Hands on: Windows 8.1 review

We've finally had some hands-on time with an official build of Windows 8.1 - and yes, many of the rumours and leaks are accurate. The Start button is back, you can boot to the desktop and use the same image as your desktop. SkyDrive is built in to sync files - on Windows 8.1 and Windows RT.

But this isn't Microsoft backing away from what we still want to call Metro; key Microsoft apps like Mail and Xbox Music have been updated, there are new apps for food and fitness and there is a 'modern' version of Office on the way.

Microsoft is still convinced that Windows can scale from an 8-inch tablet all the way up to the 27-inch twin screens on your desk at work, so there are changes to the Start screen, new ways of laying out multiple apps side by side on screen and almost all the configuration options from the control panel make it into PC Settings (expect for those boot to desktop settings, which stay on the desktop - right-click on the taskbar to get them). So how coherent does it all feel?

The Lock screen turns into a photo gallery, powered by the same Microsoft Research tech behind the screensavers in Windows Media Center and the Windows 8 Photos app, picking related and timely photos automatically. You can unlock the camera or answer a Skype call quickly without needing to fiddle with a password. If small tablets get popular, that will be useful.

The Start screen gets new large tile sizes for select apps like Weather and Finance so you can see more information at once, although apps have to be specially built to use this. You can pick from far more colours to customise the Start screen backgrounds - some of which animate subtly as you scroll sideways - or you can use your desktop background, in which case your tiles scroll but your background is fixed.

If you're used to the small swipe you use on the Windows 8 start screen to select a tile, get unused to it. That now swipes you down to the Apps screen instead (although the small swipe still works in apps like the Windows Store, at least in this version).

To select a tile, press and hold on it. You can still select multiple tiles and now you can do useful things to all the tiles you have selected. You can also select multiple tiles on the Apps screen and pin them to Start as a group. As this is the only place you get tiles for newly installed apps, it's a useful option.

Sorting the Apps screen by how often you use apps gives you a quick list of frequent apps you haven't pinned yet. And once you've done all that work, you can have your Start screen sync across all your PCs so you don't have to do it again.

Two big new interface changes are the new smart search and the way Windows 8.1 handles multiple modern app windows on screen - especially on large monitors.

The return of the Start button to the desktop is the most obvious change in the Windows 8.1 desktop (and no, in this build you can't turn it back off again). But there are other subtle differences.

You can turn off the trigger in the top right corner that shows the charms bar when you use your mouse, and the one in the top left corner that shows a thumbnail of the next app running in the background.

When you use the Search charm on the desktop it opens the Search pane on top of what you're doing, rather than throwing you out to the Start screen.

Libraries no longer show up in Explorer automatically, even though they're still the way you put media into the Xbox Music and Video apps and the first place Mail looks when you add attachments. They're right there in the File Picker when you use Windows Store apps.

When you right-click on folders in Explorer the option to add them to a library is still on the context menu, but if you want to find and work with them in Explorer you have to turn them back on in the navigation pane. Instead you see This PC where you're used to seeing Computer, along with SkyDrive which is installed as part of Windows (in both 8.1 and RT 8.1) and syncs some of your files automatically.

To avoid filling all the storage on a tablet with a small drive, all you get by default is the Documents and Pictures folders from your SkyDrive. You can see your other folders and the names of all the files in them and when you click on a file Windows 8.1 automatically pulls it down from SkyDrive and caches it offline and syncs changes to it.

You can also select files in the modern SkyDrive app to use offline, but there's no longer a separate desktop interface for picking folders to sync.

Internet Explorer 11

Xbox Music is much improved, as is Mail (although we've seen preview of later versions of both with more features that we're eagerly awaiting). There are some new great new apps.

We love the Reading List that lets you collect interesting links from IE and Windows Store apps to come back to later (perhaps on another PC as they sync) and the Alarms app has a clean, fresh look that's quirky and reminiscent of Windows Phone at its most appealing.

The Camera app now has Photosynth panoramas built in; tap the panorama button and start moving your tablet around (this would be very awkward on a notebook) to stitch together images into a scene that can cover as much of 360 degrees as you have patience for. The stitching is good - especially if you don't move too fast - although not perfect. This will shine on the smaller 8-inch Windows tablets we expect to see coming to the market if Acer succeeds.

With many of the features from the Photos app moved to the Lock screen, it's now a very basic interface for viewing - but it also has far more editing options. The vignettes and filters are the kind of thing you find on smartphone apps but the Colour Enhance options are impressive.

Drag the marker onto a colour in the image and move the slider around the circular control to saturate or fade out that colour throughout the image. Drag it to another colour and choose a different level. You can use this to make an image more vibrant or give it a muted effect. The Photos app is also far faster (and for now, at least, you can still get the Windows 8 version from the Windows Store).

But then there are apps that you have to wonder about Microsoft spending time on. Health & Fitness is a great dashboard for Microsoft's Health Vault service, but that continues to have few features outside the US. And Food & Drink is a nice demo of waving your hand in front of a webcam to scroll through pages when you have cake batter on your hands, but it's hard to see it competing with the dozens of other food apps on the market.

Windows 8.1 isn't a whole new operating system: it isn't the same leap as Windows 7 to 8. But it's more than a service pack as well. Built-in SkyDrive sync is very welcome - and transforms Windows RT 8.1 into a far more powerful system. Internet Explorer gets some significant improvements, on the desktop and in the modern version too.

Performance feels generally faster, even for simple things like zipping up files. The interface changes won't please everyone, especially if you liked the Windows 8 Start screen and don't feel you need for yet another Windows key on screen - or if you were hoping for the Windows 7 Start menu back.

Some things, like customising tiles on the Start screen, feel a little more long-winded until you get used to them. But generally the interface feels more consistent and easier to learn. We love the new on-screen keyboard where you can swipe up on the top row of keys to type letters. And the expanded PC Settings gives the mass of control panel options a clean, simple interface that Windows has needed for years.

If you use the Windows Store you aren't going to be able to avoid the prompts and promotions to try out the Windows 8.1 preview. We'll need to run it for longer to see if it's stable enough to recommend as your daily operating system (it's been rock solid so far). We might have hoped for more major new features, but in eight months Microsoft has delivered a sensible and welcome update to Windows 8.

Hands on: Sony Xperia Z Ultra review

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is meant to be a phone - but with a 6.44-inch screen it's pushing the boundaries of what a smartphone can really be.

It's a huge device, there's no doubt about that, but at 6.5mm thick it sits more comfortably in the hand than you might expect and the full HD screen really impresses too.

Spec-fans will be unable to contain their excitement at the thought of the first smartphone with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 chip, a quad-core processor clocked to 2.2GHz.

It's also got a magnetic charging port on the side to facilitate, well, magnetic docks that allow charging - it's odd that it takes up so much of the design though, where it's usually more discreet.

The waterproof element to the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is obviously one of the high points, and as such the little doors that seal in the ports are back in force. However, they're intriguingly not used on the headphone jack, with Sony working out how to make it so the water gremlins won't destroy your sound.

The design of the Sony Xperia Z Ultra is something that is as much of an acquired taste as the Xperia Z before it. It has the same sharp design, which makes it slightly more difficult to hold in one hand but the rubber exterior does mitigate this to some extent.

The CPU speed certainly shows in general use, as it's as snappy as anything we've played with - both flicking between apps and browsing the internet over Wi-Fi were lightning fast. It's getting to the point where smartphones are faster than you'd ever need them to be, but we're still impressed by the performance here.

The screen quality is definitely improved, with the Triluminous technology at work to improve colours saturation levels in key areas, increasing the palette for a fairly stunning-looking picture. It's also helped by the X Reality engine that's been developed for mobile, which fills in missing pixels in standard definition pictures.

As we mentioned, the videos included to demo the technology are impressive, but overall the screen doesn't live up to the hype bestowed upon it by Sony. It suffers the same as the Xperia Z, in that it has a slightly washed-out tint to it, which is especially telling as it was mentioned as being 'closer to Samsung's Super AMOLED technology' by one of the Sony representatives.

The camera could be improved as well in our eyes, although this could be pre-production sampling getting in the way. The pictures we took were rather grainy and lacked definition, as you can see below.

Sample images

Let's hear it for the battery though: a 3000mAh power pack is what we expected in a phone like this, and we weren't disappointed. Sony is still crowing about its slightly dubious Stamina Mode being a real benefit here, so we're expecting to see big things from the Ultra when it lands for a full review.

Early verdict

The Sony Xperia Z Ultra is a phone that wants to be a tablet. While many will look at the Ultra and recoil in horror at its larger dimensions, those that want the larger screen won't be able to help but desire this handset.

Is it going to win over more of the smartphone market? It's a definite possibility as the power and size combination are currently unique. More importantly for the long-term future of Sony Mobile is that this handset shows that the Japanese brand is keen to show it's at the forefront of technology.

We honestly can't see this being a mainstream device, but it bridges the gap between phone and tablet, both decent devices, marvellously.

Sony Smartwatch 2 brings water-resistance and NFC to your wrist

What was foretold has come to pass: Sony has announced a new smartwatch today, packing water resistance and NFC into its Sony SmartWatch 2.

With the SmartWatch 2, Sony is attempting to sneak ahead of the Apple iWatch with what it describes as "a second screen for your Android phone" - a 1.6-inch high-ish resolution screen (220x176 pixels), that is.

This means that you'll get phone notifications, an app interface and the ability to control your phone from your wrist all in one neat little package.

Squint

You'll be able to handle calls, check maps, read emails (as long as you've previously downloaded them and have, let's face it, pretty solid eyesight) and control music playback through the SmartWatch 2.

You can even take photos through your phone with a dedicated smart camera app - next level selfies coming to an Instagram account near you soon.

Although it's a Sony product, you'll be able to use the SmartWatch 2 with "most" Android tablets and smartphones, not just the Xperia line-up. There'll be interchangeable 24mm wristbands to choose between and the whole shebang is dust- and water-resistant.

The Sony SmartWatch 2 release date is set for September 2013, although we've had no word yet on price.

Also announced today was Sony's insanely huge phablet, the 6.4-inch Sony Xperia Z Ultra.

New photos show Galaxy S4 might be red and blue and 4G LTE-Advanced all over

After a week in which Samsung formally unveiled moreGalaxy S4 variants like the Galaxy S4 Zoom and Galaxy S4 Active, another iteration of the popular Android phone was uncovered.

We already knew Sammy was planning to release a version of the Galaxy S4 with 4G LTE-Advanced capabilities, but we didn't know when or if there would be any cosmetic changes to the handset.

While we still don't know which countries will get to take advantage of the high-powered phone, a new set of leaked photos gives us a better idea of what to expect from the Galaxy S4 with 4G LTE-A when it does finally arrive.

Korean site Naver happened to get its hands on what appears to be two versions of the upcoming smartphone, which bear a distinctly patriotic color scheme.

Same old Samsung and dance

Dressed in crimson red and cobalt blue, the Galaxy S4 with 4G LTE-A certainly doesn't do anything to stand out from the crowd.

Even though the new handset will supposedly deliver speeds up to twice as fast as standard 4G LTE, that didn't stop Samsung from rolling out the same old blue we've been seeing adorn its phones for quite some time.

Though the red hue is a bit sharper, and does indeed pop a bit more, it's still a rather standard set of choices when compared to the more flamboyant aesthetics of the Xperia Z or the Lumia 920.

Unfortunately, Naver didn't provide any other details on what type of specs the latest Galaxy S4 included, or if they differed at all from the original.

It's been reported the 4G LTE-A version would feature a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, but that fact is still up in the air at this point.

The fact that a site was able to get its hands on what appears to be near-final versions of the smartphone does indicate we might not have to wait much longer to find out all the details.

It's curious though that Samsung didn't have the Galaxy S4 with 4G LTE-A at its Samsung Premiere event if it was so close to finished with the product, but perhaps the Korean manufacturer is waiting for the right moment to strike (or for cellular networks globally to catch up to the technology).

It certainly wouldn't be out of the question to see this new speedier phone debut alongside the oft-rumored Galaxy Note 3, which has been tipped foran August release.

Dell slaps extra security onto commercial PCs

Dell is tightening up security on its commercial PCs with three new Dell Data Protection (DDP) features on newly shipped machines.

All of its Precision, Latitude and OptiPlex PCs now come with a one year subscription to the new DDP Protected Workspace function, which moves the user's browsers, PDF readers and Office suite into a contained virtual environment away from the host operating system. Any malware attacks can be identified in real-time based on behaviour and actions inside the environment.

It is the first large scale deployment by an original equipment manufacturer of virtual container technology from Invincea. This is expected to cover more than 20 million devices over the next 12 months.

No word yet from Dell on the pricing of the subscription in subsequent years.

Encryption and authentication

The other two features are DDP Encryption, which protects data at file level so it should be safeguarded when sent to the cloud or transferred to another device, and authentication software named DDP Security Tools.

Dell says it's possible to manage encryption and authentication policies through the same console.

HP adds open source flavour to PCs with Android-powered all-in-one

HP has claimed victory in the race to build the world's first all-in-one (AiO) desktop PC running on the Android 4.2Jelly Bean operating system.

The Slate21 is essentially a super sized tablet with a kickstand, which reminds us of another recently unveiled AiO (in terms of pearly white looks, anyway). It features a 21.5-inch 1920x1080 pixel resolution IPS touchscreen that HP claims provides wide viewing angles and vivid graphics.

The company is positioning the Slate21 as a consumption device with simple operation for families seeking entertainment features, such as TV streaming and apps from Android's ecosystem. It will, however, allow you to access, share, edit and print content from various Google services such as a calendars, email, notes and documents.

Basic multitasking

HP says the Slate21 will feature 'dual band technology', which allows users to stream music or movies and browse the web at the same time. The machine comes pre-installed with an HP TrueVision HD Webcan and Wireless Direct, which allows users to share videos, phones and data in the absense of an Internet connection.

It's powered by NVIDIA's Tegra 4 quad-core NVIDIA processor, and has a touchscreen with pinch and zoom functionality.

The Slate21 is set to land in the UK on 1 October and will be available from HP's website and UK retail partners at a starting point of £369.