Google Photos’ latest update lets you hide your most sensitive shots

Why it matters to you

We’ve all got pictures we’d rather keep to ourselves, and one of the world’s most popular photo management apps finally offers a way to keep them hidden.

You’d think it would be easy to hide incriminating photos on your smartphone — it’s 2017 after all, and the internet is a thing that exists. Until recently, however, keeping your most private images shielded from the public was actually quite difficult.

Among the available options, you have Samsung with its robust Secure Folder app, which lets you lock everything from pictures to emails, documents, and even apps behind password protection. Then there’s Apple’s somewhat clunky system of letting you “hide” content from your general Photos tab, while leaving it perfectly visible in Albums. Better yet, Google had no such feature at all — until now.

At long last, the latest version of Google’s Android photos app makes it extremely easy to hide images, with just three taps. Open or long-press a photo, tap the menu button at the top right, and select “Archive.” Those pictures will be concealed in a separate folder accessible from the hamburger menu, though much like Apple’s method, they will still appear in Albums view and search results.

The new feature was first revealed by 9to5Google, and is now live for devices with version 2.15 of the app installed. It likely isn’t the lock-and-key solution some users might want or need, but it’s better than nothing. Besides, there are many third-party apps on both iOS and Android made specifically for keeping pictures private that do a better job of it. Archiving is also useful for those who would simply prefer to de-clutter their photo library, or have many multiples of the same shots.

May has been a busy month for Google Photos, and this is just one of several new features to arrive on the app in recent weeks. For Mother’s Day, Photos gained the ability to make personalized videos using facial recognition to identify your family members. Not long after, at Google I/O, the company debuted enhancements designed to make sharing easier, and unveiled the ability to make printed books. And just yesterday, Google added Family Groups support, allowing users to instantly send photos to as many as five of their loved ones with a single tap.

Build a futuristic-looking gaming PC with Cougar’s new Conquer case

Why it matters to you

If you’re planning a new gaming PC this summer and want a futuristic design that stands out, the Conquer case has you covered.

For many people, half the fun of building a new gaming PC is injecting some personality into the design. Short of making your own custom case, the best way to do that is to pick up a retail case that adds some design flair of its own.

Case manufacturer Cougar is known for offering same case designs that go beyond the usual black box and it recently announced a new futuristic case that will be launched at the upcoming Computex 2017. Dubbed the Conquer, the new case offers an interesting blend of design and materials, Tom’s Hardware reports.

The Conquer is a mid-tower chassis that measures 23 inches by 10 inches by 30 inches. In other words, it is not the smallest mid-tower case on the market. It is made from a mix of machined aluminum and tempered glass that makes for a futuristic design and offers an interesting twist on thermal management with an aluminum tunnel up top that channels air over the three included 120mm fans.

The two 5mm tempered glass panels on the side provide an open air flow and a direct view into the Conquer’s interior. Thermal management is rounded out with support for radiators and up to 360mm coolers on top and 240mm on the front.

Connectivity includes dual USB 3.0 Type-A connections and HD audio and microphone jacks on the front of the case. Motherboard support includes mini-ITX, micro-ATX, and full-size ATX motherboards, along with seven expansion slots and GPUs up to 350mm long.

The Cougar Conquer will retail for $250 and will ship at the end of June or beginning of July. Anyone looking for a fun summer project building a new gaming PC, therefore, has a nice new case option to consider that offers a futuristic design at a bit of a steep price.

JLab House Party wireless speaker review

Research Center:
JLab House Party

Wireless multiroom speaker systems are seriously cool, but they do have their drawbacks. For one thing, they can be pricey — often running hundreds of dollars for each speaker. For another, they can be difficult to use. Multiroom systems usually require connection to your home network and a complicated app to operate, and even finding compatible streaming applications can sometimes be difficult. They’re Finally, they’re rarely portable, requiring power and internet connection to spin their home-filling sound.

JLab tackles many of these issues with its new portable multiroom speakers, the House Party and Block Party. The pair ditch network-based multiroom setup in favor of good old fashioned Bluetooth, along with a self-contained 5.8Ghz wireless network to communicate with one another. That means they can travel with you to far-off places, free from the bonds of Wi-Fi.

The House Party is the smaller of the two, and while it serves as a relatively impressive micro-footprint option, with especially solid bass response for its size its small soundstage make it best suited to bathrooms, bedrooms, or backpacks. With its big brother offering some of the best sound in its class, we’d be more inclined to pick up a House Party as part of a Block Party-anchored setup — or even as an affordable portable option – rather than a foundational speaker for a multiroom sound system.

Out of the Box

The House Party comes in a simple rectangular box with almost nothing in the way of accessories. You’ll find a user guide, and a bright blue micro USB cable, but no wall adapter. Most of us have a USB wall adapter on hand these days, but it’s a bit of an oversight for a speaker that could occupy its own permanent spot in a multiroom setup.

Features and Design

If the Block Party looks like a scale model of the Borg base from Star Trek NG, the House Party looks more like a smaller version of the cube from the Portal video game. A 2.5-inch x 4-inch x 4-inch rectangle with metal mesh on three sides and rubberized black plastic on the remainder, the House Party’s design is simple and petite enough to blend in well with its surroundings. The only standout design traits are a thin JLab logo on the bottom front and a LED-backlit multifunction button on the top. Unlike the Block Party, there’s no handle for carrying the speaker around.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

A rubber seal at the back covers a 3.5 mm aux input, a USB port, and the charging port; the House Party has an IPX4 water resistance rating, making it splash proof, but not suitable for actual dunks in the water.

The House Party’s attractive design is simple enough to blend in well with its surroundings.

Along with the multifunction button, the top of the speaker boasts raised rubber buttons for power, volume, and Bluetooth pairing. Each of them are easy to find by sight or touch, but blend in easily with the background. As with the Block Party, one of our favorite design cues is the inclusion of step-by-step setup and pairing instructions on the bottom side for easy access.

Pressing the two volume buttons together for a short period indicates battery life. Pressing and holding the volume keys for three seconds allows you to change EQ settings between Indoor and Outdoor, invoking a blue LED flash for indoor listening, and a green flash for outdoor.

Audio playback is accomplished via Bluetooth or the 3.5 mm input when using single-speaker playback, while JLab’s built-in 5.8Ghz wireless connection comes into play when connecting another House Party or Block Party speaker. Battery life is nine hours, which is pretty solid for a device this size and price – especially one that gets this loud.

Bluetooth setup

As with most speakers, pairing the House Party to your phone via Bluetooth is easy. After hitting the power button, the multifunction button will pulse blue for Bluetooth connection or white for “Share” mode. If the speaker is in Bluetooth mode, simply locate it on your device’s Bluetooth menu and connect. If it is in Share mode, press and hold the Bluetooth button on the top of the device for three seconds to switch to Bluetooth mode.

Multiroom Setup

To set up two or more speakers in multiroom mode for the first time, Bluetooth pair with the speaker you intend to keep within 33 feet of your device (the master), then press and hold the multifunction button on the top of the speaker until it blinks blue, indicating you’re sharing to other speakers.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Once your master speaker is sharing, make sure the slave speaker(s) is in Share mode, and hold the multifunction button until it blinks white. The speakers (up to eight) will auto-connect, and the multifunction buttons will become solid white or blue, depending on which are in Share mode and which is in Bluetooth as your master. Once connected, you can move your slave speakers wherever you like within a 100-foot radius, while keeping your master speaker (and its Blue LED) within 33 feet of your phone or other Bluetooth playback device.

Putting the speakers in standby mode, accomplished by holding the power button on the master speaker for two seconds until red, retains your setup settings. Holding the button again takes the system out of standby, at which point the speakers will immediately reconnect and continue broadcasting.

Multiroom performance

When placing synced speakers around our home, office, and even outdoors, everything within the network’s 100-foot range worked just as advertised. The most impressive feature when connecting the House Party and Block Party speakers in tandem was the absolute lack of audible latency. Every sound we played between the two devices was in sync, even when stacking the speakers on top of each other. We’d be interested to see how the system performs when more speakers are added to the mix, but we can’t imagine performance will be much different given the dedicated streaming signal.

JLab House Party Compared To

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom

Fugoo Go

Creative iRoar

Cambridge Audio Bluetone 100

Denon Heos 5

Denon Heos 3

Braven BRV-X

Bose SoundTouch 20

Carbon Audio Pocket Speaker

Altec Lansing the Jacket iMW455

Boombotix Boombot Rex

Cambridge Audio Minx Air 200

Carbon Audio Zooka

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin

The 33-foot range restriction between source device and of your master speaker is a limitation, but there are ways around it. For instance, we Bluetooth paired our master JLab speaker to a desktop computer in the main area of our home, and then used the Spotify App on our phone to select the computer as a playback device, allowing us to change the music remotely in other rooms. Of course you can also take a speaker out of Shared mode and stream Bluetooth at any time.

Audio Performance

Especially when considering its tiny footprint and affordable price point, the House Party offers some pretty solid sound performance. A pair of 2-inch, 10-watt drivers push the audio on the left and right sides of the device, providing a good amount of stereo imaging, with dual 2-inch bass radiators spreading the low end love. As with the Block Party, we highly recommend listening only in Outdoor mode, as the sound with the Indoor EQ engaged is boxy and somewhat lifeless.

Battery life is solid for a device this size and price – especially one that gets this loud.

The House Party’s volume level is significantly less than that of the larger Block Party, but still remarkable for its size. The speaker was able to fill medium sized bedrooms with loud versions of folk classics like Dylan’s Like A Rolling Stone, which can be a struggle for smaller speakers.

Still, while we would recommend a single Block Party for even larger rooms, we’d recommend keeping the House Party contained to smaller environments, like a bathroom or bedroom. The max volume just isn’t powerful enough to fuel an impromptu living room dance-off like the Block Party.

The House Party’s sound is full and balanced, but the soundstage is fairly concise. On songs like Run The Jewel’s Oh My Darling Don’t Cry, the House Party shows off ample bass response, providing an enjoyable rumble for smaller spaces, but we didn’t get the wide stereo image we enjoyed from the Block Party.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The 2-inch drivers do well to highlight the upper register, but sometimes struggle with midrange frequencies, providing a scooped sound at the center. This was especially evident when listening to Whitney’s No Woman, which came off sounding more sterile than usual. That said, these audio gripes are not deal killers for an affordable and extremely small Bluetooth speaker, especially when used as part of a larger multiroom system with Block Party speakers in play.

In fact, in terms of overall sound, the House Party competes well with many other speakers its size, and is only all the more formidable when its multiroom functionality is taken into account.

Our Take

The House Party is a solid portable Bluetooth speaker, and would do well to supplement the larger Block Party in a multiroom setup, but at just $50 more, we’d prefer the Block Party when pressed.

Is there a better alternative?

If your budget can’t handle the pricier Block Party, there are many excellent Bluetooth alternatives hovering around $100, including the Sony SRS X5 and JBL Flip 3, but this is one of the very few speakers at this price with multiroom functionality, making the House Party an intriguing new option.

How long will it last?

The build quality of JLab’s speakers appears to be quite high, and with the IPX4 rating, we imagine the speaker will last for several years of moderate-to heavy use — provided you don’t drop it in the tub.

Should you buy it?

Yes, with some caveats. The JLab House Party has relatively impressive sound and a whole lot of functionality for a very low price. That said, given that the larger Block Party is only $50 more, we’d use the House Party to supplement the sound of Block Party speakers in smaller rooms, rather than as the foundational speaker in a multiroom setup.

JLab Block Party wireless speaker review

Research Center:
JLab Block Party

Wireless multiroom speaker systems are seriously cool, but they do have their drawbacks. For one thing, they can be pricey — often running hundreds of dollars for each speaker. For another, they can be difficult to use. Multiroom systems usually require connection to your home network and a complicated app to operate, and even finding compatible streaming applications can sometimes be difficult. Finally, they’re rarely portable, requiring power and internet connection to spin their home-filling sound.

JLab tackles many of these issues with its new portable multiroom speakers, the Block Party and House Party. The pair ditch network-based multiroom setup in favor of good old fashioned Bluetooth, along with a self-contained 5.8Ghz wireless network to communicate with one another. That means they can travel with you to far-off places, free from the bonds of Wi-Fi.

The larger Block Party speaker easily offers some of the best value on the market. A powerful, portable cube of sound, the Block Party blankets its environment with warm and balanced audio that rivals much more expensive speakers. Add in extras like water resistance, and multiroom playback that’s easy to setup on the go, and the Block Party is well deserving of our Editor’s Choice badge.

Out of the box

The Block Party arrives in a simple rectangular box with just a few accessories, including a user guide, a power cable, and a bright blue micro USB cable. No cable is provided for its 3.5mm aux input at the back, but that’s not all that surprising considering the speaker’s price and loaded feature set.

Features and Design

The Block Party looks a bit like a Star Trek’s Borg station, but with rounded edges. A 6-inch x 5.5-inch x 5.5-inch rectangle with metal mesh on three sides and rubberized black plastic on the remainder, the aesthetic is simple and elegant enough to blend in almost anywhere.

Apart from a thin JLab logo on the bottom front and a LED-backlit multifunction button on the top, the only bit of flash onboard is a rubberized handle on the rear in bright blue. The burst of color isn’t particularly noticeable once you’ve setup the portly 5.6-pound device for playback, but it does make it easier to find the handle in a dark room or moonlit backyard.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The Block Party has an IPX4 water resistance rating, making it splash proof, but not suitable for full-on submersion. A rubber seal at the back covers the 3.5 mm input, a USB port, and the charging port.

Along with the multifunction button, the top of the speaker boasts raised rubber buttons for power, volume, and Bluetooth pairing. Each of them are large enough to find by touch or sight easily, while melding into the black background when you don’t need them. Another great design cue is the inclusion of step-by-step setup and pairing instructions on the bottom side for easy access. Smart thinking.

Under the grill a 50-watt amplifier powers two 3-inch, 15-watt woofers and a pair of 1-inch, 7.5-watt tweeters on the left and right sides, joined by a pair of 3-inch passive radiators for bass on the bottom and front.

Battery life is a somewhat middling nine hours per charge, […] but it’s not a detraction

Audio playback is accomplished via Bluetooth or the 3.5 mm input when using single-speaker playback, while JLab’s built-in 5.8Ghz wireless connection comes into play when connecting another Block Party or House Party speaker. Battery life is a somewhat middling nine hours per charge, but considering the multiroom functionality and the sheer volume the speaker can produce, it’s not a detraction.

Pressing the two volume buttons together for a short period will let you know how much battery life is left. Pressing and holding the volume keys for three seconds allows you to change EQ settings between Indoor and Outdoor, invoking a blue LED flash for indoor listening, and a green flash for outdoor.

Bluetooth setup

As with most speakers, pairing the Block Party to your phone via Bluetooth is easy. After hitting the power button, the multifunction button will pulse blue for Bluetooth connection or white for “Share” mode. If the speaker is in Bluetooth mode, simply locate it on your device’s Bluetooth menu and connect. If it is in Share mode, press and hold the Bluetooth button on the top of the device for three seconds to switch to Bluetooth mode.

Multiroom setup

To set up two or more speakers in multiroom mode for the first time, Bluetooth pair with the speaker you intend to keep within 33 feet of your device (the master), then press and hold the multifunction button on the top of the speaker until it blinks blue, indicating you have started sharing to other speakers.

JLab Block Party Compared To

JBL Authentic L8

Braven BRV-X

Bose SoundTouch 20

Carbon Audio Pocket Speaker

Altec Lansing the Jacket iMW455

Boombotix Boombot Rex

Cambridge Audio Minx Air 200

Nocs NS2 Air Monitors

Carbon Audio Zooka

Logitech UE Air

iHome iP4

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air

Klipsch iGroove SXT

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin

mStation 2.1 Stereo Orb

Once your master speaker is sharing, make sure the slave speaker(s) is in Share mode, and hold the multifunction button until it blinks white. The speakers (up to eight) will auto-connect, and the multifunction buttons will become solid white or blue, depending on which are in Share mode and which is in Bluetooth as your master. Once connected, you can move your slave speakers wherever you like within a 100-foot radius, while keeping your master speaker (and its Blue LED) within 33 feet of your phone or other Bluetooth playback device.

Putting the speakers in standby mode, accomplished by holding the power button on the master speaker for two seconds until red, retains your setup settings. Holding the button again takes the system out of standby, at which point the speakers will immediately reconnect and continue broadcasting.

Multiroom performance

When placing synced speakers around our home, office, and even outdoors, everything within the network’s 100-foot range worked just as advertised. The most impressive feature when connecting the Block Party and House Party speakers in tandem was the absolute lack of audible latency. Every sound we played between the two devices was in sync, even when stacking the speakers on top of each other. We’d be interested to see how the system performs when more speakers are added to the mix, but we can’t imagine performance will be much different given the dedicated streaming signal.

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

The 33-foot range restriction between source device and of your master speaker is a limitation, but there are ways around it. For instance, we Bluetooth paired our master JLab speaker to a desktop computer in the main area of our home, and then used the Spotify App on our phone to select the computer as a playback device, allowing us to change the music remotely in other rooms. Of course you can also take a speaker out of Shared mode and stream Bluetooth at any time.

Audio performance

Considering its small footprint, the Block Party offers an extremely revealing soundstage with a surprising amount of stereo imaging, and a healthy dollop of bass to boot. At max volume the speaker is very loud for its size, easily providing enough noise to fill a dance-crazed living room.

There is one major caveat worth mentioning when it comes to overall audio quality: We vastly preferred everything we heard through the Block Party in Outdoor mode. In fact, the difference was so drastic that we actually wonder just who or what Indoor mode is designed for.

We vastly preferred everything we heard through the Block Party in Outdoor mode.

While listening to Allen Touissant’s Last Train in Indoor mode, the piano’s shimmery high end and the drummer’s hi-hats were totally buried beneath the midrange and bass. When we switched to Outdoor mode, it sounded as though a box surrounding the music had been removed, giving each register more room to breathe in the soundstage, and providing a much more pleasurable listening experience.

In Outdoor mode, the Block party really impresses for its price point, even without the added value of multiroom functionality. While it does utilize digital signal processing for each driver, the Block Party’s driver layout helps to create a natural balance, without over processing — something that can bother your ears over long listening sessions, and plagues many speakers this size.

Even without dedicated low-end drivers, the passive radiators provide plenty of oomph for instrumental hip-hop like J Dilla’s Detroit Madness, while showcasing the warm sub-bass frequencies of Radiohead’s House of Cards in perfect balance with the bright tones of Thom York’s reverb-laden vocals.

Given how well it handled standard pop music, we found ourselves gravitating toward more difficult genres like jazz and folk in testing, just to see if we could find cracks in the facade. Especially when considering its portability and low price point, we couldn’t find many. It’s hard not to love a speaker that offers thoroughly enjoyable reproductions of saxophone player Joshua Redman’s Elastic album while you’re deep in the redwoods, miles away from the nearest Wi-Fi signal or power source.

Our Take

Whether you are looking for a loud and capable Bluetooth speaker, or the foundation of an affordable multiroom listening system, JLab’s Block party is a top performer.

Is there a better alternative?

Those looking for a great Bluetooth speaker will find plenty of options hovering around the $150 price point, with favorites like the JBL Charge 3 providing a more rugged alternative for a bit less money, and speakers like the Marshall Kilburn offering more style and better battery life for a bit more.

Those looking to build a multiroom system also have plenty of options, but most of the industry leaders are a bit pricier. Sonos’ quieter, mono-channel Play:1 is $50 more than the Block Party, for instance. And while the Play:1 offers higher-resolution music streaming, and more playback options via the app, you give up the Block Party’s portability.

How long will it last?

The Block Party’s build quality appears to be quite high, and with the IPX4 rating, we imagine that the speaker will last several years of moderate-to heavy use — provided you don’t drop it in the pool.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The JLab Block Party is a great sounding Bluetooth speaker that fits a particularly interesting niche in the world of multiroom speakers, making it a worthwhile purchase for multiple reasons.

Google Photos for Android now offers easy archiving

Help eliminate the embarrassment of bad angles by archiving what you don’t care for others to see.

Launching Google Photos can become a practice in vulnerability. The app tends to showcase the last batch of pictures you took, and if any are just plain bad or unflattering, it can leave you feeling exposed.

The latest update to Google Photos helps eliminate this kind of embarrassment. Discovered by 9to5Google, now you can archive photos from appearing on the main screen. Simply tap on the ability in the overflow menu, or select the ability from the navigation drawer. Archived photos will remain in your albums and search results, as well as on the Archive page — just as you would archive a batch of notes in Google Keep, for example.

Easily archive any or all selfies in Google Photos.

Granted, there are even more features coming to Google Photos in the near future — a majority of which were teased at Google I/O — but this will certainly help anyone looking to get their photo albums in order for when those machine learning tricks do make it to the photo-sharing suite. The feature is currently rolling out for Android; iOS users and web app users might have to hang tight for the moment.

Android Pay expected to come to Canada on May 31

Canadians have been waiting a long time for Android Pay, and it looks like the wait is almost up.

Android Pay is set to come to Canada on May 31, according to internal documents received by MobileSyrup. Google made the announcement earlier this month at its annual developer conference, but neglected to spell out a specific date. If the leak is to be believed, Canadians should be able to use their Android phones to pay at contactless-enabled retailers starting early next month.

It’s not clear which banks and payment processing systems will support Android Pay, but like Apple Pay it will likely be Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Interac, with all five major banks on board from the beginning.

Rumor has it that Android Pay took so long to come north of the border because Interac, Canada’s de facto debit standard, required significant internal restructuring to support Google’s payment system. A similar reason was given for Apple Pay’s delay, which was more than a year after it launched in the U.S. Samsung Pay is already available in Canada, but is limited to CIBC credit cards.

In the meantime, Canadians have been using their banks’ apps to make mobile payments; currently three of the Big Five banks — TD Canada Trust, Scotiabank and RBC — support mobile payments through the app, but Android Pay will negate the need to open a third-party app at all, and will enable fingerprint-enabled payments.

Microsoft Surface Pro vs Huawei MateBook E vs Samsung Galaxy Book: Battle of the 2-in-1s

If there’s one category that’s heating up, it’s the 2-in-1 category. Small format notebooks have largely stepped aside for tablets with a lot more power, while weak tablets seem to have given up completely; it’s the age of the Pro tablet and there’s a growing number of Windows tablets to choose from.

Microsoft holds the ace card, making its Surface hardware for a number of years. But the refinement of that design hasn’t been missed by the likes of Samsung and Huawei, both ever keen to find a new device category to expand into.

The new Surface and new MateBook E were announced on the same day; here’s how they all shape up with another newcomer, the Samsung Galaxy Book.

Surface Pro vs Matebook E vs Galaxy Book: Design

• Surface Pro: 292 x 201 x 8.5mm, 768-784g (without keyboard)
• MateBook E: 278.8 x 194.1 x 6.9mm, 640g (without keyboard)
• Galaxy Book: 291.3 x 199.8 x 7.4mm, 754g (without keyboard)

In the battle for slim and light, Huawei comes out with the smallest tablet and also the lightest, shaving 100g off the weight of the other devices. The Surface Pro is the largest and heaviest, but unlike the other models, it has the kickstand built-in, whereas the other devices both rely on the keyboard case to stand up.

That means the Surface Pro has something of an advantage: even if you ditch the keyboard it’s more versatile, with the new kickstand offering even more positions for use. This is reflected in the new cover for the MateBook E, which has a hinged design so you can set it at various angles too. The Galaxy Book is still at the mercy of folding the cover in various ways, so is less flexible than the other two.

The new Surface Pro offers a fanless design until you get up to the more powerful i7 model, at which point it becomes a hybrid cooling system. The Galaxy Book on the other hand is a fan-cooled design, and the MateBook E is fanless which perhaps explains how Huawei managed to get it slimmer than the others.

When it comes to the physical designs, we’ve got to say that we think the Surface’s bolder physical design makes for better looks. It’s worth noting that all offer a keyboard case with chiclet keys; Samsung and Huawei include it in the box, Microsoft sells it separately and it’s rather costly.

Surface Pro vs Matebook E vs Galaxy Book: Display

• Surface Pro: 12.3-inch PixelSense, 2736 x 1824 pixels, 267ppi, 3:2
• MateBook E: 12-inch IPS, 2160 x 1440 pixels, 216ppi, 3:2
• Galaxy Book: 12-inch Super AMOLED, 2160 x 1440 pixels, 216ppi, 3:2

A tablet is all about the display. It’s your point of interaction, it’s where you focus all your attention. All three of these 2-in-1 devices carry a 12-inch display (although there’s also a smaller 10-inch Galaxy Book option at 1080p), with the Surface Pro edging out its rivals with an addition 0.3-inches, which explains why it’s a little bigger in design overall.

The Surface Pro carries another advantage in its display: it’s not only larger, but it also has a higher resolution and fairly substantially too, pushing the pixel density up to 267ppi over its 216ppi rivals. That means it has the potential to pack in more detail and give you sharper images.

The story doesn’t end there though, as the Galaxy Book has an AMOLED display, meaning it’s likely to offer better contrast and brightness than its rivals. Samsung has also made its display HDR capable, meaning it will give you richer visuals when watching HDR content from sources like Netflix or Amazon Video, so could be the natural choice for those interested in getting the best media experience.

Surface Pro vs Matebook E vs Galaxy Book: Hardware and power

• Surface Pro: Intel Core 7-gen m3, i5 or i7, 4-16GB RAM, 128-1TB storage, Intel HD Graphics 615/620 or Iris Plus Graphics 640
• MateBook E: Intel Core 7-gen m3 or i5, 4-8GB RAM, 128-515GB SSD, Intel HD 615 graphics
• Galaxy Book: Intel Core 7-gen i5, 4-8GB RAM, 128-256GB storage, Intel HD Graphics 620

It’s in the hardware that things start to move in a very different direction. It’s also the hardware that dictates the price to a certain extent, which is where you have to decide exactly what you need and how much you want to pay.

The Surface Pro offers the most options, from lower-power and cheaper Core m3 options that more or less mirror the offering of the Huawei MateBook E.

Both the Surface Pro and the MateBook E step up to a Core i5 model which is where Samsung positions itself, although Samsung is using a fan-cooled chip and the other don’t, so the Galaxy Book will potentially deliver more power.

Only the Surface Pro then makes the jump to offering a Core i7 option, along with 16GB RAM options and storage up to 1TB. Of course, the price difference between the entry-level surface and the top spec is £1900, so it’s a very different device based on the specs you choose. 

When it comes to battery life, Microsoft is citing 13.5 hours, Huawei is saying 9 hours of battery life, and Samsung offers up 10.5 hours. Of course, a lot will depend on configuration and what you do with it – and all these devices are brand new, so we don’t yet know what the real world figures will be.

Surface Pro vs Matebook E vs Galaxy Book: The Pen is mightier than the pen

• Surface Pro: Surface Pen, 4096 pressure points
• MateBook E: MatePen, 2048 pressure points, laser pointer
• Galaxy Book: S Pen, 4096 pressure points, battery free or Staedtler Noris pencil

It you’re one for scribbling on the display and want to use your device for writing notes or sketching, then we’re into battle of the accessory pens. Samsung includes its S Pen in the box whereas the MatePen and the Surface Pen are optional extras.

Both Samsung and Microsoft offer greater degrees of sensitivity, so are likely to be the more natural and precise options for those who want to draw, with Microsoft claiming it’s the fastest pen around. Huawei pitches its MatePen as being a handy business tool, offering a laser pointer function and clicker for presentations in the same device.

Both the MatePen and the Surface Pen need to be powered, whereas the S Pen doesn’t need to be powered – as a fun alternative, Samsung also teamed up with Staedtler to create a Noris digital pencil instead.

Surface Pen comes in a choice of four colours to match your keyboard, however.

Surface Pro vs Matebook E vs Galaxy Book: Connectivity

• Surface Pro: 1x USB 3.0, microSD, 3.5mm, Mini DisplayPort, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• MateBook E: 1x USB C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• Galaxy Book: 2x USB C, microSD, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE, GPS

When it comes to physical connections there’s a very different story being told. Microsoft is yet to commit to USB Type-C, so there’s none on the Surface Pro, but you do have a full range of legacy connections, so it’s relatively easy to connect to.

Samsung offers a pair of Type-C connections, but offers wireless functions the others don’t, namely the option for LTE and GPS. There’s also microSD to expand the memory.

Finally the MateBook E is the weakest option, only offering the single USB Type-C, so you’ll need to use the MateDock to really get things connected. It does have a fingerprint scanner for security, however and boast 2×2 MiMo Wi-Fi.

If you’re looking to just integrate with devices you already have, then the Surface Pro looks like your best option if you don’t want to exchange all your cables for Type-C.

Surface Pro vs Matebook E vs Galaxy Book: Price

• Surface Pro: From $799 + $149.99 for the keyboard
• MateBook E: From €999 (about $1120?)
• Galaxy Book: From $1299

We mentioned earlier that price is one of the key factors here and something to bear in mind is that Samsung’s more expensive tablet comes with the keyboard cover and the S Pen in the box, so it’s more complete package for your money.

The Surface Pro is the least expensive, although once you factor in the Signature Type keyboard, it has less of an advantage.

Comparing the model that they all offer, the Core i5, 8GB, 256GB the prices break down like this:

• Surface Pro: $1299
• MateBook E: $1454 (converted)
• Galaxy Book: $1329

We’ve listed the price in dollars for the sake of comparison, although the MateBook E only has euro prices at the moment so we’ve converted it – but we suspect the price would be adjusted for the US market to bring it down. UK pricing for the UK hasn’t been confirmed.

With these devices being so new it’s hard to call which device will be the better. We have a strong feeling that Microsoft’s experience in the sectior will make the Surface the easy choice. Huawei’s MateBook E is better than the model it replaces, but offers fewer hardware choices. Once prices settle on the Huawei, it might be a low-spec champion, offering greater portability and able power for daily tasks.

Samsung’s big sell is that you get the accessories in the box, along with a display to blow your socks off, but there’s few configuration choices to choose from.

We’ll update prices and more accurate details of how these devices compare as we review them, but one thing is sure – you now have a full range of excellent devices to choose from.

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• Huawei MateBook E preview: A better keyboard cover makes all the difference

Ricoh’s latest camera is waterproof, shockproof, and freezeproof

Ricoh has a new compact camera that doesn’t mind getting a bit wet, rough, or cold – so it’s perfect for outdoor extremists.

Or, as Ricoh said, for underwater photography.

Called the WG-50, it’s described as a digital compact camera with a lightweight body design and “exceptional waterproof and shockproof performance”. More specifically, it’s waterproof to a depth of 14 metres and shockproof against falls from a height of 1.6 metres. It’s even “freezeproof” to temperatures as low as minus 10 degrees celsius.

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Other than that, it can do still-image shooting and movie recording like any other camera. It offers 16.0 effective megapixels and full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) movie-recording capability. It also comes with an LCD screen and works with a range of optional camera-mounting accessories. For instance, it can be secured to a bicycle or watercraft.

So, to recap, here are a few key specs:

• Waterproof (equivalent to IPX 8 or JIS Class 8)
• Shockproof (equivalent to IPX 6 or JIS Class 6)
• Freezeproof (to temperatures as low as minus 10 degrees C)
• Back illuminated CMOS image sensor
• Approximately 16.0 effective megapixels
• Top sensitivity of ISO 6400
• Five-times optical zoom lens with a 28mm wide-angle coverage
• Focal-length coverage from 5mm to 25mm
• Full HD movie recording for extended shooting of high-quality movies
• Records at 1920 x 1080 pixels, 16:9 proportions (frame rate of 30fps)
• “Triple anti-shake protection”
• 2.7-inch LCD screen
• Six Macro Lights to assist close-up shooting
• Digital SR mode, Movie SR mode
• Outdoor View Setting mode, Underwater shooting mode
• WG-series mount accessories (optional) for a range of shooting situations

There are of course other features, such as an included Macro stand, a high-speed Face Detection function to capture up to 32 faces in focus, a choice of 12 digital filters, and a pet-detection function to auto-detect the face of a cat or dog. If any of this interests you, the WG-50 will be available from end of June for £249.99 in orange or black.

Battlefield 1’s next DLC has a female soldier class, due this summer

EA Dice has finally realised that Battlefield fans might want to fight online as a woman sometimes.

The developer announced it will add a female soldier to Battlefield 1’s multiplayer component in its upcoming expansion, In the Name of the Tsar. Set to be released this summer, it will be the second downloadable content for Battlefield 1. It’ll focus on the Russian Army and bring a new Russian Scout class to the multiplayer shooter. But the most interesting aspect is that it includes playable female soldiers.

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“The Women’s Battalion of Death is represented by the Russian Scout class,” explained the Battlefield Twitter account on Tuesday. In other words, 15 years after the franchise debuted, gamers can finally fight as a woman online. And it’s actually inspired by Russia’s real-life 1917 military unit, The Women’s Battalion of Death, a group of about 300 soldiers led by Maria Leontevna “Yashka” Bochkareva. 

The Women’s Battalion of Death is represented by the Russian Scout class. Details at EA Play, more info: https://t.co/vADTEbP6re https://t.co/VrRuBGVMeK

— Battlefield (@Battlefield) May 22, 2017

Battlefield 1 follows Battlefield 4 but is confusingly titled Battlefield 1. It released for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC last October and is set during World War I, allowing you to fight in the air and on the ground in countries like France, Italy, and elsewhere. If you recall, the Battlefield franchise began as a World War II fighting game when it was launched in 2002, so EA is basically took things back with Battlefield 1.

EA said it will reveal more information about the Russian Scout at E3 in June. Check out Pocket-lint’s E3 guide for more information about what is expected at this year’s show. Of course, we will also be there live to bring you the latest news as it happens.

Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) vs Apple iPad Pro 12.9: What’s the difference?

Microsoft has introduced a new iPad competitor

A couple weeks after announcing the new Surface Laptop and Windows 10 S, it has announced the successor to the Surface Pro 4, the Surface Pro. So, how does it compare to last year’s Apple iPad Pro 12.9? You’re probably asking yourself that, considering they’re around the same size and are designed to work with their own companies’ stylus. To help you out, we pitted the devices against each other spec by spec.

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Surface Pro (2017) vs Apple iPad Pro 12.9: Design

• New Surface Pro (2017) said to be lightest Pro ever at 768g
• New hinge system on new Surface Pro (2017)
• Expected to have similar footprint to Pro 4 at 292.1mm x 201.4mm

The new Microsoft Surface Pro (2017) looks similar to its predecessor, but it has a new hinge system on the kickstand, which allows it to be used in Surface Studio mode. That means it can lay flat and works directly with the new Surface Pen. Its also lost a bit of weight, touting itself as the lightest Surface Pro (2017) ever created at 768g. Measurements have yet to be revealed for the new Surface Pro (2017).

The iPad Pro 12.9 measures 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9mm and weighs 713g, making it lighter than the Surface Pro (2017). There is a Smart Connector positioned on the left shoulder that will power additional accessories, such as the iPad Pro keyboard, which is good for those after a laptop-style tablet. There are also two extra speakers positioned at the top, offering four-directional sound for powerful audio.

Surface Pro (2017) vs Apple iPad Pro 12.9: Display

• New Surface Pro (2017) has a 12.3-inch screen
• 2736 x 1824 pixel resolution, 267ppi

The Surface Pro (2017) has the same size screen as its predecessor, the Pro 4, measuring 12.3-inches diagonally. The resolution of the new model is 2736 x 1824 pixels, which results in a pixel density of 267ppi.

Meanwhile, the iPad Pro 12.9 is the largest iPad available in the company’s line up, with a 12.9-inch display. The LED-backlit Retina display has a 2732 x 2048 resolution for a pixel density of 264ppi. Everything looks nice and share, whether you’re watching movies or sketching with the Apple Pencil. The larger iPad Pro’s display can also measure pressure, allowing it to work with the Apple Pencil.

Surface Pro (2017) vs Apple iPad Pro 12.9: Hardware

• New Surface Pro (2017) has Intel Core 7th-gen
• RAM options between 4GB and 16GB depending on model
• New Surface Pro (2017) has 50 per cent more battery life

The new Surface Pro (2017) features Intel Core 7th-generation processors, The base model features the Core m3 Intel 7th-gen processor, configurable to a faster-yet Core i7 option. Meanwhile, RAM options come in abundance too: the entry-level Surface Pro (2017) has 4GB RAM, expandable up to 16GB. Its storage options start at 128GB SSD, through 256GB, 512GB, and even a maximum 1TB option.

There is also a microSD card slot on the new Surface Pro (2017), so paying the extra for the 1TB option might not be worthwhile for many. In terms of battery, the new Surface Pro (2017) is claimed to offer 50 per cent more than its predecessor, at 13.5 hours. There’s also an 8-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera on the Surface Pro (2017), which is capable of 1080p video recording.

The iPad Pro 12.9 features the latest 64-bit A9X processor with built-in M9 motion coprocessor. It comes in storage options of 32GB, 128GB and 256GB in the Wi-Fi only option, or 128GB and 256GB in the Wi-Fi and LTE option. It is claimed to be 1.8 times faster than the iPad Air 2’s 10 hours. The iPad Pro 12.9 also features an 8-megapixel rear camera with a f/2.4 aperture and a 1.2-megapixel front camera.

There are numerous features on board, including autofocus, HDR, face detection and burst mode. The rear camera is capable of 1080p HD video recording, as well as 720p at 120fps, while the front-facing camera will record in 720p.

Surface Pro (2017) vs Apple iPad Pro 12.9: Connections and ports

• No USB Type-C ports for the Surface Pro (2017)
• But it does have a headset jack

Microsoft did not give the Surface Pro (2017) any USB Type-C ports, contrary to speculation before Surface Pro (2017) was announced. But it does have a full-size USB 3.0 port, a microSD card reader, a Mini DisplayPort, one cover port, a headset jack, as well as Surface Connect.

The Apple iPad Pro 12.9 has the distinction of being the only iOS device from Apple to feature a high-speed USB 3 Lightning port. There are a few advantages to having this; the faster port can take advantage of new USB 3 accessories from Apple, including a speedy Lightning to SD card reader, as well as a USB 3 Camera Adapter. And, yes, this iPad does have a headphone jack.

Surface Pro (2017) vs Apple iPad Pro 12.9: Accessories

• New Surface Pen
• New Type Cover

The new Surface Pro has the option of several accessories, all of which cost extra with none included in the box. There is a new Type Cover called the Surface Pro Signature Type Cover, which is made from Microsoft’s Alcantara material. There is also a new Surface Pen, which comes in four colours and offers four times the sensitivity of its predecessor. The new pen is said to be better than ever.

The new Surface Pro also offers on-screen support for the Surface Dial. As for the iPad Pro 12.9, it has the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.

Surface Pro (2017) vs Apple iPad Pro 12.9: Software

• Surface Pro (2017) comes with Windows 10 Pro
• Provides access to everything from Office to Cortana

The new Surface Pro (2017) comes with the latest Windows 10 Pro operating system. That means the full bevy of software – from Office to Cortana and beyond – is offered, plus it’ll run third-party apps. It also offers an Office 365 30-day trial. The iPad Pro 12.9 runs on iOS 10. It would maybe have been better running on Apple’s full OS X, but that would have impacted its battery life.

Surface Pro (2017) vs Apple iPad Pro 12.9: Price

• Surface Pro (2017): Starts at £799
• Apple iPad Pro 12.9 starts at £679

The new Surface Pro (2017) will start at £799 with no accessories and will ship on 15 June, while the Apple iPad Pro 12.9 starts at £679. If you want the biggest storage capacity and LTE, you’re looking at £1019 with no accessories.