LeEco has a smart mountain bike, and you’re going to want one

When LeEco called us in to talk about the Le Max Pro – and it’s plans for expansion outside of China – we weren’t expecting to be spending our time marvelling over a smart bike. 

But when we found Le Syvrac it only seemed fair to stop and stare.

You might think that bicycles are inherently simple. Yes, there’s lots of technology involved, from power monitoring cranks, to high-tech manufacturing and materials or powered gear shifting, but Le Syvrac is something else.

Well firstly it has the T700 carbon fibre and aluminium alloy frame, which is par the course, as is the leather saddle and 30-speed Shimano Deore groupset. But take a second glance than that frame design is rather unique.

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That crossbar is chunkier than normal, as it houses the controls for some of the bike’s smart functions: the built-in bike lock, the lights and the camera function. That’s right, there’s chain bolt that will slide into place when you lock the bike, so it can’t be ridden away. 

That might not stop someone picking it up and walking away with it, but it’s alarmed, and you’ll be able to track its location via the smartphone app if it does go walkabouts.

Returning to the lights, there are front and back lights built-in which are automatic, as well as indicator lights on the ends of the handlebars. We’re not sure we’d truth those over a conventional arm signal, but there’s also a lateral laser that paints a line along the road to help you get seen, rather like the Blaze lights we’ve seen previously.

That’s not all the tech that Le Syvrac has in store, as there’s also an Android-based 3.97-inch display mounted at the top of the stem, the hub of your bike’s smart functions. It’s powered by a quad-core processor and has a whopping 4GB of RAB, meaning your bike is probably more powerful than your smartphone.

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On the BikeOS that runs on it you have all the functions that a normal bike computer would offer, like speed and distance data, along with maps, routing and music. Oh, yes, there’s a speaker, or you can connect a Bluetooth headset (although we’d advise against it), and when we sampled the music, it was pretty loud. You can now add a soundtrack when you’re ripping up the single track.

Even that isn’t the end of the smart functions. There are sensors in the handlebars so you can monitor your heart rate and make sure you’re getting into the right zone when you’re out on a training ride, and if you’re with friends there’s a push-to-talk walkie-talkie system built-in as well, so you can stay in contact on group rides.

Le Syvrac isn’t the top spec bike either. There’s the Le Alpe d’Huez version that’s has an all-carbon frame, as well as uprading to Shimano XTR with electronic shifting.

We’ve no idea how much these will cost, or if you’ll ever be able to buy one.

A closer look at LG’s X cam and X screen smartphones

LG has a busy Mobile World Congress this year, not only did it launch its new flagship – the LG G5 – but we also saw two mid-rangers appear in the form of the X cam and the X screen.

The LG X series was teased in the run up to the mobile-focused show but LG only revealed the front of the two devices, hiding the X cam’s camera array on the back.

They were both on display in Barcelona however so this is a closer look at the LG X cam and the LG X screen smartphones to see what they bring to the mid-range party.

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LG X cam

Starting with, in our opinion, the slightly more exciting of the two – the X cam. This smartphone has dual rear cameras like the LG G5 at 13-megapixels and 5-megapixels. It also has a front-facing snapper at 8-megapixels. The camera array is designed slightly differently on the rear of the X cam in comparison to the flagship G5 but the same idea applies.

There are two icons in the camera app that allow you to select between a normal shot and a wide angle shot. The normal shot is the icon with one tree, while the wide angle shot is the one with three trees. The design of the cameras is a little fussier than the LG G5 but you still get the dual camera feature, only without paying premium prices.

The X cam is light in the hand and although it feels a lot cheaper than the G5, it offers some decent specs and it’s lovely and slim. The X cam measures 147.5 x 73.6mm and has a curved rear between 5.2mm and 6.9mm so it is slimmer than the flagship. It comes in titan silver, white, gold and pink gold.

In terms of hardware, the X cam has an octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory and a 2520mAh battery. There is also a 5.2-inch Full HD display on board, but unlike the X cam’s sibling – there is no secondary screen on this device.

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LG X screen

That takes us to the LG X screen, which as we just mentioned, does have a secondary display. We didn’t see any notifications come through in our brief amount of time with it but the secondary display does show the time and date whether the main display is on or off. We also noticed that commonly used apps also appeared at the top when the main display was on. 

The main display is 4.93-inches with a HD resolution on the X screen, while the secondary display is 1.76-inches with a 520 x 80 pixel resolution. We weren’t as keen on the secondary display feature as the dual cam feature of the X cam device, but it’s still good to see these kind of features on mid-range devices and not just the flagships so kudos to LG for that.

The X screen measures 142.6 x 71.8 x 7.1mm meaning it is a little smaller and thicker than the X cam, and it keeps the more plasticky feel in comparison to the LG G5, as you would expect. It is very light and certainly easy to hold and manage with one hand. There is a 13-megapixel rear camera, coupled with an 8-megapixel front camera and the X screen comes in black, white and pink gold.

When it comes to hardware, the X screen opts for a quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of memory and a 2300mAh battery so the battery capacity is a little smaller than the X cam.

Both the LG X cam and the LG X screen run on Android Marshmallow. We didn’t get to spend enough time them at MWC to see how their various features perform but the important thing about these devices is that LG is offering premium features on mid-range devices, which is great to see. It means if you want a smartphone with a dual camera, or a dual screen, you can still have that without having to spend over £500.

Click here to head to the gallery for a closer look at the LG X cam, followed by the LG X screen. 

OnePlus 3 release date slated for June

The OnePlus 3 is expected to launch “at the end of the second quarter” according to Carl Pei, one of the company’s co-founders sporting a new design. 

The comments made to Cnet en Espanol in an interview at Mobile World Congress, imply that we could see a new One Plus handset for June ahead of the summer, but after the roll out of flagship devices from Samsung and LG.

Pei declined to comment further as to what the specs of the OnePlus 3 would be or what the finalised flagship handset would look like only stating that it would feature a “new design”.

READ: OnePlus 3: What’s the story so far?

Leaked specs already “doing the rounds” suggest that the OnePlus 3 will be powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 820 processor and feature a large battery and possibly microSD support.

According to Pei, the OnePlus 3 will arrive in the US and other markets as an unlocked phone and will be sold directly by the company. He says the company expects to offer a “better buying process,” although he did not reveal if that would mean abandoning its system of selling by invitation only. 

The co-founder also acknowledged, according to the site, that “the company’s first phone was a more captivating device than its second generation,” adding “he hopes the OnePlus 3 will have ‘at least’ that special feeling cast by the OnePlus One when users first saw it.”

The OnePlus 3 will follow on from the OnePlus 2 and the OnePlus X (pictured) released last year. 

Huawei teams up with Leica, could the Huawei P9 be the first to benefit?

Huawei and iconic camera maker Leica have announced they are joining forces to “reinvent” smartphone photography.

In a move that apes the long lasting partnership that saw Nokia and Carl Zeiss join forces to improve the camera quality on the back of Nokia phones, the two companies say they will be working together to “achieve the best possible imaging results in the field of smartphone photography – and to take it to the next level of quality.”

The strategic partnership means that future Huawei phones, like the upcoming flagship Huawei P9, are likely to feature Leica lenses and imaging technologies to enhance and improve the smartphone’s photographic credentials.

The two companies say that the partnership will span research and development, design, co-engineering, user experience, marketing, and retail distribution. It will be “long-lasting”.

Although neither party confirms or denies Leica’s involvement in the Huawei P9 as yet, a joint statement sent to Pocket-lint says:

“In 2016, Huawei looks to build on its success with Leica Camera: a mutually beneficial collaboration with the most iconic name in the photographic world to bring joint superior excellence to consumers.”

That suggests we should see fruits of the partnership sooner rather than later.

Oliver Kaltner, CEO of Leica adds slightly more details over Leica’s involvement:

“The technology partnership with Huawei offers Leica Camera an excellent opportunity to introduce its proven optical expertise into a new product segment and to unlock exciting business areas in the field of mobile devices. Smartphones make a very important contribution to the world of photography and open an important door for Leica to new target groups and fields of application.”

There’s at least one thing you can be certain of, your chance to own a “Leica” just became a lot more affordable.

OnePlus 3: What’s the story so far?

OnePlus grabbed headlines when it launched its first smartphone back in 2013 for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the OnePlus One delivered flagship specs for significantly less cash than the devices it was pitched against. Secondly, the Chinese company made the “flagship killer” smartphone desirable by introducing an invite system that consequently made the OnePlus One harder to get hold of than other smartphones.

Since the original OnePlus One, we have seen two more smartphones from OnePlus – the OnePlus 2 and the OnePlus X. Both follow the same lead as the OnePlus One by offering decent specs for a decent price, with the OnePlus 2 aiming at the flagships while the OnePlus X chases the mid-range.

The OnePlus 2 has been kicking around for a while now, launching in July 2015, while the OnePlus X only graced us with its presence in October 2015 but that hasn’t stopped rumours sparking for the next OnePlus device. This feature is all about the OnePlus 3. As usual, we will update this feature as more speculation and rumours appear, but for now, this is everything we have heard so far about the OnePlus 3, mixed in with some extra speculation for good measure.

OnePlus 3 rumours: Release date

Unlike some other manufacturers, such as Apple and Samsung, OnePlus doesn’t have a predictable release cycle. The OnePlus One launched at the end of April 2013, while the OnePlus 2 was announced at the end of July 2014 so there isn’t an immediately obvious pattern.

There have been a couple of tradeshows over the last couple of months, including both CES and MWC but as expected, OnePlus didn’t use either to unveil the OnePlus 3. Those shows did kickstart the new breed of flagship devices for 2016 though so OnePlus will undoubtedly have been keeping a close eye to see what the competition has done.

One of the co-founders of OnePlus, Carl Pei, said we can expect the OnePlus 3 by “the end next quarter”, suggesting around June.

OnePlus 3 rumours: Design

The OnePlus One and the OnePlus 2 were almost identical in measurements, which suggested OnePlus found a form factor it thought worked well.

Sandstone Black was a finish that appeared on both the OnePlus One and the OnePlus 2 but a “new design” will be coming for the OnePlus 3 according to co-founder Carl Pei. He said “the company’s first phone was a more captivating device than its second generation,” adding “he hopes the OnePlus 3 will have ‘at least’ that special feeling cast by the OnePlus One when users first saw it.”

There has been little else to suggest what this new design might offer but we suspect the rumours will start picking up over the next couple of months.

In terms of tech, the OnePlus 2 introduced a fingerprint scanner and USB Type-C so it would make sense to include both of these on the OnePlus 3. A spec leak from Chinese website mobile-dad suggested no fingerprint scanner for the next flagship, which could suggest other methods of identification like iris recognition but for now.

Realistically we can’t see this happening for the OnePlus 3 however as this would more than likely increase the cost, which is something we don’t think OnePlus will want to do. We’d put our money on a fingerprint scanner over iris recognition.

OnePlus 3 rumours: Display

Both the OnePlus One and the OnePlus 2 offer 5.5-inch displays, both of which have a 1920 x 1080 resolution for a pixel density of 441ppi. We’d expect a similar size for the OnePlus 3, certainly not smaller as that would filter into OnePlus X territory.

Whether OnePlus will up the resolution to Quad HD in order to compete with the likes of Samsung and LG is anyone’s guess but we would be inclined to say no for the simple fact of sustaining the low price OnePlus devices are known for.

The leaked specs suggest we will see a Full HD resolution again, which doesn’t come as a huge surprise. You never know though, OnePlus could play the numbers game with the OnePlus 3 and up the resolution but we’d expect this will also up the price.

OnePlus 3 rumours: Camera

The OnePlus 2 offers a 13-megapixel rear camera with a 0.2-second autofocus and optical image stabilisation. The front-facing snapper is 5-megapixels. It didn’t operate as well as the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S6 when we reviewed it but the OnePlus 2’s camera does a sterling job when it comes to image quality, meaning OnePlus is already on the right path with its cameras.

We would expect OnePlus to up the megapixels on the front camera to 8-megapixels for the OnePlus 3 as this is what is found on the OnePlus X and we wouldn’t be surprised to see a few changes to the rear either, although we don’t think it will be anything too drastic. Possibly an increase to 16-megapixels perhaps but as the OnePlus 2 performed well, OnePlus might not deem it necessary to change too much for the OnePlus 3.

OnePlus 3 rumours: Hardware

Hardware is one area that is easier to predict than others if OnePlus follows the same pattern as the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2. Both these devices came with the latest Qualcomm chipset at their time of release, which was the Snapdragon 801 for the OnePlus One and the Snapdragon 810 for the OnePlus 2.

Leaked specs suggest the OnePlus 3 will come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, which makes perfect sense. We’d expect 4GB of RAM for the OnePlus 3 too given the OnePlus 2 offered this as an option and we’d also expect at least a 3300mAh battery capacity like the OnePlus 2, if not slightly larger.

Neither the OnePlus One or the OnePlus 2 offered microSD support for storage expansion, but the latest OnePlus X does so it might be that this extends to the OnePlus 3, especially with the talks of a “new design”. The OnePlus 2 comes in 32GB and 64GB storage options so we would expect the same for the OnePlus 3 and maybe even a larger 128GB if there is no microSD support.

OnePlus 3 rumours: Software

The OnePlus One arrived on the scene with a modified version of Android in the form of Cyanogen Mod, while the OnePlus 2 and the OnePlus X both feature the company’s own OxygenOS, which is again, a customised version of Android.

We would highly expect the OnePlus 3 to arrive with the next update to the OxygenOS, with a few more features. Ultimately, it will be another Android handset like the others are but with a couple of customisation functions. What these will be for the OnePlus 3 remain to be seen but expect the OnePlus 2’s features to cross over.

OnePlus 3 rumours: Price

The OnePlus One cost £230 when it first launched, while the OnePlus 2 starts at £239 and creeps up to £289 for the larger storage capacity.

We would expect the OnePlus 3 to stay within a similar price bracket. We’d be surprised to see it go over the £300 mark but it isn’t going to be any less than £230. We’d guess a starting price of around £250 for the OnePlus 3, give or take a few pounds.

Co-founder Carl Pei said it would be offering a “better buying process” for the OnePlus 3, but he didn’t clarify whether this means abandoning the invite-only system that applied to the previous OnePlus devices when they first launched. They are now both available without an invite.

OnePlus 3 rumours: Conclusion

The rumours and speculation for the OnePlus 3 will pick up over the next couple of months, which will help to draw conclusions as to what will and will not appear.

For now, you can expect the OnePlus 3 to arrive with a new design, although expect the size to be similar to the previous models, along with Qualcomm’s SD820 processor, 4GB of RAM and USB Type-C.

We don’t expect to see a QHD display, nor iris recognition but a larger battery capacity and a slight increase in price from the OnePlus 2 wouldn’t surprise us. In terms of release date, put June time in your diary. We will keep you posted on any findings.

Huawei P9: What’s the story so far?

Huawei has had a busy few months, not only joining the Nexus programme with the excellent Nexus 6P, but also launching the great Huawei Mate S with a pressure sensitive display and more recently boosting its phablet line with the Mate 8.

Of all the mobile companies out there, Huawei is one of the most ambitious, quietly seeking domination, raising its brand profile through sponsorship, like that of Arsenal, as well as releasing some half decent phones. Oh, and making money, which some others are struggling to do.

However its conventional flagship hasn’t been its best phone. The P8 was good, but blighted by software woes. Could the Huawei P9 be the Chinese company’s crowning moment?

Huawei P9 release date

Rumours first suggested Huawei would unveil the P9 at CES 2016. After that didn’t happen, heads turned to MWC, but that didn’t happen either, with the company choosing to launch a 2-in-1 hybrid device instead in the MateBook.

A leak from a China Mobile readmap showed that the Huawei P9 is scheduled to arrive with the network in March, suggesting the P9 will debut in the next couple of weeks.

Evan Blass, writing for VentureBeat, has supported this idea claiming that Huawei will launch several weeks after MWC so we’re expecting to see the P9 sometime in March.

Huawei P9 design

Huawei has been making waves for delivering quality design at a price that’s much more affordable than some rivals like HTC or Samsung. We saw that in the Mate S, and the Mate 8 followed with this all-metal construction, as did the Nexus 6P and the MateBook tablet.

A tweet from @stagueve in October 2015 suggested the design might put a dual lens camera on that rear. That’s not too outrageous a suggestion, as it’s on the Honor 6 Plus, from Huawei’s cheaper sub-brand.

The idea of dual camera lenses has also appeared in an image leak from China’s Weibo, confirmed as accurate by an insider according to VentureBeat. These images also show a fingerprint sensor on the rear, along with a metal design.

Rumours of the P9 run all the way back to early 2015, with reports that the handset, going under the codename IP03 was already in production and that it features a curved back. This was the case for the Mate S and with a rumour this old, there’s every chance some of the rumours were for devices other than the P9 as the image leaks don’t appear to show this.

There are also rumours of a triplicate of handsets, the P9, the P9 Lite and the P9 Max. Evan Blass, writing for VentureBeat, said a fourth, feature-enhanced P9 will offer slightly larger screen, additional RAM and storage, improved camera, with dual lens, dual 12-megapixel cameras. It seems this fourth device could be called the P9 premium.

Weibo

Huawei P9 display

Huawei’s recent launches have been notable for one reason: the Mate S and the Mate 8 have a Full HD display, sporting a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. The former, the Mate S, has a special edition that’s pressure sensitive and that could well be a feature of the P9 too.

Some rumours have suggested the Huawei P9 will have a Quad HD display, 2560 x 1440 pixels with a 5.2-inch AMOLED panel however. (The P9 Lite is said to be 5 inches, the P9 Max 6.8 inches. Huawei is no a stranger to Quad HD displays, as the Nexus 6P shows, so again, for a new flagship this is entirely plausible.

That said, Evan Blass, writing for VentureBeat, said none of the P9 variants will have Quad HD resolution. Apparently Huawei feels that the slight improvement in image quality is not worth the trade-off in power drain, meaning that the Nexus 6P will likely remain the only Huawei-built phone to offer a 1440 x 2560-pixel screen for some time.

It is thought at the moment the P9 will therefore arrive with a 5.2-inch display offering a Full HD resolution.

Huawei P9 specs and hardware

As for the internal hardware, Huawei likes to keep things in house. A number of rumours have pointed to a Kirin 950 chipset. That’s the same as the Mate 8 features, offering octo-core 64-bit power. It’s entirely likely that it will appear in the P9 too.

Leaked benchmarks have suggested as much, although some rumours have also suggested the Kirin 955 chip will be present. Initially reported as having 4GB of RAM, recent reports have suggested it might have as much as 6GB.

One thing you can be sure of though is a fingerprint sensor on the rear. The last few devices have given a great fingerprint scanner experience, with additional features, something we’d expect to see here and something present in the recently leaked images.

Huawei P9 cameras

Huawei has made a lot of noise about the cameras on its devices, cramming in a lot of features and functions, both on the front and rear. We’ve seen some great results too.

As we’ve seen, there’s a rumour that the P9 is going to feature the dual lens approach. We’ve seen this on the Honor, as well as from HTC and we’re not hugely excited about that proposition, unless it can really bring something exciting to the feature set. 

Rumours say that will be two 13-megapixel rear cameras, while others say two 12-megapixel dual-cameras on both the P9 and P9 Premium. Perhaps that’s justification for the 6GB of RAM.

However, Evan Blass writing on VentureBeat claims that the dual-lens version will be the fourth enhanced model, this time with second-gen dual lenses, improving over the Honor 6 Plus.

The company has also announced a strategic partnership with iconic camera maker Leica, with a plan to “reinvent” smartphone photography. This joining of forces could suggest the P9 might feature Leica lenses and imaging technology but neither company would confirm or deny this so we will have to wait and see for now.

Huawei P9 software

Huawei like its own EMUI skin that sits over Android and we’d expect that to be fully lodged in place on the P9, but sitting over the top of Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

We’re not expecting huge changes to the software in the P9. Huawei changes just about every aspect of Android to put its own twist on things. There are some great additions for power saving, but some of the app additions and changes to icons undo the good work of stock Android.

Want to know more?

We’ll be keeping abreast of all the rumours in this article as they appear, so keep checking back for updates over the next few weeks.

How to Reinvent the Office: 10 gadgets that will make your office better

True techies shouldn’t have an everyday, run-of-the-mill office.

If you consider yourself a computer-savvy individual or even an early adopter, one of the first places you should be exemplifying that is in your home office. Similar to a living room, which typically contains your flashy entertainment setup, your office is the perfect place to create a unique space outfitted with the cool devices and mind-blowing innovations.

From your printer to your computer to your desk, there are several ways you can upgrade your work zone in order to step out of the dark ages and jump into the future. All you need is the latest and greatest productivity tech. To help you figure out what to get, we’ve rounded up 10 gadgets that will reinvent your office and totally make it much better.

Reinvent the Office: Printers

HP

A first-rate office needs a first-rate printer.

No matter how digital we’ve become, it seems there will always be a need for printing, copying, and faxing. Enter HP’s Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw. It’s super fast, offers two-sided printing, supports wireless printing from your laptop and even your smart device, is capable of scanning documents and sending them to your email, USB, network folders, or the cloud, and of course it includes faxing to boot.

The LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdw is a true multi-functional printer. We’ve used it and are particularly impressed by the lightning-fast duplex printing, maximum paper storage (thanks to two trays), high-quality colour printing, and that nifty touch display that allowed to access menus and settings in no time. Oh, and printing straight from our smartphone only took a few steps.

This $629 machine is definitely built for home office use and would streamline your productivity to a level you’ve yet to even realise.

Reinvent the Office: Desks

Rebel

We’ve actually got two desks to recommend here, based on preference.

If you’re the type who is looking to remain active and get in shape while you work, the Rebel Treadmill and Desk Combination features a height-adjustable desk and a treadmill that goes up to 2 mph. The entire thing weighs 88 pounds and costs $1,400.

Now, for those of you on the other end of the spectrum, there’s the $3,900 Altwork Station. It’s meant to redefine how you sit at your desk, while even letting you recline with continuous comfort, but it supports standing as well. And rather than hunching over to reach your laptop, Altwork will hover your workstation wherever is most comfortable for you with a push of a button.

Reinvent the Office: Routers

Luma

We’ve all bought a single Wi-Fi router, stuck it in our home office, and just hoped it would blanket every inch of our house with connectivity. But that’s hardly the case. Businesses, on the other hand, put several Wi-Fi access points around their buildings to ensure total connectivity. Luma takes what was previously only found at businesses and makes it available in your house.

You can buy multiple Luma routers (sold in a three-pack), place them in your office and throughout your home, and they will work together to form a single network (or “surround Wi-Fi”), but it’s really a mesh network, which is what businesses use. Each Luma has two dual-band radios on 2.4GHz and 5Ghz bands using 802.11ac Wave 2. Now, beyond basic coverage stuff, the Luma is smart in that it can tell you what every device on your network is doing. And in real-time. You’ll also be able to remotely control Luma.

A single router costs $99, while the three-pack is $249.

Reinvent the Office: Displays

Sony

We think every office should have a huge display for showing data, whether that be feeds, channel news, or your own company stats in real-time. Well, instead of buying a massive TV set, consider a 4K Ultra Short Throw Projector, like this $50,000 aluminium one from Sony.

It looks like a long cabinet you’d place up against a wall, but it actually features a modular design integrated into a single unit (two cabinets, two speakers, and one projector). With the 4K Ultra Short Throw projector, you can display anywhere from a 66-inch to a 147-inch image or video onto your wall . Because the cabinet sits near a wall, shadows won’t interfere with the projection.

The projector is equipped with SXRD panels, so it boasts four times the resolution of HD. If that price tag is too much to handle though, Sony makes a portable version for $798 that projects an 1366×768 image up to 80 inches.

Reinvent the Office: Mounts

Loctek

You probably have a monitor and a tablet just sitting on your desk.

If so, get the Loctek D7A+X1 Swivel Monitor Mount in order to elevate them and increase your productivity. It fits a computer monitor from 10 to 27 inches as well as tablets from 7 to 12 inches, allowing you to place both screens side by side (sort of like a dual display), and because this setup has a three-joint movable arm, you can place your screens in the most ergonomic position.

The Loctek costs $199 and includes ports for audio, mic, and USB 3.0.

Reinvent the Office: Security

90Lock

With all this pricey technology stuffed into your home office, you really should get some sort of security or protection to prevent people from breaking into your private space and stealing your goods or even accessing your work data.

The 90K Lock is a $675 smart lock system that detects fingerprints in order to open the door. It also has a built-in mic and wide lens HD camera, so you can have a live video feed of anyone that rings the doorbell and then have a two-way video chat with them directly from your smartphone or tablet. It includes a traditional door handle and is available in gold, black, and nickel colour options.

Reinvent the Office: Tools

IrisPen

We wanted to include a smart pen of some sort, because let’s face it, sometimes recording notes by hand is relaxing and just easier. But we found two distinct offerings that were hard to choose between, so we’ve included both. The IRISPen Air 7 costs 4149 and lets you wirelessly scan text. It connects to your device over Bluetooth and recognises both letters and numbers in over 130 languages in real-time.

You can use it on magazines, newspapers, textbooks, letters, or anything else with text. If you don’t find yourself needing to scan text to often but would rather like a handwritten-to-type-like feature, the $169 Neo smartpen N2 is a writing tool that recognises pen pressure to provide an accurate copy of your written notes on your device. It stores up to 1,000 handwritten pages but also syncs Evernote and Google Drive.

Reinvent the Office: Lights

Sony

Why get an average lamp when you can get a smart lamp?

Sony’s Multifunctional Light uses Toshiba’s LED technology to shine a full spectrum of colourful light. But that’s not what makes it so intriguing. It’s packed with sensors not only for luminance but also built-in motion, temperature, and humidity. It even has a microSD memory slot, infrared controller, speaker, and a microphone. It has everything but the kitchen sink.

And all that tech allows it to connect to your smartphone or any other Wi-Fi enabled device, so you can control it remotely, set it up on a timer, or let it detect you. If the Multifunctional Light sees you enter a room, for instance, it can turn on your stereo or TV, adjust the air con or thermostat, double as a motion-detection alarm system, record and playback messages, etc.

Unfortunately, it’s only coming to Japan sometime during the first six months of this year. No word yet on pricing either. No worries, though: Sony’s Life Space UX arm makes other smart lights – available in the US and UK – that double as Bluetooth speakers.

Reinvent the Office: Assistants

Pocket-lint

The Amazon Echo is not just a speaker you can pair with your device to wirelessly play tunes over Bluetooth.

It’s also packed with a personal assistant that can answer your questions, fetch audibooks and ebooks, create notes and shopping lists, and control smart home accessories – all via voice commands. Alexa is always listening too, so you just have to say her name and she wakes up. The actual device consists of a 9.25-inch tall cylinder speaker with a seven-piece mic array and costs $180.

You’ll also want a $99 Prime membership to get the most out of Echo.

Reinvent the Office: Conferences

Pocket-lint

Virtual reality isn’t limited to gaming.

We’ve used the HTC Vive headset, for instance, to customise a McLaren car, properly demo and shop for kitchen hardware, and even climb mount everest. We recommend picking up one of these headsets because we can imagine virtual conference calls one day being a thing. Imagine being able to strap on the Vive and virtually engage with your coworkers all from the solace of your home office.

This isn’t just a pipe dream. All it takes is one developer to create a simple app. Maybe Microsoft-owned Skype will one day go VR. Better yet, it might go AR and create an experience suited for Microsoft’s HoloLens headset.

This article has been created in partnership with HP.

Next Sony Xperia flagship: What’s the story so far?

It might come as a surprise to Sony Mobile fans, but the company’s next flagship isn’t going to be called the Xperia Z6. Sony announced a new range of smartphones at MWC 2016 called the X Series, as well as confirming in a statement that the “Z line has reached its culmination” and the “X series represents a new chapter”.

We’ve been tracking rumours about Sony’s next flagship handset – formerly known as the Z6 – for some time. Here’s everything we know or think we know about Sony’s future flagship.

Next Sony Xperia flagship release date

Sony is known for releasing a couple of flagships a year. This was rumoured to be changing but 2015 still saw both the Xperia Z3+ and the Xperia Z5 launch, along with the Xperia Z5 Compact and 4K display Xperia Z5 Premium.

The next Sony Xperia flagship has been rumoured to be coming in the second half of 2016, which would make sense if Sony is finally changing things up to launch just one flagship per year.

The company announced the Xperia X Performance as part of the X series line up at MWC. This device features flagship specs including improvements on the Xperia Z5, packaged in a luxurious metal design. It could very easily have been the next Xperia flagship but it is destined for Asia only. 

The X and the XA announced alongside it were the models launched for other territories instead and while these two devices still offer good specs, they aren’t quite flagship meaning a successor to the Z5, even if it won’t be called the Z6, is still on the cards.

The Xperia Z5 was announced at IFA 2015 so we would expect the next Sony Xperia flagship to appear at IFA 2016 in September. The bigger question is: what on earth is it going to be called?

What will Sony’s next Xperia flagship be called?

With Sony confirming, via a rather circuitous route, that the Z family of devices has reached its end, there will be no Z6. Sony maintains that the X series is the future, so it may be that the next Sony flagship is simply the Sony Xperia X Performance, following the device we’ve already seen.

However, Sony’s naming policy has been a bit of a mess recently, with the Z4 launching in some regions and the Z3+ in others, so it’s difficult to guess which direction the company is going to step next.

We’re sure a lot of people will continue to call it the Z6 until a name is found; we imagine that some people will simply call it the X6; it might be the X Performance, or it could be something entirely new. We suspect it will be something entirely new.

Next Sony Xperia flagship design

Just like its release cycles, Sony has been pretty consistent with its design, especially across the Xperia Z1, Xperia Z2, Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3+ devices. Yes, things got a little slimmer and overall a little better looking, but the general scheme of things remained the same.

The Xperia Z5 changed things up a little, moving away from rounded edges to flatter and squarer. A fingerprint sensor was added to the signature side power button that changed shape from circular to a flatter oblong and overall, the Xperia Z design improved significantly.

The newly announced Xperia X series takes the Z5’s design and runs with it. The rear material moves from glass to metal and the result is fabulous. The OmniBalance design remains intact, as does the side fingerprint sensor on both the X and X Performance but the new design gives Xperia a new lease of life.

Where will that leave the next Xperia flagship? Well, we would predict it will look almost identical to the X Performance, perhaps with a few refinements here and there. We’re almost glad the Z line is stopping with the Z5 as the X series has a much better finish so it would have been disappointing to see a Z6 appear without the design changes the X series offers.

Next Sony Xperia flagship display

Display is an area Sony stuck to its guns with when it came to the Z series. While many of its competitors hopped on the Quad HD bandwagon, Sony continued to opt for Full HD for its 5.2-inch Xperia Z5 and previous devices. The only place it changed things up was the Xperia Z5 Premium whereby it skipped 2K altogether and went straight for a 4K resolution.

Will the next Xperia flagship have a 2K display? Well if it does, it would go against everything Sony has been saying for the last couple of years. It’s always said that at that size, you wouldn’t be able to notice the extra pixels per inch and customers don’t want to trade battery life for display resolution, so we suspect a 2K display is unlikely. The X Performance improved on the Z5 in other areas but the display remained at Full HD.

It might be that Sony will need to play the numbers game to stay in the game, in which case a 2K display kind of needs to happen to stay in the same boat as competition from LG and Samsung. That said, the X series launched with Sony focusing on design, camera and battery life so higher resolution displays are not something Sony sees as vitally important features of a smartphone.

The slightly lower-specced XA did launch with an edge-to-edge display though, which was beautiful despite being 720p. To see the next Sony flagship arrive with the same edge-to-edge display but with a Full HD or Quad HD resolution would be amazing.

There were also rumours suggesting Sony will introduce its version of a force touch display, like Apple and Huawei have both done in 2015. Pressure sensitive displays allow users to perform quick actions or various tasks based on how firmly they press the screen. It’s a technology that is becoming more discussed so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see Sony introduce it for its next flagship.

Next Sony Xperia flagship camera

The Sony Xperia Z5 saw the rear camera jump from the 21.7-megapixel sensor, which was introduced on the Xperia Z1 and remained for the succeeding devices, to a 23-megapixel sensor. Sony made slight adjustments to incremental devices, such as a wider angle lens and software updates, but the sensor itself stayed the same until the Z5.

Given that it took a couple of years for the sensor to change, we don’t expect things to change again for the next Xperia flagship, especially as the Xperia X and X Performance both feature this sensor. We’d place our bets on the same 23-megapixel rear sensor but with the addition of the Predictive Hybrid Auto Focus at the very least. This feature tracks and predicts movements in order to ensure moments aren’t missed. It launched on the X series but we expect it to be a feature that will move onto the next flagship too.

The Xperia Z5 comes with a 5-megapixel front snapper but with the X and X Performance both offering 13-megapixel front snappers with ISO 6400 sensitivity, we expect to see the same in the next Xperia flagship, perhaps with a few extra software enhancements.

Next Sony Xperia flagship hardware

Sony is one of Qualcomm’s most loyal fans. From the Xperia Z1, Sony opted for the chip manufacturer’s latest processor each time, even when some of its competition went down their own routes for 2015 following overheating concerns about  the SD810.

Sony followed the same path for the X series, with the top-of-the-range X Performance featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip. It was suggested by Digitimes that Sony will start producing its own processors for its smartphones like Huawei and Samsung have done in the past but we can’t see that happening. We’d expect at least 4GB of RAM though as this would fall in line with competition.

We suspect there will also be a big focus on battery as that is an area Sony really thrives in and an area the company were keen to promote in the new X series. The X Performance has a 2700mAh capacity but this will probably increase for the next flagship, especially if the display is larger than the X Performance’s 5-inch screen.

We are confident that microSD support will be on board the new flagship too as Sony offers this on all its recent smartphones. Sony has previously offered 16GB and 32GB internal storage capacity options, although as Android 6.0 Marshmallow allows you to combine the internal and microSD storage, the 32GB might not be necessary. We would certainly be surprised to see anything above 32GB if microSD is on board. The X Performance comes in one variant offering 32GB, which indicates the next flagship will do the same.

Next Sony Xperia flagship software

The next Sony Xperia flagship will come with Android Marshmallow and it will more than likely have the company’s bloatware over the top. We’d love for the extra apps to be reduced slightly and perhaps offer it in a less-so-in-your-face way, like Motorola do, but this probably won’t happen.

The X series smartphones on display at MWC didn’t feature final software, suggesting there is an update coming that may change things up slightly. When these devices appear in the summer, we may have a better indication of what to expect software-wise on the next Xperia flagship.

Next Sony Xperia flagship conclusion

So what do we expect from the next Sony Xperia flagship? Well, we’d say an IFA 2016 release date is likely, as is the continuation of the OmniBalance design but with the metal build found on the new X series.

A pressure-sensitive display seems like a reasonable suggestion and we’d place our bets on Full HD over Quad HD. An edge-to-edge display like the one on the Xperia XA would be lovely to see and we will certainly put money on the SD820 processor making an appearance, as well as a side fingerprint sensor.

We don’t expect many hardware changes for the next Xperia flagship’s rear camera, but we do expect to see the 13-megapixel front snapper from the X and X Performance appear along with a few software changes. We will update this feature as more rumours appear so keep checking back for the latest on the speculation surrounding the next Sony Xperia flagship.

Best Galaxy S7 and S7 edge cases: Protect your new Samsung device

Samsung has revealed its latest flagship smartphones in the form of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, both of which were the subject of many rumours in the run up to their official unveiling.

The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge devices offer a similar design to their predecessors, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge. They have lovely metal frames, coupled with glass backs and they are both beautiful. This of course makes it a little bit a shame to put a case on them and cover them up, but without one, those wonderful designs might not stay wonderful for long.

Luckily, there are already plenty of cases out there ready to protect them and some of them are just as nice as the handsets underneath, well almost anyway.

This feature is all about the best Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge cases we have stumbled across so far, but you can expect an update to this feature as and when we come across more so if none of these catch your eye, don’t worry. You can also let us know in the comments if you have found one you think others will love too.

Click here to see the best Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge cases

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