Innehållsförteckning för September 2021 från TechLife

I admit, Gandalf was not in fact thinking of personal computer security when he demands the above of Frodo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Ring, but his urgency in needing to know if the One Ring is safe and secure is certainly appropriate to the topic. It’s a sad fact that for every step forward in the effectiveness of the security tools at our disposal, the bad guys those tools are designed to protect us from make similar advances. It’s one of the reasons that we come back around to the topic with some regularity – there are a lot of threats to keep up with! So we’re once again here to keep your passwords secret, and your important data and systems safe. With a lot of us now…

More Google Pixel 5a details have been revealed via purported FCC filings, which mention three models and a few features we weren’t sure would make it to Google’s affordable phone. The Pixel 5a features? Sub-6GHz 5G, NFC, Bluetooth LE, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, according to Droid Life. Sadly, there’s nothing too exciting to glean from the filings, but some of these features (notably 5G) weren’t available in the standard Pixel 4a – so perhaps Google is committing to only releasing one model of its lauded mid-range phone, instead of both a 5G and a cheaper The Tor Project has released the latest major update to its Tor Browser, which now displays V2 onion warnings and makes bypassing censorship easier thanks to the inclusion of a new way to create…

$449, sony.com.au There’s no doubt that Sony has a strong pedigree when it comes to premium noise-cancelling audio, with both its WF-1000X and WH-1000X product lines dominating their class (true wireless in-ear headphones, and wireless over-ear headphones respectively). With the WF-1000XM4, Sony has upped the ante once more, introducing an entirely new ANC (Active Noise Cancelling) processing chip, along with a redesigned earbud, and the results are stunning if somewhat pricey. Design As Sony has reliably done for past 1000X product launches, the WF-1000XM4 is available either in Black or Platinum Silver – both classy and understated colours with brassy, metallic trim that provides a subtle counterpoint to the matte and uniform tone of the plastic. This trim is most prominent in the cylindrical microphone housing protruding from each earbud…

The differences between human and mosquito DNA aren’t limited to the arrangement of letters in the genetic code. If you were to slice open a human cell and a mosquito cell and peer into the nucleus of each, you’d see that their chromosomes are folded with a dramatically different type of genetic origami. Now researchers have figured out how to fold one type of DNA to take the shape of the other. “In the human nucleus the chromosomes are bunched into tidy packages,” said Claire Hoencamp, a doctoral candidate at the University of Amsterdam. “But in the mosquito nucleus the chromosomes are folded in the middle.” Hoencamp was studying condensin II, a protein involved in cell division. In one experiment she destroyed this protein in a human cell to observe…

Can I extend the range of my EV? Evan Hawkins Presently, battery upgrades for EVs are either visions of a future in which we can just hop into a charging station to whip out a huge undercarriage (fnar) in order to swap it out for a fully topped up one, or range upgrades that require you to pay thousands of pounds for a manufacturer to temporarily flip a single bit in your car’s computer and release a little sliver of the juice it’s been holding back. The latter, in particular, makes Guru fume so powerfully that he himself could be used to quick-charge a battery. But what if you could get your own back on Big EV, using the tools you’ve been given to drag a ridiculous distance out of…

A science-based video game is looking for players to help train its algorithm so that it can detect cancerous cells from just an image. AcCELLerate, as the game is known, requires players to trace over photos of dye-stained tongues using a smartphone or mouse, which isn’t as gross as it sounds. These fluorescent colored scans become more difficult to trace as the game progresses and with enough results, will go towards real scientific research into oral cancer. By repeating this process, players will effectively be training an algorithm to detect certain patterns in medical images so it can eventually go on to pick out potential cancerous cells from a scan quicker than a scientist could by eye. The game was developed in collaboration with King’s College London Centre for Stem…

$74.95, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, en.bandainamcoent.eu Anime has always struggled with an overabundance of the “hero” trope. In any world of demons and unstoppable foes, one unwitting nobody will rise to the top of the pile through brains and brawn in godly measure to claim the title of ‘hero’. This person might not be the smartest, strongest, or even most likeable character in the ensemble, but by god can no one stop them when they truly dedicate themselves to a task. It’s a trope that Scarlet Nexus fully embodies. As one of the two playable leads - Kasane or Yuito - you’re the fresh-faced rookie looking to prove yourself in the Cadets, a force of elite human warriors dedicated to repelling the nightmarish creatures dropping out of the Earth’s atmosphere to…

$2,699, www.samsung.com Eventually, there will surely be a limit to how big, how curved, how ridiculously wide the best curved gaming monitors for PC can possibly be made. But we’re not there yet. Oh, no. For proof, look no further than the outrageous Samsung Odyssey G9. It’s not just the size of this thing that boggles the brain: 49 inches is plenty, don’t get us wrong. But it’s the hilariously tight curve of the panel that’s hardest to compute. How the heck Samsung manufactures a screen this bent is anyone’s guess. We’re not even totally sure how Samsung goes about measuring it to come up with that 49-inch metric. Design & Features The Odyssey G9 is extremely expensive. So, it’s just as well Samsung has its megabucks design cues down…

$4,495, www.hisense.com.au The Hisense 100L5 isn’t exactly your average TV. This much becomes obvious as soon as you clock the fact that it gives you a massive 100-inch screen for less money than many regular 75-inch TVs. Since it ships in two parts – the projector and the screen – the 100L5 is a bit more of an imposition on your room than a straight 100-inch TV would be. That said, the screen is slimmer than most LCD TVs, while the projector really can sit almost within touching distance of your wall. So there certainly isn’t the usual projection issue whereby the projector has to sit in the middle of your room or near your seating position. The projector is fairly large, as usual for an ultra-short throw design. There…

$319, buy.garmin.com The Garmin Forerunner 55 has a very similar look to the Forerunner 45, with a 42mm case featuring five buttons around the circumference. It also has the same color memory-in-pixel display with a 208 x 208 pixel resolution. You can choose different face designs through the watch’s settings menu, and download extra ones from the Garmin Connect IQ store. Unlike the Forerunner 45, the Forerunner 55 is only available with a 42mm case. It’s a good compromise, large enough to show a reasonable level of detail, but not big enough to overpower smaller wrists. It’s supplied with a single silicone strap, with perforations along the entire length to fit the widest possible range of wrist sizes. It’s charged using Garmin’s standard USB-A charging cable, which plugs securely into…

$349, brooksrunning.com.au The Brooks Aurora-BL definitely won’t be to everyone’s taste. It was developed by the company’s Blue Line Lab – essentially an experimental R&D department, which works on new materials and manufacturing techniques so they can arrive on your feet sooner. Before the shoe launched, TechLife spoke to Nikhil Jain, senior manager at Brooks Blue Line, who explained that its look was inspired by space suits, and would definitely be a ‘love it or hate it’ look. We’re leaning towards the former, for its sheer bold craziness. Its most striking feature is the split sole, made from two thick pieces of DNA Loft foam. This is a new material for Brooks, consisting of EVA foam and rubber, injected with nitrogen rather than air (as the ‘ports’ on the heel…

If you have been relying on the same passwords to protect all your accounts, you need a password manager like Bitwarden (bitwarden.com). This allows you to create a secure vault inside which all your sensitive data – passwords, credit card details, and so on – can be stored safely. The vault is encrypted using a master password, the only one you need to remember going forward. (Make sure it’s a long one, with numbers, such as “WelcomeToTheJungle1987” – so long as it’s not easily guessable.) Bitwarden also comes with a password–generator tool to create the strong, random, and unique passwords you need. Plus, as with all good password managers, it offers extensions for all major browsers as well as mobile apps to make entering those passwords into websites easy.…

1 SET STRONG PASSWORDS Change your account passwords to something stronger. Use a password manager like Bitwarden to generate strong, random 12-character passwords. Make sure they’re saved in your vault. 2 ADD 2FA Visit authy.com to install a two–factor authentication (2FA) app on your Mac and/or iPhone/iPad. Log into your social accounts and look in the security section for an option to switch on 2FA. Use Authy to store this info. 3 CHECK OTHER SETTINGS Take the time to work your way through each account’s individual privacy and safety settings – make sure only those people you trust can see your content (such as Friends on Facebook). Always err on the side of privacy. 4 SECURE NETWORKS Resist the temptation to log on to your social networking sites through insecure…

1 APPLY FOR A CERTIFICATE Go to bit.ly/mac364actalisfec to obtain your secure electronic mail certificate. It’s a simple two-step process, clearly laid out: first, enter your email and prove your identity, then request the certificate. 2 OBTAIN CERTIFICATE Copy the password from the confirmation web page into your password manager as a secure note. Open the email, click the portal link, and choose “Access the Personal Area” to log in using your email and CRP code. 3 UPDATE CRP After logging in, paste in the CRP from the email again, then generate a new private 8-16 digit CRP. Safari’s auto-suggestion is too long, so use your password manager’s generator or enter it manually. Click Submit. 4 DOWNLOAD CERTIFICATE Click to return to the personal area, then click “Manage your certificates.”…

Remember when email, web browsing and working with office files were tasks handled by different desktop applications? While you can still use dedicated applications for each of these tasks, it’s now possible to perform all these functions, and even more such as watching videos, listening to music files or radio from the comfort of a web browser. For most desktop users, the web browser is already the first application that’s fired up on boot. Firefox, Chrome, and even Chromium, have long been among the most popular browsers on Linux, and other OSes. Most desktop distributions, unless they’re geared for low-spec devices, offer Firefox or Chromium as the one of the first two as default web browser. But this doesn’t mean that there aren’t alternatives that you can choose. In fact,…

PC won’t stay off I’ve built around 30 PCs over the past 20 years but have never seen this before. I recently built a new PC with Windows 10 Pro and all updates installed. My build: Gigabyte x570 PRO WIFI, Ryzen 5 5600X, 32GB RAM, 2TB MP600 NVMe SSD, RTX 3070 graphics, and EVGA BR600W PSU. If I click “Start > Power > Shut down” the computer simply restarts. I’ve searched online, tried everything in Windows, including turning Fast Boot off, but nothing works. The only way to switch off my PC is to hold the power button for a few seconds for a forced shutdown. Obviously, I’d really like to resolve this problem and be able to do a Windows shutdown the normal way. Any help would be great.…

REQUIRES Signal (free), iOS 11 or later YOU WILL LEARN How to use Signal and protect your messaging privacy IT WILL TAKE 5 minutes Apple’s App Privacy labels on the App Store now reveal an incredible amount of information apps like Facebook Messenger collect about you. The new approach has made many people start looking for more privacy-friendly alternatives. If that sounds like you, you’re in luck, as Signal could be exactly what you need. This messaging app has been built from the ground up to protect your private information. Not only does it come with many features that keep your conversations secure – such as disappearing messages and photo-blurring tools – but every message you send is end-to-end encrypted by default. There’s no need to opt in, it’s enabled…

After many, many years IPv6 is starting to become mainstream. The protocol first entered draft form way back in 1998, but up until recently we’ve all been able to get by with good old IPv4. The big changes started to happen in the last year, with the lack of available IPv4 addresses finally forcing mobile providers to switch over to IPv6. Telstra has already made the complete switch – when you connect to the Telstra mobile network, you are usually no longer assigned an IPv4 address and only get an IPv6 address. Now you may be wondering what that means in practice. From a user standpoint, not a great deal. You still access the internet the exact same way. You can even still talk to IPv4 services because the mobile…

Viver: Born for life. A QR code you can put on your tombstone. €99 | kck.st/3cOkMPp Most of us would be content with people scrolling our social media pages for photos of us after we pass away, but one Kickstarter called Viver wants to let you create memory picture vaults that can be accessed via QR codes... on your tombstone. You can also choose to send passive aggressive photo dumps to people of your choice on particular dates after you die. This fee of course also includes the opportunity to “Write your name in the wall [sic] of funders for eternity and become a royal ambassador”. Opus SoundBed The sound bed that sounds a little like another health tech scam. US$1,999 | feelopus.com/ If you’re in the mood to find…

Using one of the UK’s most powerful X-ray beams, researchers recently measured the mass of the 46 human chromosomes. Results were surprising: each chromosome was about 20 times heavier than the DNA contained inside, a much greater mass than the researchers anticipated. “Our measurement suggests the 46 chromosomes in each of our cells weigh 242 picograms [trillionths of a gram],” Ian Robinson, a professor of physics at University College London, said. “This is heavier than we would expect, and if replicated points to unexplained excess mass in chromosomes.” Each human cell normally contains 23 pairs of chromosomes. Within each chromosome is one DNA molecule and a plethora of proteins that serve a variety of functions, like compressing your two-metre strands of DNA into tiny bundles small enough to fit into…

Physicists have definitive evidence that the aurora borealis is the result of electrons ‘surfing’ across the cosmos on powerful party waves. Scientists have known for a while that aurorae occur when energised particles from the Sun soar across space and crash into Earth’s magnetosphere. Those energised particles ride our planet’s magnetic field lines into the upper atmosphere, where they collide with oxygen and nitrogen molecules, releasing dazzlingly coloured light in the process. But there’s still a big lingering question about the aurora process: How do those solar particles pick up enough speed and energy to crash into Earth’s atmosphere with such force? One popular explanation involves Alfvén waves, powerful geomagnetic waves that propagate through plasma, a charged gas that makes up the solar wind. These waves can pick up electrons…

$299, Www2.razer.com You work from home. You want blue-light blocking, open-ear audio and hands-free calls. Cue the Razer Anzu, a pair of audio glasses clearly aimed at people who want to listen to radio, podcasts, audiobooks, make calls and generally don’t need the greatest sound quality possible. Design The Razer Anzu are the best-looking audio sunglasses we’ve seen so far. They are very obviously made of black, glossy plastic, but that enables them to be both super lightweight and super streamlined. Available in either rectangular or round design, both of which look great, the Razer Anzu weighs a mere 43g to 48g (depending on whether you opt for small/medium or large sizes), which is almost exactly the same as the clunkier-looking Bose Frames. Supplied with the option to fit either…

Albion Online THE HANDHELD SANDBOX. Free with IAP Originally a Kickstarter darling, Albion Online has grown organically into a deep, detailed sandbox MMO. Based on a classless system, players grow as they go, building skills via crafting, fighting, gathering and building. With its simple 3D top-down graphics, Albion was always a perfect candidate for mobile and its release has seen a carefully managed UI redesign to suit touch devices. It’s worth noting that this is not a casual experience – Albion requires a fairly significant time investment to thoroughly enjoy, due to its heavy focus on guild vs guild play, territory conquering, and player-run trading system. But like Eve Echoes, another deep and engrossing MMO ported onto the mobile space, the benefit of a portable device allows for play in…

Nintendo Switch OLED is an updated Switch console coming this October, with the term “updated” being used rather generously. The Switch OLED comes equipped with a bigger screen, a wider kickstand, improved speakers, and a black and white colorway, along with a new dock that includes a built-in wired LAN port – but it’s no Nintendo Switch Pro. While rumors shouldn’t negatively affect the product that ultimately makes it to market, it’s hard to understand the logic behind what is essentially a mid-cycle upgrade. Expectation vs Reality Nintendo never confirmed nor denied the existence or development of a Nintendo Switch Pro, but that didn’t stop the steady circulation of rumors. In early 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported that two new Nintendo Switch models were on their way: a “cheaper…

$125, PlayStation insomniacgames.com Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is one of those rare games that brings back the feeling of being up early on a Saturday morning, binging your favorite cartoons, and high on sugary cereal. It’s one cardiac event of excitement after another, riding rails at reckless speeds, taking on huge hordes of nefarious forces with increasingly ridiculous weapons, and flying through dimensional tears with the Rift Tether. When you do stop for a breath to buy a new gun or hunt around for a collectible, you’ll get to appreciate just how damn pretty it is too. Thanks to a device called the Dimensionator, and the meddling of Doctor Nefarious, the world as they know it facing a dimensional disaster. Rifts have opened up to alternate dimensions, the plucky…

$379, www.owcdigital.com Not long ago, we covered the OWC Thunderbolt Hub, an entry-level dock that supported Thunderbolt 4 technology for those lucky enough to have it. The Hub is an excellent product, and for a modest amount more, the OWC Thunderbolt Dock offers more ports, greater flexibility and is constructed to the same high standards. Is there anything not to like in this elegant and desirable peripheral? Design For those unfamiliar with the concepts behind this type of docking station, it’s primarily meant to provide a single cable connection to a laptop that exchanges both power to charge that device and data. That’s not to say that this hardware couldn’t be used with a desktop system, and it could be useful with one, but the focus here is that single…

$99, www.edifier-online.com We got a chance to test out the Edifier G2000, using them to watch a movie, listen to some music from CircoLoco Records, and play a handful of today’s hottest games. Here’s how they stack up. The Edifier G2000 speakers have a 3.5mm rubber AUX cable with gold-plated connections that feels sturdy and durable, a USB-A to USB-A cable, and a power adapter. The speakers are connected by a nondetachable cable, which can be frustrating for people who like to have more flexibility with their setup. However, the length of the cable made setting up on my desk rather easy, as was tucking the cable away out of sight. The G2000 are housed in matte black plastic with rounded edges all around. They feel incredibly sturdy and aren’t…

$399, www.fossil.com The Fossil Gen 5 blends into whatever you’re wearing or doing quite admirably. Its fully circular display is large at 44mm so it looks quite bulky on small wrists, but it means you can easily see the display at all times with minimal hassle. The watch we were sent had a black silicon strap, which we’ll admit feels a little cheap and basic to the touch. However, it does the job well enough. For the same price, you could get a stainless steel strap or leather version – both of which we’d suspect the average user would favor. The Fossil Gen 5 has three buttons on the side. There’s the larger middle button which is a rotating crown for easily scrolling through options or the apps menu. In…

We’re sure you haven’t fallen for the old fallacy that Macs are somehow impervious to harm. If not, the recent revelation that a new form of malware has targeted 30,000 Macs (including those with the new M1 chip) should be your wake-up call. But it isn’t simply a case of installing anti-virus software and carrying on as before. You need to close other security and privacy holes too, most of which are linked to the online world, from web browsing and shopping to email and messaging. Over the following pages, we’re going to help you give your Mac (and a lot of this is just as applicable to a Windows PC as well!) a thorough security checkup. After installing security software, you’ll give your passwords a full audit and find…

Virtual Private Networks allow you to connect to the internet safely wherever you are, even if your only option is the dodgy unsecured Wi–Fi network in your local bar. Your data is encrypted before being transferred through a “tunnel” that’s impervious to attacks. When it reaches its destination, the data is decrypted — with the same happening in reverse. Your anti–virus tool may come with a limited free VPN built–in, but if you’re willing to pay, our VPN of choice is ExpressVPN (from around $13 a month, expressvpn.com) because it’s fast, secure, and covers all your devices. If that’s too expensive, try Windscribe’s free option (windscribe.com).…

If you’re serious about security, paying for security software gives you lots of extra protection. There’s plenty of choice, too – here’s five of the very best to choose from. BITDEFENDER ANTIVIRUS bitdefender.com Bitdefender’s protection is so good you’ll often find other tools use its anti-virus engine. It consistently scores perfectly in the AVTest labs and doesn’t slow your Mac. INTEGO MAC INTERNET SECURITY X9 intego.com This scores consistently well in lab tests, and while it’s a little heavy on resource usage it’s simple to use and comes with extras, including a firewall. NORTON 360 us.norton.com Norton is one of the longest-established names in security, and Norton 360 both excels in basic protection (perfect AVTest scores) and in offering a raft of tools to boost your privacy online and off.…

The objective of this Roundup was to showcase a few alternate, but feature-rich browsers. To that end, we’re quite pleased with our selection. None of these require you to change your browsing habits or require too much time and effort to acclimatise to their way of functioning. Even so, there must always be one project that comes in last. Falkon was a favourite browsers last time we did a round-up, so it might thus come as quite a surprise for the same browser to now finish last. We have several reasons for this. Chiefly, the other browsers offer far more out of the box, and also through extensions to bolster their position. But what really sealed Falkon’s fate is that the browser hasn’t seen a new release since we last…

YOU’LL NEED THIS DATA CROW Download it from www.datacrow.net. JAVA Download it from www.java.com Perhaps your DVD 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’re looking to record a more personal treasure, from cigarette cards to stamps. 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 necessary have to meticulously record everything yourself. Instead, Data Crow has linked in with…

Setting up an outdoor cinema in your own backyard is a lot easier than you think. Outdoor projectors start at reasonable prices and even the most affordable models offer huge picture potential. Built-in sound systems and makeshift projection surfaces can keep things within budget, but for proper AV quality, try dedicated speakers and an outdoor projector screen. This is outdoor cinema, though. Light pollution may be beyond your control and even big speakers can sound small in the open air. Picking a garden cinema set-up is about identifying the features you need, choosing the right equipment, being mindful of your budget and staying on the right side of your neighbours. So, whether you’re after just an outdoor projector or the whole kit and caboodle, here’s everything you need to know…

Night photography has the ability to make the mundane look magnificent, and going out carrying little more than a camera and single lens makes for a liberating shooting experience. Shooting urban night photography handheld allows you to move quickly and easily from one shot to the next; exposure times are short, so no waiting for long exposures to finish and no messing around with a tripod; you can just keep your camera in hand, shoot as soon as you see something of interest and then move on. The camera settings you’ll need to use are extreme, but modern cameras are capable of exceptional image quality at higher ISO settings, so you can still achieve great results above and beyond ISO 1,600. Fast primes such as a 35mm f/1.8 or 50mm…

In October last year Adobe released the latest version of Photoshop. One of Photoshop CC 2021’s headline features is the new Sky Replacement Tool, which uses machine learning to automatically recognise the sky in your outdoor photos, isolate it and drop in another sky of your choice. You can now replace a dull sky with a few clicks. Of course, there’s a whole debate around whether the act of sky replacement tarnishes landscape photography, diminishing the joy of capturing a real-life scene. But leaving that aside, this new tool is astonishingly good at what it does. It’s able to isolate even difficult areas of sky, like the gaps between the pier in our example, or other intricate details like tree branches and buildings. This release also introduces Neural Filters, which…

$11,999, www.sony.com.au Released in late 2020, the Sony VPL-VW590ES is an attempt to show just how well the cinema can be recreated at home with the best projectors for gaming and movies – something many of us have been trying hard to do in the last year. It replaces the consistently well-reviewed VW570, adding 300 lumens and memory for lens positions and aspect ratios to a model which had been a high benchmark for the best 4K projectors in recent years. But does it just replace it or become the new benchmark? Design & Features Out of the box, the most obvious thing about this projector physically is that it is very big. Imagine the best portable projector, and then imagine something at the opposite end of the spectrum entirely.…

There are improvements across the board in Windows 11, with Microsoft promising that updates will be 40 per cent smaller, and touting Windows 11 as “the most secure release yet”. The taskbar is optimised for touch as well as mouse peripherals, and is now renamed the dock. New multitasking features are also on offer thanks to a feature called Snap Layouts, which enables you to arrange multiple windows across the screen, not just side by side, but in columns, sections and more. Another feature is Snap Groups, where you can go back to previously snapped windows from the dock, so for example you can go to your email app, Edge browser windows or anything else without having to snap them back to the previous view again. There’s also improved multi-monitor…

The global warming that has already taken place may be even worse than we thought. That’s the takeaway from a new study that finds satellite measurements have likely been underestimating the warming of the lower levels of the atmosphere over the last 40 years. Basic physics equations govern the relationship between temperature and moisture in the air, but many measurements of temperature and moisture used in climate models diverge from this relationship. That means that either satellite measurements of the troposphere have underestimated its temperature or overestimated its moisture, said Ben Santer, a climate scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California. “It’s currently difficult to determine which interpretation is more credible,” Santer said. “But our analysis reveals that several observational datasets, particularly those with the smallest values of…

$2,999, www.shop.panasonic.com The Panasonic GH5 II’s predecessor, the original GH5, was a landmark camera for video makers. It offered gorgeous 4K footage quality, a wide variety of shooting options and good handling, as well as valuable features like in-body image stabilisation and dual SD card slots. It was also a solid stills camera, with decent all-round imaging performance, despite its small Micro Four Thirds sensor. Build and handling The GH5 Mark II is nigh-on indistinguishable from its predecessor: it has the same dust-proof, splash-proof and freeze-proof magnesium alloy body with the same 138.5 x 98.1 x 87.4mm dimensions, and at 727g (including battery and memory card) weighs just 2g more. To be fair to Panasonic, this is one area where change didn’t feel required. The quasi-DSLR shape of the camera…

Between the surfacing of a Facebook patent for a cap with a foldable AR screen and the release of a Snapchat filter that’ll make you look like a Disney Pixar character, there were a couple of developments in the XR space this month. AI is, however, again dominating the emerging tech space with new creative endeavours like creating photo-realistic renders of landscapes from coloured in drawings and recreating lost fragments of Rembrandt’s paintings in the artist’s style. It’s also working on side-hustles like developing medication for the developing world’s deadliest diseases and has become head honcho when it comes to firing Amazon’s contract drivers. XR Snapchat Pixar filter Cartoon 3D Style filter lets you make your own Pixar movies with your phone. Free | lens.snapchat.com/bad1396b0f8d494d845b1d-6438c115f2 Snapchat releases a new filter…

Turn your Xbox Series S into a laptop-like machine with this attachable screen, which launched on Kickstarter yesterday and reached its funding goal in just 20 minutes. The Xbox Series S xScreen is a clip-on screen that’ll let you play your Xbox Series S anywhere there’s a power outlet. That way, when the Series S’ jerk big brother Xbox Series X is hogging the main TV, you can simply attach the xScreen to your Xbox Series S and game to your heart’s content. The 11.6-inch 1080p IPS screen has a pair of built-in stereo speakers, controls for things like volume and brightness, and a more than serviceable 60Hz refresh rate. The screen is sized such that it folds into the Xbox Series S for a flush fit - UPspec says…

$79.95, Switch, mariogolf.nintendo.com Although it’s been a while since Mario and his mates hit the green, Mario Golf: Super Rush will feel familiar to anyone who has played an arcade-y golf game in the past few years, such as Everybody’s Golf. It’s overflowing with color, from the vivid courses you play on to the cast of characters (and your Mii) who you play as, and offers up plenty of different rulesets so you know that this isn’t the sort of stuffy golf you see plastered over Sky Sports. Except, this outing for Mario on the links never captures a specific style, neither as a serious sports game that yearns to be mastered nor a whippy delight that craves to be played with mates. This identity crisis starts with how you…

$3,149, www.dell.com The Alienware m15 R4 marks the point at which another big boy gaming laptop maker enters the fold. Given the change, and the fresh excitement that a new generation of the best graphics card and best CPUs for gaming brings, we’re starting to see the effect it’s having on the prebuilt markets, and specifically that of the best gaming laptops. While the reputation of Alienware gaming laptops precedes itself, in performance – and price tag – it’s exciting to see what one offers when sporting a brand new RTX 3070 graphics card. Design & features The same design language of recent years is draped over the R4 variant of the m15, and that’s fine. The design of Alienware gaming PCs and laptops can be seen as divisive or…

$399, www.sennheiser.com The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 are among the best-sounding true wireless earbuds you can currently buy, beating the likes of the Apple AirPods by miles in terms of sound quality and battery life. The German audio brand has long been a trusted name in the world of over-ear headphones, and since the release of the popular Momentum True Wireless last year, the world of true wireless earbuds, too. Now Sennheiser has furnished its popular earbuds with noise cancelation, in a similar vein to the AirPods Pro and the Sony WF-1000XM3, as well as improved battery life, and a more compact design. Design If you have reservations about parting with so much cash for a pair of earbuds, spending a little time with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless…

$119, www.steelseries.com The Rival 5 is showing off its heritage with looks that closely mimic the more premium Rival 600. SteelSeries has toned down the gaps between sections of the mouse, and the hard, Batmobileesque angles around the main buttons have been slightly softened. The shape remains largely similar, but it’s just a hair thicker in the front and thinner in the back. In the hand, it feels similar to the older Rival, but it’s noticeably lighter at 85 grams and lacks the option to add metal weights for those that like more heft. It also lacks silicone side grips, but the curvature and slightly rough texture make it easy to hold onto. SteelSeries has also kept the exceptional light show on display with custom RGB lighting zones at the…

$129, www.remington-products.com.au Entering the market in 1937, Remington is a well-known name in hair care products. The brand offers a wide range of hair dryers to suit all budgets, and its top-of-the range devices include technology that will quickly blow-dry hair while retaining shine, ensuring your locks remain as healthy as possible. The Remington Hydraluxe Pro EC9001 is a bulky hair dryer: the barrel has a 7cm diameter, making it one of the largest on the market. However, at just 15cm deep, it looks more like the Dyson Supersonic than a traditional hair dryer. It weighs in at 800g, which means it’s one of the heavier hair dryers on the market – something our arms definitely became aware of while testing. Remington has bucked the trend of the usual glossy…

Free, families.google.com Google Family Link is a free Android and iOS parental control app which covers the child-protecting basics, but not much else. It provides easy access to content filtering settings in Google apps like Search, Chrome and YouTube (via its Restricted Mode), for instance, but Family Link doesn’t otherwise try to block unsuitable web content. You don’t have to figure out whether to install the parent’s or the child’s app first, for instance, then get into a lengthy configuration process on one, before moving on to the other. With Family Link’s initial setup, you install the parent’s app on your device, the child’s app on theirs, and a wizard walks you through the configuration process. This impressed us immediately by detecting two accounts on our Android device, and demanding…

Are you still using the same passwords to protect your online identity? Even a seemingly strong password may have been exposed in one of the many online hacks over the past decade. Let’s start with the most fundamental aspect of security: installing anti-virus software. Skip ahead for a rundown of five of the best all-in-one solutions; you’ll also find plenty of free options available, starting with the free version of Avira Antivirus (avira.com), which provides real-time protection against viruses. Avira’s free offering does leave some gaps, so install Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (malwarebytes.com), which can root out infections missed by other anti-virus tools. It’ll install as a fully functional 14-day trial with real-time protection before reverting to a free version that enables you to manually scan your system and remove any nasties…

The vast bulk of your time online is spent in your web browser, and whether you’ve stuck with Safari or opted for one of the many alternatives, there’s plenty you can do to tighten security. Start by performing an audit of all those extensions (also known as add-ons) you’ve installed – in Safari, you’ll find them under the Extensions tab after selecting Safari > Preferences. Uninstall any you don’t recognise or don’t need, plus enable any that have been installed by your security software, which can offer additional protection (for example, Bitdefender’s TrafficLight extension will scan pages for potentially harmful content). Before proceeding, find and install your password manager’s browser extension to speed up logging into websites (and generating new, strong passwords when you set up new accounts or change…

Email is One of the most insecure forms of communication on the internet. By default, all messages are sent in plain text, which makes intercepting them a breeze. It means sharing sensitive data via email is a no-no unless you – and your email correspondent – are willing to encrypt your messages. The easiest way to do this is to both sign up for a dedicated email account with the likes of ProtonMail (protonmail.com), which provides encrypted email as standard between ProtonMail users. The step-by-step guide reveals the process required to generate an encryption certificate and key to scramble your emails using Mail – but it’s a one-time job, and can also be used to digitally sign your messages to prove your identity. Once set up, open Mail, select your…

1. Modules Use these buttons to select a collection; contacts, books, images, movies, music, and software are included, while any custom collections appear here, too. 2. Item management These buttons enable you to manage your catalog by adding, deleting, and even visualizing your items. Both pie and bar charts are available, based on a selected field. 3. Navigation structure Items are organised into a hierarchical structure – we’re organising our book collection by category, then tags. Books may appear under every tag you assign. 4. Edit items Need to make changes or add info? Navigate to the item on the left, then double-click it, or right-click for more options, such as Edit as new to create a new entry based on the current one. 5. Item details The selected item…

GENIUS TIP You can create custom keywords. Click the Keyword panel’s “+” icon and type in a keyword, such as a name. Select the box to assign the name to a shot. REQUIRES ACDSeePhoto Studio For Mac 7 US$149.99 YOU WILL LEARN How to locate and rate assets from local or removable drives IT WILL TAKE 15 minutes If you’ve been taking photos for many years you’re likely to have thousands of images scattered across a range of locations, from your Mac’s Pictures folder to a motley collection of removable hard drives. This can make it a tedious challenge to find specific files, especially if you can’t remember when a particular photograph was captured or which drive it’s stored on. Fortunately, you can use a Digital Asset Management app such…

So, Windows 11 is around the corner. For new PCs it’s coming out this year, and Windows 10 users will be able to get a free update in 2022. That is, unless their PC is not supported – and many PCs will not be. As of the time of writing, Windows 11 has a hard requirement of a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0, something that many older PCs lack (as well as some new ones, especially ones that have been self-built). It will check during the install if that’s present, and kick you out if you don’t have it. We say ‘at the time of writing’ because this situation is fluid and Microsoft’s messaging has been somewhat confusing. Originally, only TPM version 1.2 was required. Then that was changed…