Google Assistant is the smartest assistant, according to a new study

If you spend much time chatting to a digital assistant on a smart speaker or your phone, you'll be interested in a new study that put nearly 5,000 questions to Google Assistant, Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, and Cortana from Microsoft.

The test by digital agency Stone Temple found that Google's AI-powered bot was the smartest of the bunch overall, taking on close to 80 percent of queries fired at it and coming up with the right answer more than 9 times out of 10 for the questions it tried to respond to. According to the study, Google Assistant is slightly smarter on a phone than it is on a smart speaker.

In terms of questions where an answer was actually attempted, Cortana sits in second place with Alexa in third. Siri languishes in fourth place, with Apple's digital assistant only having a go at a little over 40 percent of the questions it was given.

Gains from 2017

Siri fared better in answer accuracy – it may only have attempted a response for 4 out of 10 queries, but of the answers it gave, 8 out of 10 were accurate. That still wasn't enough to lift it out of fourth place though, as all the other assistants still performed better.

Stone Temple actually ran the same test last year, with Google Assistant once again coming out on top. However, both Alexa and Cortana have made big strides forward when it comes to number of attempted answers compared with 2017, so there's not much breathing space for complacency for Google Assistant.

Some of the questions the apps struggled with were "who is the voice of Darth Vader?" and "how to make sand?", so it would appear these bots aren't quite ready to take over the world yet. You can see the full report over at the Stone Temple blog.

• Amazon Echo is three times as popular as Google Home, says new sales research

Via Gizmodo

source http://www.techradar.com/news/google-assistant-is-the-smartest-assistant-according-to-a-new-study

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best mobile workstations

If you're looking to buy the best mobile workstation for your needs - both in the office and on the road - then you'll want to make sure you pick the right one before spending a sometimes considerable amount of money on a mobile workstation.

This is where our best mobile workstation list comes in, as our experts have ranks the ultimate mobile workstations, explaining the pros and cons of each entry so you can buy in confidence.

Thanks to our price comparison tool, we can help take the sting out of the price tag by helping you find the very best prices for these excellent mobile workstations. 

Buying the best workstation for your business isn't just about plonking down cash for the most powerful laptop money can buy. Instead, you'll be looking for a versatile device that provides the same level of power you'd expect to find in a desktop PC, but within the mobile laptop form factor that allows you to work on it when out of the office.

However, you will need to pay a bit more for the best mobile workstation, as the parts they use, build quality and the level of after-sales services mean that these are an investment that can be expensive, but choosing the right one means you'll have a solid and dependable performer that will help you with your work for years to come.

• For a more WASD-centric alternative, here is the best gaming laptop

If you'd prefer a Best Desktop Workstation roundup or, if you're interested in a business laptop that isn't necessarily a workstation, we've got you covered.

Because mobile workstations are so specialist - and come with such a high price tag - finding one that suits your business needs is important, and we're here to help with this list of the best mobile workstations in 2018.

Very few laptops on the market can compete with this model. Dell's Inspiron range is aimed at business and consumers with a definite nudge towards the former. Dare we say, the 7000 series is one that will please almost everyone, including gamers. For the price, you get a laptop with an aluminium chassis and a long list of impressive features. As this is not your typical workstation, the laptop comes with Windows 10 Home but can be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro for £99.99.

Read the full review: Dell Inspiron 15 7000

Not only is the Razer Blade one of the best gaming laptops money can buy, it is also an excellent desktop replacement and mobile workstation for non-gamers, thanks to its excellent array of features and powerful components. It’s thin, powerful and includes some of the latest hardware money can buy.

Read the full review: Razer Blade review

HP's mobile workstation Ultrabook has already reached its third generation but the last one is still very much a best-in-class especially when it comes to sheer value for money. It is one of the cheapest workstations on the market to offer a professional dedicated graphics card, and the most affordable business laptop to come with a whopping half-decade warranty. HP opted for a 14-inch diagonal which may well hit a sweet spot for some.

Read the full review: HP ZBook 14 G2

HP calls it the perfect combination of brains and beauty and it is kind of hard to disagree. The G3 is essentially a mobile workstation that has been squeezed in an Ultrabook form factor. A 4K monitor adorns it and there's plenty of oomph under the hood. It is actually the only device known to us that comes with a Xeon CPU. Add in extensive ISV certification, a super-long warranty and MLD-STD 810G certification and you have a very attractive candidate.

Read the full review: HP ZBook Studio G3

The more upmarket version of the Inspiron 15 7000 above is the Precision 15 7000, an outrageously fast machine with an equally outrageous price tag. As expected you get cutting edge components and the type of flexibility in the customisation process that sorely lacks with the SOHO-oriented Inspiron range. This is Dell's direct, built-to-order model at its best: From the latest Intel quad-core CPU to a plethora of other high end parts, this is as good as it gets.

Lenovo hails this model as the world's first multi-mode workstation, one that manages to combine power and creativity thanks to a 360-degree hinge that has, to some extent, set the standard when it comes to convertible or 2-in-1 designs. What's more, it is one of the very rare laptops to come with built-in Wacom Active ES pen technology, capable of delivering 2048 levels of pen pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition.

MSI is not a brand that we usually associate with workstations but the Taiwanese company, unlike its staunchest competitors, Gigabyte and Asus, has made some remarkable inroads in this lucrative niche market. The WS60 is essentially a more expensive version of its gaming laptop with a certified professional GPU. It's worth noting that this laptop is one of the slimmest and lightest of the workstations in this list.

Read the full review: MSI WS60

This is the top-of-the-range workstation at Lenovo, the apex predator, the one to beat. Targeting designers, engineers and professionals in the oil and gas industry, it is one of the only two models to feature an Intel Xeon processor. There's also a built-in colour calibrator as well as a steep price tag for the top-end model to highlight its premium nature. It is a shame though that it doesn't offer any RAID option at this price and tops out at 512GB storage.

Read the full review: Lenovo ThinkPad P70

The MSI WT72 6QK is an excellent mobile workstation, and with MSI being known for producing powerful gaming laptops, it’s no surprise that the company has also created this powerful workstation that excels in CAD and graphics applications. This laptop has been updated to provide some of the latest components to ensure a top notch experience.

source http://www.techradar.com/news/best-mobile-workstations

Facebook’s new ad campaign admits the social network has lost its way

In the wake of the ongoing Cambridge Analytica scandal and questions around its ability to impact elections, Facebook's been trying to reassure both users and governments that it takes its responsibilities seriously. 

The latest remedy the company has released to try and deal with its public image problem comes in the form of a new video, which looks fondly back on what made the platform so successful in its earlier days, and self-critically examines what factors have caused its downhill slide since.

Aside from some rather vague ‘we need to do better’ statements from CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the new advert is the closest the company’s come to admitting that it has a serious image issue and that it has substantially strayed from its initial intentions.

“We came here for the friends”, the video’s voiceover begins, before rolling through a string of examples of simpler online interactions that apparently made us feel “a little less alone”.

“But then something happened,” it continues, before explaining that problems started when “we had to deal with spam, clickbait, fake news, and data misuse."

However, "from now on," says the video, "Facebook will do more to keep you safe and protect your privacy.”

The crux of the ad is that the company will at least try to return its focus to the ‘friends and family’ aspects of the service, and in doing so, steer away from the current affairs and political news content maelstrom that it has become.

Network repair

The video will apparently run on TV, online and in cinemas through till July, and forms part of a massive campaign that the company is undertaking to restore its image in the wake of the recent scandals.

Physical adverts railing against fake news, spam and clickbait have also been seen around various major US cities over the last month and are expected to start hitting more locations as the campaign continues.

• The Cambridge Analytica and Facebook data scandal: how to tell if your data was shared

People and their pockets

Despite the ongoing crisis that the company faces, Facebook’s reported earnings for the first quarter of 2018 have beaten Wall Street’s estimates, although they are still down since the previous quarter.

After having consistently risen by between $1-2 billion each quarter throughout 2017, the first three months of 2018 saw earnings fall from $12.97 to $11.97 billion. The company's quarterly report reveals that 98.5 percent of that came from advertising revenue.

Despite the drop in earnings, the number of daily and monthly active users also continues to climb, with a jump of 50 and 70 million users respectively, quarter-on-quarter. This brings the numbers up to 1.45 billion daily and 2.2 billion monthly active users.

• Facebook insists 'users are not the product' in new statement

source http://www.techradar.com/news/facebooks-new-ad-campaign-admits-the-social-network-has-lost-its-way

Best laptop for programming 2018

Are you an IT professional that's looking for the best laptop for programming and coding on? If so, then you've come to the right place, as we've listed the very best laptops for programming on. If you're after a laptop for programming on in 2018, let us take you through the very best choices with this in-depth list.

When looking for the best laptop for programming, you'll have a certain set of criteria that the device will need to meet, as well as features it will need to have. For example, you're going to need plenty of processing power in a laptop for programming, so that it can compile and run your code as fast as possible. Thankfully, modern laptop processors come with plenty of cores and high clock speeds, which certainly makes looking for the best laptop for programming easier.

You'll also want plenty of RAM. We'd recommend at least 8GB - if you're running complex code, and you'll need a large hard drive. If a laptop also comes with a solid state drive (SSD), that's even better, as it will help with the overall speed of your programming and coding - especially if you regularly rebuild the code you write with minor changes.

Having a dedicated graphics card isn't essential for a laptop for programming, unless you are coding graphically-intensive games that you then want to test out. Modern Intel processors come with integrated graphics capabilities that are powerful enough for pretty much all programming tasks.

So, without further ado, here's our list of the best laptops for programming in 2018.

In our view, the Toshiba Portege Z30-C-138 is the best laptop for programming, as it features a fast processor, a large SSD and hefty 16GB of RAM. Best of all, it also manages 11 hours of battery life, which is ideal if you're looking for a laptop for programming and coding on the go. Toshiba has also managed to squeeze an extraordinary amount of components in this device including a VGA port, a fingerprint reader and even a 4G/LTE modem and A-GPS!

Lenovo took an existing form factor and refined it to deliver the new 2016-2017 ThinkPad E470. Powered by the 7th generation Intel Core processors, this particular SKU has a 14-inch FHD anti-glare display, powered by a discrete Nvidia Geforce 940MX 2GB GPU. 

Equipped with a spill resistant keyboard, a TrackPoint and a 3+2 buttons click pad, the E470 has more than enough ports and expansion capabilities to keep the average user happy. 

The 255 G5 is HP's entry-level business laptop and is a solid candidate should you be looking for a straightforward, reliable, laptop for programming at a bargain price.  The RAM is a little on the low side, but that can be upgraded later on, and there's no denying that this is an excellent laptop for coding on. If you want a similar programming laptop with an Intel processor, rather than AMD, then the HP 250 G5 is worth looking into. There are various configurations of both the HP 255 G5 and the HP 250 G5, so it's worth shopping around and finding one with the right components for your needs.

Apple's range of MacBooks are excellent laptops for programming on, thanks to excellent build quality, fast components, great battery life and powerful software. The 13-inch Macbook Pro with touchbar is the best laptop Apple has ever made, and builds new features into the classic design. Of course the headline feature is the touchbar - it's a thin OLED display at the top of the keyboard which can be used for any number of things, whether that be auto-suggesting words as you type or offering Touch ID so you can log in with just your fingerprint. It's 13-inch screen keeps the laptop thin and light enough to carry around with you if you travel a lot.

Read the full review: Apple Macbook with touchbar (2017)
See more like this: The best Macs and Macbooks 2017

Despite the subdued naming convention, this is actually the fifth iteration of the Surface Pro. As a follow-up to the winning Surface Pro 4, it would have been every bit deserving of a number attached to it, too. That’s because the latest Surface Pro sees not only the battery life improve by as much as 32%, but, of course, the processor has been updated to Kaby Lake as well. Plus, although it’s now sold separately, the Surface Pen has 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. It can switch between tablet and laptop modes, which makes it easy to carry around with you, and it runs Windows 10, so you can access your favourite apps.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Pro

Sure, it’s a Chromebook, and while that may put some people off, the Google Pixelbook is powerful (and beautiful) enough to hang with the Surfaces and MacBooks of the world. Now, while ChromeOS is admittedly not as good a place to program as Windows or macOS, the Pixelbook’s support of Android makes it a must-own laptop for any Android developer. The fact that this laptop succeeds the now discontinued Google Chromebook Pixel, which was designed by and for Google’s own developers, should give it some street cred in the eyes of coders.

Read the full review: Google Pixelbook 

A Chromebook doesn't run Windows, Android or Apple's macOS. Instead it's powered by Google's Chrome OS - a super lightweight operating system based on the Chrome web browser. It's a great way to save money on a laptop (no Windows license to pay for and no need for top-end Intel chips etc) while still retaining all of the productivity options you'd get on a full-blown windows or Mac OS laptop. The Chromebook Flip is the best Chromebook out there at the moment, offering truly premium build quality, a fabulous touchscreen and keyboard and excellent performance. All while offering great value for money too. While Chrome OS doesn't have the range of programming tools available for Windows and macOS, it has a growing library, and Chromebooks such as the Asus Chromebook Flip are excellent for building websites on. 

Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip C302
See more like this: The best Chromebooks 2017

The Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch) is a great new addition to our best laptops for programmers list, as Microsoft has crafted one of the most powerful 2-in-1 laptops in the world. The Surface Book 2 has some powerful enough components to handle most day-to-day tasks, and even some light gaming and video editing if you go for a model with a dedicated graphics card. If you want a bigger screen, the there is also a 15-inch version of the Surface Book 2, which comes with more powerful components, but that's currently only on sale in the US. It should reach other territories next year.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch)

If you like the sound of an Apple MacBook as a laptop for programming, then you can save a bit of money by getting a slightly older model. The MacBook Pro from 2016 doesn't come with cutting-edge features such as the touchbar or USB-C ports, but it is still a fantastic laptop that offers plenty of power for all your programming needs. Plus, Apple's top of the range models are certainly not overly expensive compared to their Windows-based counterparts, especially if you buy them from trusted third-party websites.

Dell managed to deliver a magnificent piece of kit which it says is the most secure, most reliable and most manageable business-class laptop. That Latitude 5480 does come at a hefty price though and compared to the competition, this notebook may feel underwhelming. However, Dell's forte lies in its services and aftersales. That particular model comes with a 7th generation Intel CPU, one that is an actual four-core CPU. While it has a far higher TDP than most of its peers (45W vs 15W), it is likely to be more powerful than even a top of the range Core i7-7600U.

• Here's our list of the best laptop 2017: Our pick of the 15 best laptops you can buy this year

source http://www.techradar.com/news/best-laptop-for-programming

Astronomers just made a 3D map of over 1 billion stars in our galaxy

Hotel door locks could have been easily hacked by fake master keys

Hotel door locks can be compromised by simple tweaks to their in-built security software, according to research from one of the world's biggest cybersecurity firms.

A team from F-Secure found that a software system used in hotels around the world, including many well-known chains, can be hacked to possibly grant criminals entries to multiple rooms.

F-Secure's researchers studied card keys from a wide range of hotels, and found that using hardware costing only a few hundred euros, they could create a tool allowing them to create so-called "master keys" that could bypass the protection offered by Assa Abloy's door locks.

The card key did not even need to be one currently in use, the team said, with some as much as five years old still allowing access.

Open

The hardware kit used to clone keys involved scanning the RFID tag or mag stripe included in a card key, which is then copied by a small device which is then able to generate a huge number of extra keys in a matter of minutes

The researchers notified Assa Abloy of their findings in April 2017, and since then have been working with the company's R&D team to fix the flaws, with Assa Abloy recently issuing a software update to the affected hotels.

“Because of Assa Abloy’s diligence and willingness to address the problems identified by our research, the hospitality world is now a safer place,” says Tomi Tuominen, practice leader at F-Secure Cyber Security Services. “We urge any establishment using this software to apply the update as soon as possible.”

• The best internet security suites 2018

source http://www.techradar.com/news/hotel-door-locks-could-have-been-easily-hacked-by-fake-master-keys

The first-ever mission to study what's under the Martian surface begins May 5

Best touchscreen laptops 2018: the best touchsceen laptops we've tapped this year

Whether you like it or not it's undeniable that touchscreens have changed the laptop landscape forever. From more touch-friendly operating systems to the explosion of drawing applications, there are more reasons to have a touchscreen on a laptop than ever before and the huge uptick in popularity of 2-in-1 laptops perfectly corroborates this.

While it may seem like every notebook has a touchscreen, they’re not all created equal. Sure, most touchscreen laptops will detect when you simply scroll up and down a web page with a finger, but there are some that are tuned for precise digital pen usage and even have specialized features.

With all of this mind, we've picked out the crème de la crème of touchscreen laptops for everyone from digital artists to digital note takers. Whether you're new and looking to be part of the touchscreen revolution or looking to upgrade to that next best thing, you've come to the right place.

The Microsoft Surface Pro is bar none the ultimate touchscreen device. Not only is it a tablet 2-in-1, rather than a laptop 2-in-1, it’s also completely designed around a touch interface and the Surface Pen. Whether, you’re an artist or need a reliable digital slate for taking notes, the Surface Pro is the finest touchscreen device on the market.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Pro

The Samsung Chromebook Pro can be likened to an extremely large Samsung Note 8 in that it has a stowable stylus and a great touchscreen handwriting notes. What’s more, every single thing you write down on the Chromebook Pro is saved to Google Keep, which then digitizes your handwriting into a text document for easy searching afterwards. Plus the Chrome OS device’s full access to the Google Play Store also allows users to play all their favorite Android games on a much larger screen than almost all other tablets.

Read the full review: Samsung Chromebook Pro

The HP Spectre x360 manages to strike a perfect balance between tablet and laptop. As a tablet, it has brilliantly slim bezels for consuming all sorts of content, and is light enough to hold for long stretches. Then, as a laptop, it features amazing battery life that will last you throughout the day and you won’t find another laptop with a keyboard this tactile. 

If you’re looking a laptop with even more screen real estate there’s the 13.9-inch Lenovo Yoga 920. It’s sports just as many 4,096 levels of sensitivity as the Surface Pro but on a much larger 4K screen. This sharp-looking hybrid laptop also brings a touch of class with its unique watchband hinge and fully metal build.

Read the hand-on review: Lenovo Yoga 920

The Surface Book 2 15 inch not only offers the same great touch and pen experience as the Surface Pro, but it also features a larger screen and extremely more beefy hardware. Thanks to its quad-core processor and potent discrete GPU, it’s ready to handle your most demanding art projects, and will even allow you to play the best PC games. 

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Book 2 (15-inch)

source http://www.techradar.com/news/world-of-tech/roundup/10-best-touchscreen-laptops-in-the-world-909937

The best printers of 2018: inkjet, color, mono and laser printers

Welcome to our list of the best printers in 2018. Here you'll find the very top models of printers, be they for the home or the office. This list is constantly updated, so you'll get top advice for buying the best printer for your needs.

There are so many decent multi-purpose printers at very competitive prices these days, so you're spoilt for choice when looking for a new printer. Some will even offer cashback incentives when you buy them, so it's worth keeping an eye out for those offers. To make things even easier, our list of the best printers cuts through the jargon to make buying your new printer as simple as possible.

We've also split this list into the best inkjet printers and the best laser printers, and we include standard printers as well as multi-function ones. No matter what type of printer you're after, we have one for you, and our price comparison tool makes sure you get the best deals on the printer of your choice as well.

• Check out what printers made it into our top 10 best business printers roundup

Best inkjet printers

The Deskjet 3630 is a decent printer for the price, offering reasonable print speeds and the ability to connect to mobile devices without breaking the bank. Just be wary as its ink cartridges can be priced when picked up from shops. It doesn't quite have the build quality of HP's more expensive Envy models, but if you're looking for an initially cheap model that catches the eye when sat on a shelf, the Deskjet 3630 is a great option.

Read the full review: HP Deskjet 3630

The WorkForce Pro WF-4630 is a solid printer for small businesses and workgroups given its fast print speeds, solid print qualities and remote printing and scanning capabilities. Using the larger XL print cartridges, the WF-4630 delivers economical print costs that rival laser printers.

Read the full review: Epson WorkForce Pro WF-4630

Great for the traveling professional or someone who needs a small printer for occasional use, printing photos or using the scanner function. It's a bit pricey to buy - and to run - but the flexibility and quality of the printouts is excellent.

Consumables are usually expensive when it comes to printers. So it is quite surprising that one vendor, Epson, single-handedly decided to challenge that status quo by allowing users to refill their printer using ink bottles. What's even more surprising is that Epson includes two years of ink with the package; no more expensive cartridges and instead, you have enough material to deliver 11,000 pages worth of black and colour inks (that's 700ml worth of liquid). Oh and there's even a three-year warranty making this a great choice for bean counters fixing the TCO of their printers. The ET-4550 lacks the features found on cheaper competitors – it is relatively slower (although it has a higher printing resolution) and has a small paper input tray.

If you're looking for a great all-round printer which doesn't skimp on print quality for your photographs, then we don't think you will be disappointed by what the PIXMA TS9150, Canon's flagship printer, has to offer.

While it's certainly more expensive than some of the cheap two in one printers you can pick up, it's not a bad price for something which produces high quality prints, especially if you only need to print at A4 or below.

Best of all, the print quality here is stunning, and it also has an attractive design. While the looks of your printer may not seem that important, it does mean you don't feel the need to try and hide it away out of sight if you're using it at home.

Best laser printers

This temptingly priced printer offers 28ppm printing at up to 4,800 x 600 dpi (effective, rather than optical, resolution). With wired (Ethernet/USB) and wireless (Wi-Fi/NFC) connectivity, duplex printing, decent eco settings and support for a wide range of media, the Samsung is an excellent all-rounder, although the multi-purpose tray can only handle one sheet of media at a time. The main cassette has a more useful capacity of 250 sheets.

The M2070W delivers a lot of bang for your business buck – there's NFC printing from compatible smartphones, online document sharing, and a clever Eco system that supplements the usual toner saving mode with a feature to remove images from documents by replacing bitmaps with sketches.

Factor in claimed speeds of 20ppm, a clever scan to mobile feature and an effective print resolution of up to 1200dpi and you've got a multifunction printer that's well worth considering.

The DCP-9020CDW is a baby Brother – it's an entry-level all-in-one aimed at small offices, and with claimed speeds of 18ppm and a resolution of up to 2,400 dpi (effective) it has a decent spec for the price. It can upload to cloud services such as Dropbox and OneNote, it's wireless with WPS authentication and wireless direct printing, and its running costs are competitive. It also offers automatic duplex printing and its colour screen makes it easy to install and operate. This device is a solid all-rounder for PCs and mobile devices alike.

This is a colour laser printer, plain and simple. It has a relatively small footprint on the desk thanks to a surprisingly compact design. The printer is fitted with a 150-sheet main paper tray and a 100-sheet output tray, with an integrated drum/fuser unit and manual duplexing capabilities. Controls are adequate, with a two-line LCD display and a number of buttons for basic menu navigation. The C1760NW also offers an Ethernet connector, 802.11n Wi-Fi and a USB 2.0 port; although there is no USB host connectivity. The printer is aimed at office or small workgroups and has a high-rated speed of 15ppm for black and colour. This is a good workhorse for everyday printing, where colour isn't a major part of the mix.

At the time of writing (January 2016), this Brother was Amazon's best-selling laser, and with good reason – for very little cash you're getting a superb wireless colour laser. However, at this price don't expect rock-bottom running costs – it's a printer for livening up documents with the occasional flash of colour, not constant photo printing.

It doesn't have automatic duplexing or an Ethernet port, but the HL-3140CW delivers superb print quality, reasonable mono running costs and good wireless features for a very low price.

• What about the best 3D printers?

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

TfL journeys dominated by contactless payments

TfL has revealed that London's transport network is going increasingly contactless when it comes to payments, with over half of all journeys now paid for this way.

Transport for London has released new figures showing that over 17 million pay as you go (PAYG) trips are being paid for using a contactless debit or credit card, or smart device.

At some stations, including popular commuter locations such as Blackfriars, Shoreditch High Street and Clapham Common, the figure is even higher, nudging over the 60 percent marker.

And along with contactless cards, the number of payments using a mobile device has also risen sharply, with around one in eight contactless journeys in London now being made using a smartphone or other connected device.

On the rise

Since the launch of contactless payments on the TfL network back in September 2014, more than 1.7 billion journeys have been completed across the capital.

On buses and trams, the use of contactless has also increased rapidly - with around 45 percent of all pay as you go journeys now using contactless.

Travellers using London's airports are also increasingly contactless, with more than 35 per cent of PAYG journeys from Heathrow airport, and more than 55 per cent of trips from Gatwick airport towards London use the technology. 

“Contactless ticketing has made travelling in and around London and the South East by bus, Tube or rail quick, convenient and affordable," said Shashi Verma, TfL's chief technology officer.

"We’re delighted with how popular this innovation has become and, with the future extension of this technology across the Elizabeth line, even more customers will benefit in the future. We are also now working with other world cities to share our experience and knowledge to help them introduce a similar ticketing system in the coming years.”

TfL also revealed that work is now underway to expand the reach of contactless pay as you go journeys across more of its network in the coming months. This includes the new Elizabeth line, set to open later this year, as well as TfL Rail services to Heathrow from May 2018, and journeys as far as Reading in December 2019.

• Check out our top tech travel tips

source http://www.techradar.com/news/tfl-journeys-dominated-by-contactless-payments

The 10 best 3D printers of 2018

Finding the best 3D printer doesn't need to be difficult or expensive thanks to our guide to the best 3D printers on the market today. In this list, we provide clear and concise information on a wide range of 3D printers, helping you to choose the best 3D printer for your needs.

Our very own price comparison tool also scours the internet to find the very best deals on 3D printers, so when you've found the 3D printer that's right for you, you can buy confident in the knowledge that you're paying the best price.

From compact 3D printers that can sit on your desk, to budget 3D printers and huge industrial-grade 3D printers that can create large 3D printouts, we've listed the very best 3D printers available in 2018. Read on to find the best one for your needs.

• Check out what printers made it into our top 10 best business printer roundup

The MakerBot Replicator+ is the successor to the popular MakerBot Replicator 3D printer, and the new version has brought improvements to nearly every part of the Replicator. This means the Replicator+ is faster and quieter than the previous version, while maintaining its excellent design and safety features. This desktop 3D printer is expensive, but it offers excellent print quality, and uses 1.75mm polylactic acid (PLA) filament. It's also user-friendly enough for home users and hobbyists to use - as long as your budget can stretch to the high asking price. 

If you're looking for a budget 3D printer, then there really is no better option than the XYZprinting da Vinci Mini. It remains one of the most affordable ways to get into 3D printing, and also the easiest, thanks to an easy-to-use interface. Just because it's a budget model, doesn't mean it doesn't produce good results, and the 3D printed objects it creates are very impressive considering the price - and size - of this 3D printer. Speaking of size, the XYZprinting da Vinci Mini is an impressively compact printer that makes it easy to store in an office or on a desk.

The Ultimaker 2+ is a 3D printer that offers amazing print quality, making it one of the best 3D printers for professional use. It is incredibly reliable when it comes to producing 3D models, and the accuracy of the 3D replications is incredibly impressive. If you need a 3D printer that can reliably reproduce many 3D objects accurately, this is a fantastic choice. However, it is expensive, and the fact that it is aimed at professional environments means it's less beginner-friendly than some of the other 3D printers here. Home users are better off looking elsewhere.

The Formlabs Form 2 is an excellent 3D printer for enthusiasts who don't mind paying extra to get the very best print quality. It's a beautifully-designed 3D printer, and can be connected to PCs via USB, Wi-Fi and Ethernet. It doesn't quite have the print reliability of the Ultimaker 2+, but the print quality more than makes up for a few errors.

The M3D Micro 3D Printer is an excellent 3D printer for beginners. Its low price means you're not investing lots of money if you're not entirely sure 3D printing is for you, while the compact, cube, design means it can be easily placed within the home or office. It looks good, and is impressively quiet when in use. The print quality isn't the best, however, and it is only able to make small models (not too surprising, considering the diminutive size). However, if you're looking for your first 3D printer, this is an excellent choice.

The FlashForge Creator Pro 2017 is the best 3D printer that sits between budget 3D printers and expensive professional models. It's a lot cheaper than pro models, though it maintains the build quality and reliability that you'd come to expect from a professional 3D printer. It's not quite as cheap as the budget and beginner models in this list, but it offers greater accuracy when printing 3D models. It is a tad noisy in use, however.

If you're looking for a first 3D printer to learn the ropes with, then the LulzBot Mini is another excellent choice. It's got a decent price, and is easy to use, though the print speed is quite slow. The hardware is open source, which means it has a flexibility that propitiatory hardware lacks, as a committed community of makers can work together to create add-ons for the printer.  

The bulk of home 3D printers are limited to one- or two-colour printing, but the CubePro Trio has the capability to print three different materials in one session. This can be especially useful if you want to create an enclosed mechanism: nylon can be used for the gears, ABS for the surround and PLA for the support structure that can then be dissolved with caustic soda. The CubePro is an ideal solution for modellers and engineers who need to create 3D prints with moving parts.

In general terms 3D printers are designed as boxes with purpose, however BeeTheFirst has created a printer with both quality of print and actual design in mind – this is a machine that really wouldn't look out of place in a modern living room. BeeTheFirst has also thought about how and where people will be wanting to use their printers – at work, home or both – and has incorporated a thin design with a handle that enables the printer to be easily transported. 

Initially you might be hard pressed to see the differences between the Taz 5 and 6; both feature a solid open frame build, large print base and ease of use.

However take a closer look at the refinements in design and improvements in usability and the upgrades quickly stand out. Features such as the auto leveling base has evolved from the one featured on the Luzbot Mini and works just as well on this larger scale, and the slight changes to frame layout and control panel are all welcome.

The Taz 6 is a big machine with an impressive print area of 280mm x 280mm x 250mm, with a 0.5mm nozzle capable of a minimum layer height of 75 microns and takes 2.85mm filament.

• Here's our pick of the best traditional 2D printers

source http://www.techradar.com/news/best-3d-printer