Xperia X Ultra: After a disappointing start to 2016, I’m hoping for the best Sony phone in years
Sony’s Xperia X phones have been boring, overpriced and underwhelming. But there’s reason for cautious optimism.
Sony, and before it Sony Ericsson, has been part of the Android ecosystem almost since the very beginning. Along the way, despite tumultuous conditions elsewhere in the company and a hit-and-miss biannual release cycle, Sony has managed to turn out some genuinely great handsets. The Xperia Z3 stands out as the zenith of that series — the last Sony phone that was really worth a spot next to the Galaxy phones and iPhones of the time. (And a model that holds up so well two years on that it’s the only Sony phone currently involved in the Android 7.0 developer preview program.)
But over the past couple of years the Xperia series has stalled. The Z3+ was a mess of thermal and performance issues. The Z5 was decent, but looked tepid next to its immediate competitors.
Sony in 2016 so far: Boring, overpriced, disappointing rectangles.
Enter the Xperia X in 2016, with a new strategy and leaner phones focusing on user experience, with less overt spec-chasing. It seemed like a good idea at the time — the Xperia X was to be a Moto X-style “phone of the people” that would make up for its lack of bleeding-edge specs with intelligent software.
What materialized was another boring, Android-powered rectangle with obvious hardware issues. Plastic-framed in an age of metal and glass, with a slow camera that disappointed in low light, and at a $550 price point that made sense to nobody besides the hardest of hardcore Sony fans. You could get the same user experience elsewhere for a fraction of the cost.
Similarly, its big brother — the X Performance — offered little over the X to justify its eye-watering $700 price tag. The touchscreen was plagued by sensitivity issues. The same camera module from the X was used, so low-light photo quality disappointed next to the Samsungs and Apples of the world. Even with the latest Snapdragon 820 under the hood, the camera was painfully slow to load and to shoot. Once again, there was basically no reason to give Sony your money in a world where the Galaxy S7, HTC 10 and iPhone 6s exist around the same price point.
And buyers in the United States got a bum deal, paying $550 for the Xperia X, or $700 for the X Performance, with no fingerprint scanner — a hugely important feature included as standard in other territories.
That Sony, a brand with a strong pedigree of excellent standalone cameras, and the manufacturer of sensors used in the iPhone 6s Plus and Galaxy S7, is still making the same mistakes in its own mobile cameras, is mind-blowing. Going against the established wisdom of the industry, it’s still acting like optical image stabilization doesn’t matter, and that you can ship a traditional high-res sensor without OIS and rely solely on software.
It’s also mind-blowing that such a veteran manufacturer decided to exclude such a key feature as fingerprint security from its flagship phones in a market as important as the U.S., in defiance of a broad and obvious industry trend.
At this point, the Xperia X series’ only differentiator is the Sony brand itself.
The company has also been walking back its other major differentiator: battery life. In the days of the Xperia Z1, Z2 and Z3, Sony could legitimately boast of industry-leading longevity. Its big, boxy phones were able to hold big, boxy batteries that could go all day and then some. Battery capacity has been slowly eroded in the intervening years, and now the Z3+, Z5 and X will get you a single day if you’re lucky.
Bringing cutting-edge Sony tech to cellphones was the mission statement of the old Sony Ericsson. As recently as 2015, Xperia phones were being marketed as being “the best of Sony.” But the Xperia X series isn’t the best of anything, and increasingly the only real differentiator these phones have is the Sony brand itself — a brand which, let’s face it, no longer carries the cachet it once did.
Sony needs another big, impressive phone. Something worthy of a top-tier price tag and and something to justify the value it places in its brand. Something which isn’t as aggressively meh as its recent efforts. And as someone who’s used and loved Sony phones in the past, I really hope this leaked handset is the product to do that.
We don’t know much about the Sony F833X at this point besides its model number and a handful of leaked photos. (Like almost everything else, it’ll supposedly use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor.) However the pics obtained by GSMArena are revealing in themselves.
This leaked Sony phone looks like a bit of a tank — but that’s fine if it packs the hardware to justify its heft.
It’s a big, blocky phone — a throwback to older Xperias, perhaps, with room for a hefty battery inside. The device’s thickness also bodes well for camera performance — there should, finally, be space for an optically stabilized module while still keeping the lens flush with the body. Other noteworthy camera improvements — dual-LED flash around the back and laser autofocus — suggests meaningful steps forward have been made here too.
And while it is thick, rectangular and tall, horizontal bezels have been kept to a minimum, and the design language seems to have moved on. Parts of the chassis may be plastic, but the frumpy polycarbonate trim of the Xperia X seems to have been largely eliminated. It looks like a bit of a tank, and that’s just fine if it packs the hardware muscle to justify its heft.
If the Xperia X is going to be the phone for the masses (still a tough ask at $550, admittedly) then this new model (an Xperia X Ultra, maybe?) could be the Sony phone for enthusiasts. That’s what I’m hoping for — an Xperia phone to reinvigorate this tired brand, with hardware, camera chops and battery life to get excited about.
It’s possible the Xperia X Ultra (or whatever it’s called) will break cover as early as IFA 2016 in early September. And if it lives up to our hopes, it could make a interesting addition to the fourth-quarter flurry of new smartphones. If not? Well, maybe it’s time to dust off the Xperia Z brand for a 2017 revival.
Microsoft’s OneDrive adds Pokémon Go image detector as part of latest update
Microsoft is rolling out new updates to its OneDrive image and file storage service. It includes a way for people to quickly identify and find any images taken from the Pokémon Go game.
In a blog post: Microsoft stated:
A lot of players take screenshots of their captured Pokémon to show off to their friends—both digitally and in person. We had to make it easier for you to find all your Pokémon screenshots, so we went to work and partnered with Microsoft Research to bring a Pokémon detector to OneDrive. When you have the OneDrive app on your phone and camera upload is turned on, the screenshots you take from the game are automatically saved to OneDrive and 150 Pokémon are identified for your searching and viewing pleasure. You can also search for your favorite Pokémon by name.
Microsoft is also adding a feature that automatically creates a photo album in a OneDrive account:
OneDrive detects whenever you take a few photos in a short period of time, in a particular location. The highest quality photos are then selected and put into an album. You are even notified when they’re ready to view and share on OneDrive.com, in our mobile apps or via the Windows 10 Photos app. In addition, to celebrate all of the fun stuff you do over the weekend, on Monday morning albums from your weekend photos are automatically created.
In addition, Microsoft has added search in OneDrive’s “All photos” view, along with dedicated view for folders that contain many images. There’s also a new “On this day” view in OneDrive accounts:
We love discovering photos we’ve taken in the past, and this view updates every day with images you have taken over the years on that same day. It’s a great way to relive birthdays or anniversaries or to remember old family vacations.
Pokémon Go
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‘Splatoon’ isn’t dead, but it’s still saying goodbye
Today at 5am ET, the final Splatfest commenced for players of Nintendo’s squid-kid shooter Splatoon. Players were asked to choose one of two teams representing the in-game hosts, Callie and Marie. At the end of the festival, members of the team with the highest score will get a prize, the losing team will get slightly less, and so will end Nintendo’s active promotion of the game. It was inevitable, of course, as the game came out over a year ago. But Splatfests were one of the biggest ways for the company to foster community among Splatoon players, and their discontinuation is likely to bring about a sharp decline among active users. It’s been a great run, but this is the end of an era for the game.
Active community building is key for a game whose developers intentionally waived voice chat in order to avoid the hostility that normally pervades online interactions. I’ve certainly had moments where I’ve cursed and screamed at my TV during a particularly fraught Splatoon match, things I wouldn’t want the 10-year-olds I’m probably playing with to hear. But when person-to-person interactions are limited to a user handle on a screen and canned responses, how do you get players to bond over a game?
reminder to everyone who thought Splatoon should’ve had voice chat: https://t.co/3s8iGW0lMh pic.twitter.com/XdNwzxMo8m
— Nick Robinson (@Babylonian) December 17, 2015
A strong fan culture has grown up around Splatoon over the past year. It’s taken the form of cosplayers at conventions, all with their own take on the game’s unique brand of street style. If you search on Tumblr you’ll find artwork galore, including plenty of Callie and Marie art (as well as plenty of posts looking forward to this weekend’s Splatfest). I even bought a Splatoon fashion fanzine. Yes, you read that right. A fashion magazine, complete with a fake mascara ad.
It’s not unusual for quirky, oddball games to garner a sizable fanbase. But it’s a bit more meaningful for Nintendo: The company has leaned heavily on the loyalty that players have for established franchises like Mario and Zelda, but it hasn’t been enough to prevent flagging Wii U sales. Nintendo needed something to stand out, especially in an industry where the biggest titles all seem to be multiplayer extravaganzas like Destiny and Overwatch. Nintendo needed Splatoon to make an impact. Other than the Mii avatars and accompanying apps like Miitomo, the company hasn’t produced something this fresh since Pikmin in 2001. (Other new series, like Xenoblade Chronicles and the upcoming Ever Oasis, have been produced by subsidiaries and second-party developers.)
Amazing #Splatoon cosplay found near our booth at #NYCC! pic.twitter.com/U4Oia8J5X3
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) October 10, 2015
For many who own the Xbox One or PlayStation 4, community is why they’ve chosen those particular consoles. Most online games don’t support cross-platform play (yet), so if you want to play with your friends you need to buy the same system as them. However, Nintendo’s never been great at the internet, especially when it comes to building bridges between players. The Wii and the DS relied on long, annoying “friend codes” for players to connect to one another. Even then, the amount of contact you had with your companions was somewhat limited. I’ve visited my friends’ houses in Animal Crossing and traded Pokémon with them, but without basic features like messaging and chat, Nintendo games have largely been a solitary experience in terms of how much interaction you have with other players.
Splatfests were one of the ways Nintendo tried to make up the difference. If you couldn’t connect with other players person-to-person, the company found a way to bring players together in a larger group by allowing them to choose a tribal identity. Were you Team Marshmallow or Team Hot Dog? Team Science or Team Art? Or, in one of the few sponsored events, Team Autobot or Decepticon?
The temporary nature and low stakes of Splatfests also served to make them more fun by taking the pressure off the decision to choose the “best” team: The results didn’t change the game for players in any significant way. Tribes were formed and dissolved in the course of a day and someone on the losing side in one event might easily find themselves a winner the next go-around. These festivals also brought everyone together into the game at the same time, meaning there was at least one day where it felt like everyone was involved: Even if you couldn’t talk to them, you knew they were out there, also playing Splatoon. Splatfests gave people a sense of connection to something bigger than themselves, if only for a little while.
This might seem silly, but plenty of games have used team identity to build dedicated communities. A recent example would be Pokémon Go, which asks players to sort themselves into one of three groups: Team Valor, Team Mystic and Team Instinct. There are colors along with associated Pokémon for each, as well as some vague spiel about what each team supposedly stands for, but ultimately the teams don’t matter much unless you’re looking to battle at a gym. And yet, players who are perfectly happy to spend their time with the game only catching Pokémon will still proudly proclaim which clan they’re a part of. (I’m Team Mystic, by the way.) In the short time the game has been out I’ve seen people chide each for the “wrong” choice, memes proclaiming the supremacy of one over the other and even fan-designed t-shirts on sites like TeeFury.
See. Even @TheRock knows who the better team is.#PokemonGO #TeamMystic pic.twitter.com/ntFqUjXAdv
— Team Mystic (@PGOTeamMystic) July 22, 2016
With the end of Splatfests, Splatoon loses a big part of its community feel. Sure, the servers will stay active for a few years, meaning you can still engage in a quick three-minute battle whenever the mood strikes you. But you’re not playing the game to bond with the other players on your squad; they’re nothing more than a name on a screen. The randomness of the team rosters also means that someone can be your ally one round and your opponent the next. You’re no longer playing Splatoon to make friends.
When games stop being updated and most people are already talking about the next big thing, the reason people return to a game is because of the bonds they’ve formed. Nintendo built a great fandom around Splatoon, but the company is ready to move on, and fans of its current games are being shown the door. Nice to know you: Maybe we’ll invite you back for Splatoon 2.
BlackBerry Hamburg/Neon: Release date, specs and everything we know so far
Blackberry is expected to launch three phones over the next year. One of them is the Argon and, by the sounds of it, this will be the company’s 2016 flagship phone. It’s a big, all touchscreen device with a powerful processor, support for the latest Quick Charge and Type-C connectivity.
Then there’s the Mercury; the next physical keyboard-equipped Android phone with a design reminiscent of the Passport and Classic.
Before both of those, however, there’s the Neon. This is expected to be another entirely touchscreen-based phone which fits neatly in to the high/mid end of the market next to phones from the likes of OnePlus, Alcatel and Oppo.
BlackBerry Hamburg/Neon: Design
All recent speculation suggests the BlackBerry Neon will essentially be a rebadged Alcatel Idol 4. Rumours have suggested for some time that BlackBerry has signed up TCL Communication to build at least some of its next phones. The same manufacturer is responsible for all of the Alcatel-branded phones available to buy currently, as well as the Vodafone Smart Platinum 7 and Ultra 7.
A recent Neon leak showing off the rear panel showed what looked very much like the Idol 4 from the back. In fact, the only major noticeable difference between the Idol 4 and the device in the leak was the brand logo. Where one has Alcatel’s stamp, the other has BlackBerry’s. Otherwise it is virtually the same device.
The camera and LED placement in the top left corner is identical, as is the design of the metal frame around the edges, which includes the rear-facing speaker grilles on the top and bottom. With the Alcatel phone, this is a feature designed to enable clear stereo sound regardless of whether your phone is placed face-down or face-up. If it’s a genuine press render, we’re likely to see that in the BlackBerry too.
It could be a soft-touch plastic back rather than glass, but we won’t know for sure until the Waterloo-based company announces it officially.
BlackBerry Hamburg/Neon: Display
Unlike the BlackBerry Priv and what’s rumoured for the upcoming all-touch “Argon” flagship, which both have 5.5-inch Quad HD screens, the Neon is expected to have a 5.2-inch full HD 1080 x 1920 resolution display.
With this being the mid-range phone in the lineup, it’s unlikely that it’ll feature the curved edges like the Priv or Galaxy S7 Edge, but may still have the ever-popular 2.5D glass with subtle curves around the outside, near the frame.
BlackBerry Hamburg/Neon: Camera
Blackberry is set to place a mammoth 21-megapixel camera on the back of the rumoured Argon, so it makes sense that the Neon’s snapper is a little less pixel-dense. Leaked benchmarks have pointed towards a 12-megapixel camera, suggesting that it won’t be the same sensor/lens makeup as the Idol 4 from Alcatel. The same benchmarks also suggest we’ll be able to record 4K resolution video with the camera.
Selfies with the Neo should be just fine, with a 7-megapixel camera with 1080p video rumoured for the front panel of the all-touch mid-ranger.
BlackBerry Hamburg/Neon: Hardware specs
As spec-lists go, the Neon’s so far looks decidedly mid-range. Claimed leaked benchmark results have suggested that – as well as the full HD screen – we’ll see a Snapdragon 615/617 processor paired with 3GB RAM. While this should mean performance is generally smooth and stutter free, the power won’t exactly set the world alight.
So far, phones with the mid-tier Snapdragon processor have been mostly fine, but are noticeably slower at loading games than more high-end devices.
Along with the 3GB RAM, it’s expected that we’ll see 16GB built-in storage, which hints towards the very real possibility that we’ll get expandable storage via microSD card and hopefully Android Marshmallow’s adoptable storage feature too.
Along with all of that, the 2,610mAh battery should get through a day’s use on a full charge and – with Quick Charge 2.0 support – will be speedily refillable.
BlackBerry Hamburg/Neon: Release date and price
We’re not sure exactly when the Hamburg/Neon is being released, but the device did recently show up in the FCC’s listings, suggesting that it will be announced at some point soon. A recently published roadmap from Venture Beat for the next 12 months suggests the Neon will be the first device of three coming between now and first quarter of 2017. In fact, it’s expected at some point in the next couple of months.
As far as pricing goes, it’s looking likely to be in and around the $300-$400 USD price range, which should mean a sub-£300 price point in the UK. If we had to speculate, we’d probably predict it’ll cost around £250, placing it right in Moto G4 Plus and OnePlus 2 territory.
Want to know more?
We’ll be keeping an eye on all the rumours surrounding the BlackBerry Hamburg/Neon (whatever you want to call it) and updating as we learn more. You can follow all the news and reviews on the BlackBerry hub!
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Apple iPhone 6S Plus: What’s the rumoured difference?
Samsung will be announcing its next Galaxy Note device on 2 August at an event in New York. By default, the new smartphone should be called the Note 6, but Samsung has said it will be jumping a digit in order to align the Note with its current 2016 flagships.
Its debut might still be a few days away, but the Galaxy Note 7 has been the subject of plenty of rumours over the last few months. With that in mind, we have put its rumoured specs up against Apple’s iPhone 6S Plus to see how the two phablets compare.
We will of course update this feature as the official specs are announced for the Note 7, but for now, here is how it differs from Apple’s device, based on the speculation.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Apple iPhone 6S Plus: Design
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is reported to be coming with a design similar to that of Samsung’s Galaxy S7 edge but with the added advantage of the built-in S Pen. Based on the leaked images, you can expect a beautiful device sporting a metal build, tempered glass rear and a dual-edged display.
It has been claimed that the Note 7 will measure 153.5mm x 73.9mm x 7.9mm and that it will be IP68 water and dust resistant. A fingerprint sensor is expected on the front, along with an iris scanner and it looks like you’ll find the S Pen tucked in the bottom right.
The Apple iPhone 6S Plus isn’t just reported to offer a lovely design, it does, featuring a fabulous all metal construction. Measuring 158.1 x 77.9 x 7.3mm and weighing 192g, Apple’s phablet looks like it will be slimmer than the Note 7, but larger in terms of overall footprint.
It too has a fingerprint sensor on the front in the form of Touch ID but there is no iris scanner or any kind of official waterproof rating and it doesn’t come with its own stylus either.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Apple iPhone 6S Plus: Display
The Samsung Galaxy Note series has featured a 5.7-inch display in the past. It’s been suggested the Galaxy Note 7 may increase this to 5.8-inches but other reports have said it will stick to the typical 5.7-inches. Either way, it looks like it will be have a curved edges like the S7 edge, as we mentioned previously.
The display technology is reported to remain as Super AMOLED and the resolution of the Note 7 is rumoured to stay at Quad HD, like recent Note devices. If the size stays at 5.7-inches and the other display rumours are accurate, the Note 7’s pixel density should be 515ppi, while a 5.8-inch display would see a drop to 506ppi.
The Apple iPhone 6S Plus has a 5.5-inch display, making it smaller than what is expected for the Note 7, despite possibly being a larger device. It also has a lower resolution than what is expected for the Note 7, with Apple choosing Full HD for a pixel density of 401ppi, meaning the Note 7 should offer sharper images. That said, the iPhone 6S Plus has a pressure sensitive display, allowing for different features based on the force with which you press.
Apple opts for an LCD IPS display for the iPhone 6S Plus. LCD tends to deliver more realistic colours than AMOLED but they can lack the punch and vibrancy found in OLED displays. Samsung’s Note devices have been praised for their displays in the past, but so have Apple’s devices, so it’s worth remembering numbers aren’t everything.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Apple iPhone 6S Plus: Cameras
It is thought the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will come with the same cameras as the S7 edge and S7 smartphones, both of which deliver excellent results. If this is the case, the Note 7 should feature a 12-megapixel rear snapper, coupled with a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter.
Both sensors have an aperture of f/1.7 in order to help them excel in low light conditions so if the rumours are accurate, it’s looking good for the Note 7. It is also rumoured the Note 7 might feature a new technology called Smart Glow, which is a ring of light surrounding the rear camera that lights up to indicate missed calls and messages.
The Apple iPhone 6S Plus also has a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. The aperture is f/2.2 for both cameras and OIS is on board the rear, while a Retina Flash is featured on the front.
Like Samsung’s latest cameras, Apple’s iPhone 6S Plus and iPhone 6S camera capabilities have been highly praised so while the two devices being compared here will have different ways of doing things and will be better at different things, they should both deliver great end results.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Apple iPhone 6S Plus: Hardware
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is expected to arrive with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800-series chip, either the SD823 or the SD821, or an Exynos processor, depending on the region. Rumour has it there will be 6GB of RAM on board, along with 64GB of storage and microSD expansion.
The Note 7 is also claimed to be coming with USB Type-C for faster charging and data transfer, a feature that both the S7 and S7 edge left off their spec sheets. The battery capacity for the Note 7 has been rumoured at 4000mAh, 4200mAh and 3600mAh, so it is currently unclear which it might include.
The Apple iPhone 6S Plus features the Cupertino company’s latest chip – the A9 – with an embedded M9 motion coprocessor. It has 2GB of RAM and it is available in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB storage options, none of which offer microSD expansion.
Battery capacity for the iPhone 6S Plus is said to be 2750mAh, which is quite a bit smaller than the reported capacity for the Note 7, even if the lowest suggestion is what appears in the device.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Apple iPhone 6S Plus: Software
The Galaxy Note 7 will arrive on Android Marshmallow with Samsung’s TouchWiz interface over the top. The iPhone 6S Plus runs on Apple’s iOS 9 software.
Some will prefer the Android OS, while others like iOS. This really comes down to personal preference. The software overlay on the Note 7 will mean there will be some app duplication that wouldn’t be there on raw Android, but you’ll also no doubt get specific features relating to the S Pen, which will be handy for productivity.
Apple’s iOS is a pretty simple and clean interface that’s nice and easy to use, but it offers less customisation than you’ll find on Android devices, and of course, there is no S Pen functionality or features.
Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Apple iPhone 6S Plus: Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and the Apple iPhone 6S Plus both have plenty going for them, especially in terms of design if the rumours for the Note 7 are true.
The Note 7 will probably have more powerful hardware and the S Pen will be the deal breaker for some, but it’s worth remembering the iPhone 6S Plus is almost a year old and it has already proved itself when it comes to camera and its ability to perform.
As half of this feature is based on speculation, we will be updating it when the official Note 7 specs are released, as well as when we have reviewed it to see how it compares to the iPhone 6S Plus in the real world.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7: Release date, rumours and everything you need to know
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Galaxy Note 5 vs Galaxy Note 4: What’s the rumoured difference?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs Galaxy S7 edge vs Galaxy S7: What’s the rumoured difference?
- Samsung Galaxy Note 7 in pictures: Photos, renders and leaks galore
- Apple iPhone 6S Plus review
NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1060 gives you gaming power on a budget
After debuting the fastest high-end and mid-range video cards ever seen, the GTX 1080 and 1070, we expected a lot from NVIDIA’s new lower-tier entry, the $249 GeForce GTX 1060. And the stakes were raised even higher after AMD launched the Radeon RX 480, a $200 GPU that’s fast enough to power VR headsets (and manage some decent 1440p gaming). NVIDIA claims the GTX 1060 is even faster than the GTX 980, its premium video card from 2014. That says quite a bit about how far we’ve come in the GPU world: You no longer have to break the bank for a decent amount of gaming muscle.
As with the GTX 1080 and 1070, I tested the slightly more expensive ($299) Founders Edition of the GTX 1060. While the previous two cards looked practically identical — they’re both beefy 10.5-inch-long dual-slot GPUs — the GTX 1060 is a bit shorter at 9.8 inches. They all share the same elaborate metallic case and fan design, though, along with a premium-feeling build quality. On the back, there are three DisplayPort slots, an HDMI port and a DVI connection.
The GeForce GTX 1060 features clock speeds between 1.5GHz and 1.7GHz (in boost mode), just like the GTX 1070, and there’s also 6GB of GDDR5 RAM. Because of its slightly shorter frame, and the fact that it only needs a 6-pin power connector, the GTX 1060 might be a useful upgrade for people with tight cases and less capable power supplies. If you’re really in that spot, though, maybe just hold out until you can revamp your entire system.
| 3DMark (Firestrike) | 3DMark 11 | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 | Standard 10,890 / Extreme 5,715/ Ultra 2,953 | X5,698 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 | Standard 13,918/ Extreme 7,703/ Ultra 4,110 | X7,778 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 | Standard 15,859/ Extreme 9,316/ Ultra 5,021 | X9,423 |
| AMD R9 Fury X | Standard 13,337/ Extreme 7,249/ Ultra 3,899 | X,6457 |
| AMD Radeon RX 480 | Standard 10,279/ Extreme 5,146/ Ultra 2,688 | X4,588 |
Now on to those benchmarks: The GTX 1060 performed pretty much as I expected on my system (which consists of a 4GHz Core i7-4790K CPU, 16GB of 2400Mz DDR3 RAM and a 512GB Crucial MX100 SSD on an ASUS Z97-A motherboard). It’s noticeably slower than the 1070, and slightly faster than the AMD RX 480 with 8GB of RAM. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a GTX 980 that I could use to directly test NVIDIA’s claims about the 1060 being faster, but 3DMark comparisons against similarly specced systems showed that the cards were about as fast.
4K benchmarks
| Witcher 3 | Hitman | Doom | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 | 24 | 23 | 29 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 | 38 | 35 | 48 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 | 43 | 48 | N/A |
| AMD R9 Fury X | 35 | 38 | N/A |
| AMD Radeon RX 480 | 20 | 25 | 35 |
Average frames-per-second performance in 4K with all graphics set to maximum and NVIDIA HairWorks turned off.
Unsurprisingly, the GTX 1060 isn’t much of a 4K contender. That’s a resolution that even the GTX 1070 struggled with, and honestly I wouldn’t even want to run it on the 1080. Still, it’s worth comparing the GTX 1060’s performance (if only to future-proof our benchmarks a bit). Once again, it’s slightly faster than the RX 480, but that’s kind of a moot point, since both cards delivered unplayable performance.
1440p benchmarks
| Witcher 3 | Hitman | Doom | Overwatch | |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 | 44 | 44 | 58 | 60 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 | 60 | 60 | 55-65 | 60 |
| NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 60 |
| AMD R9 Fury X | N/A | 70 | N/A | 60 |
| AMD Radeon RX 480 | 43 | 45 | 58 | 60 |
Average frames-per-second performance in 1440p with all graphics set to maximum and NVIDIA HairWorks turned off.
When it comes to 1440p (2,560 by 1,440 pixels), my preferred gaming resolution, the 1060 was about twice as fast as it was in 4K. In some games, like Doom and Overwatch, it even managed to reach 60 frames per second, which is the gold standard for smooth performance. It was about on par with the RX 480, which came as a surprise given the 1060’s slight 3DMark lead.
Naturally, the GTX 1060 had no problems reaching 60 fps and beyond at 1080p in just about every game I threw at it. Given the amount of power it holds, that’s no surprise. It also delivered a smooth VR experience with both the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. There were no signs of slowdown either as I flew around space in Eve: Valkyrie or had shootouts in Hover Junkers.
While the 1060 generally outpaced AMD’s $240 RX 480 (8GB RAM version), it would likely perform similarly against the $200 RX 480 (4GB RAM) variant. Benchmarks comparing the 4GB and 8GB RAM versions of AMD’s card show very little difference between the two. So if you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, the RX 480 is still your best bet. You can also add in another RX 480 down the line for even more performance, whereas NVIDIA has removed its multi-card technology (SLI) from the GTX 1060 entirely.
And if the RX 480 doesn’t cut it for you, it’s probably worth saving up and getting a GTX 1070 instead of NVIDIA’s budget GPU. GTX 1070 cards retail for around $379, and they’ll offer significantly better performance than the GTX 1060. The 1070 also supports SLI, so you can throw in another card in a year or two as games become more demanding.
Overall, the GTX 1060 is exactly what NVIDIA needed to compete against AMD’s revolutionary RX 480. But its pricing makes it a tough sell, since the 480 is a better deal and NVIDIA’s own GTX 1070 isn’t that much more expensive. Once GTX 1060 cards come down in price, though, they’ll become much more compelling.
Amateur diving data could help climate change studies
Recreational divers could play a significant part in studying the effects of climate change on oceans thanks to the decompression computers worn by many SCUBA enthusiasts.
Nature says that the wrist-mounted trackers often provide useful data like dive time, depth and the temperature of the water. That last one is key in measuring climate change effects, as rising water temperatures can increase the occurrence of hurricanes and disrupt fish stocks.
It hadn’t been known previously whether the data would be accurate enough to contribute to the big picture, but the researchers say that it’s good enough to tap the 6 – 10 million “citizen-scientists” that share data on social media about their dives. Add in that it’s a free source of data that could massively expand the 3,000 or so robot buoys already measuring temperature and it’s a no-brainer for researchers.
“The scuba diving community represents a huge and novel source of aquatic temperature profile data over large spatial and temporal scales. Compilation of these profiles could augment existing monitoring by enhancing the number of inshore temperature profiles, and provide a resource for scientists to better understand the marine environment and organisms’ responses to changes in the environment,” the paper says.
So, now you can go diving and get a warm feeling for contributing to the study of climate change. Win-win.
Via: The Guardian
Source: Nature
First drone pilot jailed for flying contraband into UK prisons
In a first for the UK, a drone pilot has been jailed for flying illegal substances into prisons. Daniel Kelly was sentenced to 14 months in jail after using a quadcopter to deliver “spice,” a psychoactive substance, and tobacco to inmates on multiple occasions. Kent Police say he successfully flew the drone on four separate dates: HMP Elmley, in Kent, on April 20th, HMP Mount in Hertfordshire on April 23rd and 24th, and HMP Swleside, in Kent, on April 25th. Detectives are also aware of two flights, on April 17th and 21st, over HMP Wandsworth in London, that were unsuccessful.
Kelly was caught on April 25th with a drone spray-painted black. Tape had also been placed over the lights, presumably to avoid detection during the illegal flights. “Kelly’s offending was serious,” Detective Constable Mark Silk, who served as investigating officer, said. “Psychoactive substances and tobacco have an inflated value in prison and this can lead to offences being committed within. This places inmates and prison staff at risk.”
Kelly’s sentencing is the first of its kind in the UK. But using drones as covert smugglers is nothing new. Figures obtained by the Press Association through a Freedom of Information request show a substantial rise in prison-related UAV flights. Two incidents were reported in 2014, followed by 33 in 2015. They were used to transport drugs, phones and USB drives, among other items. As drones become cheaper and easier to buy, it’s likely this trend will continue. The sentence passed down this week, then, is an important one for the police, as it could serve as a useful deterrent.
Via: Gizmodo
Source: Kent Police
Twitter adds more college sports to its video streaming lineup
Twitter is adding new video streaming deals almost daily, and today it announced an agreement that pads its college sports lineup. Following last week’s Pac-12 deal, the social network is teaming up with Campus Insiders to stream over 300 “live college events” from Mountain West Conference, Patriot League and West Coast Conference. Yes, that includes live games and competitions spanning football, basketball, lacrosse, soccer, baseball, volleyball, field hockey, water polo and swimming. If you’re not familiar, Campus Insiders is like an all digital version of ESPN for college sports, offering news and live coverage for 3,000 live events thanks to partnerships with five conferences.
What’s more, Campus Insiders puts on the Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl which is “the first and only digitally-focused college football bowl game broadcast.” Campus Insiders will provide updates and highlights in addition to its live events. Twitter will also get news and highlights from the ACC Digital Network. While that content won’t include live games, it will give fans of Atlantic Coast Conference schools a way to catch up on any action they might have missed and keep track of all the latest developments. The ACC recently announced its own network in partnership with ESPN for 2019, so that’s where most of its live action will be available. Part of that option includes a digital (streaming) channel that will show 600 live events launching this fall.
In a press release announcing the deals, Twitter’s CFO Anthony Noto noted that the agreements would allow users who are already chatting about the sporting events on the social network a chance to stream live videos in the same place. “Twitter is the fastest way to see what’s happening in sports,” he said. Campus Insiders’ digital foundation makes it more suited to tackle streaming on Twitter than a traditional network. Since it’s already doing so on its own, the pieces are in place to easily make the leap. Speaking of which, there’s no word on when you can expect the live events, news and highlights to make their debut, but we’d surmise it will start up when students head back to school this fall.
Source: Twitter (PR Newswire)
The best portable solar battery charger
By Mark Smirniotis
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. Read the full article here.
After considering 70 models and testing portable solar battery chargers for over 30 hours, we think the Anker PowerPort Solar Lite is the one to get if you need to power a small device in an emergency or off the grid. It can fully charge most phones at nearly full speed with less than a day’s worth of sunlight.
Who should get this
Honestly, a lot of people looking for a portable power solution are going to be better off starting with a USB battery pack. Our large battery pick will keep a smartphone charged every night for a week and is no bigger than a paperback novel. But if you can’t be sure of your power needs, a solar charger could refill a small battery pack in a day or directly charge a smartphone in two to three hours.
The catch is that these chargers work only with USB devices, which limits their appeal for those who need them for long-term, off-grid setups. If that’s you, you’ll probably be more interested in the larger setups from companies like Goal Zero or Suntactics. In the future, we may review these units, but for now, they’re outside the scope of this guide.
How we picked and tested
The Anker (bottom) and the now discontinued runner-up RAVPower (top) both returned to full-speed charging immediately after being shaded. Photo: Mark Smirniotis
We started with a pool of solar battery charger contenders culled from Amazon sales and user reviews, as well as authoritative review sites like OutdoorGearLab. In our survey of more than 400 readers, more than 40 percent said they would want to be able to charge a tablet and 59 percent said they wanted to spend less than $75, so we considered only models that can produce at least 2 amps, and ruled out some more-expensive offerings.
With cloudless, blue Southern California skies and an expected high in the 70s, we set out the panels we chose for testing at roughly a 25-degree angle at 10 a.m. and connected them to a PortaPow V2 Premium USB Power Monitor and an external USB battery. We disqualified any chargers unable to get back to their maximum output on their own once shaded. If you decide to leave your phone and solar charger out all afternoon to absorb some juice while you’re off hiking, you’d be pretty disappointed to find your phone charged for only a total of 15 minutes before a cloud passed by. That’s a dealbreaker.
Because we had a few models that didn’t carry this quirk, we tested them against one another to gauge power production. When they performed similarly, we chose the lighter, more compact of the three competitors as our winner.
Our pick
The PowerPort Solar Lite is the smallest and lightest charger we’ve tested that’s rated at 15 watts. Photo: Mark Smirniotis
If you need power for small devices when you’re away from electrical outlets for more than a couple of days, the Anker PowerPort Solar Lite has the best combination of charging speed, size, and price. Used alone, the Anker can fully recharge small tablets or one or two smartphones in one sunny day. If you pair the Anker with one of our favorite USB battery packs, the combination will have enough juice to keep your USB-powered gadgets fully charged every day for as long as needed. And although half of the chargers we tested slowed to a crawl when a cloud passed overhead, the Anker resumed full-speed charging almost immediately after the cloud was gone.
In direct winter sun, our peak measurement was 8.48 watts/1.67 amps, which may seem low compared with the 15 watts/2.1 amps production advertised in the specs. But after an entire day charging our test battery, the average 6 watts/1.17 amps got us 85 percent of the way to the total produced by the much larger and heavier RAVPower charger.
The Anker measures about 18 inches long when fully deployed—about half as long as the 31-inch RAVPower, making it much easier to orient toward the sun. Folded up and ready for travel, it measures 11 by 6.3 inches and weighs just 12.5 ounces. Models any larger don’t get you enough performance boost to justify the size, and any smaller won’t be able to keep up with modern, power-hungry gadgets. If anything goes wrong, Anker offers solid customer support, an 18-month warranty, and a track record of quality power accessories.
How to get the most from your charger
Making power from starlight. Photo: Mark Smirniotis
To really max out your power output, you’ll want your panels angled correctly. A good rule of thumb is that the panel’s angle, relative to flat ground, should be roughly the same as your latitude, with some minor adjustments in summer (shallower) or winter (steeper). If you really want to get the most juice, check sites such as solarpaneltilt.com, pveducation.org, or Solar Electricity Handbook to figure out the best angle before you go.
This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.
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