Author: Stuff writer

If Apple doesn’t reveal the iPad Air 2 on Thursday, we’re going to eat a bowl of microUSB cables. But while the next-gen tablet has been expected to make an appearance for quite some time, there’s been little word on its smaller brother. Silence regarding the iPad Mini 3 has lifted however, with Japanese site Mac Otakara claiming that its “trusted sources” believe that Apple will reveal a revamped version of its mini slate alongside the Air 2. There’s little to go on in terms of specs beyond the expected inclusion of a Touch ID home button, but we expect…

Apple has fired invites across the internet, confirming its October 16 event, and people are accidentally hurling their iPads into a lake, ready to claim on insurance in order to buy a very slightly different iPad. Apple’s Cupertino ‘Town Hall’ is the venue, and 6pm is the time. “It’s been way too long,” says the invite itself, causing the entire internet to read far too much into a few words and Apple’s marketing team to burst blood vessels through belly laughing at the various interpretations. Still, join us as we harass our psychic pigeon, to discover what’s in store in…

Samsung likes to cultivate its fanbase by poking fun at Apple’s own, but here’s one thing that we can all agree on: much faster Wi-Fi would be amazing. And Samsung says it has figured that out. According to a release put out over the weekend, Samsung says it has developed 802.11ad standard 60Ghz Wi-Fi technology that actually works, offering more than five times the data transmission speeds of current gear, from 866Mbps (108MB per second) to 4.6Gbps (575MB per second). Current Wi-Fi options use 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz spectrums, but 60Ghz is likewise an unlicensed spectrum available around the world, and…

Typing on a smartwatch – impossible. Impractical. Absolutely ridiculous. These thoughts all crossed our minds when we heard that Microsoft was working on an on-screen keyboard for Android Wear smartwatches. Until we watched a video of it in action. FINGERS AT THE READY Instead of a full QWERTY keyboard crammed with incredibly small, impossible-to-hit keys, Microsoft’s solution is far simpler. It lets you draw one letter at a time, with delete and space keys flanking the input box. While we’ve yet to test it ourselves, it appears to be quite accurate, although it’s probably better suited for short messages and…

Eager for hands-on time with the next big PlayStation 4 games, and maybe even a first glance at some unannounced titles? Better book a flight to Vegas, since Sony’s planning a public event of its own. The PlayStation Experience will be a two-day event held in Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States on 6-7 December, and unlike PAX and other expos, Sony won’t need to fight against Microsoft, Nintendo, and others for attention: it’s all about PlayStation. In a post on the PlayStation.Blog, social media senior manager Sid Shuman says the event will have developer panels, playable demos of…

Goodbye, Windows 8 – it’s been er, interesting. But don’t feel too bad as you pack your bags – it’s not like you actually sunk Microsoft or anything (although we know that you did your damnedest). And as you begin the slow process of clearing the building before Windows 10’s arrival in ‘late 2015’, you can take some spiteful pleasure in knowing that your successor will face sky-high expectations. Not least, Windows 10 is billed as the one OS that will work on everything, from desktop to tablet to mobile. If you’re curious, you can install the Windows 10 Technical…

Given the number of people taking selfies, it was only a matter of time before some enterprising smartphone manufacturer thought to kit out a phone with a decent front-facing camera. HTC is that manufacturer, and the Desire Eye is that phone. The standout feature is its twin 13MP cameras – one on the front, one on the back. Round the front, there’s an f/2.2 camera with a 22mm wide-angle lens; on the back, there’s an f/2.0 camera with a 28mm wide-angle lens. Both are capable of shooting 1080p video and both pack a dual LED flash. Naturally, there’s a laundry…

Well, we knew pretty much everything about it weeks ago, but HTC has officially unveiled its new action camera, the RE. Sporting a cylindrical shape that the company says makes it far more comfortable to hold than rivals such as the GoPro, the RE has a built-in grip sensor that can automatically start the recorder rolling when you pick it up. If you prefer to do things the old-fashioned way, a single shutter button operates both still and video shooting: tap it for the former, hold it down for the latter. The RE has a 16MP CMOS sensor and f/2.8…

We heard late last week that Apple’s next big product reveal event was likely happening on 16 October, and today the company confirmed the reports by issuing press invitations with the tag, “It’s been way too long.” That’s surely poking fun at the fact that Apple just held an event for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and Apple Watch less than a month ago, but it might also pertain to the rumours of new Mac hardware – namely updated Mac Mini models two years after the last refresh. iMac computers with Retina displays are also expected to debut, and…

The Nintendo 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. has only recently launched, but Nintendo curiously avoided pinning down a date for the more-anticipated Wii U release, which made it seem like it would miss this year. Amazingly, it won’t, as Nintendo has announced plans to release the Wii U version in South Africa and Europe on 5 December. North American players will get it a couple weeks sooner on 21 November. In addition to the standalone version of the game in a retail package or download from the eShop, Nintendo will have two special packages available. One features a boxed…