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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z AGOOGLE'S B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q RBIGGEST S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M EVER N O P Q R S T U V W X Y CHANGESZ A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H WHATI J K L M N O P Q ISR S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D ALPHABET,E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZAND A B C D E F HOWG H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V WILLW X Y Z A B C IT D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q AFFECTR S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L MYOU? N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XAlphabet Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V

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Contents This week... 08 Google Inc. Becomes Alphabet

08Google Inc. Becomes Alphabet While many had been expecting an evolution of Google’s company structure, the announcement that it would be radically altering the way it manages its ever-increasing number of interests, by forming a parent company called Alphabet, took virtually everyone by surprise. So what does the restructure mean for its users, employees and investors? David Briddock takes a look 18 Multi-GPU Rigs There are a whole host of benefits to running multiple graphics cards in your PC, especially if you’re a gamer or interested in working with video. The technology and techniques can be confusing, though, which is why we’ve been looking at the 18 how, the why and what you should buy 24 Productivity Apps Can an app really make your day more productive? Rob Multi-GPU Rigs Leane got his hands on a few to see if it was possible to cure a case of chronic procrastinitus with a smartphone. 47 Surveillance Systems Group Test Network connected camera systems are no longer the preserve of commercial premises and the homes of the rich and famous. As the technology has become more 24 established, prices have fallen to the point where they’re now a practical option for many of us? Here we look at a range of systems and pick the one we recommend Productivity you keep an eye on Apps

4 Issue 1377 Group Test Surveillance Kits 47 iON The Home Surveillance 48 Swann DVR4-1500 DVR 4 Channel Kit (2-Cam) 47 Systems 49 TRENDnet 4-Channel HD PoE NVR Kit 50 Belkin NetCam HD WiFi with Night Vision 51 Fusion Curve IP Cam 52 Nest Cam 53 Sum-up

Reviews 56 38 Gigabyte P37X Gaming Laptop 39 Logitech BCC950 The Rise Of Conference Cam 40 Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 The Machines 42 DS-920DW 43 Xenta Laser Wireless Mouse 44 Cast Of The Also In Seven Godsends 56 Rise Of The 45 Onikira: Demon Killer This Issue... 46 EVGA GeForce GTX950 Machines? FTW 2GB The ‘machines take over/destroy humanity’ trope is a well 17 Product Showcase Experts established one in the world of sci-fi but, as we crawl Four exciting new 82 Ask Aaron towards the goal of creating artificial intelligence, could it technology products for 84 Ask Jason ever become reality? Rob Leane takes a good look over his you to peruse Specialists shoulder as he tries to work it out 68 Linux Mart 30 Remembering 69 Amiga Mart 60 Lenovo’s Remember the Amstrad 70 Mobile Mart Sinclair PC200? No, 71 Hardware Mart neither did we until David 72 Gaming Mart LSE Problem Hayward reminded us... For the second time in six months Lenovo has made News 32 The Latest News the tech headlines for a similar faux pas. First it was for 31 Component Watch installing the much-maligned, malware-like Superfish Want some DDR4 RAM Regulars software on its systems, and now it’s been caught at it to go with new Skylake 54 Subscriptions again after problems with its ‘Bootkit’ Lenovo Service processor? Of course 74 Ad Index 76 IT Essentials Engine (LSE) were highlighted. So, what is LSE, do you you do! 78 Classifieds have it and how do you get rid of it? 62 Using App Inventor 88 Logging Off Build an Android App 64 Is Anyone Still with Google’s toolkit Using Second Life? 86 Crowdfunding Corner As the tech industry recovered from the bursting of We’ve got two games the first dotcom bubble, Second Life became almost vying for your monetary SAVE A BUNDLE synonymous with the brave new worlds online social support this week Subscribe to Micro Mart today and save 24% on the communities could become, and then – frankly – how 87 App Of The Week shop price. disappointing the reality of it was. So, having once been There plenty of media the focus of a large amount of press and public attention, Call 0844 844 0082 streaming apps, so what is Second Life like now, and is it worth you taking what’s BubbleUPnP got Basic annual rate UK: £77.50 another look? Sarah Dobbs goes exploring over them? Europe: £185 Rest of World: £340 Online subscriber service Change your address and renew your subscription at www.subsinfo.co.uk Email: [email protected]

Issue 13771196 5

Does Alphabet Spell A New Dawn?

8 Issue 1377 ALPHABET

Google is reorganising itself as Alphabet, but why? How will it work, and what difference will it make to us? David Crookes looks at what comes next

n 2001, the Royal Mail made a risky decision business that will also incorporate Android and that would prove to be a short-lived disaster. Google Play and it will be headed up by Sundar In a bid to show that it did more than just Pichai who will become the new CEO of Google. Ideliver the post, the company ditched a It is Google Inc. – the name of the firm well-recognised name, which perfectly described comprised of a large portfolio of divisions – that what the firm ultimately did, and rebranded as is being replaced. Alphabet will instead become ‘Consignia’, a name that the bosses admitted the name of the holding company that controls did not mean anything. After much eyebrow a range of sub-businesses. Why? Well, the raising, and a refusal by many workers name Google Inc. immediately brings to mind to comply, the firm changed to the more the consumer products that have created the reasonable Royal Mail Group. Consignia barely foundations on which the company was built. lasted a year, and ultimately went down as one That, quite simply, does not suit the various of the biggest – and most expensive – corporate other directions the firm wants to go in. mistakes of all time. In this sense, unlike some of the other The Royal Mail has not been the only rebranding exercises that have affected company to rip up tradition and recognisability companies over the years, Google’s switch to in favour of reinvention, though. Coke became Alphabet is not as radical as it first appears. New Coke for a spell, and the taste went down Page and Brin are canny people, and would have like a lead balloon, while Play.com became realised the folly in killing off a name that has Rakuten and stripped itself of any connotations quickly become an eponym. What Alphabet will about what the company sells in the process. do is allow the company to stretch itself even Indeed, removing reference to the core of a more without causing confusion over what the business is popular: Logitech is now just Logi, company as a whole is actually all about. Kentucky Fried Chicken is KFC. The Sci-Fi Google will be separated from the other parts Channel has abstracted to become SyFy, and of the company and become one of numerous, Pizza Hut wanted to switch to The Hut, before independent and separate businesses under wisely reconsidering the decision. the Alphabet umbrella. Others like Fiber, Life So what should we make of the most recent Sciences, Nest and X Lab will also form their move by Google? After 16 years of building the own companies. Each of them will have its own most recognisable web brand on the planet, CEO, who will potentially be allowed to take the company is going to be renamed Alphabet their own risks and develop firms in their own and it is set to be majorly restructured. These ways. Overseeing all of this will be Page and changes seem to indicate the intention to Brin in their roles as, respectively, the CEO and move away from being known as simply a president of Alphabet. company that is about search, towards being an Page says each of the businesses will report organisation that is widely perceived to have its its own financial results; meaning Google, as fingers in a multitude of pies. Alphabet, will be more transparent. It is also Co-founder Larry Page and Sergey Brin say hope the changes will allow it to react more they want to make the company “cleaner and swiftly to a changing technological landscape more accountable” and they profess to being and allow it to be ever-more influential. excited about what opportunities the changes may bring up. What does it actually mean for the company and consumers, though? Is Google about to do a Consignia? The simple answer to that last question – at least for now – is ‘no’: the name Google is not actually going anywhere near the trashcan. It will continue to be a much-loved and well- used brand, and any talk of people suddenly ceasing to “google” the internet in favour of “alphabeting” their queries is premature. Google will remain the name of Alphabet’s search engine. We will still have the likes of Google Maps, Google Mail, Google Chrome,  Larry Page and Sergey Brin will be the CEO and Google Drive too. There will be a Google president of Alphabet

Issue 1377 9  Alphabet used the domain name abc.xyz to display this statement... Presumably more information will follow

The Rise Of Pichai What’s In A Name? Google’s restructuring has been coming for some time, even if Alphabet is an unusual name, and even Larry Page the name change was unexpected (that said, a year ago Reddit admits it will take some getting used to. It has also led poster Ojus Naravene listed all of the various brands Google to speculation that the company will seek to eventually owns and placed each one next to a letter of the alphabet, but create 26 companies identifiable by each letter just as that was most likely coincidence). Business Insider claims Google Android ties food into each letter of the alphabet for its has been considering this kind of restructure for four years, but various releases (the latest is M for marshmallow). certainly last October we saw signs that Google was seeking to While Alphabet may well seek to go down that shake things up a bit. path at some point, Page says the company chose Alphabet because it “means a collection of letters that represent language, one of humanity’s most important Google’s restructuring innovations”. He also says it allows Alphabet to refer to  its Google roots, something it appears the company does has been coming for some not want to lose sight of, explaining the alphabet as “the core of how we index with Google search”. time, even if the name If that’s not enough, Page adds (perhaps over-thinking things): “We also like that it means alpha-bet [Alpha is change was unexpected investment return above benchmark], which we strive for!”  At least there’s an idea (or three) behind the name. And, just in case you were wondering, Google is a At the time, CEO Larry Page sent out a memo that explained play on “googol” which is a mathematical term for the how he was going to transfer leadership of the core Google numeral 1 followed by 100 zeroes, which is said to reflect products to Sundar Pichai, who was then the head of Chrome, Page and Brin’s mission to organise an infinite amount of Android and Google Apps. He said Pichai was also going to information on the web. be responsible for maps, search, Google+, commerce and ad products, research and infrastructure. Crucially, six executives – including those responsible for search, social media and This was a major promotion for Pichai and it effectively made research – who had all previously reported to Page, would now him the boss of Google’s products, answering only to Page. That be directly under Pichai. It was a sign that Page and Brin were put him a very powerful position, one which has only become letting go of the established Google business areas, and it stronger now that he is CEO of Google. The past few months pointed to a major change in the thinking. can therefore be seen as some sort of extended test that he has

10 Issue 1377

passed with flying colours. Having demonstrated that he could ably assume the reigns once tightly held by Page, it is he who ABC Is Easy As XYZ everyone will now turn to in order to see the future direction of The Daily Mail – the newspaper that does no wrong the Google suite of consumer products. It is a lot of power to and is never, ever branded The Daily Fail, of course have gained in a relatively short time. – decided that Google had made a whopping error At the same time, this will have a profound impact on Page’s during its rebrand by failing to do the most basic of involvement. Last year, Micro Mart believed Pichai’s rise was also checks to see if “alphabet” was already taken as a going to give Page the opportunity to freshen up his own work domain name. As it turns out, BMW owns alphabet.com within Google Inc. Having stated that he would concentrate on and uses it for the running of its fleet services company, NEST, Calico, Google X, corporate development and the legal, a fact which the newspaper reported with some glee, financial and business side of the company, it was clear that filling up a bit of online space to tell everyone about it. Page was finding it more interesting and motivational to focus It also stated that the Twitter handle @alphabet has on the future and on areas of innovation. also been taken by a chap called Chris Andrikanich, The change was needed, then, but it was still surprising; Page who was rather bemused by the number of extra is a self-confessed control freak who has always wanted to have followers this little quirk of fate managed to gain him. a final say in everything that Google is doing. Indeed, Business Was this really remiss of Google Inc.? Of course Insider’s ‘Larry Page: The Untold Story’ article claims he detests not. Alphabet would not have formed without some management layers, believing them to be an impediment. Yet research, and to suggest otherwise is plain daft. with the restructure, he has just installed a whole new set of Rather than be put off by BMW’s use of the domain management layers beneath him. name, it went for an altogether more creative and memorable address: abc.xyz. This eschews the use of .com, the gold standard generic top-level domain The CEOs will look to (gTLD) and, as you’d expect, it has led to a rush of  people and organisations to attempt snapping up make their mark on their their own .xyz domains, which is now being seen as cutting edge and cool. It can cost $185,000 to grab one companies and the world though, and that has made Daniel Negari who owns  the .xyz gTLD a very happy man. “Obviously, Google believes in it if they’re rebranding on .xyz,” he said. “This is the ultimate validation.” It would seem that he and Brin have found that, if they can Incidentally, the announcement on abc.xyz contains trust Pichai, they can also trust others to oversee other parts a little Easter Egg pointing to another .xyz domain. of the company. It is also likely that Page and Brin have come By clicking the full stop in the middle of the seventh round to thinking that the new way of working is not only paragraph, visitors can view the website of hooli.xyz: viable but necessary. Google Inc. – now Alphabet – was simply the name of the fictional company featured in the HBO becoming too diverse for any kind of tight control to be viable. comedy Silicon Valley, which can be watched on Sky Instead, Page’s role will be one of the overseer. Pichai and the Atlantic in the UK. other CEOs will report directly to him and it will mean he can have a greater overview and get as involved or as hands on in the different businesses as is needed.

ABC Of Alphabet So what companies will Alphabet be split into? We’ve already very briefly mentioned some – Fiber, Life Sciences, Nest and X Lab – but a closer look at what these divisions do reveals just how diverse Google Inc./Alphabet has become. Life Sciences, for example, is working on health and biotech projects; among them, a contact lens which monitors the wearer’s tears and measures the glucose level within them. It is working on this with the pharmaceutical giant Novartis and it is aimed at monitoring people with diabetes. Another division, Calico Labs, is seeking to tackle ageing. Hundreds of millions of pounds are being pumped into this research and development biotech company and it couldn’t be further removed from expected to be a key part of the overall company. With that what people imagine Google to be. With a company being Alphabet it appears makes it easier to include focus on research rather than search, Calico Calico under the umbrella while, as part of Google, the vast has been studying molecular biology, difference to the perceived core product could cause confustion. genetics, medicine and drug development The hope appears to be that such companies can flourish and for the past two years in a bid to help grow as businesses, away from any such preconceptions. people live longer, healthier lives. Calico What it also means is that other sub-businesses within has top scientists on board and it is Alphabet such as the investment arms Ventures and Capital will

14 Issue 1377 ALPHABET

 Google has grown to encompass many different aspects be able to acquire and pump cash into up-and- they could also equally prove unviable and coming ideas and companies without people be dropped. This doesn’t matter because at wondering how it will fit in with the Google least they’ve been tried and, by separating remit. Alphabet will become even more diverse as the companies under CEOs and making them a result, and it could even move into areas that independent businesses, investors will at last be would perhaps be deemed unsuitable for Google able to see the financial impact of them. (such as military advancements). It is entirely Page is certainly interested in moonshots feasible that Google X, or X as Page refers to it, and is a strong believer in their usefulness. His will continue working on drone delivery services dedication to pushing forward in new areas and driverless cars that, in the future, form the also gives the sense of a man who wants to hub of an entirely new Alphabet business. be seen as someone more than the CEO of a At the same time, any failures or risks made company that sells advertisements on the back by one company will not have a direct impact of searches. While there is acknowledgement on the others. It will allow the individual that the foundation built by Google and it’s components to build their own reputations successful suite of products is important, by and brands, and flourish in their own right. allowing Pichai to control them, Page can seek Thermostat maker Nest, for instance, will be able ways of making a difference. to concentrate on providing connected smart Just as Bill Gates has become the world’s home products without worrying about fitting biggest charitable donor and is working towards in with the global network of high-altitude an end to polio, Page and Brin have the potential balloons referred to as Project Loon. The CEOs to leave a lasting legacy, whether that is in of each of these companies can steer their ships robotics – Google bought Schaft.inc., Redwood and be fully accountable for their individual Robotics, Meka Robotics, Holomni, Bot & Dolly firm’s successes and mistakes. They will also be and Boston Dynamics and they are likely to able to make more moonshots. form a robotics company – or in building model The term ‘moonshot’ was created by Google airports and cities. It may well be that the area and the concept of it has been much discussed they make most impact in is yet to be realised. and debated. It refers to the risky and ambitious projects that have been embarked upon in the What About Us? hope that, by aiming high and going out on What will the impact be for us, then? At first, the a limb, something amazing and useful will be public will not see much difference. We’ll still be developed. Loon is a moonshot; an idea that predominantly using Google for searches (there are sounds crazy on paper, and which has been three billion queries each day) and for alerts, news, in development for ages. There is a potential maps, storage and emailing. We’ll also be using for these products to change the world but it for social networking, for now at least. Google

Issue 1377 15 Hangouts has been given its own website, which is one less reason to Who Is Sundar Pichai? bother with Google+ and it could well Born Pichai Sundararajan in 1972 in Chennai, Tamilnadu, spell the end of a service that has never India, Pichai joined Google in 2004. He rose from his role really been adopted. In the medium term, as a middle-manager to effectively become CEO Larry though, the Google suite of products will Page’s number two. With a Bachelor of Engineering evolve, with some dropping away. degree from IIT-Kharagpur, an MS from Stanford and Pichai has enough experience of what an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of the division is about and what needs to Pennsylvania, he is certainly capable – and now he is alter. According to the filing for Alphabet, CEO of Google, replacing Page who becomes CEO of the Google’s business will definitely include search, ads, parent company Alphabet. maps, apps and Android as well as the related technical He was initially responsible for Chrome and Chrome OS infrastructure, which it calls the “Google business”. Search and as well as Google Drive and in 2013, he began to oversee adverts will still be the breadwinner, and the money that flows Android. One of his biggest, earliest innovations was a from them may well be invested in the other businesses that are toolbar that enabled Google to make its search engine created – otherwise they may well sink under mountains of debt. the default option on Internet Explorer and Firefox. Pichai may well be tasked with making his product range more Fear that Microsoft would make it difficult to install this lucrative, and looking for new ways of monetising them. He will toolbar lead to the development of Chrome. also have a bigger influence than before: with YouTube coming “Sundar has been saying the things I would have said directly under Pichai (the YouTube CEO Susan Wokcicki will now (and sometimes better!) for quite some time now, and report to Pichai rather than Page), it would appear the video I’ve been tremendously enjoying our work together,” service is seen as part of Google’s core business. says Page. “He has really stepped up since October of By not having the moonshot companies closely affiliated last year, when he took on product and engineering with the money-making ones, though, the Google products will responsibility for our internet businesses. I feel very be seen as ideal for investors. The more money pumped into fortunate to have someone as talented as he is to run the Pichai’s company, the greater the incentive to continue taking slightly slimmed down Google and this frees up time for the battle to Microsoft and Apple in order to stay ahead of the me to continue to scale our aspirations.” game. Innovation as a whole is where we will eventually see a difference emerging, though.  Page and Brin can make quicker decisions and make some new bets. So can the CEOs beneath them 

Each of the CEOs will look to make their mark on their companies and the wider world. Since some of those companies won’t make money because they are moonshot-based, the impact they have will become a measurement. Those who work within them will also strive to work even harder and Google can be more flexible and innovative. Page and Brin can more creatively because there will a greater chance to impress make quicker decisions and make some new bets. So can the and thus to take lucrative and important positions. There are CEOs beneath them. more CEO positions and extra management structures mean Indeed, last year, Page said that the idea was to build Google’s promotions will be easier to come by than before. Google will core business while also getting the next generation of big bets be able to attract the best talent as a result. off the ground. “As you ‘age’ – even when you’re still a teenager It will also see Alphabet follow in the footsteps of other like Google– you have to work hard to stay innovative,” Page companies. More and more big internet concerns have been wrote in the memo, which was obtained by The New York Times. diversifying away from their core and reconsidering what and So far, the market has reacted well to all of this. The value who they are. Amazon is not just a seller of books, but of of the overall company rose 5% on the announcement of the technology and entertainment services. Facebook is reaching changes, which means Wall Street feels this will be a good into virtual reality. Apple is as much a music company as it financial move if nothing else. By freeing up the different is a maker of computers and phones. They are avoiding the business components to work independently and grow in their problems of the past when the major tech firms would stick own way, though, we should also see internal competition as to their traditional core business and fall behind. By breaking well as external. That will, in turn, make Alphabet richer and up Google with an Alphabet rebrand and numerous smaller should convert into a wider range of potential services and businesses within it (albeit smaller businesses that are still large), developments for us all to enjoy too. mm

16 Issue 1377 Advertising Feature Product Showcase

Four fascinating pieces of tech available right now

Screeneo PicoPix A smart, short-throw projector from Philips, the Screeneo can A range of pocket-sized projectors with built in memory produce images from 50” through to 100” and support 3D that you can take on your travels with you! So if you content. What’s more, it only needs to be 44” away from the fancy loading up a movie or two to take on holiday, it’s wall to get up to that 100” screen size! easy to do so. It has integrated speakers and subwoofer, as well as The PPX3614, shown here, comes with a built-in wired and wireless network support. Indeed, connectivity MP4 player, 4GB internal memory, integrated 1W is one of its real strengths, with support for HDMI, USB, speaker and a headphone jack. Connect to your Bluetooth and more. In addition, you can stream your content device via HDMI, USB, Bluetooth or use its music to the Screeneo, or use it to mirror content from Android platform to connect to in Internet. your tablet or smartphone. For those who need to work while on the move, this With a native resolution of 1280 x 800, the Screeneo PicoPix also has Windows’ office suite built in. With is portable and powerful, as useful in the lounge as it is an internal rechargeable battery, it can work alone or for setting up an outdoor cinema in the garden! It’s on connected to a mains supply. The PPX3614 packs plenty of sale now. flexibility into its compact casing.

Price: £799 Price: £339.99 Manufacturer: Philips Manufacturer: Philips Where to buy: Currys, Where to buy: Currys, online stores online stores

Wavewall Cases Modecom FreePC This is a mobile phone case that’s been targeted more Comfortably one of the smallest practical computers towards men, for reasons that’s will become obvious. First we’ve ever seen, the Modecom FreePC is the size of a and foremost, though, the job of the WaveWall is to protect USB flash drive, yet packs inside it the power of a far your mobile phone – so it’s a case that’s easy to slip your bigger machine. device into in order to protect it from accidental damage. Running Windows 8.1, the FreePC is aimed at home users, There’s a second function, though: to shield the male commuters and office workers, and comes with a quad-core nether regions from the threat of the radiation that a mobile Intel Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal flash phone produces. The WaveWall is designed to mitigate memory (a micro SD card reader offers more) and integrated the potential damage to male fertility that said radiation HD graphics. Bluetooth support is offered too. can cause. In fact, the case can reduce the mobile phone Simply plug it directly into a HDMI port on your display, radiation that said nether regions absorb by more than 85%. provide it with a USB power source, and you’re up and So, if you’re the kind of person who keeps your phone in running in pretty much no time. It’s on sale now. your trouser pocket, and are planning a family at some point in your future, the WaveWall may be just the ticket. Price: £129.99 Manufacturer: MODECOM Price: £24.99 Where to buy: Amazon, Manufacturer: WaveWall Cases online retailers Where to buy: www.wavewallcases.com

Issue 1323 17 How To Get The Best From A Multi-GPU Setup

Multi-GPU setups provide the best graphical performance, and here’s how to get the best from the tech

ost people may be content with a single graphics card; some are even happy with onboard video. However, as PCs have evolved, and games have Mbecome more and more complex and visually accomplished, the need for power has grown. Graphics cards have become more and more powerful as a result, allowing developers scope to produce the best graphics they can, in fact, the more powerful graphics cards can even help the main CPU with its own workload, boosting your PC’s capabilities. One of the biggest advances in PC graphical tech, however, has to be the introduction of multiple GPU systems. This is the ability to install more than one graphics card inside a PC, connecting them together to function as a single, more powerful unit. It’s kind of like the graphical equivalent of Voltron or, for younger readers, the Power Rangers.

18 Issue 1377 MULTI-GPU

each of the vendor’s hardware, so be sure to check which your board supports. Many will handle both, but you should check just to be certain. Another important consideration is your PC’s case. You’re going to need a case that has enough room to house the multi- GPU setup, and if you plan to buy high-end cards, which are usually much larger in size, you’ll need plenty of room not only to accommodate the cards themselves, but also to help with airflow, as you’ll be generating a lot of heat (which we’ll come to later).

 The two main multi-GPU technologies are provided by Nvidia and ATI  The first question to ask By connecting two or more GPUs together via their yourself when considering a corresponding interface (Nvidia and ATI have different connections), you increase the graphical power of the system multi-GPU setup is whether it’s by two – or more, if you go for an even more impressive setup. The system has the ability to utilise all of your cards’ power, worth the hassle thus allowing more impressive detail, higher frame rates, and a  generally superior performance. Of course, it’s not as easy as just buying two (or more) cards Additionally, you should double-check your power supply and installing them. There are other considerations you need to specifications, and ensure that it can provide enough power to take into account and, once installed, there are further steps you your system. If you use a limited PSU, you’ll run into problems. A can take to get the most out of your new multi-GPU setup. So, rough recommendation would be at least 800-1000W, but this let’s take a look. can vary depending on the hardware you choose. Assuming this is all taken care of, you’re free to go looking Is It Worth It? for your multiple GPUs., but you need to take into account The first question you need to ask yourself when considering a the limitations of SLI and Crossfire tech. Both deal with GPUs multi-GPU setup is whether it’s worth the hassle. The answer to differently in terms of mixing and matching graphics cards. this will depend greatly on your use for the PC. If you’re not a Crossfire is a little more flexible, whilst SLI is not as forgiving. gamer, or power user, then no, of course it’s not. If you simply use If you’re using Nvidia’s SLI tech you’ll need to ensure that your PC for social media and Internet browsing, maybe even a your GPUs are the same model, as mixed models won’t work. little multimedia, you’ll probably not even be pushing your current, The models can be from different manufacturers, though, as single-GPU setup. This being the case, it’s not worth to time, long as you ensure the model is the same. So, for example, you effort, and more importantly, cost. However, if you’re reading this, and if you’re thinking about multi-GPU options, it’s probably safe to say you’re into gaming at the very least, in which case, multi-GPUs are undoubtedly worth it. There are many reasons for this, with the chief one being the guaranteed boost in graphical horsepower. This will give you a huge leap in speed, texture detail, FPS, and more. You’ll be able to run games at very high detail levels and resolutions, whilst still maintaining a smooth frame rate. Dual and higher card setups are also a great idea if you’re planning to run at 4K resolutions, so it’s well worth considering this if this is the case. What’s more, if you shop around, there’s no need to spend a fortune. Even two mid-range cards will usually yield great results, so you don’t necessarily need to spend large amounts of cash on the best, high-end models. Depending on your current system, though, you may need to upgrade your motherboard.

Preparations In order to utilise a multi-GPU setup you’ll first need a motherboard that’s capable of handling this. If your system isn’t that old, you’ll probably already have the option to install at least two GPUs, but it’s always worth checking before you rush out to buy a couple of new GPUs. It’ll be very apparent, as your documentation will clearly state this, along with the kind of dual GPU tech the board supports. The board will also have ample space for additional GPUs. The two main options here are Nvidia’s SLI (Scalable Link Interface),  Not all motherboards support, or are suited to multi-GPU setups, so check and ATI’s Crossfire. These are similar technologies, but deal with your is before you buy new GPUs

Issue 1377 19 Voodoo People You may think that multiple GPU systems are a relatively new technology, but you’d be wrong – at least technically. Multiple GPUs were used much earlier than you may think in mainstream gaming. Back in the early 90s, PC gaming was entering a new era. 3D graphics were becoming more and more advanced, and to facilitate this, new 3D graphics hardware had to be created. At the time, most users had only 2D graphics cards, and to embrace the new wave of graphics, a second, ‘3D Accelerator’ was needed. One of the most popular and successful cards of the time was the Voodoo from 3DFX. No defunct, 3DFX cards were installed and connected to existing 2D cards with a special loop back cable. This paired the two cards, allowing the PC to make use of both the traditional GPU, and the enhanced 3D chip. The Voodoo  A good amount of power is needed if you want the best performance 2 is arguably the most successful card of this era, but from your GPUs many more were made. In fact, you could even use multiple Voodoo chips. could use a GTX 460 from Asus and a GTX 460 from Gigabyte The Voodoo 2 made use of SLI (then called Scan-Line together, but not a GTX 460 and a GTX 470, as the model and Interleave) long before Nvidia absorbed the tech (Nvidia chipset is different. It’s also important to note that one card can bought a good deal of 3DFX when it folded). be overclocked, whilst the other isn’t (again, more on this later), 3DFX went bankrupt in the late 90s, partly due to the but the overclocked card may be slowed to match to other, non- decision to only support Glide and OpenGL graphics, overclocked card. instead of DirectX, which would go on to become the de facto tech.  You may think that multiple GPU systems are a relatively new technology, but you’d be wrong  For ATI’s Crossfire you can be a little more flexible. Here you can mix and match different models, as long as they’re in the same series. So, you could use a 7950 model with a 7970, but not a 7850 with a 7950, as this include card from two different series.

Simple Things Once you have your cards, and have installed them in your PC,  The Voodoo 2 was amongst the first dual-GPU setups you’ll probably hit one of the most common questions first-time multi-GPU users ask: which of the cards you should connect to the monitor? Indeed, cooling should be a major concern if you’re going The short answer here is ‘any’. It doesn’t actually matter to run multiple GPUs, as you’ll generate a lot more heat. Aside which of the cards you connect to your display, as all cards are from the main CPU, graphics cards will generate the most heat connected and shared by the system, so any will work fine. in your system, so having more than one will greatly increase However, there is a more detailed answer that you may want to the hot air you’ll need to shunt out of your PC. Because of this, consider in terms of getting the most from your multi-GPU setup, you’ll probably need to invest in better cooling. If you have a and it involves overclocking and heat. large enough case with good airflow, you should be able to fit In most systems, the top-most of your GPUs will be the one more case fans, and this is important, especially so if you plan to that experiences the most heat build up. This is because, as any overclock, which is one of the best ways to get the most from school kid knows, heat rises. If you’re running overclocked cards, your multi-GPU setup. this will only exacerbate the situation. When you pair this with the monitor connection, it can make things even worse. As the Overclock card connected to the monitor is going to be doing slightly more Having multiple GPUs installed will instantly give you a better work, as it has to actually output the image, it’ll generate a little level of performance than a single card, so right from the off you more heat. It’s negligible, but it’s there. For this reason, many should be happy. However, now that you’ve spent more money, expert users choose to connect their display to the lower card, as and spent the time setting up the system, why not get even more this is usually the coolest, and therefore helps keep your system out of it, for free? Overclocking isn’t anything new, and most PC that little bit cooler. users will be familiar with it. It’s also a great way to increase your

20 Issue 1377 Lethal speed, deadly precision.

AOC G2460PG 24” G-SYNCTM Gaming Monitor 144Hz 1ms Response Time Display Port Nvidia 3D Vision Ready

AOC G2460FQ 24” AOC G2460PQU 24” AOC G2770PQU 27”

144hz Monitor 144hz Monitor 144hz Monitor 1ms Response Time 1ms Response Time Display port, DVI, HDMI, VGA Display port, DVI, HDMI, VGA Display port, DVI, HDMI, VGA Height Adjust Height Adjust 4 x USB ports 4 x USB ports www.aoc-europe.com The most important settings, though, are GPU Clock and Mem Clock. These deal with the currently set GPU and Memory clock speeds, and by increasing them you can squeeze out extra performance from your hardware. To do so, simply move the sliders to increase the speeds in small increments, and then test each. This is best done with some form of benchmark program running, so use whichever one you prefer and observe for any performance increases. Benchmarks are also useful for spotting problems, such as graphical artefacts due to overheating, slow performance, or instability. Going back to the voltage setting, some users will also use less power for various reasons, one being the generation of much less heat. This is a good tactic, but is also a problem, as too little power can also cause instability, and at the very least, will negatively impact performance. Other simple tips for overclocking include performing the actual overclocking in a cool room, perhaps with your case open. This won’t reflect general use, and you do need to test this, but it makes for

 Cooling is essential, be it case fans or GPU-mounted methods, such as this water-cooled option  Increasing memory speed multi-GPU performance, easily gaining more general performance will give you some increases in and an increased frame rate. To do this, you’ll need a good overclocking program designed for GPUs. Both Nvidia and ATI performance, but not as much have such programs, which you can download from the respective websites, but you can also get other vendor-specific models that’ll as the actual GPU clock work with other cards. A popular, and very easy to use example is  EVGA’s Precision. This can be grabbed from www.evga.com. You’ll need an active registered account to download it, but this is free. a safer test bed to work with your first couple of times, until you Once you register, you can download and install the tool. get more experienced and what your PC’s limits are. It’s also a good The program features an attractive speedometer-style idea to have a couple of actual games installed and ready to go, interface, and all you need to do to make changes is use the particularly graphically demanding ones. Benchmark tools are great for various sliders to alter your card’s settings. Sliders deal with evaluating your GPU’s performance, but there’s no better way to test fan speeds, voltage, power and temp targets, clock speed, and your changes out than to actually play a game. So, do this in between memory clock speed. You can instantly test settings out, apply increments to see what actual, practical improvements you’re making. them, or set them back to default. Several profiles can also Be aware that increasing memory speed will give you some be set up and saved, so you can create different overclocking increases in performance, but not as much as the actual GPU configurations for specific tasks. The program also lists each GPU clock, and memory speeds will also require more power. Some installed in your system in the bottom-right. users prefer to leave this in order to save power, but this is When you begin to experiment here, always heed the old- subjective, and there are differing opinions. hand overclocking mantra of slowly, slowly. Don’t be tempted By gradually increasing the speeds, you’ll end up with even to simply max out your GPU and memory speeds, as this may more power from your multi-GPU setup, meaning you’ll have no simply end up making your system unstable. Instead, you have problems running games at their very best. mm to take a slow, careful approach, gradually increasing clock speeds and testing them until the system becomes unstable. This way, you find your hardware’s limits, and you’ll know how much you can safely push your hardware. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the specific settings. First we have the fan speeds. This will deal with the fan speeds mounted on your GPUs. Usually, you’ll want a higher speed here, as this will have he best affect of system cooling. However, it’ll also make more noise and use a little more power. If you’re really pushing the hardware, though, keep this high. Increased voltage can help deliver better results, as more power supplied to the hardware will enable it to operate at higher speeds. This will, of course, generate more heat, however, and some hardware simply isn’t designed to handle higher voltages, and in a worst case scenario, you may cause damage. This is one setting you really need to use carefully, making slow increases. The power and temperature targets are set to allow the software to throttle back settings if needed. For example, if the temperature target is exceeded, meaning too much heat is  EVGA’s Precision is an easy to use overclocking program that can help you generated, setting will be throttled to generate less heat. get the most out of your multi-GPUs

22 Issue 1377

Can An App Make You More Productive?

There are countless so-called ‘productivity apps’ on the market, all claiming that they can force you out of procrastination and into a state of unbridled target-accomplishing bliss. Rob Leane asks: do any of them actually work?

he term ‘productivity app’ may of social media platforms. These regularly seem like a misnomer, seeing combine into a super-effective distraction as most apps available these device, more than anything else. T days tend to have the opposite It’s lovely to imagine a world where effect. Between this writer’s phone and this isn’t the case, though. Where your his laptop, there’s enough downloaded devices can serve the purpose of pushing content to stop me from ever doing any you professionally and personally. Got a actual work. My phone tends to be filled job that needs doing? Well, wouldn’t it with the likes of Candy Crush, Words be great if your apps could actually help With Friends and an ever-growing myriad you, rather than hindering any chance of

24 Issue 1377

Personally, I found this pretty useful as a freelancer who does odd bits and bobs for various contacts. It’s a great way to streamline your goals on a day-by- day basis. As the first app tested for this productivity? Of course it would. The real There is a free 14-day trial for the article, then, OmniFocus will be hard to question is: where to start? standard Mac version, though, so we gave beat on everything but the price tag. The market for productivity apps is it a look. On first glance, OmniFocus looks a already oversaturated. A brief search little confusing. There’s a series of tabs along Things online presented five possible contenders the top bar, and a shed-load of other options As well as only being targeted at Mac for the productivity app crown, so I gave down the left hand side of the screen. If users, Things also shares another them a look in the hope of discovering you’re the type of person who likes skipping significant feature with OmniFocus – a one that’s actually worth investing in… the instructions and jumping straight into an hefty fee for purchase. You should prepare easy-to-understand and ergonomic-to-use to stump up $50 (around $30) if you OmniFocus software, you may find yourself in need of a decide to pick this product up. Various One productivity app seems to have manual on this occasion. versions of Things are available across more recommendations than any other: Once you get into the swing of it, Mac, iPhone, iPad and the Apple Watch. OmniFocus. If you’re a committed Apple however, there is a certain elegance to Again though, there’s a free trial that lets customer, this software is targeted directly OmniFocus which arguably warrants the you try before you buy. at you. It’s only available on Mac, iPad and price tag. Even at its most basic level, it has Things opens up without much fanfare, iPhone, and it claims to offer you a chance some handy features. At first it basically appearing like a fairly simple list app. to “keep life and work in balance, stay feels like a list-making service, helping you The menu down the left-hand side tells on top of projects and goals, accomplish create a run-down of all the tasks ahead of you the available categories: today, next, them faster, and play a little bit more.' you in the foreseeable future. scheduled, someday and projects. There’s also an inbox for as-yet-unfiled tasks and a logbook were already-completed jobs  Once you get into the swing of it, are stored for future reference. There’s a lot of similar features however, there is a certain elegance to to OmniFocus here, including the ‘tag’ function, which can be used as OmniFocus that arguably warrants the Things’ version of the afore-discussed ‘perspectives’ option from OmniFocus. price tag Only working on personal jobs today?  Then click into the ‘personal’ tag and you won’t see by your list of work tasks If you’re wondering what the catch Once you delve deeper, though, you realise anymore. Unlike OmniFocus’ perspectives, is, there is the small matter of the price that you can time reminders for yourself, though, Things’ tags are always in view. tag. OmniFocus doesn’t come for free, it group tasks together into ‘projects,’ or even If I had told OmniFocus not to bother me actually offers a range of pricing options create a ‘perspective’ where only certain with work stuff, I wouldn’t be able to see – but for the standard Mac or iOS version, tasks are shown for you. If you struggle with any reference to work at all. On Things, I you’ll need to splurge out at least $40 juggling too many jobs at once, this feature can still see the word ‘work’ at the top of (roughly £25) to get it. For the full ‘pro’ is a godsend. If you’re not working on a the screen, regardless of my commands. It’s service, you can add another $40 (for certain thing today, you can hide it, and get a tiny difference, but it’s enough to mean Mac) or $20 (for iPad and iPhone’s iOS). on with the other stuff. It will pop back up that work still looms over you when you’re That, honest, is a hefty price to pay. whenever you told it to resurface. not meant to be thinking about it.

26 Issue 1377 PRODUCTIVITY

Also, I’ve managed to use it for a week or Evernote so without incurring any of those in-app The main, original Evernote app is fairly charges that the App Store warned me brilliant – it’s a note-making and task- about upon download. management service that can be used Immediately, you’ll be struck by the individually or by whole businesses. fact that the user interface seems unique Evernote also offers a wide range of other and interesting, which puts 30/30 ahead apps. These can help all sorts of different of both OmniFocus and Things in terms people get on top of their daily to-do list. of attention-catching design. Whether or Whether you champion a good old- not that’s a good thing is up for debate, fashioned to-do list or prefer to manage as there’s an argument to be made that a your day in a more specific style (e.g. brightly coloured productivity app could by the hour, or by project, or by team), become more of a distraction than a there’s probably an Evernote app that helper. However, that’s not the case here. suits your style. In fact, 30/30 is clearly targeted at For those who don’t want to fill their people with short attention spans – phone with any more notifications, which, frankly, suits this writer down to Sunrise Calendar turns your notes into the ground. As such, the whole system is reminders and syncs them directly into based around alloting time for your tasks your calendar, meaning that all your and setting yourself a series of micro- upcoming events – from meetings, to deadlines every day. For example: my list solitary tasks, to birthday parties, will all of jobs on the day of writing this article be stored in the same place. looked like this: write article pitches – one There’s also Swipes, which makes the hour, write productivity article – three information that your store in Evernote hours, buy and wrap nephew’s birthday actionable and task-orientated. For people present – two hours. Spoiler alert: I got all who love the feeling of ticking something off those things done. a to-do list, Swipes is a solid app equivalent

On the upside, though, Things does The whole 30/30 system is based have a nice ‘someday’ feature where  you can easily shove odd jobs for an around alloting time for your tasks and upcoming rainy day. There’s also the ability to press the ‘not today’ button and setting yourself a series of micro-deadlines dismiss a task that you won’t get around to until tomorrow. every day My favourite feature of Things is  probably the ‘energy’ option, though. That lets you define the difficulty of a task so that, at the end of a tough day, You can break your day down into even that’s much shinier and sleeker than your you can get it to provide you with a quick smaller tasks if that suits your style and boring old Notes app, and it lets you reminder of what ‘easy’ jobs you have purpose (like ‘read report – 20 minutes’ categorise tasks in a variety of ways, too. left. That comes in very handy on Friday or ‘email Steve – 5 minutes,’ if you like). You can use Cloze in conjunction with afternoons when you can’t face a much If you’re a short-attention-span type of Evernote, as well. This lets you assign tougher task than sending a few emails. guy, like me, these micro-targets can your notes to specific contacts and It may not be worth thirty quid of your really help you get momentum going in groups, which can come in very handy if money, though. the morning and maintaining it through you have a lot of tasks going on at once. the span of a day. A timer in the middle Also from Evernote, CloudMagic lets you 30/30 of the screen will remind you how long create notes from your emails with the tap In the light of what’s come before, the you have left of the time you set aside for of a touchscreen; SwiftKey helps you write first – and possibly the most – important your current task, which can add a bit of notes quicker; Boxer is Evernote’s version thing to note about 30/30 is that urgency to proceedings. of Dropbox; and IQ Tell combines various downloading it won’t cost you a penny. If something comes up and you need to services to help you get through tasks faster. Yes: It’s free! There are optional in-app switch tasks, you can do that, too. 30/30 All in all, Evernote is trying hard to purchases, though, that could add up will remember how long you had to go on dominate the productivity game, but we’d if you’re not careful – and 30/30 lacks the previous task and will resume the timer say the original app is still the best. The a desktop version. It’s only intended for when you get back to it. As a freelancer original Evernote is available for Windows iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. who does a lot of work at home, setting and Android, too, making it a bit more I downloaded 30/30 onto my fairly bog myself strict daily guidelines in this way all-inclusive than most of the products on standard iPhone 4c, and I’m happy to say came in very handy. It may not work for this list. The free basic version is definitely that I won’t be deleting it any time soon. everyone, but it really worked for me. worth a trial run.

Issue 1377 27 Asana to draft documents, and everyone will Available via Android, iOS, or as a be notified. It’s not unlike a social media browser-based online service , Asana is platform for projects, in that way. You all about avoiding the hassle of messy wouldn’t need to download a document internal communications. If you’re fed from an email, make your edits, change up of searching your inbox for that one the title, re-upload the document and elusive piece of information that’s hidden send it off in a different email. Asana has in an elongated thread from several cut a lot of steps out for you, there. months ago, this is the app to try out. As long as your team consists of As the Asana website puts it, everyone fifteen-or-less people, Asana is free. If you in your team probably spends hours want more from the service, there’s the “reading, writing, sorting, searching, option to pay a premium fee for some filtering and forwarding emails – it never extra features. Even the basic option is ends.” It doesn’t have to be that way, pretty useful, though, as a way to bypass though. Essentially, Asana’s aim is to email faff and get straight to the work simplify these office tasks. that needs to be done. environments and finds different difficulties that stop them from firing on all cylinders. The fact that you can view Asana on For me, the biggest problem is my  attention span. I’m the kind of person who, any device with web browsing capabilities even if I’m watching TV, will probably pause it a few times during the episode to browse can come in handy, too, especially when the Facebook. If that’s what I’m like in my free time, you can and imagine what I’m like need arises to work from home when I’m actually trying to do work.  While I’ll sometimes build up a good head of steam, equally often I crash and burn. The best app to help me, and the only one of The idea here is that your whole team The fact that you can view Asana on any these that I’ve kept on my phone, is 30:30. would download Asana, and use its device with web browsing capabilities can It’s advantage, for me personally, is the timer simple interface to create projects, set come in very handy, too, especially when the in the middle of the screen. It clearly tells me deadlines, post comments, and assign need arises to work from home or to join an what I’m meant to be writing and how long I tasks. This service makes it a little easier important discussion while on the go. have left to finish it. to communicate important information If I get bored of that, I normally have a and to make sure everyone is on the same Final Thoughts few emails to send on any given day, so I’ll page, rather than relying on lengthy and In the battle of the productivity apps, it’s switch to that task instead. The timer will confusing email threads. impossible to choose a decisive winner that change, and it’ll give me thirty minutes to do In Asana, communication and tasks are will work perfectly for everyone. After all, emails before switching back and telling me all on the same place. Edits can be made everyone does different jobs, in different to get on with my writing. It almost feels like a computer game, with various side missions taking shape in the form of my targets. The result – shockingly – is that things get done. By helping me think about various types of work as different colour- coded targets, with set time limits, 30:30 encourages me to work at a better speed than I usually would. I’ve been using it for about a week, and it seems to be helping. As I said before, though, some people just love that good old-fashioned feeling of ticking something off a list. There are apps that can do just that (Evernote’s Swipes – or Clear, another list app that we didn’t have space to cover), but if you’re good at sticking to a list, you’ll do just as well with a pen and paper. If you work in a large team in a big office with a complicated working situation, you might find OmniFocus, Things or Asana useful. For me, though – a freelancer with a tiny attention span – nothing works better than 30/30. mm

28 Issue 1377

Remembering… Amstrad Sinclair PC200

This week, we check out an unfamiliar PC with a familiar name

ack in 1988, Amstrad had the idea that people may want to Did Yo u Know? actually have a portable version of an IBM PC, and thus the • There was a modem/FAX version released just before the Amstrad PPC512 and the Amstrad PPC640 came into being. PC200 was eventually pulled from the shelves BBoth had an 8MHz NEC V30 processor, 512KB of memory, a • It came with a half-decent Sinclair-branded SPJ-1 joystick full-sized keyboard and a tiny LCD display. They both ran MS-DOS 3.3, • It had a good full-sized keyboard, with F-keys too and featured a number of business-based software packages. • There were rumours that Amstrad were working on a While good, by the standard of the day, they didn’t sell too many. Transputer Card for the PC200 So the technical boffins at Amstrad instead dreamed up a desktop • With a colour monitor, and FAX capabilities, the PC200 version of the PPC range, and replaced the LCD section of the cost up to £499 computer with an RF modulator while encasing the keyboard and main system components in a black, Amiga and ST-like chassis. This was the Amstrad Sinclair PC200. It did though have the rather groovy ability to connect to Although Sinclair in name (with black enclosure and Sinclair logo), it a standard TV, inherited from the former Sinclair range of bore little family resemblance to the historic brand – except, that is, for home computers – something that was lacking from other IBM its sales figures, which were probably uncannily like that of the QL. compatible PCs at that time, at a time before TVs started to feature connection that married up with a PC. Your Sinclair Its History found it a revelation, and considered the PC200 to be a machine The Amstrad PC200 was launched at the PC Show in October 1988, a with a very bright future. The rest of the universe, Crash show that also featured Ocean showcasing Rambo 3, Operation Wolf, included, said that if you’re serious about computing, then you and Robocop – and, if I remember rightly, a brief appearance from would be much better off with either an ST, any other IBM PC, Maria Whitaker, reprising her role as the princess in Barbarian 2. So, the or an Amiga. Time has shown them to be right. Amstrad PC200 had some stiff competition for attention. The end result was a machine that was removed from the The idea behind it was simple enough: Amstrad already had a shelves within a few months, and now only sees the light of day gazillion other IBM PC models launched, or about to be launched, so through the glass cases of a computer museum. the company decided on using the Sinclair name it had bought some time ago in a last bid effort to win over the former Spectrum fan base. The Good It didn’t work. Although the PC200 had a reasonable specification, It had the Sinclair logo! Plenty of IBM/DOS software for it. with an 8MHz 8086 CPU, and the option to fit the 8087 Maths Co-Pro, plenty of of memory, a Centronics port, RS232, DOS 3.3, and The Bad a built-in 3.5” 720KB floppy drive, it unfortunately bombed due to a You had to permanently have the chassis open, and the cards exposed number of factors. to fit any ISA components. It lacked the power to actually have two ISA Firstly, while there were ISA expansion ports, due to the low profile cards fitted (although I never tested that theory). height of the case to actually have any hardware of the time fitted into them you needed to have the case lid permanently opened (there was Conclusion a hinged lid). Secondly, it only had 16 colours and a beeper sound. It was a fairly brave last ditch attempt at rekindling the Sinclair name. Thirdly, it was going up against the Amiga and the Atari ST at the Sadly, though, the Sinclair generation had all grown up and moved time. Finally, it cost £300. onto ST’s and Amigas.

 The Amstrad Sinclair PC200. Looking back, it was  With a monitor though, it did  It came with a good Sinclair branded joystick, though actually quite a cool machine get a little pricey

30 Issue 1377 Component Watch

Component Watch

If you’re thinking of moving up to a Skylake processor, and the new Z170 chipset motherboards, you’re going to need some DDR4 RAM...

When it comes to RAM, while there’s still life left in DDR3, DDR4 Deal 3: Kingston ValueRAM 4GB DDR4 [KVR21N15S8] is becoming an increasingly popular option when people have to RRP: £49 / Deal Price: £23 upgrade. It’s still a premium purchase, and probably will be for a Kingston’s ValueRAM is some little while longer, but its increased speed and capabilities mean of the most respected in that the benefits can be impressive, especially if you’re putting the industry, and its DDR4 together a high-end system that values such factors. So, if modules are no exception. you’re ready to take the plunge, and want to make sure you pay These 2133MHz, PC3-17000 the lowest possible price for your next big system bump, then units stack up well against you need to check out these DDR4 deals. the competition without breaking the bank. They even Deal 1: Crucial 4GB DDR4 [CT4G4DFS8213] have gold contacts for greater RRP: £34 / Deal Price: £222 fidelity. Admittedly they’re a Crucial’s 4GB DDR4 DIMM little more expensive than some of the competition right now, but is the cheapest around, that could change at any moment. It’s always worth keeping an eye and that makes it ideal on in case the price drops a few quid to below Crucial’s! for those building lots Where to get it: CCL (bit.ly/1ECxoPz) of systems or upgrading theirs on a budget. This Deal 4: Corsair Vengeance LPX Red 4GB DDR4 2133MHz PC4-17000 RAM [CMK4GX4M1A2400C14R] is double the speed of RRP: £30 / Deal Price: £26 DDR3 and up to 40% more Gamers looking to overclock energy-efficient – so you their systems will want some don’t need to worry that buying cheap will reduce the likelihood slightly better RAM, and of seeing any improvement in performance. It’s perfect for entry- Vengeance LPX 2400MHz, level DDR4 buyers; though the elevated RRP price makes the PC4-19200 memory is both deal look better than it is, especially when you compare it to the inexpensive and aimed at high- Crucial Ballistix deal below. performance overclocking, with Where to get it: Ebuyer (bit.ly/1TVa6eB) a pure aluminium heatspeader and eight-layer PCB to help keep it cool. Available in multiple colours, Deal 2: Crucial Ballistix Sport 4GB DDR4 [BLS4G4D240FSA] red is the least expensive so snap it up at a reduced price today. RRP: £25 / Deal Price: £22 Where to get it: Scan (bit.ly/1E3JF4R) If you want something a little more highly specified Deal 5: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 4GB DDR4 [HX426C15FB] – perhaps because you’re RRP: £38 / Deal Price: £26 building a gaming system The fastest RAM we’ve looked – but still want to get at is the Kingston HyperX Fury good value for money, the Black, rated at 2666MHz, Crucial Ballistix Sport might PC4-21300. It has full XMP be exactly what you’re looking for. This 2400MHz, PC4-19200 support and low-latency RAM balances speed and price extremely well, and it’s also got modules, aimed at providing a good-looking case to make handling it that little bit less risky high performance at low costs. when you undertake the install. We’ll grant you that the grey Give the small price differences styling cannot be considered as a very sporty colour choice, but between RAM modules at this at least it goes with pretty much everything! While it’s easy to end of the market, we’d advise anyone who can afford it to start with sniff at a £3 discount, at least it’s something. these, whether you’re an overclocking enthusiast or not! Where to get it: Ebuyer (bit.ly/1JivTLJ) Where to get it: CCL (bit.ly/1PmaIIX)

Issue 1377 31 My Hard Drive’s Bigger Than Yours

Samsung reveals whopper

Dell Goes Professional With Chromebook

Lucky 13 for Google collaboration?

f Google’s Chromebook concept has a rosy future ahead of it, surely it’s going to be thanks to models such as this promising, professional-focused Chromebook 13 from Dell. I In the press blurb, Dell promises the typical “sleek design, superb performance”, but its swagger is backed up with some decent specs for the 13.3” notebook. Driven by Intel Celeron, Core i3 or i5 processors depending on which version you go for, the starting price of these is $399. Unfortunately, when it comes to the UK come October, that will translate to somewhere between £350 and £399 for basic model in the range. That is by no means a bad price, but a number closer to the actual exchange rate equivalent would be even better (currently $350 is about £225). With up to 8GB system memory (although the entry-level option does offer just 2GB), up to 12 hours battery life, backlit keyboard, 720p webcam, wi-fi and Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, plus a full-size HDMI port, SD card slot and a 1080p Gorilla Glass touch display, this sounds a promising business- centred option. You ca see more over at www.dell.co.uk.

32 Issue 1377 QUICK BITS... Bears get stressed when drones fly near them, according to research at the University of Minnesota an there be three more boring Obviously aimed at the enterprise market, the words in computing than Flash PM1633a drive stores a whopping 16 Terabytes of Memory Summit? Really, at times the data within its 2.5” SSD unit that utilises Samsung’s C technology industry doesn’t do itself new 256Gbit NAND technology..16TB of SSD! Well, many favours regarding how it is perceived by 15.36GB of usable storage, anyway... That, dear the wider public. readers, is still a lot of movies and MP3s. Anyway, this year’s thrilling event in sunny So, while the event itself was likely a total California (at least everyone gets to go borefest for anyone without a PhD of some somewhere exciting to attend it, and maybe variety or another, at least it did provide a have a day out at Disneyland while they’re there) world-first... Even if the chances of you finding was notable for Samsung unveiling the world’s one in your next laptop are minimal for the next largest hard drive. Now that’s a bit more like it. couple of years. You never know, though...

Anthony is on holiday this week, so this is John fi lling in... Hello!

There are a lot of companies that were once part of the brave new world Amazon of online services now desparately trying to adapt themselves to being the older kids on the block. In the same way that most of us, at some Defends point, have to put away childish things and get out there and earn some money, companies like Reddit, Gawker Media, Facebook and Twitter are all now trying to Culture mature in a way that will allow them to justify the massive amounts of cash that have been invested in them. New York Times’ piece claims “bruising” workplace Google’s never really struggled with the making money bit, but it’s re-jig, hen The Jeff Bezos had to respond, and no laughter heard. Again, under the new banner of New York and he has. In a memo to I don’t recognize this Amazon Alphabet, indicates a wish to Times ran employees, which has found and I very much hope you grow up and diversify into W the headline its way online (of course), he don’t, either.” new areas, as we examine in ‘Inside Amazon: Wrestling Big wrote that the article “doesn’t The memo signs off our lead feature this week. Ideas in a Bruising Workplace’, describe the Amazon that I “Hopefully, you’re having Let’s just hope it doesn’t give the company was clearly know.” Asking staff to read fun working with a bunch of going to have something to the article, he wrote in the brilliant teammates, helping it carte blanche to throw say about it. Especially as the memo that “It claims that invent the future, and laughing away that pesky ‘don’t be feature made some big claims our intentional approach is to along the way.” For his, and evil’ ethos too, eh? against the company, not create a soulless, dystopian Amazon’s, sake we hope they least in describing it as “an workplace where no fun is had are too. Untill next week, then, experiment in how far it can push white-collar workers to and Anthony’s return... get them to achieve its ever- expanding ambitions” and hn noted that employees are “held nus Jo to standards that the company Bo boasts are ‘unreasonably high’.” Editor (in his dreams)

Issue 1377 33 Meanwhile... On The Internet...

ell, there’s only really been one big story in e spend a lot of time bemoaning EULAs and town lately, hasn’t there? The massive hack Privacy statements; even if it’s just a rant on dating/doing-the-dirty site Ashley Madison W about their length and whether anyone Wwas big news anyway, but when the hackers actually bothers to read them. Generally, we have to behind it made good on the a promise to make information it shamefully admit, we take the pragmatic view that had removed from the site’s servers public if Avid Media didn’t says “well, whatcha gonna do?”, have a quick scan shut it down, the story hit front pages around the world all over and click accept. However, even we sat up and paid again. The amount of data is, frankly, pretty mind-boggling; a attention when rants started to appear in our Twitter first batch amounted to 10GB when compressed, and contained feed regarding Spotify’s new T&Cs, which appeared to details of something like 36 million accounts (tinyurl.com/ significantly widen the amount of data the application MMnet77a) – including, apparently, some details from accounts wanted access to - including access to your photos, that had paid the controversial fee Avid charge to delete phone contacts, the phone’s microphone and location details from the site (tinyurl.com/MMnet77b). However, a data. It seemed, as Wired put it (tinyurl.com/MMnet77j), second release was even worse: an 18.5GB trove including ‘Eerie’ and a step too far for a music app. what appears to be the source code for the site (tinyurl.com/ Others agreed, including Minecraft creator Markus MMnet77c/) and the CEO’s emails. Persson, who used his @notch Twitter account The Madisoning (which, unsurprisingly, absolutely no-one has to announce to 2.4m followers that Spotify was called it – but you’re welcome), spawned the usual glut of think- now “confirmed evil”, and that he had cancelled pieces (which we’re happily about to add to here) and more than his subscription over the changes (tinyurl.com/ a little bit of finger-pointing and schadenfreude, despite the fact MMnet77k). It was a statement that seemed to that stats on the leaked data seem to suggest that as many as cement the idea that the streaming service had made one-in-four of the accounts were held by a single people. Indeed, a massive mistake, and even elicited a response from when we took to the @micro_mart twitter account to point out the firm’s CEO Daniel Ek (@eldsjal). that, as far as we were concerned, sharing specific details from this Ek also took to the Spotify blog to attempt to stolen data was no better than sharing private photos online, it illuminate the reasons for the changes (tinyurl.com/ became clear that some people felt that we were totally wrong. MMnet77l). Indeed, when he explains why certain Of course, IT-centric publications were less interested in the requests are being made, they seem to make a lot details of the data as they were in what it told them about such a more sense, and seem a lot less... we dunno... Big large sample of users. The Register summed up it’s findings in its Brother-ish. His post does, however, prompt the own inimitable style by posing the question “are people really this question: ‘why didn’t they explain that in the first stupid?” (tinyurl.com/MMnet77d), and pointing out the sheer place?’ – a point much more elegantly made by The number of people signed up to the site using their work, .gov. Verge in it’s piece bemoaning the FUD (tinyurl.com/ uk and even .police.uk email addresses – and, either willingly or MMnet77m) being spread about over the whole sorry without their knowledge, shared so much data with the site. affair (tinyurl.com/MMnet77n).

f you thought the Labour party leadership campaign the internet – because, yes, that name is as fake, and just rude was turning into a bit of a farce, then you need to take as it sounds. It refers to the well-documented ‘Bofa’ meme (the I a look at the run up to the US presidential elections at NSFW details of which we won’t go into here, but which you the moment. Not only is Donald Trump trolling his way the can read at tinyurl.com/MMnet77g), so of course the internet higher echelons of opinion polls across the land (tinyurl.com/ responded as only it could: with a supercut of newsreaders MMnet77e), it would appear that an internet joke is also in the saying the name (tinyurl.com/MMnet77h). running (tinyurl.com/MMnet77f). Even more hilarious than that, though, is the reality. According A candidate going by the name of Deez Nuts is racking to Rolling Stone, Deez Nuts is the nom de guerre of a 15-year old up decent numbers in opinion polls at the moment, currently Iowan by the name of Brady Olsen (tinyurl.com/MMnet77i), making him the top independent, much to the enjoyment of who started the whole venture as a part joke, part statement about the electorial system and the other candidates, but who says he will take it “As far as America wants to take it.”

Videos For Your Eyes... .AVWhy? Not Necessarily For Your Brain

You may think that, by now, we’d have had enough (tinyurl. com/MMnet77o) of (tinyurl.com/MMnet77p) Muppet (tinyurl. com/MMnet77q) and (tinyurl.com/MMnet77r) Sesame Street (tinyurl.com/MMnet77s) lip sync videos, but you’d be wrong. That’s why, we’re now going to point you in the direction of Fozzy and Kermit ‘performing’ NWA’s classic Express Yourself (tinyurl.com/MMnet77t); doubly apt this week, considering the current proliferation of the ‘Straight Outta X’ meme, encouraged by the promo campaign for the group’s new biopic (tinyurl.com/MMnet77u).

34 Issue 1377 QUICK BITS... Apple Musicʼs popularity has been given a heck of a boost as Dr Dreʼs new album, Compton, was Caption Competition Smach

“Grenville Grimace gives his unbiased Zero Steam review of windows 10” Rollers In

Portable Steam Machine to give good gaming?

portable console bad for a handheld console project formerly featuring a 5” 720p touchscreen, This angry chap was the subject for our caption competition in known as Steamboy HDMI output, wi-fi, Bluetooth and issue 1375. He certainly kept you busy:. A has now become 4G mobile network connectivity. Smach Zero. Yes, this portable If you like the sound of a • Computer Dave: “Windows Vista? More like Windows Fista!” Steam Machine will give access to portable Steam Machine, you • Computer Dave: “Try using face recognition login after this!” Valve’s library of SteamOS games can pre-order from November for • JayCeeDee: “New F.A.S.T. enforcement policy - F.I.S.T!” thanks to an AMD G-Series SoC $299. Delivery will be in Q4 2016, • Think Tank: “No you are not rolling back to windows 7.” featuring Jaguar-based CPU though,so there’s a long time • Blacklion1725: “Warning - do NOT be rude to Cortana” paired with Radeon graphics. to wait on this. The website to • WyliecoyoteUK: “Hit any key, would you! Pick on someone Alongside that sits 4GB RAM register your interest is your own size?” and 32GB internal storage, not www.smachzero.com, however. • WyliecoyoteUK: “The new windows 10 update enforcer.“ • Mad Malc Is Back: “Why 3D laptops never caught on with Skype users...” • Thomas Turnbull: “The virus protection on this system is really in your face.” • Thomas Turnbull: “Wow this new internet filter is the business, no chance of loading those iffy pictures accidentally.” Recharging The winner, though, with potentially the most esoteric answer possible, was ricedg with “Grenville Grimace gives his unbiased review of windows 10”, a joke possibly understood by seven people, but which made us laugh – and serves to prove that Scheme On the Caption Competition is actually run by PlaneMan. If none of that makes any sense, head to the ‘Other Stuff’ section of our forum (forum.micromart.co.uk) and say something funny (but Motorways not too rude) about the picture below – or email us via caption@ micromart.co.uk.

Electric highways trial in the works

ighways England and major A roads equipped has announced with the special technology. a physical trial How much will such a wide- Hof technology reaching system cost? We that could charge electric cars dread to think, with the process while on the move, following essentially involving electric a study into ‘dynamic wireless cables being buried under the power transfer’ technologies. road. Besides this, the Highways Should the trial prove a Agency is also looking to install success, electric car owners plug-in charging points every 20 (lucky people) could be able to miles on the motorway network, charge up their vehicles while making life easier for electric car driving, at least on motorways owners in the future. streamed 25 million times in its first week Issue 1377 35 Snippets! Panda Provides Across- BT’s EE Deal Is On BT’s proposed takeover of EE The-Board Security has been given a boost by Ofcom, as its report to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has found no Multi-device range promises protection for all major regulatory issues with the merger. The CMA will give its final verdict in November, anda Security’s new range of 2016 are Parental Control, application control, recovery of with BT hoping to sign off Consumer Solutions is now available, your system and USB protection. on the £12.5bn merger by providing user protection on all This is all wrapped up in an easier, more intuitive March next year. With Ofcom Pdevices. Here’s the list (deep breath): interface in Panda Simplexit yand you can find this effectively giving this the Panda Global Protection 2016, Panda Internet range over at www.pandasecurity.com. green light, expect things to Security 2016, Panda Antivirus Pro 2016 and go ahead as planned, barring Panda Mobile Security 2016, Panda Gold any disasters. Security 2016, Panda Antivirus for Mac 2016, Panda Free Antivirus 2016. Phew. Russia Blocks Reddit This new range has the usual focus on making Russia has taken action your online visits easier and more secure, allowing against Reddit users who have consumers to browse and shop online safely, been promoting a thread protecting families against inappropriate content, on the growth of banned plus keeping identities and confidential data safe. substances. The thread was Every one of these products offers multi-platform banned and subsequently protection across Windows, Android plus antitheft blocked by Reddit because of for iOS devices and among the improved features the drugs-related discussion, but reports have noted that the original plan was for the Russian media watchdog to block the entire website if it didn’t have a response from Reddit on the matter. Nintendo Worker Kaspersky Denial A Reuters’ article that claimed Kaspersky Labs created fake Loses Job After malware in order to damage its rivals’ own product ratings has been flatly denied by the company’s CEO, Eugene Podcast Kaspersky himself. A blog post on the matter wrote that the allegations were false and, in a mocking Criticism doesn’t work out well for Treehouse employee tone wrote that “Oh yes. But they forgot to add that we conjure all this up during hris Pranger, formerly a worker within bring a certain title to a relatively small group of steamy banya sessions, Nintendo’s Treehouse division, lost his consumers demanding it. after parking the bears we job as a localisation editor after he Somehow, his quotes got out there into ride outside” before then C appeared on the Part-Time Gamers Internet land and were obviously picked up by confirming that “The reality podcast. The reason appears to be that he chose someone at the firm who didn’t like what they is that the Reuters story is to say various things about the financial ins and heard. Pranger himself acknowledged that he a conflation of a number of outs of the localisation process in gaming. Thing is, had indeed lost his job via a tweet: “As some of facts with a generous amount sometimes speaking candidly leads to a bad result. you may have heard, yes, I was fired yesterday. of pure fiction.” Pranger said on the podcast “They just say the Yes, it was ultimately my own fault. No, I did not There’s no getting away classic, ‘Why do you hate money? Why do you see this coming.” from it, despite the humour, hate money, Nintendo?” speaking of consumers It’s an odd one, really. The quotes that have come Eugene is not happy about this. who argue against Nintendo bringing a particular out in the media certainly don’t sound particularly title to their locale. He then, in summary, said that derogatory to Nintendo and losing your job over it ultimately isn’t always worth it for Nintendo to something said on a podcast seems harsh.

36 Issue 1377 QUICK BITS... Internet Explorer turned 20 years old this month. Itʼs seen a fair few revamps during Mobile Samsung’s New Coverage Smartphone Checker Provides A From Ofcom Bigger Edge

How good is yours? New super-size model for range

ood old Ofcom country. The map shows voice amsung’s latest assault on the mobile space has arrived has only gone and data coverage by operator, in the form of the Galaxy S6 edge+, a new 5.7” Quad and created an coverage inside and outside of HD Super AMOLED smartphone building on the S6 buildings, and topographical Sedge. The handset has 4GB G online mobile coverage checker to let data allowing you to identify RAM and is capable of 4K video filming everyone see exactly what any problematic natural earthly and an advanced camera system with kind of coverage we should be obstructions to coverage. Auto Real-time High Dynamic Range, getting, as opposed to what Thing is, to make this kind Smart Optical Image Stabilisation and we’re actually receiving. of tool the best it can be, brand new filters. A button on the The checker – which is Ofcom wants your feedback phone activates a “live broadcast” mode, found over at www.ofcom. so it’s inviting you to check streaming 1080p high-def video to org.uk/mobile-coverage your coverage experience and YouTube and, of course, the smartphone – takes the form of an online leave said feedback. This will looks every bit the part that Samsung’s map that’s based on data then go towards the creation latest devices have done for a while now. provided by mobile operators of a new version of the tool In other Samsung news, its Note 5 alongside Ofcom’s own testing expected in autumn. Go on tablet won’t be getting a European release, of signal strength around the then, off you pop. with the company presumably wanting this new mobile to make good ground. As a result of this announcement, European consumers have been signing a petition calling on the firm to release it over here Twitch Plays after all. Will they succeed? Doubt it. Dark Souls Man Breaches

Ambitious crowd-playing gamers try their hand Court Order By

an the Twitch Pokemon games, for example. collective play Dark However, early footage emerged ‘Like’ing Souls? A crowd- that showed the controlled Cplay attempt by the character whacking into a wall; community been launched... but again and again. If you want Arrested again over Facebook action it’s had a bit of a dodgy start. to watch to see if anything’s The experiment essentially improved, the experiment should Pennsylvania The restraining order on works by Twitch users typing still going at www.twitch.tv/ man, who was Justin Bellanco was ordered in commands into Twitch chat, twitchplaysdark. ordered to stay in relation to his ex-girlfriend which in turn are translated into A away from a after he had threatened to in-game movements and this woman for a year, has been “shoot her knee cap”, and all seems a far more ambitious arrested for going onto Bellanco breached that order attempt at Twitch gaming than Facebook and hitting ‘Like’ by ‘Like’ing on over twenty previously attempted – with on bunch of her posts. photos and videos. that time, and has stood up to an awful lot of moaning Issue 1377 37 REVIEWS

Gigabyte P37X Gaming Laptop

We take a look at a high performance mobile gaming setup

admit, is the probably the worst DETAILS component. It didn’t feel quite • Price: ~£1350 as responsive as we'd have liked • Manufacturer: and the mouse click buttons Gigabyte were a little poor too. • Website: The screen is simply superb, goo.gl/l87JCa • Requirements: though. The IPS display is bright, Microsoft account responsive and displays an for Windows 8.1, excellent range of colours as well upgradable to as deep blacks and non-grainy Windows 10 whites; great for gaming, but it’s also good for films, imaging and video editing. It’s still only aming laptops have 1080p though, which may have come a long way in some users looking elsewhere, recent years, there's far though the DisplayPort or HDMI Gmore to them these days connections mean you can than a simple boost over the  The Gigabyte P37X is a great mobile gaming laptop, with an excellent screen always hook up a 4K monitor if clock speed of other laptops. you’re desperate for extra pixels. Indeed, many feature CPU, GPU In terms of performance, the and memory specifications that Gigabyte P37X didn’t disappoint. would make a decent desktop With an overall 3DMark11 score blush with embarrassment. of 11022 there’s enough gaming The Gigabyte P37X, for performance for most (if not example, is a powerful 17.2", all) of the current triple-A titles; full HD 1920 x 1080 IPS LCD although it’s a little less than the laptop with 8GB of DDR3L FutureMark recommended spec 1600MHz memory (but which for the Oculus Rift. could be boosted to 16GB), The Gigabyte P37X is a good an Intel HD4600 GPU and an performer, looks great, and Nvidia GeForce GTX980M with has an excellent screen. It can 8GB of GDDR5 memory. There's get a little noisy when the fans also a secondary 1TB hard drive kick in, and the trackpad isn’t alongside a primary pair of the best we’ve ever seen, but 128GB SSDs setup in RAID 0 with  It’s actually quite stylish too it’s well worth looking into if Windows 8.1 pre-installed. you’re in the market for quality The CPU is an impressive Intel on the left-hand side; with HDMI, gaming laptop, which tend to be mobile gaming. i7-4720HQ running at 2.6GHz, two USB 3.0 ports, VGA and a on the chunky side. The P37X, mm David Hayward and you’ll also find a Blu-ray mini DisplayPort on the right- on the other hand, manages to rewritable drive, 802.11 ac/b/g/n hand side, There's also a front- deliver all this performance in a A great gaming laptop, wi-fi, and Bluetooth 4.0. The mounted optical drive. chassis that measures just 417 x with a superb IPS display side positioned ports consist of As far as design goes, the 287 x 22.5mm and weighs just a pair of USB 2.0 ports, gigabit Gigabyte P37X isn’t too bad under 3kg. Ethernet and an SD card reader considering it’s classed as a The backlit, full-size keyboard is large and well-spaced, making Quick Specs it easy to type with and use on a daily basis. Down the left-hand • Nvidia GeForce GTX 980M GDDR5 8GB side of the keyboard you’ll find • Super slim & light 17” Extreme Gaming Laptop 8 a set of six G-keys for macro • Unique Macro Hub for gamers Quality setups, and in front there’s a • Exclusive Supra-cool technology 8 large trackpad with a couple of • Quad-storage with hot swappable bay 7 semi-hidden left and right mouse Value Overall • Full HD IPS display with wide viewing angle click buttons. Out of the entire • High Speed 802.11ac wi-fi setup, the trackpad, we have to

38 Issue 1377 ON TEST Reviews

Logitech BCC950 Conference Cam

Our evil robot overlords have dispatched their minion to watch our every move

DETAILS • Price: £190 (Ebuyer) • Manufacturer: Logitech • Website: www.logitech.com/ en-gb/home • Requirements: USB 2.0 port, Windows 7, XP, and Mac OS X 10.6 and higher. Microsoft Lync, Skype or other conferencing application

’ve reviewed some weird looking stuff in these hallowed pages, but ILogitech’s BCC950 Conference Cam deserves an award for being one of the wackiest ever. It’s how I would imagine the pet that a Dalek comes home to each night would look – and you can make it even odder if you put the be able to see the beads of other than requiring a host excellent even when the lighting spherical camera on the vertical sweat on that person in your PC, it’s entirely self-contained. situation isn’t perfect. pole that’s included in the box. business conference who gets The base has a speaker and For home users this device In case you were wondering, it’s called out for not completing microphone, so in theory you is probably overkill, unless not telescopic... That would be the tasks they were given. don’t require extra accessories you’ve close relatives that have just too much craziness for this The direction the camera to organise a business call with moved to some distant part reviewer to handle. looks can be adjusted from the video and sound. of the globe. However, for a Look past the styling, base, using a small remote, or The field of view is 78°, business that wants to reduce however, and you'll discover even using software. Logitech and the Sphere can be rotated the cost of travelling, and have that Logitech has built a very don’t provide any apps, or even through 180° horizontally and a simple-to-organise facility for high quality video conferencing drivers, but when attached by 55° vertically, so hopefully conferencing, it’s a solid choice. module that incorporates at tilt/ USB to a Windows 7 PC these nobody needs to be speaking mm Mark Pickavance swivel/zoom camera with a full were installed automatically. It from out of shot. 1080p sensor. It also features a works alongside Skype without The only problem I noticed in A strange looking but Carl Zeiss lens with nine-point any real effort, should you respect of the coverage is that effective conferencing auto focus, so you should easily have that installed. I didn’t the microphone doesn’t have tool test it with all of them, but I’m the level of coverage that the reliably informed that it also video gets, and in that respect works with Adobe Connect, an external microphone jack Avaya, Cisco WebEx and other might have been a good option Cisco Video Conferencing for who might be sat well back applications, Citrix Go to from the base. The sound is 8 Meeting, LifeSize Connections, also only mono, so if you don’t Quality FaceTime, Google Hangouts see the person speaking then 7 and Video Chat, Microsoft’s you’ve no idea where to point 7 Lync and Office365, and Vidyo. the camera. I’ve no complaints Value Overall What’s well thought out about is the image quality, about the BCC950 is that, though, which is generally

Issue 1377 39 Vodafone Smart Ultra 6

Vodafone’s branded Smart Ultra 6 confounds Mark’s expectations

DETAILS • Price: £125 PAYG • Manufacturer: Vodafone • Website: www.shop. vodafone.co.uk • Requirements: Vodafone SIM

hen you buy a budget phone, and a branded one at Wthat, you can expect a device that works but which doesn’t offer much in the way of signature features. Or, at least, that’s the way it used to work. Vodafone’s own-brand Smart Ultra 6 costs £125 on a Pay-As-You-Go or it’s free on a £17 monthly contract. However, for that modest price you get a massive 5.5" 1080p display, an Octa-core 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB I’ve seen in the sub £200 price Smartphone, though be better? There were a of storage (11.5GB free), a bracket before. That 2GB of it’s sharp, bright and very couple of things that really 13 megapixel camera, 4G RAM certainly helps, and helps clear. For whatever reason annoyed me to do with the service and Android 5.0.2. My provide one of the most stable the blue channel seems a bit way that Android had been immediate reaction was: ‘so Lollipop experiences yet. weak, which mildly mutes implemented on the Ultra what’s the catch here’? However, previous the chromatic range. That 6. This phone has the three The more I look at this Vodafone Smart devices have said, we’re talking a nuanced button model below the device, though, the more I’ve usually been let down by both limitation that five years ago display, though here they’re come to the conclusion is that the screen and the camera, would have bettered any not visible until they’re backlit there isn't really one to fine. something not uncommon display on a phone from any in blue. Except often when That processor, for example in budget phones. The maker out there. they are active they’re not really cranks along, and is screen here isn’t as good as By comparison, the backlit, and you have to guess much quicker than anything you might expect in a full camera is – for most uses – a where on the black display revelation, especially when they actually are. used for outdoor photography. That’s irritating, and my other Vodafone Smart Ultra 6 specifications In low light conditions the gripe is to do with the launcher. Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939, octa-core results can be grainy, but that’s One of those where if you go Display: 5.5" Full HD (1080 x 1920) more about how much light left from the start screen you get Storage: 16GB, microSD (up to 128GB) the tiny 5mm lens can let Flipboard. I don’t want that app Memory: 2GB of RAM in rather than the quality of there, I like the screens to include Camera: 13MP rear-facing LED flash, 5MP front-facing the sensor behind it. You can my gadgets, not apps I don’t use. Operating system: Android 5.0.2, Lollipop get great pictures from this That’s fixable with an alternative Battery: 3000mAh phone, if you’re prepared to launcher, but what I don’t need Dimensions: 154 x 77 x 8.35mm understand it’s strengths and is phone makers deciding how I’ll Weight: 159g play to them somewhat. be using a device before I’ve even So where could this design bought it.

40 Issue 1377 ON TEST Reviews

Where this phone is a little that I’ve actually resented disappointing is in the build returning, and that strongly quality, though if it was better hints to me that the future made I’d be constructing a of these devices won’t be conspiracy theory about why. exclusively driven by a small The grey plastic back feels select group of brands. If you cheap and likely to show like Vodafone, and you need a marks pretty quickly. The front cheap replacement phone, this is more pleasing, if a rather is certainly the one to get. blatant homage to the older mm Mark Pickavance iPhone models. Nevertheless, this phone A remarkably full represents remarkable value featured PAYG phone for money. With the possible from Vodafone exception of NFC, it’s got just about everything you might As you might expect, There is, however, a MicroSD reasonably want in a modern Vodafone also unleashed its card slot, so you can add more Android Smartphone. The size minions of cross-selling on the storage if you find the 11.5GB might put some people off, poor Ultra 6, and blighted it of user-available capacity if it is but I suspect that some older 7 with a host of branded apps insufficient. Battery life is also customers might really like the Quality that most users won’t want. half decent, with the 3,000 scale and clarity of the 5.5” 9 Thankfully you can actually mAh capacity keeping the screen for reading messages 9 ditch most of them, freeing up Smart Ultra 6 going through and browsing web pages. Value Overall a little bit of extra storage space even heavy use days without This is the very first Vodafone should you need it. the need for a power pit stop. branded Smart series phone

Issue 1377 41 Brother DS-920DW

Have scanner, will travel... and scan, probably

used for this function. Brother DETAILS has included a 4GB SDHC card in • Price: £204 the package for your initial needs; • Manufacturer: any replacement card will need Brother to be formatted using one of the • Website: options available from the Menu. www.brother.co.uk • Requirements: Either When scanning documents Windows XP or Mac OS the DS-920DW gives you a X.7 and later choice of modes. As mentioned, documents can be scanned and stored on an SD card. You can also connect this scanner to he Brother DS-920DW a computer and use software is a scanner that offers provided on a DVD to send double-sided document scans to a hard drive or direct to T scanning and its own an application such as an email wireless network functionality client, printer or FTP server. Plus hence the 'DW' part of its there is the scanner’s wireless model number. Unlike more network capability, which will familiar flatbed scanners that need to be turned off when using reside on desktops, either as the unit with a computer. standalone devices or part of a The DS-930DW can become multi-function product, the the hub for a wireless network DS-920DW is a page scanner to which you can connect that has been designed to be devices such as a laptop, tablet portable for those whose or smartphone using standard workplace is on the move. conventions. Using the browser This kerbstone-shaped scanner, on the connected device you will white in colour, can be powered be able to log into the scanner’s direct from a computer or the website – protected by a user mains using a supplied micro- name and password – in order to-standard USB lead, or from to access the scans stored on the a replaceable Li-ion battery SD card. You can also use this pack. The battery slots into a website to make adjustments to compartment located on the right various settings and set up a BOL side of the scanner, where you which can be adjusted to the Conveniently positioned at the (Brother Online) account, which will also find a switch to turn off paper size markings, which vary top right of the scanner – at least offers a mixture of free and paid the unit’s wi-fi feature. The USB from business card up to A4. for those of us who are right services including Cloud storage. lead is used to charge the battery The scanned document is then handed – is the unit’s control mm Michael Fereday pack from a connection on the ejected from the rear of the unit. panel. A 2cm LCD monochrome left side of the scanner. It would have been beneficial if screen provides status and A useful scanning tool for To be scanned, documents there had been a support arm to settings feedback. Arranged the road warrior need to be fed into an opening help keep the documents under below the screen are buttons at the front of the unit. This control and stop them being to toggle between colour and opening features a paper guide scattered around, though. monochrome, single and double sided scanning, plus a choice of Brother DS-920DW Portable Scanner PDF or JPG formats. There are Wireless 802.11 b/g/n also buttons for power, selection, and menu options plus a wi-fi 8 Energy Consumption 2.5 watts in operation Quality LED to indicate wi-fi activity. Scan resolution 1200 x 1200 dpi optical 7 Although the DS-920DW does A4 scan 10 seconds 7 not have any built-in capacity for Value Overall Dimensions 308 x 67 x 42mm (W x D x H) storing its scans, it does feature Weight 530g an SD card slot, which can be

42 Issue 1377 ON TEST Reviews

Xenta Laser Wireless

Xenta tries to create the perfect laptop mouse

DETAILS • Price: £15 (Ebuyer) • Manufacturer: Xenta • Website: tinyurl.com/q4jmp7a • Requirements: Windows XP/ Vista/7/8/10. Management Software

xperience tells me that matter of seconds. This isn’t a some adhesive tape and attach the phrase ‘ergonomic complicated layout, with just it more permanently. mouse’ has been four ordinary buttons and the More customisation options Ehorribly abused over usual single button roller that’s come with the DPI control, the past three decades. Not become so popular. which enables the mouse least because hand size and For the extra comfort of the use one of four DPI’s ranging shape can vary so wildly, that user Xenta provides four rubber in 400 DPI jumps from 800 what’s perfect for one person is inserts that you can use down to 2000.To change up the much less so for another. The either side, labelled A, B, C DPI you hold the left and Xenta Laser Wireless Mouse & D. Curiously only D fits on right buttons down for three That means you’re much less tries to address that issue in an the left side, with A, B and C seconds, and it will cycle to likely to get the mouse out of interesting way: while providing all being alternative sculpted the next setting before coming you laptop bag and find the the sort of ideal wireless device shapes for the right hand side. back to 800 DPI. battery is flat, and you’ll be for laptop users. buying less batteries hopefully. The overall shape is This is a decent design The obvious weakness is reminiscent of the Microsoft  the switch mechanisms put Arc designs, but the Xenta under the main two buttons, shape doesn’t fold in the that could fi nd favour with which are just too noisy for middle. Because of that it’s anyone like me who prefers actually more comfortable to the many the subtle click. Despite that use, and offers more support  fault this is a decent design to the hand. that could find favour with To use it from the box you the many who don’t care for simply open a small battery That made me wonder why The only complaint I touch screens or touch pads. cover, remove the tiny USB they didn’t just attach ‘D’ for have about this is that the mm Mark Pickavance dongle and insert a single AA you, as there isn’t any other difference between 800 and battery which Xenta provides. choice on the left? 1200 DPI seems large in With the dongle in a USB Whatever the logic is, once sensitivity terms, and also A small and power port and the power button you’ve used the mouse for there is no LED feedback as efficient wireless mouse switched to ‘On’ you should a while and decided which to where you are in the scale. for laptop users be moving the pointer in a shape you like you can peel off I guess most users will set it and forget it, unless they accidentally move it. Technical Specifications The strongest points in • DPI: 800 -1200 -1600 -2000 this design, at least for this • 1x AA Battery reviewer, are the power • 2.4GHz Wireless 6 management features. These Quality • Laser Sensor enable you to turn off your • Side Keys for backwards/forwards 7 machine without worrying 6 • Internal nano receiver about the mouse; it will enter Value Overall • Power saving technology – automatic standby mode standby automatically if it • Dimensions: 112 x 58 x 31 (mm) can’t see the 2.4GHz dongle.

Issue 1377 43 Cast Of The Seven Godsends

Back to basics with an 80s/90s inspired side-scroller

comments from the characters DETAILS you’ll inevitably meet. • Price: £5 Cast Of The Seven Godsends • Manufacturer: Raven has its problems, that much is Travel Studios evident yet, for all its issues, it can • Website: be a decent bit of fun for a quick goo.gl/vlN4hL • Requirements: half-hours worth of play. We Windows 7, Mac OS can’t see it lasting more than an X 10.7, 1GB RAM, any hour or two at most, and there’s DX10 GPU little to make you want to come back for more. While it’s great having a ast of the Seven retro 16-bit scrolling game Godsends from indie back on the shelves of Steam developer Raven Travel there are better examples – the CStudios is a classic 2D aforementioned Metal Slug scrolling, run-and-gun flavour for example, or Aero’s Quest; game. Images of Ghosts ‘n Apotheon. This game’s in much Goblins, Rygar, Metal Slug and a need of being re-worked, host of 8-bit favourites (Cobra perhaps tidying up the scripts, and Exolon, for example) spring elements of the graphics and to mind as you begin the first providing the player with a level fighting your way ever better idea of how to activate toward the right of the screen. the various combat spells at The story behind Cast Of your disposal would be a good The Seven Godsends mimics a idea earlier in the game. Instead, dark Brothers Grimm-like tale you’ve lost interest before the of a stolen child prince, and the game begins to warm up. meddling of ancient gods. The For £5 it can be considered game begins with a cut scene cheap enough to give a go, but of a husband and wife admiring considering you’ll only likely get their new born son. A mage an hour or so of play out of it appears and takes the child, with there’s little other incentive to. the father being killed in the Cast Of The Seven Godsends is process of trying to stop him. The okay, but it could do with a few child is then magically transported of the creases ironing out. to another realm where it mm David Hayward becomes the key to unchaining Reasonable fun, but the magical bonds that bind a terrible and powerful evil. the overcomplicated works of art The graphics will lose their lacking the qualities The Gods, in their divine we see in the Steam catalogue 16-bit appeal and instead needed to keep you wisdom, decide to resurrect the of games. However, after about frustrate you as poor collision coming back for more slain father and imbue him with fifteen minutes of play you soon detection rears its ugly head. supernatural powers. His task is begin to see the cracks, flaws and Jumping from one platform to simple enough: fight through the lack of polish. another can be a hit and miss six worlds, find the seven god-like While there’s plenty to collect affair, and there’s the overriding sets of armour, rescue his son within each level, along with feeling that you’re never really and defeat the ultimate evil once masses of respawning enemies sure what it is you’re supposed to 5 and for all. It’s fun, for the most à la Ghosts ‘n Goblins, together be doing. Quality part, and the combination of with platforms to jump up to that The soundtrack drones on 4 easy directional controls, with just take you away from the left to enough to make you mute 4 two buttons for fire and jump, right scrolling theme for hidden your speakers, and the rather Value Overall and interesting 16-bit graphics treasures, the game soon become badly translated script does at make this pleasant change from extremely monotonous. times come up with some odd

44 Issue 1377 ON TEST Reviews

Onikira: Demon Killer

We enter feudal Japan for a spot of demon bashing

the ancient Japanese themed DETAILS legendary samurai look is • Price: £7 perfectly pitched. • Manufacturer: Digital There are a couple of issues Furnace Games with the game at present. With • Website: this being a Steam Early Access goo.gl/UJ9Fz8 build there are some bugs, • Requirements: Windows Vista+, 1.8GHz most notable being a tendency core 2+, 2GB RAM+, to suddenly switch back to the Nvidia 8800 GT/HD3650+ desktop mid-game. This can be quite frequent, and as a result extremely annoying. Thankfully the game auto-pauses and a here’s something about a quick switch back followed by side scrolling 2D beat  You have a number of blade wielding moves to perform on the spawn clicking resume will bring you ‘em up that takes you of the underworld back to the action. Another bug Tback to a more simple we’ve encountered manifests time in gaming. To make a itself as the occasional enemy decent 2D scroller, though, you who gets stuck to one end of need a concept that will grab the the screen and refuses to die, attention of the gamer. It needs stopping you from progressing. to have a story that you actually We did find that by scooping him care about, it needs to be fast up and dealing him a little more and energetic enough to be damage (despite him already competitive but not impossible being dead) did cause him to and it needs a certain sense of vanish, allowing you to continue. style to lure in those playing. These are minor annoyances, and Onikira: Demon Killer ticks we’re sure they’ll be fixed by the off every item on that list. The time the game is released proper. game has you as a lone samurai Onikira: Demon Killer is a warrior, fighting his way decent indie title, and one we through feudal Japan in order  As you battle through the levels, you’ll get better weapons and learn really enjoyed playing. It looks to stop evil forces from entering even more devastating combos great, plays well and has that our world. There’s more of a often sought-after element: it back story involved, with an you’ll soon get to grips with Health regeneration is non- makes you want to come back ancient enemy absorbing the scooping up the enemies, and existent in the first level, but for more. spirit of a dragon and becoming dicing them up while in mid-air. after defeating a giant undead mm David Hayward near unstoppable, but for the Eventually you’ll have a number samurai, with an eyeball in his sake of space we’ll let you dig of combos at your command and stomach, you eventually gain A beautifully presented deeper in the eastern legend can apply them to devastating the power to consume health 2D scrolling beat ‘em that this game follows. effect, sweeping up handfuls of from the enemies you kill; up, fast-paced and well- Essentially Onikira: Demon demon types and sending back to giving you a far better chance pitched Killer is a classic 2D scroller whence they came. However, the of survival. through and through. You game in its current state assumes Visually, the game is stunning. move to the right form the left, you’re using a controller so be The character animations occasionally stopping to take prepared for a spot of remapping are wonderful, and look very out a group of evil demons for keyboard and mouse use. impressive indeed. Equally the that arrive via a portal from Accompanying you backdrops, and the walkways in 7 the underworld. Think Streets through the levels is a which you’ll dart and leap across Quality Of Rage, but with demons and heavy soundtrack that adds vary somewhat leading you to 7 7 flashing samurai swords. to the fast paced slice-n- a slightly different path and the Overall You have various attack dice action as you perform odd secret power boost and so Value abilities at your disposal, and unbelievable manoeuvres on on, are just as well drawn; full by mashing a variety of keys increasingly difficult foes. credit to the visual artistry here,

Issue 1377 45 EVGA GeForce GTX950 FTW 2GB

A new mid-range graphics card that’s excels at pretty much everything

DETAILS • Price: £144 • Manufacturer: EVGA • Website: goo.gl/TnquE0 • Requirements: 350w+ PSU, PCIe slot, 8-pin PCIe power connector, seen from a mid-range card – Windows XP+ and only four thousand shy of a 4GB GTX970. During that test, the GPU temperature topped at around 64°C with an average he GTX950 mid-range fan speed of just 800RPM. graphics card has now Overclocking on the EVGA been released, amid GTX950 is handed by its Precision Tmuch anticipation over X software, which presents a the last few weeks; including a  The EVGA GTX950 FTW has excellent cooling for finely tweaked setups busy dashboard where you can leak of the specs a day or two alter the voltage, GPU clock before the actual launch of the offset, memory clock offset, fan card. This is a card that’s designed speeds, GPU temperature target to be value for money, without and power target across ten sacrificing performance, especially different profiles. With this latest when it comes to 1080p gaming. version of Precision X you’re The EVGA braded GeForce able to tweak the card’s settings GTX950 FTW (For The Win) full- to quite an accurate degree of sized card is designed for the control, and monitor the results. everyday gamer who wants a The EVGA GeForce GTX950 little more from their mid-range FTW is a superb mid-range GPU. The GM206, Maxwell graphics card; excellently powered GPU has a base clock  It’s an excellent card, and one that will benefit any systems it’s installed in designed, pitched at the right speed of 1203MHz with a boost level of gamer and enthusiast, up to 1405MHz, both of which to switch between differently which consists of a pair of 90mm and perfectly tweaked for the are 17% and 18% respectively tweaked profiles. Connectivity fans with optimised swept modern system. The pricing's above the reference 950, and consists of DVI, HDMI and blades, double ball bearings and good too: at £145 it’s an a memory clock of 6610MHz. three DisplayPort connections, low power three-phase, six-slot affordable and worthy upgrade You’ll find 768 CUDA cores, giving you a maximum of motor. The end result is a much to consider. mm David Hayward 2GB of GDDR5 memory with four supported displays with lower use of power to drive An excellently priced and a bandwidth of 105.76GB/s, a maximum digital output the fans, a lower fan weight and a dual BIOS to allow you resolution of 1096 x 2160. and improvements to the mid-range graphics card, Special attention has been amount of air that can get to ideal for gaming and enthusiast systems Specs paid to the cooling and heat the GPU and the surrounding dispersion of the EVGA GTX950. components. As a brief test Base Clock: 1203 MHZ It uses three 8mm SHP (Straight of this, we ran the fans at Boost Clock: 1405 MHz Heap Pipes) for cooling across the the maximum speed, around Memory Clock: 6610 MHz main GPU and memory chips, as 3450RPM, and recorded an idle Effective opposed to the usual U-shaped GPU temperature of just 21°C. CUDA Cores: 768 heat pipes normally associated There’s a lot to like about Bus Type: PCI-E 3.0 with many cards. In theory, this here. When fitted to a Gigabyte Memory Detail: 2048MB 9 should lead to a more efficient Z97M-DS3H, with an Intel Quality GDDR5 method of cooling – up to 6% i7-4790K at 4GHz, 256GB SSD Memory Bit Width: 128 Bit 9 better cooling according to the with Windows 10 installed, and 8 Memory Speed: 0.28ns specifications provided. n top 16GB of memory, we clocked Value Overall Memory Bandwidth: of the large heatsink, EVGA has a 3DMark 11 score of 8732, 105.76 GB/s used its ACX 2.0 cooling solution, which is one of the best we’ve

46 Issue 1377 §

GROUP TEST Surveillance Kits Surveillance Kits GROUP iON The Home TEST

DETAILS Surveillance • Price: £130 • Manufacturer: iON Kits • Website: goo.gl/JTyn5z • Requirements: Android 4.0+, iOS 6.0+

urveillance kits needn’t be over-complex 80s  The iON The Home, is a really good and capable home surveillance camera style CCTV setups, with Sa confusing profusion of wires and mounting kits. Indeed, these days, the modern surveillance station is as simple as setting up a webcam. Ion CCTV has come a long has spent a lot of time in the way in a relatively camera and surveillance industry, and as a result it knows how to short time. Where just present an easy to use kit for a few years ago the the home. The pinnacle of this thought of a home knowledge is the The Home,  The feed is good, as are the features and setup a very simple, and affordable surveillance kit was wireless monitoring and security month, or thirty days at a cost able to communicate with considered somewhat device that’s ideal for use in the of £30 per month. whoever is on the other end too. home or at work. The design of The Home is With the controls for the camera extreme, these days It’s available in either black or good for most uses. The tough setup via the iON app, you’re also you can buy a setup white, and comes with a decent plastic case is surprisingly rugged able to control the rotation of the list of specifications. The small enough to take a few knocks, camera lens, so you can have it from the likes of glass 1MP lens has a 102° angle and it’s heavy enough to have mounted upside down if Maplin or Currys. field of view, with a video positioned without fear of it necessary, connect multiple resolution of 1280 x 720 and ten toppling over due to camera and control/view them David Hayward takes infrared LEDs arranged for night environmental concerns, i.e. from within the same app, and six kits and their vision capabilities. As well as being next to a window and you can turn off the front LEDs. night vision, The Home features getting blown over, for example. The iON The Home is a good cameras to see what's motion and sound detection as The camera itself is slightly little setup, and ideal for keeping worth keeping a well as a tamper alert. The Home reminiscent of an older Logitech an eye on property, pets or aslo has built-in 802.11n wi-fi, a webcam setup, where it’s aworkstation. It’s a little watchful eye on, and tiny 1W speaker and a built-in positioned in a puck-shaped head expensive, but what you get is a what you should avoid microphone; it’s compact too, that’s attached to the body by an solid package that works well measuring just 86 x 95 x 46mm arm and hinged to allow the and is easy to use. and weighing around 169g. camera to be folded flat, in a It works through the use of clam shell design. The base is the connected app, available sturdy, and the bottom has the for both Android and iOS necessary mounting slots for devices, and can be up and attaching to a wall, or underside ready to use in as little as six of a cabinet. steps. In addition to that, The The feed from The Home is 8 Home also comes with a free very good, although it’s only Quality cloud service plan, that allows 720p it’s more than enough for a 7 8 you to view footage from the clear view of the area it’s setup Overall past twenty four hours. Further in. The live streaming works well Value plans can be purchased for and, thanks to the built-in seven days at a cost of £10 per microphone and speakers, you’re

Issue 1377 47 Swann DVR4-1500 DVR 4 Channel Kit With 2 Cameras

We did come across a few DETAILS issues with the system, however. The first was the • Price: £200 • Manufacturer: Swann rather poor video feed form • Website: both cameras. Although the goo.gl/1YIu6j image was 720p, it didn’t have • Requirements: Screen the same quality as the to output to, network already present, any previous 720p camera – and it browser to attach and was extremely grainy. For view footage from example, we couldn’t clearly discern a license plate on the  The Swann DVR4-1500 kit has been handed down to the home user from feed, even though it was just a previous business requirements few metres away from the wann Advanced camera, which calls the whole Security has been idea of having the cameras in in the surveillance question. The night vision too S business since 1987, wasn’t quite up to the same and is a highly regarded, standard as the previous worldwide company that example; although the iON The offers security solutions for Home is, by comparison to this both the home and business kit, a simplistic solution, it did user. Although the vast offer far better viewing quality. majority of the company’s There were also frequent line focuses on business moments when the cameras applications, the home user seemed to lag, and even some does get to enjoy some of times when they froze the handed-down technology altogether and we had to reset from the sector. The Swann the power on both the DVR4-1500 DVR 4 Channel Kit cameras and DVR before we is one such example. It may could get a video feed back seem a little extreme for the  It’s an average quality kit, though again. We also had trouble home at first glance, but dig getting the view to the deeper and you’ll find quite a smartphone app, to the point comprehensive system here. There were frequent where we eventually gave up. The kit consists of a  While the Swann DVR4- compact four-channel digital moments when the cameras 1500 kit may look video recorder, a pair of professional, it certainly had its 700TVL line Pro-735 cameras, share of issues. At £200 it’s two eighteen metre BNC seemed to lag difficult to recommend this to cables, a BNC to RCA cable,  the home user, though, or an Ethernet patch lead, USB even a business. mouse, mounting screws and The Pro-735 camera have a example we looked at, a set of deterrent stickers. maximum resolution of 1280 x however all that’s needed to is Starting with the digital video 720 provided by a 3.6mm lens. plant the positioning of the recorder, this is a fairly stylish and They’re both weatherproof, cameras and to make sure that compact black box that wouldn’t rated to IP67 standard, and are its BNC is within the 18-metre out of place under the TV. The made from aluminium with range of each unit to the DVR. rear features four BNC channel plastic sections throughout. Once everything is hooked 5 connectors with a further BNC The horizontal viewing angle is up, you’re able to pick up both Quality video out, VGA port, RCA audio 59°, vertical angle 43° and feeds via the connected DVR 6 5 ports, 100Mb/s Ehternet port and both lenses have night vision and can start recording as Value Overall a pair of USB ports. Internally the capabilities up to a distance of needed. With 500GB there’s recorder comes with a 500GB around 25 metres. generally enough space for a hard drive pre-installed, with the Setting up the cameras and months’ worth of recording, of option to upgrade to a maximum the DVR is a little more which you can then back up to of 4TB if necessary. complex than the previous a handy USB drive.

48 Issue 1377 GROUP TEST Surveillance Kits

Surveillance Kits TRENDnet 4- Channel HD PoE NVR Kit

a 100Mb/s PoE port, which is DETAILS one of the main draws of this • Price: £350 setup over most conventional • Manufacturer: wired setups, and the kit comes TRENDnet complete with the necessary • Website: mounting kits. goo.gl/Ha8noY • Requirements: Screen The setup of the cameras and to output to, network the network video recorder is already present, any fairly easy. As with the previous browser to attach and group entry, you’ll need to plan view footage from your positioning accordingly and make sure that you don’t over extend the Ethernet ports. With Ethernet you have a limit e recently had the of around 100 metres, the latter pleasure of testing BNC connection on the Swann the TRENDnet setup can, in theory at least, W4-Channel HD extend to twice that before you PoE NVR Kit for its own review, lose the signal. however, since we were Using Power over Ethernet planning a group on surveillance  The provided pair of cameras are of excellent quality is a great advantage with the kits we thought it would be TRENDnet kit, though. While interesting to see how well it it would be a more modern fared when stood side by side approach to use wi-fi, you’ll with the competition. get a faster communication The TRENDnet 4-Channel between the cameras and the HD PoE NVR kit consists NVR via Ethernet. of a pair of TV-IP320PI On the whole this is a very 720p outdoor cameras, a good system. It’s fast enough, TV-NVR104 network video delivers a clear image, and recorder with a pre-installed has enough features for both 1TB hard drive, two thirty the home and business user. metre Ethernet cables, a 1.8m Sadly, though, it’s also the Ethernet patch lead, a 1.8m most expensive kit we’ve HDMI cable, an optical mouse, tested so far. At around £350, power adapter, a collection of you’ll certainly need to be installation guides and a CD  The network video recorder can use a further two TRENDnet cameras committed enough to buy and with the user guide on it. set this kit up. Starting with the network If you're committed to video recorder, the TV-NVR104’s getting the best results, 1TB hard drive is capable of Using Power over Ethernet though, this is a surveillance recording at least a couple  kit worth seriously considering. months’ worth of HD footage is a great advantage with the to it, or at least eight and a half days’ continuous recording from four separate cameras. TRENDnet kit At the rear it has four Power-  over- Ethernet (PoE) ports, two of which will be used by the From here, once everything is of 4mm with a progressive scan included cameras and two left connected, you’ll be able to view CMOS sensor. The horizontal 8 spare for further upgrade to the feed from the cameras in a viewing angle is 70°, vertical Quality a four-camera setup. There’s split screen arrangement, or view 52° and at the diagonal, 89°. 7 a 100Mb/s network port for any of the previous recordings Each camera has 720p HD 6 Value Overall connecting to a LAN, a pair of located on the hard drive. recording capabilities, and USB 2.0 ports, HDMI, VGA, and In terms of the cameras, the a tough weather resistant a pair of analogue audio ports. lens of each has a focal length housing rated to IP66. There’s

Issue 1377 49 Belkin NetCam HD WiFi With Night Vision

DETAILS • Price: £130 • Manufacturer: Belkin • Website: goo.gl/pWeKTI • Requirements: Android 2.2+, iOS 4.2+, any wi-fi router

his entry moves away from the business-like setups featuring cameras Tand digital recording devices, and is more of a direct competitor to our first entry, the iON The Home. The Belkin NetCam HD WiFi Camera has a 3mm lens with a 2MP image sensor and a  The Belkin NetCam HD is a reasonably 1/3" CMOS sensor capable good home surveillance camera of resolutions of up to 1280 x 720. The horizontal viewing  Overall though, the quality didn’t feel angle is 78°, vertical is 45° quite up to standard and you get a very good 90° diagonal view as well. The night vision element comes automation products and apps, courtesy of eight infrared LEDs, which is a little more alluring and is surprisingly clear even than most other kits. However, in extreme low-light levels. we thought the overall quality Indeed, it’s the best night vision was lacking somewhat. The video lens we’ve tested so far. feed and streaming didn’t feel As the name suggests, this is quite up to the same level as the a wi-fi model with 802.11 b/g/n iON device, and the camera felt a capabilities and the ability to little flimsy too. view the feed from the camera For £130, the same cost as via the NetCam app, which iON’s device, we would have is available for both Android expected a little more. As and iOS devices. Interestingly we said, though, the home you can also use the WeMo automation element may attract home automation app, to not more users that just its home only view the video feed from surveillance applications. the camera, but also set up attach to the camera’s wi-fi and recording can be handled certainsituation-specific triggers. signal and follow the app’s through the Cloud+ service that The NetCam is finished in on-screen instructions. Once will keep your footage for a all-white plastic. Another puck- setup the image is rather good, minimum of fourteen days for as like device that sits on a leg and reasonably clear. There little as £10 per month. attached to a wider base; it were a few instances where The Belkin NetCam HD WiFi has a simple, webcam-like look movement slightly quicker than camera is a reasonably good 6 although it doesn’t feel quite as a walk causes lag and ghosting, home surveillance setup. It’s Quality sturdy or as well constructed as though, and the night vision easy to get working, and to 7 6 its competitor from iON. mode did seem to glitch out on use, and it can perform well Overall Setting everything up is a more than one occasion. providing the circumstances Value simple enough affair, you just You can setup email alerts are just right. Plus, there’s download the NetCam app, when movement is detected, the interaction with home

50 Issue 1377 GROUP TEST Surveillance Kits

Surveillance Kits Fusion Cur ve IP Cam

The casing is made from a DETAILS cheap, almost 3D print-feel • Price: Up to £35 plastic that’s very flimsy and • Manufacturer: shifts as you handle it. Don’t Fusion/Shenzhen XQ expect this to last long if you’re Security in an environment where it • Website: goo.gl/Yorc2S could be knocked around a bit. • Requirements: Android 2.2+, iOS 4.2+, The video feed from the Windows XP+, any Fusion Curve IP Cam isn’t the modern browser best we’ve seen in the tests so far, either. While we agree that the low-light and night vision capabilities of the Curve are very good, the normal he long list of Fusion everyday viewing and streaming camera products is the is ironically rather poor. There result of cheap Chinese are frequent moments of lag, Tcameras flooding the lots of ghosting and a grainy market, and appearing on a feel to the quality of the video number of sites – starting off and stills. on eBay. The streaming is particularly As with most of the general,  The Fusion Curve has some good specs, but it’s a poor quality product bad. On the same network generic Chinese imports you as the camera and within take a certain risk by buying a few feet of it, there are a into the product. There’s a few issues. However, once chance that the device that’s you remove yourself from the delivered to you won't be the range of the network, even one you ordered, or that it’ll on 4G, the stream is incredibly fail to work, but sometimes choppy. This may well be the you get a really good deal. fault of the app rather than the We approached the Fusion hardware in the camera, but Curve IP Cam with a certain it’s worth mentioning. sense of caution then, as you Unsurprisingly, the Fusion would expect. The 2.8mm Curve IP Cam is pretty cheap. 1.3MP lens offers a display You can pick one up from resolution of 1280 x 720, with anywhere between £25 and a wide angle view of up to £35 depending on where you 105°. There’s a surprisingly shop. Whether it’s worth that capable night vision feature amount is up to you, but for thanks to the eleven infrared quality use over time, we’d LEDs, which offer a good view recommend you spend more in extremely low-light situations and opt for the other setups up to a distance of around we’ve reviewed in the group. eight metres.  It’s cheap, yes, but it’s not all that good Naturally, as the name suggests, this is a wi-fi camera The camera itself is functional enough, it does with 802.11 b/g/n support. incredibly easy to setup, have the annoying tendency You also get a two-way audio much in the same way as the to suddenly freeze or to function in the form of a built- previously reviewed iON and revert back to Chinese for the in microphone and speaker, as Belkin devices. To view the menus. Restarting the app will 4 well as email alerts for motion footage you have to use an fix most issues,though – until Quality detection, sound detection and app called P2PWifiCam, which we learn Chinese and can fix it 6 4 any tampering. Furthermore, was developed alongside the without having to wipe it from Overall the Curve IP has a micro SD Chinese import cameras built the task manager. Value card slot with support for cards in the same vein as the Curve The build quality of the up to 32GB in size. IP Cam. Although the app is Curve is pretty dire, though.

Issue 1377 51 Nest Cam

DETAILS • Price: £159 • Manufacturer: Nest • Website: goo.gl/DBEZez • Requirements: Android 4+, iOS 8+, Nest Account, wi-fi

he Nest Cam originally started life a couple of years ago as the TDropCam Pro. Since then, though, DropCam has been bought out by Nest and what followed was a quick re-design, and the introduction of a new app to control it with. The result seems to have been successful, according to many home security pundits, so we were looking forward to giving the Nest Cam a try. The Nest Cam is the only camera in this group to hit the magical 1920 x 1080 resolution thanks to the 3MP, 1/3" sensor. The viewing angle too is good  The Nest Cam has a brilliant 1080p camera feed  But it’s quite expensive, for the camera and services with an exceptionally large 130° diagonal, and you’ll find for a good twenty five minutes it was good, but it did falter range in the group, of this eight high powered infrared before the camera would alert from time to time. The 720p similar product type. Then you’ll LEDs with a special filter for a you again. The motion detection, feed though was much better, need to factor in the storage of much improved night and low- though, would be active during on a par with the first camera the video footage with the Nest light viewing. that time – it’s just it would be from iON. Aware service, which can get In addition to the above, nice to catch the culprit red- Recorded footage can be extraordinarily expensive. the Nest Cam has a dual band handed, as it were. accessed up to thirty days later If the 1080p feature is an wireless setup, with 802.11 Setting up the camera with via the Nest Aware secure cloud absolute must, then the Nest a/b/g/n at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, the Nest app is a simple six-step service. Thirty days of video Cam is the one to go for. as well as Bluetooth Low procedure, much the same as will cost £24 per month, with Otherwise, the 720p of both the Energy connectivity. There’s also the previously reviewed wi-fi £12 for each additional camera iON and Belkin Device will surely a two-way audio setup from cameras from the group. Once added to the same home. meet your needs. the built-in microphone and it’s paired and you’re viewing Alternatively you can opt for speaker, and you get motion the feed the first and most just ten days of recording for £8 and sound detection, including obvious feature is the increased per month, with an additional face recognition, as well as resolution and quality of the £4 per extra camera added. tamper detection. footage. Needless to say, it’s the It’s certainly not the cheapest There is an alert function best we’ve seen on all of the solution we’ve seen. within the setup, however it’s setups so far. The Nest Cam is a good, 8 only set for thirty minute intervals. The streaming of both home based IP camera for Quality So if someone was to walk into the video footage and any security and basic surveillance. 7 the room you’re monitoring accompanying audio was quite The main issue though is the 6 Value Overall just after the thirty minute alert good. Within the same network cost. The camera itself costs sounded, they could be rifling the 1080p stream was near- £159, which places it as the through your undergarments perfect, outside of it and on 4G highest of the home IP camera

52 Issue 1377 GROUP TEST Surveillance Kits

ITOR GHLY D ’S I C E H O

C

M

H

M O

I

E C

N E D D E

TRENDnet 4-Channel HD iON The Home PoE NVR Kit iON’s The Home may not be the most If you’re going to go for something a little powerful home surveillance camera on the more technical, then the TRENDnet 4-Channel market, but it’s one of the simplest and it HD PoE NVR Kit is the one to look out for. Like works astonishingly well. its smaller, and more compact sibling home It’s quick, easy and has the same features surveillance counterparts, it’s easy to setup and as a more expensive model, and the use and does a great job at monitoring your streaming and other services are fine and home or office. Plus, it’s expandable and the relatively inexpensive. PoE element helps cut down on the amount of cables needed for setting it up.

How We Tested Each camera was tested in both day and night time settings in a top secret location in deepest Suffolk. For connection to the apps we used a Note 4 with Android 5.0.1, and in the case of the connected and wired group entries we used a basic home setup with a BT Home Hub 5 as the main router.

TRENDnet Belkin NetCam Fusion Curve IP iON The Home Swann DVR4-1500 4-Channel HD Nest Cam HD WiFi Cam PoE NVR

Price £130 £200 £350 £130 Up to £35 £159 DVR – 200 x 200 x NVR - 205 x 198 x Dimensions 86 x 95 x 46mm 45mm/ PRO-735 – 45 mm/TV-IP320PI 95 x 203 x180mm 117 x 114 x 129mm 114 x 73 x 73mm 96 x 53 x 85mm - 60 x 60 x 152 mm

Weight 169g 1Kg/305g 1.2Kg/375g 272g 350g 203g

Resolution 720p 720p 720p 720p 720p 1080p Night vision YesYes YesYes YesYes Diagonal angle 102-degrees 59-degrees 89-degrees 90-degrees 105-degrees 130-degrees

Speaker? YesNoNoYes YesYes

Microphone? YesNoNoYes YesYes

Issue 1377 53

Rise Of The Machines

Facebook is building an artificial intelligence to better understand how we think. Google, IBM and the American military are also working on their own thinking computers. Rob Leane asks the sensible question ‘are the machines going to rise up and kill us all?’

cientists creating machines that can think and/or robots bigger and better artificial intelligences. Planned purposes for that are smarter, stronger and better at surviving than us these machines include everything from enhancing social media has been science a fiction trope since time immemorial. to compiling military intelligence, so we decided to take a look at SFrom 2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000 to the Terminator some of the projects on the table, in the hope of deciphering whether franchise’s sentient Skynet, there are plenty of fictional examples out we need to be worried about a robot uprising… there to make us scared of artificial intelligence. Many movie stars – from from Will Smith (I.Robot) to William The Internet And Social Media Shatner (Star Trek: The Original Series’ ‘The Ultimate Computer’ The internet has long had a whiff of sentience about it. For example episode) – have fought against computerised killers over the years, when you start a Google search, but don’t need to finish typing the relentlessly reiterating mankind’s paranoia over super-smart tech sentence because the it’s been finished it for you. Google, and other and its potential ulterior motives (which can normally be summed internet services, know things. They can predict our patterns and up as ‘killing us all’). In 2015 alone, we’ve seen three AIs-gone-wrong remember what we’re interested in for long enough to point targeted on our cinema screens: Tony Stark nearly wiped-out planet Earth ads in our direction. If you ‘like’ a clothing company’s Facebook page, by creating a maniacally misaligned ‘peacekeeping programme’ in you’ll probably be inundated with adverts from them. Avengers: Age Of Ultron; Arnie tried to stop Skynet from launching Of course, this isn’t artificial intelligence. This is just stored, a killer app in Terminator: Genisys; and the fantastic indie flick Ex processed information. Frequent searches, expressed preferences Machina saw Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson lured into a genius and shopping habits are all kept on record in various ways – unless inventor’s secret lab to witness the creation of the next big gadget you delete your history every five seconds, don’t ‘like’ anything and – a humanoid robot based on insights from social media. Naturally, refuse to use websites with cookies. everything goes fairly wrong in all of those stories. However, online services are beginning to probe into the realms of However, mankind’s curiosity can’t be stemmed by the movies. real artificial intelligence. You might have seen the pictures created Labs all over the world, in real life, are working on developing using ‘Deep Dream,’ a project where Google turned its image

56 Issue 1377 RISE OF THE MACHINES

recognition software onto itself and asked it to recognise and process intelligent safeguards to warn you when posting potentially- whatever it could. embarrassing drunken selfies. An example of ‘deep learning’ already in The resultant images are trippy, distorted and somewhat beautiful. use at Facebook is the way that the social network remembers faces No one drew these images, the software adapted them itself from the you’ve tagged several times before. information it was given. It may not be ‘intelligence’ in the traditional Facebook has coupled this project with research into internet-signal- sense, but it certainly shows that computers are capable of doing distributing drones and Oculus Rift virtual reality technology. It’s all things for themselves, and coming up with interesting results. in a bid to keep Facebook at the top of the social media pile, to stay Google also currently has 23 self-driving cars in development, up-to-date with technological trends and to offer the smartest ways to and although there have been a string of accidents (mostly down connect going forward. to human error, it seems), they’re legal in four U.S. states. The cars Twitter are also researching deep learning, and online start-up haven’t been tested in icy conditions yet, and they reportedly have DigitalGenius recently raised $3 million to research the potential problems recognising that some objects (litter on the road, for application of AI in the field of customer service. Put simply: the example) are harmless. So far, the cars can’t recognise temporary traffic internet is investing hard in AI technology right now. lights either, because they use pre-programmed route information as a guide. However, the project could become a major technological Medicine achievement if all goes to plan. There’s also the potential for medical applications of artificial Google predicts that vehicles such as these will be available for intelligence, as you may have seen in the news recently. IBM acquired public purchase by 2020. John Markoff of The New York Times the company Merge Healthcare Inc. during the first week of August predicts that this technology will force an upheaval of motor-based 2015, for the sizeable fee of $700 million. The reason for this deal law, because “the technology is now advancing so quickly that it is in would seem to be Merge Healthcare’s collection of 30 billion medical danger of outstripping existing law, some of which dates back to the images. These include X-rays, computerised tomography, imaging scans era of horse-drawn carriages.” and more. With this database now in its possession, IBM intends to Google isn’t the only online business to be investigating artificial teach the super computer Watson everything it possibly can about the intelligence, either – Facebook are at it, too. Mark Zuckerburg’s social world of medicine. You may remember Watson from his appearance media firm hired AI and ‘deep learning’ (a form of algorithm-based on the American quiz show Jeopardy in 2011. learning, similar to Google’s Deep Dream) expert Yann LeCun in 2013 Originally, Watson was built to beat this quiz and prove that artificial to helm its new lab, focusing on “the full spectrum of topics related intelligence could trump human knowledge, even without an internet to AI, and to deriving knowledge from data: theory, algorithms, connection. He beat two former winners from the show and took applications, software infrastructure and hardware infrastructure.” home a cool $1 million prize fund. The lab’s long-term goals are to understand intelligence and build In 2013, Watson’s first commercial application came in the world intelligent machines. As well as using this to personalise your newsfeed of medicine. His expert knowledge in lung cancer is being trialled by more effectively than before, they also envision implementing the Maine Centre for Cancer Medicine and the Westmed Medical

Issue 1377 57 Group in New York. Specifically, they’re using Watson for ‘utilisation management decisions’ and as a ‘clinical decision support system,’ meaning that he gives his ‘opinions’ on potential treatments. Watson makes treatment suggestions based on a huge pile of information, including the patient’s history, treatment guidelines, electronic medical record data, notes from physicians and nurses, research materials, clinical studies and journal articles. The 30 billion images now owned by IBM, thanks to the acquisition of Merge Healthcare, will now be used to ‘train’ Watson to identify ‘ailments such as cancer and heart disease.’ The idea seems to be to expand Watson’s knowledge and move towards using him for diagnosis as well as treatment advice. Essentially, IBM is researching whether similar processes to the way that Facebook recognises your friends, or that Google can recognise an image of dog, to identify tumours and other signifiers of disease. Their work seems to be based around the same ‘deep learning’ technologies, for use by the American military. It’s been around theory as Google and Facebook’s developments – if computers can since 1958, and played a core role in developing Shakey The Robot analyse images and spot patterns without our help, there could be – widely cited as the first general-purpose mobile robot with the countless benefits to the world of medicine. power of reasoning – between the years 1966 and 1972. The work However, “It’s a way off to have a general diagnostic machine,” of DARPA is integral to our understanding of AI today. says John Eng, an associate professor of radiology at Johns Hopkins Recently, it’s been looking into image recognition AI, too. If you University, who was questioned about the project by The Wall haven’t already spotted the pattern forming, computers’ abilities to Street Journal. “In medical data, there’s lots of ambiguity and lots of scan photos quicker than the human eye is the core of a lot of AI fuzziness,” he explained. “It’s kind of messy data, and I think that’s research going on at the moment. DARPA are working on an artificially going to be a limiting factor with what IBM does with Watson.” intelligent system called Visual Media Reasoning, that can detect the So, it may be a long time before IBM hit the jackpot and produce contents of an image and group together similar sightings across a functioning diagnostic machine, but it’s certainly interesting and pictures and video. inspiring to know that they’re working on it at all. If they can crack the In terms of searching for a specific military target, a system that code, Watson could potentially save a lot of lives. could search a huge library of images in seconds and track down the right person, car or device would surely become an integral part of Military global security. Of course, surveillance programs already exist, but a The Defence Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), is super speed AI version could surely enhance and improve the process. an offshoot of the U.S. Department of Defence, dedicated Research from Arizona State University has been covering to investigating and funding the development of emerging similar ground. With the internet serving as a recruitment and

58 Issue 1377 RISE OF THE MACHINES communication device for terrorist groups such as the so-called So So We Need To Be Scared? Islamic State, it is investigating if there’s a way that artificial SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has described AI as ‘our biggest existential intelligence could help thwart plans and pin-point locations? Its threat’, and Apple’s Steve Wozniak thinks that the development of research suggests that AI could help the war on terror. Using an artificially intelligent robots could result in a society where humans algorithm that analysed 2,200 recorded incidents of Islamic State play “the family pet” to a society that’s “smarter than us.” activity, the researchers managed to find connections between When terms like that are being banded about, along with certain air strikes to roadside bombs, and link this to jihadi Hawking’s ‘the end of the human race’ line, it’s easy to be frightened military-style tactics. Essentially, they found evidence to suggest about where AI technology is headed. that airstrikes against IS resulted in a change in tactic towards At this stage, though, this writer would say that there’s no improvised roadside weapons instead of larger assaults. immediate concern. Although they’re known to constantly be This type of tactical knowledge could become vital working on robots, the most recent press story to come out of DARPA intelligence, and there’s a chance that this kind of AI-powered showcased their work around teaching their androids to play jazz research could prove useful to the U.S. government. Elizabeth music. This was part of a project to encourage improvisation in artificial Quintana, director of military sciences at the Royal United intelligence. Improvisation can be a key skill in battle, after all. Services Institute, said this about Arizona State’s research, to If DARPA, one of the biggest-funded military science labs in the BBC News: “The military has access to a lot of information. They world are only at this experimental stage, then we can probably take need a way to bring it down to a digestible format. Analytics is a little solace from the jazz-robot story. For starters, it seems like the definitely the way to do that.” chances of robots being smart enough to take over the planet is a As pattern-spotters, artificial intelligences could prove better long way off. On top of that, at least they’ll kill us all whilst bashing- than any human eye or brain. There’s no reason this should stop out a cracking slap bass solo at the same time. with the likes of Facebook. Collaboration between the right On a serious note, though – recent AI research has mostly been for labs and the right military could prove a vital asset to protecting the good of mankind. Our social interaction, our knowledge of military human life. threats, and the nature of our medical care all stand to improve from the current developments across the globe. Many of the world’s Our social interactions, our leading scientists are lobbying against AI weaponry, too.  Maybe I’ll look back on this article one day, from a post- knowledge of military threats, apocalyptic bunker of some kind, waiting for the musical machines to find and kill me, and laugh about just how wrong I was with my and the nature of our medical upcoming closing sentence. But heck, I’ll write it anyway: at the time of writing, I think we’re safe from a robot uprising. mm care all stand to improve 

What about artificial-intelligence-based weapons, though? Are they being discussed? Well, they’re certainly plausible. In fact, links between weaponry and AI have set a few alarm bells ringing amongst the scientific community recently. Seeing as a connection between artificial intelligence and warfare is essentially the inciting event of The Terminator films, this writer is a little concerned, too. Indeed, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Google DeepMind chief executive Demis Hassabis and the world-famous Professor Stephen Hawking (and over 1,000 AI and robotics researchers) all recently signed an open letter urging governments not to dabble in the militarisation of artificial intelligence. “AI technology has reached a point where the deployment of [autonomous weapons] is – practically if not legally – feasible within years, not decades,” reads the letter. “And the stakes are high: autonomous weapons have been described as the third revolution in warfare, after gunpowder and nuclear arms.” “The endpoint of this technological trajectory is obvious: autonomous weapons will become the Kalashnikovs of tomorrow,” the letter states. “The key question for humanity today is whether to start a global AI arms race or to prevent it from starting,” Stephen Hawking has been vocal about these concerns on other occasions, too. He told the BBC last year that “the primitive forms of artificial intelligence we already have, have proved very useful. But I think the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” Stopping the development of AI weapons may prove difficult to implement internationally, though, and – at time of writing – its unclear whether any such research is taking place anywhere in the world.

Issue 1377 59 Oh No

The world’s top computer builder has been caught leaving its devices potentially vulnerable twice in the space of a year. Will it ever learn?

t’s been little more than six months since was paid as little as $200,000 in order to Within its portable machines, LSE was Lenovo, the world’s largest shipper of install the software and compromise its employed to check whether Lenovo’s PC technology – with nearly 20% of the customers’ security – soon lead to it taking software update facility was installed and, I market in 2014 – pledged to end the steps to remove Superfish from machines, if not, reinstall it. This tool (known as installation of third-party software on its clear up its mess, and begin making the OneKey Optimizer) could then, in turn, machines. The announcement (which can aforementioned promises. It was, to say download and install drivers and other be seen at tinyurl.com/ktzcprj) came in the least, a PR disaster; yet Lenovo keeps software Lenovo wished it to. To anyone the wake of a furore surrounding a piece growing in the market, and here we are with a modicum of knowledge about such of software called Superfish, which had the again in a situation where it, while not things, then, it will come as no surprise capability to intercept and look at encrypted breaking its promises as such, has managed that a security researcher – specifically a traffic in order to display adverts. to annoy its user base. chap by the name of Roel Schouwenberg – It was, at best, a dodgy piece of eventually managed to exploit the software bloatware that watched what you were LSE Is More to gain control of a system. browsing for and generated probably- Recently, news broke of problems By the start of August, Lenovo and unwanted ads based on that information. surrounding the Lenovo Service Engine Microsoft had moved to plug the security At worst, it could be characterised as (LSE), a piece of software that takes flaw; the former by issuing advice, tools and malware that undertook a man-in-the- advantage of a feature in Windows 8 new BIOS firmware alongside a list of affected middle intercept of traffic by issuing itself onwards that allows OEM installers to machines (see box outs) and the latter by dodgy SSL certificates, which could then embed an executable in the firmware of a changing its protocols for how the Windows be exploited to compromise other Lenovo machine. Because this executable will then feature should be used (you can read that at: laptops with the same software installed. run at boot, it can potentially be used to tinyurl.com/oo2nfdy). Interestingly, though, Either way, it wasn’t a good look, and ensure that a firm’s chosen suite of software Lenovo’s advisories made it clear that the became just about the biggest cause cannot be removed from a machine, even issue also affected these specific models even celebre of its type since Sony thought it by a clean install of Windows. While not all if they were using Windows 7, despite that would be a good idea to install a rootkit on makers are exploiting this feature, Lenovo OS not having the same in-built feature to any PC that played host to one of its CDs. was; on desktop systems it was apparently allow it. Indeed, it was an anomoly that had While Lenovo initially tried to frame used to send basic system information to been noted as early as June on the forums of Superfish as a helpful visual search tool, the its servers when a machine first connected Ars Technica (tinyurl.com/neb26k5). strength of disdain amongst its users – not to the internet, but on laptops it was doing In this case, LSE apparently re-wrote helped by Forbes’ discovery that Lenovo much more. a system file called autochk.exe, in order

60 Issue 1377 LENOVO

Lenovo Machines Affected of reaping the benefits. Indeed, one can see If you have any of these Lenovo models, then you need to be aware of the LSE how it’s a handy chunk of revenue now, at problem. While it appears a more serious issue for laptop owners than for those a time when margins are getting tighter. with more conventional PCs, there are now ways to remove it from either type of The benefits of LSE to the customer system (see other box out): are debatable, but its employment (and, indeed, the Windows feature that facilitates Notebook PC it) is understandable as a product of that Flex 2 Pro 15 (Broadwell/Haswell) A540/A740 ingrained culture. It’s the same culture, Flex 3 1120/1470/1570 B4030/B5030/B5035/B750 after all, that has lead to it becoming G40-80/G50-80/G50-80 Touch H3000/H3050/H5000/H5050/H5055 virtually impossible to get a vanilla install S41-70/U41-70 Horizon 2 27 of Android, and an ethos that Apple has S435/M40-35 Horizon 2e(Yoga Home 500) basically built its OS’ iterations upon. V3000 Horizon 2S Everyone has been playing the same game. Y40-80 C260/C2005/C2030 None of this is necessarily bad, or a Yoga 3 11/14 C4005/C4030/C5030 damning indictment of Lenovo. LSE could be Z41-70/Z51-70 X310(A78) seen as clumsy misstep, rather than anything Z70-80/G70-80 X315(B85) as insidious as Superfish suggested (though its employment within Windows 7 systems to allow the system to “fetch files over Here we are again in a situation unencrypted HTTP”. Lenovo, rather  shamefully, straight-batted Ars’ attempts to clarify exactly how it was managing where it, while not breaking its to achieve this, instead referring it to its statement on the matter (tinyurl.com/ promises as such, has managed to o9mhlf5), which reitterated it’s commitment annoy its user base to removing LSE altogether.  Curing The Bloat Chinese company. How should we view doesn’t look great, we’ll grant you). Whether When, in the wake of the Superfish affair, it, though? With paranoia, or a shrug and its poor decision making here even registers Lenovo assured its customers that “the BIOS update? beyond technology pages is questionable, events of last week reinforce the principle In the wake of that Superfish but it’s clear that Lenovo has serious lessons that customer experience, security and announcement, it stands to reason that to learn – as do many others. privacy must be our top priorities”, this changing more than two decades of Playing fast and loose with security is was probably not what owners of its industry culture (whereby the shipment of not acceptable, no matter the quality and hardware were expecting. While use of LSE software with PCs has became standard) price of your product. Not least because a has now been stopped, and all machines can’t be easy. PC builders are used to catastrophic fall from grace can be brutally manufactured after June should be clear striking deals to ship certain packages with quick – and is never much further away of it, it’s more damaging press for the their kit, or pushing their own in the hope than just around the corner. mm

Removing LSE Desktop (For Windows 8 and 8.1) Lenovo has, so far, released two security advisories regarding In order to disable LSE on desktop systems, please LSE, one for its laptops (tinyurl.com/p8ocfwt) and one for complete the following two steps: desktops (tinyurl.com/p3mbpha). As we noted in the main copy, the installation of OneKey Optimizer on laptops is the 1. Disable LSE in the system BIOS. Ppress F1 while the factor that introduces real security issues, but both notices system is booting to get to the BIOS. Navigate to the outline methods to remove LSE completely. Security tab and set the Lenovo Service Engine option to “disabled”. If you do not see these options in the Laptop (Windows 8, 8.1 and 10 in UEFI mode) BIOS LSE is not enabled in your system and running the 1. Run the Lenovo LSE disabler tool (download from disable utility is not needed. Press F10 to Save and Exit. tinyurl.com/ojrd4su) as an administrator, this will cause a command line window to pop for about 30 seconds 2. Get the RemoveLSEDT utility from tinyurl.com/p9cybrs. while the disabler tool stops the LSE service, deletes all Boot to Windows. Right click on the “RemoveLSEDT. files installed by the LSE module (C:\windows\system32\ bat” file and select “Run as Administrator” or remove the wpbbin.exe; C:\windows\system32\LenovoUpdate. following files on your system: C:\windows\system32\LSEDT. exe; C:\windows\system32\LenovoCheck.exe),repairs exe and C:\windows\system32\LSEPreDownloader.exe the autocheck files in Windows and disables the UEFI variable that enables LSE. Note: If you are running Windows 7, or anything newer in a legacy mode, you need a full BIOS update – details can be 2. You can then Restart your PC found at tinyurl.com/p8ocfwt.

Issue 1377 61 Code With AI2 Timer (Part 2)

Build a useful Android timer app with David Briddock

ast time we created a simple yet Projects’ shortcut further along the menu and the right to ‘StopButton’. Select the useful timer app with AppInventor bar). Select the ‘MMTimer’ project we StartButton and click the FontBold checkbox 2 (AI2). This week we’ll extend this created last time. then set the Text value to ‘Start’, the Width Lapp by adding more components We’re automatically placed into value to ‘Fill parent...’, the FontSize to ‘48.0’ and additional coding blocks. Remember, Designer View mode. Here we’ll add two and the TextColor to ‘Green’. Do the same for all you need to play along is a Windows/ buttons, one to start the timer and reset the StopButton except set the Text value to Mac/Linux PC, web browser and Google the count to zero, and another to stop ‘Stop’ and the TextColor to ‘Red’. account. Ideally you’ll also have an the timer. That’s the Designer changes done. Now Android smartphone or tablet, but even it’s coding time, so click on the Blocks this isn’t essential. Layout View button. We want to place these buttons next to What We’ll Learn each other. For that we’ll need a layout. Coding Blocks This week we’ll add some new interface From the Layout group in the components We need to define the Start and Stop button components, namely timer start and stop Palette grab a HorizontalArrangement and click event behaviour. buttons, which will be contained within a drop it towards the bottom of the Screen1 Select the StartButton component in the horizontal layout component. area. A blue bar appears to indicate its lefthand Blocks panel, grab a brown ‘when We’ll also explore a faster and smarter app drop location. StartButton.Click’ block and drop it onto the testing option that involves a real Android With the HorizontalArrangement1 coding area. Now we need to populate the device. Then discover how to make source component selected in the Properties empty inner space, which as you can see backups and deploy apps onto a real Android panel set the Width value to ‘Fill parent...’ from the Blocks View image contains two smartphone/tablet. So let’s get started. from the popup list. other block elements. The first is a brown ‘set global secs’ block Designer Changes Buttons from the Variables group. Snapped to the end In your browser navigate to the AI2 home Now grab two Button components from is a blue Math number block with a value page (ai2.appinventor.mit.edu) and sign the User Interface group, one at a time, and of zero. The second green ‘set TimerClock. in with your Google account. Once signed drop them onto the HorizontalArrangement1 TimerEnabled’ block is from the TimerClock in select the ‘My projects’ option in the component. They will appear side by side. component. Snap on a Logic group ‘true’ Projects menu (or use the single-click ‘My Now rename the left button to ‘StartButton’ block to begin generating clock ‘tick’ events.

62 Issue 1377 CODE WITH AI2

 AI2 Blocks View  AI2 Emulator

From the StopButton component grab device then select the ‘AI Companion’ option files. So, if you discover other AIA files on a brown ‘when StartButton.Click’ block in the Connect menu. Set the six character the web you can import them into your and drop it onto the coding area. Inside is ‘handshake’ code by typing it in, or using project list. a single block, namely a ‘set TimerClock. the ‘scan QR code’ option (pointing the TimerEnabled’. However, this time we need device’s camera at the QR code). Android Device Deployment a Logic group ‘false’ block to stop the clock For the USB option attach the cable, In addition we can create a self-contained generating ‘tick’ events. then enable the Developer USB Debug Android package file (APK), which can be And that’s the coding done. Ensure the mode (goo.gl/chuXJX). Now start the installed on an Android smartphone or warning and error counts in the bottom left AI Companion app and choose the AI2 tablet. The same file can also be uploaded corner are both zero then carefully check Connect menu’s USB option. to the Google Play Store. your code against the Blocks View image. Te sting We can create a self-contained Last time we used the Connect menu’s  Emulator option to test the app. We could Android package file (APK), which can use this again. However, the emulator takes a while to be installed on an Android smartphone start up. More importantly we cannot test some functionality without using a real or tablet Android device, for example feedback from  orientation, motion and GPS sensors. After a short pause our app should start Use the Build menu to compile an APK and Fortunately there are two other testing running. Every time a Designer View change save it to your PC. Compilation time varies options, which use an Android smartphone occurs the app is restarted. So it’s a great depending on the complexity of the app. or tablet. way to experiment or fix any bugs. Now this APK file can be ‘side-loaded’ onto an Android device via a USB connection. This AI2 Companion App Source Export process involves a number of actions on both The best app testing experience is with the All our work is saved in the cloud. But we the Android device and the PC, as described free AI2 Companion app. Installed on an can also download the app source to our in various online tutorials (goo.gl/ZMKgAe). Android device it communicates over a USB PC. This export file bundles together all connection or a local wi-fi network. Go the design and block coding information Going Further to the Google Play Store (goo.gl/VcZNrL) into a single file with an AIA extension Feel free to experiment with this app. For and install the AI2 Companion app onto an (which in reality is just a standard ZIP file). instance, modify the font size and colour, Android smartphone or tablet. It’s easy to do. Just select the ‘Export change the label text to show minutes and For the wi-fi option both the device and selected project (.aia) to my computer’ seconds, or maybe add a third Pause button. PC must use the same wi-fi network. Start option in the Projects menu. The same Have fun. Next time we’ll build a motion- the AI2 Companion app on your Android menu also has an option to import AIA controlled dice shaker. mm

Issue 1377 63 Is It Time To Give Second Life A Second Chance?

As online communities go, it’s hard to get more ambitious or, frankly, bizarre than Second Life. Isn’t it all a bit passé, though? Sarah Dobbs looks into the state of the virtual world…

emember Second Life? Sure you do. When the online on. Facebook launched, Twitter launched, people got into Instagram virtual world was launched by Linden Lab back in and Snapchat, and Minecraft filled the creative sandbox niche for 2003, it was meant to be revolutionary. Not quite a people who missed the world-building bits. We forgot all about Rgame, not quite a chatroom, Second Life was supposed Second Life. Or did we? After all, Second Life still exists. So who’s still to represent, well, a second life. It was a forum for users using it, and what for? Let’s find out… to reinvent themselves, to create avatars that represented themselves – physically accurate or not – and meet other people. A Second Look It caused any number of headlines; couples met in Second Life Since there’s nothing like a bit of first-hand research, I decided to log and got married, fraudsters found victims in Second Life and into Second Life and take a look around for myself. Having picked ripped them off, psychologists debated whether or not spending an avatar more or less at random and doing zero customisation to time in Second Life was healthy. her, I jumped straight in and landed on a beach where various other Then, well, most people sort of lost interest. Once Second Life was people seemed to be standing around – but all of them had “away” no longer the next big thing it just became a thing, and users moved signs floating above their avatars. Which was a bit disappointing, but

 Lots of avatars but no action

64 Issue 1377 SECOND LIFE

A Second Chance Admittedly, one anecdote about during a random one-hour period doesn’t tell you much, but trying to pin down any facts on exactly what’s going on in Second Life at the moment is trick because there isn’t much information, and what there is seems contradictory. Here’s what we do know: back in 2013 Linden lab claimed more than 36 million Scond Life accounts have been set up, and users had jointly spent the equivalent of 217,266 years logged in (about two days per person, roughly); at its peak, it had 1.1 million active users (and, as of this March, it had around 990,000). That last comparison is interesting, as it isn’t a devastating drop in  Another lovely bit of scenery, but it’s abandoned… numbers. It makes one wonder why everything seems to have gone so quiet on the Second Life front, though, and why Linden Lab stopped publishing its once-regular reports on user levels. Frustratingly, it’s also tough to know who those 990,000 users might be. Demographics for such services are always a bit unreliable, because all anyone knows is what users disclose. You’re required to fill in a bit of info when you first sign up for Second Life, including your date of birth, but no-one actually checks, so there’s nothing to stop you lying.

The Linden Dollar Part of the reason Second Life was so interesting to the media was that people made money from it. It wasn’t  Choosing between “people” and “vampires” lets you know in advance just that people were using it to communicate – they what you’re signing up for were using it to generate an income by selling things that didn’t really exist. Existing solely in the virtual world, Second Life is a sprawling world with lots of different locations, so I independent of any country, Second Life has its own optimistically assumed I’d be able to find people elsewhere. economy – and its own currency, the Linden dollar. My first teleport destination was another beach, supposedly a To buy or sell things inside Second Life, users need to social location. And sure enough, there were a group of people buy Linden dollars using real money, and then use Linden standing on a deck chatting to one another. The conversation dollars to buy goods or services. Like in many MMORPGs, wasn’t going anywhere, though; one guy was trying to sell Second Life users can buy custom items for their avatars, something called ‘fairy weed’ and other people were either asking like clothes, body modifications, or even pets; they can him what it was, or laughing it off. I loitered around them for a bit also buy custom animations that let their avatars do but it wasn’t much fun, so it was time to find more people. things or move in new ways. And then there’s the real estate market. Land isn’t unlimited in Second Life, though Linden Lab can make There are people still in more of it, but people have made fortunes by buying  empty plots of land inside the virtual world, developing Second Life at any given time it by building virtual buildings – sometimes extremely elaborate ones – and then either selling it on or renting of day, but it’s the specialised it out. The better you are at creating in-world content, then, the more money you can make out of it by finding worlds that are getting traffic people who want what you’ve got.  Turning Linden dollars back into real-world cash involves going back through the currency exchange, LindeX. Despite the massive fluctuations on the real Clicking through the various “editors’ pick” locations didn’t find markets, especially during the financial crisis that began many other Second Lifers, though. Whole landscapes were barren in 2008, the rate of exchange on the LindeX exchange of people and, while the scenery was nice, it was a bit disappointing has remained pretty stable – in the region of 250 Linden to see there were only one or two other people in any given place. dollars per American dollar. Granted, it was about 2pm on a weekday when I went looking, Think about this system for too long and you might which probably isn’t peak Second Life time, but still, I thought find your head spinning. It’s a made-up currency that there’d be more people somewhere. people actually spend time and effort earning, and Eventually, I found them: in the Adult locations. Having teleported then turning into real money; it’s also an economy that into a beach party, only to find I wasn’t welcome because my avatar can’t really be affected by much, beyond the spending didn’t have a bikini, I watched a few animated dance routines, and power of Second Life’s user base (at least no-one’s going clicked through the other populated worlds. None of them sounded to starve if they don’t have any money to spend inside my cup of tea, and after accidentally dropping into a pretty disturbing Second Life for a few weeks). Recent figures are hard to one, I logged out in a hurry. As investigative journalism goes, it’s not come by, but in 2009, Second Life’s economy was around the most insightful, but I did find out one thing: there are people still $567 million. Considering signing back up again now? in Second Life, but it’s the specialised worlds that are getting traffic.

Issue 1377 65 Second Life Timeline 1999 – Philip Rosedale set up Linden Lab. Initially, he imagined creating wearable hardware that would let the user interact with a virtual world through a headset; that vision was eventually replaced with a computer based model. 2003 – The first iteration of Second Life launched! 2004 – Second Life user Anshe Chung (real name: Ailin Graef) starts developing animations and selling them to other users. She would go on to become Second Life’s first millionaire – making $1,000,000 purely through  A swish-looking public hangout, but where is everyone? selling virtual goods. 2006 – BusinessWeek featured Anshe Chung on its cover, and mainstream coverage of Second Life came rolling in. As a result, Second Life’s sign up rate skyrocketed. 2006 – Twitter launched, and Facebook also opened itself up to anyone over 13 – not just university students – and as they grew in popularity, Second Life started to fall out of favour. 2008 – Second Life won a Technology And Engineering Emmy Award, but Philip Rosedale stepped down as CEO to be replaced by Mark Kingdon. 2009 – Second Life hit its peak, with more users than  Aha! Everyone’s hanging out in the Adults-only areas ever before. 2010 – Things started to look wobbly, and Linden Lab Second Thoughts laid off some 30% of its employees in an effort to cut What we do know, though, is that the brands and institutions costs. Mark Kingdon stepped down, replaced temporarily who flocked to Second Life when it was being reported as the by Philip Rosedale again, before Bob Komin became CEO. essential place for online networking have all but given up on the 2014 – Ebbe Altberg was hired at CEO, and vowed platform. Reuters used to have a virtual office in Second Life, with to lead the company into a new stage of growth – two reporters on the beat reporting on Second Life news, but his plans included creating a next-gen virtual reality that was closed down in 2008. American Apparel opened a shop version of Second Life. in Second Life, but closed it after a year. And Harvard Law School held an experimental class in Second Life, but several students had trouble accessing the class thanks to the school’s firewalls, and A Second Try the experiment was abandoned. There are plenty more stories like That might be set to change soon, though. Linden Lab is working on those – brands steamed in all vigour and enthusiasm, then realised something new that might re-ignite all that Second Life excitement it was harder or less profitable to run events in Second Life than in all over again. According to a press release it issued last year, the new real life, and steamed back out again. project is going to be a “next generation virtual world” in the spirit of Despite the lack of headlines and perceived interest from the Second Life. Again, users will be able to create anything they want, general public, though, Second Life still seems to be making and those who generate popular content will, we’re told, be able to money. According to Linden Lab, there are 1.2 million transactions monetise it within the community. carried out daily in its virtual world; despite the global financial Those who’ve stuck with Second Life over the years don’t need to crisis, the exchange rate still stands at 247 Linden dollars to the panic, though. Linden Lab has moved to assure them that this doesn’t US dollar. At the time of writing, the daily market data showed a mean it’s planning to abandon its first virtual world. It’s making it volume of L$18,330,581 – meaning about $74,213 had changed clear that this new version will be mostly compatible with the original hands inside Second Life that day. Second Life, but will take advantage of the ways in which technology What’s really changed might be perception. When Second Life first has changed since 2003. There’s even meant to be integration with launched, it was exciting and new and everyone wanted a piece of current virtual reality cutting edge, in the form of the Oculus Rift – it. Then its limits started to become obvious, and, well, human nature which harks back to Linden founder Philip Rosedale’s original vision for kicked in, with people looking for the same kind of illicit thrills in their the project as a 3D virtual world users could move around inside via a avatars as they might fantastise about in real life. virtual reality headset. A couple of years ago, following a staff reshuffle at Linden Lab Oculus Rift has done a pretty good job of grabbing headlines (Philip Rosedale stepped down as CEO and was replaced by Mark of its own over the last year or so, so the tie in might well attract Kingdon, then Rosedale took over again, then resigned again to be more attention to Linden’s new baby. The newest new CEO, Ebbe replaced by Bob Komin) Second Life was re-organised and ostensibly Altberg, reckons the upcoming iteration of Second Life will be more cleaned up. In-world casinos were shut down, and porn-related robust, more accessible, and way more appealing to the world at material was shunted off to a different part of the ‘world’. Did large than what is currently on offer. So, while Second Life might anything really change though? Nope. People were still using Second feel like a ghost town right now, Linden Lab will be hoping it won’t Life for its explicit content, but instead of that being everywhere, it was be leaving it that way for long. sectioned off, leaving the rest a of virtual ghost town. Nothing really Still, unless you’re into virtual beach parties with explicitly stepped in to fill the gap, and while regular users still met up with their named avatars, it’s probably worth waiting for the reboot before friends there, the buzz was gone. It wasn’t exciting any more. paying it another visit. mm

66 Issue 1377 APP OF THE WEEK Things That Are To p Only Okay On 5 Social Networks Sometimes, what happens online should stay online... And for good reason

Following Strangers LOLling In the ’Twitterverse’, having hundreds, thousands or even On the internet, no one can hear you laugh. Well, not millions of followers is a badge of honour, a mark of your unless you record it and put it on YouTube. Assuming you 1worth. People want you to follow them. Offline, that same 4 don’t do that, though, then the LOL is one popular way to attention-grabbing behaviour would, at best, attract funny looks let other people know you find something they’ve written amusing. and insults... but for the follower, it would probably land them To be honest, we’re not that keen on it, but we’ll allow it. What in the dock. Yes, for some reason being online makes following we won’t accept, however, is people saying it in real life, instead complete strangers okay, and somehow the word ‘stalker’ never of, well, laughing. It just goes to show, though, some people can’t comes into it. Anyway, to find out more about how much we differentiate from web and the actual physical world. A depressing disapprove of this whole Twitter thing, follow us @micro_mart. thought, indeed, which makes us feel very frowny emoticon.

Poking People Pictures Of Food Thankfully, the ‘Poke’ feature in Facebook has long since Personally, we quite enjoy seeing dishes our friends reached Peak Poke and subsequently fallen into decline. and family have made, or things they’ve eaten in 2 These days, no one really bothers with it, do they? Yet, 5 restaurants. Even though some people find it annoying, for a while, everyone was poking everyone else willy nilly; it it’s just one of those things that you have to accept about social was chaos. It also made no sense whatsoever. Sure, if you want media. Doing it in the real world, however, is a complete no-no. to get the attention of someone who isn’t responding to your For some reason, people find it unusual when you pull out a vocal prompting or a you waving hand in front of their face (and photo book and show them page after page of cakes, roast you don’t mind being considered rude and willing to invade dinners, hamburgers and cocktails. Not that it’s ever stopped us someones personal space, then you might resort to a poke. On trying anyway, of course. Facebook, however, people were just clicking the Poke button for the hell of it. Imagine how annoying that would be in the real world.

Vocally Leaving For some reason,from time-to-time, you will come across people who feel the need to publicly declare their 3 reasons for leaving Facebook, with a long post outlining their gripes in case you were in any doubt, and/or cared. Maybe it’s just us but, in the real world, when we leave, say, a party, we do our utmost to resist the urge to stand up in the middle of the room and explain exactly why we’re planning to make an exit. So, you won’t hear us saying, “Excuse me, everyone, but please all shut up and listen to me. I’m now leaving, because I feel like some of you are far too critical, and anyway, this whole party thing is taking up too much precious time, when I really should be at home doing something more productive. Good bye.” Of course, part of the reason we don’t do that is because we never get invited to parties any more. Thankfully the Facebook trend for poking hasn’t translated to real life

Issue 1377 67 Specialists Happy Birthday GNOME

GNOME comes of age

NOME is finally legal. performance, I rather warmed 3, with the far more simplistic It can buy alcohol at a to it – and in the years since look and fee (and thus better pub, and vote; if it GNOME 3’s release it has greatly compatibility with the majority Gwas a person, that is. improved over time to become of machines out there), or do Yes, the GNOME Project a quite powerful and impressive you much prefer the more turned 18 years old on August desktop environment. modern GNOME 3.x with its 15th, and to celebrate the It probably didn’t help almost tablet look and feel? GNOME team asked its Twitter matters that two of the most And before I sign off: if followers to speak up about popular Linux distros, Ubuntu you’re not a GNOME user, or David Hayward has why they love GNOME so and Mint, moved away from you used to be and haven’t much, share their love for it, GNOME in favour of Unity and touched it for a while, then been using Linux and display the ‘I am GNOME’ Cinnamon. Add to that, that how about taking a step back since Red Hat 2.0 badge that’s currently doing in schools, businesses the rounds as their Avatar. and at home, which However, there were a There were comments either makes him smattering of comments that  very knowledgeable didn’t quite live up to the spirit of the birthday celebrations. that didn’t live up to the or a glutton for With remarks such as “sadly, extreme punishment it also becoming senile”; “still spirit of the birthday an immature jerk who wants  everything his way, and gets a hissy fit every time someone disagrees with him”; “the rebel MATE isn’t really regarded as and installing it? Go on give without a cause” and “rebel GNOME, despite using the it another go, even just for without a clue” creeping into GNOME 2 codebase and being nostalgia’s sake. the feed, it’s revealed the sad forked form it, and you can see Either way, what are your fact that there are some who why the love affair has faded. thoughts on GNOME? Please feel GNOME isn’t what it was With regards to the negative write in and let us know your once was. comments, though: you’ll like and dislikes. Until next On the other hand, and always come across those who week then, folks. far more positively, there simply want to infect everyone were many who wished else with their negativity, don't  Are you still a GNOME? Let us happy birthday to GNOME, you..? It's one of the basic know, and why and added comments such laws of the internet. as “keep rocking Gnome”, “here’s to many more happy Are You A GNOME? birthdays”, and “still my top It’s interesting that an open DE of choice”. source project such as this can GNOME did see something reach such a lofty age, and still of a slump years ago when manage to pass the majority GNOME 3 was launched. It of users by without much had much the same effect on regard. Surely there must the community as Windows be some GNOME users still 8 Metro interface had on its out there? With that in mind users some time later, in that then, then, I’ll ask you: how the majority of user absolutely many of you are true GNOME hated it. While it did have users? Do you still use the some bugs and issues with earlier versions, pre-GNOME Linux

6868 IssueIssue 1377 1267 Amiga30UK Part 2

Sven Harvey visits the UK 30th anniversary event

t was approaching midday at responsible for machine generation' Amiga hardware the Peterborough Marriot bundles such as the massively being developed in the form of hotel, where Amiga30 UK successful Amiga 500 Batman A-EON Technology's AmigaOne Iwas taking place on Sunday Pack in 1989 – and ended X1000 and up and coming 2nd August, when the up as the Joint Managing AmigaOne X5000. Trevor's attendees began assembling in Director of Commodore UK presentation outlined events the foyer area outside of the (with Colin Proudfoot, who up until the present, as already main room to register and pick gave a presentation at the reported here, but he went up their ID lanyards. The corresponding USA Amiga 30 on to tell us tell us that the lanyards also revealed a event), which attempted to buy first X5000 machines should giveaway, in the form of a out Commodore International be going out to customers in download link and license key and make it a UK company. September/October of this year. to enable visitors to get a free David's presentation Hyperion were up next copy of Amiga Forever 2014 covered his initial interactions with an intriguing video Plus and C64 Forever 2014 Plus, with Steve Franklin, through showing the growth of the courtesy of developers Cloanto. to dealing with Mehdi Ali code that manifests itself Sven Harvey has The packed schedule got and the story of the failed as the AmigaOS. It clearly been our Amiga underway with a great talk management buy-out. demonstrated that the amount from Tony Miller who ran (and We were also very lucky of work that has gone into the specialist for over thus was the SysOp of) the 01 to also have Dawn Levack at AmigaOS since AmigaOS 4 was 16 years, drawing on For Amiga bulletin board (or the event, who was the head started is larger than the entire his 25 years retailing BBS), which was the big (for of marketing at Commodore workload undertaken previously computer and video it's time) online community for UK for a crucial period that on AmigaOS up till 3.9. games and even longer Amiga users. BBSs were one of included the creation of the The day wasn't over and the forerunners of the internet company's most successful there were more talks, dinner writing about them as we know it today and this bundles, and who was and music to come! one included a file repository responsible for some oft- for a huge number of public remembered marketing – domain programs. It was including the infamous “To great to hear the story behind be this good will take Sega Amiga it, including the rescuing of ages” billboard outside Sega's Winchester disks (that's hard UK headquarters! disks to most these days) to David was followed by a man host the files! who could be thought of as The second brief talk was his contemporary counterpart: from prominent YouTubers Dan Trevor Dickinson. His efforts Wood and Ravi Abbot, who (and, perhaps, mild insanity) then played a intro video they have resulted in new 'next had created. During the event the pair also recorded many interviews, which are on their Links YouTube accounts (see box Amiga30UK YouTube: (goo.gl/mt1EvW) out). This was then followed up by a preview of Viva Amiga, Amiga30UK Livestream: (goo.gl/1t06eV) the documentary video that should be being released in Ravi Abbott interviews: early 2016. Dawn Levack (Commodore UK Marketing): goo.gl/p0CKIM The next talk was the one I Bjørn Lynne (Musician): goo.gl/Sih8RV personally was most looking Mike Montgommery (Bitmap Brothers): goo.gl/JHWzIk forward to, and brought David Pleasance the stage. Dan Wood interviews: David worked for Commodore David Pleasance (Joint MD Commodore UK): goo.gl/4wZBeX in multiple roles – but is probably most famous for Colin Proudfoot at Amiga 30 (USA): goo.gl/G8dpXA being the head of the team

IssueIssue 1377 1194 6969 On The Edge

Ian McGurren looks at Samsung's latest

s sure as night follows revealed was, many have coming to the UK this time day, and team doctors claimed, a backward step for round. Indeed, there are rumours attend to 'injured' Samsung. There were indeed it may not even make it out of Afootballers, Samsung's two handets, but they were the South Korea, and that we could big announcements aren't Galaxy Note 5 (no surprise) and be seeing the end of one of purely kept for the release of its the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus mobile technology's most popular latest Galaxy S devices. Usually, (surprise); so let's take a look (and, arguably groundbreaking) around six months after, we get at the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus first. ranges. No Note, no Phablet. what is essentially the same You might think the S6 Edge Samsung's recent sales issues phone with a case of gigantism, Plus is to the S6 Edge what the may had lead to a drive to Ian McGurren is the addition of a digitiser pen, iPhone 6 Plus is to the iPhone consolidate its range. Many a professional IT and a spec bump. They call it 6. And, well... you'd be spot would argue, though, that its the Galaxy Note, and the on. Just as the iPhone brethren cull should start with the analyst, a semi- version is one less than share everything under the myriad of poorly specified professional writer whatever the year's flagship S hood, the S6 Edge Plus is also budget devices rather than its and a pretty amateur is. So, predictably, following 90% the very same as the S6, business flagship. A device electronic musician. 2014's Galaxy Note 4, and this the exceptions being its larger that's just starting to find He likes gadgetry and year's Galaxy S6, we got news 5.7” screen (with the same favour in the enterprise world. loves making gadgets the Galaxy Note 5. Okay, well, QHD resolution), a bigger If this is the end of the Note, actually... it's not quite as simple 3,000mAh battery and more then it's been fun. It's a success do things they were as that this year. RAM. There's no S-Pen, that shouldn't have been, the first never designed to do Those of you with an interest though, and the storage is example of what is now almost in ludicrously powerful capped at 64GB, down from the norm in terms of handheld computers will have the S6's maximum 128GB. Odd smartphone form factors. If many recalled that, like Apple in for a phone that can't be naysayers had been correct, the 2014, Samsung's flagship 2015 expanded with MicroSD cards. Note would have come and handset was released in two Surely, though, if the S6 Edge gone in months like Samsung's versions: the Galaxy S6 and the Plus was a bit of an unexpected later attempt at breaking similar Galaxy S6 Edge. Unlike Apple's let down, the Note series could ground with the Galaxy Mega. devices, which differed in size, be relied on to boost the specs But the Note was arguably the both of the Galaxy S6 devices as it always does? Well, it does first mobile equivalent of the were much the same, with the have a similar large 5.7” QHD luxury supercar, with no expense exception of the S6 Edge's screen (minus the curve) and its spared for those that wanted it. rather luxurious (in looks and Exynos 7420 2.1GHz quad core If it's never to return, it certainly price) curved OLED screen. It and 1.5GHz quad core chipset left a big mark. was one of the first mainstream represent a nice bump in phones to feature one. processing power compared to So, for the inevitable late the Note 4, matching the S6 2015 Note-class release, range. Like the S6 Edge Plus, its industry commentators RAM also gets another 1GB assumed that the same may added, taking it to a very happen again – essentially both healthy 4GB in total and giving devices made larger and given Android 5.1.1 plenty of room to a bump and a pen, or even stretch its legs. that the Note 5 would be a So with the difficult-to-keep- cross between 2014's Note typing Galaxy S6 Edge Plus Edge and the S6 Edge – a maybe not quite as exciting as it larger, pen equipped device could have been, most attention with a curved screen. fell on the availability of the Note So, which of these 5, the latest in the stalwart happened? Well, surprisingly, business range. Sadly, it seems neither. In fact what was the Note update may not be Mobile

7070 IssueIssue 1377 1267 Accelerated Phun Unit

Andrew Unsworth makes amends for letting a new wallet-friendly AMD chip pass him by

omething that slipped overclock it, which means the out One For All’s latest crop of my attention a few A8-7670K could be a great replacement remote controls. weeks back is AMD’s choice if you’re looking for a We all have that one person in S latest processor, the relatively inexpensive chip that our households who hogs the A8-7670K, which occupies the you can overclock. remote control and subjects upper mid-range in AMD’s AMD’s APUs have always the rest of us to such televisual accelerated processing unit had great graphics treats as soap operas, never (APU) lineup (tinyurl.com/ performance, and although ending competitive cooking pbgd8oy). These processors the on-chip graphics competitions and courtroom- are designed to provide processors won’t replace a based reality TV – but now budget-conscious system- good graphics card for high- you no longer need to Andrew Unsworth has builders with processors that end gaming, they’re certainly suffer. Simply go to One For been writing about are more than able to support good enough for casual All’s website (tinyurl.com/ common tasks such as web gaming and low-end 3D ppm2vnh) and choose the technology for several browsing, producing business gaming. The A8-7670K has a replacement remote control for years, he's handy with documents, watching films built-in R7-class graphics your TV. a spanner, and his and so on. The processors processor, and AMD claims it’s One For All says that it handshaking skills have multiple cores and a good enough for gamers to remote controls are 100% are second to none novel architecture that has the enjoy smooth Full HD compatible with the TVs chip’s processor and graphics resolutions in many games, they’re designed to support;

cores working together to although experience with past so, should you require a Hardware enhance performance. Pairing A-series chips tells me you’ll Sony TV remote control it one of AMD’s A-series APUs have to tone down the quality should work with your Sony with an SSD is a great way to settings on 3D titles. TV without any problems. build a snappy, responsive Kaveri and Godavari chips According to One For All, the system with enough grunt to work with FM2+ motherboards, remote controls should also keep your family happy. which are some of the best- work straight out of the box The A8-7670K is part of a value motherboards you’ll find, (with the addition of batteries, refresh of AMD’s Kaveri chips, with price starting from just of course) with absolutely no and this new series of chips is over £30. The A8-7670K costs setup required on your part. dubbed Godavari. The around £80, so If you’re The rebellion starts here, if A8-7670K has four processor looking to build a bargain you’re brave enough. cores and runs at a stock clock system then you should give an Of course, you may just speed of 3.6GHz, with a it some serious consideration. just want a replacement for a 3.9GHz boost speed when busted remote control... thermal conditions allow for it. Control Your Remotes However, the K in the chip’s Ever wanted to reclaim control  No more arguing over the remote name signifies that you can of your TV? You should check control?

IssueIssue 1377 1194 7171 Specialists

Highway To HAL

Ryan Lambie has loved videogames since he first stared up in awe at A battle of wits between human and machine takes place on a a Galaxian arcade lonely space station in the superb-looking indie game, Event[0]. cabinet in his local chip shop. 28 years on, Ryan This week, Ryan takes a look at the eerie sci-fi adventure writes about gaming for Micro Mart. He’s still Event[0], and checks out World Of Warcraft's subscriber addicted to chips and base decline over the past six months... still useless at Galaxian Plug & Play Event[0]'s action takes place For a game which began as a Some of the most promising- in an experimental space craft student project, Event[0] looks looking games on the horizon called the Nautilus, floating like a remarkably polished and are set in the chilly vacuum of thousands of miles from home assured piece of work. What it space. No Man's Sky, Hello and seemingly deserted. Your only lacks in fancy textures and lighting Games' galactic exploration companion is a the ship's HAL-like effects it more than makes up sim, aims to create an entire computer, which talks at length for in its layout and gnawing, procedurally-generated universe about someone called Anele but low-key tension. What happened of living, breathing planets. won't, worryingly, explain to you aboard the Nautilus? What Then there's Adrift, the dizzying exactly what happened to her. dreadful secret is its neurotic first-person survival game where Essentially, Event[0] is a mixture computer hiding? We're looking you're thrown into the midst of a of first-person exploration game forward to getting some answers crumbling space station in Earth's and text adventure, where you when Event[0] comes out next upper orbit. interact with the computer by year. For now, you can find out Its first-person perspective typing questions or requests more at event0game.com. immerses the player in a quite into the terminals you'll find eerie zero-gravity environment, dotted around the craft. What's Online where debris-strewn station so intriguing about the game A decade's a long time, exteriors give way to awe- is just how convincingly real particularly in the fast-moving inspiring space vistas as you the computer's responses are; world of videogames. But where search for oxygen and other items like 2001: A Space Odyssey, other MMOs and even the that will help keep you alive for a Event[0] depicts an increasingly companies behind them have few more precious moments. strained relationship between risen and fallen over the past 10 Adrift's creators, Adam human and machine. The years, World Of Warcraft has Orth and Omar Aziz, have Nautilus's computer seems remained evergreen, retaining cited Stanley Kubrick's seminal intent on keeping you in the a user base in the millions even 2001: A Space Odyssey as dark about exactly what's in the face of newer, flashier an inspiration when coming happened in the immediate past, diversions from rival studios. up with their game's sober and, more spookily still, seems And yet even a game lavished sci-fi look and feel, from the desperate to keep you around with as much funding and fan uncluttered, clinical lines of its as a companion. "You are the support as Warcraft has some space station to the constant only person I can talk to," the kind of shelf life, and its recent sense of isolation. Kubrick's computer says when you ask it subscriber figures might suggest sci-fi classic has clearly also had to open an external door. The that this most resilient of MMOs an impact on Event[0], a game aim of Event[0], it seems, is to is finally succumbing to the that introduces the player to an find out what happened aboard ravages of time. increasingly sinister artificially the ship without hurting the As expected, the 2014 intelligent computer. computer's feelings. expansion Warlords Of Draenor Gaming

7272 IssueIssue 1377 1229 GAMING

much sleep over it. Hearthstone: Incoming Heroes Of Warcraft, Blizzard's EA's penchant for games digital card game spin-off, is requiring an internet connection bringing in a monthly revenue has backfired before; SimCity of more than $20 million from being a prime example. It's microtransactions according to a repeating the tactic again with report published by SuperData. Need For Speed, though, but According to the research that's not gone down well with company's figures, that places the game's fan base. Hearthstone ahead of not only The game's executive its rival card games, but even a producer Marcus Nilsson used a gigantic MOBA like Dota 2, which recent Official Xbox Magazine earns around $18m each month. interview to make the case that Just as Blizzard managed to the decision improves the game conquer the MMORPG market rather than just being an attempt with World Of Warcraft, so it's to curb piracy. He points to the captured the digital card-playing reboot's online tracking system, zeitgeist with Hearthstone, Autolog, which will "treat a game that has gone from your friend's play as if it's part standing start to market of the narrative experience", dominance in just a year. With and a feature where photos of that, Heroes Of The Storm your exploits can be shared for catering to the MOBA crowd and in-game currency. Will these multiplayer shooter Overwatch elements be enough to placate waiting in the wings, Blizzard's those critics? We'll just have to run of form looks set to continue wait and see when Need For for many years to come. Speed appears in November.

 Just six months after the release of World Of Warcraft's last expansion, the MMORPG's user base has fallen from 10m to 5.6m. The next expansion, Legion, may help to stem the flow saw Warcraft's user base rapidly 2010, when its subscriber base spike from around 7.1 million topped out at a staggering 12 to 10 million – essentially million. Blizzard still has plans for returning it to its standing in Warcraft's future, ageing though 2012 following the release of the MMO is. the previous expansion, Mists At Gamescom, the firm Of Pandaria. In previous years, announced Legion, Warcraft's Warcraft's numbers fell slowly sixth expansion. It will – again in each subsequent quarter as – raise the level cap and add players gradually monstered their a range of new dungeons, way through new content, but characters, raids and other Warlords Of Draenor has seen content. Thought to be scheduled a far more pronounced decline: for release roughly in the middle in the six months since the of 2016, Legion marks what expansion launched in late 2014, will be an accelerated cycle of Warcraft's subscribers fell from 10 new content for Warcraft, with million to 5.6 million. Blizzard hoping to keep player While that's still a healthy interest on a more even keel figure, it still represents a 10-year with a more regular diet of new low for Blizzard's RPG behemoth; adventures over the coming years. back in 2005, World Of Warcraft Even if Blizzard can't maintain was only one year old and still Warcraft's already remarkable  Racing reboot Need For Speed will require a constant web connection, making its upward climb which longevity for another decade, but executive producer Marcus Nilsson says it's necessary for the game's wouldn't reach its peak until we doubt the company will lose Autolog tracking system

Issue 1377 73 Index AD INDEX

2/3 CCL 23 Laptop Screen

6/7 Morgan 25 TP Link

11 Falcon Computers 29 Modecom

12/13 PC Specialist 91 Sapphire

21 AOC 92 Microdream

To advertise contact :

Joe Teal: +44 (0)20 7907 6689 [email protected]

NOTE TO ADVERTISERS

Micro Mart © Dennis Publishing, 30 Cleveland Street, London W1T 4JD. Company registered in England No 1138891. This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in part without the written consent of the publisher. Quotations for re-prints or other use of material are available on application.

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MICRO MART is published weekly by Dennis Publishing. Subscriptions rates available on request. Micro Mart welcomes the submission of articles and reviews for publication. Please enclose a stamped self adressed envelope; otherwise the return of material cannot be guaranteed. Contributions accepted for publication by Dennis Publishing will be on an all-rights basis. Views or opinions expressed by freelance contributors are not necessarily those of Dennis Publishing. Advertisements and goods/services offered are the sole responsibility of the particular advertiser and Dennis Publishing cannot be held in any way responsible. Whilst every care is taken the publishers cannot be held legally responsible for any errors in articles or advertisements or any resulting unsatisfactory transactions. We will however investigate incidents on a written complaint. © Dennis Publishing 2006. This publication may not be reproduced in or transmitted in any form in whole or in part

without the written consent of the publishers. ISSN 956-3881. Blimey. w

74 Issue 1377

TO ADVERTISE CALL JOE TEAL IT 0207 907 6689 [email protected] Essentials

76 Issue 1377

Classifieds Please mention Micro Mart when replying to adverts

To place an ad in our classifieds, simply fill in the Dell XPS12 Ultrabook. 4th gen i5, day for an extra £10. Please call form at www.micromart.co.uk or send your ad 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD 10 point all email for any questions. It has touch 12.5" 1920 x 1080 Display, Windows 7 32 bit installed and by post to Maaya Mistry, Micro Mart, Dennis Backlit US Keyboard, Wireless-AC, activated with a genuine certificate Publishing, 30 Cleveland Street, W1T 4JD Bluetooth, USB3. £395 of authenticity. Refurbished £60. Tel: Ian (01932) 856971 Tel: Dave Thomas (07828) HARDWARE FOR SALE MOTHERBOARD + RAM + Email: [email protected] 982930 or (01942) 706571 Email: GRAPHIC CARD BUNDLE. Asus Asus P5QLSE ATX motherboard. [email protected] Have you got any old kit lying P5QL SE + OCZ 4Gb RAM + 1Gb LGA 775/Socket T, P43 chipset, around you’d like to get rid of? Quadro PCI-E Graphic Card. SEE DDR2 SDRAM, FSB 1600MHz. Dell D830 laptop. Core 2 Duo Fancy making a few pounds SEPARATE ADS FOR DETAIL. I/O Backplate + Driver Disk + User T8300 2.4mhz (very fast) 2gb while you’re at it? Why not ad- From my Windows 8 machine. Guide. Rock solid board removed ram 120GB HDD, DVDRW vertise in the Micro Mart clas- BUNDLE: £105 Incl. Reg. P&P from my working machine. £39.50 Genuine Win 7 pro 32-bit sifieds? It’s easy and it’s free, Tel: Dave (01206) 298773 to include reg. UK postage. activated. Fantastic condition. just email what you’ve got, how Email: [email protected] Tel: Dave (01206) 298773 Cheaper than any on Ebay. Very much you’d like for it, and your Email: [email protected] good battery life. You can collect contact details to micromart- 2 x 2GB OCZ Gold Series DDR2 from Manchester or Portsmouth [email protected], and we’ll RAM. PC2 8500, (matched pair) NON ECC LOW DENSITY or I can courier out to you next do the rest. There are thousands P/N OCZ2G10664GK 5-6-6 LAPTOP MEMORY day for £10. Call/email with of readers out there looking for 2.1v Removed from my working MODULES. DOUBLE SIDED questions. Refurbished £80. components every week, and machine. £40 the pair incl. reg. post. RAM. Working Laptop pull, Tel: Dave Thomas (07828) 982930 you may have something un- Tel: Dave (01206) 298773 Please double check as No or (01942) 706571 wanted they’ve been searching Email: [email protected] returns due to incompatibility. Email: [email protected] for – so get in touch and save 8GB 2 X 4GB Crucial 204 Pin your kit from going to the tip! NVidia Quadro 600 GPU. 1GB SODIMM 512Mx64 DDR. Compaq/HP 6910p Laptop. Core DDR3, Dual link DVI-I + Display port. CT51264BC1067.M16FD 2 Duo 1.8mhz, 2gb Ram, 160gb Dell ULTRASHARP U2913WMT Max. Display at 60Hz + 2560x1600, BV1111Z.FS 201106 SU £27.50 Hard drive DVDCDRW Win 7 29" SUPERWIDE MONITOR FOR Direct X 11, Open GL 4.4. The best the pair incl. Reg. p&p Professional COA. Cheaper than SALE. VERY GOOD CONDITION per watt in its class. Big performance, Tel: Dave (01206) 298773 any on Ebay. Very good battery life. NO SCRATCHES OR DEAD small form factor, small power Email: [email protected] You can collect from Manchester or PIXELS, SELLING DUE TO consumption. From my working Win8 Portsmouth or I can courier out to UPGRADE TO 4K! LOVELY IPS PC. £32.50 inc Reg. post. Dell Latitude E5420 i5. Very fast you next day for an extra £10. Call SCREEN. Original Box with cables/ Tel: Dave (01206) 298773 2.5, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, or email any questions. It has Win 7 stand £280. Paypal or cheque. Email: [email protected] DVDRW fantastic condition. 32-bit installed and activated with a Email: [email protected] Cheaper than any on Ebay. Very genuine COA. Refurbished £60. Asus P5QL SE + OCZ 4Gb good battery life. You can collect Tel: Dave Thomas (07828) 982930 Acer Aspire 1670 laptop. No RAM + 1Gb Quadro PCI-E from Manchester or Portsmouth or (01942) 706571 hard disc. Otherwise in excellent Graphic Card. SEE SEPARATE or I can courier out to you next day Email: [email protected] condition. In laptop bag. £45. ADS FOR DETAIL. Removed from for an extra £10. Please call all email Tel: David (07901) 994958 my Windows 8 machine. BUNDLE for any questions. It has Windows 7 Desktop PC. Zalman T3 case, PRICE £105 Incl. Reg. P&P 64 bit installed and activated with a 3.4Ghz CPU, Asus Motherboard, Gigabyte Geforce GTX680. Tel: Dave (01206) 298773 genuine certificate of authenticity. Seagate 500gb HDD, Samsung Model GV-N680D5-2GD-B, Email: [email protected] NEW £125. Optical drive. 4gb Kingston RAM 2048MB RAM, PCIe x16, bare Tel: Dave Thomas (07828) 982930 or Wifi & Ethernet,Genuine Windows card, no box. £200 ono. Collection NVidia Quadro 600 GPU. (01942) 706571 7 Ultimate. Collection preferred only from Wokingham RG41. 1GB DDR3, Dual link DVI-I + Email: [email protected] from Flintshire or willing to discuss Tel: Bob Pratt (01189) 781753 Display port. Max. Display at options. £150. Email: [email protected] 60Hz + 2560x1600, Direct X 11, Compaq/HP nc6320 Laptop. Tel: Paul (07900) 796780 Open GL 4.4. The best graphics Core 2 Duo 1.8mhz, 512 Ram, Email [email protected] 2 x 2GB OCZ Gold Series DDR2 performance per watt in its class. 80gb Hard drive DVDRW Win 7 RAM. PC2 8500, (matched pair) Big performance, small form factor, Professional COA. Memory can PC Desktop Ram (DIMM) P/N OCZ2G10664GK 5-6-6 and small power consumption. be upgraded for an extra charge. Memory. Siemens PC100 - 2.1v Removed from my working Removed from my working Win 8 Cheaper than any on Ebay. Very 222- 620 16M x 64 SDRAM. machine. £40 the pair incl. reg. post. machine. £32.50 incl. Reg. post. good battery life. You can collect HYS64V16222GU-8 Only £8. Tel: Dave (01206) 298773 Tel: Dave (01206) 298773 from Manchester or Portsmouth Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] or I can courier out to you next E-mail: [email protected]

78 Issue 1377 Please mention Micro Mart when replying to adverts Classifieds

27" iMac. 2.9 GHz Intel i5, 1TB Laptop for sale. Dell Latitude monitors. Mainly 15” £20+p&p Toshiba Portage i5 laptop. HDD, 8GB RAM– late 2012 E5420 i5 2.5 ghz, 4GB RAM, and 17” £30+p&p but have 2.5GHz Model R830-13c 4GB Model (thin edge) iMac in good 500GB hard drive, DVDRW, others on request. When packing RAM, 320GB HDD. Wi-Fi, condition, running OSX Yosemite. built in camera. Genuine I will make sure they have lot fingerprint scanner, HDMI ouput. No keyboard or mouse. Supplied in Windows 7 64 bit professional. of padding to reduce rick of Sold on eBay for over £200; only original box. £700. Only £150 plus £12 for next day damage. Please email or call me £150 plus £15 p&p. Bargain. Great Tel: Chris Salter (01707) 880251 delivery. Payment via Paypal or for more information. condition. Very light. Email: [email protected] cheque or bank transfer, cash. Tel: David (01616) 888119 Tel: Dave Thomas (07828) 982930 Fantastic condition very fast. Email: [email protected] or (01942) 706571 ANTEC 2800 MIDI-TOWER. Tel: Dave Thomas (07828) 982930 or Email: [email protected] Black Antec case, Sempron 2800+, (01942) 706571 IBM Thinkpad T30 laptop Gigabyte m/board, 2GB RAM, 80GB Email: [email protected] for spares or repairs. Excellent Seagate Barraucda 250GB Hard-Drive, DVD-RW, 10/100 condition, but does not bootup. SATA Hard Drive 3.5". Tested Network. Clean install of Windows Laptop for sale. HP NC 6400 Core Not sure why. Could be an easy and removed from a working XP, Office 2007, fully updated & 2 DUO 2.0MHz 3GB ram 80GB fix or for parts/spares. environment. £12 inc Free activated, all usual utilities, XP COA HDD, DVDCDRW Fingerprint £15 plus P&P. Courier. Payment via PayPal. on case. £39 (P&P £15). reader, Fantastic and fast . Windows Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 Email: [email protected] Tel: Pat (07710) 348638 7 32-bit professional. Only £60 plus E-mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected] £12 for next day delivery. LAPTOP HARD DRIVE. 160GB Tel: Dave Thomas (07828) 982930 Webcam (Trust Spacecam). SATA 2.5". WESTERN DIGITAL. HP 88 Inkjet Cartridges eight time or (01942) 706571 Boxed with CD of installation Model: WD1600BEVT. Fully tested. expired boxed HP cartridges £5. Email: [email protected] software and instruction manual. Perfect working order. Partitioned Tel: Ian (01932) 856971 Perfect condition. £10. and formatted NTFS. Free postage. Email: [email protected] Asus Z97 Gryphon Armor Kit. Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 Price £22. Paypal accepted. Steel backplate with plastic top E-mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected] OPTERON 185 WORKSTATION. and auxilliary fan. Also some 2.6GHz Dual-Core, Freezer 64, minor plastic bits. £20. Email for For Sale: HP Photosmart C4585 DESKTOP HARD DRIVE. 4GB RAM, 160 + 300GB, CD-RW, more details. All-in-One multifunction colour 640GB Western Digital 3.5" DVD-RW, Floppy, network Card, Email: [email protected] printer. Perfect condition. Includes SATA model WD6400AAKS. Soundblaster , NVidea , Vista software discs and manual. £20 Perfect working order. Business, fully updated & activated, Laptop for sale. HP Compaq Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 Partitioned and formatted. Only with copy of install media & working 6910p Core 2 DUO T7300 E-mail: [email protected] used as back-up drive. Free activation number. £79 (P&P £15). 2.0mhz 3gb ram 80gb hard drive delivery. Price: £33. Tel: Pat (07710) 348638 DVDCDRW Fingerprint reader Western Digital Cavier SE PayPal accepted. Email: [email protected] fantastic and fast , Genuine win Desktop Hard Disk Drive 160GB. Email: [email protected] 7 35 bit professional Only £60 In Perfect condition. Only £10 WD 500GB external USB HDD. plus £12 for next day delivery. Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 4x 1 GB DDR2 RAM (Ocz Nvidia Excellent Condition. £20 inc. P&P. Fantastic condition, very fast. E-mail: [email protected] SLI PC2 6400 epp 4-4-4-15) Tel: Michael Cunnane (01452) 303732 Tel: Dave Thomas (07828) for Sale. £40.00 for all 4 + Post/ 982930 or (01942) 706571 Email: Netgear DG834N Rangemax Packing. In perfect working order. KINGSTON 120GB SOLID [email protected] Next Wireless N Modem Router Email: [email protected] STATE HARD DRIVE. For sale kit. Excellent condition complete 120GB Kingston solid state hard PC Desktop Ram (DIMM) with power supply, network Vintage Amstrad PC1512 HD20. drive model SSDnow V300 2.5" Memory. 64MB Siemens PC100- cables, telephone cable, ADSL Colour Monitor 20MB Hard Drive Sata3 - compatible with Sata2. Very 322-620 MT8LSDT864AG- filter and setup CD. £10. 5.25 Floppy Original Amstrad fast drive. Perfect condition. Free 10CZ5. £8. Tel: David Ewles (01295) 253554 Disks Manuals spare Keyboard delivery. PayPal accepted. Price £38. Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 Email: [email protected] and Mouse. This is a rare fully Email: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] functioning collectable. £60. Asus A8V motherboard, socket Tel: (01949) 876235 ASUS P5QL-EPU Motherboard WD 3TB internal Hard Drive. 939. Clips holding CPU cooler Email: [email protected] - 775 Socket - DDR2. Tested Excellent Condition, £65 inc P&P. broke, CPU overheated & shut and removed from a working Tel: Michael Cunnane (01452) 303732 down. M/B should be OK and 4x 1GB DDR2 Ram (OCZ Nvidia environment, comes with I/O there is 4GB of ram on board. SLI PC2 6400 epp 4-4-4-15). Plate. £45 inc Free Courier. WD Internal SATA 3.5" 2TB Free, collect only. North Wales. £40.00 for all 4 + Post/Packing. Payment via PayPal. Hard Drive. Excellent Condition. Tel: (01286) 678584 Perfect working order. Email: [email protected] £37.50 included P&P. Flat screen Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Issue 1377 79 Classifieds Please mention Micro Mart when replying to adverts

Laptop Hard Disk Drive. Fujitsu. Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 2.0GHz £10, Kingston HyperX 2x2GB 56kb Fax Modem External. £10. 20GB. Excellent condition: £10.00. Intel P4 630 3.0GHz £7, Intel Celeron DDR2 1066MHz RAM. Tested Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 M 350 1.3GHz £5, Intel Celeron and removed from a working E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] Mobile Dual core T1500 1.866Ghz environment. £45 inc Free LG Flatron W2246S 22” monitor £6, Intel Pentium 4 630 HT 3.0Ghz Courier. Payment via PayPal. with power and VGA leads. XFX GeForce Nvidia 8800Gts 2MB cache £8, AMD Athlon 64 3200 Email: [email protected] No dead pixels in very good Graphics Card For Sale. £40.00 + £5 Athlon 64 3500 £6 Athlon 64 3200 2x 512MB PC3200 DDR400. Two condition. £50 Buyer Collects Post. In perfect working order Dual core £10 postage £2. sticks were removed from working (Verwood, Dorset) Email: [email protected] Tel: Jeremy Gill (02089) 430683 system. £5, plus £1 P&P. Tel: (01202) 826057 Email: Corsair Vengence 16GB Email: [email protected] Tel: Alan (02084) 202322 [email protected] (2x 8GB) DDR3 RAM Email: [email protected] CMSX16GX3M2A1600C10. Never SKY PLUS and SKY PLUS HD DDR2 memory sale. 2x 1GB PC2100-648. These two used. Selling due to wrong voltage, REMOTEs. Original £7.50 + 2 x Nanua PC2 3700 256MB £6 pair, matched sticks were removed these are 1.5V and I needed 1.35V. P&P please email or call me for 2 x HP PC2 4200 256MB £7 pair, from one of my redundant Asking £85 inc. postage to the UK. more information. 4 x HP PC2 4200 512MB £10 pair systems. Plus one PC2700 Email: [email protected] Tel: David (01616) 888119 Email: or £18 for four. (DDR 333Mhz) and one 512Mb [email protected] Tel: Jeremy Gill (02089) 430683 PC3200 DDR400 stick. All for £5 HP Microserver n40l / windows Email: [email protected] plus £2 P&P. 7 Pro / 4GB RAM / 400GB US Robotics External 56K Tel: Alan (02084) 202322 drive / MS Office 2003. This HP Message Modem. Includes V. 90 Asus M2N2-SLI Deluxe Email: [email protected] n40l Microserver is in excellent 56K Standard X2 Technology. motherboard bundle. With AMD condition and comes with Boxed and complete. Perfect. Athlon 64 4000 CPU, 4GB of Very rare Viking IBM 16MB Windows 7 re-allocated, activated £25 + p&p. Corsair RAM plus fan, backplate, Dram Card (15109 66G5109) & updated Feb 2015. Also installed Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 manual and driver CD. £40 for Compaq, IBM Thinkpad, Etc is Minitools Partition Magic, E-mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Laptop Only £20 MS Office 2003 HP basic, with Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 codes/COAs. Buyer may have 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 MHz RAM. IBM/LENOVO SFF BASEUNIT. E-mail: [email protected] Linux Mint, or a completely bare Recently taken from a 2012 mac P4/ 2.8 H-T, 2GB RAM, 40GB Hard drive. 2 spare drive frames. I have mini. As new £25. Drive, CD-Rom, 10/100 Network, TP-Link 54Mbps 4-port Wireless the original packing as per HP Email [email protected] sound, USB, Clean install XP-pro, G Router. Perfect, boxed. Model: original delivery. So far as I can see, fully updated, Office Suite, Anti- TL-WR340G. £20 plus postage. this Microserver will take 16GB Custom Built modified Virus, & all usual utilities, COA Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 memory and up to five drives. watercooled gaming desktop. Licence Sticker & Install media, £25 E-mail: [email protected] See it working before buying, (by i5 4670K, R9 280X, Silverstone Tel: Pat (07710) 348638 arrangement). No refund under RV-01 USB3, 1000W PSU: Email: [email protected] Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 3GHz any circumstances. Collect from parachord sleeving, Z87M OC 775 Socket Processor. Tested Harrogate, North Yorkshire. £140. Formula, 8GB Kingston Fury FUJITSU-SIEMENS and removed from a working Cash on collection. Delivery 1866MHz, 180mm and 120mm MINITOWER. Pentium D 2.8 environment. £10 inc Free might cost £8 via Hermes, maybe Radiator. Yellow and Black colour Dual-Core, 2GB RAM, 80GB Courier. Payment via PayPal. much more to Highlands/Islands. scheme! No Storage. Email for Hard Drive, DVD-RW, Gigabit Email: [email protected] Payment by Cheque OK subject to pics and info. Buyer collect: network, sound, Clean Install clearing, Paypal at £25 additional Gloucestershire. £800 ono. XP-pro, fully updated, Office Addon Wireless LAN USB 2.0 (to cover their fees). Tel: Adam (07426) 874117 Email: suite, Anti-Virus & all usual 54Mbps 802.11g Adaptor. Tel: (07794) 528857 [email protected] Utilities, Legal COA sticker & Boxed w/ manual and software: £9. Email: [email protected] System Image. £35 Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 CPU sale. Intel Core 2 Duo Tel: Pat (07710) 348638 E-mail: [email protected] CD Optical Drive for installation E4400 2.0GHz £10, Intel Email: [email protected] in desktop PC Only £10. Pentium 4 630 3.0GHz £7, Intel CD Stomper CD/DVD Labelling Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 Celeron M 350 1.3GHz £5, Intel DELL OPTIPLEX GX240 SFF. System: Software, Labels and Label E-mail: [email protected] Celeron Mobile Dual core T1500 P4/1.6, 20GB hard Drive, 768MB Applicator. Boxed. Unused. £9. 1.866Ghz £6, Intel Pentium 4 RAM, CD-Rom, 10/100 network, Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 Used Asus Wireless Router for sale. 630 HT 3.0Ghz 2MB cache £8, Sound, Front USB, Clean install E-mail: [email protected] Dual-band 4 x GB Ethernet Wi-Fi AMD Athlon 64 3200 £5 Athlon XP-pro, fully updated, works RT-N66U N-900. £65.00 O.V. N.O. 64 3500 £6 Athlon 64 3200 Dual OK but slow by modern DIR-615 Wireless N Router. Selling cause I have no need for it core £10 postage £2. standards, £15. Boxed, brand new. £30. since upgrade to BT Home Hub 5. Tel: Jeremy Gill (02089) 430683 Tel: Pat (07710) 348638 Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected]

80 Issue 1377 Please mention Micro Mart when replying to adverts Classifieds

Laptop DDR2 memory sale. HARDWARE WANTED to Gerber file converter, output to 2 Corsair Value Select 533mhz printer. £9.99 IMPORTANT 1GB £18 pair, 2 Hynix 800mhz Trying to breathe life back Tel: Nigel Wright (07967) 527693 BUYING ADVICE 2GB £26 pair, 2 Generic 533mhz into an old machine? Why Email: [email protected] 1GB £15 pair,1 Generic 800mhz not submit a wanted ad and We work very hard to 1GB £10,1 Nanua 666mhz 1GB see if any of the thousands of Cyberlink PowerDVD 12 £, 1 Samsung 666mhz 1GB £8. computer enthusiasts who read Standard. Runs under Windows police our classified Postage included the magazine each week have 8, 7, Vista or XP. Original CD ads, and make them Tel: Jeremy Gill (02089) 430683 what you’re looking for? with unused product key £7.50 as secure as possible. Email: [email protected] Tel: Ian (01932) 856971 However, please do 2x 120GB Maxtor DiamondPlus 9 WANTED: PC Tower case (beige Email: [email protected] your bit too and use the Drives plus 1x 80GB DiamondPlus colour if possible) to rehome an Microsoft Office 2013. Original following guidelines: 10. Can be supplied with 2x plug-in Amiga A1200 vintage computer. Software only £100. caddies. Reasonable offers please. The Amiga motherboard is H Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 Tel: Alan (02084) 202322 410mm x L 190mm (H 16" x L 7.5"). E-mail: [email protected] • Never - NEVER - pay by Email: [email protected] PSU not an issue but if available 250 bank transfer or post out cash, watt more than enough. Sim City 2000. Boxed and unless you know the trader HP Elitebook 8760w i7 2820QM @ Tel: Bill (07742) 061569 or original. Classic gaming. £15. already, or are sure it is okay 2.2GHz 32GB RAM 750GB HDD (02641) 769503. Tel: Gordon (01314) 660205 to do so. Pay by cheque, Paypal, Quadro 4000M GPU. Only 2 small E-mail: [email protected] marks on whole machine. Cost WANTED: Fractal Design Define Nochex etc wherever possible. £3500 when new. £900 ONO XL full tower case. R1 (original Norton Family Premier 2.0. Runs Tel: (07772) 926632 version) in black. under Windows 8, 7, Vista or XP, • Be wary of anyone who insists Email: [email protected] Tel: (01670) 860146 Original Symantec unused on you paying by the above Email: [email protected] product key £15. methods if in doubt, get us WD 2TB desktop HDD. Formatted Tel: Ian (01932) 856971 to check them out by mailing ready for an OS. Runs very nicely. WANTED: Working Dot Matrix Email: [email protected] New laptop means desktop items Printer in Good Condition. [email protected] must go! £40 inc. tracked postage. Thanks! Nuance Omnipage 18. OCR for Tel: (01619) 501218 Email: printer.20.odaily@ Windows 8, 7, Vista or XP, Original • Keep copies of all Email: [email protected] spamgourmet.com CD with unused product key £25. correspondence Tel: Ian (01932) 856971 Toshiba C500D-B-11 laptop. Almost WANTED: Acorn computer Email: [email protected] • When sending out goods, at new cost £279 will accept £150ono either an A5000 or A7000. Also Tel: (01217) 535324 book on teaching yourself binary. Acronis True Image Home 2012. the least obtain a certificate of Tel: (07817) 861011 Bootable CD. Application runs posting from the Post Office Intel 3930K processor. Used, but Email: [email protected] under Windows 8, 7, Vista or XP. not overclocked. No box or fan. Original Acronis CD with unused If you are in any doubt, £220 ono. Will ship to UK address. product key £5. SOFTWARE FOR SALE feel free to send us a mail Tel: Tim (01623) 624509 Tel: Ian (01932) 856971 via editorial@micromart. Email [email protected]. Do you have old software that Email: [email protected] you simply don't use? Why not co.uk. Amstrad PcW 9256 in good advertise with us and see if anyone SOFTWARE WANTED working order with software. Offers. else can make use of it – you may Every year, thousands of Tel: John Adams (02088) 641202 well be surprised to find that Wanted:I have a BCL 2.4g Wirless successful transactions Email: [email protected] someone is looking for it! Gaming Mouse, Model: RF0P77 (3v take place through our 7ma) but no Drivers. Can someone classifieds, and that's just Asus P8Z68-v LX socket 1155 Adobe Photoshop Elements help with a copy of the Original motherboard. Original box 1/0 and Premiere Elements 12 Drivers for this Wireless Mouse>?? how we like it. cover user guide driver disk fitted Full Version - Windows/Mac. [email protected] core i3 2100 CPU 3-1GHz and 8GB Original Boxed CD with unused Help us help you PC1300 memory. No fan. Working product key. £47.50 Wanted: Driver disc for Toshiba keep them one of the fast and fine. £125 + free postage. Tel: Ian (01932) 856971 L30-11D PSL33E laptop. Laptop safest and most secure Tel: (01619) 501218 Email: [email protected] useless without drivers but only places to buy and sell Email: [email protected] worth £40, so cannot pay a lot. PCB design software 127 layers, Tel: John Udall (01384) 824494 computer kit. schematic entry, PCB entry, PCB Email: [email protected]

Issue 1377 81 Missing GWX Once you've done this, from bit.ly/1JZCoDW; run it ASK Now that Windows 10 is reboot your PC. If all has and follow the instructions, If available, I'm keen to give the gone well, you should see the you still don't have the icon, AARON new version a go. One thing Windows 10 upgrade icon on proceed to the next steps. that confused me about the the task bar. Click this, and The first of these will be to upgrade is how to actually get proceed as instructed. The app check that the icon isn't actually it. I was under the belief that can also be missing if you're hidden. To do this, right- the update would be made running a Windows install click the task bar clock and available for free, and we'd that’s not genuine or if, for select Customize Notification have the option to simply some reason, your PC isn't Icons. Look for the GWX Get upgrade when it was ready. compatible with Windows 10. Windows 10 icon. If it's listed, This seems to be what other You should also be running it's probably set to be hidden, people do, but as far as I can IE11. Enterprise OS versions so set it to show up. see, I don't have the option. are not supported by this Should that not work, next I've not had any contact, upgrade process, so the app check to see if the upgrade or emails, and nothing in won't appear. It'll also not app is on your system by Windows 8 seems to suggest appear if your PC is on a going to its folder in Explorer. how I proceed. domain or a network. You'll find this at C:\Windows\ I've looked online, and have If this update doesn't work, System32\GWX. If the GWX found that I'm supposed to you may need to take further folder isn't present, then it's have some kind of application steps. First, we'd recommend not installed, so you'll need to that lets me upgrade to trying out Microsoft's own fixit focus on actually getting hold Windows 10. I don't have this, tool. You can grab this tool of the app. and I'm not sure where to get it. I've looked in the Windows store, and can't find it there, so am at a bit of a loss. Meet Aaron Birch. I'm hoping you can help with this. I'd like to upgrade He’s here to help you and give Windows 10 a go. with any general I'm running Windows 8, and upgrading, software have a Dell laptop. and system building problems. He’s got Tim advice aplenty, and It would appear as though you’re very much you're having problems welcome to it! preventing the Windows 10 upgrade app from being pushed out to your PC. As Send your questions to: Aaron Birch it's an application, you'd be Micro Mart forgiven for thinking you can Dennis Publishing download it from the Windows 30 Cleveland Street store, but this isn't the case.  Check your Windows update history for problems if you don't have the London Instead, the app is pushed out Windows 10 update application W1T 4JD to you via Windows Update. If you have problems with your Contact Aaron by email at: Windows updates, it's common [email protected] for the app to be absent. Please try to keep your The usual fix for this issue queries brief and limit is to ensure that you're up to them to just one question date, so run Windows Update per letter, simply so we and download and install all can squeeze in as many as we can each week. Please relevant files. This includes any include relevant technical service packs, such as Windows information too. 7 SP1 and Windows 8.1. You should also check to see if any previous updates have failed. You can do this by going to Control Panel and selecting View Update History in the Aaron Windows Update section found in System And Security.  Microsoft has a GWX app fix tool that could help, and it's easy to use

82 Issue 1377 THE EXPERTS

A widely used fix for the missing If you already have this update, and it's install is to manually install the required not working, make sure you uninstall it Windows update. This will change via Control Panel before running one of depending on your current version these again. of Windows, but I'll include the links The final suggestion we have to resolve here. Simply download and install the this situation is to do away with the corresponding update, and when you Windows update app altogether and reboot, you should see the app appear. instead upgrade using the Windows 10 This is especially useful if you've run auto Media Creation Tool. As we outlined last update, but the update required failed, week, this can be used to create your or if you've opted to not download own installs and media – including USB optional, recommended updates (which and disc. this actually is). The update in question is It's a local install, so doesn't need the  The Windows 10 Media Creation Tool lets you KB3035583, and the links are as follows, app at all, thus solving your problems download the Windows 10 image and make your shortened to make it easier. in a couple of relatively simple steps. own install media, no GWX app needed Just make sure you choose the upgrade Windows 7 32-bit (bit.ly/1JbHHk6) option, otherwise you'll need an actual Follow the instructions there, and ensure Windows 7 64-bit (bit.ly/1AKm47C) Windows 10 key, which you won't have. you pick the right Windows versions Windows 8.1 32-bit (bit.ly/1Qr1S1B) The upgrade doesn't require a key. You (Home/Pro). This should then let you Windows 8.1 64-bit (bit.ly/1LABmMC) can get the tool from bit.ly/1KwZCCq. install with no problems.

Uphill Install to the actual Windows 10 install rather issues if they're listed and update again. This I'm trying to install Windows 10 on my than an update. includes KB3035583, the GWX update. laptop using the Windows 10 flag icon, The first step I'd take is to run Windows If the issue persists, I'd advise the alternative and all seems to go okay. To this point Update again just to see if there are any I've suggested to others; that's to use the I've been given a reservation, downloaded other updates you need. Let this run through downloaded ISO method. The Media Creation the files needed, and am apparently ready if needed, and then, back in Control Panel\ Tool supplied by Microsoft (bit.ly/1KwZCCq) to install. I click the continue button and System and Security, click View Update will let you do this, and the install here is a the installer says it's getting things ready, History. Ensure all of your previous updates local install. It should let you set up Windows but after a minute or so, it just quits, and have been installed properly. If any haven't, 10 with no problems. nothing else happens. use Control Panel\ Programs\ Uninstall a I've tried running the install several Program and click View Installed Updates.  Uninstall problem updates and then reinstall to times, but the same thing happens each Now remove any updates that may have solve some Windows 10 update issues time. I do recall getting a blue screen of some sort on my first attempt, which was a couple of days ago, but I don't remember what the error was I'm afraid. I have been into my Windows Update, and it shows an error number – C1900101- 4000D. It says the last update failed. I hope you can help solve this problem, as I would like to make use of the free upgrade to Windows 10. I'm running Windows 8.1.

Wesley

The blue screen you encountered when you first attempted to install Windows 10 is probably the most important part of this issue, so it's a shame you can't remember the actual error message. However, I've heard similar issues to this, so could still help. Amidst the various mails I've had regarding Windows 10, I've seen the error C1900101-4000D before. It would certainly seem to be related to some sort of update issue, although the error refers

Issue 1377 83 Core Blimey! already baked in. There *is* a solution, though. ASK I was going to replace my Core 2 Quad Q6600 It involves renaming a system file (once you’re setup (quad-core, 2.4GHz) with one based on a up and running). The full instructions can be JASON Pentium G3258 (dual-core, 3.2GHz). As you’ll found at goo.gl/Z5UtXt. know, this is the ‘anniversary edition’ Pentium, From what I can gather on the subject, the with an unlocked multiplier and monster over- crux is that overclocking is only supposed to clocking ability (4.5GHz and maybe beyond). be possible on Z-series chipsets, but some However, I’ve just discovered it doesn’t work motherboard makers have found a way to with Windows 10, not unless one core is dis- enable it on cheaper chipsets. I think the abled or it’s put back to stock speed. purpose of KB3064209 is to put the kibosh on Microsoft blames Intel and Intel blames that little bit of innovation. You’d think other Microsoft. I think it’s some sort of Windows CPUs would be affected, but there’s no real update that causes the problem, and it also evidence of that. There’s evidence, though, that affects Windows 7. What’s the point of the even some Z-series users have come unstuck. It’s G3258 if one company or the other is blocking its a shambles, basically, and also morally dubious. full capabilities? Is the block accidental, or is Intel trying to push users into buying a £200 Core i5? I’ll probably now defect to AMD, especially as its It’s a shambles, CPUs are cheaper. Join the rebellion!  z Anthony Jenkinson, via Facebook basically, and also

Truth be told, I’m not sold on the Pentium morally dubious G3258. For starters, it’s £59 – a 50% markup  on the cost of the G3250, which is the same CPU but with a locked multiplier. To reach those monster overclocks, Anthony, you’d need The long and the short of Anthony, is that the an after-market cooler, too, so that’s another Pentium G3258 is more trouble than it’s worth. Meet Jason £20 (for, say, an Arctic Freezer 7 Pro rev.2). Instead of messing about with it I’d recommend D’Allison, a veteran An overclocking-capable motherboard would you save yourself a boatload of hassle and buy of Micro Mart’s panel also be required, one with the Z97 chipset (or a Core i5. For performance users, AMD’s CPUs of experts. He’s here the older Z87). About the cheapest, at £61, is aren’t on the radar, sadly. to help with any ASRock’s Z97 Anniversary. That’s a tally of £140. Also, bear in mind that LGA 1150, the A Core i5-4460 costs £143. That’s got the platform under discussion here, is end-of-line. technical questions, same 3.2GHz base frequency, two extra cores, It’s all about LGA 1151 now, with compatible including anything Turbo Boost, double the amount of L3 cache, and CPUs – the Skylake jobs – already on the to do with tablets or superior in-built graphics (if needed). It’d run a shelves. Think hard before opening that wallet smartphones, as well treat on the stock cooler, and you could shove it for something that will be obselete before too as PCs in a motherboard that uses the bargain-bucket much time has passed! H81 chipset. MSI’s H81M-P33, as an example, Send your questions to: costs just £32. The tally then would be around Note – All prices were taken from www.ebuyer. Jason D’Allison the £175 mark. com on 19th August. Micro Mart Yes, £35 more is £35 more, but the i5-4460 Dennis Publishing at 3.2GHz beats the G3258 at 4.5GHz in  Is the Pentium G3258 ‘anniversary edition’ really all 30 Cleveland Street every benchmark. Sometimes it trounces it. London that worthwhile? Not really W1T 4JD Overclocking is fun, but only for half an hour. Once you’ve got everything stable, the game’s Contact Jason by email at: over. Until the blue screens start, at any rate, [email protected] and until you find your programs doing funny things. That’s when the real fun and games While we try to cover as many begin! Except it’s not much fun. questions as we can, we regret So, what about this Intel and Microsoft that Jason cannot answer your shenanigans? As you say, many Pentium G3258 questions personally, but he’ll cover owners can’t get Windows 10 to run or even as many as he possibly can each install unless they remove any overclock or week. Please ask one question per letter and remember to include the knock a core out. As you suggest, Anthony, the full specification of your computer, issue first cropped up in Windows 7 and 8.x. including its operating system. The culprit is KB3064209, a CPU microcode update. Here’s Microsoft’s spiel on it, if you fancy a read: goo.gl/BQcgJa. With Windows 7 and 8.x, users can circumvent the issue simply by not installing the Jason update. In Windows 10, however, the update is

84 Issue 13611377 THE EXPERTS

Cleaning The Windows setups have been done from Windows 7. In the next new window, select Recovery Like many others, I’ve just pulled the It’s a mystery (ask Toyah), especially as some and then hit the ‘Get started’ button under trigger on Windows 10, upgrading from colleagues I’ve spoken to say they have been ‘Reset this PC’. From the pop-up that Windows 7. In preparation I backed up all my given the choice. appears, choose ‘Remove everything’. You’ll important data, planning to choose the ‘keep Anyway, Nigel, it’s all moot. Now you’ve soon have a Windows 10 installation that’s nothing’ option and have a clean install (or got Windows 10 up and running, click as close to clean as makes no difference. near enough). But no such option appeared, the Start button (hooray for the – nearly – so I’ve ended up with all my previous apps, proper Start button) and select Settings. In  I can’t understand why options like this settings, and files. This is no good, as I the new window, select ‘Update & security’. weren’t introduced in XP or even before wanted the PC wiped of all the crud it’s accumulated over the years. What did I do wrong? I guess I’ll have to re-install...

Nigel, Essex

I’ve scratched my head over this, too. Before Windows 10 went gold, I definitely read that upgraders would get the choice to keep everything or keep nothing. In the setups I’ve done, however, everything’s just been kept – I’ve had no say in the matter. Of course, if a program or piece of hardware isn’t compatible and will be lost or rendered unusable, an alert’s (usually) given. Maybe the choice was available only in the Windows 10 previews? I confess I didn’t try any. Or maybe it’s only there when upgrading from Windows 8.1? All my

Stuck On A Level is end-of-life. If you reach this point, don’t fifteen minutes and a new dock port (£2) About a week ago I updated iOS on my bother going to Apple, not unless you visit in about an hour (get the type with the iPhone 4s from 8.4 to 8.4.1. Since then I’ve the bank first or give Wonga a bell. Many ribbon and microphone attached). had charging problems. When I plug the local shops will do the repairs for a fraction of Buy both at the same time. Try the charger in, the phone’s charging symbol the cost, as will many eBay sellers (you post battery swap first and move on to the often doesn’t appear, and if it does it usually your phone in and they post it back). dock port if you don’t hit the jackpot the vanishes within seconds. Charging isn’t com- Neither job is hard, however. Take a look first time around. pletely broken, however, as I’ve been using at this 4s iFixit guide: goo.gl/QdkMoX. the phone since the update and the battery’s Even if you’re a total beginner, a new  Almost everything on an iPhone can be fixed never gone flat, though the charge level never battery (£5 on eBay) can be fitted in about cheaply and easily (especially with older models) gets above about 42%. I’ve tried numerous chargers and cables. What’s your diagnosis?

Jack, Gmail

Ah, yes, I’ve encountered this many times. Don’t panic, Jack! There’s an outside chance your 4s’s charging circuitry is shafted, but I think that’s unlikely. More probable is a simple software crash. This isn’t uncommon after an update, and the answer is a soft reset (you won’t lose any data). Simultaneously hold down the home and power buttons until the phone reboots – it should take five to ten seconds. I’ve seen this fix no end of iPhone charging problems. If it doesn’t fix yours, maybe the dock port’s dirty. Give it a good scrubbing with a tooth-brush. Still no joy? Maybe the port’s actually damaged, or maybe the battery itself

Issue 1377 85 Crowdfunding Corner

A new month means it’s time to look at the fun side of Kickstarter – video games. This time we’re going history-themed, with a pair games set in the distant past

Trial By Viking This Viking-themed indie platformer replicates the feel of games Blackwake like Rogue Legacy, Castlevania and Metroid with its combination Blackwake is a multiplayer team game for Windows and Mac of retro-styled thrills and modern visuals. Over 130 hand-crafted OS X centred around Naval Battles, and set during the Age of levels, 80 unique enemies, 27 boss battles and a huge number of Sail. Designed to evoke the feeling of being part of a crew, it is challenges and puzzle elements mean this game is packed up to its played in real-time, in a full 3D environment, and requires strong horns with things to discover. Along the way you can upgrade your communication between players who take on any one of several character to emphasise your own playing style, and 28 cutscenes tell different roles in the crew to help the ship navigate and fight the game’s story in tandem with in-game dialogue that gives you the during a match. ability to alter the story outcome. Features include various ship sizes, destructible ships, Aimed at multiple platforms, Trial by Viking is being produced for melee and ranged combat for boardings, varied weather and Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS and Android, with console releases environments, land/sea battles and even the possibility of also planned. The game has already been through considerable encountering sea monsters on your adventures. The game is development, and this campaign is specifically being run to fund already partially complete and there’s plenty of evidence that it’s software licenses for the engine, the composition of original audio, going to deliver on these ambitious promises. Kickstarter backers new artwork and the relevant testing equipment. will get Early Access through Steam, a bonus that is not available The game will be released in February 2016 for desktop platforms any other way. (though be warned – almost every Kickstarter game slips a few months, A copy of the game is priced very reasonably as just AUD$19 and some slip a lot) with other versions to follow. At time of writing it’s (£9), with higher tiers including multiple copies and exclusive still possible to get an early-bird copy for just $10 (£6.50) but even full in-game items. Delivery is planned for August 2016, and the goal price it’s only $13 (£8.50). Higher tiers include early-access to alpha and of AUD 10,000 has long since been smashed, with the project beta copies, a copy of the soundtrack, and downloadable art book. The current poised to beat that amount tenfold. That means, with goal for the project is $7,000, and with over $2,000 raised in the first over 2000 backers already, you shouldn’t be short of people to day, it seems a safe bet that it’s going to reach that modest amount. play with either. URL: kck.st/1JfPTyL URL: kck.st/1DSbjBq Funding Ends: Thursday, September 17th 2015 Funding Ends: Thursday, September 3rd 2015

Disclaimer: Images shown may be prototypes and Micro Mart does not formally endorse or guarantee any of the projects listed. Back them at your own risk!

86 Issue 1377 APP OF THE WEEK App Of The Week BubbleUPnP

Accessing and streaming media from one device to the next has never been easier

he power of a modern mobile BubbleUPnP device is truly amazing. Not BubbleUPnP is an app made up of a couple of Features At A Glance only can we play some devilishly distinct elements. For one, it will find shared • UPnP/DLNA media servers: most T clever games on them, but they media from any DLNA certified device, such NASs, XBMC, Plex, Twonky, can also play back a wealth of media file as a NAS drive, and allow you to play it on Serviio, Windows Media Player types with perfect clarity and in most the mobile device on which it is installed. and many more cases, in glorious high definition. Thanks Another element is its ability to send media • • Local media stored on your to the continuing development and to other network connected players around Android device improvements to DLNA, which started off your home. So essentially, you can select the • • Cloud media: Google Drive, life as something of a pain to get going, media from a networked device, and select Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Music we can now utilise the impressive abilities what other device you want it to end up • • Media from other apps such as of our mobile devices to stream content playing on. web browsers and file managers, to and from various sources around our It’s a remarkably simple app to use too, using Share/Send digitally connected homes. all that’s needed is to search for the DLNA While this combination of ever-more device on the currently connected network, powerful mobile devices and media then browse the shared folders until you find and media, and gives you the choice to opt connecting technology makes for a pretty the media you’re interested in and finally tap for which one to play the content with. impressive mixture, with the help of the media in question and BubbleUPnP will Also, you can select to download media BubbleUPnP we can now have something start to play it. However, it doesn’t transcode from a NAS device, or other DLNA device, close to perfect solution for using our video on the fly by default. To bridge this, to the SD Card on your phone, so you can phones or tablets to meet all our media BubbleUPnP presents the locally installed take the media with you when you leave the needs, wherever we roam. players capable of handling the video codec comfort of your home network.

Conclusion There are a many streaming and player apps, and BubbleUPnP is just one of them. It’s really very good, though: easy to use, fast enough to keep up with the streaming media and offering a server-based version – along with free and paid for versions of the client (the latter removes adverts that appear along the top of the screen). On the whole it’s a good addition to the many apps you probably already have, and if you’re seriously considering making all your media accessible around yout home, then BubbleUPnP will certainly do an admirable job. We found it far better, in many ways, than ES File Explorer, which we’ve used in the past. Also, it doesn’t have the annoying knack of taking long pauses  Streaming and accessing your  You can browse the  Create Playlists from your between music tracks like ES File Explorer music collection from a NAS is contents of DLNA devices and Library and media sources does when playing from an online or locally excellent with BubbleUPnP tap to play stored network source.

Issue 1377 87 A few commercials are still banging on about the ‘driving experience’, and others that just show young people enjoying themselves coincidentally with being in a car. What’s becoming clear, though, is that many car makers are pushing the notion that the vehicle itself can start taking Logging care of some functions traditionally allocated to the driver. This is part of a longer conditioning exercise that will ultimately end in the car that drives itself, once such an idea has become generally accepted. And, the best way for that to happen is for us all to give up small amounts of control, before we give it all up. This all sounds vaguely familiar somehow, from a computing perspective? Off At the moment this process is mostly carrot, with these features being used to attract those who aren’t confident of their skills, or who are getting older. Yet in the end the final push will probably be more stick shaped, when insurers make it very expensive for you to drive your own car when it can navigate much more safely without any human intervention. At that point, actual driving will be relegated to the super- rich, ex-Top Gear presenters and the like, who can afford to get coverage to be on the roads wholly unassisted. Those who have seen what happens when people drink and drive will probably rejoice, and those who actually enjoyed the open road and their automotive pride and joys will cry into their lime and soda. As a non-driver, I’ve got mixed feelings about this; while I like the re you ready for driverless cars? I ask this because idea of owning a vehicle that can take me to the pub and back, deep they’re obviously coming, even if the automotive down I know that it will most likely be used to control traffic in a way industry seems hell bent on taking the scenic route to that makes George Orwell’s 1984 world seem like Disney. A get there. If you remain unconvinced of my assertion, At this time it’s estimated that 10% of cars either aren’t check out the latest car TV adverts, because there is an underlying insured, aren’t taxed or have no MOT – and a good number aren’t theme in many of them. There’s one where the car parks itself, and roadworthy. This causes huge problems when they’re involved in another where it brakes automatically, and yet another that alerts accidents, and given that their drivers aren’t big on rules, they have you to lane changes. proportionally more of them.

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88 Issue 13771213 THIS WEEK'S CROSSWORD However, any automatic driving system is going Across Down to use a country-wide (or 7 A group of bits indicating the 1 An area or stretch of land having global) system to register status of something inside a a particular characteristic, purpose, all vehicles in real time, computer, often used to decide or use. (4) probably with how many passengers are inboard and what instructions the computer will 2 A formal notice of a financial what their intended destination is. I can’t think of a subsequently execute. (9,4) transaction. (6) single intelligence service that would ignore that all-you- 8 The second ‘D’ in DDOS. (6) 3 Relating to a star or stars. (7) can-eat data buffet, can you? The nirvana of personal 9 An anxiety disorder characterized 4 Multiple executions of a repeating transport for the elderly, unskilled and impaired will be by extreme and irrational fear of set of computer instructions. (5) presented, and surveillance issues that come with it will simple things or social situations. (6) 5 “Connects you and your Apple be quietly ignored. 10 Helps to keep the workings of devices in amazing ways..” (6) How can I be so sure? That’s largely what happened with your PC nice and cool. (4,3) 6 The arithmetic operation of Smartphone technology, the Internet and CCTV. 12 Speak or perform without summing. (8) Driverless cars are coming. Not this year, but some year previously preparing one’s 11 A coil in which voltage is soon and, unless the code is really badly written, they’ll words. (2,3) induced by motion through a not be driving over people but they may be leaving tread 14 A monitoring system in magnetic field. (8) marks on our personal liberties. If we’ve any of those left computer hard disks and SSD’s that 13 The positively charged dense by then, anyway. detects and reports on various centre of an atom. (7) indicators of drive reliability, 15 The final consequence of a (Acronym) (5) sequence of actions or events Pickavance 16 Found in the ordinary course of expressed qualitatively or Mark events. (7) quantitatively. (6) 19 A state of stability, in which all 17 A periodical consisting of forces are equal and opposing, condensed versions of pieces of LAST WEEK'S CROSSWORD therefore they cancel out each writing or news published other. (6) elsewhere. (6) 20 Software or hardware that 18 A utility module which provides Across: 7 Colloquialism, 8 Alumni, 9 Coeval, 10 Polygon, has been superseded but is straight-forward, powerful functions 12 Atlas, 14 G-Suit, 16 Shelved, 19 Adware, 20 Trumps, 22 difficult to replace because of its for working with asynchronous Camera Obscura. widespread use. (6) JavaScript. (5) Down: 1 Roll, 2 Clumsy, 3 Equinox, 4 Pitch, 5 Client, 6 22 Of or at a stage before the 21 A transformer that supplies high Escalate, 11 Obsidian, 13 The Tube, 15 Imager, 17 Launch, development of language by the voltage to spark plugs in a petrol 18 Decay, 21 Port. human species. (13) engine. (4)

DISCLAIMER deleting a significant amount The views expressed by of our cloud storage by contributors are not accident, restoring said necessarily those of the content, getting into Twitter publishers. Every care is taken arguments, watching videos of to ensure that the contents of Pokemon festivals and the magazine are accurate but discussing Star Wars. Oh yeah, the publishers cannot accept and drinking coffee... Lots of responsibility for errors. While coffee. So much coffee, in fact, reasonable care is taken when that we were inspired to write a accepting advertisements, the poem about our favourite publishers cannot accept any beverage. Do you want to read it? responsibility for any resulting Of course you do! Here we go: unsatisfactory transactions. Coffee is hot, With Anthony braving the Milk is cold, Cornish weather on his Put them together... holibobs, and others spread Liquid gold! around performing various We think you’ll agree that it is tasks, it’s a bit like Mary both factual, and a work of Celeste publishing on Micro art, not at all unlike this very Mart this week. We’re filling publication. Indeed, John is the time with as usual, of currently attempting to put it course: chatting about the to music so we can adopt it as fortunes of Birmingham City, our anthem from now on.

Issue 13581377 89 In Next Week’ s Micro Mart*

 Home Networking Special - with extra pages and more features  Four-page Retro Round-up

Technology  Hacking The And Cats The purr-fect Internet Of combination Things  Understanding Bluetooth  Plus the usual mix of news, reviews and advice

* May be subject to change