Techadvisorom

Cortana Cortana is the digital assistant on Windows 10, but you can also use Cortana on Android and your iPhone too. She’s useful for many things, such as setting reminders and doing unit conversions, but enough of the serious stuff: she’s also got a good sense of humour. Microsoft has given Cortana lots of amusing replies when you ask strange or unusual questions. We’ve given just one response for each question, but Cortana actually has several responses for each so try asking the same question multiple times to hear the different answers....

Craving some superhero action? Your best bet is on Disney+, the home of Marvel content. Here you’ll find the majority of MCU films, a selection of TV shows and some animated goodies as well. Not got a Disney Plus account yet? Head on over to the website to sign-up . Subscriptions cost either $10.99/£7.99 for an ad-free monthly rolling account or $109.99/£79.90 for 12 months. US reviews can also get an ad-supported plan for $7....

At a Glance Our Verdict Best Prices Today: Acer Liquid Z4 Acer has used MWC 2014 to launch two new budget smartphones, the Liquid E3 and Liquid Z4. We’ve had some hands-on time with both models, but here we’re focusing on the cheaper of the two: the Z4. Find out what we thought of the Liquid Z4 and how it compares to the excellent Motorola Moto G in our hands-on review....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict On paper the Young X5 from Alldocube sounds like a great offering under £200. But when you Consider that you’re unlikely to use the SIM functionality, that the performance is unimpressive, the cameras low-quality and the speaker frustrating, you’ll realise that you can do better for your money. It’s not a terrible tablet by all means, and will prove a capable device for many users, but it is evidence for the theory that you get what you pay for....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Lovely design Great range of health features Strong battery life GPS Cons Can’t reply to notifications No NFC Not the most accurate tracker Our Verdict A solid and aesthetically pleasing new entry from Amazfit. The GTS 4 Mini isn’t the most accurate tracker I’ve used, but does well enough for most people’s general needs. It’s limited as a smartwatch, but as a classy looking tracker you can’t go wrong for the price....

At a Glance Our Verdict The decision over which GPU to choose will come down largely to money. Neither GPU offers much in the way of new technology (although the Mantle support on the 280X might prove a significant innovation in years to come), but the GTX 770 is less power-intensive, and operates more quietly. Crucially, it’s also a faster GPU, even if there isn’t usually more than a few frames in it....

Jelly Bean (JB), or Android 5.0 or possibly even duller 4.1 if you’re not taken by Google’s sickly sweet code names, is the next version of Google’s mobile operating system. Here we’ll keep you updated on what we know about Jelly Bean (features, release date, devices), by keeping tabs on all those spilling the beans on Jelly. The current version Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS), also known as Android 4.0, is out but not universally adopted by Android mobile-device makers....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict If you are an iPhone user, and you specifically want an iPhone to be your next smartphone, the iPhone 6 is great, but of course the iPhone 6s is even better. It’s going to come down to budget ultimately, as the iPhone 6 is a brilliant iPhone that’ll save you a few pennies if you’re set on getting an Apple phone. It’s a slick, well-built, beautifully designed handset....

At a Glance Our Verdict Archos’ Helium smartphones show potential as affordable 4G handsets with some style and substance. Best Prices Today: Archos Helium 50 Archos is moving into home gadgets but hasn’t forgotten about smartphones . We took a look at the Helium 50 4G smartphone so here’s our hands-on review. To this end, the Helium 50 will be priced at around £229 and the smaller Helium 45 will come in at an even more reasonable £179....

At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Outstanding performance Solid camera system Great, understated design Cool hidden features Cons Cluttered and annoying software Disappointing passive battery drain Our Verdict The ROG Phone 9 Pro can’t get much better. Its once gaudy gaming features are now subtly hidden, making it easier to recommend to anyone looking for raw power. It’s an absolute machine, with quirky design decisions that anyone can love, a better-than-expected camera, and the smoothest display you’ll find on any phone....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict Avanquest Driver Genius 14 Professional does very much what it claims. It quickly scans you PC for out-of-date drivers and downloads and installs those that need replacing, taking the effort out of doing it manually, device by device. Avanquest has priced the product sensibly and it forms a worthwhile part of any Windows maintenance regime. Best Prices Today: Avanquest Driver Genius 14 Professional A surprising number of problems on a Windows PC can be traced back to drivers....

At a Glance Expert’s Rating Our Verdict For the money, the GL2580HM is a little gem. Combining modern styling and performance where it matters, this screen is an excellent option for many budget gamers frustrated with screen lag. Best Prices Today: BenQ GL2580HM Not every gamer has a PC that can handle playing games at 4K resolutions with the detail settings maxed out and a ludicrously high refresh rate set....

Although the Nintendo Switch is fully portable, there’s still a huge appeal to the DS handheld consoles. A key difference is the games available as many are exclusive so here we bring you the best 3DS games available in 2019. While some of Nintendo’s main console games have been ported to the DS range, many of the best DS games are ones developed specifically for the platform. You can play all of these games on the 3DS or 2DS and we’ve not put them in any particular order, it depends what kind of game you like....

The iPhone 7 might be nearly four years old, but as one of the last smartphones Apple made with Touch ID it has remained very popular. Running the latest version of iOS and sporting the still-excellent A10 Fusion processor, it has held up particularly well. However, one are where you may be feeling some strain is battery life. The iPhone 7 came with just a 1,960mAh battery, while the 7 Plus fared a bit better at 2,900mAh....

Camcorders have come on in leaps and bounds in the last decade, even with the plethora of smartphones with excellent cameras. Camcorder manufacturers have moved from devices based on tapes and hard disks to gadgets with solid-state flash memory. Some of the latest models can shoot footage which rivals TV broadcasts. However, we’re talking about the top-of-the-range devices which cost upwards of £800 rather than budget versions. Here’s our guide to buying a camcorder no matter how much you have to spend....

If you’re in the market for a new vacuum cleaner but you’d like to get the most bang for your buck, read on. We’ve rounded up the best budget-friendly hoovers we’ve tested. Bear in mind that these aren’t the cheapest vacuum cleaners on the market. Rather, they represent the best value for around £250 or under and are loaded with features that’ll make cleaning much easier. If you’re not sure what specs and features you can expect, have a look at our buying advice after the chart....

Whether you’re looking for a shaver that’ll allow you to leave a little stubble, give you the perfect close shave, buzz your whole head or (ahem) landscape further south, you’ll find the right option. We’ve tested rotary, foil shavers and hybrids to bring you a selection of the best shavers available. If you’re buying one as a gift, there are a couple of things to bear in mind. Rotary shavers can be a good option for people with thicker stubble – but they demand a different shaving technique (in circles, as though you’re buffing the skin) than foil shavers, and users may have a preference between the two....

At a Glance Our Verdict So which is best: Kidizoon, LeapBand or Vivofit Jr 2? The VTech Kidizoom Smart Watch Plus is aimed at multimedia entertainment, while the worthier LeapBand and Vivofit Jr 2 go for child fitness and activity. As such it’s difficult to say which is best for you. They are all a lot of fun, but I’m not sure your child will be delighted by the Garmin’s chores features!...

At a Glance Our Verdict The idea of using solar power and never having to pay to charge your phone or tablet again is appealing, if somewhat far-fetched within wet and windy England. But if you’re going abroad or you aren’t in a rush to charge your device, it is at least a possibility. Although neither CHOEtech nor Marsboy has the useful built-in battery of the no longer available Olixar, either will be useful when you have no other means of charging your devices....

Working from home has become the new normal for many of us, and it doesn’t look like video meetings will be going anywhere anytime soon. If your laptop’s own webcam isn’t cutting the mustard when it comes to video calls and meetings, it might be time to look into a separate camera altogether. After all, even flagship laptops come with comparatively low-tech webcams – usually 720p HD resolution rather than the superior 1080p HD you’ll find on most webcams....