Author: Stuff writer

CES is barely done and dusted, but the tech calendar waits for no-one, and LG is already getting ready for Mobile World Congress. Invites have started landing in inboxes, with a ‘Play Begins’ tagline teasingly telling us to save the date for the 21st of February. The G4 was a late arrival when it launched in April last year – two months after Samsung and HTC revealed the Galaxy S6 and One M9 at MWC. LG probably doesn’t want the same to happen this year, so the G5 looks like the most likely candidate. Even so, with no G Flex…

Motorola’s phones could be getting more than a simple name change in 2016, according to Lenovo’s SVP. Chen Xudong told Tech Sina his company has big plans for the brand, which merely starts with ditching the Motorola name for ‘Moto by Lenovo’. Moto-made phones will be strictly high-end from now on, with nothing smaller than a 5in screen – hardly great news for anyone that likes the cheap and cheerful Moto E and older, smaller Moto G. Lenovo’s Vibe range will take over as the budget name, with no more than 15 models planned across both brands. High-end phones need…

It’s still surprising to see how open Apple has become with its beta testing, and since the company seems to time its iOS, watchOS, and tvOS updates to launch simultaneously, that means a lot of clues coming out at once about the next big gadget enhancements. That’s the case again, as a public beta version for iOS 9.3 – along with developer versions of watchOS 2.2 and tvOS 9.2 – just came out, and all have interesting additions that could impact the way you use your Apple devices in various settings. Chief amongst the iOS features is Night Shift, which…

If you just can’t get to grips with larger iPhones, there’s a new name to look out for – the iPhone 5e. Apple’s been rumoured to be working on a 4in iPhone for a while, as not everyone liked the bigger iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. It was expected to follow in the footsteps of the 5c, with a plastic back and lots of colour choices, but reports from China say different. The 5e could have just two or three colours, and will look more like a shrunken iPhone 6 than a refreshed 5s. That means rounded corners, a metal…

After years of occasional Apple Car rumours, 2015 was the year that they really took shape, with the company reportedly spending big on research for an electric and possibly also self-driving car. And here’s a little more fuel for the fire. The company has registered multiple domain names for car-related pursuits, including apple.car, apple.cars, and apple.auto. MacRumors spotted the purchases via a domain registrar, noting that they were acquired in December. They don’t point anywhere for now, but they do provide a fresh clue towards Apple’s ambitions in the space. True, Apple has its CarPlay system for controlling media and…

The BlackBerry Priv is a revolutionary phone for the ailing company, and not because of the slider design or the high-end specs: it’s because the Priv is the first BlackBerry to run Android rather than its own homegrown operating system. And that move must really be paying dividends for BlackBerry, because CEO John Chen tells CNET that the company will only release Android-based devices in 2016. Chen says the company has one phone definitely coming out this year – maybe the leaked Vienna? – and possibly a second, but in any case, neither will launch with BlackBerry OS 10 installed.…

Who needs to wear a FitNit if the clothes you’re wearing can do an even better job at tracking your exercise? Hexoskin’s second-generation Smart shirt, revealed at CES, is all you need. It has sensors embedded all over the shirt, which monitor your breathing, heart rate and movement, whether you’re asleep or awake. Hexoskin’s app then takes the data and shows fitness-focused stats like calories burned, workout intensity and recover times. It’s all recorded to the tiny control box stitched into the side of the shirt, so you won’t need to take your phone with you when you head out…

HP has kitted out its Spectre x360 hybrid laptop line-up with the cutting-edge in display tech. Well, until 8K arrives at least. There’s an entirely new 15in model which can be specced-up with a 4K screen, while the existing 13.3in convertible now has an optional OLED display. We’re not sure which model we’re most excited about, frankly. OLED screens have the deepest blacks in the universe (just about) and also leave LCD screens far behind in terms of contrast. That makes them ideal for watching films, and HP is promising a higher colour gamut for graphics pros too. Plus, OLED…

Phones don’t usually grab the headlines at CES, but that didn’t stop LG launching two new budget bargain handsets at CES. The 5.3in K10 and 5in K7 look set to do battle with Motorola’s Moto G, with prices and specs to match. They look pretty tasty for cheap phones though; the glossy plastic pebble pattern round back should give you something to grip on to, and the 2.5D glass on the front curves into the frame just like the iPhone 6S. The 4G K10 is the star of the show, with an HD screen, octa-core CPU and 2GB of RAM.…

Want to own the very best DSLR that money can buy? You may have to get saving for Nikon’s new D5. Priced at a thoroughly premium £5,200 (R120,400 at a direct conversion) for its body only, the D5 replaces 2012’s D4 as Nikon’s flagship DSLR for photographic professionals. While the D5 looks pretty similar to its predecessor, its insides are packed with innovation. Most significantly, it’s Nikon’s first DSLR to feature 4K video recording. Given last year’s mirrorless J5 could only shoot ultra high definition footage at a ham-fisted 15fps, the D5 represents Nikon’s first real stab at 4K. DX…