XAMI

Senior citizens are often labeled as being the most vulnerable targets for fraudsters but new research from Microsoft challenges that preconceived notion. As part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Microsoft conducted a global survey in which it found that a staggering two out of three people have experienced a tech support scam in the last 12 months. If you haven’t experienced such a scam yet, chances are you know someone who has. Of those surveyed, one in five continued with a potentially fraudulent interaction after first being contacted. What this means is that 20 percent of people visited a malicious website, downloaded dangerous software, gave a scammer remote access to their device or provided them with credit card information. Here’s where things get interesting. Of those that continued with a fraudulent interaction, only 17 percent were older than 55 while 34 percent were between the ages of 36 and 54. Surprisingly enough, half of millennials – those between the ages of 18 and 34 – continued with a fraudulent interaction. The reason that more millennials are falling victim to tech support scams is directly related to the evolving tactics used by fraudsters. Whereas most scams used to originate from phone calls, fraudsters these days are leveraging pop-ups, unsolicited e-mails and scam websites as entry points. Regardless of the method used to snare victims, the goal of tech support scams remains the same – use fear and deception to convince a user that they need help, obtain remote access to the user’s device and provide a phony sales pitch to convince victims to fork over money for unnecessary services.

Fresh from annoying everyone by dropping the headphone jack from the iPhone 7, Apple is reportedly set to remove more po[CENSORED]r inputs from its products. According to Macotakara(the first to predict the 3.5mm jack's demise), the upcoming new MacBook Pro may lose the traditional USB port in favor of USB Type-C. In addition to dropping the USB 3.0 port, the report claims Apple will also ditch the Magsafe charging connector and Thunderbolt 2, leaving only USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 ports. There was no mention of the 3.5mm headphone jack, though leaked images of the chassis indicate that it will be included. However, a survey sent out by Apple last month suggests it may be dropped in future revisions of the laptop. As the majority of peripherals use the traditional USB standard, the move would force users to buy a USB 3.0 adaptor, such as Apple’s $79 USB-C multiport dock. An Apple event is set to take place before the end of the month, possibly on October 27. The new 15.4- and 13.3-inch MacBook Pros will almost certainly feature an OLED bar that replaces the physical function keys along the top of the keyboard, as well as a Touch IDfingerprint scanner integrated into the power button. Macotakara predicts that the event will also see Apple unveil a new 13.3-inch MacBook Air, with the 11-inch model set to be discontinued. There have been reports that the new Air will feature USB Type-C ports, meaning Apple may also remove the traditional USB ports from this laptop, too.

Qualcomm announced its vision for high-speed mobile devices and networks at its 4G/5G Summit in Hong Kong yesterday. In addition to unveiling the world’s first 5G wireless chip, the company revealed that it would be rolling out the first commercial gigabit class LTE device and network. Qualcomm is partnering with Netgear, Ericsson, and Australian carrier Telstra to develop the Netgear Mobile Router MR1100. A mobile hotspot that is the first mobile device to support gigabit LTE. It can reach up to 1Gbps download speeds thanks to a combination of Qualcomm’s Gigabit-class Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, MIMO technology, 3X carrier aggregation, and Higher Order Modulation 256 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). The router will be launched in Australia on the world’s first Gigabit LTE network from Telstra, which should be up and running “in the coming months.” The X16 modem found inside the Netgear’s router will be integrated into the next generation Snapdragon SoC, which is set to appear in high-end smartphones next year. This should mean that phones will be able reach blistering speeds as carriers upgrade to Gigabit networks. Qualcomm’s 5G modem, the Snapdragon X50, isn’t set to arrive in products such as smartphones and other commercial products until the first half of 2018. The company wants to use the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea to test the 5G technology, which can reach speeds up to 400 times faster than current average 4G downloads. The X50 works in the 28GHz millimeter wave band, with 800MHz bandwidth support via 8x100 MHz carrier aggregation. As these higher wavelengths struggle over long distances and when traveling through walls, Qualcomm uses arrays of 16, 24, or 32 antennas along with beamforming and beam tracking technologies to solve these issues. When paired with the Gigabit speed Snapdragon X16 modem, the X50 will be able to seamlessly transition between 5G and Gigabit LTE. During the first live 5G trial in Australia last month, Telstra and Ericsson achieved downloads speeds of between 18Gbs and 22Gbs.

Razer, the firm best known for its range of gaming laptops and PC peripherals, has acquired THX, the audio company famed for the iconic Deep Note sound that plays before movies at certified theaters. Founded by Star Wars creator George Lucas in 1983 to ensure Return of the Jedi had the best possible sound when it hit the cinemas, THX will now operate as an “independent startup,” with Razer as its parent company. “Razer has a vision for innovation at every level of entertainment, a vision which THX has championed since its inception more than 30 years ago,” says Razer Co-Founder and CEO Min-Liang Tan. “This acquisition will allow us to reinforce Razer’s leadership in gaming and extend the brand into broader areas of entertainment, while at the same time empowering THX to develop into a global powerhouse, independently.” The THX brand and its certification business, which covers everything from home theaters to HDMI cables, will continue as before. Only those products that have been tested and meet a set of criteria determined by THX can carry the company’s logo. Following Razer’s purchase, the range of THX-certified products will extend to headphones, streaming video, augmented/virtual reality and “their enabling devices,” set-top boxes, Bluetooth speakers, and connected speakers. So expect to see some THX-approved Razer products appearing in the future. Razer said it plans to retain all of THX’s 50 staff, and will even hire 10 to 15 more people to cope with the expansion of its certification arm, THX CEO Ty Ahmad-Taylor told CNET. The move is an ambitious one by Razer, and shows the company has big plans beyond the PC gaming market. One thing we don’t know is how much the deal was worth - no financial details were revealed.

Acer has announced an update to its Chromebook product line in the form of the new Chromebook 15, touting up to 12 hours and a low $199 price tag. The new Chromebook 15 CB3-532 ships with a 15.6-inch display capable of 1366×768 resolution, with an anti-glare coating, it’s powered by an Intel Celeron N3060 dual-core processor, 2GB of SDRAM, 16GB of internal storage, and 100GB of free Google Storage for two years. Notably for a laptop in its price range, the keyboard has LED backlighting, it also comes equipped the latest 802.11ac wireless technology, Bluetooth 4.2, two USB 3.0 ports, and an HDMI port, and an SD card reader supporting up to 128GB capacities. Other features include two built-in stereo speakers and an HD (1,280 x 720) webcam. The claimed 12-hour battery-life is based on the standard Chromium power test. Like most entry level Chormebooks, Acer’s latest entry features just moderate specs, but at its price point it is positioned to be a po[CENSORED]r choice for holiday shoppers this year. Especially as Acer says that the laptop is on the list to receive support for Android apps. The $199 Chromebook 15 CB3-532 goes on sale at Walmart today, with other models in the range available at other retailers.

Good news for Samsung: the company has hit the headlines for reasons not related to the Note 7. In a statement released today, the Galaxy maker announced that it had become the first to mass-produce SoC products using 10-nanometer FinFET technology. Samsung, which was also the first company to mass produce a FinFET mobile application processor in January 2015, has an exclusive deal with Qualcomm to manufacture its Snapdragon 830 processors using the 10nm process, according to South Korea’s Electronic Times. “The industry’s first mass production of 10nm FinFET technology demonstrates our leadership in advanced process technology,” said Jong Shik Yoon, Executive Vice President, Head of Foundry Business at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue our efforts to innovate scaling technologies and provide differentiated total solutions to our customers.” The 10nm process is used to build an advanced 3D transistor structure that improves on the previous 14nm technology. It gives 27 percent better performance and 40 percent lower power consumption compared to its predecessor, which means not only do we get more powerful mobile devices but ones with longer battery life, too. The 10nm process also allows 30 percent more chips per wafer. Devices featuring chips made using the first-generation 10nm process (10LPE) will start appearing early next year. The second-gen tech (10LPP), which features a "performance boost," arrives in the second half of 2017, possibly in the Snapdragon 831. In all likelihood, the Snapdragon 830 will appear in the US version of the Galaxy S8. With the Note 7 recall expected to cost the company a total of $5.3 billion and cause untold damage to its reputation, Samsung will be relying on the next S series to do well and help erase the memory of 2016.

Not content with stealing your financial details, personal information, and login credentials, there’s now an Android banking Trojan that also asks victims to take a selfie with their ID cards. McAfee Labs’ Mobile Research Team discovered the malicious application, which is a new variant of the Acecard Trojan Malware (aka Torec) that was first identified back in February. In addition to asking for credit card details and information such as “mother’s maiden name,” the updated app offers “identify confirmation,” which involves uploading photos of identity documents such as a driver’s license along with a selfie of the gullible user holding the ID. As is the case with many Trojans, Acecard installs itself by tricking the user into thinking they’re installing a video codec/plugin or app for watching adult videos. Once it’s on the Android device, the malware asks for administrator privileges, before running in the background while monitoring specific apps. Acecard then shows a phishing overlay that pretends to be Google Play asking for a credit card number. This is followed by requests for name, date of birth, phone number, card expiration date, and CCV. It will also request second-factor authentication for some cards. Anyone who lives in Hong Kong will be asked for a copy of their HK ID card, while Singapore residents must add their National Registration card and passport. It’s at this point where the malware requests photos of the documents, along with selfies of the victim holding their ID. If someone's got this far, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll send the photographs without getting suspicious. They’ll probably only realize something’s amiss when their bank accounts are emptied, credit cards get maxed out, and bizarre doppelgangers start appearing on social media sites.

Samsung will soon be following Google down the high-end Chromebook path with the launch of the Chromebook Pro, a premium portable that’s expected to arrive later this month. The Chromebook Pro was prematurely posted on a couple of retailers' websites and even had its own landing page on Samsung’s site before admins became aware of the error. Fortunately, the crew over at Chrome Unboxed managed to get the skinny on the system’s specs before those pages disappeared. Codenamed Kevin, the Chromebook Pro features a 12.3-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 2,400 x 1,600 (234 PPI, 400 nits, 3:2 ratio) that can also be rotated 360 degrees. It’ll be powered by a 2GHz hexa-core ARM processor and 4GB of RAM with 32GB of local flash storage on tap. The all-aluminum chassis looks absolutely gorgeous with curved edges akin to what you’d find on a flagship smartphone. At just 2.38 pounds and 13.9mm at its thickest point, Samsung’s latest is plenty portable. Battery life checks in at up to 10 hours and interestingly enough, the system includes a stylus for taking full advantage of the sea of Android apps out there – an oversized Galaxy Note, if you will. f leaks prove accurate, Samsung’s Chromebook Pro will go on sale October 24 priced at $499. That’s a bit more than something like Acer’s excellent Chromebook 14 yet far cheaper than Google’s overpriced Chromebook Pixel. Given the hardware and aesthetics, it is likely well worth the asking price.

Fingerprint readers are a common feature on modern mobile devices, delivering an added layer of security and convenience. They’ve been so well-received, in fact, that we’re starting to see them crop up elsewhere like in the new Black FP gaming mouse from Tt eSports (Thermaltake’s gaming division). The Black FP features seven programmable buttons that can store up to 35 macros (across five profiles) and an Avago 9500 optical sensor rated for up to 5,700 DPI. It’s adjustable in increments of 100 DPI with four programmable profiles so you can switch levels on-the-fly. The wired mouse with gold-plated USB connector and matte black finish can be customized with up to five 4.5-gram weights and utilizes red LED lighting in three different zones (scroll wheel, DPI indicator and the dragon logo). Tt eSports says the pointing peripheral uses Omron switches with a lifecycle of five million clicks. The standout feature of the Black FP is without a doubt the FIDO compliant fingerprint sensor with 256-bit AES encryption from Synaptics. The sensor is positioned on the left side of the mouse where your thumb would normally rest and, using the included software, can easily be set up to recognize your digit of choice. From there, all you’ll need is your fingerprint to log into Windows 10, websites or anywhere else that accepts biometrics. Tt eSports’ Black FP mouse is priced at $59.99.

While it still isn’t perfect, Valve’s tiny Steam Link is regarded as one of the best products for streaming PC games over a wired or wireless network, able to pipe your favorite titles to a big screen living room television. Now, it’s been revealed the process is about to become even easier, as Samsung will soon be integrating the hardware into some of its TVs. Steam Spy revealed that Valve and Samsung announced the move during a Steam Dev Days presentation earlier this week. The Steam Link box is about the size of a deck of cards, and your only outlay is $50 plus the price of an HDMI cable (and a strong home network), so forking out for a pricey new television for the same experience may seem unnecessary. But it’s one of those features that could appeal to any PC gamers in the market for a new TV who would like to try the Steam Link. It’s not clear if all the functions of the Steam Link box will be integrated into Samsung’s future TVs, such as the ability to connect non-Steam Controllers via USB. If not, then you’ll likely have to buy one of Valve’s official controllers as well. The only problem people seem to have with the Steam Link is that the performance isn’t always of the highest quality. Depending on the setup, it can struggle to reach high frame rates, especially when using only Wi-Fi. But this will probably be improved by the time it arrives on Samsung’s TVs.

The title of world’s thinnest notebook changes hands on a fairly regular basis. The most recent recipient – at least, by its own proclamation – is Acer. If you’re a sucker for razor-thin portables, you’ll certainly want to take a close look at Acer’s latest creation. The Acer Swift 7 features a 13.3-inch IPS LCD screen operating at a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 that’s coated in Corning’s Gorilla Glass. Under the hood is a seventh-generation Intel Core i5-7Y54 processor (two cores, four threads) clocked at 1.20GHz (Turbo up to 3.20GHz), 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM and a 256GB solid state drive. Other notable specifications include 802.11ac MU-MIMO Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, a 1,280 x 720 resolution HDR webcam, two USB 3.1 Type-C ports and a 4-cell, 2,770mAh battery with a maximum runtime of nine hours. It ships with a copy of Windows 10 Home pre-installed, the de facto standard these days. The Swift 7 measures just 0.39 inches (roughly 9.9mm) thin with an approximate weight of 2.48 pounds. It’s available in just one color scheme – a matte black exterior with gold inner surfaces. Creating a thin notebook like the Swift 7 isn’t without compromise. As we’ve seen from other manufacturers, amenities such as full-sized USB ports, a dedicated power jack and DisplayPort / HDMI are size prohibitive meaning the two USB 3.1 Type-C ports must wear multiple hats (video-out / charging / peripherals). The Acer Swift 7 is available as of writing from Acer’s website with a one-year limited warranty for $1,099.99. Acer says additional configurations will be rolling out over the next few weeks.

Instagram released its official app onto Windows Mobile earlier this year, after it had been available on the platfrom in beta form for some time. Now, it has expanded the photo- and video-sharing application to other Windows 10 devices, including PCs and tablets. At first glance, the Instagram app on the PC looks very similar to the web version, but it comes with all the features found in the mobile version, such as Explore, Direct, and the recently introduced Stories feature, which lets users share videos and photos in a 10-second long slideshow format. You can also share content on Facebook and Messenger – something that’s not available on the web incarnation of Instagram. There is one surprising restriction with Instagram’s Windows 10 app; as noted by The Verge, while it is possible to capture, upload, and edit photos and videos, you’ll need a tablet or PC that has a touchscreen and a rear-facing camera to upload your content. So it’s good news if you own something like a Surface Book or Surface Pro, but bad news for majority of PC owners. The app still has a few bugs. Clicking on “Your Story” – the icon used to create your own slideshow – just closes the program. And the design isn’t the best; like the web version, the feed is placed in the center of the screen, leaving large white areas on either side. While the full Instagram app is now available on Windows 10 tablets, an optimized version still hasn’t arrived on the iPad. Owners of Apple’s device can use the iPhone version on the tablet, but an iPad-specific app would be welcomed. You can download the Windows 10 Instagram app for free from the Windows Store.

The iconic blue and black WRT line of routers from Linksys is getting a new addition with the latest wireless technology and the same open-source firmware support that made it po[CENSORED]r among enthusiasts. The Linksys AC3200 WRT Gigabit MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Router promises to provide better throughput thanks to its “Tri-Stream 160 technology” by extending channel width from 80 MHz to 160 MHz “when Dynamic Frequency Selection conditions allow.” The ability to produce three streams also allows separating "slow" and "fast" devices by running two 5GHz Wi-Fi networks simultaneously, enabling you to separate 802.11n and 802.11ac into different connections to avoid bottlenecking the AC devices. It also supports MU-MIMO (Multiple User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) technology, which allows it to transmit data with multiple devices simultaneously instead of them taking turns. Hardware specs include a 1.8GHz dual-core ARM-based CPU, 512MB of DDR3 memory, and 256MB of flash storage. The router has four high-powered antennas, five gigabit Ethernet ports (4 LAN, 1 Internet), one USB 3.0 port, and one USB 2.0/eSATA port for setting up external storage or adding onboard media servers. Linksys is touting the fact that it is open-source ready with OpenWrt or DD-WRT “for complete flexibility and customization of networking functions or for optimizing the router for specific use cases, such as privacy, VoIP, and small office applications.” While Linksys has certainly built an impressive router on paper, it’s worth noting that the WRT3200ACM will only as fast as the clients connected to it. As it stands now there are no Tri-band 160 laptops or phones currently on the market, and there are very few that support MU-MIMO technology, so you’re essentially getting bragging rights and hoping those technologies become widespread in the near future. The Linksys AC3200 WRT Gigabit MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Router is available now via the Linksys web store and Amazon priced at a hefty $280.

Technology has reached a level of maturity in which it’s possible to carry around a full-fledged computer in your pocket. While smartphones technically fall into this category, I’m more referring to tiny PCs like Intel’s Compute Stick or the Kangaroo Plus from InFocus. One of the problems with such computers is that you need to also carry around input devices like a keyboard and mouse (assuming there aren’t any where you plan to use the system). This shortcoming has led to some creative experimentation among device manufacturers. Acooo’s oneBoard PRO+ is a perfect example. Stuffed into an otherwise unassuming mechanical keyboard is a quad-core Android PC. It’s a clever concept but what if you’re extremely pressed for real estate? That’s where something like the Vensmile K8 mini PC comes into play. As Liliputing notes, the device hardly looks any different than the flexible, rubber-style keyboards that have been available for years. But upon closer inspection, you’ll see that there’s a solid section on the right that serves as a touchpad. The dual-purpose touchpad is also the chassis for a tiny desktop computer consisting of a quad-core Intel Atom x5-Z8300 (Cherry Trail) processor clocked at 1.44GHz (Burst to 1.84GHz), 4GB of DDR3 RAM and 64GB of eMMC flash memory. You also get dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 as well as HDMI out, VGA out, a USB 3.0 port, a USB 2.0 port, an expansion card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack – all running Windows 10 Home. GeekBuying is now accepting pre-orders with plans to ship later this month. Expect to pay $199.99 or the opportunity.

Welcome Rohit

Intel continues its assault on the unmanned aerial drone industry this week with the introduction of the Falcon 8+ for North American markets. The Falcon 8+ (not to be confused with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket) builds on the success of the AscTech Falcon 8 already in commission in the European market. The chipmaker, if you recall, purchased Ascending Technologies early this year for an undisclosed sum. Rather than going after the hot consumer market, Intel’s new drone is built specifically for commercial-grade applications. Josh Walden, a senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s New Technology Group, says the Falcon 8+ is setting a new standard for commercial-grade drones with full electronic system redundancy (think batteries, sensors, communications hardware and more). Operators will control the Falcon 8+ using the Intel Cockpit, a redesigned mobile ground station that’s sturdy enough to use even in harsh outdoor environments. As you can see by the photo above, this is a seriously detailed bit of kit that should allow operators to pilot the drone with a high degree of precision. With a top speed of around 35 miles per hour, it’ll also be able to outrun most consumer-facing, hobby drones. Intel hasn’t yet said how much the bundle will sell for although given its looks and that awesome controller, I imagine it won’t be cheap.

Microsoft is pushing its mixed reality HoloLens headset into several new markets, with pre-orders now live in Ireland, France, Germany and the UK, as well as Australia and New Zealand. This isn’t the consumer-oriented release just yet, instead it’s aimed at Windows 10 developers and business users who want early access to the platform. Back in march Microsoft made HoloLens available to select business customers and developers in the US, who were developing showcase apps, with a wider rollout in August. The latest preorders are for the HoloLens Development Edition ($3,000 or AU$4,369 / £2,719 / €3,299) and HoloLens Commercial Suite ($5,000 or AU$7,269 / £4,529). Microsoft is planning to add Windows Holographic support to Windows 10 PCs running "Redstone 2," the next major update to Windows 10 coming in the Spring of 2017. While the technology is still in the early stages of development, Microsoft plans to vault itself into the market by opening up the platform third parties with the goal enabling devices that can run both AR and VR "mixed reality" and eventually bring prices down. The list of partners include Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, HTC, Acer, ASUS, CyberPowerPC, Dell, Falcon Northwest, HP, iBuyPower, Lenovo, and MSI.

Global PC shipments may be on the decline but it’s not for a lack of trying. HP, for example, has just updated several of its product lines in time for the holiday buying season. Here’s everything you need to know. Kicking things off is the second-generation of HP’s po[CENSORED]r convertible, the Spectre x360. The updated machine is 13 percent thinner at 13.8mm, 11 percent lighter at 2.85 pounds and looks as good as ever with its near bezel-less 13.3-inch IPS full HD display and brushed aluminum chassis. The convertible is powered by Intel’s seventh-generation Core processors and features Bang & Olufsen audio from four speakers. Other amenities include two USB Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 as well as a USB Type-A port and a 57.8 watt-hour battery that HP claims is good for up to 15 hours of runtime. HP’s new Envy 13 laptop, meanwhile, also packs a 13.3-inch display and your choice of seventh-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor along with up to 16GB of RAM up to a 1TB solid state drive. Unlike the Spectre x360, the new Envy 13 is slightly thicker and heavier at 14mm and 3.15 pounds, respectively, but it does include a larger battery that’s good for an additional four hours of use, up to 14 hours total, HP says. Using HP’s Fast Charge technology, the laptop can receive a 90 percent charge in 90 minutes. If you’re short on real estate or simply prefer a compact solution, HP’s Envy All-in-One 27may fit the bill. Unlike most AIOs that bundle the hardware into the display, the Envy AIO 27 crams the guts into its base which also doubles as a soundbar with four speakers tuned by Bang & Olufsen. This approach will also give the system more stability meaning it’s less likely to tip over if you’ve got kids or pets around. It also reduces the thickness of the display by 44 percent, down to just 15mm. Speaking of, the 27-inch panel checks in at 2,560 x 1,440, the ideal resolution for that size in my opinion. The Envy AIO 27 can be configured with either a sixth-generation or seventh-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor, up to an Nvidia GTX 950M discrete graphics card and up to a 256GB SSD and 2TB HDD. Last but certainly not least is the HP Envy 27 Display. While it’s styled after the aforementioned Envy AIO 27, its resolution has been bumped up to 4K. Having recently spent some time with a 32-inch, 4K display, I can say with a good bit of confidence that 27 inches is too small for a 4K display running natively. Sure, you can mess with scaling but that sort of defeats the purpose of owning a high-resolution monitor. As for pricing and availability, the Spectre x360 starts at $1,049.99 and is available as of writing. The new HP Envy 13 laptop is scheduled to arrive on October 26 from $849.99 while the Envy AIO 27 can be yours sometime this month starting at $1,299.99. If it’s the Envy 27 Display you want, be prepared to part with $499.99 come December 4.

Welcome Yash

Those with Nexus devices will soon be able to update their handsets to Android 7.1, which was first shown off on Google's new Pixel smartphones. The Android 7.1 Developer Previewwill be released later this month, bringing a small collection of new features and improvements. Google Assistant will not be included with Android 7.1, as it remains an exclusive feature of the Pixel and Pixel XL for the time being. However, Android 7.1 does bring other features, such as support for Google's VR ecosystem, Daydream, as well as an app shortcut API and support for image keyboards. The app shortcut API allows Android apps to produce up to five action shortcuts from their icon on the homescreen, similar to 3D Touch on iOS although without the need for a pressure-sensitive touchscreen. Image keyboard support means developers can finally produce proper GIF keyboards that can be used across a variety of apps. The first developer preview for Android 7.1 will be released at the end of October for the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, and Pixel C. The final release of the operating system seems to be scheduled for before the end of this year, and that's when older Nexus devices like the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 will receive an update.

HTC has teamed up with HP to produce a virtual reality bundle that gives buyers essentially everything they need to enter the world of VR. The bundle includes both a HTC Vive headset and its peripherals, along with a HP Envy gaming desktop, all for a reasonable price of just $1,499. When you consider that the HTC Vive normally retails for $800, the bundle basically includes the HP Envy desktop for $700. For that price, you get an Intel Core i5-6400, 8 GB of RAM, an AMD Radeon RX 480 graphics card, a 128 GB solid state drive, and a 1 TB hard drive. A Windows 10 Home license is also included along with extras like a DVD drive, keyboard and mouse. This isn't a particularly powerful system, but it meets the minimum specifications for gaming with the HTC Vive. HTC claims that buyers will get $1,699 of value in this bundle, which also includes two free VR games: The Lab, and theBlu:Encounter. The bundle is actually pretty good value when you consider the cost of the components in the HP ENVY 750-415VHR. We headed over to Newegg and found the cheapest price for the components in the desktop, with the total price falling closer to $800 than $700. And that's without factoring in the cost of assembly. You'll be able to purchase the bundle this holiday season, and while it's not cheap, it could be the best way to jump into virtual reality if you don't already have a gaming PC. As the product page notes, you'll still need a monitor and a couple of cables to actually complete the setup, but the bundle includes the two main parts for a virtual reality setup.

Somewhat akin to Intel, Apple has trained consumers on its “tick-tock” cadence of releasing a newly designed iPhone and following it up a year later with an optimized “s” variant. That’s been the formula since the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS were released in 2008 and 2009, respectively. This year, however, Apple broke precedent by launching a third model on the same design as its two-year-old iPhone 6. Add in the controversial decision to remove the venerable 3.5mm headphone jack as well as a major change in the new Home button and you have the making of a familiar iPhone that feels somewhat foreign. Apple unveiled the iPhone 7 and its bigger brother, the iPhone 7 Plus, on September 7 at a media event in San Francisco. The phones went on sale a little over a week later in your choice of rose gold, gold, silver, black and jet black with 32GB, 128GB or 256GB or local storage (yes, Apple has finally retired the 16GB option). I’ll be taking a look at a 32GB silver iPhone 7 Plus, priced at $769.99 before tax. The iPhone 7 Plus packs a 5.5-inch LED-backlit, IPS display with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 (401 PPI) and a contrast ratio of 1,300:1. Apple has been criticized for using dated LED technology when competitors have moved to OLED panels with higher resolutions but that doesn’t mean the iPhone 7 Plus’ display is rubbish – quite the contrary, actually. Dr. Raymond M. Soneira, a well-respected display expert and president of DisplayMate, found it to be the best performing mobile LCD screen he’s ever tested. The panel earned high marks for its use of multiple color gamuts, low reflectance, and high contrast ratio for an IPS LCD. Indeed, the display on the iPhone 7 Plus looks great. In a side-by-side comparison, the newer handset exhibits a slightly warmer tint whereas the iPhone 6s Plus is slightly cooler. Outside under direct sunlight and with auto-brightness enabled, the iPhone 7 Plus can boost its brightness above Apple’s rated 625 cd/m2 max brightness to make things easier to see. Why a 1080p screen, you ask, when virtually every other flagship smartphone has graduated to 1440p or higher panels? It’s a trade-off between performance and perception. At 401 pixels per inch, Apple is banking on your inability to make out individual pixels during normal use (some will even struggle to do so when pixel-peeping). By having to drive fewer pixels, there’s less drain on the battery and more performance to go around. For better or for worse, this approach has consistently helped iPhones rank among the fastest smartphones money can buy. The iPhone 7 Plus officially measures 158.2mm (L) x 77.9mm (W) x 7.3mm (H) and tips the scales at 188 grams. That’s right on the money as the 7 Plus registered 186 grams on my kitchen scale, slightly lighter than the 190 grams of the 6s Plus on hand. It bears repeating that the iPhone 7 Plus looks a lot like the two iPhones before it. However, upon closer inspection, there are some unmistakable differences between new and old. Eagle-eyed observers may notice that the cutout for the earpiece is roughly 1/8th of an inch wider, no doubt to accommodate the new dual-purpose speaker -- but more on that in a bit. On the reverse, the horizontal antenna bands that previously stretched directly across the top and bottom portions of the handset have been removed with Apple instead relying on the remaining upper and lower lines that frame the aluminum chassis. The rear microphone hole is a bit smaller and the True Tone flash now consists of four LEDs that collectively put out more light. The biggest change here is the new dual camera system which consists of a 28mm wide-angle f/1.8 aperture lens and a 56mm telephoto lens with f/2.8 aperture. Both are capable of 12-megapixel photos and feature optical image stabilization, six-element lenses, autofocus, and more. New for 2016 is a solid state Home button that replaces the physical one, an iPhone staple since the very first iteration arrived nearly a decade ago... this is one of the better features of the new iPhones. The learning curve was virtually non-existent and the simulated button press is incredibly convincing. This dual camera approach allows Apple to offer a “portrait” mode in which data from both cameras will be used to create images sporting the depth of field typically associated with more expensive standalone cameras. I say “will” because Apple is still tweaking portrait mode and thus, hasn’t rolled it out to a stable release of iOS 10 as of writing. In the interim, you can use the two cameras independently. The primary 28mm camera is the better of the two as it lets in more light thanks to its f/1.8 aperture, a boon in low-light situations. Tapping the “2x” onscreen button switches to the secondary 56mm camera that affords more reach by letting you zoom in optically. This is ideal when you simply can’t get physically closer to your subject – like at the zoo or during a football game, for example. While combing through sample camera images for this review, I noticed something peculiar. In the EXIF data, some of the images I snapped using the 2x option – which should have been taken with the secondary telephoto lens – reported an aperture of f/1.8. That’s impossible if the telephoto camera is only capable of f/2.8, right? As it turns out, the camera app / iOS is analyzing data from both cameras in real-time, regardless of which camera you think you’re using. If it determines that the primary camera would produce an overall better image than the inferior telephoto camera, it’ll take the picture with the better camera and crop / use digital zoom to make it look like what the 56mm camera would produce. To try it out for yourself, all you need to do is place your finger over the primary camera and switch between the two in the camera app. In my experience, this is only likely to crop up when shooting items very close up (macro) or in dimly-lit environments. I’d call it more of a benefit than anything as it helps you get the best possible image although it’s hard not to feel a little bit deceived. When the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus arrived in 2014, many (myself included) criticized Apple’s decision to have the rear camera stick out from the body like a sore thumb. It looked like a last-minute decision and seemed uncharacteristic of Apple up to that point. Little did we know at the time that it would be another two years before Apple addressed the ugly duckling. With this year’s iPhones, Apple designed the rear aluminum shell in a way that it contours the camera modules. This is much more aesthetically pleasing although ironically enough, the camera assembly sticks out even further than before. If you carry your phone in a typical case, this won’t really matter but for those that go caseless or use a simple bumper case, it’s somewhat concerning. Something else worth noting is the material that covers the rear camera lenses. Apple on its website claims its lenses are constructed using sapphire crystal, a man-made material that’s extremely hard and very difficult to scratch. Independent testing, however, takes issue with this claim. Upon further analysis, it appears as though Apple is using sapphire crystal for the lens but it isn’t pure. An Apple patent for its sapphire references thin “sapphire laminates” that could be used to coat regular glass for added durability. As noted in the patent, this technique could save Apple some money as sapphire is more expensive to obtain and process than glass. All things considered, the lens is scratch resistant although not as much as some may assume when the term “sapphire” gets tossed around. Continuing the design tour, we find that the SIM card tray now has a rubber gasket that helps keep liquids out. The power button appears unchanged, at least from the outside. Apple has reworked the volume buttons on the opposite side, moving away from placing them in a recessed cavity. They’re still made of aluminum and are as sturdy as ever, as is the mute switch. Both new iPhones feature a 7-megapixel front-facing camera, up from 5-megapixels last year, with an f/2.2 aperture lens, Retina flash (which uses the screen as a flash), auto HDR, auto image stabilization and more. New for 2016 is a solid state Home button that replaces the physical one, an iPhone staple since the very first iteration arrived nearly a decade ago. In addition to further bolstering the phone’s water resistance, the re-engineered Home button should be more reliable over the long haul as it eliminates a moving component that’s bound to wear out at some point. Touch ID, Apple’s fingerprint reader technology, persists as does the tactile feeling you’d get by pressing a physical button. It’s essentially a force-sensitive trackpad that responds to input via a new version of Apple’s Taptic Engine, a customizable linear actuator that provides precise vibrational feedback as acknowledgment of various tasks or inputs. The Taptic Engine is widely used across iOS 10 but with the Home button, it is tuned to simulate a button press. In my testing, this is one of the better features of the new iPhones. The learning curve was virtually non-existent and the simulated button press is incredibly convincing. My girlfriend had no idea it wasn’t a physical button to the point that I had to power down the phone to prove that it is indeed stationary. By far, the biggest and most controversial change with this year’s iPhone is the removal of the industry-standard 3.5mm audio jack. In its absence, Apple is asking customers to either adopt its proprietary Lightning connector for wired use or cut the cord and go wireless. Apple is no stranger when it comes to putting familiar hardware and practices out to pasture, having previously done so with the optical drive, the physical keyboard on smartphones, the removable battery and the 30-pin connector used by iPhones until 2012. That said, this decision is really hitting home for some. Eliminating the 3.5mm headphone jack accomplishes a handful of goals for Apple. For one, it frees up internal real estate that makes room for a larger battery – 11.1Wh, 2,900mAh in the iPhone 7 Plus versus 2,750mAh in last year’s iPhone 6s Plus – as well as the aforementioned Taptic Engine and a barometric vent that helps equalize internal and atmospheric pressure for a more accurate altimeter. It’ll also allow Apple to continue to reduce the thickness of future iPhones although that’s not something we’re seeing this generation. The long-term play is to move customers – and by proxy, the industry – towards wireless connectivity as evident by the fact that you can’t simultaneously listen to music via wired headphones and charge the phone at the same time without yet another adapter. Conveniently enough, Apple owns Beats who will gladly sell you wireless headphones packing its new W1 wireless chip that eliminates many of the pain points of traditional Bluetooth. One has to think Apple will eventually license out the W1 chip to third-parties if it intends for the wireless standard to gain much traction. The long-term play is to move customers – and by proxy, the industry – towards wireless connectivity. How big a deal the missing 3.5mm jack is will vary from one person to the next. Personally, I’ve hardly even noticed as I use a set of wireless headphones at home paired with my desktop on a daily basis, Bluetooth to stream from the iPhone to the Alpine head unit in my vehicle or the portable speaker in the bathroom that allows me to take in some tunes or a podcast while showering. Often times, I simply play podcasts out loud (not in public, I’m not that guy) from the iPhone speaker. Come to think of it, the only time I use wired headphones is when I’m traveling long distances or on vacation. In this respect, I acknowledge that this is not what the average user does and there are millions who rely on wired headphones each and every day – on the subway or bus to and from work, while working out at the gym or even at home while around family members. It’s these users that will feel the impact of the missing 3.5mm jack the most (by using a dongle, at least for now). Apple has demonstrated its ability to influence industries and consumer behavior multiple times in the past and given its massive install base of iOS devices, I think we’ll all be looking back in a few years and wondering how we got along with wired headphones for so long. To ease the transition in the meantime, Apple includes both a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter and a set of Lightning-equipped EarPods with every iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. There’s also a set of wireless earbuds from Apple dubbed AirPods that’ll set you back $159 later this month although if you aren’t fond of the fit that Apple’s current EarPods offer, you shouldn’t bother with the AirPods. Speaking of audio, these are the first iPhones to feature dual speakers for stereo sound. The bottom speaker is positioned behind the right-side grill where it has sat for the past few years (the new grill on the left side hides the barometric vent discussed earlier). The additional speaker isn’t really a new speaker at all as Apple is simply asking the earpiece speaker to serve double duty as a loudspeaker. It’s a good idea and it does create audio that’s more encompassing but the quality of the secondary speaker is far inferior to the traditional speaker on the bottom. One of the first things I did with the iPhone 7 Plus was put the new speaker system to the test and boy was I disappointed. Something sounded off right away. I hopped into the accessibility section in the settings where I was able to adjust the balance slider from one speaker to the other. The bottom speaker was comparable to what the iPhone 6s Plus uses which is very good but the earpiece speaker sounded as if it was on the verge of being overpowered. Worse yet, the top speaker creates a buzzing / vibration that dissipates across the entire phone when used at or near max volume. Checking around some online forums, I found that this is not an isolated event. I was hoping to be able to simply disable the secondary speaker using the aforementioned balance slider which did work until you change the orientation of the phone, thus shifting audio to the other speaker. As someone who values quality audio, this was perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the new iPhone. Performance: A10 Fusion, Benchmarks Apple’s own A10 Fusion chip draws the assignment this season alongside an embedded M10 motion coprocessor and 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM (2GB in the iPhone 7). Manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) on a 16-nanometer FinFET process, this 64-bit SoC packs more than 3.3 billion transistors and is significant as it represents Apple’s first quad-core mobile processor. Similar to the ARM big.LITTLE layout, the A10 Fusion is comprised of two performance cores clocked at 2.34GHz and two energy-efficient cores that run at 1/5th the power of the performance cores. Apple says the two high-performance cores run 40 percent faster than last year’s A9, twice as fast as the A8 before it and a whopping 120 times faster than the chip powering the original iPhone. An Apple-designed performance controller determines the best cores for a given job. There’s also a new six-core GPU that Apple says is 50 percent faster than the A9 and three times as fast as the A8 in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus while consuming 2/3 the power of the A9 and half the power of the A8. Compared to the first iPhone, today’s GPU is 240 times faster. All things considered, Apple tells us that this is the most powerful chip ever put into a smartphone. To test that claim, we put the iPhone 7 Plus through a battery of benchmarks that we’ve made a regular habit of running in of our smartphone reviews. As you can see, Apple’s latest absolutely decimated the competition as it posted record-high numbers in nearly every test just as the iPhone 6 Plus did a year ago. Without sounding like a broken record, the results highlight the tremendous advantage Apple has in developing both hardware and software under one roof. The fact that Apple has managed to get by on just two cores when everyone else adopted anywhere from four to 10 cores is quite telling. Of course, synthetic benchmarks are only one piece of the performance puzzle – most people simply want to know how well the handset carries itself on a day-to-day basis. In my experience over the past three weeks of using the iPhone 7 Plus exclusively, it performed flawlessly 99 percent of the time. Demanding games like CSR Racing 2 looked downright stunning with absolutely no hint of lag. Similarly, surfing my favorite websites, fielding and receiving e-mail and text messages, tinkering in the Photo app and adjusting my Nest thermometer and Vivint home alarm system didn’t visibly tax the A10 Fusion SoC. The only time I noticed any slowdown was when exiting apps. It doesn’t happen every time but when it does, there’s a tiny bit of hesitation as the animation begins which is uncharacteristic of a new iPhone with the latest version of iOS. Other than this, the phone felt buttery smooth. In a side-by-side comparison with the iPhone 6s Plus, the 7 Plus more often than not was able to load a webpage or launch an app just a hair faster than last year’s iPhone. The performance increase wasn’t nearly as pronounced as I’ve witnessed in earlier generations which makes me wonder if mobile chips have hit a peak of sorts. In the automotive world, once you surpass a certain threshold of horsepower and torque, it becomes more difficult to actually feel performance gains. For example, you’re not going to notice a huge difference when going from 1,000 horsepower to 1,100 like you would if you were going from 100 to 200 horsepower. That kind of feels like what’s going on here as the iPhone 7 Plus hardly feels any faster than last year’s iPhone 6 Plus. I suppose that’s to be expected given the big.LITTLE-like configuration of the A10 Fusion but I digress. iOS 10, Usage Impressions, A Sign of Things to Come? The changes in iOS 10 are evident from the get-go. A new feature called Raise to Wake does just that – it wakes up the iPhone when you pick it up. It’s a nifty feature for sure, especially for those that often look at their phones to check notifications or the time. On the lock screen, you can now swipe left to access the camera instead of having to swipe up over the camera icon. You can still access the Control Center by swiping up as was possible in iOS 9 and swipe down for notifications. Swiping to the right now brings you to a list of widgets you may be using such as sports scores or the weather. Whereas 3D Touch was the standout feature of iOS 9 a year ago, one needs to look no further than Apple’s own Messages app to find iOS 10’s star attraction. It’s a wise move given the overwhelming po[CENSORED]rity of third-party messaging apps like Snapchat and WhatsApp but don’t expect the changes to appeal to everyone. It all starts with emojis which, when sent by themselves, are now three times as large. What’s more, if you have predictive typing enabled, you’ll see that when you type a word with a corresponding emoji (like “koala” or “football”), said emoji will show up as an option to use in the QuickType bar. Taking it a step further, you can switch to the emoji keyboard after typing out a message and iOS will highlight words in orange that you can tap on to replace with emojis. If you’re messaging a fellow iOS user, you’ll also have access to two new visual effects over iMessage. Bubble effects come in four forms. With Slam, the recipient will receive your message bubble as if it is slammed into the chat window. Similarly, the Loud option animates a message as if it is being yelled while Gentle messages arrive as smaller text that gradually gets bigger. Last but not least is Invisible Ink which masks a message until it is “scratched off” by the recipient. The iPhone 7 Plus is more than capable of standing its ground among the sea of flagship smartphones flooding the market. Screen effects, meanwhile, arrive with an animation that covers the entire chat window. Options here include Balloons, Confetti, Lasers, Fireworks and Shooting Star. To access either Bubble or Screen effects, simply press firmly (3D Touch) on the Send button after typing your message. Another new Messages feature is Digital Touch, a carryover from watchOS that offers half a dozen different options – Sketch, Tap, Fireball, Kiss, Heartbeat and Heartbreak – to send messages. To access them, tap the Digital Touch icon when composing a message (it’s the one that looks like a heart with two fingers over it). If animations aren’t your cup of tea and you’d prefer to keep messaging simple and to the point, you can disable predictive text and remove the emoji keyboard from the list of activated keyboards used in the settings menu although this won’t fully opt you out of all of the aforementioned Messages features. This really only scratches the surface of what’s possible in the Messages app in iOS 10 but for the sake of brevity, we’ll stop here and look at some other new aspects of Apple’s latest mobile OS. One welcomed change in iOS 10 is the ability to effectively remove default Apple apps that you may not use such as the News, Stocks or Watch apps. Up to this point, the best you could do was group unused apps into a single folder and pretend they don’t exist. With iOS 10, you can now remove Apple apps that you’ll never use… sort of. To do so, simply long-press on an app to activate the ability to delete apps as you’ve always done. Now, you’ll notice that many of the default apps have an “X” to delete them. The catch, however, is that you aren’t really deleting them – they’re just being hidden out of view. To get an app back, just go to the App Store and re-enable it. Another handy feature in iOS 10 is voicemail transcription. Rather than having to listen to each voicemail (yeah, some people still prefer to talk on the phone rather than text), you can tap on a visual voicemail to read a transcription of said message. In my experience, this feature needs some work as one of the messages it transcribed – an automated message to confirm an appointment with my doctor – contained several errors and blank spaces. I was able to gather the gist of the message but it was far from an accurate transcript. Unfortunately, not all changes in iOS 10 will be welcomed. If you’ve ready my previous iPhone reviews, you may remember that I was incredibly happy when Apple with iOS 9 finally baked in a “delete all” option in its Mail app. For someone that receives a lot of junk e-mail each day, this was a great feature as it allowed me to select and delete dozens or even hundreds of spam messages in one fell swoop. For some explicable reason, Apple removed this functionality in iOS 10. Now, when I tap Edit then Mark All, the only options to choose from are Flag and Mark as Read. The Trash option is greyed out. Why Apple would backtrack on such a useful feature is a bit mind boggling. iOS 10 feels like a solid, well-rounded update. In my experience, it was only marginally faster than an iPhone 6s Plus with iOS 9 but aside from speed, it introduces a wealth of new features. Sure, Apple is playing catch-up with Android in some aspects but you really have to dig deep to find reasons not to like iOS 10 (and many of the features you may not like can be disabled). All-Around Package The iPhone 7 Plus is more than capable of standing its ground among the sea of flagship smartphones flooding the market. With a ridiculously fast processor, up to 256GB of local storage, a dual camera system, newfound water resistance and two new color options, there’s plenty to hold consumers over for another cycle. Official IP67 water and dust resistance is long overdue as other flagships have had this feature for years. I say official as last year’s models were found to be semi-water resistant. Not having to triple bag my phone if I’m at an outdoor concert and rain clouds move in will be nice, nor will I freak out if I accidentally drop my phone in the toilet -- speaking from experience unfortunately. Do note, however, that water resistant and waterproof are two very different things. In practice, you should still try your best to avoid contact with liquids (don’t go swimming with it, for example) as damage from liquids is not covered under Apple’s standard warranty. You’ll need to purchase Apple’s extended warranty service, AppleCare+, for accidental liquid damage. Heat was never a concern with the iPhone 7 Plus. While playing games like CSR Racing 2, the handset only ever became lukewarm to the touch. Things did get a bit warmer while charging and watching videos at the same time, for example, but never did it reach a point where it was uncomfortable to hold or prompt a temperature warning. As it stands today, the twin camera approach is a bit of a mixed bag. The primary 26mm wide-angle camera with f/1.8 aperture is an improvement over last year’s shooter but that’s not necessarily the case with the 56mm telephoto camera due to its f/2.8 aperture lens. Is the difference between the two apertures that big of a deal, you ask? Yeah, it is. Aperture is one of the three pillars of photography alongside shutter speed and ISO. In the simplest of terms, a lower f-stop number means more light is getting through to the sensor which is ideal when shooting pictures in dimly lit environments. Aperture is also responsible for mani[CENSORED]ting depth of field as it helps to create those blurred, out-out-focus backgrounds typically associated with a DSLR or mirrorless camera. What the secondary telephoto lens loses in terms of aperture, it makes up for in reach thanks to its effective 2x optical zoom… that is, when it’s actually utilized. It’ll become even more of an asset once portrait mode graduates from beta status to the public build of iOS 10. Apple during its iPhone 7 event praised the handset’s digital zoom which stretches all the way to 10x. Don’t be fooled, however, as digital zoom is a terrible option that should rarely – if ever – be used. You’d be better served using the primary camera and cropping it yourself. As an amateur photographer, I would love to see Apple offer some advanced controls in its camera app. Using a third-party app like Manual or Slow Shutter affords the ability to manually adjust things like ISO and shutter speed which, if you’re photographing stationary objects and can prop the iPhone against something to eliminate movement, results in sharper images with far less noise, especially in low light situations. While I applaud Apple’s decision to add a second speaker for true stereo sound, it is poorly implemented and ultimately comes up short. As I covered earlier, the quality of the earpiece speaker isn’t nearly as good as the primary one on the bottom of the phone. In use at higher volume, it sounds bad and causes the entire phone to vibrate / buzz. It reminds me a lot of the original iPhone which had a terrible loudspeaker. Something else worth a mention is a slight quality control issue with my sample. After removing the plastic wrap and opening the box for the first time, I noticed two small scuffs on the aluminum near the speaker and baffle cutouts on the bottom of the phone. Fortunately, the marks buffed out with a bit of attention from a microfiber cloth. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to coordinate a proper battery test using our standardized procedure in time for this review. Apple claims the battery in the iPhone 7 Plus is good for up to an additional one hour of battery life. Excluding the first several days when I was heavily using the phone for testing purposes, I found that on average I have anywhere from 30 to 60 percent battery life remaining come bedtime. A Sign of Things to Come? All things considered, I can’t help but feel as though this generation is more of a prologue than anything else. Allow me to explain. The solid state Home button feels like a stepping stone to removing it entirely and integrating Touch ID directly into the front display as has previously been rumored. Jumping from a physical button to no button at all could conceivably confuse some users – not techies, mind you, but perhaps less tech-savvy users. The removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack – which Apple wasn’t the first to do, by the way – also falls into this category. The move was bound to cause dissension among the ranks but again, doing it this cycle instead of next year when a full redesign is expected will give users time to acclimate. Whether it’s the Lightning port, audio over USB Type-C, or some form of wireless (my guess is the latter), time is ticking now that a major player has shed the jack. The same could even be said about Apple’s use of an LED-backlit, multi-touch IPS display for yet another generation albeit for a different reason. Waiting one more year to bring OLED screens to the iPhone buys some time for the technology to further mature and prices to come down. The iPhone 7 Plus is the best iPhone to date as it relates to design aesthetics, features, and performance, but that doesn’t mean you should go out and grab one ASAP. I believe Apple’s agenda with the iPhone 7 line is to lay the foundation for the iPhone 8, a handset that has the potential to generate the same sort of excitement Apple enjoyed when the redesigned iPhone 6 series landed in 2014. Jumping back to present-day, the iPhone 7 Plus is without a doubt the best iPhone to date as it relates to design aesthetics, features, and performance, but that doesn’t mean you should go out and grab one ASAP. Again, it’s a top-tier smartphone but unless your iPhone 6 or newer becomes lost, stolen or broken, Apple hasn’t presented a compelling enough reason to warrant an upgrade. Review By: TechSpot

Western Digital, best known for their hard drives, has decided to re-enter the solid state market with new Green and Blue series SSDs. This comes just five months after Western Digital completed their acquisition of SanDisk for $19 billion, which gave the company the resources to produce these new products. Similar to Western Digital's hard drive line-up, the Green and Blue series SSDs are entry-level products. The Green line, based on the SanDisk SSD Plus, sits at the bottom to provide the best value. These drives use a basic Silicon Motion controller, SanDisk 15nm TLC NAND, and do not feature a DRAM cache, so low-end performance is expected. Green SSDs will be available in two capacities, 120 and 240 GB, in both 2.5-inch and M.2 2280 SATA form factors, with prices yet to be announced. The 240 GB model is rated at 545 MB/s sequential reads and 435 MB/s writes, along with 37k/68k IOPS random read/writes; the 120 GB drive features slightly reduced performance. Expect to see Green SSDs on the market later this quarter with three year warranties and endurance rated at up to 80 TB. Western Digital Blue drives are based on the SanDisk X400 SSD, and again come in 2.5-inch and M.2 2280 SATA form factors. These drives use SanDisk 15nm TLC NAND as well, but feature a Marvel 88SS1074 controller for improved performance: 545 MB/s reads, 525 MB/s writes, 100k IOPS random reads, and 80k IOPS random writes. The Blue series will include three capacities: 250 GB for $79.99 with slightly reduced performance; 500 GB for $139.99; and 1000 GB for $299.99. All three drives are available now, and sport three year warranties.

Google’s Project Fi on Tuesday introduced a group plan that makes it easier to manage multiple users (and cheaper, too). Project Fi’s new offering allows for up to six people on a single account. Each line starts at $15 per month for unlimited talk and text (down from $20) and just like with individual plans, buckets of data are available for $10 per 1GB. As always, if you don’t use all of your data in a given month, the difference will be refunded on your next bill. Google is quick to point out that the group plan isn’t strictly for families meaning you can just as easily invite friends to join as well. Members are free to join or leave a plan as they see fit without having to worry about contracts or early termination fees. If you are using a group plan for your family, the account manager can view the data usage of each member and even set data allowances to keep users (kids) from going overboard. Data usage is even broken down on a per-app basis so you can see exactly which apps are the biggest data hogs. Google launched its Project Fi wireless service in April of 2015 albeit on an invite-only basis. The search giant has since removed that limitation and added U.S. Cellular to its list of MVNO partners (joining Sprint and T-Mobile). Perhaps the only shortcoming with the service is that it’s currently limited to Google’s own devices – the Nexus 5X, the Nexus 6P and the new Pixel series smartphones. Google recently removed the two Nexus devices from its online store although they still seem to be available if purchased through the Project Fi website.

Shopping for a home security camera affords far more options these days than it did just a handful of years ago, the result of technological innovation driven by competition. The latest entrant in this ever-expanding market comes from a familiar name in the networking industry – Netgear. The company on Tuesday launched the Arlo Pro, the successor to its original Arlo camera that arrived two years ago. The name may be a bit unusual but if you’re looking for a well-rounded security solution, Arlo Pro is loaded with useful features. Arlo Pro is a wireless security camera (it can also be plugged in) sporting an ultra-wide 130-degree viewing angle with a battery life of up to six months. Weatherproofing means you can use it indoors or out while its night vision and infrared motion sensor makes it ideal even in the dark. Netgear’s latest also features two-way audio, allowing users to communicate without having to put themselves in danger (or you could simply tell the courier where to leave your package). As Engadget notes, Netgear is planning a machine language update later this year that’ll help the camera discern between humans and things like swaying branches or pets. The Arlo Pro system is available as of writing priced at $249.99 which includes a single camera and a base station with built-in siren. Each additional camera will set you back $189.99 or you can purchase a larger bundle up front that includes more cameras at a discounted price. That’s not exactly cheap but then again, it’s hard to put a tangible price on the peace of mind that a security-minded device like this affords.