Author: Stuff writer

We’re fans of the new, flexible, more open Microsoft. And you may be too once you hear that Office for iOS and soon Android devices is now free to use without a paid Office 365 subscription. Users can now edit and create documents on mobile devices without paying up, although those with Office 365 memberships will have access to additional features, such as Dropbox integration and collaboration options. It’s the lead item of interest in a barrage of new Office-related announcements. Microsoft has also released iPhone-compatible versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, all of which are very similar to their…

The James Dyson Award was set up to promote engineering education in the image of the iconic inventor himself, and this year’s winner shows true ingenuity to solve a real health problem with relatively minor cost. James Roberts, a 23-year-old recent graduate of Loughborough University, has been awarded this year’s international prize for MOM: a portable, inflatable incubator that can do the job of a R535,000 hospital unit at a fraction of the price and has a 24-hour rechargeable battery. It even offers phototherapy for jaundiced infants. The MOM costs just R4,500 to construct, test, and ship to its destination,…

It’s only been a few short weeks since the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus debuted, but Apple’s already beavering away on its successor – and it could be adding a whole new dimension to future iPhones. According to Taiwanese site Economic Daily News (via MacRumors), Apple is working on glasses-free 3D technology with a view to incorporating it into forthcoming iPhones. The title – which has a somewhat spotty track record in predicting Apple’s future plans – claims that Apple’s developing a “naked eye 3D screen” along with a new “3D hardware and software ecosystem” that will sit on…

Ever since announcing its company split, HP has shown renewed gusto. The 3D-modeling Sprout desktop is fascinating and new, but even a gaming laptop is fresh territory for the company. But the just-announced HP Omen isn’t a chunky, ultra-powered, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of games-centric notebook. Instead, it’s a clear attack on the Razer Blade, and it’s similarly a slim, distinctive laptop tuned for gaming purposes – with the name and logo a reference to the former VoodooPC brand that HP bought and buried way back when. Read More: Aorus X7 v2 Review The Omen packs a 15.6in 1080p touch display, and…

Those turned off by the Xbox One’s giant body may be lured-in by reports suggesting a slimmer update is in the pipeline. The Xbox One looks massive next to the PlayStation 4, but leaked plans for a more efficient processor mean Microsoft may get the console toned for the beach in 2015. This Xbox One S (yes, we made the name up) is already in the works according to Eurogamer, which spotted the LinkedIn profile of an engineer claiming to have worked on the new Xbox project on an internet forum. The engineer “successfully planned and executed the first APU…

Whispers of a super-sized iPad Pro refuse to die out. The latest rumours come courtesy of Japanese site Macotakara’s mysterious ‘unnamed sources’, which describe an iPad that will bring the fight straight to the door of the 12.9in Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Contrary to past rumours, the site now claims that the iPad Pro will have a smaller 12.2in display, along with dual speakers. If true, that will make the iPad Pro the first iSlate to land with stereo speakers – a feature already present in HTC-made Google Nexus 9. The source also believe that the Pro will also apparently…

Many of us rely on Google Calendar for keeping track of our myriad appointments and obligations, but it’s an app that feels like it hasn’t evolved much over time. That’s changed as of today, at least for mobile and tablet users. Google just rolled out a brand new version of Calendar for Android to mark the release of the first Android 5.0 Lollipop devices – and the impending spread of the OS onto existing devices – and the result is an app that’s much smarter, not to mention significantly more attractive. [youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSTmkvn060E”] The new Calendar takes the form of…

HP may be best known for its printers and chunky-but-reliable laptops, but its first smartwatch is among the most stylish we’ve clapped eyes on. The company has teamed-up with Gilt Group designer Michael Bastian to produce the just-announced MB Chronowig, which will go on sale from 7 November. There are plenty of good and a few bad bits to the HP MB Chronowig: let’s start with the good. The good bits First, it looks like a normal watch, not a proof of concept no-one short of a lover of the socks-and-sandals combo would wear. “I wanted to create a wearable…

Intel Edison, the low cost computer that’s not much bigger than an SD card, is getting a nip and tuck in 2015. “We’ll have a better Edison in 2015 that will be smaller,” says Brian Krzanich, Intel’s CEO. “I still have the vision that we can take all of the functionality we have on Edison today and put it in something that’s roughly the size of your coat button.” “And it should be able to run on a battery, that’s about equal in size, for a couple of days. Which means that basically you can put a computer in the…

Samsung just won’t stop with the phones. Despite the company’s dismal financial performance over the past year and a vow to streamline its future smartphone offerings, the release schedule shows no signs of slowing do–– oh look, here are a couple of new Galaxy models! The Samsung Galaxy A5 and A3 are mid-range smartphones with premium design – slim, full-metal unibodies – and according to their makers they are “optimised for social networking”. With the A3 and A5 6.9mm and 6.7mm thick respectively, they’re also being billed as Samsung’s slimmest smartphones to date – although the Samsung Galaxy Alpha is…