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DIGITAL EDITION
HOW TO
BUILD A PC
CONTENTS
JUNE 2015
COVER STORY
FEATURES
HOW TO BUILD A PC:
THE BUYING GUIDE
REVIEWS
CONSUMER
ELECTRONICS
Beyerdynamic
DT 990 (32 ohm)
LG Watch Urbane
Kobo Glo HD
HARDWARE
Maingear Vybe
Dell Latitude 13 7000
Series 2-in-1 (7350)
Acer H257HU
Netgear Nighthawk AC1900
Wi-Fi Range Extender (EX7000)
SOFTWARE
& APPS
PREVIEW:
Office 2016
for Windows
Our Favorite
Apps for June
Dell Latitude 13
7000 Series 2-in-1
Beyerdynamic DT 990
INCREDIBLE CREATIONS
AT THE INSIDE 3D
PRINTING SHOW
The state of the art for 3D printing
includes violins, jewelry, toys, and
much more.
LIFE BEHIND
MICROSOFTS
HOLOLENS
This exciting headset could
change everything about how you
interact with your PC.
TOP GEAR
THE LIST
OPINIONS
DAN COSTA
First Word
READER INPUT
SASCHA SEGAN
WILLIAM FENTON
TIM BAJARIN
Its personal
computing
itself thats
dying. And this
is by design.
JOHN C. DVORAK
Last Word
DIGITAL LIFE
GET ORGANIZED
HOW TO
PETS
TECH ETIQUETTE
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FIRST WORD
C
Personal
Computing
Is Getting
More
Personal
DAN COSTA
Theres a time
to build, and
then theres a
time to just buy
it and move on.
dan_costa@pcmag.com
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READER INPUT
Alien
Invasion
Im not a gamer. I
use my PCs for
Office, Adobe
Cloud, and similar
business programs.
All I want is speed.
Would the
Alienware Area-51
[mentioned in the
March 2015 cover
story, The
Changing Face of
the Desktop] be a
good choice for me?
Rod Walsh
YOUR EMAILS
OUR ANSWER:
Thanks for writing, Rod. As a general rule,
gaming desktops contain some of the most
powerful components you can buy, so theyll
add a serious boost to any software you run.
The most recent version of the new Area-51
weve looked at here in PC Labs cost upwards
of $4,500 and used an Intel Core i7-5930K
CPUan unlocked 3.5GHz chip with six
processing cores that, thanks to
hyperthreading, can essentially marshal up
to 12 simultaneous threads. Thats not even
factoring in its three high-end Nvidia GTX
980 video cards, solid-state drive (SSD) for
running programs, or 16GB of RAM.
The real question becomes: Is a system like
this overkill for you? This Alienware is
tweaked every which way to maximize
gaming performance, which may not always
help business users. So you may be better off
financially going another route. First,
determine how multithreaded (if at all) the
software you use is, then find a computer
with a chip that maximizes that potential.
The $350 Core i7-4790K, for example, has a
faster clock speed than the Core i7-5930K
(4GHz) and still has four cores and eight
threadsif you dont need the extra threads,
why pay for them? An SSD will help speed up
almost any program installed on it, and if
youre a heavy multitasker or regularly deal
with huge files, more RAM (to the maximum
your PC supports) is never a bad thing. But if
you dont game, you dont need those video
PROGRAMMING NOTE
How does machine language (or
binary code) differ from basic C++
when it comes to running smoother,
and also can C++ be transformed
into machine language with an
application? And, if so, what
application?
Isaac L. Sellers
OUR ANSWER:
My programming skills are a bit
rusty, so I posed your question to a
friend of mine who does it for a
living, Michael Martin. Heres his
response: Running a program
always involves running some other
program first. For a language like
JavaScript, this program is the Web
browser. Part of the browsercalled
the JavaScript interpreterlooks at
ROAD TO RECOVERY
Your advice [in the May 2015 story Recover Deleted Files] about removing the
hard drive is a valid point. I have had good luck with a program I have installed
on an old laptop with an external drive. The program is called GetDataBack,
and has both NTFS and FAT versions. I use a USB-to-SATA/IDE adapter to
connect the hard drive I removed to the old laptop. This program is even good
enough to recover data that you may have thought lost due to a drive problem.
If you use the software, be sure to turn off Automatic Updates for Windows,
especially if the program has to run overnight.
Michael Fay
OUR ANSWER:
Thanks for the suggestion, Michael. Data recovery is something everyone
should think about, but not everyone does, so the easier, more versatile, and
more powerful the solution is, the better. We havent tried GetDataBack yet, but
well be sure to give it a shot. Interested readers can download it for free at
www.runtime.org/data-recovery-software.htm.
MM
Ask us a
question!
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Whats
New Now
RESEARCHERS CREATE CHIP
WITH HUMANLIKE MEMORY
NEWS
NEURAL
NETWORKING
This artificial synaptic
circuit uses the
technology developed
at UC Santa Barbara.
The tech is currently
only capable of simple
functions, such as
classifying images.
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TECH TRENDS
Violin
The future just
called: Your
3D-printed
piezoelectric
violin has
arrived, by way of
Monad Studio.
Jewelry
Some amazingly
detailed 3D-printed
metal jewelry available
through Shapeways.
Futuristic Shapes
The Ushak
workshop showed
off the shape of
things to come.
Quadcopter
A 3D-printed quadcopter,
from 3D Systems.
3D ARTIST RACHEL
GOLDSMITH
Artist Rachel
Goldsmith with a
lamp of her design,
one of many objects
on display that she
created with the
3Doodler 3D pen.
TOYS
These 3D-printed
toys came courtesy
of InsaniTOY.
CAR
3D print my ride, or at least
the decorations on it.
PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION
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JUNE 2015
TECH TRENDS
in the physical model and get a perfect view of the redesign. Its hard not to see
the value proposition there.
Next I was taken into a brick-walled room where an architectural firm wanted
to add a door. The software had a model for the buildings internal structure,
including electric and plumbing, so I could see that there was an important pipe
behind the wall, right where we were considering placing the door. At this point,
James showed me the notification feature; a message popped up in midair from
a coworker to discuss the problem. An air tap let me answer, recording my own
message. Then an avatar of the coworker appeared. It was a pretty crude wireform humanoid, but you could easily see where other software or game
developers, for example, would create more lifelike human representations than
an architectural app with basic collaboration would.
The HoloLens is as immersive as VR headsets like Oculus Rift, but thats
actually a real plus for applications like those I tried. Yet its definitely a richer,
more immersive experience than that offered by Google Glass.
I will say that I did encounter a bit of vertigo while using the headset, and it
wasnt something Id want to be wearing all day, or even for the duration of a
movie. But for applications like those I tried, I can honestly say theres nothing
like it, and its uses will only multiply.
Microsoft is keeping availability information about the HoloLens very close to
its vest for now. It had nothing to share about a release date other than that it
will be available within the Windows 10 time frame. No pricing guidance is
being announced, either, and we dont yet know where youll be able to get one.
But the progress that the company has made on the device since January is
undeniably impressive. The HoloLens seems destined to change the technology
landscape for a long time to come.
PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION
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TOP GEAR
TOP GEAR
MIGHTY PURSE
Finally, a fashionable way to charge your dying smartphone battery. A tech-infused fashion
accessory, the Mighty Purse can be used as an everyday clutch or wallet. But, like Superman
emerging from a phone booth, it can also transform into a battery-saving portable charger.
Choose from a variety of colors, patterns, and fabrics, from the simple to the extravagant.
But remember: Pre-Lightning Apple products require a separate adapter.
$ 114.99 mighty-purse.com
TOP GEAR
TOP GEAR
PETCUBE
Caring for a pet is difficult, especially from miles away. So the next time you jet off on a
business trip or a long weekend, turn on the Petcube and stay connected with your furry
loved ones. The 4-inch aluminum box sports a 138 wide-angle camera with streaming HD
720p video, two-way audio, and a built-in laserfor keeping your pet active. And with Wi-Fi
connectivity, anyone with an iOS or Android device can access the camera at any time,
from anywhere.
$199 petcube.com
TOP GEAR
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THE LIST
10
Source: Dice.com
Seattle, WA
Yes, its always sort of gray in Seattle, but
the Emerald City is also pretty green. The
average salary for those in tech is $99,423.
Not that far away, Redmond is known for
being home to Microsoft. But there are
plenty of other tech companies in the area,
including Amazon and Boeing. One thing
that needs work in the region? Broadband
service. Plans for gigabit Internet fell
through last year, and Seattles mayor has
lashed out at Comcast for lackluster
service. A group called Upgrade Seattle
recently announced that its working on
municipal broadband, which is something
new graduates might be interested in
working on.
THE LIST
10
Source: Dice.com
Baltimore, MD and
Washington, D.C.
Our nations capital and the surrounding
environs certainly are the epicenter of
those working in politics and for the
government. But these cities also contain
a good share of techies, whether theyre
hashing out tech policy strategy on Capitol
Hill or working along the Dulles Tech
Corridor. They earn an average of $98,323.
THE LIST
10
Source: Dice.com
Boston, MA
With the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (and Mark Zuckerbergs alma
mater, Harvard) nearby in Cambridge
turning out tech graduates, Boston is one
of the top tech cities in America. The city
encourages grads to stay and entices new
talent with an Innovation District geared
toward startups. Salaries average $97,288.
THE LIST
10
Source: Dice.com
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento salaries are climbing fast,
rising 14 percent from last year to $96,788.
Thats good news for the girls in the city.
Microsoft and Sacramento have signed a
digital alliance to provide training and
events to encourage girls to enter the tech
sector. Theres also a citywide effort to top
its current tech status, dubbed
Sacramento 3.0.
THE LIST
10
Source: Dice.com
Los Angeles, CA
Tech workers in Los Angeles might have to
deal with the freeways, but if they can find
a job close to home and a home not far
from the beach, theyll be happy enjoying
the $95,345 average salary they bring in.
Not to mention some of the Web-based
services available in L.A.: TaskRabbit, Uber,
Lyft, Google Shopping Express, Amazon
Same-Day Delivery, and Seamless.
THE LIST
10
Source: Dice.com
Denver, CO
There are a lot of Rocky Mountain highs in
Denver and one of them is that those in
tech can expect to earn an average of
$94,940. The Denver Tech Center has been
in business since the 1970s, encouraging
tech companies to settle in the city. A
short drive away, meanwhile, is Boulder,
which was named the top metro area for
high-tech startup density by a recent
study. Denver is a bit more affordable than
Boulder, but both offer tantalizing
proximity to tech startups and plenty of
outdoorsy adventures.
THE LIST
10
Source: Dice.com
San Diego, CA
If youre talking tech and start a sentence
with San, youd probably expect the next
word to be Francisco. But San Diego
residents get wonderful weather and high
salaries. You can expect to bring in about
$94,121. The city is home to the mobile
behemoth Qualcomm but also lots of
startups, more than 50 of which are part
of the EvoNexus incubator.
THE LIST
10
Source: Dice.com
St. Louis, MO
The hometown of Jack Dorsey has been
keeping some of its most promising tech
talent within the city. Tech job growth from
last year hit 23.1 percent, far more than for
any other city. Part of the reason is that
salaries average $93,829 while theres
affordable housing compared to other
places on this list. Recent graduates might
want to pass on some of their tech
knowledge with the citys new
LaunchCode Mentor Center for
underprivileged students.
THE LIST
10
Source: Dice.com
Houston, TX
NASA and the Johnson Space Center have
a lot to do with why Houston is such a
good place to find a tech job. The city has
boosted that with the Houston Technology
Center, an incubator and accelerator.
Techies who land in Houston can expect an
average salary of $89,838.
THE LIST
10
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Source: Dice.com
Austin, TX
Austin is no stranger to the tech elite; the
SXSW Interactive festival is where many a
tech giant got its start, including Twitter.
Its also the second city to get Google
Fiber, a move that prompted rival AT&T to
roll out its own gigabit Internet service in
the region, which can come in handy when
trying to tap into services like Uber and
TaskRabbit. Tech workers can make an
average of about $93,135 each year, and a
two- or three-bedroom home will set you
back about $400,000.
JUNE 2015
Opinions
SASCHA SEGAN
WILLIAM FENTON
TIM BAJARIN
Movie piracy
seems to be a
nuisance that
just requires
occasional
swatting at.
SASCHA SEGAN
ONLY SPOTIFY FOR MOVIES CAN
STOP POPCORN-LIKE PIRACY
Sascha Sega
OPINIONS
Sascha
SaschaSegan
Seganisisthe
the
lead
leadmobile
mobileanalyst
analyst
for
forPC
PCMagazine.
Magazine.His
His
commentary
commentaryhas
has
also
appeared
appeared
on Fox
on Fox
News,
News,CNBC,
CNBC,CNN,
CNN,and
various
and on radio stations
and
andnewspapers
in newspapers
around
aroundthe
theworld.
world.
Sascha Sega
Sascha Sega
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JUNE 2015
The movie
industry will
make piracy just
difficult enough
that it doesnt
become too
popular.
William Fento
OPINIONS
PC Magazine
Contributing Editor
William Fenton is a
Teaching Fellow and
director of the
Writing Center at
Fordham University
Lincoln Center.
William Fento
William Fento
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Perhaps I
hold outsized
expectations, but I
dont associate
YouTube microlectures or
multiple-choice
tests with worldclass edcuation.
Tim Bajari
OPINIONS
Tim Bajari
Tim Bajari
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A more
versatile
MacBook
could extend
Apples
reach in
portable
computing
even further.
Reviews
CONSUMER
ELECTRONICS
Beyerdynamic DT 990 (32 ohm)
LG Watch Urbane
Kobo Glo HD
HARDWARE
Maingear Vybe
Dell Latitude 13 7000 Series
2-in-1 (7350)
Acer H257HU
Netgear Nighthawk AC1900
Wi-Fi Range Extender (EX7000)
REVIEWS
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
Beyerdynamic
DT 990
(32 ohm)
$379 Price
L L L L m
Beyerdynamic
DT 990
(32 ohm)
PROS Superb audio
performance with an
accurate response
across the board.
Well-cushioned,
comfortable over long
listening periods
despite its large
frame.
CONS Hardwired
cable. Bulky frame not
for everyone.
The 32-ohm
Beyerdynamic DT
990 is a strong
option for music
lovers looking to
get an accurate
sound without
sacrificing depth.
boosted headphones might expect). Theres plenty of low-end might here, but
its not over-the-top, or even favored over any other frequency range.
Orchestral tracks deliver the full range of frequencies with wonderful balance.
The lower register instrumentation in the opening scene in John Adams The
Gospel According to the Other Mary, is full but not overwhelming, while the
higher-register strings, brass, and vocals have a brightness and clarity that
brings out every nuance and detail of the recording. This is an ideal sound
signature for classical music enthusiasts looking for a robust yet uncolored mix.
There are plenty of high-fidelity headphone options worth considering when
your budget is in the $300-and-up range. The Sony MDR-1A, the Master &
Dynamic MH40, and the Shure SRH1540 are all worth checking out for their
unique sound signatures and dedication to providing detail and balance. If
youre looking to spend less money, consider the Sennheiser HD 558, another
open design that delivers a full, wonderful response. For $380, however, the
32-ohm Beyerdynamic DT 990 is a strong option for music lovers looking to get
an accurate sound without sacrificing depth.
TIM GIDEON
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REVIEWS
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
LG Watch Urbane
$349
L L L m m
LG Watch Urbane
PROS Classic design.
Sharp screen.
CONS Expensive.
Bulky. Stiff leather
strap. Android Wear
still underwhelms
despite 5.1 update.
STEP BY STEP
Plenty of handy
features,
including this
pedometer, are
built into the LG
Watch Urbane,
but its pricey
for what you
get and the
improved
Android Wear
operating
system still
needs some
work.
Android Wear 5.1 introduces wrist flick gestures for scrolling through the
menus card interface. It failed to work just as many times as it responded
correctly to my movements. It might be useful when your other hand is busy
holding onto a subway pole, but I cant think of many other real-world
scenarios for it. Plus, it just looks and feels awkward. The Android Wear
update also improves menu navigation. You can swipe left once from the home
screen to access a vertical list of apps, twice to view your contacts, and three
times to list the basic actions the watch can perform.
Beyond that, theres not much else to the update, which will also be available
on other Android Wear devices. Yes, there are some new watch faces, but the
Urbane is still primarily for delivering notifications and voice commands.
CONCLUSIONS
With the Apple Watch now available, our standards for smartwatches have
increased. Googles Android Wear OS is in the best position to offer an
alternative to Apples iOS-centric juggernaut, but the LG Watch Urbane, even
with its upgraded look, doesnt change our lukewarm feelings on Android
Wear in general. The Urbane is definitely one of the better-looking
smartwatches out there, but thats not enough to recommend it, especially
given the high price. For that kind of money, you can get the better-overall
Apple Watch (if you own an iPhone), or save some dough and opt for the Moto
360 or the G Watch R. Or, if youre just looking to dip your toe in the
smartwatch waters, the Pebble is a solid alternative, and costs just $99.
TIM TORRES
PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION
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REVIEWS
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
A Less-Pricey Alternative
to the Amazon Kindle
You could say the Glo HD is Kobos
answer to Amazons Kindle Voyage.
After all, its the only other ebook
reader to sport a high-resolution
300ppi display. But the devices differ
significantly when it comes to price.
For $129.99, the Kobo the Glo HD is
far less expensive than the $199
Voyage. Sure, Amazon has a better
ebook store, and the Voyage has a
more striking design, but for those
unwilling to spend the extra $70, the
Glo HD is a worthy alternative.
DESIGN AND DISPLAY
The Glo HD measures 6.2 by 4.5 by
0.4 inches (HWD) and weighs 6.4
ounces, making it roughly the same
size as the Kindle Voyage, which
measures 6.4 by 4.5 by 0.3 inches
(HWD) and weighs 6.3 ounces. The
front is covered in black plastic, and
the back is coated in a tough,
textured rubber. Tiny indentations
allow for a better grip than you get
with the Kindle Voyages smooth
underside. Its comfortable to hold
with one hand for long periods of
time, and its just small enough to fit
in a jacket pocket.
Kobo Glo HD
$129.99
L L L L m
Theres no visible branding, except for an easy-tomiss Kobo logo at the bottom of the front bezel that
blends in with the rest of the smooth black finish. The
only physical button sits on the top edge of the reader;
its a very shallow Power button, and I was never sure if
I actually pressed it until the screen turned on. A
charging port and a tiny reset switch can be found on
the bottom.
The Glo HD sports a 6-inch Carta E Ink
touch screen with 1,448-by-1,072-pixel
resolution (300ppi). Its extremely sharp,
but it doesnt get as bright as the Voyage,
and at full brightness, text on the Glo HD
doesnt pop in quite the same way. The Glo
HD also lacks the Voyages adaptive front
light, which automatically adjusts
brightness based on the light around you.
But the Glos display more closely
resembles paper, so if youre looking for
something more realistic and subdued, you
might actually prefer it.
FEATURES
The Glo HD has 4GB of internal memory,
with 3.1GB free out of the box. Thats
enough storage space for up to 3,000
ebooks, but the lack of a microSD card slot
for expanding it is disappointing; most of
Kobos other readers include one. On the
plus side, Kobo supports more file types
than Amazon, including the popular EPUB
format. Pocket, an app that lets you save
articles you find online so you can read
them offline, comes preinstalled, which is a
nice touch.
For charging, the Glo HD comes with a simple black
micro USB cable, but no AC adapter, so youll need to
keep a computer port handy. Kobo claims up to two
Kobo Glo HD
PROS Sharp display.
Relatively affordable.
Lightweight. Good,
grippy rubber design.
CONS No expandable
storage. Long waking
time from sleep.
PAPER CUT
The backlit display on
the Kobo Glo HD is very
sharp, but the Kindle
Voyages gets brighter.
months of reading time per charge. I spent a week of heavy testing with my
review unit, and when I was done there was still plenty of juice left over.
The reader connects to 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi networks.
INTERFACE AND READING
There are 11 built-in fonts and 48 font sizes to choose from, and you can adjust
line spacing and margins with sliders. You can also align the text to the center
or the left, or readjust the page controls so you can choose where you prefer to
tap the screen in order to move your story forward. Theres also a built-in
dictionary, the ability to select passages and look them up in Google or
Wikipedia, and the option to display progress based on either chapters or the
entire book.
The Glo HDs home screen lets you sort books alphabetically, by title or
author. It also displays large cover images when its asleepthe eyes of Haruki
Murakamis protagonist in 1Q84 stared outward whenever my test unit was
napping. Speaking of naps, it takes quite a long while to wake the Glo HD from
sleep modeabout 10 seconds.
While reading, I never experienced any discomfort or inability to view the Glo
HDs screen. I took it outside in the sun, and I never had to squint or deal with
any glare. It worked just as well on the bus, on the subway, and indoors. Its a
good-looking, very readable display.
As with the Kobo Glo, you tap or swipe the sides of the screen to turn pages,
and the center of the screen to bring up the Options menu. Also like the Kobo
Glo, the Glo HD is slow to register lighter touches, particularly when adjusting
settings like brightnessin my tests, it took a second or two for such actions to
register. On the other hand, page refreshes are quick and painless, though youll
see dark full-page flashes after every six turns.
Kobo includes a Reading Life app that gamifies reading by awarding you
achievements, and tracking your reading speed and favorite reading times.
Although its not something I would normally use, I could see it being a useful
tool for parents to keep track of their kids reading habits.
KOBO STORE AND CONCLUSIONS
The Kobo store has more than four million titles, plus magazines and
newspapers. Barnes & Noble claims the same number, whereas Amazon only
claims millions, plus 185,000 exclusive Kindle titles. In a random spot
comparison, every major title I searched for was available from both Amazon
and Kobo. But prices are generally cheaper through Amazon. So even though
youre spending less upfront, the Glo HD could ultimately cost you more in the
long run if you buy a lot of books directly from Kobo. It pays to check out the
availability and pricing of some of the titles youre interested in before investing
in either ecosystem.
For $129, the Kobo Glo HD is largely comparable with the $199 Amazon
Kindle Voyage. The Voyage boasts a nifty adaptive light and a more-premium
design. But that extra $70 is a lot to spend on new books if you go with the Glo
HD. Your best bet, however, remains our Editors Choice, the Kindle
Paperwhite. It costs even less than the Glo HD, and though its screen isnt quite
as sharp, its perfectly readable. If you like Amazons ebook ecosystem, its the
best bang for your buck.
ALEX COLON
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REVIEWS
HARDWARE
Powerful, Affordable
Gaming in a Midsize Tower
Gaming is a big part of the PC market these days,
but its rare to find a truly powerful machine at
an affordable price. The latest iteration of the
Maingear Vybe is just such a desktop, leveraging
EDITORS
CHOICE
affordable components to produce impressive
performance, and offering plenty of room for adding
storage and swapping out parts. Plus, its midsize tower
makes it a nice change of pace from the several smallform-factor systems weve seen in this price range.
Maingear Vybe
$1,690 (as tested)
L L L L m
Maingear Vybe
PROS Excellent
gaming performance.
Unlocked processor
simplifies
overclocking. Easy
access to internal
components. Lots of
room for upgrades.
CONS Minimal
storage.
GOOD VYBE
RATIONS
Powerful hardware
and an easy-toupgrade design make
the Maingear Vybe a
good choice for the
serious PC gamer.
PERFORMANCE
As you might expect, the Vybe is a surprisingly potent
performertested without overclocking engaged
especially considering that most gaming systems opt for
higher-performing Core i7 processors. In PCMark 8 Work
Conventional, the Vybe scored 3,880, putting it ahead of
the Digital Storm Eclipse (3,809) and the Core i7
equipped Acer Predator AG3-605-UR39 (3,128), but
behind the Lenovo Erazer X510 (5,005), which boasts an
unlocked Core i7 processor.
In Handbrake the Vybe completed transcoding our test
video in 1 minute, 2 secondsseveral seconds ahead of
most competing systems, and only 1 second behind the
CyberPower Zeus Mini. It also completed the Photoshop
test in 2 minutes, 26 seconds, outpacing all of the
comparison systems.
Gaming was quite impressive as well, especially given
the Vybes price. In 3DMark, it scored 23,449 in Cloud
Gate (our moderate 3DMark test) and 5,768 in the more
demanding FireStrike Extreme. The second number is the
most applicable, and the Vybe has a pronounced
advantage, thanks to its dual-card setup; similarly priced
single-GPU systems struggled to come close, and only the
Lenovo X510 (5,469) surpassed 5,000. In our 1,920-by1,080 Heaven 4.0 and Valley 1.0 DirectX 11 tests, the
system managed scores of 85 frames per second (fps) and
84fps, respectively, rocketing past the competition.
CONCLUSION
As components become more powerful, those
improvements trickle down to midrange systems, making
it easier to get an affordable, high-performance gaming
experience. That combination of powerful gaming
performance and ample room for upgrades puts this
Maingear Vybe ahead of the pack, and makes it our new
Editors Choice midrange gaming desktop.
BRIAN WESTOVER
PC MAGAZINE DIGITAL EDITION
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REVIEWS
HARDWARE
Dell Latitude 13
7000 Series
2-in-1
(7350)
$1,549 (as tested)
L L L L m
Dell Latitude 13
7000 Series
2-in-1
(7350)
PROS Lengthy
battery life. Keyboard
dock has battery,
good selection of
ports. No bloatware.
Backlit keyboard.
Three-year warranty.
CONS No I/O ports
on tablet.
Battery life is a strength for the Latitude 7350. The tablet alone lasted 7 hours,
29 minutes, and with the dock attached the system lasted 9:51. Thats just shy of
the Dell E7450 (10:12) and an hour behind the 13-inch Apple MacBook with
Retina display (11:10), our Editors Choice ultraportable. Thats still many hours
longer than Core Mequipped systems like the Transformer Book T300 Chi
(5:54), the HP EliteBook 1020 (7:20), and the Yoga 3 Pro (8:19). Full Core i5
and i7equipped laptops and tablets, such as the Click 2 Pro (6:48), didnt last
as long, but the presence of a higher-powered processor is no longer indicative
of a short battery life. For instance, the latest Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
Touch, which has a Core i5 CPU, lasted 8:57 in battery testing.
Tablets are excellent for portability and touch-screen use. Laptops are better
for doing a lot of work, particularly when you need to type more than a few
words at a time. The Dell Latitude 13 7000 Series 2-in-1 (7350) is the best of
both worlds, giving you the flexibility of using a tablet or clamshell laptop and
vice versa at a moments notice. It has a lot going for it, including battery life,
flexibility, and power for getting your job done. Sure, the scarcity of ports on the
tablet portion is a drawback, but youre likely to use this most often with the
keyboard dock (and its ports) attached. Its a fully capable detachable-hybrid
tablet that will help you do your job on the go, with minimal compromises. As
such, we have no qualms giving it our first Editors Choice for business
detachable-hybrid tablets.
JOEL SANTO DOMINGO
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REVIEWS
HARDWARE
Acer H257HU
$369.99
L L L L m
Acer H257HU
PROS Stylish design.
High-resolution panel.
Wide viewing angles.
Solid performance.
Good audio output.
CONS No USB ports.
Tilt-only stand.
PERFORMANCE
Although the H257HU offers advanced 6-Axis color settings, you may not have
to use them, as the IPS panel delivers very accurate colors out of the box. The
panels inky blacks provide a solid background that give colors some added pop
while providing good shadow detail. The H257HU had no trouble displaying
every shade of gray on the DisplayMate 64-Step Gray-Scale test. Highlight
detail was sharp and well defined on my test photographs and while playing the
Blu-ray version of Marvels Iron Man 3. Skin tones appeared natural and evenly
saturated with no trace of tinting. As with most IPS panels, colors and
luminance remained intact from all angles.
I saw solid gaming performance from the H257HU, thanks to its 4ms (grayto-gray) pixel response. I couldnt spot any ghosting while playing Crysis 3 on
my PC or Burnout Paradise on the Sony PlayStation 3. The panels 10.1ms input
lag (the time it takes for the monitor to react to a controller command), as
measured with a Leo Bodnar Lag Tester, means you can enter a field of battle
without fear of getting blown away while waiting for your shot to finally hit its
intended target. Only the BenQ GL2760H has a better lag time (9.9ms).
OMISSION
STANDARDS
The Acer H257HU
has all the display
inputs youre likely to
need, but theres one
kind of port you
wont find on it: USB.
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REVIEWS
HARDWARE
Netgear Nighthawk
AC1900 Wi-Fi
Range Extender
(EX7000)
$169.99
L L L L H
Netgear
Nighthawk
AC1900 Wi-Fi
Range Extender
(EX7000)
PROS Excellent
throughput on both
bands. Easy to install,
configure. Five Gigabit
LAN ports. Generous
settings options.
CONS Expensive.
Large footprint.
INSTALLATION AND
PERFORMANCE
Installing the EX7000 is quick and easy.
After you power up the extender, select the
NETGEAR_EXT SSID in your wireless
devices Wi-Fi control panel. This launches
a New Extender Setup page where you
must create an account that requires an
email address, password, and two security
questions. Next, select a mode (Extender
or Access Point) and a Wi-Fi network to
connect to, and enter your routers Wi-Fi
password. You have an option to enter
SSID names and assign unique passwords
to each band if you prefer, or you can use
the default Netgear names and passwords.
Thats all there is to it. At this point, youre
ready to connect to one of the extenders
bands using your Wi-Fi control panel.
The EX7000 delivered fast throughput
and good range in testing, particularly on
the 5GHz band. In the close proximity
(same room) test, it measured an average
throughput of 179Mbps. Thats light years
faster than our previous leader, the Amped
Wireless High Power 700mW Dual Band
AC Wi-Fi Range Extender REA20, which
turned in an average throughput of
50Mbps, and significantly faster than the
Netgear AC1200 WiFi Range Extender
(EX6200), which managed 31Mbps. At a
distance of 50 feet the EX7000 averaged
105Mbps, blowing away its nearest
competitors, the Amped REA20 (44Mbps)
and the D-Link DAP-1520 (34Mbps).
Although throughput dropped to 31.1Mbps at
75 feet, the EX7000 still outperformed
all comers.
On our close proximity test on the 2.4GHz band, the EX7000 took a share
of first place with the Amped REA20both clocked in at 50Mbps. At 50 feet,
the EX7000 (28.6Mbps) beat out the Netgear EX6200 (25Mbps) and the
Amped REA20 (18Mbps). Its speed of 26.9 Mbps at 75 feet also led the pack.
CONCLUSION
The Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 Wi-Fi Range Extender (EX7000) gives you
the throughput and range performance necessary to provide robust wireless
coverage to every corner of your home. Its a breeze to install and offers
enough wired LAN ports to connect to gaming consoles, HDTVs, and other
networked devices. It also offers access control scheduling and FastLane
technology that let you optimize your bandwidth by directing wireless traffic
to a specific band. Though its expensive, the EX7000 costs around $10 less
than the Amped Wireless High Power 700mW Dual Band AC Wi-Fi Range
Extender REA20, and outperforms it across the board. If you want to save
$40, its sibling, the Netgear EX6200, offers lots of features and a friendly
user interface, but like the Amped REA20, it cant touch the EX7000s
performance. All that makes the EX7000 a shoo-in as our Editors Choice
wireless range extender.
JOHN R. DELANEY
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REVIEWS
SOFTWARE
PREVIEW: Microsoft
Office 2016 for Windows
Free for Office 365 users;
upgrade price not announced
NOT YET RATED
to arrive in other apps later. You can edit a document in Word on your home
machine while a coworker edits it at the same time using the online version of
Word in a browser. When other users are working on a shared document, a
refresh icon appears in the margin next to the paragraph theyve edited, and,
when you save the document on your machine, the other users changes appear
over a green background. Simultaneous collaborative editing is one of the
biggest attractions of Google Docs, but Office 2016 finally steals at least a little
of Googles thunder.
The biggest change in the interface is a Tell me what you want to do... box
in the top-line menu of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Thanks to this feature,
you dont have keep clicking tabs on the Ribbon until you find a feature like
Update table of contents or Insert a page break. Instead you simply type in a
word or two that identifies the feature, and select the exact feature you want
from a drop-down menu. The dialog box you want pops up immediately, and
you dont need to use the Ribbon at all. Theres no built-in keyboard shortcut to
the Tell Me box in the preview version, and I wasnt able to assign a shortcut
for it in the Keyboard Customization dialog, but thats presumably a preview
glitch. Otherwise, the only interface changes I noticed are subtle ones, such as
the return of upper- and lowercase tabs on the Ribbon instead of the shouting
capitals in Office 2013, and some relocated buttons in the file-management
Backstage view.
According to Microsofts blog posts about Office 2016, Excel gets plenty of
new features, including improved pivot tables, the ability to publish to the
Microsoft BI (Business Info) service, and new charts and graphs including builtin sunburst (concentric pie charts) and waterfall charts. I couldnt find these on
the Charts menu, but presumably theyre on their way. Outlook, when used with
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POSITIVE
OUTLOOK
Outlook 2016
resembles the 2013
version visually, but
its now much easier
to navigate its
massive feature set.
REVIEWS
APPSCOUT
Confide
Android, iOS
L L L L m
If youre concerned about how private your mobile communications are, you may want to
check out Confide. It aims to be your go-to app for sending secure messages (even with
attachments) that cant be preserved via screenshots or even easily read over your shoulder,
and uses 128-bit AES encryption to ensure security on both ends. Interface and attachment
improvements in the latest version make Confide sleeker and smarter than ever.
REVIEWS
APPSCOUT
LuminosAstronomy Companion
EDITORS CHOICE
iOS
L L L l m
REVIEWS
APPSCOUT
Android, iOS
L L L L m
A squadron of mobile apps has emerged recently to help you stitch together your photos, but
few do the job as well as Layout From Instagram. It has an extremely clear and powerful
interface that simplifies selecting photos, and customizing the layouts you use to display
them. You get a good selection of layout options, facial recognition, and sharing capabilities,
though you cant edit your pictures from within the app. Even so, this app is elegant and easy
to use.
REVIEWS
APPSCOUT
iOS
L L L l m
The Sailors Dream, the latest game from innovative developer Simogo (Year Walk, Device 6),
takes you on a journey across a sea of memories as you try to piece together a sad tale of
longing and regret set on a group of whimsical islands. Beautiful visuals and music (from
Jonathan Eng) contribute to the enriching experience. In order to discover everything, youll
need to play across many days, but chances are youll find the investment as rewarding as
you would reading a great novel.
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Features
HOW TO BUILD A PC:
THE BUYING GUIDE
HOW TO BUILD A PC:
THE BUILDING GUIDE
FEATURES
The
Buying
Guide
HOW TO
BUILD A PC
Processor
(CPU)
Processor
Manufacturing technology.
Every year or two, processors get thinner
and more power-efficient. Knowing a
chips manufacturing technology
(measured in nanometers, or nm) will give
you some insight into its capabilities, but
is not strictly necessary.
Motherboard
If the CPU is a computers brain,
the motherboard is its nervous
system. Most of your other
components will plug into the
motherboard, so the one that
you use in your build needs to be
exactly what you need now, and
what you expect to need from it
in the future.
Motherboard
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Memory
Memory
Video Card
Though integrated
graphics systems are
more commonplace today
than ever, even the best
versions in the latest
processors cant deliver
what you can get from
even a lower-end discrete
video card. If youre into
gaming of any sort, a
video card is a must, but
any programs that are
designed to do so, from
Windows to Photoshop
and beyond, can benefit
from offloading video
processing to a dedicated
subsystem. Unless youre
blasting out a tightbudget build, theres no
good reason to forego a
video card.
Video Card
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Storage
Storage
the drive, with hard drives coming in 3.5or 2.5-inch varieties, and SSDs coming in
2.5- or 1.8-inch models. For desktop
computers, form factor seldom matters
much, though youll need to have the right
kind of space in your case for whatever
drive you choose.
Power
Supply
You can buy the best
components to be found
on the Web, and theyll be
useless if you cant
actually turn your
computer on once youve
finished building it. A
power supply unit (or
PSU) may be the most
unappreciated of
components, but without
it, nothing else will work,
so dont forget to give it
the thought it deserves.
Power Supply
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Case
Yes, youll need a case to
house all the other
components you buy, and
thats what well focus on
here. But remember that
its also the outward
expression of your
computers personality
and your own. How big
should it be? What
shape? What color? Do
you want a window?
Make these decisions, too,
so that your final
computer will look every
bit as good as it runs.
Case
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FEATURES
The
Building
Guide
HOW TO
BUILD A PC
Once youve decided on and purchased your parts, its time to do the really exciting/
fun/scary part and assemble them all. Believe it or not, this is less difficult than it may
sound, especially now that tool-free cases are de rigueur and you wont need your Phillips
screwdriver for installing much more than the motherboard. But doing things in the proper
order will help out a lot.
What follows is the basic procedure for building a higher-end larger or midsize system
that were planning on using to test hardware in PC Labs. It illustrates most of the points
youll encounter in your building, though the details will differ a bit depending on the
components you buy. The basic techniques, however, seldom vary much from build to build.
Get Prepared
Just as a professional chef wouldnt dare fire up the stove without the mise en
place ready to go, neither should you. Unpack all of your components, remove
the packing material from them, and arrange them cleanly on a large, flat
surface. The floor will absolutely work if thats all you have, but try to avoid
doing it on a carpetstatic electricity remains a major danger when working
with electronics, and frying your system before you even get to use it is one
shock you dont want. Also, open up the main side panel of your case, because
thats where youll be starting with your build.
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10
11
12
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GET ORGANIZED
Make Money While
Cleaning Out Your Closet
HOW TO
Break Bad Habits
With Tech
PETS
High-Tech Ways to Find a
Lost Pet
TECH ETIQUETTE
Ask Alex:
What to Wearable
Digital
DIGITAL LIFE
GET ORGANIZED
y wardrobe needs an overhaul. Its not that Im out of style. Its that
Im about to move to southern India, where the climate is tropical
year-round, and cashmere sweaters have no place. Theres a semiunspoken dress code for women, too: no bare shoulders, and bottoms must
cover past the knee. So long, tank tops and shorts! So long, winter clothes!
Although my situation is unusual, there are plenty of reasonsmaternity,
weight loss or gain, change in taste, a compulsive shopping habityou might
have valuable clothes in good condition that you just dont need anymore. One
of the best solutions is to sell those pre-owned items through an app that
specializes in secondhand clothing.
POSHMARK APP
SHOPWELLSUITED
ShopWellSuited is an online mens clothing and accessories consignment shop,
with physical retail stores in Phoenix and San Diego. Its part of a family of
consignment shops, affiliated with the flagship My Sisters Closet. Shopping on
ShopWellSuited is a drag, however. Although the site has a nice display and
interface, you have to call the store to make the purchase and pay $15 in
shipping for items that cost less than $500.
Selling: ShopWellSuited advises sellers to focus on the three Cs: cute, clean,
and current. Sellers can ship clothes to the flagship store in Arizona either on
their own or by requesting a shipping kit. Sellers in the Phoenix and San Diego
areas can also drop off their items in person. Sellers take 45 percent of sales in
cash or 55 percent in credit. Just bear in mind that if you take store credit, you
have to make a few phone calls to buy the items you see listed on the site.
THREADFLIP
Threadflip, which you can access via the Web or a mobile app, specializes in
select brands of high-quality secondhand womens clothing.
Selling: Threadflip will send you a shipping kit, or you can print out a prepaid
label if you have your own box to mail in the items you want to sell. The
companys employees inspect items and will return to you (for a $10 fee) or
donate to Goodwill any items they reject. Items ready for sale are professionally
photographed, listed, and sold on your behalf, so convenience is high. You can
earn cash or store credit, but the commission fees vary tremendously. You can
earn anywhere from 30 to 80 percent of the sale price.
THREDUP
Specializing in womens clothing and accessories,
and childrens clothing, thredUP leans more toward
designer items, and it doesnt accept or sell socks,
swimsuits, or undergarments. Quality control is
high; thredUP verifies designer items and doesnt
accept items that are missing labels.
Selling: With thredUP, you can forget all the hassle
of selling. You can request the company send you a
Clean Out bag, which arrives with a prepaid shipping
label. Fill the bag with clothes that meet thredUPs
standards, drop it in the mail, and wait for your
payout. The price is set by thredUP, but you have the
option to override it if you think the list price is too
low. Sellers earn a cut, which varies from 10 to 80
percent, based on the sale price and whether you
take an up-front payment or an actual cut of the sale.
You can earn store credit or cash, or donate the
proceeds to a charity. If thredUP cant sell one of
your items and you decide you want it back, you pay
a $12.99 return shipping fee.
THEREALREAL
TheRealReal buys and sells both womens and
mens luxury fashions, fine jewelry and watches, and
fine art.
Selling: When selling on TheRealReal, you have a
few options. You can request a shipping kit and mail
in your items. You can create a list of items youre
going to sell on the site, and TheRealReal will rangeestimate the value of each item; then you can print a
free shipping label yourself and mail your items. Or
in some cities, you can schedule free in-person
pickup. As with most sites, you can take cash or store
credit, and youll receive around 60 to 70 percent of
the sale, depending on the amount sold.
THREDUP APP
TRADESY
Tradesy deals in womens clothing (mostly high-end) accessories, and wedding
items, including menswear and accessories for grooms and groomsmen.
Selling: Tradesy takes an intermediary approach to helping sellers. The
company doesnt do all the work for you, but it assists you more than Poshmark
does. Tradesy makes you photograph your items for sale, but it enhances the
photos. It also suggests a selling price, and when an item sells, Tradesy provides
a shipping kit or label. If the buyer changes her mind, Tradesy handles the
return. Tradesy takes a low rate of 9 percent commission when you take your
earnings as store credit, and keeps an additional 2.9 percent if you cash out.
TWICE
Twice is a marketplace for secondhand, quality-controlled womens clothes,
mens clothes, and accessories. It only accepts certain brands and clothing and
accessories in excellent condition.
Selling: As with thredUP, Twice handles all the pains of photographing,
describing, pricing, listing, and selling your items for you. It has high quality
standards and only accepts select brands. There is no set commission rate, so
youll need to use Twices payout calculator to estimate the payout value of each
item youre selling. When Twice sells your used clothing, you get a cut of the
money, of course, and can take cash (via PayPal, Venmo, check, or Target gift
card) or store credit, for which youll earn an additional 25 percent. If you
change your mind and want an unsold item back, return shipping is $4.95 per
item. The company donates all items it rejects.
VINTED
Vinted runs the gamut in terms of brands, quality, style, and types of clothing
and accessories it sells. It caters to women, and the app facilitates direct
communication between sellers and buyers.
Selling: With Vinted, you have two options for how to sell. You can sell items
yourself by taking photos of items with the Vinted app, adding a description,
and mailing out the item once it sells (using a shipping label that Vinted
provides but you ultimately pay for). You set the price, or you can tell shoppers
that youre interested in swapping for clothes rather than taking their money.
The other option, which is currently in beta, is to find a seller already on Vinted
who will handle the photography, description, and selling for you. All you have
to do is mail that person your stuff and wait until it sells. Either way, Vinted
takes 19 percent. Commission and fee details for using a seller arent yet public.
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DIGITAL LIFE
HOW TO
hether you
tend to
procrastinate,
inconsiderately clip your
nails, or smoke, drink, or
eat to excess, there are
plenty of ways to get help.
Therapy, meetings, family,
friendsthese are all
methods you should
seriously consider.
Plus, there are websites
and apps. With some help
from softwareand by
applying some of your own
willpower, an aspect that
cant be overlooked or
ignoredits possible to
better yourself. Even if all
you do is correct one
practice or pattern that is
bugging, governing, or
ruining you and those
around you on a regular
basis, it may be worth it.
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DIGITAL LIFE
PETS
Tagging Along
In those first panicky minutes when your pet has disappeared from sight,
youre going to be grateful that you can find them using Tagg GPS Plus
($79.95 plus service plan). The pet tracker attaches to a collar and
monitors the pets location using GPS and cellular signals, and sends that
information to an app that can also provide directions. The app can be
set to let you know when your pet has wandered outside of a set radius
so that youll know when it happens even if youre not home.
That Face
That fuzzy face is like no other to youor to facial recognition technology.
Take a photo of your pet, upload it to the PiP app (petrecognition.com),
and alert PiP if your pet gets lost (or if youve found someone elses lost
pet). PiP will then reach out to vets, rescues, and shelters, and notify
them that your pet has been lost. It will also scan its database to look for
a match.
Finding Rover (findingrover.com) is a similar service. You take a photo of
your dog and upload it so that its on file. If your dog gets lost or you find
one, report it using the app and it searches the database, which includes
dogs that have come in to shelters and rescues.
High Alert
When your furry friend is lost, put out a Pet Amber Alert at
petamberalert.com. The service will take down information about your
pet and fax fliers to vets offices, shelters, and pet stores; send out search
info across social media; and call your neighbors.
Safe Harbor
Youre out searching the neighborhood for your lost pet, but you should
also search online. Go to PetHarbor.com to look for the pets photo in a
database that includes animals brought into shelters and rescues in
your area.
Chipping Away
Your vet can implant a small RFID microchip under your pets skin so that
if the pet is found and brought to a shelter or another vets office, a quick
scan will turn up the contact information you provided. Even if you have
your contact info on your pets collar (and you definitely should), a collar
can be easily slipped out of while your pet is on the lam. Ask which
microchip service your vet uses and see if they have a pet recovery
process. Some, such as HomeAgain (public.homeagain.com), will alert a
network of vets, shelters, and rescue organizations.
Social Sharing
The ASPCA app (available for iOS and Google devices) has plenty of
useful information for pet owners, including an action plan if your pet
gets lost. It also has a template to create a digital missing-pet flyer that
can be shared on social media.
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DIGITAL LIFE
TECH ETIQUETTE
Ask Alex
Q
What to
wearable.
BY ALEX COLON
Alex Says: Wearable technology is awesome, but in the wrong hands, it can also
be incredibly annoying. Whereas theres some voluntary action in pulling your phone
out of your pocket and looking at the screen, glancing down at your forearm every
time you receive a notification requires far less thought. So its important to become
self-aware that youre basically wearing a tiny computer on your wrist. And
congratulations, reader, as it sounds like youve already mastered this first step.
Other than that, you should treat the Apple Watch exactly the same way youd treat
a smartphone. Dont glance at notifications when youre talking to someone in
person, dont send your heartbeat after youve sat down to dinner, and dont browse
through emails while youre in a work meeting. But feel free to check the news
headlines during your morning commute on the train, or hail an Uber as youre exiting
the building. Just be prepared for people to stare.
And to be clear: The above advice pertains to all smartwatches, not just the Apple
Watch. Im looking at you, Pebble wearers.
DIGITAL LIFE
TECH ETIQUETTE
Ask Alex
Q
What to
wearable.
BY ALEX COLON
Alex Says: Wearable cameras come in many flavors, and the type of camera you
wear largely determines when and where its okay to wear it.
Take an action camera like the GoPro, for instance. Its totally cool to wear when
youre scaling an inactive volcano or skiing down the face of a mountain. But take it
outside of a sporty context, and it becomes creepy or weird (or, if you use one to
record yourself walking down the aisle at your own wedding, tacky).
Other wearables, such as Google Glass, are slightly more tolerable in a general public
setting, since they arent necessarily dedicated cameras. That doesnt make it
acceptable to wear them to a formal event, but it does mean you can wear one on
the subway. Youll still look like a tool, though.
And this should go without saying, but here it is, just in case: Never wear a camera of
any type to the bathroom. I get stage fright at urinals as it is. If some dude rolls up
next to me wearing a GoPro, Im zipping up and heading out.
DIGITAL LIFE
TECH ETIQUETTE
Ask Alex
Q
What to
wearable.
BY ALEX COLON
Alex Says: The first thing you need to do is find out what the rules are at your gym.
I recently saw someone get kicked out of a spin class for sending a text message, and
it wasnt pretty.
Assuming you attend a gym where any tech goes, you actually have plenty of gadgets
at your disposal. The first is your phone, and a good pair of sweat-resistant
headphones. I also see plenty of people bring tablets and use them to read or watch
movies while theyre on a bike or an elliptical. I dont necessarily get it, but if it works
for you, then I think its fine. And of course, pretty much all activity trackers are fair
game. Just be mindful of how you use your devicesif youre spending more time
reading than you are biking, then you should do everyone a favor and leave the tablet
at home.
Id draw the line at gadgets like action cameras. The occasional sweatbanded selfie is
fine, but your entire workout doesnt need to be captured on first-person video, so
please dont attach a GoPro to your weights while lifting.
Have a question for Alex? Send it to askalex@pcmag.com
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LAST WORD
O
Personal
Computing Is
Getting Less
Personal
JOHN C. DVORAK
Within the
next few years,
everything that
began in 1975,
insofar as
you getting
control of
these powerful
machines,
will be fully
reversed.
john_dvorak@pcmag.com
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MASTHEAD
EDITORIAL
PC LABS
EXECUTIVE EDITOR, REVIEWS Wendy Sheehan Donnell
MANAGING EDITORS Sean Carroll (software, security, Internet, business, networking), Alex Colon (consumer
Arielle Rochette
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Tim Bajarin, John R. Delaney, Jill Duffy, John C. Dvorak, William Fenton, Tim Gideon, Bill Howard,
Edward Mendelson
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MASTHEAD
CORPORATE
Vivek Shah
Steven Horowitz
Andy Johns
Joey Fortuna
Eric Koepele
Anurag Harsh
Bennett Zucker
Costa
Stephen Hicks
THE INDEPENDENT GUIDE PC Magazine is the Independent Guide to Technology. Our mission is
to test and review computer- and Internet-related products and services and report fairly and objectively on the
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JUNE 2015