Microsoft Surface Book: Not the ultimate laptop, but close [Review]

Microsoft Surface Book

The developing digital landscape has changed the way people interact with hardware. We are now more device-agnostic than ever -- both in our personal and professional lives -- meaning we are often carrying around two, sometimes three, devices to complete different tasks.

The 2-in-1 (or hybrid) market has looked to address this by merging the power and performance of a laptop with the flexibility and mobility of a tablet. For the most part, Microsoft has led the way in this area with its Surface and Surface Pro devices, but is now being pushed hard by the likes of Apple and Huawei.

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Carphone Warehouse leaks full Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL specs

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Google is on the verge of launching the Pixel and Pixel XL, but no launch would be complete without its share of leaks. This time around the slipup comes courtesy of UK retailer Carphone Warehouse which posted details of Google's upcoming phones, complete with photos and full specs.

The same mistake was made by Canada's Bell, effectively confirming the specifications which thus far have only been rumors. The listings not only reveal what we can expect in terms of hardware, but also show that Google is going to offer free, unlimited photo backups at full resolution for Pixel owners.

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Google faces fines for anticompetitive Android practices in Europe

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European regulators could hit Google with large fines if the company does not stop offering financial incentives to smartphone manufacturers to pre-install its own apps on handsets. Documents obtained by Reuters show that a potential fine could be linked to the revenue Google makes from AdWords.

With advertising being Google's primary source of income, this has the potential to be a fine of unparalleled magnitude. The European Commission knows that it needs to hit Google where it hurts if anticompetitive practices are to be effectively discouraged. The Commission says it "intends to set the fine at a level which will be sufficient to ensure deterrence".

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Facebook launches Messenger Lite to reduce data usage

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Facebook may have the rather lofty goal of wanting to "empower people all over the world to stay connected", but for most people the social network is just about chatting. Facebook Messenger has proved massively popular, and to cater for people with slower internet connection, the company now has Facebook Lite.

As you would probably guess from the Lite tag, this is a slightly cut-down version of the messaging tool but it still offers all of the core features. As well as helping out those with slow internet connections, it's an app that will appeal to people with more basic Android smartphones.

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Access 280+ Windows applets, settings and tools from Ultimate Settings Panel

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Windows has never made it easy to find the tool or setting you need, and with options now split between "old" and "new" "Control Panels", it can seem more difficult than ever.

Ultimate Settings Panel is a once-commercial, now free tool which makes just about every Windows applet, settings panel or tool accessible from a single place.

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CORSAIR launches DOMINATOR PLATINUM Special Edition 32GB DDR4 memory kits

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When buying PC components for a build, there are many things to consider. While brand, performance, and quality are obviously the most important factors, appearance sometimes matters too. True, not everyone cares about how computer parts look, but some people take pride in the overall appearance of their PC -- especially when a window-case is used.

CORSAIR is a well-respected company when it comes to memory, and its latest offering will likely bolster those opinions. The newly-launched DOMINATOR PLATINUM Special Edition DDR4 Memory kits are not only fast, but drop-dead gorgeous too.

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View and import REG files safely with RegMerge

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.REG files are a quick way of making multiple changes to the Windows Registry. Double-click one, REGEDIT asks if you’d like to apply its tweaks, and once you’ve said "yes" it'll update every key in the file.

Fast? Yes. Convenient? Certainly. But what if you don’t really want to make perhaps hundreds of Registry changes without having the slightest idea of what they’re doing?

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You can now use Alexa to control Wink lighting shortcuts

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If you have a Wink hub then it's easy to set up home automation across a number of different platforms. Throw in Alexa and do a little additional setup and you'll be able to control it all with voice commands.

In the past you've been able to use groups to control multiple bulbs -- simply name each bulb and then add them to a group which you also name.

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You can now get your Google Calendar Events in Google Maps

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Of the multitude of properties Googles owns, Maps and Calendar are two of the more popular ones. Both products can easily be associated with one another in the case of business travelers, so why not bring them together?

That's exactly what Google is doing, making your Calendar appointments available to see while using Maps. This isn't just driving either, it will work just as well if you are taking public transportation.

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New York Motor Vehicle employee caught using computer to get a date

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You'd be hard pressed to find someone who enjoys a trip to their department of Motor Vehicle. While not everyone there is bad or unfriendly, the general reputation would have you believe so. Couple that with long wait times. One thing you don't think you need to worry about is a stalker.

That  appears to be sort of what happened recently in New York. The New York Motor Vehicle employee was caught using a work computer to get a date with a customer -- without the customer's knowledge.

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WTF? Windows 10 now actually losing market share

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It was expected, that once Windows 10 stopped being free, upgrades would slow significantly. That turned out not to be the case last month when NetMarketShare’s usage figures showed it, rather surprisingly, to be business as usual. Growth in August was no different from growth in previous months, although I speculated it might have been buoyed by sales of new back to school PCs.

In September though, according to NetMarketShare, Windows 10 didn’t just show slower growth, it actually went into reverse gear and lost usage share. Yes, you read that right.

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Apple doubles down on the enterprise market

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In order to help boost sales of its mobile device amongst enterprises, Apple has announced a partnership with the consulting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP.

On Wednesday, the two companies said that they had formed a new service called Enterprise Next, which would entail 5,000 consultants from Deloitte advising clients in a range of enterprises as to how they could put Apple devices to the best use within their organization.

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EFF asks court to block US from prosecuting security researcher

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This has been a controversy for quite some time. Companies don't like their flaws exposed, and for the most part researchers have honored this, at least to a reasonable degree. Generally, a period of time is given for the company in question to fix the problem, but if it fails then the issue is made public, somewhat akin to branding the company with a scarlet A.

Now, one researcher is working on a book that will point out common system flaws and how to either fix them or avoid them to begin with.

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Mozilla announces Project Mortar to bring Chrome plugins to Firefox

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The browser wars continue as Chrome, Opera, Firefox and Edge all vie for attention. One of the biggest draws to any browser is plugin support, and the absence of a particular plugin can make the difference between a user switching allegiances or sticking with their tried-and-tested browser.

With this in mind, Mozilla launches Project Mortar. Its aim is to make the development and maintenance of Firefox as cheap and easy as possible. To do this, it is investigating the possibility of borrowing plugin functionality from other browsers, including PDF and Flash support from Chrome.

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Spotify wants to buy SoundCloud

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In an effort to better compete against Apple Music and other music streaming services, Spotify may be considering purchasing SoundCloud. Apparently the two companies are in "advanced talks", that could result in Spotify acquiring its rival that has been valued at $700 million.

Recently, Spotify has faced a great deal of competition from other subscription-based music streaming services, including Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Prime and Deezer.

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