Samsung Galaxy S5 S-View Premium Case

 

The basics

The first thing you're going to want to do when your shiny new flagship Samsung Galaxy S5 arrives is clad it in a protective case of some kind, and if you want the best results then it's always advisable to take the official route. At around £40 the Samsung S-View Premium case is undeniably expensive, but has been designed to compliment your handset as well as offer other unique features like its sneak peek screen ability. Is it worth the lofty price tag or are you better off going with a cheaper option? We strapped one to our Galaxy S5 to find out.

The good

While many mobile users are happy to spend a couple of quid on a phone case, the S-View Premium case is a more serious proposition. Just as the name suggests, it's all about giving your beloved blower that sense of luxury. The case is fashioned from a synthetic leather material and, when closed, makes it look more like a book than a phone. To fit the case you actually have to remove the battery cover entirely, as the case itself clips into the same space on the rear of the handset.

When you close the case your screen automatically locks and switches to Samsung's "S-View" - a small window which showcases information such as the time, weather and how many unread notifications you have, all viewable through a handy gap at the top of the case. Flipping the case also instantly unlocks the screen, making it easy to quickly get right into using your phone.

While all of this functionality is excellent, the most appealing element of the S-View case by far is the way in which it seems to add even more value to your already pricey smartphone. Once you've fitted the case it's very hard to bring yourself to remove it and go back to a "naked" Galaxy S5 - this really does feel like a new level of sophistication.

The bad

As it's made from a leather material rather than plastic, the actual durability of the S-View case is questionable. Over time, it is sure to pick up marks and scuffs - just like any other leather-clad item - and dropping it onto a rough surface is likely to totally ruin the look of the case. Of course, it will still perform its primary role - protecting your phone - but it's a little more irksome to have to replace a case which costs £40.

As a result, you might find that the S-View case - while offering protection - actually makes you even more paranoid about damaging your phone. Having the case also automatically unlock your phone's screen might be a bit irksome for those who like their security and privacy, but handily, you can still set an unlock code on your phone for added peace of mind.

The bottom line

Although it may not offer the same degree of protective strength seen in cheaper cases, the S-View is the ideal purchase if you're looking to dress your S5 in something with a little more class. If you choose to have a case because you're incredibly clumsy or work in a particularly harsh environment then you're honestly better off looking elsewhere, but those of you who adore your new smartphone and want to show it off even more, this is the ideal fashion accessory.

Heimplanet ‘The Cave’ tent

 

The basics

How do you solve a problem like tent poles? In a bid to make its £435 ‘The Cave’ the fastest tent on the campsite, Heimplanet’s pioneering solution replaces those tricky tentacles for a skeletal frame made of interlocking inflatable tubes. Is it the future of tents, or just another festival folly? We braved the Great British Summer to find out.

The good

Splay The Cave’s spider-like frame out and you’ll have access to one of five pump-friendly inflation points. These are all linked, so you just have to find the nearest one and get to pumping. If you know what you’re doing and you have the right pump (we’d recommend Heimplanet’s own, which is sold separately), the whole thing will spring up like a bouncy castle with only a couple of minutes of frantic pumping. You’re supposed to do this and then hook the actual ‘tent’ part of The Cave to the skeletal frame, but on repeat use you can just leave everything attached, making getting pitched the next time even easier.

If you’re worried that air alone might not make things sturdy enough, don’t be. The Cave’s exoskeleton is rock solid when fully inflated, and there’s more than enough heft to make sure your belongings won’t blow away in a hurry. And don't worry if you get a puncture in the air frame - it consists of five separate chambers, meaning if you do get a puncture in one, the others still stay inflated to ensure your tent's stability isn't affected - handy.

Inside, The Cave’s hexagonal sleeping quarters are roomy enough for two adults to lie across the middle with a bit of space for gear either side, along with plenty of inner wall pockets. Heimplanet’s got temperature control nailed too, so you won’t find your slumber shooting from freezing cold to boiling hot throughout the course of the night.

The bad

The Cave’s easy setup does come with some drawbacks. For one, you will absolutely need a pump, and Heimplanet’s own is big. This is fine if you’re driving to the site or if you use one for your mattress anyway, but camping purists might be put off by the extra bulk. On that score, the tent itself folds down quite large - about the size of a big backpack - and getting it all into its admittedly well-designed bag can be a struggle if there’s still air clinging to the inside of the frame’s tubes.

The other thing to consider is that The Cave looks more like the moon lander that your standard tent, so you’ll need to be prepared for any attention that might bring from drunken festival goers.

Lastly, we can’t help but feel that there’s a missed opportunity to include an inbuilt inflatable bed.

The bottom line

In the end, The Cave’s supreme ease when it comes to getting pitched and ready for bed eclipses any of the design’s minor shortcomings. If you’re sick of battling with fiddly tent poles in torrid conditions and don’t mind a bit of bulk - and attention - look no further.

USB iShaver

The basics

It seems like you can get practically anything powered by USB these days, and now the humble electric shaver has been given the same treatment, letting you juice your daily razer up via a spare port on your laptop or computer. Meet the iShaver, and just like its name suggests, it's even styled after Apple's iconiciPhone range - but is it any good? We let our five o'clock shadow become a five o'clock the next day shadow to find out.

The good

Forgive the name - the iShaver doesn't actually plug into your iPhone, nor is it an Apple accessory either, it just happens to look like an iPhone - even down to the box too. That means it's a slim and light little gizmo, that you can easily throw into your bag or even your pocket, and handily, it also charges via USB - meaning wherever you have a port handy, you can juice up your shaver. Whether that's through your laptop, the mains, your Xbox or even your TV. No matter where there's a USB port handy, you can charge it up (Of course, you might want to be concerned what your boss will think of you, but that's another matter).

The shaver itself packs in a thin net foil and floating blades, and works well enough to mow through stubble - we wouldn't suggest trying it on anything longer, as it simply just won't work, while it's flexible enough to manoeuvre around awkward angles on your face.

The bad

Unfortunately, the iShaver doesn't give that good a shave - it is a £15 novelty gift, after all. The size of the shaving head isn't that large and doesn't cover a wide area, while it also has a problem with longer hairs, as it manages to zip past them without even giving them a cut.

We also found the battery life to not be ideal - and we wish there was some sort of indicator to let us know it needed a charge. We ended up with the shaver stuck to our face, with an unfinished shave and plenty of stubble left to trim - if we knew the shaver was about to run out of battery, we would have either charged it up or skipped the shave completely. That said, with a full charge, you'll be able to eek out at least two full shaves with the charger before it needs a boost, which is pretty good for a USB powered shaver. The build quality of the shaver though, is questionable: our initial sample failed to switch on, even after a thorough charging, while on our replacement, the cap feels a little loose on the shaver, and feels like it can be easily lost.

The bottom line

The iShaver manages to do what it says on the tin, but not in a particularly glamorous way. It's a novelty item, sure, and it actually does shave, albeit not that well, and its battery life isn't perfect. It's great for a quick shave, and charging via USB is handy, but if you're planning on using this as your everyday shaver, you might want to look elsewhere. Or just start growing a beard.

Tonino Lamborghini Antares

The basics

If you thought your brand new iPhone 5s in gold was the cream of the crop when it comes to luxury phones, you haven't met the Tonino Lamborghini Antares. The exclusive £2,500 Android smartphone is one of the most expensive phones we've laid our hands on, but does it live up to its lofty cost? We first took a look at the supercar-inspired smartphone back in May, and now we've got one of our own to play with. Can it match up to its souped up inspiration, or will it stall right out of the gate? We fired one up to find out.

The good

Smartphones are, generally, expensive. The Antares takes that meaning to another level, and the result is impressive - to a point. For starters, your £2,500 nets you a finely crafted handset that is impressively matched by the packaging it arrives in. It's a solid aluminium box that's designed to resemble an engine block, and once you've pried it open, you'll find the Antares in its full glory, flanked by other Tonino Lamborghini accessories, each marked up with the iconic raging bull logo. From the battery to the wall charger, headphones and even the flat USB cable, you'll find Lamborghini styling exuding from every part of the package - and it all feels very premium.

The Antares itself is a spectacle to behold, as there's really nothing on the market quite like it. Vertu's range of luxury phones come close, but the hand-crafted solid stainless steel body of the Antares really makes it stand out, along with its hard angled design that's reminiscent of the cars it's inspired by. It's weighty, hitting the scales at 170g thanks to its construction, but it feels solid in the hand and it screams premium. Ours arrived in a black finish with a matching leather backing, but you're also able to grab one in gold, rose gold, black and stainless steel finishes, with various different leather panels too.

While the front is made up of the Gorilla Glass-protected display and the impressive five-Megapixel front-facing camera, on the back you'll find the Sony-crafted 13-Megapixel rear snapper, which performs well, giving you sharp images that pop full of colour and plenty of detail. While the camera app itself is sluggish at times, it works well enough and lets you snap photos quickly and easily. There's also plenty of storage onboard too, as the Antares packs in 32GB of built-in space, plus it can handle a microSD card up to the same amount, which is also included in the lavish box.

Tonino Lamborghini has loaded up Android on the Antares with its own selection of exclusive wallpapers and custom icons, along with pairing up the onboard Yamaha audio hardware with an app to take advantage of it. The interface has barely been modified from the stock Android experience, which will please fans, but you might have expected a lot more from a £2,500 phone, especially after seeing the lavish transformations that the likes of Samsung, LG and Sony have done with their customised Android skins. That said, we're pleased with the battery life the Antares offers, as thanks to its middling specs, it won't burn through its 1,500mAh battery like its inspirations do petrol. We got a full day of use out of the Antares, with plenty of battery life to spare at the end of the day, meaning you'll be able to get plenty of use out of the Antares with just a single charge.

The bad

Once you've gotten past all the glitz and glamour, here's where things fall apart for the Antares. While it's a gorgeous phone in the hand, under the bonnet, its specs don't match up with its speedy heritage. You'll find it armed with a just 1.5GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM, meaning it won't keep up with the current speed demons of the smartphone world, such as the 2.46GHz quad-core processor crammed into the LG G3. It works fine for your everyday tasks such as listening to music, checking Facebook, updating Instagram, browsing the web and playing the occasional game, but for £2,500, you might feel a little shortchanged in the performance stakes.

The screen is also disappointing, measuring up at just four-inches, which feels extremely small compared to the phablet giants we've seen crop up, and even leading flagships which range from five to 5.5-inches. The size isn't the only negative point, as it only packs in a paltry sub-720p display with a resolution of 960x540. If you're after a top quality display from what should be a high-end handset, you won't find it here, and it makes the LG G3's cutting edge Quad HD screen seem like a bargain.

Unfortunately, you won't find the latest Android 4.4 KitKat included either: disappointingly, it ships with 4.2.1 Jelly Bean, and will only be updated when Tonino Lamborghini sees fit, meaning you're stuck with an outdated version of Android as soon as you fire it up. Connectivity-wise, you'll find the Antares armed with the usual Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB, along with handy MHL support in the port, although it is missing NFC capability, which is a missed opportunity for an Android blower. We're used to seeing NFC packed into all sorts of Android handsets, and at its price-point, you'd expect to see the handy quick-paring feature packed in too. More importantly, it's also lacking high-speed 4G LTE too, which is a missed chance for a brand that's associated with speed - and you'd expect a phone with an exceptional price-tag to pack in the latest 4G tech too.

The bottom line

For £2,500, you'd have to have more money than sense to splash the cash out on the Antares. Even with its luxurious materials and extravagant build quality, what's under the hood just isn't worth the cash - you can get plenty more phone, for much less money. Only grab it if you really do want to stand out from the crowd with a limited handset, as that's because you'll be the only one toting one and left in the dust by cheaper, speedier blowers.

Microsoft Surface Pro 3: Hands on with the laptop slayer!

Microsoft’s line of powerhouse Surface Pro slates let you take all your work on the go, and boast stylus skills that put the iPad to shame, and now the Redmond giant is aiming to replace your laptop completely with its latest Surface Pro 3. It’s even bigger than before, but it’s actually lighter and even more powerful. We got our hands on one before its upcoming launch – read on for our take!

Meet the Surface Pro 3, the latest model in Microsoft’s laptop-replacement line: this time it’s been supersized and given enough power to rival even full desktops. Up-front is the gorgeous 12-inch, better-than-full-HD 2160×1440 display, which is not only larger that the 1080p 10.6-inch screen on its predecessor, but it looks sharper and brighter too – even capable of being readable in sunlight. The screen ratio has also been improved, as before you’d have to deal with a movie-style 16:9 display, which is cumbersome in portrait mode, while on the Surface Pro 3, it’s now 3:2, making it easier to enjoy reading magazines, news and comics in portrait mode.

While the Surface Pro 3 is bigger in screen-size, it’s actually lighter, all thanks to its slick, MacBook Air-style aluminium chassis which measures up at a svelte 9.1mm and weighs just 800g. It’s easier to carry in one hand thanks to its much more evenly distributed weight, and if you found the kickstand on the previous models more of a hindrance, the latest model fixes many problems we’ve had in the past. For starters, you can position the stand at almost any angle you want up to 150 degrees, from upright to a near flat position, making it easier to position on your lap or on your desk. Even with its slim chassis, Microsoft has packed in all the ports you’ll need from a Windows machine: you’ll find room for a microSD card, a full-sized USB 3.0 port, a mini Display Port output and a headphone jack too – and if you opt for the Docking Station for when you’re at home, you’re given even more ports, including 4K output. The Start button has also been moved around, and can now be found on the right-hand side of the Surface when placed in landscape mode, meaning you won’t be hitting it accidentally any more.

Read our review of the Microsoft Surface 2!

Microsoft has also redesigned the Type Cover for the Surface Pro 3, and with a larger screen comes a bigger keyboard. There’s a larger trackpad built-in to the case, which gives you more feedback when you’re left or right-clicking, while touch and swipe gestures have also been improved. It can also magnetically clip onto the Pro 3 in two different ways: flat, as usual, or with a slope for slightly more ergonomic typing. You can also handily attach the new and improved Surface Pen to the the side of the cover in any position you want, which works wonders with the machine and Microsoft’s OneNote software too. There’s 256 levels of pressure sensitivity to play with, its latency has also been reduced, while palm detection has been packed in too so you can focus on the notes or drawings you’re making. There are also two buttons popped onto the stylus too, letting you erase with one or change settings on the other, while another button on top of the stylus can launch OneNote right away for you to get your notes down quick.

While taking a photo with a tablet is certainly considered more of a sin than anything else, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Surface Pro 3 is actually capable of shooting semi-decent 1080p shots. Two five-Megapixel cameras are strapped to the latest slate, with the front-facing cam serving perfect duty for Skype calls, while the rear will do if you’ve (somehow) misplaced your cameraphone or point-and-shoot.

When it comes to speed, the Surface Pro 3 is certainly quick. The prototype version we had our hands on was equipped with a fourth generation Intel Core i5 processor, which proved to be nippy when swiping through the Windows 8.1 Start screen, diving through intensive websites in Internet Explorer. Microsoft is offering plenty of different configs to suit every need when it launches in August, ranging from a £639 model that’s equipped with an Intel Core i3 processor and 64GB of storage, right up to a blazing-fast Intel Core i7 CPU with a 512GBSSD for £1,649 – making it capable of being your complete workhorse for more than just web browsing, including intensive Photoshop work and video editing. Microsoft has also claimed that you’ll be able to squeeze out around nine hours of battery life from video playback, which should last you through a day in the office if you forget your charger – but we’ll be sure to bring you full figures when we get our hands on a review model.

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 is certainly promising, and when it launches at the end of August, it looks like it’ll fix plenty of what’s plagued previous models. While its size might not be as portable as its smaller predecessors, it’s certainly light enough to scoot around in your bag, and it definitely has potential to fully replace your current laptop. In the meantime, stay tuned for our full review on Microsoft’s latest slate closer to launch.

Five things every self-driving car needs!

With loads of companies (even Google) currently working on making the self-driving autonomous car an everyday reality, the future looks bright for personal transport. Just imagine it: being able to read, watch movies, chat and have fun while you travel around in your own car, with no need to concentrate on driving! There are some things we’d love to see in self-driving cars though – any self-respecting self-driving cars, that is.

As Google has shown, the car that can drive itself is literally just around the corner, and it’s currently being tested out in California. But what if you want more to your car than simply pressing a button and putting your feet up? Here are some of the features we’d love to see make it into autonomous cars.

A fun mode Getting to work may be a lot easier and less stressful with a self-driving car, but loads of us car fanatics will be sad to see the death of the steering wheel. What could be more boring than a self-driving car, right? Things could be made a lot better with a ‘fun’ button or even a fake steering wheel; how about incorporating augmented reality or virtual reality so you can play driving games at the same time as actually traveling. At least the movements, sounds and some of the visuals could then be authentic, but hopefully with massively different results when you crash!

A ‘get me home ASAP’ button

One of the great things about being able to drive your own car is the ability to tailor your driving depending on the circumstances. That goes out the window with a fully autonomous car, with the car making all the decisions and choices for your. So it’d be great to have a ‘get me home’ button, which maybe gives your car that extra bit of speed, helps it to overtake other vehicles or even works in conjunction with traffic signals to ensure you get a run of green lights when you need it most.

Granny mode

Maybe it would be better to have a dial rather than a single button though; if ‘get me homeASAP’ is at one end, we’d like to see a ‘granny mode’ at the other end of the scale, slowing things down and putting ride comfort and safety above all else. Do your elderly relatives get travel sick when you drive faster? Granny mode would be perfect, making sure they’re comfortable at all times.

Remote parking

We’ve already got the tech for cars to park themselves, but fully autonomous cars could go one step further. Never mind about parking outside your house or the shopping centre you’re going to – just step out of the door and let your car worry about where to park. It could useGPS and 4G to communicate with connected carparks, finding out where there are spaces for it to sit and wait. And when you’re finished? Simply tap a button on your smartphone to let your car know you’re done, and it can whizz back and pick you up.

Self-charging, self-filling cars

It doesn’t matter what type of energy propels future vehicles – petrol, electricity, fuel cells, hydrogen – they’re still going to need topping up at some point between journeys. And if your car can drive itself, there’s absolutely no need for you to be there when that happens! Wireless charging is a great example – your car could drive itself to a charging station when you’re sleeping, top itself up, debit your account via NFC or other wireless tech, all while you sleep.

Xiaomi’s full-metal flagship Mi 4 unleashed!

Xiaomi, the Chinese phone maker that’s known as the Apple of the East for its similar presentations and beautiful designs, is aiming on taking on the high-spec phone market with its latest flagship phone that’s just been revealed, and it could give many tip-top phones a run for their money. Meet the Mi 4, a five-inch, full-metal blower that packs in a 1080p screen and runs the company’s heavily skinned version of Android, MIUI, too. Could this be Xiaomi’s answer to the iPhones and Galaxy S5s of the world? Read on for all the details!

The Chinese company, which has managed to lure over Hugo Barra, one of Google’s previous top bosses to the growing firm, has just announced its brand new flagship handset, the Mi 4, and by the sounds of its construction, it’s already on the right track to take on many of its rivals. For starters, unlike the previous Mi 3, this year’s model packs in a full-metal frame inside, giving it a leg up over Samsung’s plastic-fantastic phones.

Meet Xiaomi, the coolest phone company you’ve never heard of

Packed into that frame, you’ll find a hefty 2.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor powering the Mi 4, which is also equipped with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, meaning it’s got plenty of raw power to match Samsung’s latest flagship, as well as the likes of the speedy Sony Xperia Z2. Up top, you’ll find the full HD, five-inch display which is flanked by slim bezels, and capacative buttons on the bottom, while on the sides you’ll find volume and power buttons, although there’s no sign of a microSD slot.

Strapped to the back of the iPhone-esque Mi 4, you’ll find a 13-Megapixel snapper along with a eight-Megapixel front-facing cam, which should provide you with some sharp looking selfies. There’s also a 3080mAh battery baked inside which is said to last around a day and a half of standard use, but if you do find yourself running low, the Mi 4 can be rapidly charged up to 60 percent in just an hour – not bad at all. It’s also running the latest version of Xiaomi’s custom MIUI skin, which runs on top of Android

Despite its killer specs and slick looking chassis, unfortunately, Xiaomi currently has no plans for it to launch over in the West – although if you’re really keen to pick one up, the entry-level 16GB Mi 4 will initially be available for 1,999 CNY (£188), while you can grab 64GB of storage for 2,499 CNY (£235) meaning it could potentially be a very well-priced handset if you’re able to get your hands on one. If Xiaomi does change its mind, we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as the Mi 4 is available on our shores.

How to Use Hashtags on Facebook

Those ubiquitous Twitter # officially became part of Facebook today. The change means hashtags are now clickable tags on the biggest social network, allowing users to quickly see what other people are saying about it. Facebook is also making hashtags searchable, even if they originate on different services, such as Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google+ and Instagram. From the Hashtag feed you can also compose posts directly. For newbies, however, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here’s how to get started with hashtagging your News Feed.

1. Create a hashtag. 

Anyone can make anything into a hashtag by adding a # in front of a word, acronym or phrase with no spaces. On Facebook, this is no different. As soon as you use the # symble a blue box will appear over your tag. Then click Post. Your tag will appear in bold within your status update. 

It is important to remember, however, that this system is a simple form of organization, and can often run amok. For instance, I can say #thingsididwheniwassevenonmybike, but how often will I ever use that hashtag? If the answer is never, it’s probably not a great hashtag to use. To find out if a hashtag is trending there are a couple of websites worth checking out: www.hashtags.org andhashtagify.me. 

2. Click your hashtag. 

After your post is up, you can click on your new tag to see who else is using that same phrase and what they are saying. For instance, clicking on #Hashtag brought up separate feed from my News Feed with a list of people’s posts; some of whom we know and others we do not. Within this same feed, you can click on your Status bar to have that same hashtag automatically added to an update. 

3. Search for hashtags.

Facebook is tracking those hashtags people are using, so a feed is always available even if you’ve not previously used the tag in a Facebook status update of your own. Simply type the tag of your choice, such as #cats, and click the page labeled Hashtag. This will open the same feed of related posts as you would get if you clicked on a hashtag in a post. 

21 Google Tricks, The Internet Will Never Be The Same.

Delete Facebook Page

How do I delete my Page?

To delete your Page, you'll need to be an admin of that Page. If you're an admin:

1. Click Settings at the top of your Page
2. Click Remove Page
3. Click Delete [Page name], then click Delete to confirm

You'll also have the option to unpublish your Page so that it's only visible to people who manage the Page. If you choose to delete your Page, this is permanent.

FingerReader: 3D printed ring reads text to the blind

The ability to read is something most of us take for granted, but up until recently it’s also something that’s difficult for millions of visually impaired people. The FingerReader promises to change this, letting those with impaired eyesight read regular books and text without resorting to Braille.

The FingerReader is a brilliantly simple idea, cramming a tiny camera and the tech needed to connect to your computer or smartphone into a device small enough to slip onto your finger.

The camera can scan text, and in turn this can be turned into speech, letting visually impaired people move their fingers along the lines in a book, or even a business card, with the FingerReader reading aloud as they go. Granted, it currently sounds terrifyingly robotic, but it’s easy to imagine that being one of the smaller issues that need to be solved before FingerReader hits the shops – just think how natural Google Now or Siri can sound these days.

Meet the first Braille phone to go on sale!

Unlike Braille, it’s obviously difficult for visually impaired people to realise when they’ve strayed off a line of text, which is why the FingerReader also gets a vibration feature to help them stay on course.

The FingerReader is currently being developed by researchers at MIT, and although it’s still at a prototype stage, the designers are looking to attract investors, with the hope of bringing an affordable version of FingerReader to the public in the not too distant future.

The potential for FingerReader is also massive, and it could help a lot more than just visually impaired people. With the ability to make things easier for elderly people, tourists who don’t know the language or even children, we can’t wait to see what the team at MIT can come up with over the next year or two.

Check out FingerReader in action below:

Smart cat feeder unleashed: Keep your pets healthy from afar!

Cat food bowls may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to smart tech, but there’s actually a lot to gain from applying technology to your pet’s feeder. The Bistro cat feeder is claimed to be the “smartest cat feeder ever”, and it’s capable of monitoring your pet’s health in addition to feeding it!

Facial recognition tech is one of the most impressive (if slightly over the top) features on the Bistro feeder, with the food dispenser capable of recognising which cat it’s feeding, making it ideal if you’ve got multiple felines in the house, and you’ll get a notification if an unrecognised cat is attempting to feed.

Check out the pet’s eye view camera!

Bistro gets a webcam, so you can actually keep an eye on the cats that are eating, and there’s a companion app for your smartphone where you can even monitor your cat’s eating history – helping to keep it healthy. Concerned he or she isn’t eating as much as before? It’s certainly a lot easier to keep an eye on things with Bistro.

The Bistro app can also make dietary suggestions, helping you cat to stay in tip-top condition, with the feeder itself making sure your cat is fed the right amounts even if you’re not around for the day!

The clever tech doesn’t stop there either, as there are integrated scales built-in to monitor the weight of your kitty when it’s eating, making it easy to keep tabs on your cat.

Check out the Bistro in action below:

Interested? The Bistro is currently an Indiegogo project, and if you back it today, you can currently get your hands on one for $149 (£87) – a massive saving on the expected $249 (£145) retail price.

Move over Steam Machines, Nvidia Shield follow-up incoming!

It’s only been a couple of weeks since we heard details of an Nvidia Shield tablet, but it looks like the gaming giant may have another trick up its sleeve. Get ready for a Shield games console that could rival Steam Machines!

The original Nvidia Shield handheld was a deeply impressive bit of kit, but the fact it was portable and bulky meant it was never going to appeal to everybody.

According to the BBC, the new Nvidia gaming gadget will be able to stream Windows games from your PC – as long as it has an Nvidia graphics card capable of supporting the Nvidia GeForce Experience.

Nvidia Shield gaming tablet on the way!

When you’re not streaming the latest PC games, it’ll also be able to play Android games as well (just like its more compact sibling), courtesy of an integrated Nvidia Tegra K1 processor and graphics chip.

Unlike the original Shield though, the latest device will hook up to your HDTV and feature a separate, budget-priced controller, rather than an all-in-one design.

The need for a powerful PC with the latest Nvidia GPU puts a bit of a dampener on things, but it’ll still be good to see another company take the fight to Steam Machines.

There’s currently no word on pricing or availability for the Nvidia Shield follow-up, but watch this space!

YouView for less: New Humax box costs under £200!

YouView for less: New Humax box costs under £200!

If there’s one thing that’s held YouView back, it’s the price of the set-top boxes. Thankfully Humax has just launched a new model that costs just £199 – that’s about £100 cheaper than some of the competition.

The Humax YouView DTR-T2000 / 500GB is also the smallest and fastest Humax YouView box yet.

As you’d expect, it boasts all the usual YouView features, like 70 live free-to-air digital TV and radio stations, with six – count ‘em – in high definition. Its 500GB hard drive will store 300 hours of standard definition recording, or 125 hours of high definition.

Catch-up services like BBC iPlayer, ITV Player, 4oD and Demand 5 come as standard, plus you can pause and rewind live TV.

YouView: Massive free update adds extra smart TV skills

YouView also has a huge selection of on-demand TV shows and films.

YouView launched in 2012, and was intended to be completely subscription-free, so there would be nothing to pay every month. However, most of the set-top boxes are still quite pricey, so most of them end up being bought as part of a package – mostly broadband deals from BT and TalkTalk – which ties us punters into paying a monthly fee. Which rather misses the point of having a subscription-free service.

A lot of YouView’s shareholders are dissatisfied with how the service has gone, and so will launch next-gen Freeview as a rival in the next few years. It will be called Freeview Connect, and is said to offer the same seamless mix of live channels and on-demand shows and films as YouView.

The DTR-T2000 is available now from a selection of shops including John Lewis, Tesco, Argos, Currys PC World, and Humax Direct.

Raspberry Pi B+ unleashed: More ports for just £26!

The Raspberry Pi is one of the world’s smallest, cheapest computers, and the tiny marvel today received a redesign in the form of the Raspberry Pi B+. There are now more ports, and the B+ also consumes less power than the original Pi, all for just £26. What’s not to like?

It’s easy to forget that the Raspberry Pi has been around for two years already, and although it still has a lot to offer – such as the ability to use it as a Media Centre, it’s more than time for a redesign.

There are already newer, faster Pi rivals on the market, with the Banana Pi a great example, which is why the team behind the original have started making changes.

The Raspberry Pi turns two!

One of the biggest changes the B+ offers is the addition of two extra USB ports. You’ll now also find a four-pole connector in place of an analogue and composite video connector. A microSD reader also replaces the original SD reader, making it easier to swap in media content from your smartphone.

And although the Raspberry Pi B+ still uses the same Broadcom chip and 512MB of RAM, it’s now more power-efficient, and is capable of running four USB peripherals without requiring mains power.

Better yet, the new Raspberry Pi B+ costs just £26, and has already made an appearance on the RS website.

Apple iPhone 6, Sony Xperia C3, the folding TV and Samsung Gear VR: Gadget digest

It’s been a pretty unusual few days in the gadget world this week, with little in the way of new tablets but plenty of amazing breakthroughs in other tech accessories. There were still loads of exciting announcements, such as a 60-inch TV screen that can be rolled up and stashed away, a selfie smartphone from Sony and some great live-streaming devices. Read on for our fave gadget stories of the week!

Selfie phones and handsets for astronauts! It’s been a pretty quiet week on the phone front, but we’ve still seen some great devices in the mix. Check out the new Sony Xperia C3for a start, which crams in a stunning 5-megapixel front-facing camera for the ultimate selfies! There’s even a front-facing LED flash, so you can scare the life out of your friends with nighttime selfies…

That’s impressive, but it can’t hold a candle to Google’s efforts, with the company set to send its Project Tango smartphones into space, where they’ll be used on the International Space Station (ISS) to help phones get a better understanding of space and motion.

An impressive week for flexi-tech

Apple also hit the headlines again this week with its iPhone 6, which looks like it’s about to get a flexible screen. It’s unlikely to make a difference to the overall design of the iPhone 6, but it will bring some inherent benefits, such as the ability to withstand more stress and strain than a regular glass display.

Not a lot can beat LG’s efforts when it comes to flexible tech though, with the South Korean giant working on a monster 60-inch screen that can be rolled up like a piece of paper. We absolutely love the idea of a TV that can be rolled up and stashed away, and the technology isn’t even that far away, with LG looking to unleash its clever panels on the world in 2017.

A new world of live-streaming gadgets!

This week saw LightBox make an appearance, and the world’s smallest live-streaming camera looks like an impressive bit of kit. The tiny gadget attaches easily to clothing via a couple of strong magnets, can communicate with your smartphone, and can take instant snaps and video courtesy of its 8-megapixel sensor. With Bluetooth and Wi-Fi built in, it can also upload content straight to the web.

If that doesn’t float your boat, how about the SightSound headphones, which also cram in a video camera and six integrated microphones, letting you film and record everything that goes on around you, and live-stream it to the world as you go. Just remember to stop the stream before you head out to that private after-party!

Google Glass and VR headsets!

Google Glass made it into the news this week thanks to the new Google Glass Explorer program. It should see more and more apps being developed for the headset, and we’re particularly excited by the announcement of MindRDR, which will let you control Google Glass simply by thinking about it!

Samsung has also been working on a wearable headset, although its Gear VR is moreOculus Rift than Google Glass. Still, we can never have enough choice when it comes to Virtual Reality headsets, and the Gear VR’s modular design, incorporating your Galaxy smartphone, looks like making things a lot more affordable.

And in other news…

We were particularly excited to hear that Microsoft’s next-gen Kinect 2 will work with Windows, and you’ll be able to get your hands on the motion-detecting accessory from next week. Thepossibilities are endless!

We also loved the idea of the Spark watch, which crams in sensors to monitor your movement and judge when you’re about to fall asleep. Got a deathly dull lecture coming up? The Spark watch will start vibrating to help you stay awake!

Siri-like assistant incoming for BlackBerry Passport!

BlackBerry has struggled more than most smartphone makers over the past few years, but the Canadian manufacturer is determined to make a go of things, with the next-gen BlackBerry Passport set to boast a Siri, Google Now and Cortana-like personal digital assistant. “BlackBerry, clear my schedule.”

With the introduction of digital assistants on all other major smartphone operating systems – Android, iOS and Windows Phone – it’s almost difficult to imagine a time where we didn’t bark into our handsets to demand they show us the way home, find the nearest cashpoint or even just ask silly questions whenever we get bored.

And now BlackBerry is looking to join in the fun, with its very own BlackBerry Assistant, which will launch alongside the BlackBerry Passport, which is set to make an appearance later this year.

Find out more about the BlackBerry Passport!

The BlackBerry Passport already looks like nothing else we’ve seen in recent times, cramming in a massive (square) 4.5-inch 1440×1440 display, but with an integrated personal assistant as well could BlackBerry finally be catching up with rivals?

The BlackBerry Assistant will be able to search information specific to you, including email and calendar events, along with searching the internet and social networks, and as with Siri, Cortana and Google Now, you’ll also be able to instruct the assistant to carry out different functions, like composing emails. Whether or not you’ll be able to instruct the phone to have your people call their people or arrange for the secretary to buy some flowers for the other half still remains to be seen.

The physical keyboard on the BlackBerry Passport will also prove handy when it comes to the BlackBerry Assistant, letting you start typing directly from the home screen when you want to perform silent searches, without having to opt for voice control.

Whether that will be enough to bring the Passport in line with other cutting-edge smartphones like the HTC One (M8) and Samsung Galaxy S5 is still unclear, but it’s great to see BlackBerry making a real effort!

Cortana introduced on Windows Phone 8.1

Exetech XS-4 unleashed: Smartwatch, phone and GPS takes on Android Wear!

Manufacturers like LG and Samsung may be turning to Android Wear when it comes to smartwatches, but a tiny company on Kickstarter has much more ambitious plans, with the Exetech XS-4 smartwatch cramming in Android 4.4, 4G LTE connectivity, GPS and even a display that doubles as a solar charger! The ultimate smartwatch? We take a look.

The Exetech XS-4 aims to be a whole lot more than just a companion for your smartphone, with enough tech crammed into the tiny watch casing to potentially replace your smartphone full stop. It’s not the most stylish watch ever, but it’s certainly smart. The tech spec wouldn’t look out of place on a proper smartphone, with an eight-core processor than should be more than capable of running the Android 4.4 (KitKat) operating system at a decent lick.

There are loads of neat little touches on the Exetech XS-4, such as the 1.54-inch AMOLEDscreen that packs in solar tech capable of boosting the battery as you go. The result? When coupled with a spare battery, a claimed standby time of up to 48 hours, with a 15-hour runtime when using 4G and GPS – more than enough to give Android Wear devices a run for their money!

Check out our LG G Watch review!

Other features on the Exetech XS-4 include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and a 5-megapixel snapper, letting you take selfies on the move. There’s 2GB of integrated storage onboard. Throw in 32GB of storage via microSD card, and there’s more space than you’re ever likely to need.

Find out more about the Exetech XS-4 below:

Convinced that the Exetech XS-4 is good enough to take on the best from Samsung, LG and Motorola? Head over to the Exetech Kickstarter page and make a pledge of £139 – early pledges will save plenty over the expected £299 retail price!