Transform your mobile keyboard

Find it tricky to type on your phone and tablet? Jane Hoskyn recommends apps that will make it easier, whether you use Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS

Android users recently woke up to find a brand new default keyboard on their phones and tablets. Though the thought of Google tinkering with your phone when you’re not looking is perturbing, we think Gboard is one new feature that’s well worth taking the time to get used to. And here we’ll show you how to get the very most from it.

Gboard is far from the end of the mobile-typing story though, because there are plenty of new tools that make typing on a tiny screen a pleasure (yes, really). Here we reveal the best of the bunch.

Stop using Windows security

Our new antivirus group test reveals shocking Windows Defender deficiencies. Mike Plant reveals which free and paid-for antivirus protection you can actually trust to keep your PC safe.

There was a time when your antivirus (AV) simply had to keep your PC free of threats lurking on the internet to keep you happy. These days you have greater expectations of your AV. We receive as many letters from readers complaining that their AV is slowing their PC, as we do about how well (or otherwise) the software is protecting their computer.

We considered all these concerns when we planned our current AV test. The level of protection provided by each product is of course the main criterion, but we wanted to make sure the software runs smoothly, and that any extras - system cleaners, firewalls, etc - don’t have a negative impact on Windows and other programs. This is reflected in the ‘system-impact’ scores you’ll see throughout the feature.

Repair Things On Your Own

Repairing broken devices is a fun and resource-friendly activity. We’ll show you how you can revive defective hardware

Why throw away a smartphone that’s just two years old just because the display is cracked or the battery is worn out? Modern leaps in technology are no longer rapid enough to force you to have the newest model at all times. If the warranty has already expired, there’s nothing to prevent you from putting your craftsmanship to good use. In fact, repair instructions can be obtained quite easily from companies like iFixit or numerous YouTube videos. Online retailers such as eBay and AliExpress often obtain tools and spare parts from the same Chinese factories that supply the hardware manufacturers with their devices.

However, before you get started, you should take note of your limitations, as well as safety-related and legal aspects. Before you embark on complex repair operations, you should get a cost estimate from a specialist workshop. It would be worth it to carry out an amateur repair operation if you would be able to buy a used device for the sum quoted by the workshop. If you’re repairing devices for friends, you should mention the risks in advance.

Free Up Storage Space

If your hard disk is full up to the brim then there is no need to delete data. There is a compression tool hidden in Windows 10 which helps you gain a lot of GB storage space

Regardlesss of how large the hard disk and SSD become, they are going to be completely filled with data in due course of time. It is just a matter of time when Windows will you that there is no free space available. Many users then panic and resort to deleting data to free up some more space. But there is another option: In Windows 10, Microsoft has integrated a command line tool which compresses important system files if needed. Thus, you can quickly save several GB space with just one command line control.

Little Nightmares

After eight years working on LittleBigPlanet, Tarsier is exchanging dreams for nightmares

Tarsier’s brightly coloured, playfully decorated premises are exactly what you’d expect the home of a studio that’s spent the past eight years working closely with Media Molecule, on its LittleBigPlanet series, to look like. A hotchpotch of lampshades and rugs, a familial collection of framed photos of the team, and a range of stately looking furniture – we’re given the rundown of which chairs are the most comfy during our tour – make the space feel welcoming and homely. There’s fresh fruit in the kitchen, naturally, and not a single employee appears to be wearing shoes. Underneath this small company’s friendly exterior, however, something darker has been fermenting, waiting for an opportunity to bubble to the surface.