CATEGORIES

Key things to look for when buying a mini PC

Buying a mini PC isn't like buying a laptop or a fully fledged desktop PC, but a pitfall-laden experience that sits somewhere in between

BRANDS YOU CAN TRUST

Whenever you buy something in the coming year, why not draw on the experience of thousands of discerning buyers?

5 things we learned from Lenovo Tech World'24

In a landmark event where the CEOs of AMD, Intel and Nvidia all took to the stage, the theme of \"smarter AI for all\" was never far away, writes Tim Danton

The Darktrace leading to government

British security firm Darktrace has been mired in controversy. Now its former CEO is a government minister. Rois Ni Thuama and Barry Collins investigate

Microsoft is doing more harm to Arm than good, argues Jon Honeyball

You know that sinking feeling you get when something is not quite right? That nagging doubt that it shouldn't be like this? It was like that when I read that Qualcomm has cancelled its Snapdragon X developer kit, a desktop Mac mini-like box designed for developers to create and test apps for Windows on Arm (WoA).

How do we know how smart AI really is?

Maths questions. Silly word puzzles. Counting the letter \"r\" in a sentence. Nicole Kobie reveals how we're trying to work out exactly how intelligent AI is

Missed call Whatever happened to the Acorn Communicator?

When Acorn launched its 16-bit Communicator computer with a built-in modem, it struggled to get potential buyers to listen, as David Crookes explains

STEVE CASSIDY-"Getting workers to do simple jobs in the 16th century was not much different from the 21st"

Why 16th century \"networking\" legislation still has an impact, and why the term AI is confusing to punters as well as a waste of natural resources

JON HONEYBALL -"The more I have to do with UK telcos, the more broken their systems seem to be"

After being tempted by the iPhone 16 Pro Max - for professional reasons, honest - and the Watch 2 Ultra, Jon discovers not everything is perfect in Apple's new generation

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

A bigger display, borrowed 5x tetraprism zoom from the Max and no price hike make this the best iPhone

Apple iPhone 16

A 60Hz screen and 2x optical zoom hold it back, but pound for pound it's a fine alternative to the Pro

Intel Xeon W-2500 workstation processors

A brilliant choice for video encoding, but it fails to land a knockout punch against tough Threadripper competition

Your bonus software Total value this month £131

We scour the globe to negotiate the best software deals for our readers, from extended licences to full programs you don't need to pay a penny for. Here's this month's lineup

PICK THE PERFECT STYLUS

There's nothing quite like the intuitive, tactile experience of a digital stylus. Darien Graham-Smith explores the technology, and how to pick the best stylus for your needs

RASPBERRY PI WHICH BOARD IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

THE POPULAR HOBBYIST BOARD COMES IN MANY VARIANTS. NIK RAWLINSON DEMYSTIFIES THE LINEUP

Is it time to upgrade your business Wi-Fi?

Do you need to invest in a faster, more reliable wireless network? Steve Cassidy asks the key questions

On-premises business backup

Put your data at risk and you're putting your business at risk. Dave Mitchell explains how to put safeguards in place and what backup products can help

Claude 3.5 Sonnet

An excellent AI model for a wide variety of tasks: it's fast, versatile and the current leader for coding

SMART SPEAKERS

Whether your priority is audio quality, smart home control or always-on AI assistance, this group test holds the answer

Udio

A stunningly sophisticated service for creating just about any form of audio artistry from a text prompt

Runway

A powerful tool for video creators, but you'll need to invest time and money to take advantage

Nothing Phone (2a) Plus

A distinctive phone for those who want great battery life and a stunning screen without paying a fortune

CUKTECH 20

Good battery life, sleek design and a built-in display lift this power bank from the crowd

Sony Xperia 1 VI

A microSD card slot and 3.5mm jack mark this flagship out, but the price is too high

ReMarkable Paper Pro

Still troubled by lag, but this is a premium ePaper tablet that benefits from both a backlight and colours

Honor Magic V3

Not only the slimmest folding phone but also one of the most affordable-after discounts, at least

Google Pixel Watch 3

Third time's a charm for Google's fitness and health watch, particularly the new, larger 45mm model

Google Pixel 9

Great cameras, long battery life and seven years of software support make this a solid long-term choice

Google Pixel 9 Pro

Not a flagship performer for raw speed, but this compact phone delivers clever AI features with more to come

HP OmniBook X14

Little to shout about in terms of hardware, but HP delivers its own spin on local AI and the price is right