Lenovo ThinkPad Helix hands-on review

Lenovo revealed a range of new phones, all-in-ones and business laptops at IFA in Germany earlier in September. The Chinese firm's most significant unveiling was an update to its Lenovo ThinkPad Helix, unveiled at CES in January.

Taking on the Microsoft Surface tablets and Samsung Ativ series of hybrids, the ThinkPad Helix offers businesses an all-in-one tablet that is also an ultrabook.

Design and build
The 11.6in ThinkPad Helix features a Gorilla Glass display, weighs 815g and measures just 9.6mm thick, a design that has been made possible by the featured Intel Core M processor, which Intel also announcedat IFA during its press conference on Friday.

At first glance the ThinkPad Helix has a lot more in common with its ThinkPad predecessors than other convertible laptops. The product's design features the same minimalist black, hard-edged plastic design associated with all ThinkPad laptops.

It's only when you open it up and look closely that you realise that the ThinkPad Helix is actually a convertible, sporting the obvious left-hand switch that, when popped, separates the tablet section from its dock.

Playing with the ThinkPad Helix, we were fairly impressed by the hinge mechanism's build quality. Despite being made of plastic the connecting section felt sturdy.

Popping the tablet in and out of the dock a few times, we felt suitably reassured that the section wouldn't break during prolonged use. The same was true of the ThinkPad Helix main tablet section, which also seemed fairly robust.

Screen
The 11.6in ThinkPad Helix features a Gorilla Glass FHD display with a 1920x1080 resolution, 10-point multi-touch screen. During our initial tests we found the display boasts great viewing angles, colour and brightness levels.

Testing the screen we found that the ThinkPad Helix was pleasantly responsive, easily picking up and responding to every swipe and poke we threw at it.

Performance and OS
The ThinkPad Helix is designed to offer users ultrabook-level performance, with the top-end version having up to an Intel Core M processor, either 4GB or 8GB of RAM and a range of different storage options such as a 128GB SATA, 256GB SATA eDrive, 512GB PCle or 180GB to 360GB Intel hard drive.

Running Windows 8.1 Pro, the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix has the same five modes as seen on the previous version and the consumer IdeaPad Yoga products, allowing users to put the device into Tablet, Stand, Tent, Laptop and Desktop modes.

In our tests the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix seemed to work flawlessly, with apps and web browser pages popping up instantly. 

Overall
Our initial impressions of the ThinkPad Helix are positive, as it has some worthy upgrades from its predecessor, particularly the Intel Core M processor.

Lenovo added that the ThinkPad Helix also features better power efficiency and battery life compared with its predecessor, as well as a suite of add-on security options, including a biometric fingerprint reader, a military-grade smart card reader and three-factor authentication. We weren't able to test the improved performance or battery life on the IFA showroom floor, but check back soon for a full review. 

With a hefty $999 starting price, which tops many other convertible laptop-tablet hybrids, we're not sure the ThinkPad Helix will attract a great deal of users when it is released worldwide at the start of October.

Verizon VoLTE Now Available On iPhone 6, 6 Plus, Here’s How To Enable It

Here's a PSA from your favorite tech website (HotHardware, of course!): Verizon Wirelessis now offering Advanced Calling 1.0 across its nationwide network on select smartphones. Advanced Calling is more commonly known as Voice over LTE, or VoLTE, with Verizon's offering a first-generation service suite available on just a handful of devices so far, including iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, LG G2, and Samsung Galaxy S5.

One of the neat things about VoLTE is that it allows for simultaneous voice and data. That means you can chat with Aunt Mabel about what to buy Uncle Lou for his 85th birthday while at the same time browsing online sites to price compare her suggestions.

VoLTE also allows for High-Definition (HD) voice calls when both ends of the line are on its 4G LTE network. According to Verizon, these sound more natural than typical calls over cell phone networks. This is an emerging technology that Verizon says will work best with scale.

"Video Calling is simplified when using VoLTE technology. The contact list in the phone clearly shows, with a video camera icon next to the name, who can receive a Video Call, and a tap or two on the phone starts the call so you can speak to friends and family face-to-face," Verizon explains. "Customers control Video Calls, easily switching to a voice-only call from a Video Call and back with a tap on the phone. The audio portion of a Video Call is delivered in HD Voice."

To enable VoLTE on your iPhone, you first need to visit Verizon's website and add the feature to your account. Once you do that, make sure that the "Voice & Data" option is enabled on your iPhone (and the same goes for the recipient). You'll find this option under Settings > Cellular > Enable LTE > Voice & Data.

Samsung Galaxy Alpha Brings Its Metal Frame To AT&T September 26

Sure, there exists an intense animosity between Samsung and Apple, the top two players in the mobile phone market, but both should be flattered for taking design cues from one another. Apple did it by finally bringing bigger size iPhone models to market, something Samsung has been doing for several years now, and Samsung has now taken a page from Apple by releasing a smartphone with a metal frame. We're referring to the Galaxy Alpha, which is slated to land at AT&T this Friday.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Alpha last month and said it would be available at the beginning of September. We're now heading towards the end of the month, but don't worry, Samsung didn't forget about its new handset -- AT&T managed to gain exclusive rights to the Galaxy Alpha for the time being and will make it available on September 26.

It will be available online and in stores in Charcoal Black, Dazzling White, or Frosted Gold for $25.55 per month on AT&T Next 18, $30.65 per month on AT&T Next 12, $199.99 with a two-year service agreement, or $612.99 outright with no annual contract. AT&T is also offering new and existing customers a $100 bill credit when they activate a new line of service with a smartphone on its Next plan.

At a glance, the Galaxy Alpha resembles the older iPhone models due to its metal bezel frame. It also rocks a 4.7-inch HD (1280x720) Super AMOLED display, Samsung Exynos octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 2.1-megapixel front-facing camera, 12-megapixel rear-facing camera, 802.11ac Wi-Fi (MIMO, 2x2), Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0, NFC support, 1,860 mAh battery, and Android 4.4.4 KitKat.

Google Nexus 9 By HTC Draws Near, NVIDIA Tegra K1 And Android L On Board

It looks as though the rumored Nexus 9 tablet is indeed in the works and will be manufactured by HTC, a company that has largely avoided the competitive tablet game. Although neither Google nor HTC have officially revealed the Android tablet, The Wall Street Journal is reporting confirmation from its sources that Google chose HTC instead of its longtime tablet-building partner, Samsung. Add that to NVIDIA’s inadvertent outing of HTC as the Nexus 9 maker in a legal document, and HTC’s involvement in the Nexus 9 looks solid.

The HTC One is proof that HTC can create a winner. Now we'll see if its smartphone chops translate to building a great tablet. 

HTC executives have apparently been flying in to Google’s headquarters to discuss the upcoming Nexus 9, which will be the first tablet from HTC since its ill-fated HTC Flyer petered out in 2011. However, the Flyer’s lackluster sales performance and HTC’s inexperience with building tablets (compared to the likes of Samsung, which has built other Nexus tablets) doesn’t mean that HTC can’t pull off a winner with the Nexus 9.  The company has been producing solid smartphones, including the HTC One. 

Obviously, specs on the Nexus 9 aren’t official, but at the moment, the NVIDIA Tegra K1 SoC is expected to power the tablet, which will likely run the new Android L operating system. Google likes to give its Nexus devices first crack at the latest version of Android, which makes Android L the likely choice. The screen will be 8.9 inches, with a native resolution or 2048x1440. The Nexus 9’s size falls smack in between the Nexus 7 and 10 tablets, though it’s not clear whether it’s price will also land evenly between the two older Nexus tablets.

Apple Watch interactive guide

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Corsair Announces New ‘Gaming’ Brand Of Products, K70 Mechanical Keyboard

Corsair has long been a part of the PC gaming world, thanks to its Dominator line of memory and high-end power supplies, cases, and other gaming accessories. Now, the company is planting its flag firmly in the gaming PC accessory space with its Corsair Gaming brand. Headsets, keyboards, mice, and other accessories for gamers are tied together by the Corsair Utility Engine software. Corsair is kicking things off with a contest.

The K70 RGB mechanical gaming keyboard sports Corsair's new "Corsair Gaming" branding.

Gamers tend to take their keyboards and mice seriously, which why many of today’s mechanical keyboards are aimed at the digital-gun-toting crowd. Corsair Gaming’s newly launched RGB keyboards are mechanical and have the popular Cherry MX switches. The K95 and K70 keyboards are very similar and both are available with Cherry MX red, brown, or blue switches, but the K70 is slimmer, due to its lack of G-keys. (Confused by meaning of the switch colors? We’ll solve that.) Corsair is billing the keyboard as being “streamlined for shooters,” who presumably don’t need the extra, programmable buttons.

If you followed the CES coverage at the beginning of the year, you already know that the Cherry MX RGB switches allow for tons of background colors in keyboards. If you’re in it for the cool colors, pay attention while you shop for your Corsair Gaming keyboard – some of the keyboards come with a single LED background, while others have the RGB tag and the variety of colors to go with. You’ll typically pay about $40 for the multi-color versions.

PlayStation 4 Online Multiplayer All Access Free This Weekend

Good news for PlayStation 4 owners who have yet to subscribe to Sony’s PlayStation Plus subscription which gives access to the PlayStation Network. The company announced today that this weekend, PS4 users will have access to the console's online multiplayer for free.

Starting on September 26 at 12:00 AM Pacific, and lasting until September 29 at 12:00 AM Pacific, PS4 users will be able to play online with their friends for any game that has a multiplayer campaign or is a multiplayer-only title. This means that games, which have multiplayer campaigns, such as Diablo III, Madden NFL 15, The Last of Us Remastered, Destiny, and FIFA 15 will be available for PS4 users who are not members of PS Plus.

PS4 Users will simply need to log on during the free weekend, launch any game they own that has multiplayer, and start playing with their friends.

Are you one of those PS4 gamers who does not have PS Plus and are you looking forward to taking advantage of the open weekend?

Apple iPhone 6 And iPhone 6 Plus Top Record 10 Million Units Sold In First Weekend Launch

A week removed from boasting a record 4 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus pre-order sales in 24 hours, Apple today announced that its newest handsets set the bar once again by notching over 10 million sales during its first weekend, making it the biggest iPhone launch yet. As expected, consumers came in record numbers to own the largest size iPhone models Apple has ever produced.

The iPhone 6 sports a 4.7-inch display with a 1334x750 resolution (326 ppi) while the iPhone 6 Plus goes even bigger with a 5.5-inch panel featuring a 1920x1080 resolution (401 ppi). Both IPS displays are classified as Retina-class panels, a marketing term Apple invented to describe displays with pixel densities high enough that you can't discern individual pixels when viewing from a "normal" distance.

"Sales for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded our expectations for the launch weekend, and we couldn’t be happier," said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. "We would like to thank all of our customers for making this our best launch ever, shattering all previous sell-through records by a large margin. While our team managed the manufacturing ramp better than ever before, we could have sold many more iPhones with greater supply and we are working hard to fill orders as quickly as possible."

In addition to bigger displays, the new iPhones sport Apple's custom A8 SoC with a second generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture. They also feature improved cameras and Apple Pay, an NFC technology that allows iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus owners to pay using Touch ID in stores (that support it) and apps.

Despite the record sales, Apple's been criticized by some for it's lack of innovation. Whereas the first few iPhone releases seemed to bring something revolutionary to the table, the last few have lacked any whiz-bang features. The bigger size displays are the primary selling point, though critics (and Samsung) have accused Apple of merely playing catch-up with the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lines.

Is Apple being judged unfairly? Smartphone technology has matured to the point where true innovations are difficult to come by. Even without introducing game changers like Siri, new iPhone releases consistently attract record sales, and that's happened again with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

What's your opinion on this? Has Apple lost its innovative mojo, or do you think it's strategically doing just enough to keep its iPhone family on top (in terms of sales)?

Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact vs iPad Mini with Retina Display comparison: Sony's mini tablet takes on (and beats) the iPad mini

Price: £257 - £323 from 9 retailers

Manufacturer: Apple

By Matt Egan | PC Advisor | 19 September 14

Sony's Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is set to be a big hit: a small but powerful tablet with a stunning display. Can the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact compete with the iPad Mini with Retina Display? Find out what is the best small tablet in our Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact vs iPad Mini with Retina Display comparison.

Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact vs iPad Mini with Retina Display comparison: UK price & availability

Sony has revealed that the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compactwill be launching this autumn with a price tag of £329 inc VAT. The iPad Mini with Retina Display is, of course, widely available in the UK, ranging upwards in price from £399 inc VAT. It's worth pointing out that we may see a new iPad mini before the year is out, but if you are buying a tablet today then the choice is clearly Apple flavoured. For more, see: Apple iPad mini 3 release date, price and specs 2014: Launch event pegged for 21 October.

Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact vs iPad Mini with Retina Display comparison: Design and build

Rather than the 10in of the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet, the Compact version has a smaller 8in display. Of course, that means that the Compact is smaller and lighter overall, at an impressive 6.4mm thick and 270g. That makes it a very thin and light tablet - perfect for holding and using on the move. The iPad mini with Retina Display is thicker and heavier - at 7.5mm and 331g, noticably so.

A great feature for the clumsy among us is the IP68 rating of the Z3 Tablet Compact, which means it's dust- and waterproof. This means you can watch a movie in the bath or even take photographs underwater. This is a feature that the iPad mini doesn't boast. But it is a very nicely put together tablet.

Subjectively, holding the iPad mini in one hand for long periods of reading really isn’t that difficult. Just bear in mind that it's wider than most mini tablets, so you might find that clamping it between your thumb and forefinger is the best way: the mini is intelligent enough to work out when you're doing this and ignores your thumb pressing against the screen.

Both of these tablets are well put together and well designed. But if we had to plump for one we'd take the Xperia Z3 Compact. See also the best tablets of 2014.

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Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact vs iPad Mini with Retina Display comparison: Display

The Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact has a 1920x1200 resolution spread out over its larger, 8in display. This means the Sony tablet's pixel density is a decent but not outstanding 283ppi.

Sony's tablet also has the advantage of its TV tech such as Triluminos with Live colour LED to make its display look nicer.

The iPad mini with Retina Display has a resolution that matches the iPad Air (and other Retina iPads) at 2048x1536 pixels. That's a quadrupling of the original iPad mini's resolution, and as it's the same 7.9-inch size as before, that equates to a healthy - and Sony-beating - pixel density of 326ppi.

Whether you're looking at the home screen, a website, reading an ebook or running the Auto CAD app, there's simply loads more detail. Characters and lines are no longer fuzzy and everything looks even sharper. In short, it’s the best iPad screen we've seen to date. Colours are superb and with the extra resolution, photos look amazing.

Both of these tablets have great displays, but you have to go a long way to beat the iPad mini with Retina Display on this score.

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Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact vs iPad Mini with Retina Display comparison: Specs & features

Inside the Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz. That's paired with 3GB RAM to offer smooth and speedy performance. The iPad mini has an Apple A7 dual-core processor clocked at 1.3 GHz and paired with 1GB RAM. On the face of it that means the Sony will be faster - it is certainly more powerful. We haven't yet been able to objectively test performance of the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, but the iPad mini 2 is no slouch and if it is faster it will be some tablet. We can safely say that both of these tablets feel very fast in use.

Sony only offers a 16GB model of its Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact but it does offer a microSD card slot for adding up to 128GB. The iPad mini with Retina Display comes in 16-, 32-, 64-, and 128 GB increments. But you cannot expand this storage with a memory card.

We've not yet been able to test the battery life of the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, but Sony touts an impressive 15 hours video playback thanks to a 4500mAh battery. The iPad mini has a Li-Po 6470mAh battery - and with those less powerful specs you would expect better battry life (although the display will cost it some). Apple claims a 10-hour battery life in use.

When it comes to connectivity, the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is available with 4G LTE support if you want it. It also offers 11ac WiFi, NFC and Bluetooth 4.0 LE. And, you guessed it, the iPad mini with Retina Display matches these - with the exception of 802.11ac. The iPad tops out with wireless-N.

The camera on the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is an impressive one for a tablet, at 8.1Mp. The front-facing camera is also good at 2.2Mp. The iPad mini with Retina Display has 5Mp and 1.2Mp cameras. Generally speaking Sony cameras are excellent, but it is worth pointing out that megapixels aren't everything in the camera world.

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Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact vs iPad Mini with Retina Display comparison: Software

The Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat. Sony does offer some additional apps and its slightly tweaked version of Android on its tablet, though. These include the Walkman app,

and also support for PS4 Remote Play which means you'll be able to play PS4 games on thetablet over WiFi with a DualShock 4 controller and optional GCM10 Game Control Mount.

The iPad mini with Retina Display comes with iOS 8. It also entitles you to download a selection of Apple’s apps, including iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand and Pages for free, which is a real bonus.

iOS vs Android is a big debate. Too big for this article. Suffice it to say that latter-period versions of Android are every bit as slick and user friendly as is iOS. And the Google Play store offers much the same experience as does Android in terms of apps and media.

iOS apps and iTunes media tend to be a little bit more expensive than Android equivalents, and Android gives you more customisation options. But remember that the data you create via your actions in Android will be used by Google to target ads at you when using other Google products.

You pays your money, you takes your choice.

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Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact vs iPad Mini with Retina Display comparison: buying advice

Considering that it is last year's product, the iPad mini with Retina Display is hanging in there. We prefer the Sony, principally because it is more powerful, thinner and lighter, has a better camera and - glory be - it's cheaper. But the iPad mini remains a stunning device, and for those that prefer Apple it won't be a let down. Also see: 27 best Android tablets 2014.

The best iPhone 6 alternatives: Price and specs compared with the best smartphones

We round up the best alternatives to the new iPhone 6

The iPhone 6 has gone on sale today, but if you're not convinced about Apple's new flagship smartphone, here are the 6 best iPhone 6 alternatives. Read: The best smartphone you can buy in 2014.

As expected, the iPhone 6 comes with a 4.7in screen, Apple A8 processor, 8Mp rear camera and the inclusion of NFC for ApplePay. The phone comes in a new 128GB model but starts at £539 for the entry-level 16GB option. You might not be totally sold on Apple's new flagship smartphone so here's our list of the best iPhone 6 alternatives. See also: iPhone 6 review.

Read: iPhone 5s vs iPhone 6 comparison review.

Best iPhone 6 alternatives: Sony Xperia Z3 Compact

The Xperia Z3 is Sony's new flagship smartphone but we actually think the Xperia Z3 Compact is a better iPhone 6 alternative – partly because it's closer in screen size with a 4.6in display albeit with a 720p resolution rather than Full HD.

Apart from the screen size, the Compact has all the major features of the full-size Z3 and will save you loads of cash compared to the iPhone 6 at around £349. It's dust- and waterproof, has a 20.7Mp camera, supports High-Res audio and can play PS4 games via Remote Play.

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Best iPhone 6 alternatives: HTC One M8

The HTC One M8 is the biggest rival to the iPhone 6 in terms of build quality being one of the only phones on the market to hit the same level of craftsmanship and desirability – although your colours options remain the same.

As well as a slightly larger screen with a higher resolution (Full HD), the One M8 has some tricks up its sleeve which you can get on the iPhone 6. These are namely a microSD card slot for adding up to 128GB of storage, BoomSound stereo speakers, an IR blaster and its innovative Duo camera which can refocus shots after they've been taken.

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Best iPhone 6 alternatives: LG G3

Still at the top of our best smartphone chart is the LG G3 and although its screen is quite a bit larger at 5.5in it's still a great iPhone 6 alternative. It's surprisingly small for a phone which a screen this size and the Quad HD resolution is simply stunning.

It might not have a stunning design like the HTC One M8 but LG has done well considering metal skinned rear cover. Features which you won't find on the iPhone 6 include an IR blaster, microSD card slot and wireless charging.

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Best iPhone 6 alternatives: Samsung Galaxy S5

Now the Galaxy S5 has been around for a little while now and is unavoidably an iPhone 6 rival being Samsung's flagship smartphone. It has a very plastic build which may not give a premium feel like the iPhone 6, however, it is dust- and waterproof which Apple's phone is not.

The phone matches the iPhone 6 on a number of hardware features such as a fingerprint scanner and NFC but has additional things such as an IR blaster, microSD card slot and a heart rate monitor. The Galaxy S5's screen is larger at 5.1in and has a higher resolution at Full HD and the camera is rated at 16Mp with the ability to record video at up to 4K quality.

See also: iPhone 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S5 comparison review: Apple takes on Samsung once again in smartphone wars.

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Best iPhone 6 alternatives: Samsung Galaxy Alpha

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is, of course, a worthy of this list but we also wanted to point out theGalaxy Alpha which has arguably been produced as a direct rival to the iPhone 6. It, unlike most Samsung handsets, has a metal frame instead of a completely plastic build. It also has an identical screen size of 4.7in and similar resolution at 720p.

The Alpha only comes in a 32GB which is now not an option for the iPhone 6 and Samsung might have gone a little too far with matching its rival as it has no microSD card slot. Like the S5, it has a fingerprint scanner and a major difference is, of course, the fact it runs on Android.

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Best iPhone 6 alternatives: Google Nexus 5

The Nexus 6 could be arriving soon but until then the Nexus 5 remains as Google's affordable alternative to the flagship iPhone 6. Despite being on the market for nearly a year, the LG-made smartphone actually outpaces the iPhone 6 in a couple of areas: it has a Full HD (4.95in) screen and wireless charging.

It doesn't have a microSD card slot but at £299 the Nexus 5 is incredibly good value for money and has great specs for the price with an 8Mp rear camera with optical image stabilisation, quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 11ac Wi-Fi and 4G LTE support.