Innehållsförteckning för April 2018 från TechLife

NARCISSISM DRAWS NARCISSISM ON SOCIAL MEDIA, STUDY FINDS VANITY ON PARADE. There are plenty of examples of narcissism all over social media — a person posting comments and photos solely to promote themselves. Most of us aren’t exactly tolerant of that sort of behaviour, but one study decided to examine whether narcissists themselves accepted the same type of behaviour from someone else. Published in the journal ‘Computers in Human Behavior’, the study used Instagram as its platform and found that narcissistic users were quite favourable towards others posting selfies to gain popularity, liking and following compatriots with similar behaviour. It seems that the need to be popular is acceptable and encouraged amongst people who exhibit grandiose narcissism (ie, the extroverts who express admiration for their own physical attractiveness). Like attracts…

Kingdom Come: Deliverance AN AMBITIOUS, REALISTIC RPG SET IN MEDIAEVAL BOHEMIA. $89.95 | PC, PS4, XO | www.kingdomcomerpg.com THE RPG IS in rude health, mostly thanks to a burgeoning PC development scene (think Divinity: Original Sin, Pillars of Eternity) and the genre’s prominence among the mainstream (Fallout, The Elder Scrolls). And yet, most titles tend to stick to fairly rigid archetypes. You’ve got your fantasy RPGs on the one hand, and on the other, your science-fiction RPGs. Even the latter is rare, and given the style’s origins in pen and paper Dungeons & Dragons, it makes sense that the fantasy theme should stick so stubbornly. But Kingdom Come: Deliverance is different. It’s a purportedly realistic RPG set in 1400s Bohemia. There are no dragons, no spells, no goblins, no staffs.…

RAZER IS BASICALLY attempting the impossible with its latest revamp of the Blade Pro, matching a 17.3-inch screen with a thin (well, ‘thinner’) form factor than you typically see in gaming laptops of this size, with the company attempting to make a more portable 17-incher. The result is admittedly still a beastly and burly machine, but it’s one that’s been made about as svelte as you could reasonably ask, and weighs a respectable 3.07kg sans power brick. Like Razer’s other Blades, the overarching design is rather MackBook like, with nice clean lines and a tough metal exterior that looks very much like a black version of Apple’s circa-2012 MacBooks — and physically, the Blade Pro is the closest thing we’ve seen to a 17-inch MacBook since Apple discontinued the latter…

WHEN THE FIRST generation Canon EOS 6D launched about five years ago, it instantly became a popular choice for many who wanted to take their photography seriously. After a long wait, the second iteration is here with improvements that make the EOS 6D Mark II a well-rounded camera for anyone looking for an affordable full-frame DSLR. Canon has increased the pixel count in the Mark II, producing a brand-new 26.4MP sensor (up from the original 6D’s 20MP chip) with Dual Pixel technology that improves on the camera’s autofocus (AF) system when using Live View during shooting. The new sensor also bumps the native ISO range to 100–40,000, but still has the same expanded ISO of 50–102,400 as in the original 6D and the 5D Mark III. That said, the 6D…

THE GERMAN MASTERMINDS behind Beyerdynamic’s innovative and premium audio have brought us a novel treat with the Aventho wireless headphones — and it's one that's very personal. The utilitaritarian ruggedness of their design makes for some seriously pretty cans, with their predominantly metal construction providing both stability and a striking minimalist aesthetic. Despite the solid construction, they only weigh in at 240g, although the non-collapsible design and rather hefty cloth carry bag makes for on-ears that aren’t quite as compact as some competitors. Being able to provide 20 hours of playback greatly helps the grab-and-go appeal of these on-ears, and their USB-C port means you can top them back up in under two hours using your modern smartphone charger. However, the unit’s lack of active noise cancellation is likely a…

When such vulnerabilities are found, hackers use so-called ‘zero-day exploits’ to take advantage of them. Most good anti-malware software has built-in behavioural protection against these exploits — it works by monitoring your PC’s processes for suspicious behaviour that could point towards a zero-day attack, and takes steps to block it. It’s not foolproof, though — some false positives can be found. As always, the best form of protection is prevention, and that means keeping your system up to date. This is one of the reasons why Windows 10 updates for you, and most good software automatically checks for new versions when it’s first launched — so never skip this, particularly if it refers to security updates. Most browser add-ons should update automatically, too, but Flash is one you should keep…

This is the process of injecting malicious, malware-laden ads into legitimate online advertising networks and webpages — since 2012, billions of ad impressions have been hijacked, including ones on trusted sites. This malware gets through defences, and can silently infect users’ systems — no interaction required. So how do you protect against these ads? Your anti-malware software should have some protection — both Norton and the Premium version of Malwarebytes have defences against malicious websites built in, for example, and you’ll see a steady stream of alerts as sites are blocked, not just from your browser but other apps, such as Skype, too. Make sure you’re running the latest version of your browser and Adobe Flash, as some malvertising targets vulnerabilities, as we noted in the ‘Importance of Being Updated’…

ALTHOUGH WE FIND ourselves a little unhappy at Symantec of late — both for the cancellation of the free version of Norton Family and the fact that Australian users are paying way more for security than US users (seriously: Norton Security Premium is available for 10 device for US$55) — but the fact remains that, when it comes to family and beginner-friendly features, Norton is still on the top of the heap. What puts Norton in the lead is its elegant, simple interface, its rich feature set that includes online backup, and what is among the industry’s best parental control solutions, easily rivalling and perhaps besting dedicated solutions like Qustodio and Net Nanny. On that last point, the subscription for Security Premium includes a full sub to Norton Family Premier,…

UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN extra careful, it’s probably fair to say that Google knows you just about as well as you know yourself. The internet giant hoovers up vast amounts of information on millions of users, ostensibly to deliver better ads (or, more accurately, to sell that user information to advertisers in order to better target ads). This is especially true if you have a Google account. When you’re logged into your Google account, Google will keep a permanent record of: * Every search term you type into Google * Every search result you click on * Every YouTube search you perform and every video you watch * Ads you click on * A complete timeline of your movements by tracking your mobile’s GPS * Every time you issue an ‘OK…

BACK IN OUR December issue (#70, page 98), we covered some of the free channels you can get just by firing up your VPN and choosing the right country. We took a look at the major US channels (CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, The CW), as well as ITV in the UK. This month, we thought we’d expand on that list a little with some more great channels and networks that you can access using a VPN. We’ll try and focus mostly on English-speaking content with no subscription required, though you can also access plenty of shows and movies in other languages, too. Beyond our list, a good place to extend your foreign TV streaming journey is Wikipedia’s own list of internet television providers at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_television_providers. Hundreds are listed, organised by…

Qoobo THE TAILED PILLOW THAT HEALS YOUR HEART. qoobo.info While, of course, there have been studies detailing the benefits of pets to our mental health, if you can’t go buy a real pet cat to cuddle, we’re not sure that a robotic, headless pillow is the best alternative. The robotic element extends only as far as the tail movement, wagging slowly from side to side (which, in cat lingo, actually means “I’m not a fan of what you’re doing to me right now”), so don’t imagine that this headless monstrosity is going to be parading around the living room like a fluffy robo-vac. While its furry outside might be soft and pleasant to sleep on, and yes, maybe it does have the power to calm people... we simply can’t get…

GAIN COMPLETE CONTROL OVER YOUR PHOTOS SORT, EDIT AND VIEW WITH ASHAMPOO PHOTO COMMANDER 15 FULL VERSION WORTH $50 The new Ashampoo Photo Commander 15 is the comprehensive solution to view, edit and organise your photos, geotagging included! Bring order to your photo library, batch-optimise multiple files at once or create and design your own calendars, greeting cards and slideshows with ease. Control and navigate through your slideshows on your PC while the slides appear on an external display or beamer. With just a few clicks, beginners, amateurs and professionals alike will achieve stunning results. Download link: www.ashampoo.com/techlifemagazine SCRUB YOUR PC CLEAR OF UNNEEDED SOFTWARE INCREASE YOUR SYSTEM SPEED AND CLEAR YOUR DRIVE WITH ABELSSOFT WASHANDGO FULL VERSION WORTH $50. WashAndGo removes internet traces: the browser cache, cookies,…

EARNINGS IN AU$ BY AUSTRALIAN GAME DEVELOPERS IN THE 16/17 FINANCIAL YEAR A recent report released by the Interactive Games & Entertainment Association on the Australian game development industry has found that, despite little support, the field has remained relatively stable — and, in fact, actually grew a little. While the 2015/16 financial year saw the field’s total revenue cap at just under $115 million, the following financial year has grown to $118.5 million, with 80% of that coming from overseas sales, especially from the US. The number of full-time employees has also risen from 842 to 948, with the industry predominantly made up of men — with only 19% identifying as female. iPHONE X PRODUCTION NUMBERS SLASHED According to a report by Japanese economic review Nikkei, the iPhone X…

BETWEEN THE FILMS, countless videogames and even Monopoly boards, we’re still searching for the ultimate simulation of being a Jedi. No, nominating your religion as ‘Jedi’ on your census form isn’t going to cut it either. Lenovo’s AR headset does an admirable job of putting you in the shoes of a Jedi replete with lightsaber, and has you fending off life-sized battle droids, Stormtroopers and Darth Maul, while also indulging in a mini real-time strategy game and Holochess. The draw here is the Jedi lightsaber battles, where you wield your laser sword and deftly cut down advancing enemies, from within the comfort of your lounge room. Getting to that point takes a lot of setting up, and a lot of devices to charge. The main part of the package is…

IT’S THE MIDDLE of the afternoon — lunch is done, the day is glacially marching on and your eyes are beginning to droop. Is your go-to a Red Bull or another cup of coffee? Or would you rather try something that’s natural and, hence, better for you in every way? We’ve listed some of the best methods to stave off the midday slump without you having to reach for that can or cup of sugar or caffeine so you can stay alert for the rest of the day. STEP OUTSIDE AND MOVE AROUND If you work at a desk, one of the best ways to perk up is to change your environment. Head out and take a brisk 10-minute walk. If you’re at home and need to stay near your…

[ BS... ] Iffy STAY AWAY FROM FAKE NEWS. Free | www.iffynews.com MOST OF US get our news from the web, and it’s getting harder and harder to separate fact from fiction. While Facebook might employ fact checkers [‘Might’ being the word — Ed], we need something that surfs the web with us and immediately lets us know that we’re viewing something fake. Enter Iffy. It’s a Chrome plugin that alerts you when you come across biased or inaccurate news, but it works on user reviews. Users are encouraged to score the news they read, then Iffy combines these ratings to provide what the developers call “a balanced opinion”. With that in mind, there are no guarantees that you’ll be reading authentic content. The other limitation is that Iffy requires…

A Boy and His Blob SHAPESHIFT THROUGH THIS CLASSIC GAME. $7.99 | majescoent.com GAMEPLAYERS WITH VERY long memories might remember the original A Boy and His Blob, released for the NES in 1989. Designed by industry luminary David Crane, the game featured the titular characters — a boy and his shapeshifting alien pal — trying to topple a despot on the planet of Blobolonia. It was a playable, inventive platform game, but the clever part was the shapeshifting. Lob a jellybean at Blob, and he changed into something useful like a ladder or a flamethrower. And although the swift and tricky action of the NES game has largely been negated on iOS and Android (where you’re playing a touchscreen take on a high-def spruce-up of a Wii remake of the…

WITH ITS SIGHTS set on the professional market, ASUS’s new VivoBook Pro has managed to dodge the price-up/performance-down rut that many of its aluminium-clad counterparts get stuck in. Impressively, ASUS has delivered a sleek machine that runs as fast (and hot) as some gaming systems. The VivoBook Pro sports a very familiar MacBook-esque aesthetic (albeit one from several years ago) combining a brushed aluminium shell with premium and well-spaced keys and sensibly stylish curves. With substantial bezels, a 19mm-thick chassis and a weight just shy of 2kg, this 15.6-inch unit doesn’t follow in the footsteps of the slim-and-compact ultrabooks that currently rule the roost, but the bonus room allows it to pack in some surprising power and shave off some dollars instead. Most notably, the inclusion of an Nvidia GeForce…

EVER COMMITTED TO giving consumers a flagship feel at a reduced cost, Chinese smartphone maker Oppo delivers a premium experience in almost every aspect of its design with its latest 6-inch handset. Those who prefer their handsets even more phablet-sized also have the choice of the Oppo R11s Plus, which has a 6.43-inch display. In both instances, the phones are less than half the price of an iPhone X or Samsung Galaxy Note 8, which is an impressive feat. Sweetening the deal is Oppo's promise that it will fix broken screens for free for the first six months of ownership. That said, despite sporting some high-end features, the R11s is undeniably a mid-range phone, as it lacks a few of the key aspects we’ve come to expect from flagship handsets,…

ALTHOUGH ITS OVERALL rating took a modest hit in the most recent AV-Test benchmarks due to some overzealous filtering of new applications, Bitdefender Total Security remains our favourite suite overall, both for its extremely capable detection and removal system, as well as the sheer volume of features it supports. The set of features available in Bitdefender is equalled by no other suite. Of course, it has your basics: firewall, anti-malware and anti-spam, but it protects against so much more than that. There is a secure browser for online shopping and banking; anti-theft tools for laptops and mobiles; a file shedder; a security auditor; system cleanup; version checking; webcam access monitoring; a password manager; social network protection and much more. We’ve been particularly impressed by this latest version with the file…

THERE’S A GOOD reason Facebook is the most popular social network in the Western world. It’s easy to join, easy to connect with your friends and incredibly convenient, as our guide on page 28 shows. If you want to share something, it’s only a couple of clicks away. But is that really such a good thing? Do you want every one of your friends to see every little thing you post? Should anybody that stumbles on your profile be allowed to poke through your family pictures or find out your personal information? DO YOU WANT EVERY ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS TO SEE EVERY LITTLE THING YOU POST? We’d say ‘absolutely not’. Facebook doesn’t hide its privacy features, but it doesn’t push them either. It’s up to you to decide how…

SOFTWARE THAT KEEPS your data yours is one thing, but what about the devices you use every single day? How do you keep those out of the wrong hands? You can tie them down — laptop cables offer more than a simple visual deterrent with their reinforced steel, and when in transit, a secure, locked case is a sensible option. These are fine for when you’re leaving them unattended or turned off, but even when you’re in front of your laptop, sensitive information can be quickly and easily snapped. Locks for precious house keys seems like an oxymoron, so enter the Bluetooth tracker to take care of those, which act like homing beacons, and can be attached to a plethora of other everyday items, too. Wallets, backpacks, suitcases can all…

UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN living a self-imposed digital detox for the last year, it’s been tough to miss the skyrocketing hype surrounding cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin in particular. News of speculators making millions from investing in digital currencies are often offset by stories of imminent carnage as bubbles burst and investments slide. Still, what actually is a cryptocurrency, how does it work and what can you do with it? WHAT IS A CRYPTOCURRENCY? A cryptocurrency is its own virtual, digital currency — you can’t physically hold it, but you can spend it like normal currency where it’s accepted. However, it’s more accurate to describe it as a series of transactions stored in a global database — and in that regard, there’s arguably less distance between digital and physical currencies than ever before.…

HAVE YOU EVER wanted to keep a catalogue of the important items you own? Perhaps your CD, DVD or Blu-ray collection needs organising before you start lending it out to friends or family, or you want to keep tabs on your books. Maybe you’d like to make a definitive list of your music to avoid going out and accidentally buying another copy of an album you already own? Or perhaps you’d like to record your collection of software packages. Whatever your cataloguing needs are, Data Crow is the tool for you. This underrated freebie makes it easy to start building and managing collections of all sizes, and thanks to some nifty time-saving tools, you don’t need to meticulously record everything yourself; instead, simply use one of Data Crow’s built-in search…

IN JANUARY, THE discovery of serious flaws in the design processors used in millions of devices around the world had both chip-manufacturers and software-makers scrambling to release patches to counter the threats. Although Intel released updates and promised that all its devices would see fixes rolled out by the end January, the company’s most recent patch for Spectre embarrassingly had to be rolled back because of reboot issues. “I apologise for any disruption this change in guidance may cause,” said Neil Shenoy, Intel’s Executive Vice President, in a statement. Soon after Intel’s public withdrawal of the patch, Microsoft released its own stop-gap update for Windows, which is designed to mitigate Spectre bugs until Intel comes up with a fix that works. Meanwhile, security firms are reporting that there are already…

JUST AHEAD OF Chinese New Year (and the rush of travellers it was expected to bring), China’s state media reported that the country’s railway police in Zhengzhou have started using augmented reality (AR) glasses equipped with facial recognition capabilities. With more than 389 million train trips expected for the holiday period, Chinese authorities are hoping that the glasses, which are connected to the police database, will catch known criminals, spot impostors and generally help to verify passenger identities. The technology apparently lead to the identification of seven suspected criminals in the first week of operation, with charges including hit-and-run and human trafficking. While privacy and security concerns are being raised over a national database that would contain the personal information of over 1.3 billion citizens, the Chinese Government and partnering…

PITTA THE PITTA-PATTER OF TINY... PROPELLORS? www.eyedea.co.kr | Goal: US$50,000 | Raised: US$556,709 by 1,706 backers | RRP: US$269 Perfect for aerial, handheld and mounted use, this little action cam drone is the closest thing you can get to a Golden Snitch. The PITTA is modular in design, meaning you can easily remove the propellors and attach a handlebar mount instead. It’s lightweight, at only 200g, and comes with the ability to follow you around, simultaneously taking video, and can also be controlled manually using your phone. About that recording — it can take burst shots and slow-mo at 60fps, as well as take time lapses and also provide live streaming, meaning you leave the little guy docked in its charger at home and use it as a security cam.…

THE QUEST FOR physical fitness can often seem too difficult. Leaving aside the requisite determination and tenacity required, there are all the financial requirements that make it too easy to put it into the ‘too hard’ basket, between the costly monthly gym membership, the even costlier personal trainer sessions, and the various fitness gadgets that help you keep track of your progress and stay motivated. However, the smartphone you already have in your pocket is more than capable in assisting you improve your fitness. Here’s how you can track steps, log workouts and follow exercise routines for free via your mobile. APPLE iPHONE iPhones as old as the 5S have a built-in motion co-processor that independently tracks your daily steps — even when the device is asleep. Essentially, it’s like…

THERE’S MORE TO Australia than our sunshine, beaches, outback and Skippy. Like every other nation, delve deep enough and you’ll discover a seedy underbelly of crime stretching from coast to coast. We’ve tackled the subject of true crime a couple of times in this section, but as it’s the most popular genre of podcast out there at the moment (and for good reason), we thought we’d throw a few more suggestions in the way of your eager ears. From the garage-style productions to the big-budget studios, here are five more podcasts to sate your appetite — this time, 100% Australian made. So blow the dust out of your audio jack (if you’ve still got one) and plug yourself in for some ridgy-didge crime. (Warning: Some of the following productions will…

A Spacecraft For All SPACE NERDS CAN WITNESS SPACE HISTORY, AND MAYBE MAKE THEIR OWN. spacecraftforall.com Launched in 1978, the ISEE-3 spacecraft was initially intended to study the Sun’s solar winds but, despite succeeding in its mission, it was sacrificed for a greater purpose. Upon discovering a nearby comet in 1982, the craft was co-opted to fly through the comet’s tail in order to collect previously undiscovered information on the space rock’s material composition. Afterwards, it was left to drift in an orbit that would eventually return it to Earth’s orbit some 30 years later. In 2014, a team re-established contact with the satellite and sent it a command to once again transmit live data from its instruments. This information is being collected by the ISEE-3 reboot team and published…

THE LENOVO YOGA 920 features USB-C ports, an improved webcam location, a better keyboard and boosted battery life, while retaining the 360-degree hinge that’s a hallmark of the Yoga range. However, with devices such as the Microsoft Surface Book 2 really pushing the boundaries of what we should expect from 2-in-1s, the Yoga 920 has its work cut out for it, if it’s to really stand out from the crowd. The Yoga comes in different configurations. The base model comes with an Intel Core i5-8250U processor, a 256GB SSD, 8GB of RAM, a 13.9-inch 1080p touchscreen and an Active Pen stylus. The second model — which we’re testing here — comes with the same specs, but features a faster Intel Core i7-855OU processor and a larger 512GB SDD. The 2-in-1…

THIS $500 2-IN-1 from budget Aussie retailer Kogan really is better than it has any right to be. With a unibody metal chassis, it both looks and feels incredibly sturdy and durable, and its 13.3-inch IPS display is better than what you often find on laptops for two (or even three) times this price. Don’t get us wrong, though: this is not a powerhouse that’s going to take down the likes of, say, Dell’s XPS 13 — a device that’s still our favourite Windows ultrabook, despite the general design being a few years old now. In fact, compared to that Dell, what’s under the C300’s hood looks rather sedate. Primarily powered by a quad-core 1.1–2.2GHz Intel Celeron N3450 processor — a chip that’s about a year and a half old…

ONCE UPON A time, the process of protecting your PC against viruses was simply to install an antivirus program, and be careful about which floppy disks and CD-ROMs you introduced to it. Then we all got internet access, and you needed to make sure you didn’t download anything dodgy, while adding a firewall to your PC to dissuade hackers. And for a while, that seemed sufficient. How times have changed — and with ever- increasing rapidity, too. These days, the threats keep coming, finding ever more inventive ways of getting through defences, using trickery as much as anything else. But however hard the hackers fight, the security folk fight back, helping to develop new forms of protection, removal and repair to thwart the cybercriminals. As it has been since the…

ALTHOUGH THEY MIGHT seem like a relic, having a security suite installed is more important than ever. The protections built into your operating systems — be they Windows, Mac, iOS or Android — just aren’t enough to comprehensively protect you and your family from the many and varied internet threats. Although this might seem like a tax on owning a computer (and a hassle to boot), there is some good news. First, suites do more than they ever have before, and include conveniences like built-in password managers, parental controls, software version checkers, VPNs and backup systems — so their utility extends well beyond protecting you from hackers and malware. Second, it’s absolutely possible to get a free suite now, although as you might expect, it won’t be as good as…

TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION A way of logging into a service which requires two parts — usually a password, plus another single use code. The idea is that, even if someone does find out your password, they won’t be getting in without a fresh code. FRIEND REQUEST The way Facebook users connect with people they know — or people that they want to know. TIMELINE All your Facebook posts are arranged in chronological order — at least in theory. However, that is not always the case, as the site will pick and choose what it has deduced to be the most interesting for you. 01 ACCOUNT PROTECTION Use the ‘Security and login’ section to lock your account and so prevent unwanted intrusion. 02 GET UNFRIENDLY Unsolicited requests from people you don’t really…

 SECURITY IS A constant concern, so your choice of a Mac instead of some other kinds of computer is certainly a good decision. However, while the Mac has enjoyed a reputation for security in the past, that doesn’t mean you can ignore the cunning ways you can be tricked into revealing information. For example, email attachments, phishing attempts and sharing too much at public Wi-Fi hotspots are just some of the problems that can affect your security, so it pays to be observant with your technological surroundings. To make sure your data stays safe, work through our fundamental security tips detailed in the following pages to ensure that your Mac is well protected, that it isn’t ‘leaking’ details (especially if you use public Wi-Fi hotspots), and that you understand and…

[ SOFTWARE ] One Calendar problems After you dealt with my calendar query in issue 72 (page 85), I bought the One Calendar app. It’s a big improvement, but although I can colour-code events on screen, only one colour appears when printing. I also get a sync error message at the top of the screen — I thought I’d paid for the full version. [ TONY LAWRENCE ] Nick Odantzis replies: We’d purchased One Calendar before recommending it, so knew this wasn’t normal behaviour. We tracked down the sync error problem to the fact that Tony had been attempting to save events to a read-only calendar, typically one shared by another user — One Calendar isn’t smart enough to recognise read- only calendars and prevent you from saving changes to…

WHAT’S BETTER THAN having an app able to handle whatever kind of file you want to open? Answer: having a choice of ways to run your apps. Such flexibility is one of the characteristics of the Mac, enabling it to suit whatever you need to do right now or the way you like to work. So to find an app you want, you can browse the Applications folder in Finder, and create desktop aliases or add favourites to the Dock for easy access. If you’re more familiar with iPad or iPhone, the macOS Launchpad presents large app icons in an iOS-like grid. You can use Spotlight or Siri to find apps for you. To open a file with a specific app, drag-and-drop the file onto the app icon or alias…