Xara Web Designer 365 Premium

Website creation made simple

Once upon a time, learning some basic HTML and CSS commands was enough to put together a competent web page. But things have got more complicated, not least because people use a wider variety of computers and mobile devices to browse the web. So these days the best options are either to use an online service that does most of the work for you, such as Weebly, WordPress.com or (if you don’t mind paying a subscription) Squarespace. Alternatively, get yourself a web-design program like Xara Web Designer.

GoPro Hero4 Session

A smaller action camera

Cramming most of the essential parts of an action camera into half the size is quite an achievement. The point of these devices, after all, is to be as small and light as possible, to clip on to your equipment while you run, ride, sail or surf. In fact, GoPro were so pleased with themselves, they decided to charge the same price for the Hero4 Session as they do a full-size Hero4 camera (around £330).

Philips Izzy BM5

A cheap multi-room speaker

Multi-room audio, where speakers around your house link up electronically so you can control what plays where, has traditionally been the preserve of expensive systems from brands like Sonos and Bose. More recently, though, cheaper options have emerged, such as the Gramofon, which lets you stream music to your existing sound system. Philips’ Izzy BM5 has the speaker built in. You can use it as a standalone wireless speaker, or use up to five units in tandem.

CaptionBot

Want captions for your photos? Microsoft’s new tool can help

What is it?

Microsoft’s new photo-recognition website that ‘reads’ images then provides suitable captions describing the scene. You upload a photo at www.captionbot.ai, wait for Microsoft to analyse it, then mark the resulting caption out of five for accuracy. It’s the company’s latest attempt of many to demonstrate how its artificial-intelligence (AI) software can understand the content of a photo without human help.

Samsung Galaxy TabPro S

The first Galaxy Tab with Windows 10

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Samsung must be Apple’s biggest fan. It already makes the closest rivals to the iPad Mini and iPad Air, so it’s only natural that it would come up with an alternative to the 12.9in iPad Pro. And here it is.

Although its rear panel is plastic rather than aluminium, the TabPro S looks very much like an iPad, even down to the design of small features like the speaker grille. Yet it’s really more of a rival to Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4, a 12.3in tablet with a clip-on keyboard. Both run Windows 10, so you can install exactly the same apps as you would on a laptop. The iPad Pro, by contrast, is based on iOS, like iPhones, so it can’t run the same apps as a MacBook.

Samsung Galaxy J5

A cheap phone that lasts longer

Launched last year in China and India, the Galaxy J5 is now officially available in the UK, and it’s rather a good budget phone. The case looks slightly old-fashioned, with its rounded chrome rim and matt black, white or gold plastic back, but it’s well made and easy to hold. While other budget phones expect you to put up with a dull screen, the J5’s display uses Samsung’s AMOLED technology – the cheapest model yet to do so – for a stunningly vivid image covering the whole sRGB colour range.

Rip-Off Software You Must Never Use

Don’t assume that expensive software is worth the investment. Jonathan Parkyn exposes the 15 programs you should never pay for – and reveals the free alternatives that are just as good

Owning a computer can be an expensive business. Beyond the initial cost of the PC itself, there’s the never-ending outlay on broadband fees, printer ink, photo paper and other expenses. It all stacks up.

You can add paid-for programs to that list - but are they really worth the outlay? Not always, so it’s vital you know which software is worth investing in and which isn’t.

HP Chromebook 14-ak003na

A cheap and cheerful Chromebook

By now we all know what a Chromebook is – a laptop that’s too cheap to run Windows. That may sound a tad cynical, so here we give HP an opportunity to prove to us that less can be more. Similar to the previous model at first glance, it’s been beefed up with a faster processor.

There’s a visible difference, too. Once you lift the white lid, the casing around the screen and keyboard have a bright cyan tint. The effect reminded us of Apple’s Bondi Blue iBook G3, back in the 1990s: the first curvy, colourful laptop. The Chromebook 14 is distinctly 21st Century, however, and quite slim and light for a machine with a decentsized screen.

Asus ZenBook UX305CA

An excellent Windows 10 laptop

Asus’ ZenBook UX305 was one of our favourite laptops of 2015, and now it’s been updated to make it even better. The choice of finishes – Obsidian (black), Aurora (silver) or Ceramic (white) – and a minimalist metal chassis unspoilt by clunky plastic panels give it the appearance of a far more expensive laptop.

This upmarket feel isn’t just skin deep. Thanks to a processor from Intel’s latest M series (which generates less heat than its predecessors), the UX305CA doesn’t require a fan to expel hot air. This not only means it has one less mechanical component that can go wrong, but it also means you can work in complete silence.