Meizu MX4 Ubuntu Edition

Graham Morrison gets his hands on Canonical's third Ubuntu phone.

Building a mobile operating system to carve a chunk out of Android and iOS dominance is going to take courage and time. But one of the ways we've theorised that Canonical's Ubuntu Phone platform could become successful is if Canonical is able to find some partnership with a Chinese manufacturer and somehow tap into the ginormous Chinese market. This new phone isn't that. But it could be the beginning of the beginning of that. Meizu is one of China's biggest smartphone manufacturers, and the Ubuntu Edition of its MX4 handset is the first time the company has ventured outside its geographical comfort zone (the Ubuntu MX4 is only available in the EU) and its own Android-based ecosystem.

Secret Tips For Glary Utilities

Customise your right-click menus, split massive files and get daily PC tips for free

Split big files

Glary’s File Splitter tool lets you get around size limits on attachments imposed by internet service providers, freeing you up to email files of any size.

In File Splitter’s ‘Split file’ tab, use the first Browse button to select the original file, then the second Browse button to choose a destination for the split files. Now select the ‘User defined file size’ button, then type your (or your recipient’s) attachment limit in the box below – 10MB is a typical limit. Tick ‘Add Self-Joining Functionality to the split files set’, then click Split Now.

You can now send each of the resulting files as an attachment on individual emails. When all pieces have been received, your recipient needs to doubleclick the EXE file to have the original large file automatically reconstructed.

Fast Fixes Skype

Fix jerky video, stop your calls breaking up and make Skype sign you out properly

Skype won’t launch

If you can’t get Skype to launch, first make sure you’ve got the latest version (from www.snipca.com/16969). If it still fails to launch, temporarily disable some security tools, such as your firewall (but be wary of disabling your main antivirus program).

Remembering... Intel 486 DX2-66

David Hayward recalls an awesome processor

Moving up from an Intel 386 SX-25 to the utterly amazing Intel DX2-66 was one of the most powerful leaps in computing I've ever experienced; save for, perhaps, a Spectrum 48k to Atari ST. The DX range of processors were a quantum leap forward in desktop computing. The 386 DX had doubled the transistor count from the old 286, quadrupled the MIPS performance across the board and brought true 32-bit processing to the desktop masses. The memory address range was also vastly improved; up to 4GB of RAM or 64TB of virtual memory in protected mode - numbers considered almost too high to comprehend back in the 90s. The 486 DX was the first processor to feature a built-in Math Co-Processor and the first processor to finally break the one million transistor barrier.

Top 5 Computing Distractions

You know you should be working, but these things just won't let you

1 Games

Computer games, by their nature, are generally a bit of a waste of time; they exist to distract you from your boredom. But they can also drag you away from your work too. Of course, if you work in an office, then your employer might have made it impossible for you to install software on your workplace computer. However, if they haven't disabled Flash in your web browser or blocked gaming sites, you can still find plenty of ways to while away your time at sites like Miniclip.com. If only someone would pay you to play Tetris...

Xebec Tech Samurai

We cross swords with a capable gaming mouse

This eight-buttoned mouse has a lot going for it, such as the 3200dpi Avago 5050 optical sensor with adjustable dpi settings from 800, 1600, 2400 and 3200. There's also a dedicated turbo fire button, a multi-coloured LED setup, rubberised palm and side grip finish, and a set of built-in balancing weights that make the mouse a hefty 300g.

Edifier Studio M3280BT Speakers

A new set of mid-priced powered speakers from Edifier

I think it's fair to say that these days most of the population carry mobile phones. It's also a fair assumption that the vast majority of these are so called 'smartphones', which means they incorporate things like a GPS, camera, media player and much more. They also have multi connectivity, including wi-fi and of course Bluetooth. That coupled with the fact that most users carry around their music collection makes them ideal as portable music centres. Their only failing is the quality of the tiny speaker on board, which is why you'll see most users walking around with earphones perched on or in their ears.

XFX Pro 850W Black Edition

Mark feels the power flow from XFX to dedicated gamers

There was a time when those who bought power supplies just wanted more watts and maybe some dedicated PCIe lines for that demanding video card. But things have drastically changed, and the power demands made by the PC are actually going down.

Archos Weather Station

David Hayward has a go at predicting when it's going to rain

As Mrs Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility once said, "If you cannot think of anything appropriate to say, you will please restrict your remarks to the weather", which demonstrates the British fascination of the weather past, present and future.