Best free software of 2014: Dropbox

There are plenty of file sharing, or file storing, services out there that store information in the cloud to be accessed anywhere. Box is doing it for enterprise. Apple is doing it with iCloud. Microsoft is doing it with Azure. Google is doing it with Drive. But beyond all of these, Dropbox has always been my go-to client for online storage.

Due to competition from other services in 2014 (namely Google Drive and iCloud), Dropbox has been forced to drop the price of its subscription service (called Dropbox Pro) and increase the storage. For £7.99 a month, users get 1TB of space, accessible from any device (for comparison, Google charges $9.99/month for 1TB while Apple charges £14.99/month for the same) with the free tier offering 2GB of space, upgradeable through promotion to friends.

Dropbox creates a simple folder on your computer which can be accessed from any device, alongside a web based interface. As such Dropbox is not tied to a major corporation and so can work freely between any software or hardware; there is no necessity to use Google Docs or Apple's iWork and no bias towards a certain device, both of which ruin the experience of Drive and iCloud somewhat.

While there is always the (faint) possibility that Dropbox will fold, the company has grown at a pace during 2014, introducing new, and better, apps for all major platforms. Investing in a Dropbox account has never been more attractive.

from Techradar - All the latest technology news http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~3/GoiC4Bxut_A/story01.htm

In Depth: Highs and lows for Apple in 2014

The highs

It's been an interesting year for the world's most interesting company: we've seen bigger phones, surprising shopping sprees and what could be the beginning of a high profile adventure in the world of high fashion. But it hasn't all been good: Apple also suffered from broken glass, unwanted U2 and a bad case of the bends. Let's discover the highs and lows for Apple in 2014.

Highs

1. Apple Watch

The worst-kept secret in tech was a secret no more in 2014: Apple unveiled the Apple Watch and its many incarnations this year, and the release of the accompanying SDK gave us a good idea of what we can expect from its software when the watch ships in the spring. If it's a hit it means Apple will become a hugely important fashion brand, and the signs are certainly pointing in that direction: Apple generated more column inches with a watch it isn't shipping yet than all other smartwatch manufacturers combined.

2. iPhone 6 and 6 Plus

Bad news for anybody with little hands but great news for anyone who wanted bigger iPhones: Apple unveiled not one but two bigger devices in the form of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. They're both big-screened beauties with typically great design, but that thinness also introduced bendyness. More of that in a moment.

3. Buying Beats

Even by Beats' pricey standards, $3 billion is a lot for some headphones - but when Apple bought Beats it was really interested in the talent behind Beats Music, which is now part of the iTunes empire. The acquisition doesn't just give Apple the Beats technology and streaming deals: it also gives Apple Jimmy Iovine, a renowned music business figure and famous deal-maker.

4. Retina iMacs

We can't afford them, but eventually we'll all be able to. Retina displays are clearly - pun intended - the future for all of Apple's devices, and seeing one on the biggest iMac is a retinal revelation. It's particularly flattering to OS X Yosemite, whose fonts and design choices aren't quite as nice on non-Retina devices.

5. Apple + IBM

As partnerships go this one doesn't sound very exciting, but it's potentially massive: Apple and IBM up the enterprise tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. Apple wants its iPads in enterprises and IBM has enterprises' ears thanks to decades of sterling service, so the news that the two firms are teaming up is likely to have put Microsoft's Satya Nadella in a very bad mood indeed.

6. Apple Pay, maybe

It's too early to tell whether Apple's plan to become a major payment provider is going to pay off - Black Friday results were inconclusive, with some users apparently baffled by the whole thing - but Apple Pay does appear to have learnt from Google's Wallet missteps and created a service that retailers, payment providers and punters could all get behind.

7. Cook comes out

Tim Cook's sexuality wasn't a secret, but he broke his customary silence about his personal life to talk openly about it in an article for Businessweek. Having the CEO of the world's most valuable and interesting company come out is a huge deal in a world where not one Fortune 500 CEO was openly gay.

... and the lows

Lows

1. Bendgate

What do you get if you combine the laws of physics with hit-hungry websites? Bendgate: the not-overhyped-at-all story that found thin metal things bend if you apply sufficient force. Cue dullards going into Apple Stores to try and break iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets, endless "Apple is doooooomed!" columns and the sound of a molehill being blown up to mountain size.

2. iOS 8

Here's our new OS! Oops, it's broken! Here's an update! Oops, it's more broken than the broken one it was supposed to fix! Google's Lollipop had release issues too, but it wasn't as bungled as the iOS 8 launch. The only way Apple could have bungled it more would be if it had put a picture of Bungle from Rainbow on every iPhone's lock screen.

That isn't the only problem with iOS 8. There's a developing story over iOS 8 extensions, which are supposed to give developers the tools to share data with other apps: at the time of writing Panic's excellent Transmit app has been forced to remove iCloud Drive sharing because of confusing and contradictory developer policies. A developer backlash may be brewing.

3. U2

U2 have just announced a world tour, and wags have suggested that instead of booking venues they'll just break into people's houses and do gigs whether the owners want them or not. That's more or less what happened when Apple gave away their latest album, Songs of Innocence: instead of offering it as a free download Apple automatically added it to everybody's iTunes. Many people thought they'd been hacked, others were just appalled that Apple thought they'd want a U2 album, and Apple was forced to create a U2 removal tool to banish Bono.

4. Endless iPads

Is it just us or does Apple appear to be losing its laser-like focus on making a handful of very good products? Since Autumn's new launches Apple now offers more iPads than Marks & Spencer has pants: there's the iPad mini, the iPad mini 2, the iPad mini 3, the iPad Air and the iPad Air 2, all in Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi and Cellular options and various colours. A £199 iPad mini is certainly cheap by Apple standards, but given the pace of change in iPad-land we're not sure the owner will stay cheerful for long.

5. 2014 Mac Mini

The late 2014 Mac Mini is a long-awaited update to a computer last refreshed in 2012, and while the lower price tag is welcome the lower specs aren't. Quad-core processors are no longer available and the RAM is soldered in, so you can't upgrade it later. The Firewire port's gone too. For many Mini fans, what Apple giveth doesn't compensate for what Apple hath taken away.

6. Apple TV

So much for an app-happy update to Apple's "hobby". With fresh rivals from the likes of Google's Chromecast and Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV couldn't look much longer in the tooth if it were a sabre-toothed tiger. It's still good for AirPlay streaming, but here in the UK especially its lack of services means it's looking less attractive by the day.

7. Sapphire

2014 was going to be the year of sapphire screens, but it didn't work out that way: Apple's manufacturing partner, GT Advanced Technologies, encountered both technical problems - it couldn't make enough usable sapphire at the price Apple wanted to pay - and business ones, with apparent organisational chaos ultimately forcing the company into bankruptcy protection. GT says it's all Apple's fault, Apple says it's all GT's fault, and over at the Gorilla Glass factory Corning executives probably popped open the champagne.

from Techradar - All the latest technology news http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~3/oIiYzAG7D-I/story01.htm

Interview: How MIMO tech is advancing high-speed LTE data services

The rise of low-cost smartphones is happening: larger screens, more powerful cameras, speakers, GPS and Bluetooth connectivity are just some of the features flowing down from premium devices into mass-market smartphone models.

Furthermore, speed of connection for high-speed data services, range extension and guaranteed data rates for quality of customer experience and reduced power consumption are allowing device makers to differentiate.

SkyCross, a global designer and manufacturer of advanced antenna and RF solutions, has introduced a new antenna technology that combines its iMAT higher-order MIMO technology with dual band carrier aggregation. This provides faster data rates and can benefit customers, mobile operators and device manufacturers. We spoke to John Marshall, CMO at SkyCross, to find out more.

TechRadar Pro: What advancements are being made in the LTE industry to advance data speeds?

John Marshall: While there has been much progression through 2G, 3G, and 4G LTE, LTE-Advanced is finally emerging. Dual-band carrier aggregation (CA) solutions, even three-band CA solutions are in discussion and roll out on some operators' networks. As the demand for data continues to surge, pressure for higher speed will also continue.

In addition to utilizing additional spectrum to achieve such higher rates, there are also techniques for improving spectral efficiency. Operators and device manufacturers have identified MIMO technology as one means to improve performance for LTE, starting with 2x2 solutions and moving to higher-order MIMO in the future.

TRP: How about antennas specifically? What advancements are underway?

JM: For antennas specifically, SkyCross has designed the four antennas in one antenna structure to operate across both Band 7 (2500 – 2690MHz) and Band 3 (1710– 1880MHz) to support dual-band carrier aggregation utilizing two 20MHz channels.

By combining its iMAT higher-order MIMO technology with dual band carrier aggregation, SkyCross technology enables mobile operators to integrate non-contiguous spectrum into a virtual single, 40MHz channel. Previously found to be impossible to deliver, Deutsche Telekom achieved a 4x4 MIMO solution in a traditional smartphone form factor. As noted by Deutsche Telekom's CTO, Bruno Jacobfeuerborn, size and isolation have always been the industry's chief challenge when considering 4x4 MIMO.

TRP: 4x4 MIMO is popular in Wi-Fi – why has this technology not been employed in LTE devices?

JM: Manufacturers and operators have long sought to increase mobile data speeds by adding MIMO functionality to smart phone antennas. MIMO is a technology that utilizes multiple simultaneous signal transmission paths that are ideally "uncorrelated."

Uncorrelated means that that if one path experiences a deep fade, the second path does not behave in the same way and essentially forms a secondary connection between the mobile device and the cellular tower (multi-path facing is especially common in high-density areas and indoors, but can occur anywhere for a variety of reasons). Multi-path fading degrades signal integrity since more transmission errors occur creating the need for additional error correction overhead, which results in decreased data throughput.

MIMO technology is an effective method to overcome the effects of multi-path fading and has successfully been applied in Wi-Fi networks. Cellular systems are now evolving to utilize MIMO and the specifications for LTE-Advanced, or LTE-A, can actually support up to 8x8 MIMO, meaning eight downlink and eight uplink simultaneous RF transmission paths. However, MIMO adoption for LTE has been constrained by the challenge of designing multiple antennas in a compact smartphone form factor that are not only sufficiently high gain but also have a low enough correlation factor between the different antenna combinations.

TRP: What are some of the challenges facing LTE antenna designers?

JM: LTE antenna designers face significant challenges, as higher-order MIMO requires four antennas of high efficiency that are gain balanced and independent of each other; i.e., exhibit low correlation. This is a major design challenge for a smartphone-sized device. Adding carrier aggregation introduces yet another level of complexity for the antenna designer, as it is very difficult to achieve high gain and low correlation across multiple bands.

Furthermore, antenna co-location becomes harder to accomplish as more antennas are packed into one device. While many antenna designers can physically fit four MIMO antenna structures into a smartphone, the structures would likely be located so close to one another that the multiple transmission paths would be highly correlated, diminishing MIMO performance.

Further complicating matters, today's smartphones also contain multiple other antennas to support Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and NFC, which not only take up physical device space, but can also exacerbate signal interference. Integrating four antenna structures into a smartphone-sized device is considered one of the biggest challenges for widespread higher-order MIMO adoption.

TRP: But SkyCross has successfully implemented higher-order MIMO for LTE. How does SkyCross' dual iMAT technology enable this breakthrough?

JM: SkyCross iMAT technology enables multiband 4G LTE MIMO to be designed onto a single (or multiple) antenna structure. Although the multiple antennas are closely co-located and operate on the same frequency at the same time, SkyCross' patented Isolated Mode Antenna Technology (iMAT™) eliminates the performance issues associated with mutual coupling and high pattern correlation coefficient from multiple nearby antennas.

iMAT applies pattern diversity that enables designers to locate multiple antennas in close proximity while still achieving the high isolation/low correlation needed for MIMO architectures. As such, iMAT antennas require less spatial separation than typical antennas, allowing more antennas to be integrated closer to one another and providing device makers more design flexibility.

This novel approach to antenna design may also include tuning, enabling the iMAT antenna to support multiple frequency bands while simultaneously achieving high radiated efficiency. iMAT technology enables antennas to deliver greater MIMO efficiency while minimizing the footprint needed compared to conventional designs.

TRP: What are the benefits of SkyCross' dual iMAT antennas?

JM: Higher-order MIMO for LTE networks will soon deliver numerous benefits for mobile operators, handset manufacturers and consumers.

Mobile operators will be able to introduce new services based on data rates of over 500 Mbps, and will also benefit from improved network capacity and fewer dropped calls. This will allow for improved revenues while concurrently minimizing capital and operating expenses of their network infrastructure. With improved indoor coverage, a greater number of users will be able to rely on their smartphones, which will also serve to increase revenues for the service provider.

Since device manufacturers will be able to fit advanced antennas into their existing smartphone form factors, device manufacturers will be able to create higher performing products without sacrificing the smartphone aesthetics and form factors preferred by consumers today.

Consumers will enjoy five times faster data rates, increased performance, and the ability to, for example, stream HD video while operating other applications that require very high data rates. Dual iMAT also enables dramatically improved performance in cellular edge points, helping consumers avoid "dead zones."

TRP: What does higher-order MIMO technology mean for the future of the mobile / telecommunications industry, and for consumers?

JM: Successfully integrating four antenna structures into a smartphone has long been seen as the barrier to industry-wide adoption and commercialization of higher-order MIMO. SkyCross' Dual iMAT 4x4 antennas have now solved this problem. This opens the door to component, mobile device and infrastructure equipment makers to accelerate support for higher-order MIMO.

The implications of such advancement suggest that 4x4 smartphone and tablet adoption of higher-order MIMO could be significant in the coming years, with near term introductory deployments as early as 2015. The benefits of higher-order MIMO could result in as many as 300M additional higher-order MIMO enabled mobile devices with complimentary infrastructure by 2018, according to preliminary analysis by Mobile Experts, a leading provider of mobile infrastructure and mobile device industry analysis.

TRP: What are SkyCross' plans for the future?

JC: Thanks to SkyCross' unique technology, Dual iMAT higher-order MIMO plus carrier aggregation very well may be the future of LTE. As Joe Madden, principal analyst for Mobile Experts states, "This new approach by SkyCross takes antenna modeling and design to a new level. It's not just bent metal anymore. With extremely advanced modeling, SkyCross appears to have a way to solve the multi-dimensional challenge of small size, multi-band MIMO antennas."

from Techradar - All the latest technology news http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~3/hCDWYqOu_54/story01.htm

CES 2015: Samsung is launching these alien-looking speakers at CES 2015

Samsung will introduce a slew of futuristic-looking new audio gadgets at CES 2015, including 360-degree speakers and more curved soundbars.

The WAM7500 and WAM6500 speakers, as they're called, look like alien eggs - or something from the video game Portal - and use "ring radiator" technology to project sound in 360 degrees.

The WAM6500 is on a stand, while the WAM7500 is "movable," with a rechargeable battery.

The speakers were developed in part at Samsung's audio lab in California, the company said.

Curved soundbars for your curved TV

Next Samsung plans to show off more of the curved soundbars it first introduced in mid-2014.

They'll add 8500, 6500 and 6000 series designations to the existing 7500 series soundbar, for a total of four different models that range in size to match Samsung's various curved TVs.

The 8500 has improved sound quality as well, with 9.1 channel sound and additional side speakers that sit at either end.

Samsung says these products and others will be featured at CES 2015, so keep an eye out once TechRadar is at the show next week.

• Samsung's Galaxy S5 is an evolution, not a revolution

from Techradar - All the latest technology news http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~3/yW2wsyd3LAo/story01.htm

Hands-on review: CES 2015: Samsung Ativ One 7 2015

Overview, specs and design

Unless you're living in 2005 you don't really equate all-in-one desktops with design innovation. Sure, Apple is always one step ahead of the game, and its 27-inch iMac with Retina Display ($2,499, £1,999, AU$2,999) brought 5K (5120 x 2880) resolution to the computing masses.

Acer did its part to improve desktop design by releasing the Aspire U5 ($999, £582, AU$1,067), a 23-inch all-in-one PC whose stand tilts a full 90 degrees so that you can use the touchscreen monitor the way you would use a tablet.

Unfortunately, neither of these sexy machines provides much in the way of computing power (unless you're willing to pay for under-the-hood upgrades), so you're really going out of your way to pay for 5K or tablet-style navigation, respectively.

Add another all-in-one to the low-power, high-fashion market. The 27-inch Samsung Ativ One 7 ($1,299, £1,129, AU$1,449) brings the curved screen to the desktop PC.

Specs and design

The Ativ One 7 is a gorgeous desktop built with a full HD 1920x1080 resolution screen that wraps ever so slightly at the edges back toward the user. This is the same subtle curve you've likely seen on Samsung TVs that are designed to provide users with a more immersive viewing experience (more on this later).

The all-in-one features an Intel Core i5 processor that is housed in a black plastic and silver 1.56-inch bezel sitting on a height-adjustable base. The Ativ One 7 comes with a wireless keyboard and mouse that are nothing to write home about.

The Ativ One 7 comes with 8GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and a pretty tame Intel HD Graphics 5500 card. Don't expect to become a pro gamer with this bad boy.

Ports aren't abundant or spread out on this machine: you'll get two USB 2.0, 2 x USB 3.0 and two HDMI ports, as well as a 3- in-1 SD/SDHC/SDXC card reader. The ports are all located on the middle right-hand-side of the display, which might work well for TVs, but is pretty inconvenient for office use.

Likes, dislikes and early verdict

I loved

The Ativ One 7 comes with two 10-watt HD audio, Dolby Surround speakers that will make your neighbors hate your guts. If you're an MP3-jay and you want to rock the party all night long, I highly suggest you make this your desktop computer.

What's also really cool about this machine is its ability to pair-up with any Samsung phone so that you can provide one-click music play from your handheld device onto the desktop's mega speakers. For example: let's say you return home from a run and you want to continue playing the Rocky IV soundtrack while you blend your kale smoothie, but you don't want to use your phone's weak speakers. You can simply click one button in your Samsung music app that wakes up your Ativ One 7 and begins bumping "Hearts on Fire" before you scoop in your second spoonful of protein.

The Ativ One 7 also provides link integration with Windows file sharing. You can drop all of your family's music and photos onto the machine's 1TB of storage - providing you with a makeshift network attached storage option for the home.

I didn't love

Maybe it's just me, but I don't really see the value in a curved monitor for small form-factor desktop use. It's one thing to provide a more immersive experience for large format televisions that take up a ton of real estate in your living room. However, throwing a curve onto a 27-inch monitor doesn't do anything to enhance my experience, especially if that experience is dominated by Google Docs, Spreadsheets and email, which is how I typically use my desktop.

If you're watching a movie in 4K on one of Samsung's 105-inch TVs, you're almost literally immersed in the experience. You feel as if you're surrounded by the content. But in order to get the same feeling from a 27-inch curved desktop you almost have to sit an inch away from the monitor.

Speaking of 4K: If Samsung was focused on display innovation, why not bump up the resolution higher than full HD? Anyone who is excited enough to purchase a desktop because it curves is likely also going to crave 4K content. Samsung has led the pack when it comes to 4K TV, and they're about to lead the way for 4K smartphone displays, so why go cheap on the display for the Ativ One 7?

One more thing: I find more value in a touchscreen monitor than I do in a curved monitor, especially at 27 inches. I doubt I'll feel immersed in content using the Ativ One 7, but I'm positive touchscreen functionality would come in handy for activities like Netflix browsing, photo flipping and Angry Bird launching.

Early verdict

Buy the Ativ One 7 for what it is and not what you're likely to think it is. It's a fast enough desktop with a beautiful build whose tremendous speakers can get the party poppin'.

But don't be fooled by the shiny new object. Curved screens have their place, I just don't think that place is in small form-factor all-in-one computers.

from Techradar - All the latest technology news http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/allnews/~3/zMtLPOiQH3k/story01.htm