Apple iPhone 6s Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge Plus

Apple Samsung

Now that Apple has taken the wraps off its latest iPhones, phablet fans will want to know how the new iPhone 6s Plus compares to its obvious rivals from Samsung, the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge Plus flagships. So, to see which one is best, let's take a look at their main features and find where the biggest differences are.

This will be a close comparison, more so than the iPhone 6s vs Galaxy S6 head to head, as Apple has significantly beefed up its new iPhone 6s Plus over last year's model, while Samsung has come up with two very strong competitors in this segment.

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IBM acquisition strengthens its place in the API economy

IBM logo

The growth of mobile, web applications and the Internet of things has meant more use of APIs which is changing the way businesses operate and communicate. IBM forecasts that APIs will represent a $2.2 trillion opportunity by 2018.

One of the fastest growing development frameworks to support this new 'API economy' is Node.js and to help unite this developer community with enterprise clients, IBM has announced today the acquisition of StrongLoop, a leading provider of enterprise Node.js capabilities.

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Extend Paint.NET with 5 free Photoshop filters

paint-net-40-200x175

Paint.NET is a great freeware image editor, easy to use and with a stack of essential features.

The program isn’t updated as often as we’d like, but if you need more functionality then it’s easy to extend the latest 64-bit edition with free Photoshop filters.

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How sales teams are being let down by their data

Data overload

Modern sales teams are more than ever reliant on data to help them identify opportunities and analyze performance. But can they really be confident in the accuracy of their data and are they using it effectively?

Business management platform Domo has conducted a survey of more than 400 sales leaders to find out how data impacts them in the real world.

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Home automation gets another boost as MivaTek launches solutions to secure your home

home automation

The Internet of Things is everywhere these days, and has become almost unavoidable. Reaction can be a bit mixed, ranking from calling it SkyNet to embracing the technology. It doesn't always work as planned -- I'm reasonably certain that one of my colleagues here could turn off my lights (don't get any ideas guys).

Now MivaTek aims to fix those problems with new solutions for both home and business. Included are security cameras, water leak sensors and monitoring for disruptions to the alarm system. More importantly, it can keep track of health and send help if needed.

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Apple iPhone 6s vs Samsung Galaxy S6: Which is best?

iPhone 6s Samsung Galaxy S6

Now that Apple has unveiled the new iPhone 6s, you may be wondering how it stacks up against its main rival, Samsung's Galaxy S6. The major under-the-hood improvements that Apple has packed into its latest flagship smartphone, coupled with the refinement added by Samsung for its own top-of-the-line offering, make this a very interesting comparison.

Choosing between iPhone 6s and Galaxy S6 is very difficult, as both feature attractive designs and high-end internals, which is why we will highlight and explain the major differences between the two smartphones.

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Should you buy an iPad Pro or a Surface Pro 3?

ipad_pro_vs_surface_pro_3

This might seem like an easy question to answer. On the face of it, if you like Apple, opt for the iPad Pro. If you fall into the Microsoft camp, buy yourself a Surface Pro 3. But perhaps it's not quite that simple. Apple touts the iPad Pro as being the tool to increase your productivity, while Microsoft pitches the Surface Pro as blending the best of a tablet with the power of a desktop. But which is better?

'Better' is very subjective, but let's try to look at things as objectively as possible. Price is going to be a key concern for many people, and both devices start at $799 and while this is obviously a similarity, it also highlights a key difference. Part with $799 and you can buy either a 32GB iPad Pro, or a 64GB Surface Pro 3. Neither comes with a cover or keyboard as standard, but the Surface includes a pen while the Apple Pencil will set you back a further $99. Of course, the comparison is about much more than just price.

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Persistent bugs delay new Windows 10 Insider Mobile Preview builds

Pointing at clock

If you feel like it has been a while since Microsoft released a new preview build of Windows 10 Mobile, you are not alone. In becoming the (very) public face of the Insider program, Gabe Aul has made something of a rod for his own back and is constantly pestered on Twitter for news about when a new build will emerge.

With the long-ish wait since the last build, the troops are starting to get restless. In an attempt to calm things down, Aul has reiterated how the development process works -- because, really, we've already had the concept of internal testing rings explained to us at least a couple of times -- adding that the team is working hard to get a new build ready for this week.

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Dating sites continue to allow simple passwords, endangering users' private data

weak password

It has been slightly over 3 months since the extra-marital affair website Ashely Madison was hacked and the details of millions of users were released to the world.

But the surprising thing is that other dating websites haven’t learned the lesson from this attack.

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Rdio gets new speakers and better Smart TV experience

Girl listening to music

Whole house audio has come into vogue and systems abound, if you care to pay the price. But none will work without content, and that's where services like Rdio come into the picture. The streaming music sevice has turned into a thriving ecosystem that competes with the other big players in the market.

Now it gets a little more capable as the company announces new whole-home audio compatibility and enhancements to Smart TVs.

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New Apple TV's limitations are deal-breakers

new_apple_Tv

Apple just unveiled its new Apple TV at a media event. The set-top box, which is part gaming console as well, boasts several new functionalities including the iOS-based tvOS, support for voice-search Siri, and a new app store designed just for the media streaming device. Despite all these features, there are a couple of off-putting limitations that you should consider before purchasing the new Apple TV.

The Apple TV was rumored to be a great gaming console with support for tons of iOS titles. But when Apple stepped on the stage to make the announcement, not only did the company not announce those features, making it clear that not all the iOS games will support the TV, a couple of things that the company did unveil now are making the whole package, which starts at $149, less exciting.

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As drone-related incidents are on the rise, is more regulation needed?

drone

Last week one of the biggest events in the tennis calendar was disrupted as a small drone crashed into the stands at the Louis Armstrong Stadium. The US Open clash between Flavia Pennetta and Monica Niculescu may have only experienced a brief hiatus and no spectators, thankfully, were hurt, but the incident was unfortunately not a one-off.

Just two days after the crash at the Grand Slam match, a drone also crash-landed at the University of Kentucky football stadium prior to the match against Louisiana-Lafayette and it’s not just sporting events that are falling foul of amateur aviation enthusiasts. Emergency services are also struggling, with drones posing a significant hazard to airborne firefighters and medical teams. According to the US Forest Service there have been more than 13 instances of drones interfering with attempts to extinguish wildfires since the start of 2015. Not only do they risk endangering individuals that may be caught up in the blaze, they also pose a serious threat to emergency services staff.

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Apple and Microsoft are winning the PR game against the US government

winner victory loser

Microsoft and Apple are battling the US government over the right to keep their users’ data safe, and according to a report by The New York Times, the American tech companies are winning.

At least they’re winning in the public relations game, as the general notion today is that those companies are doing everything they can to protect their users’ privacy.

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Apple issues El Capitan Gold Master Release Candidate

MacBook and El Capitan

This just arrived in my inbox from Apple: Offer to download what could be the final build before Apple certifies OS X 10.11 as golden: "Thank you for participating in the Apple Beta Software Program. Your feedback and usage of the OS X El Capitan public beta has helped us make this release great. We are pleased to give you access to the OS X El Capitan GM Candidate".

Promises. Promises. "If you are currently testing OS X El Capitan, please back up your Mac and do the following to install the GM Candidate. Go to your Purchased tab in the Mac App Store and click the Download button next to OS X El Capitan GM Candidate. When your download finishes, the installer will automatically launch. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete installation".

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Apple delays iPhone 6s and 6s Plus preorders for 9-11 commemoration?

iPhone 6s

Apple's decision to start iPhone 6s and 6s Plus preorders on Saturday September 12 surprises me. Friday is typical, which lets the company tabulate an extra day into the weekend when reporting the number of preorders the following week. So you have to wonder why the change. I asked Apple PR, but there is yet no response to my query.

In 2014, Apple announced iPhone 6 and 6 Plus also on September 9th, a Tuesday. Preorders began on Friday the 12th and sales one week later. In 2013, there was no preorder option for iPhone 5s, just straight sales starting Friday September 20th; announced the 10th. In 2012: Friday September 14th for preorders; the 21st for sales. In 2011: again Friday, October 7th preorders and October 14th sales.

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