Nearly 10% of all active Android devices are running Nougat

Nougat continues to gain momentum in the latest Android distribution numbers.

Nougat saw a heady increase last month, and with the update rolling out to older devices globally, we’re seeing a similar uptick this time around. Google’s May distribution numbers pit Nougat — both 7.0 and 7.1 — at 9.5%, an increase of 2.4% from the previous month.

Android 7.0 Nougat is on 8.9% of active Android devices, while Android 7.1 has a 0.6% share. With over 2 billion devices powered by Android globally, that number corresponds to over 190 million devices running Nougat. Lollipop has seen a decline from 32% to 30.8%, making Marshmallow the most widely-used version of Android globally with a 31.2% share.

KitKat’s share declined from 18.8% to 18.1%, and Ice Cream Sandwich is holding steady at 1%. After a brief increase to 1% last month, Gingerbread is once again down to 0.8%, and Jelly Bean — versions through 4.1.x to 4.3 — is now at 8.8%, down from 9.1%.

The data was collected over seven days ending in June 05, 2017, and doesn’t factor in devices that don’t have the Play Store. While the overall number may seem low considering Nougat has been available for over seven months now, the sheer number of Android devices out in the wild make it a monumental task for manufacturers to issue updates. Hopefully that will change with Project Treble in Android O.

Android Nougat

• Android 7.0 Nougat: Everything you need to know
• Will my phone get Android Nougat?
• Google Pixel + Pixel XL review
• All Android Nougat news
• How to manually update your Nexus or Pixel
• Join the Discussion

Xiaomi’s $30 Yeelight LED lightstrip takes on Philips Hue for a fraction of the cost

The Yeelight LED lightstrip offers the easiest way to get started with accent lighting.

Xiaomi has managed to carve out a niche for itself in the smart lighting segment with its Yeelight sub-brand. Yeelight’s LED bulbs offer an affordable alternative to Philips’ Hue, and the same holds true for the brand’s LED lightstrip.

Available for $29.99, the Yeelight LED lightstrip costs a fraction of the $90 Philips Hue Lightstrip while offering a similar set of features. The strip measures two meters — the same as Hue — and comes with a single-button remote that’s embedded in the power cable. You’ll be able to toggle the lightstrip on and off with the remote, but more often than not, you’ll use Xiaomi’s Mi Home app for the job. But first, a closer look at the lightstrip itself.

The Yeelight LED lightstrip

The Yeelight lightstrip supports 16 million colors and goes up to 140 lumens, allowing you to illuminate a large area with ease. The strip is made out of soft PU, and you can flex it or bend it around corners as needed. Installation is as easy as it gets — just peel off the adhesive tape at the back and stick the lightstrip onto a surface.

If you don’t intend to make full use of the entire length of the two-meter lightstrip, you can cut it at specific sections. The strip has a rubber coating that runs over its entire surface, which gives it added resistance to the elements with an IP65 rating. The power cable is three meters long, letting you stick the lightstrip anywhere you want in your house.

You can press the controller button on the lightstrip to turn it off and on, and use a long-press action to change scenes.

Mi Home, IFTTT, and Alexa

The highlight of the Yeelight LED lightstrip is its integration with IFTTT, Amazon’s Alexa platform, and Xiaomi’s Mi Home app. As soon as you plug in the lightstrip to a wall socket, you can set it up using the Mi Home app.

The app automatically detects the lightstrip, allowing you to connect it to your home network. Once it’s set up, you can control the lights and select scenes from the Mi Home app, or use voice commands on Alexa to make changes. The lightstrip also works with IFTTT, and you can configure it to automatically change the color based on the weather conditions, switch off at a particular time, and much more.

Google Assistant integration isn’t available right now, but it is on the way and should be rolled out in the coming months.

For $30, you’re getting incredible value with the Yeelight LED lightstrip.

Primarily, you’ll be using the Mi Home app to interact with the Yeelight lightstrip. The app allows you to configure schedules, set a timer for the lightstrip to automatically turn on and off, select from a variety of scenes, and set favorite colors. You can also take a photo of a particular object and use the color picker to extract the color information from the image.

One of the main drawbacks with Philips’ Hue Lightstrip is its price. But with a retail price of $30, that isn’t an issue for the Yeelight LED lightstrip. If you’re looking for an affordable RGB lightstrip that you can control with your phone or through Alexa, look no further.

See at GearBest

FLIR One Pro preview: An Android-powered thermal imaging camera made for professionals

If you require thermal imaging to get the job done, the FLIR One Pro is one of the best solutions for doing so with your smartphone.

Contractors, road warriors, electricians, plumbers — whatever your occupation is, if it’s dealing with scalding hot things or even temperate metal, chances are you’ll get plenty of use from a little plug-in thermal imaging camera like the FLIR One Pro.

This is the professional version of the FLIR One, one of the few affordable thermal cameras powered by a smartphone. At $400, the FLIR One Pro is twice the price of the third-generation FLIR One, but it’s equipped with a better camera sensor and more durability. Unfortunately, that extra cash doesn’t pay for better battery life.

See the heat

If you’re not familiar with thermal imaging, it’s the best way to measure how much heat is being radiated by a person, object, or area. Almost everything around us either gives off or reflects heat in some manner, and if you’re doing work that relies on the details of how hot or cold something is, a plug-in thermal camera could be especially useful.

Those of you who remember the last FLIR One may recall that it was a bit hard to orient in the way you’d like. That’s because it used microUSB, which required that you plug it in a certain way. If the port was backwards, however, it meant that the camera was facing inward. That’s fine if you’re taking a thermal selfie, but how often is there a need for that? The FLIR One Pro features an adjustable 4mm USB-C plug to make it easier to plug in the camera even when there’s a honking case on it.

The core camera of the FLIR One Pro has been upended a bit to offer more vivid imagery.

The thermal camera sensor in the FLIR One Pro is higher resolution than the more-affordable FLIR One. Like the rest of its device family, it utilizes MSX, which stands for Multi-Spectral Dynamic Imaging — essentially FLIR’s proprietary thermal imaging processing. (You can read more about it here.) The tech relies on one regular camera for detail and one Lepton camera for heat, and together they morph their final product into a single image. The actual photos you snap are saved to your camera roll at 1440×1080 and they’re relatively easy to export when in need.

A selection of samples shot with the FLIR One Pro. From left to right: Inside the house with the windows open; the flame of a burning candle.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a last-generation FLIR camera on hand to do the apples-to-apples test, but I can report that the One Pro seemed to capture even the most minor of heat points from around the room. It also works in the dark if you’re requiring a bit of night vision action. However, it’s still weird shooting at things with a camera placed at the bottom of the device, which can make it hard to maneuver the camera around smaller objects in tight corners. Thankfully there are additional features in the app, like the ability to use multiple spot meters, that can help with measuring polarizing surfaces.

FLIR One Pro video sample.

Battery life for the FLIR One Pro is up to an hour when it’s fully charged, but I was lucky enough to eke out about 40 minutes — and that’s with the device being on standby. Using the camera will suck a ton of energy from a full battery. With ten minutes of constant usage, the battery dropped about 11 percent after snapping some pictures. You can still use the One Pro while it’s charging, however, which bodes well if you’re carrying a separate battery pack.

About the app

Screenshots of the FLIR One camera app.

During my week with the FLIR One Pro, I was utilizing a beta version of the FLIR One app for Android so that I could preview the next-gen dongle. The app itself is not particularly impressive. Since the technology is technically cross-platform, the apps have been designed in a one-size-fits-all manner for both iOS and Android. The result is a Jelly Bean-esque interface with slow-to-load menu screens and permissions prompts that freeze on screen. In fact, due to the beta nature of the app, I experienced plenty of crashes as I attempted to use the device. At the very least, it uses a similar menu schematic to what you’re used to on Android, so there’s no learning curve there.

There are some added features that will make the droll-looking interface worth navigating.

There are some added features that will make the droll-looking interface worth navigating. As I mentioned, there is spot meter you can use to get the reading on a specific area — say you’re shooting a power strip, for instance, and you want to see the heat coming out of a particular adapter. You can set the spot meter exactly where you want it and have the temperature readout just for that area. There’s even a time lapse mode you can set up so that you can measure the heat of an object over time. You’ll probably want the phone to be plugged in while it’s set up to do this, however, since the battery on the FLIR One Pro is fast to go.

FLIR has also provided links for finding more reasons to use the One Pro. There’s a community link available if you have a specific question that may seem unanswerable, as well as a link to download additional thermal imaging apps from the Play Store. And if you’re really stuck, FLIR made all of its support pages readily available from the main menu screen.

A worthy work tool

The bigger sensor on the FLIR One Pro will cost you an extra $200, but if you’re planning to use this device in conjunction with your smartphone in the field, the $400 investment may be worth it for the better imaging sensor.

If you’re merely looking for one to use around the house, however, the third-generation FLIR One is just as viable, not to mention it’ll save you some cash. And since both models are only meant to last up to an hour, it’s not like you’re getting any battery gain for buying the professional version.

See at Amazon

E3 2017: Rumours, press conferences and what to expect from the world’s biggest games show

It’s only a week away now so plans for E3 2017 are really firming up.

Microsoft will be launching its new 4K super console, Project Scorpio, during the enormous videogames show. And Sony will no doubt fill its Media Showcase with some stunning game debuts and maybe one or two surprises.

We’ll also get our hands on with Super Mario Odyssey on the Nintendo Switch for the first time. We cannot wait.

So here’s what we know about E3 2017 so far, in a company by company breakdown. We’ve added confirmations, rumours, some of our own thoughts and games we’d like to see at the show. And we’ll be updating the feature regularly, right up to the show itself, so come back often.

When and where is E3 2017?

This year’s E3 once again takes place in Los Angeles, at the LA Convention Center in downtown. It opens its doors at midday on Tuesday 13 June, running each day until 5pm on Thursday 15 June.

As is traditional, however, press conferences and media briefings will take place across the weekend and Monday before the show itself. Xbox, Sony, Ubisoft and Bethesda will hold major press events, while as of last year, Electronic Arts does something different off site with a brief highlights keynote.

Xbox at E3 2017

Microsoft arguably stole press conference day in 2016, with the announcement of the Xbox One S and, more surprisingly, its next games console, codenamed Project Scorpio. We’ll find out more about the latter this year.

Its media event for 2017 has been shifted to the Sunday before the show (it normally takes place on the Monday morning). So the Project Scorpio launch event will occur on 11 June from 2pm PDT – that’s 5pm EDT and 10pm in the UK.

Brace for big news.#XboxE3 briefing will air Sunday, June 11 at 2 PM PDT. pic.twitter.com/EWilMOb47s

— Xbox (@Xbox) February 15, 2017

The invite shows the same sort of tech we saw as part of the original Project Scorpio announcement, so there’s little doubt that’ll be the main focus. However, Xbox One fans should also see a healthy line-up of games considering the new machine is expected to be compatible with all existing and future Xbox games. It’ll just play them with better graphics and the like – adding 4K resolutions, for example.

Xbox

Major games

• Crackdown 3
• Sea of Thieves
• State of Decay 2

PlayStation at E3 2017

With PlayStation’s own 4K console released at the end of last year, Sony isn’t expected to unveil any new hardware. Instead, the company will likely focus entirely on the games, much to fans’ delight.

Sony

Its Media Briefing event is scheduled for 6pm PDT Monday 12 June – that’s 9pm EDT and 2am Tuesday 13 June in the UK. It will be held in the same venue as last year, the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall.

Sony/Naughty Dog

Major games

• Days Gone
• Death Stranding
• Detroit: Become Human
• God of War
• Gran Turismo Sport
• Knack 2
• Spider-Man
• The Last of Us 2
• Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

Nintendo at E3 2017

Nintendo’s E3 will mostly be about Switch and the company has revealed that Super Mario Odyssey will be playable on the show floor for the very first time.

It doesn’t hold a press conference during E3 anymore – those days are long gone – but it will host a Nintendo Spotlight: E3 2017 video presentation, to be streamed live online from 11am PDT, 5pm BST on Tuesday 13 June.

It will also bring back its Nintendo Treehouse: Live at E3 2017 livestreamed showcase, to be available to watch from the Tuesday through to Thursday 15 June. 3DS games will be talked about as well as all the latest and forthcoming Switch titles.

This will include tournaments for Switch games ARMS and Splatoon 2.

Nintendo

Major games

• Super Mario Odyssey
• Splatoon 2
• ARMS

EA at E3 2017

Electronic Arts made the bold decision last year to pull away from the show itself and host its own, invite-only showcase off-site. it’ll do the same this time, kicking off with an hour-long keynote address. However, instead of the Sunday prior to the show, as in 2016, EA has confirmed to Pocket-lint that its first day will be Saturday 10 June.

The keynote will start at 12pm PDT, so 8pm BST in the UK.

After the main press day, EA will open the doors to its showcase venue to members of the public, although they will have to have an invite and sign up first.

EA Sports

Major games

• FIFA 18
• FIFA for Switch
• Madden NFL 18
• NBA Live 18
• Need for Speed Payback
• Star Wars: Battlefront 2

Bethesda at E3 2017

Like Microsoft, Bethesda announced its E3 2017 press conference nice and early.

A company tweet confirmed that it will be on Sunday 11 June, starting at 7pm PDT. That means it will be live at 10pm EDT and 3am Monday 12 June UK time.

Sunday before E3 getting busy. Imitation IS the sincerest form of flattery. Bethesda E3 Showcase will still be Sunday pm. Details soon! #BE3 pic.twitter.com/Sm7auKtFDf

— Bethesda Softworks (@bethesda) February 16, 2017

It is likely that the star of the event will be Quake Champions, as announced last year, but what’s the betting something even bigger could be in the works: new Elder Scrolls anybody?

We’ll also likely see something on the latest Wolfenstein sequel.

Pocket-lint

Major games

• Doom VR
• Fallout 4 VR
• Quake Champions

Ubisoft at E3 2017

Ubisoft always hosts its press conference on the Monday prior to the show doors opening and that’s no different this year.

Its press conference starts at 1pm PDT on Monday 12 June, so UK fans can watch it online from 9pm BST.

We’ll definitely find out more on Far Cry 5 – most likely some in-game action. And surely the new Assassin’s Creed, heavily rumoured to be set in Egypt this time, will be officially unveiled.

• Far Cry 5: Release date, trailer, screens and everything you need to know

Ubisoft

Major games

• Assassin’s Creed Origins
• Far Cry 5
• Rayman Legends Definitive Edition for Switch
• South Park: The Fractured But Whole
• Steep for Switch

Activision at E3 2017

Activision opted for a low-key E3 in 2016, with its only presence at the show being behind closed doors.

There will be a bigger showing this year though, with Destiny 2 and a return to the second World War for Call of Duty: WW2 at the very least. The remastered Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy will also be at the show surely, considering it comes out later in June.

• Destiny 2: Release date, screens, formats and everything you need to know

Activsion

Major games

• Call of Duty: WW2
• Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy
• Destiny 2

What other games companies will be at E3 2017?

Hundreds of publishers and developers show their wares at E3 each year, either on the show floor or behind closed doors (BCD) in private rooms. This year’s event will be no different.

As well as the companies above, there will be plenty of other games publishers and hardware manufacturers.

The other major companies we expect to see at E3, therefore, are as follows:

• Bandai Namco
• Capcom
• CD Projekt Red
• Deep Silver
• Focus Home Interactive
• Konami
• Logitech
• Oculus
• Nvidia
• Razer
• Rebellion
• Sega
• Square Enix
• Take-Two
• Warner Bros

E3 2017 games

Alongside the games we’ve predicted for the major publishers, these are the games rumoured to be shown, even playable, at E3 2017. There are likely to be plenty more as the show goes on.

• Agents of Mayhem (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• Borderlands 3 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• Call of Cthulhu: The Official Video Game (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• Cyberpunk 2077 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• Formula One 2017 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• Gwent: The Witcher Card Game (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• Kingdom Hearts 3 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• Metal Gear Survive (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• Micro Machines World Series (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• Middle-Earth, Shadow of War (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• NBA 2K18 (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)
• PES 2018 (PS4, Xbox One)
• Project Cars 2 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• Project Sonic (PS4, Switch, PC)
• Sonic Forces (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch)
• WWE 2K18 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
• Vampyr (PS4, Xbox One, PC)

There will also be plenty of virtual reality games for PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

What we’d like to see at E3 2017

While we always learn about certain games ahead of E3, there are several we hope for even though the chances are slim. The same applies to hardware.

Here then is what we are hoping for at E3 2017.

Half-Life 3

We say it every year and every year we are disappointed. Maybe this year though?

Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar has already confirmed Red Dead Redemption 2 for a Q4 release this year but the developer rarely attends E3.

Rockstar

Maybe we’ll see actual gameplay during the Sony or Microsoft press conferences though, most likely the former considering the alliance Rockstar has had with PlayStation in the past.

Oculus Rift 2

With Oculus Touch now in everybody’s hands – literally – the next phase for the company could be an all-new version of the headset. Maybe we’ll even see something announced during E3.

More SteamVR headsets

HTC might also soon announce a HTC Vive 2 device, but considering Valve’s exclusive may be running out soon, we might be about to see other manufacturers jump on board. Asus, for example, has recently revealed that it is to invest heavily in VR this year.

We’ll add more to our wishlist as they occur to us. If there are games or hardware you would like to see announced or shown at E3 this year, let us know in the comments below.

Which Apple iPad is best for you? iPad mini vs iPad Air vs iPad vs iPad Pro

There may not be as much choice as smartphones when it comes to tablets, but there are still a number of decisions to be made if you’re in the market for one.

If you are reading this feature it is likely you have already decided on the platform, disregarding Android and Windows for iOS, and you are now trying to figure out what size iPad is the right one for you and which one fits into how much you want to spend.

Apple offers a number of iPad options – iPad mini 4, iPad 9.7, iPad Pro 10.5 and a spec-upgraded iPad Pro 12.9. The tablets range from 7.9-inch displays to 12.9-inches in size.

The iPad mini 2, iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro 9.7 have been officially discontinued by Apple but are still available elsewhere, so we’ve included them all so you can see the differences between them and the new models to help you decide which is the right one for you and your budget.

Quick summary

The iPad mini 2 is for those who want a small Apple tablet but don’t have the cash to splash on the newest model. If you are happy to sacrifice the latest specs and features, the iPad mini 2 gives you iOS on a budget. It was officially discontinued by Apple as of March 2017, but it’s still widely available.

The iPad mini 4 is for those who want a small Apple tablet with many of the latest specs and features. You’ll need a little more cash for the iPad mini 4 but you get a few extra features, like Touch ID, and a more powerful device.

The iPad Air 2 has now been discontinued and replaced by the iPad 9.7. About the only reason to buy the iPad Air 2 is if you can find it significantly cheaper than the new iPad. 

The iPad 9.7 replaces the iPad Air 2, offering much the same design, but slightly updated specs. Its launch price is cheaper too and it’s cheaper than the iPad Pro models, so if you want a big iPad but aren’t fussed by the Pencil support or latest specs, this is the model to pick.

The iPad Pro 9.7 was officially discontinued as of June 2017 and replaced with the iPad Pro 10.5. Like the iPad Air 2, the only reason to buy an iPad Pro 9.7 is if you can find it a lot cheaper than the new model. 

The iPad Pro 10.5 is Apple’s most powerful and feature-rich tablet yet, with slimmer bezels and excellent specs. It is the iPad for those that want all the features of the larger iPad Pro but in a smaller and more compact format.

The iPad Pro 12.9 is the largest and most expensive iPad available, as well as the other most powerful alongside the 10.5-inch model. It is for those that want to do more on their tablet than just watching movies and browsing the web, and for those that not only have the budget to warrant this model but also the desire for something bigger than the 10.5-inch model.

Apple

Apple iPad mini 2

• Dimensions: 200 x 134.7 x 7.5mm, 331g
• Display: 7.9-inches, 2048 x 1536 (326ppi) 
• Storage: 32GB (Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi & Cellular)
• Battery: Up to 10 hours
• Colours: Silver, Space Grey
• Price: Buy it from around £180 on Amazon UK, or $300 on Amazon US

The iPad mini 2 is the cheapest way to get your hands on an Apple tablet as it is now a few years old and has been succeeded by the iPad mini 4. It is the smallest iPad available, though not the slimmest or lightest. The iPad mini 2 was discontinued in March 2017, but it’s still widely available.

The iPad mini 2 comes in silver and space grey colour options so you miss out on the gold option and there are also a couple of other things lacking, such as Touch ID and Apple Pay, as well as an anti-reflective coating on the display. There is also no slo-mo video capability or burst mode.

The A7 chip and M7 motion coprocessor sit under the hood and you’ll find a 1.2-megapixel front camera, coupled with a 5-megapixel rear camera, the latter of which is a slight downgrade from the iPad mini 4.

• Apple iPad mini 2 review

Apple

Apple iPad mini 4

• Dimensions: 203.2 x 134.8 x 6.1mm, 298.8g
• Display: 7.9-inches, 2048 x 1536 (326ppi)
• Storage: 128GB (Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi & Cellular)
• Battery: Up to 10 hours
• Colours: Silver, Space Grey, Gold
• Price (RRP): From £419 to £549

The iPad mini 4 is the newer and more expensive addition to the small iPad club. It is ever so slightly larger than the iPad mini 2, but it is slimmer and lighter and although it has the same size and resolution display, you get the addition of a fully laminated screen and an anti-reflective coating.

There is a newer, faster chip powering the iPad mini 4 with the A8 processor and M8 motion coprocessor on board, as well as the addition of an 128GB storage option and gold finish. Officially, Apple only offers 128GB storage now, although older models are available at lower storage levels.

In terms of other extras, Touch ID is included on the iPad mini 4, as is Apple Pay compatibility, burst mode and slo-mo video. The only other difference to the older iPad mini 2 is the bump to an 8-megapixel rear camera.

• Apple iPad mini 4 review
• Best iPad mini cases: Protect your 7.9-inch Apple tablet

Apple

Apple iPad Air 2

• Dimensions: 240 x 169.5 x 6.1mm, 437g
• Display: 9.7-inches, 2048 x 1536 (264ppi)
• Storage: 32GB, 128GB (Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi & Cellular)
• Battery: Up to 10 hours
• Colours: Silver, Space Grey, Gold
• Price: Buy it from around £385 on Amazon UK, or $420 on Amazon US

The iPad Air 2 has now been discontinued, replaced with the cheaper and slightly more powerful iPad 9.7. There is still stock of the iPad Air around, but check the prices carefully – the new iPad might be the cheaper option.

A faster A8X and M8 motion coprocessor sits under the hood than the smaller iPad mini 4, but you get the same colour options as the iPad mini 4, as well as the same cameras and features.

Touch ID, Apple Pay, burst mode, slo-mo video and the fully laminated display with anti-reflective coating are all therefore present on the iPad Air 2, but you miss out on Apple Pencil compatibility, a True Tone display, higher resolution cameras and stereo speakers, all of which are found on the iPad Pro models. 

• Apple iPad Air 2 review

Apple

Apple iPad 

• Dimensions: 240 x 169.5 x 7.5mm, 469g
• Display: 9.7-inches, 2048 x 1536 (264ppi)
• Storage: 32GB, 128GB (Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi & Cellular)
• Battery: Up to 10 hours
• Colours: Silver, Space Grey, Gold
• Price (RRP): From £339 to £559

The new iPad replaces the iPad Air 2 and is simply called iPad. It sticks to much the same design as the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Pro, although it’s slightly thicker, which is probably down to the fact there is no fully laminated display or anti-reflective coating. This probably also accounts for the lower pricing than the old iPad Air 2.

The 2017 iPad offers the same display size and resolution as the iPad Air 2 however, though it steps up to the A9 chip under its hood, giving a speed boost over the iPad Air 2, even if it is still a step below the iPad Pro models. It also still misses out on a few of the iPad Pro’s other features.

There is an 8-megapixel rear camera and 1.2-megapixel front snapper on the new iPad, Touch ID is on board as you would expect and it comes in silver, gold and space grey colour options so no rose gold. The new Apple iPad’s biggest selling point is its pricing however: at £339 for the Wi-Fi 32GB model, it’s the cheapest iPad model that Apple offers.

• New Apple iPad 2017 review

Apple

Apple iPad Pro 9.7

• Dimensions: 240 x 169.5 x 6.1mm, 437g
• Display: 9.7-inches, 2048 x 1536 (264ppi), True Tone
• Storage: 32GB, 128GB, 256GB (Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi & Cellular)
• Battery: Up to 10 hours
• Colours: Silver, Space Grey, Gold, Rose Gold
• Price (RRP): Buy it from around £535 on Amazon UK, or $560 on Amazon US

The iPad Pro 9.7 is exactly the same size as the iPad Air 2 and it offers the same size display and resolution too, meaning the same pixel density, though it too has been discontinued by Apple.

There are a couple of extra technologies over the Air 2, including a True Tone and wide colour gamut display, as well as Apple Pencil compatibility and the iPad Pro 9.7 takes its design cues from the larger iPad Pro, meaning you’ll get the Smart Connector and four-speaker setup with this device. It also offers the option of a rose gold finish and a 256GB storage option.

The iPad Pro 9.7 has the A9X processor under its hood and it also significantly improves the camera experience compared to the iPad Air 2 with a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera, both of which offer flash.

• Apple iPad Pro 9.7 review
• Best iPad Pro 9.7 cases: Protect your new Apple tablet

Apple

Apple iPad Pro 10.5

• Dimensions: 250.6 x 174.1 x 6.1mm, 469g
• Display: 10.5-inches, 2224 x 1668 (264ppi), True Tone
• Storage: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB (Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi & Cellular)
• Battery: Up to 10 hours
• Colours: Silver, Space Grey, Gold, Rose Gold
• Price (RRP): From £619 to £1019

The iPad Pro 10.5 is Apple’s latest and greatest tablet, featuring a 40 per cent reduction in bezels and a 20 per cent increase in display size over the iPad Pro 9.7. The True Tone display offers 600nits of brightness and a technology called ProMotion that allows it to support 120Hz refresh rates for a more fluid experience.

Under its hood, it has all the power. The A10X Fusion processor with embedded M10 motion coprocessor is coupled with a 10 hour battery life, as well as the Smart Connector and four-speaker audio setup. It also offers the iPhone 7’s camera array with a 12-megapixel rear snapper and a 7-megapixel front camera.

Apple Pencil compatibility is unsurprisingly on board, as well as compatibility with the Smart Keyboard, while storage options range from 64GB to 512GB. Colour options include silver, space grey, gold and rose gold like the older iPad Pro 9.7.

• Apple iPad Pro 10.5 preview
• Apple iPad Pro 10.5 vs iPad 9.7: What’s the difference?

Apple

Apple iPad Pro 12.9

• Dimensions: 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9mm, 713g
• Display: 12.9-inches, 2732 x 2048 (264ppi)
• Storage: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB (Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi & Cellular)
• Battery: Up to 10 hours
• Colours: Silver, Space Grey, Gold
• Price (RRP): From £769 to £1169

The iPad Pro 12.9 marked a new tablet territory for Apple with its 12.9-inch display when it first arrived in 2015. It will be far too big for some but for others, it will be the tablet they were waiting for, especially with the updated hardware.

The display technology is the same as the iPad Pro 10.5 following the refresh meaning it offers the True Tone technology, wide colour gamut screen and the ProMotion technology supporting faster refresh rates. You’ll also find the same cameras and other features such as Touch ID and Apple Pay compatibility as the iPad Pro 10.5 so it just as powerful, it just doesn’t have the reduction in bezels like the smaller model.

The iPad Pro 12.9 has a faster processor than all the other iPads available, except its smaller brother, with the A10X Fusion and M10 combination under the hood again. It is also compatible with the Apple Pencil and it will offer a range of software features, including Adobe.

• Apple iPad Pro 12.9 review
• Best iPad Pro cases: Protect your new huge 12.9-inch Apple tablet

Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA review: Chrome OS is about to enter a new league

The main aim of most Chromebooks is to offer a decent computing experience for little cash. That price proposition is changing, though, with higher-end models such as the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA entering the market.

The Chromebook Flip is a Chrome OS laptop designed to look every bit as fancy as an Ultrabook, albeit for about half the price, complete with a touchscreen mounted on a 360-degree hinge. That’s a spec which, on paper, outshines many decent Windows laptops.

If you’re simply after a metal laptop on a budget, then the similarly priced Acer Swift 3 is a more versatile machine as it runs full Windows 10. However, as Chrome OS continues to develop can the Flip establish a more sophisticated Chromebook proposition?

Asus Chromebook Flip review: What’s different about Chromebook?

• Chrome OS software (not Windows)
• Google apps installed, ideal for lightweight work tasks
• Google Play support is in beta, and buggy

If you’ve not yet used Chrome, it’s a bit like Windows but is much simpler, designed to be used while connected to the internet and uses the same Google apps as an Android phone instead of, for example, Microsoft Office. It’s a bit like Android designed from the ground up for use with a keyboard and mouse, rather than in a phone form.

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The big shift going on in Chrome at the moment is Google Play support. With certain models – this Asus included – you can get access to the same app store as an Android phone, to download the same Android apps. Without it, Chromebooks otherwise only get a thin catalogue of apps available from the Chrome web store. There are a few games and some basic apps, but it’s sparse compared with what you can get with a Windows PC.

Asus Chromebook Flip review: Design

• High-quality aluminium casing
• 1.2kg and 13.7mm thick
• Hybrid 360-degree hinge

The main design element that separates the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA from a much cheaper laptop is aluminium. Like a Windows-style laptop, the Flip’s whole frame is made of the stuff: the lid, the inner part around the keyboard and the underside.

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It feels expensive, which is the point. That pricey finger feel is no guarantee of good build quality, but the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA is actually better made than some Asus Windows 10 aluminium laptops. The screen and the keyboard are all very stiff, not willing to just bow under the pressure of a poke.

The Chromebook C302CA is plain, though. You won’t find any of the eye-catching finishes Asus uses in many of its ZenBook Windows laptops here.

The Flip is also a hybrid machine, in that its hinge allows the screen to flip all the way around, making it a tubby tablet. Don’t think “tablet” in the vein of an iPad, think “tablet computer” – the kind of device you might use to watch Netflix on a bedside table or read an article while you wait for the carrots to boil.

Chrome doesn’t yet offer loads of compelling reasons for a hybrid build to exist, but that’s about to change with Android app support. But more details on that later.

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Take away all the flashy metallic hybrid nonsense of the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA, and you see what’s really important: this is a slim, lightweight laptop that you can take anywhere and start work on in a few seconds.

Asus Chromebook Flip review: Connections

• No full-size USBs or video connectors
• 2x USB-C and a microSD
• On-case volume controls

There are lot of Chromebooks that offer such portability, though. The Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA separates itself from previous models by using some up-to-date connections.

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On its sides are two USB Type-C ports and a microSD card slot. Sure, some of you might prefer a full-size USB port or a full-size SD, but that’s last season’s swimwear. Just look at the MacBook: it doesn’t even have a memory card slot anymore.

Asus Chromebook Flip review: Keyboard and trackpad

• Good typing feel
• Plastic trackpad can feel ‘sticky’
• Backlit keyboard helps night typing

The Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA has some of the hallmarks of a laptop twice the price.

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There’s just one part that tells you this really isn’t. Well, other than that Chrome logo on the back. Its trackpad surface is plastic rather than glass, and it’s markedly higher-friction than a good textured glass trackpad. It is also less smooth than some plastic trackpads, such as the Acer Chromebook 11 N7’s.

Whether you’ll notice or not depends on the kind of laptops you’ve used to date. If you’ve owned an expensive model before, you probably will. The difference isn’t truly jarring like a badly behaved pad that hardly seems to obey your finger, but does let down the otherwise very good build.

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The Flip C302CA’s keyboard doesn’t have such cut-price bits, though. There’s decent key travel for a dinky little laptop, the keys are full-size and well-spaced enough, plus there’s a keyboard backlight. We could happily use this Asus to type away on all day long.

Asus Chromebook Flip review: Screen

• 1920 x 1080 resolution IPS LCD screen
• 12.5-inch, 1080p resolution
• Touchscreen with glass top layer

Chromebooks are great if you want to save money. A £200 Chromebook runs much better than a £200 Windows laptop. However, cut-price Chromebooks often have pauper’s screens, because great displays cost money.

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The Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA has a much better display than the majority of rivals though. It’s a Full HD screen, whereas a lot of bargain basement models have 1366 x 768 screens that are blockier and look weird at an angle.

The Flip’s display is much more like the display of a high-quality tablet, with a touchscreen, good sharpness and colour that seems fairly full and rich rather than weak and undersaturated. You normally have to spend a couple of hundred pounds more to get a Windows 10 laptop with this calibre of screen.

It’s a 12.5-inch screen so isn’t exactly like a cinema you can take on your holiday, but it is easily big enough to work on all day without feeling like you’re peering into a far-away porthole. This size also makes the Flip a great size for on-the-go work – it’s big enough not to seem cramped, but small enough to be extremely portable.

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Its top layer is glass too, used to give it a pleasant touchscreen surface. However, as mentioned earlier it doesn’t yet seem like the most crucial extra in a Chromebook.

Asus Chromebook Flip review: Software and performance

• Intel Core m3 CPU has more power than most Chromebooks

A £599 laptop like this needs more to justify its cost. And while Google Play access is coming to the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA, as we review it you have to switch over to the beta build of Chrome to get it.

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We gave it a go. Google Play runs and you can download whatever you like, more or less. However, mapping of both the touchscreen and the keyboard is broken. Tap on a touchscreen button and the right zone simply won’t be where it should.

But, hey, Chrome told us it was a beta feature so maybe we shouldn’t complain. When Google Play support is fully integrated the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA should offer a lot more potential for fun, whereas right now it works best as a productivity PC.

The important part of the Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA is that it is one of the few Chromebooks with a premium CPU. It uses an Intel Core m3, an ultra-low power version of a Core i3. You may think of that as a budget CPU, and from one perspective it is. However, it’s a couple of leagues ahead of the Intel Celeron CPUs used in cheap Chrome OS laptops.

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When you’re just typing away in a Word document the difference isn’t a world-changing. But it is if you start playing games: where the Celeron-powered Acer Chromebook 11 N7 stutters to about 3fps at certain points when playing retro Doom homage GoreScript, the C302CA stays at a rock-solid 60fps.

This is one of the reasons we hope Google Play optimisation sorts itself out. The Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA could soon be a great little casual gaming laptop for titles sources from the Play Store. You need to have a little faith though, as right now there’s not quite enough to really justify the better CPU. Not when the Windows 10 Acer Swift 3 can be had for a similar price and has a punchier Core i3 CPU.

There’s also a more powerful version of the C302CA with a Core m7 CPU, but when this costs £799 it gets a little too close to ultimately more flexible Windows laptops like the Acer Spin 5 and Asus ZenBooks like the UX330.

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As Chrome OS branches out the 64GB storage will be worth thinking about more seriously too. In its current state it feels like a lot, particularly as the OS itself hardly eats up any space, but seems stingy in an £800 computer. And there’s only so much a microSD card can realistically add.

Asus Chromebook Flip review: Battery life

• Speakers are stereo, but a little weak
• 9-hour real-life battery from a 10-hour claim
• USB-C charging

Finally, Asus promises up to 10 hours battery life. While it’s more realistic to expect around eight to nine hours when skipping between apps and using the C302CA quite actively, we did get close to the promised figure when just playing a YouTube video for an hour. With the screen brightness at 50 per cent that hour drained 11 per cent from the battery charge, suggesting you’ll get just over nine hours from a single charge.

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It’s all-day battery life, then, just without the stamina to flatten the longest-lasting Windows machines.

Verdict

The Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA is a Chromebook that feels like a £1000 laptop in many respects. Its all-metal case and low weight make it a good choice for those tempted by a MacBook or Windows machine for work while travelling, who just don’t have the spare cashflow.

A plastic trackpad does cheapen the Flip’s feel a little, but you’ll have to decide just how picky your fingers are. Otherwise the all-day battery life, decent typing experience, good screen quality for the price and prospective future potential from Google Play make the Flip among the most interesting Chromebooks available today.

The main reason to hold fire right now is that Chrome OS may feel limited for something costing £600 and up. Android app support will help, but you need to have a little faith that this will work well with the C302CA’s touchscreen and keyboard. That should happen soon enough, but you might be best waiting until it’s out of beta if this is your main incentive to buy right now.

The alternatives to consider

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Acer N7 11

• £240

A much more familiar kind of Chromebook, the Acer N11 7 is much cheaper, much less powerful and has a lesser screen. It’s nowhere near as pretty or slim, but is still practical.

It has an extremely sturdy plastic case and while its display is much smaller, it is still comfortable to work with. The keyboard in particular is very nice to use given the slow price. There’s none of the glamour of the Asus here, but it’ll do the trick for work.

Read the full article: Acer Chromebook 11 N7 review

Pocket-lint

Google Pixel C

• £600 with keyboard

This isn’t a Chromebook but an Android tablet with a companion keyboard, although add that on and the Google Pixel C is actually the same price as the C302CA.

It has a sharper, punchier screen and its Tegra X1 CPU is better for gaming. However, for day-to-day work we’d pick the Asus Chromebook for its more convincing laptop-like feel.

Read the full article: Google Pixel C review

Acer

Acer Chromebook 14

• £270

It’s cheaper than the Asus Chromebook, but the Acer Chromebook 14 still has an aluminium case and, if you buy the slightly more expensive version, a 1080p LCD screen. Display quality isn’t as hot, but there’s no denying the Chromebook 14 gets you a lot for your money.

As Google Play support arrives, you might want to consider the Acer’s slower Celeron CPU, though. It’s likely to struggle with some higher-end games given what we’ve seen from other Celeron-equipped Chromebooks.

Facebook is trying to make clicktivism worth something

One of the problems with clicking Angry Face on a story about some kleptocrat earning a fast buck for themselves is that it has no real consequences. It’s an issue that Facebook is looking to challenge by instantly providing the details of your local political representative. You can then append their contact details to your public post, enabling yourself (and others) to make your feelings known in a more meaningful way.

Back in February, Mark Zuckerberg wrote a 5,700 word essay about how he wants his social network to help people get engaged with civic society. Shortly afterward, the site launched Town Hall, a feature that let voters search for their nearest officials in the hope of encouraging discussion. But, back then, you actually had to search for their details, rather than them being offered up automatically.

This feature, which was found by TechCrunch, will offer up relevant names, such as your nearest Governor, Senator or Representative. They aren’t informed of your post directly, so you’ll still have to call or write to them to actually let your feelings be known, but hey, politics is normally made by those who show up.

Source: TechCrunch

The Morning After: Tuesday, June 6th 2017

Hey, good morning!

Apple’s big developer conference had plenty for fans (and frenemies) to chew over. The keynote ran for two and a half hours (don’t worry: we made a shorter version), and covered iOS 11, new iMacs, a new iPad Pro and Apple’s much-teased smart speaker, the HomePod. That wasn’t all. Oh no.

It sounds pretty good.Apple’s ‘Siri speaker’ is the $350 HomePod

Yep, the “one more thing” during today’s WWDC presentation was Apple’s oft-rumored living room assistant. As it turns out, the HomePod is differentiating itself from the competition by focusing on audio quality. Inside it holds a four-inch woofer, seven tweeters and one A8 processor (first seen in the iPhone 6 / 6 Plus), and in a demo, it sounded better than the Sonos PLAY:3 and Amazon Echo. We’ll find out more about what it can do before it ships in December, but for now, Apple’s pitch is focusing on simple home automation and multiroom audio with AirPlay 2.

10.5 inches of iOS.
Here’s the new iPad Pro

Apple’s original 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with its sheer size and high-end specs, made it a standout of the tablet scene, while the Apple Pencil made to work with it made it a hit with designers and other creatives. Now, just a year after Apple introduced the smaller capable 9.7-inch iPad Pro, the company has replaced it with a new larger model with a 10.5-inch screen. It has a display that’s 20 percent larger than its predecessor, squeezed into essentially the same space by reducing the bezels by 40 percent. Perhaps most importantly from a physical perspective is that the tablet still weighs in at just one pound. It’s time to reassess the iPad lineup yet again.

Yep, that’s really the name.
Apple’s macOS High Sierra adds a faster Safari browser and a new file system

It’s not the grandest of macOS updates, but Apple’s web browser gets some love from the High Sierra upgrade. Senior VP of software engineering Craig Federighi claimed that the upgraded Safari tops all desktop browsers in speed: He even went as far as to say it’s the world’s fastest desktop browser. The browser also features autoplay blocking: It detects sites that shouldn’t be playing video and pauses them. With the update, macOS also finally supports VR — and Apple’s external GPU dev kit will be what virtual reality creators will need.

Also: Say hello to Apple File System (APFS). Apple claims that High Sierra is its fastest operating system ever, and Apple File is part of that, offering much better performance and security than before. As Federighi showed on the stage, copying files now runs nearly instantly on Apple File, compared to the now-decades-old HFS filesystem. Along with the speed, APFS supports far more files than ever, letting you put nine quintillion of them on a single volume. Security-wise, it includes multikey encryption, making it tough for bad guys (or law enforcement and spies) to crack even if they have physical access to your drive. That encryption will also work in a unified way across all of Apple’s devices.

And it’s all in Space Gray.
Apple’s iMac Pro is its most powerful computer ever

Apple has another iMac to reveal. The iMac Pro is a powerful, familiar-looking all-in-one, decked in Space Gray — and the company says it’s the most powerful Mac ever. Period. The pro-level computer will ship with up to 18-core Xeon processors as well as Radeon Pro Vega graphics. That’s apparently enough for up to 11 Teraflops of single precision (or 22 Teraflops at “half precision”) processing power. The 27-inch Retina 5K display lies on top of an all-flash memory architecture with an all-new thermal design, adding 80 percent more cooling capacity to match all that processing power.

Your mobile devices are about to talk your language. iOS 11 gets smarter and puts your iPad to work

The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system features a smarter version of Siri that does a better job of understanding what you need to know and presenting that information when it’s relevant. Apple Maps is ready to navigate indoors, new tools will give augmented reality apps like Pokemon Go a boost and the App Store is getting its first major redesign in… ever. Also, a new Do Not Disturb While Driving feature is intended to help people keep their eyes on the road, while iMessage and Apple Pay are teaming up for person-to-person payments.

On iPad, the changes are meant to make you more productive. A new dock will try to guess which app you’ll need next and is similar to the same feature on macOS. Meanwhile, Slide Over multitasking makes it easier to use more than one app at once, there’s a cloud-connected File manager app and drag-and-drop is ready to move more of the information you deal with on a daily basis like multiple pictures and links. It’s a pretty big update, so check out our recap of the new features here.

The other stuff.Apple Watch and Apple TV still exist

Apple kicked off its WWDC event by quickly mentioning its wrist- and TV-based platforms, albeit briefly. For now, the only Apple TV news is that an Amazon Prime Video app is on the way, while the Apple Watch is getting another big update with watchOS 4. There’s a new Siri-powered watch face that takes a few hints from Google Now with contextual updates (like traffic alerts when it’s time to go to work), a revamped dock and improved Fitness features to track all of your workouts. Oh, and there’s also some game called Monument Valley 2.

But wait, there’s more…

• The Roomba for gardening can weed while you relax
• Zero DS 6.5 motorcycle review: If you’re happy staying in the city, it’s an enjoyable ride.
• Apple and Amazon want a stake in Toshiba’s memory business
• SpaceX’s re-launched Dragon capsule arrives at the ISS

Politicians and tech titans unite to uphold Paris agreement

The 61 US cities and states that vowed to uphold the Paris climate agreement have ballooned in number over the past few days. Despite President Trump’s decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Accord, 1,219 politicians, tech titans and other businesses, investors and educational institutions have banded together and pledged to meet the goals it set anyway. Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has formally submitted the group’s “We Are Still In” declaration to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. As the Secretary General’s special envoy for Cities and Climate Change, he promised the organization and the global community on behalf of the signatories “that American society remains committed to achieving” greenhouse gas concentrations that are 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by the year 2025.

It will be hard keeping an eye on the members’ progress, since the group is made of up entities from various industries. But Bloomberg hopes to make things easier by launching a process called “America’s Pledge” that gives the participants a way to combine and quantify their emissions reduction. If you’re wondering who’s taking part in the project, We Are Still In’s official website has a list of all the signatories. They include 13 Democratic and Republican governors, 19 state attorneys general, over 200 mayors and 183 colleges and universities across the country.

Among the 900-plus names under the “Businesses and Investors” section, you’ll find a number of familiar companies, such as Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Airbnb, eBay, HP, Lyft, Uber, Spotify, Twitter, Tumblr and Yahoo. Tesla is also part the group, which doesn’t really come as a surprise, seeing as its head honcho, Elon Musk, left the president’s council when he announced the country’s withdrawal from the agreement.

Source: Reuters, We Are Still In

Apple is assisting the UK in terror investigations

Apple chief executive Tim Cook has confirmed his company is working with UK authorities as part of their investigations into terrorist incidents. In an interview with Bloomberg, Cook said Apple was cooperating “not only in law enforcement kind of matters, but on some of the attacks.” He stressed that he “cannot speak on detail,” given some investigations are active, but mentioned that “in cases when we have information and they have gone through the lawful process, we don’t just give it but we do it very promptly.”

The comments follow two terrorist attacks in London last Saturday, which killed six civilians and injured 48, and a suicide bombing which killed 22 people and injured 116 at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on May 22nd. While Apple’s compliance with the UK government isn’t surprising, it does help to clarify its stance on user privacy and surveillance. While the iPhone is encrypted, and iMessage supports end-to-end encryption, it’s likely that Apple still has access to some communications metadata. “Encryption doesn’t mean there’s no information, because it’s likely that metadata exists,” he told Bloomberg. “And metadata, if you’re putting together a profile, is very important.”

Under UK surveillance law, metadata is known as “communications data.” It’s an umbrella term for the circumstances around your conversations — where, when and how you placed a call, or sent an iMessage — but importantly, not the “content” or topic of your discussions. For years, the UK government has been able to send notices that force technology companies to store metadata. A number of public authorities can then request this data should it be necessary and proportionate for the needs of an ongoing investigation. Cook is likely referring to this policy, which was renewed as part of the controversial Investigatory Powers Act last year, in his Bloomberg interview.

Apple took a hard stance last year when the US government requested access to the iPhone 5C used by San Bernadino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. The device was encrypted and the FBI wanted access in order to proceed with its investigation. The court case was eventually dropped, however the FBI did find a way to circumvent Apple’s protection (it cost them $900,000, however.) Still, it showed a determination by Apple to protect the personal data of its customers. Tim Cook has repeatedly criticised the idea of “backdoors” that would weaken encryption practices and allow officials to access users’ messages and other device data. Communications data is another matter, however.

“The reality is that the cyber attacks on people and governments and … I mean, it’s happening left and right everywhere,” Cook told Bloomberg. “These affect your safety, your security. So it’s not just privacy. It’s not privacy versus security, it’s privacy and security versus security.”

Source: Bloomberg