Ipad Air: Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard review

Pros

-Great typing experience

-Doesn't slip around on flat surfaces

-Comfortable angle for typing

-Clips on and off easily

Cons

-Only covers screen

-Large hinge is unsightly

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Air review

What is the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Air?

Logitech's reputation for great accessories is well-established, and it has long held the title of 'best keyboard cover for iPad' thanks to the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover. This is the latest version, adapted and tweaked to fit with new narrower, lighter iPad Air. Surely Logitech can't have broken a winning formula? Clearly not.

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover: Design

We'll deal with the obvious questions first. Making the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover smaller to fit the iPad Air has had no meaningful impact on the quality of the keyboard. Most keys are the exact same size, with only the Tab and Caps Lock keys being slightly smaller than before.

That's good news, though we were a little surprised to discover that iPad Air version is no lighter or thinner than the original. It weighs 330g on its own, or just under 800g when combined with an iPad Air. It's still impressively thin and light compared to the alternatives, but perhaps not as much as original compared to the iPad Air.

This fact isn't helped by the fact the hinge is a little chunkier and more obtrusive, a necessary evil due to the slightly curvier frame of the iPad Air compared to the steeply tapered edges of preceding iPads. You just notice it more than on the original. It's not a deal breaker by any means, but the fussiest of owners may take offense. Likewise, the slightly jarring gap along the front edge when closed is a little ugly.

Logitech has made some subtle improvements too, though. The old Ultrathin had a habit of slip sliding around on some surfaces, so Logitech has added a couple of small rubber feet at the front and a rubber strip at the back that runs nearly the whole length of the hinge. We're not sure the feet at the front are much use, but the strip at the rear does a great job preventing the keyboard from sliding as you type.

New version in black, old in red

As before the iPad sits in a narrow ridge when in typing mode, and you must detach the iPad from the magnetic hinge to

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Sony Xperia Z2 release date, news and rumours

Sony loves a flagship smartphone and, if current rumors ring true, the Japanese firm is lining up its third in just over a year in the form of the Sony Xperia Z2.

January 2013 saw the arrival of the Xperia Z at CES in Las Vegas, which was followed in September 2013 by the Xperia Z1 at IFA in Berlin - and now we're hearing that the Xperia Z2 will arrive at MWC 2014 at the end of February.

Compare Sony's product cycle to the likes of Samsung or Apple - where we see an annual reboot of real flagships such as the Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5S - and you start wondering whether the Japanese firm has gone mad, or perhaps is onto something.

We've rounded up all the latest news, leaks and rumors surrounding the Xperia Z2 to bring you a comprehensive overview of what you may be able to expect from the phone.

Sony Xperia Z2 release date and price

There were rumors suggesting the Sony Xperia Z2 would be outed at CES 2014, but instead we were given the Xperia Z1 Compact and a US variant of the Xperia Z1.

April 2014 has also been mooted as a potential Xperia Z2 release date, but this date now appears to have gone cold.

This means all eyes are now on MWC 2014, with perennial leaker @evleaks tipping the codenamed Sony Sirius handset for a show appearance.

Sony Xperia Z2 display

According to Xperia Z2 specs leaked online, the handset is in line for a stunning 5.2-inch display - up from the 5-inch screen on the Xperia Z1 - and, if true, it would mean the Z2 would match the LG G2 in terms of size.

With a rumored 506ppi, 2K screen, the Xperia Z2 will smash its rivals with its 2560 x 1440 resolution, with the G2 mustering 424ppi and the Xperia Z1 rocking 441ppi full HD solutions.

Sony Xperia Z2 power

While the 2K screen will stand out, when it comes to power things appear to be a little less exciting with reports centering around the same 2.3GHz quad-core processor which you'll find in the Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact.

That's not to say the Xperia Z2 will be under-powered - far from it in fact - but we were hoping to see perhaps an octa-core chip inside the next Sony powerhouse. Of course that is

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Android 4.4 KitKat review

Pros

-Fast and frictionless

-New productivity options

-Project Svelte

-Improved Google Now

Cons

-Hangouts needs work

-Experience Launcher exclusive

-Hopped into bed with Nestle

                                                                            -No split-screen apps

1. Introduction 

Everyone was expecting Key Lime Pie to serve as the delicious moniker for the next version of Android. Google surprised us all by bucking tradition and releasing Android 4.4 under the name KitKat.

Version 4.0 started life as Ice Cream Sandwich, but the last three decimal additions came under the Jelly Bean banner. This new version was obviously deemed different enough to snag a new nickname, but not different enough to merit a jump to version 5.0.

That 0.1 bump hardly does it justice. Don't be fooled: this is an important step up for Android. KitKat is super-smooth, the UI is refined and elegant, there are improvements to the long-neglected calling and messaging side of the platform, a new focus on productivity, and your fortune-telling digital assistant is brought front and centre as Google Now reaches maturity.

 

General surprise in the tech world wasn't just based on the erroneous supposition that Key Lime Pie had to be next; there were also some raised eyebrows at the idea of Google entering into a tawdry cross-licensing deal with Nestle which would see a flood of Android-shaped KitKats hitting the shops offering buyers the chance to win Nexus 7 tablets or Google Play credit.

According to Google the promotion was its idea and no money changed hands. With Nestle producing 50 million Android KitKat bars it certainly looks like a sweet deal for them.

Naming conventions aside, the 4.4 update is about addressing some of the Android criticisms that simply won't go away and it does so with aplomb.

There's a real focus on the consumer here, with a smattering of useful new features, a noticeable bump in performance, and some optimization to ensure that budget hardware is not left behind.

Android 4.4 is easily the best version of the platform to date, and Google has left the ball firmly in the OEMs' court when it comes to rolling out the upgrades.

Leading the field by extending the update beyond its Nexus line to the Moto G also neatly illustrates the move to improve the Android experience on low-end, affordable hardware.

First impressions

KitKat really makes a mockery of the idea that iOS 7 is more refined than Android. This

version of the platform

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Sony Vaio Fit 11a Flip Hands-on

Sony Vaio Fit 11a Flip review: Hands-on at CES 2014

What is the Sony Vaio Fit 11a Flip?

The Sony Vaio Fit 11a is an 11-inch laptop with a clever second screen hinge that lets you flip the screen around, turning the keyboard base into a stand for the display – perfect for watching films or showing someone else what's on-screen. You can also close the laptop with the screen on the outside, turning it into a chunky tablet. To give it more tablet cred, the Fit 11a also has an active digitiser pen. It's a smaller version of the other Fit laptops Sony released last year.

Sony Vaio Fit 11a – Design and Features

The Sony Vaio Fit 11a is a curious mix of things. It's a Ultrabook-ish laptop, it's sort-of a tablet, and it has elements of a graphics tablet too.

It's more than a normal laptop because of two things – the Active pen and the second hinge that sits halfway up the laptop lid. The latter earns the Vaio Fit 11a the title 'flip' computer, because the screen literally flips over, back onto the outside of the laptop lid.

To some this may seem less useful than a full hybrid, because when in its tablet-like form it's very thick for tablet. It's arguably a bit thick to be called an Ultrabook too, although doubtless some will call it one. It weighs 1.27kg, which is light enough to carry around without shoulder ache, if not particularly notable given the screen size.

It's a nicely-built laptop, though, which is a necessary reassurance when the secondary hinge is an obvious point at which the Vaio Fit 11a may fail. It doesn't feel immensely strong but Sony says it has tested the hinge with 20,000 cycles of movement – which we can't really argue with.

The lid is made of metal, but the inner part of it is plastic. It's understandable as this is not an exceedingly expensive laptop. We don't have UK prices, but the Fit 11a starts from $799 in the US – so it'll sell for well under £1000 here.

It's also not a super-powerful PC, though, using a quad-core Pentium N3520 processor rather than the speedier Intel Core type. You get 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, although the spec may change slightly when it hits our shores.

Sony Vaio Fit 11a Flip – Screen and Pen

The Sony Vaio Fit

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10 cool things you can make right now with the 3D Printer

3D printers have been around for a few years now, but they've not quite managed to grab the imagination until very recently...

In the last few months, pioneers have picked up the art of 3D printing, looking to build anything from sex toys to food, to entire houses. Some attempts and ventures have been more successful than others, but one thing is clear - 3D printing has enormous potential. It might be less time than you think before we're replicating food in our own homes.

Without further ado, here are 10 of the coolest (and sometimes weirdest) things you can currently make with a 3D printer.

1. ODD Atom guitar

This Les Paul-inspired axe has an intricate lattice design made of Duraform PA, an ultra-strong form of nylon. It’s fused together using selective laser sintering - a more durable form of 3D printing that fuses together multiple 0.1mm layers of nylon powder. Buyers can choose their preferred hardware to go with the printed guitar body.

Link: Odd Guitars | Video

2. Replacement Jaw

In June 2011, a Dutch woman received a replacement jaw. No big deal you may think, but this mandible was built from scratch by a 3D printer. The process is similar to that of the ODD guitar, with layers of powder - this time titanium - fused together by a laser. The result was a replacement jaw that was incredibly accurate to the patient, lowering her recovery time and saving costs for both her and the hospital.

Link: BBC News

3. Flute

This flute is the handiwork of MIT student Amit Zoran. But Zoran is no traditional craftsman - this flute was built via CAD software called Rhino 4.0, and crafted by Objet's Connex500 3D printer. Although it's needs some tweaking, the sound is acoustically very good. We could be seeing all sorts of musical instruments - even totally new designs - being built like this in the future.

Link: Amit Zoran | Video

4. Wiki Weapon

This project to make a 3D-printable gun has been the subject of much media attention, and has made great strides in recent years. So far though, only certain gun components can be machined in this way, and even those are prone to breakage. So no, you can’t print AK-47s in your shed.

Link: Defense Distributed | Video

5. Micro Formula 1 Car

Researchers at Vienna University of Technology have printed

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Top smartphones to look forward in 2014

With the pace of smartphone evolution moving so fast, there's always something waiting in the wings. No sooner have you spied the latest handset, but there's anticipation of something else, the next big thing.

We've rounded up the best smartphones for 2013, those we consider to be the best across all platforms, and we've regularly updated that list as the smartphone world has evolved over the last year. You can find those in our Best smartphones 2013 feature.

Here we're looking at those phones that haven't yet launched, those we know are coming, or are anticipated. Some will be rumour, some will be fact, but here we'll cut through the speculation to highlight those phones we really want to see. We'll be updating this list on a regular basis, with those device rumours we think are credible and exciting, and devices just announced but yet to hit the shelves.

HTC M8/new HTC One

We've known since July 2013 that the next HTC flagship handset is referred to internally as the HTC M8, the successor to the M7, the device that became the HTC One. With HTC saying that the "One" name is here to stay, it's safe to predict that the final commercial name will be new HTC One or HTC One (2014) or something like that. That much has been mentioned by a judge in a patent case in the UK, along with a launch date of Q1 2014.

HTC is a creature of habit, so we'd predict that the next-gen HTC One will launch in February 2014. Perhaps not at Mobile World Congress 2014, but within a few weeks of the mobile tradeshow with its own global launch event and we'd expect the shipping date to be the end of March or early April.

As for the specs, it looks like HTC will be bringing the M8 up to mark with a 2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset, a 5-inch 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution display and Android 4.4 KitKat with Sense 6.0. There's little to surprise in there and we suspect most of the attention will be on the metal body construction as HTC looks to repeat the luscious looks of the 2013 HTC One.

We'll be keeping a close eye on HTC and bringing you any news we hear on the next HTC handset.

Sony Xperia Z2/Sirius

Sony used CES 2014 to launch two devices, the Z1

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Top Android Tablets to buy 2014

What is the best Android tablet to buy in 2014? Could it be the latest budget Android tablet the New Nexus 7 or the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab 3? Here's our guide to the 10-inch through to 7-inch Android tablets that get the T3 seal of approval

So the iPad (fourth-generation) just doesn't do it for you, and you'd prefer to add a Google Android tablet to your current Android phone existence. Well, we may just be able to help. With the tablet-optimized Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS firmly in the past, Google's latest updates Android 4.0, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and  Jelly Bean 4.3 are now in full force. It's certainly a good time to grab a Google-powered slate, get downloading some Android tablet apps and say goodbye to your laptop or notebook.

If you have tablets on the mind, specifically Android ones, here are the best ones we've played with you can buy right now.

1. Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2

Perfect for business folk, the largest of Samsung's tab line-up boasts a laptop encroaching 12.2-inch display with a resolution of 2560x1600 and the nitfty ability to use four apps at the same time. An interface re-jig, named Magazine UX pulls in a load of content in a design that doesn't look that much different from the tiles in Windows 8. As it's part of the Note series, you'll have access to the S-Pen for drawing, making notes and the like. Under the faux-leather hood is a Snapdragon 800 processor, a whopping 3GB RAM, Android 4.4 Kit Kat, while an 8-meg cam takes care of the snaps.

Price: TBA | Samsung 

2. Samsung Galaxy TabPRO 8.4, 10.1 and 12.2

Not content with just unleashing one version of its new TabPRO, the latest slate from Samsung comes in three flavours - an iPad Mini and LG G-Pad baiting 8.3 incher, a more traditional 10.1 and an extra large 12.2-inch version. Even with these different sizes, each boast a 2560x1600 resolution, Android 4.4 and a snappy Snapdragon 800 processor, while the larger 12.2 device packs 3GB of RAM (the others still have the reasonable 2GB). A new and rather nice looking Magazine UX displays all your content in an easy to read manner, while there's an 8-meg snapper on the rear to take care of photos. It looks like Samsung has finally stepped up its game when it comes to tablets.

Price:

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