This smart ring lets you write words and numbers with your thumb

Those of you who own a smartwatch will be familiar with a major drawback of any wearable device that has a smaller screen than a smartphone – text input is a real pain.

But a team of wearable computing engineers at Georgia Tech has developed what looks like a potential solution. It's a smart ring that lets you trace letters and numbers with your thumb, allowing easy, silent text input on even the tiniest screens.

“A ring augments the fingers in a way that is fairly non-obstructive during daily activities. A ring is also socially acceptable, unlike other wearable input devices,” said Cheng Zhang, the Georgia Tech graduate student who created the technology.

How it works

The system, which is called Fingersound, works pretty simply. The ring has an on-board gyroscope and microphone which detect when the user places their thumb over their fingers and begins to draw a shape. Once the shape is recognized, it can give tactile feedback. 

“Our system uses sound and movement to identify intended gestures, which improves the accuracy compared to a system just looking for movements,” said Zhang. 

“For instance, to a gyroscope, random finger movements during walking may look very similar to the thumb gestures. But based on our investigation, the sounds caused by these daily activities are quite different from each other.”  

Easy to use

The team says that the result is a system that is always available and easy to use. “When a person grabs their phone during a meeting, even if trying to silence it, the gesture can infringe on the conversation or be distracting,” explained Thad Starner, the Georgia Tech School of Interactive Computing professor leading the project. 

“But if they can simply send the call to voicemail, perhaps by writing an ‘x’ on their hand below the table, there isn’t an interruption.”

The full details of the project were presented at Unicomp and the ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computing earlier this year.

• NASA's next Mars rover is under construction

source http://www.techradar.com/news/this-smart-ring-lets-you-write-words-and-numbers-with-your-thumb

Meet Cozmo, the little robot with a big personality

They say nice things come in small packages, and that couldn’t be more true of Anki’s must-have robot, Cozmo. The little robot looks as if it’s come straight out of a Hollywood movie, and it has the brains and the personality to reinforce that impression. Before its UK launch in September this year, How It Works magazine was invited to meet Cozmo, the droid dubbed a ‘supercomputer on treads’.

As soon as you wake Cozmo from his charging pad, via the interactive app downloaded onto a smartphone or tablet, his animatronics come into play. He greets the party with a sleepy yawn and casually rolls off the pad, lifting his arms and making curious noises.

Cozmo has been meticulously programmed with flexible behaviours that are activated at various times, and so before prompting you to play a game via the companion app, he may choose to wander and explore. At this point his advanced sensor equipment maps the terrain in front of him and his small, manoeuvrable body easily navigates the flat surface.

After roaming for a while he stops, raises his head and pivots on the spot, searching for a familiar face. Cozmo’s cameras can swiftly identify human features (as well as those of cats and dogs), and after being instructed to commit a new face to memory, he will recognize that person in future.

Although Cozmo’s personality is apparent as soon he wakes, it doesn’t truly come to the fore until you bring out his Interactive Power Cubes. You can play multiple games against Cozmo this way, and watch as he either celebrates a victory with a squeak and a twirl with his arms raised, or throws a tantrum after a defeat.

Alternatively, you can let him play with the cubes himself and admire his advanced processing power as he aligns himself with his stack of assembled cubes – and laugh as he mischievously knocks them over shortly afterwards.

Before long Cozmo had been sent back to his charge pad and was snoring loudly. As we had yet to see his violent sneezing, acrobatic flips, and many more of his quirks and features, we can't wait to wake him up again soon.

• Save up to 49% on a subscription to How It Works this Christmas

source http://www.techradar.com/news/meet-cozmo-the-little-robot-with-a-big-personality

The BBC hopes to bring VR to the mainstream with VR Hub

The BBC has announced a department for virtual reality experiences called VR Hub, that is going to invest in commissioning high-quality VR experiences. 

In a blog post on the BBC website, team lead Zillah Watson outlined the hope of getting more people into the emerging technology using the BBC’s reach and ability to make world-leading entertainment:

“Our research shows that for as long as the quantity of high-quality content remains low, and the experience remains cumbersome, mainstream audiences won’t use VR. That’s why we’re focusing on a small number of high impact pieces that have broad, mainstream appeal.”

Out of this world experiences

It’s starting the ball rolling with an experience called Home. In Home, you can experience a space walk, perform maintenance work on the International Space Station, and then face a ‘terrifying emergency situation’.

Parallels can obviously be drawn to the RT produced Spacewalk in 360, which has been watched over half a million times on YouTube. Although that was a 360 degree video rather than a VR experience so you’re not able to control the outcome of any events.

If you want some 360 space video action right now, check out the BBC video below – released to accompany the launch of Home – that includes footage from space, with narration from astronaut Helen Sharman about the experience of looking back at our planet from space:

Home has already been shown in film festivals around the world, and has won many awards including a Cannes Lion. This release marks the first time that it has been made available to the public, and the first VR from the BBC available on the HTC Vive.

The BBC has in the past created experiences that were available on the Oculus Rift, Google Daydream, and Samsung Gear VR, but creating experiences that can be downloaded from the Steam Store open up the user-base to include owners of the industry-leading HTC Vive and the Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

Getting in on the action

If you’re a VR content creator, the BBC has a page for commissions so you can go and pitch your idea to be made by one of the most prolific television companies in the world. 

Whether this step will create a bigger uptake of VR is yet to be seen, but certainly having mainstream content creators invest in it the way the BBC is doing here will mean for those using the technology the quality of content available is going to improve vastly in the coming years.

For now, if you want to experience Home, it's available to download for free from the Steam and Oculus stores.

• Want some more space themed new? Check out: NASA's next Mars rover is under construction

source http://www.techradar.com/news/the-bbc-hopes-to-bring-vr-to-the-mainstream-with-vr-hub

Best gifts under £100: great Christmas ideas for tech lovers

You don't have to spend a fortune on technology to get an awesome present, as our best gifts under £100 guide proves.

Ok, we admit it. Sometimes we go a bit overboard with our gift suggestions. £1000 laptops and £500 speakers? Who can afford that? Some, but not all.

This round-up addresses that little issue. We’re looking at great Christmas gifts that cost less than £100.

We’re not scraping the barrel with phone cases and touchscreen gloves that most people don’t want, though.

These are the affordable picks we’d be happy to open on Christmas morning. 

Jabra has created a pair of wireless headphones that have an exciting design and strong performance - all for a price that's well under £100, hence their entry in this here guide. 

The Move Wireless are an excellent budget option for couch potatoes and fitness buffs alike. This is because they are lightweight and have a surprising knack for great sound performance, a bit like that friend we all have that belts out a karaoke tune after four pints of the strong stuff. 

From the fun and edgy design to excellent performance, these cans come recommended for anyone interested in wireless on the cheap.

• Read our Jabra Move Wireless review

Yes, we know the SNES Classic Mini sold out four seconds after it went on sale. And if you’ve been looking on eBay, you’ll often have to spend well over £100 just to get hold of this £80 retro gadget. 

However, every now and then it pops back into stock at the biggest online retailers. The game over screen isn’t here just yet. 

The SNES Classic Mini is a miniaturised take on Nintendo’s classic 16-bit console, one that uses an HDMI, not the ancient connectors of the original. It has 21 games including many SNES classics: Super Mario World, Yoshi’s Island, Super Mario Kart and the otherwise unreleased Star Fox 2. If this can’t solve that 4pm Christmas Day lull, nothing will. 

• Read our SNES Classic Mini review

A big divide is opening up in smart home tech. Are you with Google or Alexa? It’s an important question as this will likely affect the sort of smart home tech you can control in the near-future at least. 

For the sake of this gift guide, let’s side with Google and its Home speaker. It also sounds a bit better than Amazon’s latest Echo, and Google gives you slightly better control over your privacy settings.

Google Home acts as a decent wireless speaker and the digital housekeeper. It’ll control other smart home gadgets, let you ask for trivia/info and set reminders and alarms. And a lot more besides. 

• Read our Google Home review

Android tablets haven’t quite improved to the extent we hoped back in 2014, but when the Amazon Fire HD 8 costs just £79.99, we don’t really mind. It’s powerful enough to play high-end Android games well, has a solid 800p LCD screen and at 369g is light for a tablet. 

It’s especially useful if you’re an Amazon Prime member, as you’ll have access to the services that form a big part of the tablet’s interface. The Amazon Fire HD 8 software is based on Android, but you might not know that looking at it: Amazon has changed it a lot. 

Even without Prime, you can still download thousands of app, plenty for free, and read Kindle books on this tablet. 

• Read our Amazon Fire HD 8 review

For PS4 gamers, a PlayStation Plus is like a pair of socks or load of toiletries that they’ll actually want. Buy a subscription for someone and it’ll simply stack on top of their current sub, so you don’t have to worry if they’re already signed up. 

PlayStation Plus enables online multiplayer in PS3 and PS4 games, and gives the player access to a new selection of “free” games each month. You might want to check if they’ve had PS Plus before and decided it’s not for them, though. 

Xbox gamers will want Xbox Live Gold instead. Same benefits, (roughly) the same price, just for a different platform. 

• Read our Sony PlayStation 4 Pro review

You can’t get one of the fancy “new” 3DS or 2DS consoles for under £100, but the old 2DS is still widely available for all the budget buyers out there. The most common current bundle comes with Mario Kart 7, which is worth £30-plus on its own. Bargain. 

The 2DS is the cheap and cheerful model in the 3DS line-up. It feels a bit plasticky, doesn’t have 3D and looks like a techy piece of toast. However, it’s still a great handheld and can play almost all 3DS games. 

Just a few games require one of Nintendo’s “New” 3DS models, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D the most important of the lot. Make sure that’s not their most-wanted title before buying. 

• Read our Nintendo 2DS review

The Raspberry Pi 3 is a remarkable piece of technology. True, it may not be the most revolutionary upgrade from the Pi 2, but it builds upon a rich community of support and maintains a level of backwards compatibility to boards and projects created for earlier models of Pi to be used.

The arrival of wireless communications on the board enables IoT projects at a lower price point and helps further the goal of the Raspberry Pi, providing a platform for tinkering and experimentation that's low cost and well supported.

And it's all for cheaper than the price of a video game. Fantastic stuff.

• Read our Raspberry Pi 3 review

The Moov Now excels at one, very important thing: it’s a fitness tracker that actually tracks the things that make you fitter.

You get guided workouts for major activities that are well thought-out, or just good, broad tracking for daily activities.

A six month battery life is immense, and if your goal is to spend more time in bed each night and move more each day, this little wearable is an affordable and accurate way to do it.

• Read our Moov Now review

If you’re looking for a feature phone and have fond memories of the original 3310 then you may be drawn to the reboot - and you'll likely be happy.

But if you're keeping a keen eye on your finances you can get the same spec (and in some cases better spec) for a lower price tag if you ignore the headline-grabbing "3310" name.

The new Nokia 3310 has the fun nostalgia element, a good design and some much improved features that all combine to form a solid, dependable handset

• Read our Nokia 3310 review

• These are the best gadgets in the world right now

source http://www.techradar.com/news/best-gifts-under-100

Adaptive headphones are the new audio trend

Your fingerprints are unique to you, but did you know that your hearing is too? Research shows that each of us has different levels of sensitivity to various frequencies of sound. 

This means you’ll hear music differently to the next person, and will pick up on, or miss, certain notes. So, how do you pick the right headphones for your hearing? 

Step forward, adaptive audio headphones, such as those from Nura (£349 / $399). The Nura sports a unique earbud and over-ear cup design. Bass comes from a driver in the bigger cans, treble is played from the in-ear. As you might expect, this setup is great for sound isolation, too. The headphones use soundwave tech to automatically measure your hearing, then adapt the music to suit – helping you to hear each note perfectly. 

The Audeara A-01s ($499 / £367.27) also aims to deliver perfectly tailored sound. When you first wear the cans, you perform a simple hearing test. The A-01 then uses your hearing profile to adjust the sound signal as it passes through, adjusting your right ear from your left. 

There are more options out there too, including Even’s H2 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones (£299 / $299), which it describes as 'glasses for your ears' and HTC’s USonic Adaptive Audio Earphones (£34.90 / £39.99), which only work with HTC phones, but use the phone’s processing power to customise their sound to you. Get ready to hear your favourite songs sound better than ever!

• Pick up a subscription to T3 with 35% off in our Christmas sale!

source http://www.techradar.com/news/adaptive-headphones-are-the-new-audio-trend

Your new work colleague could soon be Amazon’s digital assistant Alexa

Amazon is bringing its digital assistant Alexa into the office environment, with the company on the verge of revealing Alexa for Business.

As TechCrunch reports, over at re:Invent 2017 – the big AWS event which finishes tomorrow – Amazon is expected to reveal a new business platform which allows companies to build their own skills (and use pre-loaded skills) to make life easier for employees.

The vision is for Amazon’s smart speakers (Echo and Dot) to bring their voice-controlled chops to offices everywhere, allowing folks to easily take care of tasks like calendar management, pulling up sales data, booking conference rooms, or indeed adjusting the temperature (or turning on the lights) in those rooms.

Security features are also likely to be part of the puzzle, as you’d imagine in a business setting, and that could tie in with Alexa’s recently granted ability to recognize individual voices.

We will likely hear more about Alexa for Business later today over at Amazon’s big conference, as previously mentioned.

Cortana coexistence?

We’re not sure how Microsoft will receive this news, given that the workplace is traditionally the software giant’s domain with its twin pillars of Windows and Office – and Cortana, the firm’s own digital assistant, tied in with all that.

That said, these digital assistants may be able to happily coexist in the workplace (alongside others), as we’ve discussed before when news broke this summer that Microsoft and Amazon are working to get Alexa and Cortana talking to each other.

The end result could be an office where all these various assistants work together, directing a user request to the particular digital assistant best equipped to deal with it.

It’s certainly clear, though, that Alexa and her ilk are going to play an increasingly large part in the smooth running of businesses at a nuts-and-bolts level in the near future.

• We’ve picked out the best business laptops right here

source http://www.techradar.com/news/your-new-work-colleague-could-soon-be-amazons-digital-assistant-alexa

Nasa's next Mars rover is under construction

It's been five years since the last Nasa rover blasted off to Mars. Curiosity went to the Red Planet equipped with tools and instruments that were cutting edge, but five years is a long time in technology. It's now possible to cram a lot more into less space.

So Nasa is working on a new mission - named Mars 2020 - that will feature a rover. Superficially, it resembles its predecessor - it has six wheels, a long arm for examining objects and a mast camera peering out over the landscape. In fact, about 85 percent of the robot is the same.

"The fact that so much of the hardware has already been designed—or even already exists—is a major advantage for this mission," said Jim Watzin, director of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. "It saves us money, time and most of all, reduces risk."

But there are a few crucial differences. The new robot has seven new instruments, totally redesigned wheels and much more autonomy than its forebear. It'll be capable of drilling out rock cores, sealing them into little capsules and then dropping them on the surface for collection by a future mission.

To explore strange new worlds

The rover also has a rather different mission: it's going to be looking for signs of ancient life. An x-ray spectrometer will be able to examine rocks as small as a grain of salt, while a ground-penetrating radar will hunt for water and ice below the surface. It even has an ultraviolet laser capable of spotting rings of carbon atoms. A second laser will be able to vaporise rocks and soil, while its camera hardware has also been substantially upgraded. 

What hasn't yet been decided is exactly where it'll land. There are three potential sites - recently narrowed down from a longlist of eight. One is an ancient lakebed, another is a possible hot springs, and a third is where warm waters may once have sloshed up against surface rocks. The final decision will be made in a year or two.

"Whether life ever existed beyond Earth is one of the grand questions humans seek to answer," said Ken Farley of JPL, Mars 2020's project scientist. "What we learn from the samples collected during this mission has the potential to address whether we're alone in the universe."

• Flight's lightbulb moment is nearly here: electric hybrid planes are on the way

source http://www.techradar.com/news/nasas-next-mars-rover-is-under-construction

Looking for an amazing gift? Try a magazine subscription

What do you buy the person who has everything? How about a magazine about their favourite hobby? Future is providing some of the greatest magazines at 20% off. 

Although we don't have a TechRadar magazine, that's because our fellow Future titles have got the world of print covered, so we're over-the-moon to offer up a brilliant offer for some of their key offerings.

From the amazing Total Film, a film magazine for the more discerning movie fan right through to the fantastic How It Works, we've got great tech mags for you. 

And if you call it an early Christmas present for yourself , who are we to judge?  

Fabulous magazine subscription Black Friday offers

source http://www.techradar.com/news/looking-for-an-amazing-gift-try-a-magazine-subscription

Lego's new app uses an iPhone to breathe dragon fire over real-life bricks

Lego has released an Apple ARKit-powered app - called Lego AR-Studio - that brings your Lego sets to life using augmented reality. 

What that means is that after you’ve built certain Lego sets, you’ll be able to point an iOS device (running iOS 11) at the wonderful collection of bricks, and a fire-breathing dragon will magically appear on screen and set fire to your building. 

The app will allow you to interact with the action on-screen so you’re not just a passive participant, and you can even record the scene using the in-app camera function. 

A whole world of Lego

The app is free to download and use, but of course you’ll have to pay to buy the Lego sets, and any repairs to your Apple device that may be required after allowing your child to do Ninjago moves with it. 

The app can populate the world that you start creating, meaning you go from having a single building in real life to a whole city in the app, bringing a new dimension instantly to your builds.

The lego sets included at launch are:

• LEGO City 60047 Police Station
• LEGO City 60052 Train Set
• LEGO City 60110 Fire Station
• LEGO NINJAGO 70593 Green NRG Dragon
• The LEGO NINJAGO Movie 70632 Cole’s Mech
• The LEGO NINJAGO Movie 70618 Destiny’s Bounty

This isn’t the first time that Lego has had a foray into AR; as long ago as 2009 it was using AR in its stores so that you could see what the set would look like in your hands once put together. You can see a video of the in-store AR below:

As this is just the launch of the app, it’s fairly safe to assume that more sets, and more AR experiences, will be added over time. 

With a Harry Potter AR game on the way too, it’s interesting to see another Warner Brothers IP getting the augmented treatment, showing that the studio clearly is putting its money into this emerging technology. 

• Like Lego? It's worth checking out: Best toys 2017: smart toys for kids of all ages

Via Brickfanatics
and Engadget

source http://www.techradar.com/news/legos-new-app-uses-an-iphone-to-breathe-dragon-fire-over-real-life-bricks

TechRadar's favorite toys 2017

Kids! What's wrong with the kids today? Kids! Who can understand any of the toys that they use to play. Nerf guns, Star Wars, Skateboards, LEGOs! 

Actually, we do understand toys for the youngest kids and adults (kids at heart), and we've rounded up the best our favorite toys that they'll find fun to play with or education (and they won't even know they're learning. Shhh!). Here's our list.

Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition

The top tablet for the little ones in your life
Look, there’s no getting around it: kids are going to want their parents’ tablet at some point. So, you may as well just give them one that was designed for them in the first place, and few do that better than Amazon. The Fire 7 for Kids sports an HD touchscreen that can last for up to 8 hours, all wrapped within a rubberized, ‘Kid-Proof’ case. Plus, one free year of Amazon’s FreeTime service grants kids access to 15,000 popular pieces of digital entertainment. Finally, the tablet is backed by a two-year, worry-free guarantee that replaces the tablet if one is broken.

Fisher-Price Imaginext DC Super Friends BatBot Xtreme

The top Batman gift you can get in 2017
Standing over two-feet tall, this is a big-ticket gift for the little one in your life. This toy comes with tons of features, including a voice changer, motorcycle, working launchers and punching fists. Will it equal hours of fun? Yes. Will you have trouble wrapping it? Absolutely.

NERF Rival Nemesis MXVII-10K Blaster

Our hands-down favorite toy in the office right now
NERF blasters have come a long way since we were kids, and the Rival Nemesis MXVII-10K is the crème de la crème of the new-school line. With 100 rounds included, anyone who gets the Nemesis can engage in an all-out turf war without worrying about getting caught without projectiles.

LEGO Star Wars BB-8

Everyone's favorite new Droid you made with your bare hands
If you have a LEGO and Star Wars fan in your life, this is the model you need to give them. The faithfully reproduced BB-8 is not only intricately designed, but the LEGO droid also features a swiveling head and extendable welding torch (pretend, of course).

LEGO Star Wars First Order Heavy Assault Walker

From Hoth to your home
No Star Wars: Episode VIII LEGO collection is complete without a First Order Heavy Assault Walker. Featuring posable legs, working shooters and even more parts to pull off or add on, your youngster will have a blast putting this $149.99 walker together and pretending the included figurines of Poe, Rey, a Resistance Trooper and First Order Stormtrooper are in the thick of battle.

LEGO Star Wars VIII First Order Star Destroyer

Build Supreme Leader Snoke’s sweet space ride
This insane LEGO set might actually outdo that Millennium Falcon set that released earlier this year, with a whopping 1,400-plus pieces including mini figures for Snoke himself and a few lackeys. When complete, the set sports a working elevator piece that lifts the First Order leader into his chamber, as well as panels that open for easy play inside the. The thing even has firing stud shooters that look like proton torpedoes. This is going to be on the wish lists of old and young fans alike.

Super Mario Odyssey Amiibo Set

Three fun ways to enhance your game experience
To celebrate the release of Super Mario Odyssey for Nintendo Switch, Nintendo release a three-pack of new amiibo figurines that not only look sweet, but will make your game sweeter, too. Mario, Princess Peach and Bowser are all gussied up for the very wedding that Mario’s looking to stop in the adventures of the latest Nintendo Switch game. Use these amiibo figurines in the game, and you’ll get free hints for where to find the game’s countless Power Moons. A collector’s item with both form and function? We’re so here for it.

LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox

More than 840 LEGO pieces on the move
There was nothing like the Boost Creative Toolbox LEGO kit when we were growing up. Kids can build and code one of five interactive robots and control their creations using a tablet app.

Star Wars Jedi Challenges

This is the ultimate Jedi simulator
For a pittance in comparison to most VR headsets, Lenovo has worked with Disney to create a smartphone-based, augmented reality visor that will make anyone that knows what ‘Holo Chess’ is squeal with glee this holiday season. Using your iPhone or Android phone and the included lightsaber module, you can fight like a Jedi knight against all sorts of Sith Lords while still seeing your immediate surroundings. Use the lightsaber module to command armies in a real-time war strategy game, and there’s a full version of Holo Chess inside – no, seriously!

LEGO Ideas Women of NASA

NASA grounds itself in some reality
Nancy Grace Roman. Margaret Hamilton. Sally Ride. Mae Jemison. These pioneering women of space and science are featured in the hugely popular LEGO Ideas Women of NASA set, which includes three different builds to represent each woman’s area of expertise.

Rusty Rivets Botasaur

Be the best dinosaur building since John Hammond
Rusty’s faithful pal Botasaur can stomp around your home thanks to this kit. Don’t worry - he’s friendly. With a simple build, flashing eyes and the ability to transform into a dino-on-wheels, Botasaur spells hours of creative play. 

Sphero R2-D2

New-age tech company meets age-old Star Wars character
We don’t throw “iconic” around lightly, but there’s no arguing R2-D2 is the most iconic droid to ever wheel around the galaxy. Sphero’s Artoo is a fantastic connected toy that can be moved around using controls in a smartphone app. At $165 on Amazon, this is the droid you are looking for.

Kano Computer Kit

The perfect first built your own computer kit
You don’t need to be an engineer to build a computer. In fact, you don’t even need to be a grown up thanks to the Kano Computer Kit. The kit comes complete with a Raspberry Pi, wireless keyboard, and speaker. Once assembled, kids can start coding. Talk about a 21st century toy.

littleBits Education Code Kit

Never to early to teach them to code to make you millions
A gift for the educator in your life, littleBits Education Code Kit is the perfect classroom companion. Students will code their own games, which, truth be told, look way too fun to be educational. The good news is, they are. Also good news: no prior STEAM experience is required to set up and start teaching.

source http://www.techradar.com/news/best-toys-2017

Best gadgets 2017: the top tech you can buy right now

You may never have heard of choice paralysis, but you'll definitely have been affected by it. It's that sensation you experience when you know you want something, say an ice cream, but there are so many flavors to choose from that you end up not buying one at all, and going ice cream-less. That's choice paralysis. And the tech world is full of it.

As the sales period gets fully underway, and people around the world are planning what gifts to buy their loved ones for their respective festive celebrations, all eyes turn to the shop shelves, trying to figure out what the very best gadgets are on offer.

For every gadget and gizmo there are hundreds of different makes and models. Making a decision is hard. So, to cut through some of the confusion, we've collated our 'best of the best' gadgets list. 

This list only features one item in each category, and that item is what we currently think is the best of its kind. The products on this list will only change when something better comes along and knocks a reigning champ off its top spot.

What that means is that sometimes (and right now is one of those times) the list doesn't change for a long time. So quite a few of the items you'll see below have been there for months, and have even endured major releases (we're looking at you iPhone X) in their field. 

The fact that these devices have stood up to the test means they are truly essential purchases. If you’re the sort of person who wants to have the best of everything, this is your ultimate shopping list… 

Best phone

TechRadar Phones Editor Gareth Beavis thinks the Samsung Galaxy S8 is the best phone on the market for a number of reasons, but primarily for its stunning display. Gareth says “it makes every other handset on the market look positively antiquated”.

The handset smashed all our benchmarking tests, and it boasts an excellent camera and strong battery, plus that screen is in a league of its own.

Make no mistake – this is a premium handset at a premium price. But according to Gareth: “Samsung has managed to find some impressive innovation at a time when there's very little to be found in smartphones.”

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S8

• Want to see the best of the rest? 
• In the US, check out Best phone in the US for 2017: the 10 top smartphones we've tested
• In the UK, check out Best phone 2017: the 10 top smartphones we've tested
• In Australia, check out Best phones in Australia 2017: the 10 top smartphones we've tested

Best laptop

The Dell XPS 13 is ranked best laptop and best Ultrabook for good reason. Our Computing Editor Kevin Lee is particularly enamored with the “design marvel” that is the InfinityEdge display. 

The XPS 13 manages the impressive task of fitting a 13.3-inch screen into an 11-inch frame. 

It’s thin, light, and managed a battery life of more than seven hours when running our video test. A serious champion.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13

• Want to see the best of the rest? These are the best laptops of 2017

Best TV

Our best TV in the world right now is the LG OLED C7. It's available in 55 and 65-inch versions, and manages to strike a fine balance of industry-leading OLED technology and wallet-friendly price.

All of LG’s OLED televisions include exactly the same panel, which means that although the C7 is a fraction of the price of the flagship W7, it still looks stunning. The reason for the lower price is in the sound quality, but we think the C7’s audio strikes a good balance between price and performance. 

It also delivers greater brightness and light control than it's predecessor, the C6, meaning that it’s able to offer OLED’s phenomenally dark blacks without compromising on great peak light performance. 

This 4K powerhouse delivers class-leading performance via self-illuminating pixels at a price that many more of us than ever before can afford. 

Read the full review: LG OLED C7

• Want to see the best of the rest?  
• In the US, check out this version of the Best TVs in the US for 2017
• In the UK and Australia, check out this version of the Best TVs 2017

Best games console

The battle between Sony's PlayStation consoles and Microsoft's Xbox series is hard-fought, but right now we think the PS4 Pro has the edge over the Xbox One S, thanks to a combination of good hardware, great games, and a generous online offering. 

An improvement on the already very strong PS4, the PS4 Pro supports 4K and HDR technologies; plus with advances in frame rate due to beefed-up processing speeds, gaming will look cleaner, crisper and smoother.

The only thing stopping the PS4 Pro from being the ultimate console is the omission of an Ultra HD Blu-ray drive. Instead you'll have to rely on streaming to get your 4K media fix. 

Read the full review: PS4 Pro 

• Want to see exactly how it stacks up against the Xbox One S? Xbox One S vs PS4 Pro: Which is better?

Best fitness tracker

The Moov Now doesn't have all the bells and whistles you would associate with a fitness tracker. It doesn't have GPS tracking, it doesn't even have a screen; but what it does have is a cheap price tag and six-month battery life. Yes, you read that right: six months.

During those six months you can track your steps, your sleep, your fitness, your running technique and a whole lot more. This may be an unconventional fitness tracker, but it's a great one. 

Read the full review: Moov Now

• Want to see the best of the rest? Best fitness tracker 2017: the top 10 activity bands on the planet

Best camera

According to TechRadar's Photography Editor Phil Hall, the "fabulous D850 DSLR pretty much ticks every box".

It has a brillaint 45.4MP full-frame sensor, stunning image quality, and that's where the story starts. 

It has a sophisticated 153-point AF system and 9fps bust shooting speed. The D850 is just as home shooting wildlife, landscape, and portraits. He thinks it could perhaps be the most well-rounded camera he's ever seen.

Read the full review: Nikon D850

• Want to see the best of the rest? Here are the 10 best digital cameras in 2017

Best tablet

According to our Phones, Wearables and Tablets Writer James Peckham, the best tablet on the market right now is the new iPad (2017), with its sharp 9.7-inch display, beautiful design, and A9 chip – and all for a price that isn’t going to break the bank.

While the new iPad (2017) isn’t doing anything revolutionary, it's a solid update on an already five-star device, and at a much more palatable price.

The new iPad starts off at 32GB of storage rather than Apple’s usual 16GB, and considering it’s cheaper than the entry-level iPad Air 2, that’s seriously good value for money.

Read the full review: New iPad (2017)

• Want to see the best of the rest? Check out the best tablets you can buy in 2017

Best smartwatch

Apple has managed to knock itself off the top spot for best smartwatch with the excellent Apple Watch 3. It will look very familiar to anyone who has the Apple Watch 2, as it's basically the same frame with different innards, but those innards make all the difference. 

One of the major changes is the addition of LTE connectivity, which is a great addition. For those that have been hankering for it, the feature has finally arrived, and for those that couldn't care less, you can pick up a non-LTE version for a cheaper price that still includes upgrades on the Watch 2 like longer battery life and faster speed when flicking through. 

The Apple Watch Series 3 is waterproof, has GPS capabilities, and looks good on the wrist. The real question is whether another company is going to be able to take the top spot off Apple, or if this space is going to stay the same until the Apple Watch 4 comes out. 

Read the full review: Apple Watch 3

• Want to see the best of the rest? Best smartwatch: the top smartwatches you can buy in 2017

Best VR headset

The HTC Vive is the best VR headset in the world right now. The controls are intuitive to use, the resolution is incredible, with a 1080p screen per eye, and the base stations mean you can play in a space that's 13 x 13 feet in size – that's some serious playing space to swing yourself around in. 

Like most of the entries on our list this is a premium product at a high price, but if you're looking for the best first-generation VR headset around, then the HTC Vive is the one to go for. 

Read the full review: HTC Vive

• Want to see the best of the rest? The best VR headset 2017: which headset offers the best bang for your buck?

Best headphones

Choosing a 'best pair of headphones' is a tricky proposition, because everyone needs something slightly different from their listening devices. 

If you need a lightweight pair for the gym then you're probably better off with a pair of wireless earbuds; or, if you do most of your listening at home and want the best-possible sound quality, then a pair of wired over-ears might be better. 

But if we had to pick the best headphones overall then we'd go for the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless. They're wireless, which makes them more convenient for portable use, and they're noise-cancelling for those who want to use them on a noisy commute. 

And, most importantly, they do all this without compromising on sound quality, which still lives up to the high standards that Sennheiser normally achieves. Oh, and they look pretty good as well. 

There are absolutely better-sounding, better-looking and better noise-cancelling headphones out there, but none of them do everything better than the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless, which makes them the best overall pair of headphones around right now. 

That said, if you do want to get the absolute best, purest, sound quality, we recommend the fantastic Oppo PM-3's. 

Read the full review: Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 

• Want to see the best of the rest? Best headphones 2017: the best headphones for any budget

source http://www.techradar.com/news/best-gadgets

Charlie Brooker contemplating expanding the Black Mirror universe

Twisted-tech anthology series Black Mirror started out as a TV show, and has since spun off into a book (out next year), but don’t rule out further brand extensions, according to creator Charlie Brooker.

In an interview with Total Film magazine ahead of the launch of the new series on Netflix, Brooker first admits that he’s shifted his stance on an extended Black Mirror universe. “When people used to ask me, ‘Are these all set in the same universe?’, I’d go, ‘No.’

"I’ve now changed my position, and explicitly some of them are. And we’ve tied together several episodes in that story. But you don’t need to have seen any of those episodes.

“The basic rule is that you only have to watch one episode, if you want. But there are direct references to other things and other worlds and other stories we’ve done in that story.”

Talking specifically about the upcoming books, Brooker says he’s not dictating what the story ideas up, but is feeding back on his writers’ ideas. “It’s a different world. It’s its own separate thing, in a way, but it’s got to have shared Black Mirror DNA.”

And, when TF asks there are any other media Brooker would consider exploring Black Mirror in, he says, “Yes, games and comics are two worlds that I’ve thought about. It’s really getting the time that’s the challenge, at the moment. Because those are both things I can see us doing stuff in, but it would have to be right. I can’t say too much, but those are all things that I’ve thought about. There are other mediums and things that you contemplate.”

There’s currently no news on a launch date for series 4 of Black Mirror, but it’s expected to be on Netflix before the end of the year. You can find more on Black Mirror, including an on-set report from Iceland, inside the latest issue of Total Film magazine, which is on sale now.

For a steady stream of the best film and TV content all year round, subscribe to Total Film magazine

source http://www.techradar.com/news/charlie-brooker-contemplating-expanding-the-black-mirror-universe

Tesla owner uses free Supercharger power for pure Bitcoin-mining profit

As Bitcoin's value has continued to surge, interest in Bitcoin mining has exploded, but it's struggled to remain profitable because of how energy intensive a process it is - leading to many spending more on electricity than they earn in Bitcoin. 

Now one user has found an interesting way around the problem, by building a mining rig into the trunk of their Tesla. In doing so they'd theoretically be able to power their mining apparatus for free, and any Bitcoins earned would be pure profit. 

As Bitcoin's popularity has continued to surge, its energy requirements have drawn increasing fire from critics. The currency doesn't rely on a central bank, and so it relies on multiple people ('miners') doing the same calculations in order to check that no one is cheating the system. 

Intense energy

However, this doubling up of effort means that the network requires far more energy than conventional transactions. In fact, the whole network consumes more electricity in a year, according to the Guardian, than the whole of Ireland. 

These intense energy requirements are bad news for both the environment and miners, leading to alternative solutions being developed. Motherboard reports that miners in China are turning to hydro energy, while European operations are relying on wind. 

This Tesla solution however, is only good for the miner, since it draws from a power grid that still overwhelmingly relies on fossil fuels. Another criticism is that it could increase wait times at Superchargers for other drivers. 

However, as Bitcoin's value continues to rise, miners are only going to get more and more creative with how they approach the currency's energy issues. 

• How to buy Bitcoins in 2017
• Best mining GPU 2017: the best graphics cards for mining Bitcoin

• Source: Electrek

source http://www.techradar.com/news/tesla-owner-uses-free-supercharger-power-for-pure-bitcoin-mining-profit

Star Wars: The Last Jedi avoids turning Luke into 'Obi-Two', says Mark Hamill

Amazon's delivery drones could self-destruct to keep you safe

Amazon’s drone delivery service isn’t the norm quite yet, so it’s not often that we stop to consider the potential drawbacks of our skies being filled with automated flying machines. Something certainly worth tackling before it happens on a wider scale is what happens when a drone suddenly falls from the sky.

No matter how good the technology in Amazon’s drones is they’re going to have to contend with sudden weather changes, software malfunctions, and vandalistic bystanders, all of which could bring them very quickly down to Earth.

Fortunately, Amazon is already considering a solution. And no, it’s not lead-lined umbrellas. 

Heads up

According to Digital Trends, the online retailer is looking into a system that would pick up when a drone is malfunctioning and prompt it to disintegrate in mid-air. While this doesn’t guarantee nothing will fall from the sky, the object is likely to be small enough that any kind of impact would be inconsequential. 

The system is outlined in a patent recently granted to Amazon by the US Patent and Trademark Office, titled ‘direct fragmentation for unmanned airborne vehicles (UAVs)’. 

Within the document, Amazon states that something as simple as “unexpected heat, cold, wind, rain, hail, high or low (e.g., barometric) pressure regions” could affect a drone’s rotor system, flight control, battery or flight sensors and send it tumbling. 

It’s detailed how the drone would be able to assess the conditions on the ground before dismantling themselves, noting: “The fragmentation sequence includes a release timing and a release location to fragment away (eg, release, drop, jettison, eject, etc away) one or more UAV components in case the flight operation of the UAV is disrupted.”

While we imagined a kind of instant comic book disintegration that would leave drone glitter falling from the sky, Amazon apparently intends the drones to break up piece by piece. The patent states that different parts of the drone will be shed to change “the weight, speed, air drag coefficient, and other factors related to the UAV” so that it can make a landing that won’t harm those below. 

This does, admittedly make more sense. Amazon customers aren’t likely to opt for drone delivery if there’s a chance that their package could disintegrate entirely.  

This is one of many patents Amazon has been granted in relation to its drone delivery service. It’s actually one of the less outlandish ideas the company has been looking into and it’s a good insight into how Amazon is considering the wide range of issues that are likely to arise. 

• Interested in a drone of your own? These are the best drones 2017 has to offer

source http://www.techradar.com/news/amazons-delivery-drones-could-self-destruct-to-keep-you-safe

Amazon’s own products are the best-sellers on Amazon. Surprised?

What sold best on Amazon during Black Friday and Cyber Monday? It might not surprise you to know that Amazon’s own catalog of electronics were among the top sellers for the busy shopping weekend.

Popular products like the Amazon Echo Dot, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and the new Amazon Echo make it high up on the list. Also sharing the spotlight are its fleet of affordable tablets, like the Amazon Fire 7, Amazon Fire HD 8 and Amazon Fire HD 10. Its tablets targeted squarely at kids were hot items, too, with the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition and Amazon Fire 7 Kids Edition each selling well.

More surprising is that the Amazon Echo Show has cracked the top 20 best-selling products on Amazon. This is the company’s latest product that, in a simplified manner of speaking, works to blend using a tablet in one of it’s smart speakers. It’s new and therefore unproven, so it’s interesting to see that the public has embraced it with their wallets.

Edging out the competition

Something might seem a bit off when you glance at the list of best-selling electronics on Amazon. Namely, where are all of the iPads, Android tablets, Google Home models, the Apple TV 4K or Chromecast? These are all popular products that Amazon doesn’t have to compete with on its store.

At some point, Amazon decided that it wouldn’t feature some competing products on its online store. To focus in on the Google Chromecast, which is in direct competition with the Amazon Fire TV Stick, you’ll find numerous knock-offs for sale on Amazon’s store, but not the real thing. 

And yet, despite this somewhat controversial move, Amazon’s products are resonating with consumers. Generally speaking, its electronics are a good value – some being better than others. Where else can you get a pack of three HD tablets altogether for $129? Not only are they cheap, they're actually pretty good, too.

Sure, you won’t be able to find everything on your wishlist on Amazon, and say what you will about the company's control over that. But by and large, you’ll at least discover something that’s close to what you want.

source http://www.techradar.com/news/amazons-own-products-are-the-best-sellers-on-amazon-surprised

Flight's lightbulb moment is nearly here: electric hybrid planes are on the way

Air travel is a leading cause of carbon emissions, and the rise of cheap flights over the last decade or so has only made the problem worse. If you've ever spent any time considering your personal carbon footprint, then you'll probably have concluded that you should be flying less.

But in the future, you might be able to rejoin the jet-set with a little less guilt. An international consortium of companies - Airbus, Siemens and Rolls-Royce - is working on a hybrid passenger plane that works a little bit like a hybrid car.

The aircraft will be based on the existing BAe 146 four-engine jet - with three conventional jet engines running on aviation fuel. But unlike other planes, those jet engines will generate electric power through a turbine within the plane. That power will be use to turn the blades of an electric turbofan engine.

C02 emission reduction incoming

The plan is that Siemens will make the electric motor, Rolls-Royce will make the generator and turbo-shaft engine, and Airbus will integrate those systems into a working whole. A first model is in the works for 2020, and the companies say that if it works well then a second electric motor could be added to the designs. 

The goal, of course, is to reduce CO2 emissions - the European Union has a goal to drop emissions by 60 percent. But the electric motor will also help meet noise and pollution limits.

• Doctors want to show you the inside of your body in VR

source http://www.techradar.com/news/flights-lightbulb-moment-is-nearly-here-electric-hybrid-planes-are-on-there-way

Top 10 best business tablets in 2017

Buying the best business tablet for your needs can help revolutionise your productivity, allowing you to remain productive while out and about, without having to worry about lugging heavy gear around.

Many of the best business tablets can also replace your work laptop, as they come with components and processing power that enables them to perform as well as standard notebooks.

Android and Apple tablets have a host of apps that allow you to work on them, and of course, with Windows 10-powered business tablets, you can run any app or program you'd usually run on a traditional laptop or desktop PC.

Add a Bluetooth keyboard, and you'll be able to work comfortably on these best business tablets for hours on end.

No matter if you rely on Windows, Android, or even iOS, there's something worth recommending. 

It's only a matter of figuring out what your priorities are and what you need out of a tablet for your business. And to help you choose the best tablet, here's our overview of the market at the moment, and the 10 tablets we'd recommend for the business user.

For the sake of clarity, we will only look at pure tablets, and detachables when it comes to convertibles. 2-in-1 hybrid models are closer to traditional laptops as their keyboard can't be totally detached.

• Also have a read of our guide on how to choose a tablet for work

While Microsoft didn't call this year's tablet the Surface Pro 5, in many ways it's a sequel to the Surface Pro 4 (which also features on our list of the best business tablets), with a 32% increase in battery life - according to our benchmarks - as well as a refined design that remains thin and light, while also providing plenty of power.  The new and improved Surface Pen and Type Cover makes this a brilliant business tablet that can be used as a laptop replacement, and it comes in a range of specifications, which makes choosing the right model for your business (and personal) needs easy.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Pro

Apple took the iPad into uncharted territory here. The iPad Pro's optional accessories add to the cost of the tablet, but the keyboard cover and Apple Pencil stylus make the iPad even more suited for business and creative users. The iPad Pro also debuted Apple's new split-screen multitasking. It is, quite simply, a massively powerful tablet which can certainly turbocharge your productivity away from the desk thanks to a wide array of business apps – although we’d like to see more in the way of battery life.

Read the full review: Apple iPad Pro

The ThinkPad X1 Tablet is probably one of the best designed convertible devices on the market, and one where engineers clearly had a great time building a slate that crams in so many features that it's hard to believe that the X1 is so thin and portable. It bears all the hallmarks of a signature ThinkPad device: the finish, the red colour scheme, the Trackpoint, the shape of the Accutype keys, everything down to the ThinkPad logo at the back. Aficionados will love it while others might balk at the price – this is vintage ThinkPad at its finest.

Read the full review: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet

A higher resolution screen, a thinner design and a move to Intel's more powerful Skylake processors all help to make this portable tablet a capable replacement for your laptop. Sadly, the Type Cover keyboard is still optional, but in reality it's a necessity for this laptop replacement; come on Microsoft, bundle it already. The good news with the Type Cover in this fourth iteration of the Surface Pro is that it’s much improved this time around.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Pro 4

Lenovo shows it is just as good at making 2-in-1 devices that are excellent business tablets with the Lenovo Miix 510, a follow up to the Miix 700 (yes, we know, confusing) with a new latest-gen Kaby Lake version of the Core i5 and a strong central pairing of 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. It comes with a detachable keyboard and costs a lot less than Microsoft's Surface Pro line of business tablets, and for the most part it offers similar functionality. This is definitely a business tablet worth considering if your budget doesn't stretch to a Microsoft (or Apple) device.

Read the full review: Lenovo Miix 510

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 is the best Android tablet you can buy right now, and it proves that you don't need a tablet that runs Windows to be one of the best business tablets money can buy.

It's stuffed full of power, has an excellent display and features an iPad-Pro rivaling S-Pen stylus and optional keyboard.

The price tag could be a stumbling block, but if you're looking for the best Android has to offer in tablet form the Galaxy Tab S3 is the slate for you.

Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

Asus threw down the gauntlet to Microsoft with the launch of the Transformer 3 Pro. The device, which is the only tablet we know of that comes with 16GB of RAM as standard, easily surpasses the Surface Pro 4 in terms of sheer value for money although Microsoft's flagship tablet remains the better known (and probably more trusted) of the two. Other than the standard keyboard, the Transformer also has a docking station, a stylus and even a trusted platform module (TPM) for improved security within an enterprise setting.

Read the full review: Asus Transformer 3 Pro

Getac's RX10 dares to go where no other tablet can thanks to its rugged design and bright screen. If your work takes you into the field, you'll be thankful that Getac equipped this slate with a screen that's readable even under direct sunlight. This slate will sustain a fair amount of hardship including being dropped, or assaulted with dust, water and much more. Plus it's also light and very portable, despite being such a tough customer. As expected on such a device, there are also plenty of expansion options including hot-swappable batteries as well as a barcode scanner and an NFC/RFID card reader.

Read the full review: Getac RX10

Fujitsu certainly used the Surface range from Microsoft as its inspiration for the Stylistic R726, but then applied its own spin by making this convertible far more enterprise-friendly with a surprisingly (relatively) low price tag. An impressive range of accessories? Check. Extreme serviceability backed by a top notch aftersales warranty? Check. A plethora of ports and connection options? Check. Active stylus? Wouldn't you know, that's here as well. The R726 also has a first-class docking station and its detachable keyboard is a rather good one, and quality accessories certainly don't do its case any harm.

Read the full review: Fujitsu Stylistic R726

Just like the rest of the competition, HP took inspiration from Microsoft's playbook when building the Elite x2 1012, which clearly targets the business market. Like Fujitsu, HP made sure that its product was designed with enterprise users in mind. It is sturdy, undergoing a 12-point stress test, is very easy to upgrade and comes with a number of security features. There's an active pen and a keyboard, and our reviewer said that typing on the latter was "as comfortable as it is on a real notebook". Not everything about the design is perfect - such as the hinge - but overall this is a tempter with a great keyboard and screen.

Read the full review: HP Elite x2 1012 G1

Chuong Nguyen, John McCann, Matt Hanson and Henry Casey also contributed to this article

source http://www.techradar.com/news/mobile-computing/tablets/top-10-tablets-for-business-1093241