Month: September 2017

The best waterproof phones for 2017

What does a waterproof IP rating mean?

IP stands for ‘Ingress Protection’ and is used to define the sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusion from foreign bodies and moisture.

The first number refers to how the device sealed against solid particles like dust; the highest you can get is ‘6’ meaning total protection. The second digit is for water protection and the best you’ll see on most is ‘8’, going by the original IEC standard 60529 (6K and 9K are not part of this).

It’s worth noting that ratings water ingress are not cumulative beyond 6, so a device with a rating of 7 doesn’t have to compliant with the water jet element of 5 and 6.

If an IP rating has an X in it, don’t misinterpret this as the device having no protection. It’s likely to have good protection for particles if it’s IPX6, but the rating has not been formally allocated.

  1. Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung has taken the best phone around and made it even better with an impressive Infinity screen and premium design. It ticks a shedload of boxes – as you’d expect from a flagship. It’s the best phone of 2017 so far, but it is expensive and the biometrics are a let down. The OnePlus 5 is already a strong competitor, and we’re keen to see what Apple can offer in way of a challenge with its iPhone 8.

  1. LG G6

The LG G6 is no doubt a striking smartphone. Metal and glass shimmer while the huge 18:9 screen is impressively brought to life with the improved software and its rounded corner design. It is a more refined smartphone than both the G4 and G5, and should appeal to a broader audience – even if its features aren’t the same globally.

There’s a lot to cover with the G6, and it’s a complicated phone to assess. The differences in hardware and the tweaks in software mean that is a phone that reveals itself to you slowly than the immediacy of, say, a Samsung Galaxy S. The design looks uniform at first until you realise how well it all comes together.

LG has quietly managed to build a mature phone with next to no bezels and some genuinely unique tweaks to software, leaving it feeling fresher and more creative than any Android phone we’ve seen for a while.

  1. Sony Xperia XZ Premium

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a stunning smartphone, both in terms of design and performance. The mirror-like look isn’t for everyone due to the appearance of smudges, but it helps provide an elegant, high-end look.

The 4K HDR display is one-of-a-kind, bright and vibrant, and shows off snaps taken by the impressive Motion Eye camera perfectly. The camera itself can handle almost anything you can throw at it, although performance does slip in low-lit conditions and the super slow-mo video mode takes some practice.

If you’re looking for a gorgeous high-end smartphone with a huge focus on display and cameras with above average battery life, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a solid option.

  1. Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus

As with the regular Galaxy S8, we’re really impressed by the Galaxy S8 Plus. Samsung has done a great job of making last year’s phones even better. However, with both offering the infinity edge screen and the unwieldy size of the S8 Plus, there’s little reason to spend the extra.

  1. Apple iPhone 7 Plus

The iPhone 7 Plus is an excellent phone. It’s Apple’s best yet, but it is also Apple’s most expensive yet, with a huge starting price. In some respects, the upgrades seem to justify this, but at the same time some features are arguably only catching up with what the competition has been offering for a while now – water-resistance for one.

Taken as a whole, the performance, battery life, camera quality and stereo speakers are all compelling reasons to upgrade. But our advice remains much the same as for the iPhone 7: if you already own the previous generation, there’s not enough here to justify ditching a 6S Plus, especially if you’re halfway through a two-year contract. Those just coming out of contract on the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus would do well to grab a 7 Plus.

  1. HTC U11

There’s a lot to like about the HTC U11 and while it certainly has flagship level specs, it’s hard to differentiate in the market against the likes of Samsung and LG. The glossy and colourful design is fresh but won’t be for everyone, even though we’re glad it’s finally waterproof. The key is wether you want the squeezable Edge Sense feature which is useful at times but not something we’re blown away by.

  1. Apple iPhone 7

The iPhone 7 is an evolution of the 6S, so if you were expecting a revolution you’ll probably be slightly disappointed. However, aside from the underwhelming battery life, it is an excellent phone. It’s waterproof, has fantastic cameras and performance, and the new stereo speakers sound great. There’s now 32GB of storage as a minimum, which helps to mitigate the higher prices.

  1. Samsung Galaxy S7

The Samsung Galaxy S6 was the best phone of 2015 and, although it’s still early days, the Galaxy S7 is a serious contender for best phone of 2016. Samsung has taken into account what its fans want, addressing the three main areas of concern: removable storage, waterproofing and battery life. It’s also upgraded the core hardware and photography gear, added an always-on display and some useful software. Right now the Galaxy S7 is simply unbeatable.

  1. Nomu S30

The Nomu S30 passed our durability tests with only superficial damage to the rubber case, standing up to both dunking in water and a launch across our patio. It has a large, bright screen, and decent performance for most users, but falls down on its camera quality, size and weight.

  1. Ulefone Armor

A capable rugged phone at a very good price, the Ulefone might not be the fastest handset out there or have the best screen but for many people it prove ideal.

Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact News: Release Date, UK Price, Features & Specs

A smaller version of the company’s new flagship, the Xperia XZ1 Compact will suit those wanting a smaller device. We outline the price, features and specifications for the Xperia XZ1 Compact, which goes on sale today.

Android phones are getting bigger and bigger every year, so it’s refreshing to see a 4.6in model announced with flagship specs. That phone is the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact, which is now on sale in the UK. (Also read up on the Sony Xperia XZ1.)

We’ve written a review of this compact Android phone, but we’ll summarise the key new features and specifications you want to know here.

Perhaps one of the most interesting features about this upcoming phone – aside from its small iPhone-rivalling size – is the fact it runs Android Oreo, and is set to go on sale before the new Google Pixel phones have even been announced. It will be one of the first – if not the first – phones to come with the latest version of Android out of the box.

One of the things we love about Sony’s compact models is that they really are just smaller versions of the flagships, whereas many other manufacturers will also slim down the specs. So to that end you get the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and 2700mAh battery, though without the wireless charging. Storage is halved at 32GB, but you still get microSD support for expansion.

The screen is different, clearly, at 4.6in rather than 5.2in. This has a resolution of 720p HD and this model does not support HDR.

Another key specification that is the same is the primary camera. While it’s not a dual-camera, following the footsteps of many 2017 flagships, it is a decent one. With a 19Mp Exmor RS image sensor and Motion Eye tech, the Xperia XZ1 Compact is – just like its bigger brother – able to take super-slow-motion video at 960fps per second, scan 3D images, and intelligently predict when you’ll take a photo by detecting movement or a smile and automatically beginning to buffer the image.

The selfie camera is 8Mp rather than 13Mp in the XZ1, but that’s still pretty impressive for a front-facing camera. This wide-angle camera has a 120-degree field of view to help you fit more into the scene.

It also has the same audio capabilities as its larger sibling, including support for high-res audio and the ability to upscale other content, stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

It, too, has a unibody design that is waterproof and tough against damage, but here it is a glass fibre and plastic composite rather than metal. Gorilla Glass 5 protects the screen.

The XZ1 Compact is available in Black, White Silver, Horizon Blue and Twilight Pink.

4 Ways to Take Better Care of Your Laptop’s Batteries

  1. Don’t get too attached.

When you plug your laptop in for the first time, you should make sure to fully charge it once to calibrate it. But after that, aim to keep it between 40 and 80 percent. Apple’s customer care says you should do this to “keep the electrons in it moving occasionally.” Wired has a better explanation of whyhere. But the bottom line is, doing this can help prolong your battery life by as much as four times.

I know that’s easier said than done. Just remember to keep an eye on your battery percentage (usually shown in a corner of your screen) throughout the day. If you leave your laptop at home, then shut it down, close it and keep it unplugged on a desk, not a couch.

You should also fully charge and discharge your computer’s battery at least once a month. Set a reminder on your phone or something. You forked over what I assume to be a ton of money for this thing, so paying attention to it once a month shouldn’t be a problem.

  1. Stay cool.

Most modern laptops are made with lithium-based batteries, which should be stored in temperatures between 50 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. You might not always be able to keep tabs on that sweet spot, so to make things a bit simpler, room temperature is fine.

That being said, there are a few ways you can make sure your laptop isn’t constantly having menopausal hot flashes. You should start by minding its air vents. Most MacBook vents are located on the back of the laptop, near the top of the computer. Whenever you prop your laptop up on your bed, couch or lap, you’re likely blocking the airflow. This, in turn, causes the computer to overheat. And overheating will screw up your battery life.

That’s not to say you should be completely paranoid about keeping it on flat, cool surfaces all the time. But maybe consider moving it to a desk before you fall asleep or head to work.

  1. Update, update, update.

Most companies are constantly looking for ways to improve battery life via software updates. In fact, it was one of the main things Apple touted in its OS X Mavericks release last year. You may fear change, but change can extend your battery life. So make sure you have the latest software installed on your computer.

  1. Don’t just leave it there.

Maybe you’re in trouble with the law and need to disappear for six months. We understand how these things go. But that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for correctly storing your computer. You should store it with a 50 percent charge in a consistently cool area. Storing the computer with a fully discharged battery might ruin the battery forever. And storing it with an absolutely full charge might cut the battery’s lifespan short.

Laptop Battery Care

“How do I extend the life of my laptop battery?” is a question we are frequently asked. It’s a valid question since laptop batteries are usually expensive to replace.

First of all, how long should your laptop battery last? 2-4 years is generally acceptable depending on how frequently you use and charge the battery. If you travel a lot and use and charge your battery frequently then you might only get a couple of years at the most out of your laptop battery.

Laptop batteries are usually made with Li-Ion batteries and the very nature of Li-Ion batteries is that they have about 300-500 charges and last at most about 4-5 years (shelf life). They also have a self-discharge rate of about 1% per day so you need to be sure to charge them at least every 6 months.

So how can you care for your laptop battery to get the maximum life out of it?

1.) Always use your laptop on a hard surface.

Laptops are portable and it’s easy to set your laptop on your lap or on your bed and use it at your lesiure. That’s one of the benefits of having a portable computer. Flexibility. But if you want to extend your battery life you have to watch out for overheating your laptop.

Heat is one of the biggest obstacles to battery life longevity. Your laptop computer fan cannot circulate the air properly when your laptop is sitting on soft surface.

2.) Do not keep your laptop battery installed when you use your laptop on AC for an extended period of time.

While your laptop is undoubtedly using a smart charger to charge your battery even a constant trickle charge over months can reduce your battery life. For best results, only charge your battery when you need to charge it, don’t leave the laptop battery plugged in all the time.

More importantly than the trickle charger affect is the ‘storage’ of a Li-Ion battery at elevated temperatures. The optimum storage temperature for a Li-Ion battery is at 0 deg. C. The optimum storage charge level is about 40%. Unfortunately we tend to store fully charged and at the temperatures found in a running laptop you’ll find a significant reduction in battery performance after only 12-18 months.

3.) Use a full charge cycle before recharging

Li-Ion and NiMH batteries (which most laptop batteries are), do not have a memory which you might find in NiCad batteries. However, each chemistry has a limited number of charge cycles, so use a full charge cycle before re-charging to maximize your battery usage.

Because this may be very difficult to manage, you’ll need to consider the cost-benefit ratio for keeping track of how far discharged the battery is before you charge it again.

4.) Be careful where you store your laptop

This goes back to the heat issue. Don’t leave your laptop in the car where it can get very hot. Batteries hate heat and your laptop battery will go on strike permenantly if you expose it to too much heat.

Remember that all laptops are not created equal. You may have gotten 4 hours from your last laptop while on battery, but your new laptop might pull more juice to run that gaming quality processor, or the power hogging programs you’re running now. Read your owner’s manual to find out what you should expect from your laptop battery and be sure to compare apples to apples when purchasing a replacement battery. Not all laptop batteries are made to the same specs. We recommend buying a battery that has at least as much capacity as your original battery (that’s the mAh rating), and preferrably the same chemistry as well.

If you simply aren’t sure what to get, check with a professional. Our customer service staff are trained to know how to compare batteries and they are happy to help find the right fit for your laptop.

How to improve laptop battery life

There are things you can do to extend your laptop’s battery life. Some you might be doing already, but there are others you may not. Here’s how to improve laptop battery life.

  1. Dim the screen

By far the biggest power drain on most laptops is the screen. Or, to be more specific, the screen’s backlight. This is what enables you to see the colours on an LCD screen, and some older laptops have power-sapping fluorescent backlights. Modern laptops have LED backlights, but even these use a fair amount of juice.

Dimming the screen brightness can add 30 minutes or more to your battery life. Virtually all laptops have keyboard shortcuts to adjust the brightness. Typically, you’ll hold the Fn key and press one of the function keys in the top row, or one of the cursor keys labelled with a sun symbol.

If not, hold the Windows key and press X. This will open up the Mobility Center where you can change the brightness, and this works in all versions of Windows.

  1. Change the power settings

By default, your laptop might be set to Windows’ ‘Balanced’ setting rather than Power Saver. In the Control Panel search for Power Options and check which Power Plan is selected. Don’t forget that Windows uses different power and performance settings depending on whether it is running on mains or battery power.

You should find a battery saver option, and it’s simply a case of selecting it and closing the window. If not, click on ‘Show additional plans’. If there’s still nothing, you can customise a power plan by clicking Change plan settings next to a profile.

You should set the screen to turn off after a couple of minutes, and set the laptop to sleep if nothing appears to be happening after five or 10 minutes.

If you delve into the advanced power settings, you can tweak things to your liking, setting when the system hibernates and which components should use their maximum power saving profiles (including, on some laptops, the graphics card and Wi-Fi adapter).

  1. Disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

If you’re not using them, disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Both radios can use a fair amount of power, so it makes sense to turn them off when you’re on battery power. Most laptops have a switch or key combination to disable Wi-Fi, but Bluetooth can be trickier.

  1. Don’t leave your laptop on permanent charge

Lithium-ion batteries are relatively clever in that they can’t be overcharged, but it’s not good for the long-term health of your battery to leave your laptop always plugged in to the mains. Some manufacturers (including Sony and Lenovo) provide a utility which limits the battery from fully charging.

This helps to prevent battery degradation and means you can leave the laptop always connected to the mains. When you want to use your laptop on battery power and get maximum battery life, disable the limiter and allow the laptop to charge to 100 percent.

  1. Disconnect remove unnecessary peripherals

Leaving a disc in your DVD drive is a sure way to reduce battery life, as it might spin up whenever you launch a Windows Explorer window or access the Save option in an application.

Any USB accessories you leave connected, such as portable hard disks or USB web cams will also draw power, so disconnect them if they’re not needed.

  1. Get a second battery

We mentioned this at the start, but why not invest in a spare battery? They’re available for many laptops, and you might even find that your laptop can accept a higher-capacity than was supplied originally.

Other laptops allow you to remove the CD or DVD drive and install a second battery in its place.

If your laptop doesn’t have a removable battery then consider buying a universal laptop battery that comes with a variety of ‘tips’ to suit just about any laptop. You simply charge it up, choose the appropriate tip and connect it to your laptop’s power socket when the internal battery runs low. The external battery charges the internal battery or, if you remove the internal battery, powers the laptop directly.

  1. Buy a new battery

Contrary to popular belief, laptop batteries are consumables – like printer ink. Batteries aren’t designed to last the lifetime of the laptop, and that’s why – if you check the small print on the warranty statement – you’ll probably find that the battery isn’t covered, or is guaranteed for a shorter period than the laptop.

  1. Upgrade to an SSD

Mechanical hard disks, which are still common in laptops, require a fair few watts to spin their platters. A solid-state drive, on the other hand, uses less power as it has no moving parts.

  1. Switch to internal graphics

If your laptop has an AMD or Nvidia graphics chip, there’s a good chance it will also have integrated graphics (usually Intel). In theory, it should be set up so the powerful graphics chip is only used when playing games or running demanding applications, but you should check whether this is the case.

As with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, manufacturers sometimes offer a utility to manually switch between graphics chips. You may have to reboot, but most modern designs allow you to switch on the fly.

  1. Manage your memory

If you’re the sort who has 10 or even 20 tabs open in your web browser, you’ll benefit from longer battery life by culling those tabs. The same goes for running lots of applications at the same time.

When you run lots of programs, or have lots of photos open in an editor, you’ll use up all the free system memory. Anything extra has to be ‘paged’ to the hard disk, which as we’ve said, is a mechanical device in many laptops.

Sony Mainboard Dip Switches What Are They Used For?

When performing a repair on a Sony laptop, you may have noticed some DIP switches on certain Sony laptop systemboards. But what are DIP switches and what are they used for?

DIP switches get their name for an acronym: Dual-line Input Package. They are essentially a bank of switches that control the connection of certain circuits on the Sony mainboard. Some common uses of DIP switches are remote controls, where the switches can be used to send and receive a unique signal to avoid interference with other remote devices.

When it comes to their use in Sony laptop parts, however, DIP switches are often used on the mainboard. They can have a variety of uses. One common use is to set the clock speed and operating parameters of the CPU. If one mainboard is designed to work with multiple processor types, for example, setting the DIP switches can change the voltage and clock speed to accommodate more than one type of CPU. They are also used when multiple LCD Screens are used on a model and resolutions or other parameters are different. If these settings are required, make sure you get the switch information from your spare parts supplier.

Over the past few years, DIP switches have become much less common, particularly in laptops, as limited space has caused manufacturers to do away with any components that are not essential. Also, issues such as IRQ conflicts have become much less common with modern hardware and software, eliminating the need for these types of uses.

So is there any reason to change the DIP switch settings on your Sony laptop mainboard? In almost every case, the answer is no. Mainboards ship from the factory pre-configured, so there is essentially no reason to change them unless you have a very specific instruction to do so, replacing your mainboard or doing some other type of mainboard repair.

HP Breaks the 24 Hour Battery Life mark with the 6930p

With dramatic improvements in battery technology and reductions in the energy needs of modern laptops, consumers are benefiting from longer and longer battery life in laptops and notebooks. HP has recently broken a new barrier of battery life, however, by providing up to 24 hours of battery life on their HP EliteBook 6930p when equipped with an optional ultra-capacity battery.

It wasn’t long ago that notebook and laptop manufacturers were boasting about 8 hours of battery life, noting that it was enough to get through an entire work day. But HP has now allowed users to work for an entire 24-hour period without a recharge.

The secret lies not only in excellent battery technology, but in great power management as well. The HP EliteBook 6930p includes a number of features that help reduce its power consumption. The HP Illumi-Lite LED display uses LED backlighting to increase battery time by as much as four hours. The machine also includes an SSD (solid-state drive) which has no moving parts unlike a traditional hard drive, which uses less power as well.

It is important to note that the laptop in its standard configuration will not supply the 24 hours of battery life achieved in tests, however. Buyers must add the ultra-capacity battery, which is available as an option when purchasing or as an add-on after purchase. Buyers must also choose the 14.1 inch display with the Illumi-Lite LED backlighting option as well. While both of these options add to the cost, the benefits of such long battery life will make the upgrade cost worth it in the long run.

Travelers and mobile professionals who need to power their laptop for long periods of time without recharging will certainly love the freedom offered by the 6930p. While many users may not have a need for such long battery life, HP’s achievement is extremely impressive.

The iPhone 8 back glass is more expensive to fix than the screen

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus‘ most obvious design change is the switch to a glossy, glass back. There was a chance this glass would be priced at or around the same price as a cracked screen under AppleCare+, but that’s apparently not the case: AppleInsider confirmed today that a broken back won’t qualify for a $29 screen replacement. It’ll instead be subject to an “other damage” fee of $99 (plus tax).

Apple gives users two screen replacements and two miscellaneous damage incidents at the $29 and $99 price respectively. After that point, the damage price jumps to $349 for the iPhone 8, and $399 for the iPhone 8 Plus. So basically, don’t crack your phone’s glass or else you’re going to be dishing out lots of cash. AppleCare+ costs $129 for the iPhone 8 and $149 for the iPhone 8 Plus.

We don’t have pricing for the iPhone X’s repairs yet. We know Apple will charge $199 for its warranty program, but the company hasn’t said how much it’ll charge for a screen replacement or broken glass. We can probably assume a new screen will cost more than $29, as the screen is already supposed to be somewhat limited in supply. Cherish the original screen or pay up, I guess.

What is Motherboard “Tattooing” and what does it mean for your motherboard?

You may have heard the term “tattooing” applied to motherboards, and wondered what the term means. A motherboard tattoo is a code that is imprinted on a specific motherboard that locks it to a specific disc, such as a diagnostic or recovery disc that is packaged with the machine. This process is a sort of copy protection that keeps users from using the recovery disc of one machine to install the operating system and other tools onto an unauthorized machine.

The “tattoo” is generally a bit of code programmed into the BIOS of the laptop system boards. When a user attempts to boot from the disc, the BIOS compares the code to the one on the disc, and if the codes don’t match, the system will not boot from the disc. This is common with many HP laptop system boards.

While this system is generally a fairly reasonable way to keep discs from being used on unauthorized systems, it also creates a serious problem for some users who have lost their original disc. Since the system is also tied directly to the disc, a user who has lost their original disc may not have any way to boot a troubled system without the recovery disc, since the system will not boot from an unauthorized disc. In many cases, the solution is to reprogram the BIOS to accept a new disc, which may require sending the computer to the manufacturer for a laptop repair and reprogramming of the chip.

If you have a recovery disc that will not boot with your computer, or you have lost the recovery disc that came with your computer and have no way to boot or repair it, you should contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer may have some options for helping you to repair or recover your system and get it back to a working state. If the problem requires a replacement part, visit our homepage to view parts for your specific model.

T-Mobile and Sprint could announce their merger in October

T-Mobile and Sprint’s on-again, off-again merger talks may be nearing a conclusion. Reuters reports that the two companies are now “close” to reaching “tentative terms” on a merger and could announce a deal by the end of October.

The merger would reportedly give T-Mobile’s owner, Deutsche Telekom, a majority stake in the combined company, while Sprint’s owner, SoftBank, would have somewhere between 40 and 50 percent. T-Mobile CEO John Legere would lead the combined company, according to Reuters.

Those terms are a big flip from what SoftBank had envisioned when it first proposed a merger several years ago. At the time, T-Mobile was struggling, and Sprint was looking at absorbing the then-tinier carrier. In the years since, however, T-Mobile has revitalized its business with aggressive promotions that undercut Verizon and AT&T, and it’s since moved up above Sprint, which is now the carrier desperate for attention.

A deal never happened years ago largely because, under Obama, the FCC was pretty clear that it wouldn’t be approved due to concerns about market consolidation. But with the Trump administration, that’s no longer a worry. It’s pretty much a sure thing that the merger would go through.

Reuters says the combined company would have over 130 million subscribers, barely behind AT&T and Verizon. At the end of last year, AT&T had close to 135 million subscribers and Verizon had close to 146 million.

There’d been some discussion of Sprint potentially ending up with other companies, including Charter or a joint venture between Charter and Comcast. It’s not entirely clear why that fizzled out, but it’s possible Sprint was trying to make negotiations harder for T-Mobile, which always seemed to be Sprint’s most interested suitor.