Gadget show to reveal what you'll want for Xmas

Samsung's sleekest-ever mobile phone, the metal-framed Galaxy Alpha, was expected to be launched at IFA, too, but the company got excited and jumped the gun, announcing it in mid-August.

John Davidson

Gordon Moore, the co-founder of Intel, is famous in technology circles for his observation that the number of transistors on a processor chip of a given size doubles roughly every two years.

But Moore's Law, as the observation has become known, isn't just for technologists.

It has a useful, everyday corollary even for consumers with no interest in the physics of transistor density: when it comes to high-tech gadgets, the newer they are, the better.

Nowhere is that law of gadgets ­better on display than at IFA, the world's second-biggest consumer electronics tradeshow, which begins this week in Berlin.

While IFA might be overshadowed by the giant Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas every January, the little sister does have one, crucial advantage in the run-up to the Christmas sales period: its gadgets are eight months newer than CES gadgets, and all the better for it.

By the time Christmas comes around, many of the best devices on the market will be ones announced at (or, in the case of the South Korean manufacturer LG, in the run-up to) the Berlin gadget festival.

Sony is expected to announce an eight-inch version of its ultra-slim, waterproof Xperia Z2 Tablet, for instance, which, based on the tablet's pedigree, stands every chance of being the best mini tablet ever produced, at least until the application of Moore's Law inexorably grinds out a better one, that is.

Sony is also expected to launch a new phone, the Xperia Z3, that will have a faster processor and better camera than the Z2 launched ­mid-year.

Digital cameras, just like processors, are all about how many transistors you can squeeze into a given area, after all.

The best 'phablet' ever?

Meanwhile, Samsung, the world's biggest consumer electronics manufacturer, is expected to use IFA to launch what's almost certain to be regarded as the best 'phablet' ever. The part-phone, part-tablet Galaxy Note 4 is rumoured to have a fingerprint scanner, just like the Galaxy S4 phone launched in April, a 'selfie' camera, a better camera and a sharper screen than its predecessor.

Phone screens, just like processors and digital cameras, are all about how many components (in Samsung's case, Organic Light Emitting Diodes, rather than just transistors) you can squeeze into a given area, after all.

Samsung's sleekest-ever mobile phone, the metal-framed Galaxy Alpha, was expected to be launched at IFA, too, but the company got excited and jumped the gun, announcing it in mid-August.

It should get one of its first airings outside the UK in Berlin this week, though, as should the Gear S smartwatch, announced last week ahead of the show.

It's one of the first smartwatches from a big electronics company to have its own SIM, so wearers will be able to make and receive calls and send and receive messages without having to pair it with a phone.

Sony is widely expected to launch a smartwatch, too, which may or may not (depending on which rumour your listen to) run Google's Android Wear software, fast emerging as the standard operating system for wearable computers.

Similarly uncertain is whether Sony's watch will have a square face like Sony's previous efforts, or a round face like Motorola's Moto 360 Android Wear watch, slated to be formally unveiled this week, too, though in ­Chicago rather than Berlin.

However, there's no doubting that the smart watch LG will launch in Berlin will have a round face.

The company has already announced the details of its G Watch R, which will be water resistant, will run Android Wear and will have a 1.3-inch, 320 x 320 pixel display.

The smartwatch looks every bit as though it could be the best one on the market, too.

At least until next week, that is, when Apple is expected to launch a big-screened iPhone that should give the Note 4 a run for its money and a smartwatch that might just put Android Wear to shame, too.

In high tech, even a week is a long time. Moore's Law stops for no one.

Gadget Review: Acer TravelMate P645, new contender in ultrabook segment

Business users who travel and carry a laptop for work usually prefer something that is lightweight and manageable. Acer's new TravelMate P645 is the new contender in this ultrabook segment - it weighs just 1.52 kg and still has a fairly large 14-inch display.

Being an ultrabook, we expected a very slim design. However, the laptop has a magnesium alloy body with metal hinges which means it lays emphasis on sturdiness over appearances. The top lid uses carbon fibre for additional durability.

In addition, Acer has put in a motion protect manager that prevents the hard drive from damage in case ofaccidental drops or bumps. The 14-inch display has a matte surface - great for travellers since there are no on-screen reflections from any light source. However, the average viewing angles are affected.

We think that while the 1366x768 pixels resolution is good for basic work, Acer could have put in a full HD display or at least included a touchscreen for its price. On the left is a USB 3.0 port, E t h e r n e t , VGA, HDMI, microphone and headphone jack. On the right, you have two USB 3.0 ports and the power adapter connector. There is also a fingerprint reader and you can register up to 10 fingerprints.

The keyboard has chicletstyle keys with enough travel for long typing sessions. In terms of performance, the laptop comes with enough power to satisfy most users. You can work on multiple documents, watch full HD videos and even do basic photo editing without any issue.

The core i5 processor, 4GB RAM coupled with 32GB SSD for Windows 8 resulted in a cold boot time of just 20 seconds - impressive. However, the Intel HD graphics were the limiting factor. With mixed usage, we got an average battery life of close to seven hours from the 3-cell battery. The TravelMate P645 proves to be an excellent notebook for business users.

Price: Rs 67,412

Specifications: 14-inch (1366 x 768 pixels), Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB SSD + 500GB HDD, Intel HD graphics, fingerprint reader, VGA,HDMI, 3 x USB 3.0, headphone, microphone, card reader, Windows 8, 1.52 kg

Pros: Excellent audio output, great keyboard, good build quality with magnesium alloy body, battery life

Cons: Average viewing angles, no touchscreen at this price, no dedicated graphics

Also see: HP Envy TouchSmart 14

Specifications: 14-inch (1366 x 768 pixels) touchscreen, Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, 24GB SSD + 1TB HDD, Nvida GT740M GPU, VGA, HDMI, 1 x USB2.0, 2 x USB 3.0, headphone/microphone, card reader, Windows 8, 2 kg

Crimes of Passion; Stammer School; Gadget Man – TV review

Stammer School: Musharaf Finds His Voice (C4 | 4oD)

As a big fan of 'Scandi' drama, it was with deep regret that I found Crimes of Passionsuch an unrewarding plod. With five bumper feature-length episodes to go, it's probably too early to demand that the series be stripped of its Swedish subtitles and prime Saturday-night slot on BBC4 and its commissioners force-fed Ikea's famous tinned herrings (yes, the ones that smell like dead bodies) - and after all, the show may yet be discovered and enjoyed by lovers of Bergerac or the more recent popular Caribbean whodunnit starring the man who used to do the BT ads. Even so, when one of the characters finally cried in exasperation 'What is this - Ten Little Indians?', I thought, don't flatter yourself, Sven.

Anyway, here it was, flaunting an ersatz sort of cool with its stylish group of 1950s academics and artistic types gathered for a midsummer's eve party at a house on an island with no phone or neighbours and just the one unreliable boat should escape be necessary in the event of a woman being strangled. The friends were soon downing champagne and laughing and smoking their heads off Mad Men-style, and getting on one another's nerves - the unhappily married hosts, the flirty actress, the angry poet, the crass womaniser, the mysterious uninvited sculptress and her female friend, in addition to our demure postgrad heroine Puck, and her well-groomed new beau, Eje, who talked about literature and ancient cultures and looked good in trunks or even smeared in engine oil, holding a spanner.

And the plot jerked us along, alternately insulting the intelligence and thwarting it, favouring muddy storytelling over complexity (what was that nonsense with the hidden letter?) and relying on half-glimpsed characters hovering at the corner of the screen at crucial moments. Fragrant Puck, meanwhile, wandering among the pines or relaxing in a hammock, seemed in amazingly constant earshot of damning conversation ('I'll kill her!' and 'You ruined my life!' were my favourites), or through no fault of her own would find herself presented with a view of people snogging in the bushes who oughtn't to be. Oh, how she beetled her lovely brow - almost as if silently drawing on her oft-mentioned doctoral thesis about murder and the modern novel. And you wouldn't believe how useful she was when the suave, good-looking detective from Stockholm arrived to ask a hundred wrong questions before arresting the first person the audience thought of an hour ago - yes, the one with no apparent motive or personality. Next week Puck, Eje and the detective embark on a brand new adventure. I don't think I'm giving too much away when I say I have to wash my hair that night.

There wasn't a dry eye in the house (well, my house) during the unmissable Stammer School: Musharaf Finds His Voice, which followed Musharaf Asghar, reluctant show-stealer of the Bafta-winning Educating Yorkshire, as he attended a four-day course of therapy to conquer his famous stutter. The poor boy's attempt to book into his Croydon hotel - 'Mm-mm-mm...' - seemed like eloquence itself in describing the scale of the task ahead. Mushy's coursemates fared better, though not by much. The sight of one young woman, Vicky, struggling to get the correct number of sixes into her telephone number (with a shop assistant trying to assist) brought a moment of unbearable comedy. So could the volunteer mentors on this pioneering McGuire Programme - recovering stammerers themselves and schooled in breathing techniques and pep talks - arrange the necessary miracle? It seemed unlikely, but after a day the students - each with a belt strapped across their chest - stood up and said who they were. The next day Vicky found the courage and voice to address a barful of strangers. By day four the whole class were giving valedictory speeches in front of their incredulous loved ones. Mushy's smile - rarely seen - was as big as God's own county itself. Here was the miracle - the sudden revelation of the real person inside, freed, and so instantly and implausibly blossoming. Buckets were duly wept. And we weren't finished. Shortly afterwards Mushy was back at his school in Dewsbury doing work experience under the beaming tutelage of the great Mr Burton, Musharaf's once unlikely dream of one day becoming a teacher himself finally possible. He looked like he had the patience for it. No doubt his progress will be monitored on Channel 4. This story just won't go away.

If you wanted half an hour of mindless pleasure last week, Gadget Man was back for a third series, with some weather-based tech products. 'There are literally many umbrellas on the market,' said Richard Aoyade, without whose effortless funniness and knowingly zany orange suit, this review would be basically a list of stuff. One-line gagster Tim Vine came along to put an inflatable tent up in a gale and tell a joke about tornadoes while Marcus Brigstocke helped out with a hand-held turbo-something designed to blow snowboarders back up a slope. But Aoyade could probably do all this on his own, with perhaps just a break for the chance to win £40,000 worth of widgetry simply by sending money in the form of texts to the organisers along with millions of other foolish viewers. The show seemed over in minutes. For what it's worth I liked the waterproof shirt (perfect in a Friday pub situation, I thought), with perhaps the self-heating chicken curry for the last train home. Some people think of everything.

Xiaomi Redmi 1S Review: Rewriting History Once Again

We don't think it is too far-fetched to say that Xiaomi is the most talked-about new company on the Indian tech scene today. The Chinese company has not spent any money on advertising and in fact seems pretty laid back about all the fuss it has caused by selling good phones at shockingly low prices.

Although its unique strategy of using online flash sales has aggravated quite a few customers, we must remember that Xiaomi is still a startup and doesn't have the financial or logistical might of the Samsungs and Apples of the world.

Now, the company has temporarily put sales of the Mi 3 on hold to concentrate on an even lower priced offering, the Redmi 1S. As with the Mi 3, this phone boasts of specs that are usually found in phones that cost twice as much or more, such as the much-loved Motorola Moto G. We've played with the Redmi 1S extensively to tell you in detail how well it performs. This phone could be once again change the dynamics of the smartphone market.

Look and feelUnlike in the days of the Nokia 7280, which looked like a lipstick case, phone companies are not experimenting a lot with design. Smartphones today are all pretty much the same predictable candybar shape, and we don't even really think about that.

The Xiaomi Redmi 1S is yet another candybar smartphone with a staid look that does not attract attention. It's unexciting, but this is not a bad thing for a lot of people.

The Redmi 1S measures 137x69x9.9mm and is definitely not slim. Moreover, its 158g weight makes it heavier than a lot of other phones in this price range. The rear cover is removable and Xiaomi is expected to offer colourful replacement panels for the device priced at Rs. 459 each, which will be a good way to giive your phone some kind of distinction. The Redmi 1S is sold with a matte grey rear, and gripping it is not an issue.

The primary camera and flash sit on the upper part of the rear. The loudspeaker is just a small slit in the top right corner. A Mi logo in silver is etched on the lower back. Opening the rear cover is fairly simple, and the battery is removable.

The front is mostly taken up by the 4.7-inch screen, which has thick plastic borders. The three capacitive button labels which sit below the screen are printed in red. Oddly, the LED indicator is below the home button. Above the display are the earpiece and the front-facing camera. On the bottom edge is a microphone and a Micro-USB port for charging/data transfer. A 3.5mm jack sits on the top. The volume rocker and power button are on the right edge of the phone.

Specifications and softwareFor a phone priced so low, the Redmi 1S has jaw-dropping specs. Housed inside the body of the Redmi 1S are top-quality hardware components including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor clocked at 1.6GHz with an integrated Adreno 305 GPU. There is 1GB of RAM for applications and 8GB of internal storage, of which 6.14GB is available to the user. You can increase the storage space by up to 32GB using a microSD card.

The Redmi 1S has an 8-megapixel BSI camera with flash which can record 1080p videos. It also has a 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera. There is a 2,000mAh battery. The phone accepts two Mini-SIM cards, but only one will be usable on 3G networks. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 round out the list of connectivity options.

The 4.7-inch LCD has a resolution of 1280x720, which is phenomenal compared to other phones in this price range. The screen is crisp, and its 312ppi density makes it difficult to discern individual pixels. The screen is protected by AGC Dragontrail 2 glass. We tried scratching the screen with a coin and a scissor, and neither left any visible scratches. On the flipside, the screen looks washed out when viewed at an angle, and sunlight legibility is bad thanks to the super reflective front panel.

The Redmi 1S runs Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) with Xiaomi's MIUI v5 skin on top of it. This is the only drawback considering a lot of phones in this price range come with Android 4.4 (KitKat) pre-installed. Xiaomi has promised a software update before the end of this year that will bring MIUI v6 on top of KitKat.

MIUI goes farther than most Android skins when it comes to customisation. It offers a lot of depth and a ton of features. It is incredibly responsive to touch and, unlike stock Android, has all the app icons lined up on the homescreen itself. There are also tonnes of useful software tweaks. We noticed that Xiaomi has included a 'Lite Mode' which resembles Windows Phone's UI. The most important and frequently used apps are available in the form of large easy-access tiles.

Xiaomi's MIUI is a community-driven exercise. In one of our interactions with Xiaomi Vice President Hugo Barra, he outlined one feature that was added after a user's suggestion. Essentially, the phone can vibrate when a call you make is picked up bt the party on the other end. This helps in reducing exposure to radiation from the phone since you don't have to hold it up to your ear unless the call is picked up.

You can swipe up or down the Music or Notes icons to make the respective apps launch in a pop-up mode. The Messages app has a 'secret messages' area that can be accessed by swiping down from within the app. Even more interestingly, a few app icons work somewhat like Live Tiles (seen on Windows Phones). For example, the Calendar and Weather app icons display relevant information such as the time and temperature.

The Flipkart app is preloaded on the phone, which is to be expected since the phone is sold on exclusively via the e-commerce platform. The default music player is feature-rich and fun to use. There is also a fairly powerful WPS Office app preinstalled for reading and editing documents. Facebook is preinstalled as well.

There are a ton of themes which is great for customisatio,n but in our opinion they all look really cartoonish. In fact, MIUI itself is very colourful. Ultimately, this boils down to preference.

CameraWe want to get one thing out of the way: the primary 8-megapixel camera on the Xiaomi Redmi 1S is the best anyone can find for a phone priced below Rs. 10,000 for now.

In our daylight shots the camera managed to capture some really good images. The only problem we noticed was the software processing worked overtime to reduce noise in the images by smudging details slightly. Otherwise, colours were natural. Even in macro mode, the phone performs really well. We were shocked after the low-light performance test. The camera managed to capture some details which even more expensive smartphones generally fail to do. The quality of the 1080p video is also fairly decent.

(Click to see full size)The camera software does a lot of processing after images are captured by the 1.6-megapixel front camera. This smudges details in order to beautify a person's face. These selfies should suffice for sharing on social networks.

The camera app looks like a slightly tweaked version of the default app from Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). However, it is easy to use. By default, it starts up in simple mode which strips away a lot of the feature that the camera offers. We'd suggest that users switch to the advanced mode to exploit the full potential of this camera.

(click for full size)PerformanceAt the risk of sounding repetetive, we start another section by stating there is no other phone in this price range that performs as well as the Xiaomi Redmi 1S. If someone put a gun to our heads and forced us to come up with one problem, it would be that only around 400MB of RAM is available after the OS and services have loaded. As long as you don't open tons of apps together, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. We opened five Chrome pages and fired up two games simultaneously, and the phone still functioned happily.

For the most part, the phone works well and we didn't face any heating issues either. We tried Shadowgun: Deadzone and Dead Trigger 2, both on Ultra High settings, just to push the GPU. The phone lagged only during intensive fight sequences, which we expected from such specifications anyway.We don't think prospective buyers will be disappointed with the gaming performance.

We also ran a bunch of synthetic benchmarks. The Redmi 1S scored 21,439 in AnTuTu 5 and 10,752 in Quadrant, which are leagues ahead of competing phones. In our graphics benchmarks 3D Mark Ice Storm and GFXbench, the phone scored 5274 and 10.4fps, which are both tantalisingly close to the scores of much higher priced phones.

We played a few sample videos to test if the phone could handle them and found that the most heavily encoded 1080p sample video didn't run, which is a bit of a letdown. The tiny speaker can get really loud but at its highest volume the sound distorts. Xiaomi doesn't bundle earphones in the box and for testing purposes we used our reference headphones. The sound quality was really good. While testing via the Bluetooth A2DP profile using our Plantronics Backbeat Go 2 earphones, the volume level was really low for some odd reason.

In our rigorous battery test, the Xiaomi Redmi 1S tramples its competition mercilessly. It lasted a good 8 hours and 27 minutes. Oddly, though, in our everyday usage with 3G on at all times, we noticed that the battery life wasn't as good. In any case, it should easily last more than a day even with heavy usage.

VerdictXiaomi continues the trend of aggressive pricing first set by Motorola earlier this year. Samsung and Micromax, who were comfortably ruling the roost in the under-10k price segment, have had the carpet pulled out from under them.

Even more expensive phones such as the Moto E ( Review | Pictures). The Micromax Unite 2 ( Review | Pictures) cannot match the Redmi 1S with its reliable performance, great camera, crisp screen and excellent battery life. The only major drawback we see is the lack of Android 4.4 (KitKat) at the moment.

Looking at this phone's specs, it is easy to make comparisons to the Moto G but we are consciously avoiding that at the moment since it is very nearly at the end of its life in the market, and will soon be succeeded by the Moto G2 (or whatever the final phone will be called).

At the moment the Xiaomi Redmi 1S is the best buy under Rs. 8,000. The Chinese startup is expected to sell the phone starting September 2 using the same flash sale format. In the first round, 40,000 units will be put up for sale and we expect them all to be gone in a matter of seconds. We can easily recommend this phone because the price-to-performance ratio is unbelievably good - and thankfully, this isn't a case of 'too good to be true'.

Xiaomi Redmi 1S in pictures

Gadget Review: Acer TravelMate P645, new contender in ultrabook segment

Business users who travel and carry a laptop for work usually prefer something that is lightweight and manageable. Acer's new TravelMate P645 is the new contender in this ultrabook segment - it weighs just 1.52 kg and still has a fairly large 14-inch display.

Being an ultrabook, we expected a very slim design. However, the laptop has a magnesium alloy body with metal hinges which means it lays emphasis on sturdiness over appearances. The top lid uses carbon fibre for additional durability.

In addition, Acer has put in a motion protect manager that prevents the hard drive from damage in case ofaccidental drops or bumps. The 14-inch display has a matte surface - great for travellers since there are no on-screen reflections from any light source. However, the average viewing angles are affected.

We think that while the 1366x768 pixels resolution is good for basic work, Acer could have put in a full HD display or at least included a touchscreen for its price. On the left is a USB 3.0 port, E t h e r n e t , VGA, HDMI, microphone and headphone jack. On the right, you have two USB 3.0 ports and the power adapter connector. There is also a fingerprint reader and you can register up to 10 fingerprints.

The keyboard has chicletstyle keys with enough travel for long typing sessions. In terms of performance, the laptop comes with enough power to satisfy most users. You can work on multiple documents, watch full HD videos and even do basic photo editing without any issue. The core i5 processor, 4GB RAM coupled with 32GB SSD for Windows 8 resulted in a cold boot time of just 20 seconds - impressive. However, the Intel HD graphics were the limiting factor. With mixed usage, we got an average battery life of close to seven hours from the 3-cell battery. The TravelMate P645 proves to be an excellent notebook for business users.

Price: Rs67,412 Specifications: 14-inch (1366 x 768 pixels), Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB SSD + 500GB HDD, Intel HD graphics, fi ngerprint reader, VGA,HDMI, 3 x USB 3.0, headphone, microphone, card reader, Windows 8, 1.52 kg Pros: Excellent audio output, great keyboard, good build quality with magnesium alloy body, battery life

Cons: Average viewing angles, no touchscreen at this price, no dedicated graphics

Also see HP Envy TouchSmart 14

Price: Rs72,000 Specifications: 14-inch (1366 x 768 pixels) touchscreen, Core i5 processor 8GB RAM, 24GB SSD + 1TB HDD, Nvida GT740M GPU, VGA, HDMI, 1 x USB2.0, 2 x USB 3.0, headphone/microphone, card reader, Windows 8, 2 kg

Gadget Review: Acer TravelMate P645, new contender in ultrabook segment

Business users who travel and carry a laptop for work usually prefer something that is lightweight and manageable. Acer's new TravelMate P645 is the new contender in this ultrabook segment - it weighs just 1.52 kg and still has a fairly large 14-inch display.

Being an ultrabook, we expected a very slim design. However, the laptop has a magnesium alloy body with metal hinges which means it lays emphasis on sturdiness over appearances. The top lid uses carbon fibre for additional durability.

In addition, Acer has put in a motion protect manager that prevents the hard drive from damage in case ofaccidental drops or bumps. The 14-inch display has a matte surface - great for travellers since there are no on-screen reflections from any light source. However, the average viewing angles are affected.

We think that while the 1366x768 pixels resolution is good for basic work, Acer could have put in a full HD display or at least included a touchscreen for its price. On the left is a USB 3.0 port, E t h e r n e t , VGA, HDMI, microphone and headphone jack. On the right, you have two USB 3.0 ports and the power adapter connector. There is also a fingerprint reader and you can register up to 10 fingerprints.

The keyboard has chicletstyle keys with enough travel for long typing sessions. In terms of performance, the laptop comes with enough power to satisfy most users. You can work on multiple documents, watch full HD videos and even do basic photo editing without any issue. The core i5 processor, 4GB RAM coupled with 32GB SSD for Windows 8 resulted in a cold boot time of just 20 seconds - impressive. However, the Intel HD graphics were the limiting factor. With mixed usage, we got an average battery life of close to seven hours from the 3-cell battery. The TravelMate P645 proves to be an excellent notebook for business users.

Price: Rs67,412 Specifications: 14-inch (1366 x 768 pixels), Core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB SSD + 500GB HDD, Intel HD graphics, fi ngerprint reader, VGA,HDMI, 3 x USB 3.0, headphone, microphone, card reader, Windows 8, 1.52 kg Pros: Excellent audio output, great keyboard, good build quality with magnesium alloy body, battery life

Cons: Average viewing angles, no touchscreen at this price, no dedicated graphics

Also see HP Envy TouchSmart 14

Price: Rs72,000 Specifications: 14-inch (1366 x 768 pixels) touchscreen, Core i5 processor 8GB RAM, 24GB SSD + 1TB HDD, Nvida GT740M GPU, VGA, HDMI, 1 x USB2.0, 2 x USB 3.0, headphone/microphone, card reader, Windows 8, 2 kg

Invisible, Inc. review (Early Access)

Alpha and Early Access reviews offer our preliminary verdicts on in-development games. We may follow up this unscored review with a final, scored review in the future. Read our full review policy for details.

Invisible, Inc. proves that the logic of stealth games fits turn-based strategy conventions very well, even if it's a little too difficult to fully enjoy right now. Its most obvious influence is X-COM, as it put me in charge of a group of spies with 72 hours to prepare for a final mission. In the time I have until then, I choose between procedurally-generated missions from a global map, weighing the time they'll take to complete and level of security against the potential rewards, and deploy my agents.

Once on the ground, the security forces and I take turns spending action points to move across tiles in the facility. My goal is to collect as many assets as I can that will serve me in future missions and find the elevator to the roof to reach my extraction point. How long I want to stay and how many risks I want to take before bugging out is completely up to me.

Klei's Mark of the Ninja worked because it quantified and visualized all the information you needed to become a stealthy ninja: lines of sight, sound, and the benefits of every gadget. Invisible, Inc. takes that transparency even further by giving you the same information and giving you the time to plan out literally every step you take. Whereas other games in the genre heavily rely on good timing and accuracy, I liked that Invisible, Inc. made stealth strictly a game of wits.

I don't need to think fast, but carefully. I quickly learn to always end an agent's turn in a hiding spot, stay out of guards' lines-of-sight, and peek around corners before going into the unknown. When all else fails, I use one of my agents' precious few special abilities-a gun, or a cloaking device that lasts for one turn.

There's rarely a great solution, only a workable one. Guns are hard to come by and carry only a couple of bullets. Melee taser attacks knock guards out quietly, but only for a couple of turns, and the taser needs to cool down. It made what little victories I achieved all the more meaningful, but I still wish I got to use my tools more often. It would make things a little bit more manageable, but also make every turn more interesting.

The Incognita tool exposes the facility's automated security, allowing me to expend limited energy to turn off laser traps, hijack cameras and turrets, and break into computers and safes to collect assets. It's one of the few ways in which I have the upper hand, but even using Incognita is risky. One of the best ways to get rid of a guard for good is to lead him within range of a hijacked turret, but many devices are protected by firewalls that deploy countermeasures to increase security or send in special, armored guards. It's another smart way Invisible, Inc. makes you consider every decision you make. Everything comes at a price, one way or another.

Get smart

As a completionist, my inclination was to explore every room and collect everything there is to collect before moving on. After losing all my agents on the first mission a handful of times, I realized that this simply wasn't going to work.

The level of security continues to rise no matter how well I'm hidden, slowly turning on more security cameras and sending in more guards. If a guard sees me and I can't get into cover within one tile, my agent is dead forever. Cracking another safe for a few hundred dollars I can use to upgrade my agents with more action points or gadgets is tempting, but dead agents have exactly zero action points.

Sprinting to the end of every level worked for a time, but a few missions later I found myself with two agents in the field facing much tougher guards and security measures. They, by comparison, were barely upgraded at all, and fresh out of ammo.

Complete and utter failure is part of the process and that's almost OK, because I never walked away with nothing. Each attempt ends with a high score based on how many guards I took out, how many objectives I completed, and usually a good story: a bulletproof plan that fell to pieces because my agent triggered a security daemon while hacking a mainframe.

Each run adds to a persistent experience meter, which eventually earns new agents and gadgets for future attempts. It's a great way to soften Invisible's many merciless blows. Getting something out of every attempt gives a good reason to keep trying, and I hope Invisible, Inc. adds more of these motivations or offers easier modes before release.

At the moment, Invisible, Inc. is hard to the point where I feel like I'll never reach the final mission let alone beat it, and it's a shame because I really want to see all of it. This is in large part because it hits the espionage tone so perfectly. It doesn't have a story, but doesn't really need one since it establishes characters and mood perfectly with suspenseful music and beautifully conceived characters. Your commander, known only as Central, is a gaunt, stern, silver-haired Brit, whose no nonsense mission briefings set the tone for the cruel realities.

Deckard, your first agent, is the archetypical sleuth with a big scary trench coat and fedora that are undermined by a cute, Norman Rockwell-esque pink nose. Most of what you see of your agents are in a little looping animation in the corner of the screen while you have them selected, but with the addition of the music and the slick, cyber punk UI, Invisible, Inc. sells the world just as well as Splinter Cell or other, bigger, spy-fictions.

Verdict

Invisible, Inc. borrows from X-COM wisely while adding enough of its own flavor to make it more than just a copycat. It's not as big or as accessible of a game, but the stealth and turn-based strategy mashup is new, and highlights what's most fun about both genres.

Outlook

Good. Klei has made another great stealth game and it's so committed to keep improving on what it already has, it made the brave move of displaying a countdown to the next build on the game's main menu. It'd be great if it got a bigger scale, with more to do between missions and a more accessible difficulty, but it's already good.

Details

Version reviewed: Early Access 19.08.14Reviewed on: AMD FX 4200, GTX 660 Ti, 16gb RAMRecommended: You can almost definitely run it.Price: $16/£12Publisher/Developer: Klei EntertainmentMultiplayer: NopeLink: Steam store page

The LG G Watch R is the most exciting gadget I've ever hated

Honestly, I don't like the looks of the LG G Watch R. But I'm really excited about it.

That's because what LG actually did last night was verify that round displays on smartwatches are real. They're 'a thing.' The Moto 360 isn't a one-trick pony, a one-off; the industry has officially figured out how to deliver round wearables, and it's going to do so on a measurable scale.

Smartwatches still just don't look that great

I can't overstate how important that is. Smartwatch adoption is held back primarily by two things: one, it's hard to convince people that they need notifications on their wrist, especially when a significant percentage of consumers have simply never worn a wristwatch and don't care to start now. That's an ongoing challenge, and the ball now lies in Apple's court to see if the industry is ready and able to turn that corner. But secondly, smartwatches still just don't look that great. It's a complaint I've been lodging since before the launch of Samsung's original Galaxy Gear last year. Even the best-looking ones are compromises: the Pebble Steel, which is the consensus best-looking smartwatch currently on sale, has a square, black-and-white display as its centerpiece.

That's not to say a wrist-worn device must have a round face to look good, of course, but it can't look like a physical manifestation of high technology - it has to put fashion first, because it's always visible. You can hide a smartphone in your pocket or purse when it's not in use, but wearables have to ascribe to the same rules of design as a shirt, shoe, or hat. (Imagine how many more Google Glass would be sold if they were indistinguishable from regular sunglasses or eyeglasses.) The round face, an iconic element of the classic wristwatch, is a huge leap in that direction.

Analog watch hands aren't dead

But it's only a leap, not the finish line. Multiple industry sources have indicated to me that manufacturers are aggressively pursuing display technologies that would make smartwatches virtually indistinguishable from a 30-year-old Timex or Tag Heuer without sacrificing functionality. Analog watch hands aren't dead: consider a round, full-color display with hands above, or a transparent OLED with hands underneath, for instance. The technology is close, and designers are fully aware that they need to get there.

And for smartwatches, that's the dream: once engineers figure out how to seamlessly walk us back to analog, they'll be able to replicate the full spectrum of designs found in traditional wristwatches. Obviously analog hands aren't for everyone, but then you'll be able to choose something more akin to a Moto 360 or G Watch R, or even a rectangular display if that's more your style. That variety is a wonderful thing. It's a celebration of form factor diversity that we've lost with smartphones in the age of the glass rectangle - but thankfully we won't have to lose it with the wearable.

So, no, I'm not buying a G Watch R; the faux timing bezel just doesn't do anything for me. Nor will I buy a Samsung Gear S, for that matter. I'm just awfully glad they exist.

Review: These are the new smartphones your carrier doesn't want you to know ...

Top telecom companies make a killing in the United States. AT&T and Verizon combined to pull in more than $64 billion in revenue during the most recent quarter alone, yielding about $13.3 billion in combined operating income. Wireless represents the biggest business for each of the nation's top carriers, and high-margin smartphone sales play an important role in maintaining growth.

If smartphone sales start to move away from carriers, they stand to lose a huge amount of money in the long run. This could be one of several reasons we now see carriers actively promoting new smartphone purchasing options. But what happens if handset companies start successfully selling their own devices directly to consumers at ridiculously affordable prices?

One fresh new company intends to find out, and it could end up being your carrier's worst nightmare.

Posh Mobile launched earlier this year with the goal of selling 'one of a kind unlocked mobile phones with an elegant design at an affordable price.' The company's mission is ambitious indeed, especially considering the massive multi-billion dollar giants it will have to battle if it hopes to find success.

Ambitious though its plan may be, Posh Mobile has thus far equipped itself with quite an arsenal. In fact, consumers can purchase one of several unlocked, off-contract smartphones from Posh for less than they would pay up front for an on-contract smartphone from a carrier. Several vendors have tried similar direct sales strategies in the past and have failed miserably (hi Nokia), but sky-high prices prevented even the slightest possibility of any traction.

Is your interest piqued yet?

Mine certainly was, so when Posh Mobile offered to send me a few of its handsets to check out, I happily accepted.

Posh recently shipped me four of its smartphones to test. The handsets range in price from just $69.99 for the Pegasus, a budget 2G smartphone with a low-resolution 3.5-inch display, to $169.99 for the Memo, a 5.8-inch phablet. Positioned between those phones are the $84.99 Pegasus 3G, the Pegasus' slightly more capable counterpart, and the $139.99 Orion Pro, which features a quad-core processor and 5-inch screen.

None of these phones will blow smartphone fans away, but these surprisingly slick handsets aren't aimed at hardcore gadget lovers. The prices listed above are off-contract prices - the cheapest phones around still often cost more than $199.99 off contract from carriers, and the handsets pushed most actively by carriers cost $500, $600 or even more without a service agreement.

Now, make no mistake, pricey phones from more popular brands like Nokia, HTC, LG, Samsung and Apple are better smartphones than those sold by Posh. Much better. But a huge portion of smartphone users out there would have their needs met quite well by one of Posh's cheaper options.

Here's a quick rundown of what we're looking at with each of the four models I tested, which all run stock-ish versions of Android with the Google Play app store on board:

Pegasus: With the Pegasus, you're looking at a dirt-cheap entry-level smartphone with bare bones functionality. It runs a painfully old version of Android - Android 2.3.5 Cupcake - and it is powered by a 1GHz single-core chipset.

The Pegasus doesn't even have a full gigabyte of storage, nor does it pack a radio that can move data over 3G, 4G HSPA or 4G LTE networks.

This is a great first smartphone for your grandfather.

Pegasus 3G: The Pegasus 3G is actually a pretty significant upgrade from the 2G model. The processor jumps from a single-core to a dual-core unit, the display size increases from 3.5 inches to 4 inches, 3G network compatibility is tossed in and it runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean instead of Cupcake.

This is a nice second smartphone for your grandmother.

Orion Pro: Posh's Orion Pro takes us into slightly more modern territory. The somewhat sleek phone features a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, a big 5-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera, dual SIM support, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, microSDHC support and compatibility with either AT&T or T-Mobile's 4G HSPA+ service, with support for data speeds of up to 21Mbps.

There is still no LTE on board and the big display is relatively low-resolution at 540 x 960 pixels, but at $139.99 there is plenty of bang for your buck.

This phone could definitely be enjoyed by either of your parents.

Memo: The Memo is Posh's phablet. The display resolution is only 480 x 800 pixels, but it's nice and big at 5.8 inches diagonally so objects are large and visible. The handset packs the same 5-megapixel camera, dual SIM support, 4GB of storage and microSDHC support as the Orion Pro, but the processor and available RAM have been downgraded.

Either one of your parents might be perfectly happy with this phone as well.

With its current smartphone lineup, Posh Mobile did not set out to launch an iPhone 6 killer or a Galaxy S5 killer. In fact, it didn't even set out to launch an iPhone 5 or Galaxy S III killer.

Instead, Posh is looking to catch the collective eye of millions of American consumers who want basic smartphone features at a rock bottom price. That's exactly what Posh delivers, and it delivers on this promise in relative style.

Of note, Posh does have plans to tackle consumers in search of a higher-end handset, with devices like the octa-core Titan HD set to debut in the near future.

Posh Mobile's current and future smartphone lineup can be further explored on the company's website, and the promo code BGRPOSH5 will save you $5 on any order.

Review: These are the new smartphones your carrier doesn't want you to know ...

Top telecom companies make a killing in the United States. AT&T and Verizon combined to pull in more than $64 billion in revenue during the most recent quarter alone, yielding about $13.3 billion in combined operating income. Wireless represents the biggest business for each of the nation's top carriers, and high-margin smartphone sales play an important role in maintaining growth.

If smartphone sales start to move away from carriers, they stand to lose a huge amount of money in the long run. This could be one of several reasons we now see carriers actively promoting new smartphone purchasing options. But what happens if handset companies start successfully selling their own devices directly to consumers at ridiculously affordable prices?

One fresh new company intends to find out, and it could end up being your carrier's worst nightmare.

Posh Mobile launched earlier this year with the goal of selling 'one of a kind unlocked mobile phones with an elegant design at an affordable price.' The company's mission is ambitious indeed, especially considering the massive multi-billion dollar giants it will have to battle if it hopes to find success.

Ambitious though its plan may be, Posh Mobile has thus far equipped itself with quite an arsenal. In fact, consumers can purchase one of several unlocked, off-contract smartphones from Posh for less than they would pay up front for an on-contract smartphone from a carrier. Several vendors have tried similar direct sales strategies in the past and have failed miserably (hi Nokia), but sky-high prices prevented even the slightest possibility of any traction.

Is your interest piqued yet?

Mine certainly was, so when Posh Mobile offered to send me a few of its handsets to check out, I happily accepted.

Posh recently shipped me four of its smartphones to test. The handsets range in price from just $69.99 for the Pegasus, a budget 2G smartphone with a low-resolution 3.5-inch display, to $169.99 for the Memo, a 5.8-inch phablet. Positioned between those phones are the $84.99 Pegasus 3G, the Pegasus' slightly more capable counterpart, and the $139.99 Orion Pro, which features a quad-core processor and 5-inch screen.

None of these phones will blow smartphone fans away, but these surprisingly slick handsets aren't aimed at hardcore gadget lovers. The prices listed above are off-contract prices - the cheapest phones around still often cost more than $199.99 off contract from carriers, and the handsets pushed most actively by carriers cost $500, $600 or even more without a service agreement.

Now, make no mistake, pricey phones from more popular brands like Nokia, HTC, LG, Samsung and Apple are better smartphones than those sold by Posh. Much better. But a huge portion of smartphone users out there would have their needs met quite well by one of Posh's cheaper options.

Here's a quick rundown of what we're looking at with each of the four models I tested, which all run stock-ish versions of Android with the Google Play app store on board:

Pegasus: With the Pegasus, you're looking at a dirt-cheap entry-level smartphone with bare bones functionality. It runs a painfully old version of Android - Android 2.3.5 Cupcake - and it is powered by a 1GHz single-core chipset.

The Pegasus doesn't even have a full gigabyte of storage, nor does it pack a radio that can move data over 3G, 4G HSPA or 4G LTE networks.

This is a great first smartphone for your grandfather.

Pegasus 3G: The Pegasus 3G is actually a pretty significant upgrade from the 2G model. The processor jumps from a single-core to a dual-core unit, the display size increases from 3.5 inches to 4 inches, 3G network compatibility is tossed in and it runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean instead of Cupcake.

This is a nice second smartphone for your grandmother.

Orion Pro: Posh's Orion Pro takes us into slightly more modern territory. The somewhat sleek phone features a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, a big 5-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera, dual SIM support, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, microSDHC support and compatibility with either AT&T or T-Mobile's 4G HSPA+ service, with support for data speeds of up to 21Mbps.

There is still no LTE on board and the big display is relatively low-resolution at 540 x 960 pixels, but at $139.99 there is plenty of bang for your buck.

This phone could definitely be enjoyed by either of your parents.

Memo: The Memo is Posh's phablet. The display resolution is only 480 x 800 pixels, but it's nice and big at 5.8 inches diagonally so objects are large and visible. The handset packs the same 5-megapixel camera, dual SIM support, 4GB of storage and microSDHC support as the Orion Pro, but the processor and available RAM have been downgraded.

Either one of your parents might be perfectly happy with this phone as well.

With its current smartphone lineup, Posh Mobile did not set out to launch an iPhone 6 killer or a Galaxy S5 killer. In fact, it didn't even set out to launch an iPhone 5 or Galaxy S III killer.

Instead, Posh is looking to catch the collective eye of millions of American consumers who want basic smartphone features at a rock bottom price. That's exactly what Posh delivers, and it delivers on this promise in relative style.

Of note, Posh does have plans to tackle consumers in search of a higher-end handset, with devices like the octa-core Titan HD set to debut in the near future.

Posh Mobile's current and future smartphone lineup can be further explored on the company's website, and the promo code BGRPOSH5 will save you $5 on any order.

More from BGR: Google Maps tracks every single step you take - here's how to stop it

This article was originally published on BGR.com

Heat Seek NYC Wants To Fix New York City's Heating Crisis

It feels really good knowing you did something good for another person, and that's exactly the feeling you're get when you invest in a Heat Seek NYC thermometer. What makes this thermometer so special is that it connects to the web to help NYC turn the heat on for thousands of tenants that will go with no heat in brutal Big Apple winters. The creators of Heat Seek NYC want to end NYC's heating crisis by using their simple system of affordable temperature sensors combined with easy-to-use web software.

So there's a law in NYC that states the temperature indoors has to be kept at a certain temp between October and May, but it's currently hard to enface. Right now, tenants have to keep temperature logs by hand, which ins't the best evidence in housing court. Or they have the option of dialing 311 repeatedly to try and get a heat inspector out to verify that the building does have a heating violation. With Heat Seek NYC's sensors, the temperature will automatically be recorded and kept online so that tenants, advocates and lawyers can log in to check that the building is indeed following the heating code.

The sensors can be placed anywhere in any apartment or rooms per house to collect accurate temperature readings and they can be set up in a matter of minutes. If you want to record only one room, get the Heat Seek Hub, which is the heart of their sensor network and can work alone to collect readings or can connect to a number of Cells to collect and send their readings, too. NYC apartments with several sensors in several apartments need only one apartment to have the more expensive Hub, with the others using the more affordable Cell units. All the Hub needs to function right is A/C power and an internet connection via Wi-Fi or ethernet. Pledging $30 or more provides a Cell for a New Yorker in need, while $60 gets you your own Cell and donates one to a NYC resident in need. Pledging $120 gets you a Hub and one donated in your name.

50 Ways To Kill Your Mammy; Gadget Man – review: Baz and his fearless mum ...

Baz Ashmawy is a 39-year-old Irish television presenter who once starred in a TV programme described as 'a cross between Wish You Were Here and Jackass'. In the new series 50 Ways To Kill Your Mammy (Sky1) he is returning to the scene of past adventures, only with his mum. Nancy, who is 70, apparently expressed an interest in skydiving. 'I thought, 'That could kill her,'' said Baz. 'Then I thought, 'I wonder what else could kill her?'' He has a cheeky smile and the soul of a commissioning editor.

One gets the impression Baz was a bit of a handful growing up. 'Let's say we changed a few schools,' said Nancy. Because of his wildness they hadn't been on holiday together since he was 15, but off they went to Las Vegas.

The problem with people who present exotic adventure programmes is that they're so intrepid. It's just not that much fun watching people enjoy themselves at work. Recently it's become common to introduce a reluctant foil in the guise of, say, Karl Pilkington, or a timid celebrity, or in this case, a 70-year-old parent.

There's not much actual risk in a programme like this (Las Vegas isn't exactly the Antarctic) so its success really depends on whether there is something inherently comic in watching a small Irish woman fire large automatic weapons (there is, it shames me to say), and whether the relationship between Baz and his mum is in any way tested by these challenges (not really, or at least not yet).

One problem is that Nancy may actually be too imperturbable. When presented with a challenge she invariably said, 'We'll see, we'll see', while gazing out of the car window. At times Baz was at pains to stress her reluctance to do things, when she didn't really seem to mind. Despite being a nervous driver, she was perfectly willing to have a go in a stunt car: 'If my legs can reach the pedals.'

Although Baz seems a bit pleased with himself, they have a rather nice double act going on. When they visited some silly new age therapist, Nancy blithely refused to acknowledge past anger issues.

'You used to hit me with a broom,' said Baz.

'Once, that happened,' said Nancy.

There was a truly strange moment when Baz challenged his mother to shoot him with a Taser, at about the point when most viewers would have happily had a go. She refused. He insisted. Finally she gave in, with the instructor steadying her hand. She fired, and Baz toppled like a dynamited chimney. It was, like all videos of people being Tasered, quite chilling, but Baz's mum seemed to have few regrets.

Their final adventure was the skydive, from 18,000ft. Nancy was looking forward to it, while Baz became increasingly apprehensive. Her lack of fear only seemed to feed his. By the time he was on the ground watching her parachute head for the trees, he was beside himself with worry. Nancy, on the other hand, was elated. She said she felt grand, then promptly doubled over and threw up. 'It was a great experience,' she said later, 'but I'd warn anyone not to eat before.'

50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy was a tame affair for the most part, but I reckon Baz really did think he might have finished off his mother when she jumped out of that plane. In truth, he probably came closer to being the death of her when he was wild and 15.

'Feck it,' said Nancy, by way of conclusion. 'Feel the fear and do it anyway.'

The opening episode of the third series of Gadget Man (Channel 4) was dedicated to the weather. 'British weather is well renowned for its well rubbishness,' said Richard Ayoade. 'And it's getting more well rubbish by the day.' What follows is the expected geekfest of waterproof iPads and foul weather gear with little wind turbines on the sleeves so you can charge your phone in a hurricane. But even if you're unmoved by gadgets, Ayoade's straight-faced narration makes it worthwhile: 'Ideally I'd like to conduct all my important business calls in the middle of rainstorms, as a way of giving them a framework of pathetic fallacy.'

Comedian Tim Vine was his guest, charged with putting up an inflatable tent in a wind tunnel while spouting wind-related one liners. I'm the stage version of the film Twister,' he said. 'I've got as far as the first draught.' He ended up punless, half-in and half-out of the tent, trying to open an umbrella in the simulated gale. 'That is a powerful image,' said Ayoade.

Gadget review: Get ready for the thermal selfie

Tired of the selfie? Get ready for the 'thermie,' or as I like to call it, the 'hottie.' That's when you take a picture of the heat emanating from your body, using an infrared camera that attaches to the back of your iPhone. It sounds unlikely, but it's coming.

Apple stores started selling the $349 FLIR One recently. It puts thermal imaging within reach of people who probably have never considered it before, and it opens up a whole new way of looking at the world. Warm things show up bright on the iPhone screen, while cold things are dark. It's like everything glows with its own light.

What's striking is that the camera is so sensitive. If two objects differ by one-fifth of a degree Fahrenheit (0.1 degree Celsius), the camera can tell the difference.

You can see the footsteps of a person who just walked across a carpet. They're noticeably warmer if the person stood still for a little while. If you swipe your hand across a wall, the heat trail will be briefly visible as a smear. You can find a cellphone in a dark room by picking up the 1 degree (0.5 degree Celsius) heat difference caused by the standby power consumption.

This technology has been available to the military for decades, and it has been creeping into the hands of sailors, electricians, plumbers and other contractors. But the cheapest stand-alone infrared camera costs $995 and doesn't come with all the fun doodads that the smartphone allows, such as quick image uploads to Facebook. Imagine this: 'Hi everyone, this is what my fever looks like!'

HOW IT WORKS

The FLIR One slides on to the back of an iPhone 5 or 5s. It doesn't work with any other iPhone model, such as the 5c or the larger iPhones that Apple is believed to be releasing next month. It roughly doubles the thickness of the phone, so it's not something you'll walk about with every day. The camera back contains its own rechargeable battery.

The heat-sensing camera looks similar to a regular phone camera, but its resolution is very low, at just 80 by 60 pixels, or 4,800 pixels. The iPhone's rear camera is more than 1,600 times sharper at 8 megapixels. To make the images easier to interpret, the FLIR One has a second camera for visible light. It creates a faint overlay of object contours, compensating to some extent for the low thermal resolution.

The thermal image can be set to show up in a variety of color ranges. Cold can be blue and hot can be red, or you can just have it show up in black and white.

WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH IT

So is this camera just for 'hotties'?

No. Actually, people look fairly unattractive in thermal imaging. Because the camera picks up minute heat differences, human skin looks as blotchy as the hide of a giraffe.

Thermal imaging is useful for spotting heat leaking through home insulation. It can also spot otherwise invisible water leaks, because evaporation usually makes humid areas colder than the surroundings. It can spot wildlife lurking in the forest. There could be a lot of other uses no one's thought of yet, from gaming to medicine.

While the camera is very good at detecting temperature differences, it isn't that good at measuring precise temperatures. Temperature readouts are accurate only to within 1.5 degrees (0.8 degree Celsius). Occasionally, I found it to be off by much more. So while fever selfies might sound fun, you can't use this as a fever thermometer. Also, it doesn't read temperatures over the boiling point of water, so you can't use it to check oven temperatures.

THE BARGAIN

If you buy the FLIR One as a toy, you're likely to tire of it pretty soon. It's an expensive toy, at more than half of the iPhone's retail price (what people pay if they forgo subsidies that require two-year service contracts.)

But if you have a practical use in mind for it, you'll get a cool toy in the bargain.

Intex Cloud FX Firefox OS Smartphone Launched at Rs. 1999

Intex on Monday has launched the first Firefox OS smartphone in India, the Cloud FX, priced at Rs. 1,999. The company had in June announced it would launch the smartphone in August under Rs. 2,000. The smartphone is now available via exclusive retail partner Snapdeal.

The cheapest Android smartphone available right on Flipkart, Snapdeal and Amazon India is a little over Rs. 2,000, so the company's claims that the Intex Cloud FX is India's cheapest smartphone has some merit.

( Also see: Intex Cloud FX 'Most Affordable Smartphone': First Impressions)

Notably, Spice had also announced a Firefox OS smartphone in June, and earlier this week said it will be launching the Spice Fire One Mi-FX 1 at Rs. 2,299 on August 29.

The dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) Intex Cloud FX features a 3.5-inch HVGA (320x480 pixel) display, and runs on a 1GHz processor (unspecified chipset) coupled with 128MB of RAM. It features a 2-megapixel rear camera, and according to the Snapdeal listing, no front-facing camera.

Other specifications of the Intex Cloud FX include 46MB of built-in storage, with support for microSD cards (up to 4GB). Connectivity options include GPRS/ EDGE, Wi-Fi, Micro-USB, Bluetooth, FM radio, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The Intex Cloud FX weighs in at 104 grams, and has dimensions of 115.9x62.11.8mm. It sports a 1250mAh battery, rated to deliver up to 4 hours of talk time and a standby time of 200 hours.

Spice ahead of the Fire One Mi-FX 1's launch has also detailed its specifications, saying it comes with a 3.5-inch HVGA (320x480 pixel) display; is powered by a 1GHz processor; sports a 1.3-megapixel rear camera, and there is a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera also onboard. The smartphone supports dual-SIM (GSM+GSM); however, only 2G connectivity is available.

( Also see: Intex Cloud FX in pictures)

Speaking on the launch of Cloud FX, Keshav Bansal, Director, Marketing, Intex Technologies, said, 'The launch of Intex Cloud FX marks the beginning of a new era of the Indian smartphone market and Intex is proud to be the first Indian company to understand and deliver on market needs. With the launch of Intex Cloud FX, we aim to enable the masses to get smartphone experience at the cost of a feature phone. We are delighted to partner with Snapdeal.com, the partnership allows us to offer the smartphone pan-India at a revolutionary cost.'

Dr. Li Gong, President of Mozilla, added, 'We are excited that Intex Cloud FX is now selling in the market, being the first Firefox OS device available in India and Asia. The positive consumer feedback from other markets tells that people like the unique user experience and openness we're building with Firefox OS. With the support from Intex, Firefox OS smartphones in ultra-low-cost category will redefine the entry-level smartphones segment, which attract people to transfer from featured phones to smartphones. Having a stronghold as Intex, we believe Firefox OS devices are going to create another momentum in Asia.'

REVIEW: Raspberry Pi B+

The Raspberry Pi is small - 'a credit-card sized computer' says its blurb - and flexible, good for both general desktop use and electronics projects. And there's a new version out.

If the Raspberry Pi were a car, what would it be? Not a Bugatti, appealing as it does to the Heath Robinson end of IT society. It's cheap, so Bristols and Rollers are out too. It isn't as ubiquitous as Ford nor as staid as a Volvo. And you wont see it on Top Gear.

Computer Weekly has therefore rolled up its sleeves and taken the new Model B+ for a test drive.

With literally no expenses spared, the squad was recruited from top experts. Running the CW driver's team was a senior enterprise architect who works for a global financial services firm. For the sake of professional anonymity, we shall call him 'Jim'.

Our three teenage drivers - 'James', 'Edward' and 'Nicholas' - were picked for speed and resilience. And also because they happen to live in a house where there is always at least one computer nearer than the nearest London rat, ie within twelve feet (3.66 m).

So, what's under the bonnet? The new Pi is really an upgrade, rather than a new model, improving the B type's performance and layout.

The B+ has the same processor, the same RAM and can run the same software. Although it is the same size, however, the B+ won't fit into the case designed for a B-type, due to the rearrangement of the board.

The new B+ upgrade

All the ports are now neatly arranged on two sides, rather than distributed around the board, and there are now four USB ports compared to the model B's two. A four-pole composite and audio interface - a jack of all trades, one might say - has replaced the video and audio sockets.

Pi aficionados are excited by the replacement of the old plastic SD slot - which could also handle micro SD - with a metal micro SD-only slot. This reviewer was not so pleased, as it meant finding a new micro card.

And while the new slot is undeniably sturdier, compared to other computers the rest of the Pi is physically as delicate as a Meissen teapot.

The Pi's fragility belies the robust new power circuitry, which has been rearranged and made more efficient with a switching regulator. If you use batteries, they should last longer, and the Pi should be better equipped to tolerate irregular or low voltages .

Despite its exposed components, encasing the Pi in Perspex makes less sense for the B+, than its predecessor. The back of the board is almost as interesting to the adventurous as the front, with lots of test points included. And for those looking to hook their machine up with real world objects, there are an extra 14 General Purpose Input Output pins, making a grand total of 40.

A Pi shares some of the characteristics of the human baby. Cute to behold and costing next to nothing itself, the bill for accessories can stack up.

One bundle that CW has admired (and would very happily review if one is sent over) is the very pretty and pretty useful portable HDMIPi screen

Made by CynTech and designed especially for your favourite cheapo computer, the HDMIPi monitor comes in various packages, from the no-power-cord-included version (£75) to full bells and whistles (£160), with assorted cables and wireless inputting devices.

For this enterprise, however, we fitted our fitted B+ into a more traditional rig of monitors and mice. Wired up into a networked testbed, it faced a punishing schedule, designed to answer three key research questions.

(1) Does the Pi meet its PR claims? (2) More importantly, can you run a high graphics game on it? (3) Is it useful for odd standalone projects?

Other than the features that can be checked off visually (yes, all pins present), the testable upgraded features are the improved power circuitry and audio. With no particular desire to hit the Pi with transformers, testing was restricted to seeing which Pi, the B type or the B+, played a certain Rodrigo y Gabriela flamenco number more impressively.

It's an audio jack, Jim, but not as you know it ...

The Results were inconclusive due to a dead heat. Neither would play anything. This may have been down to tester error or, more likely, according to our technical specialist, 'something up with the speakers'.

For those with more time, or less need to move on to more pressing tasks such as playing Minecraft, audio configuration instructions are available online.

Cue the teenage driving team. There were two options for Minecraft, the open world game of building and territorial exploration.

The game can be run with the RAM and processor-challenged Pi acting as server or as client, but not both.

For the first pass, we decided to set it up in server mode. Nicholas slid behind the controls with what can only be described as practised ease. The Pi was less responsive, striving gamely to deliver but running with a 9 second lag and stalling at critical moments.

'Oh look, I'm playing Minecraft on a bad server'

The Pi was much happier serving as client, although its tester clearly was not. The game was at its most basic with, critically, no pigs, an essential ingredient in the modern version of the game. Nearly as bad, the TNT barrels did not explode in this rudimentary version. Check out .

All three testers piled in joyfully to play a variety of early computer games, all written in Python, including Snake, Tetris - 'Ha! It's just one block at a time!' - and the messy favourite, Ink Spill.

Scoring not very highly for graphics use, the B+ was then dedicated to a nobler cause.

Our testing team finished late in the evening, after testing the Rasperry Pi's capability with encryption. More on that later.

Our conclusion: the Pi is not an all-terrain vehicle. Something of a rugged but not so speedy army Land Rover on the encryption front, it is, quaintly, the Robin Reliant of gaming.

In terms of neoclassical looks and general desirability, it seems more Mini Cooper than Lamborghini. And with the exchange rate set at over five hundred Raspberry Pis to the modern Mini Cooper, we're not complaining. Perhaps a trip to the Arduino trailer-park is in order...

Tablet the top gate

Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority this week declared that both Qantas and Virgin Australia can allow passengers to use tablets, e-book readers, MP3 players and smartphones (set to 'flight mode') during a flight's taxi, take-off and landing stages. Photo: Bloomberg

David Flynn

'Please turn off any mobile phones, tablets or e-book readers.'

That announcement from Qantas and Virgin Australia crew as your plane is made ready for take-off or landing is now a thing of the past.

Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority this week declared that both airlines can allow passengers to use tablets, e-book readers, MP3 players and smartphones (set to 'flight mode') during a flight's taxi, take-off and landing stages.

However, of all these devices, it's the use of tablets that is the most significant win for business travellers, enabling you to get on with real work from the moment you sit down - except paying attention to the safety briefing - whereas laptop computers still need to be securely stashed in the overhead bin during take-off and landing.

It's what the boffins call 'gate-to-gate' usage of 'personal electronic devices', and Qantas and Virgin Australia were quick off the mark to declare that the days of the great switch-off for inflight gadgets are over.

Travellers can now use their personal tech for the entire duration of the flight. And for my money, it's not come a moment too soon.

Gate-to-gate gadgets

The gate-to-gate gadget wave has already swept across the US, Europe and, most recently, New Zealand.

Last month I flew with Air New Zealand from Auckland to Los Angeles, and later with British Airways on a short hop between London and New York.

On each of those flights I was able to use my kit from the moment I settled into my seat through to when it was time to grab my carry-on bag and make for the door.

On the Air NZ flight it meant remaining engrossed in the latest Stephen King book, a virtual page-turner on my Kindle. With BA, I was able to catch up with a TV show on my iPad.

I'll grant that none of this is highly productive, mission-critical stuff. But it's enjoyable - and isn't that what travel is supposed to be, ideally for as much of the journey as possible?

It'll be more practical in Australia, especially on short trips where the non-flying time is a large proportion of your time on the plane.

Under the previous CASA rules - which required your tech to be powered off for all but the level flight stage - there was almost no point switching the gear back on if you're doing the short Sydney-Canberra or Melbourne-Canberra jaunt.

Zipping between Sydney and Melbourne? That meant almost half an hour where you couldn't use those personal devices, and more with the almost inevitable delays.

There are some caveats, of course.

No matter how enjoyable that e-book, how addictive that video or how groovy those MP3 tunes, you'll still have to pay full attention during the safety briefing. And that's as it should be.

Tablets still stowed

And while tablets are OK to use during the taxi, take-off and landing stages, according to the new CASA rules, laptops will still have to be stowed.

The simplest reading of that is 'tablets good, laptops bad', although some small ultra-light laptops will blur the line.

CASA's decree is that those devices with 'a mass more than 1kg or are of a size that would impede egress' are headed for the overhead bin or any other 'approved stowage location'.

Tablets, phones and e-book readers can be held in your hands, tucked away in your pocket or the seat's literature compartment, as long as they're not left sitting unsecured on the empty seat next to you.

CASA's primary concern over these inflight gadgets is safety, and that's not just about them interfering with the plane's own electronics.

In November 2013, Qantas flight QF460 from Melbourne to Sydney faced extreme turbulence as it approached Sydney Airport - so much so that two passengers were injured by unsecured devices.

'One passenger suffered a minor injury due to an iPad striking their head, reportedly coming from three rows in front,' according to CASA.

'Another passenger was hospitalised after being struck in the head by a laptop falling from an overhead locker.'

Of course, some will suggest that we tech-toting travellers should just suck it up and switch it off. They'll remind us of those sun-drenched days before iDevices and even the pre-Walkman era, when all you had was a book or a magazine to pass the time in flight.

And sometimes I embrace that contemplative, disconnected time.

I usually enjoy the view at take-off and always as we come in for a landing, especially with that great view arriving into Sydney or London.

But at least I'll soon have a choice, and that's not before time.

How much of a difference will this new regulation make to your travel plans?

David Flynn is a business travel expert and editor of Australian Business Traveller. Follow Australian Business Traveller on Twitter.

$500 Apple Certified MacBook Air (2011) Clearance

Take a byte out of some Apple savings. Mmm. Puns. The current generation of MacBook Air will typically run you $1,000 or so, but if you go back a few years in model, you can snag some serious savings. Today a refurbished MacBook Air 11 MC968LL/A is just over $500 - the cheapest it's ever been. Despite its somewhat dated specs, it's still cheap and effective ultraportable computing for most users.

For something a little more up-to-date for power-hungry gamers or similar, the new 2014 Envy 17t is down to $865 after coupon, tying the previous all-time low. This model comes equipped with Core i7 Haswell processor, 12GB RAM, and a 1080p screen driven by a GeForce GTX 850M discrete graphics card.

And if you're tired of running out of hot water, you never will again with an Ecosmart electric tankless water heater from Amazon.

LAPTOP DEALS

If the MacBook Air 11 and HP Envy 17t didn't strike your fancy, you can choose from four more solid picks, all cheapest ever today. For a smaller screen but plenty of power, the HP Envy 15t is down to $745 and still features a Core i7 processor, 1080p screen, and a GeForce GTX 850M graphics card, all powered by an upgraded 48WHr battery. Three other HP choices finish the category, including a $185 shipped Chromebook.

GAMING DEALS

GamersGate's Summer Sale Reloaded is still going strong. Other than South Park: The Stick of Truth for last-gen consoles and a $100 PlayStation 3D monitor, the rest of the section today is PC games. Six of seven are at all-time lows.

ALL THE OTHER GOOD DEALS

Occipital Structure Sensor

Occipital bills its Structure Sensor ($379) as the first 3D sensor for mobile devices. This small gadget, which clips onto an iPad, provides depth data for true 3D imaging. It can act as a 3D scanner, and there are currently a few apps for the Structure Sensor that let you use the device for scanning and mapping, as well as virtual reality gaming. It's intended largely as a platform and playground for software developers; down the line, when more apps are available, it could have considerable consumer appeal.

Anatomy of a 3D Sensor The Structure Sensor is an anodized aluminum device that measures 1 by 4.5 by 1.1 inches (HWD). Our test unit was ice blue; it's also available in silver. It is fastened with four screws to a bracket that fits on the iPad. (I tested the Structure Sensor with an iPad Air; it is also compatible with the 4th generation iPad and the iPad mini with Retina Display. The bracket for each model is different, and you choose the appropriate bracket at the time of purchase.) The bracket has a clasp to lock it in place, and a hole through which your iPad's camera can see and collect data.

The device uses a process known as structured light, in which an infrared laser projector casts a specific pixel pattern on the scene in front of it. The Structure Sensor's infrared sensor then records distortions in this dot pattern at VGA resolution as you move your iPad around the object you're scanning, creating a depth (3D) map of the scene and the objects in it. (The Structure Sensor's infrared detector was developed by PrimeSense, now owned by Apple, which designed the 3D sensor for Microsoft's Kinect.) The device also uses the iPad's camera, to record color data.

There's a Lightning cable included that's just long enough to plug into the iPad's Lightning port. The Structure Sensor has its own internal battery, and comes with a power adapter for charging.

The $499 version of the Structure Sensor comes with a USB 'hacker cable,' which lets you use the device with a laptop or desktop computer or other USB device (though you lose the benefit of the iPad's camera). It also bundles in the Skanect 3D scanning program for Windows or Mac that can receive data from your iPad, either wirelessly or over the hacker cable.

Occipital's Apps Occipital offers several free Structure Sensor-related apps for download from the iTunes Store; most are designed to show off the device's ability to developers, for which the company provides an SDK. Although the company has focused on the device's use with the iPad, it can also be used with Android devices, and Occipital is offering open-source drivers, open CAD specs, and the hacker cable for use on other platforms.

The device's main app is called Structure. It offers three data streams to view: IR, which provides solely infrared data; Depth, which shows you a false-color view, with the nearest objects displayed as red, distant objects as blue, and objects of intermediate distance shown in varying shades of orange, yellow, and green based on their distance from the sensor, and tells you the distance (in centimeters) to whatever object is at the center of your screen; and Depth + Color, which combines true color with false color based on depth. In addition, it gives you information on firmware, serial number, and how much charge is left in the Structure Sensor's battery.

With the Structure app, seeing your surroundings on your tablet's screen as imaged through the virtual eyes of the Structure sensor plus iPad is a fascinating and surreal experience. It helps you appreciate the 3D-sensing capabilities of the Structure Sensor.

Virtual Physics The other apps I downloaded deal with virtual reality (VR) and physics. The Fetch app involves a skateboarding cat trying to reach a yellow ball; the app is designed to show off the platform's VR gaming potential. First, you scan a portion of your surroundings—including interesting foreground objects if possible—and your real world will become part of the game's virtual reality setting. For example, the cat can't move through solid, real-world objects in its pursuit of the ball.

A similar app, Ball Physics, lets you launch virtual balls into a representation of a real-world scene that you've already scanned. When they hit the virtual representation of a physical object (such as a colleague's Rocket Raccoon action figure), the balls bounce off it on a realistic trajectory.

The Scanner app lets you scan a scene in 3D, and then view it in X-ray (see-through) mode or in Mesh (as solid object) mode. You can email the 3D file from within the app.

Finally, the Viewer app lets you see your surroundings in three views simultaneously: a Camera (realistic) view; a Depth view, in which surfaces are color-coded according to their proximity to you; and a Surface normal view.

Viewed together, these apps demonstrate the types of data streams that the Structure Sensor offers, as well as the device's application to both 3D scanning and mapping, and VR gaming.

A Third-Party Scanning App for the Structure Sensor The first third-party iPad app for the Structure Sensor in the iTunes Store, released in late July, is itSeez3D, a scanning app that can scan both objects and human headshots in 3D. In our testing, it did a credible job at 3D scanning, particularly in scanning people, and its files can be uploaded from the app to a 3D model site or emailed. To 3D print the file, you must then open it with your 3D printer's software. We did some 3D scans of people using the app and then printed them out on a MakerBot Replicator 2X, with generally satisfactory results.

If you're looking for an iPad-mounted 3D scanner, you might also want to check out the 3D Systems iSense ($499), which pairs the Structure Sensor as hardware with 3D Systems' own scanning software (also used in the company's Sense 3D scanner), and can also use apps designed for the Structure Sensor. It's a particularly good choice if you own a 3D printer in 3D Systems' Cube line. You pay more money than if you were to buy the Structure Sensor separately, but iSense is designed to integrate with Cube printers such as the 3D Systems Cube 3D Printer, and you get the ability to directly upload 3D files to Cubify.com for printing through the cloud.

The Occipital Structure Sensor is a 3D sensor that integrated seamlessly with the iPad in our testing. It's geared to software developers, although there are several available apps that can be used for 3D scanning by artists or 3D printing hobbyists. Down the line, when a wider range of apps have been created for it, the device could become popular with gamers and a more general audience. Until then, it provides developers with the opportunity to create apps for a low-cost 3D sensor with great potential. I, for one, can't wait to see what they come up with.

Heat Seek NYC Wants To Fix New York City's Heating Crisis

It feels really good knowing you did something good for another person, and that's exactly the feeling you're get when you invest in a Heat Seek NYC thermometer. What makes this thermometer so special is that it connects to the web to help NYC turn the heat on for thousands of tenants that will go with no heat in brutal Big Apple winters. The creators of Heat Seek NYC want to end NYC's heating crisis by using their simple system of affordable temperature sensors combined with easy-to-use web software.

So there's a law in NYC that states the temperature indoors has to be kept at a certain temp between October and May, but it's currently hard to enface. Right now, tenants have to keep temperature logs by hand, which ins't the best evidence in housing court. Or they have the option of dialing 311 repeatedly to try and get a heat inspector out to verify that the building does have a heating violation. With Heat Seek NYC's sensors, the temperature will automatically be recorded and kept online so that tenants, advocates and lawyers can log in to check that the building is indeed following the heating code.

The sensors can be placed anywhere in any apartment or rooms per house to collect accurate temperature readings and they can be set up in a matter of minutes. If you want to record only one room, get the Heat Seek Hub, which is the heart of their sensor network and can work alone to collect readings or can connect to a number of Cells to collect and send their readings, too. NYC apartments with several sensors in several apartments need only one apartment to have the more expensive Hub, with the others using the more affordable Cell units. All the Hub needs to function right is A/C power and an internet connection via Wi-Fi or ethernet. Pledging $30 or more provides a Cell for a New Yorker in need, while $60 gets you your own Cell and donates one to a NYC resident in need. Pledging $120 gets you a Hub and one donated in your name.