Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2017 i APC

Australia’s largest film production company, Village Roadshow, hasn’t finished its fight against piracy. Instead, it’s trying to tighten the noose further, threatening to sue and fine individuals suspected of pirating content. Given how easy it is to circumvent the ISP blocks, Village Roadshow boss Graham Burke told Fairfax Media that “people who infringe [copyrighted movies] are people who steal, it’s theft and it’s not a victimless crime. There needs to be a price to pay. What we plan to do [is] sue people that are stealing our movies. So if someone steals Red Dog and Mad Max: Fury Road, we will sue them for the two viewings of those movies, plus some damages” incurred by the production company. According to Burke, infringement notices will be mailed to alleged pirates “later…

ALL-IN-ONE PC  $2,699 | APPLE.COM There’s been a big wait for the latest generation of 5K iMac updates — almost two years. With that kind of gap, we were hoping for some truly big changes. However, it looks like we’ll have to rely on the iMac Pro release in December for our fix of wild new features. Firstly, that glorious 5K screen is basically the same. Same huge 5,120 x 2,880-pixel res, same 27-inch size, and the same wide P3 gamut for  more realistic colours than the average screen. To it’s credit, the 2017 display comes with boosted brightness, and the difference is noticeable, adding an extra level of vibrancy that’s pleasing. That’s not a revolution, but it’s impossible to overstate how impressive this screen is when it’s packing a…

PROCESSOR $149 | WWW.AMD.COM While Intel may continue to dominate when it comes to instructions-per-cycle CPU performance efficiency, there’s no denying that AMD’s now the go-to when it comes to multi-threading — and with the Ryzen 3 1200, that’s now clear from the bottom of the CPU market right through to the top. This new entry-level chip also nicely highlights the overall value engrained in the AMD AM4 platform, even at this lower-tier in the CPU market. We tested the new 1200 using our standard AM4 testbed, based around ASUS’s RoG Crosshair VI Hero, which packs an AM4 X370 chipset. While that is a compatible setup, it’s the concept of pairing the Ryzen 3 1200 with a cheaper B350 based AM4 motherboard that really appeals. (The Gigabyte AB350-Gaming…

BEST BUDGET OPTION (AROUND $200) $210 | WWW.NVIDIA.COM This price point is about as low as you can go and still get a ‘real’ gaming GPU. For budget gamers, what you’re aiming for at this price is a card that can average around 60fps at 1080p in modern games, and you can generally get that with the 1050 Ti, provided you turn the detail settings down to Medium/Normal. This end of the market is surprisingly competitive, with a few cards hovering around the $200 price point that are worth considering, including AMD’s Radeon RX 560 — recently launched, and largely based on the RX 460 from mid-2016, but with 15% more cores and slightly faster clock speeds. Nvidia’s budget cards (the GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti) are from…

BEST PREMIUM (AROUND $600) FROM $600 | WWW.NVIDIA.COM We’re getting up into the big leagues at this price point and, to be completely honest, it’s probably overkill to spend this much on a graphics card if you’re only gaming at 1080p — unless you want to take advantage of highframerate techs like G-Sync and FreeSync. If you’ve got a higher-res monitor, you’ll be able to achieve very comfortable 1440p/Ultra gaming at this price, and you can often even manage 4K resolution at Medium detail settings. This is also the kind of card you’ll need to aim for if you’re buying one of the new 32-inch, 3,440 x 1,440 ultrawide displays. This price point has been a bit of a one-horse race for much of 2016 and 2017, with…

$999 | WWW.ACER.COM.AU Panel: 27-inch TN; Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080; Refresh rate: 240Hz with Nvidia G-Sync While many gaming monitors offer 144Hz, the Acer Predator XB272 blasts though that with a massive 240Hz. Of course, to get there, it needs to make some trade-offs — for good and for bad. For a start, despite the large 27-inch size, the XB272 sports a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution and a TN panel. That’s by no means bad, but does mean the screen is focused on gaming, and day-to-day normal usage is not as pleasant as with a higher res, IPS screen. On the plus side, the Acer has a very low 1ms response time, and comes equipped with G-Sync. As far as 1080p TN panels go, the Acer is great,…

$1,099 | WWW.ASUS.COM/AU Panel: 27-inch IPS; Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440; Refresh rate: 165Hz with Nvidia G-Sync Sure, spending more on a monitor than some do on an entire gaming PC might seem extravagant. But the ASUS RoG SWIFT PG279Q isn’t just any rinky-dink monitor. Measuring in at 27-inch, it uses an IPS panel with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and 4ms response time. The PG279Q is also equipped with a high 165Hz refresh rate and Nvidia’s G-Sync, to avoid stuttering or tearing when gaming. Is testing, the monitor was more than happy to perform, and provided a smooth, seamless experience at extremely high framerates. Thanks to the IPS panel, the colours (100% sRGB colour gamut) are extremely good even when viewed off angle. The backlight is even with…

$249 | WWW.VIEWSONIC.COM.AU Panel: 27-inch TN; Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080; Refresh rate: 75Hz with AMD FreeSync Not everyone has $500 to spend on a gaming monitor and, at the lower end, choices are limited. But it’s easy to recommend the ViewSonic VX2757-mhd, which can be bought for under $250. At first glance, a 27-inch, TN-based 1,920 x 1,080 screen doesn’t seem that compelling. But the VX2757-mhd has a trick up its sleeve — a 75Hz refresh rate, and FreeSync support. This combination is ideal for older, or more budget-focused gaming rigs, who still want to maximise frame rates. The ViewSonic engineers have also worked to reduce the input lag and included a range of game modes. At the native resolution, it doesn’t take an overly powerful GPU to…

$150 | WWW.ASUS.COM/AU Mechanical Kaihua Kailh Red, Blue, Brown or Black switches; per-key RGB; 44.8 x 15.0 x 3.5cm; 1,250g ASUS is looking to change the playing field with its latest entry-level Cerberus device, with this mechanical RGB gaming keyboard promising great specs at a price that most of us can actually afford. Lay your hands on this baby and you’ll immediately notice the rubberised plastic that covers every surface — this is both a pleasure to touch and an instant smudge magnet. While the four included spare keycaps don’t get this rubber treatment, their orange-red colour ensures those WSAD keys still really stand out. The keyboard can lay flat or at a slight angle, but those who like a palm rest will need to look elsewhere. With…

$159.95 | WWW.ROCCAT.ORG/EN-AU Membrane keys; single RGB backlight; 50.0 x 24.5 x 2.5cm; 997g The Roccat Isku+ Force FX is a gaming keyboard with a name that’s almost as intense as its feature list. The ‘Force’ part of this membrane-keyboard’s name refers to a technology built into its QWEASD keys, a pressure sensitivity that aims to bridge the gap between analog joysticks on console controllers and the on/off nature of computer keys. Roccat’s Swarm configuration software comes with all the fine-tuning options you could need for this feature, letting you assign different pressures to different keys and key combinations, but this function isn’t flawless. Games that use a toggle setting rather than hold-and-move for actions like sprinting or sneaking will render the pressure sensitivity useless, and although you…

$120 | AU.TTESPORTS.COM Cherry MX Red, Blue or Brown switches; red backlighting; 44.9 x 14.3 x 3.8cm; 1.2kg ThermalTake have chosen to focus on the macro with it’s Meka Pro, adding a dedicated toggle that allows you to record macros on the fly. While the fact that you can record 31 key sequences using a simple keystroke-based operation will be appealing to anyone who regularly uses macros, it does mean that you miss out on a software suite to help you configure these options and tweak other settings. The Meka Pro is a full-sized ‘board that has ditched the dedicated media keys and palm rest, defaulting to the dual functions of the F keys for useful common shortcuts. Despite the macro focus, this aim to conserve space has…

$79 | WWW.HYPERXGAMING.COM Sensor: 3,200dpi optical (Pixart 3310); Design: Right-handed, 6 buttons; Cable: 1.8m braided; Dimensions: 12.7 x 4.2 x 7.1cm; 95g HyperX’s first mouse rounds- out its gaming peripheral lineup, but is it more than a piece for the completionist? Upon first inspection, you’d be forgiven for mistaking the PulseFire FPS for a rebranded Razer DeathAdder Chroma — the aesthetics are common to both products, as is the focus on durability, utility, and value rather than over-the-top customisation. That said, this mouse does have one significant leg-up in the form of a dedicated DPI button, a feature only found on Razer’s higher-end DeathAdder Elite, which costs around $15 more. This button cycles through its four preset settings, from 400 to 3,200dpi, and alters the lighting colour to…

$99 | WWW.RAZERZONE.COM Sensor: 16,000dpi optical (Razer 5G); Design: right-handed, 7 buttons; Cable: 2.1m, braided; Dimensions: 12.7 x 7 x 4.4cm; 105g The DeathAdder design has remained popular and in production since 2006. It’s seen many upgrades over the years — this Elite is from late 2016, and it’s predecessor — the still available (and very-good) Chroma — was released in 2014. So how do you make an already-great mouse better? Razer’s answer has been to improve the build quality and durability by swapping to mechanical button switches and a 16,000dpi optical sensor. Now, for most players, that sensor is complete overkill, but those new switches are certainly a plus — and they’re a bit quieter, too. Razer’s also changed the textured rubber used on the scroll wheel…

$90 | WWW.GAMING.LOGITECH.COM/EN-AU Detachable mic; 40mm drivers; Dual removable cables For savvy online shoppers, the Logitech G233 can be picked up for under $90, which puts it right in the middle of the range tested. The headset is wired only, but uses a removable cable and comes with both a dual and single 3.5mm cable, and inline controls. This means the G233 can be used with a PC, console or smartphone, for flexible gaming audio. The Logitech headset uses large mesh covered pads that sit entirely over the ear, and are removeable for cleaning. The ear pads also rotate, so can be folded flatter into your gaming bag. Combined with the padded and adjustable headband, comfort is excellent, and the headset is not too tight on a large…

We’ve relied on end-to-end streaming for longer than we’ve relied on computers. Where would society be without the influence of radio or cable TV? Would we be quite the same if Major General George O Squier hadn’t developed Muzak’s earliest tech, a 1930s system of sending inoffensive music along electrical wires directly to elevators and stores? Well, probably. We might even be slightly more sane. But that’s not the point: Streaming has long been hugely important, and the internet has completely democratised it. You’re now free to send whatever you want wherever you want. You can push data, making it available to anyone who wants it, or pull streams, just for you, from a private source. You can work with audio, video, live cameras, or any other data that suits.…

Windows 10 is constantly evolving. The Creators Update has now rolled out to most PCs and we’ve got another Fall update arriving later in the year, in our spring. As part of this, Cortana is also changing as new features are added and others improved. One thing is for sure — Cortana is here to stay. She even has a promoted role as you set up new devices; Cortana now helps you with the setup. You will need to be running the latest version of Windows 10 to use many of these features and some others are rolling out as 2017 goes on (not all languages are being rolled out together, as we’ll explain). To make sure you have the Creators Update installed, go to ‘Settings > System > About’.…

If you’re worried about the somewhat Orwellian notion of a forced disclosure of passwords, this coding project posits a rather radical solution to the dilemma: create a second password for your user account, which, instead of logging you in, will nuke your home folder using special tools. As extreme as this sounds, it’s surprisingly simple to set up. A couple of disclaimers: make sure to back up your personal data to a safe place before going ahead with this project. Also bear in mind that it’s not an infallible method, as anyone with physical access to your machine may seize it before you have a chance to flip this killswitch. 1 CREATE YOUR NEW USER ACCOUNT Although you most likely will already have a user account on the Pi, create…

Python is one of the world’s most popular programming languages — and it’s not too hard to see why. It’s free, easy to learn and incredibly versatile. Already, we’ve looked at how you can use Python to read data from your car’s engine control unit (ECU) and how Python can tap into features such as Speech Recognition on your Android device. The language is also equally adept at online activities, for example, Django (djangoproject.com) is a popular web framework for developing complex websites using Python code. But Python is also popular in scientific, mathematical and statistical circles, thanks to its highly-advanced ability at drawing charts and plots via the matplotlib library and the SciPy stack. GET PYTHON Not sure if you have Python installed on your computer? That’s easily fixed…

ISSUE 447,NOVEMBER 2017 Please note that these exclusive APC & TechLife magazine downloads will only be available for a limited time, from 12/10/2017 to 29/11/2017 DETECT HIDDEN DRIVE WASTAGE WITH EASE Free up space with Ashampoo Disk-Space Explorer 2018 FULL VERSION REQUIRES ONLINE ACTIVATION. The compact but powerful Disk-Space-Explorer 2018 provides a detailed overview of file distribution and disk space consumption. Unlike Windows Explorer, Disk-Space-Explorer 2018 lists results based on file types and helps quickly locate potential resource hogs. The file type filters are customisable making it easy to scan drives for specific files, like videos or documents. Bar and pie charts provide visual clues as to the percentage of disk space usage for each file type. For a more in-depth view, users can quickly navigate through folders and customise…

Investigations have revealed that over 3,000 political ads on Facebook were paid for by Russians during the last US Presidential election campaign. Mark Zuckerberg has not only promised to release them all to the investigators, but is making political advertising more transparent on the social media site. In the US, politicians are required to reveal who is paying for their ads on television, but that’s not the case for adverts placed on social media. “Going forward... we’re going to bring Facebook to an even higher standard of transparency. Not only will you have to disclose which page paid for an ad, but we will also make it so you can visit an advertiser’s page and see the ads they’re currently running to any audience on Facebook. We will roll this…

B.ONE HUB Make anything a smart device. $650 | WWW.B1HUB.COM.AU If Google Home isn’t enough to satisfy your ambitions for the perfect smart home, the skateboard shaped B.One Hub can flip a few new tricks that’ll greatly expand the number of devices you can hook up to the internet. In addition to plain old Wi-Fi connected devices, the B.One Hub integrates Bluetooth, Zigbee and Z-wave IoT protocols, giving you direct access to basically any IoT device you can think of. But the B.One Hub’s wings also function as infrared signal blasters, meaning it can work like a universal remote to connect ‘dumb’ devices — everything from old AV receivers to air-conditioners — with the smartphone or voice assistant controlled app. JB KEF LS50 WIRELESS Our favourite bookshelf speakers,…

In Australia, Apple’s newly-announced iPhone X costs $1,579 for the 64GB model, or $1,829 for the 256GB model. Needless to say, unless you’re Rupert Murdoch or Donald Trump, that’s a lot of money to spend on a phone. Now, there is some justification for that price tag. Not only does the iPhone X boast a better OLED screen, but it nearly scraps the bezel entirely, alongside camera and AR tech that promise to be futuristic, even if rather superfluous (and in the case of Face ID, mildly alarming). But who is it for? The wealthy, basically, or else people who really need to have the best available phone technology in their pocket and don’t mind sacrificing a great deal else. People will buy it regardless, but as time goes by…

GAMING LAPTOP $4,399 | WWW.AORUS.COM While the X7’s subtly accented heat vents, unbelievably-thin 2.5cm chassis and wing-shaped speaker grill add up to an impressive spectacle, running your fingers over the materials used on this gaming laptop gives an even more visceral indication of the device’s no-expense-spared approach. While the Aorus X7 DT v7 isn’t technically an Nvidia Max-Q certified laptop, it still packs a top-end GeForce GTX 1080 GPU in a chassis that’s incredibly thin. The laptop’s trackpad, emblazoned with the company’s dragon-like falcon logo, is first rate. Add to this a full-size keyboard with per-key customisable RGB backlighting, good resistance and a generous travel distance (at least for such a slim device) and you’ve got inputs that are a cut above most others. As impressive as these…

PC CASE $150 | WWW.FRACTAL-DESIGN.COM The case has a simple job: house the other PC components and look good while doing it. Keeping things cool, quiet, and dust-free is important, too, but compared to the bazillion floating-point calculations your graphics card has to do, it’s an easy life. Yet picking a model that checks all these boxes is never as easy as you’d first imagine, given the various options available — quiet cases or cases with great cooling options; budget cases or cases that don’t tear your hands to ribbons when you build in them. Fractal’s Meshify C forces no such compromise on you in exchange for its $150. The all-mesh front panel sets the case up for a clear airflow and the tempered glass side panel offers…

GRAPHICS CARD BUYER’S GUIDE Confused by all the GPU options currently on the market? The team makes choosing the right one simple with this comprehensive and (mostly) jargon- free guide. SHOW ME WHERE IT HERTZ A gaming monitor is the most-essential upgrade after a good mouse and keyboard. We test 11 screens tuned for gaming greatness. KEYED UP Four of our in-house wizards get their fingers into 2017’s top gaming keyboards to see what new features click, and what’s just colorful fancy. MOUSING OFF Make your aim as sharp as your trash talk with one of these incisive gaming mice. We test 11 current options. CHANGING YOUR TUNES Give your games an audio upgrade with a punchy new headset. We check out nine.…

THE ‘MONEY IS NO OBJECT’ CHOICE FROM $1,100 | WWW.NVIDIA.COM If you’re looking to blow the budget on a top-level card, you can’t really put a foot wrong with the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti. AMD’s recently-released Vega graphics cards are aimed at the GTX 1070 and 1080, respectively, so for now, there’s nothing from the red team that that can compete against Nvidia’s latest Ti flagship, with AMD seemingly content to focus on the midrange and entry-level markets until at least 2018. However, given the 1080 Ti is a whopping $500 more than the 1070 and around $300 more than a standard 1080, the question becomes one of how excessive you want to get. In other words, should you go for a single 1080 Ti for around $1,100,…

$689 | WWW.AOCMONITORAP.COM/AU Panel: 27-inch TN; Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440; Refresh rate: 144Hz with AMD FreeSync First-person shooter lovers, rejoice, because the AOC AG271QX offers both a 144Hz refresh rate, and FreeSync technology. The monitor is built around a 27-inch TN panel, which has a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and a fast 1ms response time. The AG271QX will set you back $689, but there is also a G-Sync-enabled version for $899. The AOC AG271QG (note the G) version is different in a few ways. For a start, it has a slightly higher 165Hz refresh rate, but also uses an IPS panel, with a 5ms response time. While the TN panel of the AG271QX can’t keep up with its IPS competition, it still manages accurate, even colours, and minimal…

$389 | WWW.ASUS.COM/AU Panel: 23.8-inch IPS; Resolution: 2,560 x 1440; Refresh rate: 60Hz As nice as it would be to have a dedicated gaming monitor, most of us also use our computers for loads of other tasks. As a compromise, the ASUS VX24AH skips some of the more hardcore gaming qualities without going too far. The 23.8-inch screen has a high 2K (2,560 x 1,440) resolution, and uses an IPS panel. This mean it has wide viewing angles, and can display 100% of the sRGB colour spectrum. While it does not support higher refresh rates or adaptive sync, the monitor still has a low 5ms response time. Those wanting to gain every split-second FPS advantage should look elsewhere, but for normal gaming, the VX24AH performs quite well. It…

$899 | WWW.VIEWSONIC.COM.AU Panel: 27-inch IPS; Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440; Refresh rate: 165Hz with Nvidia G-Sync Not everyone wants to sacrifice image quality for an extra gaming edge, so the ViewSonic wizards have put together the the GS. Importantly, the monitor has a 27-inch IPS panel, for wide viewing angles and more accurate colours. It also has a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution and a low 4ms response time. For smoother gaming, it offers a nice high 165Hz refresh rate, and includes G-Sync to avoid any screen tearing. The understated green trim on the XG2703-GS is a pleasant change from most gaming monitors, and it stands out without being over the top. The stand is excellent, with full height, pivot, tilt and swivel adjustments, and even a fold-out headset…

$169 | COOLERMASTER.COM Cherry MX Red, Blue or Brown switches; per-key RGB; detachable cable; 43.9 x 13.0 x 4.2cm; 1,090g The MasterKeys Pro L design is incredibly utilitarian and relatively portable, with a thin bezel and only a few peeks of keyless surface to be seen, but the functionality doesn’t live up to its spartan appearance. This unit is one of the more wallet-friendly offerings in the RGB world of mechanical gaming keyboards, especially considering the Cherry MX switches. The cable is braided and detachable, plugged in via micro-USB, and there are cable-management guides to feed it left, right or centre. Cooler Master offers a range of three different MasterKeys Pro sizes, the M has an even more crammed surface, melting the numpad into the arrow keys and…

$149 | WWW.HYPERXGAMING.COM Cherry MX Red switches; red LED backlighting; 44.4c x 22.7 x 3.6cm; 1,467g Add a luxurious 18 zone LED light bar, a suite of media controls and a generous rubbery palm rest to HyperX’s well received Alloy FPS and you have the elevator pitch for the latest keyboard from the relatively new peripherals competitor. The HyperX Alloy Elite is built from a solid steel frame and comes with a generously sized palm rest that give this keyboard a unique sturdiness. If you’re attracted to the RGB lights of the latest gaming keyboards, you’ll be disappointed by the red only LED lighting across the Hyper Elite, but for those who see keyboards through rose coloured glasses, the local version of this keyboard puts everything on red…

$149 | WWW.LOGITECH.COM Romer-G switches; per-key RGB; 36 x 15.3 x 3.4cm; 980g Logitech’s G Pro line packs all the basic gaming features without anything that might be considered extraneous. One of the things we like most about this range is that it’s deliberately low-key (pun intended) in terms of looks and features — all the Pro keyboards are plain black, with just a glowing G on the top right and the joystick-icon ‘gaming mode’ button at the top right — you won’t find dedicated macro keys or media controls. They still include glowing, multicoloured backlit keys, of course, but you can turn the latter off, or dial it back to be much more sedate. Logitech also has some of the best software when it comes to configuring…

$249 | WWW.RAZERZONE.COM Razer Green, Orange or Yellow switches; per-key RGB; 47.5 x 17.1 x 3.9cm; 1.5kg Razer has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the world of gaming peripherals, excelling in gaudy designs, edgy product titles and over-the-top specs, but does the latest iteration of the Blackwidow Chroma live up to the brand’s hype? Aesthetically, there isn’t all that much to this device. The glossy plastic areas spoil an otherwise tidy appearance, but thankfully, you can cover up one of these patches with the magnetically-attached palm rest. This rest sports a mega plush cushion with seriously soft pleather and was by far the most comfortable we’ve tried. The keyboard itself is a chunky affair, although the heft does lend to the unit’s sturdy…

$139 | WWW.CORSAIR.COM Sensor: 16,000 DPI optical (custom); Design: right-handed, 6 buttons; Cable: 1.8m braided; Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.1 x 4.5cm; 122g While it’s not uncommon to see interchangeable buttons and weights, Corsair’s Glaive RGB mouse takes the modular concept a step further. The three magnetically held smooth, textured and winged thumb options give the ideal support for multiple grip styles, but the design feature does rule out lefties. Like most of the high-end gaming options we’ve looked at here, the Glaive offers RGB LED lighting, but this is broken into three separately configurable areas to fully customise the lighting profile. There are two thumb buttons, a scroll wheel and a DPI toggle, in addition to the two main triggers, but as far as the number of buttons…

$69 | WWW.LOGITECH.COM Sensor: 12,000dpi optical (PMW3366); Design: right-handed, 6 buttons; Cable: 2m, braided; Dimensions: 11.7 x 6.2 x 3.8cm; 85g The G Pro is part of Logitech’s range of stripped-back gaming products, with fewer features but better build quality. (Why it still has 16.8 million colours of LED lighting, though, is beyond us...) You only get the standard six buttons on this model, but they’re well positioned, and all programmable using Logitech’s excellent software, which is some of the most-polished and intuitive in the biz. The casing is black plastic in a more classic rounded shape, with the shell unbroken apart from splits around the buttons, and the gaps for the (dreaded) lighting. It’s unadorned with grippy panels or thumb-rests, leading to a spartan look, offset by…

$360 | WWW.ASUS.COM/AU 7.1 surround sound; 5 x drivers per ear; Control Hub For those who want the best, the ASUS RoG Centurion offers true 7.1 surround sound and just about every high-end feature you can image, albeit for an eye-watering $360. The headset is wired, but uses a USB connection, out to a very in-depth control hub. Not relying on virtual surround, the Centurion has five drivers (including a subwoofer) in each ear. It also uses a hi-fi grade headphone amplifier to ensure stellar results. Despite being very large, and weighing a hefty 450g, the Centurion sits very comfortably, and even comes with different earpads for customised comfort. The headset uses ASUS’s Sonic Studio, which gives a huge range of customisation for those who like to fine…

It has been calculated that there are, on average, 13 Universal Serial Bus ports within 30 feet of you right now — amazing. USB first appeared on PCs around 1996, and has done very well ever since. By the new century, it was everywhere. USB ports are on cameras, cell phones, MP3 players, printers, and in your car. Everywhere. It has, indeed, almost become universal. Is there really an average of 13 ports around you? No idea — we made that up, but it sounded believable, didn’t it? Why has USB become so successful? Well, the original technical specs were reasonable for the period. Sockets and plugs are simple and therefore cheap. It includes power — enough to drive a small device or charge a larger one. You can plug…

Any grizzled yet privacy-conscious Ubuntu users may remember that, back in the day, keeping your data safe was far from easy. The steps involved either supreme mastery of the command line or using an alternate installation CD to encrypt your Ubuntu installation. Things have changed. When you insert a DVD of Ubuntu and its variants, the graphical installer now offers you the option to encrypt your system using LVM (Logical Volume Manager), which manages disk drives on LUKS (Linux Unified Key Setup), the standard for Linux Hard Drive encryption. For most users, this is a great way to save time, protect your system and avoid having to learn various confusing acronyms. Once the system installation is complete, your drive with the exception of the /boot partition is encrypted and can…

Destiny 2 Save the solar system by becoming Earth’s lightiest hero PC, PS4, XO | FROM $89.95 | WWW.DESTINYTHEGAME.COM One year after Destiny’s last expansion, Rise Of Iron, emperor Dominus ‘Gary’ Ghaul leads his Cabal forces to Earth and steals everyone’s power for himself, severing the link between you and magic-bestowing orb The Traveler before vowing to blow up the sun. Your newly vulnerable Guardian must venture across the Solar System acquiring Light (think supernatural prowess) to stop Ghaul and his Red Legion. And maybe learn a cool new emote while they’re at it. All your efforts in Bungie’s original massively multiplayer shooter reset, and that’s great for everyone. This is a sequel beckoning newcomers and incentivising pros to experiment with awesome new weapons and classes. You start…

2900 AMOUNT OF BITCOIN ATMS BEING INSTALLED ACROSS AUSTRALIA ATM operator StarGroup will convert 2,900 of its existing ATMs across Australia into Bitcoinenabled machines, in a new partnership with blockchain service provider DigitalX. This will mean that users will be able to both purchase Bitcoin with Australian dollars, or instantly cash in their Bitcoins for some cold hard cash. As it currently stands, cryptocurrency users often have to wait days to perform these conversions and while there are already some of these kinds of ATMs in service around the country, at last count, they only numbered 16 and were located solely in Sydney and Melbourne. 400GB THE SIZE OF SANDISK’S NEW MICROSD CARD It’s perhaps no big surprise that SanDisk, a company best known for its mobile storage, is the…

“The PC has a wealth of options in terms of components that enable you to max out your gaming performance at any given price point.” PC versus Mac. Mac versus PC. A debate that just won’t die. That comparative proposition used to be pretty straightforward. The PC was clunky but configurable, the Mac pretty but painfully restricted. Today, the divide isn’t so obvious. For starters, since Apple moved to Intel processors, it’s been possible to dual-boot Macs into Windows. Equally, Windows machines such as the Surface Studio aren’t just occupying similar creative territory as Macs, they’re doing some things better. Time to have another look at this classic confrontation. Round 1 PLAYING GAMES Of all the possible criteria, remits, and requirements, gaming provides the most unambiguous winner. It’s a…

INTEL CPU $799 | WWW.INTEL.COM Eighteen months ago, eight cores was as good as it got for desktop CPUs. Not now. In this brave new post-AMD Ryzen world, it’s half as many cores as AMD now sells you in a single CPU. It’s not even half as many as Intel is planning by the end of 2017. The new Core i7-7820 is Intel’s latest eight-core chip, and it arrives with a street price of around $799. That’s not only close to double the cost of that Ryzen processor, it’s also $300 more than the next CPU down in Intel’s new Skylake-X range, the six-core Core i7-7800X. Of course, not all CPU cores are equal. Hold that thought while we look at the 7820X’s vital statistics. Beyond the eight…

With both AMD and Nvidia both relying on GPU designs launched over a year ago at this point, we’re about due for a refresh at the top end. That doesn’t mean now’s not a good time to buy a new GPU, however — especially if you’re aiming for the competitive budget or mid-range space. High launch prices have well and truly subsided, so there are some genuine midrange bargains to be had in particular. There are more formats and resolutions than ever before for PC gaming — the proliferation of ultra-widescreen displays means it’s no longer just 1080p, 1440p and 4K. You’ve now got newfangled ultrawide 21:9 aspect-ratio models (which are commonly either 2,560 x 1,080 pixels or 3,440 x 1,440 pixels) that demand more GPU grunt, not to mention…

BEST UPPER-MIDRANGE (AROUND $400) FROM $400 | WWW.NVIDIA.COM Creeping up to around $400 will net you a card that can do 1080p with absolutely all the bells and whistles turned on and cranked up, and also offer some breathing room to keep that up in any future titles that prove to be a bit more demanding. Alternatively, if you’re using a higher-definition 1440p screen or a 27-inch ultrawide, spending this much on a GPU should generally let you play at High detail settings. In this space, you’ve basically got two $400 cards going head to head — the Radeon RX 580 with 4GB of memory, and the GeForce GTX 1060 with 6GB of RAM. While there’s also an 8GB version of the RX 580, it doesn’t actually complicate…

$899 | WWW.ACER.COM.AU Panel: 27-inch IPS; Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440; Refresh rate: 144Hz with Nvidia G-Sync Totally focused on gaming, the Acer XB271HU is $899 of features squeezed into a very stylish red and black shell. The monitor measures in at 27-inch, and has a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution. The Acer uses an IPS panel for better image quality, but still has a decent 4ms response time. Its real party trick, however, is the 144Hz refresh rate, overclockable to 165Hz. Combined with Nvidia’s G-Sync tech, the XB271HU is built for buttery smooth, high-end gaming. The Acer is fantastic in everyday use, with bright, vibrant colours from the IPS screen and wide viewing angles. Some manual tweaking (especially reducing brightness) will help, but generally, it’s quite well configured out…

$399 | WWW.VIEWSONIC.COM.AU Panel: 24-inch TN; Resolution: 1,920 x 1,080; Refresh rate: 144Hz with AMD FreeSync While G-Sync tech and 2,560 x 1,440 resolutions are undeniably great, not everyone has a PC capable of using all that potential. So instead, the ViewSonic XG2401 winds things back a little, while still appealing to higher-end gamers. For a start, it’s a 24-inch TN panel with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. This means it has an excellent 1ms response time, yet can still be driven at a high framerate by a more modest PC. To ensure the fun is not ruined by tearing or stutter, the screen also supports FreeSync. At this stage, that means you will only get the full benefit of the screen with…

$195 | CORSAIR.COM Cherry MX Speed (Silver) switches; per-key RGB; 43.9 x 13.0 x 4.2cm; 1,090g; Corsair is clearly aiming for the premium with the K70 RGB RapidFire, and for the most part, its aim is true. The switches and keys are all surface-mounted and look particularly striking atop the brushed aluminium face — especially when the RGB lights are in full swing. The detachable palm rest is a pleasant rubberised plastic to alleviate the harshness of the brushed aluminium. It has a wealth of included conveniences, including USB passthrough port, dedicated polling rate switch, kick-feet, dedicated media controls and a volume slider. The keycaps have a slightly shorter face than standard and come with a larger font, plus Corsair is using Cherry MX Speed (Silver) switches which…

$129 | FNATICGEAR.COM Cherry MX Red, Blue, or Brown switches; red LED backlighting with variable brightness; 44.8 x 14.8 x 3.3cm, 1,275g The Rush G1 is the least expensive keyboard on our list, so what are you missing out on when you save this much dosh? Well, this keyboard only has red LED backlights for the keys, so your lighting options are limited to four different brightness settings and a pulsing mode, although the shortcomings more or less end there. Its aesthetic is understated and the grey- on-black logo is the only indicator that it isn’t an office keyboard when the lights are off. The rubberised plastic finish on the frame and detachable palm rest feel premium, as does the braided USB cable. The G1 also provides USB…

$170 | WWW.ROCCAT.ORG TTC Blue switches ; RGB per-key backlighting; 43 x 12.5 x 3.5cm; 865g While much of Roccat’s keyboard portfolio attempts to convert customers with additional media keys, palm rests or unique lighting, its latest frameless mechanical keyboard seems to be trying to focus on getting the fundamentals right. By sacrificing the palm rest and additional keys, the Soura FX has been able to keep its footprint compact, a massive perk for anyone a little tight on space. But in addition to cutting a heap of dead weight, this no-frills approach means you aren’t distracted by unusual keys. The Blue Cherry switches give the Soura FX an ostentatious clackieness that is second to none. As far as gaming capabilities go, there isn’t much here that distinguishes…

$249 | STEELSERIES.COM SteelSeries QX2 switches; per-key RGB lighting; 45.4 x 15.4 x 4.7cm; 998g There’s nothing superfluous or even slightly gamer-centric about the M750’s appearance; no harsh angles on its smooth aluminium base or obnoxious media keys, just a standard layout with readable, well-lit keys. SteelSeries’s Prism lighting system offers a stack of effects that you can store on the keyboard itself or customise through the SteelSeries Engine software, and the transparent switches make for one of the best lightshows we’ve seen on a gaming keyboard. The new QX2 switches from SteelSeries are, technically, silent — press them gingerly enough and take advantage of the half- press actuation distance, and there’s little to no noise, but there’s definitely a clatter with heavier typing. This shorter actuation depth…

$55 | FNATICGEAR.COM Sensor: 5,000dpi optical (Pixart PMW3310) ; Design: right-handed, 6 buttons; Cable: 2m; Dimensions: 12.6 x 6.8 x 4cm; 90 g With some vendors selling it for as little as $55, the Fnatic Gear Flick G1 is one of the least expensive gaming mice we’ve included in the roundup, but this isn’t something many people would be able to pick out just from looking at it. The powdery plastic exterior is comprised of three simple continuous slices plastic that are stitched together by two symmetrical, arching seams that reveal a series of recessed white-LED DPIlevel lights. Throw in an RGB colour wheel, a simple black DPI sensitivity toggle and a forward and back thumb trigger and you get a particularly sleek-looking gaming mouse. The near symmetrical…

$149 | WWW.LOGITECH.COM Sensor: 12,000dpi optical (PMW3366); Design: right-handed, 6 buttons; Cable: wireless; includes 1.8m braided cable for charging; Dimensions: 12.4 x 6.8 x 4.3cm; 107g Logitech’s G903 is its premium wireless mouse, but it won’t appeal to all tastes. The company thankfully has another option, though: the ergonomically shaped G703. While it has fewer features and customisation options than the higher-end G903, the main difference is that this one has a flatter and wider design that’s a bit more comfy for palm-grippers — although at 107g, it’s still lightweight enough that more finger-oriented grip styles work fine, too. The pain point for wireless mice is recharging them, but if you’re willing to fork out another $150 to get Logitech’s Powerplay mat, you’ll never have to worry about…

$99 | STEELSERIES.COM Sensor: 12,000dpi optical (SteelSeries TruMove 3); Design: right-handed, 6 buttons ; Cable: 2m; Dimensions: 12.8 x 7 x 4.2cm, 88.3g The new Rival from SteelSeries certainly punches above its cost, proving that you don’t need to drop big dollars to get the top-of-the-line experience, The Rival’s new TrueMove 3 optical sensor offers one-to-one raw tracking, meaning the distance the sensor moves on your desktop is mirrored exactly on the screen, with as little processing involved as possible — therefore no lag. We rather like the Rival’s understated approach to design; all we get here is the SteelSeries logo lit up on the back, surrounded by matte black plastic. Light also leaks out from around the thick, grippy wheel, which has enough click to it that…

$80 | WWW.ASUS.COM/AU 53mm drivers; Frequency response: 20–20,000Hz; Removeable mic Easily found for under $100, and as little as $79, the ASUS Cerberus is aimed squarely at those who want decent quality and features without blowing the budget. The headset is wired, and uses the standard over the ear style cups. It’s available in blue, red or green, and can be matched with a range of other Cerberus gaming products. The headset features large 53mm drivers, with a 32 Ohm impedance, and a 20 — 20,000Hz frequency response. The Cerberus has a fixed 1.2m braided cable with inline volume and mic mute, with a single 3.5mm jack on the end. For use across other devices, it also has a splitter / extension cable, with the typical dual 3.5mm…

WINDOWS UNINSTALL A STUBBORN WINDOWS 10 PROGRAM I recently installed a program and now I find that my Windows 10 PC has slowed to a crawl. The app is obviously to blame, but how am I supposed to remove it when everything keeps hanging and crashing all the time? Can you help? Eddie Oswald If you can get into Windows 10, click Start and hold Shift as you select Restart. When the ‘Choose an option’ screen appears, select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings and click Restart. When the boot menu appears, press 5 to launch Windows in Safe mode, then remove the troublesome program via Start > Settings > System > ‘Apps & features’. Once removed, restart your PC and it’ll boot back into normal mode, with your…

“Your Mac contains a number of hidden gems, including several retro games” One of the many delights of being a Mac owner is that there is always another layer of intrigue hidden behind all the headline features, no matter how thoroughly you explore your system. In this article, we will be looking at some of the secret treasures of the Mac, from hidden games (including your own digital psychiatrist) to more useful features, such as the ability to navigate your system more quickly and sign documents. We will also explore how to activate and download offline text dictation and dictionaries in various languages, as well as Sierra’s famed Picture in Picture mode, which is the bane of employers everywhere, as it allows you to watch streaming videos in a discrete…

As you’re probably aware, the cryptocurrency Bitcoin can be used to make anonymous and irreversible online payments, similar to hard cash. Bitcoin is a huge leap forward for privacy-minded people, but the fact that it’s a digital currency means that hackers often target owners of Bitcoin software wallets. In this tutorial, we’ll explore a solution using the lightweight Bitcoin Wallet Electrum on the Raspberry Pi. The Pi will host a ‘cold’ wallet which is kept offline at all times. You’ll also set up an online ‘watching’ wallet on another computer so you can see payments as they come in. Payments are only sent by generating a transaction file with your watching wallet, which you transfer manually via a USB stick to your ‘cold’ wallet to be digitally signed. As your…

Learning to code is one of the most important skills you can pick up — but if you can add to it ‘maker’ skills, understanding electronics and microcontrollers, you open up a whole world of possibilities. Really, the sky and your imagination are the only limits. A couple of months ago, we built a small voice-powered oscilloscope using a budget microphone module. This month, we’re switching the display to an 8x8-LED pack and making a sound level meter with scrolling display that could be used by the hearing-impaired or as the basis of a triggered alarm project. ARDUINO ANALOG INPUTS The Arduino Nano is a compact USBpowered microcontroller board with multiple I/O (input/output) pins you can connect up to various devices. It also has a number of analog inputs that…