No other Android smartphone in 2017 has been as polarizing as the Essential phone. Created by the father of Android, many of us (tech reviewers) wanted a no compromise phone we could love. A device that would be a trailblazer showing other manufacturers what is possible and ushering in an new era of innovation through competition.

Instead the Essential phone is a device I want to love but can't. 

Essential recently dropped its Canadian and US price and many readers wanted to know if I could recommend this phone at the new price. Keep reading to find out.

It feels rushed

So Andy Rubin teed the essential phone in March an created a tone of excitement.

Reviewers went wild because it was the first phone with an edge to edge display. Since then, we have been bombarded with a bunch of beautiful, wet designed smartphones with edge to edge displays (like the Samsung Note 8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, iPhone X, etc). 

When I use the phone and compare it to its cousins, I have the feeling the phone was rushed. Since September, Essential has had to release 4 updates to make the device usable and it still has a lot of room for improvement.

One major complaint that seems to affect all users is the camera quality. Even with the hardware Essential used, most of us expected the device to take much better pictures. Then a port of the Google Pixel Camera app was released by an unknown developer and tests (see article here) show that through software, image quality can be greatly improved. This is the perfect example of issues created because Essential didn't take the time to release adequate software to make it's device shine.

The good

The Essential phone looks and feel amazing. It has a beautiful edge to edge screen that is brights.  The device is slightly heavier than competing products and really feels well built. It is (to me at least) the best looking android phone you can buy today.

It comes with USB C.

It has a camera that doesn't have a hump so the entire back of the device is flat and won't wobble when placed on a table.

It has a fantastic fingerprint reader that is well placed and works very quickly every time. 

It is running a stock version of Android (comparable to the Google Pixel line). This clean version of Android means the phone is extremely fast and responsive. Apps start quickly (often faster than on a Samsung Galaxy S8+ or Note 8). 

Essential has committed to 3 years of security patches and 2 years of major OS updates which is a huge win. Even companies like Lenovo Motorola, Samsung and OnePlus don't commit to software updates like this. I think this is a huge plus for Essential and I wish other companies would follow it's lead.

The bad

The camera is one of the main reasons people buy smartphones and the Essential camera is just "ok". I won't bore you with samples because every reviewer has posted dozens but trust me, the camera will leave you wanting.

As mentioned above, the illicit port of the Google Pixel Camera app does make a significant improvement to the picture quality but it still isn't in the same league as the Samsung Galaxy S8 (which you can now buy around the same price) or the OnePlus 5 (which is out of stock as we wait for its replacement the OnePlus 5T).

It doesn't have any type of water or dust protection.

It doesn't support wireless charging.

You can't buy a second Essential branded was charger yet and the only add-on they released is their $150 360 camera which itself produces "ok" quality pictures and videos.

The speakers on the Essential phone get fairly loud but the audio quality is sub-par. 

Conclusion

The Essential phone was the phone I was hoping to love and was hoping it would become my daily driver (replacing my iPhone). 

So to answer the original question, even at this price, I can't recommend the phone for most users. If Essential released an Android 8 upgrade (we know they are testing it internally) and that version included a massively reworked camera app and they released the charging pad, then may recommendation would likely change.

So the Google Pixelbook is the most elegant expression of what a Chromebook could be. There are dozens of review on the internet extolling the wondrous virtues of the device. I think it is a fantastic device for the right user because it is fast, hassle-free and as secure as a mobile computing device can be.  

Instead of just writing another copycat article about the positives, I wanted to share some of the less than perfect elements of the device. To ensure you can make an educated decision.

Google Assistant 

I love the Google Assistant and was excited when Google added it to the Pixelbook. The problem is that the activation hot words only work when the device is on and the screen is on. If the device is idle and "sleeps", you will have to manually wake it up before you can trigger the Google Assistant. Consumers have come to expect always-on assistants (think Google home and Google Pixel 2 smartphone are always listening). 

I am a Google GSuite user and expected the Google Assitant (at least on their premium laptop replacement device) to integrate better for their business users. As an example, it won't be able to read you your agenda. 

PixelBook Pen

The Pixelbook pen is a great concept but your experience will depend greatly on the apps you are using. Google claims that the Pixelbook Pen API uses a low latency model that should deliver 10ms response times and this is true in certain apps like Google Keep. In Google Keep, using the pen feels akin to writing on paper. In apps like Adobe Draw or Microsoft OneNote, you definitely feel the latency. The latency is so bad that it makes the experience almost unusable. 

Android apps on ChromeOS

With the launch of the Pixelbook, Google finally graduated Android apps on ChromeOS out of beta. This is a push we have seen from Google for many months and they want to encourage ChromeOS (Chromebook) users to leverage the millions of Android apps to make the Chromebook the prefered mobile platform.

Some companies (like Adobe) have worked with Google to make their Android app Chromebook aware and thus using Lightroom on it is actually a great experience. It is fast, fluid and very functionally complete. 

Other apps are the polar opposite. With these less than optimal apps, you will experience:

• incorrect app orientation
• the app does not use the full-screen real estate 
• app performance is sometimes erratic and will crash for no discernible reason

Conclusion

The Pixelbook is a beautifully crafted device that works relatively well. If the device had been a couple of hundred dollars less, I could easily overlook everything written here, but at $US999, my expectations are slightly higher. 

I think the Pen is still a beta experience and they should really provide one for free with each Pixelbook. More customers using the Pen means more telemetry and better design cues for v2 next year. I cannot recommend the $US99 pen right now. The Pixelbook pen is nothing more than a gimmick right now. 

We regularly see mobile carriers release commercials mocking competitors but we rarely see this with smartphone manufacturers. Samsung has been watching all of the flack reviewers are throwing at Google regarding the screen on its new flagship Pixel 2 XL. And good ol Sammy decided it's time to use Google's misstep to its advantage with a short commercial talking about the incredible screen on its own devices.

I'm in the market for a new smartphone and actually ordered a Panda Pixel 2XL from Google (scheduled to arrive Dec 18). With all of the issues, I am now considering alternatives and leaving towards a Samsung Note 8 or the upcoming OnePlus 5T. 

The short well-crafted ad shows clips from various Youtube tech reviewers talking about how great the Samsung screens are (e.g. MKBHD, Unbox Therapy, Mr. Mobile and many more).

Regardless of how you feel about the Pixel 2 XL screen (some do like it), there is no debate that Samsung is the king of OLED screens. When talking about $1000 phones, companies are expected to deliver high-quality devices and I am fine with Samsung using this opportunity to win some points.

It's time to upgrade my phone and I am waiting to see what OnePlus releases as their OnePlus 5T model. In the above photo (from GizChina.it) , we see that the launch will likely take place on November 16 (for India at least which is where we believe this slide was created for).

And everyone's favorite leaker, EVLeaks also confirmed a November release date.\

OnePlus 5T Specs

Everything we have so far is based on rumor. Remember that everything we have seen so far could be an elaborate misinformation campaign by OnePlus. With that caveat, let's dive in.

We believe the processor will be the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 found in the OnePlus 5 and all other 2017 smartphones.

We also expect the OnePlus 5T to be delivered in 2 common packages:

• 6GB of RAM + 64 GB of internal storage
• 8GB of RAM + 128 GB of internal storage

These options should be identical to what we have with the OnePlus 5.  Some of the leaks also suggest a larger 3300 mAh battery (according to AnTuTu benchmarks). It is also safe to assume the OnePlus 5T will come with their proprietary Dash speed charging technology, 

The OnePlus 5 had an excellent camera and OnePlus understands the importance of the camera. The latest leaks suggest that the OnePlus 5T will now include 2 20MP cameras. 

OnePlus co-founder (Carl Pei) recently tweeted this:

If the above picture is an indication of low light picture quality the OnePlus 5T will bring, I am very excited. 

OnePlus 5T design

OnePlus has always been a design-driven company and it is safe to assume they will deliver this time as well. It is safe to assume the new OnePlus 5T will adorn a 6" 18:9 screen with a resolution of at least 2160x1080. 

This new larger display will require a more "bezeless" front and we expect the fingerprint sensor to be moved to the back. 

The above "leaked" image from a Chinse site supports everything we have heard so far. You can see the post containing this picture on Sina Weibo yourself. Keep in mind that all the leaks have come from unverified sources so they may simply be photoshop creations. 

OnePlus 5T Price

OnePlus has slowly increased the price of it's phone with every new release. We typically see a $50US increase each time and it is safe to assume OnePlus will stick to that model. The OnePlus 5 was $US479 at launch. I expect the OnePlus 5T to be around $US529.

Even at $529, it is almost half the price of equivalent flagships from Samsung, Google or LG.

Conclusion

And now we wait for November 16 to come. I am anxiously waiting for the OnePlus 5T to see if it is my next daily carry phone or if I will go with the Samsung Note 8 or Google Pixel 2XL. Did I mention I hate waiting? 

Google power users knew that changing the Google country top-level domain (ccTLD) would allow you to find results optimized for another country or language (e.g. searching Google.ch instead of Google.com to get more swiss biased results). 

There are a tone of reasons why I used this little trick:

• Accessing Google.com results when terminating a VPN in another country
• Travelling to a European country that skews results (right to be forgotten) and wanting "real" information returned
• and much more

In a blog post, Google announced that results will now be customized based on the user's location (without regard for the country ccTLD input in the URL). So if I am in France and try to access American results by using the Google.com site, I will still get french results.

Google explains that 1/5 searches are location dependent (therefore detecting and using the user's actual location makes sense).  If I am traveling to Paris and search for pâtisserie, the logic motivation is that I am searching for a pâtisserie in Paris, not Toronto (my home city). 

You can still search for results in another location but the process is much more complicated now (you can still go into settings and select the correct country service you want to receive.) 

Source: Google Blog

Google started rolling out Chrome 62 to Windows and Mac clients about a week ago and now most Chromebook users should have received the update. For those that haven't realized it, Chromebook updates typically lag behind their Windows/Mac counterpart by about a week.

What does ChromeOS 62 bring?

ChromeOS 62 brings an improved file manager, improved OS notifications, and most importantly vulnerability fixes (including the famous KRACK vulnerability).

Pressing and holding a file in the file manager now allows you to select a file (or more) instead of bringing up the right-click menu.

Google updated the system notification to look more like Android notifications (they use to look more like Chrome for Windows notifications in the past). This more Androidesque style brings material design with large icons. 

If you take a screenshot, you are now presented with a thumbnail of the notification (similar to Android). 

You now have better captive portal detection  ( that interstitial webpage in a coffee shop that asks you for your email address before giving you web access).

The most important update for me (a security guy) is the remediation of the WPA2 KRACK vulnerability.

July 2014, Google launched it's project zero initiative to identify Zero-Day vulnerabilities in commercial software thus making computing generally more secure. 

Google's modus operandi is to inform affected vendors and give them 60 days to release patches. After the 60 day window, they go public even if a patch is not yet available. 

There have been situations where Microsoft has not been able to release a public patch within that 60-day Window and obviously this has created a tense relationship between Google and Microsoft. 

You can read this Microsoft blog entry about their disappointment with google. not wanting to take the hit and move on, it looks like Microsoft security research has been looking for flaws in Google's products and found 2 bad ones. Realizing security is now a major differentiator, they decided to play Google's game and disclose the vulnerabilities after an elapsed wait time. 

Here is a sentence that takes a jab at Google's Chrome while praising their own Microsoft Edge security architecture :

Microsoft justified the release of the detailed vulnerability information with this sentence:

I think large well-funded companies should be doing general security research and helping improve the overall security of the entire ecosystem. I wish they could agree on a more friendly approach to vulnerability disclosure, not leaving their customers open and unprotected. This should not become a marketing tool but more of a commitment to societal improvement.

A guy can dream, can't he?

Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox are all mainstream browsers that work extra hard to keep you safe in cyberspace. Each company has taken a different approach, but users are more protected than ever before.

Nothing is foolproof though. What happens when badware gets through those defences and takes over your browser making your leisurely stroll through cyberspace painfully slow or dangerous by stealing your passwords?

In the latest version of Chrome for Windows, Google adds more tools to the arsenal. 

Hijacked settings 

Recently we have seen a surge in companies selling reputable browser extensions to other companies and these new owners leveraging the installed base to do bad things like stealthily changing your browser settings.

Chrome now looks out for this type of attack and offers to restore your settings. 

Chrome cleanup

Many companies bundle crapware in their product installers as a source of additional revenue. In some cases, the user may not even be aware that the crapware was installed. 

Chrome cleanup looks for this type of attack and offers to clean up Chrome (thus returning Chrome to a known good state). 

Google redesigned Chrome cleanup to be more powerful and more straightforward to use.

Rolling out now

The new version will slowly roll out to users over the next few days and you will benefit from these improvements automagically. 

Google blog post

Terms of service are professionally written notices you agree to every time you use a new smartphone, install a new software or sign up for a new web service. Consumers are rightfully annoyed by 50+ page terms used by large companies.

Sometimes, you stumble on a company that has "good" terms of service in that they actually protect you (the consumer). This write up is about DuckDuckGo because I receive several dozen emails from readers every month asking if they really are a good alternative (from a security perspective to use). 

In this article, I am only tackling their terms of service. As specified on their privacy site "DuckDuckGo does not collect or share personal information."

DuckDuckGo says they don't save your searches. They don't send your searches or information to any other site. They don't store any personal information about you. 

They only save cookies to your browser if you enable a function that needs it (like persistent settings). 

They save search information but only as aggregated data without any personally identifying information. 

So DuckDuckGo lives up to its promise of personal secure web searching, which is great. I give it an A grade for protection in their TOS.

Over the span of a couple of weeks, we saw three phones released, and with every release, the manufacturer touted the device's incredible "best ever" DXO Mark Mobile performance rating:

1. Samsung released the Galaxy Note 8 with a DXO Camera score of 94
2. Apple released the iPhone 8 Plus with a DXO Camera score of 94
3. Google released the Pixel 2 / Pixel 2 XL with a DXO Camera score of 98

Manufacturers love touting these scores to "prove" that they have designed the finest camera a distinguished tech user could ask for. For all intents and purposes, technology should get better and this means every new phone released (at the high end) should have better overall performance than its predecessor. Why would you buy an inferior phone?

While most blogs blindly write headlines repeating this single "representative" number, very few actually take the time to read the full DXO reviews and explain the details to their readers. 

It's complicated

The first thing to keep in mind that blending complex factors into a single easy to digest number is complicated and sometimes may mislead some readers. While most blogs only show the single number, DXO actually provides a generous amount of valuable information for the curious reader.

The DXO tests include a slew of carefully controlled tests and other real world tests that are more subjective. 

If we pick on today's "highest ranking" phone, the Google Pixel 2, here is how the rating of 98 is made up:

DXO provides detailed test results and write-ups for each of these categories. While most blogs will tout that the Pixel 2 has a rating of 98 (the best ever rating for a smartphone), they rarely provide the makeup of that number.

And the make-up of that number is critical to your buying decision. If you will use the camera primarily for video, you may notice it scored 96. You can also check out how DXO made up that score by evaluating what is important to you about video (which attributes are more important to you).

• Exposure and contrast
• color
• Autofocus
• Texture
• Noise
• Artifacts
• Stabilization

Remeber that the video rating fo 96 is not a straight average but rather a "black box" formulae closely guarded by DXO. 

Is DXO Mark Trustworthy?

The next question is "can you trust the DXO testing methodology"?

Having reviewed the public information made available by DXO, I say yes. They have a well-documented methodology that is as good as it is going to get. I trust their rating but use the detailed review information to make up my mind, not the single number most blogs publicise. 

It is also important to keep in mind that DXO is a for-profit consulting company that manufacturers hire. DXO works with manufacturers to tune their imaging systems and get the best possible performance out of the equipment and software. DXO also sells image quality testing solutions.

I do not believe this consulting arm influences the device ratings in any way but it is still an important fact to keep in mind.

DXO Optics Pro

DXO Optics makes very good photo improvement software because of all this camera/lens knowledge they have accumulated. They know the shortcomings of each of the camera/lens combos and can this build specific correction profiles. 

I own their software and paid for it myself. 

90% of all the questions I receive these days is about comparing the iPhone to the Google Pixel2.  In addition to all the information I have already written and the info provided above, there is one more piece of knowledge you should consider. 

The Google Camera app on the Pixel 2 does not natively support RAW (the iPhone 5s or newer) does. This means DXO Optics Pro has corrective filters for all these iPhone RAW images, but does not for the Google Pixel2. This could be a major deciding factor for more astute or demanding mobile photographer.

Conclusion

I know most users simply don't care about the details. They want one easy to read headline that justifies their belief (Google is better / iPhone is better). My ask is that you, my more knowledgeable readers, take the time to look at the data that makes up the numbers.

It's a worthwhile investment of your time.

Silicon Valley has been promising life-changing personal digital assistants for years, but we all know most are semi-useful at best. 

A new research project to measure the IQs of these "smart assistants" concluded that Google is the smartest but has an IQ equivalent to a six-year-old (Google received a score of 47.28 while a typical 6-year-old would receive a 55.5). An average adult would rate between 85-115 points.

Where does the "digital golden child" (aka Siri) score? It received a very disappointing 23.9.  Siri was outsmarted by Microsoft's Cortana and Baidu. 

The results showed that these assistants had made significant improvements over the last two years but that they still have a long way to go before they deliver on their real promise.

Privacy and the digital assistants

Apple triumphantly became the first major tech company to include a digital assistant with every iPhone 4s. As we bought into the dream, we were enthralled by all the wonderful possibilities that this technology would enable. 

Apple went all-in with the privacy chip, and soon Siri was surpassed by Alexa and the Google Assistant. Most notable was the launch of Amazon's Alexa in 2014 which had a much better ability to understand natural language commands and had the first real consumer implementation of far-field microphone technology. Amazon's microphone technology coupled with artificial intelligence in the cloud meant it could pick up commands from a distance even in relatively noisy environments. Something Apple certainly couldn't do. 

While Amazon opened up its skills technology to the world, Apple carefully guarded its assistant enforcing strict privacy controls. In the Snowden era, privacy is important, but consumers are typically more interested in convenience. 

Pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence, Google decided to use its incredibly vast trove of user data to train its artificial intelligence and machine learning engines. This unmatched access to valuable data (think Google Voice, Google Maps driving patterns, likes/dislikes in Gmail, etc.) has allowed the sultan of search to become the king of digital assistants. 

Many believe that Apple's lack of development of Siri caused many prominent employees to leave the Siri program. Most noticeable were the departures of the Siri co-founders Adam Cheyer and Dag Kittlaus. Not wanting to retire and watch from the sidelines, they created a new digital assistant leveraging the most modern technologies, under a new banner "Viv Labs. Viv Labs was supposed to be an independent digital assistant that would work across many products and companies. Helas they sold to Samsung for ~$200M, and now we wait to see how they will use the technology. 

Google is all in with the Google Assitant

On October 4, 2017, most tech analysts watched as Google unveiled its 2017 crop of technologies. They launched two phones, two speaker-assistants, a refreshed VR headset, Bluetooth headphones and a new laptop. We could see how the new MadebyGoogle style was infused in everything they launched. 

Even though everything seemed well designed and manufactured, the most striking message was that Google was embedded it's Google Assistant in everything. 

The Google Assistant now lives in every new Google product and in most cases is the unique differentiator for that product. 

The Google assistant and its unique Artificial Intelligence engines:

• Allow its Google Home Max speaker to auto-tune its sound profile taking into account the characteristics of the location it is in
• Allow it's smartphone to use a single camera to generate bokeh and blurred photo backgrounds (which Samsung, HTC, and Apple deliver using two cameras)
• Allow its Google Buds Bluetooth earphones to break down the communication barrier by making Google translate voice easier to use in the real world
• Allow its Pixel Chromebook laptop competitor to use Google Lens to identify elements in a picture (aka a famous person on a web page or a landmark in a picture)

Google is gambling that its Assistant will be a key product differentiator and they may be right. I have owned iPhones since the very first version. I owned every Apple Newton Apple every released and spent way too much money on Newton accessories. I am not a fan-boy but loved the tech. 

This is the year I upgrade my personal phone; I opted to jump to the Google Pixel 2XL instead of the iPhone X. 

• I need a device that is more customizable thank what Apple allows. Think of the Chinese citizens that can no longer install VPN clients on their Apple products because Apple banned these apps from its Chinese app store to comply with Chinese law. To make things worse, Apple does not allow them to sideload any apps, so these customers are stuck. On Android, you can toggle a switch to sideload apps. Sideloading does increase your cyber risk, but sometimes that is an acceptable outcome. 
• I was also tired and frustrated with Siri and Google can help me be more efficient in more situations. 

I believe that Google CEO Sundar Pichai is right when he says we are entering an AI first world. 

Conclusion

Assistants will be the front end to this new artificial intelligence first world we are entering into. Apple has more money than most countries and could surprise everyone with a significant upgrade to Siri, but without the enormous troves of data Amazon and Google have about users, it will be an arduous journey. Apple is not in trouble. Apple is not dead. Apple is a vibrant company that continues to find new ways to create billion dollar business' (Apple music, Apple watch, etc.). 

In the short term, I doubt the lackluster performance of Siri will hinder its growth, but I am convinced it will have an impact on its longer-term viability (unless it decides to jump all in and spend some of its cash on buying maturity for Siri). 

Real security requires vigilance, even for consumers. One issue we have been hearing a lot over the last couple of years is credit/debit card skimmers.

A skimmer is a cheap hardware device that blends into the credit/debit card processing machine of a retailer. When processing your transaction, the skimmer copies your card information and somehow makes it available to the "bad" guys.

An open-source Android app, called Skimmer Scanner, is promising to help consumers win this battle. The company behind this project, SparkFun, explains why thieves love gas stations. The skimmer equipment costs $10 or less and the master key to open a gas pump is typically easy to get (since there are only a small number of variations). After a couple of days or weeks, the thieves drive by the modified pump and wireless dump all of the credit/debit card information via Bluetooth.

It is this feature that the app leverages to find these skimmers. It looks for a particular kind of Bluetooth signal, attempts to connect to it and thus verifies if there is a skimmer in the area. 

Believe it or not, thieves are lazy so most often they leave the default skimmer configuration on devices.

SparkFun has a great blog post talking about gas station skimmers you'll enjoy reading.

I will be trying this our at local retailers. Download Skimmer Scanner yourself from the Google Play store here. 

The biggest change to Apple's smart watch lineup is the addition of LTE connectivity (a $70 option over the non-LTE Series 3). This new Dick Tracy style watch will allow you to make phone calls (with your same number), send and receive messages, use internet connected apps and stream music from Apple Music. 

The new OS, which will work on all devices, brings improved exercise and heart tracking, Siri finally can speak back to you. 

The heart rate functionality is dramatically improved tracking your heart-rate pre-working (resting), during and post-workout. It will show how your heart health is improving over time ( faster recovery, better resting heart rate, etc.).

They have also created a new standard that will allow your watch to talk to new types of gym equipment. This means your watch will be able to log gym equipment data (speed, incline, etc.).

The Series 3 Apple watch has the same dimensions as the existing Series 2, and they promise similar battery life. You will be able to pre-order the new watch this Friday (September 15). 

We'll have to wait and see what carriers charge to add this new device to your smartphone plan. Hopefully, it won't be $10 a month.

Over the coming weeks and months, the media will overwhelm you with review and editorials about the new iPhoneX. Of all the products Apple announced this week, the iPhoneX was the most radical in design. 

They have eschewed the home button and most of the bezels. This newfound space has allowed them to cram a beautiful 5.8" Super Retina OLED screen (458 pixels per inch) in a device that is smaller and easier to hold than an iPhone 7Plus or iPhone 8Plus.

All of the functions requiring a home button are replaced with swipe motions. Swipe up from the bottom, and you get the home screen or app-switcher (full swipe or half swipe respectively). 
A side button (right-hand side) can be used to invoke Siri. 

The removal of the home button also means Apple had to remove the TouchID authentication sensor. The beloved TouchID has been replaced with FaceID. It promises more secure authentication.

TouchID had a false positive rate of 1 in 50,000. Apple claims FaceID has a false positive rate of 1 in 1,000,000 (regardless of you wearing glasses, changing your hair, growing a beard, etc). All the processing is done on the device (not sent to the cloud).

During the demo, FaceID failed. We don't know why but I am sure Apple will workout most of the kinks before it is released early November. 

We can't make any recommendations until we have a chance to test the device in the real world, but many have already started asking if the extra $300 (going from the iPhone 8 to the iPhoneX) is worth it. 

Had the iPhoneX been endowed with a dramatically superior camera system (compared to the iPhone 8 Plus), I would have jumped on it, but now I'm not sure. Yes the built in cameras do have optical image stabilization and the telephoto lens is slightly brighter but that doesn't justify the difference in my view. 

Using the FaceID sensors, Apple will map your face and allow you to apply the new lighting filters (even with the front facing selfie camera). Additionally it will create a detailed face-map allowing filter apps to create more realistic and properly aligned designs (think Instagram filters). They will also use this feature to create animated emojis called animoji. 

Conclusion

Pre orders start on October 27 and deliveries will start a week later.

The truth is, the iPhoneX is a glimpse of the future. My guess is that we will see one more generation of traditional looking phones with a home button, then everything will switch to the all screen design. 

The iPhoneX is an opportunity for Apple to figure out how to mass produce all the sensors affordably, in preparation for an eventual launch in all of its products (including iPad). 

Chrome has been the browser king for many years and many users can't remember a time where Firefox was "the browser".  Chrome overtook Firefox and Internet Explorer(according to StatCounter) in November 2011.

But recently a group of highly technical security experts seem to have moved back to Firefox. Why have technically knowledgeable users left Chrome for Firefox?

Battery life

Users are increasingly choosing mobile devices (laptops and convertibles) instead of traditional always-plugged-in personal computers. This means battery life is important. In a 2016 battery shootout, Microsoft aggregated billions of data points from real world Windows 10 users and found that Microsoft Edge and Firefox were much gentler with battery consumption.

Privacy

Everyone using Google products should know that the sultan of search is monitoring everything you do on the web, on its search page and in its browser. If you have never visited the Google Dashboard, you really should. It will show you all of the information El Goog has collected about you. Remember that it then uses this data to build a profile about you and we all know how powerful these predictive models can be :

• How Target knows you are pregnant through data analytics

Unlike many unscrupulous sites that track you without your knowledge, Google is a model citizen and clearly, let's users know what it is collecting and why. Most users are willing to trade their behavioural information in exchange for free google services (e.g. Photos, search, Gmail, etc).  I think this trade is perfectly acceptable as long as the user understand what he/she is giving up in exchange for these free services.

Some people believe Google knows too much and where possible, try to use no-Google alternatives (DuckDuck Go for search, ProtonMail for email, SpiderOak One for online storage, etc).

Open Source means anyone (with the right skills) can audit the code and make sure nothing nefarious has been secretly inserted.

The fact Mozilla is not trying to become this massive financial behemoth is a comforting reality.

Browser security

To be clear, Chrome is an excellent browser and has slightly better security than Firefox but on the privacy front, Firefox wins.

There is an annual security competition called Pwn2Own and the 2017 browser compromise competition presented some interesting findings.

The Microsoft Edge browser proved to the least secure browser, having been compromized5 times. Then came Safari on Mac which was compromised 3.5 times (a half point was awarded because they had fixed one of the attacks in a beta build).  Then came Firefox with 1 compromise and Google Chrome had none.

Firefox is certainly a relatively secure browser with a healthy bug bounty program but Chrome is just 1 step ahead.  If you want the most secure browser and are willing to give up privacy, choose Chrome. If you want good enough security with much better privacy, pick Firefox.

Tab handling

There is no perfect browser.

Google's Chrome browser is the king of standards compliance. It is very secure since it has strict sandboxing. Each browser tab creates a new browser thread in the OS, which means a crashed tab doesn't crash the entire browser. These "features" consume a substantial amount of RAM. If you are one of those users that live in your browser and regularly has 20-50 tabs open, you probably live the sluggishness daily.

Firefox is "as fast" as Chrome but much more configurable. It consumes less RAM per open tab thus is often a better solution for users that live the multi-tab life. The flip side is that a bad tab can crash the entire browser but this is very rare.

Extensions

Chrome is the king of extensions. Just browse the Google Chrome store and be amazed at everything your browser can do.

In many cases, your most used extensions will be natively available either platform. As an example, Lastpass and UBlock Origin are natively available for Chrome and Firefox. You can also install the Chrome Store Foxified add-on which will allow you to install Chrome extensions from the Chrome store into Firefox.

In this example, I picked the Google Keep extension. When you visit the Chrome Store with the Google Chrome browser, you see this window to install the extension:

When you visit the same page with Firefox and the Chrome Store Foxified add-on, you see this window and the ADD TO CHROME is replaced with ADD TO FIREFOX

I have tested this functionality with a dozen extensions (HTTPS Everywhere, Ublock Origin Extra, Grammarly, etc) and all of them work perfectly as if they were running in Chrome. Before people start sending me hate mail, I know these have Firefox native versions but I wanted to test the Chrome extension functionality in Firefox.

Interface design

Both Chrome and Firefox have adopted a clean, minimalist approach. From the interface perspective, neither one really pulls out ahead as a leader.

Verdict

When there is competition, the consumer wins. This is true in the browser market. The extreme competition between Chrome and Firefox means both products have improved over the last 12 months. 

Both browsers are relatively secure. The main difference boils down to privacy and tab handling. If you are someone that always keeps several dozen tabs open, then you may find Firefox more responsive and less likely to bog down your computer. Additionally, Firefox is a much better choice for consumers looking for more privacy.

Ultimately I think most users will end up with both browsers on their devices and use different browsers for different purposes. Recently I have started to move more of my day to day browsing back to Firefox and am satisfied. I want to encourage diversity and even chose to donate to Mozilla. Encourage not-for-profit groups powering open source software is an important step in maintaining a healthy diverse and competitive computing environment. I also donate to Tor, Ubuntu, Wikipedia and Whonix.

A handful of readers asked me to review the DeAmpify Android app and talk about it on my blog. So for those readers, here is my opinion.

Google introduced AMP in 2015 (Accelerated Mobile Pages) with the hope of speeding up the mobile web by degunking all of the junk publishers were adding to their web pages (tracking, advertising, etc.)

The CBC web page I am using for this article connects to 16 separate domains (to load content) and has eight different trackers. Obviously, this clogs up the page and makes it slower to load and less responsive.

Journalists and privacy advocates have been criticizing AMP because they claim it is another Google attempt to control content by encouraging publishers to use the search giant's AMP caching servers. Additionally, Google chooses what tags will be allowed for AMP markup on web pages. 

For those with modern high-end smartphones connected to super fast LTE networks, the difference is minor. But if you are on a mid-level phone or a slower connection, an AMP page could load in half the time. 

A crafty developer (Joao Dias) created an Android app called Deampify whose sole purpose in life is to convert AMP links back to "normal" web ones. The app is free with a small in app purchase option to unlock pro features:

• Disable Ads
• Ability to add exceptions so that some websites still show the AMP versions
• Tasker integration so that you can load original pages when you’re on Wifi but load the faster AMP pages when you’re on 4G/3G for example. 

DeAMPify demonstration video

Important considerations

Since a link clicked in Chrome does not kick off the Android intent process, you cannot redirect it to DeAMPify and this the app cannot perform its magic. The app works in any non-Chrome app (messenger, hangouts, the Google Search app, etc).

How does DeAMPify work?

When you click on an AMP enabled page, the app searches the HTML code for the original web page URL and then passes this to the browser. So in effect, it is pre-downloading the entire web page anyway.

Conclusion

So is this useful and do I recommend it? No! I tried to find a reason to like this app but I couldn't. I don't have a technical or moral issue with AMP so there is no reason for me to go out of my way to bypass it. 

Additionally, it is pre-downloading the web page to find the non-AMP URL so I am not saving bandwidth and may actually be slowing down my browsing experience. 

I'm glad the app exists in case someone does want it but it's going to be useless for most Android owners. The only reason someone would probably consider this is if they have a moral issue with Google playing manager of the AMP technology and wants to "stick it" to the man.  To me it feels like stabbing yourself to teach someone else a lesson. 

Similar Articles:

• Review of Private Internet Access (PIA) 

• KeepSolid VPN Unlimited Review

• Your ISP is always watching, tracking and profiling you

• Honest review of the ProtonVPN service

• Beware of the fake VPN providers

• What is Tor and should I use it

• Review of HideMyAss VPN (HMA)

Start

I've written about half a dozen articles over the last couple of weeks reviewing various VPN services. I asked my social media followers what other VPN services they wanted me to review, and many readers requested that I review TunnelBear. So here is my review of the TunnelBear VPN service.

TL;DR - TunnelBear is an excellent service that won't disappoint.

First, it meets the multi platform requirement. It supports MacOS, Windows, IOS and Android (with browser extensions for Opera and Google Chrome). These are the most requested platforms by users and will meet the needs of 95% of their user base. If you are a tinker and want an OpenVPN configuration file or router support, you will be sorely disappointed (see VyprVPN in that case). They have talked about a very manual configuration option for Linux using OpenVPN, but this isn't for the faint of heart.

TunnelBear has about 19 servers worldwide. This is in strong contract to companies like HideMyAss that offer 190+ locations with 720+ servers.  Countries listed during my test included: United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Japan, France, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Ireland, Spain, Singapore, Norway, Denmark, Hong Kong, Brazil, Mexico, India.

One issue I have with many services is that there is no "auto-connect to the fastest server" option, but TunnelBear has this option. When compared to VyprVPN, UnlimitedVPN (Keepsolid) or HideMyAss, TunnelBear's performance was always a little bit slower. Youtube was always using a lower quality, and downloading files always took a bit longer. 

Many VPN services just provide a plain; we do not collect logs statement. As a more technical user, I expect a little more "meat" with a statement like that. You can read the TunnelBear privacy policy here.  

I appreciate the honesty and clear privacy terms provided by TunnelBear:

Canada is a member of the five eyes and as a Canadian, I believe my information is collected and shared with the other members of the spying consortium. My preference is to use a VPN service who is headquartered in Switzerland (or another privacy loving locale). 

TunnelBear also offers a free tier (500MB per month) to anyone who wants to test their service or has very limited needs. Free VPN service is a rare offering from a reputable company, and one TunnelBear should be very proud of. 

You can earn one free GB of additional traffic by tweeting about TunnelBear using an in app feature. I tried this twice, and they added 1GB each time within 10 minutes.

I tested Netflix USA with the TunnelBear VPN turned on and Netflix detected the connection as a VPN and refused to show the US catalogue. 

Pricing

The annual TunnelBear subscription is $4.99 a month which is competitive. If you shop around (check out the link in my KeepSolid UnlimitedVPN review) you can get a similar VPN service at $49.99 for an unlimited lifetime subscription. 

Conclusion

TunnelBear offers an easy to use VPN service or the average Joe. It doesn't offer a tonne of client support. It is based in a high-risk country (Canada) and the price is average. 

If your look around on deal sites, you can find an UnlimitedVPN lifetime (5 devices) deal for $49.99 which is a better deal. UnlimitedVPN is based in the USA so they suffer the same headquarter location issue (being based in a Five eyes country) as TunnelBear. The difference is you get a tonne more exit servers than TunnelBear.

For real security, I would say check out Private Internet Access or ProtonVPN.  

As mentioned in my various articles, keeping your operating system and applications updates is a critical component to good overall security. 

Apple released IOS 10.3.3 yesterday, and amongst all of the bugs it fixes, there is one nasty security vulnerability that justifies installing it now. Right now. Do it. I'll wait. Come on, we don't have all day. 

Put Apple's banal sounding description aside for a second ("A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved memory handling".) This vulnerability comes from the Broadcom BCM43xx wifi chipset (CVE-2017-9417) and allows an attacker to execute code on the targeted device with kernel privileges.

To be clear, millions of Android smartphones (e.g. HTC, LG, Nexus and most Samsung devices) are also vulnerable to the BroadPwn vulnerability. 

Google also issued the BroadPwn fix in its July patch bundle (you are receiving the security updates for your phone right?)

Google sees the corporate world as an excellent cash cow and has been working hard to secure its place. Most recently we have the fruits of its labour with redesigned G-Suite offerings, the Jamboard and more.

Google is the king of data and has decided it can help HR do a better job with recruitment. Google Hire is a purpose built solution that promises to make the entire hiring process easier and more efficient (from finding to managing). 

The target customer is the small or medium organisation that may not be using any of the larger more expensive and complicated tools. 

• A 2015 report by Bersin (Deloitte) claimed it took on average 52 days to fill a position (up from 48 in 2011) at the cost of $4,000
• 48% of small businesses report there are few or no qualified applicants for the positions they are trying to fill (NFIB)
• 27% of respondends believe lengthy hiring timelines are a major impedament to increasing staff headcount (Recruiter Sentiment Study 2015 2nd Half, MRI Network, December 2015)

So all in all, we can safely assume the hiring process is broken in small to medium size companies, which may equate to a nice chunk of change for Google (if it plays its cards right).

Google Hire leverages the G-Suite platform and integrates with email and calendaring. In addition to winning new business by offering innovative cost effective new solutions for the SMB market, it also adds value to G-Suite. 

It is conceivable that a long time Microsoft Office customer may eventually switch to Google's G-Suite if it has enough value added features. 

I have spoken to dozens of medium size start-ups that just don't want or need the big Office 365 offering and are just looking for an excuse to make the jump. It is small but targeted offerings like this that may make the difference.

You can check out the Google Hire website for more details.

It's Christmas in July for any tech enthusiast that loves getting "something for nothing". The books are presented in a straight text list (without pictures) and organised by category and file format.

There are no limits, conditions or restrictions. You can download one, or you can download them all.

The books will interest hardcore IT administrators or casual Windows users looking to sharpen their skills. You can click on this link to see the massive list.

Some General computing topics include:

• An employee’s guide to healthy computing
• 10 essential tips and tools for mobile working
• How To Recover That Un-Saved Office Document

There are books on Azure. Books for developers. Books on Sharepoint, Dynamics CRM, Powershell, SQL Server and more.

Don't miss this opportunity. Download them now.