Table of contents for October 2016 in PC & Tech Authority

CPU ZEN NUMBERS AMD recently gave a live demonstration of its upcoming eight core sixteen thread Zen CPU. Running at 3.0GHz, AMD live-benchmarked it against Intel’s Broadwell-E i7 6900K (also eight core sixteen threads) which was downclocked to 3.0GHz for the demonstration to match the prototype Zen CPU’s frequency. With core count, thread count and frequencies all at parity, the Zen CPU beat the down-clocked 6900K in a Blender rendering test by a small margin. While it’s a technical win, there’s many questions still left out in the open. The primary of which is what will Zen eventually be able to clock up to? 3GHz is ok for a prototype, but if it barely beats the Broadwell-E clock for clock, it’ll need to gain at least another 1GHz to match…

No Man’s Sky has hit to mixed reception, largely because of some questionable design decisions (flight model, I’m looking at you) but while it’s getting panned for its simplistic play, I find myself enamoured by what it’s doing: the super-formula, and18 quintillion planets. Back when PCs were little 8-bit machines struggling to become mainstream, games were there too, spawning a sector that was the precursor to the multi-billion dollar industry it is today. And unlike more conventional productivity software (did anyone actually use GEOS?), games tended to rely on random events to keep things interesting, which in turn relied on the result of a random number generator (RNG). Except for computers, by their very nature, there is no such thing as a random number. Computers do – and can only…

The clue’s in the name: just like the Inspiron 13 5000 2-in-1 opposite, this 15in laptop boasts a 360-degree hinge that turns it into a monster 15in tablet with one rotation of the screen. Nor does this come at the expense of bulk, with a sleek and stylish gunmetal grey chassis. It’s actually made of plastic, but this laptop feels durable and the faux metal finish makes it look far more premium than its price would suggest. On closer examination, though, you start to question the wisdom of buying this machine. The two hinges are stiff and sturdy enough when you want to prop it up in tent mode or use it on your lap, but steer away from “presentation mode”, where the keyboard lies face down on the table:…

At first you might think, what’s the point of 4K on a 27-inch monitor? Can you even tell the difference, at this size, between 3840x2160 and 2560x1440? Well, thanks to the improved scaling functionality in Windows 10 yes, yes you can. During 2015, notebooks started to hit the market with extreme resolutions, culminating in the Surface Pro 4’s beautiful 2734 x 1824 12.3-inch display. Despite the Surface’s many teething problems, it was one of the best places to look at Windows 10. Now, a similar level of crispness and clarity comes to a standalone monitor. The 27UD88-W is an IPS display which means very even lighting and wide viewing angles. It supports FreeSync and has a 60Hz refresh rate which, combined with a bunch of genre presets including “RTS” and…

Welcome to the latest in Corsair’s premium range of SATA 3 drives. Using the older SATA 3 connection might seem a little passé in this day and age of M.2 and NVMe drives, but the vast majority of gamers still only have motherboards equipped with SATA 3, so it’s still a huge market. The new XTi is aimed at those who demand the fastest SATA 3 drives on the market, which is probably why it’s twice the price of entry level 480GB SSDs. Let’s check out what makes thing tick, and whether it really as fast as Corsair claims. According to Corsair, this is the first SSD on the market to use a quad-core drive controller, in this case the Phison PS3110 S10 controller. It’s been paired with Toshiba 15nm…

Welcome to budget town, population AMD. Its recent launch of the new RX series of video cards is all about bang for bucks, and the Radeon RX 460 is meant to offer the best of the bunch. At a mere $220 it’s about as cheap as we’ve seen for a new product release, which obviously means it’s not aimed at those chasing 4K performance. Having said that, this price is exactly double the US price of US$110, which puts it in a slightly different league to our overseas gaming cousins. AMD has positioned this as the perfect eSports level card, which means it’s designed to play low detailed games at 1080p with playable performance. Think DOTA 2, League of Legends or Counter-Strike: Go. Based on its brand new Polaris 11…

$35 • www.volans.com.au The packaging and Volans site talks about how the design is justperfect for iMac’s – and it is, what with the pleasingly cold to the touch aluminium and austere styling – but you can just as easily clamp this on the front of any PC monitor (as long as it isn’t deeper than 30mm), like I am right now. The idea is that it keeps your desk tidy, and adds a bit of easy access convenience by having extra USB ports right there on the monitor instead of cluttering up your desk with cables wrecking the whole minimalist aesthetic you might be seeking. It’s USB 3.0, and has an LED power indicator but is otherwise a very clean design, even the Volans branding is subtle, printed in…

$159 • www.hyperxgaming.com For a first attempt at a gaming keyboard, HyperX has done a damn fine job. The Alloy FPS isn’t the most feature packed keyboard out there, with little more than some customisable lighting and a gaming mode that locks the Windows key and enables anti-ghosting and N-key rollover, but as far as build quality, feel and size go, it’s just about right. The first run of Alloy keyboards come with Cherry MX Blue switches but later lines will also feature Red and Brown switches. The keyboard itself is solidly built, but by far the best build feature is the almost total lack of bezel, giving the Alloy FPS a surprisingly small footprint for a full sized keyboard.…

Both Apple and Google are making big noises about using their tablets for doing more than watching Netflix, browsing the web and playing games. There are now two iPad Pro tablets designed for professional use, while Google has introduced the Pixel C – an Android tablet with a serious bent. All these devices, it seems, have one thing in mind. While the Surface Pro wants to be the tablet to replace your work laptop, the new breed of iPads and Android tablets want to replace your Windows machine entirely. Apple’s Phil Schiller says that’s exactly why people are buying the iPad Pro, and when they do, “many will find it the ultimate PC replacement”. That’s a typically hyperbolic statement from a company that’s well known for such declarations. This is…

Google’s Pixel devices are designed in-house as showcase products. “If you put your mind to it, this is what you can achieve,” Google is saying, and the Pixel C certainly takes Android tablet design to a supreme level. It comes in the form of a 10in tablet and a separate, metal-backed keyboard. When not in use, the keyboard clamps to the front of the screen, forming a rigid protective cover. When you’re ready for work, simply separate the two, line up the bottom half of the tablet with the top half of the keyboard – which houses the Pixel C’s blade-like hinge – and the pair snap together with incredibly strong magnets. It’s then possible to adjust the screen to any angle between 100 and 135 degrees, much like a…

Although there’s much to like about the TabPro S, which follows the 2-in-1 detachable format popularised by the Surface, Samsung may have wished it had waited for another 12 months. Because the TabPro S is very much a first-generation device. For every positive feature, there’s a major flaw, and its biggest problems surround the design of the keyboard. On the plus side, the keyboard case protects the tablet on both sides, and it’s simpler in the way it unfolds to prop up the display than the iPad Pro’s Smart Keyboard. That makes it quicker to set up and you’ll be less prone to dropping it while you man-handle the two halves. It has a couple of positions, too: one that’s quite steep for use on a desk; another more laid…

The Surface Pro 3 is the baby brother of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4, and it’s a tremendous value alternative. You can pick one up for $839 which – together with the optional Type Cover keyboard – brings the total up to $1,018. Not even the Pixel C is this cheap. Despite that, you’re not getting cutprice hardware here. The Surface 3 is every bit as well made as its larger sibling, complete with its magnesium alloy chassis, 3:2 aspect ratio IPS display and high-quality Type Cover keyboard. Unlike the Surface Pro, the blade-like kickstand isn’t infinitely adjustable, but you do get three positions to choose between. And, although both screen and keyboard are smaller than the Surface Pro 4, the Surface 3 remains remarkably good. Its 10.8in, 1,920 x 1,280…

When it comes to mass storage and affordability, there is still nothing that beats these drives. The revitalised range of Seagate drives means there should be a HDD with the features and capacity needed for pretty much any setup you can think of, from gaming to home networking. BARRACUDA PRO Versatile, fast, and dependable, the fierce Seagate BarraCuda Pro pushes your PC performance to greater heights. Featuring industry’s largest capacities up to 10TB, 7200-RPM performance and Multi Tier Caching Technology that’s designed to load apps and files even faster. They’re also virtually worry free, thanks to a 5-year limited warranty. BARRACUDA Versatile and dependable, the fierce Seagate BarraCuda 3.5-inch drives are the latest generation of a super-reliable product family spanning 20 years. Count on BarraCuda drives for all your PC…

Superbook www.getsuperbook.com/ The Superbook transforms your Android smartphone into a laptop, transferring your data to the laptop or computer it’s connected to. Connected by a micro-USB cable, the Superbook temporarily moves your screen and files from your Android to the computer screen, allowing you to play mobile games, access your contacts and other activities with the keyboard and mousepad interface of a laptop. MOST WANTED: Simple to use. Eight hour battery life and charges your phone when connected. Provides a keyboard for those who hate using their phone’s touchpad. NOT WANTED: Not much point buying it if you already have a laptop. BloomSky www.bloomsky.com/ Currently in the middle of its second Kickstarter campaign, BloomSky’s Sky2 is the world’s first weather camera station, recording real-time images of the various climates in…

M SI’s newest gaming laptop has been designed from the ground up to cater for an amazing gaming experience. The GT83VR is also optimised for the HTC Vive platform and ensure you have the most mind-blowing VR experience possible in a portable form factor. Making that experience possible are the dual – yes you read that right, dual – Nvidia GTX 1080 GPUs. Let’s take a closer look at this portable gaming beast. The GT83VR kicks things off with a top of the line Intel Core i7 6920HQ CPU. Four cores, a max turbo frequency of 3.8GHz and 8MB of cache is plenty for any game. The CPU is matched with the Intel CM236 chipset for a plethora of I/O bandwidth and support for up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM.…

A t first sight, the EliteBook Folio G1 may appear to be the ultraportable you’ve been dreaming of. Ever since the sub-1kg MacBook arrived on the scene, Apple’s featherweight has been emptying bank accounts and – HP’s stratospherically expensive Folio 1020 aside – competitors have been in irksomely short supply. Now, finally, HP has provided a MacBook alternative that doesn’t require you to recant your allegiance to Microsoft. UNASHAMED LUXURY Spending north of $2,600 sets a certain level of expectation, but the Folio G1 delivers. The look and feel is unashamedly luxurious, and HP has squared off the soft, rounded curves of the Folio 1020 to give the Folio G1 a sharply angled makeover. If polished diamond-cut CNC aluminium appeals, you’ll love it. Build quality is impeccable. HP has subjected…

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet arrived too late to be part of our big group test of 2-in-1 devices (see p60), but then again this design offers something different: upgradability. This is achieved through a series of plugin modules that add features as and when you need them. Lenovo could send only one of these to test – the Productivity Module. Its key skill is to boost the X1 Tablet’s ten-hour battery life, but it also has a series of extra ports: one USB 3, Lenovo’s proprietary OneLink+ connector and a full-sized HDMI video output, to complement the USB 3, mini-DisplayPort and USB Type-C ports around the edges of the tablet itself. In tandem with the keyboard – which connects in a similar fashion to the detachable keyboard found on…

What a difference an extra 4GB of memory makes. In our review of the RX 460 in this issue, the cost jump from 2GB to 4GB was a mere $5, making the 4GB version an easy choice. However, the RX 470 sold by Sapphire also comes in two memory variants, a 4GB and 8GB. The 4GB version is only $339, but doubling that to 8GB brings a chunky $40 price jump, all the way up to $379. We’re not exactly mathematically challenged here at PCTA, so this huge leap in price doesn’t seem to add up. To be frank, given the 1080p resolution this card is perfect for, we’d recommend saving yourself $40 and going for the 4GB version. At $399, you can pick up an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060,…

Huawei’s P9 has been a bit of a sales success, with almost three million units sold worldwide since launch. The appeal is twofold, first, it’s a particularly attractive smartphone to look at and hold, with its classy rounded aluminium edges and excellent button and fingerprint sensor placement. There’s a distinct iPhone 6 look about the P9, but it is still a unique design and not what I’d call a clone by any measure. At a very slim 7mm thickness, it’s .1mm thinner than the iPhone 6s. The fingerprint sensor is around the back, in the middle and top-half. Your finger falls naturally upon it, something Samsung and iPhone owners can’t claim. It also activates the phone almost instantly, and is the best I’ve used. It conforms to the Level 4…

The laptop. Once king of all it surveyed, that dominance has been chipped away by the iPad, Android tablets and a sea of hybrids triggered by the launch of Windows 8. Clearly a significant chunk of customers wanted something else from their portable computing device – but what precisely was that “something else”, that X factor? It’s a question that has plagued the industry for some time, but it’s slowly built to a consensus: the answer is the 2-in-1 detachable hybrid, as championed by Microsoft’s Surface. Even Apple has acknowledged the buying public and built not one, but two: the iPad Pro. Now everyone is following suit, with Google, HP and Samsung all recently introducing their own tributes to the Surface Pro. The success of the 2-in-1 is due to…

1 DISPLAY ANGLE ADJUSTABILITY You take it for granted in a laptop, but screen angle adjustability is far from a given on a 2-in-1, and it all comes down to the design decisions each manufacturer makes at the early stages. An adjustable screen makes a tablet more useful in different situations than one that offers only one or two positions. The best devices in this respect are the Surface Pro 4, either of the HP devices and the Google Pixel C, since they all have infinitely adjustable kickstands or hinges. The rest are stuck with one, two or three fixed positions. 2 STYLUS SUPPORT Not every tablet in this group has proper, pressure-sensitive stylus support – we’re looking at you Google Pixel C. You might not think this is important…

If there’s one thing we’ve always moaned about when it comes to buying tablet 2-in-1 devices, it’s that the headline price rarely reflects what you eventually pay – mainly because most manufacturers don’t include the keyboard in the price. That’s not the way HP works. The Elite x2’s price includes both the keyboard and an active, pressure-sensitive stylus. That makes it much easier to see where your money is going, but it doesn’t mean the Elite x2 is cheap. In fact, at $2,541 for the Intel Core m7-6Y75 model tested here, which comes with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, it’s slightly more expensive than the closest equivalent Microsoft Surface Pro 4. And that’s appropriate, because the Elite x2 is the spiritual successor to the Microsoft tablet, “borrowing” the…

It’s hard to find fault with the iPad Pro 9.7. As with every single one of Apple’s tablets, it’s beautifully made and does its job brilliantly. It’s essentially a shrunken version of the 12.9in iPad Pro. The Smart Keyboard attaches and functions in exactly the same way as the larger one, and its strengths and flaws are similar. On the plus side, unfolding and stowing the keyboard is less of a rigmarole due to its smaller size and weight. On the negative side, its more compact dimensions lead to tighter spaces between the keys. There are differences between this and the larger iPad Pro, aside from the size. The camera on the rear, for instance, is much improved. It uses the same 12-megapixel sensor found in Apple’s latest generation of…

When Windows 8 was first unleashed, the aim was to make Microsoft relevant once more in the consumer technology sector. This was back in 2012, when Apple’s iPad was snatching market share from traditional portables and Android tablets were a looming threat; Steve Ballmer and co were worried and knew they had to do something big. Microsoft’s answer was to build an operating system that would work just as well on a laptop as it did on a tablet. That way, customers could buy one device that would eventually replace both their laptop and tablet. Microsoft’s “if you build it, they will come” attitude seemed crazy to me. There was no demand for Windows tablets at the time, and hardly anyone was making them. In the meantime, dyed-in-the-wool desktop and…

GIGABYTE 100 SERIES DESIGNARE BOARDS Today’s content creators require finely tuned computers that can produce results fast and efficiently, and with the release of the Designare Motherboards, Gigabyte provides motherboards that meet the needs of these content creators with the right mix of features. With support for DDR4, better compatibility with Intel’s 750 series NVMe SSDs, as well as support for USB 3.1 over USB Type-C, the new Designare motherboards are an ideal choice for high performance PCs that will meet the needs of today’s digital artists and engineers. Gigabyte X99-Designare EX and Z170X-Designare are the models to look out for. With support for a 10-core processor, killer looks, 8 DIMM slots, support for Intel’s 2.5-inch 750 series NVMe SSDs, dual Intel LAN, and the best 3-way SLI/CrossFire multi-graphics support,…

Gaming is serious business No Man’s Sky has been met with both praise and disappointment. As expected of a game caught in a marketing hype, fans expected No Man’s Sky to be the pinnacle space exploration experience, creating an image Hello Games could never fully deliver on. “I don’t know if we can ever live up to the hype we’ve generated, sometimes knowingly, often not”, said the Creator of No Man’s Sky, Sean Murray in a letter to the Australian press. The game’s overwhelming hype was a result of a mixture of factors, including noone getting hands on time with the game until its release and media copes being sent out at launch rather than prior to its release, as well as various interviews with Murray. Some fans even felt…

Virtual reality is probably the first thing that comes to mind if you were to ask anyone about this year’s most important display technology advance. However, there are two other display technologies that while not as disruptive to your computing experience are arguably just as valuable. One is high dynamic range display panels that offer a wider gamut of colours along with deeper blacks and brighter whites. These will start to take off towards the end of this year. The second is adaptive frame rate (AFR) aka Adaptive-Sync a technology which eliminates screen tearing by instead of asking the GPU to output frames at a set pace (called V-sync) to match the monitor’s fixed refresh rate. AFR flips this paradigm around and instead gets the monitor to match the GPUs…

Gaming laptops have always been what we’d term ‘adequately powered’. The limitations of a smaller screen, and hence, resolution, mean that mobile versions of desktop GPUs were generally sufficient for the demands placed upon them. But times have changed. Not only are laptop screen resolutions now well into 4K territory, they’re also seeing the same syncing technology as desktop monitors entering the scene, particularly in premium models. But until now, to call any 4K-equipped laptop a ‘gaming laptop’ was a big stretch, so for the most part these super high res products were geared towards business users and content creators, as there simply wasn’t a GPU available to power 4K gaming (with the rare exception of a couple of very expensive 980M SLI machines). For over a year you have…

Dell is in the midst of updating all of its key laptop ranges with a hybrid design of one sort or another, with the Inspiron 13 5000 the latest in line. The concept is simple: a 360-degree hinge allows you to flip the 13.3in screen all the way around, in a Lenovo Yoga-ish way. It looks stunning, with the lightly textured, gunmetal grey chassis adding a touch of class that’s rarely seen on such inexpensive laptops. It might be made out of plastic, but it’s robust and showed few signs of flex when put under pressure. This Inspiron’s compact size is also a better fit for a 360-degree hinge than its 15in sibling (see opposite). With built-in palm rejection, it’s well suited to graphic designers and digital artists who need…

The race is on to deliver the best Ultrabook in the world, and it’s a tight battle. Dell’s XPS 13, Razer’s Blade, the Asus Zenbook and Apple’s Macbook are all brilliant products in their own right, and now HP has released its entry into the premium Ultrabook market, the Spectre. This 13.3-inch laptop might be a little larger overall than some of the Ultrabooks, but when it comes to width it’s a word-beater. HP claims this is the world’s thinnest Ultrabook, at just 10.4mm in width. It does indeed feel incredibly slim when in use, yet the backlit keys still have a nice level of travel, rather than the shallow depression required by other Ultrabooks. It’s quite the looker, with a beautiful copper finish to the hinge. Tucked within this…

Now this is one appropriately named piece of hardware. We’re accustomed to manufacturers slapping Nitro, Super Speed, Extreme and other speedy-sounding adjectives to their product names, but it’s not often they actually deliver anything other than a standard product. The Gigabyte Xtreme Gaming GeForce GTX 1070 is a very different proposition – Xtreme this card most definitely is. That includes the price tag though, at around $150 more expensive than vanilla versions of the GeForce GTX 1070. However, it’s similarly priced to other premium GTX 1070 cards, so we can forgive this price hike. This is one of the first products in Gigabyte’s new Xtreme range of products, an ecosystem of premium gear designed to for those who want the utmost in quality. Let’s start with the GPU. Gigabyte has…

There’s a bit of an arms race going on in networking right now. Manufacturers are anxious to push out next-level wireless devices capable of faster and faster throughput, fully loaded with all the latest multi-band innovations, presumably in an attempt to snag those few customer who don’t just stick with their ISP’s “Home Gateway”. Unfortunately, the actual hardware is lagging slightly behind the packaging. The X8’s box proclaims, on a big silver badge, “5.3Gbps Wi-Fi Speeds”. Wow! 5.3Gbps! You could transfer a whole movie, over Wi-Fi, in like, a second! Then of course you read the smaller print on the badge that says “Tri-band Wi-Fi and Quad Stream performance boosts X8’s combined wireless speeds to up to 5.3Gbps.” The key word there being combined. In our tests, using Netgear’s own…

O CZ isn’t new to the PCIe SSD game. It’s earlier Revodrive products served a niche seeking far better than SATA performance, and now with the RD 400 we have a PCIe SSD built upon the new NVMe protocol, using the fastest x4 rating. This is a big development for the SSD market, as only Intel with its 750 and Samsung with its 950 devices use the same technology. It’s also a big loud statement of intent from Toshiba-owned OCZ that it’s not just back in the game, but throwing punches with the biggest players in the business – and all while every other SSD manufacturer still relies on the now second-best SATA technology. All three NVMe SSDs we’ve tested deliver virtually identical performance. So, the Samsung, Intel, and now…

In this day and age of $600 modems promising AC5300 speeds and MUMIMO features that don’t work yet, all while looking like a giant robotic spider, the VR600 is a refreshing change. This is a good old, plain-Jane AC1600 router aimed at the mainstream – affordable, easy to use, and with enough bandwidth for the normal home. One of the main features of this router is that it supports VDSL as well as ADSL, although the availability of this Internet service is quite limited in Australia. It’s fully NBN ready thanks to the EWAN connection. Unlike other “super-speed” routers, the VR600 delivers just two networks; a 2.4GHz and 5GHz. This combines for a top speed of 1600Mbps (300Mbps plus 1300Mbps), which is ideal for a household that only has a…

TP-Link’s Archer series of Wi-Fi enabled ADSL modems are known for their excellent feature set, reliable performance and affordable price. The latest addition to TP-Link’s Archer range builds upon that proven and familiar heritage. THE NEW ARCHER VR600 The Archer VR600 is a brand new Wi-Fi router with integrated VDSL modem, making it perfect for those who have, or are soon to receive access to the NBN via fibre to the node (FTTN), as it supports VDSL as well as ADSL. You can purchase the Archer VR600 now and when your area is switched to NBN, there’s no need to purchase a new device. For the odd time when your Internet connection is down, the Archer VR600 has a USB port that can support a 3G/4G modem as a seamless…

The launch of the iPad Pro was the tech world’s worst-kept secret, but when it did eventually appear, we still weren’t sure it would win hearts. Its huge 12.9in screen and awkward-looking folding keyboard stand didn’t convince, and boy was it expensive. Surely it couldn’t challenge the mighty Surface Pro 4? Now, nine months later, the iPad Pro is comfortably outselling its Microsoft rival; people clearly like the idea of a larger iPad that can be used for more than consuming media and browsing the web. Whether or not the iPad Pro is a better device for work is less clear-cut. On paper, it all looks good. There’s no arguing that Apple makes a great tablet, and this hasn’t changed with the iPad Pro. It’s just as beautifully put-together as…

Microsoft’s first generation of Surface tablets showed potential, but it took a further two iterations of the design before Microsoft finally got it right. The Surface Pro 3 was the model that finally achieved Microsoft’s ambition for it to be “the tablet that can replace your laptop”; the Pro 4 merely applies a little polish. As such, all the core features that made the Surface Pro 3 so good remain in place in the Surface 4: that 4:3 aspect ratio, 12.3in screen; the big, comfortable, backlit keyboard; the bundled pressure-sensitive stylus; the infinitely adjustable kickstand. They all remain key elements in the Surface Pro 4’s success. Physically, too, the tablet is mostly the same. Its bevelled edges and magnesium alloy “VaporMg” metal body cut a handsome figure, and there’s room…

The HP Spectre x2 is the consumer version of the Elite x2, but HP hasn’t spent much time tweaking the look and design. Even from quite close up the two products look nearidentical. Just like the Elite x2, the Spectre x2 has a cloth-backed metal keyboard cover that attaches to a well-made silver-andblack Windows 10 tablet. The tablet has a built-in kickstand that pops out at the rear at the flick of a switch, and the screen is the same size and resolution: a 12in IPS display with a 1,920 x 1,280 resolution and Windows-friendly 3:2 aspect ratio. The keyboard is excellent; the touchpad, which is much wider than the Elite x2’s, is less so. It’s responsive, but the clicking action is so irritatingly stiff that you’ll find yourself prodding…

We’re all carrying too much weight. Not necessarily belly timber, but digital detritus: email accounts you’ve barely touched in years, files scattered across cloud storage services, music on a dozen different disks, photos strewn across devices and the internet. In this feature, we’re going to put you on a digital diet, shedding all those excess accounts, files and folders that you don’t really need and leaving you with a manageable plateful of files and services. We’ll tackle each of the big areas in turn – email, social media, photos, cloud storage and music – offering advice on how to combine multiple accounts or pools of data into one, and where best to leave all of that content in the future. We’ll highlight tools that can help identify, organise and streamline…

Watching the last few years of marketing for No Man’s Sky has been nothing but a combination of awe-inspiring and utterly confusing. Every video seemed to show the same thing – walking around, flying around, looking at strange lands and creatures, zapping robots and mining materials. There was little to go on when it came to purpose; what do we actually do in this enormous universe? What is our goal? Who are the antagonists? Can I build a space station? NMS’s ever vigilant design head, Sean Murray, stressed the vastness of his game in almost every conversation. He was mum on how the game functioned, even as millions of people complained about a lack of depth in the media that drip fed into the community. Eventually, we started seeing play-throughs…