The Indie Journey

How does an indie game go from concept to release, and what does that tell us about what Sony is really like? We speak to the developers behind OlliOlli, Velocity, and The Unfinished Swan to find out...

When talking about the fateful meeting that led to OlliOlli coming to Playstation, Roll7’s Simon Bennett recalls, “We sat down and said, ‘Here’s the stuff we’ve been doing and here’s our pedigree as a business outfit,' and they just really weren’t interested. We showed them a game we’d made for kids with ADHD - no interest there. We showed another thing we’d done previously - again, no interest. Tom [Hegarty, one of Roll7’s founders], seeing that there was no interest said to Shahid [Ahmad, former director of strategic content at SCEE], well, why don’t we show you our skateboarding game?”

Quantum Break: Delayed Gratification

Looking back, it’s actually a little surprising that Microsoft put so much faith in Remedy. When Quantum Break was first revealed alongside the Xbox One on that disastrous day back in April 2013 – the day the generation war was waged and wasted – Microsoft needed the ever-faithful second party studio to make good on its commitment to blending live-action television with high-octane gameplay, and it needed it quickly. But two release windows passed without note, Microsoft swiftly ditched its silver screen ambitions, and we’ve been left wondering whether Quantum Break would be crushed by the weight of its own ambition, frozen in time as a warning to those attempting to dictate to gamers what they supposedly want. But we’ve seen it in action and that thought couldn’t be further from the truth. Well, you know what they say, hindsight’s a bit of a bitch. With the 5 April launch date fast approaching, Quantum Break is hoping to prove itself as a bold storytelling experiment that’s quite unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before.

EVE: Valkyrie - The First VR Blockbuster

Does VR finally have its first must-play triple-A game?

2016 is the year virtual reality ceases to be a part of a hazy futurist’s dream and finally becomes, well, a reality. Oculus, HTC and Sony are all readying for the release of the first home-use displays, commercially available (and more importantly, affordable) hardware that threatens to be one of the most transformative and important pieces of technology humanity has seen in decades. But there isn’t an architectural, medical, or even educational drive behind the emerging technology; it’s videogames taking charge of this incredible innovation.

Tekken 7

A one-stop shop for fighting bears, cyborgs and melodrama

So this is how it ends; with women who can throw literal tiger uppercuts. You didn’t think that the Tekken series would attempt to wrap up the Mishima clan saga with an earnest and heartfelt confrontation between Heihachi, Kazuya and Jin alone did you? No, Katsuhiro Harada was never going to let the premier 3D fighter in the world go out like that. Only the very best in logic-defying, fist-exploding and animal-anthropomorphising gameplay could possibly do for the triumphant and epic conclusion to this story, and you can even experience it with VR.

Primal Evolution

Far Cry goes back to the past to present us the future of the franchise

Let’s be honest. While there are examples of successful series that have taken wildly unexpected turns in recent years – Metal Gear Solid and Super Mario being the two obvious standouts from 2015 – they are precious few in number. Games that are part of a wider, successful franchise tend not to rock the boat too much when it comes to their design choices and settings. Fewer still have swum against the current and succeeded in providing their audiences with something worthy of their respective franchise’s lofty status.

Empty your mind. And search it

Memory full? Download more, as Chris Salter explains...

To me, the Harry Potter films and books were an impressive production - well put together and with some well, magical, ideas. One of the ideas that sticks out to me was the Pensieve. For those unaware or who managed to avoid the Harry Potter phenomenon, the Pensieve was a magical device that allowed the user to siphon off thoughts from their mind and view them externally within the device, with the aim that viewing them in this way made it easier to view patterns and links and freed up some of the grey matter for other things. To me, such a device would be amazing and should greatly aid in my ability to recall information and help in my daily life and my main job of research!

Web Browser Synchronisation

Save time setting up browsers on multiple devices with options that can synchronise your data

Now that most people use more than one device to browse the internet, such as computers and mobile phones, sharing data between platforms is a very useful ability. Previously, information like favourites, logins and passwords needed to be set up separately on each device, but now there are options that can automate this for us, providing already entered information or set up preferences to other devices. This avoids repeated data entry and makes using multiple devices much easier and more convenient.

Get ready for WiGig and HaLow

Mark Pickavance covers some important wi-fi standards announcements that could address many problems with the existing technology

For those who still haven't transitioned to 802.11ac or maybe even 802.11n, a raft of recent announcements and product releases might just complicate their available choices.

Mobile Phone Buyer's Guide

Are the latest phones really worth the cost, or should you go for a cheaper option?

Despite some models costing a small fortune, mobile phones are worryingly disposable these days, with many users opting to upgrade their handsets annually in favour of the newest models. Some phones quickly become obsolete, lacking in essential features, while others may suffer from malfunctions. You may simply have the option of upgrading to a new handset via your carrier's contract and want to keep up to date. Whatever the reason for an upgrade, the mobile phone is one of the most disposable pieces of technology around, and the market is constantly changing, with new models replacing old mere months after launch.

The Best New Features in Windows 10

There's plenty of great new stuff to discover in Microsoft's latest OS

The size of Windows 10 means that discovering its new features isn't necessarily as easy as it might seem. You could have been using the software for months and still not have noticed some of the best new features in it. Similarly, if you've not used Windows 10 at all you might not realise, based on screenshots alone, what the full extent of its capabilities are.

So whether you're a new Windows 10 user who wants to find out what's available, a potential one who wants an advance look at what's in there, or a seasoned pro who could do with a refresher, we've compiled this list of the best new features in Windows 10 to help you figure it all out.

Cortana Vs. The Competition

How do the big three digital assitants compare?

The rollout of Windows 10 brought with it the release of Microsoft's natural-language digital assistant, Cortana. There's been long enough since then, we would hope, for it's bugs to have been worked out, so how does it compare to the competition? We tested Cortana, Siri and OK Google - all three major digital assistants - with a spread of questions to see what happened. It's not completely scientific, as Cortana was tested on a desktop PC and Siri/OK Google on their respective iPhone apps, but we do think this should give some insight into how each one behaves.

Hidden Windows 10 Secrets

Windows 10 has more to it than meets the eye...

Windows 10 is a surprisingly secretive operating system. Considering it looks a lot like Windows 8, you might be surprised to learn about all the things it does different under the hood. Some of these things are good, some you might think are bad - but Microsoft, perhaps not surprisingly, didn't go to great lengths to make it clear which are which.

That's where we can step in, though, because we've got all you need to know about the hidden machinery of Windows right here. What's it doing? What's it not doing? And why should you care?

Windows Tips & Tricks

Here are our favourite under-used Windows 10 features...

Windows 10 is a huge piece of software, and even if you think you're well versed in the ways of Microsoft's flagship operating system, there are enough new features and options to mean that you're almost certainly missing out on some useful and interesting features. So, whether you're new to the latest incarnation of Windows or a seasoned user who thinks they know it all, we’ve put together this selection of tips and tricks that should give you something new to try. And maybe it'll even be useful too.

QEMU Manager

All about virtualisation

Virtualisation is one of the most exciting projects to come out of the modern-day computing world. As most of us have a PC, we can successfully run a variety of different operating systems from within the comfort of our favourite desktop. Whether it’s a Windows host, running the latest Ubuntu or a Slackware host running a copy of Windows 8, the possibilities are almost endless.

However, for most OS emulators and virtual machines, we're stuck with using the same x86 combinations within the likes of VirtualBox or VMWare (although there are exceptions). To emulate different CPUs and architectures, we need something different, such as QEMU.

Top 5 UK "How To" Google Searches Of 2015

What did we ask the most last year?

1 How To Lose Belly Fat

We're guessing a fair few of these searches came just after major national holidays, like Christmas and Easter, but no doubt how to lose a few pounds is a year-round problem. Micro Mart isn't a health magazine, though, so we're not going to suggest that eating less and moving more might help. And neither are we going to suggest that ice cream and Snickers bars do not a nutritious breakfast make.

Remembering... Atari 7800

David Hayward recalls the once king of the consoles

Following the success of the Atari 2600 and its successor, the Atari 5200, this renowned games company was desperate to get its next-generation console out to an eager market.

But after the 1984 announcement of the new Atari 7800, it took three years before the console itself was on UK shelves, with it being made available the year before in the US. This gap was enough to cause Atari some immense headaches, as the Nintendo Entertainment System had already been realised and was dominating the gaming market that Atari so desperately wanted to claim.

Sengled Pulse

Let there be light... and some music too

With the rise of smart everything these days, it was really only a matter of time before someone married a light bulb and a Bluetooth speaker together.

The Sengled Pulse is the product of this blissful union, in the form of a pair of large 8W 600-lumens bulbs - one designated as the Master, the other as the Satellite. All you need do is download the Sengled app for either your Android or iOS device, enable Bluetooth and connect to the Master bulb.

Once paired, you'll be able to control the light and the built-in JBL wireless speaker from the accompanying app. And if you've placed the bulbs at an appropriate distance from each other, you'll be able to enjoy streamed stereo music from your device and through the bulbs.

Asus Strix 2.0 Headset

What do these headphone offer, other than an usual appearance?

As a technology journalist, one tends to spends more time than the average person trying to make sense of marketing speak. The Strix 2.0 stereo headset is a case in point.

Much is made of the 'thunderous' 60mm neodymium drivers, the travel-friendly design and the cross-platform functionality, but how much of this actually worth mentioning, and how much is little more than hyperbole?

Asus ZenPad C7.0

Anthony finds out how much tablet you can get for less than £80

Finding a cheap tablet is easy. They're everywhere, from e-shops to high-street stores. But they're not without their problems. Buying an unbranded Chinese-made device, for example, is obviously a risky business. And the Kindle Fire, on sale (at time of writing) for just £40, might be from a recognisable name, but's inevitably geared towards selling you Amazon stuff, and it lacks the Google Play store out of the box.

For a while, the Tesco Hudle was the one to beat, but since it's no longer in production, there seems to be a gap for a reliable, low-price tablet with access to Google Play. Can the ZenPad С 7.0 from Asus fill that void?

Corsair Carbide Series 600C Case

The PSU returns to its spiritual home in Corsair's latest case

Case makers have my sympathy, because differentiating their designs is generally undermined by the requirements to support the ATX 2.0 systems we put in them. Many just mess around with the outside, rather than taking on the greater challenge of doing anything radical with the internals.

Corsair's Carbide Series 600C is something of a shock to first behold, because it takes the norms of conventional case wisdom and abruptly turns them on their head.

Asus Travelair N (WHD-A2)

We look at a hard drive that has its own wi-fi hotspot

A good external hard drive can be immensely useful in a number of ways, including for transferring files from computer to another, or to provide a straightforward backup solution. Logically, though, the market for them must have shrunk in recent times, considering how many people these days do most of their computing tasks on a tablet or smartphone.

There are, however, ways to serve mobile devices with external disks, while also bridging the gap between them and tradition personal computers: wireless drives. Yes, you can use a USB hard drive with many smart devices by using an OTG (on the go) converter, but with a wireless disk, you don't even need to do that.

IT Tablets 10" Tablet

Quad core performance, all the way from Leeds

The Best Tablet Company started life a few years ago when Nova Smith, the founder, required a tablet for her work while she was in and out of hospital caring for her newborn son.

The current slew of tablets at the time were a little too expensive for the then-struggling family, but Smith found one of the many Chinese import tablets on Alibaba and was so impressed she started a company selling them on Amazon.

Since then, the company has grown, and it now sells its own brand of tablet, using the name the IT Tablets.

Free hospital Wi-Fi

Having to pay for web access in hospital literally adds insult to injury. David Crookes looks at government plans for free Wi-Fi in all hospitals

Free Wi-Fi? What sort of sweet pill is that?

A very good one, we’d say. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has made plenty of enemies within the NHS but his proposal to provide free Wi-Fi in all health-service buildings has been widely welcomed. It was one of a number of ideas put forward to the National Information Board in a government-commissioned report by Martha Lane Fox, the co-founder of Lastminute.com and now Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho. Mr Hunt said that: “Everyone using the NHS expects it to be a world leader in digital healthcare and free Wi-Fi is an essential part of making that a reality”.

Recover lost and stolen devices

If your beloved phone, camera or bike has gone missing, don’t despair – there’s still a chance you could get it back. Robert Irvine reveals the methods most likely to succeed

Fix Windows Error Messages

Is your PC pestering you with perplexing problems? Wayne Williams reveals the causes and solutions of the 34 most frequent and frustrating error messages in Microsoft’s operating system

When it’s working as intended, Windows is a fantastic piece of software. It’s easy to use and customise, and generally responds to commands appropriately. But when things go wrong, the operating system – whichever version you’re using – can cause major headaches. It’s not just fixing the problem that can be tricky, but understanding exactly what the error means and what’s causing it.

Geneva AeroSphère Large

Geneva’s globe on a pole might look like designer furniture, but it also aims to cut the sonic mustard

Being un-square is good, and being a single unit that’s a doddle to accommodate – whether on a sideboard or, as here, it’s dedicated £149 single-column stand – takes us back to the days of mono when having to fi nd the room for two loudspeakers was an inconvenience yet to come. Not that the AeroSphère Large is mono, of course. It isn’t even stereo in the conventional sense. As you might well imagine, pulling a quart-sized soundstage out of a pint-sized pot requires a degree of trickery and psycho acoustic manipulation. Geneva calls its sonic shtick “embracing sound”, a proprietary application of DSP designed to give a broad, deep, three-dimensional soundfi eld that comfortably defi es the physical boundaries of a slightly fl attened orb measuring just 40cm between its equatorial extremities, with good results over a wide listening area rather than a specifi c sweet spot.

Musaic MP5 Music Player & MP10 Music Player

Compact multi-room system that integrates hi-res streaming with smart home technology

Being able to access and enjoy music throughout our homes is a luxury that many audio fans treasure. And judging by the plethora of desktop and multi-room systems promising hi-res capability rubbing shoulders with high-end standalone separates in today’s marketplace, this is also becoming increasingly more common. Musaic may seem like the new kid on the hi-fi block, but this London-based startup stems from experienced lineage, co-founded and run by ex-Cambridge Audio technical director Matthew Bramble.

Gramofon

Add streaming to your system or multi-room to your home for less than £50

Multi-room music tends to be a polarising subject: on one hand you have the buyers willing to splash the cash for the simplicity and performance of ready-made solutions, from the likes of Sonos all the way up to high-end network music players from Linn and Naim; on the other, there’s the “they all sound the same” brigade, looking for the cheapest way to do it. If only there was a way of combining both into one unit...

Ruark R2 Mk3: Radio star

Ruark has refreshed its popular R2 radio with features including multi-room functionality

Having carved quite a cosy niche for itself in the premium DAB radio sector, Ruark has a portfolio of attractive-looking products that offer a range of cutting-edge features as well as delivering consistently good sound for the size. With a seemingly ageless aesthetic, this third version of the stereo R2 radio looks very similar to the 2007 original, but there have been some significant changes to the spec over the years and the latest model has more sources than most. Established favourites DAB, DAB+ and FM tuners remain, along with a rear-mounted USB for charging and playing back tethered smartphones and external drives.

Elac Debut B6: California dreaming

Designed at the company’s American headquarters, the new Debut B6 is a different type of Elac

It’s Elac Jim, but not as we know it! I have reviewed countless loudspeakers from this established German company over the years, and been impressed by many aspects of the sound, style and design – but the Debut B6 represents a ‘clean sheet’ loudspeaker by a newly hired acoustic engineer, done in a foreign country at a new price point. How’s that for a change of direction?

JBL Arena 5.1

I'm sure most of you will know that JBL is one very famous company. Its speakers can be found in commercial cinemas across the globe and domestically it makes the mind-boggling Synthesis line that can be heaped up until you're spending cost-no-object type money and have world-class audio to go with it.

And as well as histories (JBL dates back to the 1940s) speaker companies also have personalities. British hi-fi brands tend to espouse a smooth, almost polite output. German hi-fi leans toward a cold antiseptic sting with crisp high frequencies. American audio can seem brash. And JBL is the latter – on the automotive side, the company is unassailable for making potent drivers for car nerds at ridiculously low prices. It makes high-end in-car gear, too, of course.

Involve Audio Surround Master: Anyone for quadraphonics?

We take multichannel audio for granted, but not even AV old-timers who can remember the original Dolby Surround decoders were the first kids on the block. Furthermore, multichannel music predated the closing credits of a film soundtrack – never mind hi-res formats like DVD-A, SACD and Blu-ray audio. For domestic surround sound's beginnings, you need to go back to the early 1970s and the crazy world of quadraphonics.

To achieve the best real-time playback from most quad albums you needed, until recently, to acquire the sophisticated decoders of the era. Needless to say, specimens that still work are expensive and rare. The SM465 Surround Master from Australian firm Involve Audio aims to rectify that problem.

Hisense LTDN50K321UWT

On the evidence of this great-value 4K TV from Chinese marque Hisense.

While the prices of 4K TVs have plummeted since the first models came out in 2013, nothing quite prepares you for the LTDN50K321UWT from Chinese brand Hisense. And I'm not just talking about that tongue-twisting model number – this is a 50in 4K TV that can be yours for around £500, despite appearing on paper to have all the features needed to keep up with more expensive offerings from better known brands.

While Hisense is new to the UK, it’s been around since 1969 in its native China. In fact, it claims nearly a fifth of the Chinese TV market and, even more strikingly, by the end of 2014 it had grabbed 6 per cent of the global TV pie. It followed this with sponsorship of the Infiniti Red Bull Formula One racing team. It seems that Hisense is here to stay.

LG 65EF950V OLED TV

No matter how glamorous curved screens look, and no matter how hard Samsung tries to argue that curved TV screens improve the viewing experience, they’re still roundly (see what I did there?) avoided by many buyers. This has led to frustration among AV die-hards desperate to upgrade to OLED screen tech but unable to find an OLED screen that wasn’t curved.

Thankfully LG has cottoned on to this and released a range of flat OLED models: the EF950V series. And we’re looking at the 4K, £4,000, 65in 65EF950V model.

Pioneer XDP-100R: Portable supersound

The portable player category is hotting up nicely and Pioneer has just delivered a very impressive new contender

The portable audio player market is being pushed with gusto, gripping the coat-tails of a growing interest in hi-res music, the proliferation of streaming services and our inability to put down our devices. The latest entrant to this arena is the XDP-100R from Pioneer, and it's a bit tasty.

This portable player has a few features that suggest Pioneer has been paying attention to criticisms levelled at rivals. First up, the XDP-100R is built around the Android platform but uses the more recent (and vastly improved) Android Lollipop OS, which makes for a faster and slicker UI. This in turn is mated to a 720 x 1,280 screen that occupies pretty much the entire front panel. So while audio is still the main focus, video is more than just an afterthought.

Panasonic DMR-PWT655

Blu-ray player, PVR functionality and media streaming in a single box

The very first Blu-ray player, Samsung's BDP-1000, lacked Ethernet. It was one of the few without such connectivity, and therefore unable to let early adopters sample  the delights of BD-Live. Of course, BD-Live turned out to be pointless, but an ability to connect to your home network, and the 'net, wasn't; BD players were soon offering networked playback and a range of TV-like smart features, including, ironically, access to the on-demand services that are threatening physical media.

Panasonic's DMR-PWT655 can do all of this and more. The network player of this slim-line and distinctly house-styled machine is DLNA-compatible; the handset totes a shortcut key to a Netflix portal; playback of 4K (not BD) content (and upscaling) is proffered.

Epson EH-TW5300: Home cinema matinee idol

The home cinema projection market is evolving. At the premium end, 4K and laser light are beginning to dominate, while 1080p offerings are vacating the middle ground and heading into territory once dominated by low-cost 720p shooters. In between stretches a yawning chasm where manufacturers are increasingly wary of treading.

The EH-TW5300 reviewed here is one of a trio of lookalike low-cost Full HD models released by the world’s biggest projector brand. Sandwiched between the EH-TW5350 and EH-TW5210, it’s a well-specified 2D/3D model aimed at both casual users and more dedicated AV enthusiasts. Do you really need to spend more for a true home cinema experience? Perhaps not…

Fronting the unit is Epson’s D9 LCD panel technology, illuminated by a bright UHE lamp. The latter is claimed to last around 3,900 hours, extending to 7,500 in Eco mode. Epson suggests you’ll be able to watch a movie every day for 11 years without changing the lamp. Whether you can find that many actually worth watching is another matter entirely.

Pioneer SC-LX89: 3D audio with a passion

With DOLBY ATMOS and DTS:X in its armoury, the SC-LX89 is currently Pioneer’s best-dressed AV receiver. No stone has been left unturned when it comes to advanced functionality. But is there more to this badass box than high-tech feature overload? 

Yes, actually. And it's how it sounds. The SC-LX89 has serious performance chops. Up and running, you won’t be able to tear yourself away from its sonic embrace.

Its predecessor, the SC-LX88, was respectable enough, but later rivals showed it up as something of a perfunctory listen. It just didn’t quicken my pulse in the way a hefty home cinema amp should. This update is immeasurably more exciting. The more I used it, the more I wanted to use it. Whatever was amiss with the SC-LX88 has been put right here.

Panasonic TX-65CZ952B: The best TV ever?

For many serious AV fans, OLED currently looks like the holy grail of TV technology, ready to usurp LED-lit LCD TV and light the way to a new era of home entertainment. If OLED doesn't excite you, then you may be reading the wrong magazine.

Why is OLED a big deal? Because its self-emissive approach to crafting pictures follows plasma’s example of enabling each pixel to deliver its own light and colour independent of its immediate neighbours. This allows for levels of contrast and colour precision that not even the most expensive and precise of today’s LCD TVs can rival.

Yet for all its potential magnificence, getting OLED perfection in the homes of film fans has been thwarted by a combination of ultra-expensive prices and a few sporadic performance issues. Here, however, in the shape of the 65in 4K Panasonic 65CZ952B, I’m happy to say I’ve found an OLED TV that at least fixes the picture quality hiccups. Just don’t mention the price…

What will be in the next big Windows 10 update?

Expect changes to the Action Centre and Cortana when Redstone hits your PC

When Windows 8.1 launched in October 2013, many Windows 8 users reacted by saying that Microsoft should have waited until this incarnation was ready before releasing the operating system (OS). A similar response may await Redstone, which will be the biggest Windows 10 update yet when it arrives later this year.

CyberGhost 5 For Android

David Hayward uses a secure stick with which to beat the prying eyes of the internet

We’ve covered a number of programs in the past that are designed with your online security, privacy and anonymity in mind.

Most of them are really good and do the job of keeping you private and safe very well indeed. However, there’s one program that stands head and shoulders above the rest and works to better complement the already fantastic services offered.

Is Piracy Finally Being Beaten?

A group of crackers reckon the number of pirated games looks set to dry up by 2018, as David Crookes explains

You may well be aware that Football Manager is blamed for more divorces than any other game ever made. But did you know that the stat-packed title, which gives fans a chance to take the tiniest of minnows to the glory of the Champions League, is also the most illegally downloaded game of all time?

Spectacular Tech Fails Of 2015

Mark Pickavance covers some of the less than triumphant moments that technology brought us in 2015

For many companies, it seems, failure is always an option. Some of these are failures of management. Others are failure to communicate to the customer, and a few are just the sorts of disasters that modern tech businesses seem to naturally attract.

In many respects, 2015 has been a classic year for technological fails. Here are just a few of the moments that those involved would undoubtedly prefer to forget.

Microsoft Surface Family Comparison

David Briddock evaluates the products that make up Microsoft’s Surface family tree

Do you fancy buying one of those 2-in-1 devices that have both tablet and laptop configurations? Then the Microsoft Surface family warrants careful consideration.

Android Emulation

Did you know you can emulate your Android phone on your PC? You can, and here’s how

Emulation is a fascinating thing and can be used to turn your PC into a vast array of different devices. Often skirting the grey area of legality, emulation has been used for all manner of things – from the very grey area of emulating past games systems, to running different operating systems, such as Apple’s OS X within Windows. It’s a very useful software trick, and one that opens up a great deal of functionality.

Adblocking is a boycott

David Carroll takes a closer look at how marketing technology has failed 

It’s been called the biggest boycott in human history; nearly 200 million people worldwide are now blocking online ads. Adblockers are browser extensions that prevent digital ads and trackers from loading. Trackers gather data about us through our browsing habits, and are used to target ads and record if we have viewed them. Advertisers only pay publishers when their ad loads into our field of view.

Top 5 Unwritten Rules Of Social Networking

None of these are in the T&Cs, but they’re probably even more important…

1 Don’t Drunk Post

Social networking has become completely entwined into the daily lives of many people; every time they have an interesting thought, see something they like or eat something particularly tasty, they share it with their friends and family – or even with complete strangers. Of course, when you’ve had a few too many to drink, pretty  much everything can seem worthy of sharing with the world, whether that’s the sublime, the mundane or – more dangerously – the completely inappropriate. Yes, that risque or edgy joke might sound good in your head after you’ve had your fifth Babycham of the evening, but once you’ve sobered up and your better judgment has returned to full control of your body, you might wish you’d left your phone at home.

Recreated ZX Spectrum

We get to review an old favourite, again

It’s fair to say that I have a bit of a soft spot for the ZX Spectrum. It is, after all, the first computer I ever owned and what got me into this whole crazy technology world I now work and play in.

I therefore followed with great interest the Kickstarter project from Elite, back when it was first launched in December 2013 – even when the project stalled due to unpaid royalties to some developers of the games featured. It’s been a bit of struggle for the team behind the project to finally get the Recreated ZX Spectrum to the desktops of the backers, but despite some bad press from certain quarters, it’s finally here. And we now have a valid excuse to re-play Chuckie Egg.

Speedlink Medusa 5.1 True Surround Headset

Because you wouldn’t want any false surround now, would you?

How much difference does surround really make? I’ve had my fair share of surround systems, and certainly when it comes to movies and TV, I’d much rather have a good set of stereo speakers and a strong subwoofer, because I honestly don’t care if I can hear helicopters flying over my head while I’m watching Die Hard.

Gigabyte P34W v5

Performance mobile gaming on the go

The last time we had a Gigabyte P-series laptop in for review, we were extremely impressed by its performance, build quality and price. That was the P34 v3. This time, we have the newest member of the P-series, the P34W v5.

The list of specifications on the P34W v5 are just magnificent, as they were on the previous generation model. This particular 14" laptop boasts a sixthgeneration 3.5GHz Intel i7-6700HQ processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 128GB M.2 SSD and a further 1TB 2.5" hard drive. Installed on the SSD is a copy of Windows 10 64-bit Home Edition.