Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2019 i TechLife

OF ALL THE tech tasks that we’re called upon to master in this modern age there’s one that I always find more of a chore than almost anything else... Networking. If there is one technology you want to work and do so quietly and without fuss it’s the ability of all our devices, personal and desktop and entertainment, to just seamlessly work together. It’s one of those things you never even notice, once everything’s logged in... Until it stops working, and your familiar world abruptly drops away. This happened to me the other day – my flatmate was at home when the net dropped out. Turned out to be a problem with the building’s connection (or possibly the NBN), but it killed the connectivity of the smart TV, consoles, and…

LEADING FORENSICS FIRM REPORTEDLY PAYS RANSOMWARE DEMAND EUROFINS SCIENTIFIC WON’T CLARIFY WHETHER IT HAS PAID OR NOT THOUGH. Eurofins Scientific, the leading forensic services outfit in the UK, has paid out to criminals who hit the company with a ransomware attack, according to a report. The attack occurred in early June, with the company stating that its operations would be returning to normal almost a month later, although it refused to state why it was able to do so. TESLAS WILL GET A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE WHEN FULL SELF-DRIVING GOES MAINSTREAM MUSK SAYS HIS COMPANY’S CARS ARE AN INVESTMENT. Tesla cars will become a lot more expensive when fully self-driving models are available, says the company’s CEO Elon Musk. When responding to a tweet questioning whether customers had a limited…

IN MARCH THIS year, Facebook released a tool called “Why am I seeing this?”, which allowed users to take a deeper look at the ads they were being shown and the reason they were being targeted. The service was created in response to the public outcry following events like the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which raised concerns about the abuse of user data by giant tech companies and the lack of privacy that it entails. DESPITE THE APPARENT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CLARITY OF THESE OPTIONS, IT’S STILL A RATHER LABYRINTHINE PROCESS TO ACCESS THE SETTINGS, ALTHOUGH ONCE YOU HAVE NAVIGATED TO THE APPROPRIATE PAGE, THE DETAILS ON OFFER ARE MORE THOROUGH. Today, Facebook has announced that it’s further improved the tool, claiming to have increased the amount of transparency offered overall.…

01 D-LINK MYDLINK PRO WIRE-FREE CAMERA KIT $599 (hub + two cameras), www.dlink.com.au With the easiest setup, the most secure mounting options, decent battery life and the cleverest hub on test here, D-Link’s mid-range 1080p camera system manages to stand out from a tough crowd. 02 SWANN SMART SECURITY CAMERA WIRE-FREE HD $399 (pack of two), www.swann.com/au Swann’s completely hub-free wireless camera system is simple to set up, simple to access, and cheap enough that anyone can get on board – but it doesn’t skimp on picture quality in the slightest. 03 ARLO ULTRA $999 (hub + two cameras), arlo.com Arlo’s latest addition to its line is the high-end wireless security choice, but pairing absolutely top of the line camera specs with some incredibly smart built-in features makes it worth…

IT CAN BE easy to take for granted video streaming as it exists today. Go back even just five years and on-demand streamers like Netflix didn’t even exist in Australia (without a VPN). Sure, free to air catch-up services have been around for many years, but the choice on what to watch is often limited to a select few (not to mention the constant advertisements that infiltrate your viewing). Stan is an Australian-born streaming platform that went live in early 2015 with an extensive catalogue of both film and TV. Now four years later, the service has garnered over 2.6 million subscribers – while that’s significantly lower than international powerhouse Netflix with 11.2 million Australians, Stan continues to grow with it’s range of exclusive titles and agreements with global production…

www.digitalvolcano.co.uk Has it all got too much? Can’t find what you’re looking for through the clutter? While the free version is a little limited, you might just be tempted to pay up for Duplicate Cleaner if your hard drive is a complete mess. It digs through your drive for all those many copies of your photos, those scattered music files, those documents you saved in three places, and cleans them up. Duplicate Cleaner doesn’t just look for the names of your files – it’ll check the content of files, or the size, or any other metric you want. Once it’s done its work, you can scan through what it’s found (including full image previews) and either delete the copies, or send them onwards to an external drive for safekeeping; it’s…

Earth DETAILED WEATHER ON A GLOBAL SCALE. earth.nullschool.net Weather apps are fairly ubiquitous at this point, but for the great majority of us, we’re rarely looking beyond our own suburb, let alone city. This website focuses much more on the macro and is completely mesmerising as a result. You can view the entire planet, in a variety of different 2D or 3D views, and select a huge range of different data to overlay on top of it. This ranges from the relatively simple wind and temperature measurements to some more advanced metrics such as air particulates and currently-occurring auroras. The data is taken from a number of publicly available sources and is “forecast by supercomputers” and updated on the map at regular intervals, depending on which particular data-set is being…

The next chapter in The Division 2 is Episode 1 - DC Outskirts: Expeditions, and as Ubisoft and Massive announced today, this free DLC will arrive on July 23 for Year 1 Pass owners and July 30 for all players. Aside from myriad fixes and balance changes, Episode 1 will introduce two new main missions, the Expeditions game mode, new gear including two Exotics, and two more Classified Assignments. The Operation Dark Hours raid is also getting a lowered “Discovery” difficulty (with reduced rewards), and even amongst the many balance changes, skill overhauls stand out. The new missions are set in Camp White Oak and the Manning National Zoo, and star President Andrew Ellis and Outcast leader Emeline Shaw, respectively. Expeditions, meanwhile, will take players to Kenly College. Unlike missions,…

Nintendo Switch | $79.95 | www.nintendo.com/ THERE’S SOMETHING ODDLY transgressive about Mario Maker. After over 30 years stomping Goombas in carefully designed and refined Super Mario Bros. levels, the opportunity to take the reins comes with a strange sense of power. With every utterly ridiculous corruption of Nintendo’s famously breezy platformer, with every gargantuan-sized Thwomp placed maliciously and secretly at the end of a marathon level, Mario Maker can feel like breaking into school at the weekend and wreaking havoc in the canteen. Nintendo isn’t so reckless as to leave the keys in the door and turn the other way: one of the greatest improvements this sequel has over its predecessor is a full-length, Nintendo made campaign of levels that are not only fun to play, but provide a crash…

THE ASUS ZENBOOK 14 UX433F IS ALL ABOUT THAT SCREEN.OR RATHER THE LACK OF ANYTHING MUCH AROUND IT. THE SIDE BEZELS MEASURE JUST 2.9MM, WHILE THE BOTTOM CLOCKS IN AT 3.3MM AND THE TOP 6.1MM. THE WORLD’S SMALLEST 14-inch laptop. That’s Asus’s sock-it-to-you sales pitch for the new Zenbook 14 UX433F. It’s not the only thing this slick Intel-powered laptop has going for it, of course. There’s powerful quad-core processing, just for starters. Claimed all-day battery life and Harmon Kardon audio sweetens the deal, too. But it’s that slim-bezeled ‘NanoEdge’ display and the extremely compact proportions it enables for a laptop in the 14-inch segment that most defines the Zenbook’s proposition. What’s on offer here, in effect, is a laptop that feels like it’s from the segment below in terms…

EVER ONE FOR classy designs, Oppo’s latest handset is truly stunning. The Reno 5G sports an iridescent, yet predominantly matte finish on its rear – a welcome aesthetic and tactile change to all the high-gloss that arrived on flagship phones with the introduction of glass bodies. A clever addition to the phone’s back is a small bump (dubbed the ‘O-Dot’) that effectively raises your phone from a flat surface to avoid damaging the cameras and sensors that are flush with the handset’s rear. Flip the phone over and you’ll immediately notice how dazzling the display is as well. Measuring 6.6-inches and fitting in an impressive 2,340 x 1,080 pixels, this AMOLED wonder offers plenty of vivid colours and detail. While there is a tiny bezel that surrounds all four edges…

A significant leap from 2016’s Powerbeats 3 earbuds, which were wireless but still connected to each other by a cable, the Beats Powerbeats Pro offers truly independent wire-free functionality backed by incredible sound quality and exceptional comfort. Each earbud now has its own set of controls, granting users the ability to control volume, pause or skip songs, while also allowing them to be used individually or together in stereo. Designed primarily for use during workout sessions (but stylish enough to wear anywhere), each Powerbeats Pro earbud features a rubber hook that snugly and securely slips over your ear, making them practically unshakeable in the process (believe us, we really tried to shake these suckers free). They’re also IPX4 splash-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about sweating on them or…

THE BALANCE TENDS TO SHIFT A LITTLE MORE TOWARD THE LOW END, LARGELY BECAUSE OF THE SUBWOOFER, BUT THERE’S ALSO A REASONABLY SHARP HIGH END MOST OF THE TIME. SOUNDBARS LIKE THE Sony HT-S350 are a godsend – as built-in TV speakers are getting worse, 2.1 channel soundbars and subwoofers have stepped in to make our favorite shows and movies sound like they’re supposed to. With Sony’s HT-S350, you get both in the box, and with the booming sound they’re both capable of, the results speak for themselves... well, mumble might be a better word for it. While Sony’s soundbar does deliver better sound than most TV speakers, it still doesn’t live up to the high bar set by other 2.1 setups. Once we unboxed the the soundbar and subwoofer,…

THERE ARE SO many potential network performance issues. Do you have problems with so-called ‘dead zones’ where your Wi-Fi connection is weak or non-existent? Do you find your internet connection slows down at certain times of day or even drops out periodically? Are there intermittent connection issues – either for your entire network or just a few devices? Less critical issues require a systematic look at your network. Let’s start by quickly mapping its topography. Some routers (like the TP-Link Archer VR900) may provide this information about what’s connected within their administration pages, but if not, try sketching this out on paper or use a tool like SimpleMind Lite to create a simple mind map. Place your router at the centre and then create nodes for each device connected to…

PLENTY OF PEOPLE overlook it, but your router is very important to the quality of your home network. The router provided by your ISP (internet service provider) is often relatively basic, so it’s often a good idea to get a better alternative. But what exactly should you be looking for when buying a router? One of the first things to consider is the size of your home. How much coverage are you going to need? Not every router will be powerful enough to cover a large home. For any router, check its spec sheet for ‘Wi-Fi range’ or a phrase like it, or the home size it’s intended for, to gauge capability. WI-FI IS ALL WELL AND GOOD, BUT IT CAN’T COMPARE TO HOOKING UP YOUR DEVICES WITH AN ETHERNET…

YOU’VE UPGRADED YOUR internet connection to meet your demands, and you’ve optimised some parts of your network too. But there’s still room for improvement. Here, we’ll examine ways to maximise your Wi-Fi connection at distance, plus spread the demands on it more evenly to boost performance. You’ll also discover how to ensure a single device or app can’t monopolise your internet connection to the detriment of everyone else. 01 WIRELESS AT A DISTANCE The TP-Link TL-WPA4220 is a powerline adapter with built-in 2.4GHz Wi-Fi extender. Perfect for hard-to-reach rooms as the signal is relayed through electrical wires rather than over the air. 02 REDUCE CONGESTION Lessen the load on your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band by connecting devices that are closest to the router – where the signal is strongest – to…

EVERY SMART HOME has to provide a control method, and Apple’s way of managing HomeKit–compatible devices is its Home app. Through this, you can turn accessories on or off, monitor their output, and tweak very specific settings. Up until the release of macOS Mojave, control of HomeKit accessories was entirely the domain of the iOS version of the app. However, Mojave’s release brings the Home app to your computer, giving you control of those same accessories from your Mac as well. There are caveats to watch out for, though. Certain automations and remote access continue to demand the use of a central device as a home hub, be it an iPad, a HomePod or an Apple TV (4th generation or later) – see bit.ly/mfhmhub. Additionally, adding new HomeKit accessories to…

DataCar: Gamify the Driving Experience A DONGLE THAT HELPS YOU DOUBLE CLUTCH NAN’S HOLDEN ASTRA. US$30 | igg.me/at/datacar/x#/ Studies have found that people who play Forza or Need for Speed daily have a higher incidence of accidents and speeding tickets than the general population. So we’re not sure the ‘gamification’ of everyday driving is such a good thing, but the app-connected DataCar dongle still looks like a neat little tool for anyone interested in detailed driving data. After pluging the dongle into your car’s OBD2 diagnostic info port and choosing from one of the Eco, Diagnosis or Sports driving modes, the DataCar will deliver info on speed, RPM, gears, acceleration and fuel economy so that you can drive even better. YoonJi Combination Earbud Earings IF YOU LIKED IT THEN YOU…

A NEW, IMPROVED BACKUP SUITE NEVER LOSE A FILE AGAIN WITH ASHAMPOO BACKUP 2020. FULL VERSION WORTH $50 If you’ve ever stared at a black screen because your Windows refused to boot, you’ll appreciate the value of regular backups. And it can be so easy! Only backups will protect you against impending data loss, as caused by ransomware, corrupt operating system or disks. Ashampoo Backup 2020 is the fool-proof backup software to save your files. The program backs up and restores entire partitions and disks in just a few clicks. Benefit from automated backups and fuss-free file recovery through the built-in rescue system! Download link: www.ashampoo.com/techlifemagazine YOUR NEW FILE BUTLER HAS ARRIVED ENSURE FILES ARE WHERE THEY BELONG WITH ABELSSOFT SYNCMANAGER. FULL VERSION WORTH $50 Not only practical, but also…

A NEW STUDY REVEALED THAT OVER 1,300 ANDROID APPS CAN SCRAPE CERTAIN PERSONAL DATA ANYWAY, EVEN IF A USER EXPLICITLY DENIED ACCESS TO IT. Smartphone operating systems have ramped up their privacy settings in recent years to let users pick and choose what information apps can get, but it seems those permissions aren’t ironclad. A new study revealed that over 1,300 Android apps can scrape certain personal data anyway, even if a user explicitly denied access to it. Researchers at the International Computer Science Institute (ICSI) created a controlled environment to test 88,000 apps downloaded from the US Google Play Store. They peeked at what data the apps were sending back, compared it to what users were permitting, and found that 1,325 of them were forking over specific user data…

MEET ‘MR ROBOT’ KEVIN WARWICK IS AN AUTHOR, ENGINEER, DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR (RESEARCH) AT COVENTRY UNIVERSITY, CYBORG AND ALL-ROUND CYBER GURU. What is cybernetics being used for at the moment? In terms of therapy there’s quite a bit happening. Looking at people with cochlear implants, for instance, there are thousands and thousands. The last implant I had – the brain gate – has been used for four different people who are paralysed from the neck down. It allows them to control robotic hands – one woman has been able to feed herself. But it’s mostly happening in the US. How does it feel to have an implant? It felt like me. Your brain adapts. I controlled a robot hand: I was in New York and the hand was in Reading, but…

ARLO ULTRA $99 (hub + two cameras) WE’RE IMPRESSED High-resolution footage, high-quality components, and high-end connectivity. This is a superbly engineered camera with an excellent app and lots of smarts. WE’D IMPROVE The Arlo Ultra is a real investment. For most the price will seem too high for the base pack, and particularly egregious given the number of accessories you’ll need for a rock-solid setup. THE LAST WORD What price do you put on your personal security? If you’re just spying on your cats, go cheaper – but the Arlo Pro is a remarkably impressive camera that could easily pay for itself. SWANN WIRE-FREE $399 (pack of two) WE’RE IMPRESSED A sharp picture and supremely flexible recording at a low price. WE’D IMPROVE Doesn’t manage a good magnetic mount, and…

TV APP If your TV is connected to the web then there’s a good chance the Stan app is available – just check your television’s app store. Otherwise an Apple TV has a dedicated Stan app which you can use to browse and stream content. You can even ask Siri to search for shows and genres using just your voice. DATA-FREE STREAMING Readers looking to stream on-the-go should check whether their phone service provider offers video streaming as part of their plans. For example, Optus offers data-free streaming of Netflix, Stan and ABC iView on a number of its phone plans. Alternatively, Vodafone gives users the option to purchase data-free video streaming as an add-on.…

WITH FACEBOOK REPORTING over US$5 million of Oculus Quest game sales in the first two weeks since launch and two to three week backorder waits for Amazon US order fulfillment, standalone VR is looking like it may have finally cracked a more mainstream gaming market. It also seems to continue to be integral in the development of animated films like The Lion King, despite the hollywood pulling back on the overall number of VR screenings. AR hits all the buzzwords this month with a game that uses Pokemon Go mechanics to collect real-world cryptocurrency tokens. AI is as bonkers as ever showing off a humanoid robot that paints portraits in front of you using robotic arms and images captured from cameras in its eyes. If that’s not enough scientists have…

TELL US WHAT TAB TOSSER DOES. Tab Tosser is a Firefox extension that automatically closes browser tabs you have ignored. It tracks when browser tabs are last viewed and closes them when they have not been revisited for 1–90 days, based on your preference. If you go on vacation, Tab Tosser detects you have been away and pauses for a few days while you catch up. It also keeps a backup log of recently tossed tabs just in case. WHY DID YOU CREATE IT? A while ago, I reset Safari on my MacBook Pro while debugging a web app, unaware that doing so would clear the tabs and browsing history on my iPhone. After a panic, I took a few deep breaths and reconsidered if I had truly lost anything.…

Dota Underlords AUTO CHESS WITHOUT COMPROMISE. Free with IAP IN WHAT MUST be one of the quickest turnarounds in history, what began as a custom mode that launched in January via in the popular PC brawler Dota 2 has now found its way five months later to its own standalone game. Dota Underlords at its core is a clever twist on Chess, where players are randomly assigned a range of characters that feature different abilities, traits and classes, which fight automatically when placed on a virtual chessboard. After each battle with an opponent, which can be either a real or computer player, players are given coins and experience based on their performance. They can use these coins to purchase new characters or upgrade their “courier”, which essentially offers better quality…

ONE OF THE most striking features of the Triton 500 is just how thin it is. With a closed profile of just 1.8cm it’s knocking on the door of ultrabooks despite being a 15.6-inch performance gaming laptop. The sleek Triton 500 can be configured to have an Intel Core i7-8750H CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 GPU, 32GB of RAM and 512GB of NVMe SSD storage. This is a surprisingly powerful set of components to conceal in such a sleek form factor. The metallic clamshell comes in a subtle blue-black colour and while it does have angular bevelled edges, powder-blue rear exhaust vents and a unique mosaic topside fan inlet, overall, its understated and classy design would slot neatly into a business environment. The membrane keyboard is a little spongy…

CUBOT CLAIMS THAT its device is the thinnest rugged device on the market. At 8.8mm, it is certainly thin, just one millimeter thicker than the Apple iPhone X and the Samsung Galaxy S10. Measuring 157 x 73.7mm for a weight of 211g, it feels both solid and comfortably portable. Cubot uses the same template as the King Kong 3 for the Quest and is available in red or black color scheme. It uses an aluminum and polycarbonate shell with rounded corner buffers that in our real life test, protected the screen beyond our expectations. The latter is oleophobic and covered with a layer of Corning Gorilla 5 glass. This is an IP68-rated smartphone so its USB Type-C port is covered; there are no audio connector and no audio adaptor provided.…

OFFERING GREAT DESIGN as well as great audio performance, we were fans of the B&O Beoplay E8 before they were revised. Now, they’re a bit more expensive than before but they’re also far more appealing too with the addition of wireless charging and a few other extra bells and whistles. We’ll cut to the chase – the Bang & Olufsen E8 2.0 truly wireless earphones look gorgeous. The case is a pebble-shaped, leather enrobed design that wouldn’t look out of place in a jeweller’s window. Lift the lid and a metal lining wraps around the middle of the case to protect your valuable assets. On the back is a USB-C based charging port for wired charging purposes. There’s also the all-important addition of Qi wireless charging support. Thanks to this,…

THE MINI LIPLAY is the smallest Instax camera in Fujifilm’s range, offering up the barebones functionality of a point-and-shoot digital camera combined with a portable Bluetooth printer. For the money, having both of these in one machine is quite good value, but unfortunately we found that the experience isn’t necessarily greater than the sum of its parts. The camera is available in three rather eccentric and playful colour schemes, each with its own distinct texture. While its vertical orientation is novel, it results in some moments of confusion when trying to take a quick snap, and its peculiar button placement only exacerbates the issue. You can store up to 45 images on the internal memory or use a microSD card to expand its capacity at 850 snaps per gigabyte, functionally…

GETTING A STABLE signal is one thing, but are your devices performing to their best? Network speeds vary for all kinds of reasons, so how do you go about testing each device in your home to confirm things are working as well as they can be? Devices connected to your router’s Gigabit Ethernet ports shouldn’t have any issues – the 1Gbps speed is as good as it gets and more than capable of utilising the full bandwidth of your internet connection. Wi-Fi is a different matter entirely, though. The quoted maximum speeds (300Mbps for 2.4GHz connections, more for 5GHz networks) fall off rapidly the moment you move even a relatively small distance from your router. So how do you determine what speeds you’re getting? The answer is to benchmark transfer…

NOW IS THE time to turn to the thorny issue of network security. You don’t want to be giving neighbours free Wi-Fi or letting any Tom, Dick or Harry gain easy access to your network for whatever nefarious purposes. (Remember, anything done on your network becomes your responsibility.) GET THE BASICS SORTED Step one is to lock down your network from actual intruders – those within physical range of your Wi-Fi network. The guide opposite reveals six steps you can follow to tighten security at this level. When it comes to password-protecting Wi-Fi, make sure you choose WPA2-PSK encryption. WPA2 is ageing and its reputation took a battering with the recent KRACKS vulnerability – speaking of which, check your router’s firmware is up to date – but it’s still adequate…

[STORAGE] exFAT file conversion query I have an external 3TB drive with 500GB of data on it, formatted as NTFS. Can I convert this to exFAT without losing any data? WAYNE SCOWEN Sadly no – the recommended, and safest, option is to copy the files to another drive before reformatting the drive to exFAT and copying or moving them back. If the drive is less than half full, however, another option would be to use a tool like AOMEI Partition Standard (free, www. disk-partition.com). Once installed, launch the program. Right-click the current NTFS partition and choose Resize Partition. Shrink the partition to free up enough space to fit your data on, then click OK. You’ll see unallocated space appear next to the shrunk partition – right-click this and choose Create…

FILES IS IOS’S equivalent of Finder in macOS and enables you to browse files stored on your device or in iCloud Drive. You can add other cloud services too and – with the help of a third–party app – access files on Macs, PCs and network–attached storage (NAS) drives. By default, the only locations in Files’ sidebar are iCloud Drive (assuming you’ve signed in to iCloud) and On My iPhone/iPad. These two locations work a little differently from each other – as folders on your device’s storage are created and controlled by apps; you can’t move or delete them yourself, or add new ones. You can create folders in iCloud Drive. BY DEFAULT, THE ONLY LOCATIONS IN FILES’ SIDEBAR ARE ICLOUD DRIVE (ASSUMING YOU’VE SIGNED IN TO ICLOUD) AND ON…

HOW MANY SMART devices do you have in your house? We’re betting there’s at least one – your internet router – but there are probably a few others as well. Do you own a smart TV, one that connects to the internet and can watch Netflix or YouTube? A gaming console? A digital video recorder? A network media player or network attached storage device? A camera used for security or baby monitoring? A voice assistant? Any appliance with internet connectivity? Home automation switches and controllers? Here’s the thing: these kinds of devices are awesome, and the additional functionality offered by connecting them to the network can be amazing. But they do present significant security risks, especially because they’re often designed to favour convenience over security. PCs and mobiles, following years…

AS YOU MIGHT have already guessed based on its name, the iMac Pro is a sleek and beautiful all-in-one PC that packed in lots of power in the traditional iMac form factor. Don’t judge this behemoth by its cover, though – the iMac Pro absolutely demolishes the iMac 2017, and even the new iMac 2019, thanks to the incredible PC components and features it has on offer. When Apple first launched the iMac Pro, it made some claims that it’s ‘the most powerful Mac ever made,’ and we must agree. At least until the Mac Pro 2019 hits the shelves in Spring 2019, as Tim Cook himself declared it ‘the most powerful mac we’ve ever created’ at WWDC 2019. Still, the iMac Pro is a particularly powerful machine, made for…

Bethesda recently released a blog post with a preview of the next big upcoming patch for Fallout 76. One of the biggest takeaways of the highlights given for Patch 11, which is due to be added in mid-July, is that it’s set to help new and low-level characters have a smoother introduction to the wasteland after emerging from the Vault for the first time. “Lots of new Dwellers have been leaving Vault 76 for the first time over the past few weeks and, in Patch 11, we’re looking to make a few adjustments to help new and low-level characters have more gradual introductions to some of the game’s mechanics and challenges,” the post states.…

Cyberpunk 2077 minigames will fill out your time in Night City beyond the eternal chase for eurodollars and near-future romance. Though developer CD Projekt Red is remaining cagey in just how much gameplay it shows off for its new open-world RPG, it allowed a pair of its employees to answer fan questions about the game submitted via Tumblr. One of those questions was about what kind of Cyberpunk 2077 minigames players can participate in, and it sounds like there will be all kinds of ways to fruitfully while away the hours. Senior level designer Miles Tost started off by expanding on how the hacking minigame will work in Cyberpunk 2077. Don’t worry, this isn’t another perfunctory “wiggle the thumbsticks until you find the sweet spot” filler segment. Tost said Cyberpunk…

IT’S EASY TO WRITE OFF THE VALVE INDEX AS ANOTHER NONDESCRIPT VR HEADSET IN THE SAME VEIN AS ANY OCULUS RIFT OR HTC VIVE HEADSET – BUT THE DEVIL’S ALL IN THE DETAIL HERE: ON THE FRONT, THERE’S A GLOSSY PLASTIC FACEPLATE ABOVE TWO FRONT-FACING CAMER AS THAT CAN BE USED FOR PASSTHROUGH VIDEO AND, POTENTIALLY, AR APPLICATIONS. BUT THE FUTURE of VR is inevitably expensive and before we hail Valve’s hardware as our VR savior, it’s worth pointing out that it’s not without issues (see: a lack of compelling VR games on Steam and SteamVR’s problematic troubleshooting process). But are any of those issues deal-breakers for Valve’s VR headset? Not at all. DESIGN It’s easy to write off the Valve Index as another nondescript VR headset in the same…

2018’S FITBIT ACE may have been aimed at kids, but it was actually based on the company’s adult-oriented Fitbit Alta, so it could hardly be claimed that it was built from the ground-up with younger users in mind. Fitbit has changed its approach this year, and the Ace 2 is clearly designed with children as its main focus; as a result, the age range has dropped from 8+ to 6+. While the original Ace had a metal body, the Ace 2 is essentially a plastic pebble set within a soft, rubber-like strap. This strap – which fully encases the unit and protects it from bumps and drops – is entirely interchangeable and comes in two different color schemes: Watermelon/Teal and Night Sky/Neon Yellow. The straps look playful and appealing, and…

NETWORK PROBLEMS CAN be the most maddening of Mac maladies. Not only can they affect everyone in your home, but they can often be very difficult to identify and remedy. Thankfully, that’s where this handy guide comes in. Over the following pages, we’ll take you through every step needed to get your network up and running and connection issues banished for good. For example, we’ll show you how to pinpoint exactly what’s causing your problems, whether that’s a dead spot in your home or a crowded Wi-Fi channel. Once you know what’s at the root of the issue, fixing it becomes that much easier. Most of the changes only require simple tweaks, so there’s no need to worry about complex adjustments and convoluted upgrades. Improving your home network needn’t be…

When issues won’t go away, or have disrupted your network completely, you’ll need to take a different approach. Start with the classic ‘turn it off and on again’ – either the one troublesome device, or your router if the problem is network-wide. In the router’s case, switch it off for 30 seconds to ensure its memory is properly cleared, then turn it back on. If the problem remains, follow this walkthrough. 01 MAC TROUBLESHOOTING Check for Wi-Fi problems by using Spotlight to run Wireless Diagnostics. Open Network Utility to see if your Mac is the issue. Enter the router’s IP address in the Ping tab to check it’s reachable. 02 RESET IP ADDRESS If you encounter timeout issues with Ping, go to › > System Prefs > Network and select…

ONCE YOU’VE IMPROVED your network’s stability, it’s time to focus on performance. Step one is to look at your current internet connection. Is it fast enough for your needs? The explosion in streaming and online gaming means that regular broadband connections can’t cope with the growing demands of the modern home. If you’re looking to add HD or even Ultra 4K streaming into this mix, then investigate If the NBN is available in your area, and what kind of speeds you can expect from local provioders. Many ISPs offer services up to 100Mbps, but you’re unlikely to get near those theoretical maximums based on several factors: distance from the exchange, number of users sharing the line, and the wiring quality to your home. Some broadband providers can provide a more…

NETWORKING MYTHS DISSPELLED WI-FI HOTSPOTS ARE SAFE IF PASSWORD-PROTECTED Not all Wi-Fi hotspots employ WPA2-PSK encryption, even if protected by a password. Never surf on a public Wi-Fi hotspot without a VPN – Windscribe (windscribe.com) offers 10GB monthly bandwidth for free. 5GHZ WI-FI IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN 2.4GHZ 5GHz networks are much faster when you’re close to the router, but 2.4GHz networks have greater reach and perform better at range. IT’S EASY TO FIND DEVICES CAUSING INTERFERENCE Interference can emanate from all kinds of sources – even defective ballasts on fluorescent lights can cause RF interference. THE INTERNET ONLY SLOWS DOWN DURING PEAK HOURS If you’re a heavy internet user – particularly with certain types of traffic – then you may periodically fall foul of your ISP’s fair use policy,…

JUST AS WITH previous versions of Windows, the look of Windows 10 can be customised using themes. These are collections of desktop wallpapers, menu colours and sounds that overhaul the look and feel of Windows. While Windows 10 comes with a few themes pre-installed, you can also browse and download from a huge variety of ready-made themes that have been picked by Microsoft. These are easy to download and apply to Windows 10, enabling you to give your PC that personal touch. Best of all, you can tweak these themes to better suit your tastes, or create your own themes and save them so that they can be easily applied in the future. Windows 10 themes can also be removed or swapped if you want to change the look in…

THE NEUTRAL DENSITY filter is a staple item in the landscape photographer’s kit bag and a firm favourite for creating images with energy and depth. An ND filter is a sheet of glass or plastic that is dyed with a pigment to reduce light transmission, thereby darkening the scene and allowing longer exposures. The standard filters come in strengths of between one and four stops, with ultra-long exposures requiring a ten-stop model, such as Lee Filters’ Big Stopper. The variable ND is a versatile alternative however. These circular filters attach directly to the lens thread and are constructed of two sheets of polarising material. By rotating the outer ring, light filtration can be adjusted, effectively providing multiple filter strengths in a single unit. This is both cost-effective and allows fine…

TO CREATE THIS bold and striking art style, the overall aim is to split the image into three distinct areas; black, white and a solid colour. To get the best results, choose a start image that can easily be broken down into just a few shapes, yet still be recognisable. For example, looking at the dog photo used in this tutorial, we can see that it can be separated into black for the eyes, nose and ears, white for the lighter area down the centre of the face and a solid colour for the remainder of the face. By adjusting Levels to enhance the contrast between these areas, the Cutout filter is then able to separate them into individual shapes. This can involve a bit of trial and error; the…

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