Wayne Williams

iPhone supertest: All 12 of Apple's iPhones go head to head, but which one wins?

Unless you’re a hard-core Apple fan, or simply must have the latest and greatest iPhone at all times, there’s no need to jump on every new mobile device Apple releases. I switched from the iPhone 5s to the 6s this year, and found the difference between models to more than justify the upgrade.

If you’ve ever wondered how the different generations of iPhone compare when it comes to things like start up speed, performance, web page loading, camera quality, and more, a new experiment has the answer. And before you shout out that the iPhone 6s Plus is going to be the clear winner, here’s a spoiler: it isn’t.

Continue reading

How to avoid Apple Music automatically charging you when your free trial ends

Apple Music comes with a free three-month trial. If you signed up to the streaming service as soon as it became available this trial period is about to end. If you wish to continue to use it after today you will have to pay for the pleasure.

Decided to use a different service instead (maybe Amazon Prime Music now that it has the Universal Music Group onboard)? Don't think you can simply let your free trial expire and that will be end of the matter, because it won't. Apple automatically signs you up for an auto-renewal payment option. So when the trial comes to an end, you’ll start paying for the service, regardless of whether you're still using it or not.

Continue reading

Watch Google's Nexus 5X/6P event here LIVE

Even though pretty much everything you could wish to know about Google’s next generation of Nexus branded smartphones has already been leaked on to the web, the search giant will be unveiling them officially today.

You can expect to see Google reveal the Nexus 5X, a 5.2in smartphone, and the Nexus 6P, a 5.7in device that will be slightly smaller than last year’s Nexus 6. Google is believed to be planning to showcase the Chromecast 2 at the event too.

Continue reading

Master Office 2016 with these free Quick Start Guides from Microsoft

Microsoft launched the much-awaited Office 2016 last week. Available as part of Office 365, or as a standalone suite, there are new versions of the desktop apps for Windows, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Project, Visio and Access.

I’ve been using the new suite since launch, and I really like it even though it’s not massively different from its predecessor. If you’re running Office 2016 (or thinking of doing so) and want to make sure you get the most out of it, Microsoft has put together a set of handy Quick Start Guides which are available to download for free.

Continue reading

iPhone 6s and 6s Plus' opening weekend sales record isn't as impressive as Apple would like you to think

You know where you stand with Apple and the iPhone. Every year a new model arrives in September. You get an updated flagship (an 's' model on alternate years), and a spin off version (the 5c, the Plus) for a bit of extra revenue. Then, shortly after the new iterations go on sale, you get an announcement from Apple declaring a new weekend sales record.

At some point this record breaking run will end, although it’s not likely to happen anytime soon. Today Apple announces more than 13 million iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have been sold around the world. It’s a huge achievement, and blows past last year’s numbers, but all is not as it seems.

Continue reading

Stupid iOS 9 bug makes me regret buying an iPhone 6s [Updated]

The iPhone 6s is a great phone. Mine arrived on Friday and I’ll be reviewing it in the next couple of days or so. It has some very welcome improvements over my previous Apple phone -- the iPhone 5s -- and 3D Touch has the potential to be a real game changer.

However, my enjoyment of the new phone has been tainted thanks to an incredibly annoying bug that makes the iPhone 6s next to useless when out and about. In fact, when I went out for the day yesterday, I was forced to leave the shiny new iPhone 6s at home and take my aging Android phone with me instead.

Continue reading

Watch the first 4K movie shot entirely on the Apple iPhone 6s Plus

Among the new features added to Apple’s new iPhone 6s is 4K (3840 x 2160) video recording at 30fps. The super-sized iPhone 6 Plus adds optical image stabilization to the mix -- sadly missing from the smaller 6s -- which makes it a potentially great device to film high quality movies on (even if you aren’t able to watch them back in 4K on either your phone or the new Apple TV).

To show off the new phone’s potential as a film making tool, Apple approached RYOT Films and asked them to shoot a short movie in 4K entirely on the iPhone 6s Plus, and the finished result is now available to watch for free on YouTube.

Continue reading

Ford's voice-activated car tech recognizes and responds to local accents

Just because you speak the same language as someone else, it doesn’t mean you pronounce your words in the same way. There are so many regional variations of English that it can be difficult for a person born and raised in one area of a country to understand the accent of someone born and raised just a few hundred miles away. I’ve watched TV shows where people speaking perfectly good English have been subtitled because they have a really strong accent that not everyone can follow.

If people struggle to comprehend other people, you can only imagine the problems machines have with these variations. If you’ve ever spent time repeating the same set of words or commands in a variety of accents in an effort to have a piece of software understand and respond to you, you’ll appreciate what I’m saying.

Continue reading

Microsoft releases Office 2016 -- upgrade today!

If you’ve been waiting for the latest version of Microsoft Office, we have some good news for you. The newest addition to Office 365, Microsoft’s cloud-based subscription service, is available to download now.

Office 2016 delivers new versions of the desktop apps for Windows, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Project, Visio and Access. Office 365 subscribers can choose to download the new Office 2016 apps as part of their subscription (automatic updates will begin rolling out to consumers and small-businesses next month). The new suite is also available to buy for a one-off fee from today.

Continue reading

CCleaner is now available in the cloud

If you want to clear out temporary files and other left over junk on your computer’s hard drive, Piriform’s CCleaner is arguably the best free solution.

For the past two years, the publisher has been working on a web-based version of CCleaner called Project Agomo. The service was in private beta, so to use it you needed to register your interest and await an invite. That all changes from today however, as Project Agomo is no more. Say hello to its replacement -- CCleaner Cloud.

Continue reading

Apple Watch owners rejoice -- watchOS 2 is finally available to install

The latest version of the OS that powers Apple’s first wearable was supposed to be released last week, on the same day that iOS 9 hit devices. However, a last minute bug delayed things, leaving Watch owners like myself disappointed.

Since it was only the one -- albeit major -- bug delaying things it was always going to be a case of the updated OS being held back by no more than few days, and today Apple has finally (and quietly) released the new version. If you own an Apple Watch, you can update it now.

Continue reading

Fix Windows 10 problems with these troubleshooting tools from Microsoft

Upgrading to Windows 10 from either Windows 7 or 8.1 should go smoothly and be relatively painless afterwards, but we know from the enduring popularity of features such as How to fix Windows 10's worst problems that it often isn’t the case.

Microsoft also knows that upgraders are encountering all sorts of issues with the new OS, and so has put together a selection of automated troubleshooters designed to fix problems you might be having post-upgrade.

Continue reading

Amazon goes after gamers with the new Fire TV Gaming Edition

As well as refreshing its Fire TV and Fire TV Stick streaming hardware, Amazon has also introduced a new variation of its set top box aimed squarely at gamers.

The new Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition combines the updated Amazon Fire TV box with a game controller, a 32 GB microSD card, and two free games: Shovel Knight and Disney’s Ducktales.

Continue reading

Amazon revamps its TV products, adds support for 4K Ultra HD streaming and voice control

Clearly not fazed in the slightest by the new Apple TV, Amazon today introduces a new version of its own set top box, Fire TV. This new version is 75 percent more powerful than the older model, and offers Alexa support, and 4K Ultra HD streaming.

Alexa, the brain behind Amazon’s Echo, handles all voice requests, meaning you can now ask your Fire TV for music, information, weather, traffic, and more. There’s also a new Fire TV Stick with Voice Control.

Continue reading

Amazon announces three new tablets -- Fire HD, Fire, and Fire Kids Edition

It’s been a while since we’ve seen new tablets from Amazon, but today the retail giant revamps its range with three new low-cost devices.

The all-new Fire HD has, according to Amazon, been redesigned from the "ground up for entertainment" and is available in 8 inch or 10.1 inch trims.

Continue reading

© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.