Table of contents for February 2016 in PC & Tech Authority

I hope you’re reading this issue of PC & Tech Authority somewhere really nice, it being the summer holiday season, after all. As I type, we’re an afternoon away from our own holidays. So, yes, we’re feeling pretty good here at the office! As much as I’d love to say (again!) “get outside and leave the tech behind” – and I shall – there’s a small pile of boxes nearby, the contents of which I’m keen to have a play with over the next fortnight of idle time. There are goodies that the others in the team have had a longer play with than I, but, being editor and all, I really do need to familiarise myself with. In one is a Surface Book. Having just gone through Mr Agius’…

For the fun The Game Awards have had some amazing games and people awarded for their contribution to gaming in 2015. The Witcher 3 was announced as the Game of The Year and best RPG, beating Super Mario Maker, Fallout 4, Bloodborne, and Metal Gear Solid V. MGSV was awarded both best soundtrack and best Action/adventure, although the latter was accepted by Kiefer Sutherland on Hideo Kojima’s behalf, due to Konami barring him entrance Nintendo was also quite successful this year, winning best shooter and best multiplayer with Splatoon, and best family game with Super Mario Maker. Some indie titles were given exposure with their winnings, Rocket League winning best indie title and racing/sports game, and Ori and the Blind Forest netting best art direction. Despite its success upon release,…

TONGA HAS A BIG BUS After much speculation that AMD’s Tonga GPU chip secretly had a wider 384-bit memory bus inside, it has turned out to be true. Since the surprise of the recent R9 380X launch using a regular 256bit bus, AMD’s vice president of its Radeon graphics group Raja Kadouri confirmed that Tonga does indeed have a 384bit memory bus on chip, however due to how tight the market is AMD couldn’t find a good price/performance gap to slot such a product into. Doing so would’ve made 3GB/6GB VRAM models possible which would have upped the price of such a card into territory other cards already inhabit in the market. So it seems we’ll never get to see a true Tonga XT chip come to market. C’est la…

John, TI Computers: Yes, the sale of these SFFPCs has started to take offthis year, especially in specific commercial projects, where size matters more than processing performance, not to mention they also tend to deliver less noise and power consumption than nonoptimized DIY systems. Despite seeing vendors such as Asus starting to bring out SFFPCs based on desktop processors (such as VivoMini-V VC65R) bringing full size performance in such a small footprint, while they are also neat and can fit into most applications. We still do not see the likelihood of them replacing custom PCs in consumer market any time soon due to two distinct reasons; versatility and customizability. As you know, a closed system like SFFPCs are limited what is offered by vendor specification, whether that is the selection…

“It’s clear that manufacturers have opted for convenience at the expense of security” How long does the battery last? Should I opt for Apple or Android? Can I pay for my lunch with it? The list of smartwatch FAQs has one glaring omission: how secure are the damned things? While everyone – PC & Tech Authority included – focuses on the magnificent features and longevity of these supercharged wristwatches, it seems nobody is talking about smartwatch security. How hackable are these devices? Are they susceptible to malware? Will they divulge your personal data if they’re lost or stolen? Can they even be wiped remotely? We routinely ask such questions about our smartphones, the devices that wearables are inextricably paired with. Yet early adopters and the media – who don’t normally…

A DECENT DUAL-BAND ROUTER Streaming Full HD games and videos across your home network requires plenty of bandwidth. If you can’t run a wired Ethernet connection between your PC and console, you’ll need a decent wireless connection. In our experience, an 802.11ac router is your best bet for reliable, stutter-free games streaming. If you’re still on 802.11n, that doesn’t have to ruin your fun as long as your network isn’t too prone to congestion and interference: switching to the 5GHz band, rather than the default 2.4GHz band, can help. THE XBOX ONE SMARTGLASS APP Now available on iOS and Android, a nd for Windows mobiles and tablets, SmartGlass acts as a fancy remote control for your Xbox One. If you run your television through the console, the SmartGlass app hosts…

It’s a tough time to be an Aussie component importer at the moment. With our dollar now buying just over 70 US cents, it’s far costlier to import new products than it is to sell offthe large inventories of products released six months ago that were bought on a much stronger dollar. And this is an absolutely huge issue for AMD’s new Radeon R9 380X. Overseas it’s priced to fill the niche between Nvidia’s GTX 960 and 970, but as you’ll see the value proposition simply isn’t true here in Australia. But before we look at just how much our Aussie dollar has spoiled AMD’s party, let’s check out the card itself. This is AMD’s first desktop graphics card to use a fully enabled Tonga GPU, which originally landed in…

FREE/$5.99/m • Android and iOS Some VPN apps can be confusing. Very confusing. Some VPN apps can be buggy. Very buggy. Well, luckily this one is simple to understand and it works well. Very well. Bravo, TunnelBear. TunnelBear VPN comes with a free tier that grants you access 500MB of data per month. That means you can download and watch the equivalent of an hour’s worth of video on your Android device before your credit runs out. Luckily, the paid version of the app isn’t too steep: unlimited use for any five computer, smartphone or tablet devices will cost you a reasonable $5.99 per month. OVERALL…

FREE • Android andiOS Chances are that you won’t be able to learn every word of every foreign language when you travel, and that’s where Google Translate comes in. At first, this may seem overkill-everyone knows you can get stiffand stilted direct translations online, so why the need for an app? Simply because the Google Translate app throws in a bit of magic to the mix: point the camera at text, and you’ll get the translation right there in front of you on your screen, with no need for fiddly typing and inevitable typos. Sure, the translations aren’t flawless, but it’s enough to tell if the dish you’re about to order will trigger your seafood allergy. OVERALL…

$90 • www.aten.com/phantoms This allows you to utilise a PC USB keyboard and mouse with your console, and is compatible with Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4. There are three rear microUSB ports for console, PC, and power – as the PC port does not power the unit. The front USB ports are for your mouse and keyboard, as well as a controller that you can switch to with a single button press. Most of the set-up boils down to plug and play, however the device must be connected to a PC to alter mouse settings on the device, such as DPI and dead zone. Extra steps can be taken as well with the device’s software to change button mapping, even allowing for button macroing that games wouldn’t otherwise…

$219 • www.corsair.com.au Corsair is not the first case manufacturer to turn case design on its head, but it is the first to combine an inverse motherboard tray design with a quiet computing case, making for a striking yet elegant design. The 600Q is a little on the short and squad side, with a wide chassis made rather heavy and solid by a layer of sound-dampening material on nearly every internal surface. To make heat easier to handle – which is always an issue in quiet cases – the PSU sits above an inverted motherboard, and in its own discrete thermal zone, separated from other components by a plastic chassis. The front fascia is very minimal, with a hinged door covering the optical drive trays. The upper panel has a…

“Cameras should not be deployed as a quick fix, but a proportionate response to a pressing problem” It’s not long since setting up a video surveillance system involved a lot of time, money and mess. Time because it was complicated; money because you had to invest in some hefty kit; and mess because it invariably required drilling, cable-feeding and housing a recording device. Not any more. Modern webcams, which are cheap, flexible and easy to install, do just as good a job. They often boast high resolutions, night-vision and – a real bonus – remote control using simply a browser and a broadband connection. In this hands-on walkthrough, we’re going to explain how to set up your own office or home security system using a cheap, easily configured internet protocol…

BLOCKS The Blocks core is no different to any other smartwatch, but you can add modules via the strap to extend its powers. The modules are hot-swappable, so you can pop in a heart-rate sensor before heading for a run, but leave it off the rest of the time to save battery. Blocks runs Android, but also works with iOS. It currently costs US$285 for the base watch plus four modules, with extras priced at $30. It’s expected to ship next spring. tinyurl.com/o65yudq ACER REVO BUILD The Revo Build is a mini-PC that lets users customise, without cracking up the chassis, by stacking “blocks” with different features to the base unit. At launch, the only extra module available is a 1TB hot-swappable hard drive – easily added to any PC…

FEATURES + DRIVER BOOSTER 3 PRO + POWERARCHIVER 2015 STANDARD + TAGMAN 2016 + WEBSITE X5 V12 HOME DRIVERS + ATI CATALYST + NVIDIA FORCEWARE HELP + DISCLAIMER + DAMAGED OR FAULTY DVDS + USING THIS DVD + INSTALLING SOFTWARE EDITORIAL + BURNING AN ISO IMAGE + PC&TA EDITORIALS TROUBLESHOOTING + SERIAL CODES + BLANK REGISTRATION WEBSITE + CAN’T FIND A FILE? + INSTALLATION ERROR WINDOWS CCLEANER + CLASSIC SHELL + CUTEPDF + DEFRAGGLER + FOXIT READER + GREENSHOT + APPLE ITUNES + LIBRE OFFICE + OPEN OFFICE + MALWAREBYTES’ A/M + SANDBOXIE + VLC MEDIA PLAYER + FLUX + 7ZIP MAC + ALFRED + BETTERTOUCHTOOLS + APPLE ITUNES + DROPBOX + FLUX + GOOGLE CHROME + MOZILLA FIREFOX + PLEX + SKYPE + TEAMVIEWER + VLC INTERNET + VUZE…

Once limited to the underwater lairs of Bond villains and clumsy demos on Tomorrow’s World, home automation is at the tipping point of going mainstream. I predict that, in a year or two, it will definitely be a booming growth area. Let’s take a look at the state of home-automation technology, bearing in mind that many of the products and techniques can be as useful in SME as home environments. It’s a topic that normally generates lots of feedback when I mention it, so I’m guessing there’s a fair bit of interest, but if you’re just starting out you might be finding the numerous options perplexing. For example, you’ll find numerous standards on offer – LightwaveRF, Z-Wave, X10 and more – each supported by various manufacturers. On top of these,…

As I write, I’m still shell-shocked by the TalkTalk data breach – and I’m in good company, as TalkTalk CEO Baroness Harding also appears to be suffering from PBSD (post-breach stress disorder). For me, the shock was tempered by having spent two decades in the IT security industry. When TalkTalk falls victim to a simple SQL injection attack, it might shock, but sadly it doesn’t surprise. I’m not sure whether to blame Baroness Harding or the people who sent her to face the media without being properly briefed on how to answer their questions. Admitting that you don’t know whether all, some or any of the data was encrypted doesn’t look good. Maybe she really doesn’t know, in which case, a) what is she doing on TV answering questions? and…

SOME REACTIONS TO ‘THE DESTRUCTION OF THE NBN’ (www.pcauthority.com.au/Feature/412733,analysis-the-destructionof-the-nbn.aspx) DODGY AND DEVIOUS I have just moved into a new apartment block in the centre of Perth. This building was advertised as being equipped with super-fast NBN. I left my old apartment in Subiaco where I had been on Cable (ex-Foxtel) with Telstra and getting around 115 mbps. Upon arrival, my new NBN was switched on with great fanfare. 15 mbps! I was shocked. A technician arrived and quickly worked out that the problem was the new NBN wireless modem which plugs into the NBN outlet. It had been placed in the apartment store room along with the other electrical outlets. The new modem was unable, by Wi-Fi, to travel the necessary 10 meters to my computer. The only solution was…

Satoshi Kitade, one of Square Enix’s programmers working on Final Fantasy XV has said the game is now playable from start to finish, with the first half working with final product quality. After nearly a decade of waiting, Final Fantasy fans have endured a change in Director, from Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura to Hajime Tabata, who has previously worked on Final Fantasy spin-offtitles such as Type-0, which recently had a HD port released for current generation. The game also began as a spin-offof the 13th game, but has since grown to its numbered title. This news also coincides with new titles coming to Steam being leaked, among which are many Sony games such as Danganronpa 1 and 2, Steins; Gate, Guilty Gear Xrd-Sign-, and Final Fantasy X/X2 HD, which…

Phanteks Enthoo Mini XL Dual System Chassis It’s often said that two is better than one. But if, for whatever reason, you’re contemplating setting up two separate PCs the idea of assembling two systems is probably prompting fears of a hot mess of cabling, and a dire lack of remaining floor or desk space. But with Phanteks’ Enthoo Mini XL Dual System, as the name suggests, you’ll be able to cram those two systems into the one case with ease. MOST WANTED: Pre-installed with the company’s innovative power splitter, the case can support two motherboards (either microATX or miniITX) that can be powered using the one power supply – and if your PSU can handle it, you can even run them simultaneously. NOT WANTED: It’s a neat idea and great…

$939 • www.pccasegear.com/products/33960 Originally designed for the launch of SteamOS (hence the dedicated Steam button), Asus has taken to selling this as a straight up Windows PC, loaded with Win8.1 (which you can upgrade for free to Win10). The gaming heritage of this not so small SFFPC is obvious with its dedicated GTX 960M graphics. Being a ROG branded product it also plays well to the enthusiast by having an easily accessible 2.5-inch SATA hard drive bay and SODIMM memory slots (supports up to 16GB) for easy upgrades. For console-class performance but with the benefits that a PC brings, this is the ultimate living room PC. We just wish one of the USB3 ports was on the front. KEY SPECS CPU: Intel i5-5200U Cooler: OEM Motherboard: OEM Graphics: Nvidia GTX…

Bharat Mistry from Trend Micro backs… Apple “Physical device protection across all smartwatches is very poor. Our research found that none of the authentication via passwords or other means is enabled by default. This means that free access could be achieved if the wearable was stolen. All devices, apart from the Apple Watch, failed to contain a timeout function, meaning that passwords had to be activated by manually clicking a button and leaving the devices vulnerable if left unlocked. The Apple Watch is also the only smartwatch we tested that allows a wipe of the device after a set amount of login attempts.” Paul Le Messurier from Kroll Ontrack backs… none of them “Regardless of the vendor or OS, smartwatches contain some serious security vulnerabilities, from insecure interfaces to insufficient…

All of the tech It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that Microsoft has aimed for the high end with its new Surface Book. For a company that has been a huge part of tech for so long, to have its first PC launched just this year is a remarkable moment. Yes, the Surface (non-Book) is also technically a PC, but I don’t think it’s inaccurate to describe the Surface Book as the first ‘true’ Microsoft laptop. So. with pride at stake, and fuelled by the optimism and drive towards innovation that the Nadella era seems to be characterised by, we see in the Surface a truly exceptional piece of engineering and design. It’s almost impossible to find compromise – everything from the magical ‘muscle wire’ mechanism that…

At the same time as the release of the R9 380X, AMD also unveiled the most comprehensive update to its graphics drivers that we’ve seen in years. Known as the Radeon Software Crimson Driver (why they didn’t just call it AMD Crimson is beyond us), it’s a top to bottom overhaul of the cluttered, sluggish AMD control panel of the past. The first thing you’ll notice is how quickly it loads, at just 0.6 seconds compared to seven or eight for the older version. It’s also an absolute stunner, borrowing from the slick, minimal look favoured by web designers, which is immeasurably more pleasant to look at than the textbased menus of the older drivers. More importantly, it’s much easier to find your way around in the new drivers, with…

Let’s face it – spending $260 of your own money on a gaming mouse is rather insane. However, if you could get somebody else to pay for it as say, a birthday present, then it’s not so hard to swallow, especially when it’s a mouse as desirable as Razer’s latest version of their famous Mamba. And if you give this as a gift, the luxurious packaging and presentation makes this one piece of hardware that is actually a joy to unpack, unlike the usual static bag and foam found in other products. The first thing you’ll notice about the Mamba is that it’s wireless, which is usually a huge no-no in a gaming mouse. Serious gamers can notice latency when using these, but we were amazed to find absolutely no…

FREE • iOS Equal parts pickle-based cookbook and absurd interactive novel, The Pickle Index is a strange, mysterious tale of a circus troupe on a journey to rescue its imprisoned ringleader. Each day you’ll be encouraged to amp up your “Citizenship Quotient” by reading and uploading pickle-based recipes, and, in doing so, you’ll stumble through a memorable tale of fermentation and totalitarian regimes. The Pickle Index is not an ebook, it’s not a game and it’s not a social network, but it takes strands from all of the above and weaves them into an unforgettable oddball caper. OVERALL…

$15 • www.auspcmarket.com.au We’re excited about a USB cable! And with very good reason. Get this: it’s reversible at the standard-sized USB end. So no more getting it wrong and getting mad. But, it’s also reversible at the microUSB end. Amazing. This now lives in my phone charger on my desk, and the first time I plugged the phone it this little magic cable revealed its other party trick. Being, it glows and changes colour depending on your device’s battery state. Red for charging, blue for quick charging (as long as your phone supports high-speed charging, otherwise known as Quick-Charge 2.0) and green when the device is fully charged. Why couldn’t we have this ten years ago? Local shop AusPC Market found these in Hong Kong and brought a bunch…

$29 • www.transcend.com What to do with the old SSD you bought for your PC, which has now fallen by the wayside as cheaper, bigger and faster drives begin to fill your box? Sticking it in a nice aluminium drive enclosure like the Transcend StoreJet 25S3 is one nice way to put it to work in its new life as an external portable SSD. This is a bit more than a box for your SSD. The USB 3.0 interface ensures you won’t be wasting that lovely SSD speed. Transcend also include the Transcend Elite set of data management tool (via a download), and that includes encrypted security protection, should you wish to use it. No AC adaptor is needed, as it draws all the power it needs from the single…

$299 • www.panasonic.com.au We’re rather fond of Panasonic’s range of compact digital cameras, but the new HX-A1 is a whole new breed. It’s an action cam, designed to take on the likes of GoPro, and while Panasonic’s delivered some cool features, overall it’s not going to compete just yet. It’s best feature is a night vision mode that works really well, so if you’re fond of action in the dark, the HX-A1 is actually a pretty good deal. And it comes with an accessory that lets it use any of GoPro’s standard mounting options, another plus. The HX-A1’s design does limit it’s usefulness in a chest-mount, however. But it as a camera, it suffers. There is a lot of artifacting, and colour replication can be very hit and miss, while…

It seems that Turtle Beach has finally learnt its lesson. Over the past years we watched as the prices of their gaming headsets soared, yet delivered audio on par with more affordable solutions, and we weren’t too impressed. So when this $200 kit promised to deliver outstanding audio along with a huge range of functionality, we just had to put it to the test. In the box are the headphones and a wireless dongle – yep, they’re totally wireless, though you can run them via a 3.5mm stereo cable if you choose, which also means you can use them with a mobile device. The headset is very light, but the headband is rather tight, even on this reviewer’s tiny noggin. We’d suggest bigger headed users try them on first before…

PC DESKTOP ALL-IN-ONE Apple iMac 27in with Retina 5k display PRICE $3,099 SUPPLIER www.apple.com/au The Apple 27in iMac with Retina 5K display is great. The best all-in-one computer around, and by a furlong. SPECIFICATIONS Quad-core 3.2GHz Intel Core i5 processor; AMD Radeon R9 M390 graphics; • 8GB RAM • 1TB Fusion Drive • 27in 5,120 x 2,880 Retina 5K IPS display • SDXC card slot • 4 x USB 3 • 2 x Thunderbolt 2 • Gigabit Ethernet • 802.11ac Wi-Fi Well that didn’t last long... last month we introduced the Toshiba Click 10 as the new Value laptop champ – which booted out the long-standing Asus TF103C from its grip on that category. But this month, after reviewing the new Asus Transformer Book 2-in-1 T100HA, it’s clearly better than…

There are mobile workers and then there are truly mobile workers. Sick of sitting behind my desk, day in day out, this summer I decided that I wouldn’t drive to the office every day, but actually drive my office, giving me the freedom to work from almost anywhere I pleased. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the digital camper van. Everything starts somewhere, and with a project such as this, the base vehicle determines pretty much everything else. I opted for a 15-year-old, grey import Japanese MPV, the brilliantly named Mazda Bongo. As a starting point, it ticks all the right boxes, especially if you have the model with the electric raising roof for extra headroom. With only a tight budget to work with, however, I opted for the cheaper…

Microsoft’s intention to aggressively push Windows 10 onto more of our machines leaves me with very mixed feelings. On the one hand, I genuinely can’t imagine why anyone with Windows 8/8.1 would want to stick with it when Windows 10 is so much better. However, I also agree that downloading a wodge of a Windows 10 install to people’s computers without asking is “courageous”, as Sir Humphrey would say. It’s neither Microsoft’s disk space nor its internet bandwidth that’s being spent (what if it’s over a cellular Wi-Fi dongle, or hotel Wi-Fi because you happen to be on holiday?). The news that Microsoft is going to be more insistent in 2016 could leave a very sour taste in the mouth. On the other hand, I understand the problem. Microsoft is…

Like so many technologies that seem to arrive suddenly in public view, both 3D printing and 3D scanning have long and rich histories. The internet itself was over 30 years old when, in the early 1990s, the World Wide Web suddenly and forcefully brought it to the attention of a global audience. A complex history of development and research was ignored as the web seemed to arrive fully formed on day one, bringing with it thousands of business opportunities. We have recently seen the arrival of 3D printing in the public consciousness, as a combination of patent expiry, commercial opportunity and public domain development efforts have brought an exciting technology to the mass market. Following close behind comes a technology that I find even more exciting: 3D scanning. What, I…

In networking, we deal a lot in improbable numbers. People are often stunned that I can remember IP addresses after three or four repetitions, because they’re aware of the pub quiz fact that IPv4 has room for four billion public addresses. To me, these addresses are intriguing, peppered with the history of the organisations that had the foresight to grab them. One understands how Bolt, Beranek and Newman are in that list, since they were at the time a large American technology consultancy, but the UK Department for Work and Pensions? Really? Start perusing the ownership, of the list, with great swathes taken up by assorted organisations, and that four billion starts to look as crowded as it is. I wasn’t expecting my trip to Las Vegas, for Software AG’s…

TECH NEWS The latest trends and products in the world of technology There’s no doubt that tablet sales are now in the doldrums. Recent research from IDC claims that tablet sales have fallen 7% between the second quarter of 2014 and the same period this year. That statistic is echoed by research from Forrester that suggests the global tablet market has plateaued. Furthermore, a July report from ABI Research puts tablet sales in the first quarter of 2015 down 13% on sales in Q1 2014. The two market leaders, Apple and Samsung, are struggling most: iPad sales are down 17.9% and Samsung tablet sales down 12%, according to IDC. ABI says the big boys are being hit even harder than that, claiming a 23% decline for iPads and a 30%…

2D TESTS Desktop PCs and laptops are tested using our own custom bench testing suite, which has been carefully designed to test all aspects of a system and rate them in a way that’s useful to you. Our benchtesting cover three main tests: a typical video editing test, a demanding 4K video editing test and a multitasking test that stresses all aspects of the system. We look at the time it takes for each test to run, which is then compared to our reference PC to produce a normalised result. This score is shown on a graph, and to help you understand just where the PC we’re reviewing sits in the grand scheme of things, we will often include other system’s scores. The median score of 100 is based on…

Let me beat around no bushes: this is the best Android Watch around, bar none. What lifts it above the rest isn’t some major breakthrough – battery life, speed, an ultra-sleek design – but a collection of little details that edge it above the competition. Take its looks. Compared to other Android smartwatches, the Huawei Watch has a slimmer bezel, thinner body and – the aspect so difficult to translate into specs and comparatives – it exudes style and sophistication. Just like rivals such as the Apple Watch and the second-gen Motorola Moto 360, the Huawei Watch is available in a number of different “styles”. These range in price from a base of $549 for the Classic with a standard black leather strap, up to $649 for the Active version…

FREE • iOS This app from VSCO lets you make GIFs, add simple filters and share via VSCO and your social network of choice. Point the camera, hold down the screen and you’ll record a looping clip of up to 2.5 seconds. After you’ve published, the GIF will be saved on your camera roll both as a GIF and an MP4 video. In practice, it works a bit like a cross between Vine and Snapchat – with a simple user interface that lets you hit the ground running. The app’s minimalist design can sometimes be confusing, but there’s something charming about jittery GIFs that keeps them popular on the internet, and this app is a useful tool for making your own. OVERALL…

$99 (64GB); $129 (128GB); $259 (256GB) • www.hyperxgaming.com There was a time when a USB drive was a dull, unspectacular thing. Then along came speedy SSD controllers, and insane amounts of capacity. Here’s the latest chapter in the story. With this one, it’s all about the USB 3.1 gen 1. Via this interface the HyperX Savage USB 3.1 gen 1 benched at 350MB/s read and 160MB/s write. That’s damn near as close as you’ll see to a SATA SSD plugged straight into the motherboard. Because it falls under Kingston’s HyperX gaming brand, you also get a little extra style to go with your data, with a big red X letting the world know you take the extreme path with your data on the go. OVERALL…

$75 • www.turtlebeach.com.au If you’re a rabid Star Wars fan, and you’re not particularly picky about audio, then these Turtle Beachpowered cans could be your favourite headset ever.If, on the other hand, you care about audio – and build quality for that matter – we’d heartily suggest you look elsewhere. Made of the cheapest plastic, and with the barest of padding, they’re uncomfortable in the extreme, and sound quality is distinctly lacking. In games, explosions and other bass-heavy effects feel flat and lifeless, and musical reproduction is similarly void of nuance and depth. Added to the fact that they literally creak and crack and the merest movement, beyond the branding – and even that looks pretty poorly executed in reality – there’s almost nothing positive to say. Even the asking…

$149.95 • www.belkin.com.au Belkin is practically synonymous with Apple accessories. The company makes everything from chargers, to cases, cables, and more. It’s latest is a keyboard/case for the iPad Air 2, and it manages the impressive trick of standing out in a very packed market. It’s the lightest iPad keyboard we’ve ever used, which means that you’re not adding too much bulk to your wonderfully light tablet. The outer body is plastic, and not the most attractive, but it does get the job done, and the aluminium finish around the keyboard makes for an almost Macbook Air-like feel. But most importantly, it’s very good to type on, with well-spaced keys that are easy to use accurately, and an array of functions that make document creation and editing on your iPad…

The rush to create the Internet of Things (IoT) means manufacturers are cramming connectivity into everything – without making it properly secure. That makes Ken Munro’s work easy: he’s a researcher with Pen Test Partners and spends his days poking holes in so-called smart devices. Do we really need our kettles to connect over Wi-Fi? If we do, how can we make them more secure? That’s what Munro is trying to answer – and while he’s not sure a kettle or coffee maker needs net access, there’s one upside to his work: that he gets a cuppa at the end. Why did you want to hack the iKettle? Because it had the word “internet” in front of it. Why on earth would you internet-enable a kettle? I mean, it’s just…