Dell Inspiron 15 7000 (2016) review – CNET

The Good The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 will play any PC game you want, without having to spend a ton of money to get that performance.

The Bad It’s a thick, heavy, ugly black slab with mediocre battery life. And a fingerprint magnet, too. You’ll want to pay extra for a solid-state drive to avoid annoying stutter.

The Bottom Line That boring black obelisk look notwithstanding, the Dell Inspiron 15 7000 is a great PC for gaming on the cheap.

The first laptop I ever bought with my own money was a Dell Inspiron. It was big, ugly, and exactly what I needed at the time — a cheap computer with just enough processing power to play the latest Half-Life game.

The new Dell Inspiron 15 7000 is my college laptop on steroids. Starting at just $800 (£749, AU$1,699), it’s a cheap 15-inch laptop that can run any game on the market. And, just like my old notebook, it’s a clunker with an utterly forgettable design. But that melts away when you realize this inch-thick obelisk can play the most demanding games, including Fallout 4, Grand Theft Auto V and The Witcher 3, albeit with graphical detail settings at low. Slightly older games like Bioshock Infinite ran better, however.

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With this $800 laptop, I was able to play Fallout 4, Grand Theft Auto V and The Witcher 3 at 1080p resolution and low levels of detail. BioShock Infinite and Tomb Raider ran at 1080p and high detail.

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The secret is Nvidia’s GeForce 960M graphics chip, a prime piece of silicon that’s only typically found in computers that cost hundreds of dollars more. While some of those computers have sleeker bodies, Dell chose to make an affordable gaming laptop instead. And though Dell may have cut a few corners to get to that magic $800 price, I couldn’t find any major deal-breakers when I made it my primary computer for weeks at a time.

Sure, the backlit keyboard is a little shallow, but it’s responsive. The touchpad sucks, but most will want to add a mouse for gaming anyhow. The 15.6-inch 1080p screen is a little dull and can bleed a bit around the edges, but games look great on the display — and the LCD’s matte finish means no distracting reflections while I’m aiming.

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With less demanding games, like Superhot, I was able to max out the graphics.

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The only real issues I’ve got with the new Inspiron 15 are the hybrid hard drive, which can make for slow game and application load times, and the battery, which only lasts four hours on a charge. (It ran for 6.4 hours in our standard battery drain test, but my real-world use tends to be harsher, and I was lucky to see 30 minutes of gaming away from an outlet.) Savvy gamers can solve the speed issue by opting for a 256GB solid-state drive, which Dell sells for just $50 more. For $850, I doubt you’ll find a better gaming laptop.

Android Wear 1.4 now rolling out to the ASUS ZenWatch 2

If you’re rocking an ASUS ZenWatch 2 on your wrist, you’ll want to keep an eye out for an update to Android Wear version 1.4. According to tipsters, along with some users on the Android Central forums, the latest version of Android Wear — based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow — is now rolling out to the smartwatch.

It’s unclear how wide the rollout may be at this point, but it looks to have started for some within the last few days. To recap, Android Wear 1.4 brings some fairly notable features to the fore, including additional gestures, speaker support and more.

Have you received the update to Android Wear 1.4 on your ASUS ZenWatch 2 yet? If so, let us know what you think of the update in the comments below!

Thanks for the tips, Ryan and Derrick!

Watch our Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review video!

A complete multimedia experience for one of the biggest phones of the year.

This year the “edge” version of the Galaxy S phone is actually notably different from the standard model, and in the Galaxy S7 edge we have a really interesting phone to get to know. Aside from our full written review, we have an awesome full-featured video for you to take in and get to know the brand new phone.

Read: Our complete Samsung Galaxy S7 edge review!

The Galaxy S7 edge is the absolute top of Samsung’s phone range right now, and with everything it offers it’s easy to see why. Lots of power, a big battery, the return of the SD card slot, waterproofing, new software features and what still amounts to a great camera all come together to make this phone so appealing. There’s a ton to take in here, so after you see our full video review above be sure to read our entire written review to get the best feel for the phone.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• Galaxy S7 edge with Exynos: A Canadian perspective
• Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
• Details on the Galaxy S7’s camera
• The SD card is back on the GS7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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Watch our Samsung Galaxy S7 review video!

So much to see. So much to learn.

Now that our Galaxy S7 review is complete and out for everyone to read and enjoy, it’s worth a reminder that we also have a great comprehensive video review for you to see as well.

Read: Our complete Samsung Galaxy S7 review!

The Galaxy S7 keeps the screen small, but is still packed with features — and even though it looks similar to last year’s model you shouldn’t set your expectations too low. This is a really great phone that’s worth your consideration. After getting up to speed with the video review, be sure to check out our full written review for all of the details that can help you choose if it’s the right phone for you.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• Galaxy S7 edge with Exynos: A Canadian perspective
• Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
• Details on the Galaxy S7’s camera
• The SD card is back on the GS7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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NYC’s WiFi-equipped buses will debut in Queens this year

Looks like New Yorkers won’t have to wait years before they see those high-tech buses state Governor Andrew Cuomo promised last month. Besides outfitting subway stations with WiFi connections, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is also gearing up to deploy the first 70 WiFi-equipped buses in Queens in the second or third quarter of 2016. The new vehicles will also have up to 55 USB charging ports on board, as well as three LCD screens that flash stop announcements, transfers and other information.

After its debut in Queens, the MTA expects 70 buses to start operating in Brooklyn, 209 in the Bronx and 18 in Manhattan over the next two years. The agency plans to release 2,042 high-tech public buses in all to replace 40 percent of its current fleet. That doesn’t mean New Yorkers have to fight for space on board to be able to connect to the internet or to charge a dying phone on the road, though. The MTA is also retrofitting its existing buses with the same amenities (WiFi + USB) and aims to be done by the end of 2017.

Source: New York Governor’s Office, Metropolitan Transportation Authority

iFixit pulls apart Samsung’s new Galaxy S7

One thing that’s as inevitable as the annual appearance of a new Galaxy phone is iFixit tearing it down. The repair people have, as usual, sought to understand Samsung’s Galaxy S7 by exposing its various parts including the heat pipe it uses for cooling, which is really more of a “copper twig.” There’s also evidence of all the new seals that contribute to its IP68-rated water resistance, the larger 3,000 mAh battery (compared to 2,550mAh in the S6, 1,715 mAh in the iPhone 6S and 2,750 mAh in the iPhone 6S Plus) and Dual Pixel-equipped 12MP camera sensor. The only bad news? If repairing your own device is important to you, some of the strategies used to increase its waterproofing will actually work against you, but you can read the teardown for all of the details.

Source: iFixit

How to take a screenshot on the Samsung Galaxy S7

Three methods of shortcuts make it easy to take a screenshot on the Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge

The Galaxy S7 (and the Galaxy S7 edge) is now official. It’s time to get down to the really important stuff — like how to take a screenshot on the Galaxy S7. If you’re a Samsung Galaxy veteran you very much know what’s coming next. Been there, done that, got the screenshot.

If you’re new to Samsung phones, though, the Korean manufacturer has a trick up its sleeve that makes taking screenshots just a bit easier.

So let’s take a quick look at the methods Samsung uses for taking a screenshot on the Galaxy S7.

Method 1: Take a screenshot using the button shortcut

This is the tried-and-true method for taking a screenshot on Galaxy S phones. Press the power and home buttons and the same time will immediately capture what’s on the screen.

So here’s how to use this method to take a Galaxy S7 screenshot:

Get the app or screen that you want to capture ready to go. Press and hold the home button and the power button at the same time. It can be a bit of a stretch on these larger phones, but it works just fine. You’ll hear the camera shutter sound, along with a short flashing animation, and that’s how you know you’re good to go. You’ll now be able to see the screenshot in the Gallery app, or in Samsung’s built-in “My Files” file browser, or in Google Photos, if you use that instead. If you need to find the screenshots from a command line or through the Android File Transfer tool, they’ll be in /pictures/screenshots.

Method 2: How to take a screenshot by swiping the screen

Samsung’s got another cool feature in its smartphones for taking screenshots. And some of us think it’s actually the easier way to take a screenshot when compared to the button method. (Though it does get a little more tricky if you’re using the larger Galaxy S7 edge.) You’ll want to tilt your hand to the side a little, so your thumb is pointing away from the screen. Then swipe your entire hand across the screen in either direction — left to right or right to left, it’s your call. Just like in the other method you’ll hear the shutter sound and see a short on-screen animation.

This method is enabled by default, but you can turn it off in the settings if you prefer, or if you find you’re accidentally taking screenshots.

Here’s how to turn off the swipe method of taking a screenshot on the Galaxy S7

Go into the settings menu. Scroll down to “Motion” and choose “Motions and gestures.” Tap “Palm swipe to capture.” Hit the toggle button from on to off.

Method 3: Capture more!

Lots of things you’ll want to take a screenshot of may be more than just one screen deep. Like a web page, for instance. To that end, Samsung has borrowed and adapted a feature from the Galaxy Note 5. When you first take a screen shot you’ll find an option to “Capture more.” Tap it, and you’ll scroll down to the next portion of the screen. Keep on tapping until you’ve got what you need.

Do be warned, though: These screenshots can get very large. Samsung helps with this somewhat. Single-screen grabs are output at full resolution — 1440×2560. But once you start adding them, the width is downscaled to 1080px, and the whole smash is saved as a JPEG and instead of a PNG. That said, we’ve saved a 6MB, 720×14990 screenshot. It’s … big.

Once you’ve taken your screenshot …

So you’ve taken a screenshot. Good for you. Your Galaxy S7 thanks you. We thank you. But what to do with it? You’ve got a couple options. One is to share or edit your screenshot (maybe you want to crop something out or leave an annotation). You can just hit the buttons in the notification to quickly do either of those things. Another options is to, well, do nothing. Just swipe the notification away and go about your business. Your screenshot will remain on the device, though.

But do remember that the Galaxy S7 is a high-resolution device, and your screenshots can eat up a lot of space on your phone if you’re taking a bunch of them. They might also get sucked into your cloud storage. So keep tabs on what’s going where, and whether you really need them, or can clean things out once you’re done with them.

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge

• Galaxy S7 review
• Galaxy S7 edge review
• Galaxy S7 edge with Exynos: A Canadian perspective
• Here are all four Galaxy S7 colors
• Details on the Galaxy S7’s camera
• The SD card is back on the GS7
• Join our Galaxy S7 forums

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Grab a 32GB Sony microSD card for just $7.50 at Amazon

Amazon is currently offering a 32GB microSD card from Sony for just $7.50 — a drop from its normal price of $13.50. If you happen to be picking up a new device and need a little bit of extra storage, this is a great way to gain some much-needed space on the cheap.

Of course, there are other capacities available in case 32GB isn’t your cup of tea. The 16GB version of the card comes in at just $5.49, for example, along with a 64GB card for just under $24. However, the price cut on Sony’s 32GB card is definitely the best bang for your buck.

See at Amazon

What’s your favorite streaming music service?

We want to know how you get your music. We’ve gotten to a place where you no longer need to hoard every song you’ve ever heard on your computer hard drive if you don’t want to. That’s because services like Pandora, Spotify and a dozen others can get you access to more music than you can shake a stick at. So if you stream your music, we want to know where you get it from.

There are tons of options out there, and each streaming service is a little bit different. That means picking your favorite is really just a matter of who does it best for you. You can listen to Pandora just like the radio, or use Google Play Music to carefully curate your favorite albums. In this week’s poll we’ve given you 11 options: Amazon Prime Music, Apple Music, Google Play Music, Last.fm, Pandora, Rdio, Rhapsody, Slacker, Spotify, Tidal, and Other.

online polls

Let us know which of these streaming music platforms in your favorite in the comments below!

Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2016 first drive: The Einstein of luxury cars

The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class saloon is here for 2016 and it’s pushing the boundaries of how luxurious and technologically advanced a car can be.

The future of self-driving cars is edging closer and vehicle companies are working harder and faster to be the first to deliver that reality. Bit by bit we’re seeing self-driving features seep into newer cars as safety systems, steering us back into lane or breaking for us. The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class aims to offer a leap forward in that technology.

With self-driving competition from the likes of Tesla, and technological developments like key fob controlled driving in the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes has a lot to compete with while sticking to its starting price of almost £36,000.

We took the new E-Class, E 220 d, E 350 d and A400 models, on the road and around tracks to test the limits and find out if the new E-Class is a glimpse into the future of driving.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2016: Design and build

As you’d expect from Mercedes’ luxurious saloon, the E-Class design is bleeding edge while still maintaining classic lines. The new model manages to be longer yet narrower and lower than the previous E-Class, while still offering plenty of internal space.

The upstanding badge won’t be making it to the UK but everything else about the models pictured here are largely what you can expect to hit our shores at launch.

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The new E-Class Saloon is lighter than ever, in fact it’s a full 100kg lighter than last year’s model. This is thanks to a combined steel and aluminium build, something lots of companies are now doing as a way to improve fuel efficiency.

Both the headlights and tail lights are power efficient LEDs with optional high-resolution multi-beam headlights to light the road intelligently without dazzling others. This upgraded version is able to block out certain parts of the beam so full beam can stay on while oncoming cars are blocked out so as not to be dazzled, which worked well in our road tests. This tech continues on the interior where 64 colours of LED lighting create an ambient glow inside the car.

One of the things you notice inside the car immediately is the silence. We stepped in from some stormy weather and were immediately relieved by the welcoming seats and almost vacuum like silence from the outside elements.

The seats, which deliver optional heating and cooling, have been designed for long journeys with comfort in mind. The optional heating not only heats the seats but also the arm rests for ridiculous levels of comfort no matter the driver’s shifting positions. Plus there are massage settings, which are great for loosening the back while sat in one position for a long time.

One of our favourite touches comes on the steering wheel. As standard the three-spoke wheel features two touchpads. This lets you easily swipe and tap to get through menus, just as you would on a phone or tablet. You’d think you might accidentally brush them by mistake but they’re perfectly placed for easy access but not accidental selecting.

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2016: Drive and handling

Despite being a larger car the E-Class offers plenty of power, especially in the 350 d and A400 models. But it’s ride comfort that’s important in a car of this type, that’s why lowered comfort suspension is standard on UK models. The result is all the comfort you’d expect, absorbing bumps effortlessly, while still offering enough stiffness to corner quickly with plenty of feedback through the wheel.

The E 220 d can hit 149mph, does 0 to 62mph in 7.3 seconds yet offers an impressive mixed range of 72mpg, according to Merc. The E 220 d features a 1950cc four-cyldiner engine with 194hp. This is a new engine for Mercedes as it’s lighter and more efficient and offers lower CO2 and better fuel economy despite still pushing out the power.

The E 350 d tops out at 155mph, does 0 to 62mph in 5.9 seconds and still offers a decent mixed range of 54mpg, claims the manufacturer. The E 350 d sports a 2987cc six-cylinder engine that tops out at 258hp.

Both have plenty of pull, enough for a quick take off or easy overtaking at any speed and certainly more than enough for a comfortable ride.

Sport and Sport+ modes do rev a lot higher and tighten the handling so if you ever need a little more punch, it’s available. We found Comfort mode the best to drive in as suspension was super smooth while cornering intelligence kept everything tight when needed. Even the seats could be set to react and pull you in using the bucket wings as you corner.

All that said our model did have the Air Body Control option which means multi-chamber air suspension, making it the only car in its segment to offer this. It also means adaptive suspension stiffness.

Pulling away is smooth thanks to the nine-speed automatic gearbox which makes power delivery feel almost as if there aren’t any gears. It’s not the torque driven, gear-free pull of an electric drivetrain yet, but it’s one of the closest we’ve tried.

The car certainly looks and feels wide, judging from the internal space. But on the road, thanks to a great turning circle, it was easy enough to manoeuvre around the city.

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2016: Infotainment system

Inside the E-Class feels like we’d imagine being at the helm of a spaceship spa might. Surrounded by leather, lights and electronics you’re immediately filled with a sense of excitement about how advanced the machine you’re in control of is. That said it does a lot of the controlling for you.

If you opt for the optional advanced head unit you get twin 12.3-inch high-resolution displays sat behind a single pane of glass. This gives the display a real seamless feel, widescreen look and also future-proofs the car for updates.

The display can be used for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, via a cable-connected smartphone. But if your phone is simply Bluetooth connected it can still be used for calls and music while sat in its own bay that Qi wirelessly charges, having connected to the car via NFC.

That phone can also be used to unlock the car using NFC on the door handle. Plus the app will allow you to start the engine and get it ready before you’re inside.

The surround sound system can be upgraded to a 23-speaker Burmester 3D setup that uses speakers in the roof for complete immersion.

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class 2016: Advanced smart driving

The future is all about better communication between devices and Mercedes has begun pushing forward with this using its Car-to-X communication system. This allows the vehicle to exchange information with other cars. The idea is that you will get warnings from other cars for traffic, obstacles on the road, accidents and more. Once more cars have this it should make driving safer and navigation more efficient.

In a bid to begin down the road to self-driving, Merc has upgraded the E-Class with plenty of optional smart driving features. The car is now able to spot other vehicles and pedestrians at high speeds so it can brake if needs be. Testing this on the track, we had the car brake from 40mph to a stop in front of a simulated child when we thought it was too late, very impressive.

The car has also been upgraded to maintain smart cruise control at speeds of up to 130mph, meaning it’ll adjust speed to suit the car in front – presuming you want to go that fast. The point, rather, is that the car can handle higher speeds thanks to its faster-than-ever reactions. That said we enjoyed writing a message on our phone while doing 75mph following a car in front.

When it came to corners we were more cautious as the steering is limited to a certain torque level before giving out – we had to grab the wheel to take over a few times on sharper corners. Of course this is a safety aid and not built for self-driving, but we had to try.

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The E-Class also recognises objects on the side of the road like buildings which, in combination with other car recognition, can keep the car in lane even when markings are missing. We were driven along accurately in Drive Pilot mode, with no hands on the wheel or feet on pedals, where there were no road markings, at night, in the rain. Impressive.

Thanks to radar sensors and cameras, the car can even change lanes by simply using the indicators. This feels a little disconcerting at first but when you’ve done it once you start to wonder why all driving can’t be like this. 

In the event of a dangerous situation the car will not only help with emergency braking but it’ll also help steer clear of objects. We did a test veering the car into oncoming traffic. Rather than steering away, the car simply applies braking to the front and rear wheels on the side of the car it needs to move in, and you’re drawn back into your lane. The idea is to not take control of the wheel, allowing the driver to correct if needs be. In another test, we pulled into the path of a car in the next lane, at speed, and the car automatically pulled us away to safety.

Should you be hit in the side it’ll fire airbags at the right angle to move you away from danger. Also, in the event of an accident the car will emit a pre-safe sound that causes your ears to perform a natural aural reflex that protects them from damage. While this sounds amazing, much like the airbags, it wasn’t something we wanted to test.

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For all these smart safety features, if the driver applies the brake or takes the wheel, the car will give control back immediately. That said, we did a braking test where the accelerator was held down while heading into the back of another car. The Mercedes began braking when close, allowing you a chance to take control and stop. If you didn’t, it braked at the last second to avoid a collision.

As standard the car comes with parking sensors that coordinate with a reversing camera to offer self-parking. Remote Parking Pilot was another way Mercedes has managed to take a current tech development and enhance it. You can drive the car out of a garage or space using your phone, simply by spinning your finger on the screen – it even dodged us by steering at an angle on its way out. Then when parking you can pick from multiple spaces and choose to go in front first or reverse – you can even get out halfway through the manoeuvre and let the car finish, ideal if going into a tight spot.

All these smart driving extras, except for the as-standard pre-safe sound and parking, come as an optional package for £1,695. We’d say, in the grand scheme of the car price, this is well worth it. You’re essentially paying for a robotic chauffeur. 

First Impressions

Mercedes has taken its E-Class and filled it with some of the most advanced tech on the road.

When it comes to the expectations you’d have for the E-Class, they’re all are met: the design is elegant, the interior is comfier and quieter than most homes, plus power and handling offer enough of everything to keep it exciting but luxurious. On top of all that the technology pushes the brand forward, leading the way.

The infotainment system, with the dual-screen setup and in-wheel touch controls, is clear to use while offering a depth of personalisation. The ability to run Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, wirelessly charge a phone and use the app to unlock and actually drive the car is fantastic.

The self-driving safety features are helpful for long drives, making motorways nearly a hand and foot free experience, while taking the hassle out of slow moving traffic. We’re not quite at the point of self-driving yet, but this is powering in the right direction.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class starts at almost £36,000 and is available from April.