solid.

Thankfully, the slew of customisation options available for the K65 Mini does alleviate those issues. RGB, key macros, and function key settings all can be saved on the 8MB of memory for up to 200 profiles. The process of making those customisations is fairly intuitive, especially in the lighting department. Firmware updates and polling rate adjustments can be made from the iCue software, too.

Corsair enters the 60% mechanical keyboard market with something that delivers fantastic performance in a compact yet quality design. Be mindful that the price of entry is fairly high and lack of any elevation options.

Ural Garrett

HELP STATION iOS

BEFORE

AFTER

Fine–tune your photos How to capture better quality pictures with help from Halide Mark II. REQUIRES Halide MarK II – Pro Camera YOU WILL LEARN How to shoot in Raw format, and sort exposure and focus IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes

Halide MK II – Pro Camera is a camera app that has been redesigned to help you capture better photos. It features tools you’d find on high-end DSLR cameras, like histograms. These undulating graphs help you manually tweak exposure settings to ensure a shot is correctly exposed before you take it. You can also summon new

zebra warnings that help you avoid capturing clipped (overexposed) highlights or under-exposed shadows. Halide also gives more control of selective focus of foreground or background subjects thanks to its new focus loupe. Or you can see which areas are in focus using the enhanced focus peaking tools.

One of the key benefits of Halide

Mark II is its ability to shoot in Raw format. Raw shots feature more info about a scene, enabling photographers to restore missing color and detail. This gives you the chance to shoot in Raw without having to upgrade to an iPhone 12 Pro. GEORGE CAIRNS

HOW TO Shoot a RW format image

92

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS The new Coverage setting creates a JPEG that benefits from Smart HDR and Deep Fusion. It also grabs a Raw version to edit. Tap the gear–shaped settings icon. Tap Capture. In Capture

1

CHOOSE SHOOTING FORMAT Swipe down to return to the Halide Camera. Tap the RAW+ icon to toggle between saving one processed image or a Raw and a JPEG. A label will tell you which option you have

2

3

Format, tap the RAW+ icon.

selected.

Raw file’s colors and tones.

VIEW VERSIONS Tap the shutter button to capture a Raw and JPEG version of the shot, then tap the thumbnail at the bottom–left to view the images. Tap DNG to see the Raw version, then tap Instant to process the

$99, www.corsair.com

Corsair K55 Pro XT Great for gaming, better for budget streaming.

The Corsair K55 Pro XT should be at the top of the list for budget-

cheaper variant on a surface level.

Both feature a matte-black finish

with anti-ghosting and 1,000 Hz report rate means response times

conscious folks who need a full sized gaming keyboard with a light

that feels better than plastic. It definitely feels good to hold and

are good during usage. The Corsair K55 Pro XT feels great, whether

focus on streaming. An upgrade

strong enough for all sorts of

using word processors, browsing

from the cheaper K55 Pro, the higher tiered $99 variant features

everyday bumps. Elevation level can be raised to a comfortable

the web or gaming went off.

Of course, various macros,

a handful of upgrades, including individually lit RGB keys and more

position due to latches underneath the keyboard.

keystroke augmentations and RGB lighting can be customised throug

than 10 static lighting colors. This is on top of an already impressive

The soft palm rest also helps in providing wrist support for long

Corsair’s iCue app. It’s easy to customise the keyboard through

membrane switch keyboard offering IP42-rated resistance,

typing and gaming sessions. When it comes to its RGB lighting, the

the software. Considering the Elgato Stream Deck software

media controls, six dedicated

individually lit keys look great in

compatibility, those macros are put

macro keys, Elgato Stream Deck

light or dark room scenarios.

to better use there. That means that

software compatibility and detectable soft palm rest.

Include the added four plus static lighting colors and the Pro XT does

aspiring streamers don’t have to buy that expensive Stream Deck to

If you are solely looking to upgrade from the K55 Pro and don’t mind adding an extra bit to your budget, the XT tier makes sense. There aren’t many quality, brand name full-sized keyboards catering to streamers at that price.

Be mindful, those who don’t need the extra macros or stream focused capabilities may want to look elsewhere.

The Corsair K55 Pro XT doesn’t appear much different than the

an adequate job of personalising the cosmetic experience.

From general typing and gaming to streaming, the K55 Pro XT makes the best of its membrane switch keyboard. Regardless, keystrokes fall in line with what competitors like Razer and Logitech offer around this price range. Media keys work well alongside the RGB brightness and Windows lock buttons.

The 12-key selective roll-over

add effects or other streaming specific actions.

The K55 Pro XT is a legitimately solid gaming keyboard aimed at streamers. However, users may find the base K55 Pro something to consider if per-key RGB lighting and effects aren’t serious requirements.

Ural Garrett

41

TEST BENCH Reviews

$169, scufgaming.com

SCUF H1 The SCUF H1 headset is a customisable, stylish and solid accessory for console gamers.

42

Perhaps the biggest draw of the SCUF H1 is the big, soft ear pads that sit over the drivers and allow comfort for hours of play at a time.

Lightweight frames and an adjustable fit pairs nicely with the memory foam earpads to make a headset that really delivers on the comfort factor. The magnetic plates that pop on and off the outside of the ear cups are great – and make for some fun customisation options – but ultimately, they’re a pretty useless feature. The mic that attaches via the underside of the left earcup; it can be uni- or omni-directional, depending on your setup, giving you a bit more control of the final look of the headset.

While the 6-foot 3.5mm audio cable that ships with the headset is long, and the volume control on it is decent, at the end of the day, it’s a long audio cable – so its days are inherently numbered. This does mean it affords you a lot of

PlayStation pad… but not as much as a truly wireless headset would.

How much this bothers you comes down to whether you care about the trade-off between latency and utility between wired and wireless headsets.

The speakers come with precision-tuned 50mm highdensity neodymium speaker drivers, which are geared to pushing through the mids more than anything else (standard in a gaming headset). This means, practically, you can hear the critical noises in busy games: footsteps, reloads, pings, and so on are all delivered with clarity and sharp diction. This comes at the cost of a solid, full-range sound profile if you’re playing noncompetitive games or listening to music. But then, this is a headset aimed at competitive gamers, so that’s to be expected. Play Call of Duty or a similar shooter with the SCUF H1 and you’ll hear it at its best, for sure.

freedom and flexibility when you’re plugged into your Xbox or

A detachable microphone is a pretty big sell for any wired

headset – and it means you can leave the house wearing the thing without looking like a maniac.

The SCUF H1’s unidirectional and omni-directional mics are both made with quality, but neither are going to perform like a dedicated streaming mic, if that’s what you’re into. That said, we tested the omni-directional version, and aside from over-sensitive spikes when it comes to plosives, our teammates in games did compliment the clarity of the voice chat using this headset.

The SCUF H1 is an easy choice of headset for gamers that value modular customisation over anything else. It may lack some of the bells and whistles of the more advanced wireless headsets on the market, but at least it’s a top-tier headset when it comes to comfort. If you want to plug your headset directly into your PlayStation or Xbox pad then take it with you for use with your laptop or phone, the SCUF H1 is an ideal companion.

Dom Peppiatt

$199, www.mi-store.com.au

Xiaomi Mi Watch A feature-rich smartwatch with issues.

As with almost all smartwatches, the Xiaomi Mi Watch comprises a body and two detachable straps.

The straps are long, made of thermoplastic polyurethane (which feels like a mix between rubber and plastic), and have plenty of holes for the strap, which also helps with breathability.

It’s very lightweight, weighing in at just under 40g, and so it’s very easy to ignore the watch when it’s on your wrist.

The Xiaomi Mi Watch display is 1.39 inches across, and it’s fairly bright, making it easy to see in direct sunlight. It uses AMOLED tech, so it’s super-colorful, which is useful as it makes it easy to see info when you glance at it while working out.

We were surprised by how fluid motion on the screen felt, for example when scrolling through menus or post-workout breakdowns, and Xiaomi hasn’t revealed the display refresh rate

feeling screen like this can be a joy to use, especially if you haven’t experienced it before.

There are just four watch faces to choose from on the device out of the box, but on the app you can find a huge selection of others to download.

The Xiaomi Mi Watch runs on Xiaomi’s own smartwatch operating system, which is apparently based on its smartphone OS, MIUI. From the main watch face, you can swipe left or right to see a heart rate graph, your energy level, your last night’s sleep score, the current weather and air quality, your stress level, a button to check your blood oxygen level, music controls, and your activity stats for the day (steps, calories burned and active hours).

Press the top crown and you get the app list; however, none of the icons have titles, so it’s initially incredibly confusing to find the feature you’re looking for.

we’d guess it’s higher than on most smartwatches. A responsive-

Once we got used to the Mi Watch’s confusing menu, we found

It may not be the perfect smartwatch, but its price and lightweight design make the Mi Watch compelling.

the interface a little more intuitive – you never have to swipe or tap through too many menus to get to whichever tool or feature you’re looking for, and everything is sensibly laid out.

The Xiaomi Mi Watch has 117 sports modes – that’s more than Wear OS or Huawei LiteOS smartwatches, and it includes popular modes like running and cycling, as well as more niche ones like rock climbing, ballet and hula-hooping.

The Xiaomi Mi watch undercuts its Fitbit rivals with an affordable price tag, and boasts an expansive suite of features, including over 100 fitness-tracking modes, along with built-in GPS, something many smartwatches at this price point lack. We did find, however, that some of the health tracking aspects felt a touch inaccurate, especially stress, sleep and energy monitoring, and a few features of this watch take some getting used to.

Tom Bedford 43

TEST BENCH Reviews

$349, www.viofo.com

Viofo A139 A triple-threat dash cam that misses the mark.

44

Despite being a relatively obscure

have to flick to the back of the

The video footage itself is pretty

name in the dash cam game, Viofo offers excellent bang for your

instruction book to find the default Wi-Fi code (it’s 12345678, in case

good, with the 140-degree front camera easily capturing everything

buck in its 4K Viofo Pro Duo

you were wondering).

out of the windscreen, while the

bundle, which features a surprisingly crisp full 4K

Each unit is affixed to the glass via 3M adhesive patches, so it’s

wider 170-degree interior and rear cameras feel like the right field of

resolution front camera and Full HD rear-facing unit.

worth sketching out a vague plan before you start sticking –

view to snare the most action.

Viofo uses Sony Starvis image

The A139 isn’t exactly this model’s successor, but instead an

because, unlike sucker mounts, these aren’t the easiest to get off.

sensors, which work well when capturing footage in low-light

additional offering that includes another camera in the mix. The

You only really get one shot at it.

Once installed, the camera works

situations. However, note that the drop in resolution here does mean

newcomer is an interior unit that

like most others on the market,

that some of the quality is lost in

monitors the cabin of the vehicle in

continuously capturing and saving

sub-par driving conditions. You’ll be

Full HD, with the added benefit of six infrared LEDs to capture

video footage to a memory card, before overwriting any unsaved

able to punch into the footage using some video software, but distant

footage in even the lowest light.

The downside to Viofo’s generosity is that the front-facing camera drops its resolution to 2K quality (2,560 x 1,440 pixels at either 30 or 60fps) and you lose the small colour display that makes setting up and monitoring these things far easier.

In this case, users first have to download the Viofo app (iOS and Android) and connect a smartphone via the camera’s onboard Wi-Fi. But first, you’ll

incidents so you don’t have to continuously format the card.

It can handle up to 256GB memory cards and it’s definitely worth investing in the larger storage space, since footage from three separate cameras soon takes up valuable room. Clips are saved automatically via a G-sensor, or motion sensing when the vehicle is parked, but you’ll need to hard-wire the camera into the vehicle’s power supply to allow the tech to work when the ignition is switched off.

details become fuzzy.

Predominantly aimed at professional drivers who need to capture unruly behavior inside the car, the Viofo A139 offers plenty of tech for the money. That said, quality from the 1440p front camera isn’t as good as other Viofo models, the set-up process is fairly arduous, and the app is fiddly to navigate.

Leon Poultney

HELP STATION Fitness

LEFT: The app will ask you to sign up for a premium subscription.

RIGHT: Start by answering a series of questions.

FAR RIGHT: See a nutritional breakdown of every meal you record.

Shed those pesky kilos with Lifesum It may surprise you just how many calories are in the foods you eat. Tim Bothwell shows you how Lifesum could provide new insights about your diet.

‘Exercise more and eat less’. It’s the one thing we’re often told when we want to lose weight. But eating less isn’t always as simple as it seems. I’d like to think that my diet is pretty consistent, but having tracked my food for the past month, I’ve been quite surprised at some of the foods I’ve consumed. Who would’ve thought that a pizza could contain over 1,000 calories! I digress, but the point is we often tend to underestimate just how many calories we consume in a day. This month we’re taking a look at popular food-tracking app Lifesum. Not only does it allow for quick and easy tracking of õØĺŎŬĤăŰ̐ ĤŹ ØĺŰŎ ŎƫăŬŰ ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹ ėŎŬ a range of diet types and meal plans that you can follow.

Freemium. eĤķă łØŅƛ ƱŹŅăŰŰ apps, this one relies on a freemium model, meaning many of the app’s basic features can be used free of charge, while more advanced functionality is locked behind a paywall. For $15 per

subscription to Lifesum unlocks a range of diet types, meal programs, and recipes, plus more detailed analysis into the foods you consume. In this guide we’ll look at a combination of free and premium features, so we’d ûăƱŅĤŹăĺƛ ŬăõŎłłăŅû ŰŹØŬŹĤŅę with the free version to see if you think the app is something worth paying for.

Getting started. After downloading Lifesum from the Google Play or Apple app store, you’ll be asked to select a goal – either to lose, maintain, or gain weight. This will be used to determine the number of calories you should consume each day.

Next, input your age, weight, height and gender before registering for an account. The app will also suggest signing up for a premium subscription – just tap the X icon in the top-right corner to skip this.

Food tracking. The most important feature to get familiar with is the food tracker. On the Diary tab tap the plus icon next to the corresponding mealtime to

month or $70 a year, a premium

reveal a screen where you can

The basics

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The app offers support for a range of diet types.

search for a brand or food item.

For packaged goods, you can also use the app’s barcode scanner to quickly locate and log items – we were very impressed with how many products the app recognised. If there’s an item not in the app’s database, you can add it manually. For every meal you log, Lifesum will show a nutritional breakdown of calories, protein, carbs and fat. The app also provides feedback on the quality of foods using a smiley (or not so smiley) face, for example if food is low in sugar or sodium. As you log meals throughout the day, you’ll see a running total of calories consumed, plus how far Ŏƫ ƛŎƀ ØŬă ėŬŎł ƛŎƀŬ macronutrient targets.

Step it up a level Meal plans. Food tracking is just one of the app’s many features. eĤėăŰƀł ØĺŰŎ ŎƫăŬŰ Ø ŬØŅęă Ŏė diets and meal plans that you can sign up to. In addition to simple calorie-based dieting, the app has support for diets like keto, 5:2, mediterranean, high protein, and clean eating. Those looking for

TEST BENCH Reviews

~$70, www.mymo.co.uk

Mymo Running Shoe Finder The Mymo device and app give smart gait analysis so you can pick your ideal running shoes.

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The Mymo Running Shoe Finder measures 40.5 x 28.5 x13.1mm (approximately the same size as the Garmin Running Dynamics Pod). It sits on your foot as you run, held in a washable neoprene ‘sock’.

It’s designed to be worn with no running shoes so your natural gait is unaffected.

It’s powered by a replaceable 20mm battery, and its only control is a power switch accompanied by an LED power indicator.

The Mymo test can take place on any piece of solid flat ground. First, you download the Mymo app and pair the Mymo pod to your phone.

Next, you pop the pod into the neoprene holster over your bare foot and fit it over your ankle.

Commencing the test on your phone, you’re given a clear countdown during which you first stand still for 10 seconds before running as you would normally for 50 seconds. The data is captured, then you swap to the other foot and repeat the process

remote server to calculate your ankle’s degree of supination or pronation, whether you strike with the heel or forefoot, and your ground contact time.

We’d recommend trying to do the test on a running track if possible. A grassy playing field isn’t suitable, so we found ourselves running on an asphalt path.

Repeating the test several times over a few days, each time the results remained within a range of five and eight degrees of pronation, which is what we’d assumed to be the case having long ago had a similar assessment.

On the occasions where we tried the test at both the beginning and end of a run, it also picked up on our tendency to switch from forefoot to heel striking.

Based on your results the Mymo app will then create a shortlist of shoes for you to consider, along with a breakdown of their characteristics. Being dreadfully cynical, we assumed I’d then be

The data captured by the pod’s sensors is then analyzed on a

directed to a retailer’s website, with Mymo getting a small chunk

of affiliate revenue. However, as it stands the app currently simply recommends you a range of shoes and leaves you to track them down for yourself. Given that you’re paying for the Mymo device, this is as it should be. Still, this independence is definitely to be commended.

That’s basically all there is to the Mymo. You run, it tells you what your feet are doing, then it recommends you some shoes.

Not sure which running shoes will suit your style? Mymo uses a combination of wearable technology and cloud processing to analyse your gait. Reliably providing the raw data needed to help you find the right shoes, it’ll even create a shortlist of options for you. Where it does less well is in explaining how it’s reached this decision. Given its affordable cost and potential for repeated use, it’s a solid tool. However, it still feels like it could be a bit smarter, or offer slightly more in terms of ongoing functionality.

Joseph Delves

2020 EDITOR APPROVED

From $45, www.apple.com/au

Apple AirTag Can Apple’s location tracker rival Tile?

Apple’s long-awaited locationtracking device, AirTag has finally been made official, and while it may be small, it’s likely to prove invaluable if you’re a serial loser of keys, wallets, and the like.

As well as emitting an electronic beep when you can’t locate a tagged item, if an AirTag is paired with an iPhone 11 or above you can get accurate directions to the item using the Find My app. Called Precision Finding, the feature utilises the iPhone’s accelerometer, camera, and gyroscope to provide on-screen directions, your current distance from the AirTag, and haptic feedback when you get close to locating it.

Apple’s Find My device network can also be harnessed to help reunite you with an AirTag that you deem lost rather than misplaced: just put the AirTag into Lost mode, and if another device in the network passes by the AirTag, you’ll get an anonymous update on

if it’s found by a member of the public they can tap it using their iPhone or any NFC-enabled device to display the phone number and get in touch with you.

Apple has also put a lot of thought into privacy, and has put several measures in place to ensure that AirTags can’t be misused. This means you can’t activate an AirTag on behalf of someone else, and your iPhone, iPad or other iOS devices can identify if an unknown AirTag is travelling around with you, alerting you that the owner can see your location. On top of that, the AirTag will draw attention to itself by playing a sound if it’s been separated from its owner for a long period of time but still moves location.

If someone borrows an item to which an AirTag is attached, and they’re getting an unknown AirTag alert, they can choose to pause these alerts for a day or indefinitely if the AirTag is registered to an Apple ID that’s a member of your

its location. You can also assign a phone number to a lost AirTag, so

family sharing group.

The disc-shaped tracker can be

slipped into a wallet or bag, but if you want to attach it to keys or other items you’ll have to purchase an optional key fob or loop that it slots into; however, these will set you back the same price, and in some cases more, than the AirTag itself, meaning an AirTag certainly isn’t the most affordable location tracker on the market. And, like many Apple products, it only works with iOS devices.

However, if you’re regularly forgetting where you left your keys or wallet, or just want the peace of mind that you could quickly find a misplaced item, then an AirTag wil be a sensible purchase.

The Apple AirTags are an invaluable and easy-to-use tool for reuniting you with your misplaced possessions. They’re simple to set up and use, and the Precision Finding feature can help you quickly locate misplaced items. Apple has paid plenty of attention to privacy to ensure the location trackers can’t be misused, too.

Carrie Skinner 47

TEST BENCH Reviews

$Free, www.canva.com

Canva Website Builder A somewhat different approach to website creation.

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In order to use Canva, you must create an account, but all they need from you is your name and an email address to set one up.

Once logged in, go to the website creation section of Canva’s website and you’ll be presented with 162 templates, which you can narrow down not by category, but by their principal colour. It’s a little unusual, but it appears to be your only option, aside from scrolling through them all. You also have the choice of starting with a blank website, should you prefer.

As you click on various templates, you’ll notice that some state that they are “Free to edit and download” while others are “Included in Canva Pro”. Sadly, there’s no way to find out which are which aside from clicking on them. Don’t worry too much though: if you’re testing the service out, you can still select and experiment with a ‘Canva Pro’

Once you’ve chosen the one you like, you’ll enter the editing process proper.

The interface is broken down into sections. The main one shows the currently selected page. You have thumbnails at the bottom, representing all your site’s pages, to the right are available pages for the selected template, and on the far left is a sidebar, giving you access to all the tools you need to customise your website.

You’ll notice that just because you chose a particular template, you’re actually not restricted to it: you’re able to choose another template and add one or more of its pages to your project, allowing you to design something truly unique.

All placeholder text and images can be altered or replaced. Click on a text box and relevant editing tools appear at the top, allowing you to change the font, size, colour, alignment, etc. You can

template – you’ll just have to pay for it prior to publishing it.

apply different styles, or even place your text on a curve.

When it comes to images, you have a host of tools to alter, modify and otherwise improve them, straight from within the application. These range from basic image adjustment tools such as brightness, contrast, saturation, etc, to 20 filters whose intensities can be altered, to a long list of effects.

When it’s time to publish your design, Canva offers an interesting list of choices, including turning all your pages into a single scrolling page, or adding a navigation bar for visitors to click through each of them, for instance. There are four choices open to you which you can preview one after the other if you like, to help you select the one that works best for you.

Canva offers an unusual website creation tool which has its advantages, but it’s not for everyone.

Steve Paris

$Free, photos.google.com

Google Photos Securely store your photos and videos with Google.

Google, the internet search giant,

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2020

ŹØķăŅ ĤŅ ŹĠØŹ ŹŎƕŅ̖ §Ġă ûĤƫăŬăŅõă ĤŅ õØŨĤŹØĺĤŰĤŅę ŹĠă ŰăØŬõĠ ŹăŬł ŰŹŬĤķăŰ

EDITOR APPROVED

ƀŰ ØŰ Ŏûû ØŰ ĤŹ ƕŎƀĺû ŅŎŹ łØŹŹăŬ ŹŎ õØŨĤŹØĺĤŰă Ø ŰăØŬõĠ ŹăŬł ƀŰĤŅę ŹĠă

Google Photos is a strong entry into the cloud storage space for users to store their photos and images, but the basic editing tools will leave more advanced users looking for more functionality.

Jonas P. DeMuro

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SUPERGUIDE Networking

Slow Netflix, or stuttering Apple Music? Here’s how w tto twork rk. get the best performance from your home netw WRITTEN BY CLIFF JOSEPH Welcome to the new normal. Even the best-case scenarios tell us that we’ll be working from home for some time, at least to a degree, with a good chance of future lockdowns to boot.

It’s hardly surprising, then, that our home networks have started creaking ƀŅûăŬ ŹĠă ŰŹŬØĤŅ Ŏė qăŹƲĤƚ̐ ŨŨĺă §Â̐͡ Zoom calls, and music and gaming services that are often all running at the same time. We’re also using many new types of devices as well, with smart

50

speakers, lights and security cameras all demanding a slice of our Wi-Fi alongside the more traditional Macs, iPads, and iPhones.

Fortunately, there are some simple, ūƀĤõķ ƱƚăŰ ŹĠØŹ õØŅ ĠăĺŨ ŹŎ ĤłŨŬŎƔă ŹĠă ŰŨăăû ØŅû ŬăĺĤØòĤĺĤŹƛ Ŏė̀ƛŎƀŬ ĠŎłă ÃĤ̪DĤ̐ ŨăŬĠØŨŰ òƛ õŎŅŅăõŹĤŅę ŹŎ ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ frequency bands or channels on your Wi-Fi network that are less susceptible to interference from other networks near your home. If that doesn’t work

ŹĠăŅ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ŎėŹ ėŹăŅ ę㏠ØŅ Ņ ØƫŎŬûØ ûØòĺă upgrade from llow-cost st device es such as s ŬØŅęă ăƚŹăŅûăŬŰ ŎŬ ŎƕăŬe eĤŅă ØûØŨŹŎŬŰ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ õØŅ òŎŎŰŹ ƛŎƀŬ ă ăŹƕŎŬķ ŰŎ ŹĠØŹ ĤŹ ŬăØõĠăŰ ØŅ òăûŬŎ ̐ õă ŎƀŹ ĤŅ Ņƛ ƛŎƀŬ ŎŬ Ø łØķăŰĠĤėŹ ĠŎłă ŎƬõă se fails, th then you garden shed. Iff all else Ɣă ŹŎ ŰŨĺØŰĠ ØŰĠ ŎƀŹ ŎŅ Ø Ø̀ėØŰŹ ė łĤęĠŹ ŰĤłŨĺƛ ĠØƔ ĠØƔă new router.

Whatever the problem, m, we’ e re here tto o provide the answers and nd get et your ur home h network runn g sm moot ly.

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SUPERGUIDE Networking

Work out what’s wrong Are your neighbors causing g your Wi–Fi problems?

There are many things that can

All current routers transmit on the same 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies, often causing congestion.

cause your home Wi-Fi network to slow down or become unreliable.

Many electrical appliances, such as microwave ovens, cordless (DECT) telephones, and baby monitors generate electromagnetic signals that can interfere. Thick walls can block the signal travelling from room to ŬŎŎł̐ ØŅû õăĤĺĤŅęŰ òăŹƕăăŅ ƲŎŎŬŰ can create a “deadspot” upstairs.

The biggest culprit, though, will probably be rival Wi-Fi networks running in the homes of nearby buildings, so it’s worth knowing Ø̀ĺĤŹŹĺă òĤŹ ØòŎƀŹ ĠŎƕ ÃĤ̪DĤ networks transmit their data so you can pinpoint any interference.

FREEway madness

52

Most conventional routers broadcast their Wi–Fi ŰĤęŅØĺ ŎŅ ŹƕŎ łØĤŅ ėŬăūƀăŅõƛ òØŅûŰ̐ ØŹ̀˙̖˛FNƤ ØŅû ˜FNƤ̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ŹĠĤŅķ Ŏė ŹĠăŰằŹƕŎ òØŅûŰ ØŰ òăĤŅę ĺĤķă two separate freeways for transmitting data (often ŬăėăŬŬăû ŹŎ ØŰ ƛŎƀŬ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ̱ŹŬØƬõ̧̲̖

Most conventional routers broadcast their Wi-Fi signal on two main frequency bands, ØŹ̀˙̖˛FNƤ ØŅû ˜FNƤ̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ŹĠĤŅķ Ŏė ŹĠăŰằŹƕŎ òØŅûŰ ØŰ òăĤŅę ĺĤķă two separate freeways for transmitting data (often referred ŹŎ ØŰ ƛŎƀŬ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ̱ŹŬØƬõ̧̲̖ 1ØõĠ band is also divided into a number of “channels” – a bit like the ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ĺØŅăŰ ŎŅ̀Ø̀ėŬăăƕØƛ̖ Rė̀ƛŎƀ check your Mac’s Wi-Fi menu, ƛŎƀ̵ĺĺ Űăă Ø ŅƀłòăŬ Ŏė ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ networks belonging to your neighbors. They’re all broadcasting on those same two frequencies so it’s no surprise that all those competing networks can interfere with each other and slow things down. §Ġă ˙̖˛FNƤ òØŅû ĤŰŅ̵Ź ØŰ ėØŰŹ ØŰ ŹĠă ˜FNƤ̀òØŅû̐ òƀŹ ĤŹ ûŎăŰ ŹăŅû ŹŎ provide greater range and reliability, so if you want ŹŎ̀ĤłŨŬŎƔă ŹĠă ÃĤ̪DĤ ŰĤęŅØĺ ĤŅ ØŅ upstairs bedroom, it might help to connect the devices in that òăûŬŎŎł ŹŎ ŹĠă ˙̖˛FNƤ òØŅû òƛ using the Wi-Fi Settings panel on

ØŅ̀ ŨŨĺ㠧 òŎƚ ŹĠØŹ łĤęĠŹ òă ĤŅ ŹĠă ŰØłă ŬŎŎł ØŰ ƛŎƀŬ òŬŎØûòØŅû ŬŎƀŹăŬ̐ ƕĤĺĺ òă ò㏏ăŬ Ŏƫ ŎŅ ˜FNƤ ̩̀ăŰŨăõĤØĺĺƛ Ĥė ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ŹŬƛĤŅę ŹŎ ŰŹŬăØł ˛c ƔĤûăŎ ŹĠØŹ needs a really fast connection.

NŎƕăƔăŬ̐ ŹĠŎŰă łĤõŬŎƕØƔă ŎƔăŅŰ ØŅû ŎŹĠăŬ ûăƔĤõăŰ ĤŅ ƛŎƀŬ ĠŎłă ŹăŅû ŹŎ ƀŰă ˙̖˛FNƤ ØŰ ƕăĺĺ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ łăØŅŰ ŹĠØŹ ŹĠĤŰ òØŅû õØŅ ę㏠õŎŅęăŰŹăû̖ Ű̀łăŅŹĤŎŅăû̐ ŹĠŎƀęĠ̐ ŹĠă ˙̖˛FNƤ ØŅû ˜FNƤ òØŅûŰ ØŬă ØĺŰŎ ûĤƔĤûăû ĤŅŹŎ õĠØŅŅăĺŰ̐ ŰŎ ĤŹ ĤŰ ŨŎŰŰĤòĺă ŹŎ ƀŰằØŨŨŰ ŰƀõĠ ØŰ ÃĤDĤ 1ƚŨĺŎŬă eĤŹă ̦intuitibits.com) ĤŅ ŎŬûăŬ ŹŎ łŎŅĤŹŎŬ ŹĠă ŅăŹƕŎŬķŰ ØŅû ƱęƀŬă ŎƀŹ ƕĠĤõĠ õĠØŅŅăĺŰ ØŬă ŹĠă łŎŰŹ õŎŅęăŰŹăû̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ŹĠăŅ ăƚŨăŬĤłăŅŹ òƛ ŰƕĤŹõĠĤŅę õĠØŅŅăĺŰ ŹŎ Űăă ƕĠĤõĠ ones provide the best performance.

Of course, it’s quite possible that the interference is simply coming from a thick brick wall, in which õØŰă ŹĠă òăŰŹ ŰŎĺƀŹĤŎŅ łĤęĠŹ ŰĤłŨĺƛ òă ŹŎ òƀƛ Ø łŎŬă ŨŎƕăŬėƀĺ ŬŎƀŹăŬ ŎŬ Ø ŬØŅęă ăƚŹăŅûăŬ̖ ƀŹ ƕĠăŅ ĤŹ õŎłăŰ ŹŎ ûĤØęŅŎŰĤŅę ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ŨŬŎòĺăłŰ̐ ĤŹ̵Ű̀ØĺƕØƛŰ worth taking a quick look at your network ŅăĤęĠòŎŬĠŎŎû ƱŬŰŹ ŹŎ̀Űăă Ĥė ŹĠăŬă ØŬă ØŅƛ ŎòƔĤŎƀŰ congestion problems that you can resolve without

each device. Other devices, such as

spending any money.

Jargon buster Wi–Fi channel The Wi-Fi 6 standard (aka 802.11ax) that was launched last year is much faster than the older Wi-Fi 5 (aka 802.11ac) that most of us are still using. However, Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 both use the same 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands to transmit Wi-Fi. The forthcoming Wi-Fi 6E adds a third band – 6GHz – and adds more channels too, for even greater speed.

Identify network interference When you look at the Wi–Fi Settings on your Mac or iOS devices you can see the names of all the networks in the area around your home. Unfortunately, the Wi–Fi Settings panel doesn’t provide much info beyond the names of those networks, so it’s worth using an additional app that can delve deeper into all those networks. There are lots of network monitoring apps available for both Macs and iOS devices, and many of these are free to download. However,

around you. Fortunately, it has a useful filter option that enables you to focus

on the 2.4GHz frequency band and the channels within that band. In this

the free apps tend to bombard you with

on key bits of information, such as your

example, the network is using Channel 6,

ads and IAPs, so it’s worth spending just $2.99 on a straightforward app such as

network’s signal strength, and the frequencies and channels that your

and has a signal strength of 80%, which could certainly be improved. We can see

WiFi Explorer Lite.

WiFi Explorer Lite can be a little

router is using.

To start with, try hiding the graph

that Channel 6 is crowded, with a dozen nearby networks using that channel, so

daunting at first, as it shows a lot of information about all the networks

section, as it can be confusing for new users. Then use the app’s filters to focus

switching to the less busy Channel 8 would probably improve performance.

REPOSITION THE ROUTER Ideally, your router should be located right in the center of your home. That’s not always possible, but you can still make sure to lift the router up off the floor, and keep it away from obstacles that might block the signal.

1

ADJUST THE ANTENNAS You should remember to spread the antennas out as well (although some routers just hide their antennas inside).

Each antenna transmits its own signal, so spreading these out ensures that the Wi-Fi signal reaches out in all directions.

2

3

CHANGE CHANNELS The 2.4GHz band gets very congested, but it’s also divided into “channels,” so switching to a less busy channel may help. Your router’s manual will explain how, and

4

WI–FI EXTENDERS A range extender is an affordable fix for deadspots that have poor Wi–Fi, with prices starting at around $40. Place the extender about halfway between the main router and the

5

6

apps like WiFi Explorer Lite can help you choose.

affected room, and it acts as a relay to boost the Wi–Fi signal.

then a simple Ethernet cable will do the trick.

HOW TO Quick and easy fixes

CHANGE WI–FI BANDS Most routers can transmit on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands. The 5GHz band is faster, but 2.4GHz provides greater range and reliability, so that’s probably the best option for mobile devices that move around a lot.

WIRED CONNECTIONS A wired connection is always the best option for a desktop Mac, or a device such as an Apple TV that has an Ethernet port. If the device isn’t too far from your main router

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SUPERGUIDE Networking

Manage your network Take back control – by monitoring and managing your home network.

Having problems with your Wi-Fi network? Unreliable online calls ŎŬ ŰŹƀŹŹăŬĤŅę ƔĤûăŎ̗ §ĠăŅ ĤŹ̵Ű worth taking a look at the devices and services that are using your ŅăŹƕŎŬķ̖ §Ġă ƱŬŰŹ ŨĺØõă ŹŎ ŰŹØŬŹ ĤŰ with your broadband connection.

Streaming 4K video can easily slow down your home network.

Bear in mind that even basic video ŰŹŬăØłĤŅę ŎŅ qăŹƲĤƚ ŬăūƀĤŬăŰ Ø ŰŨăăû Ŏė ˚nòŨŰ̐ ęŎĤŅę ƀŨ ŹŎ ˙˜nòŨŰ ėŎŬ ˛c ƔĤûăŎ̖

®ŅėŎŬŹƀŅØŹăĺƛ̐ ƛ̐ ŹĠĤŰ ĤŰ Ø òĤŹ Ŏė Ø ŨŎŰŹõŎûă ĺŎŹŹăŬƛ ŰŎ ƛŎƀ̵ĺĺ Ņăăû ŹŎ

Some apps also allow you to prioritise services such as video or

ėØłĤĺƛ Ŏė ėŎƀŬ ƕĠŎ ØŬă ƕŎŬķĤŅę ėŬŎł ĠŎłă̐ ĠŎłă̪

enter your details into a broadband checker site to see what you

ęØłĤŅę̐ ŎŬ ŹŎ ̱ŹĠŬŎŹŹĺă̲ ĤŅûĤƔĤûƀØĺ ûăƔĤõăŰ ŰŎ ŹĠăƛ õØŅ̵Ź

ŰõĠŎŎĺĤŅę ŹĠă ķĤûŰ̐ ØŅû ŹĠăŅ òĤŅęăĤŅę ŎŅ qăŹƲĤƚ̐ Fortnite̐ ØŅû ÉŎƀ§ƀòă ØŬă ęŎĤŅę ŹŎ Ņăăû Øĺĺ ŹĠă broadband they can get. Some basic broadband providers can ŎŅĺƛ ŎƫăŬ ØòŎƀŹ ˘˗nòŨŰ̐ òƀŹ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ę㏠˘˗˗nòŨŰ ̦ŎŬ łŎŬă̧ broadband that will easily handle all your digital desires.

can get.

hog all the bandwidth. Apple ûăƔĤõăŰ ØĺŰŎ ĠØƔă Ø ŰŨăõĤØĺ ėăØŹƀŬă õØĺĺăû ̱õŎŅŹăŅŹ õØõĠĤŅę̲ ŹĠØŹ speeds up tasks such as downloading and installing iOS or macOS updates. So check out our ūƀĤõķ ęƀĤûă ̦ŎŨŨŎŰĤŹă̧ ŹŎ łØŅØęă ƛŎƀŬ ĠŎłă ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ØŅû̀ƛŎƀŬ bandwidth-hungry devices.

Prioritise and throttle Whatever speed your connection ĤŰ̐ ŹĠăŬă ØŬă ŎŹĠăŬ ŰŹăŨŰ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ŹØķă̖ nØŅƛ ŬŎƀŹăŬŰ ŅŎƕ ĤŅõĺƀûă apps that can show all your õŎŅŅăõŹăû ûăƔĤõăŰ̐ ØŅû õØŅ ăƔăŅ monitor their daily internet usage.

ŎƕăŬĺĤŅă ŅăŹƕŎŬķĤŅę ăƚŨĺØĤŅăû If you’ve just got one room where the Wi–Fi is a bit unreliable, then you can use a pair of inexpensive PowerLine adaptors to magically send your internet connection over your home’s existing electrical wiring.

One adaptor is plugged into a wall socket that’s close to your router and connected to the router with an E router, Ethernet cable.

54

Another adaptor is plugged into a wall socket in the room with the weak Wi–Fi signal, and the two adaptors can then connect together over the electrical wiring. Then you just plug your Mac or other devices into an Ethernet port on the PowerLine adaptor and you’ve got a fast, reliable internet connection in no time at all.

qăŹęăØŬ e˘˗˗˗

§ ̩eĤŅķ §e̩Ã ˛˙˙˗

§ ̪eĤŅķ ˠ˗˙˗

$74.99 netgear.com This two–pack is one of the cheapest PowerLine kits around, providing two PowerLine adaptors with a single Gigabit Ethernet port to connect one Mac or

$59.99 tp-link.com If you have a room that needs a boost, this inexpensive two–piece kit from TP–Link will give you PowerLine connectivity. You also get two Ethernet

$99.99 tp-link.com Capable of delivering up to 2000Mbps over your wiring, each PA9020P powerline adaptor includes two Gigabit Ethernet ports, plus power outlet

other device. It’s pretty basic but it works well.

ports in each room to provide multiple connections.

passthrough. It also saves energy when not in use.

HOW TO Manage network devices

1

NETWORK KNOW–HOW Most routers provide an app that allows you to

2

TAKE BACK CONTROL You can control individual devices, perhaps

3

DAY BY DAY Another really useful feature – but not found in all apps –

is the ability to create daily or weekly schedules to control your kids’ internet

adjust various settings. The features in

blocking devices you don’t recognize, or

these apps can vary quite a lot, but they generally start by giving you an overview

pausing the kids’ internet at dinner time.

Some apps provide filters to block

of all the devices that are currently

unsuitable material – but watch out for

connected to your network.

additional subscription fees here.

they’re not on Instagram or TikTok all night long.

TEST AND TRACE The Linksys router here has a good app, which includes a speed test to check your Wi–Fi performance. It can even monitor the Wi-Fi channels being used by nearby networks and suggest which channels will work best for you.

4

GAME ON! Some activities, such as gaming or streaming video, need a really fast connection. Many apps allow you to give priority to specific tasks – or to individual devices, such as a games console – so that they get the best possible speeds.

5

6

7

8

9

DUAL BANDS Some routers merge the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands into a single network – which means you can’t choose which band you connect to.

However, this interface allows you to create two separate networks on those bands.

WI-FI ASSIST If your Wi-Fi is really unreliable, you can use “Wi-Fi Assist” on your iPhone (or iPad with mobile broadband), to automatically switch to mobile broadband. Go to Settings/Mobile Data and scroll right down to find this option.

access. That way you can make sure

BROWSER INTERFACE The apps provided with most routers tend to be fairly basic. To find additional controls you may be able to use a web browser to log directly in to your router’s advanced interface (check the router’s manual to find this option).

PERSONAL HOTSPOT In emergencies, you can use your iPhone’s mobile broadband to create a “personal hotspot” that acts as a temporary Wi-Fi network. These last two options both use mobile broadband, so watch out for extra charges!

55

SUPERGUIDE Networking

Upgrade your network If a cheap router is the weak link, buy a better one.

1ƔăŅ Ĥė ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ĺƀõķƛ ăŅŎƀęĠ̀ŹŎ ĠØƔă ŰƀŨăŬėØŰŹ òŬŎØûòØŅû̐ õĠØŅõăŰ ØŬă ŹĠØŹ ŹĠă ŬŎƀŹăŬ ŨŬŎƔĤûăû òƛ ƛŎƀŬ R ƕĤĺĺ̀ŰŹĤĺĺ òă ƔăŬƛ õĠăØŨ ØŅû ƕŎŅ̵Ź ŨŬŎƔĤûă ƛŎƀ ƕĤŹĠ ŨØŬŹĤõƀĺØŬĺƛ ęŎŎû ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă̖ Rė ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ĺŎŎķĤŅę ėŎŬ Ø̀ūƀĤõķ ØŅû ăØŰƛ ƕØƛ ŹŎ ƀŨęŬØûă

ÃĤ̪DĤ ˝1̐ ĺŎŎłĤŅę ŎŅ ŹĠă horizon).

ƛŎƀŬ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă ŹĠăŅ òƀƛĤŅę Ø̀ėØŰŹăŬ̐ łŎŬă łŎûăŬŅ

Ŏ łŎŬă ØƫŎŬûØòĺă ƀŨęŬØûă ĤŰ ŹŎ ŰŹĤõķ ƕĤŹĠ ăƚĤŰŹĤŅę ˟˗˙̖˘˘Øõ

ŬŎƀŹăŬ ĤŰ ŹĠă òăŰŹ ŨĺØõă ŹŎ ŰŹØŬŹ̖ RŹ̵Ű ūƀĤŹă ĺĤķăĺƛ ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀŬ

ŬŎƀŹăŬŰ̐ òƀŹ ŹŎ ŎŨŹ ėŎŬ Ø ĠĤęĠ̪ ŰŨăăû ŹŬĤ̪òØŅû ŬŎƀŹăŬ̖ §Ġă ŬŎƀŹăŬŰ

ăƚĤŰŹĤŅę ŬŎƀŹăŬ ŎŅĺƛ ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹŰ ŹĠă ûăõØûă̪Ŏĺû ˟˗˙̖˘˘Øõ ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ Ŏė

ŨŬŎƔĤûăû òƛ łØŅƛ R Ű ØŬă ŎėŹăŅ ĺŎƕ̪õŎŰŹ ûƀØĺ̪òØŅû łŎûăĺŰ ŹĠØŹ

ÃĤ̪DĤ̐ ƕĠĤĺă ŹĠă ĺØŹăŰŹ ŬŎƀŹăŬŰ ŅŎƕ ŎƫăŬ ŹĠă Ņăƕ ˟˗˙̖˘˘Øƚ ŰŹØŅûØŬû ̩ ØĺŰŎ ķŅŎƕŅ ØŰ ÃĤ̪DĤ ˝̖ §ĠĤŰ Ņăƕ ŰŹØŅûØŬû ŨŬŎƔĤûăŰ ØłØƤĤŅę ŰŨăăû̐ òƀŹ ÃĤ̪DĤ ˝ ŬŎƀŹăŬŰ ØŬă ŰŹĤĺĺ ūƀĤŹă ăƚŨăŅŰĤƔă ØŅû ØŹ ŹĠă łŎłăŅŹ ŹĠăŬă ØŬă ŎŅĺƛ Ø ĠØŅûėƀĺ Ŏė̀ŹĠă ĺØŹăŰŹ nØõŰ ØŅû Ĥ ĠŎŅăŰ ŹĠØŹ ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹ ÃĤ̪DĤ ˝̖ Ŏ ƕĠĤĺă Ø ÃĤ̪DĤ ˝ ŬŎƀŹăŬ ĤŰ Ø ęŎŎû ŎŨŹĤŎŅ ėŎŬ ėƀŹƀŬă̪ŨŬŎŎƱŅę ƛŎƀŬ ĠŎłă ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ĤŹ ĤŰŅ̵Ź ØòŰŎĺƀŹăĺƛ ăŰŰăŅŹĤØĺ ŬĤęĠŹ ŅŎƕ ̦ăŰŨăõĤØĺĺƛ ØŰ ŹĠăŬă̵Ű ƛ㏠ØŅŎŹĠăŬ ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ̐ õØĺĺăû

ŹŬØŅŰłĤŹ Ø ÃĤ̪DĤ ŰĤęŅØĺ ŎŅ ŹĠă ˙̖˛FNƤ ØŅû ˜FNƤ ėŬăūƀăŅõƛ òØŅûŰ̖ NŎƕăƔăŬ̐ ŹŬĤ̪òØŅû ŬŎƀŹăŬŰ õØŅ ŹŬØŅŰłĤŹ ØŅ ØûûĤŹĤŎŅØĺ ŰĤęŅØĺ ŎŅ ŹĠă ˜FNƤ òØŅû ̩ ŰŎ ŹĠØŹ̵Ű Ġ ˙̖˛FNƤ̐ ˜FNƤ ØŅû ˜FNƤ ̨ ƕĠĤõĠ łØķăŰ ŹĠăł Ø ĺŎŹ ėØŰŹăŬ̖ eŎŎķ ŎƀŹ ėŎŬ̱̀ŹŬĤ̪òØŅû̲ ŎŅ ŹĠă ŨØõķØęĤŅę Ŏė ØŅƛ Ņăƕ ŬŎƀŹăŬ̐ ØŰ ƕăĺĺ ØŰ ŹăŬłŰ ĺĤķă ̱ !˙˗˗˗̲̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ŰĤłŨĺƛ łăØŅŰ ˟˗˙̖˘˘Øõ ÃĤ̪DĤ ŬƀŅŅĤŅę ØŹ ˙̐˗˗˗nòŨŰ̖ eØŬęăŬ ĠŎłăŰ łĤęĠŹ Ņăăû ŹŎ ŰŹăŨ ƀŨ ŹŎ Ø łăŰĠ ŅăŹƕŎŬķĤŅę ŰƛŰŹăł ̦Űăă òăĺŎƕ̧̖

Tri-band routers will use multiple antennas to transmit on three separate frequencies.

The latest iPhones now support high– speed Wi–Fi 6.

năŰĠ ŅăŹƕŎŬķĤŅę ăƚŨĺØĤŅăû Most conventional routers are designed for use in homes with two to three bedrooms, or typically up to 1,500sq ft in size. A router like that may struggle to provide Wi-Fi throughout larger homes, especially where there are bedrooms on upper floors, or maybe even up in an attic. And even in smaller homes you may find that thick walls or ceilings can block the Wi-Fi signal.

A mesh networking system is often the ideal solution for homes like these.

Rather than a single router, a mesh system typically consists of two, generally forr homes up to 3,000sq ft, or even three routers for really large homes.

One of those mesh routers will use an Ethernet cable to connect to your existing broadband router in order to use its internet connection, and the other router(s) can be placed in another part of your home where the Wi-Fi may be weak. Each mesh router transmits its own Wi-Fi signal, and those signals then combine to create a “mesh network” that reaches much further than a single, conventional router. That’s a great solution for larger homes although, of course, using multiple routers makes these mesh systems more expensive than a single router. But, thankfully, there are some quite affordable mesh systems, and while these less–expensive systems won’t be blazing fast they can still handle Netflix, Zoom and a spot of gaming action without costing you a fortune.

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Mesh network routers transmit their own combined Wi–Fi signals for extra reach.

Best routers

TP-Link TP i kA Archer h C80 C8

Linksys Velop

Netgear Nighthawk AX4

$105 tp-link.com TP–Link’s Archer range concentrates

From $229 linksys.com The Velop is a good introduction to

$299 netgear.com.au Netgear was one of the first

on providing good performance and value for money. The new C80 model

mesh networking for larger homes, or homes with thick walls that block

companies to adopt the new Wi-Fi 6 technology with its Nighthawk range

is an affordable entry-level router, but it offers dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi running at a healthy 1,900Mbps and will be fine for streaming video and music, and the occasional gaming session. There are four Ethernet ports for wired connections, and TP-Link’s well-designed app will have you up and running in no time at all.

the Wi-Fi signal. There are several models in the Velop range, with prices starting at under $229 for a twin-pack with dual–band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, or you can step up to a faster tri–band system for around $439.

The Linksys app works well too, making it easy to set up your mesh network, and it provides good parental controls and other features.

of routers, and its AX4 model is still one of the most affordable ways of upgrading your home network to Wi-Fi 6. Although it’s an entry-level model with dual-band Wi-Fi, the AX4 provides maximum speeds of 3,000Mbps – far faster than comparable 802.11ac routers. It also includes four Ethernet ports for wired connections.

D–Link DIR–19750

Asus Rapture GT-AC5300

ŰƀŰ ÒăŅÃĤƱ !§˟

$149 www.dlink.com The DIR–1750 has an array of external antennas to provide wide coverage for the router’s Wi-Fi signal. The router provides dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi with a max speed of 1,900Mbps, which is fine for streaming video, online calls, and the occasional spot of gaming. The router also includes four Ethernet ports for desktop Macs or other devices that need a wired connection.

$509 rog.asus.com Asus also makes some seriously fast gaming routers. Built like a Cylon attack ship from Battlestar Galactica, the powerful GT-AC5300 is fast – and expensive. It provides tri-band Wi-Fi with a top speed of 5.3Gbs, which is more than fast enough to handle gaming, VR, and 4K video. The router also includes eight Ethernet ports for wired connections.

$479 asus.com If you live in an enormous home, the ZenWifi CT8 is the mesh networking system for you. The two-piece kit can cover up to 5,400sq ft, and provides tri-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi with a max speed of 3,000Mbps. It’ll handle 4K video, Zoom calls and gaming. For another $110 you can step up to the XT8 model, with tri-band Wi-Fi 6 that’s twice as fast.

57

SUPERGUIDE Networking

Fast streaming fixes Ditch those buffering blues with these top tips.

We have looked at a number of ways you can improve your network and Wi-Fi performance, from switching bands and channels to buying a new router.

However, most video and music streaming services also have

Ethernet can reduce streaming glitches on your Apple TV.

their own apps that will allow you to adjust various settings in

Download then stream

order to improve performance.

that most video services will

ăŬƔĤõăŰ ŰƀõĠ ØŰ qăŹƲĤƚ ØŅû ŨŨĺă §Â͡ Øĺĺ̀ŎƫăŬ ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ

ăŅØòĺă ƛŎƀ ŹŎ ûŎƕŅĺŎØû ƱĺłŰ ØŅû even complete TV series before

levels of video quality for ƕØŹõĠĤŅę ƱĺłŰ ØŅû §Â̖ RŅ̀ėØõŹ̐

watching them. This is really useful if your broadband

qăŹƲĤƚ ØŅû ŎŹĠăŬ ŰăŬƔĤõăŰ õĠØŬęă ăƚŹŬØ ėŎŬ ˛c ƔĤûăŎ̐ ŰŎ ƛŎƀ õØŅ̀ŰØƔă łŎŅăƛ ØŅû ĤłŨŬŎƔă performance at the same time simply by sticking with perfectly respectable 1080p HD video.

Unfortunately, the apps for all these streaming services tend to ûŎ̀ŹĠĤŅęŰ ûĤƫăŬăŅŹĺƛ̐ ŰŎ ĤŹ õØŅ ŹØķă Ø̀ĺĤŹŹĺă ƕĠĤĺă ŹŎ ĺŎõØŹă ŹĠă various quality settings and õŎŅŹŬŎĺŰ̖ qăŹƲĤƚ ĤŰ ėØĤŬĺƛ ŰŹŬØĤęĠŹėŎŬƕØŬû ØŰ ĤŹ̀ŨƀŹŰ ĤŹŰ quality settings within one of its łØĤŅ ŎŅ̪ŰõŬăăŅ łăŅƀŰ̖ RŅ Amazon Prime, you have to go to nƛ Źƀƫ̐ ŹĠăŅ õĺĤõķ ŹĠă ęăØŬ ĤõŎŅ in the top-right corner, and then tap on Streaming & Downloading before you can see these settings. And, of course, Apple does things its own way with the Apple TV+ service. {Ņ̀Ĥ{ ûăƔĤõăŰ̐ ŹĠă ƔĤûăŎ ūƀØĺĤŹƛ settings are found inside ㏏ĤŅęŰ ͧ̀§Â̐ òƀŹ ŎŅ ŹĠă nØõ those settings are inside the §Â ØŨŨ̵Ű ŬăėăŬăŅõăŰ ͧ̀ Playback tab.

struggles with streaming HD or ˛c ƔĤûăŎ̐ ØŰ ŹĠă ăŅŹĤŬă ƔĤûăŎ Ʊĺă is physically stored on your devices, which means that you don’t have to worry about streaming glitches in the middle of a high-speed car chase.

Another option is to download a Ʊĺł ŎŬ ŰĠŎƕ ŎŅ ŹŎ Ø ûăƔĤõă̐ ŰƀõĠ as an iPad or a MacBook, and then stream them to a larger TV ŰõŬăăŅ ƔĤØ̀ØŅ ŨŨĺ㠧 òŎƚ̖ ŨŨĺă TV can stream video on its own of course, and if you use its Ethernet port for your network connection then that will be more reliable ŹĠØŅ ÃĤ̪DĤ ŹŎŎ̖ Rė ƛŎƀ ûŎŅ̵Ź ĠØƔă ØŅ ŨŨĺă §Â̐ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ęŎ ŎƯĤŅă and use a physical adaptor such as Apple’s Digital AV Adapter for your TV, which is available with either a USB-C ($99) or Lightning connector ($75).

While music and audio streaming aren’t as demanding as video, music services like §ĤûØĺ ØŅû ŨŎŹĤėƛ ØĺŰŎ ŎƫăŬ ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ĺăƔăĺŰ Ŏė ŰŹŬăØłĤŅę ūƀØĺĤŹƛ̖ §ĤûØĺ ŎƫăŬŰ Ø łŎûăŬŅ high-res audio format for streaming music (are you listening, Apple?), but that requires around 5Mbps, like high-def video, so it’s worth checking the settings for any

Apple’s Digital AV Adapter can connect a Mac, iPhone or iPad to your TV.

Another thing to remember is

music streaming services that you use too.

Another thing to remember is that most video services will ăŅØòĺă ƛŎƀ ŹŎ ûŎƕŅĺŎØû ƱĺłŰ ØŅû ăƔăŅ õŎłŨĺăŹă §Â ŰăŬĤăŰ òăėŎŬă ƕØŹõĠĤŅę ŹĠăł̖ §ĠĤŰ ĤŰ ŬăØĺĺƛ ƀŰăėƀĺ Ĥė ƛŎƀŬ broadband struggles with streaming HD or 4K video.

59

SUPERGUIDE Networking

Secure your network Follow these simple steps to keep your Wi–Fi network safe. Ű ƕăĺĺ ØŰ ƱŅă̪ŹƀŅĤŅę

Ãă̵Ɣă ăƔăŅ ĠăØŬû Ŏė̦̀ØĺòăĤŹ ŬØŬă̧

ęăŅăŬØĺĺƛ ØĺĺŎƕ ƛŎƀ ŹŎ ūƀĤõķĺƛ òĺŎõķ

ƛŎƀŬ̀ŅăŹƕŎŬķ̀ŹŎ ę㏠ŹĠă òăŰŹ ŨŎŰŰĤòĺă ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă̐ ĤŹ̵Ű

õØŰăŰ ƕĠăŬă ĠØõķăŬŰ ĠØƔă ŹĠŬăØŹăŅăû ŨăŎŨĺă ĤŅ ŹĠăĤŬ ŎƕŅ

ŹĠăł ØŰ ƕăĺĺ̖ Ņû̐ Ŏė õŎƀŬŰă̐ ƛŎƀ ŰĠŎƀĺû ĤłłăûĤØŹăĺƛ õĠØŅęă ƛŎƀŬ

ĤłŨŎŬŹØŅŹ ŹŎ ķăăŨ ƛŎƀŬ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ

ĠŎłăŰ òƛ ŹØķĤŅę õŎŅŹŬŎĺ Ŏė ûăƔĤõăŰ

ŨØŰŰƕŎŬû ŹŎ̀ŰŹŎŨ ĤŹ ĠØŨŨăŅĤŅę ØęØĤŅ̖

ŰăõƀŬă ŹŎŎ̖ Ņ ĤŅŰăõƀŬă ŅăŹƕŎŬķ õØŅ ØĺĺŎƕ ƛŎƀŬ ŅăĤęĠòŎŬŰ ŹŎ

ŰƀõĠ ØŰ ŰăõƀŬĤŹƛ õØłăŬØŰ̖

Rė ƛŎƀŬ ŬŎƀŹăŬ ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź ŨŬŎƔĤûă ØŅ ØŨŨ̐ ŹĠăŅ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ØĺŰŎ ƀŰă Ø ƕăò

ŨĤęęƛòØõķ ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ ÃĤ̪DĤ ØŅû ŰŹăØĺ ŹĠă ŨŬăõĤŎƀŰ òØŅûƕĤûŹĠ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă

Stranger danger RŹ̵Ű ØõŹƀØĺĺƛ ŅŎŹ ŹŎŎ ûĤƬõƀĺŹ ŹŎ ŰŨŎŹ

òŬŎƕŰăŬ ŹŎ ĺŎę ĤŅ ŹŎ ŹĠă ŬŎƀŹăŬ̵Ű łØĤŅ õŎŅŹŬŎĺ ŨØŅăĺ ØŅû õĠăõķ ŹĠă

ŨØƛĤŅę ėŎŬ ăƔăŬƛ łŎŅŹĠ̖ 1ƔăŅ ƕŎŬŰă ĤŰ ŹĠă ŬĤŰķ ŹĠØŹ ĠØõķăŬŰ

ƀŅØƀŹĠŎŬĤŰăû ûăƔĤõăŰ ŹĠØŹ õŎŅŅăõŹ ŹŎ̀ƛŎƀŬ ÃĤ̪DĤ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ØŰ ŹĠă ØŨŨŰ

ŰăõƀŬĤŹƛ Ű㏏ĤŅęŰ ̦ØĺŹĠŎƀęĠ ƛŎƀ łĤęĠŹ Ņăăû ŹŎ ŬăØû ŹĠă łØŅƀØĺ ŎŬ ęăŹ

łĤęĠŹ ŨăŅăŹŬØŹă ƛŎƀŬ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ĤŅ ŎŬûăŬ ŹŎ ŰŨƛ̀ŎŅ ƛŎƀ̐ ŎŬ̀ŹŎ̀ŰŹăØĺ

ŨŬŎƔĤûăû ƕĤŹĠ łŎŰŹ łŎûăŬŅ ŬŎƀŹăŬŰ ØƀŹŎłØŹĤõØĺĺƛ ûĤŰŨĺØƛ Ø̀ĺĤŰŹ

ØûƔĤõă ėŬŎł ƛŎƀŬ R ̧̖ {ė õŎƀŬŰă̐ ĤŹ̵Ű łƀõĠ ò㏏ăŬ ŹŎ

ĤłŨŎŬŹØŅŹ ŨăŬŰŎŅØĺ ĤŅėŎŬłØŹĤŎŅ̖

Ŏė Øĺĺ õŎŅŅăõŹăû ûăƔĤõăŰ̐ ØŅû

ŨŬăƔăŅŹ ĤŅŹŬƀûăŬŰ ėŬŎł ę㏏ĤŅę ĤŅŹŎ ƛŎƀŬ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ĤŅ̀ŹĠă ƱŬŰŹ ŨĺØõă ØŅû̐ ØŰ ØĺƕØƛŰ̐ ŹĠă òăŰŹ ŨŬŎŹăõŹĤŎŅ ĠăŬă ĤŰ Ø ęŎŎû̐ ŰŹŬŎŅę ŨØŰŰƕŎŬû̖ nŎŰŹ ŬŎƀŹăŬŰ ûŎ ĠØƔă Ø ŨØŰŰƕŎŬû ØĺŬăØûƛ

Your router’s app will show you all the devices that are connected to your network.

ŰăŹ̀ŎŅ ŹĠăł òăėŎŬă ŹĠăƛ ĺăØƔă ŹĠă ėØõŹŎŬƛ̐ òƀŹ ŹĠØŹ ŨØŰŰƕŎŬû ĤŰ ØĺŰŎ ŨŬŎŹăõŹăû òƛ̀ØŅ̀ăŅõŬƛŨŹĤŎŅ ŰƛŰŹăł õØĺĺăû à ̦ÃĤ̪DĤ ŬŎŹăõŹăû õõăŰŰ̧̖ eĤķă Øĺĺ ŹăõĠŅŎĺŎęƛ̐ à ęăŹŰ ƀŨûØŹăû ăƔăŬƛ ŅŎƕ ØŅû ŹĠăŅ̐ ØŅû ̩ ØŰ ƕă ŰĠŎƕ òăĺŎƕ ̩ ƛŎƀŬ Ĥ{ ûăƔĤõăŰ ƕĤĺĺ ƕØŬŅ ƛŎƀ Ĥė ƛŎƀ Ņăăû ŹŎ ƀŨûØŹă ŹĠă Ű㏏ĤŅęŰ ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ ŬŎƀŹăŬ̖ ÉŎƀ łĤęĠŹ ăƔăŅ Ņăăû ŹŎ ƀŨęŬØûă ØŅû òƀƛ Ø Ņăƕ ŬŎƀŹăŬ Ĥė ƛŎƀŬ Ŏĺû ŬŎƀŹăŬ ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹ ØŹ ĺăØŰŹ à ˙ ŎŬ à ˚̖ nŎŰŹ ŬŎƀŹăŬŰ ăŅØòĺă ƛŎƀ ŹŎ ̱ĠĤûă̲ ƛŎƀŬ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ŰŎ ŹĠØŹ ŹĠă ŅØłă Ŏė ŹĠă ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź ŰĠŎƕ ƀŨ ĤŅ ŹĠă ĺĤŰŹ

HOW TO Beef up your network security

60

UNWELCOME GUESTS Your router’s app will show you a list of all devices that are connected to your network. It will also allow you to block any devices you don’t recognise, although you should

1

PASSWORD PROTECTION While you’re at it, you should also consider changing your Wi-Fi password every now and then. You can do this in your app, and the app will also provide a secure

2

3

follow our next few steps to stop it happening again.

option for sharing the new password with family and friends.

to scratch. Oddly, though, this feature isn’t available on Macs.

CHECK YOUR SECURITY Your iPhone or iPad will actually tell you if your network is secure or not. Take a look at Settings > Wi-Fi, and you’ll see this warning if your security settings aren’t up

Ŏė̀ĺŎõØĺ ÃĤ̪DĤ ŅăŹƕŎŬķŰ ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ƔĤăƕ ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ nØõ ŎŬ̀Ĥ{ ûăƔĤõăŰ̖ ĺŎŹ Ŏė ŨăŎŨĺă ŬăõŎłłăŅû ŹĠĤŰ̐ òƀŹ ƕĠĤĺă ĠĤûĤŅę ƛŎƀŬ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ łĤęĠŹ ûăŹăŬ ŅăĤęĠòŎŬŰ ėŬŎł ŹŬƛĤŅę ŹŎ ŨĤęęƛòØõķ

Your router’s browser interface provides additional security features and controls.

A good VPN will offer e private servers all over the world in order to disguise your identity and location.

ŎŅ̀ƛŎƀŬ̀ÃĤ̪DĤ̐ ĤŹ ŬăØĺĺƛ ƕŎŅ̵Ź łØķă łƀõĠ ûĤƫăŬăŅõă ŹŎ ØŅƛŎŅă ŹĠØŹ ĤŰ

Why use a VPN

ûăŹăŬłĤŅăû ŹŎ̀ŰŨƛ̀ŎŅ ƛŎƀ̐ ŰŎ ƛŎƀ

For many people, the answer is simply: “So I can watch Netflix in another

ûŎŅ̵Ź ŬăØĺĺƛ Ņăăû ŹŎ̀ƕŎŬŬƛ̀ØòŎƀŹ ŹĠĤŰ ŹŎŎ łƀõĠ̖

country.” But there are more important (and less legally dubious) answers too.

ÉŎƀ ŰĠŎƀĺû̐ ĠŎƕăƔăŬ̐ ŹƀŬŅ Ŏƫ à ̖ §ĠĤŰ ĤŰ Ø ėăØŹƀŬă ŹĠØŹ ĤŰ

For starters, your ISP always knows exactly what websites and services you’re using, so you have no real privacy when you’re online at all. That’s

ŰƀŨŨŎŰăû ŹŎ łØķă ĤŹ ăØŰĤăŬ ŹŎ ūƀĤõķĺƛ õŎŅŅăõŹ Ø̀Ņăƕ ûăƔĤõă ŹŎ ƛŎƀŬ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ̩ òƀŹ ŹĠă ŨŬŎòĺăł ĤŰ ŹĠØŹ ĤŹ ØõŹƀØĺĺƛ łØķăŰ ŹĠĤŅęŰ ŹŎŎ ăØŰƛ ØŅû ĤŹ ŬĤŰķŰ ĺăØƔĤŅę ƛŎƀŬ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ ŹăłŨŎŬØŬĤĺƛ ƀŅŨŬŎŹăõŹăû̖ !Ġăõķ ŹŎ Űăă Ĥė ŹĠă ŬŎƀŹăŬ̵Ű ØŨŨ ŎŬ òŬŎƕŰăŬ ĤŅŹăŬėØõă ØĺĺŎƕŰ ƛŎƀ ŹŎ ûĤŰØòĺă à ̖ Ņû ƕĠĤĺă ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ØŹ ĤŹ̐ ƛŎƀ ŰĠŎƀĺû ûĤŰØòĺă ØŅƛ ̱ŬăłŎŹă łØŅØęăłăŅŹ̲ ėăØŹƀŬăŰ ŹĠØŹ ØĺĺŎƕ ƛŎƀ ŹŎ õŎŅŅăõŹ ŹŎ ŹĠă ŬŎƀŹăŬ ŎƔăŬ ŹĠă ĤŅŹăŬŅ㏠ƕĠăŅ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ØƕØƛ ėŬŎł ĠŎłă̖ Rė ƛŎƀ õØŅ õŎŅŅăõŹ ėŬŎł ŎƀŹŰĤûă̐ ŹĠăŅ ŰŎłăŎŅă ăĺŰă õØŅ ŹŎŎ̖

where a VPN – virtual private network – can prove really useful. A VPN uses special software to route all your internet communications through private servers that are run by the company that developed the VPN software. This means that your ISP can no longer see what websites or services you’re connecting to, and those websites can’t see where your connection is coming from either (which is how the Netflix trick works, although this is somewhat illegal). A VPN will also encrypt outgoing data and messages to prevent hackers from hijacking personal or financial info.

That protects you for online shopping and banking when at home, but it’s also important when using public Wi-Fi hotspots, which are notorious for weak security.

There are dozens of VPN apps available, but the three that always float to the top of all the “Best VPN” lists are ExpressVPN (expressvpn.com), NordVPN (nordvpn.com), and Surfshark (surfshark.com). These all require a monthly subscription, but they also offer big discounts if you sign up for three months or more. With many of us now working from home and shopping online, a good VPN is a worthwhile investment.

4

PROTECTED ACCESS Apple advises everyone to use WPA2 or WPA3, which are the most recent forms of Wi-Fi Protected Access. Your router’s app should let you change WPA settings,

although you might need to use a web browser interface for some.

5

REMOTE MANAGEMENT Lots of routers have a remote-management feature – the router here calls it “Anywhere Access.” This allows you to control the router when you’re away from home, but it’s a potential security risk so you should disable it.

6

WELCOME GUESTS A guest network allows you to give limited, secure access to your Wi-Fi. You can give the guest network its own password, and some routers will even allow you to

create a schedule that limits guest access to a specific time of day.

61

SUPERGUIDE Networking

FAQ Networking troubleshooter We take a look at some of the most common network problems, some quick fixes, and debunk some Wi–Fi theories.

My new router won’t connect to the internet

to the internet, and allows it to set up ƛŎƀŬ Ņăƕ̐ ėØŰŹăŬ ÃĤ̪DĤ ŅăŹƕŎŬķ̖

I recently bought a new router

No Wi–Fi in the attic

to replace the ancient, slow router that was supplied by

We’ve just converted our attic into a new bedroom, but the ÃĤ̪DĤ ŰĤęŅØĺ ĤŰ ƔăŬƛ ƀŅŬăĺĤØòĺă̖

łƛ R ØòŎƀŹ ėŎƀŬ ƛăØŬŰ ØęŎ̖ ÃĠăŅ R Ű㏠ƀŨ ŹĠă Ņăƕ ŬŎƀŹăŬ łƛ nØõŰ ØŅû Ĥ{ devices can see the new Wi-Fi network that it has created, but the router itself

Do we need to buy a new router?

If your Wi-Fi works well in

̀

õØŅ̵Ź õŎŅŅăõŹ ŹŎ ŹĠă ĤŅŹăŬŅăŹ̖

other parts of your house, and it’s just that one room up in the

A router on its own can’t actually connect to the internet, so the original router

ĺŎėŹ̀ŹĠØŹ ĤŰ ăƚŨăŬĤăŅõĤŅę Ø ŨŬŎòĺăł̐ ŹŬƛ ØŅ ØƫŎŬûØòĺă ŬØŅęă ăƚŹăŅûăŬ̖ Ãă̵Ɣă

ŨŬŎƔĤûăû òƛ ƛŎƀŬ R ĤŰ ØõŹƀØĺĺƛ Ø õŎłòĤŅăû łŎûăł ŬŎƀŹăŬ̖ RŹ̵Ű ŹĠă modem, or modulator/demodulator, that handles the actual internet connection while the router is responsible for creating the Wi-Fi network and transmitting data to/from ŹĠă ĤŅŹăŬŅ㏠ŹŎ ƛŎƀŬ õŎŅŅăõŹăû ûăƔĤõăŰ̖ Most new routers that you might buy as an upgrade don’t include a modem, ŰŎ ƛŎƀ łØƛ Ņăăû ŹŎ ŬăŹØĤŅ ƛŎƀŬ R ̵Ű Ŏĺû router in order to keep using its modem ŹŎ ĠØŅûĺă ƛŎƀŬ ĤŅŹăŬŅ㏠õŎŅŅăõŹĤŎŅ̖ You’ll need to use an Ethernet cable to connect your new router to an Ethernet ŨŎŬŹ ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ R ̵Ű Ŏĺû ŬŎƀŹăŬ̖ §ĠØŹ Ethernet cable connects your new router

You don’t need to buy a new router for iPhones with Wi-Fi 6.

Three o the best Wi–Fi extenders

62

TP–Link RE450/AC1750

Linksys RE9000

Netgear EAX20

$99.99 tp-link.com You can get cheap extenders for as little as $20, but it’s worth paying for one that provides decent performance. The RE450 provides dual–band 802.11ac

$149.99 linksys.com It may look like a regular router, but that’s the point — this tri–band extender has a 10,000sq ft range and offers speeds of up to 3,000Mbps — making it

$149.99 netgear.com Netgear’s EAX20 is one of the first Wi–Fi 6 range extenders, and it will work with older 802.11ac routers too. It provides dual–band Wi–Fi at 1,800Mbps

Wi–Fi running at 1,750Mbps, plus one Ethernet port.

great for 4K video and gaming.

and has four Ethernet ports for additional wired connections.

Games consoles work better with a wired connection, rather than Wi-Fi.

Networking myths debunked >> Public Wi-Fi hotspots are safe if password-protected Except that everyone knows the password – it is called “public” Wi–Fi,

>> Simultaneous downloads will

protection for all your devices, including your MacBook or iPhone,

Older routers were originally designed to transmit data to just one

when you’re out and about.

device at a time, so if you had two or more devices online then the router

>> 5GHz Wi-Fi is always faster

would be forced to quickly switch back and forth between them. That

data at higher speeds than 2.4GHz, but it has shorter range and is more prone to interference from other networks and devices. You may find

Game on (but kinda slow)!

We have just upgraded our home broadband by switching ŹŎ̀Ø Ņăƕ R ŹĠØŹ ŨŬŎƔĤûăŰ high-speed broadband. The new òŬŎØûòØŅû ĤŰ ęŬăØŹ ėŎŬ̀ŰŹŬăØłĤŅę ƔĤûăŎ̐ Zoom calls and web browsing, however the Wi-Fi on our children’s games console still seems slow when they’re playing online games.

̀ ̀

nŎŰŹ ŰăŬĤŎƀŰ ęØłăŬŰ ŨŬăėăŬ Ø̀ƕĤŬăû õŎŅŅăõŹĤŎŅ ėŎŬ ŎŅĺĤŅă gaming. That’s because Wi-Fi ŰĤęŅØĺŰ ŎėŹăŅ ăƚŨăŬĤăŅõă Ø ŰĺĤęĠŹ ûăĺØƛ – called “lag” – as your internet connection keeps switching back and ėŎŬŹĠ òăŹƕăăŅ ŹĠă ƕĤŬăĺăŰŰ ŰĤęŅØĺ ØŅû ŹĠă ŨĠƛŰĤõØĺ ƕĤŬăŰ ŹĠØŹ ŨŬŎƔĤûă ƛŎƀŬ ƱòăŬ̀ŎŬ cable broadband connection. You may not notice that lag when you’re watching qăŹƲĤƚ ŎŬ òŬŎƕŰĤŅę ŹĠă ƕăò̐ òƀŹ ĤŹ̀ŎŅĺƛ takes a millisecond delay when ƛŎƀ̵ŬằŨĺØƛĤŅę ęØłăŰ ŹŎ ŰĺŎƕ ƛŎƀ ûŎƕŅ ØŅû̀ę㏠ƛŎƀ òĺŎƕŅ ŹŎ ŨĤăõăŰ̖ ®ŅėŎŬŹƀŅØŹăĺƛ̐ Ø ŬØŅęă ăƚŹăŅûăŬ ƕĤĺĺ ŰŹĤĺĺ òă ƀŰĤŅę ÃĤ̪DĤ ŰŎ ŹĠØŹ łØƛ ŅŎŹ̀ŰŎĺƔă ŹĠă ŨŬŎòĺăł̖ NŎƕăƔăŬ̐ ØŅ ØƫŎŬûØòĺă ŨØĤŬ Ŏė ŎƕăŬeĤŅă ØûØŨŹŎŬŰ ƕĤĺĺ ęĤƔă ƛŎƀŬ

for mobile devices that tend to move from room to room.

after all. Subscribing to a VPN app such as ExpressVPN will provide

than 2.4GHz The 5GHz frequency does transmit

łăŅŹĤŎŅăû Ø̀ŅƀłòăŬ Ŏė ęŎŎû ăƚŹăŅûăŬŰ that you can use (see below), and you can ŨĺØõă ŹĠă ăƚŹăŅûăŬ ŰŎłăƕĠăŬă ĤŅ̀òăŹƕăăŅ ŹĠă ØŹŹĤõ ØŅû ƛŎƀŬ łØĤŅ ŬŎƀŹăŬ ĤŅ̀ŎŬûăŬ ŹŎ ėƀŬŹĠăŬ òŎŎŰŹ ƛŎƀŬ Wi-Fi signal.

that the 2.4GHz band works better

Wi–Fi 6 routers are designed for the “Internet of Things” with dozens of connected devices now in so many homes.

ęØłăŰ õŎŅŰŎĺă Ø ėØŰŹ ØŅû ŬăĺĤØòĺă ƕĤŬăû connection that reaches into any room in your home by sending your internet data over your electrical wiring.

slow down your Wi-Fi

would slow things down a lot, but more modern routers are designed to transmit data to multiple devices simultaneously, so you can watch Netflix, YouTube, and listen to Apple Music all at the same time. In fact, the new Wi-Fi 6 standard is specifically designed to connect to dozens of devices, including smart lights and speakers, as well as computers and mobile devices. This is one reason why it’s worth upgrading to a Wi-Fi 6 router in the near future. >> Disable SSID for security Most routers allow you to “hide” your network name, also known as the SSID, but there are plenty of apps that can sniff out hidden SSIDs so this doesn’t really make your network more secure. In fact, it might even cause problems when your devices try to connect to the hidden network.

DŎŬŹƀŅØŹăĺƛ ėŎŬ ƛŎƀ ̦ØŅû ƛŎƀŬ

õŎłŨØŹĤòĺă ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă ŎĺûăŬ ˟˗˙̖˘˘Øõ ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ Ŏė ÃĤ̪DĤ ̦ŹĠĤŰ ĤŰ ŰŎłăŹĤłăŰ ŬăėăŬŬăû ŹŎ ØŰ ÃĤ̪DĤ ˜̧̐ ŰŎ ƛŎƀŬ Ņăƕ Ĥ ĠŎŅă ƕĤĺĺ ŰŹĤĺĺ ƕŎŬķ ƕĤŹĠ ƛŎƀŬ ăƚĤŰŹĤŅę ŬŎƀŹăŬ̖ NŎƕăƔăŬ̐ ØŰ łŎŬă ØŅû łŎŬă ûăƔĤõăŰ ŰŹØŬŹ ŹŎ ØûŎŨŹ ÃĤ̪DĤ ˝ ƛŎƀ ƕĤĺĺ ƱŅû ŹĠØŹ ŹĠĤŰ Ņăƕ ŹăõĠŅŎĺŎęƛ provides much greater speed and reliability, so it will make sense to łØķă ŹĠă ŰŹăŨ ƀŨ ŹŎ Ø ÃĤ̪DĤ ˝ ŬŎƀŹăŬ ŹĠă ŅăƚŹ ŹĤłă ƛŎƀ ŹĠĤŅķ ØòŎƀŹ ØŅ̀ƀŨęŬØûă̖ RŹ ƕŎŅ̵Ź ĠƀŬŹ ŹŎ ƕØĤŹ̐ ŹĠŎƀęĠ̐ ØŰ ŹĠăŬă ĤŰ ƛ㏠ØŅŎŹĠăŬ Ņăƕ ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ Ŏė ÃĤ̪DĤ

wallet!), devices that use ÃĤ̪DĤ̀˝ ØŬă ŰŹĤĺĺ òØõķƕØŬûŰ̪

coming soon as well, called ÃĤ̪DĤ ˝1̖

Do I need to buy a dedicated Wi-Fi 6 router?

R ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ ŨƀŬõĠØŰă Ø Ņăƕ Ĥ ĠŎŅă ˘˙ ŹĠØŹ ĠØŰ ÃĤ̪DĤ ˝̖ 'ŎăŰ ŹĠĤŰ łăØŅ ŹĠØŹ R ØĺŰŎ Ņăăû ŹŎ òƀƛ łƛŰăĺė Ø Ņăƕ ŬŎƀŹăŬ̗

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63

HEAD TO HEAD Headphones

64

HEADPHONE HEAD TO HEAD Discover the best sound for your needs.

Sound is just as important as vision. It is everywhere around you, and can take your mind away to ƕĠăŬăƔăŬ ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ̖ ŎłăŹĤłăŰ ƛŎƀ õØŅ̵Ź ØĺƕØƛŰ ŨƀŹ ƛŎƀŬ ƱŅęăŬ ŎŅ ƕĠƛ ƛŎƀ ĺĤķă Ø ŰŎƀŅû̐ ƛŎƀ ĴƀŰŹ ĺĤķă ĤŹ̖ §ĠØŹ̵Ű ƕĠƛ ĴƀûęĤŅę ØƀûĤŎ ūƀØĺĤŹƛ ĤŰ Ø ŹŎƀęĠ ŬăƔĤăƕ ŨŬŎõăŰŰ ŹŎ ŹŬƀŰŹ̖ 1ƔăŬƛŎŅă̵Ű ăØŬŰ ØŬă ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ̐ ØŅû ƕă ŨĤõķ ƀŨ ăƔăŬƛ ŰŎƀŅû ĤŅ ŎƀŬ ŎƕŅ ƕØƛ̖ 1ƔăŬƛ õĺĤõķ̐ õŬƛ̐ ŰĤęĠ̐ ĺØƀęĠ̐ ŰĠŎƀŹ̐ õØŬ̐ ŨĺØŅă̐ łăĺŎûƛ ̩ ƛŎƀ ŅØłă ĤŹ̐ ƕă ØŬă Øĺĺ ęŎĤŅę ŹŎ ĠăØŬ ĤŹ Ø ĺĤŹŹĺă ûĤƫăŬăŅŹĺƛ ŹŎ ŹĠă ŅăƚŹ ŨăŬŰŎŅ̖ {ƔăŬ ŹĠă ĺØŰŹ ĠØĺė Ø õăŅŹƀŬƛ̐ ØƀûĤŎ ĺĤŰŹăŅĤŅę ĠØŰ òăõŎłă Ø ŰŹØŨĺă Ŏė ûØƛ̪ŹŎ̪ûØƛ ĺĤėă̖ ÃĠăŹĠăŬ ŹĠØŹ ĤŰ ŰŹØŬŹĤŅę ƛŎƀŬ ûØƛ òƛ ƕØķĤŅę ƀŨ ŹŎ ƛŎƀŬ ėØƔŎŬĤŹă ˘ˠ˟˗Ű ŹĠŬØŰĠ łăŹØĺ ŰŎŅę̐ ƕØĺķĤŅę ŹĠă ûŎę ŹŎ ŰŎłă Cher (we know you people are out there), or you’re more on the commercial side, with conference õØĺĺŰ ėŬŎł ŅĤŅă ŹŎ ƱƔă ̩ ØƀûĤŎ ĺĤŰŹăŅĤŅę ĠØŰ ŨƀŰĠăû ĤŹŰ ƕØƛ ĤŅŹŎ ăƔăŬƛŎŅă̵Ű ĠŎłăŰ̖ SAM LEWIS 65

HEAD TO HEAD Headphones

The journey of personal audio listening making it possible to quickly

strange one. As a whole we no longer own music. Streaming is

mass-produce records. After experimenting with different

the done thing, and it has fundamentally changed the way

materials, Berliner settled on using rubber and later a shellac

we consume music. Meanwhile,

compound for his discs. These

everything is going wireless – less is more, cables seem old-

were far easier to mass-produce, store, and were more durable than

fashioned, and the chances of you seeing someone walking around

cylinders, and became the dominant format going forward.

looking like a special agent with buds in their ears is increasing.

Let’s fast-forward to 1948 and the introduction of the LP

However, can streaming bring the music industry back up to track

(long-player). Peter Carl Goldmark made a record out of plastic vinyl

where it was in its heyday?

that could be recorded on both

Potentially, but first, we must look

sides, allowing for multiple songs

at how we got here.

on one record. Although traditional records stayed in the

Revolutionary sound 1877, remember it? Well, it was the start of it all, with the invention of the cylinder phonograph, the first real commercial sound reproducer. It enabled people to listen to music from the comfort of their own homes. In essence, it was extremely revolutionary and has changed the way we listen to music ever since. It worked mechanically using a needle that traced the groove on the cylinder, vibrating the needle back and forth. These vibrations hit the diaphragm, creating sound waves that you can hear out of a large horn, creating the music.

A decade later saw the introduction of Emile Berliner’s gramophone. It worked in a similar manner, but instead of a cylinder, it utilised discs, technically making it the first “record player.”

Berliner’s gramophone took what made the phonograph revolutionary and improved it, and was itself developed over the following decades. Recording traced a line along a rotating zinc disc that was coated in wax and oil.

Then, the disc had to be electroplated, creating a negative disc with grooves that projected outward. This could then be used as a master to imprint other discs, 66

market for decades, the LP took sound recording to the next level.

The LP helped to develop the music industry into what we know today.

In the 1960s and 1970s, turntables became a lot more popular commercially, with the introduction of stereo playback.

They used the same concept as phonographs and gramophones but with electrical components, making them more efficient and easier to use. Stereo playback could produce louder and clearer sounds.

Skip back a bit towards the late 1950s, though, and alongside vinyls was the creation of the RCA magnetic tape, yet again revolutionising the music industry.

The Walkman revolutionised the way we listen to music.

The wax cylinder phonograph helped set us on the path to home audio bliss.

It wasn’t an instant success, but it allowed recording on a smaller device for greater portability. Car manufacturers using this technology led to the tape’s rapid rise in popularity, and by the late 1960s many cars offered eight-track players. For the first time it was possible to listen to music while you drove.

Sony hit the nail on the head with the Walkman in 1979, transforming personal audio listening to a very similar form factor to what’s used today – the personal music player.

You could take cassette music with you anywhere you wanted. The freedom this gave was massive, and has only been improved on since.

LPs were another major step forward in home music listening.

© Callmefred.com on Unsplash

The music world as it stands is a

Audio’s impact on the gaming world To put it lightly, sound is colossal when it comes to gaming, and has been even back from its humble beginnings. Commercial gaming started to

© Getty images

The Digital age The mid 80s saw the rise of the digital era. CDs took full form and flooded the music market. A “compact disc” version of a record, it required lasers to read the data off of a track instead of a needle. A smaller form factor made production easier and more accessible.

Unfortunately, CDs started to plummet in the early 2000s with the introduction of online music sites such as Napster. Piracy became a huge problem, hitting the music industry hard as illegal file-sharing of music boomed. The damage was done immediately, and sharing music on the internet remains to this day.

Personal digital audio listening became huge as the Walkman was replaced by MP3 players and the mega-popular iPod. It was now possible to store whole libraries of your favorite music right in your pocket with one of these devices, creating a huge increase in download sales. Also, with CD burning you could take your beloved CDs and turn them into MP3 files. Although CD sales dwindled more and more, they were and are still usable today.

The final step in the journey was the introduction of music-streaming sites in the mid 2000s, paving the way for the future of music listening and the decline of physical copies. It’s given people the opportunity to access music at the click of a button. Sites like Spotify in 2011 managed to license a huge library of music – the first one to do so. From then on, streaming music has become the most popular and accessible way to listen to songs. Music is with us everywhere we go now, and we have quick and easy access to the world’s library of music at our fingertips on almost any device.

take shape back in the 1970s. The quintessential classic game of Pong is as simple as it gets by today’s standards. However, the implementation of the “beeps” and “bops” adds to the game. Even though you can see you have hit the shot, you get to hear it too. Strangely, it’s satisfying, and it gives you a feeling of confirmation without you really realising it.

Through simple soundtracks or repetitive noises, audio can soon become a huge part of the brand identity for a game. Pacman is heavily known for its “waka waka” sound – you hear that and you think Pacman.

For a gaming franchise, that is gold. In a way, sound engineering can be seen as an advertisement. It works in the same way – you hear something catchy or repetitive and it’ll get stuck in your head, along with the image you pair it with. Clever, right?

Let’s move on a little bit. Gaming and audio have taken another big leap forward. You may not think it straight away, but the art and engineering that goes into the audio of a game are just as important as the visuals. Sound gives a whole other dimension of immersion. It can put you straight into the center of a war-torn town, the driver’s seat of a V8 muscle car, an intergalactic battleship, a desolate haunted forest. You name it, there is a sound for it. Sound sets the ambience and the scene for your mind to be taken away to another place. Audio immersion is therefore vital in video games.

Be immersed Gaming through your tv/monitor speakers seems to be something that only is done by “casual gamers” or in a social setting. Headsets are the preferred option for many when it comes to jumping online and busting up some noobs. The benefit you get from listening to games through a headset is a massive advantage over other gamers, especially in the competitive side of the gaming world. Directional audio and an increase in audio quality adds so much detail and immersion to help keep you focused in the game.

Game developers focus a significant amount of their time on perfecting sound engineering because of the importance of the ambience, and the increase in the use of headsets. Sound progression has to keep up with the rapid progression of video graphics, and for us that is extremely exciting. Gaming would be very empty without the realistic, immersive sounds we now take for granted.

67

HEAD TO HEAD Headphones

How drivers work Drivers are the main powerhouse in a headphone, creating the sound waves we pick up. It’s the engine block behind the hood, if you will.

Basically the science behind headphones is that each driver uses electricity and a diaphragm to compress and decompress air. This creates a vibrating pressure wave that your eardrums pick up when said compression is fast enough.

Dynamic drivers The most common form of driver in the headphone market by far, dynamic drivers work by using a coil of very thin wire. The

Planar magnetic drivers Planar magnetic drivers aim to provide a far more sophisticated listening experience by reducing the degree of non-linear distortion. At higher volumes, dynamic drivers have a tendency to warp sound. However, planar magnetic headphones get around ŹĠĤŰ òƛ ƀŰĤŅę ŹƕŎ łØęŅăŹĤõ ƱăĺûŰ

68

placed on each side of the driver.

Diaphragms used in these drivers are also far lighter and are ØŹŹØõĠăû ƀŰĤŅę Ø łƀĺŹĤŹƀûă Ŏė ƲØŹ capacitors across its surface, instead of a wire coil in the center.

This pushes the charge across the entire diaphragm rather than pushing the charged part directly through the thin wire coil to produce the vibrations. With the help of an increased surface area, it is possible to replicate sound at higher volumes without losing out to non-linear distortion. The result of this is an increase in clarity, and a much more accurate soundscape.

Electrostatic drivers Sitting proudly in the audiophile driver’s throne are electrostatic drivers. They are far from cheap or portable.

Electrostatic driver headphones are powered through an electrostatic ØłŨĺĤƱăŬ ŎŬ ăŅăŬęĤŰăŬ̖ Instead of relying on conductive material to move the diaphragm, the whole diap phragm itself moves. Fitted betwee en two łăŹØĺ ŨĺØŹăŰ ĤŰ Ø ŰƀŨăŬ̪ƱŅă ă ŰĠăăŹ

Top: Under the sleek outer design there’s some serious tech at work.

Above: Audio is subjective, so it is hard to reach quantative judgements.

of electrically charged fabric. This way the entire diaphragm can be pushed or pulled toward either plate. The headphones produce the vibrations required to compress the air, creating sound waves with no discordance.

How to measure headphones Measuring sound is divisive.

Quantitative data is important when looking at a piece of audio equipment, but it isn’t the be-all and end-all of what sounds good or not.

Many headphone specs, such as frequency response and headphone impedance, may leave buyers d as to what that actually confused means, so we will break these down now and talk about the science he specs. behind th One o of the main specs looked at are drivers. Luckily we have gone e through the types of er already, just not driver drive size. Most consumers see driver size as the bigger the better. This ctly true. Driver sizes range isn’t stric ound 6-12mm in earphones from aro to sizes of 20-50mm in sttandard headphones. The

© Michel Didier Joomun on Unsplash

electrically charged part that contains the data necessary to produce the sound is sent through it. By doing so this then creates a łØęŅăŹĤõ Ʊăĺû ŬăØõŹĤŅę ƕĤŹĠ Ø magnet that is located near the center of the driver. This electromagnetic reaction is where ƕă ŰŹØŬŹ ŹŎ ę㏠ŹĠă ƕØƔă ăƫăõŹ̖ RŹ forces the coil that is attached to the center of the diaphragm to move forward or backward in a rapid motion, the speed of which varies depending on the strength of the electrical part. As a result of this, the driver’s diaphragm moves, which the coil is attached to. When this is done in a fast sequence, the surrounding air is compressed and decompressed, creating sound waves that our ears magically turn into sound. Out of the three drivers, the dynamic driver is the simplest technology, thus making it the most available driver on the market.

Improve your setup If you are an audiohead with a good pair of headphones looking to get more out of them, then you could be after a DAC / headphone amp. A digital audio converter takes digital data and transforms it into an analog audio signal. This audio output signal is then sent through a pre-amp and into an amplifier. When you are listening to a digital recording, you are actually listening to an analog signal that’s already been converted by a DAC. Without DACs we wouldn’t be able to experience the benefits of digital audio. When a record is being produced, the sound is recorded in analog and converted to digital for storage purposes. The DAC simply decodes this back to analog for it to be listenable.

By improving your DAC, you will be able to produce a sound quality far superior to that of your measly phone or standard PC’s integrated sound card. A DAC converts a bitstream of 1s and 0s into analog signals. Unfortunately it doesn’t always convert these to a consistent timing sequence, resulting in what is known as “clocking errors.” It sounds more confusing than it is. In playback, you will hear “clocking errors” as a jitter. Standard DACs found in phones and computers aren’t as well-equipped to deal with clocking errors, resulting in more jitter. Most external DACs are set up to deal with these issues.

For most PCs and phones the best bet is to use a USB DAC – most are plug and play.

For home stereo setups, there’s a much wider variety to choose from. It is an easy way to improve your existing audio listening experience. For gaming, we didn’t mess around with EQs in the game and just used default settings. We tested on Call of Duty Modern Warfare: Warzone, Forza Horizon 4, Alien Isolation, and Grand Theft Auto V. Using a range of games and song genres should show how the headphones handle different aspects of audio listening, and whether they perform well under the pressure, or crumble.

How we tested Audio testing falls into another category of testing for us at TechLife – it’s not as simple as running it through some software, getting some numbers, and sticking it in a fancy bar chart.

“Subjective” is one way to put it.

The true nature of sound testing falls into the ears of the listener, and unfortunately quantitative data doesn’t always paint a perfect picture. For our headphones here, we have a few

© Getty images

tests that they have all had to general advantage of having larger drivers is more controlled bass, but it is not necessarily louder and more powerful. The type of driver is more important in understanding how a driver sounds.

Another key spec found on headphones is impedance, which is measured in ohms (Ω). The lower this is, the less power you will need to drive the headphones, and vice versa. If a headphone has an impedance of 1-32ohm it can be powered by something like a smartphone. 33-100ohm may require a portable amplifier to push a high volume out of the headphones. If it is over 100ohm you’ll need an amplifier – portable devices won’t have the oomph to power these. The higher the ohm

the better the headphones treat the electrical current, producing richer sound.

Finally, frequency response is a phrase thrown around by a lot of manufacturers. It’s measured in Hz or kHz. Humans can only really hear frequencies of up to 20,000Hz at the most, so why would manufacturers boast of frequencies up to 60,000Hz? Well, generally this means that the headphones have no problems reproducing sounds in the very high frequencies.

Overall, the main specs to look out for when looking at headphones are the actual type of driver, the size, and the impedance level.

These should give you a general idea of whether the headphones will pack a punch or not.

A DAC can help you unlock your setup’s full audio potential.

face. We have gaming headsets too, so we wanted to see how well they all perform for both music listening and gaming.

Firstly, we wanted fair and honest group testing. Before listening, we delved into the sound settings in Windows to make sure that the default format for all the headphones and headsets was running at the highest possible bit and Hz rating they could. This ensured that the headphones weren’t restricted via a software setting. No EQs have been used either, as this could favor some and disadvantage others.

We picked Tidal as the streaming site of choice. Tidal offers some of the best- quality streaming on the market right now, with lossless audio files, ensuring that we’re not faulting the headphones because of poor-quality files. We selected a range of genres when choosing the tracks, making sure that they are all master files in Tidal – the highest quality you can get on the site.

For gaming, we didn’t mess around with EQs in the game and just used default settings. We tested on Call of Duty Modern Warfare: Warzone, Forza Horizon 4, Alien Isolation, and Grand Theft Auto V. 69

HEAD TO HEAD Headphones

2020 EDITOR’S CHOICE

70

US$249, www.xbykygo.com

$345, www.sony.com

X by Kygo A11/800

Sony WH-1000XM4

X by Kygo is a fairly new brand imagined by Norwegian DJ Kygo ĠĤłŰăĺė̖ §ĠĤŰ ŨØĤŬ̐ ŹĠă ˘˘̜˟˗˗̐ ƱŹ ŹŎƕØŬûŰ ŹĠă ĠĤęĠăŬ ăŅû Ŏė ŹĠă

Ź ƱŬŰŹ ęĺØŅõă̐ ƛŎƀ łĤęĠŹ ŅŎŹ ę㏠ŹĠă ŰăŅŰă ŹĠØŹ ŹĠăŰă ĠăØûŨĠŎŅăŰ õŎŅŹØĤŅ ŰŎłă ŰăŬĤŎƀŰ ŨŎƕăŬ ƀŅûăŬ ŹĠă ĠŎŎû̐ ØŰ ŹĠĤŰ

ĺĤŅăƀŨ̐ ƕĤŹĠ Ø ŰĤłŨĺă ƛ㏠ăƫăõŹĤƔă łŎŅŎ̪õŎĺŎŬăû ĺŎŎķ̖ As far as build quality goes, these headphones aren’t up there ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă ĺĤķăŰ Ŏė ŎŰă̖ §ĠăŰă ØŬă ĺĤęĠŹƕăĤęĠŹ̐ łØĤŅĺƛ ŨĺØŰŹĤõ õØŅŰ – though that’s not a bad thing, as wearing these for a long time ĤŰ ŅŎ ŨŬŎòĺăł ØŹ Øĺĺ̖ NŎƕăƔăŬ̐ ŹĠăƛ ØŬă ŨŬŎŅă ŹŎ õŬăØķĤŅę̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ĤŰ ĤŹŰ ûŎƕŅėØĺĺ ƕĠăŅ ĤŹ õŎłăŰ ŹŎ ūƀØĺĤŹƛ̖ !ƀŨ ŰĤƤă ĤŰ ŅŎŹ ØŰ ĺØŬęă ØŰ ŎŹĠăŬŰ̐ ėØƔŎŬĤŅę ŹĠă ŰłØĺĺăŬ ăØŬăû ŎƀŹ ŹĠăŬă̐ ØŅû ŹĠăƛ ØŬă Ø ŰŅƀę ƱŹ̐ ƕĤŹĠ ŨØûûĤŅę òăĤŅę łŎŬă Ŏė Ø ŰŨŬĤŅęƛ ŰŨŎŅęă̖ §Ġăƛ ØŬăŅ̵Ź ƀŅõŎłėŎŬŹØòĺă̐ òƀŹ Ø ŰŎėŹăŬ ėŎØł ƕŎƀĺû ŨŬŎòØòĺƛ ĤłŨŬŎƔă ŹĠăŰă õØŅŰ̖ §Ġă ˘˘̜˟˗˗ ŎƫăŬŰ ØƀƚĤĺĤØŬƛ ĤŅŨƀŹ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ĤŰ ØĺƕØƛŰ Ø òŎŅƀŰ̐ ØŰ ƕăĺĺ ØŰ ĺƀăŹŎŎŹĠ ˜̖˗̖ RŹ̵Ű õĠØŬęăû ƔĤØ ® ̪!̐ ƕĤŹĠ Ø ėØŰŹ õĠØŬęă ŹĤłă Ŏė ŹƕŎ ĠŎƀŬŰ̖ ėƀĺĺ õĠØŬęă ƕĤĺĺ ŨŬŎƔĤûă ƛŎƀ ƕĤŹĠ ØŬŎƀŅû ˛˗ ĠŎƀŬŰ Ŏė ĺĤŰŹăŅĤŅę ƔĤØ ĺƀăŹŎŎŹĠ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ĤŰ ØƕăŰŎłă̖ NŎƕăƔăŬ̐ Ĥė ƛŎƀ ĠØƔă ØõŹĤƔă ŅŎĤŰă̪õØŅõăĺĤŅę ŎŅ̐ ŹĠØŹ̵ĺĺ ėØĺĺ ŹŎ ˘ˠ ĠŎƀŬŰ̖ {Ņ ŹĠă ŬĤęĠŹ ăØŬõƀŨ̐ ƛŎƀ ĠØƔă ŰƕĤŨĤŅę ŹŎƀõĠ õŎŅŹŬŎĺŰ ŹĠØŹ ƕŎŬķ õŎŅŰĤŰŹăŅŹĺƛ̖ §ĠăŬă ØŬă ØĺŰŎ òƀŹŹŎŅŰ ėŎŬ ŹĠă ØłòĤăŅŹ łŎûă̐ ŨŎƕăŬ̐ ØŅû ØõŹĤƔă ŅŎĤŰă̪õØŅõăĺĤŅę̖ RŹ̵Ű ŅŎŹ õĺØŰŰ̪ĺăØûĤŅę òƀŹ ƕŎŬķŰ ŨŬ㏏ƛ ăƫăõŹĤƔăĺƛ̐ ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă ŎŅĺƛ ĤŰŰƀă òăĤŅę Ø ƔăŬƛ ūƀĤ㏠òƀƤƤ ƕĠăŅ ŹĠă ĠăØûŨĠŎŅăŰ ØŬă ŎŅ ƕĤŹĠ ŅŎ łƀŰĤõ ŨĺØƛĤŅę̖ łòĤăŅŹ łŎûă ƕŎŬķŰ ƕăĺĺ̐ ăŅØòĺĤŅę ƛŎƀ ŹŎ õŎłłƀŅĤõØŹă ƕĤŹĠŎƀŹ ĠØƔĤŅę ŹŎ ŹØķă ŹĠă ŨØĤŬ Ŏƫ̖ §Ġă ˘˘̜˟˗˗ ĠØŰ Ø ûăõăŅŹ ŰŎƀŅûŰõØŨă̖ ÃĠăŅ ŹăŰŹĤŅę ŰŎŅęŰ̐ ĤŹ ŰăăłŰ òØĺØŅõăû ØõŬŎŰŰ Øĺĺ ŹĠă ęăŅŬăŰ̐ ŅŎŹ ėØƔŎŬĤŅę ŎŅă ĤŅ ŨØŬŹĤõƀĺØŬ̖ §Ġă ûăŹØĤĺ õŎłăŰ ĤŅ ØŹ ŹĠă ĠĤęĠ ăŅûŰ òƀŹ ĺØõķŰ òØŰŰ ŎŅ ŹĠă ƕĠŎĺă̖ Ź ĠĤęĠăŬ ƔŎĺƀłăŰ̐ ƕă ĠŎŨăû ŹĠĤŰ ƕŎƀĺû õŎłă ŹŎ ĺĤėă̐ but not quite. Gaming isn’t too great. They do the job, but the ĺØõķ Ŏė òØŰŰ ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź ėØƔŎŬ ŰŎłă Ŏė ŹĠă ăŅƔĤŬŎŅłăŅŹØĺ ŰŎƀŅûŰ ĤŅ ęØłăŰ ŹĠØŹ ęĤƔă ƛŎƀ ŹĠØŹ ėƀĺĺ ĤłłăŬŰĤŎŅ̖ {ƔăŬØĺĺ ŹĠăƛ ØŬă õØŨØòĺă ĠăØûŨĠŎŅăŰ ̩ ĴƀŰŹ Ø ėăƕ ŹƕăØķŰ ØŅû ò㏏ăŬ òƀĤĺû ūƀØĺĤŹƛ would help these against the big guns.

ŨŎƕăŬ ĤŰ ĠĤûûăŅ ƀŅûăŬ ØŅ ăĺăęØŅŹ ØŅû Űĺăăķ òŎûƛ̖ RŹŰ ŰłŎŎŹĠ łØŹŹă łŎŅŎ̪õŎĺŎŬăû ƱŅĤŰĠ ŨƀŰĠăŰ ŹĠă ĤûăØ ŹĠØŹ ŎŅƛ ƕØŅŹăû ŰŎŨĠĤŰŹĤõØŹĤŎŅ ƕĤŹĠ ŰƀòŰŹØŅõă̖ !ŎłėŎŬŹ ĤŰ ęŬăØŹ ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă ÃN̪˘˗˗˗Èn˛̖ ĺĤęĠŹĺƛ łŎŬă ŨØûûĤŅę ŎŅ ŹĠă ĠăØûòØŅû ØŅû õƀŨŰ łØƛ òă ĠăĺŨėƀĺ̐ òƀŹ ƀŰĤŅę ŹĠăŰă ĠăØûŨĠŎŅăŰ Øĺĺ ûØƛ ėăăĺŰ ØĺłŎŰŹ ăƫŎŬŹĺăŰŰ̖ §Ġă łăłŎŬƛ ėŎØł ŰŎėŹ̪ŹŎƀõĠ ĺăØŹĠăŬ õŬăØŹăŰ Ø ŨăŬėăõŹ õƀŰĠĤŎŅ ėŎŬ ƛŎƀŬ ăØŬŰ̖ §Ġă ĠăØûŨĠŎŅăŰ ØŬă ŰăŬĤŎƀŰĺƛ ėăØŹƀŬă̪ŨØõķăû̖ õŹĤƔă ŅŎĤŰă̪õØŅõăĺĺØŹĤŎŅ ŨĺØƛŰ Ø Ġƀęă ŨØŬŹ ĤŅ ŹĠă ĤłłăŬŰĤƔă ăƚŨăŬĤăŅõă̖ ÃĤŹĠŎƀŹ ŨĺØƛĤŅę łƀŰĤõ̐ ŹĠăƛ õƀŹ ŨŬ㏏ƛ łƀõĠ Øĺĺ òØõķęŬŎƀŅû ŅŎĤŰă ŎƀŹ̖ §Ġăƛ ØŬă ęŬăØŹ ėŎŬ Â{R ̐ ƕĠĤĺă ƀŰĤŅę ŹĠă ØłòĤăŅŹ łŎûă ĤŰ ęŬăØŹ ėŎŬ õŎłłƀŅĤõØŹĤŅę ƕĤŹĠŎƀŹ ĤŅŹăŬŬƀŨŹĤŅę ƛŎƀŬ łƀŰĤõØĺ ĺĤŰŹăŅĤŅę ăƚŨăŬĤăŅõă̖ ĺĺ ŹĠăŰă ėăØŹƀŬăŰ ûŎŅ̵Ź Űăăł ŹŎ ØƫăõŹ ŹĠă òØŹŹăŬƛ ĺĤėă̐ ØŰ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ę㏠˚˗ ĠŎƀŬŰ Ŏė ŨĺØƛŹĤłă ƕĤŹĠ q! ŎŅ̖ FŎŎęĺă ŰŰĤŰŹØŅŹ ØŅû ĺăƚØ ØŬă ØĺŰŎ ĤŅŹăęŬØŹăû̐ ėŎŬ Øĺĺ Ŏė ƛŎƀ ƔĤŬŹƀØĺ ØŰŰĤŰŹØŅŹ ĺŎƔăŬŰ ŎƀŹ ŹĠăŬă̖ ĺŎŅę ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠĤŰ̐ ŹĠă ŬĤęĠŹ õƀŨ ĤŰ ƕĠăŬă ƛŎƀ ƱŅû ŹĠă ŹŎƀõĠ ŨĺØƛòØõķ õŎŅŹŬŎĺŰ̐ ØęØĤŅ ķăăŨĤŅę ŎŅƛ ŎŅ ŹĠă ėŎŬăėŬŎŅŹ Ŏė ėăØŹƀŬăŰ ØŅû ăŅŰƀŬĤŅę Ø ŰăØłĺăŰŰ ĺĤŰŹăŅĤŅę ăƚŨăŬĤăŅõă̖ Ãă ŨŬŎòØòĺƛ ŰĠŎƀĺû łăŅŹĤŎŅ ŹĠØŹ ŹĠăƛ ŰŎƀŅû ØłØƤĤŅę̒ §Ġă ĠăØûŨĠŎŅăŰ ŨŬŎûƀõă Ø ŨŬŎęŬăŰŰĤƔă ØŅû ŨŎƕăŬėƀĺ ŰŎƀŅûŰŹØęă̐ ŹŬăØŹĤŅę ƛŎƀŬ ăØŬŰ ŹŎ õŎŨĤŎƀŰ ØłŎƀŅŹŰ Ŏė òØŰŰ ØŅû õŬƛŰŹØĺ̪õĺăØŬ õĺØŬĤŹƛ ØŹ ŹĠă ŹŎŨ ăŅû̖ ŎŅƛ̵Ű ˚˝˗ ăØĺĤŹƛ ƀûĤŎ ĤŰ ăƚõăĺĺăŅŹ ƕĠăŅ ŨØĤŬăû ƕĤŹĠ Ø ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹĤŅę ŰŹŬăØłĤŅę ŰĤŹă ŰƀõĠ ØŰ §ĤûØĺ̖ §Ġă ŰŎƀŅû ŨŬŎûƀõăû ăŅęƀĺėŰ ƛŎƀ̖ Ű ėØŬ ØŰ ęØłĤŅę ęŎăŰ̐ ŹĠă ŬăŰƀĺŹ ĤŰ ƔăŬƛ ŰĤłĤĺØŬ ̩ ƛŎƀ ėăăĺ Ø part of the game. §Ġă ŎŅĺƛ ėăƕ ŰăŹòØõķŰ ĤŅõĺƀûă ØŅ ĤŅØûăūƀØŹă łĤõ̐ ŅŎ ƕØŹăŬ ŬăŰĤŰŹØŅõă̐ ØŅû ŹĠă ƀŰă Ŏė ŨĺØŰŹĤõ ŎƔăŬ ŰŎłă łŎŬă ŨŬăłĤƀł łØŹăŬĤØĺŰ̖ qăƔăŬŹĠăĺăŰŰ̐ ŹĠăƛ ŨŬŎûƀõă łØęŅĤƱõăŅŹ ŰŎƀŅû ØŅû òŎØŰŹ łØŬķăŹ̪ĺăØûĤŅę ŅŎĤŰă̪õØŅõăĺĤŅę ŹăõĠŅŎĺŎęƛ̖

Looks the part; strong high end; clean sound; good subtle styling.

Packs a punch; great soundstage; cloud-like comfort; full of features; market-leading active noise-cancelling.

Driver 40mm Dynamic, Frequency Response 15 Hz-22,000 Hz, Impedance 32 ohm, Connectivity Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm jack, USB-C charging, Design Style Closed back, Weight 250g

Driver 40mm Dynamic, Frequency Response 4 Hz-40,000 Hzm Impedance 47 ohmm Connectivity 3.5mm jack, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C chargingm Design Style Closed back, Weight 250g

2020 EDITOR APPROVED

$199, www.en-us.sennheiser.com

$399, www.audeze.com

Sennheiser HD450BT Wireless

Audeze Penrose Planar Magnetic Headset

You all know of Sennheiser, as an audio powerhouse at the forefront of sound. The HD450BT is a very well-rounded pair of

Audeze has used its phenomenal audio knowledge to create a very solid gaming headset. The company is more

headphones, sitting in the company’s low to mid-range price bracket at $200.

For this price, you get premium features expected in more expensive headphones, such as active noise-canceling, dedicated app support, and a variety of onboard controls, which are found on the right cup. You get buttons for volume, dedicated voice assistant, noise-canceling, and power. A slider controls the playback features to skip songs, and you can press it to play or pause. Alongside that, there is the 3.5mm jack and a USB-C charging port. When charged to full capacity, you can get around 30 hours of playback out of these cans, and that’s with active noise-canceling in play. The ANC is impressive, too.

The premium continues with a very satisfying performance.

Throw any genre at these headphones and they put up a good ƱęĠŹ̖ §Ġă ŰŎƀŅû ĤŰ õĺăØŬ ØŅû ûăŹØĤĺăû ŬØŹĠăŬ ŹĠØŅ ĠăØƔĤĺƛ bass-focused. That’s not to say they are lacking in that department, they just score better in the mid to high range.

Voices and higher pitched instruments are crisp.

FØłĤŅę ĤŰŅ̵Ź ŹĠă N'˛˜˗ §̵Ű ėŎŬŹă ̩ ŰŎƀŅû ėăăĺŰ ūƀĤŹă ƲØŹ during sessions. The premium feel can’t quite be said about the òƀĤĺû ūƀØĺĤŹƛ̐ ƕĤŹĠ Ø ŨĺØŰŹĤõ ŰŹŬƀõŹƀŬă ØŅû ŅŎ łăŹØĺ ƱŅĤŰĠăŰ ĤŅ sight. It’s a shame that Sennheiser had to cut corners in this area. They feel sturdy enough; it just brings the product down slightly from others in the same price range. The headband is also not the greatest due to thin padding, but luckily the ăØŬõƀŨŰ ûŎŅ̵Ź ŰƀƫăŬ ėŬŎł ŹĠă ŰØłă ėØŹă ØŅû ØŬă ƔăŬƛ õŎłėŎŬŹØòĺă̖ §Ġă N'˛˜˗ § ĤŰ ƕăĺĺ̪ŬŎƀŅûăû ØŅû ŎƫăŬŰ ĠĤęĠ audio quality for a reasonable price range. It handles most things well, looks stylish, and has premium features usually found at higher price points. If you can overlook the materials, it’s a good purchase for the price.

traditionally known for high-end planar magnetic headphones but has dipped into the world of gaming with the Penrose.

The headset has some good weight to it and a real sense of rigidity. The cups are large and deep (probably due to those Ġƀęă ˘˗˗łł ûŬĤƔăŬŰ̧̐ ŎƫăŬĤŅę õŎłėŎŬŹ ėŎŬ ĺĤŰŹăŅăŬŰ̖ §Ġă super-soft earcup pads also help deliver good comfort levels.

Looks are subjective, and this pair comes in black and blue, or black and green, which may not appeal to everyone, and might not be a pair you want to commute around with too much.

This headset has all the connectivity requirements you could ask for; wireless 2.4GHz via USB dongle, Bluetooth, and a good ol’ 3.5mm jack. The right cup is empty, while the left cup has all the ports – one for the detachable microphone (which sounds good), USB-C charging port, volume rockers for the output and microphone, a mute òƀŹŹŎŅ̐ ŰƕĤŹõĠ òƀŹŹŎŅ ėŎŬ ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ õŎŅŅăõŹĤƔĤŹƛ ŎŨŹĤŎŅŰ̐ ØŅû the power button. It doesn’t have the latest touch controls, but they can often be more of a hindrance anyway.

Audeze has achieved a rich and deep sound in this Penrose headset. In-game sound surrounds you, and the directional audio is pinpoint. You feel completely involved in the environment you are in – exactly what a gaming headset should do. Paired with a decent detachable microphone, it’s a very good package.

When it comes down to music, it can be a bit overpowering with the bass, leaving the mids and trebles feeling a little left out. The detail is slightly drowned out, but overall these õØŅŰ ŰŎƀŅû ęŬăØŹ̖ NŎƕăƔăŬ̐ ėŎŬ ŹĠă ŨŬĤõă̐ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ƱŅû ò㏏ăŬ music listening options out there.

Solid Sennheiser; good value for money; clear soundscape; great battery; well rounded.

Bringing planar to gaming; premium build quality; rich sound; great connectivity; decent microphone.

Driver av32mm Dynamic, Frequency Response 18 Hz-22,000 Hz, Impedance 21 ohm, Connectivity Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm jack, USB C charging, Design Style Closed back, Weight 238g

Driver 100mm Planar Magnetic, Frequency Response 10 Hz-50,000 Hz, Impedance N/A, Connectivity 2.4GHz Wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm jack, USB-C charging, Design Style Closed back, Weight 320g

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HEAD TO HEAD Headphones

comfortable, but thanks to the tight tension of the headband ŹĠăƛ ØŬă ŅŎŹ ŹĠă õŎłƱăŰŹ ŨØĤŬ̐ ƱŹŹĤŅę Ø ĺĤŹŹĺă ŹŎŎ ŰŅƀęĺƛ ŎŅ your skull. ăØŬĤŅę ĤŅ łĤŅû ŹĠă ŨŬĤõă̐ ŹĠĤŰ ĠăØûŰ㏠ŨŬŎûƀõăŰ Ø ŨŎƕăŬėƀĺ sound, with bass at the forefront. MSI’s vibration system is its take on haptic sound. As gimmicky as it may come across, it plays well in certain aspects. In bass-driven songs, it puts you ĤŅ ŹĠă łĤûûĺă Ŏė ŹĠă ŰŎƀŅû̖ {Ņ ŹĠă ƲĤŨ ŰĤûă̐ ŹĠă FN˜˗ ŰƀƫăŬŰ from a lack of clarity at the high end, muddying the sound, and the vibration system can overpower what you are listening to, ŰūƀØŰĠĤŅę ŹĠă łĤûŰ ØŅû ĠĤęĠŰ̖ As for gaming, the directional audio is superb. It feels like you’ve been chucked right into the game. Unfortunately, the virtual 7.1 surround sound feature is a bit lacking – in fact it ØõŹƀØĺĺƛ ØŨŨăØŬŰ ŹŎ ĺŎƕăŬ ŹĠă ØƀûĤŎ ūƀØĺĤŹƛ ĤŅ ŰŎłă õØŰăŰ̖ ÉŎƀŬ

$119, www.msi.com

MSI Immerse GH50 Gaming Headset

òăŰŹ ò㏠ĤŰ ŹŎ ĺăØƔă ĤŹ ŹƀŬŅăû Ŏƫ ØŅû ĠØƔă ŹĠă ƔĤòŬØŹĤŎŅ activation control on.

The GH50 is a solid bet for a good gaming experience with a lower budget. It produces a solid bass and has great directional audio. When it comes to in-game voice chat, the detachable łĤõŬŎŨĠŎŅă ĤŰ ăūƀØĺĺƛ ĤłŨŬăŰŰĤƔă̐ ûăĺĤƔăŬĤŅę õĺăØŬ ØƀûĤŎ̖ However, the GH50 lacks detail at the higher end of the

Sitting at the budget end of the headsets we have in this battle is MSI with its Immerse GH50 cans. They’re a decent-looking

ėŬăūƀăŅõƛ òØŅû̖ §Ġă ĺØõķ Ŏė ĺƀăŹŎŎŹĠ õŎŅŅăõŹĤƔĤŹƛ õŎƀĺû ØĺŰŎ òă ØŅ ĤŰŰƀă̐ ØŰ ŹĠă ĠăØûŰ㏠ĤŰ ŎŅĺƛ õŎŅŅăõŹăû ŹĠŬŎƀęĠ Ø ® ̪

ŨØĤŬ̐ ƕĤŹĠ Ø ęƀŅłăŹØĺ̪ęŬØƛ ƱŅĤŰĠ ØŅû ØŅ F n R ăłòĺăł ŰĤŹŹĤŅę ŨŬŎƀûĺƛ ŎŅ ăØõĠ õƀŨ̖ §Ġă F ĤŰ ūƀĤŹă ŰƀòŹĺă̐ ØŹ ĺăØŰŹ̖ The design relies on a simplistic approach, with no physical buttons on the headphones, instead opting for an in-line remote. This houses the volume control wheel, mute button, 7.1 virtual surround sound button, and vibration activation control. The materials on the cups and the headband are

braided cable.

Bathe in bass; strong low end; clean look; great mic; solid gaming immersion.

Driver 40mm Dynamic, Frequency Response 20 Hz-20,000 Hz, Impedance 32 ohm, Connectivity 2.0 USB, Design Style Closed back, Weight 300g

2020 EDITOR APPROVED

$129, www.razer.com

$229, www.logitechg.com

Razer Blackshark V2

Logitech Pro X Wireless

As far as gaming peripherals are concerned, Razer seems to know how to make a strong product. As soon as you open the

Logitech and peripherals go hand in hand. The Pro X wireless is Logitech’s range-topping gaming headset, and you get a sense

box you’re greeted with a card declaring: “Sound is just as important as sight when you’re in-game.” It’s not wrong, and the Blackshark V2 is a good example of this. It sits in the budget end of the group here, but don’t let the price fool you.

Razer has created an awesome-looking headset, with ØƔĤØŹĤŎŅ ĤŹŰ ØăŰŹĠăŹĤõ ŹĠăłă̖ §Ġă ƱŅĤŰĠ ĤŰ łØŹŹă òĺØõķ ŨĺØŰŹĤõ that feels good to the touch, with green accents and of course the Razer logo. It feels light on your skull and is paired with breathable memory foam pads, so you can expect to get hours of gaming out of these before things start to become uncomfortable. There are very few buttons – you get a mute button and a volume rocker. This is due to the lack of Bluetooth connectivity or any noise-canceling features. However, Razer ûŎăŰ ŎƫăŬ ŹĠĤŰ ĠăØûŰ㏠ƕĤŹĠ ƕĤŬăĺăŰŰ õŎŅŅăõŹĤƔĤŹƛ ėŎŬ ØŅ ăƚŹŬØ 110 bucks.

Call of Duty with this headset is great – all of the sound elements seem to be prioritised. Directional audio is very accurate, and the bass is right in your face. Razer has stuck to its message about the importance of sound in gaming. Bass is layered and deep, and the highs are clear for those intricate details that give you that extra edge. §ĠĤŰ ĠăØûŰ㏠ĤŰ ŨŬ㏏ƛ ŰŹŬŎŅę ėŎŬ łƀŰĤõ ŹŎŎ̐ ŎƫăŬĤŅę Ø ŰŎĺĤû sound through all of our tested songs, favoring rock music if anything. Its sound is powerful, and you’ll be more than happy using it for both types of listening styles, although it does perform stronger in its target market.

The Razer Blackshark V2, then, delivers very good bang for your buck. The fact that it’s lacking some of the more high-end features seen in this battle doesn’t stop it from being a strong competitor. It punches above its weight and is a solid headset for anyone looking for an immersive experience for the money.

of this straight out of the box with the build quality, design, and sturdiness of the Pro X wireless.

It’s another headset that’s aviation-themed, but Logitech takes it that one step further by using more premium materials.

The exposed headband forks are thick metal, making the earcups feel very rigid. The logo sits on a shiny, grooved-metal ring plate that stands out from the black headset, but in a way that’s not obnoxious. It is one of the heaviest headsets we have on test, but with its thick headband and thick, soft cups, comfort issues aren’t apparent for several hours of use.

The Pro X wireless is connected via a USB dongle only, so connectivity is lacking. This is a real downside for the headset – in this price range you’d expect multiple connectivity options. On the left cup, there is a USB-C charging port. A full charge will give you 20 hours of gaming, which in its class is less than expected. However, you’re probably going to want some sort of a break within that time, so this shouldn’t be an ĤŰŰƀă̖ ÉŎƀ̵ĺĺ ØĺŰŎ ƱŅû ŹĠă ƔŎĺƀłă ŬŎõķăŬ ŎŅ ŹĠă ĺăėŹ õƀŨ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ glides perfectly – it’s small details like this that distinguish the good from the great when it comes to the build quality. There is also a dedicated mute button – always handy for gaming – and a detachable mic port.

Talking of the mic, the sound quality picked up is clear, and you should have no issues communicating.

When dropped into a gaming environment, the PRO X shines.

Sounds are heavily detailed, but a slight lack of bass can result ĤŅ ĺăŰŰ ĤłłăŬŰĤŎŅ ŹĠØŅ ûăŰĤŬăû̖ ÃĠăŬă ŹĠă ĠăØûŰ㏠ŰƀƫăŬŰ ĤŰ ĤŅ the high ends. Sounds can often be too sharp in certain situations, which can come across in our music test. Overall it’s a solid purchase, but a higher price doesn’t always result in a better sound.

Great gaming immersion; brilliant budget headset; strong atmospheric sound; good mic.

Metal trim is a win Great build; very comfortable; strong sound on the whole; decent mic.

Driver 50mm Dynamic, Frequency Response 12 Hz-28,000 Hz, Impedance 32 ohm, Connectivity 3.5mm jack, USB sound card, Design Style Closed back, Weight 261g

Driver 50mm Dynamic, Frequency Response 20Hz-20,000 Hz, Impedance 32 ohm, Connectivity 3.5mm jack, USB sound card, Design Style Closed back, Weight 368g

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HEAD TO HEAD Headphones

2020 EDITOR’S CHOICE

$159, www.corsair.com

$299, steelseries.com

Corsair HS60 Haptic

SteelSeries Arctis 9

If white camo is your thing, or you can overlook the fact that this is white camo, then the HS60 is a good contender for this

A lot of headsets seem to have at least one or two things that hold them back from being great, either to reduce the cost, or to

battle. Looks aren’t everything, remember.

The HS60 Haptic is competitively priced at around $160.

Haptic bass has been a subjective technology in headphones for a while now, but it’s not often included on more premium products. A lot of the time it’s seen as gimmicky, but the HS60 tackles this well.

On the right cup, you have a toggle wheel that controls the amount of haptic feedback you want. Instead of being either on ėƀĺĺ ƕĠØõķ ŎŬ Ŏƫ ̩ ĺăØƔĤŅę ŹĠă ØƀûĤŎ Ø ĺĤŹŹĺă ƲØŹ ØŹ ŹĤłăŰ ̩ ƛŎƀ can adjust it to your liking. On the right cup is where the ƔŎĺƀłă ŬŎõķăŬ̐ łƀŹă òƀŹŹŎŅ̐ Ʊƚăû ® ̪! õØòĺă̐ ØŅû Ø ŨŎŬŹ ėŎŬ Ø detachable microphone can be found. The mic’s quality is pretty clear and should be more than adequate for your gaming needs. {ŅŹŎ ŹĠă õŎŅŰŹŬƀõŹĤŎŅ̐ ØŅû ŹĠĤŰ ĤŰ Ø òĤę ŨŎŰĤŹĤƔă ėŎŬ !ŎŬŰØĤŬ̐ feeling more premium than the price may suggest. It’s well put together and has some decent weight to it, but not enough to make you feel uncomfortable. The earcups and headband are ŨĺƀŰĠ ƕĤŹĠ ŰƀòŹĺă ƕĠĤŹă ŰŹĤŹõĠĤŅę ŹŎ ƱŅĤŰĠ ĤŹ Ŏƫ̖ Haptic bass certainly works better with the punchier songs ̩ ĤŹ õØŬŬĤăŰ ŹĠă òØŰŰĺĤŅă ØŅû ĴƀŰŹ õĠØŬęăŰ ŹĠăł ƕĤŹĠ łŎŬă ŎŎłŨĠ̖ Rė ƛŎƀ ĠØƔăŅ̵Ź ăƚŨăŬĤăŅõăû ĤŹ òăėŎŬă̐ ĤŹ̵Ű õăŬŹØĤŅĺƛ interesting. In some areas it works really well, but of course when you have too much bass it swallows the rest of the song.

Fortunately, the toggle wheel is not far away to change this. !Ġƀõķ ƛŎƀŬŰăĺė ĤŅŹŎ Ø ęØłă ØŅû ŹĠă ĠØŨŹĤõ ėăăûòØõķ łØķăŰ Ø ĺŎŹ of sense. Alien Isolation gets a whole new level of scary, and environments in games like GTA and Forza feel alive. {Ņ ŹĠă ƕĠŎĺă̐ ŹĠă N ˝˗ õŎŅƱûăŅŹĺƛ ŹØõķĺăŰ ŹĠă ĠØŨŹĤõ òØŰŰ feature, and the headset creates a balanced, warm sound, though could do with a bit more clarity at the high ends.

ĠăĺŨ ŎŅă ØŰŨăõŹ Ŏė ŹĠă ĠăØûŰ㏠ăƚõăăû ØŹ ŹĠă ăƚŨăŅŰă Ŏė ØŅŎŹĠăŬ̖ The Arctis 9, on the other hand, does everything that is thrown at it very well indeed.

DĤŬŰŹ Ŏƫ̐ ŹĠă õŎłėŎŬŹ ĺăƔăĺŰ ØŬă ØłØƤĤŅę̖ ÃĠăŅ ĤŅĤŹĤØĺĺƛ looking at the headband, the lack of padding was a little Ŏƫ̪ŨƀŹŹĤŅę̐ òƀŹ ĤŹŰ ăĺØŰŹĤõ ŰƀŰŨăŅŰĤŎŅ ØĺŹăŬŅØŹĤƔă ƕŎŬķŰ ăƚõăŨŹĤŎŅØĺĺƛ ƕăĺĺ̖ RŹ ŹØķăŰ Øĺĺ ŹĠă ƕăĤęĠŹ Ŏƫ ŹĠă ĠăØûòØŅû ØŅû evens it out. Along with the breathable fabric cups, it makes for ăƫŎŬŹĺăŰŰ õŎłėŎŬŹ̖ RŹ ĤŰ ƔăŬƛ ƕăĺĺ̪òƀĤĺŹ̐ ØĺŹĠŎƀęĠ ŰŎłă łŎŬă premium materials would be welcome considering the price ŬØŅęă̖ §Ġă ĺăėŹ õƀŨ ėăØŹƀŬăŰ Ø Ũƀĺĺ̪ŎƀŹ̪ŰŹƛĺă łĤõŬŎŨĠŎŅă ŹĠØŹ records very impressively. There is also a toggle switch for party õĠØŹ̜ęØłă ŰŎƀŅû ƕĠăŅ õŎŅŅăõŹăû ƔĤØ ŹĠă ŰƀŨŨĺĤăû !̜ ˛ connection hub. On the right side is the volume rocker, mute òƀŹŹŎŅ̐ ĺƀăŹŎŎŹĠ̐ ŨŎƕăŬ òƀŹŹŎŅ̐ łĤõŬŎ ® ėŎŬ ˙˗ ĠŎƀŬŰ Ŏė ėƀĺĺ charge, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. This headset is great for õŎŅŅăõŹĤƔĤŹƛ̐ ØŅû ĤŹ ØĺŰŎ ėăØŹƀŬăŰ ĺŎŰŰĺăŰŰ ˙̖˛FNƤ ƕĤŬăĺăŰŰ ØƀûĤŎ̖ ƀŹ ƕĠØŹ ƕŎƀĺû Øĺĺ ŹĠĤŰ łØŹŹăŬ Ĥė ŹĠă ØƀûĤŎ ûĤûŅ̵Ź łØŹõĠ̗ eƀõķĤĺƛ ŹĠă ŰŎƀŅû ūƀØĺĤŹƛ ĤŰ ăƚõăĺĺăŅŹ ŹŎŎ̖ RŹ õØŅ òă õŬĤŰŨ ØŅû ŨƀŅõĠƛ ØŹ ŹĠă ŰØłă ŹĤłă ̩ ŨăŬėăõŹ ėŎŬ ŹĠă õŬƀõĤØĺ ûăŹØĤĺŰ ĤŅ õŎłŨăŹĤŹĤƔă ęØłĤŅę̐ ŎŅă Ŏė ŹĠă ŬõŹĤŰ ˠ̵Ű łØĤŅ ® Ű̖ 'ĤŬăõŹĤŎŅØĺ sound is very accurate, and the overall sound is rich and deep.

Music is handled well too, with the main focus on the bass.

However, it provides good clarity at the higher ends too, with sharpness very rarely being an issue.

It’s a very strong competitor, managing to perform well in all ŰõăŅØŬĤŎŰ̖ ÃĤŹĠ ęŬăØŹ ŰŎƀŅû̐ ŰŎĺĤû òƀĤĺû ūƀØĺĤŹƛ̐ ØŅû ŨĤĺĺŎƕ̪ĺĤķă õŎłėŎŬŹ̐ ĤŹ̵Ű ƔăŬƛ ƕăĺĺ̪ŬŎƀŅûăû̖ §Ġă ęŬĤŨăŰ ØŬă łĤŅŎŬ ̩ łŎŬă premium materials would be nice, and occasional sharpness in some tracks might push away some.

Extra layer of bass; good audio quality; solid construction; powerful bass.

Driver 50mm Dynamic, Frequency Response 20 Hz-20,000 Hz, Impedance 32 ohm, Connectivity USB, Design Style Closed back, Weight 420g

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Does it all; superb comfort; high-end audio quality; great connectivity.

Driver 40mm Dynamic, Frequency Response 20 Hz-20,000 Hz, Impedance 32 ohm, Connectivity Wireless 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 5.0, 3.5mm jack, micro USB charging, Design Style Closed back, Weight 377g

And the champion is…

Sony WH-1000XM M4 So, how did we get here? In our little head to head, we ended up having a lot of similar scores through one reason or another. When it came to value for money, the Razer Blackshark V2 took the crown. For build quality, the Logitech Pro X wireless boasted the most premium materials and a solid feel. To come to o our decision, then, it came to the overall package and what the most important factor of a set of headphones actually is – sound quality. For us, the Sony just had thatt e wow factor. Throw anything at these headphones and the response back is bliss.

The WH-1000XM4 is just superb, to put it mildly. It is feature-packed with class-leading active noisecanceling, has seamless proximity sensors for zero interruption, and ę ăƫŎŬŹĺăŰŰ ŹŎƀõĠ õŎŅŹŬŎĺŰ̖ 1ƔăŬƛŹĠĤŅę on these headphones works exactly how you need it to. We know the Kygo A11/800 has very similar features, but the execution just isn’t quite there with them.

The technology used in the Sony headphones makes commuting a breeze. The noise-canceling can take you away from everything, no łØŹŹăŬ ƕĠăŬă ƛŎƀ ØŬă̖ {Ņ ŹĠă ƲĤŨ side, switch it to the ambient mode, and communicating with others around you will no longer be a problem. If that isn’t enough, in one setting, when you start talking it automatically switches the volume of your track down so you can hear what others are saying in a conversation. It’s features like these that are sure to be seen in future headphones, and just another reason why the WH-1000XM4 has won this battle.

Another key winning point for the WH-1000XM4 is the way it looks. It brings to the table a timeless, very sleek design, and something that can be worn anywhere and everywhere. This is a big factor for those of you out there looking for a

daily driver for your audio ne nee .

The build quality is light but f stur comfort

taking the crown from the WH-1000XM4.

levels, especially with those super-soft earcups.

A very strong competitor was the SteelSeries Arctis 9, which also scored a 4.5 on our verdict.

Unfortunately for them, it was just the premium edge of Sony’s cans ØŅû ŹĠă ƲØƕĺăŰŰ ØƀûĤŎ ūƀØĺĤŹƛ ŹĠØŹ ĺăû ƀŰ ŹŎ ŹĠă ƱŅØĺ ûăõĤŰĤŎŅ̖ RŅ certain aspects the SteelSeries cans are better –the elasticated suspended headband featured on ŹĠă ŬõŹĤŰ ˠ ĤŰ õŎłƱăŬ ŹĠØŅ ŎŅƛ̵Ű̐ and it also has more connectivity options, and a better microphone.

The Arctis 9 certainly works better when it comes to gaming, and is the winner when it comes to the headset domain for sure. The on-the-go factors hold the SteelSeries back a little though, with no playback controls on the

It keeps coming back to the sound

headset itself, and the sound and looks just made it fall short of

The Sony headphones do what headphones should do: they give you the audio listening experience that the sound engineers want you to experience. All the blood, sweat, and tears they go through, their work should be embraced, and for us the WH-1000XM4 does this.

Paired with Tidal’s lossless streaming, and with ANC on, listening to music reaches the next level of immersion, and you really get to appreciate the art of music.

Gaming is clearly not its USP, though it also performs very strongly in this regard.

As an overall package, then, and for the price, these cans do everything to a very high standard.

In the end, it’s just a shame about the name.

75

FEATURE How to get smart in the garden

HOW TO GET SMART IN THE GARDEN The smart home has well and truly escaped the bounds of its traditional four walls and is taking over your yard.

Alex Cox

Those of us lucky enough to have gardens have become intimately attached to them in this past year. The yard has become more than just a patch of grass; it’s a viable room in its own right, with all the modern conveniences we’ve come to expect.

It should come as no surprise that the burgeoning smart home is expanding outward into this new room at pace, ready to offer you smarter garden management, better connectivity, and a host of new kit to tie into your existing routines. If you’re committed to your outdoor space you can even find full-on entertainment rigs ready and raring to annoy your neighbors as you put your feet up on the patio.

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Go, go, robo mow Smart mowers may be the big headline grabbers of the smart garden world, but don’t be so hasty to presume that a robo-mower is a “drop on your lawn and go” solution. There are a lot of factors fighting against automated grass management, not least of which is your lawn itself. Let’s consider the way a Roomba (other vacuum bots are available) navigates inside your home to work out why: they can barely deal with scaling the edge of a rug, can’t even consider stairs, and wouldn’t be too happy with an undulating surface.

Vacuum bots use cameras, lasers, and bump sensors to pick out the edges of a room and map it – that is all comparatively easy compared to what a

robot is likely to face in your garden.

Lawns vary massively, light levels constantly change, and finding the difference between a path, border, and stretch of grass requires advanced smarts, or at least a good memory.

Generally, you’ll need to manually delineate the different parts of your garden to help the robot, usually by installing a perimeter wire, which can be rather unsightly. Some newer models have begun employing humidity sensors to detect the difference between grass and stone, but the similar humidity between soil and grass means these can’t usually work out where a border begins, and your begonias will get a chopping

Smart security options

Igloohome łØŬŹ ØûĺŎõķ $219, igloohome.co Secure your shed or side gate with the smartest padlock around. It’s a mix of super security and ultimate cleverness, and you can even use your phone to generate one–time passcodes for guests.

Eufycam 2C Husqvarna’s higher–end grass–munching bots can easily manage a fairly significant slope.

without also employing a wire. GPS ĺŎõØŹĤŎŅ ĤŰ ØŅŎŹĠăŬ ŎŨŹĤŎŅ ŎŅ̀ƕĤûăŬ lawns, as long as you’re not looking for ƀĺŹŬØ̪ØõõƀŬØŹă ăûęă̪ŹŎ̪ăûęă õŎƔăŬØęă̖ nŎûăŬŅ F ĠØŰ ŹĠă ŨŎŹăŅŹĤØĺ ŹŎ òă ĤŅõĠ̪ØõõƀŬØŹă̐ òƀŹ ĤŹ ŅăăûŰ ŹĠă ŬĤęĠŹ õŎŅûĤŹĤŎŅŰ ØŅû Ø ŨŬăƔØĤĺĤŅę ƕĤŅû̖ §ŬăăŰ ØŅû òƀĤĺûĤŅęŰ ŅăØŬ ƛŎƀŬ ęØŬûăŅ ØŬằęŎĤŅę ŹŎ õĠŎŨ ŹĠØŹ ØõõƀŬØõƛ ûŎƕŅ̖ RŹ łĤęĠŹ Űăăł ĺĤķă ƕă̵Ŭă òăĤŅę ŎƔăŬĺƛ ŅăęØŹĤƔă ŹŎƕØŬûŰ ŰłØŬŹ łŎƕăŬŰ̐ ŰŎ ƕă ŰĠŎƀĺû ŨŎĤŅŹ ŎƀŹ ŹĠØŹ ŹĠăƛ̵Ŭă ŬăØĺĺƛ ŅŎŹ Øĺĺ ŹĠØŹ òØû ̨ ĤŹ̵Ű ĴƀŰŹ ƕŎŬŹĠ ŹĠĤŅķĤŅę Ŏė ŹĠă ŨŎŹăŅŹĤØĺ ĤŰŰƀăŰ òăėŎŬă ƛŎƀŬ Ņăƕ ŎƀŹûŎŎŬ ŬŎòŎŹ ĠƀŬĺŰ ĤŹŰăĺė ĤŅŹŎ ƛŎƀŬ ŨŎŎĺ̖ §ĠăŬă ØŬă ŰŎłă ŹŬƀĺƛ ăƚõăĺĺăŅŹ łŎûăĺŰ ŎƀŹ ŹĠăŬă̏ ŹĠă ŹĤĠĺ ĤnŎƕ nR ˛˙˙ ̦ØŬŎƀŅû ͊˘̐ˠˠˠ̧ ĠØŰ òăăŅ łØķĤŅę ƕØƔăŰ ĤŅ ŹĠă ĺŎƕ̪õŎŰŹ ŰăõŹŎŬ ØŅû õØŅ

ķăăŨ ƛŎƀŬ ĺØƕŅ ŹŬĤł ƕĤŹĠ ˘˞ ĠŎƀŬŰ̵ work per week. It’s self-charging, so it ŰĠŎƀĺû ę㏠ŹĠă ĴŎò ûŎŅă ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă łĤŅĤłƀł Ŏė ėƀŰŰ̐ ŹĠŎƀęĠ ĤŹ ûŎăŰ require you to permanently install its õĠØŬęĤŅę ûŎõķ ŰŎłăƕĠăŬă ŎŅ ŹĠă ŰØłă ĺăƔăĺ ØŰ ƛŎƀŬ ĺØƕŅ̖ Rė ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ ę㏠ŰĺĤęĠŹĺƛ ŰłØŬŹăŬ̐ NƀŰūƔØŬŅØ̵Ű ƀŹŎłŎƕăŬ ˚˘˜È ̦͊˚̐˙ˠˠ̧ ØûûŰ ŰłØŬŹ õŎŅŅăõŹĤƔĤŹƛ ØŅû ĠØŅûĺăŰ ŰĺŎŨăŰ ƕĤŹĠ ØŨĺŎłò̐ ØŅû ĤŹŰ ƀŹŎłŎƕăŬ ˛˚˜È Ã' ̦͊˜̐ˠˠˠ̧ õØŅ ę㏠ƀŨ Ø ˞˗͹ ęŬØûĤăŅŹ ƕĤŹĠ ĤŹŰ Øĺĺ̪ƕĠăăĺ̪ûŬĤƔă ƕĠăăĺŰ̖

$399, eufylife.com Compatible with HomeKit Secure Video and (against the competition) quite reasonably priced, Eufy’s camera system is the perfect way to monitor visitors to your garden — human or beast.

DĤòØŬŎ 'ŎŎŬ̜ ÃĤŅûŎƕ ăŅŰŎŬ ˙

Of course, if you want your lawn to stay ęŬăăŅ ØŰ ƕăĺĺ ØŰ ęŬŎŎłăû̐ ƛŎƀ̵ĺĺ

$89, fibaro.com OK, technically it’s not one for your garden, but if someone does make an attempt at bringing the outside in you’ll get an alert to

ŨŬŎòØòĺƛ Ņăăû ŹŎ ŎƫăŬ ĤŹ ŰŎłă ƕØŹăŬ ŅŎƕ ØŅû ŹĠăŅ̖ §ĠĤŰ ĤŰ ØŅŎŹĠăŬ ØŬăØ

your phone. Why not trigger a security routine, too?

Wet and wild

77

FEATURE How to get smart in the garden

Plan a party Meater+

JBL Charge 5

Nebula Capsule apsule II

$99, meater.com

$TBC, jbl.com

$579.99, seenebula.com

We keep coming back to the smart

JBL’s successor to the Charge 4 will be

Why not beam a movie onto your wall?

Meater thermometer here because it’s the best way to get perfectly cooked

landing right as we go to press — but if it’s anything like its predecessor you’re

The Capsule II is battery powered, portable, and capable of focusing a

BBQ food. That said, it does take away the fun of being grill–vigilant, tongs in

in for a weatherproof audio treat. Loud, bassy, perfectly portable, with a battery

720p image up to 100–inches across. It’s not super–bright, though, so wait until

hand, at all times.

that lasts.

the sun goes down.

where we encourage you to exercise Ø ĺĤŹŹĺă õØƀŹĤŎŅ̛ ŹĠăŬă ØŬă Ø ŅƀłòăŬ

ƛŎƀŬ ĺØƕŅ łĤęĠŹ Ņăăû Ø ĺĤŹŹĺă ŬăėŬăŰĠłăŅŹ̐ òƀŹ ŹĠØŹ̵Ű ØòŎƀŹ ØŰ ėØŬ ØŰ

ŰŨŬĤŅķĺăŬ ƕĠăŅ ƛŎƀ ŹĠĤŅķ ƛŎƀŬ ĺØƕŅ ŅăăûŰ ĤŹ̐ ØŅû òØŰĤõ łăõĠØŅĤõØĺ ƕØŹăŬ

Ŏė ŰłØŬŹ ƕØŹăŬĤŅę ŰƛŰŹăłŰ ŎŅ ŹĠă łØŬķăŹ̐ òƀŹ ̦ƕĤŹĠŎƀŹ łăŅŹĤŎŅĤŅę ØŅƛ

ŹĠăĤŬ ŰłØŬŹ ėƀŅõŹĤŎŅŰ ăƚŹăŅû̐ ØŅû łØŅƛ ĠØƔă ĺăėŹ ŹĠă łØŬķ㏠ŎƔăŬ ŹĠă ƛăØŬŰ

ŹĤłăŬŰ ØŬă ăƫăõŹĤƔă ăŅŎƀęĠ ƕĠăŅ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ØƕØƛ ėŬŎł ĠŎłă̖

ŨØŬŹĤõƀĺØŬ ăƚØłŨĺăŰ̧ ŹĠăƛ̵Ŭă ŎėŹăŅ Ø ĺĤŹŹĺă ŨŎĤŅŹĺăŰŰ̖ ƀŬă̐ ŹĠăƛ õØŅ ŰăŅŰă ŹĠă ƕăØŹĠăŬ ØŅû ØõŹĤƔØŹă ƕĠăŅ ŹĠăƛ ŹĠĤŅķ

òăõØƀŰă ŹĠăƛ̵Ɣă ŅŎŹ ŨŬŎƔăŅ ŨŎŨƀĺØŬ̖ ÉŎƀ̐ ƕă ØŬă ŰƀŬă̐ ØŬă Øòĺă ŹŎ ŰăŅŰă ŹĠă ƕăØŹĠăŬ ėŎŬ ƛŎƀŬŰăĺė̐ ØŅû ŰƕĤŹõĠ ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ

§ĠØŹ ŰØĤû̐ ŹĠăŬă ĤŰ ŎŅă ŰŹŬŎŅę ŎŨŹĤŎŅ ėŎŬ ØƀŹŎłØŹăû ĤŬŬĤęØŹĤŎŅ ĤŅ ŹĠă ėŎŬł Ŏė ŹĠă 1Ɣă ūƀØ ̦͊˘ˠˠ̧̖ RŹ̀ŹĤăŰ ĤŅŹŎ NŎłăcĤŹ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ĤŰ Ø òĤę ŨĺƀŰ̐ ƀŅĺăŰŰ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ŨŬĤłØŬĤĺƛ ƀŰĤŅę Ø̀ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ŰłØŬŹ ĠŎłă ŰƛŰŹăł̖ RŹ òăŰŹŰ ĤŹŰ ŬĤƔØĺŰ by dint of its ability to be tied into ėƀĺĺ̪òĺŎƕŅ ŰłØŬŹ ĠŎłă ŬŎƀŹĤŅăŰ ̩ ƀŰĤŅę ØŅ ŎƀŹûŎŎŬ ƕăØŹĠăŬ ŰŹØŹĤŎŅ̐ ėŎŬ ăƚØłŨĺă̐ ƛŎƀ õŎƀĺû ŨŎŹăŅŹĤØĺĺƛ build a function which turns on your ŰŨŬĤŅķĺăŬŰ ØėŹăŬ Ø õăŬŹØĤŅ ŅƀłòăŬ Ŏė dry days.

Rė ƛŎƀ̵û ĺĤķă Ø łŎŬă ŰŨăõĤƱõ ĺŎŎķ ØŹ ƕĠØŹ ƛŎƀŬ̀ŨĺØŅŹŰ ØŬă ûŎĤŅę̐ ŹĠăŬă̵Ű Ø ĺƀăŹŎŎŹĠ ŨĺØŅŹ łŎŅĤŹŎŬ õŎłĤŅę ŎƀŹ Ŏė !ĠĤŅØ ƕĠĤõĠ õØŅ õĠăõķ łŎĤŰŹƀŬă ĺăƔăĺŰ ĤŅ ŹĠă ŰŎĤĺ̐ ŅƀŹŬĤăŅŹ ĺăƔăĺŰ̐ ŹăłŨăŬØŹƀŬă̐ ØŅû ĺĤęĠŹ ĺăƔăĺŰ̖ §Ġă ăƚØõŹ ŰØłă ŨŬŎûƀõŹ ĤŰ ØƔØĤĺØòĺă ƀŅûăŬ Ø òƀŅõĠ Ŏė ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ęăŅăŬĤõ òŬØŅû ŅØłăŰ ̩ ÃØŅėăĤ̐ Âăę§Ŭƀę̐ ØĤŅƀŎĴĤØ ăŹ Øĺ ̩ ØŹ ŰŎłăƕĠăŬă ĤŅ ŹĠă ŬăęĤŎŅ Ŏė̀͊˝ˠ̛ ƕă̵û ăƚŨăõŹ ŹĠă ûăƔĤõă ŹŎ òă ėƀŅõŹĤŎŅØĺ Ĥė̀ŅŎŹ ŰŨăõŹØõƀĺØŬ̖

Bright night While some other smart lighting brands stick sensibly to the inside of your home, and others (like LIFX) make only slight excursions to the outdoors, Philips Hue has really cemented its outdoor expansion recently with a wide range of new outdoor bulbs and illuminators.

Philips runs its own low voltage

feels an awful lot like an outdoor version of the Hue Play Bar) can sensibly take advantage of it.

Note that you’ll often find the Bluetooth option missing from Hue’s outdoor bulbs, which does make sense; while it’s a neat addition to its newer indoor hardware, you’re not likely to want to wander all over your

system to the garden, which allows you to daisychain together certain products for easy installation. And new devices like the (rumored, at press time) Hue Wave Linear (which

garden turning things on and off when a simple Zigbee message passed along the line of lights would do the trick. So make sure you have a bridge.

You don’t have to light up your garden like a clown’s dream. But you can.

Watch the skies Ű ėØŬ ØŰ ƕăØŹĠăŬ łŎŅĤŹŎŬĤŅę ęŎăŰ̐ ƕă̵Ɣă ĺŎŎķăû ØŹ ŹĠă qăŹØŹłŎ łØŬŹ ÃăØŹĠăŬ ŹØŹĤŎŅ RŅûŎŎŬ {ƀŹûŎŎŬ ̦͊˙˛ˠ̧ òăėŎŬă̐ ŹĠŎƀęĠ ĤŹ łØƛ ĠØƔă ĠØû Ø ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ŅØłă ØŹ ŹĠă ŹĤłă òăõØƀŰă qăŹØŹłŎ õØŅ̵Ź Űăăł ŹŎ ûăõĤûă ƕĠØŹ ĤŹŰ ŨŬŎûƀõŹŰ ØŬă õØĺĺăû̖ RŹ ŬăłØĤŅŰ ŎŅằŎė ŹĠă òăŰŹ õĠŎĤõăŰ ƛŎƀ õØŅ łØķă ėŎŬ ĺŎõØĺ łŎŅĤŹŎŬĤŅę̖ RŹ̵Ű ėƀĺĺƛ NŎłăcĤŹ õŎłŨØŹĤòĺă̐ ØŰ ƕăĺĺ ØŰ ƕŎŬķĤŅę ƕĤŹĠ

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Patio power It’s fully possible to transform your patio into a second lounge. We’ll leave the comfy seating choices up to

Realistically, we’d stand on the other side of the grill if we wanted to watch the TV.

you, but for entertainment Samsung has you covered. Its 2020 range introduced the Terrace TV, an IP55– rated 4K HDR screen built to be mounted on an outside wall. The Terrace isn’t cheap (the 55–inch model is $3,499, while the largest 75–inch edition costs $6,499) and it doesn’t sound great (you’ll probably

least, an outdoor TV. If you have a “little” more to spend, try the LED–

fold–out–of–the–floor mechanism and because it’s 301 inches corner–

need to shell out for Samsung’s tie–in Terrace Soundbar, $1,199) but it is, at

driven C Seed 301. You’ll need a big garden, both to accommodate its

to–corner. The Austrian–made luxury screen costs around $1.5 million!

Alexa, and feeds into a beautiful and highly useable app. You can also tack on

using a smart camera like the Blink {ƀŹûŎŎŬ ̦͊˘˝ˠ̧̛ ĤŹ ŅŎŹ ŎŅĺƛ ŎƫăŬŰ Ø

extras like a wind meter or rain gauge, as well as additional outdoor modules,

pin-sharp view of your garden, be that for security purposes or to check up on your

all of which tie into its high-end aesthetic nicely. §ĠăŬă ØŬă ŎŹĠăŬŰ ŎƀŹ ŹĠăŬă ŹĠØŹ ŎƫăŬ a wider range of features. Indeed, there’s a vast hobbyist community for weather monitoring, packing in features like integrated cameras, solar power, and consistent Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity which enables you to stream your weather data online. You can even contribute to a hyper-local forecasting service like Weather ®ŅûăŬęŬŎƀŅû̐ ØŅû ĠăĺŨ̀ŹĠŎŰă ƕĠŎ aren’t so lucky to have a weather station or perhaps even a garden to see what conditions are going to be like.

You may even be able to get away ƕĤŹĠŎƀŹ Ø̀ƕăØŹĠăŬ ŰăŅŰŎŬ ØŹ Øĺĺ̖ !ŎŅŰĤûăŬ

robo-mower, but it also incorporates its own integrated temperature sensor. It’s all about constructing the ecosystem that works for you.

Netatmo’s Weather Station’s indoor and outdoor modules provide stats from all around the home.

Bring the outside in Even if you don’t have a garden to call ƛŎƀŬ ŎƕŅ̐ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ę㏠ƛŎƀŬ Ʊƚ Ŏė ŹĠă natural world indoors thanks to a wide range of smart indoor gardens. Some are more focused on producing edibles, things like herbs and leafy greens, which you can enjoy fresh from the plant. The most prominent examples come from Urban Plant Growers, whose Indoor Smart Garden (around $99) is small enough to sit on a kitchen counter, using ăŅăŬęƛ̪ăƬõĤăŅŹ e1' ęŬŎƕ ĺĤęĠŹŰ ØŅû automated watering to get your plants

You won’tt forget about your houseplants when they’re attached to Respira’s imposing appliance — you won’t need to water them yourself, either.

(supplied in capsule form, like a ŰĺĤęĠŹĺƛ ęŬăăŅăŬ õŎƫăă łØõĠĤŅă̧ growing fuss–free.

Another option is the Respira, Ø̀ƔăŬŹĤõØĺ ĠƛûŬŎŨŎŅĤõ ęØŬûăŅ ƕĠĤõĠ doesn’t use soil. Instead, it pulls air over the exposed roots of its plants where, to ūƀŎŹă ŹĠă õŎłŨØŅƛ̐ ̱òăŅăƱõĤØĺ microorganisms capture and break down toxins in the air.” It can also help improve the humidity of dry homes, and there are obvious mental health ØûƔØŅŹØęăŰ ŹŎ ĠØƔĤŅę Ø òĤę ƕØĺĺ Ŏė̀ŨŬ㏏ƛ plants. The only issue is getting hold Ŏė̀ŎŅă ØŰ ĤŹ ĠØŰ ŎŅĺƛ ĴƀŰŹ ĺăėŹ ŹĠă Kickstarter phase, but keep an eye on respira.ca for news of distribution and pricing.

So whichever way you get your zen, be ĤŹ̀ĤŅûŎŎŬŰ̐ ŎƀŹûŎŎŬŰ̐ ęŬăăŅ ŹĠƀłò ŎŬ clean thumb, there’s a smart option for you. And don’t forget the power of smart outdoor lighting (see “Bright night,” and we’ll cover this more in future issues) to upgrade the looks of even the most pedestrian garden.

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FEATURE The global chip shortage crisis

The global chip shortage crisis Charlotte Henry looks at the ongoing global shortage of computer chips and what the consequences might be for Apple.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every aspect of our lives, not to mention the industries we depend on both professionally and personally. One that might not immediately spring to mind for many people is the production of electronic devices, and, in particular, the chips that sit at the heart (or maybe the brain…) of such products. It should though.

Semiconductors – including memory chips, microprocessors, and integrated chips – have been in short supply in the tech industry, and all those that rely on them are in the midst of a genuine crisis. While Apple is better placed than many to ride out the storm, nobody is quite sure at this point when it will end.

What’s the problem?

Like so many workplaces around the world, the factories that produce these vital components 80

had to close as the COVID-19 pandemic escalated. This inevitably led to significant production delays.

When they were able to get back operating, the pandemic had caused such a spike in demand for things like new computers, smartphones and smart home devices that supply could not match demand. Car makers, who slowed down orders during the pandemic, also suddenly found themselves in need of more of these components than before, further adding to demand. As a result, there has been a global shortage of semiconductors, and manufacturers are still trying to catch up.

“Chips are everything,” Mirabaud’s media and tech analyst Neil Campling told The Guardian in March. “There is a perfect storm of supply and demand factors going on here. But basically, there is a new level of demand that can’t be kept

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FEATURE The global chip shortage crisis

It comes as no surprise that even the łĤęĠŹƛ ŨŨĺă ĠØŰ òăăŅ ØƫăõŹăû̖ ėŹăŬ Øĺĺ̐ ŹĠă õŎłŨØŅƛ ŬăūƀĤŬăŰ łŎŬă õĠĤŨŰ ėŎŬ ĤŹŰ ŨŬŎûƀõŹŰ ŹĠØŅ ØŅƛŎŅă ăĺŰă̖

The chip shortage could result in delays to next-gen product releases from Apple.

ƀŨ ƕĤŹĠ̛ ăƔăŬƛŎŅă ĤŰ ĤŅ õŬĤŰĤŰ ØŅû ĤŹ ĤŰ ę㏏ĤŅę ƕŎŬŰă̖̲ §Ġă õŎŅŰŹŬØĤŅŹŰ õØƀŰăû òƛ ŹĠă ŨØŅûăłĤõ ƕăŬă ĤŅ ŅŎ ŰłØĺĺ ŨØŬŹ ăƚØõăŬòØŹăû òƛ ŹĠă ėØõŹ ŹĠØŹ ŹĠăŬă ØŬă ŬăĺØŹĤƔăĺƛ ėăƕ õŎłŨØŅĤăŰ łØķĤŅę õĠĤŨŰ̐ õØƀŰĤŅę łØĴŎŬ òŎŹŹĺăŅăõķŰ̖ §ØĤƕØŅ ăłĤõŎŅûƀõŹŎŬ nØŅƀėØõŹƀŬĤŅę !ŎłŨØŅƛ ̦§ n!̧ ĤŰ ŹĠă łØŬķ㏠ĺăØûăŬ ØŅû õŬƀõĤØĺ ØõŬŎŰŰ ŹĠă ŰƀŨŨĺƛ õĠØĤŅ̐ ƕĤŹĠ ØłŰƀŅę ĤŅ ŰăõŎŅû̖ Rė ŹĠăƛ ŰĺŎƕ ûŎƕŅ̐ ăƔăŬƛŹĠĤŅę ŰĺŎƕŰ ûŎƕŅ̖ ĺŎŅęŰĤûă ŹĠă ŨØŅûăłĤõ̐ § n! ėØõăû ŨŬăŰŰƀŬă ėŬŎł ŹĠă §ØĤƕØŅăŰă ęŎƔăŬŅłăŅŹ ØėŹăŬ ŹĠă ĤŰĺØŅû ŅØŹĤŎŅ ŰƀƫăŬăû Ø ûŬŎƀęĠŹ̖ RŅ nØŬõĠ̐ ŹĠă õŎłŨØŅƛ ƕØŰ ŹŎĺû ŹŎ õƀŹ ŹĠă ØłŎƀŅŹ Ŏė ƕØŹăŬ ĤŹ ƀŰăŰ ĤŅ ŨŬŎûƀõŹĤŎŅ òƛ Ø ŹŎŹØĺ Ŏė ˘˟͹̖ ̦§ n!̵Ű łØŅƀėØõŹƀŬĤŅę ŨŬŎõăŰŰ ŬăūƀĤŬăŰ Ø ĺŎŹ Ŏė ƕØŹăŬ ̩ ˘˜˝̐˗˗˗ ŹŎŅŰ Ŏė ƕØŹăŬ Ø ûØƛ̐ ĤŅ ėØõŹ̖ RŹ ƕØŰ ŬăŨŎŬŹăûĺƛ ŨŬăŨØŬăû ŹŎ ƀŰă ŹŬƀõķŰ ŹŎ òŬĤŅę ĤŅ ŰƀŨŨĺĤăŰ Ŏė ƕØŹăŬ ĤŅ ŎŬûăŬ ŹŎ ķăăŨ ŎŨăŬØŹĤŅę ØŹ ŅŎŬłØĺ õØŨØõĤŹƛ̧̖

RŹ õŎłăŰ ØŰ ŅŎ ŰƀŬŨŬĤŰă ŹĠØŹ ăƔăŅ

ŬăūƀĤŬăŰ łŎŬă õĠĤŨŰ ėŎŬ ĤŹŰ ŨŬŎûƀõŹŰ ŹĠØŅ ØŅƛŎŅă ăĺŰă̐ ėŎĺĺŎƕăû òƛ ŬĤƔØĺ ØłŰƀŅę̖ nØŅƛ ŨŨĺă ŨŬŎûƀõŹŰ ŰŹĤĺĺ õŎŅŹØĤŅ RŅŹăĺ õĠĤŨŰ̐ ØŅû ăƔăŅ ŹĠŎƀęĠ ŨŨĺă ŅŎƕ ûăŰĤęŅŰ õĠĤŨŰ ĤŅ ŹĠă Ĥ ĠŎŅă̐ Ĥ Øû̐ ØŅû ŰŎłă nØõŰ̐ ŹĠăŰă ŰŹĤĺĺ ŬăūƀĤŬă ŹĠĤŬû̪ŨØŬŹƛ łØŅƀėØõŹƀŬĤŅę̖ RŅ ŹŎŹØĺ̐ ØŬŎƀŅû ˙˜͹ Ŏė Øĺĺ § n!̵Ű ŎŬûăŬŰ õŎłă ėŬŎł ŨŨĺă ̩ ŹĠă õŎłŨØŅƛ ĤŰ ŹĠă ŰŎĺă ŨŬŎƔĤûăŬ Ŏė ŹĠă ˘˛ õĠĤŨŰ ĤŅ ŹĠă Ĥ ĠŎŅă ˘˙ ØŅû ĠØŰ òăăŅ ŹĠă ăƚõĺƀŰĤƔă ŨŬŎƔĤûăŬ Ŏė ŨŨĺă łŎòĤĺă õĠĤŨŰ ŰĤŅõă ˙˗˘˜̖ ŬŎûƀõŹĤŎŅ Ŏė F ®Ű̐ ŹĠă ęŬØŨĠĤõŰ õĠĤŨŰ ĤŅ ûăƔĤõăŰ̐ ĠØŰ òăăŅ ØƫăõŹăû ĤŅ ŹĠă ŰØłă ƕØƛ ŹĠă łØŅƀėØõŹƀŬă Ŏė ŎŹĠăŬ õĠĤŨŰ ĠØŰ̖ §ĠĤŰ ĤŰ ŹĠŎƀęĠŹ ŹŎ òă ØŹ ĺăØŰŹ ŨØŬŹ Ŏė ŹĠă ŬăØŰŎŅ ƕĠƛ ŨŨĺă ŎŨŹăû ŹŎ ŰŹØęęăŬ ŹĠă ŬăĺăØŰă Ŏė ŹĠă Ĥ ĠŎŅă ˘˙ ŬØŅęă̐ ĺØƀŅõĠĤŅę ƱŬŰŹ ŹĠă ăŅŹŬƛ ĺăƔăĺ łŎûăĺ ØŅû ŬŎ̐ òăėŎŬă ŹĠă łĤŅĤ ØŅû ŬŎ nØƚ ØŬŬĤƔăû Ø ėăƕ ƕăăķŰ ûŎƕŅ ŹĠă ĺĤŅă̖ RŅ ęăŅăŬØĺ̐ ŹĠŎƀęĠ̐ Ĥ ĠŎŅă ŨŬŎûƀõŹĤŎŅ ĠØŰ ŅŎŹ ƛ㏠òăăŅ ĺĤłĤŹăû òƛ õĠĤŨ ŰƀŨŨĺƛ ŰĠŎŬŹØęă̐ ØõõŎŬûĤŅę ŹŎ Nikkei Asia̖ NŎƕăƔăŬ̐ õĠĤŨ ŰĠŎŬŹØęăŰ ûĤû ŬăŨŎŬŹăûĺƛ ûăĺØƛ õŎłŨŎŅăŅŹŰ òăĤŅę łŎƀŅŹăû ŎŅŹŎ ŨŬĤŅŹăû õĤŬõƀĤŹ òŎØŬûŰ ØĠăØû Ŏė

ŹĠă łĤęĠŹƛ ŨŨĺă ĠØŰ òăăŅ ØƫăõŹăû̖ ėŹăŬ Øĺĺ̐ ŹĠă õŎłŨØŅƛ

ƱŅØĺ ØŰŰăłòĺƛ Ŏė nØõ ŎŎķŰ̖ DƀŬŹĠăŬłŎŬă̐ Ø ŨŬŎŨŎŬŹĤŎŅ Ŏė

The effect on Apple

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The release of Apple’s iPhone 12 models were staggered, thought to be as a result of the chip shortage issue.

Ĥ Øû̀ØŰŰăłòĺƛ ƕØŰ ØĺŰŎ ŨŎŰŹŨŎŅăû ØŰ ûĤŰŨĺØƛŰ ØŅû ûĤŰŨĺØƛ õŎłŨŎŅăŅŹŰ ƕăŬă ĤŅ ŰĠŎŬŹ ŰƀŨŨĺƛ̐ ƕĤŹĠ ŨŨĺă ƀĺŹĤłØŹăĺƛ ŎŨŹĤŅę ŹŎ ĠŎĺû òØõķ ŰŎłă õŎłŨŎŅăŅŹ ŎŬûăŬŰ ėŎŬ òŎŹĠ ŹĠăŰă ûăƔĤõăŰ̐ ƕØĤŹĤŅę ƀŅŹĤĺ ŹĠă ŰăõŎŅû ĠØĺė Ŏė ˙˗˙˘ ĤŅŰŹăØû̖ {ƔăŬØĺĺ̐ ĤŹ ĤŰ ƀŅûăŬŰŹŎŎû ŹĠØŹ ŨŨĺă̵Ű ŰƀŨŨĺƛ õĠØĤŅ ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź ĠØƔă łƀõĠ ƕĤęęĺă ŬŎŎł̐ òƀŹ ĤŹŰ õƀŰŹŎłăŬŰ ØŬă ŅŎŹ ƛ㏠ŰăăĤŅę ŹĠă õŎŅŰăūƀăŅõăŰ Ŏė ŹĠă ęĺŎòØĺ̀õĠĤŨ ŰĠŎŬŹØęă̖ Rė ŨŨĺă ĤŰ ŹŬƛĤŅę ŹŎ ØƔŎĤû łØƚĤŅę ŎƀŹ ĤŹŰ õĠĤŨ ŰƀŨŨĺĤăŰ̐ ŹĠØŹ ĤŰ Ø ŨĺØƀŰĤòĺă ăƚŨĺØŅØŹĤŎŅ ØŰ ŹŎ ƕĠƛ ĤŹŰ ăƔăŅŹŰ ŎƔăŬ ŹĠằĺØŰŹ ƛăØŬ ĠØƔă òăăŅ Ø ĺĤŹŹĺă ĺØŹăŬ ŹĠØŅ̀õĺŎŰă ŨŨĺă ƕØŹõĠăŬŰ łĤęĠŹ ĠØƔă ăƚŨăõŹăû̖ RŹ łØƛ ØĺŰŎ ăƚŨĺØĤŅ ƕĠƛ ŹĠă ĤnØõ ŬŎ ƕØŰ ûĤŰõŎŅŹĤŅƀăû ĤŅ nØŬõĠ̐ òƀŹ ŹĠØŹ̵Ű ĺĤķăĺƛ łŎŬă ŹŎ ûŎ ƕĤŹĠ Ø Ņăƕ łŎûăĺ ŬăĺăØŰă̖

What about rivals?

Rė ŹĠĤŅęŰ ĺŎŎķ ŹĤęĠŹ ėŎŬ ŨŨĺă̐ ŹĠØŹ̵Ű ŅŎŹĠĤŅę õŎłŨØŬăû ŹŎ ŹĠă ŨŎŹăŅŹĤØĺ ŨŬŎòĺăłŰ ŹĠă ęĺŎòØĺ õĠĤŨ ŰĠŎŬŹØęă ĠØŰ õØƀŰăû ØłŰƀŅę̖ ̱§ĠăŬă̵Ű Ø ŰăŬĤŎƀŰ ĤłòØĺØŅõă ĤŅ ŰƀŨŨĺƛ ØŅû ûăłØŅû Ŏė õĠĤŨŰ ĤŅ ŹĠă R§ ŰăõŹŎŬ ęĺŎòØĺĺƛ̲̐ õŎ̪õĠĤăė ăƚăõƀŹĤƔă cŎĠ 'ŎŅę̪aĤŅ ƕØŬŅăû ĠĤŰ ŰĠØŬăĠŎĺûăŬŰ̖ RŹ ĤŰ ăƔăŅ ŨŎŰŰĤòĺă ŹĠØŹ ØłŰƀŅę ƕĤĺĺ

semiconductors and push to keep ŎŅ ŰõĠăûƀĺă̖

Will this ever end?

RŹ̵Ű ĠØŬû ŹŎ ŎƔăŬŰŹØŹă ŹĠă seriousness of what is going on in ŹĠă õĠĤŨ̪łØķĤŅę ƕŎŬĺû ØŹ ŹĠă łŎłăŅŹ̖ qăƔăŬ łĤŅû ŎƀŬ ûăŰĤŬă ėŎŬ a new iPad or MacBook Pro, there are national security implications ŹŎ Øĺĺ ŹĠĤŰ̐ ęĤƔăŅ Øĺĺ ŹĠằĠĤęĠ̪ĺăƔăĺ military and security devices that ŬăūƀĤŬă õĠĤŨŰ̖ RŅûăăû̐ ŹĠĤŅęŰ reached such a crunch point that in ŨŬĤĺ ® ŬăŰĤûăŅŹ aŎă ĤûăŅ ŎŬęØŅĤŰăû Ø łăăŹĤŅę ƕĤŹĠ̀ŹŎŨ ăƚăõƀŹĤƔăŰ ėŬŎł ŹĠă ĺĤķăŰ Ŏė §Έ§̐ ØłŰƀŅę̐ ĺŨĠØòăŹ̐ 'ăĺĺ̐ RŅŹăĺ̐ Medtronic, Northrop Grumman, HP, Cummins and Micron, as well ØŰ õØŬ łØŅƀėØõŹƀŬăŬŰ̖ qØŹĤŎŅØĺ ŰăõƀŬĤŹƛ ØûƔĤŰăŬŰ ƕăŬă ØĺŰŎ ŹĠăŬă̖

skip the next generation of its Galaxy Note smartphone in a bid ŹŎ̀ŰŹŬăØłĺĤŅă ĤŹŰ ĺĤŅă̪ƀŨ̖ ̱RŹ ĤŰ hard to say the shortage issue has been solved 100%,” the executive ƕØŬŅăû̖ But the situation goes beyond ŹĠă ŰłØŬŹŨĠŎŅă łØŬķăŹ̖ ƀŨŨĺĤăŰ Ŏė ŹĠă ĺØŹăŰŹ ÈòŎƚ ØŅû ĺØƛ ŹØŹĤŎŅ consoles were stretched (again, it’s reasonable to assume that increased popularity during ŹĠằŨØŅûăłĤõ ØĺŰŎ ŨŬŎłŨŹăû ĠĤęĠ ûăłØŅû̧̖ 1ƔăŅ õØŬ̀łØŅƀėØõŹƀŬăŬŰ̐ ƕĠŎŰă ƔăĠĤõĺăŰ ĠŎĺû̀ĤŅõŬăØŰĤŅęĺƛ powerful computing capability, ƕăŬă ĠĤŹ̖ Apple is in a relatively strong position compared to many other õŎłŨØŅĤăŰ̖ ̱§Ġă ƕŎŬŰŹ ØƫăõŹăû have been autos because they were last to the party,” Campling ăƚŨĺØĤŅăû̖ ̱Rė ŨŨĺă ĤŰ ŰŨăŅûĤŅę ® ͊˜˝òŅ Ø ƛăØŬ ØŅû ęŬŎƕĤŅę̐ ƕĠŎ ØŬằƛŎƀ ęŎĤŅę ŹŎ ķăăŨ ŰƀŨŨĺĤăŰ ęŎĤŅę ŹŎ ƱŬŰŹ̗̲ §Ġă ØŅØĺƛŰŹ ØĺŰŎ pointed out the absurdity of ØłŰƀŅę ŰăĺĺĤŅę ® ͊˜˝òŅ Ŏė semiconductors to others while õŎŅŰƀłĤŅę ® ͊˚˝òŅ Ŏė ŹĠăł ĤŹŰăĺė and consequently risking delays to the rollout of its own products

§Ġă ŰăăłĤŅę õŎŅŰăŅŰƀŰ amongst industry analysts is that the issues are set to continue for most of 2021, and maybe even ĺŎŅęăŬ̖ §ĠằŨŬăŰŰĤŅę ĤŰŰƀă ƕĤĺĺ ŅŎ doubt be on the Cupertino radar if, as it surely does, Apple intends to ĺØƀŅõĠ ØŅ Ĥ ĠŎŅă ˘˚ ØŬŎƀŅû ăŨŹăłòăŬ ŎŬ {õŹŎòăŬ̖ §ĠØŹ ŰØĤû̐ Ĥė ØŅƛ õŎłŨØŅƛ ĠØŰ the capacity to overcome these kinds of unprecedented õĠØĺĺăŅęăŰ̐ ĤŹ̵Ű §Ĥł !ŎŎķ ØŅû ŹĠă innovative and productive team ØŹ ŨŨĺă̖

Chips for Apple: the supply chain APPLE IS INCREASINGLY TRYING TO USE ITS OWN CHIPS, BUT THIS PROCESS IS BY NO MEANS COMPLETE. As said, even its ‘own’ chips still need to be manufactured by someone else. Looking through Apple’s supplier list, various key names that we know are involved in the semiconductor manufacturing process stand out: > Broadcom > Intel > NXP Semicondcutors > ON Semiconductor > Qualcomm > Samsung > TSMC These companies need to work through the backlog to help Apple get back to pre-pandemic supply.

While Apple is now producing its ‘own’ chips, it still relies heavily on third-party suppliers.

ƕĠĤĺă ŎŹĠăŬ ƱŬłŰ òƀƛ ĤŹŰ

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A select group of motherboards support Thunderbolt 3.

84

Thunderbolt 3 support Hi TechLife. I’ve been working from

ThunderboltEX 3-TR card is designed for the newer Z490/

and you don’t see an option about “I forgot my password,” which will

home for about a year. My work laptop is connected to a dual-

B460/H4670/B550 series mobos that have the 14-1 pin header,

help you try to reset it to gain access, visit https://account.live.

monitor 180W docking station via Thunderbolt. The dock and all

including the TUF Gaming Z490-Plus.

com/password/reset in another browser to see if that works. If

peripherals are mine, but the

resetting it doesn’t gain you access,

laptop belongs to the company. I want to use the setup off-hours by

Password problem I was using my Asus laptop when it

you may have to employ the services of a third-party tool that can bypass

unplugging the Thunderbolt from the laptop and into a yet-to-be-

did a security update, something it’s done perhaps hundreds of

or reset Microsoft Account passwords in Windows 10. One of

built PC rig. How would I do that? I don’t need the extra power from

times in the past. This time, when the small window for the PIN came

the cheapest is PCUnlocker Standard (www.top-password.

the Thunderbolt. Do I just need to make sure the motherboard I pick

up, I got the message, “Something happened and your PIN isn’t

com/reset-windows-password. html).

has USB-C?

available. Choose another sign-in

John Otto

option.” The only two options it

Moving user folders

TechLife responds: While

gives me is a password or PIN. I had never set up a password, so

Hi TechLife. My main drive is an SSD that’s getting too full. I installed a

what do I do?

Bruce Noren

secondary HD to hold my music, pictures, videos, and documents. I followed a couple of articles that explained how to point the folders at the top of the “This PC” page (“Music,” “Pictures,” etc.) to the new drive, but it ended in disaster.

I followed the directions in one of the articles on my “Music” folder, and it successfully moved the folder to the new E drive. The problem is that it deleted all my music files. My big mistake was that I forgot to create a new backup first, so it took me two days to recover everything and get my C drive back to square one, although the association between some of the music files and the cover art was lost.

I don’t know if the instructions didn’t work because they were too old for all the Windows updates that came since, or if it was something I did wrong. Do you know of a simple, foolproof, way to migrate these folders without losing the links in “This PC”?

Steve Vanetti

Thunderbolt 3 is backward compatible with USB-C, USB-C isn’t compatible in return. That means you need to source a motherboard with Thunderbolt 3 support, which typically means one of two things. First, some higher-end boards come with TB ports on the board – one example is Asrock’s X570 Phantom Gaming-ITX/TB3 Mini ITX TB3.

Others provide support for TB3 via an internal header that can be paired with a specific PCIe add-on card, usually from the same manufacturer and paired to specific chipsets – for example, Asus produces two separate cards.

The ThunderboltEX 3 card works with older Intel chipsets, while the

TechLife responds: Windows defaults to using your Microsoft Account credentials to log in, so unless you specifically set up a local user account (harder than it should be) when setting up Windows, you’re logging into that account, using your PIN as a shortcut. Try selecting “Password” and entering your Microsoft Account password, which should allow you to log in. If it fails, and you have recently changed your Microsoft Account password for any reason, try the older password instead.

If you don’t know what this is,

TechLife responds: The standard procedure is the same now as it has been since Windows Vista was released, but to avoid the potential for data loss, we suggest you set up the folders on your new drive (for example, “E:\Steve\Documents,”

“E:\Steve\Pictures,” and so on),

ƕĠĤõĠ ƕØƛ łƛ ėØŅŰ òĺŎƕ̖

comprehensive list of the software

then copy across the content from your existing user folders to these ėŎĺûăŬŰ̖ {Ņõă ŹĠă ƱĺăŰ ĠØƔă òăăŅ

Al Kraybill TechLife responds: Rė̀ƛŎƀ ŬăŬăØû the question, Al, you’ll see that

ŎŅ ƛŎƀŬ !̐ ŹŬƛ qĤŬ ŎėŹ̵Ű ŨŎŬŹØòĺă ®ŅĤŅŰŹØĺĺÂĤăƕ ŹŎŎĺ̐ ƕĠĤõĠ ƛŎƀ õØŅ ûŎƕŅĺŎØû ̦õĠŎŎŰă ŹĠă ˝˛̪òĤŹ

safely transferred, delete the originals.

Papa himself revealed that all his ėØŅŰ ƕăŬă òĺŎƕĤŅę ĤŅƕØŬû̖ §ĠĤŰ

version), extract, and run from www.nirsoft.net/utils/uninstall_

Once done, open File Explorer to “This PC.” Right-click one of your

ŎòƔĤŎƀŰĺƛ ĤŰŅ̵Ź ŰŎłăŹĠĤŅę ŹĠØŹ ŰŎėŹƕØŬă õØŅ Źăĺĺ ƛŎƀ ̩ ƛŎƀ Ņăăû ŹŎ

view.html ̩ ŎŅõă ŎŨăŅăû̐ Ø complete list is shown. Choose

user folders in the “Folders” list at the top and choose “Properties,”

open the case and visually ĤŅŰŨăõŹ̀ŹĠă ėØŅŰ ŹŎ Űăă ƕĠĤõĠ ƕØƛ

ŹĠăŅ ŰƕĤŹõĠ ŹŎ ŹĠă ̱eŎõØŹĤŎŅ̲ ŹØò̖

ŹĠăƛ̵Ɣă òăăŅ ŨŎŰĤŹĤŎŅăû ŹŎ

õØŅ ŬăėăŬ òØõķ ŹŎ ŨŎŰŹ̪ĤŅŰŹØĺĺØŹĤŎŅ̖

!ĺĤõķ ̱nŎƔă̲̐ òŬŎƕŰă ŹŎ ØŅû ŰăĺăõŹ the target folder on your new drive

determine if they’re pulling air out or drawing it in.

Email not working

(so “E:\Steve\Documents” for “Documents”), and click “Apply.”

A couple of further points: One, make sure you leave enough space

I can’t send or receive emails ŹĠŎƀęĠ §ĠƀŅûăŬòĤŬû ØŅƛłŎŬă̖

ÉŎƀ̵ĺĺ òă ŨŬŎłŨŹăû ŹŎ łŎƔă ăƚĤŰŹĤŅę ƱĺăŰ ŹŎ ŹĠĤŰ Ņăƕ ėŎĺûăŬ ̩

around your PC’s chassis to allow the air to circulate, and two,

When I check emails via my ŨŬŎƔĤûăŬ̵Ű ƕăòłØĤĺ ̦https://

this is necessary to ensure Windows understands where the

ŹĠăŬă̵Ű ŅŎ ĠØŬû ØŅû ėØŰŹ Ŭƀĺă ØòŎƀŹ ƕĠăŹĠăŬ ØĤŬ ŰĠŎƀĺû òă ûŬØƕŅ ėŬŎł

portal.tds.net), all is well. I’ve tried õŎŅŹØõŹĤŅę §' ŹăõĠ ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹ òƛ

ėŎĺûăŬ ŬăŰĤûăŰ ̩ ŰŎ õĺĤõķ ̱ÉăŰ̲̐

òØõķ ŹŎ ėŬŎŅŹ ŎŬ ƔĤõă ƔăŬŰØ̖ ÉŎƀ łØƛ

email, and it’s no help. All I get are

even though you’ve performed this step already.

ƱŅû õŎĺûăŬ ØĤŬ õĤŬõƀĺØŹăŰ łŎŬă naturally at the front, in which

canned responses that are on its ŰĤŹă̐ ØŅû ŹĠØŹ ĤŹ łƀŰŹ òă Ø ŨŬŎòĺăł

case make sure your fans are õŎŅƱęƀŬăû ŰŎ ŹĠă ØĤŬ ĤŰ ûŬØƕŅ ĤŅ

ƕĤŹĠ §ĠƀŅûăŬòĤŬû̐ ØŰ ăłØĤĺŰ õØŅ òă ŰăŅŹ ØŅû ŬăõăĤƔăû ƔĤØ ƕăòłØĤĺ̖

ėŬŎł̀ŹĠă ėŬŎŅŹ ØŅû ăƚŨăĺĺăû ėŬŎł the rear (don’t forget to leave space òăĠĤŅû ŹĠă õØŰă̧̖ §Ġă ķăƛ ŹĠĤŅę ĤŰ ŹŎ ăŅŰƀŬă ŹĠă ėØŅŰ̀Ũƀĺĺ õŎĺûăŬ ØĤŬ across the components to draw the ĠăØŹ ėŬŎł ŹĠăł òăėŎŬă ƔăŅŹĤŅę ĤŹ̖

Any suggestions?

Rich Taylor

Windows is now directed to use the new folder, and you can repeat for any other user folders you wish to move. Going forward, we recommend you put in place a ŬăØĺ̪ŹĤłă òØõķƀŨ Ŏė ƱĺăŰ ƕĤŹĠ versioning support, so you don’t encounter this again.

The simplest solution is to tie in ŹĠăŰă ėŎĺûăŬŰ ŹŎ Ø õĺŎƀû òØõķƀŨ ØõõŎƀŅŹ̐ òƀŹ ęĤƔăŅ ŹĠă ĺĤķăĺƛ ŰĤƤă Ŏė your music folder alone, this may òă ĤłŨŬØõŹĤõØĺ Ĥė ƛŎƀ ûŎŅ̵Ź ĠØƔă Ø ŨŬăłĤƀł ŰƀòŰõŬĤŨŹĤŎŅ̐ ŰƀõĠ ØŰ Microsoft 365, which comes with 1TB storage via OneDrive. If you ĠØƔă ØõõăŰŰ ŹŎ Ø ŰƀĤŹØòĺă Ʊĺă ŰăŬƔăŬ̐ ŹĠă ŨăŬėăõŹ ŹŎŎĺ ėŎŬ ŹĠă ĴŎò ĤŰ NextCloud (https://nextcloud. com). Install the server portion on ƛŎƀŬ q ØŅû ŹĠă õĺĤăŅŹ ŎŅ̀ƛŎƀŬ !̐ ƀŰĤŅę ĤŹ ŹŎ òØõķ ƀŨ Øĺĺ ƛŎƀŬ ķăƛ folders in real time. Alternately, go with Syncthing (www.syncthing. neţ̐ òƀŹ òă ŰƀŬă ŹŎ õŎŅƱęƀŬă ŹĠă ̱DĤĺă ÂăŬŰĤŎŅĤŅę̲ ŹØò ûƀŬĤŅę ŰăŹƀŨ ƕĤŹĠ ŎŅă Ŏė ŹĠă Ʊĺă̪ƔăŬŰĤŎŅĤŅę options to keep multiple versions òØõķăû ƀŨ̖

Installed software list nƛ ÃĤŅ ˘˗ ĤŅŰŹØĺĺ ĤŰ Ø õŎƀŨĺă Ŏė years old, so a recent TechLife article was welcome. However, the Powershell commands didn’t work for me, at least not the second one ŹŎ ęăŅăŬØŹă Ø ŹăƚŹ Ʊĺă ĤŅ ŹĠă ŬŎŎŹ Ŏė ûŬĤƔă !̖ R̵ł ŅŎŹ õĺăØŬ ØòŎƀŹ ŹĠă character(s) following “Format§Øòĺă̲ ØŅû ăŅû ƀŨ ƕĤŹĠ Ø łĤŰŰĤŅę argument error.

William Barnard

R ƕØŰ ŨƀƤƤĺăû òƛ ƛŎƀŬ ØŅŰƕăŬ ŹŎ Papa Homey’s question in DăòŬƀØŬƛ ˙˗˙˘̵Ű ĤŰŰƀă ØòŎƀŹ ! ® ŹăłŨăŬØŹƀŬă ƲƀõŹƀØŹĤŎŅ̖ NŎƕ ûĤû you determine that all his fans were drawing air into the case?

I’ve run Open Hardware Monitor

TechLife responds: ŨŎĺŎęĤăŰ ̩ there are a couple of errors with the way the command was ėŎŬłØŹŹăû̖ RŹ ŰĠŎƀĺû òă ŎŅă ĺŎŅę õŎłłØŅû̐ ØŅû ŹĠăŬă ŰĠŎƀĺû òă ŅŎ ŰŨØõă òăŹƕăăŅ ̱̪̲ ØŅû ̱ ƀŹŎ ĤƤă̖̲ The following is correct: Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\ ŎėŹƕØŬă̌ÃŎƕ˝˛˚˙qŎûă̌ Microsoft\Windows\ !ƀŬŬăŅŹÂăŬŰĤŎŅ̌®ŅĤŅŰŹØĺĺ̌̋ Α ăĺăõŹ̪{òĴăõŹ 'ĤŰŨĺØƛqØłă̐ 'ĤŰŨĺØƛÂăŬŰĤŎŅ̐ ƀòĺĤŰĠăŬ̐ RŅŰŹØĺĺ'ØŹă Α DŎŬłØŹ̪§Øòĺă ̩ ƀŹŎ ĤƤă ͧ õ̏̌ŰŎėŹƕØŬă̖ŹƚŹ If you’d prefer a simpler way

and I don’t see any way to tell

that will generate a more

CPU fan direction

UninstallView generates a complete list of installed apps.

Moved key folders elsewhere? Don’t forget to tell Windows.

̱ÂĤăƕ ͧ N§ne ăŨŎŬŹ ̩ ĺĺ RŹăłŰ̲ to create an HTML document you

TechLife responds: §Ġă ŨŬŎòĺăł ƕĤĺĺ ĺĤķăĺƛ òă ƕĤŹĠ §ĠƀŅûăŬòĤŬû ĤŅ the sense that TDS may have changed its mail server settings. Ãă ėŎƀŅû õŎŅƲĤõŹĤŅę ØûƔĤõă ėŬŎł ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ §' ƕăòŰĤŹăŰ̐ òƀŹ ŹĠă ĺØŹăŰŹ ĤŅėŎŬłØŹĤŎŅ ƕă õŎƀĺû ƱŅû would seem to point to the server recently having switched to a new system. !ĺĤõķ ŹĠă ̱nŎŬă̲ òƀŹŹŎŅ ØŅû choose “Account Settings” in §ĠƀŅûăŬòĤŬû̖ ăĺăõŹ ̱ ăŬƔăŬ Settings” under your TDS mail ØõõŎƀŅŹ̖ ăŬƔăŬ qØłă ŰĠŎƀĺû òă set to mail.tds.net, and the port ŅƀłòăŬ ƕĤĺĺ ƔØŬƛ ØõõŎŬûĤŅę ŹŎ ŹĠă Server Type: If it’s POP3, this ŰĠŎƀĺû òă Ű㏠ŹŎ ˠˠ˜̛ Ĥė ĤŹ̵Ű Rn ̐ Ű㏠ĤŹ ŹŎ ˠˠ˚̖ ÉŎƀŬ ƀŰăŬŅØłă ØŅû password should remain unchanged.

Next, select “Outgoing Server (SMTP),” select your existing email settings, and click “Edit.”

Make sure the Server Name is again set to mail.tds.net, set connection security to STARTTLS (or TLS if you’re running an older ƔăŬŰĤŎŅ Ŏė §ĠƀŅûăŬòĤŬû̧̐ ØŅû verify the port is set to 587. Click ̱{c̲ ØŅû ĠŎŨăėƀĺĺƛ ƛŎƀ̵ĺĺ òă Ø òĺă ŹŎ ƀŰă §ĠƀŅûăŬòĤŬû ėŎŬ ƛŎƀŬ email again.

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HELP STATION Windows

Enhance skies in Luminar

‘+’ BUTTON Use either this or the File menu to open images for editing in Luminar.

Luminar’s latest update is full of tools to make the skies in your images more interesting.

Luminar is putting out updates at a fast rate right now. The 4.2 release has added new AI tools for replacing and enhancing skies, some additional portrait tools, and there have been some changes behind the scenes, improving the way the program works with multicore processors and opening up compatibility with

SKILL LEVEL Straightforward

SUITABLE FOR… Windows 10 Windows 8.1 Windows 7

thirdparty plugins such as Topaz, Aurora HDR and the Nik Collection.

The improved multicore efficiency means the program will run faster on higher-end processors, but all CPUs should see a bit of a boost. It’s the new sky enhancements that are most interesting, though, as they allow you to quickly build up an artwork quite different to your original image.

A free trial of Luminar can be obtained from http://skylum.com/luminar (drop down the Luminar menu at the top) where you’ll also find a full beginner’s guide.

IAN EVENDEN

The 4.2 release has added new AI tools for replacing and enhancing skies, some additional portrait tools, and there have been some changes behind the scenes.

HOW TO Watch the skies

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OPEN A PICTURE Luminar does things differently, there’s no File > Open here. Use the big ‘+’ button at the top left to either add a folder, which gives you a filmstrip of images on the left to choose from, or to edit a single image. These options are also available from the File menu, but the button is a bit faster.

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The app is a non-destructive editor, so your files won’t be overwritten with your edits.

Click AI Sky Replacement, and you’ll be able to change the sky in your image.

SKIES Find a picture with a visible horizon, as this will work best. Use the mode selection buttons at the top right to enter Edit mode, and choose Creative, the option that looks like an artist’s palette. In here, you’ll find AI Sky Replacement and AI Augmented Sky, along with plenty of other things to play with.

BEFORE/AFTER The Eye icon shows your original image.

The button next to it gives a before and after view with a movable divider.

Jargon buster!

COLOUR TEMPERATURE

EXPORT Use this or the file menu to export your finished image as a new file

How blue or yellow your image appears, depending on the sun at the time you took it.

EDIT MODE Click here to access the editing tools

DEFOCUS Sometimes known as ‘bokeh’, a defocused background concentrates attention on the image subject.

EXPOSURE In image editing, this means the brightness of the image.

CREATIVE There are three editing workspaces.

We’re working in Creative here.

HISTORY Click the Clock icon for a list of edits you’ve made, and to move back through them.

Best tip!

Create backgroundless PNG files of objects in another app, then use them in Luminar to augment the skies.

SKY SELECTION Changing the sky in your image is a pretty dramatic alteration, but you can use the Before and After view to see exactly how different. Click the icon next to the Eye on the top bar. On the right, you can use the Sky Selection dropdown to flip through the included skies, or even purchase

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and download new ones. Luminar will recolour the rest of your photo so it fits in.

the old sky shows through. Blending does a good job of making the join at the horizon look natural.

MOVE THE SKY The Horizon Blending and Horizon Position sliders allow you to tinker with the way the sky and land blend. The Position one moves the new sky up and down, in case there’s a cloud formation you’d like to get above the mountain tops. If you use this, beware of leaving a gap where

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HELP STATION Windows

5

ADVANCED SETTINGS Click the Advanced Settings button,

and you’ll uncover some more options. Luminar’s lack of tooltips works against it here, as while Close Gaps is fairly

useful settings. Sky Defocus helps if the sky is meant to be out of focus, perhaps as part of a soft background from a

self-explanatory, Sky Local could mean anything. It’s for blending the texture of the new sky with the original clouds in

wide-aperture lens. Sky Exposure allows you to darken the clouds in an already dramatic sky, and works well with the night

the image, and its companion Sky Global tries to do the same thing across the horizon.

sky options too. It’s possible to turn day into night, although the position of the Milky Way may not be accurate.

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DRAMATIC AND MYSTICAL We’ve further enhanced our composite of Mars getting a bit too close by going down the Creative list to Mystical, which has had its Amount slider turned up high, and Dramatic, which has its Amount slider set halfway and its Brightness, found in Advanced Settings, turned

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down. We also darkened the sky (Exposure) and reduced its Temperature under AI Sky Replacement.

toolbar. This also gives you the option of exporting directly to a couple of online photo hosting services.

AUGMENTED SKY AI Augmented Sky sees Luminar move from image editing to layered illustration. It’s possible to create something that not only never existed, but that could only exist in your imagination. How do you like the giraffe? While there are examples included, and many of them might prove useful, the ability to load your own custom image is perhaps the most powerful feature.

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FURTHER ADVANCED SETTINGS There are a couple more

AUGMENTED REALITY Once you’ve chosen your overlaid object, it appears in the centre of the image. Click Place Object to move and scale it. The Amount slider controls the opacity. Warmth is colour temperature, to match it to your original image, and Relight allows you to deal with colour casts.

Under Advanced Settings you’ll find Defocus, and Mask Refinement if there’s a problem blending the horizon.

SAVE YOUR WORK As a non-destructive editor, your original image files aren’t saved over. Instead, your edits are auto-saved in a companion file, and not made permanent until you export a new file. To do this, either use File > Export, or click the Export to File button to the right of Crop in the top

NEW VIDEO PRESENTATION FORMAT Meet the team from APC, TechLife & Techradar

Tune in live to watch the show and be in the running to win prizes during the stream!

It’s time to discover the best of the best in tech The 2021 Australian PC Awards is coming! www.australianpcawards.com.au Visit now to see all the finalists and check the viewing times to watch the Awards presentation streamed in three parts across June 23rd, 24th and 25th THIS YEAR’S CATEGORIES: Best Motherboard Maker Best Value Motherboard Best Premium Motherboard Best GPU Maker Best Value GPU Best Premium GPU Best Value CPU Best Premium CPU

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HELP STATION Ma ac

Get started with PCalc Put away that scientific calculator – PCalc is your Mac math master.

If you want to run some calculations and conversions on your Mac, Apple’s Calculator app and even Spotlight are decent places to start. But neither of ŹĠŎŰă ŎŨŹĤŎŅŰ ŎƫăŬŰ ØŅƛƕĠăŬă near the level of depth, customisation, and power you get ƕĤŹĠ !Øĺõ̖ Rė ƛŎƀ ƱŅû ŹĠØŹ ŹĠăƛ̵Ŭă missing the mark, PCalc is what you need.

The long-lived app has been

REQUIRES PCalc, OS X 10.9 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to use PCalc’s basic features and start using the app IT WILL TAKE 5–10 minutes

1 TICKER TAPE See your calculation history using the tape tool. You can add notes and output to a text file.

around since 1992 – nearly 30 ƛăØŬŰ̒ ̩ ƛ㏠ĤŰ ŰŹĤĺĺ̀ęŎĤŅę ŰŹŬŎŅę and feels right at home in macOS Big Sur thanks to its dedicated developer. It comes with a range of useful tools for almost any calculating need: switchable modes between binary, hexadecimal, octal and others, quick access to mathematical õŎŅŰŹØŅŹŰ ėŎŬ ƀŰằĤŅ ƛŎƀŬ calculations (or simply

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CORE BUTTONS Key buttons are found on the left-hand side of the app. These are the main ones shown in the Basic

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2 MENU OPTIONS PCalc’s menu bar is full of options, from basic time-savers to complex scientific functions.

ėŎŬ̀ŬăėăŬăŅõă̧̐ õŎŅƔăŬŰĤŎŅŰ between numerous formats, ØŅû̀łƀõĠ̐ łƀõĠ łŎŬằòăŰĤûăŰ̖ Despite possibly looking a little ûØƀŅŹĤŅę ŹŎ̀łØŹĠ ŅăƕõŎłăŬŰ̐ ĤŹ̵Ű ØõŹƀØĺĺƛ ƔăŬƛ ăØŰƛ ŹŎ̀ƀŰă ØŅû ėƀĺĺ of useful options. In this tutorial, we will cover the basics of using PCalc, helping you to get started and well on the way to mathematical mastery.

ALEX BLAKE

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4 GO DEEPER More advanced keys are on the right. You can alter what is shown here by changing the mode (see step 3).

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HOW TO Learn the basics in PCalc

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STYLE IT UP PCalc has a huge

number of themes, colors and fonts that you can change to suit your

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FIND THE RIGHT LAYOUT You

can change the layout based on the controls you need. Click View >

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SWITCH MODES PCalc is well

suited for whatever type of calculation you need to do. On the

needs. Click View, then pick options

Layout and pick an option. There are

main app screen, click one of the

from the Theme, Tint, and Digits menus. Each has a preview to show

layouts designed for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Click View > Display to change

dec, hex, oct or bin buttons to switch between decimal, hexadecimal, octal

you what you’re getting.

how calculation outputs are shown.

and binary modes as needed.

SHOW YOUR WORK Sometimes it’s useful to see your working out. You can enable this by clicking the tape button, or by clicking View > Show Tape. This opens a box showing your previous functions, conversions, calculations, and more.

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WORK OUT YOUR TAX Enter your pre-tax figure, then click Functions > Financial > Calculate Tax. The result is what you pay. Add tax to a number by clicking Functions > Financial > Add Tax. Change the tax rate in Preferences > General.

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CONSTANTLY USEFUL Want to use mathematical constants?

You’ll need the Constants menu. This contains values for things like the Golden Ratio, the mass of the sun, pi,

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ADVANCED FUNCTIONS The Functions menu contains advanced tools. Here you can perform trigonometric calculations and use complex numbers in your work. It’s also

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and even the mass of The Rock (yes, the actor and former wrestler).

where you can run calculations using numbers stored in PCalc’s memory.

You can export and import shortcuts, reset them, and add your own. TL

MAKE A CONVERSION PCalc offers a huge range of conversions.

Enter a number, then click Conversions in the menu bar and pick from currencies, lengths, energy, cooking, and more; or press Cmd-B. Ensure you’re in decimal mode first.

LEARN THE SHORTCUTS Acquaint yourself with the app’s preset shortcuts in PCalc > Preferences > Shortcuts. These can be tweaked and set to only apply in specific modes.

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HELP STATION iOS

BEFORE

AFTER

Fine–tune your photos How to capture better quality pictures with help from Halide Mark II. REQUIRES Halide MarK II – Pro Camera YOU WILL LEARN How to shoot in Raw format, and sort exposure and focus IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes

Halide MK II – Pro Camera is a camera app that has been redesigned to help you capture better photos. It features tools you’d find on high-end DSLR cameras, like histograms. These undulating graphs help you manually tweak exposure settings to ensure a shot is correctly exposed before you take it. You can also summon new

zebra warnings that help you avoid capturing clipped (overexposed) highlights or under-exposed shadows. Halide also gives more control of selective focus of foreground or background subjects thanks to its new focus loupe. Or you can see which areas are in focus using the enhanced focus peaking tools.

One of the key benefits of Halide

Mark II is its ability to shoot in Raw format. Raw shots feature more info about a scene, enabling photographers to restore missing color and detail. This gives you the chance to shoot in Raw without having to upgrade to an iPhone 12 Pro. GEORGE CAIRNS

HOW TO Shoot a RW format image

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BEST OF BOTH WORLDS The new Coverage setting creates a JPEG that benefits from Smart HDR and Deep Fusion. It also grabs a Raw version to edit. Tap the gear–shaped settings icon. Tap Capture. In Capture

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CHOOSE SHOOTING FORMAT Swipe down to return to the Halide Camera. Tap the RAW+ icon to toggle between saving one processed image or a Raw and a JPEG. A label will tell you which option you have

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Format, tap the RAW+ icon.

selected.

Raw file’s colors and tones.

VIEW VERSIONS Tap the shutter button to capture a Raw and JPEG version of the shot, then tap the thumbnail at the bottom–left to view the images. Tap DNG to see the Raw version, then tap Instant to process the

HOW TO Capture more tonal detail

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HELPFUL HISTOGRAMS Tap the Histogram graph to toggle

2

EXPOSE FOR HIGHLIGHTS Tap to go to Manual mode, then

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ADJUST FOR SHADOWS Here a combination of a low ISO value

between modes. The Luminance histogram is the most useful as

tap Zebras. Swipe vertically to adjust the shutter speed, or horizontally

and a fast shutter speed causes an underexposed shot. The resulting

it shows the spread of grayscale shadows, midtones, and highlights.

to change ISO value. Green zebra stripes indicate overexposed

dark shadows are indicated by purple zebra stripes. Adjust the exposure to

Swipe from the left edge for

highlights. Adjust exposure until the

brighten it and reveal shadow detail.

exposure controls.

zebra stripes vanish.

HOW TO Selectively focus with precision

1

FOCUS LOUPE By default, Halide sets focus manually. After tapping the AF button you can focus manually by swiping a slider. The “+” icon lets you summon the new focus loupe. This magnifies part of the scene to help you check sharpness.

2

FOCUS PEAKING Tap the focus peaking button for an alternative way to focus. As you swipe the focus slider, the sharpest objects will feature the strongest green outlines. Here we’ve used peaking to focus on the foreground.

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EXTRA TOOLS Most of Halide’s tools are hidden until needed.

Swipe left from the shutter button to access extra tools such as manual White Balance. Here we’ve chosen a Cloud WB preset to help capture accurate colors on a dull day.

Further editing options ENHANCE YOUR RAW PHOTOS. Halide focuses on shooting more than editing.

Although you can develop Raw files using Halide’s Instant tool, you lack the powerful Raw editing tools found in Apple’s Photos app.

Fortunately, Halide saves Raw shots to the Camera Roll, so you can edit Raw files there. We snapped this tutorial’s Raw start image in Halide, then used the iOS Photos app to reveal missing color and tone in our high-contrast location. You can also tap Halide’s Share icon and AirDrop a Raw or JPEG version to your Mac to edit it there.

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HELP STATION Android

How to create a Smart Home with Android Let your Android run the place.

How good would it be to have

ƱŬă ĤŹ ƀŨ̐ ØŅû õŎŅŅăõŹ ŹŎ ƛŎƀŬ

smart devices at home so you could

remote control hub.

turn on the heating and lights at appropriate times before arrival?

Of course, it’s rarely that simple, and neither of our test

Well, you can upgrade each appliance to be smart devices on

smartphones could detect, let alone connect to, the new Wi-Fi

the Internet of Things, but that could get expensive. Surely your

remote control hub. Fortunately a message eventually popped up

trusty Android device can take control of these not-so-smart

saying check that your Wi-Fi is using 2.4GHz, and logging in to my

appliances?

router established that it was

A quick eBay search found a huge range of devices that can create an

defaulting to 5GHz. A quick change of setting and all was well – the IR

interface between your Wi-Fi

hub appeared under the name

router and appliances using old-tech infrared remote controls

“Smart IR”.

It seems that you need to pay

– just search for “WiFi IR remote control hub”.

The majority of these devices claimed the same specs, and that they control just about anything from anywhere, so I ordered the cheapest locally stocked unit. It was a tiny device that simply required USB power to be operational, but the minimal instructions were clear enough: Download the Tuya or Smart Life app (virtually identical) onto your device from the Google Play Store,

more than $17 to get dual band Wi-Fi in your remote control hub!

From there on it was just a matter of exploring the extensive options in the Smart Life app. This well-developed app is free with no ads, so it’s a fair bet that the data it gathers on your appliances and devices is worth something to someone, but I couldn’t see any immediate security concerns.

Mind you, the Privacy Policy is lengthy and could contain any number of traps.

Choose a location for your hub or hubs The basic function of your IR remote control hub is to manage appliances and devices that are normally controlled with a handheld remote control. And like handheld remotes, the IR hub generally needs to be in the same room as whatever it is controlling, because infrared is line-of-sight.

But the IR hub is managed by an app on your smartphone or tablet and is connected to that via your broadband router, so while it is stuck in that room, you can manage it from anywhere that you can connect to the internet.

It is like a universal remote A helpful Wi-Fi hint saved the day.

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controller that works from anywhere in the world.

Top: There’s no shortage of cheap Wi-Fi IR remote control hubs available.

Above: We went for this one, and it worked fine once we ironed out Wi-Fi limitations.

Add your devices With the IR hub connected to USB power and discretely sitting on a bookshelf in the lounge room, it was time to add the devices in that room. The Smart Life app includes a huge database of device types and brands, which makes it easy.

I started by choosing TV as the device type, followed by selecting the brand. Up pops a screen with a power button to try. Tapping it didn’t switch the TV on, so I tapped “another one” and tried again. The TV came on, and the next screens checked that the other controls were also working. So the app had guessed the correct IR commands for that TV on its second attempt impressive.

Next came audio, which is a Logitech z906 gaming system being used as TV surround sound.

Same process: select Audio then Logitech, and once again the second

Left: What type of device do you want to control?

Right: Come home to a flickering LED fire – with no risk of burning the place down.

IR protocol guess worked perfectly.

Touch screen control was intuitive, and my smartphone was already replacing multiple remotes!

Air conditioning and heating

Point your handheld remote at the IR hub and start pressing buttons to teach.

Controlling entertainment devices is all very well, but control over the internet is not really that useful.

It’s things like air conditioning and heating that it would be great to switch on, say half an hour before you arrive home.

First challenge was the old Fujitsu air conditioner - definitely not a smart device. No problem,

select Add, Air Conditioner and

Add more smart gadgets

Fujitsu. It took a few more guesses,

So far we’ve looked at managing

but for all practical purposes the old air conditioner is now a smart

old-tech IR remote controls from your smartphone or tablet, but you

device that can be controlled over the internet.

can also add Wi-Fi enabled devices such as smart switches and control

Ok, the air conditioner is efficient at heating and cooling,

them from within the same app.

This extends your control to a vast

but doesn’t create much ambiance.

On the wall below it is an LED slow

range of smart devices, as well as basics like switching almost any

combustion fire – a complete fake

electrical device on or off remotely.

that nonetheless does create a great flickering fire ambience, and it has an IR remote control..

Your Android can learn But many gadgets with remote controls are not mainstream brands – including my fake fire, a Blu-ray player from Kogan, an unbranded air purifier, a no-name light panel with remote control, and more. As long as you have the original IR remote handy you can program the app via your IR hub.

Just choose “DIY” from the device type list and follow the instructions.

Take it to the next level Once your devices are linked and proven you can also go much further by automating the commands that you send to them, and this automation can be triggered by time, date, location and much more.

Explore and enjoy, but be careful what you switch on when you are not there to confirm that it is safe and operating correctly.

Now, if only the coffee machine had a remote control...

Left: It’s a match – finding the right IR protocol was easy.

Right: Create automated command macros based on external conditions.

Far Right: Link to your favourite voice assistant and never tap a button again!

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HELP STATION Security & privacy

Password monitors Time to check if your passwords have been stolen.

If you’re a user of Microsoft’s Edge browser, in the last couple of months you may well have encountered a new kind of security popup, one telling you

Password Managers like Dashlane and LastPass now have automatic password changers.

that a password you have is compromised. This is the result of Microsoft adding a new Password Monitor into the browser platform early this year.

This type of security tool isn’t new – both Firefox and Chrome already have these tools built in, though they generally aren’t so in-your-face about notifying you of a breach. There are also password monitors built into the paid versions of a number of Password Manager services and several free websites that will do the job as well.

If you’re not already, all of these are definitely worth using and making part of your regular security precautions. Anybody who has ever experienced this kind of breach will know that it can result in a cascade of issues.

Edge will warn you if it detects a compromised password.

So what does a password monitor do?

Password monitors are a relatively new kind of security service, only becoming prevalent in the last couple of years as the number of corporate security breaches has piled up. Breaches of business and government security systems are so common now that they barely even make the news anymore, but nonetheless those breaches have results in hundreds of millions of user passwords being leaked to the dark web.

What a password monitor or checker does is gather those lists of known leaked passwords and compare them to your stored passwords to see if any of your password has been leaked.

In some cases they will also or alternatively do a check of your email address (which is now 96

Checking your passwords in Google. The list of compromised passwords needs to be changed immediately.

almost universally used as the username) to see if it appears in any of those leaked databases.

These services, it should be recognised, are far from flawless.

Not every leaked password makes it onto the public dark web. Many are held and sold privately to criminal groups, so won’t appear on the list of known leaks.

If there is a hit and one of your passwords has made it into the wild, it’s critical that you change it immediately. Some services,

like Dashlane and LastPass, have an automatic password changer for selected sites built in, but otherwise you’ll need to do it manually.

A look at the password monitors available The browsers The major browsers all have password checkers built in now.

They do require that the passwords being checked be in the browser, so if you use a third party password manager like LastPass, these will not be effective.

Google Chrome First available as an Extension then fully integrated into Chrome in 2019, Google’s password checker will go through all the passwords saved in your Google Account and check them against the known list of leaked passwords. It only works for passwords stored in your Google Account and you must be logged into Google to run the check.

Lockwise marks passwords that have been breached.

You can either do it from the browser by going to Settings > Safety check, or better yet by

Have I Been Pwnd gives a detailed breakdown of the instances where your password has been released to the public.

going to passwords.google.com and selecting the option to go to

address. These sites include:

addresses. Dashlane does not

Password Checkup.

Microsoft Edge Microsoft Edge

haveibeenpwned.com sec.hpi.de/ilc/

auto-populate the monitor – instead in the web interface

is more aggressive about telling you about compromised

łŎŅĤŹŎŬ̖ƱŬăėŎƚ̖õŎł Each works more or less the

you click on Dark Web Monitoring on the left, then you

passwords, and will run a regular

same: you enter your email

łØŅƀØĺĺƛ Øûû ƀŨ ŹŎ ƱƔă ăłØĤĺ

automatic check in the background. If it detects a

address or possibly phone ŅƀłòăŬ ĤŅŹŎ ŹĠă Ʊăĺû̐ ØŅû ĤŹ ƕĤĺĺ

addresses (which will require an ăłØĤĺ õŎŅƱŬłØŹĤŎŅ̧ ŹŎ òă

compromised password, it will

return a list of known breaches

take you to the Password Monitor. Alternatively, you can go

involving that address or number.

monitored. When a breach is detected, Dashlane will send an

to the Monitor by typing edge:// settings/passwords/ passwordmonitor into the Edge address bar.

Any compromised passwords will be listed, with a link to the website to change it. If it’s an old password that you’ve already changed or closed the account (or simply don’t care about), but is still in your password manager, you can put it on Ignore.

Mozilla Firefox Firefox’s Lockwise Password Manager does a check of all saved passwords using the Have I Been Pwnd service (more on that òăĺŎƕ̧̖ ÉŎƀ̵ĺĺ ęăŹ Ø ŅŎŹĤƱõØŹĤŎŅ Ŏė a breach, and in the Lockwise password manager a compromised password will have a red mark next to it.

Conveniently, if there are other sites where you’ve used the same password as the compromised site, then they will also be marked with a key icon.

Public checkers If you don’t store your passwords in a browser, there are also a number of sites that can perform a check for you based on your email address. You just enter your email

Password Managers

email and in-app alert to notify you of a compromise.

address into the site, and it will provide a list of all known breaches involving that email

LastPass will monitor email address breaches.

Dashlane has one of the most robust and accessible monitoring and remediation systems, but it’s only available for Premium users.

A number of password managers also include password checkers, though the check is very often available only in paid accounts, as is the case with LastPass and DashLane, two of the most popular password managers. We can’t look at every password manager here, but let’s look at those two: LastPass In LastPass, the password checker is called Dark Web monitoring, and it’s available only for Premium users.

To enable it, head to your LastPass Vault using the browser icon, then click on Security Dashboard on the left. Down the òŎŹŹŎł Ŏė ŹĠă ŨØęă̐ ƛŎƀ̵ĺĺ ƱŅû Dark Web monitoring; click on Start monitoring to turn it on.

Once on, it will provide warning if any of the email addresses used in your LastPass passwords have been compromised. You will likely need to check back in your Security Dashboard occasionally to see if there have been any breaches.

Dashlane Also called Dark Web Monitoring in Dashlane, it’s available to Premium users only, and is limited to monitoring a łØƚĤłƀł Ŏė ƱƔă ăłØĤĺ

Shut them all down!

If there’s a breach and one of your passwords is leaked, then it’s absolutely critical that you perform a quick check on your other passwords, even if they haven’t been breached.

For better or worse (worse, really) most people will use the same password for multiple websites. And you can be absolutely sure that if, say, your Twitter password gets out there, then criminals are going to try the same username/password combination on Google, Microsoft, various banking sites and everything else they can. It can and will quickly turn into a chain of breaches.

Fortunately, most of the password managers above will provide you a password check that will list sites where you use the same password. If any match the breached site, it’s just as imperative that you change the others as the breached site.

Of course, you can save yourself that hassle if you ensure you use a unique password for each site, but, we know, it’s a work in progress.

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HELP STATION Home networking

Revisiting powerline networking g

Powerline B d adapter plugged into wall

A

B

Not dead yet.

As wireless has become more and

Powerrline A adapter plugged into wall

more capable, powerline networking has become progressively less popular with home users. From its heyday a decade ago, powerline networking has become something of a niche product – but we’re going to argue that it’s one that’s still worth considering for many home users.

Computer, smart TV, console or other smart device

Router

For loungeroom/entertainment room setups or for linking wireless mesh nodes, powerline

pair Ethernet cables between

ŨŬŎûƀõŹŰ õØŅ ŰŹĤĺĺ ƱŅû Ø ƀŰăėƀĺ

back in the February iss sue this year

place in many homes.

– but that’s not always feasible or

So what is powerline networking again?

Many of you young-uns may never have heard of it, so here’s a quick primer: powerline networking uses your home’s integral power cabling to digitally link devices. You plug powerline adapters into powerpoints around your home, and they created a digital bridge between them, using the copper electricity cables in your walls and ceiling to transmit data between adapters.

It’s mostly used when somebody wants wired networking for security and performance reasons (especially if Wi-Fi is struggling in their home). The ideal solution in that scenario is to string twisted

devices – something w we covered

desirable. Not everybod dy can crawl through an attic or und der the house to run cables, or wants ugly Ethernet cables runnin ng across ŹĠă ƲŎŎŬ̖ So powerline networrking is an alternative. It uses the cables that are already in place. After plugging the powerline adapters into the power points, you then connect devices directly to the adapters.

So say you have a router in your study that connects to the interne et, but you would like wired networking to the entertainment room where your smart TV and game consoles are. You could buy a pair of powerline adapters, and plug one into a powerpoint in your study, and the other into a powerpoint in your entertainmen nt ŬŎŎł̖ §Ġăƛ ęăŅăŬØĺĺƛ ŰĤŹ ƲƀŰĠ against the wall.

Then you connect an Ethernet cable from the adapter in your study into a LAN port on the router.

And you connect Ethernet cables from your adapter in the loungeroom to your console and smart TV.

Powerline networking performance A TP-Link powerline adapter connecting a Smart TV.

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At the moment, powerline products are available in speeds ranging from 500mbps (AV500) to 2gbps (AV2000). But much like

Above: Powerline adapters use the home electrical grid to create a bridge between wired devices.

That’s a nope on these things. You shouldn’t plug a powerline adapter into a power board – though you can plug a power board into a powerline adapter if it has a pass through socket.

wireless performance numbers, numbers that’s mostly a theoretical number. Actual performance will be much, much lower. How low depends on the quality of the electrical wiring in your home and the distance d between the adapters (mea asured in cable length, not poin nt-to-point).

Th here’s no great rule of thumb, but our o anecdotal experience is that you can practically expect ƕăăŅ ŎŅă ƱėŹĠ ØŅû ŎŅă ūƀØŬŹăŬ òăŹƕ he listed speed, with maybe as of th ch as a half of the listed speed muc possible for clean home networks and close adapters. So getting 400mbps out of a 2000mbps adapter is not unreasonable (and is likely to be much faster than your internet connection can deliver).

So why would this be desirable over wireless, which now has theoretical listed speeds sometimes exceeding 5gbps? The simple answer is consistency, reliability and latency. Wireless is a shared medium, and as such is subject to sometimes wild ƲƀõŹƀØŹĤŎŅŰ ØŰ 1n ĤŅŹăŬėăŬăŅõă and other competing wireless

ŅăŹƕŎŬķŰ ƱęĠŹ ėŎŬ ăØõĠ ŎŹĠăŬ ėŎŬ ŰŨØõă̖ ŎƕăŬĺĤŅă̐ ŎŅ ŹĠă ŎŹĠăŬ ĠØŅû̐ ŹăŅûŰ ŹŎ òă ŬŎõķ ŰŎĺĤû̐ ûăĺĤƔăŬĤŅę õŎŅŰĤŰŹăŅŹĺƛ ĺŎƕ ĺØŹăŅõƛ ØŅû Ø ƲØŹ ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă õƀŬƔă̖ §ĠăŬă łØƛ òă ęĺĤŹõĠăŰ ̩ õăŬŹØĤŅ ĠĤęĠ ŨŎƕăŬ ûăƔĤõăŰ ĺĤķă ûŬƛăŬŰ łĤęĠŹ õØƀŰă

TP-Link’s 2gbps TL-PA9020P kit, which was available on Amazon for $160 and features twin Ethernet ports and AC pass through.

ƲƀõŹƀØŹĤŎŅŰ ĤŅ ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă ƕĠăŅ ĤŅĤŹĤØĺĺƛ ŰƕĤŹõĠăû ŎŅ̐ òƀŹ òƛ ØŅû ĺØŬęă ĤŹ̵Ű ƔăŬƛ ŬăĺĤØòĺă̖ Ņû ŅŎ̐ ŹĠăƛ ûŎ ŅŎŹ ƀŰă łƀõĠ ŨŎƕăŬ ŹĠăłŰăĺƔăŰ̐ ƀŰƀØĺĺƛ ŎŅĺƛ Ø ėăƕ ƕØŹŹŰ̐ ƕĤŹĠ ŹĠă ŅăƕăŬ Â˙ łŎûăĺŰ ØĺŰŎ ĠØƔĤŅę Ø ŰĺăăŨ łŎûă̖ {Ņă ƔăŬƛ ĤłŨŎŬŹØŅŹ ŹĠĤŅę ŹŎ ŅŎŹă ĠăŬă ĤŰ ŹĠØŹ ŨŎƕăŬĺĤŅă ŨŬŎûƀõŹŰ ûŎ ŅŎŹ ûŎ ƕăĺĺ ƕĤŹĠ ŨŎƕăŬ òŎØŬûŰ̖ ÉŎƀ ŰĠŎƀĺû ØĺƕØƛŰ õŎŅŅăõŹ

Powerline products and what to look for

ƀŰŹŬØĺĤØŅ ăĺăõŹŬĤõØĺ ŰƛŰŹăłŰ̖ §ĠØŹ łăØŅŰ ŹĠă ŬĤęĠŹ Ũĺƀę̐ ŨŎƕăŬ

ŹĠăł ûĤŬăõŹĺƛ ŹŎ ŹĠă ƕØĺĺ ŰŎõķ㏠Ĥė

RŅ ŰŨĤŹă Ŏė ŹĠăĤŬ ŅĤõĠă ŰŹØŹƀŰ̐ ŹĠăŬă

ØŅû ėŬăūƀăŅõƛ̖

ƛŎƀ õØŅ̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ ƀŰă ăƚŹăŅŰĤŎŅ õŎŬûŰ̐ òƀŹ ƛŎƀ ƕĤĺĺ ŹØķă Ø

ØŬă ŰŹĤĺĺ ŨĺăŅŹƛ Ŏė ŨŎƕăŬĺĤŅă ØûØŨŹăŬŰ òăĤŅę łØûă̐ ØŅû łØŅƛ

ÉŎƀ ŰĠŎƀĺû ØĺŰŎ õĠăõķ ŹĠă ūƀØĺĤŹƛ Ŏė ŹĠă 1ŹĠăŬŅ㏠ŨŎŬŹŰ ŎŅ ŹĠă

ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă ĠĤŹ ėŎŬ ĤŹ̖

ƕĤŹĠ ØûƔØŅõăû ėăØŹƀŬăŰ ĺĤķă ĤŅŹăęŬØĺ ŰƕĤŹõĠăŰ ƕĤŹĠ łƀĺŹĤŨĺă

ØûØŨŹăŬŰ̖ §Ġăƛ ŰĠŎƀĺû òă ęĤęØòĤŹ 1ŹĠăŬŅ㏠̦˘ęòŨŰ̧̖ Rė ŹĠă 1ŹĠăŬŅăŹ

Security

1ŹĠăŬŅ㏠ŨŎŬŹŰ ̦ƕĠĤõĠ ØŬă ęŬăØŹ ėŎŬ ŹĠă ăŅŹăŬŹØĤŅłăŅŹ ŬŎŎł ŰõăŅØŬĤŎ ƕĠăŬă ƛŎƀ łĤęĠŹ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ õŎŅŅăõŹ ŹƕŎ ŎŬ ŹĠŬăă ûăƔĤõăŰ ŹŎ ŹĠă ŨŎƕăŬĺĤŅă ŅăŹƕŎŬķ̧ ŎŬ ăƔăŅ ÃĤ̪DĤ ØõõăŰŰ ŨŎĤŅŹŰ òƀĤĺŹ ĤŅ̖ !ƀŬŬăŅŹ łØŅƀėØõŹƀŬăŬŰ ĤŅõĺƀûă '̪eĤŅķ̐ ŰƀŰ̐ § ̪eĤŅķ ØŅû qăŹęăØŬ ̦ĤłŨŎŬŹØŅŹ ŅŎŹă̏ ûŎŅ̵Ź õŎŅėƀŰă ŨŎƕăŬĺĤŅă ŅăŹƕŎŬķĤŅę ƕĤŹĠ ŨŎƕăŬ̪ŎƔăŬ̪1ŹĠăŬŅăŹ̛ ŹĠăƛ̵Ŭă ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ŹĠĤŅęŰ ̩ ķĤŅû Ŏė ŹĠă ûĤØłăŹŬĤõ ŎŨŨŎŰĤŹă Ŏė ăØõĠ ŎŹĠăŬ ̩ òƀŹ łĤęĠŹ õŎłă ƀŨ ŹŎęăŹĠăŬ ĤŅ Ø ŰăØŬõĢ̖̇ nŎŰŹĺƛ ŹĠăƛ̵Ŭă òŎƀęĠŹ ĤŅ ŨØĤŬăû ŰŹØŬŹăŬ ķĤŹŰ ̦ŰĤŅõă ƛŎƀ Ņăăû ØŹ ĺăØŰŹ ŹƕŎ ŹŎ òă ƀŰăėƀļ́ ƕĤŹĠ ØûûĤŹĤŎŅØĺ ŰĤŅęĺă ØûØŨŹăŬŰ ØƔØĤĺØòĺă̖ DŎŬ ƔăŬƛ õĠăØŨ ˜˗˗ ØŅû ½˗˗ ûăƔĤõăŰ̐ ƛŎƀ łĤęĠŹ òă Øòĺă ŹŎ ęăŹ Ø ŰŹØŬŹăŬ ķĤŹ ėŎŬ ØŰ ĺŎƕ ØŰ ͊˜˗̪͊˟˗̐ ŹĠŎƀęĠ ėŎŬ łŎŬă ŨŎƕăŬėƀĺ ̦˘ęòŨŰ̧͡ ŨØĤŬŰ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ŎėŹăŅ ĺŎŎķĤŅę ØŹ ͊˘˜˗ ŎŬ łŎŬă̖ Ãă̵û ŬăõŎłłăŅû ęŎĤŅę ėŎŬ ŹĠă ĺØŹŹăŬ ̩ ęĤƔăŅ ŹĠØŹ ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă ƕĤĺĺ ŅŎƕĠăŬă ŅăØŬ ŬăØõĠ ŹĠă ŰŨăõĤƱăû ŅƀłòăŬ̐ ĠØƔĤŅę ŹĠă ăƚŹŬØ ĠăØûŬŎŎł Ŏė Ø ėØŰŹăŬ ØûØŨŹăŬ ĤŰ ŬăØĺĺƛ ƀŰăėƀĺ̖ Â˙ ØûØŨŹăŬŰ ØŬă ØĺŰŎ Ø ò㏏ăŬ ò㏠ŹĠØŅ  ØûØŨŹăŬŰ̐ ƕĤŹĠ ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹ ėŎŬ ĺŎƕ̪ŨŎƕăŬ ŰĺăăŨ łŎûăŰ ØŅû nRn{ ̦ŰĤłĤĺØŬ ŹŎ ÃĤ̪DĤ nRn{̧̖ RŹ ęŎăŰ ƕĤŹĠŎƀŹ ŰØƛĤŅę ̦òƀŹ ƕă̵ĺĺ

ŨŎŬŹŰ ŎŅĺƛ ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹŰ ˘˗˗łòŨŰ̐ ŹĠØŹ ŰĠŎƀĺû òă Ø ĠØŬû ŨØŰŰ ĤŅ ŹĠĤŰ ûØƛ ØŅû Øęă̖ Ãă̵û ØĺŰŎ ĠĤęĠĺƛ ŬăõŎłłăŅû ę㏏ĤŅę ØûØŨŹăŬŰ ƕĤŹĠ ! ŨØŰŰ ŹĠŬŎƀęĠ̖ §ĠØŹ łăØŅŰ ŹĠØŹ ŹĠă ØûØŨŹăŬ ĠØŰ ØŅ ! ŰŎõķ㏠ŎŅ ĤŹ ĤŅŹŎ ƕĠĤõĠ ƛŎƀ õØŅ Ũĺƀę ØûûĤŹĤŎŅØĺ ûăƔĤõăŰ̐ ŰŎ ƛŎƀ̵Ŭă ŅŎŹ ŰØõŬĤƱõĤŅę Ø ŨŬăõĤŎƀŰ ƕØĺĺ ŰŎõķ㏠ėŎŬ ƛŎƀŬ ŨŎƕăŬĺĤŅă ŅăŹƕŎŬķĤŅę̖ ÉŎƀ õØŅ Ũĺƀę ŨŎƕăŬ òŎØŬûŰ ĤŅŹŎ ŹĠăŰă ŰŎõķăŹŰ Ĥė ƛŎƀ Ņăăû ăƔăŅ łŎŬă ŨŎƕăŬ ŨŎĤŅŹŰ̖ DĤŅØĺĺƛ̐ ƕă ŬăõŎłłăŅû łŎûăĺŰ ƕĤŹĠ łƀĺŹĤŨĺă 1ŹĠăŬŅ㏠ŨŎŬŹŰ̖ Ű ŅŎŹăû ØòŎƔă̐ ŹĠăƛ̵Ŭă ŬăØĺĺƛ ƀŰăėƀĺ ėŎŬ õŎŅŅăõŹĤŅę ŹŎ ØŬăØŰ ƕĠăŬă ŹĠăŬă ØŬă łƀĺŹĤŨĺă Ʊƚăû ûăƔĤõăŰ ŰƀõĠ ØŰ ØŅ ăŅŹăŬŹØĤŅłăŅŹ ŬŎŎł ŎŬ Ø ŰŹƀûƛ ŹĠØŹ łĤęĠŹ ĠØƔă ŰăƔăŬØĺ ŅăŹƕŎŬķăû õŎłŨƀŹĤŅę ûăƔĤõăŰ ŰƀõĠ ØŰ !Ű ØŅû ŨŬĤŅŹăŬŰ̖ ÉŎƀ̵ĺĺ ØĺŰŎ Ņăăû ŹŎ łØķă ŰƀŬă ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ ĠØƔă ŹĠă ŬăūƀĤŰĤŹă 1ŹĠăŬŅ㏠õØòĺăŰ ŹŎ õŎŅŅăõŹ ėŬŎł ŹĠă ØûØŨŹăŬ ŹŎ ŹĠă ûăƔĤõăŰ ƛŎƀ ƕØŅŹ ŹŎ òŬĤûęă̖ aƀŰŹ ŎŅă łŎŬă ŅŎŹă ̩ õĠăõķ ŹĠă ŬăŹƀŬŅŰ ŨŎĺĤõƛ ØŅû ƕØŬŬØŅŹƛ òăėŎŬă òƀƛĤŅę ØŅƛ ŨŎƕăŬĺĤŅă ØûØŨŹăŬ̖ ÉŎƀ łØƛ ę㏠ŹĠă ŨŬŎûƀõŹ ĠŎłă ŹŎ ƱŅû ŹĠØŹ ĤŹ ĴƀŰŹ ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź ƕŎŬķ ƕăĺĺ ėŎŬ ƛŎƀ̖ nØƛòă ŹĠă ĠĤûûăŅ ăĺăõŹŬĤõØĺ ƕĤŬĤŅę ĤŅ ƛŎƀŬ ĠŎłă ĤŰ ĴƀŰŹ ŹŎŎ ėØŬ ęŎŅă̐ ŎŬ ŹĠă ûĤŰŹØŅõă òăŹƕăăŅ ŹƕŎ ŨŎĤŅŹŰ ŹŎŎ ėØŬ̖ ă ŨŬăŨØŬăû ŹŎ

ŰØƛ ĤŹ ØŅƛƕØƛ̧ ŹĠØŹ ƛŎƀ łƀŰŹ òƀƛ ØûØŨŹăŬŰ łØŅƀėØõŹƀŬăû ėŎŬ

ŬăŹƀŬŅ ŹĠă ŨŬŎûƀõŹ Ĥė ĤŹ ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź ƕŎŬķ ŎƀŹ̒

ŎƕăŬĺĤŅă ŅăŹƕŎŬķĤŅę ûăƔĤõăŰ ĠØƔă ŹĠă ĤŅĠăŬăŅŹ ŰăõƀŬĤŹƛ Ŏė ØŅƛ ƕĤŬăû ûăƔĤõă ̩ ŹĠØŹ ĤŰ̐ ŹĠă Ņăăû ėŎŬ ŨĠƛŰĤõØĺ ŨŬŎƚĤłĤŹƛ ŹŎ õŎŅŅăõŹ ŹŎ ĤŹ̖ ƀŹ ̦ƀŅĺĤķă 1ŹĠăŬŅăŹ̧̐ ŹĠăƛ ØĺŰŎ ĠØƔă ØûûĤŹĤŎŅØĺ ăŅõŬƛŨŹĤŎŅ ̩ ØŰ ƕĤŹĠ ÃĤ̪DĤ̐ ŹŬØŅŰłĤŰŰĤŎŅŰ ŎƔăŬ ŨŎƕăŬĺĤŅă ØŬă ØĺŰŎ ŨØŰŰƕŎŬû̪ ŨŬŎŹăõŹăû ØŅû ăŅõŬƛŨŹăû̖ ÃĠăŅ ƛŎƀ òƀƛ ŨŎƕăŬĺĤŅă ØûØŨŹăŬŰ ĤŅ ŨØĤŬŰ̐ ŹĠăƛ̵Ŭă ŹƛŨĤõØĺĺƛ ØĺŬăØûƛ õŎŅƱęƀŬăû ŹŎ ƀŰă ŹĠă ŰØłă ŨØŰŰƕŎŬû̐ łØķĤŅę ŹĠă ƕĠŎĺă ŹĠĤŅę ƔăŬƛ Ũĺƀę ØŅû ŨĺØƛ̐ ØŅû ƛŎƀ õØŅ Øûû ØûûĤŹĤŎŅØĺ ØûØŨŹăŬŰ ƀŰĤŅę Ø ĺƀăŹŎŎŹĠ̪ŰŹƛĺă ŨØĤŬĤŅę òƀŹŹŎŅ ŎŬ Ø ŰŎėŹƕØŬă ŨØŰŰƕŎŬû õŎŅƱęƀŬØŹĤŎŅ ŹŎŎĺ̖

Look for adapters with a built in AC socket, like these Netgear PLP2000.

99

HELP STATION A/V

OLED vs QLED: Which is the better TV technology?

OLED and QLED televisions are both capable of bright whites and near-perfect blacks, but which TV technology has the edge?

These are halcyon days for TV technology. Ultra HD 4K is now well established, 8K TVs are becoming more common, HDR is readily available, and streaming ŨƀŹŰ Ø ŅăØŬ̪ĤŅƱŅĤŹă ŰƀŨŨĺƛ Ŏė õŎŅŹăŅŹ ØŹ ŎƀŬ ƱŅęăŬŹĤŨŰ Øĺĺ ûØƛ̐ every day.

But these are also confusing times for TV technology, with new acronyms and marketing terms raining down like confetti. One of the ongoing confusions lies in the comparison between the two technologies competing at the premium end of the TV market: OLED and QLED. So, what exactly are they, what’s ŹĠă ûĤƫăŬăŅõă̐ ØŅû ƕĠĤõĠ ĤŰ ĤŅ ŨŎĺă position if you want the best possible picture?

OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) is a display tech that õŎŅŰĤŰŹŰ Ŏė Ø õØŬòŎŅ̪òØŰăû Ʊĺł through which two conductors pass a current, causing it to emit light. Crucially, this light can be emitted on a pixel-by-pixel basis, so a bright white or coloured pixel can appear next to one that’s

ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ õŎĺŎƀŬ̐ ƕĤŹĠ ŅăĤŹĠăŬ impacting the other. This is in direct contrast to a traditional LCD TV, which relies on a separate backlight to generate light that’s then passed through a layer of pixels. Despite many attempts over the years, no backlit TV has managed to completely eradicate the issue of light bleeding from an intentionally bright pixel to those around it.

Other advantages of OLED are that the panels are lighter and thinner than a typical LCD/LED arrangement, viewing angles tend ŹŎ òă ŰĤęŅĤƱõØŅŹĺƛ ƕĤûăŬ̐ ØŅû response times can be supremely quick.

One disadvantage is that OLEDs are comparatively expensive to produce. Prices are steadily getting more realistic – thanks in no small part to LG (currently the only producer of TV OLED panels) selling panels to other manufacturers, such as Sony, Panasonic and Philips.

This has increased the number of OLED panels produced and competition in the shops, but OLED TVs still tend to be a little

totally black or an entirely

more expensive than standard LCD

OLED: pros and cons

100

models. That said, Samsung’s QLEDs tend to be closer to OLEDs in price than to conventional LCDs. Size can be an issue where OLEDs are concerned, too. Until recently, you couldn’t buy an OLED TV screen smaller than 55 inches. 48in OLEDs ØŨŨăØŬăû ėŎŬ ŹĠă ƱŬŰŹ ŹĤłă ĤŅ ˙˗˙˗̐ with the excellent LG OLED48CX, but they are produced in relatively low numbers and tend to be little łŎŬă ØƫŎŬûØòĺă ŹĠØŅ ŹĠăĤŬ ˜˜ĤŅ equivalents, making them pricey ŰłØĺĺăŬ §ÂŰ̖ ˛˙ĤŅ {e1' §ÂŰ ØŬă ŅŎƕ on the way and could in theory be produced and sold much more õĠăØŨĺƛ̐ òƀŹ ŅŎ ŰŨăõĤƱõ łŎûăĺŰ ĠØƔă yet been announced.

OLEDs also struggle to reach the same peak brightness levels of even an average backlit model. Even extra-bright OLED models such as the new LG OLED65G1 and ØŅØŰŎŅĤõ §È̪˜˜NÒ˙˗˗˗ ŰŹŬƀęęĺă ŹŎ ę㏠ăƔăŅ ĠØĺė ØŰ òŬĤęĠŹ ØŰ Ø ƲØęŰĠĤŨ QLED, although the perfect blacks do go some way towards compensating for that by creating exceptional overall contrast.

Finally, the organic nature of an OLED panel means it is potentially susceptible to image retention and even burn-in, in a similar way to the

§Ġă ƲØęŰĠĤŨ 1˝˜ qˠ˜ ̐ ėŎŬ example, is thought to have

for most people; and self-emissive quantum dots are even further

around 800 independent dimming ƤŎŅăŰ ̦ ØłŰƀŅę ûŎăŰŅ̵Ź õŎŅƱŬł

away. Those QD-OLED TVs may blend some of the qualities of

OLEDs that we’ve tested, and manufacturers build in features to

ŰŨăõĤƱõ ŅƀłòăŬŰ̧ ̩ ŹĠØŹ̵Ű Ø Ġƀęă increase on the approximately 120

QLED and OLED, but it seems unlikely that they will prove to be

reduce the risk. That said, they still feel the need to warn customers

zones of its 2020 predecessor. Of course, because every pixel of an

the best of both worlds.

With the Holy Grail of TV still

about the potential for image retention.

OLED TV can be controlled independently, it essentially has

ĺĤķăĺƛ Ø ĺŎŅę ƕØƛ Ŏƫ̐ ŹĠăŅ̐ Ø §Â buyer in the here and now is forced

more than 8m independent

to choose which combination of

The one major TV manufacturer

dimming zones, but the new Neo QLEDs are clearly a step towards

strengths and compromises best suits their taste.

not yet on board with OLED is Samsung, which instead promotes

sets that combine the contrast of OLED with the brightness and

Samsung’s QLEDs absolutely deliver a brighter and punchier

a rival technology called QLED. Standing for Quantum-dot

longevity of backlit sets.

But things get interesting when

picture than their OLED rivals, and in recent years have impressively

Light-Emitting Diode, QLED, in theory, has a great deal in common

we look forward to those next-gen quantum dots that will be capable

closed the gap in terms of black depth and viewing angles. The

with OLED, most notably in that

of emitting their own light. These

new, Mini LED-backlit Neo QLEDs

each pixel can emit its own light.

In this case, that’s thanks to

photoluminescent quantum dots will give the TV the ability to light

are yet another step in that direction.

quantum dots – tiny semiconductor particles only a few

ƀŨ ØŅû ŹƀŬŅ Ŏƫ ĤŅûĤƔĤûƀØĺ ŨĤƚăĺŰ̐ just like an OLED set, while

OLED still has a slight advantage in these regards, though, and

nanometres in size.

These quantum dots are capable Ŏė ęĤƔĤŅę Ŏƫ ĤŅõŬăûĤòĺƛ òŬĤęĠŹ̐ vibrant and diverse colours – even more so than OLED. The problem is that the quantum dots used in current QLED TVs do not emit their own light. Instead, they have the light from a backlight passed through them, and then through an LCD layer to produce the image.

Quantum dots still improve colour vibrancy and control over conventional LCD designs, but it isn’t the next-gen, gamechanging technology Samsung’s QLED branding suggests it is; OLED’s ability to light each pixel individually gives it an undeniable advantage over QLED. While overall brightness levels are lower, contrast is still impressive.

This year, Samsung has sought to increase the contrast of its QLED models by switching from standard LED backlights to Mini LED backlights for its most premium models, which it refers to as ‘Neo QLED’ TVs. These backlights use much smaller LEDs that resemble sparkly grains of sand and can be used in far higher quantities. By increasing the number of LEDs, the number of independent dimming zones can

theoretically retaining the advantages of greater vibrancy and brightness. Unfortunately, it looks as though TVs that use these new quantum dots are still a long way Ŏƫ̖ RŹ ĠØŰ Øĺĺ ęŎŅă ūƀĤ㏠ŎŅ ŹĠØŹ front, with Samsung’s premium TV plans focused on 8K QLEDs and MicroLED. But it seems Samsung could be about to swallow its pride, ditch its anti-OLED rhetoric and launch its own OLED models. Reports suggest the company could be set to launch a range of QD-OLED TVs that combine blue OLED material with red and green quantum dots.

It’s thought that these QD-OLEDs might be capable of going brighter and being more vibrant than current OLED TVs, but there’s no reason to expect them to be any less susceptible to burn-in.

Most surprising is another report that suggests Samsung is going to purchase standard OLED panels from LG. That leaves us with the tantalising prospect of Samsung, after years of active campaigning against OLED technology, launching two distinct OLED TV ranges of its own in 2022.

Verdict

while OLED TVs don’t go as bright as QLEDs, their self-emissive properties make for absolutely stunning contrast.

One other thing to bear in mind is that the panel technology used is only one part of the puzzle, with a set’s processing making a big ûĤƫăŬăŅõă ŹŎ ŨăŬėŎŬłØŅõă̖ §ĠØŹ̵Ű why OLEDs from LG, Philips, Panasonic and Sony all look ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ĤŅ ØõŹĤŎŅ̖ Ŏłă ØŬă punchier, others sharper; some ŎƫăŬ ŬĤõĠăŬ õŎĺŎƀŬŰ ƕĠĤĺă ŎŹĠăŬŰ are better at handling motion. In other words, you shouldn’t simply ęŎ ŎƀŹ ØŅû òƀƛ ŹĠă ƱŬŰŹ {e1' you see.

While practically all QLEDs are ŰŎĺû òƛ ØłŰƀŅę̐ ŹĠăƛ ûĤƫăŬ ėŬŎł model to model, too; not so much in terms of processing, but in terms of key specs such as the brightness and number of dimming zones of the backlight.

To get the punchiest QLED with the most dimming zones, you have ŹŎ ęŎ ėŎŬ ŹĠă qˠ˗ ̐ ŎŬ ęŎ ƀŨ ŹŎ ØŅ 8K model.

So, in short, both OLED and QLED are capable of exceptional results, and you’re probably best Ŏƫ ŅŎŹ Ű㏏ĤŅę ƛŎƀŬ ŰĤęĠŹŰ ŎŅ ę㏏ĤŅę Ø §Â ƕĤŹĠ ŎŅă ŰŨăõĤƱõ technology. Instead, simply look

also be increased, resulting in greater contrast.

It’s going to be a while before MicroLED is a realistic proposition

for the best overall TV you can ØƫŎŬû̖

plasma TVs of old. This doesn’t seem to be a widespread problem, though. We have never had image retention problems with any of the

QLED: pros and cons

101

HELP STATION Fitness

LEFT: The app will ask you to sign up for a premium subscription.

RIGHT: Start by answering a series of questions.

FAR RIGHT: See a nutritional breakdown of every meal you record.

Shed those pesky kilos with Lifesum It may surprise you just how many calories are in the foods you eat. Tim Bothwell shows you how Lifesum could provide new insights about your diet.

‘Exercise more and eat less’. It’s the one thing we’re often told when we want to lose weight. But eating less isn’t always as simple as it seems. I’d like to think that my diet is pretty consistent, but having tracked my food for the past month, I’ve been quite surprised at some of the foods I’ve consumed. Who would’ve thought that a pizza could contain over 1,000 calories! I digress, but the point is we often tend to underestimate just how many calories we consume in a day. This month we’re taking a look at popular food-tracking app Lifesum. Not only does it allow for quick and easy tracking of õØĺŎŬĤăŰ̐ ĤŹ ØĺŰŎ ŎƫăŬŰ ŰƀŨŨŎŬŹ ėŎŬ a range of diet types and meal plans that you can follow.

Freemium. eĤķă łØŅƛ ƱŹŅăŰŰ apps, this one relies on a freemium model, meaning many of the app’s basic features can be used free of charge, while more advanced functionality is locked behind a paywall. For $15 per

subscription to Lifesum unlocks a range of diet types, meal programs, and recipes, plus more detailed analysis into the foods you consume. In this guide we’ll look at a combination of free and premium features, so we’d ûăƱŅĤŹăĺƛ ŬăõŎłłăŅû ŰŹØŬŹĤŅę with the free version to see if you think the app is something worth paying for.

Getting started. After downloading Lifesum from the Google Play or Apple app store, you’ll be asked to select a goal – either to lose, maintain, or gain weight. This will be used to determine the number of calories you should consume each day.

Next, input your age, weight, height and gender before registering for an account. The app will also suggest signing up for a premium subscription – just tap the X icon in the top-right corner to skip this.

Food tracking. The most important feature to get familiar with is the food tracker. On the Diary tab tap the plus icon next to the corresponding mealtime to

month or $70 a year, a premium

reveal a screen where you can

The basics

102

The app offers support for a range of diet types.

search for a brand or food item.

For packaged goods, you can also use the app’s barcode scanner to quickly locate and log items – we were very impressed with how many products the app recognised. If there’s an item not in the app’s database, you can add it manually. For every meal you log, Lifesum will show a nutritional breakdown of calories, protein, carbs and fat. The app also provides feedback on the quality of foods using a smiley (or not so smiley) face, for example if food is low in sugar or sodium. As you log meals throughout the day, you’ll see a running total of calories consumed, plus how far Ŏƫ ƛŎƀ ØŬă ėŬŎł ƛŎƀŬ macronutrient targets.

Step it up a level Meal plans. Food tracking is just one of the app’s many features. eĤėăŰƀł ØĺŰŎ ŎƫăŬŰ Ø ŬØŅęă Ŏė diets and meal plans that you can sign up to. In addition to simple calorie-based dieting, the app has support for diets like keto, 5:2, mediterranean, high protein, and clean eating. Those looking for

Above: Keep track of fruit, vegetables and water consumed throughout the day.

Left: Browse recipes for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

more structure can try a meal plan which comes with daily recipes for eating throughout the day. If you’re unsure where to start, why not let the app recommend a plan òƛ ƱĺĺĤŅę ŎƀŹ ŹĠă ūƀăŰŹĤŎŅŅØĤŬă ØŹ the bottom of the Plans tab.

Recipes While you might enjoy cooking, actually deciding what to cook can be a struggle. Luckily Lifesum has a large library of recipes for every occasion, whether it’s breakfast, lunch, ûĤŅŅăŬ̐ ŎŬ ĴƀŰŹ Ø ūƀĤõķ ŰŅØõķ̖ Located on the Recipes tab, you can browse by mealtime or use the search bar at the top of the page.

Shopping list. {Ņă òăŅăƱŹ Ŏė signing up to a meal plan is the

into account exercise performed throughout the day. To log an

ability to build shopping lists with things you need for the

activity, tap the plus icon and select ‘Exercise’. It’s here that you

week ahead in just a few taps.

From the Plans tab, simply scroll

can then browse or search for a particular activity. Note that the

through the list of recipes and tap the shopping cart icon to add

value provided here for calories burned is only an estimate, but it’s

ingredients to the grocery list.

still useful for getting a rough

You can also choose to swap out less favourable recipes for

idea. In settings you can choose whether to include exercise in

ûĤƫăŬăŅŹ ŎŅăŰ̖ Habit tracking. When tracking

your daily calorie goal.

Body measurements. While it’s

food, it’s important to consider fruit & vegetables, plus water you

ăØŰƛ ŹŎ ŰŹØƛ łŎŹĤƔØŹăû ĤŅ ŹĠă ƱŬŰŹ few weeks of a new diet or

drink throughout the day.

Lifesum makes it easy to track

program, it’s common to lose focus as the months roll on.

these items using the habit

Tracking your progress overtime

tracker. To enable tracking, visit Settings > Diary Settings.

will help ensure you stay motivated for the long-term. In

Tracking then is as easy as tapping the plus icon each time

addition to logging changes in weight, you can also record body

you record a serving of fruit, vegetables, or cup of water.

measurements for your waist, arms and chest – especially useful if you’re looking to gain muscle. §Ŏ ûŎ ŹĠĤŰ̐ ƔĤŰĤŹ ŹĠă ŬŎƱĺă ŹØò ØŅû select ‘Body Measurements’.

Favourites. As you track meals, there’ll likely be a few that you consume on a regular basis.

Lifesum allows you to mark foods and recipes as favourites for easy recording in the future. To do this, simply tap the heart icon in the top-right corner. You can also do the same for exercises.

Favourites can be accessed from ŹĠă ŬŎƱĺă ŹØò̖

Going pro Macronutrients. Something important to consider when dieting is the split between protein, fat and carbohydrates you consume. While the app will provide a recommended percentage for each based on your current goal, you can tweak the balance yourself by visiting Settings > Nutrition Settings.

Exercise. In addition to logging food, Lifesum can take

LEFT: Tweak the split between different macronutrients.

RIGHT: Keep track of changes that happen to your body.

FAR RIGHT: Mark foods and recipes as favourites.

103

HELP STATION Photography Masterclass

Capture distraction-free cityscape scenes It’s one of the biggest frustrations a photographer can experience when

using a tripod is not an option, you can blend images for a tourist-free final

shooting in a city. You’ve found a fantastic view of a great subject, you get

composition. Let’s take a closer look at these quick and easy methods for

your camera set up, you frame your composition, and then a load of tourists

distraction-free cityscapes and travel images.

stroll into your frame. Equally aggravating is passing traffic – we often forget that the city we’re shooting is a living, working urban environment, home to thousands of people going about their business. These elements work together to make capturing an unobstructed shot a challenge, especially when making images close to famous landmarks.

In these circumstances you might try to repair the image using the Clone Stamp tool or a similar feature in Photoshop, but this will almost certainly be a lengthy process, and the results will be variable. You will likely spend hours removing each obstacle and then patching the gaps created using background textures, which, if done incorrectly, will look obvious and unsightly.

Luckily there are two methods that can save bags of time. Firstly, you can use a long exposure to reduce moving objects to an indistinct blur, or, when

1

FIND YOUR COMPOSITION Since we’ll be shooting multiple frames, it’s important to find the ideal composition first. Explore the scene to find the best angle. Select a view that people are constantly moving through.

104

Before TOURIST TRAP Taken at a popular spot in Paris, this image suffers from a crowded foreground, thanks to tourists on the steps. Complicated detail makes software cloning a challenge.

2

KEEP IT STILL The following process requires long exposures, so use a tripod to keep the camera in one position. This will also help later image blending to be conducted more smoothly, and with reliable results.

All images © Peter Fenech

Remove tourists and moving vehicles from your cityscape images with these simple techniques.

3

ATTACH ND FILTER To lengthen the exposure, add a neutral density filter. A 10‑stop ND is a great tool for this, but a variable ND or 3‑ or 4‑stop filter is still beneficial, when combined

with the next step.

After UNDISRUPTED VIEW By shooting a long exposure or blending multiple frames, moving tourists can be eliminated from the shot.

Here it looks like we had Sacré-Coeur all to ourselves.

4

USE APERTURE PRIORITY Although we’re controlling shutter speed, we still need to watch our depth of field. Use A mode to stop down the aperture and lengthen the exposure. Aim for a shutter speed of around five seconds.

5

TAKE MULTIPLE FRAMES With your camera locked in place, switch to Manual, and shoot a series of identically framed images over several seconds. This will capture moving elements in multiple positions.

6

BLEND IMAGES In Photoshop, open all your images as a Layer Stack, compress them into a Smart Object, then go to Layer > Smart Objects > Stack Mode > Median.

This will remove any moving objects between frames.

105

HELP STATION Digital Darkroom Masterclass

BEFORE

AFTER

Take control of colour with PhotoLab Discover a new way to adjust hue and saturation with DxO’s powerful image editor.

PhotoLab 3 is the latest version of DxO’s raw processing, lens correction and photo editing software. One of the best photo editing programs on the market, PhotoLab offers all the tools of regular photo editors, but takes a different direction from many of its rivals, putting raw processing and lens corrections front and centre. It can extract extraordinary image quality even from the most humble camera equipment.

PhotoLab 3’s ColorWheel is a new way to manipulate hue, saturation and lightness. Rather than using familiar sliders for each of the colour channels, PhotoLab 3 offers a more visual approach. Here’s how it works…

ALISTAIR CAMPBELL 106

Customise the interface Thanks to PhotoLab’s fully customisable graphical interface, you can unhook any panel from the column on the right and place it wherever you like on the screen, which gives you a little extra flexibility.

1

IMPORT YOUR IMAGE PhotoLab gives you a great starting point to work

2

SELECT A COLOUR CHANNEL Let’s get started by selecting one of the eight predetermined colour

from, improving your image on import with various tweaks to your raw or JPEG file.

channels to adjust, by clicking the dot at the top of the Color Wheel panel. Start with red. You’ll notice that a small section

Taking care of the camera, lens calibration and minor exposure and tonal details means you can

of the wheel is now highlighted by five small white circles. If you continue to click across the rest of the colours at the top

quickly get to work on colour to deliver your own personal style and aesthetic. Here I’ve imported an

of the panel, you’ll notice that not all of their areas on the wheel are the same size. This depends on how much of that

image that contains four different areas of colour:

colour is in the image. When I select green on my example

green, yellow, red and some blue.

photo, it covers a much larger area on the wheel.

3

4

SELECT A

WIDER RANGE OF COLOURS If you go back to the red color selection, you can select a wider range of colour by moving the white circles on the inside of the wheel. I’ve increased it here to include some of the orange tone, plus yellow and some redviolet.

ADJUST SATURATION For

the purposes of this tutorial, I’ve increased the saturation to the maximum setting, so we can see which areas are being affected. The white circles on the outer area of the colour wheel can also be moved. This is to determine the transition (or blending) of the adjustments. The wider the range, the more improved blending you will get. Turn the saturation back down to a normal level, and use the final white circle to change the targeted colour to another.

EXPERIMENT WITH COLOUR CHANGES Here I’ve selected violet to create an obvious visual difference. Our model and all the other targeted areas have duly become violet.

Notice that if we home in on

5

6

our model’s jeans, though, they remain blue: there is no bleed into adjacent colours as you begin to change them. This is incredibly precise and very powerful work by DxO. Making a person purple may not be something you ever need to do – but now we’re going to reset the image back to its starting point, so that we can have a look at another way to

the way up to surround our subject with an even green colour (notice that we’ve also extended the range of the green to incorporate some of the yellow that was also present in the background).

To conclude our colour adjustments, we’re going to do the same with the red hues, to give a more even

use the wheel for better overall colour management.

look across the clothing and skin.

MAKE ADJUSTMENTS WITH UNIFORMITY The ColorWheel includes a Uniformity slider, which can be used to make the colours in the selected range more similar. We’ll initially use the slider by increasing it all

107

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lens rear camera

display though) and

is a 5-star beast in

are standard, plus

excellent health and

every way.

5G connectivity.

fitness features.

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TURNTABLES PRO-JECT ESSENTIAL III $566, project-audio.com

STREAMING DACs

MULTI-ROOM SPEAKERS NAIM MU-SO 2ND GENERATION

SONOS PORT $599, sonos.com

$2,600, naimaudio.com

Really sounds great

A great streamer,

Mu-So 2 crushes

for the money, with

especially if you

its competition. An

an expansive and

already own a Sonos

awesome, thumping

enjoyable sound

speaker. It has an

wall of sound and

across a range of

analogue input and

reliable, versatile

genres and volume

output, as well as

software platform

levels. It also looks

streaming to any

and streaming

very pleasing, in

Sonos speaker, so

support make for the

a variety of high

you can plug in

perfect 21st-century

gloss finishes.

your turntable.

music experience.

AUDIO-TECHNICA AT-LP5X $549, audio-technica.com

YAMAHA WXAD-10 $210, yamaha.com

SONOS ONE $249, sonos.com

This direct-drive

This Yamaha lets you

Sonos One is

turntable comes

stream everything

compatible with

with the AT-VM95E

from Bluetooth

every music service

cartridge fitted to a

to hi-res audio,

ever, multi-room

J-shaped tonearm

with support for

connectivity is fab,

that sounds great.

AirPlay, most of your

and Alexa comes

Build is very solid,

favourite streaming

built in as an added

there are phono and

services and, of

bonus. Many pricier

USB outputs, and it

course Yamaha’s

Sonos speakers then

can play 78s too.

own MusicCast.

await you…

ELIPSON CHROMA CARBON RIAA BT $TBC, elipson.com

IFI XDSD

RUARK R5

$589, ifi-audio.com

$1,999, ruarkaudio.com

Elipson’s top-line

This dinky little

Like a mini system

turntable pulls down

combined Bluetooth

for the 21st century,

a lot of features from

receiver, DAC and

Ruark’s R5 chucks

the truly high end.

headphone amp

in a CD player, DAB

You get a super-stiff

supports AAC and

and FM radios and

carbon fibre tone arm

aptX and sounds

two extra inputs,

and new digital belt

really superb. It has

including one pre-

drive motor, plus

a battery, and can be

amped for use with a

AptX Bluetooth

used with earphones

turntable. There’s even

and USB.

as well as speakers.

Bluetooth too.

TECHNICS SL-1210GR $2,749, technics.com

AUDIOLAB 6000N $990, audiolab.co.uk

BOWERS & WILKINS FORMATION DUO $6,400, bowerswilkins.com

The iconic DJ

Probably impractical

These may look like

turntable reimagined

if you don’t have a

Bender from Futurama

as a lustworthy slab

hi-fi stack, but with

but sound like God

of home hi-fi. While

support for audio

yodelling in your ear.

we wouldn’t take

up to 192Khz/24-bit,

The only wireless

this out clubbing, it’s

its sound quality is

choice for any real

the ultimate deck

noticeably better

audiophiles out there:

for gently maturing

than the Sonos and

highly specced, but

ravers, and sounds

Yamaha streamers

not exactly affordable.

excellent too.

further up the list.

111

BUYER’S GUIDE

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The best of the best

BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS

AUDIO-TECHNICA ATH-M50XBT

KANTO TUK $1,499, kantoaudio.com

$199, audio-technica.com

TRUE WIRELESS HEADPHONES BEATS BY DR. DRE POWERBEATS PRO $265, beatsbydre.com

A stereo pair of

Long battery life and

Marketed as workout

attractive, compact

sound that’s closer

buds, their audio

bookshelf speakers.

to the more neutral

quality is on par

The left-hand

tones of hi-fi cans

with any other true

one contains the

(though still with

wireless headphones

connections and

a slight extra kick

out there, with

DACs and Class

of bass), plus great

the exception of

D amplifiers, and

comfort levels, make

the much less

the right one is a

these ideal for losing

comfortable Sony

wired slave.

yourself in music.

WF-1000XM3s.

SONOS MOVE

AKG Y400

$585, sonos.com

JABRA ELITE 75T

$TBC, akg.com

$179, jabra.com

A Sonos speaker that’s

These AKGs are

If the Beats are

been ruggedised,

minimalist and light,

just too bulbous

and had a battery

but still feel solidly

for your tastes,

and Bluetooth added,

built and comfortable.

you can’t find finer

so you can use it

They offer impressive

than these Jabra

anywhere. Clever

scale, excellent detail,

buds. Sound quality

software automatically

and a very naturalistic

could be described

optimises the sound

attitude towards

as a little artificial,

to its location.

the whole of the

maybe, but it’s also

frequency range,

pleasingly pumping.

ULTIMATE EARS MEGABOOM 3 $229, ultimateears.com

OPTOMA NUFORCE BE SPORT 4 $279, optoma.co.uk

CAMBRIDGE AUDIO MELOMANIA 1 $285, cambridgeaudio.com

The best waterproof

Designed for the

Less comfortable

speaker – it even

gym, you might

and more prone

floats – offers 20

think these wouldn’t

to falling out than

hours of battery life

sound very good.

their pricier rivals,

and a hefty sound

But you would be

these combine the

that’s perfect for

incorrect. They’re

sound quality of the

outdoor parties.

very musical with

Beats buds with the

It works great for

well-weighted

portability of the

kitchen audio

bass and excellent

Jabras while costing

duties, too.

noise isolation.

less than either.

BLUESOUND PULSE FLEX 2I $595, bluesound.com

SOUNDMAGIC E11BT $TBC, soundmagicheadphones.com

GOOGLE PIXEL BUDS $279, store.google.com

More than a

Truly impressive

Finally available here,

Bluetooth speaker,

buds. Connectivity

these have boomy but

with Wi-Fi and

is rock solid, and

good sound quality

Ethernet included

Bluetooth 5.0

and a very nice secure

this is more like a

means that they’re

fit. Pair with a Pixel

portable Sonos. It’s

futureproofed. 25

phone for the best

AirPlay 2 compatible,

hours of battery life

experience, but they’ll

and works with

is also great for the

work with iPhones and

streaming services

price.

others too.

and internet radio.

112

BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES

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HYBRID SMARTWATCHES WITHINGS STEEL HR SPORT $269, withings.com

WATCHES HUBLOT BIG BANG INTEGRAL $20,000, hublot.com

WATCHES UNDER $2,000 CHRISTOPHER WARD C60 SAPPHIRE $1,700, christopherward.com

Featuring a heart-

The first Big Bang

Striking, bold designs

rate monitor and the

to feature an

really set this British

ability to track 30

integrated bracelet

brand apart from its

different exercises,

– this watch has been

more conventional

this is ideal for

designed to flow

Swiss rivals. The best

fitness fanatics. It’s

seamlessly from the

example of this is

water resistant to

case to the clasp.

the C60 Sapphire,

50 metres, and the

Available in black

which features a see-

battery lasts around

ceramic, King Gold

through dial made

25 days.

or titanium.

from sapphire crystal.

FOSSIL HYBRID SMARTWATCH HR $329, fossil.com

TUDOR BLACK BAY FIFTY-EIGHT $4,900, tudorwatch.com

VICTORINOX I.N.O.X $695, victorinox.com

This timepiece features

Named after the

Having undergone

activity and sleep

year in which Tudor

130 durability

tracking, plus app

released its first

tests, this watch

and call alerts, time

diver’s watch, this

will stand up to

zones, and buttons

comes in a new

anything you throw

to control smartphone

vintage colour

at it. The paracord

music. Yet it mostly

combination and

strap hints at its

looks like a regular

smaller 39mm sized

adventurous heritage,

watch, aside from the

case. It’s powered by

and it’s great for all

e-ink display.

the Calibre MT5402.

wrist sizes.

WITHINGS MOVE ECG $249, withings.com

OMEGA SEAMASTER DIVER 300M 007 EDITION $9,575, omegawatches.com

HAMILTON KHAKI FIELD $600, hamiltonwatch.com

Think a pricey Apple

This stylish

This is a faithful

Watch is needed to

Seamaster made

recreation of its

take an ECG reading

from Grade 2

original 1960s

of your heart? This

Titanium will be

forebear and is true to

can do that, plus

strapped to the wrist

Hamilton’s military

activity tracking and

of 007 in No Time

heritage. The 38mm

sleep monitoring,

to Die. It’s strong,

stainless steel case is

with a 12-month

lightweight, and

paired with a durable

battery life, for a

perfect for an

NATO strap.

really low price.

undercover agent.

WITHINGS SCANWATCH $420, withings.com

JAEGER-LECOULTRE MASTER CONTROL DATE $10,800, jaeger-lecoultre.com

TAG HEUER FORMULA 1 QUARTZ MENS WATCH $1,950, tagheuer.com

Withings’ latest

Featuring a calibre

This F1 timepiece

hybrid is also its

with a 70-hour

features a steel case

smartest, packing

power reserve, a

with sapphire crystal

a huge amount of

new 40mm double-

protecting the legible

health and fitness

polished stainless

monochrome dial. The

tracking tech into a

steel case, and a

strap is black leather,

slender body. And

clear, eligible dial,

a quartz movement

fifteen different strap

this is pure and

provides the power

options ensure it’ll

simple watchmaking

and it’s water resistant

suit any outfit.

at its finest.

up to 200 metres.

113

,

BACKEND Ridiculous tech

Marc Teyssier Eyecam The webcam that watches you! $NA | marcteyssier.com/projects/eyecam With sleek modern technology it can be a little too easy to forget it’s there, which some believe is a dangerous equation for sensory devices that can record and gather information about you.

Thankfully there’s a new kind of webcam that’ll never let you relax again… The Eyecam, by Da Vinci Innovation researcher Marc Tessier, is an Eye-of-Sauron webcam that moves, blinks and watches your every move is a nightmare-inducing product designed to make you think about your digital security.

Audi A6 e-tron Audi’s headlight projectors let you play games on a wall while you charge. $TBC | audi.com.au A lot of controllable LEDs go into making

would be used to move the car up to

the headlights on the car of tomorrow, a fact that prompted one Audi engineer to see if they could double as a projector. It turns out they can – thus the Audi A6 e-tron concept car shown off at Auto Shanghai in May. The 100kWh battery, which normally

700km on a single charge, can instead be siphoned to the headlights to allow you to play games or movies streamed from your smartphone on any wall you can park in front of. We like to think of it as a highly portable drive-in cinema.

The Password Keyboard The one keyboard that makes it easy to type your single master password. $TBC | instagram.com/unnecessaryinventions The password Keyboard is an eight-key keyboard that you can customise to spell out Password so you don’t have to send your fingers to the far edges of the keyboard to type out your unique top-secret code ever again. While we know that it leaves us exposed to ransomware attacks and serious fraud, lets face it, we all use the one eight-digit password for everything, and this essential accessory now makes it easier to type than ever before.

114

The Mini Robotic Bartender Look out bartenders, this Kickstarter is firing shots. $637 | kck.st/38MVM9n Making a good cocktail can be a lot of work, even for a skilled bartender, so the idea of a robot mixologist is an enticing thought.

Sometimes in robotics however, the idea and the reality are a little different. Take,

will unscrew single-serve spirit bottles and pour them into a glass for you. No ice. No garnish. Not shaken and not stirred. Just a stiff drink that felt like it took more work (and more waiting) for you to watch than if

for example, the Mini Robotic Bartender Kickstarter, a rudimentary robotic arm that

you just unscrewed the lid and splashed a little into your own glass.