Google Chromecast 2 is on the way

Looks like there's a new version of Google's Chromecast on the horizon.

 

A revised Chromecast model was submitted by Google to the FCC in the US, along with a request for confidentiality. The consequences of that are that we don't actually know how the new Chromecast will differ from the original.

The diagram does confirm, though, that the design remains the same.

"The technology that is the subject of the certification application is subject to intense competition from other manufacturers and service providers that are developing competing services and technology" says Google's request for privacy in its filing.

"Were Google’s competitors to become aware of the facts set forth in the above-referenced exhibits to the application, it could have an adverse impact on Google’s competitive standing and deprive Google of the marketplace benefit it otherwise would achieve by virtue of having the product available before other providers."

Google asked the FCC to not make public any external photos of its new Chromecast, along with internal photos, test setup photos and the user manual.

Looks like there's no 802.11ac 5GHz wifi which is disappointing - the FCC filing only mentions the testing of 2.4GHz 802.11n.

In an AMA on Reddit, a member of the Chromecast team said: "No plans for big announcement on this one. Mostly because it will have the same features as the original and most users won't notice a difference. Sorry--I can't say more about this topic."

So why all the secrecy?

Vodafone unveils its first 4G tablet

The Vodafone Smart Tab 4G is an eight-inch tablet that is essentially a slightly tweaked version of the 3G-only Vodafone Smart Tab 4 that hit shelves in June.

Along with 4G LTE support, the new tablet also comes with a new HD display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor. The 3G version of the tablet was powered by a MediaTek 1.2GHz quad-core processor.

The camera has also received an upgrade. The Smart Tab 4G sports a 5 megapixel camera – up from the 2 megapixel sensor found in the Smart Tab 4.

Other than that, it’s pretty much the same tablet as the one that launched in June – including Android 4.4 KitKat and the 4060mAh battery.

 

So how much will Vodafone’s 4G tablet set you back? If you want to buy the tablet, up front, it’ll set you back £125. That’s less than rival EE’s Eagle tablet (which sells for £209.99) and even Tesco’s newly announced Hudl 2 tablet.

It’s also available on monthly plans. For 1GB a month, you’ll be looking at £17 per month with a £29 downpayment. That’s the same as the 3G Smart Tab 4

British Gas sets its sights on home automation

Briti

Hive launched last year and the smart thermometer is now installed in more than 100,000 homes across the UK, according to British Gas. That gives it a significant lead over its other smart home rivals, such as Nest and Honeywell.

The company has now unveiled the second generation of its Active Home system, which it claims will take it beyond just measuring the temperature into the house towards full home automation.

According to Kassir Hussain, director of connected homes at British Gas, the second generation of the gadget will come with smart sensors that are able to detect which room people are in and when they leave the house.

 

“Infrared presence sensors and little keyfobs you put on your bag that tell you when people in and out are on our radar,” Hussain told Engadget.

However, he conceded that while the technology is there to increase the intelligence of device – such as knowing you’re five minutes away and putting the heating on – privacy issues mean it is too soon to take things to that extreme.

“We’re also looking at geolocation but we’re being very careful with that due to privacy issues. Knowing that you’ve stepped through the front door is a good first step, but whether we’ll go beyond that remains to be seen.”

Other features the company is testing out include detecting when a certain member of the family enters or leaves the home. It is also looking at tying it into security systems to detect when someone who doesn’t live there enters the property.

Hussain said that the company isn’t planning on adding 101 features to the gadget though. British Gas is instead focusing on working with other companies who specialise in other complementary areas.

“We don’t believe in closed ecosystems. Customers are going to want to choose a variety of different products, which could be from other manufacturers or they could be from us. The key for us is to create an open ecosystem and platform that allows people to collect the products they choose, not the ones we curate.”

That openness extends to Apple and Google’s own platforms. “We’re excited about Apple HomeKit and Google’s recent home automation announcements, and are actively looking into Bluetooth LE, ZigBee and Z-Wave standards to ensure we remain open,” Hussain added.

The second generation of Active Home is currently scheduled to launch next summer.

Google launches Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player

After Much rumouring, the next wave of Google's homegrown Nexus devices are here, plus a new Android TV box.

Google has officially launched the Nexus 6 smartphone, Nexus 9 tablet and the Nexus Player Android TV box.

The Nexus 6 by Motorola sports a 5.9-inch QHD display, quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor, 13MP rear camera, 2MP front camera and the choice of either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage.

Meanwhile the Nexus 9 rocks up with an 8.9-inch display, 64 bit Nvidia Tegra K1 processor, 2GB of RAM, either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, 8MP rear camera and 1.6MP front snapper.

Both the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 run Google's latest operating system, dubbed Android Lollipop (or Android 5.0).

 

The Asus-made Nexus Player is a slightly different proposition, and it's the first device to arrive running the new Android TV platform.

Nexus Player provides a way of streaming movies, music and videos to your television as well as providing gaming functionality plus it's Google Cast Ready - allowing you to throw content from your Chromebook, tablet or phone direct to your TV screen.

In terms of when you can get your hands on both the Nexus 9 and Nexus Player will be available for pre-order from October 17 with an in store release date of November 3.

The Nexus 6 will go on pre-order later in October and is due to hit shops sometime in November. There's currently no word on price for any of the products

Biggest next-gen games coming up: MUST CHECK

It’s been almost a full year since the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 hit the shelves, but it's only now that the game selection is really starting to catch up with their gargantuan sales figures. From survival horror to online, open world racer, there’s a lot to look forward to in the build up to the coming period. Every title here is set to hit both Microsoft and Sony’s latest consoles in the fourth quarter of this year. The following is far from an exhaustive list of what’s on offer for next-gen systems.

Shadow of Mordor

Set in the Lord of the Rings universe, Shadow of Mordor takes core movement and combat mechanics from the Assassin’s Creed and Batman: Arkham franchises and mixes in a gripping enemy hierarchy. Known as the Nemesis system, the feature pits players against an array of quarreling enemy captains, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
You’ll find yourself forming rivalries with specific, procedurally-generated characters while traversing the moody open world. The latter half of the game even lets you exert your influence over captains, making them fight for you and helping them to rise up to the rank of Warchief. This adds an extra dollop of strategy on top of what’s already a winning formula.
Not only does the game look great on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but the mix of new and old mechanics makes for an experience that’s both fresh and familiar at once. Mordor is also a far more interesting place to spend a few dozen hours than we could have expected.
Shadow of Mordor is out now for Xbox One and PS4.

Alien: Isolation

Creative Assembly is a studio known for its excellent, large-scale Total War strategy franchise, but Alien: Isolation proves that it's capable of producing a great, IP-driven horror game as well. From the moody atmosphere of the game’s Sevastopol station setting, to the excellent sound design and tiny details dotted around its rooms and corridors, the title is a love letter to Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece.
The game has players focusing on stealth, spending most of their time tracking, hiding and avoiding a single, invincible foe. The creature itself isn’t scripted, but features a complex AI, meaning that no two play-throughs will ever be quite the same.
The title is both visually stunning and nerve-shreddingly intense. Not for the faint hearted.
Alien: Isolation is out now for Xbox One and PS4.

Destiny

Destiny may have been out for over a month, but it's still one of the biggest titles to hit shelves in the latter part of 2014. While it may not quite live up to the next-gen hype that preceded its arrival, it’s still a great online, team-based shooter with an open world mentality.
The first-person-shooter mechanics are as precise and satisfying as you would expect from Bungie, the studio that spawned the Halo franchise. We recently took a detailed look at the game, finding that while the players can safety ignore the game's thread-bare storyline, its gameplay, loot drive and drop-in playability make it well worth a look.
One of the most compelling aspects of Destiny is how it’s set to evolve over the coming months and years. Bungie has already announced two content packs for the game, with the promise of more to come. It’s worth noting that major content additions won’t be free, meaning you’ll have to shell out some extra cash if you want to experience new missions into 2015 and beyond.
Destiny is out now for Xbox One and PS4.

Assassin’s Creed: Unity

Ubisoft’s pseudo-historical free running franchise went from strength to strength during the last console cycle, and the series’ first next-gen-only entry looks to evolve it in a number of key ways.
Not only is the title a significant visual upgrade over previous versions, but it also marks a return to the game’s stealth roots and throws co-operative play into the mix. Up to four players can work together to accomplish objectives, and the developer has made it clear that in Unity, direct combat is a last resort, only to be relied upon when more subtle approaches fail.
Conceptually speaking at least, the game’s 18th century Paris setting is also one of the strongest we’ve seen in an Assassin’s Creed game. The urban expanse is overflowing with iconic buildings and crowds of discontented citizens, making for a moody and engaging backdrop to the protagonists story.
Assassins Creed: Unity launches November 11 for Xbox One and PS4.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Though we’ll have to wait until 2015 for the next entry in the series, Halo: The Master Chief Collection should make that wait significantly more bearable. Developer 343 Industries has packed four full games (Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4) onto a single disk, complete with each title’s separate multiplayer modes, accounting for more than 90 maps.
The second entry in the series is the only title to receive a full anniversary treatment, with the entire game (including six multiplayer maps), being completely re-made for the new release. All of the titles run at 1080p 60 fps resolution.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection launches November 11 for Xbox One.

GTA V

It speaks volumes of Rockstar’s latest title that its re-launch on the PS4 and Xbox One is one of the most anticipated releases of the 2014 holiday season – a full year after its debut on the PS3 and Xbox 360.
We gave the title a glowing review when it arrived in November 2013, and the next-gen release is set to improve on the original in a number of small but significant ways. The vast majority of the changes are aesthetic, with the remastered game featuring a new foliage system, additional wildlife and denser traffic on roads.
The next-gen port will also bring with it enhanced vehicle damage and better weather effects, and players will be able to transfer their GTA Online characters from the old version to the new, providing both systems are on the same manufacturer’s consoles (i.e. PS3 to PS4 and Xbox 360 to Xbox One).
GTA V launches November 18 for Xbox One and PS4.

The Crew

The Crew is a massively multiplayer racer that puts the entire United States on a disk. Well, we say entire, but in reality we’re looking at a shrunken down version of the country, with major cities positioned correctly, relative to each other, and the areas in-between being populated with roughly accurate scenery. Just because The Crew isn’t to scale certainly doesn’t mean it’s small, with it reportedly taking a full 90 minutes to cross the map.
The open world includes 15 famous cities, including Chicago, New York, Miami and Los Angeles, and tasks players with working together to accomplish goals. While playing the game, users will earn cash and gain experience, picking up equipment that has stats similar to what you’d find in an RPG. The developer hopes this will add a deeper and more nuanced sense of progression to the genre.
The Crew launches December 2 on Xbox One and PS4.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

While recent entries in the Call of Duty franchise may have stayed true to the tried and tested formula, Advanced Warfare promises to make significant changes.
Like previous entries in the series, the new title heads into the future, but unlike 2012’s Black Ops 2, Advanced Warfare looks to add some new ideas. Similar to the Crysis franchise, the title gives players control of an exoskeleton-equipped soldier, giving them the ability to cloak, sprint faster, jump higher and more. When it comes to multiplayer, this allows for a greater degree of verticality in maps and more significant variation in player classes.
There has also been a significant graphical upgrade, with the title being the first next-gen-only release in the series as of yet. Its appeal is no doubt helped by the casting of the excellent Kevin Spacey as the shadowy leader of Atlas Corporation – the fictional world’s largest private military corporation.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is released November 3 on Xbox One and PS4.

Far Cry 4

Far Cry 4 sees the franchise move to Kyrat – a violent Himalayan setting. It gives players a brand new open world to explore, with varied terrain, a charismatic villain, and a host of new wildlife including rhinos and rideable elephants.
Big additions this time around are the ability to play the game with a friend, as well as a new gyrocopter vehicle that lets players scout out the map from the skies. Once you’re done flying around, there’s even a wing suit that allows you return to solid ground in style.
Overall, Far Cry 4 doesn’t look to be a re-invention of the franchise, but rather an evolution that offers new features and provides a whole new world to explore.
Far Cry 4 will hit shelves November 18 for Xbox One and PS4.

The Evil Within

Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami’s new game may not have the same widespread appeal as some of the other titles in this list, but that doesn’t stop it from being one of the most compelling.
Alien: Isolation might provide some tense, unscripted frights, but The Evil Within is a pure, bloody survival horror that looks to keep players on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Like every great title in the genre, the game provides you with very limited ammo and pits you up against a variety of grotesque, nightmarish foes.
The Evil Within is out now for both Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen console

Review: BlackBerry Passport

Gizmag reviews BlackBerry's unusually-proportioned Passport (Image: Chris Wood/Gizmag)
Image Gallery (9 images)

BlackBerry’s latest smartphone is its most unusual and innovative release in years, but does it do enough to make it worth considering among a sea of worthwhile competition? The device certainly has its fair share of interesting features, and won’t have any trouble standing out from the crowd. Read on as we take a close look at the Passport.

• 
  

The Passport’s unusual design has garnered a lot of attention since it was quietly revealed back in July, and its sheer size combined with that unusual keyboard-to-display ratio is something that really hits you when you first take the smartphone out of its box. While its overall footprint isn’t radically different from other large-screened devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 or iPhone 6 Plus, its squarer shape makes it feel much larger.
The handset feels solid in the hand, with the soft-touch back providing ample grip, and I was surprised at how comfortable it felt in my jean pocket. You’ll be a little more aware of the 196 g (0.43 lbs) device if you’re carrying it around in your jacket pocket, but I didn’t find its size or weight to be an issue during day-to-day use.
The thing to note here is that the Passport is a two-handed device. I was almost able to click out quick messages with one hand, but it’s not something I’d want to do regularly, and it's something you would struggle to do if you’ve got small hands. Instantly, this makes the handset a little less user friendly, but fear not – there is an upside to the design.

Interestingly, I wasn’t able to type any quicker on the Passport’s physical keyboard than I can on a touchscreen, due largely to the ability to quickly trace out words on software keyboards. But I was far more accurate on the BlackBerry handset’s physical keys than software alternatives.
Physical typing is augmented with a row of software keys for inputting numbers and symbols. You quickly get used to using a mix of physical and software keys, and the overall typing experience is, as you would expect from a BlackBerry, top notch. The device also performs well in another key area, offering clear and loud audio during calls.
The 4.5-inch panel has a resolution of 1,440 x 1,440, giving it 453 pixels per inch. While that’s not as high as some smartphones out there, it’s comparable to both the HTC One (M8) and Samsung Galaxy S5, and I never found myself wishing I was looking at a sharper screen. The display real estate you’re getting here is less expansive than phablets such as the Note 4 or iPhone 6 Plus, but its aspect ratio means you’ll never find yourself having to flip the device into landscape mode to rearrange the content you can see.
To some extent, BlackBerry’s marketing spiel about the aspect ratio is right on the money, with the square screen working well for viewing documents and drawings, web browsing and using email. You can scroll through certain content, most notably web pages, by swiping up and down on the physical keyboard. Being able to keep your fingers out of the way while scrolling makes browsing on the Passport feel like a different experience to either a smartphone or tablet. It’s almost like using gestures to scroll through a web page on a laptop trackpad.
Though the display makes the Passport feel pretty unique, it does have its downsides. Trying to watch video on the square panel is an ordeal, with the aspect ratio of the content meaning that you’re actually getting a smaller image than you would on an iPhone 5s. As the device is targeted at business users, we don’t see this as a huge issue, but if you’re looking to pick up a handset for personal use, and have any desire to watch video content, you’d be much better off with a phablet.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Passport’s rear shooter, with the 13 MP camera taking some bright and detailed shots in a variety of lighting conditions. You can switch the aspect ratio between 1:1 (matching the device’s display) and more conventional 4:3 and 16:9 options. The camera here isn’t quite going to rival what you’ll find on a device like the LG G3, but it produces solid results.
It makes sense to have a solid rear camera, but, as a business device, a good front-facing camera for video calls is going to be at least as important. Unfortunately, the Passport falls flat here, offering a mediocre 2 MP shooter that produces blurry results with significant motion blur.

The Passport runs on BlackBerry OS 10.3, which pairs with a quad core Snapdragon 801 processor and 3 GB of RAM to provide a buttery smooth experience. The OS is capable, fluid and gesture based – you swipe up to minimize apps, down to open a quick settings menu, and right and left to get to the BlackBerry Hub and apps.
The Hub puts messaging front and center, aggregating alerts from various sources into a single feed that’s never more than a couple of swipes away. There’s a bit of an adjustment period if you’re switching from iOS or Android, but once you’re used to it, the BlackBerry OS 10.3 experience is very solid indeed.
The app selection in the BlackBerry World store is focused on productivity, and lacks most key apps you’ll find on other platforms. There is a silver lining here though, in that you can run Android apps via the pre-installed Amazon Appstore. Apps like Facebook, Spotify and Twitter are present, but the selection isn’t quite on par with that found in the Google Play or the iOS App Store. Most of the Android apps I installed ran smoothly, though one or two struggled with the Passport’s square display, cutting off UI buttons at the bottom of the screen.
Battery life is one area where the Passport really shines. The device can easily cope with a full day of moderate use, including web browsing, some light photography, emailing and general messaging. With display brightness set to auto, I was even able to rely on the handset for almost an entire second day of use.

So overall, can we recommend the BlackBerry Passport? The answer is yes, but with some significant caveats. We think it’s generally a good idea to get some physical hands-on time with a smartphone before making a purchase, but this is something that’s more important than ever with the Passport – you may well pick up the device and find that it’s simply too wide to be practical.
That said, if you can get past the out-there form factor and less expansive app selection, then the handset has a lot going for it. Its physical keyboard shows the company continuing to defy the industry trend, and offers an accurate and satisfying experience. While the square display might be poorly suited to viewing video content, it’s great for web browsing and messaging. Overall, we can’t say that the Passport is the right device for you, but we can say that it has enough interesting ideas to make it well worth a look.
The Passport is available now for US$600 off-contract.

Microsoft's next OS is Windows 10, will ship later in 2015

Instead of announcing the next version of its iconic operating system in front of a massive crowd of thousands, Microsoft chose an intimate venue with 50 or so reporters to launch the new Windows, which it's calling Windows 10. The company looks at the new number (yes, it oddly skipped a number) as an indication of the direction it's taking with the OS; Microsoft says it'll be "the most comprehensive platform ever," featuring a full range of products that'll be placed under the Windows 10 umbrella as part of "one tailored experience." That means it will support everything from the "Internet of Things" to enterprise servers, taking advantage of responsive design. Microsoft's Joe Belfiore showed off an early beta version of the new Windows on stage, which looks very much like the leaked screenshots we saw not too long ago; Belfiore says that the company wanted to bring the familiarity of Windows 7 and combine it with the functionality of Windows 8.

Gallery | 23 Photos

Microsoft Windows 10 hands-on

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
  + See all 23

The new Windows will look very familiar if you're used to either of the the last two versions, though Win8 users will notice that the Modern UI is nowhere to be seen at first (more on this later). Instead, the series of Live Tiles can be found in the Start Menu off to the right side, with the usual Win7-style set of pinned and frequent apps on the left side, along with web and app search underneath. Not only can the tiles be resized, but also the Start Menu can likewise be resized as well. Microsoft said you can even expand the menu to go beyond the boundaries of your monitor, so you can scroll to the left and right to see the entire lineup of apps and tiles.
It also comes with a refreshed taskbar that comes with a new "task view," which shows all of the apps that are running in each virtual desktop; your current desktop is primarily shown on the screen, but you'll see a few thumbnails down below that give you the option to switch between desktops (or add a new one, if you prefer). You can also snap up to four apps on the same screen in a quadrant layout. This is different from the standard ALT+TAB command, which brings up every running app from every desktop. Additionally, Windows 10 also gets a nice improvement to the command prompt: Now you can use keyboard shortcuts, as well as copy and paste. While Microsoft admits that this isn't exactly the most exciting news, there are plenty of die-hard Windows users who have been eagerly awaiting this feature for a long time.
So far, the native apps that Microsoft demoed, such as Mail and Calendar, show responsive design that adjusts your view as you resize them. The Mail app, for example, can stretch anywhere from a single-pane to triple-pane view, depending on how you view it; likewise, the Calendar app can show either a single day (if you've narrowed the app to a small vertical sliver) or a full week (for any larger view). These are just a couple instances of the design, which likely will be open to developers.

The Charms Bar is still there, though it may not look exactly the same when the final build comes out -- Microsoft says that the UI is still not final and it expects to change it between now and then -- and plenty of touch elements and gestures will be carried over from Windows 8. In the meantime, Microsoft isn't giving out any additional details on the touch mode, aside from the fact that with Win10, the company will make it possible for the OS to dynamically adjust the UI based on what mode you're using; if you're using a keyboard and mouse, your user interface will be slightly different than if you're going into touch mode. Oh, and about the Modern UI mode from Win8? Microsoft didn't want to place too much attention onto it today, but it did indicate that it shows up as a "large Start Menu" when you're in touch mode. (You'll also see a back button on the taskbar.) If you're using a keyboard and mouse, however, it appears that you'll enjoy the desktop experience instead.
The team only showed a few bits of Windows 10 today, but they'll continue to add more pieces to the puzzle over the course of the next year as Microsoft prepares for a late 2015 launch. For instance, we'll see more of the system at the company's Build conference next Spring. That said, Microsoft will be launching an Insider Program tomorrow, which is designed to give the initial Win10 experience (also known as the Technical Preview) to folks who have a deeper knowledge of the OS. Belfiore insists that the new Windows will give full functionality for everyone from beginners and novices to advanced users once it launches, however. But what's most important is the fact that Microsoft tried really hard to distance itself from Windows 8. Even skipping numeric order and opting for Windows 10 instead is a clear indication of this; perhaps Microsoft feels that the number 9 is guilty by association?

Gallery | 22 Photos

Windows 10

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
  + See all 22

When it comes to Windows Phone, Microsoft is keeping pretty quiet about its plans, only mentioning that "it'll be a natural step forward in the evolution of the phone." Belfiore stated that the company wants to strike a blend between phones, tablets and larger devices. It'll also be interesting to see if Microsoft dubs the mobile OS Windows Phone 10, or if no distinction will be made.

TomTom has a new watch designed specifically for golfers

In perfect conjunction with the start of the Ryder Cup, TomTom couldn't have found a better time to introduce its new GPS-powered wearable. The watch, simply, and fittingly, named TomTom Golfer, is similar to Garmin's Approach line, featuring data for more than 34,000 courses. In addition to that, TomTom's Golfer is waterproof and can keep track of distance, score and time for every whole -- so long as the course you're playing at is supported. It can also send detailed information from the green areas right to your wrist, which could potentially lessen the chances of you taking a bad swing. It's available now on pre-order for £200 (around $325), with shipping on both models (black or white strap) expected to begin "within 30 days."

Playdate: We're livestreaming 'Forza Horizon 2' on Xbox One! (Update: it's over!)

Welcome, ladygeeks and gentlenerds, to the new era of gaming. The one where you get to watch, and comment, as other people livestream gameplay from next-gen consoles. Because games! They're fun!
What do you do when there's many hundreds of horsepower under your foot? Bounce on the pedal and put the devil to the floor, naturally. And that's just what Microsoft's latest racer allows you to do. We're talking about Forza Horizon 2 on Xbox One, of course. The game that lets you live out nearly any auto-fantasy you might have, so long as it includes picturesque European landscapes, pristine cliff sides and electronic dance music. We're just kidding on the last part -- you can totally turn the radio off. Join us right here at 7:00 p.m. Eastern / 4:00 p.m. Pacific as we bring you a taste of what you can expect from the open-world arcade racer when it hits store shelves (or your console) next week.

Belgian brewery to reduce truck use with underground beer pipeline

In order to cut down on the number of trucks it puts on the streets, Brouwerij De Halve Maan is working with the city of Bruges to construct an underground beer pipeline. While the brewing still happens at its original site, filtration, bottling and shipping operations were moved outside of town in 2010. To get the tasty beverages from point A to point B, dozens of trucks go back and forth each day, but not for much longer. Folks familiar with the Cleveland, Ohio-based Great Lakes Brewing Company may recall that it uses an underground system to send its suds from a production facility to a taproom/pub across the street. The effort in Belgium will be much more elaborate though, replacing the 3-mile tanker route with 1.8 miles of polyethylene pipe, and cutting transit time to between 15 and 20 minutes. De Halve Maan claims the system can send out 6,000 liters per hour -- on top of cutting traffic and reducing emissions. What's more, the brewery (er, brouwerij) will foot the bill for installation and road repairs, reducing the financial burden on the city.

Consumer Reports weighs in on iPhone 6 bending

As much as Apple would like for this discussion to be over, controversy and conversation over whether the iPhone 6 / 6 Plus has a durability problem is continuing. Just as it tested out antenna reception for the iPhone 4, Consumer Reports has forced Apple's newest mobile devices into its torture testing chambers, measuring them along with several other devices to see how much pressure they can really take. You can see the tests for yourself in a video embedded after the break, but according to CR, the larger iPhone 6 Plus is actually stronger than its counterpart, only deforming under 90 pounds of pressure, more than the 70 it took to bend the standard iPhone 6 and HTC One (M8). Meanwhile, Unbox Therapy gave a brand new iPhone 6 Plus another go in its less-scientific test, and bent it once again, while a Moto X withstood the challenge.

Snakebot and quadcopter combo makes for a go-anywhere rescue drone

Everyone has different ideas on what the perfect search-and-rescue robot is, and for a University of Pennsylvania Mod Lab team, it comes in the form of a snake drone-quadcopter chimera. The Hybrid Exploration Robot for Air and Land Deployment or H.E.R.A.L.D. is composed of two snake-like machines that attach via magnets to a UAV. After being carried to the site by the quadcopter, the snake bots can detach themselves, slip through the holes and cracks of a collapsed building, for instance, and slither to their destination. The researchers have been working on H.E.R.A.L.D. since 2013, but now that all its components can properly merge and work together like the robots in Power Rangers, they presented it at the 2014 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. You can watch the machine ace the tests its creators put it through in the vid after the break, including a part where a researcher used an Xbox controller to navigate a snakebot through a pipe.

Sony Xperia Z3 review: Hands-on

The Sony Xperia Z3 is the brand's latest flagship smartphone and as you'd expect, it replaces the Sony Xperia Z2.

As part of Sony Mobile's largest product launch to date, the Z3 is also joined by the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, the budget Sony Xperia E3, Sony Smartwatch 3 and Sony SmartBand Talk.

The Xperia Z3 has plenty of competition in the form of the Samsung Galaxy S5,HTC One M8 and the iPhone 5S  iPhone 6 but what does it bring to the table. We went hands-on to find out...

 

Sony Xperia Z3: Size and build

Sony is sticking to the familar design of the Z2, albeit with a few tweaks. The new handset has the same 'omnibalance' design, with the premium silver power button once again placed halfway down the edge.

It's very slightly slimmer than the Z2 and also slightly lighter. It certainly feels comfortably to hold and it's also more durable, too. Sony has added nylon caps to the corners of the phone, which means that if you drop it, it's less likely to break.

What's more, it's the has the highest waterproof rating available on a smartphone, Sony tells us, so it should survive any accidental submersion.

It'll be available in the usual black and white plus two new colours - copper and rather nice green (see the gallery above).

Sony Xperia Z3: Features

The Xperia Z3 is the world's first smartphone with PS4 Remote Play - a feature that will also be available on the Z3 Compact and Z3 Tablet Compact.

A gaming mount (sold separately, price TBC) uses a sat-nav-style sucker to attach your device onto your PS4 controller so that you can play over your home Wi-Fi network, using your phone or tablet's screen. That means that you can play on your phone or tablet in another room to free up the TV for someone else, or even partake in some seriously antisocial multiplayer.

In theory, you could use it on Wi-Fi networks outside the home, as long as your PS4 is left on, but Sony doesn't recommend it as it can't guarantee the quality. We haven't had a chance to try this out properly yet, but we did have a go attaching the phone to the controller using the mount, which worked a treat. The PS4 function won't actually work until November, Sony tells us.

The phone also features DSEE HX, which converts audio to near high-res quality. We had a demo and can report that the conversion was definitely noticeable when switching between modes, but then the original sounded pretty good to start with.

Sony Xperia Z3: Camera

The camera has the same basic spec as the previous model but with a few important refinements. The Z3 includes the world's first 12800 ISO rating, which should make it better for low light shooting.

It also includes an improved SteadyShot mode, ported over from the maker's camcorders. You'll also get a new wider angle 25mm lens, so you'll be able to pack even more into your shots. There are also several new software features including Face In - a mode that takes photos with the rear camera while including a selfie in a box in the same shot. We reeled off a few test shots - which all looked great - but we're looking forward to trying out the finished product in some more testing conditions.

Sony Xperia Z3: Screen

The 5.2-inch screen sports a full HD 1080p screen, with Sony making the deliberate decision not to go 2K as it doesn't think it's worth it on a screen this size. We have to agree.

Packing the brand's Triluminos and X-reality processing tech, along with IPS, the screen looks great and has really good viewing angles.

Sony Xperia Z3: Performance

Running on the latest version of Android, the Z3 has 3GB of RAM and 16GB of on-board storage. While we haven't tried out a final version of the phone just yet, navigating around the OS in our hands-on time was slick with no lag at all. Obviously we'll be testing that out further as soon as we can get a full sample in for testing.

Sony Xperia Z3: Battery

 

Sony is making a bold claim of a two-day battery life - again, we haven't had time to test that yet, but we're certain intrigued. Along with the existing power-saving mode introduced on the Sony Xperia Z1, the Z3 also has a power-efficient screen.

Sony Xperia Z3: Verdict

While it may seem quite soon for Sony to be replacing the previous model, the Xperia Z3 looks set to be a very strong contender in the smartphone battle. The improvements are subtle but significant and the PS4 functionality is sure to be a massive selling point for gamers. Stay tuned for a full review.

Sony Xperia Z3 release date: October 2014

Sony Xperia Z3 price: TBC

Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9983 review: Hands-on

It’s very rare that we find ourselves summoned down to Harrods in Knightsbridge for a phone release. But such was the case with the Porsche Design BlackBerry P’9983. The environment is well suited; this is a premium BlackBerry model, aimed at those for which a mere iPhone 6 or LG G3 alone won’t fit the bill. And yet, compared to the likes of the handmade £6,750 Vertu Signature Touch, the £1,400 asking price doesn't seem so steep.

This is Porsche Design's third BlackBerry handset, following last year's BlackBerry P'9982 - essentially a pimped BlackBerry Z10. This time around, its theBlackBerry Q10 that's been given the luxury treatment and with it, comes the return of the keyboard - BlackBerry's perennial calling card.

But if you're hoping for substantial new features, well, there aren't any. Internally, the phone remains exactly the same. It benefits from the latest version of the Blackberry 10 OS but then again, there's the forthcoming BlackBerry Passport to blow that particular tumpet. What we've got here then, is just a nicer-looking BlackBerry Q10 with premium branding and a massive price bump.  

Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9983: Design and build

There’s no mistaking that the design and build is where the £1,400 price tag comes into play. Porsche Design has, to all intents and purposes, taken the BlackBerry Q10 and given the chassis a serious overhaul. The familair stainless steel machined Porsche Design logo is stamped above the 3.1-inch screen.

The same stainless steel edging is in effect around the handset, transforming the curved appearance of the BlackBerry Q10 into something much more angular. The design company pulled a similar trick with last year's P'9882. The weight of the handset remains pretty much the same, increasing slightly to 140g from the Q10's 139g.

BlackBerry devices were always noted for the keyboard and it's here that Porsche Design has shown some love. The P'9883 features glass-like PMMA plastic for increased durability and the design company has shaped the keys to create a pseudo 3D-like effect. And there's a nice new silver font too.

The raised buttons are comfortable to type on, but some quick test emails revealed that we've become too used to wide touchscreens - the cramped 'board takes some getting used to but there's a decent amount of travel on the keys.

Round the back, Porsche Design has coated the device with a "special glass-weave technology" that looks nice enough, but is immediately covered with smears and fingerprint marks. Which is a shame given how much you're asked to part with for it.

And yet, it's a sturdy, well-built phone. The silver and black blend obviously looks the business, and will find a nice home in the breast pocket of your Savile Row suit. This is the reason the phone is what it is - if you're of a particular income bracket and partial to an association with German automotive design, then you're going to like this device.

Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9983: Features

New features were awarded barely a mention during the reveal at Harrods, and chiefly rely on the updates to BlackBerry's operating system. Unfortunately, all you're going to get with this phone is a different font and the silver, executive-style Porsche Design clock. There's also a particular PIN ID designation with BlackBerry Messenger that identifies you as a Porsche Design user.

Around back is the 8MP camera that Porsche Design has equipped with a sapphire crystal coated lens. A small array of features, included burst mode, panorama and time shift are there to play with, but really it's not up to the likes of the HTC One M8 in the photography department.

The square 3.1-inch display boasts a 720 x 720 resolution that is clearly designed for the email and spreadsheet mentality than taking in a TV series on the commute home.

If the black and silver look is a little too boardroom for you, you can add one of Porsche Design's handcrafted leather cases to the P'8893. They come in a range of colours, including yellow, orange, salsa blue, pomegranate, dark brown paloma grey and blue green.

Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9983: Performance

Performance is handled by the same dual core 1.5GHz Snapdragon processor found in the original Q10, although, like the P'9982, Porsche Design has given the internal storage a boost. The original 16GB has been upgraded to 64GB and you can still use a microSD card to add even more.

There's 2GB of RAM, keeping things moving quickly, and a 2,100 mAh battery that, BlackBerry says, will afford you 14 hours of talk time. Part of the work that the company has done on the operating system is to make it more power efficient and the representatives we spoke to at the launch were pretty confident you could get a day and a half's use out of the device between charges.

Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9983: Verdict

This is a phone being sold on its brand image alone, and to a very specific type of customer. BlackBerry, by its own admission, says this isn't going to be a mass-market phone. It's aiming to bring back the business love by way of a decent keyboard and supurb build quality. In the hand, it feels suitably premium - but then, so does the HTC One M8.

The inclusion of the Amazon App Store goes some way to remedying the worrying lack of apps that has always plagued BlackBerry and the edgy design is more mature and appealing than the curvyness of the original BlackBerry Q10. It would have been nice if Porsche Design had something in the way of third-party apps or services that could set this phone aside in a software sense as well as a hardware sense.

Ultimately though, you're going to want this phone in order to make a particular statement. It's a designer phone in the same way as there are designer sunglasses, watches and jackets. It's branding has little to no impact on the actual performance or usability of the phone - which still falls some way behind Apple's iPhone 6 or the top Android handsets.

This isn't going to be the phone that reinvents BlackBerry, but it does stand as a testament to the fact there are still customers out there that value exclusivity above all else. And to them, we say happy shopping.

Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9983 release date: Out now

Porsche Design BlackBerry P'9983 price: £1,400 inc. VAT

Apple Watch review: Hands-on

Well, it may not be called the iWatch, but Apple’s entry into the burgeoning wearable category – called simply “Watch” – has at last gone from rumour to reality. Unlike the many Android Wear smartwatches that have been standalone products with individual merits, such as the Moto 360’s “real” watch faces or the Samsung Gear Fit’s heart rate monitor, the break from the norm here is the sheer level of customisation offered, all in one go. Another similarity is the requirement to own an Apple phone, ideally the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus of course, and it's not clear how backwards compatible with older iPhones the Watch is.

 

Apple Watch: Features

With two different face sizes – 38mm and 42mm respectively – three separate collections – the entry-level Watch, the sweat-loving Watch Sport and the 18-carat-gold, bling-tastic Watch Edition – plus six different strap styles with three different fits all fighting for your attention, seeing all of them at once is a disorientating experience. Apple lined all 36 different types up in a central hub at the Cupertino reveal like a cross between Baselworld and The Usual Suspects.

Make no mistake, this will be a new range from the off when it launches early next year, not a one-off product. Whatever your choice of wear - plastic for fitness, leather for work, stainless steel for evening wear - Apple seems to have it covered. Indeed, the “Milanese loop” number is verging on smart jewellery, the design of the face as its own entity meaning you can mix and match. We can see the custom-obsessed money flying out of wallets already – the price being “from” $349 is key.

We grabbed a hands-on with the “Modern” buckle, a magnetised fixer connecting its blue, brushed leather strap. It linked easily and was a perfect fit as luck would have it without adjusting – good old predictable wrist widths. The first thing you notice is the 38mm watch’s body is surprisingly small and light, the Moto 360 – until now arguably the looker in the smartwatch department – seeming hulking and heavy by comparison. The sleek design also sits comfortably next to normal watches – it actually looked a bit like the Uniform Wares one we were wearing – with little style concession at all. This is unprecedented for a smartwatch.

Apple Watch: Display

The Flexible Retina sapphire-glass display is both clear and strong, if a bit of a fingerprint lover. However, while it is used as a touchscreen, the neat digital crown dial on the side keeps your fingers off and out of the way, the small screen not often obstructed, flicking through customisation options and zooms in and out, and also acting as a home button. It’s a really clever solution and very intuitive, allowing you to customise settings such as contextual info and colour schemes quickly.

Apple Watch: Performance 

Our hands-on involved a run-through some of the basic functionality – browsing the circular apps (you zoom in and out of them fluidly a la Google Earth), fitness monitoring (through the sensors on the reverse of the face), map finding, etc. The most impressive factor, though, was the consistent alerts, shunning loud beeps and flashing lights for a light throb to your wrist, be it for text messages, lap times or a reminder to get the shopping.

Apple Watch: Connectivity

Connectivity wise, there’s no ugly and impractical headphone ports, with all connections handled by Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. We were sent hand-drawn messages wirelessly to our watch by a member of staff, the use of which were unclear of – for a product so stylish, drawing little pictures on it seems a bit Nintendo for us – but it certainly works. Charging is elegant, too, a circular MagSafe connecting to the entire bottom of the watch body, where the four sensors sit.

Apple Watch: Verdict 

Of course, this was a guided demo, and Apple was unsurprisingly keen to play up its style and connected credentials. We didn’t get much time to put the new S1 chip to the test, try Apple Pay or Siri (the latter is accessed via clicking the digital crown), see the extent to which it requires an iPhone to function (which we were told it does), or, of course, test the battery life, which Tim Cook and co stayed very quiet on indeed. The sheer lightness of the watch makes us wonder just how much stamina it’s packing, but we shall see. The headline news is this is a really good looking smartwatch that you could conceivably buy just as a watch, and that, for us, is a first. Whether smartwatches in general are a category that can prove useful enough to snare the masses, though, we're still unsure.

Apple iPhone 6 vs Apple iPhone 5s: What's changed?

iPhone 6 vs iPhone 5s: Display

First we had 3.5-inches, then the iPhone 5 gave us 4-inches, but now, finally, we have an iPhone with a 4.7-inch display. As with all iPhones since the 4, Apple has attached the Retina Display moniker to the iPhone 6 meaning pixels will, hopefully, be a complete pain to spot.

Speaking of the resolution, it is now 1334x750 (the iPhone 6 Plus is 1920x1080) which is a nice increase from the 1136x540 of the iPhone 5 and 5s. Apple says the 6 has 38% more pixels than the 5s, along with a broader angle of view.

Can it match up the 1080p displays of Android superphones like the Samsung Galaxy S5 or even the 2K versions on the LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4? You'll have to wait for our full review to find that out. 

iPhone 6 vs iPhone 5s: Size and Build

Increasing the screen size from 4-inches to 4.7-inches clearly means the device itself is going to be quite a bit larger, but how bigger actually is it?

Well, the iPhone 5s came in at 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm, with a weight of 112g, the iPhone 6 on the other hand tips the scales at just 6.9mm thick - making it one truly thin phone.

Instead of the straight lines that made up the iPhone 5s, Apple has gone much more curvy with the 6, rounding off the sides and giving the phone a look that resembles the iPad Air and iPad Mini.

All the side mounted buttons have been given a refresh, while the on/off switch has thankfully been moved from the top to the side. The Lightning connector and headphone jack still cover the bottom.

Aluminium, as you’d probably expect is still the material of choice, though the display is now covered in strengthened glass (not sapphire though), so expect scratches to be much fewer and far between.

iPhone 6 vs iPhone 5s: Features and Performance

While almost every high-end Windows 8 and Android smartphone has packed NFC for countless years now, Apple has finally decided to stick a Near Field Communications chip inside its flagship smartphone. Having NFC means the iPhone can now make use the new Apple Pay feature, which lets you add cards into the Passbook by just taking a picture of it.

iOS8 obviously will come preinstalled, with its array of features like improved notifications, extensions, the Health app and more.

Apple, as usual, hasn’t delved deep into the specs for the new iPhone 6, though we know it runs on a dual-core A8 processor, with a 64-bit architecture, and with a suspected 1GB of RAM. Apple says the CPU is 25% faster this year, with 50% faster graphics and the device should be able to run at full power throughout the charge cycle.

Apple showed off a few game demos during the presentation and we have to say the graphical detail, which is provided by the new Metal engine Apple announced at WWDC, looked pretty fantastic.

Last year’s iPhone 5s was the first Apple phone to pack a 64-bit processor, an A7, so the jump to A8 should give improved performance along with better battery management. You'll also have access to the brand new M8 coprocessor, which tracks motion and works in tandem with HealthKit in iOS8, great for keeping an eye on your daily step count.

One of the new features of the M8 is that it can tell the diffference between cycling and running, plus there's also a barometer.

The WiFi has thankfully been upgraded to 802.11ac, a feature that previously wasn't supported.

16GB, 64GB options for internal storage are available, though for the first time a 128GB choice is available for the phone. Notice no 32GB option?

iPhone 6 vs iPhone 5s: Battery

Keeping that 4.7-inch display toting iPhone juiced up is a battery that Apple claims will easily see you through the day, offering 10 hours of LTE browsing, the same as the 5s.

iPhone 6 vs iPhone 5s: Camera

One of our favourite aspects of the iPhone 5s was its 8-megapixel, sapphire covered snapper that boasted an f/2.2 aperture, backside illuminated sensor and a nifty true tone flash.

It was fast, took some of the best pictures we’ve ever taken with a smartphone and had a flash that we didn’t instantly turn off and never even think about putting it back on again.

So, what improvements can we look forward with the iPhone 6? Well for one the 8-meg sensor is still here, as is the same aperture, though there is a new feature called 'focus pixels' and an improved image engine which offers advanced noise reduction and faster autofocus. Image stabilisation is also offered, though on the iPhone 6 it's only digital, but on the 6 Plus it's optical.

1080p video is supported for both 30fps and 60fps and there's an improved hyper slow-mo mode.

Up top there's a new FaceTime HD camera, with better face detection and an all new sensor that lets in 81% more light, plus the ever popular 'burst selfie' mode.

iPhone 6 vs iPhone 5s: The Verdict

While we were pretty sure we were going to see a new iPhone today, it's still good to finally be able to say it's official. it seems that Apple has finally moved the iPhone forwards for possibly the first time since the iPhone 4 gave us that first Retina Display, thanks to that bigger screen and features like NFC