Here are the free PlayStation Plus games for September 2016

IFA 2016: HP turns the desktop PC into a 360-degree sound system

The HP Pavilion Wave is putting a new spin on small cylindrical PCs by adding a high-fidelity 360-degree sound system.

Like the Mac Pro, the Pavilion Wave takes advantage of the space-efficient 360-degree design to create a desktop computer that's 85% smaller than a traditional PC tower. In fact, the unit measures 6.81 x 6.62 x 10.29 (W x D x H), making it about the size of a gallon of milk.

Despite its small stature, you can pack a ton of power in this mini-desktop including 6th generation quad-core Intel Core i7 processors, optional AMD R9 M470 graphics and up to a 2TB HDD (with ab optional 128 GB SSD) and 16GBof DDR4 memory.

The cylindrical design also helps keep the PC cool by splitting the components into three separate zones including one for the motherboard, another for storage and a third for graphics, which all exhaust heat up wards. Just beneath the desktop's lid there 360-degree speaker that sounds just as good as a dedicated audio setup thanks to HP's audio partner Bang and Olufsen.

For once you won't have to worry about picking a decent pair of computer speakers, because the Pavilion Wave is its own audio system. Beyond a great listening experience, the mini PC is also equipped with dual microphones so users can command their PC with voice commands directed to Cortana.

The HP Pavilion Wave will be available starting on September 16 with a base price of $529 (about £400, AU$700).

Stacking

HP is also introducing modularity and stacking to the PC market with its latest enterprise solution, the Elite Slice.

At its core is a Mac Mini-sized computing box that can be outfitted with Intel Core i7-6700T processors, 32GB of DDR4 RAM and 512GB SSD. However, beyond basic specs users could also stack the Slice onto other modules for additional functionality.

For example, the Audio Module adds a 360-degree Bang and Olufsen speaker designed for audio calls while the HP Optical Disc Drive gives you a DVD drive. There are a few other interesting components such as a Collaboration Cover, which adds a small set of capacitive touch keys for call management. If you want to charge your devices wirelessly, there's a Qi charging cover just for that too.

The HP Elite Slice is an interesting take on the modularity we're seeing come to more devices like the Moto Z and LG G5. However, instead of having to it apart or relying on pogo-plugs, HP's solution uses USB Type-C connectors to link together the different components.

Available this September, the HP Elite Slice will start at $699 (about £530, AU$930) while a fully loaded Meeting Room version (with a Collaboration Cover, Audio Module and Intel Unite Software) will be priced at $949 (about £725, AU$1,263).

• Waggle your mouse at the best PCs of 2016

September 01, 2016 at 11:01AM
Kevin Lee

IFA 2016: Lenovo Yoga Book: how fast can you type on a touchscreen keyboard?

Lenovo has beaten, well, just about everybody to the punch by making a convertible tablet with an all-touchscreen keyboard.

The new Yoga Book is a stunningly thin and light device. Unlike other laptops sporting the "Book" moniker, it actually feels like something that you wouldn't mind kicking back on the couch with to catch up with an eBook or trawl through your favorite websites.

Svelte dimensions aside, the Yoga Book also impresses with its innovative touchscreen keyboard.

Not only does this allow the device to achieve its thinness, it's a viable way of (quite literally) hammering your words into the text field of whatever app it is that you're working in. Keyboard fans, place your knowledge of switches, key travel and actuation points aside for a moment – it's useless here.

• Catch up on these brilliant computing devices from IFA 2016

Well, hold on, typists: you may be interested to learn how an all-touch keyboard affects your typing speed. Just how easy is it to use, and could you be productive with one? We got our hands on a Yoga Book at Lenovo's IFA event to find out.

Putting touch typing to the test

Before we begin, I consider myself a fairly fast typist. Below is a shot of my typical typing speed (142 words per minute (WPM) – conducted on a MacBook Air) and the typical number of errors I'm likely to make in a minute (in the case of this test, four). So, my slower typing test results shown below that, achieved using the Yoga Book, weren't a result of me being a slow or inaccurate typist.

To see how my typing fared during my short time with the Yoga Book, I loaded up the popular online multiplayer typing game TypeRacer, in addition to trying out a couple of one-minute tests on typingtest.com.

TypeRacer is a fun typing game that pits you against other online racers. Typing sentences into the text field moves your car from left to right, and the person who types them the fastest to reach the end of the phrase is crowned the winner.

As you can see by my car's slow progress in the race, below, my first attempt at typing on the Windows 10-powered version (there's an Android version, too) of the Yoga Book was abysmal - I achieved a lowly 21 wpm.

My attempts to type as I usually would on a tactile keyboard resulted in me consistently hitting the wrong keys. This wasn't a flaw with how fast the Yoga Book's recognized my key presses so much as me having to hit backspace and type the correct key.

Following that, I decided to have a few practice runs while deliberately slowing down my keystrokes to up my accuracy. It worked. On the third attempt (this time on the Android version of the Yoga Book, after we had been moved on from the original stand), my typing speed more than doubled to 54 WPM. (Note that I had disabled predictive text on the demo unit involved.)

The next few races yielded similar progression. To see if typing for a longer duration (a minute, rather than the shorter length of time taken to bash out TypeRacer's passengers) made a difference, I fired up typingtest.com. In the first test I achieved 56 WPM, at the expense of making a shockingly bad 15 errors.

Following the next few practice runs, I found that my typing style was beginning to change. I began tapping more lightly on the keys to increase my accuracy, and on occasion I would find that my fingers began to fly to the level that entire sentences would appear within a split second.

When my digits hit the right keys in the right order (which, y'know, generally helps with typing), sentences would race into the text box far faster than they ever would a mechanical keyboard. The haptic feedback became reassuring, and my confidence levels grew. The faster typing still came at the expense of my error count hitting double figures, however.

By the fourth or fifth attempt (typing out different passages so that I didn't learn them all by heart), I'd managed to raise my WPM count to 62 with a more palatable, but still poor, 12 errors. Deciding to give it one more shot with another passage, I successfully raised my typing speed to 67 WPM, with 11 errors. At that point, it began to level off, and exceeding 70 WPM became increasingly unlikely.

And the results...

To say that you can't type as fast on a touchscreen keyboard as you can on a tactile one is perhaps stating the obvious. But it does show that, if your typing speed doesn't stretch above the 60 to 70 WPM mark, opting for the Yoga Book wouldn't make a huge dent in your productivity levels – where typing is concerned anyway.

It's never going to be something that you're going to want to bash out a 5,000 essay on, but if you're looking to use browse the internet, type up the occasional email and message your friends and family on social media, then it could be sufficient for your needs.

So long as you don't need to hit 140 WPM, that is.

• What are the best Windows tablets right now?

September 01, 2016 at 03:29AM
Kane Fulton

Hands-on review: IFA 2016: Moto Z Play

Moto Z Play

Moto Z Play is the thicker, long-lasting and more affordable smartphone with creative modular accessories, and proof that Motorola is committed to the idea of a customizable phone.

You can snap on a bunch of different mods – from stylish battery packs, to a mini boom box, to a head-turning pico projector – all with the help of magnets.

Timed with the Moto Z Play launch is a new mod: the Hasselblad True Zoom camera. It makes your Android phone look and feel like a real camera with 10x zoom and physical controls.

All of these MotoMods, new and old, work across the three modular Motorola phones, including the ultra-thin Moto Z and shatter-resistant Moto Z Force.

The Moto Z Play isn't as flashy as the world's-thinnest-title-holding Moto Z, and it doesn't have the durable screen of the Verizon and US-exclusive Moto Z Force. It's also less powerful.

What it does have is a bigger battery, cheaper price and a headphone jack. You can charge via USB-Type C and play music over the normal 3.5mm jack here, unlike on the Z and Z Force.

Moto Z Play therefore fixes some of the gripes with the Moto Z, and opens modular smartphone accessories to a whole new audience looking for a cheaper phone. Let's see if it fits your needs.

Price and release date

• Launches on September 8 in the US
• $408 or $17 a month over 24 from Verizon
• $449 unlocked without carrier restrictions

If you were interested in the Moto Z, but scoffed at its high price, then you'll like the savings that the reduced Moto Z Play brings at launch.

It'll cost $408 at full price when tied to Verizon, or at $17 a month over 24 months through the carrier's device payment plan. Fully unlocked from Motorola, it'll cost $449 in the US, which converts to £343 in the UK.

That contrasts with the Moto Z, which currently costs $624 at full price from Verizon and $699 unlocked. The Moto Z Force is even more at $720 without a binding contract, but still only available through Verizon.

Design

• Really thick at almost 7mm, even with its flat back
• Fingerprint sensor smartly locks and unlocks the screen
• Includes a headphone jack, which was missing from the Z and Z Force

The Moto Z Play is a thicker-than-average phone that takes several cues from the flat design of its Moto Z counterparts. It measures 156.4 x 76.4 x 6.99mm and is 165g.

Even with the same 5.5-inch screen size and non-curved back, it feels big in one hand. It's still palmable on its own, until you magnetically attach accessories. Then it becomes a real monster.

The good news is that its extra girth gives you the ability to listen to music and charge at the same time. It sounds crazy to list this as a pro, but missing headphone jacks are a common thing now.

The Moto Z and Moto Z Force annoyingly don't include a 3.5mm headphone jack, instead sending audio over their USB-C ports and requiring an (included, but easy to lose) adapter.

The other good news is that the Z Play has just about every other design feature we liked about the initial Moto Z line, including the small but incredibly convenient front fingerprint sensor.

The fingerprint sensor takes up a lot of room and extends the phone's chin, but it works to our liking by both waking the phone and putting it to sleep with one touch.

Being able to both lock and unlock the phone without having to hunt for the side sleep/wake button on the frame is a tremendous advantage for Motorola's new phone series.

It's an especially big deal (for a bad reason) because the side power button is equidistant to the volume down and up buttons. It's easy to get it mixed up with their non-rocker volume button design.

The Moto Z Play includes a water-repellent nano-coating, but it isn't waterproof like the Galaxy S7. It's just good enough to survive accidental spills, splashes or light rain, not full submersions.

It also lacks the Moto Z Force's trademark feature: a shatterproof glass screen. Drop this one from the same five feet of height and you'll probably regret it.

The Moto Z Play comes in a two of colors so far: black with a silver frame and fringe, and white with a gold frame and trim.

MotoMods

The Moto Z Play takes advantage of all existing MotoMods and they seamlessly snap onto the back of the phone using magnets. The only thing that's cumbersome is it's suddenly thicker size.

With the Power Pack battery accessory, for example, suddenly the phone feels three times as big as it should. You may not need the battery pack considering the Z Play's heftier battery size, thankfully.

You will (and should) enjoy the back covers (called Style Shells, according to Motorola) because the Z Play as a reflective glass back and exposed 16 modular pins that aren't nearly as appealing.

The coolest mod is the Moto Z Insta-Share projector. It's a mini projector that shines your phone's screen anywhere you want at a size of 70 inches before distortion kicks in.

It's easy to use, living up to the instant name, and is an easy way to shine YouTube videos anywhere in the world (except ironically in Lenovo's own home country of China where Google services are blocked – but everywhere else). Video looks okay at 480p, and will save your back from lugging around a big, heavy projector

This projector fits in a pocket (though barely, at size close to 70mm) and has an embedded kickstand for tilting and automatic keytoning. Focus can be adjusted manually via a side dial.

The Insta-Share projector requires a dark or very dim room for its 50 lumens to be effective and, of course, it doesn't come cheap: it costs $299.

Motorola and JBL turned the smartphone volume up to eleven with their SoundBoost creation. It tuns the back of your phone into an even thicker frame, but one that becomes a powerful speaker.

It's not as loud as a dedicated Bluetooth speaker, but it's almost as good. You won't feel the need to turn it up if it's just you and a small party. Best of all, there's a hand kickstand and it adds 10 hours of battery life.

Looking for a Mophie case? Don't. MotoMod juice packs add 2,200mAh of battery life in exchange for a few millimeters to the thickness. Unlike the Z, the Moto Z Play can't really afford this extra girth.

It comes in a variety of designs, including from designers like Kate Spade and luggage maker Tumi. It's really trying to combine style and functionality, and it's easier to clip on compared to a Mophie case.

You don't have to buy a MotoMod right away to satisfyingly lock an accessory to the back of your new phone with magnetics. Moto Z comes with a Style Shield in the box.

Wood, leather and plastic options are going to be available in the future, giving you some degree of customization over your ever-important handset, just like the Moto X series.

Further out, there's a lot of potential for MotoMods. Motorola is opening up its platform to one and all with a $125 developer kit.

Display

• Moto Active display senses your presence
• 5.5-inch display at a lower 1080p resolution

Moto Z Play has a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display, the same size and technology as the Moto Z and Z Force, but it brings the resolution and pixel count down.

It's a 1080p Full HD screen with 403 pixel per inch instead of a 2K resolution (also known as Quad HD). It doesn't look as stunning, but it's still beautiful enough that you won't complain.

Even with the resolution change, the Moto Z Play display keeps Motorola's Active Display intact. Wave your hand over the phone and it senses your presence with limited information, like the time, date, and notificats - all of which requires barely any power.

It's like the always-on screen used in new Samsung and LG phones, but one thing that's better is the discrete notifications icons are interactive here.

Tapping on one reveals more information, like the beginning of an email body. Flicking the icon upward opens the message. Flicking it down dismisses it. Motorola score major points with this minor touch here.

Interface and specs

The Moto Z Play also takes the specs down a notch with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor instead of the Snapdragon 820 chip almost every major Android uses in 2016.

It's still competent with a 2GHz octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM and an Adreno 506 GPU, but it's not as fast as the Moto Z or Moto Z Force.

We experienced bit of slowdown when downloading apps, using the GPS and trying to navigate the menus. True multitaskers, watch out. Everyone else will be fine.

You'll also be okay with the 32GB of internal storage, even if phones like the ZTE Axon 7 and Samsung Galaxy Note 7 have launched with 64GB. Moto Z Play includes a microSD card slot within its nano SIM tray for expandable storage.

Moto Z Play runs one of the latest versions of Android and it functions like Google intended it, without the alterations that Samsung, LG, and other phone makers see fit.

Stock Android is a big deal for many purists, and for good reason. This Android 6.0.1 interface is streamlined. Motorola, once a Google company, doesn't deviate far from its former parent's playbook.

It adds a few of its own apps to the phone, like Moto Actions and Moto Voice, but these are only a help, not a hinderance. All of the menus are just like a Nexus running stock Android.

In the US, you'll have to deal with some pesky Verizon bloatware, and the fact that HD video calls only work with people on the same network, even if they have the same phone, is annoying.

You're also missing out on Android 7.0 Nougat, which just launched on the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X, and it coming to the brand new LG V20. It has desirable features like splitscreen apps. The wait for the Android Nougat update is on, even before the Moto Z Play is in your hands.

Camera

The Moto Z Play has a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture, and it provides around the same picture quality as the Moto Z. The Moto Z Force is slightly better with a 21MP camera.

It combines laser autofocus and phase detection autofocus that translates into zero shutter lag, but it doesn't have the best low light capabilities and lacks optical image stabilization.

It does have a color-balancing dual LED flash, which won't go unnoticed. The camera and flash bump is huge on this camera, even though it's not always the best.

The front-facing camera is 5MP, with what Motorola touts as a wide-angle 85 degree lens. It captures more of your selfie scene than an iPhone, sure, but not as much as an LG V10 at 120 degrees.

Video capabilities here are solid enough, with a resolution up to 4K and 120fps slow motion video at 720p.

Battery life

Motorola is promising 50 hours of mixed use from the Moto Z Play battery, and we've so far gotten between one-and-a-half to two days from our heavier-than-average phone addiction.

That extra phone use time is thanks to the 3510 mAh battery capacity. It makes the phone thick, but it'll get you through more than a day without fail.

When the Moto Z Play battery does deplete, it charges back up pretty quickly care of its included TurboPower charger. Motorola promises 10 hours of power after 15 minutes of charging.

Early verdict

Moto Z Play is all about playing longer and doing it all with ease. Its extended battery life and embedded headphone jack give us what we want (and expect) from a smartphone.

Yes, it's rather thick and the 1080p display isn't going to wow your friends. However, it has the same impressive Moto Active Display proximity sensing capabilities and the double-duty fingerprint sensor that turns the screen on and off.

We're running more battery life and charging tests to make sure the Moto Z Play consistently lives up its claims. Look out for an updated Moto Z Play review soon.

September 01, 2016 at 01:30AM
Matt Swider

IFA 2016: Lenovo lets slip Yoga 910 Ultrabook with yet another 'world's thinnest' claim

Are you ready for the world's thinnest laptop all over again? Good, because Lenovo's got another one in the Yoga 910, the sequel to last year's Yoga 900, just announced during IFA 2016 in Berlin, Germany.

Technically, the Yoga 910 is the "world's thinnest Intel Core i convertible," measuring just 0.56 inches (14.3mm) when closed. The updated Windows 10 2-in-1 comes with a few new tricks, too, like a fingerprint sensor for Windows Hello and a 4K, IPS multi-touch display.

Somehow thinner and wider

But, the Yoga 910 doesn't just come with an optional (a 1080p model is still available) sharper screen, its display has been made wider than before. Thanks to more narrow bezels than ever (5mm), Lenovo has increased the screen size of its leading laptop to 13.9 inches within barely smaller physical dimensions to last year's 13.3-inch model – a 10% increase in screen area.

And, if you're coming from last year's 3K (3,200 x 1,800; 276 ppi) model, Lenovo prouds itself on a 14% increase in pixel density if you were to spring for the 4K version (3,840 x 2,160; 315 ppi). Plus, the screen covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut at either resolution.

Speaking of other screen resolutions, Lenovo claims the new, all-aluminum – no more rubberized keyboard deck – Yoga 910 can last for up to 15.5 hours on a charge at 1080p. That figure drops considerably to 10.5 hours with the 4K option, but either number is seriously impressive. (We'll just have to test it out in a full review.)

Powered by Intel's 7th generation (Kaby Lake) Intel Core i series processors up to Core i7, the Yoga 910 can house as much as 16GB of RAM and 1TB of PCIe solid-state storage. Rounding out the package is an impressive array of ports considering its size (plus 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1): USB-C, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports (one of each), plus a 4-in-1 card reader.

Not too bad for a laptop that weighs just 3.04 pounds (1.38kg). The Lenovo Yoga 910 – available in Champagne Gold, Platinum Silver and Gunmetal (a duller silver) – will hit shelves this October starting at $1,299 (about £991, AU$1,716).

A new detachable enters the Miix

However, Lenovo had another hybrid device to show off during its press conference in Berlin, the Miix 510. Taking the Surface Pro-like detachable approach to Windows 10 2-in-1 devices, the Miix 510 focuses heavily on portable productivity, with a 12.2-inch, FHD+ (1,920 x 1,200) display and an optional LTE radio to start.

The Miix 510 comes with an overhauled keyboard cover in the box, with a sturdier, plastic design and deeper, 1.5mm key travel than previous iterations. Flipping the script on what's usually included in the box, an optional Active Pen from Lenovo allows you to take notes and draw on the device through Windows Ink.

This new Miix all but solidifies Lenovo's detachable 2-in-1 as one of the Surface Pro line's biggest fans – in that it's practically indistinguishable save for a few details. Sure, Lenovo's putting its brilliant, 150-degree watchband hinges to excellent use, but it's still the same design as Microsoft's.

At any rate, the Miix 510 impresses from an early glance for its gray aluminum, unibody frame, much improved keyboard cover and reported 7.5 hours of battery life. And, there's one thing the Miix 510 has over the Surface Pro 4: USB-C and USB 3.0 on the same chassis, plus a microSD reader.

With up to an Intel Core i7 processor (6th generation, or Skylake), as much as 8GB of RAM and up to 1TB of PCIe solid-state storage, you might be surprised by the Miix 510's price tag. Starting this October, you can get a unit starting for just $599 (about £457, AU$791).

Of course, we'll have to judge both of these devices' asking prices with the full review treatment, and we can't wait.

• Will the Yoga 910 soon be known as one of the best Ultrabooks?

September 01, 2016 at 01:30AM
Joe Osborne

IFA 2016: Asus' new ZenBook 3 gets a portable 15-inch display to go with it

Over at IFA 2016 today, Asus has been busy showing off the ZenBook 3 with an important change to the processor spec, along with a portable, super-thin 15.6-inch full HD monitor – and plenty more besides.

We've already seen the ZenBook 3 of course – in fact we took it for a hands-on spin at the end of May – but at IFA, Asus revealed that it will have the latest Intel Kaby Lake (seventh-generation) processor on board rather than Skylake as was previously mentioned.

The 11.9mm thick 12.5-inch laptop will run with up to Core i7 Kaby Lake CPUs in fact, along with 16GB of 2133MHz RAM, and up to a 1TB PCIe SSD. Expect some pretty snappy performance, then…

You also get four-speaker Harman Kardon audio, and an innovative cooling system to keep those powerful components from overheating – apparently this boasts the world's thinnest fan design (3mm). Battery life is nine hours, with fast-charge tech meaning the notebook can be juiced up from empty to 60% capacity inside 50 minutes.

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ZenScreen for your laptop, anyone?

If you were after a portable and svelte display to go with your thin laptop, Asus was also showing off the ZenScreen MB16AC which weighs 800g and is 8mm thin – which makes it the world's lightest and slimmest full HD portable monitor, according to the company.

It has a vanishingly small bezel as well, which at 6.5mm is almost two-thirds thinner than previous models, and comes with a hybrid USB-C port which supports power and video, meaning it can be used to hook up to a laptop such as the ZenBook 3 (or any notebook with a USB-C or USB Type-A port).

This 15.6-inch monitor comes with a 1mm thick foldable smart case to provide some protection in transit, which can be used as a stand when you're not travelling.

Asus also had the Transformer 3 hybrid on display, which runs with a 12.6-inch display boasting a 3K resolution (2880 x 1920) and is 6.9mm thin, and is powered by a Kaby Lake CPU backed with 8GB of RAM and up to a 512GB SSD.

That sat alongside the Transformer 3 Pro, although this variant isn't getting the Kaby Lake treatment – if you want to know more about the Pro version, check out our full hands-on from Computex 2016 here.

The ZenPad 3S 10 was also present among the IFA goodies, a 9.7-inch tablet with a resolution of 2048 x 1536, and a super-slim design featuring a thickness of 5.8mm – and a bezel thickness of 5.3mm which Asus claims makes this one of the most compact 9.7-inch slates on the market.

This Android tablet is powered by a hexa-core MediaTek 8176 CPU along with 4GB of RAM, and offers up to 64GB of eMMC storage.

More monitors

A couple more new monitors were also in town, one of which was the Asus Designo Curve MX34VQ , a 34-inch frameless curved monitor with a resolution of 3440 x 1440 (it's a 21:9 ratio display). It also boasts integrated 8W speakers and a Qi wireless charging pad on the stand for juicing up compatible mobiles.

The other monitor was the Designo MX27UC, a 27-inch IPS display with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 and a 100% sRGB wide color gamut. You also get built-in 3W stereo speakers and a USB-C port that supports data/video and power.

Fancy an all-in-one to round the computing products off? Asus had the Vivo AiO V221 at the show, the slimmest model the company has ever produced at 47.5mm thick. It offers four USB 3.0 ports alongside an HDMI connector, and apparently boasts impressive sound courtesy of large front speakers which are driven by smart-amplifier tech. The latter apparently doubles the volume output compared to a normal amp.

Get your game on

On the gaming front, Asus presented its ROG 3DMod custom gaming PC build which shows off the various 3DMod customization options that PCs can be blinged up with.

That includes Aura RGB lighting with nine programmable effects, a 3D printed custom front panel, and 3D printed fan shrouds which don't mess up the airflow – along with a motherboard cover to help keep all those cables neat and tidy inside.

And the company also showed off the ROG XG Station 2 external graphics box which can be hooked up to a laptop in order to provide said notebook with the full power of a desktop Nvidia GeForce GTX or AMD Radeon video card.

While we've seen this teased before, a few more details are available on the enclosure, which connects to the notebook via a Thunderbolt 3 port and will utilize a 600W 80Plus Gold PSU. It will also boast Aura RGB lighting effects and have four USB 3.0 ports on-board, as well as a gigabit Ethernet port.

• Also check out our Asus ROG Strix GL502 review

August 31, 2016 at 10:34PM
Darren Allan

You can now play some of PlayStation's best games on your PC

Could Acer unleash a monster gaming laptop with a 21-inch curved screen?

How big can a laptop get? Usually, they don't venture past the 17-inch mark, but an incoming offering from Acer certainly puts the 'desktop' into desktop replacement notebook – it's a 21-inch model.

Yes, according to that ever-flowing fountain of rumors, DigiTimes, Acer has a 21-inch gaming laptop in the pipeline which will try to differentiate itself from the pack not only by going for high-end components and a supersized screen, but that display will also be curved for better immersion when it comes to your games (or indeed movies).

A curved display on a laptop? How does that work? The report states that the notebook chassis has been specially designed to fit with the curved screen, but doesn't elaborate any further than that.

We'll be interested to see how Acer engineers pull this feat off, to say the least, and whether the base of the device will have some kind of curve in order to fit – although that could have obvious issues for the keyboard (which incidentally is a mechanical keyboard, and that will be pleasing to gamers; but not if it's shaped like a humpback bridge).

Power crazy

The tech spec sounds almost as wild as the design, with the notebook boasting dual discrete graphics cards, four SSDs, more than five cooling fans, and a pair of 330W power supply units. The latter seems pretty crazy for a notebook, as does the whole concept on some levels, so for now we're taking this one with a healthy dose of skepticism. It's possible there has been something misheard on the grapevine, or mistranslated somewhere!

But color us extremely interested to see confirmation of this notebook and exactly how it'll work. It goes without saying, though, that it won't be the most portable of laptops, and as for battery life – we won't even go there.

The same DigiTimes report further mentions a new notebook from Asus which is also larger-than-life, although not quite such a behemoth at 18-inches. The Asus effort will go with a GeForce GTX 10 graphics card and will offer a sonic treat in the form of a 'top-notch stereo system'. But there's no curved screen here…

Via: Hexus

• Check out the 10 best gaming laptops currently available

August 30, 2016 at 09:46PM
Darren Allan

A whole host of new information has emerged about the Nintendo NX's controller

New details have emerged concerning the forthcoming Nintendo NX's controller and it looks like big changes are on the way for the new console.

The first rumored change is with its D-pad, which will reportedly now be a split D-pad (like those used by Sony on all four PlayStations) rather than the traditional solid D-pad that Nintendo has been using since the original Nintendo Entertainment System released in 1985.

For years this original design was exclusive to Nintendo, forcing competitors such as Sony to introduce the split D-pad design. However now that Nintendo's D-pad patent has expired, others, such as Microsoft with the Xbox One, have now been free to imitate the design.

The sharing economy

However the more significant change is the addition of a 'share' button, which will allow images and video to be uploaded to Miiverse, Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.

A share button has been present on the PS4 since its launch, but Nintendo has historically been much more protective of footage of its games being shared online.

In 2013, Nintendo attempted to shut down a Super Smash Bros tournament at Evo 2013 which would have been streamed online, and until last year would take 100% of the revenue generated by the streaming of Nintendo games on YouTube.

However, even when Nintendo attempted to amend its policy on Let's Plays, it still ended up with guidelines that were far more restrictive than those other publishers allow under fair-use.

The presence of a share button on the NX would appear to indicate that Nintendo is about to embrace the world of streaming in a way that it hasn't done previously.

Vibration and motion sensing

The news of a split D-pad and share button follows the less surprising news last week that the console's controllers would feature force feedback and motion sensing.

From the descriptions circulating online, it appears as though these controllers will offer similar functionality to the company's existing WiiMotes, which reports indicate the new controllers will gradually replace over time.

From the rumors we've continued to hear about the NX, it sounds like the console is shaping up to be an interesting mix of Nintendo's traditional strengths and current game trends.

• Check out all the latest rumors surrounding the Nintendo NX's release date and other info

August 30, 2016 at 07:52PM
Jon Porter

LG offering up huge 21:9 curved gaming monitor

LG has announced two new 21:9 monitors, including a 34-inch curved 144 Hz gaming monitor and a 38-inch behemoth built for designers.

On the gaming front, the LG 34UC79G has what LG describes as a 'blindingly fast' refresh rate alongside one millisecond motion blur reduction.

There's AMD's FreeSync functionality, while Black Stabilizer is designed to let you see darker objects in hard to see areas and Dynamic Action Sync reduces input lag.

The 38UC99 boasts a color gamut that covers 99% of the sRGB spectrum, a USB Type-C port and two 10W speakers.

Cheater's target

And, in what some would term as 'a bit cheating' there's a function to add a fixed target to the center of your screen.

The second offering, the LG 38UC99, is built for designers or those who are looking for accuracy in the way colors are shown on their screens.

The 38UC99 boasts a color gamut that covers 99% of the sRGB spectrum, a USB Type-C port and two 10W speakers.

"With tablets and smartphones at their disposal, consumers today don't feel shackled to their desks anymore so it's more important than ever that their monitors offer additional user benefits and conveniences," said Brian Kwon, president of LG Home Entertainment Company.

"LG is the number one brand in the 21:9 monitor space because we were first to recognize that consumers are adopting a new way of working and playing that put them ahead of the competition whether that's working or playing."

• Check out our list of the best monitors and displays on the market in 2016

August 30, 2016 at 04:20PM
Patrick Goss