Apple records

Mac users beware. The war against privacy intrusions has just begun.

War is over, if you want it. Maybe that was pure optimism from John Lennon, but the same need not be true of privacy. Contrary to what people with vested interests may tell you, our new internet age does not have to mean privacy is over. It just means you have be vigilant for the unending dirty tricks that keep rearing to pull personal information from you for whatever reason.

There is a constant battle between businesses and governments on the one side, and the private individual and his or her dignity on the other. This was brought to mind by some surprising changes in Apple’s new desktop operating system.

CorelDRAW Home & Student Suite X7

A comprehensive graphic-design suite at a bargain price.

While many high-end graphics suites only offer reduced prices to those who can prove they’re currently in education, CorelDRAW Home & Student Suite X7 is available to everyone. It costs under £100 and is identical to the £480 professional edition, except it’s missing Corel Website Creator and a few features only very advanced users will miss.

This makes it a great option for hobbyists, whether you’re already a wizard with a graphics tablet or simply keen to try your hand at new skills. Plus, you can install it on up to three computers in your household.

Canon PIXMA MG5650

Canon's latest home MFP looks smart and performs well.

The Canon Pixma MG5650 is a multifunction printer (MFP), which means it prints, scans and copies. It offers plenty of features including duplex printing, wireless connectivity and the ability to scan and print without the need for a computer. It’s a stylish device made of high-quality plastic. While it has a colour display, it isn’t touch sensitive and the controls can be a little confusing due to the somewhat convoluted on-screen menus.

Why haven’t smartphone batteries improved?

Battery technology seems stuck in the dark ages. Nicole Kobie examines its limitations and reveals the research that could cause a power revolution.

Smartphone screens are getting bigger and sharper, processors are ever-more powerful, but battery life continues to be the bane of our ongoing mobile existence.

No wonder, then, that a recent pair of surveys showed battery life as one of the key considerations when buying a smartphone. Global Market Institute found that 89% rated a phone’s battery life as “important” – far more so than the 68% who chose by the brand of the handset – and said extending time between charges was so crucial to users that some turned off key features or turned down screen brightness in order to extend battery life. A separate study by uSwitch revealed that 89% of Britons would be more likely to buy a smartphone purely based on longer battery life, rather than more flashy features such as voice controls, flexible displays or even 3D graphics.

LG 65UB980V: Bold and beautiful

LG's high-end 4K TV combines brilliant Smarts with great images. John Archer reports

LG has had a topsy-turvy year in TV. On the upside, the brand’s taken the Smart TV world by storm with its WebOS interface. On the downside, it’s struggled to keep up with some rivals on the picture quality front.

Chiefl y, this is because the IPS panels it employs in its LED-lit fl atscreens have failed to deliver the sort of contrast performances we’ve come to expect from rival LCD technologies. If any TV’s going to lift LG into the A-List, though, it’s the 65UB980V. After all, this is the company's fl agship 65in model for 2014, and as such it comes packing the highest levels of LG’s hardware and software wizardry.