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[email protected] Whose home isn’t smart, these Choosing which smart ecosystem to
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CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 3

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ISSUE #527
CHRISTMAS 2023
CONTENTS This month in APC

38

34

58 Smart home 2023: A buyer’s guide

An automated home can make life easier and even save money.
But which to choose and where do you start? 31
 
Part 2

  

72 Stop using browsers

that track you
Don’t let Chrome and Edge use your personal data to
54 A Vision to Behold: The Story
of Electronic Displays
Darren Yates re-traces the history of electronic vision and
target you with ads – switch to a browser that actually the many incredible technological advances that have
respects your privacy shaped the world we see over the last 100 years

6 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

I’ve long been an advocate for Arm
on the desktop. Everyone loves
a high-performance CPU, but
I remain despondent over
continuous upwards levels of power

48
consumption, poor efficiency
and heat concerns.

Chris Szewczyk - Two bits

page 15

INSIDE The Lab How to

31 Intel 14th Gen CPUs 86 Quick tips
Technotes 34 Surface Laptop Go 3 88 Free up PC memory
8 News 35 TP Link Wi-Fi 7 BE85 90 Expert tips for Windows
What’s been going on 36 MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max) 91 Make Office better
38 Google Pixel 8 Pro 92 Take control of your internet
10 Tech brief 40 Google Pixel 8 94 Master screen sharing
Bing with ChatGPT is now 41 Thermaltake Citadel V2 96 Fast file management
Copilot – what it means for you 42 Logitech Wave Keys 98 Expert tips & apps for your
12 End user 43 MSI MAG 323UPF smartphone
How shareware transformed 100 Raspberry Pi 5
PC gaming forever Labs features
48 Intel Z790 motherboards Downtime
13 Random access 102 Gaming reviews
AI Copilot is about to replace Software High-performance playtime
most knowledge workers 44 WingetUI 2.1
106 Game changer
14 Tech talk 45 Calibre 6.7
Syndicate
AMD FSR 3 frame generation 45 GlassWire 3.3.517
arrives 45 WinZip 28 110 Retro
46 Ulaa browser The rise and fall of Atari
15 Two bits 47 Qubes 4.1.2
Could your next rig house 114 Chip chat
The less than serious
an Nvidia CPU? Features
news page
16 Trade chat 54 A vision to behold – history
Is it game over for AMD of electronic displays Part 2
graphics? 58 Smart home 2023:
A buyer’s guide
17 One more thing 72 Stop using browsers that
Can we still trust the news? track you
24 A-list
The best products on PC Builder
the market 78 System news
Intel is sailing across a choppy
24 The list Raptor Lake but Mark Williams
Best AMD & Nvidia graphics knows there’s a Panther in
cards waiting to save it
28 Head to head 79 Market watch
Docker vs Podman A sampling of PC systems
28 How it works
currently available SUBSCRIBE NOW &
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 80 Blueprints SAVE OVER 40%
Value- and performance-driven Turn to page 18 now to
30 Gadgets
hypothetical builds find out how
Techy toys and trinkets

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 7

 TECHNOTES
Everything you need to know from the month in tech

Nvidia and AMD to develop

Arm-based CPUs for PCs
A major challenge for Intel?

Nvidia already commands about 80%

of the discrete graphics processors for
PCs, as well as most of the AI and HPC
GPU market. But it looks like the
company is ready to take on yet
another major market: processors for
client PCs that run Microsoft
Windows, reports Reuters. AMD,
which has historically competed
against Intel on this market with x86
offerings, is also venturing into
Arm-based CPUs for desktops and
laptops, the news agency claims, citing
two sources with knowledge of the
matter. Both companies aim to
introduce their Arm SoCs for client
PCs in 2025.
AMD and Nvidia’s decision to offer create chips compatible with Windows like Apple and Qualcomm, which has
Arm-based CPUs will be a strategic move, up until the year 2024. But once the been producing Arm-based chips for
in collaboration with Microsoft’s broader exclusivity is expired, some big new laptops since 2016 and 2020, respectively.
initiative to enhance Arm-based players are set to enter this market. Meanwhile, success in this endeavour
processors for Windows PCs, aiming to Entering the domain of CPUs for PCs involves overcoming substantial
compete more effectively against the marks a significant expansion for Nvidia, technical barriers. A key challenge lies in
Arm-based system-on-chips used by though not exactly unexpected since the the existing heavy investments in the
Apple in its Mac computers. company already tried to address tablets x86 computing architecture, which has
In 2016, Microsoft selected Qualcomm and smartphones with its Tegra offerings been a staple in software development for
to lead the initiative of transitioning the in mid-2010s (but largely failed). PCs. Transitioning to Arm-based CPUs
Windows operating system to Arm’s Re-entering the Arm-based PC CPU requires addressing compatibility issues,
instruction set architecture, market is not going to be without as code developed for x86 chips will not
traditionally used in smartphones due to competitive and technological directly run on the Arm ISA,
its energy efficiency. Qualcomm was challenges. AMD and Nvidia will be necessitating porting software from x86
given exclusive rights by Microsoft to competing against established players to Arm.

SQUADRON 42 IS NOW FEATURE-COMPLETE AND HAS

ENTERED ITS POLISH PHASE
COULD STAR CITIZEN BE NEARING COMPLETION?

Squadron 42, the single player game that’s being developed alongside the open Star Citizen
universe is now complete, after production began in 2011. “We are excited to announce that
Squadron 42 is now feature-complete!” Developer Cloud Imperium said. “As we move into
© Arm, Cloud Imperium Games

the polishing phase, we’re fully focused on optimising and fine-tuning all aspects of the
gameplay experience to deliver an unprecedented cinematic adventure.”
Cloud Imperium head and gaming legend Chris Roberts said: “When we have the locked
release date, you will be the first to know,” Roberts says at the conclusion of the
announcement. “We have come this far, and we want to make sure that Squadron 42
delivers on the promise of being this generation’s Wing Commander.”

8 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 TECHNOTES | NEWS

AMD CLAWS BACK 5%

MARKET SHARE FROM INTEL
CPU SALES CONTINUE TO
RECOVER.

Intel’s FPS boosting APO tech AMD owns about 20% of the desktop
CPU market and nearly a quarter of

not backwards compatible servers, according to new figures for

the third quarter of 2023 from
Mercury Research. That’s up by
Only for 14th gen and beyond. about 5% in both cases compared to
AMD’s share this time last year.
With the introduction of its 14th Gen to roll it out to older chips. That’s a bit Mercury also says that for the market
processors, Intel introduced a new of a shame, considering the potential as a whole, both desktop and mobile
feature called Application Optimiser, for much improved utilisation of CPU sales grew in Q3 2023 at “well
or APO for short. It’s a new scheduling E-cores and higher frame rates in above normal seasonal rates.” Their
technology to help boost frame rates in CPU-limited games. overall conclusion? “The market is
select games – very few select games, in APO is supported in Rainbow Six: indeed exiting the turbulent
fact, as there are just two that support Siege and Metro Exodus and Intel says downturn created by a post-COVID
APO today. But that’s not the only way gamers can expect up to a 16% increase bubble of excess shipments and
this feature is limited: It’s a 14th Gen in performance in the latter with APO inventory that began in mid-2021.”
exclusive and Intel says it has no plans enabled. If you track things back over a longer
time frame, AMD really is on the up
and up. As recently as 2018, it had
virtually no market share in servers.
Now it owns nearly one quarter of
the market.

POTENTIAL NAND
SHORTAGE IMMINENT
COULD MEAN END OF CHEAP SSDS.

For the past year, SSDs have never

been cheaper – with many 1TB SSDs
actually costing less than 1TB HDDs.
UNIVERSITY BUILDS ROBOT-DESIGNING AI But this era of cheap memory may be
CHURNS OUT ROBOT DESIGNS IN SECONDS. coming to an end: controller-
manufacturer Phison is signaling that
A team of researchers led by Northwestern University has developed an AI algorithm that a shortage of materials needed to
can design functioning robots from scratch. At its full potential, the team hopes its AI make NAND chips may be on the
program can help build new creations in the future that humans have never even horizon. Phison, which makes
considered. memory controllers for SSDs
The researchers didn’t share many details about how the program works, except that it is (including many or even most PCIe
similar to ChatGPT in that it functions based on prompts (or questions) by users. To start, 5.0 SSDs), is prepaying its chip
the team asked the program to design a physical machine capable of walking on land and suppliers to ensure it has plenty of
© Intel, Northwestern University, AMD

didn’t ask the program anything more, allowing it to evaluate its work and adjust the design NAND chips as the company predicts
without further human input. a shortage. The prepayment itself will
Twenty-six seconds and 10 attempted designs later, the AI was able to successfully presumably bump up the cost for
create a 3D-printable blueprint of a robot that could walk using “air muscles” to move the NAND chips, and a shortage
legs. According to the research team, the AI-designed robot was able to walk at a speed of absolutely would – likely causing a
half of its body length per second. The robot itself is not spectacular in and of itself, but it very significant jump in SSD prices
demonstrates the potential of Northwestern University’s new AI algorithm. down the line.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 9

 TECHNOTES | TECH BRIEF

Bing with ChatGPT is

now Copilot
What it means for you.

If you’ve been using Bing with

ChatGPT regularly, get ready for
things to look a little different
as Microsoft moves forward
with plans to rebrand it as
Copilot. This is significant
because it suggests Microsoft
has found its broad branding
strategy for the ChatGPT-
powered services it’s been
rolling out all year. However, it’s
hardly surprising.
Microsoft has always talked
about this tech broadly as
Microsoft Copilot, and we’ve
already met Windows Copilot and
Microsoft 365 Copilot, which
embed LLM-trained chatbots use – because the tools we use are
similar to Bing with ChatGPT into going to become “smart” enough
Windows 11 and Microsoft apps to do their own work, in
like Word and Excel. Now, that Microsoft’s vision of the future.
Copilot branding has apparently I say that because if you dig into
proved so successful that the blog post linked above there’s
Microsoft is retroactively applying additional details about other
it back to Bing. implementations of Copilot that
“We are taking the next step to are less relevant to most of us
simplify the user experience and because they’re future
make Copilot more accessible to applications for business and
everyone,” reads an excerpt of the As you can see, of the “free” tier of Microsoft 365 enterprise use. I’m talking about
Microsoft blog post published on Microsoft is Copilot, the business-grade tricks like having Copilot sit in on
November 15 to kick off Microsoft’s positioning Bing with version which costs US$30/month Teams meetings as an assistant
ChatGPT Copilot as
Ignite conference. “Bing Chat and per user and offers additional who can take notes and quotes, or
the free entry-level
Bing Chat Enterprise will now introduction to its features like better data as a ghostwriter who can write
simply become Copilot.” Microsoft 365 protection, access to Microsoft 365 Outlook emails that sound like
So if you’re a regular Bing with Copilot service. apps and the new Copilot Studio, a you wrote them.
ChatGPT user, you shouldn’t low-code tool for making your own So while this name change isn’t
expect too much to change when Copilot chatbots. a huge deal, the shift to Copilot
the branding shifts. You’ll still be Bing with ChatGPT officially presages a broader shift in the way
able to access and chat with becoming an extension of Copilot we talk about and think about
Copilot, and it will still be able to shouldn’t cause any serious shifts work. You might feel silly saying
access the Internet to answer in the way you use it. What it will you’re going to check Copilot for
questions and perform searches. cause, in the long run, is a shift in directions to the doctor’s office, for
From here on out, it’ll just be the way we think about search example, but Microsoft is hoping
known as Copilot – and it seems engines from tools we use to it’s soon going to feel natural to
Microsoft is positioning it as sort extensions used by the tools we ask Copilot to take notes, draft
emails, suggest code snippets and
run profitability calculations.
“I’m talking about tricks like having Copilot sit in on But it’s still early days for this
Teams meetings as an assistant who can take notes tech, and it remains to be seen how
good or useful it will be. Joel dives
and quotes, or as a ghostwriter who can write Outlook into the future possibilities a little

emails that sound like you wrote them.” more in his column on page 13.
Alex Wawro

10 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 OPINION | END USER

AI generated music is storming

streaming services, and it’s messy
Spotify is increasingly flooded with low-effort AI ambient music, and it’s an
existential problem in more ways than one, writes Shaun Prescott.

What do musicians Paul Beruf, tracks which impersonated such duration of your average modern
Harry Mousnier and Ambient high-profile artists as Drake, which song) with competition against
Dave all have in common? the company removed. This mass produced AI compositions,
They’re all broadly “ambient” impersonation tactic is under and it’s clear that artists are being
music, a genre taking in scrutiny at Spotify, but the use of AI stiffed. Not to mention
everything from Brian Eno’s to compose music is not (right now, unconfirmed reports that Spotify’s
seminal works to field recordings anyway) under consideration for new 2024 revenue share model will
of birdsong. The other the chopping block. That isn’t a require artists to reach at least
commonalities these artists share problem in practice: to rule out a 1,000 streams before they can make
is that Spotify’s recommendation new technology in a medium as any money.
algorithm thinks I’ll enjoy them, in-conversation with new Aside from the bleak
and that none of them – so far as I technologies as popular music undermining of artistic pursuit and
can tell – are real. would be both futile and creatively the bland, exploitative platform
It was the Harry Mousnier that stifling (think back to the sampling capitalism model of Spotify, there’s
piqued my interest at first: a debates which raged in the ‘90s.) something more abstractly
melancholy, drone-like ambience But the surge of AI generated unsettling about AI’s storming of
accompanied by an eerie pitch- music does raise questions about the streaming services. The Harry
shifted male voice. I thought it who makes money on a platform Mousnier appealed to me at first for
sounded interesting, so I looked it famously stingy when it comes to its strange unhumanity, but after a
up. There was no information about artist royalties. Spotify’s royalty while I made an effort to stop the
our friend Harry online, save system is bleak: a single track player before the recommendations
results for Spotify itself and various stream will normally make the playlist kicked in, lest it serve me AI
listening tracking sites like Last. artist (assuming there are no spam. The ubiquity of this faceless
FM. publishers or labels in the way) a AI churn evokes a world of
This was also the case for the fraction of a cent. Using a royalty deskbound workers whose pleasure
other two artists mentioned. Also calculator on Dittomusic.com, this points are triggered by auto-
similar, was how all songs from means a thousand streams will get generated content engineered for
each artist have a runtime of just the artist an estimated $4.37 in US both profit and purpose. It’s
over a minute. As soon as I noticed dollars. Now we see why the dystopian in its pure interest in
these three artists, I noticed the attention of the recommendation function. That’s not what art is. I
recommendation algorithm was algorithm is so important: users cancelled my subscription.
dishing up these usually-featureless (including myself) will often,
one minute ambient songs at least without even noticing, let these play
50% of the time. for hours, and if you’re not Shaun Prescott is an Australian
Spotify has already confirmed it playlisted then you’re missing out. editor for PC Gamer, GamesRadar
won’t ban AI-created content on its Combine this ruthless scenario and PLAY, and writes for APC,
platform, a conversation (which, in a manner redolent of TechRadar and more.
precipitated by the appearance of commercial radio, influences the

12 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 OPINION | RANDOM ACCESS

Microsoft’s AI Copilot is about to

replace most knowledge workers
If you write reports, summarise data, respond to emails, attend meetings or
make presentations in your day-to-day work, AI is about to change that.

Bill Gates, in his online blog issues, AI chatbots have made a hour of work each month it’s going
GatesNotes, referred to AI major step from amazing novelty, to be a worthwhile investment, and
assistants as the “the biggest to a powerful work tool that can if you take Gates’ word for it, it’s
revolution in computing since we seriously improve an office pretty much worth the cost of an OS
went from typing commands to worker’s productivity – or entirely itself.
tapping on icons.” And after replace them, depending on how AI Copilot is, however, also
playing around with the AI pessimistically you want to view it. available as an app integrated
Copilot preview that Microsoft Sure everyone has a friend that has directly into the 23H2 build of
released in November, we been using ChatGPT to write code Windows 11 Home in November,
couldn’t agree more. for them, or has set up AI and while it won’t interact with the
AI Copilot is Microsoft’s AI automated email responses, but Microsoft 365 apps it will give
successor to Cortana that has been Microsoft’s AI Copilot integrates anyone with Windows 11 access to
heavily influenced by OpenAI’s these tools directly into its 365 most of the functionality for free as
ChatGPT algorithm that repeatedly Office applications. This means you a tool that sits directly on the
shocked the world late 2022 and can use notes from one document widget bar.
early 2023. While ChatGPT-3 and its to create a new Powerpoint It’s hard to properly express the
successors were undoubtedly Presentation in minutes, or develop usefulness of this tool, because it’s
impressive, they often made a new report in the style of other so versatile that many of the best
mistakes, and sometimes blatantly saved documents you might have. uses probably haven’t been
fabricated information. Most of the Copilot can listen in and create explored yet. We’ve had it do
free early iterations were not transcripts of Teams Meetings for everything from analyse stocks for
connected to the internet (so could anyone who can’t attend, or if you us, to creating images that didn’t
not interact with real-time work with spreadsheets it can infringe on copyright, but you can
information) and they struggled to easily create accurate graphs or use it to do anything from writing a
limit information to be sourced summarise statistics in cover letter to responding to
only from specific documents. Even meaningful ways using text (or summarising the day’s news.
with all these limitations they were verbal) commands.
still powerful tools, but Microsoft The company understands the
seems to have understood the power of this tool in an office Joel Burgess is one of the senior
implications of releasing AI setting and has never operated in journalists on APC magazine and
software before it’s ready and has Google’s freemium pay structure, apart from being the resident laptop,
made impressive progress in so it’ll charge users US$30 per monitor and fitness tech geek, he’s
refining AI Copilot’s ability to stick month for the privilege of this also pretty into surfing his local
to reality and only repeat factual integrated software. While this Sydney beach breaks when he’s not
and useful information. might seem like a lot for the in front of a screen.
By fixing these fundamental uninitiated, if it saves you even an

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 13

 OPINION | TECH TALK

Non-Nvidia options
AMD FSR 3 frame generation arrives.

AMD’s FidelityFX Super then we get to the strange means higher latency.
Resolution 3 (FSR3) technology requirements. FSR3 frame Conveniently, both games support
was first announced in generation has known problems DLSS upscaling. FSR3 frame
November 2022 – a clear attempt with variable refresh rate generation is also locked o use with
to show that AMD could also technologies, and AMD FSR3 – it’s not possible to use DLSS
provide frame generation recommends turning on vsync. upscaling with FSR3 frame
technology. One year later, we These apparently provide more generation.
have the first two samples of how consistent frame pacing, but frame Finally, there’s image quality.
FSR3 works and how it looks. It’s generation, as implemented in DLSS 3 frame generation isn’t
not a great first outing. There are FSR3, breaks some display features. perfect, but the FSR3 generated
many issues, though AMD seems We would almost always frames were more prone to issues.
aware of them, and apparently recommend using a VRR display Certain areas in Immortals of Aveum
has fixes in the works. where possible, as it helps to reduce showed horrible shimmering and
This raises the question of why it latency. This is particularly true other artifacts. Any moderately
would choose two less than ideal with games that are relatively fast movement tended to look less
examples as a launch showcase for demanding, as many GPUs won’t than ideal, and FSR3 turns off
the tech: Forspoken and Immortals be able to hit higher framerates. frame generation completely if the
of Aveum. Forspoken gets a strike The RTX 4090 only averaged 92 frame to frame difference is too
against it thanks to its 120 fps fps, with FSR3 frame generation high. At least FSR3 is now
framerate cap (240 fps with Frame enabled. On a 120Hz or higher available, and works with most
Generation enabled). We’ve had G-Sync compatible display, you’ll GPUs. Several AMD and Nvidia
144Hz and 240Hz monitors for get a worse experience with frame cards worked okay, though while
many years, with 480Hz and even generation on. Arc A750 also worked, the Arc
540 Hz displays now available. But even with the appropriate A770 crashed to desktop every
There’s no way to take advantage of settings, in our initial testing, time we tried to enable frame
such hardware with Forspoken. minimum framerates with frame generation. Regardless, FSR3 frame
Immortals of Aveum doesn’t have generation were worse than the generation is far from a great
an artificial framerate cap, but base performance. An RTX 4060 Ti experience, and like DLSS, it needs
there are other issues with FSR3 ran Forspoken at 100 fps on average, high base framerates before it’s
frame generation. In testing, it with one percent lows of 79 fps. viable. That means the GPUs that
often felt jittery and choppy, but Turning on frame generation could benefit most from it – slower
bumped the average to 144 fps, but cards from a generation or two
one percent lows dropped to 70 fps. back – end up being a poor
“Several AMD and Nvidia That meant more perceptible experience. Hopefully future
cards worked okay, though stuttering, and as resolution
increases, this gets more
updates and games will improve
the feature and at least allow for
while Arc A750 also worked, problematic. VRR with FSR3 frame generation.
As with Nvidia’s DLSS 3 frame
the Arc A770 crashed to generation, FSR3 interpolates
desktop every time we tried between two rendered frames,
delaying when you’ll see the
Jarrod has been described as an
AI by people he meets at parties.
to enable frame generation.” second fully rendered frame. That

14 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 OPINION | TWO BITS

Could your next rig house an

Nvidia CPU?
The sky’s the limit.

Nvidia has a long history of Arm some lofty aspirations, and we can’t acceptance and familiarity. Decades
CPU development. It even tried to forget Apple either. It successfully of mature code, billions of dollars
buy Arm outright in 2020 for $40 rolled out Arm chips across its spent and intimate familiarity with
billion USD, but it hasn’t been entire range. the Windows ecosystem are not easy
willing or able to challenge Intel Nvidia has an advantage though. things to overcome. Arm was
or AMD in the desktop and It’s got decades of graphics and designed to be a low power mobile
mobile CPU space. It does enjoy driver development experience. focused architecture. It still lacks the
dominant positions in the Qualcomm and Intel have struggled outright performance to challenge
high-performance computing to polish their graphics drivers, with the x86 duopoly. But it’s catching up,
and graphics markets, but Intel in particular drawing attention and catching up fast.
high-performance CPUs haven’t for its lacklustre Arc GPU drivers. The potential is there for a
been a focus for the company. Nvidia is very well positioned to paradigm shift. General-purpose
It’s long been working on deliver an all-round competitive computing, graphics, compute and AI
enterprise solutions, including the CPU and GPU architecture. Add to technologies are merging together,
Grace superchips. Its Tegra chips that Nvidia’s experience with AI, and Nvidia has the knowledge and
have appeared in a variety of which is increasingly going to be resources to excel in all these areas.
devices, from its own Shield and a deployed to edge systems, and the There will arguably be less need for an
Microsoft Surface tablet, to the sky’s the limit. all-powerful ‘central’ processing unit
Nintendo Switch and even Tesla I’ve long been an advocate for over more modular sub-processing
cars. Capable though they are, they Arm on the desktop. Everyone loves units.
don’t have the outright performance a high-performance CPU, but I Nvidia is obviously keeping its
to compete with x86 in the remain despondent over continuous cards close to its chest, but it’s already
consumer PC space. Is that about to upwards levels of power shown it can develop heterogeneous
change? consumption, poor efficiency and HPC systems. Assuming it continues
In late October, Reuters reported heat concerns. You know you’re on to dominate the AI and graphics
that Nvidia was working on CPUs the limit when even a 360mm spaces, then a move into the Windows
designed to run Windows. If so, that all-in-one cooler struggles to keep a CPU space is not at all far-fetched. I
would be a huge development and high-end chip from throttling. welcome the competition and look
one that could morph into To pluck some numbers, I would forward to seeing what Nvidia is
something that could challenge happily give up 10% of performance cooking up in its labs. I think it’s not a
x86’s dominance of the consumer if it meant I could get a chip that matter of if, but when.
PC market. Watch out Intel, Nvidia never consumes more than 65W
is coming. while using idle power in the sub-1W
The same report suggested AMD range. Efficiency is one of Arm’s best Chris Szewczyk has been elbow deep
was also working on Arm CPUs strengths. in PCs since before the turn of the
designed for Windows. Qualcomm The x86 CPU market is a tough millennium, and he wouldn’t have it
is another to watch out for. Its nut to crack though. The story of x86 any other way.
Snapdragon X Elite platform has is one of legacy support, developer

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 15

 OPINION | TRADE CHAT

Catching up forever
Is it game over for AMD graphics?

Spare a thought for AMD’s GPU appeal, AMD copied it with Nvidia near 90 percent and Intel
engineers. Every time they FreeSync. Next came the GeForce taking a few scraps. I can’t see how
think the gap to Nvidia is RTX 20 Series in 2018, and the that is sustainable. AMD will no
closing, team green comes up introduction of hardware ray doubt retain its GPU engineering
with some new wizardry, and it’s tracing, something AMD wouldn’t capability for the game console
back to playing catch up. Like match for two years. and machine learning markets,
‘em or loathe ‘em, technologies Another major milestone was but they must be considering
like ray tracing and DLSS have Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling whether add-in PC graphics cards
gained major traction in the PC technology in 2019, albeit it are worth the effort.
gaming market. AMD has arguably didn’t truly arrive as a Also, it’s remarkable to observe
struggled to respond. So how worthwhile technology until the that so many last-gen AMD GPUs,
much longer can this continue? massively improved DLSS 2.0 such as the RX 6700 XT and both
update in 2020. AMD’s response in RX 6800 and RX 6900 variants,

“AMD will no doubt retain its FSR appeared in 2021, but if

anything, AMD has only fallen
are available at ever lower prices.
More recently, rumours that
GPU engineering capability for further behind since. AMD has decided to ditch the
AMD’s second-generation high-end variants of its next-gen
the game console and machine ray-tracing technology in the RX 8000 family have been
learning markets, but they Radeon RX 7000, launched last
year, failed to close the gap to
circulating. Frankly, that seems
plausible. Admittedly, there’s also
must be considering whether Nvidia. FSR 1.0 was likewise a talk that AMD will take a tilt at the
pretty slapdash effort. Granted, performance crown with the 9000
add-in PC graphics cards are FSR 2.0 was better. But along came series GPU generation that follows.
worth the effort.” DLSS 3.0 in 2022 with not only
much-improved upscaling quality,
Maybe that’s true. If it is, I
predict that it will be AMD’s
but also Frame Generation. last-ditch attempt to have an
Constantly catching up. That’s AMD is only now releasing its impact on the discrete PC graphics
what it must feel like for AMD own take on Frame Generation, market. It’s clear that AMD’s
when it comes to PC graphics. which is clunky and lacking in chiplet tech in the RX 7000 series
Wind back the clock to 2004, and polish. But even before AMD hasn’t worked as planned.
Nvidia rolled out SLI (Scalable Link managed to push that feature Assuming that AMD tries to get
Interface). It was a tool for stumbling reluctantly out the back on top in raw performance
connecting multiple graphics door, Nvidia was unveiling DLSS terms after taking a timeout for
cards. I never liked it – AMD (or 3.5 with Ray Reconstruction, the next generation, if the 9000
ATI, before it was acquired by further bolstering Nvidia’s series fails, it’ll be game over for
AMD) felt obliged to copy SLI with dominant ray-tracing performance high-performance AMD graphics
Crossfire. advantage. on the PC.
Then came Nvidia’s G-Sync in Meanwhile, AMD’s market share
2013. As a technology that had in discrete PC graphics cards has
more merits than SLI, even if tanked. For the last year or so, Jeremy has a black leather jacket
Nvidia’s proprietary AMD has bounced around between just like Jensen’s.
implementation undermined its eight percent and 15 percent, with

16 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 OPINION | ONE MORE THING

A matter of trust
The world is falling apart, says Jon Honeyball, and we can’t just stick a pin in it.

Remember the promise of an nor is willing to do anything metadata isn’t hard, so cleaning
open, free and trustable about it. CR markers out of an image
internet that we nerds enjoyed But X is only one example: the won’t be a high hurdle.
in the nineties and naughties? underlying processes for all Perhaps more crucially,
Today, that dream seems not social media are breaking. It’s though, the most important two
only distant but impossibly not enough that footage from companies in the world aren’t
innocent. one atrocity a decade ago is now currently participating:
Much of the blame can be laid used to amplify a claim of a Samsung and Apple. Between
at the truly spectacular decade current event, but the speed at them, they have a whopping
that we are currently enduring, which this nonsense goes viral is great share of the annual
starting with The Pandemic quite breathtaking. Without smartphone sales, and a great
Must Not Be Named. Then the trusted sources, what is the point deal of content is generated on
humanitarian disaster of of news media at all? their devices. Even if Apple,
Ukraine. And finally, just when That’s especially true now, Samsung and the rest jump
you thought things couldn’t get when information pollution is aboard, there’s one huge issue:
any worse, along comes the accelerating at a rate that is persuading social media
Middle East. beyond alarming. I’m thinking companies to use this tagging
I could rant for hours about the particularly about the rise in within their apps, to show the
cesspit that X/Twitter has AI-generated fake content, where authenticity of content. I should
become. When I joined almost 15 most any video or speech content be able to instruct X to only show
years ago, it was a fantastic, open should firstly be deemed to be me content that is appropriately
community. How rapidly it has suspicious, before it can be marked.
fallen apart. The noise level is considered genuine. So that brave new world we
now horrendous, the bot Against this background, I envisaged, based on open and
invasion wholly out of hand, and should be delighted that Adobe, free foundations, has shrunk.
I find myself reporting fake amongst others, is launching a The circle of people and
accounts at the rate of over 50 new symbol based on image organisations that I trust with
per day. I’m not sure why I am metadata, which you click on to news content grows ever smaller.
reporting these to X, mind you, show the AI provenance of The dampening effect that trust
because it neither seems to care specific pieces of content. This has on the more outlandish and
“CR” pin will be displayed if the weird claims falls away, and
“Even if Apple, Samsung and image, video or PDF file is tagged chaos rules. This is deeply
with the appropriate metadata. unhealthy both at a personal and
the rest jump aboard, there’s CR stands for “CRedentials”, a societal level. If you’re not
one huge issue: persuading word reduction that appeals only
to marketeers.
already worried by the current
direction of travel, you need to
social media companies to use All of this seems like a good check your sources.
idea, until you start to think
this tagging within their apps, about it. First, if the app you’re
to show the authenticity of using doesn’t support this
metadata format, then nothing
Jon Honeyball has been in a bad
mood since the start of the 2020s.
content.” gets shown. Second, removing

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 17

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CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 19

 TECHNOTES | THE A-LIST
Find the best deals
on new gear at

The A-List
getprice.com/au

The best products on the market, as picked by our editors.

Premium laptops Business laptops

Apple MacBook Pro Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
16in (M3) Gen 11
STUNNING CREATIVE POWER BUSINESS CLASS
A reasonable processor Fight past Lenovo’s opaque
upgrade to device with an pricing – another flash sale,
impressive screen and really? – and you’ll find a slim,
unparalleled battery life. The powerful and long-lasting
new M3 3nm processors is more laptop for a competitive price.
efficient, so you’ll be able to run With a wide range of available
the same tasks as the M1 using configurations, all based on
half the power draw, which Intel’s 13th generation Core
helps battery life. chips, this is our top choice for all sizes of business.
From $4,299, apple.com/au From $2,086, lenovo.com

THE ALTERNATIVES THE ALTERNATIVES

ASUS VIVOBOOK PRO APPLE MICROSOFT DELL LATITUDE 7340 ACER TRAVELMATE P6 ASUS EXPERTBOOK
16X OLED MACBOOK AIR SURFACE PRO 9 This 1.1kg laptop offers Not the most powerful B1 B1502
This 2023 update has The MacBook Air M2 APC rates the Intel terrific battery life and, if due its 11th gen Core With a Core i7-1255U,
some impressive looks like a standout to model highly, the SQ3 you choose the better chip, but a great 14in 16GB of RAM and 1TB
features for the price us. A powerful and quiet model less so. With Intel, non-touchscreen (look screen and keyboard, SSD, this 1.7kg laptop
and is a surprisingly ultraportable with an you get a solid upgrade for 400 nits of superb battery life and packs in lots of power,
powerful creative unbeatable battery life to the world’s leading brightness in the specs). competitive price lift it albeit with a so-so
workstation with a and a great pro display. detachable tablet laptop. $2,475 above rivals. 15.6in screen.
stunning screen. From $1,799 $1,547 lenovo.com/au $2,179 $1,499, asus.com
$3,199, asus.com apple.com/au microsoft.com acer.com

Gaming laptops Everyday laptops

Razer Blade 15 (2022) Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED
A SUPERBLY ENGINEERED GAMING ASUS AND INTEL TEAMED UP TO
POWERHOUSE BUILD A MACBOOK AIR KILLER
Right now there’s just not A compact and budget friendly
another better value gaming Ultrabook that’s the best
unit around. It’s miraculously available device for many
thin considering the beefy on-the-go professionals.
components inside, thermals Compared to the MacBook Air
are very well managed and the 13, it has an additional HDMI
Razer Blade 15 manages to and USB-A port, an SSD that’s
extract very good performance roughly twice as fast, and the
from its GPU without undue throttling. There are many screen is brighter and offers rich OLED contrast.
variants and options, and they’re an outstanding buy if you find $2,099, au.store.asus.com
one on sale.~$2,999, razer.com/au-en

THE ALTERNATIVES THE ALTERNATIVES

LENOVO LEGION RAZER ASUS ROG STRIX MICROSOFT SURFACE APPLE MACBOOK HP PAVILION 14
5I PRO (16IN) BLADE 18 SCAR 18 LAPTOP GO 2 AIR 15 This slim 1.4kg laptop is
A great-value gaming A great advert for 18in It’s expensive, but if you Runs cool and quiet, and An awesome plus-size a superb choice for
laptop that’s extracts gaming laptops, the want an 18in laptop has up to 30 percent MacBook Air with great anyone on a tighter
the most from its Blade 18 partners a that delivers all-out better battery life than battery life and graphical budget. it struck an
powerful components. Core i9-13950HX with power this is the its predeccessor, all in a performance. GPU excellent balance
We really love the RTX 40-series graphics no-compromise 3.1kg beautifully designed performance and battery between speed and
keyboard, too. in a stunning, slim beast to buy – it packs form. From $1,199, life are the standout battery life – around ten
$3,899 design. quality everywhere. microsoft.com perks here. From $2,199, hours. From $949,
lenovo.com/au $5,399, From $4,599 apple.com/au store.hp.com
razer.com/au-en asus.com/au

20 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 TECHNOTES | THE A-LIST

Chromebooks
Asus Chromebook Lenovo Flex 3i Chromebook Lenovo IdeaPad Duet
Flip CX5 This isn’t the most powerful The Chromebook answer to Microsoft’s
The best big-screen Chromebook Chromebook, but students need Surface tablets, this is a seriously
we’ve tried, with a bright 15.6in Full HD reliability more than power – especially versatile device – albeit not the
display with decent black levels and if they’re only really using it for speediest (although we never found it to
surprisingly rich colours. And it’s a good homework, note-taking, and perhaps be painfully slow while carrying out
specification for the price, with a Core the occasional bit of Netflix. everyday tasks). For this price, and with
i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB $367, lenovo.com/au a 16hrs 14mins battery life, the Duet is
SSD in tow. $1,179, asus.com/au a great choice.
$297, lenovo.com/au

Tablets
Apple iPad Pro Google Pixel Tablet Samsung Galaxy
12.9in A powerful and vibrant tablet that Tab S9 Ultra
Blurring the boundaries between works seamlessly as a Google Home This 14.5in tablet offers a size and
laptop and tablet like never before, Hub. Google’s first local tablet is an versatility that even the iPad Pro
the M2-powered iPad Pro 12.9-inch is awesome addition to your smart home, can’t match, with its high price more
every bit as fast as we expected – and and its lower price point doesn’t hold it than justified by the quality
the Liquid Retina XDR display is simply back from competing with the best. of Samsung’s AMOLED panel, speakers
phenomenal. From $899, store.googlecom/au and productivity software.
From $1,899, apple.com/au $1,999, samsung.com

Everyday monitors
MSI MEG 342C Eizo FlexScan EV2480 Dell S2721DS
QD-OLED Businesses in particular will love The Dell S2721DS is a solid and
Quantum Dot technology combines this easy-to-roll-out 24-inch monitor, affordable QHD monitor that’ll suit
with an OLED self-emitting panel to with its exceptional five-year warranty, general users and casual gamers alike.
offer brighter, more efficient and more USB-C port for easy docking, excellent It boasts a gorgeous 27-inch 1440p
colourful visuals than your average viewing angles and delicious whites. display, a 75Hz refresh rate, and a
OLED screen. And it has the best OSD around. vivid IPS panel that hits 99 percent of
$1,799, msi.com $619, eizoglobal.com the sRGB color gamut.
$319, dell.com.au

Professional monitors
Eizo ColorEdge CG319X BenQ PD2725U Asus ProArt PA279CRV
As the price indicates, this monitor is By no means a cheap 4K 27-inch Asus’s new 4K productivity panel
for heavyweight creatives who demand monitor – unless you compare it to the delivers near pro-levels of
the best in every discipline: HDR video Eizo – but it marries all-round quality performance and precision, though its
editing, print layouts, professional with ease of use thanks to a puck that HDR capability is inevitably limited.
photography and more besides. With allows you to quickly move between What you get is Asus’s usual high
superb coverage and accuracy across settings. You can even daisy chain a levels of build quality, plus extras,
all spaces, plus a built-in calibrator, it second Thunderbolt 3 monitor for a including essential HDR support and a
justifies the investment. monster setup. stand that includes rotation into
$5,995, eizoglobal.com $1,399, benq.com portrait mode. $799, asus.com

Home office printers

Epson EcoTank ET-1810 Canon Pixma Pro-200 Brother MFC-J4540DW
There’s nothing flashy about this Yes, it’s big and it’s expensive – and Home workers will love this inkjet
bottle- fed inkjet: it’s there to churn you don’t even get a scanner – but the all-in-one. It combines an incredible
out pages at a decent rate (8.8ppm for Pixma Pro-200 means that you can range of features with all the
black text) for a low price. It comes print A3 photos with glorious colour connectivity you need and extreme
with enough ink for 4,500 black pages accuracy and detail. If you’re after an ease of use. Output quality is fine, it
and 7,500 in colour, but refills are office workhorse, look elsewhere, but offers the best cloud support around
cheap. Just don’t expect features like it can’t be beaten on photo quality. and the high-capacity ink pack could
duplex printing. $719, canon.com keep you going for years.
$249, epson.com.au $329, brother.com

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 21

 TECHNOTES | THE A-LIST

Wireless routers
Synology WRX560 Asus ROG Rapture GT- Asus TUF Gaming
Its quad-band Wi-Fi smashed-through AX16000 TUF-AX4200
our performance tests managing The most splendid, overpowered Ultimately, this is one of the very best
791.5Mbps up close, 375Mbps two router on the market. But, it’s silly featured and fastest routers we’ve
rooms away and an amazing money and aspirational to most users. ever tested and, at $320, it’s a steal.
216.7Mbps down the garden. Ultimately, though, it’s currently the It’s affordable, fast and dripping with
$419, synology.com/au highest-spec consumer router features. Only power users might want
available. more performance headroom.
$999, asus.com/au $319, asus.com/au

Mesh Wi-fi
TP-Link Deco XE200 TP-Link Deco X20 Asus ZenWiFi AX
There are cheaper Wi-Fi 6E meshes, The Deco X20 makes it possible to The interface and design certainly
but the XE200 wins for its superb upgrade your home network to Wi-Fi 6 aren’t the prettiest (the charcoal
download speeds, excellent coverage for the price of some standalone version is straight out of the 1980s),
and the fact that older clients reap routers. The HomeCare functions are but if you’re after strong performance,
benefits of 6E, not just new ones. And also a great bonus for households great features and plenty of expansion
a two-pack should be enough for most where lots of devices are fighting over potential, the ZenWiFi AX is a
premises. the bandwidth. $227 (2-pack), tp-link. compelling prospect.
$1,299 (2-pack), tp-ink.com com $939 (2-pack), asus.com/au

NAS servers
QNAP TS-130 Asustor Nimbustor Synology DiskStation
An above average CPU and RAM AS5304T DS1522+
combo, solid features and affordable This is a hugely powerful four-bay At $1,199 it’s not cheap but factoring
price make the QNAP TS-130 worth NAS that will be overkill for most in the software means it’s great value.
considering. Alternatively there’s the people – not just due to its speed but Though some internal silicon may lack
two bay TS230 which features the also its slightly intimidating user headroom, this is still a well-featured,
same CPU, with 2GB of RAM, dual interface – but techies and gamers expandable NAS with fantastic
drive bays, and an extra USB port on should investigate the Nimbustor software. The best part is the DSM
the front for a modest ~$50 price AS5304T for both its speed and software.
increase. $199, qnap.com flexibility.$679, asustor.com $1,199, synology.com

Security software
G Data Total NordVPN Bitwarden
Security NordVPN provides Bitwarden has a huge
A suite for power users consistent and fast advantage: it’s free. It
with a host of useful speeds, serious security, isn’t as slick as some
features that offers great support for paid-for rivals, but it can
formidable protection video-streaming services sync passwords across
against viruses. and some cost-effective all devices for no extra
US$49.95, 1 device, subscription rates. charge. Free,
gdatasoftware.com $59 per year, bitwarden.com
nordvpn.com

THE ALTERNATIVES THE ALTERNATIVES THE ALTERNATIVES

AVAST ONE MCAFEE+ ADVANCED PROTONVPN SURFSHARK DASHLANE 1PASSWORD
ESSENTIAL A high-end choice with ProtonVPN provided A strong rival to A manager that’s ideal 1Password is targeted at
The only product in our high-end features and one of the best free NordVPN, especially if for beginners, and it even users who are looking for
tests to score a 100% support for an unlimited offerings of all the VPNs you’re willing to commit builds in an unlimited (if the last word in security.
protection rating for number of devices. in our group test, to its two-year contract. basic) VPN service. Note It even offers a Travel
blocking all malicious Good value for the first including unlimited It’s fast, cheap and a you may prefer to buy Mode that may ease
files, this reliable choice year, but watch out for data, but upgrade to fine choice for people the Family plan ($60 per your mind if surrendering
is our pick of the free AV renewals. benefit from even faster who like to switch to US year) as this extends the your phone to customs
tools and includes a free $139.95, individual, speeds and many more streaming services. service to six people. officials. $54.99 per
if limited VPN service. unlimited devices, options. $79.61 for one year, $55.99 per year year (individual),
Free, avast.com mcafee.com/en-au Free, protonvpn.com surfshark.com (Premium), dashlane.com 1password.com

22 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 THE LIST
The best AMD & Nvidia graphics cards

Like a lot of PC components, graphics cards are cyclical.

We’re now in the calm between the storms of new GPU
generation launches. Both Nvidia’s RTX 40 Series and
AMD’s RX 7000 GPUs have been fully fleshed out.
Likewise, it’ll be a while before any properly new
graphics cards are launched, so it’s the perfect time to

3
take stock and consider where the value propositions lie.
In other words, what are the best picks of this
generation? And might there be one or two old timers
from the previous gen of GPUs that still make sense?
NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4070
www.nvidia.com | $989
At launch for $1,100, the RTX was hard to stomach, but this is
a good all-round GPU for the money. It performs close to the
previous-gen RTX 3080 in many games, and adds Nvidia’s
strong feature set. The main drawback is the mere 12GB of
VRAM and a narrow memory bus.

5
2
AMD RADEON RX 7600
www.amd.com | $420
There’s nothing we’d enthusiastically recommend at the budget
end, but the best of a bad bunch is the AMD Radeon RX 7600,
especially now it’s $420. Like all AMD GPUs, it’s light on AMD RADEON RX 6800
features, and ray-tracing performance isn’t great. But for www.amd.com | $550
affordable 1080p gaming, it’s solid. Moreover, it comes close to AMD’s RX 7000 Series didn’t bring major advances with
the RTX 4060 for regular raster performance at a lower price. features like ray-tracing, so the fact that this card uses AMD’s
flagship GPU from the previous gen means it can outperform
AMD’s new RX 7700 XT. The fact that it has a nice, big 256-bit
memory bus and 16GB of VRAM means that it’s likely to stand
the test of time better than the 192-bit 12GB 7700 XT, too.

4
AMD RADEON RX 6700 XT
1
www.amd.com | $560 NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4090
Another old-timer from AMD. But for a whisker over $550, the www.nvidia.com | $3,100
6700 XT is now a great deal. For sure, it’s light on features Okay, it’s megabucks. But it’s the only member of Nvidia’s
compared to Nvidia’s latest GPUs. Ray tracing is a conspicuous RTX 40 Series that delivered a big step in performance for
weakness, and AMD’s new frame generation tech has yet to be little to no price increase over its predecessor. In that sense,
proven. But for pure raster performance, you’re getting a lot of it’s the best-value RTX 40 GPU of all. It also happens to be the
bang for a very reasonable amount of buck. It’ll murder the RTX fastest graphics card you can buy. It’s as close as it gets to
4060 in most games, that’s for sure. future-proofing when it comes to GPUs.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 23

 TECHNOTES | HEAD TO HEAD

DOCKER | RECOMMENDED SPECS 64-bit CPU, 4GB RAM, WSL2 PRICE

VMWARE WORKSTATION PLAYER | RECOMMENDED SPECS 2 physical CPU cores, 6GB RAM, WSL2. PRICE Free and open source

Docker vs Podman
Nick Peers examines alternatives to the big guns of virtual machines.

Not everyone needs a full-blown managing containers to improve security Installation & deployment
virtual machine to run certain types of and stability. Podman shares much of You can install both Podman and Docker
software – Docker is a lightweight Docker’s command-line syntax (simply on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Those
alternative that uses containers to prefix commands with ‘podman’ rather looking to deploy Docker in Windows or
wrap up Linux applications and than ‘docker’), making it relatively easy on the Mac must install the Docker
dependencies in a minimal to switch from one to the other – at least Desktop version, which includes a GUI.
environment. Readers of this for simple containers. One immediate disadvantage for
magazine will have seen our many So how does Podman work differently? Podman wannabes is that there’s no
tutorials for Docker over the past few Docker runs a separate process (known official repository for Ubuntu, forcing
years and got a good idea of how it as a ‘daemon’) to manage all running users to make do with outdated builds
works. containers, which requires root access from the distro’s own repos or chance
But Docker isn’t perfect – it was and, if it goes down, takes all running their arm with unofficial repos.
originally designed for development containers with it. Podman is There are no such problems on
rather than production-ready use, which ‘daemonless’, with each container Windows: in both cases it’s a
has led to question marks over security allocated its own self-contained process. straightforward affair, with the Linux
and stability. Luckily, in 2015, Docker Better still, all containers are set up to be WSL2 subsystem installed if required
created the Open Containers Initiative ‘rootless’ by default, so they don’t have during setup. From here, Docker is ready
(OCI), which has seen several alternatives access to sensitive parts of the system. to go, while Podman requires a couple of
emerge that can run the same containers. Docker can be configured to run extra commands (‘podman machine init’,
These include Podman, aimed more at rootless, but it’s a convoluted process. It’s followed by ‘podman machine start’).
production environments (and perfect also true that some containers won’t run As we’ve said, the pair share a similar
for home users). in a rootless state, but Podman supports a command structure – as the interloper,
Developed by Red Hat, it strives to simple ‘set –rootful’ flag for those Podman is clever enough to ape most of
remain broadly compatible with Docker containers that need elevated access. Docker’s commands, and has been
while employing a different means of engineered so that Docker API tools and

“Docker isn’t perfect – it

was originally designed for
development rather than
production-ready use, which
has led to question marks
over security and stability.”
Docker remains a compelling choice, but is geared more towards developers than home users.

24 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 TECHNOTES | HEAD TO HEAD

“Podman has come a long way

since its initial release, when its
lack of features made it a hard
sell. Now, the only thing counting
against it is the relatively sparse
documentation and support.”

Podman may not be as well supported or developed, but it’s inherently more secure and reliable.

clients can use it as if it was Docker. alternative in the form of Pods, which much hassle to switch, although once
All core functionality is the same, provide a shared space for related Podman is up and running, migrating
despite Podman’s daemonless approach. containers to reside. The downside is that containers across is straightforward.
That said, this difference has created the feature isn’t extensively documented, Docker’s main appeal may be with
issues in the past, so it’s important to which highlights one of Podman’s those who like to create and modify
have an up-to-date build thanks to weaknesses: relative lack of support containers from scratch, but its extensive
Podman’s rapid development over the compared to the long-established Docker. support still makes it a compelling choice
past few years. For example, Podman 4.0 Managing both Podman and Docker for newcomers.
introduced support for creating custom from the command line is similar, but for Podman has come a long way since its
networks in rootless mode, which is those who prefer user-friendly interfaces initial release, when its lack of features
essential when trying to connect to the command line, both desktop tools made it a hard sell. Now, the only thing
containers to the outside world through a are capable affairs, if lacking a few key counting against it is the relatively
reverse proxy. features. Docker Desktop has the edge sparse documentation and support.
In keeping with the Open Containers here – first, its universal search tool However, if security and stability (along
Initiative – and highlighting how Docker allows you to search online repositories with reduced overheads) are your thing,
and Podman broadly do the same thing for container images using keywords; Podman’s daemonless approach makes it
– both tools also allow you to package up Podman Desktop relies on you knowing more compelling in our eyes. Put it this
containers so they can be migrated from the exact name and build you want. way, as soon as we can source a reliable
one application to the other. Second, Docker Desktop exploits one up-to-date Ubuntu repo, we’ll be
When it comes to divergence, Docker advantage of managing all containers switching our server over. Stay tuned.
offers Swarms, which are described as a within a single daemon by allowing you
“container orchestration platform”. It to allocate a specific amount of system VERDICT
allows multiple hosts or servers running resources to share across your
Docker to work in tandem with each containers.
other. That’s overkill for most basic Both tools also support other web- Docker Long-established and massively
servers, and while Podman doesn’t based frontends – Portainer will run on supported. Default setup requires root access,
support Swarms natively, it supports both, for example, although it’s geared not optimised for home use.
Kubernetes, which offers a similar more towards Docker, while Podman
feature. users can install a plugin to view and
Podman does, however, support manage containers through the Cockpit Podman 4.7.1 No daemon means better
Docker Compose, which is designed to web UI in Ubuntu Server. security, performance and stability. Rapid
allow users to run applications within Which one should you choose? Docker development. Documentation and support
multiple containers, such as Nextcloud is better established, and if you’re not as extensive as Docker, no up-to-date
AIO. However, Podman also provides an currently using it, you may find it too Ubuntu build.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 25

 AUTOPSY This month we dissect...

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

iPhone 15 Pro Max is here, and it boasts a new charge port, titanium frame,
periscope, and new pro-repair design. Let’s dive inside!

ABOUT IFIXIT
iFixit is a global
community of tinkerers
dedicated to helping
people fix things through
free online repair manuals
and teardowns. iFixit
believes that everyone
has the right to maintain
and repair their own
products.
Instead of lens elements controlled by The Apple A17 Pro hexa-core applications processor
To learn more, visit electromagnets, Apple designed a “periscope” with six-core GPU layered under what is likely SK
www.ifixit.com simulating a 120mm focal length. Hynix DDR5 memory.

26 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 AUTOPSY | APPLE IPHONE 15 PRO MAX

All of the internals are hiding MAJOR TECH SPECS

• A17 Pro SoC with 6-core CPU, 6-core GPU
behind the screen instead and 16-core neural engine

of behind the back glass. • 6.7-inch Super retina XDR display, 2,796 x 1,290 pixels,
2,000 nits
However, that back glass is now • 48MP, 24mm, ƒ/1.78 aperture main camera; 12MP,
13mm, ƒ/2.2 aperture ultra-wide camera; 12MP,
removable, too, just like the 14. 120mm, ƒ/2.8 aperture, 5x telephoto camera
• 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (configurable up to 1TB)
• 5G (sub-6 GHz) with 4x4 MIMO7, Gigabit LTE with 4x4
MIMO and LAA7, Wi-Fi 6E with 2x2 MIMO8, Bluetooth 5.3
• MagSafe 15W wireless charging
• IP68 water-resistance rating

KEY FINDINGS
• The 15 Pro and Pro Max now open from both directions,
but in an unexpectedly opposite manner: all of the internals
are behind the screen instead of the back glass. But that
back glass is removable, too. This inverted chassis
arrangement makes critical repairs riskier than on the 14,
because you’re removing the fragile display rather than an
inert sheet of glass.
• To get to the battery, you have to heat and pry open the
screen, which is riskier. If you accidentally tear a cable, it’s
better to tear the back cover cable than ruin the display.
• The battery is serviceable only by a trained technician.
Fortunately, you can be one! Simply follow Apple’s service
manual or iFixit’s repair guides. It’s not all that hard – we’ve
helped millions of people fix their electronics themselves.
• Once we separated the main boards, we can confirm
that Apple is using Broadcom’s high-end Snapdragon
X70 modem. According to Qualcomm, it’s powered by
AI for beam management and antenna tuning.
Alas, 8K isn’t present.
• The big upgrade for the cameras is the “tetraprism”
periscope lens, upping the optical zoom from 2x to 5x.
The S23 Ultra technically beats this with 10x zoom, but the
way Apple achieved it is interesting.
• Aside from the new periscope lens, the sensors on the
15 Pro Max main and wide cameras seem to be the same size
as last year’s 14 Pro Max – suggesting that any improvement
in image quality has more to do with the new A17 SoC than
the hardware.
• Unfortunately, swapping the front camera between two of
our 15 Pro Max units results in complete failure. When we
first encountered this problem, we assumed that it was a bug
that would be quickly fixed. Our trust was clearly misplaced.
• Parts pairing in these models extends beyond mechanical
compatibility, requiring authentication and pairing through
Apple’s System Configuration tool, limiting genuine
You can use an iPhone 15 Pro to charge AirPods,
replacements to Apple-blessed ones and impacting
Apple Watch, or another device that supports USB
Power Delivery at up to 4.5 watts. independent repair enterprises and the issue of e-waste.
• In addition to compatibility advantages, the new USB-C port
can provide 4.5 watts of power to external devices. That’s a
15x upgrade over previous Lightning phones, which can only
output 0.3 watts.
• Repairability Score: 4 out of 10 (10 is easiest to repair).
The 15 is an incremental upgrade. The rollout of the 14’s
open-from-both-sides architecture is welcome. Investments
in camera hardware are always well spent, and the
periscope particularly stands out. Unfortunately, software
The battery in the 15 Pro Max is 4422 mAh, is the anchor around an otherwise exceptionally designed
a 2.3 percent increase over the 14 Pro phone, but without the ability to swap components,
Max’s 4323 mAh pack. repairability suffers dramatically.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 27

 GADGETS The gear we’re lusting after

U-Turn Orbit Theory

Turntable
From $1,533 | uturnaudio.com

U-Turn turntables are a rare breed of tech The external silicone belt drive, in
– they’re all made by hand – and the combination with the inverted main
vinyl-playing specialist has recently bearing, results in an ultra-quiet motor
given the range a revamp. The Theory so your audio takes centre stage. And the
turntable is the most advanced in the hardwood Theory model uses 100%
upgraded line-up. walnut, ebonised oak or oak for the
The precision gimbal Orbit Arm 3 plinth, rather than a veneer effect used
tonearm, made from a single piece of in some ‘wooden’ turntables. As the
magnesium and an Ortofon 2M Blue players are handmade, you can even opt
cartridge, ensures accurate tracking, for a built-in preamp and upgrade to a
vibration damping and low distortion. 2M Bronze cartridge when you buy. The Theory is an engineering – and audio – beauty.

28 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 TECHNOTES | GADGETS

LG Signature OLED M 97in

$39,995 | lg.com

LG is promoting this as the world’s first get Brightness Booster Max tech, and the The Box also offers three HDMI 2.1 ports
OLED TV with 4K 120Hz wireless AI smarts sense what you’re watching to (plus USB, Bluetooth, and more) for
connectivity. This means we’re a real step optimise the picture and audio settings. games consoles and the like. So far,
further into the hallowed world of… The TV is not completely cable-free, opinion is positive on the lack of latency.
cable-free home entertainment! An a9 AI you plug in a single power cord, but the So, what’s the drawback? Er, well, just
Processor enables that refresh rate, you Zero Connect Box transmits wirelessly. check that pricing again…

NETGEAR ORBI 970 SERIES B&O BEOLAB 8 MOMENT T-SERIES

$TBC | netgear.com $8,990 | bang-olufsen.com $236 | shopmoment.com

Many devices have made the move to Wi-Fi The only trouble with powerful speakers is With each smartphone incarnation, we’re
6E, but next-gen wireless is already waiting that, well, they can be ugly. Not so Bang & witnessing staggering upgrades in camera
in the wings. Evidence for that comes in the Olufsen’s Beolab 8. Like a piece of quality. Which means makers of
form of the Netgear Orbi 970 – a mesh sculptural art, the speaker system is compatible lenses need to continuously
system that uses Wi-Fi 7. That expands on available in four stylish designs, with either up their game. Moment has redesigned its
the 6GHz bandwidth offered by Wi-Fi 6E to a table or floor stand or wall mount (a lenses with 25% more glass and a larger
320MHz, giving it data shifting speeds of up ceiling mount is forthcoming). Inside you’ll bayonet interface to support new, larger
to 27Gbps or 2.4 times that of Wi-Fi 6. find a 0.6-inch tweeter, 3-inch mid-range camera phone sensors. You’ll benefit from
Described as offering ‘elite connectivity’, driver and a 5.25-inch woofer, each driven sharper images and sensor stabilisation,
the Orbi 970 is priced to match with a by its own D-class amp, delivering 300W of and you can build up your kit bit by bit –
two-pack (comprising one router and power in total. The Beolab 8 also has lens, mount, case, filter, and carry bag.
one satellite) costing a cool US$1,599 (the Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and AirPlay 2 onboard. You can also get Pro Camera App support
Australian price is still TBC). Plus, it’s designed to be modular with to help get the best results.
upgradeable components.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 29

 REVIEWS
Expert reviews and recommendations to help you buy with confidence

THIS ISSUE
31 Intel 14th Gen 34 Surface Laptop Go 3 35 TP Link Wi-Fi 7 Mesh System BE85 36 Apple MacBook Pro (M3 Max)
38 Google Pixel 8 & 8 Pro 41 Thermaltake Citadel V2 42 Logitech Wave Keys 43 MSI MAG 323UPF 32” 4K 160Hz Gaming Monitor

APC is Australia’s oldest consumer Independent reviews invite a vendor to clarify how a particular
technology magazine – having been Championing technology doesn’t mean feature works. If an APC reviewer has any
consistently in print for over forty years, we’re unrelenting yes-men and -women, potential conflicts of interest involving a
since our first issue way back in May 1980 however, and APC aims to be as objective brand, the review will always be assigned
– and we take that heritage and as possible in all our coverage. That means to another writer.
responsibility very seriously. While our identifying the best products from
focus is obviously on the personal multiple perspectives – the best Labs testing
computer the very definition of the PC has performance, best value and best features APC strives to conduct the most rigorous,
changed and shifted markedly since the and, ideally, the products that offer the best objective scientific tests and benchmarks
early 1980s. As such, we touch on many mix of these three attributes. we can so as to make our reviews as
other areas of tech, too, from smartphones As a matter of policy, reviews published unbiased as possible. We use a variety of
and apps to peripherals, accessories, and in APC are not shared with product-makers tools and programs for this, including
beyond. We have two goals: to find the best prior to print. We will contact vendors many freely available benchmark suites for
modern tech and to help you make the under certain conditions; for example, if assessing media encoding, general system
most of it. we have a problem testing a product that performance including storage read and
seems to indicate it may be faulty, or to write speeds, gaming and battery life.

APC TESTBED THE CURRENT APC TESTBED USED IN THE LABS FOR APC EDITOR’S CHOICE
BENCHMARKING ALL COMPONENTS. THIS TESTBED IS UPDATED AS NEW When a product scores 4.5 out of 5, it carries the
AND RELEVANT TECHNOLOGY COMES ON STREAM. Editor’s Choice Award. These are products that exceed
expectations and deliver a quality experience up there
with the very best.
CPU Intel Core i9 12900K Motherboard Asus Maximus Z690 Apex
Graphics Card Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition RAM 2x16GB
APC HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
You will see this award if a reviewed product has scored
G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6000 Power Supply Corsair AX1000 Storage Seagate four out of five stars. It means most people can expect
Firecuda 530 2TB Case Thermaltake Core P8 Cooling Cooler Master Flux satisfying performance from the product, and that we
PL360 AIO Operating system Windows 11 Pro 22H2 would use it ourselves.

30 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 LABS | INTEL CORE DESKTOP PROCESSORS (14TH GEN)

Intel Core desktop

processors (14th gen)
There’s nothing radically new here, but Intel successfully squeezes more
from its process technology and adds a couple of nice surprises.

As its “Raptor Lake Refresh” codename more power than the previous-gen boosting performance – particularly in
implies, Intel’s newest chips are a models. In fact, we measured a peak of gaming.
refreshed version of the 13th gen 359W. The tool only works on programs for
Raptor Lake processors that debuted which Intel has created profiles in its
last year. While Intel’s refresh doesn’t New features Dynamic Tuning Technology framework (it
provide the big gen-on-gen leaps we Intel has also baked a new AI Assist works alongside Thread Director). APO
typically see with new core program into its eXtreme Tuning Utility currently only supports two games,
microarchitectures – there are no (XTU). This characterises the processor Rainbow Six: Siege and Metro Exodus, which
instructions-per-clock gains because using AI algorithms trained by Intel to Intel touts as gaining 13% and 16% more
the chips use the same underlying suggest a series of tweaks that you can performance respectively.
design as their Raptor Lake choose to overclock your processor. AI Intel says it will continue to assess games
predecessors – Intel has optimised its Assist takes roughly 30 seconds to and programs that will benefit from the
chips to make them more attractive. examine the thermals, voltages, profiles and will add more.
Intel’s Core i7-14700K now has 12 frequencies and power delivery to
E-cores, up from eight with the prior determine the optimal overclocked Last hurrah
generation, leaving it a mere four E-cores settings. The Raptor Lake Refresh marks the last
shy of matching the Core i9 model. The As always, manual tuning can provide hurrah for Intel’s “Core i” and generational
Core i7-13700K provided almost the same faster overclocking results, but the biggest branding – it will move to Core and Core
gaming performance as the Core i9- limitation is that the tool only works with Ultra branding with its next lineup. The
13900K but for a significantly lower price, Core i9 SKUs for now. Support will come Raptor Lake Refresh chips are a decent
and that small gap between Core i7 and i9 for the other 14th-gen K-series models, but farewell as they’re faster than the 13th-gen
in gaming has shrunk further. Intel has no plans to bring the tool to prior models, but as the graphs show, AMD’s X3D
All three chips also have slightly higher generations. AI Assist works on boards chips still hold the gaming performance
boost frequencies, but the Core i5-14600K with 600 and 700 series chipsets, but bear crown by a substantial amount.
and Core i9-14900K feature the same core in mind that overclocking could void your Here, we give full reviews to each of the
counts as the prior-gen models. Courtesy warranty. three new chips, but with only minor clock
of a revision of the “Intel 7” process node Intel also has a new list-based increases the Core i9-14900K and Core
and tight binning, the 14th-gen chips Application Optimization (APO) i5-14600K offer little to excite. The Core
deliver these higher frequencies within that’s turned on by default. This tool i7-14700K is diffferent. Its four extra
the same power envelopes as the previous- automatically detects certain programs E-cores provide a tangible uplift in
gen models. However, if you leave your and directs application resources in threaded applications that make it the
motherboard at the default settings that real-time to optimise thread scheduling/ standout offering amongst the new CPUs
lift the power limits, they do suck down affinities and application threading, thus here. Paul Alcorn

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 31

 LABS | INTEL CORE DESKTOP PROCESSORS (14TH GEN)

How do they compare?

GAMING AVERAGES WITH RTX 4090 AT 1080P (FPS) MULTITHREADED PERFORMANCE RANKING
Ryzen 7 78003XD 185 Ryzen 9 7950X 624
Ryzen 9 79503XD 181 Core i9-14900K 610
Ryzen 9 79003XD 174 Core i9-13900K 603

Core i9-14900K 167 Ryzen 9 79503XD 592

Core i7-14700K 162 Core i7-14700K 539

Core i9-13900K Ryzen 9 7900X

HIGHER IS BETTER

HIGHER IS BETTER
162 490
Core i7-13700K 159 Core i7-13700K 473

Core i5-14600K 149 Ryzen 9 79003XD 462

Core i5-13600K 147 Core i5-14600K 391

Ryzen 7 7700X 142 Core i5-13600K 377

PRICE $529 Ryzen 9 7900X 139 Ryzen 7 7700X 335

Ryzen 9 7950X 138 Ryzen 7 78003XD 321

Intel Core Ryzen 5 7600X 131 Ryzen 5 7600X 261

i5-14600K
Core i5-13400 116 Core i5-13400 257

Geomean across eight games Geomean across Cinebench, POC-ray, vray, Blender,
Handbrake and y-cruncher

Move along: this is effectively GAMING AVERAGES WITH RTX 4090 AT 1440P (FPS) SINGLE-THREADED PERFORMANCE RANKING
a minor overclocking Ryzen 7 78003XD 191 Core i9-14900K 480

upgrade on the i5-13600K. Ryzen 9 79503XD

Ryzen 9 79003XD
191
186
Core i9-13900K

Core i7-14700K 451

464

Core i9-14900K 170 Core i7-13700K 434

First, the good news. In terms of Core i9-13900K 168 Core i5-14600K 428
performance, this isn’t a bad chip at all. It
Core i7-14700K Core i5-13600K

HIGHER IS BETTER
413
HIGHER IS BETTER

163
can easily handle everyday duties, is
Core i7-13700K 160 Ryzen 9 7900X 409
consistently faster than the Ryzen 7600X
and is a solid gaming chip thanks to its Core i5-14600K 149 Ryzen 9 79503XD 408
strong single-core performance. So, on Ryzen 9 7950X 145 Ryzen 9 7950X 407
paper at least, the Core i5-14600K is the Core i5-13600K 145 Ryzen 7 7700X 406
best Intel processor for the mainstream
Ryzen 9 7900X 143 Ryzen 5 7600X 403
user.
Ryzen 7 7700X 139 Ryzen 9 79003XD 399
The problem for the i5-14600K is that its
performance is tragically close to the Core Ryzen 5 7600X 128 Core i5-13400 369
i5-13600K’s. As long as that chip is on sale, it will Core i5-13400 110 Ryzen 7 78003XD 368
be better value, and you won’t notice a difference
Geomean across eight games Geomean across Cinebench, POC-ray, vray, Blender,
between the two in terms of day-to day- Handbrake and y-cruncher

performance. That’s because they have identical

specs, other than a slightly faster turbo clock
speed for the 14600K’s six performance cores.
i5-14600K i7-14700K i9-14900K
While this does translate into increased speed,
as shown in the graphs to the right, it comes at Price* $529 $699 $989
the cost of higher power draw and temperature. Price for KF variant* $499 $679 $499
During testing, this chip hit a maximum
P-cores 6 8 8
temperature of 101oC, which is frankly
astounding for an i5. And I was using one of the E-cores 8 12 16
best CPU coolers around. Threads 20 28 32
Ultimately this chip is best reserved for P-core max clock 5.3GHz 5.6GHz 6GHz
pre-built systems, where you’ll use the computer
E-core max clock 4GHz 4.3GHz 4.4GHz
for many years until it becomes obsolete. It’s not
L2 Cache 20MB 24MB 32MB
for upgraders.
*No integrated graphics in KF variants

John Loeffler L3 Cache 24MB 30MB 36MB

Graphics** Intel UHD Graphics 770 Intel UHD Graphics 770 Intel UHD Graphics 770
Graphics frequency 1,550MHz 1,600MHz 1,650MHz
Unlocked?
VERDICT
Base power 125W 125W 125W
Max Turbo power 181W 253W 253W

32 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 LABS | INTEL CORE DESKTOP PROCESSORS (14TH GEN)

PRICE $699 PRICE $989

Intel Core i7-14700K Intel Core i9-14900K

Providing Core i9-13900K More like an overclocked i9-13900K
performance for a Core i7’s price, this than a notable step forward, but still a
is the undoubted star of the new lineup. phenomenal processor.
The Intel Core i7-14700K is The additional power draw The Intel Core i9-14900K is turbo clock on specific P-cores
the workhorse CPU in Intel’s from the E-cores is noticeable. a hard chip to justify, which while active. Finally, Intel’s
14th generation and, like any The 14700K pulls down almost is a weird thing to say about a Thermal Velocity Boost
good workhorse, it needs to 30W more than the 13700K, processor that’s arguably the activates if there’s still power
do some heavy lifting. and also runs much hotter, best Intel has ever sold for and thermal headroom on a
Fortunately it’s more than maxing out at 10oC. Make sure desktops. It beats every other P-core that’s already being
capable of that. your cooling solution is up to chip I tested in most boosted by Turbo Boost Max,
For a start, it’s the only the task. categories with the exception and this can push the core as
processor of the three to get a In terms of productivity and of some multitasking high as 6GHz.
substantive upgrade to its general performance, the workflows and gaming According to Intel, that 6GHz
specifications. Rather than the i7-14700K shines. While a 6% performance, in which it’s a clock speed makes this the
eight performance and eight boost overall compared to the very close runner-up. world’s fastest processor. While
efficiency cores (P-cores and i7-13700K may not sound What you don’t get is that might technically be true,
E-cores) of the i7-13700K, the much, that’s enough to close innovation, but that isn’t that 6GHz will rarely be used in
i7-14700K comes with eight the gap on the i9-13900K. surprising when you consider practice. Most of the time, the
P-cores and 12 E-cores, all To put that in perspective, this is the final flagship using 5.6GHz P-core boost clock is the
running with a slightly higher the Core i9-13900K Intel’s current architecture. It most you’re going to see under
turbo boost clock for extra outperforms the i9-12900K by uses the same 10nm Intel 7 load.
performance. as much as 25% in some process node as its predecessor The end result of all these
The i7-14700K also includes workloads, so someone and with the same number of tweaks is that the i9-14900K
Intel’s Turbo Boost Max upgrading from an i9-12900K cores (eight P-cores, 16 E-cores) tops the single-core
Technology 3.0. That’s a or lower will find it hard to and cache, the only real performance charts. Gaming,
mouthful, but what matters is believe that an i7 could improvement in terms of specs however, is an area where Intel
that it gives the best perform this well. And with are its faster clock speeds. All will be disappointed, as AMD’s
performing P-core an extra the i7-14700K coming in about cores get a 0.2GHz increase to trio of X3D chips top the charts
bump up to 5.6GHz. Provided 30% cheaper than the Intel their base frequencies, while in almost all cases. Intel does
that the processor is within Core i9-14900K, whilst being the P-core turbo boost clock win for value and all-round
power and thermal limits. It remarkably close in terms of its increases to 5.6GHz and the speed compared to those chips,
has the same TDP of 125W and performance, this is the E-core turbo clock bumps up to however, meaning that its
same Max Turbo Power rating obvious Raptor Lake Refresh 4.4GHz (0.2GHz and 0.1GHz biggest rival is the Core
of 253W as the 13700K, with the chip to buy. From this increases respectively). i7-14700K.
latter being the upper power perspective, it’s exceptional Intel’s Turbo Boost Max tech John Loeffler
limit of sustained power draw value. also increases the frequency of
for the processor. This ceiling John Loeffler the best-performing core in the
can be breached, however, and chip and gives it even more
cores can draw much more VERDICT power within the power and VERDICT
power in bursts as long as 10ms thermal limits. That gets the
when necessary. Core i9-14900K up to 5.8GHz

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 33

 LABS | MICROSOFT SURFACE LAPTOP GO 3

PRICE $1,697 WEB microsoft.com/en-au

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3

A minor update to the budget friendly Surface Laptop Go offering with
one new killer feature.

ran on the Surface Laptop Go 2, which is a

SPECS W11 Home; 12.4-inch PixelSense decent improvement, but don’t expect it
display at 1536 x 1024 pixel resolution; to be revolutionary. We had some
320nit (Typical) brightness; Intel Core glitching running light video files in
i5-1235U CPU; Intel Iris Xe Graphics; Microsoft’s Clipchamp and you’ll use the
16GB RAM; 256GB SSD; 41Wh battery 8GB of RAM pretty quickly even doing
(9h18min 1080p movie playback); 27.8 light office tasks, so don’t expect to have a
x 20.6 x 1.6cm; 1.1kg. seamless experience using more
demanding applications. That said it’s
fine for most student and office
workloads.
Perhaps the most notable update of the
Surface Laptop Go 3 is that it launched
alongside a preview version of
Microsoft’s on-device Copilot AI
software. Integrating directly into the OS
it allows you to search, open and interact
with applications. You also get advanced
functionality with all of Microsoft’s
Office applications, allowing the AI to
Microsoft has steadily been increasing opt for the model we tested (with 16GB of query, summarise, reformat and
its range of Surface devices over the RAM) it costs almost as much as the repurpose work you’ve done. It’ll also
last few years into the more budget latest MacBook Air (which has a better search the web for you and can
friendly arena for students, and those screen, better processors and many other summarise web pages or news articles
that only need lighter processing meaningful improvements). you have open on Microsoft Edge. It’s
power. The Surface Laptop Go range is The screen hasn’t been updated from even able to generate images from
much like what the MacBook Air is to the last generation of Surface Laptop Go, prompts and analyse statistics for you if
the MacBook Pro… a lightweight, so it’s the same 1536 x 1024 pixel you need to. There is a lot of hype around
budget friendly option for those that resolution 10-point multi touch offering. AI, but this tool integrates the power of
need less power day-to-day. Actually, very little has actually been the latest Chat GPT versions directly into
With a starting price of $1,397, the new updated on the device, apart from office software in a way that will
Surface Laptop Go 3 is a little less introducing a 12th Gen intel Core i5-1235U dramatically change the way we interact
expensive than Apple’s offering, but you CPU, but this is pretty standard practice with office applications forever.
have to keep in mind it’s got a smaller on Surface devices. If that wasn’t enough the device
12-inch form factor and it doesn’t have There’s everything you need for light maintains a compact set of connection
high-performing processors. The Surface workloads here, full Windows 11 Home, a options including a USB 3.1 Type-A port, a
Laptop Go 3 brings a high end feel to the 10-core CPU and 8GB of RAM, so you’ll be USB-C 3.2 port and a 3.5mm headphone
more affordable laptop market thanks to able to run any office application and web jack to connect a wide array of non
the sleek metal chassis and colourful page you might want. Performance was wireless devices. It’s also got an HD
12.4-inch PixelSense display, but if you up to 60% better than benchmarks we webcam, decent microphones and
Omnisonic Dolby Audio speakers for
Microsoft Surface Microsoft Surface great online meeting capabilities. You’ll
BENCHMARK RESULTS
Laptop Go 3 Laptop Go 2 get more than a full day working battery
PCMark 10 - Overall (score) 4,188 4,336 at around 9 hours and the keyboard and
trackpad felt nice to use over extended
Geekbench 5 - Multi-core (score) 5,692 3,810 periods.
Geekbench 5 - OpenCL (score) 14,015 14,891
3DMark - Time Spy (score) 1,227 1,148
VERDICT
PCMark 10 Battery - Modern Office (h:min) 09:08 08:52
Peak CPU temperature (ºC) 64 90
CrystalDiskMark Read (MB/s) 3,345 3,143 A budget laptop that doesn’t feel cheap
with a unique secret weapon.
CrystalDiskMark Write (MB/s) 1,998 1,624 Joel Burgess

34 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 LABS | TP-LINK DECO (BE85) BE22000 WHOLE HOME MESH WI-FI 7 SYSTEM

PRICE $2,999 (3-pack) WEB www.tp-link.com/au

TP-Link Deco (BE85)

BE22000 Whole Home
Mesh Wi-Fi 7 System
Wi-Fi 7 has landed. How excited should you be?

The BE85 is easy to set-up thanks to the

well-polished Deco mobile app and
additional nodes connecting
automatically. The app’s first tab provides a
useful network map and basic device
management (QoS and blocking)
functions. Security features are on the
second tab, but they require a premium
subscription to activate the web, intrusion
and IoT-device protection which
disappointingly costs up to *cough* $215 a
year! Rivals like Asus and Synology give
that away, free.
Basic parental controls, like content
filtering, website blocking and bedtime,
aren’t charged for. However, you must pay
the premium for SafeSearch, YouTube
restrictions, Time Limits and Off-time
scheduling.
All standard Wi-Fi features are available
Wi-Fi 6E laptops appeared more than a increases data density across the airwaves; on the app including QoS and VPN. You can
year before the first Wi-Fi 6E router. and new, wide, 320MHz channels are used also set the 6GHz channel as backhaul and
However, here’s the first Wi-Fi 7 kit and in the 6GHz spectrum. set-up isolated IoT-device networks.
the only Wi-Fi 7 laptop we’ve seen was That’s the theory, but what’s the reality? Unusually, the web-browser variant has
an engineering sample at a recent Intel We ran our standard tests which download few configurable options.
Developer Conference. Still, TP-Link’s large video files from a wired (10Gbps) It was only recently that TP-Link wowed
three-node Deco kit could potentially Synology NAS to our Wi-Fi 6E-equipped us with its XE200 Wi-Fi kit which broke the
provide the promise of Wi-Fi 7 Dell XPS 15 laptop up close, two rooms 1Gbps barrier at close range. But, this is
performance regardless. Will you want away (next to a node) and 15m at the end of next level thanks to negligible in-door
one? the garden (10m from the third node). It performance drop-off, improved outdoor
A (very) quick Wi-Fi 7 overview is that it’s scored, 1,456Mbps, 1,340Mbps and performance and headroom for even more
dramatically faster and more efficient than 430Mbps respectively. Those are all speed.
its predecessors thanks to several new extraordinary, ground-breaking results At $2,999 it’s colossally expensive but,
technologies: Extremely High Throughput and a Wi-Fi 7 laptop and faster NAS will be when the performance increase is this
(EHT) pushes the maximum theoretical even quicker! high, it’s arguably reasonable – especially if
speed up from Wi-Fi 6E’s 9.6Gbps to Each node also has the following, speedy you’re someone who works with (or wants
46Gbps(!); Multi-Link Operation (MLO) ports: USB-A 3.0, two 2.5Gbps, one 10Gbps to work with) multiple streams of UHD
allows multiple connections at once; plus a 10Gbps-RJ-45-SFP+ (optic fibre) video content on network-attached storage.
Restricted Target Wake Time optimises combo port. We used an Acer Triton If it’s out of your league, cheer yourself that
network resources to enhance your laptop’s 2.5Gbps Ethernet connection to the it will likely help reduce the cost of other
devices’ battery lives; Multi-User Resource second node and scored 873Mbps. That’s Wi-Fi equipment.
Units (MRUs) reduce network interference; slower than Wi-Fi. Regardless, we’ll have to
Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) upgrade our test network again! VERDICT

We love our first taste of Wi-Fi 7 and want

SPECS Speed: Wi-Fi7 22,000Mbps | Connectivity: 3x (2 x 2.5Gbps, 2 x 10Gbps, 1 x SFP+, USB 3.0) | more. But, my word, it’s starting-out expensive.
Features: quad-Core CPU, separate IoT network, basic parental controls, premium Security+ protection, QoS. Nick Ross

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 35

 LABS | APPLE MACBOOK PRO 14 & 16-IN (M3, M3 PRO AND M3 MAX)

PRICE From $2,699 WEB apple.com/au

Apple MacBook Pro 14 &

16-in (M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max)
Apple kills the MBP 13 and launches the world’s first 3nm processors,
but are they impressive enough to justify upgrading?

Despite releasing its last generation of release that this generation brought “the MacBook Pro 14 with a M3 processor. The
MacBook Pro devices at the start of biggest leap forward in graphics last generation of MacBook Pro 14 devices
2023, Apple was already ready to architecture ever for Apple silicon.” There only came in M2 Pro or M2 Max
launch another iteration in October. was talk of new technologies like Dynamic configurations that started at $3,199, with
These new MacBook Pro 14 and 16 Caching, which frees up memory for better the standard M2 processor being exclusive
laptops are built on the latest M3 GPU utilisation and allows the to the classic 13-inch MacBook Pro or the
Apple silicon processors, the first in introduction of things like hardware- MacBook Air range, but the new base chip
the world to use a 3nm manufacturing accelerated ray tracing. This is is available on the 14-inch MBP and there’s
process. Apple likes to refer to them as undoubtedly an interesting development, no 13-inch offering available. The starting
the “most advanced chips ever built for but understanding the real world 14.2-inch configuration comes with the
a personal computer”, but the general performance gains is a little more nuanced 8-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, 16-core neural
performance improvements for the M3 and isn’t as dramatic as you might think. engine, 8GB of Unified Memory and a
will vary depending on whether you This is perhaps why Apple is pitching this 512GB SSD for a reasonable entry level
opt for the stock M3 chip, the reduced as a great device for those upgrading from configuration that will appeal to those
performance-core M3 Pro processor, M1 or even Intel-based Macs by wanting something closer to MacBook Air
or the supercharged M3 Max that has emphasising the performance gains performance.
four additional performance cores against these older devices. For creative professionals that need a bit
over the M2 Max. more power, the MBP 14 with an 11-core M3
Apple was more eager to push the GPU Goodbye MacBook Pro 13 Pro CPU, 14-core GPU and quirky 18GB
performance gains on the new MacBook One thing that is easy to understand is the Unified Memory allocation starts at $3,499
Pro devices however, suggesting in a press new starting price of $2,699 for the and you can nab the most powerful 14-core

SPECS Mac OS 14; 16.2-inch mini-LED Liquid Retina XDR display at 3456 x 2234 pixel resolution, 1,600nit peak brightness, Display P3 colour; Apple M3 Max 14-core CPU;
30-core GPU; 16-core Neural Engine; 96GB Unified Memory; 4TB SSD; 100Wh battery (up to 20 hours 1080p media playback); 355.7x248.1x16.8cm; 2.16kg.

36 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 LABS | APPLE MACBOOK PRO 14 & 16-IN (M3, M3 PRO AND M3 MAX)

M3 Max CPU with 30-core GPU and 36GB

memory allocation from $5,599.
The MacBook Pro 16 range only comes in
the slightly more powerful M3 Pro
configuration from $4,299 or a M3 Max
powered device starting at $5,999. The M3
Pro processor can be paired with up to
36GB of Unified Memory for an
impressively powerful system, but for
those looking at serious workstation
performance you’ll need to turn to the M3
Max processor for memory allocations up
to 128GB and the highest GPU core counts.

One small step for Apple silicone

Apple summarised its devices performance
gains by saying that each M3 CPU core used
is 15% faster than the previous generation,
something that we found to be in line with One giant leap for Apple GPUs? nit-plus liquid retina XDR displays and
what we benchmarked. But perhaps an Apple made a lot of noise about its GPU maintain the same cassis, webcam,
even simpler way to summarise (at least improvements. We did get similar speakers, keyboard and microphone array.
with the stock chip) is to use the rule that performance from the 30-core M3 Max There is a new colouring, created from an
M3 CPU performance is roughly in line GPU to the 38-core M2 Max GPU we tested anodised metal that is fingerprint resistant
with what you got on a 10-core M2 Pro earlier in the year, which equates to an and there’s also improvements in the Neural
which is about the same as the M1 Max, at improvement of more than 20% if you Engine for onboard AI processing and
least in general work benchmarks like adjust for the core count. And if you refinements to the media chip.
Geekbench 5. compare it to the M1 Max GPU One of the other benefits of the new M3
The M3 Pro has a few configurations so performance you’ll see a bump of 3nm processors is that they’re more
the relationship isn’t as clear cut, but you between 30 and 35%. efficient, so you’ll be able to run the same
can expect improvements of between This is definitely a worthwhile tasks as the M1 using half the power draw,
about seven and 20% depending on the improvement that allows you to play which helps battery life when you’re
contrast. For those interested in the most games like Baldur’s Gate 3 at 3456 x 2234 working on the go. You can expect close to
powerful M3 Max then you can expect CPU pixel resolution and Ultra Graphical two working-days under light use
performance in line with what was settings at over 40 fps or older titles like conditions, but Apple’s devices are still the
available on the M2 Ultra, a chip powering Metro: Exodus at 1080p Ultra with frame only laptops you can run demanding
the most powerful $11,999 Mac Pro Desktop rates well over 100 fps. This is definitely workflows on without being connected to
devices. This means the M2 Max CPU is the best gaming experience we’ve seen on a power. That said, the M3 Max 40-core GPU
able to outperform Intel’s similar i9- MacBook Pro, but it’s worth keeping can use 60W of power, so if you are using the
13900H laptop CPU by up to 85% in some relative performance in mind since an 80W GPU to maximum capacity in a task like
benchmarks, while maintaining similar laptop Nvidia GeForce 4060 on something gaming, you’ll only get about an hour and a
performance in highly multi-threaded like a Surface Laptop Studio 2 will half of battery life.
tasks. We’re definitely impressed with outperform the M3 Max GPU by 30% in
Apple’s M3 performance, but it does run on synthetic benchmarks and can easily
a reasonably efficient 50W-TDP chip so double gaming framerates on many games. VERDICT
Intel’s 24-core i9-13980HX laptop processor,
with double the power allocation, on More please!
device like the Asus Vivobook Pro 16X There’s really not a whole lot of other major A reasonable processor upgrade to device with an
OLED is able to get 38% higher updates since the M3 family of MacBook impressive screen and unparalleled battery life.
performance in some benchmarks. Pros continue to use the same thousand- Joel Burgess

BENCHMARK RESULTS Apple MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max MacBook Pro 16 M2 Max Apple MacBook Pro 16 M1 Max
Geekbench 5 - Single-core (score) 2,332 2,043 1,775
Geekbench 5 - Multi-core (score) 20,215 15,129 12,709
Cinebench R23 - CPU (multi-threaded) 20,612 14,661 12,384
Geekbench 5 - OpenCL (score) 77,035 77,966 60,630
Sid Meier's: Civilization VI - 1080p Ultra (FPS) 65 63 50
Battery life - 1080p video playback (h:min) 20h2min 20h20min 9h6min
BlackMagic Disk Read (MB/s) 7,487 7,741 6,278
BlackMagic Disk Write (MB/s) 5,630 5,727 5,318

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 37

 LABS | GOOGLE PIXEL 8 PRO

action smooth, while not wasting energy

on static images.

Advanced cameras
The Pixel 8 Pro has a 50MP main camera, a
48MP ultrawide and a 48MP telephoto
with 5x optical zoom, and all of them take
excellent photos. The main camera
captures plenty of depth and detail, with
great, solid contrast. Zoomed-in shots look
almost as good, with minimal loss of fine
detail and dynamic range. The iPhone 15
Pro Max’s 5x telephoto zoom is a fraction
sharper, but it’s a close race.
Macro results are impressive, too. The
phone automatically switches to macro
mode when you get close to a subject, and
captures bright, punchy images. Portraits
are another strength, with natural-
looking skin tones and a fixed 1.5x zoom
that helps to put your subject in the
foreground.
The Pixel 8 Pro does have a few
photographic weaknesses. While selfies
looked good, the 10.5MP front-facing
camera is softer than the iPhone 15 Pro
Max’s. And the Pixel 8 Pro’s low-light
PRICE 128GB, $1,699 WEB store.google.com snaps look great in isolation, but the

Google Pixel 8 Pro

iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S23 Ultra
both produced brighter and more detailed
images.
Still, if you’re not happy with the images
produced by the Pixel 8 Pro you can do
something about it. Google has finally
A great showcase for AI in our phones, and seven brought manual controls to its camera
app, enabling you to tweak the shutter
years of Android updates only adds to its appeal. speed, ISO, colour temperature and more.
Small details such as focus peaking make
the app feel more professional, although
Google’s Pixel smartphones are 512GB version will set you back $1,999. for now this degree of control is only for
designed for the slickest, purest Design-wise, the Pixel 8 Pro looks stills, and doesn’t cover video capture.
Android experience, and the Pixel 8 much like last year’s Pixel 7 Pro, with the On that topic, the Pixel 8 Pro can shoot
Pro is the latest flagship of the fleet. same camera hump and metal trim. It 4K video at up to 60fps; it can’t match the
With an upgraded 6.7in screen, new feels just as solidly constructed, complete Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 8K capability, but that’s
AI-powered capabilities and plenty of with an IP68 rating, and the new matte overkill for most scenarios. Captured
hardware and software improvements, finish on the rear feels more grippy in the footage looks excellent, with rich detail
there’s no shortage of high-end hand than the glass-meets-metal and colour, while optional 10-bit HDR
features. assembly of recent Pixel phones. support allows you to capture more
Pricing starts at $1,699, in your choice There’s more good news on the front of shadow detail without crushing the
of Obsidian, Porcelain or a delightful new the phone. The display on the Pixel 7 Pro highlights.
blue finish called Bay. This makes it was a little on the dim side, topping out at Low-light video isn’t bad, either. As
Google’s most expensive phone ever, but around 1,000cd/m2, but with the Pixel 8 with stills, it looks more drab and noisy
compared to other big-screen handsets Pro my light meter registered a vastly than comparable footage from Apple or
it’s actually very competitive. However, improved peak brightness of 1,526cd/m2. Samsung, but it’s still perfectly usable.
the base-model Pixel 8 Pro comes with The adaptive refresh rate has been What’s unique about photography on
128GB of storage, while Apple and improved, too, with the Pixel 8 Pro the Pixel 8 Pro is the AI-assisted tools it
Samsung include 256GB as standard. The dynamically scaling from 120Hz all the offers to help touch up your media after
256GB Pixel 8 Pro costs $1,799, while the way down to 1Hz. That keeps fast-moving the fact. Alongside the familiar Magic

SPECS 9-core Google Tensor G3 processor; 12GB RAM; Immortalis-G715s MC10 graphics; 6.7in 120Hz LTPO AMOLED screen, 1,344 x 2,992 resolution;
5G; 128GB/256GB/512GB storage; nano SIM and eSIM; IP68 rating; triple 50MP/48MP/48MP rear cameras; 10.5MP front camera; Wi-Fi 7; Bluetooth 5.3; NFC;
5,050mAh battery; USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 connector; Android 14; 77 x 8.8 x 163mm (WDH); 213g; 1yr warranty.

38 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 LABS | GOOGLE PIXEL 8 PRO

Slick performer
The Tensor G3 processor inside the Pixel
8 Pro is the most powerful chip that
Google has ever created. That might not
be saying much, however, as in most
benchmarks it lags behind the
competition. In our Adobe Premiere
Rush test the Pixel 8 Pro took 46 seconds
to render a scene, while the iPhone 15
Pro Max and Galaxy S23 Ultra completed
the task in 25 and 39 seconds
respectively.
However, the phone feels slick, with
impeccably smooth transitions and
animations. The Tensor chipset also
includes specialised processing units
ABOVE Magic Eraser excelled even in this stern test, removing a head from the foreground. dedicated to accelerating AI tasks, while
games run at decent, if not world-
Eraser, you now get Magic Editor, which which can reveal how hot or cold nearby beating, frame rates. It adds up to much
lets you isolate an element of a photo and objects are, from a range of around 5cm. more of a premium experience than the
move it to somewhere else in the frame, In theory it might be useful for tracking raw numbers might lead you to expect.
or even resize it to make it look closer or your body temperature, but since it’s not Battery life isn’t bad, either. In our
further away. Google AI situates the item currently approved for that use it feels web-surfing battery benchmark tests
seamlessly in its new surroundings: it almost entirely pointless. the Pixel 8 Pro lasted 10hrs 3mins on a
works amazingly well, making advanced charge – a two-hour improvement over
image-editing operations quick and easy Android 14 arrives the Pixel 7 Pro. However, it still falls well
for anyone. The Pixel 8 Pro ships with Android 14, so behind the iPhone 15 Pro Max and
Another AI-powered feature is you get all the latest OS features plus a Galaxy S23 Ultra, both of which
Best Take, which lets you combine selection of Pixel 8 Pro-exclusive managed more than 13 hours running
elements from multiple shots into one enhancements. For example, when you’re the same test.
perfect composite. It works brilliantly if typing with the onscreen keyboard, the Note that Qi wireless charging is
you have a group of people who aren’t all phone can now suggest grammar limited to a maximum of 12W, though
looking in the same direction at once, corrections; when you’re reading a web you can get up to 23W with Google’s own
although it’s a little annoying that you page in Chrome, you can use the new Pixel Stand, which got me from a flat
have to take your multiple shots Summarise feature to condense the battery to 59% in a speedy 30 minutes.
manually: I wish it could capture a burst content into bullet points.
on its own. Google Assistant gets some new Going Pro
For video footage, the new Audio smarts too. An improved call-screening The Pixel 8 Pro offers numerous
Magic Eraser can automatically feature makes the Assistant sound improvements over last year’s model,
eliminate background noise or impressively human when it drawing on the power of AI to enhance
BELOW The Tensor
intrusive sounds. I found this G3 chip inside the picks up calls for you, and it can the overall experience. Yes, other
worked nicely when there’s only Pixel 8 Pro is Google’s now handle multilingual input, phones offer more in terms of raw
a single source of background most powerful yet. so you can switch back and performance and battery life, but when
noise, but anything forth between languages while you’re editing photos with Magic Editor
more complicated led giving instructions or or using the smart call-screening
to audio glitches. dictation, and it feature, it really feels like you’re using
There’s also a feature shouldn’t get something from a generation ahead of
coming soon called confused. the competition.
Video Boost, which Google has It also doesn’t hurt that the Pixel 8 Pro
lets you upload raw committed to a is cheaper than its closest rivals,
video to the cloud for whopping seven especially if you can live with 128GB of
AI-powered colour years of software storage. If you’re really on a budget, the
grading and detail and security updates, standard Pixel 8 has much of the same
enhancement. We’ll meaning it will get charm for a lower price, but the Pixel 8
have to wait and see new features for years Pro is without a doubt the smartest
how this works, but it to come. As an extra phone around.
sounds promising. piece of future-
While pondering proofing, Google has VERDICT
the Pixel 8 Pro’s also built Wi-Fi 7
cameras, I should also support into the Pixel
mention the pale 8 Pro, so it will be The new king of actually ‘smart’ smartphones.
circle beneath the LED ready for your future John Velasco
flash: this is a networking needs.
temperature sensor,

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 39

 LABS | GOOGLE PIXEL 8

image from the main sensor. That said, the

digital zoom works better than you might
expect, with AI assistance interpolating
SPECS 9-core Google Tensor G3 detail to produce surprisingly sharp images
processor; 12GB RAM; even at the maximum 8x magnification.
Immortalis-G715s MC10 You can also use AI to achieve amazing
graphics; 6.2in 120Hz OLED things after you shoot. As on the Pixel 8 Pro,
screen, 1,080 x 2,400 the Magic Editor lets you shuffle around
resolution; 5G; 128GB/256GB elements of your pictures to get the perfect
storage; nano SIM and eSIM; composition, while Best Take can analyse a
IP68 rating; dual 50MP/12MP series of group photos and synthesise an
rear cameras; 10.5MP front image where everyone looks their best. The
camera; Wi-Fi 7; Bluetooth 5.3; Audio Magic Eraser blew me away with its
NFC; 4,575mAh battery; USB-C ability to remove background noise from
3.2 Gen 2 connector; Android video clips, but the Blur video mode didn’t
14; 71 x 8.9 x 151mm (WDH); work so well: this is supposed to soften the
187g; 1yr warranty. background while keeping your main
subject sharp, but I found its edge detection
wasn’t always wholly accurate.
You can shoot in 4K at up to 60fps,
although zooming as you shoot is only
supported at 30fps, and the Pixel 8 lacks the
PRICE 128GB, $1,199 WEB store.google.com Pro’s 10-bit HDR mode.

Google Pixel 8
There’s more good news on the battery
front. In our web-surfing battery test the
Pixel 8 lasted 9hrs 59mins with its screen set
to 60Hz, and switching to 120Hz knocked
just 16 minutes off its lifespan. That’s a lot
longer than the Pixel 7, which managed only
This compact phone may lack the camera of its 7hrs 30mins in the same test, although it’s
still not on a par with the Galaxy S23 or the
big brother, but it’s equally packed with AI smarts. iPhone 15, which both held out for more than
11 hours.
It’s no mystery why the Pixel 8 is so much
The Pixel 8 is Google’s affordable iPhone 15 for multicore performance. Even cheaper than its premium sibling. The Pro
alternative to the Pixel 8 Pro on the so, I found apps and games on the Pixel 8 has a bigger 6.7in display, a stylish matte
previous pages, and it’s also cheaper were perfectly smooth. glass back, an extra 4GB of RAM and a true
than its immediate rivals – namely the What’s more, as with the Pixel 8 Pro, the telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom.
$1,499 iPhone 15 and the $1,349 custom AI hardware built into Google’s Even so, the Pixel 8 delivers much of the
Samsung Galaxy S23.That makes it an chipset powers some impressive software same excitement and fun, with flagship
attractive choice whether you’re looking features. Those include the improved features such as the Audio Magic Eraser and
for whizzy AI features or simply a call-screening assistant, which now Best Take all present and correct. With its
decent mid-sized phone. answers calls with a more natural- brighter display, improved battery and new
It certainly qualifies as the latter, with sounding voice; the ability to summarise macro-mode camera – not to mention the
rounded corners and a contoured design any web page you’re reading in seconds; unexpected bonus of Wi-Fi 7 – it hardly feels
that’s comfortable to hold. The back is and the new proofreading function for like a compromise at all.
polished, rather than matte as on the Pixel tidying up your own text. Face Unlock has Perhaps the Pixel 8’s trump card is that,
8 Pro, but it does a fair job of resisting been upgraded, too, so it can now be used just as with the Pro model, Google promises
fingerprints and comes in a choice of black, to authorise mobile payments. a whopping seven years of OS updates and
white or tasteful rose finishes. On the back of the phone there’s a 50MP new features. So while this likeable little
The Pixel 8’s screen is slightly smaller main camera and a 12MP ultrawide phone may not boast best-in-class
than its predecessor’s – down from 6.3in to camera, which now doubles as a macro lens performance or battery life, it has something
6.2in – but it gets a big brightness boost. I for close-up shots. In good lighting, both of that its rivals can’t match: a brilliant
measured a maximum luminance of them can capture excellent pictures; AI-powered software suite that will keep
1,349cd/m2, up from 961cd/m2. The display colours are bright without being getting better and better right into the next
also now supports a maximum 120Hz oversaturated, while skin tones look warm decade.
refresh rate, with the option to drop down and natural. Night photography isn’t such a
to 60Hz to save power. strength, however: low-light shots aren’t
Internally, the Google Pixel 8 uses the bad, but they don’t have the vibrancy of VERDICT
same Tensor G3 processor as the Pixel 8 similar photos taken on an iPhone or
Pro. This isn’t a chip that does especially Galaxy S23.
well in benchmarks: it outpaced the Galaxy The Pixel 8 also doesn’t have any optical Omitting just a couple of key ‘Pro’ items still
S23 in the single-core Geekbench CPU test, zoom capability – the “optical quality” 2x keeps the standard Pixel 8 a solid contender.
but fell behind the Samsung and the zoom mode is in reality just a cropped Mark Spoonauer

40 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 LABS | THERMALTAKE CITADEL V2

PRICE $1,959 WEB thermaltake.com.au

ThermalTake Citadel V2
A fresh take on a budget and space-conscious gaming PC.

The Tower 200 case on the Citadel V2

offers a compact mini-ITX footprint with
SPECS Microsoft W11 Home; a nice array of RGB internal lighting. It’s
Thermaltake The Tower 200 Mini got a compact set of accessible interface
Tower Black Edition; Intel B660 options at the front including: two USB
Chipset with WiFi; Intel Core Type-A sockets, a USB-C port and a 3.5mm
i5-12400F CPU; Asus Dual GeForce headphone and microphone jack
RTX 4060 OC 8GB; Thermaltake alongside the power and reset buttons.
ToughRam RGB 16GB Thermaltake This combines with a motherboard
TH240 V2 AIO Liquid CPU Cooler; back-panel that is concealed underneath a
Kingston 2TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 ; push-to-open top grate, allowing ample
Thermaltake Toughpower 650W 80+ connectivity options and sleek cable
Gold PSU; 53.7 x 30 x 28cm. management.
The Intel Core i5-12400F processor
included in this bundle would definitely
be better if it was Intel’s 13th generation
GPU-less processor… but with a retail
“Expect frame rates price of around $350 (instead of $240 for
the i5-12400F) it would have pushed the
of well over 100fps for device over the $2k threshold. That said,
titles running in 1080p the i5-12400F was PC Gamer’s best value
gaming CPU until the i5-13400F came
Ultra settings.” along, so it’s not exactly a bad option.
The CPU offers around 20 to 30% better
performance than the last Citadel
released a couple of years ago. If you’re
One of the most affordable ways of configurations, designed to offer mainly using this as a workstation you’d
making a powerful PC is to do-it- impressive power for a reasonable price. probably be even better suited by
yourself, but there’s a bunch of Before the end of the year two more something like a Mac Mini (M2 Pro) which
research required and if you’ve never versions will be available (Citadel V2 Pro offers CPU performance over 20% better
done it before it can be an intimidating RTX 4070 and Citadel V2 Xtreme RTX for a similar RRP. That’s because this
process. A much simpler option is to go 4080). value system has been designed with
for a prebuilt system like the updated We’re seeing a balance of components gaming in mind, so while it’s competent
ThermalTake Citadel V2, especially that we couldn’t improve much on if we as a general PC, where it really adds value
when you consider you’re getting an were to pick the best value gaming PC is in gaming performance.
excellent looking and well balanced possible and if you add up the cost of all the You can get bigger systems with similar
device without needing to build and individual components at retail prices it components for less, but the Nvidia
troubleshoot it yourself. equates exactly to the total cost of this GeForce 4060 GPU on the Citadel V2
The Citadel V2 comes in Intel (reviewed off-the-shelf Citadel V2, and the system is performs well given the constrained
here) and AMD ($1,899, Ryzen 5 5600) tested and comes with a 2-year warranty. footprint. Expect frame rates of well over
100fps for titles running in 1080p Ultra
BENCHMARK RESULTS ThermalTake Citadel V2 Thermaltake The Citadel settings and it’s even capable of getting
PCMark 10 - Overall (score) 7,198 6,526 30+ fps averages in Cyberpunk 2077 using
4K, Ray Tracing: Ultra graphical settings
Geekbench 5 - Multi-core (score) 8,437 6,967 for those that want to splurge on a
Max CPU Temp (C) 71 70 high-res screen.
Cinebench R23 - multi-threaded CPU 11,670 9,370
3DMark Time Spy (score) 10,220 8,608 VERDICT
Sid Meier's: Civilization VI - 1080p
192 157.00
Ultra (fps avg.)
CrystalDiskMark Read (MB/s) 3,659 2,267 A good value gaming rig that’s more compact
and nicer looking than your average tower.
CrystalDiskMark Write (MB/s) 2,845 2,051
Joel Burgess

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 41

 LABS | LOGITECH WAVE KEYS

“It feels like a very

good compromise
between a regular
keyboard and a
fully-ergonomic
one.”

SPECS Materials: Up to 61%

post-consumer recycled plastic;
Interface: Bluetooth, 2.4Ghz
wireless; Switch type:
Membrane; Power Supply: 2x
AAA batteries; Dimensions: W:
218mm H: 30mm L: 375mm;
1-year warranty.

PRICE $149 WEB logitech.com

Logitech Wave Keys

Logitech makes waves in the ergonomic keyboard market.

Ergonomic keyboards can tend to be a ChromeOS, Linux and Android. It supports compromise between a regular keyboard and
bit of a love/hate affair. There’s no Bluetooth and 2.4GHz wireless a fully-ergonomic one.
doubt that they have benefits, but connections. It comes with a low-latency The wrist rest is excellent too. A couple of
making the switch from a standard Logi Bolt USB dongle, though it can days writing up 2,000 words of copy left me
keyboard can involve a learning curve, connect to another if you’re using other feeling satisfied with the Wave Keys.
especially the ones that have a split or Logitech products. Recommending the Logitech Wave Keys is
large angle between the keys. A lot of Its power comes from a pair of AAA a little difficult as everyone has different
your learned behavior and muscle batteries. There’s no recharge option via wants and needs. However, if you’re after
memory gets tossed out the window. USB and no USB ports at all. Thankfully, something to replace an older model and
Logitech’s Wave Keys keyboard is Logitech says you can expect up to 36 you’re looking into the ergonomic keyboard
designed to bridge the gap between months of battery life between market, the Wave Keys is a very good place to
standard keyboards and fully split models. replacements. Of course, if you’re using it start. At $149 it’s on the expensive side, but it’s
It incorporates a curved design and the in the office daily, you’ll get a lot less than cheaper and less intimidating than the likes
eponymous wave. The central keys are that. The Wave Keys doesn’t have any key of Logitech’s Ergo K860.
vertically higher than those on the outside, backlighting. That’ll save power, but you’ll The Wave Key’s near silence and solid level
all of which is designed for comfort, need to look elsewhere if backlighting is of resistance make it a recommended option
without forcing you to adapt to an entirely important to you. for those looking to migrate away from a
different typing style. The keys use membrane switches. That standard keyboard towards something that is
The Wave Keys is a full-size wireless means the Wave Keys is a very quiet much more comfortable, without requiring
keyboard with a dedicated number pad on operator. The typing feel is very good you to totally abandon your typing style. Its
the right side and a large non-removable indeed, with a slightly higher amount of excellent compatibility and Logitech’s
wrist rest. It’s constructed with up to 61% resistance than you’ll get with some ecosystem are definite value-adds too.
recycled plastic material. That’s a worthy cheaper membrane keyboards.
endeavor but it does mean the Wave Keys As a reasonably fast, but far from touch VERDICT
doesn’t have the premium look and feel of a typist, I had a few errors, but not nearly as
metal-based keyboard. In fact, it’s a little on many as I recall when using a fully split
the flimsy side. ergonomic design. With a bit of practice The Logitech Wave Keys is an excellent bridge
The wide compatibility of the Wave keys and retention of some muscle memory, I between a standard keyboard and an ergonomic
is a major strength. The Wave Keys will feel as though Logitech really nailed the one, and its wide compatibility is a big plus.
work with Windows, macOS, iPadOS, layout of the keys. It feels like a very good Chris Szewczyk

42 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 LABS | MSI MAG323UPF GAMING MONITOR

SPECS 32-inch Rapid IPS

display at 3840 x 2160 pixel
resolution; 600nit peak
brightness, 160Hz refresh
rate, 1ms response time,
FreeSync Premium Pro,
VesaDisplay HDR 600, sRGB
125.7%, 95% DCI-P3, 2 x
HDMI 2.1, 1 x DP1.4a, 1 x
Type-C (DP alt.), 3 x USB 2.0
Type-A, 1 x USB 2.0 Type-B,
727.1 x 233.7 x 494.9 mm,
9.7kg.

PRICE $1,099 WEB msi.com

MSI MAG323UPF
but for most to get the top refresh rates
you’re going to have to drop the
resolution down to 1080p in realistic-
looking titles.

gaming monitor
The bundled Gaming Intelligence
software isn’t our favourite, since it
oversimplifies some aspects like the
game mode presets and doesn’t make it
easy to toggle HDR or see if G-sync is
enabled. Sometimes clicking one
The latest update to MSI’s fast-refresh rate setting will turn off other settings on
different pages and everything uses
4K display range is for serious gamers. only abbreviations so if you really do
have to know what you’re doing to
navigate it. One element that was great
We’ve had fast 4K displays for a few like the MSI G32CU. Designers and other was the physical button at the base of
years now, so they’re not exactly the creative professionals have uses for the the screen that fires up the Gaming
cutting edge tech they once were. And visual uniformity offered by flat panels, Intelligence software to make it much
while they’re not yet cheap-as-chips, but the MAG323UPF doesn’t offer quite easier to access the menu.
they have come down a bit in price to enough colour accuracy to work The screen offers a USB Type-C port
mean they’re within the ballpark for professionally in Adobe RGB or DCI-P3 with a 90W power delivery capability
many looking to upgrade their gaming since both are pegged at 95% for charging connected devices like a
monitor. Personally we reckon you get reproduction, or under. laptop. This Type-C port offers the DP
more bang-for-your-buck with lower While it might not be perfect for Alt. spec to allow DisplayPort
resolutions like 1440p or WQHD+ professional colour work, the screen information to run along it for the best
(especially when you consider most of does offer impressive colour for games. possible display options. There’s also a
us don’t have an overclocked RTX Display HDR 600 created by the 600 nit traditional DP 1.4a socket and two
4080 to easily push 2160p into the peak brightness and 8-bit plus Frame HDMI 2.1 connections for a good array
100+fps range), but if you you’re hung Rate Control colour encoding means you of modern display interface options.
up on 4K and you also want silky have a solid amount of brightness and There’s no speakers included, so
smooth high refresh rates then the the minimum required encoding for you’ll need to factor in audio when
MAG 323UPF is something worth impressive-looking HDR. using this display. The screen does also
considering. The screen is capable of running at up include Freesync Premium Pro for
You’ve also got to want to be an to 160Hz so you can play competitive those with AMD GPUs playing
aspiring professional gamer, since the online shooters and other quick- compatible HDR games in the ultimate
MAG323UPF is a flat panel 32-inch response games without feeling like fast-refresh but other than this there’s
display, something that is arguably less you’re handicapped. You can do this in no notable omissions.
immersive than curved contemporaries whatever resolution your PC is capable of

VERDICT
“While it might not be perfect for professional
colour work, the screen does offer impressive A fairly priced 32-inch, 4K monitor with

colour for games.” 160Hz refresh rate.

Joel Burgess

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 43

 SOFTWARE | WINDOWS

WEB www.marticliment.com/wingetui NEEDS Windows 10 or 11

WingetUI 2.1
Software updater

On 31 October, one of our favourite install updates for Microsoft’s .NET custom sources, if you know the URL of
free tools for updating software, SUMo framework. an official software site. Click the
Software Updater, will be If that sounds rather technical, don’t three-dot button in the top-right corner
discontinued following the closure of worry – WingetUI is straightforward to of the main window and choose
its parent company. WingetUI use. On the Discover Packages tab, you WingetUI Settings, then ‘Winget
provides a reliable alternative, and can search its massive collection of more preferences’. Click ‘Add source’ next to
though it works in a different way to than 14,000 packages to download ‘Manage Winget sources’ and enter the
SUMo, it’s significantly improved junk-free versions of free software. The address of the site.
since it launched last year. Software Updates tab tells you which When you change the program’s theme
Rather than get updates from already installed tools have newer from light to dark – or vice versa –
developers’ websites, WingetUI uses versions available, and lets you update through the ‘General preferences’ section
package managers to detect and them all in one go, while the Installed of WingetUI Settings, it’s now applied
download the latest versions of Packages tab lets you remove unwanted automatically with no need to restart.
programs. These include the built-in programs in a couple of clicks. Additionally, WingetUI is now digitally
Windows Package Manager (Winget for WingetUI 2.1 gives you the option to signed, which means it no longer triggers
short), the rival services Chocolatey and filter packages by source, so you can a Microsoft Defender SmartScreen
Scoop, and – as of the latest version – the exclude specific package managers from warning during installation.
.NET package manager required to your search results. It also lets you add

1 To search for software in 2 WingetUI’s Software 3 If you’re unsure what a listed 4 Click the Installed Packages
WingetUI, click the Discover Updates tab automatically package relates to, click the ‘i’ tab to review and remove
Packages tab and type the first detects when new versions of information icon on WingetUI’s programs installed on your PC.
few letters of a program’s installed programs are toolbar. This tells you the If you see an unusual number of
name. Select a result, then available. Tick the boxes next to developer’s name and home results, click the Filter button,
either right-click it and choose all the software you want to page, provides a direct untick all the sources apart
Install or click the ‘Install update, then click the ‘Update download link and shows you from Winget, then click the
selected packages’ button. selected packages’ button screenshots of the program. Refresh button.

44 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 SOFTWARE | WINDOWS

EBOOK MANAGER
Calibre 6.7
Should I pay for?
WEB calibre-ebook.com NEEDS Windows 10 or 11, macOS or Linux Choose the right version of software
This excellent
open-source software
for managing and
reading ebooks on
your PC is regularly
updated with
improvements and
bug fixes. Calibre 6.7
introduces the useful
ability to add files to your library by dragging and dropping
them from a folder on your computer, rather than clicking
the ‘Add books’ button each time. It also adds support for 7z
archives, so you can automatically extract ebooks you
download in that compression format, as well as ZIP and
RAR archives. Calibre’s ‘E-book viewer’ now lets you clear
your list of recently viewed books by clicking the arrow
next to the View button and choosing that option (see
screenshot), or by right-clicking an individual book.
“WinZip is packed with useful
Additionally, the program has been updated to support tools, but some are unnecessary
Amazon’s new Kindle Scribe ebook reader, allowing you to
easily copy files to and from that device. inclusions and you don’t even get
them all in its cheapest version.”
NETWORK MONITOR
GlassWire 3.3.517 WinZip 28
WEB www.glasswire.com NEEDS Windows 10 or 11 WEB www.winzip.com PRICE From $43.95 FREE TRIAL 21 days
NEEDS Windows 10 or 11
Although GlassWire
limits some of its best WinZip was once an essential tool for creating and unpacking
options to its paid-for archive files, but Windows now has those functions built in. To
version, which costs convince PC users that it’s still a worthwhile purchase, the
$2.99 per month, it’s program’s 28th version brings several new features and
still a great way to improvements – but is it really worth your money?
monitor traffic and WinZip 28’s redesigned home screen gives you one-click access
devices on your home to the software’s main options – other than compression. These
network. The latest include its SafeShare feature, which lets you encrypt your archives
version redesigns the program’s interface to make it more to send them securely by email, remove personal metadata and add
modern and easier to use. A new Traffic Monitor tab (see a watermark to sensitive items. It also offers a Secure Backup tool,
screenshot) combines GlassWire’s Graph and Usage features, which now lets you back up files by right-clicking them, and a
to give you two ways to see what’s connecting to the internet simple Duplicate File Finder.
in the background. The Security tab, which lets you block New in this version is the useful ability to scan compressed files
suspicious processes, has been renamed GlassWire Protect, for malware without opening them. To use this option, add an
while the Alerts tab – where you can review recent network archive to WinZip, then clickthe ‘Scan for Threats’ button in the
activity – is now called Log Analysis. Best of all, GlassWire Actions panel (see screenshot).
has given its vague-sounding Things tab, which shows the IP However, scanning is currently limited to certain types of file.
addresses of network-connected devices, the more logical WinZip has also improved its PDF Express feature to let you
title of Network Monitor. Other new features, such as a map comment on and annotate PDF files, and add your signature to
that shows data usage by country, are only available in forms – though we’re unsure why this is included in a compression
GlassWire Premium. program.
Sadly, some of these options aren’t available in WinZip 28’s
“A new Traffic Monitor tab (see Standard version, but require you to pay $71.45 for the Pro edition.
This seems unfair on people who shell out for the former once the
screenshot) combines GlassWire’s free trial finishes, expecting to get full functionality.

Graph and Usage features, to OUR VERDICT: Don’t pay for it

give you two ways to see what’s WinZip is packed with useful tools, but some are unnecessary
inclusions and you don’t even get them all in its cheapest version.
connecting to the internet in There are free, specialist programs for archive files, such as 7-Zip

the background.” (www.7-zip.org), which are preferable to WinZip’s ‘jack of all trades’
approach.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 45

 SOFTWARE | MAC

PRICE Free WEB ULAA.COM | NEEDS macOS 10.13 or later Three of its six

Ulaa
user modes:
Developer, Work,
and Personal.

Privacy-centred web browser with different user modes.

Privacy and control of advertising have modes, each run in isolation of one ‘extreme’ protection, which adds stealth
grown increasingly important features another. These are intended for mode, blocking of cookies and web
in web browsers. Safari offers Private developers, personal use, work, an address tracking, but will
Relay with iCloud+, competitors unconstrained ‘Open Season’ mode, prove incompatible with some websites.
promise private or incognito browsing, incognito, and kids. You can thus have Ulaa isn’t well integrated within other
and there’s no shortage of ad blocker open pages in several of those modes macOS apps. It can’t access Safari’s
extensions. Ulaa, developed by Zoho, is at the same time, and allocate websites bookmarks directly, nor names and other
one of few that seem serious enough to to each. data in Contacts, and doesn’t use the
sacrifice income from Google and Kids mode is password-protected and iCloud keychain. Instead it uses its own
other advertising platforms. most restrictive, locking away pages for password manager, shared through a Zoho
There’s an inner irony as Ulaa is built other modes until the password is account, which is also required to sync
on open-source Chromium, at the heart entered to return to an adult mode. Also data with Ulaa on other Macs and devices.
of Google Chrome, uses the same concealed are browsing histories, By now, you’ve probably been wondering
Widevine DRM engine, and offers bookmarks, and other data from those why anyone would invest a year’s beta
extensions from the Chrome Web Store. modes. Content filtering and parental development to produce yet another web
Relying on Chromium requires controls include a custom block list. browser. The answer lies in its links to
responsive updating: currently Ulaa Other modes have their own combination Zoho: if you already have an account at
receives a minor update every month, of extensions and settings supporting work, then Ulaa is well integrated into
and provides patches every few days to different types of access. that environment, and ideal to take home
keep pace with Chromium’s fixes. Other Standard protection lets pages load to the family. As a standalone browser, its
Chromium-based web browsers often relatively normally, with blocking of ads, modes are valuable, but without a Zoho
aren’t as conscientious. tracking and analytics, malware and account, probably aren’t worth the effort
Ulaa is novel in casting its privacy potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), of yet another password manager and
protection and ad blocking into six user phishing and resource abuse. There’s also trappings.

“Kids mode is password-protected and VERDICT

most restrictive, locking away pages for other

modes until the password is entered to return Best suited to those with Zoho accounts,
its user modes are innovative, and serious
to an adult mode.” about privacy. Howard Oakley

46 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 SOFTWARE | LINUX

DEVELOPER The Qubes OS Project WEB https://qubes-os.org LICENCE GPL v2

Qubes 4.1.2
Nate Drake explores the apex of Linux security: an OS that divides all your
apps into colour-coded, isolated virtual machines.

While there are numerous security-

focused Linux distros, Qubes can be
compared to Fort Knox. This Fedora-
based OS was first produced in 2012.
The latest testing release (4.2.0-rc3)
was made available in September,
and will go through at least one more
round of tests before a stable version
is made available. We’ve focused this
review on the latest stable version of
Qubes (4.1.2), which was released in
March.
Qubes uses so-called security
by isolation to prevent apps from
interacting in a way that could
compromise your privacy. The OS
achieves this through using what it
calls qubes, implemented as Qubes VMs are based on predefined templates. By default, these are Whonix 16, Fedora
lightweight Xen virtual machines. 37 and Debian 11. Windows is also supported.
These qubes can be categorised based
on levels of trust. For instance, you can of what the OS does, as well as a great so you can tell them apart. For instance,
have one for work activities, one for Getting Started section for newcomers. most users choose red to indicate qubes
home, one for shopping and so on. The We visited this page to learn about app that run dangerous or untrusted
qubes VMs can be based on Fedora 37, qubes. These are based on a predefined applications.
like Qubes itself, or other popular OSes, template and intended for running From the main desktop, you can access
such as Debian 11 or Windows. The OS programs such as browsers and email. If a number of Qubes-specific tray widgets.
can also create other service qubes for one of these app qubes is compromised, These include Whonix SDWDate, which
specific purposes, such as managing it doesn’t affect the others. You can allows you to manage tor connections for
the network stack. create them with the Template the Whonix qube. Qubes Clipboard lets
The advantage of this is clear: you Configuration wizard that appears at you easily copy text from dom0, while
can divide your device into multiple first boot. Qubes Devices enables you to attach or
machines separating different aspects Qubes does, however, have a single detach devices to specific qubes.
of your digital life. This is even true admin qube, dom0. From here you can The Qubes Domains widget enables
when using the same executable. The administer the entire system. So, if you to manage running qubes, turn them
Firefox browser in one domain, for dom0 is compromised, the whole on and off, and monitor RAM and CPU
instance, has no access to files used by system is unsafe, but the OS is designed usage. You can also gain an overview of
another version of Firefox running in in such a way to prevent this – for this through Qubes Manager, which
another domain. instance, dom0 has no network shows the status of all qubes, even if
This may sound convoluted but to connectivity and is used only for they’re not currently running. You can
quote the Qubes website, “All windows running the desktop environment and also add and remove qubes from here.
are displayed in a unified desktop window manager. The default It’s clear that the Qubes developers
environment with unforgeable colored environment is Xfce (KDE is also take security seriously and have done
window borders so that different supported). Qubes supports both the i3 everything they can to make juggling
security levels are easily identifiable.” and AwesomeWM window managers. multiple, isolated VMs as painless as
While we’re on the subject, the Qubes You can use the admin qube to select possible. Whether you need this level of
website provides an excellent overview the frame colour of each of your qubes, security is up to you.

VERDICT

“The good news is that Window Maker is

compatible with virtually every Unix-based OS, Qubes compartmentalises your digital life
into isolated virtual machines. It may be
including Linux, Solaris and BSD.” overkill but it’s easy to use. Nate Drake

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 47

 LABS | INTEL Z790 REFRESH MOTHERBOARDS

INTEL Z790 REFRESH

MOTHERBOARDS
More than a fresh coat of paint.

Intel’s 14th Generation processors are Though these boards may have limited There’s also the fact that inflation
now on shelves. They are very much an upgrade appeal for existing LGA 1700 continues to bite hard. In Australia, we’ve
iterative improvement over their 13th owners, anyone upgrading from a system been hit by the double whammy of a
Gen predecessors, and the same can be that’s a few years old will be rewarded with weakened exchange rate, which means
said of a fresh wave of Z790 a feature rich and mature motherboard. imports are more expensive. There really
motherboards, though there’s a little The first wave of LGA 1700 boards could be isn’t any such thing as an ‘entry-level’ Z790
more to them than that. It’s been over a a bit spotty with memory support, but board anymore, though the Asrock Z790
year since Z790 launched, giving these refresh boards have had years of Riptide WiFi comes close at $459. That still
motherboard manufacturers an microcode updates. Any teething issues a good chunk of change for the average
opportunity to equip their boards with with regards to memory support and battler already struggling with cost of
the latest features, update their BIOS’ Intel’s hybrid architecture have been living concerns. It goes without saying
and tweak their electrical layouts. The ironed out. Additionally, the Windows that the expense of Z790 refresh boards –
latter is a part of the reason the new ecosystem is a lot more aware of Intel’s P many of which cost well over $1,000 – and
boards support much higher memory and E core characteristics. Applications the lack of future upgrade opportunities
speeds. Z790 refresh boards represent now offer more consistent performance. will limit their appeal to a relatively small
the last hurrah for the LGA 1700 Do be aware that these boards are group of buyers.
socket, and they’ll generally end up among the last we’ll see for the LGA 1700 Still, they are generally very good
regarded as the best motherboards of platform. 14th Generation processors are motherboards. They’re refined, mature
the LGA 1700 generation. the last to be supported, meaning an and more feature rich than their
While they are an improvement over upgrade to a 15th Gen CPU (or whatever predecessors. If you do take the plunge,
their predecessors, they are still refreshes, they end up being called) will require a you can safely assume you’ll be getting a
so unless you need something like Wi-Fi 7 next generation LGA 1851 motherboard. very solid product.
or you plan to run the latest generation of That won’t matter if you’re an infrequent For review, we have a motherboard from
high speed memory, you’ll be just as well upgrader, but anyone with a 12th or 13th each of the four major manufacturers.
served by sticking with an existing Generation processor and motherboard We’ve tried to cover various price points to
600-series or 700-series board. They will thinking about an upgrade later will be cater for those with deep pockets and
support 14th generation processors after a better off waiting a year for Intel’s next those on a budget. Is there a surprise in
BIOS update. generation. store? Read on to find out!

ON TEST 49 Asrock Z790 Riptide WiFi 50 Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi 51 Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Master X
52 MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk Max WiFi

48 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 LABS | INTEL Z790 REFRESH MOTHERBOARDS

“At $459, the Z790

Riptide WiFi has
features that make
some more expensive
boards look pretty
average in
comparison.”

DP 1.4 port and HDMI 2.1 port. It also

includes a rare rear-mounted eDP
connector which supports 1080p at
PRICE $459 WEB www.asrock.com 60Hz. This is for use with Asrock’s
13.3-inch side panel kit.

Asrock Z790 Riptide WiFi When it comes to benchmarking, all

of the tested Z790 refresh boards
returned similar results. After years of
Ask yourself if you really need to spend more? experience, BIOS engineers are very
familiar with the underlying microcode
The first of our reviews also happens LGA 1700 boards at any price that of LGA 1700 processors and
to be the most affordable option. The support that many drives. Overall the motherboards. Notably for a board with
Asrock Z790 Riptide WiFi is a part of Riptide WiFi comes with an excellent this much storage potential, The Riptide
Asrock’s Phantom Gaming lineup. core feature set. WiFi did well in the 3DMark storage test.
Like the other boards we’re The VRM is a strong one for a board at It was happy with our DDR5-7200 test kit
reviewing, it comes with out of the this price. It’s a 16+1+1 phase design with too, being able to hit DDR5-8000.
box support for Intel’s 14th Gen 90a stages, which means it will handle The Z790 Riptide WiFi is one of the
processors, though of course it any LGA 1700 processor you care to cheapest refresh boards with WiFi 7.
supports 12th and 13th Gen name. The heatsinks are relatively That alone would earn a compliment,
processors as well. chunky, but they are not connected via a but when you add to that five M.2 slots,
The Z790 Riptide WiFi features a heatpipe, and we found them to get hot eight SATA ports, a VRM that’s a clear
simple all black aesthetic with a little to the touch. You’ll need a good amount step above that of entry level boards,
splash of metallic blue and purple above of airflow if you plan to push a K-series front 20Gbps USB and DDR5–8000+
the rear I/O. There’s a strip of RGB LEDs CPU hard. support and suddenly a whole lot of
under the bottom most M.2 heatsink. The rear I/O has a decent enough more expensive motherboards look
There are seven fan headers, so it’s a complement of ports. Though we’d like overpriced.
cooling friendly option. to see a 20Gbps USB port, we can’t really Would it be nice to have a rear 20Gbps
At $459, the Z790 Riptide WiFi has complain at this price. There is a 20Gbps USB port? Sure it would. Having VRM
features that make some more case header, so that all but makes up for heatsinks with a little more beef would
expensive boards look pretty average in it. The rear USB complement is made up be nice too, but you can’t have
comparison. It includes WiFi 7, support of two Type-A 10Gbps ports and five everything for $459. In the end, the
for DDR5-8000+ memory, five M.2 slots 5Gbps ports, one of which is Type-C. Asrock Z790 Riptide WiFi doesn’t miss a
(one of which supports PCIe 5.0 SSDs) There are also two USB 2.0 ports. beat. It’s the board to beat at this price
and eight SATA ports. There aren’t many The Z790 Riptide WiFi comes with a thanks to its unbeatable set of features.
Ask yourself if you really need to spend
more?

VERDICT

The Asrock Z790 Riptide WiFi is a superb

offering for its price. It’s packed with useful
features and storage potential that puts many
more expensive boards to shame.

SPECS LGA 1700 socket; Up to DDR5-8000+; 1x PCIe 5.0 M.2, 4x PCIe 4.0 M.2; 8x SATA; Up to 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 7x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 6x USB 2.0; 1x
HDMI 2.1, 1x DP 1.4, 1x eDP 1.4; Wi-Fi 7; Killer E3100G 2.5G LAN; Realtek ALC1220 7.1 Channel HD Audio; ATX Form Factor.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 49

 LABS | INTEL Z790 REFRESH MOTHERBOARDS

The VRM is decent, though nothing

special in its price range. It’s a 16+1+1
design with 60A stages. It’ll power a
14900K, but it’s still a step behind the
cheaper boards in our roundup. The
heatsinks are good enough, but will
still require a good amount of airflow
under challenging conditions.
The I/O at the rear is best described
as adequate. The inclusion of a 20Gbps
Type-C port is the highlight. It’s joined
by three 10Gbps ports (one of which is a
Type-C) and four 5Gbps ports. That
gives you just eight USB ports. You get
DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 ports.
WiFi support is 6E only, while the
single network port supports 2.5GbE
speeds.
PRICE $609 WEB www.asus.com The TUF Z790-Pro was able to eke out
a lead in many of our benchmarks.

Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi Though the differences are small, it’s
better to be in front than behind. The
memory support and general maturity
This Asus board faces TUF competition. of the board was very good. I was able
to hit DDR5-8000 on the first boot, and
If the price of Asus’ ROG Strix and capable VRM solution with chunky Asus’ BIOS remains excellent.
Maximus boards turns you off, then heatsinks, four M.2 slots, WiFi 6E, While the TUF Z790-Pro Wifi lacks
the Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi support for DDR5-7800 memory and two some key features, it’s still a strong
is one you’ll probably come across. It 20Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports means option for those that value what it does
would be a solid pairing with the Core most users will be covered with a decent offer, which is the 30W 20Gbps port
i5 14600K, for example. At $609, the core feature set. However, it needs to be and its variety of expansion slots. If
TUF Z790-Pro is still a relatively said that the MSI and particularly you can live without Wi-Fi 7 and PCIE
pricey option, but that’s the world we Asrock boards are generally superior 5.0 SSD support, then fans of Asus will
live in these days. Like all products in feature and price wise. The primary M.2 find the TUF Z790-Pro a solid, refined
Asus’ TUF range, it comes with a slot sadly doesn’t support PCIe 5.0 and mature option.
focus on reliability. speeds. But there’s no getting over the fact
The Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi The Asus does have its strengths that the Asrock and MSI boards offer
is a standard ATX board that features a though. Most notably, it comes equipped overall superior feature sets for less
fairly utilitarian design free of expense- with an internal 20Gbps Type-C header money. So, until Asus decides to drop
adding bling and design flourishes. The with 30W support. That’s a good the price of the board, it’s one we’d
board is predominantly black with some inclusion for those that want to charge primarily recommend for Asus fans,
hints of grey. There is a tiny RGB section up devices a bit quicker. It’s also got a those impressed by the 30w fast
on the right side of the board next to the strong expansion slot complement charging support or those who plan to
memory slots. giving it a good level of flexibility should add a few expansion cards.
At a high level, features such as a you need to install expansion cards.

VERDICT
“The Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi is
a standard ATX board that features a fairly The Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi is a solid
utilitarian design free of expense-adding bling and refined motherboard but its very strong

and design flourishes.” competition prevents it from earning an

unequivocal recommendation at this price.

SPECS LGA 1700 socket; Up to DDR5-7800+; 4x PCIe 4.0 M.2; 4x SATA; Up to 2x USB 3.2 Gen2x2, 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 4x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 6x USB 2.0; 1x HDMI 2.1, 1x DP
1.4; Intel Wi-Fi 6E; Intel 2.5G LAN; Realtek S1220A 7.1 Channel HD Audio; ATX Form Factor.

50 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 LABS | INTEL Z790 REFRESH MOTHERBOARDS

“The Master X
performed as
expected, and outliers
are not expected
from a now mature
platform. But gee,
does the i9-14900K
get hot or what!”
PRICE $1,049 WEB www.gigabyte.com get no less than 14 rear USB ports,
including two Type-C 3.2 Gen 2x2

Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Master X (20Gbps) ports. The other Type-C port
supports Gen 1. They’re joined by seven
3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) ports and four Gen 1
An overlocker’s delight. (5Gbps) ports.
Additional ports and buttons include
The Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Master X support. DDR5-8266 is a particularly CMOS clear and BIOS flashback
is easily the most expensive model in impressive number for a 4-slot board. buttons, WiFi 7 antenna connectors, a
our roundup. At $1,049 it’s a board That kind of speed is far more likely to DP 1.2 port and a 10G LAN port. While
relatively few will buy. For the be possible with 14th Gen CPUs than it the audio codec is the now aging
money, the Aorus Master includes is with 12th or 13th Gen chips. ALC-1220VB, Gigabyte includes an ESS
just about everything you could wish In terms of storage, you get five M.2 Sabre ES9118 DAC and high quality
for. You’ll have to spend a lot more slots but just four SATA ports. Six or components.
for things like a PCIe 5.0 SSD eight SATA ports would be more The Master X performed as expected,
expansion card or a fancy OLED appropriate. The topmost M.2 slot and outliers are not expected from a
screen. supports PCIe 5.0 x4, while the others now mature platform. But gee, does the
As a high end board, you get things support PCIe 4.0 x4. The primary slot i9-14900K get hot or what!
like five M.2 slots, WiFi 7, 10G Lan and features a chunky heatsink with what The Aorus Master X is a very good
triple 20Gbps USB support. It’s also got Gigabyte calls the EZ-Latch motherboard. We love the VRM and M.2
a mega VRM and cooling solution mechanism. The entire chipset and M.2 cooling with the EZ Latch mechanisms.
capable of pushing a 14900K to its cooling plate is attached in a similar It’s got almost all the features you’d
limits, even under extreme cooling. way. The whole plate detaches with one expect and Its memory capabilities are
And it’s a heavy board! Surprisingly click. Masterful! excellent. It’s absolutely packed with
though, it does lack USB4 or The VRM of the Master X is top class. USB ports, including up to three 20
Thunderbolt 4. Its 20+1+2 phase solution with 105a Gbps ports. If you got the cash, go for it,
Maybe the era of peak RGB is behind stages. If you’re a regular water or air but it’s overkill for most users.
us, well, at least on the motherboard cooling user, CPU temperatures will be
side of things. There’s just one RGB-lit far more of a limitation. The VRM VERDICT
section atop the VRM heatsink adjacent cooling is excellent too. We love to see
to the rear I/O. The matte ‘nanocarbon’ finned heatsinks as they provide a lot
coated finish of the VRM heatsinks more surface area than a block of metal. The Gigabyte Aorus Master X is a powerful
looks nice too. The I/O options around the back are motherboard with fast memory support. It’s
One of the highlights of the Aorus top notch. Almost. If you can live well suited to the demands presented by
Master X is its high speed memory without USB4 or Thunderbolt 4, you’ll overclocked 14th Gen processors.

SPECS LGA1700 socket; Up to DDR5-8266+; 1x PCIe 5.0 M.2, 4x PCIe 4.0 M.2; 4x SATA; Up to 3x USB 3.2 Gen2x2, 8x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 8x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 4x USB 2.0; 1x
DP 1.2; Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7; Marvell AQtion 10G LAN; Realtek ALC 1220-VB 7.1 Channel HD Audio; E-ATX Form Factor.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 51

 LABS | INTEL Z790 REFRESH MOTHERBOARDS

“The rear I/O of the

Tomahawk Max WiFi
is a real highlight.
There are a total of ten
USB ports, made up
of a single 20Gbps
Type-C port, five
10Gbps ports (one of
which is Type-C), plus
four 5Gbps ports.”
to add support for future non-K CPUs,
or even a 14900KS.
MSI didn’t resort to a last-gen audio
codec either. It includes Realtek
ALC4080 audio with a complete set of
analogue ports and S/PDIF. It’s more
PRICE $579 WEB www.msi.com about the implementation than the
base codec, and to that end MSI

MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk equipped the Tomahawk Max WiFi

with high quality capacitors and

Max WiFi de-pop protection circuitry. It’s tough

to expect much more in this price
range.
Another excellent Tomahawk. The MSI threw up no surprises
during testing. The underlying
MSI’s Tomahawk range of The Tomahawk Max WiFi’s storage microcode and hybrid architecture are
motherboards sits in the middle of its spec is very good. It supports up to four well known quantities at this point,
product stack, above the entry level M.2 drives, with the primary slot and it’s not surprising to see that the
gaming oriented MPG range and supporting PCIe 5.0 drives. The rest motherboard makes next to no
below the high end MEG range. support PCIe 4.0. All are cooled by their difference compared to a CPU or GPU
They’re designed to be good bang for own heatsinks. Add to that eight SATA upgrade or downgrade. We were also
your buck products, offering a good ports and it’s a good option for file happy to hit the same DDR5-8000 speed
blend of sensible features without an hoarders, if not quite as good as the as the other boards.
exorbitant price. cheaper Asrock’s five M.2 slots. The main problem for the Tomahawk
$579 is still a pretty penny to use The Tomahawk Max’s VRM is excellent Max is not from above, but below. The
historical standards. Still, the for a board at this price. MSI has Asrock Z790 Riptide WiFi includes a
Tomahawk Max WiFi is around the same traditionally overspec’d the VRM of its similar feature set, but costs over $100
price as its non-Max predecessor, but for Tomahawk models, and that continues less. If the MSI included a front 20Gbps
just a few bucks more, the Max adds here. The 16+1+1 phase solution with 90A header, perhaps with high power
native 14th Gen and faster 7800MHz+ stages wouldn’t have been out of place on delivery support, then it might have
memory support, PCIe 5.0 M.2, an a flagship board just a couple of years taken out our top gong. Still, its
additional SATA port and Wi-Fi 7. That’s ago. The heatsinks are good too, and superior rear I/O and VRM make it a
the beginning of a very well balanced they had no trouble with our i9-14900K. highly appealing offering.
feature set. The rear I/O of the Tomahawk Max
Looks are subjective but in our WiFi is a real highlight. There are a total VERDICT
opinion the Tomahawk Max WiFi is one of ten USB ports, made up of a single
of the best-looking motherboards on the 20Gbps Type-C port, five 10Gbps ports
market. It’s all black design with some (one of which is Type-C), plus four 5Gbps The MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk Max WiFi’s
subtle green highlights. There’s no ports. MSI included CMOS clear and BIOS powerful VRM, I/O potential and storage
onboard RGB, however, there are three flashback buttons. You never know if you capabilities make it one to strongly consider. The
ARGB headers and a single RGB header. might need the latter to update the BIOS competition is tough in this price range though.

SPECS LGA1700 socket; Up to DDR5-7800+; 1x PCIe 5.0 M.2, 3x PCIe 4.0 M.2; 8x SATA; Up to 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2, 6x USB 3.2 G-en 2, 6x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 4x USB 2.0; 1x
DP 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.1; Wi-Fi 7; Intel 2.5G LAN; Realtek ALC 4080 7.1 Channel HD Audio; ATX Form Factor.

52 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 LABS | INTEL Z790 REFRESH MOTHERBOARDS

How do they compare?

Asrock Z790 Asus TUF Gaming Gigabyte Z790 Aorus MSI MAG Z790
BENCHMARK RESULTS
Riptide WiFi Z790-Pro WiFi Master X Tomahawk Max WiFi

Overall score

Video conversion 4K
Handbrake 1.6 149.8 151.3 151.2 149.3
to 1080p FPS

Rendering - Multi
40,124 40,403 40,432 40,726
thread Score
Cinebench R23
Rendering - Single
2,252 2,291 2,260 2,254
thread Score

Blender 3.6 Render Time (seconds)

383 381 377 374
Whitelands Lower is better

File Compression - Billion

7Zip 22.01 200.49 201.84 200.76 200.89
Instructions per second

PCMark 10 Extended Score 13,753 13,869 13,715 13,743

3DMark Storage
score 3,365 3,287 3,315 3,384
Benchmark

Overall score 18,197 18,286 18,297 18,132

3DMark TimeSpy
Extreme
CPU Score 13,593 13,646 13,408 13,597

1080p, Ultra, DX12,

416 422 416 418
Avg FPS
Civilization VI
1080p, Ultra, DX12,
351 355 345 341
Min FPS

Ghost Recon:
1080p, Low, Avg FPS 311 318 309 312
Breakpoint

1080p, Ultra, DX12,

156.2 156.6 154.8 157.0
Avg FPS
Metro: Exodus
Enhanced Edition
1080p, Ultra, DX12,
94.8 94.1 92.4 94.3
Min FPS

1080p, Ultra High

F1 2021 465 472 461 455
Preset, Avg FPS

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 53

The TV transmitter tower
at Alexandra Palace in
London is still used today
(Image credit: Jack Rose, Part 2 of 8: To see beyond
CC BY-SA 4.0).

A Vision to Behold: The

Story of Electronic Displays
The 1930s began with the Great Depression and ended with World War II,
but also gave us fast-improving TV resolution and new tech to see beyond
the horizon – and under it. Darren Yates writes.

The high-octane ride of the 1920s had with Russian pioneer Vladimir Zworykin US$1million in royalties.
just gone up in flames with the Wall joining the giant Radio Corporation of Nevertheless, by 1933, Zworykin had
Street crash of November 1929, but the America (RCA). Yet, despite the backing developed a new camera tube dubbed the
market malaise that followed would of RCA, Zworykin still lagged behind ‘iconoscope’ that proved more efficient
last years. Dire economic and political young pioneer Philo Farnsworth and his and sensitive than Farnsworth’s Image
conditions in Germany gave rise in all-electronic ‘image dissector’ camera Dissector, revolutionising television.
1933 to new chancellor, Adolf Hitler, tube.
and almost immediately, new tensions RCA boss David Sarnoff wasn’t to be Electronic TV catches up
would sweep across Europe. deterred from entering the television Meanwhile in the U.K, John Logie Baird
Meanwhile, television continued to market and pursued Farnsworth with a began the decade with his mechanical
improve significantly throughout the $100,000 offer for his television patents. television holding court, with all its 30
decade, but the focus of scientific Farnsworth not only turned him down, TV-lines of resolution, but moves were
endeavour would eventually fall on but joined the rival Philco company soon to render Baird’s system obsolete.
more militaristic targets. instead. Sarnoff countered with RCA In April 1931, the U.K. Columbia
Nevertheless, the decade that began in filing suit against Farnsworth, claiming Graphophone Company merged with the
collapse and ended with war delivered that Zworykin’s 1923 patents preceded Gramophone Company to form Electric
new vision technologies that are not Farnsworth’s. and Musical Industries (EMI). By this
only still with us today, but that our But after a protracted battle, the U.S. time, RCA had a majority stake in the
current-day lives cannot do without. Patent Office sided with Farnsworth, Gramophone Company, which gave David
awarding him patent for the Image Sarnoff a seat on the new EMI board of
Farnsworth takes on RCA Dissector. His defence included a directors.
The new decade dawned in Australia drawing remembered by Farnsworth’s That same month, EMI received
with visible progress on the momentous science teacher drawn back in 1922 samples of Zworykin’s new RCA
Sydney Harbour Bridge. As the two proving Farnsworth’s originality. RCA kinescope film-television system and
halves of the bridge steadily arched their continued to fight the finding until the recommendations were made to EMI
way across Port Jackson, progress was end of the decade, when it finally directors by former BBC chief engineer,
also being made in television in the U.S., conceded, agreeing to pay Farnsworth Captain A. D. G. West, to purchase RCA’s

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 FEATURE | A VISION TO BEHOLD

1 Arnold Wilkins conducted the ‘Daventry

Experiment’ that proved the theory of radar
(Public Domain).
2 The Morris ‘mobile laboratory’ van that carried
test instruments Wilkins used (Public Domain).
3 Scottish engineer Robert Watson-Watt
developed Wilkins’ experiment to create the ‘Chain
Home’ radar along the east coast of England in
1937/38 (Public Domain).
4 A WAAF officer tracking aircraft on the
cathode-ray tube of a Chain Home radar station
(Public Domain)

new television broadcast system for

2
$84,000 (AUD$2.6million today).
However, EMI’s new head of research,
Isaac Shoenberg, wasn’t having a bar of it
for numerous reasons, not least of which
was that EMI now had the brightest
minds in Britain on the payroll and given
enough support, they’d very likely
develop a system better even than RCA’s. 3

Sure enough, by 1933, EMI had an

4
all-electronic system delivering 180 TV
lines and was confident enough to
approach the General Post Office
(then-gatekeeper of public transmission
services) to be allowed to launch its own
TV service. The now ‘Baird Television’
company hit the roof on finding out,
essentially shooting back that EMI was
little more than a shop-front for RCA and
would kill-off British innovation
(although, no-one was under any illusion
that 30 TV-lines was still adequate).

Enter, Alan Blumlein

However, Baird Television hadn’t
counted on the calibre of home-grown
engineers now in the EMI stable. One of
those who came from the Gramophone
Company merger was a young Alan
Blumlein. EMI’s new 180-line TV system
had already benefited from Blumlein’s
genius with his invention of a key circuit
element called ‘resonant flyback
scanning’, patented in 1932.
What’s more, Blumlein had already
made a name for himself in audio. In Office (a major research establishment foot, declaring, first, that it would meet
1931, he invented the world’s first stereo during the 1930s) to determine the best this standard. However, in order to
recording system. It was so far ahead of way forward. After travelling to the U.S. convincingly trump Baird, EMI knew it
its time, the Decca Record company first and Germany to see alternative systems, would have to go beyond this spec – and
looked at patenting its ‘new’ stereo the committee reported in January 1935 Shoenberg now had to figure out how far
recording technology in 1954, only to that the only fair option would be to was far enough. Nothing in the rules
discover their submission crashing allow both companies to alternately prevented EMI from exceeding the
against Blumlein’s EMI patent from 1931. showcase their technology over a 240-line requirement, but Shoenberg had
three-month trial, beginning in to balance how far ahead they could
The Battle of British Television November 1936, with the winner manage within the 18 months before
With the rancour between Baird announced in February 1937. trials began.
Television and the now Marconi-EMI The showcase rules for what was Again, Blumlein was pivotal at this
joint-venture irredeemable, the British dubbed ‘high definition’ television point. Despite the brilliance of EMI’s local
government established a Television required a video transmission of 240 engineers, Shoenberg, likely facing
Commission in 1934, consisting of TV-lines of resolution at 25 frames per continued rumblings that EMI’s
members of the BBC and the General Post second. Baird Television got on the front technology did little more than come out

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 55

 FEATURE | A VISION TO BEHOLD

of RCA boxes, not only wanted to shoot

Baird out of the water, but earn some
overdue respect from RCA as well. By
January 1935, EMI had just managed to
perfect a 243-line system and RCA’s mark
was 343-lines (and then only in the lab).
Meanwhile, Blumlein had discussed
the issue over a lunch with colleagues at
his home the previous November. The
process of choosing a TV resolution spec
was broadly a function of an electronic-
timing process called ‘frequency
division’ and the number of division
stages. The next-nearest step would be
405. Still, it’d be a tall order, 405 lines
– no-one had ever attempted it before and
now, EMI engineers had a ‘brick-wall’
deadline of November 2, 1936.
In the end, Shoenberg took courage
and declared in early-1935 that EMI would
deliver the world’s highest-definition
television system with 405 TV lines of
resolution. There was just one problem -
EMI hadn’t finished designing it yet. In
fact, members of the committee 1

suggested to EMI to have a back-up plan

for 240 TV-lines television, just in case
their 405-line masterpiece didn’t come
off.
Nevertheless, EMI engineers wasted no
time – over the course of 1935/36,
Blumlein proposed and received an
extraordinary 32 patents. He often
collaborated in patents with other EMI 2 3

engineers, one of whom was Joe Pawsey, a

young Australian engineer from Ararat,
Victoria. Pawsey contributed to a number
of Blumlein patents in the field of aerial/
antenna design, helping efficient
transmission of television signals.
Pawsey would later become instrumental
in bringing radar to Australia and is
often considered the ‘father of Australian
radioastronomy’.

And the winner is…

Within a week of the trials commencing
in November 1936, it was clear to all but
the most ardent of Baird supporters that
Marconi-EMI had the superior system.
Baird’s current mechanical process
involved a rapid transfer to film, which 4

was then scanned (whilst still dripping-

wet) and apart from being dangerous
(leaks of caustic chemicals occurred), it 50 fields-per-second rate had noticeably 1 Vladimir Zworykin developed the first iconoscope

had a fundamental issue that it couldn’t less flicker and its all-electronic solution camera for RCA in 1933 (Public Domain).
2 The first experiments in radar involved tracking
be used outdoors. The Marconi-EMI setup had much greater scope for future
radio-wave reflections from a Heyford bomber
had no such impediment. development.
aircraft in May 1935 (Public Domain).
Finally, on February 4, 1937, in a The following Monday, EMI launched 3 The drill hall at the former HMAS Rushcutter
decision that surprised no-one, the BBC its new TV service to the British public anti-submarine school site in Rushcutters Bay,
announced that it had chosen the through BBC Television. The Television Sydney (image credit: Nick-D, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Marconi-EMI process. It determined that Commission expected EMI to maintain 4 Sydney K-class ferries ‘Kuttabul’ and ‘Kulgoa’ at

Marconi-EMI’s 405-line resolution gave a its service until at least 1939, a promise Lavender Bay during construction of the Sydney
clearer image than the Baird system, its the company more than kept – the Harbour Bridge, August 1930 (Public Domain)

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 FEATURE | A VISION TO BEHOLD

the aircraft for a range of roughly 13 while the anti-submarine school (dubbed
kilometres. Within months, 13 became ‘HMAS Rushcutter’ in August 1940)
100 and by 1939, the ‘Chain Home’ radar trained new operators in anti-submarine
network covered the east coast of Britain. defence, another simpler but highly-
However, no-one knew the key role it secret technology enabling the Navy to
would soon play. ‘see’ underwater was installed just
outside Sydney Heads in May 1939.
Radio-direction finding for Australia Dubbed ‘indicator loops’, these were
It wasn’t until February 1939 that the electrical cables forming large, flat coils
British government finally invited the on the seabed with a length of roughly
dominion governments of Australia, two kilometres. Using the principles of
Canada, New Zealand and South Africa induction discovered by Michael Faraday
to learn of the new developments. a century before, the passage of a metal
However, Australian scientists had object (such as the keel of a ship) over the
known about them since at least 1937, but coil would cut across the magnetic flux
the secrecy with which radio-direction and induce an electrical current in the
finding (what we now call ‘radar’) was coil. During the 1930s, indicator loops
regarded in Britain meant not even became popular across the British
well-meaning Allies were offered Empire as a defence against submarines,
early-access. One Australian who had including as far east as Hong Kong.
early knowledge was engineer and Today, the same technology is used to
physicist Jack Piddington, who’d worked trigger traffic lights at road intersections.
on radar experiments at Cambridge Five such loops were laid in a semi-
University in 1937 (without actually circle outside Sydney Harbour, anchored
being told what it was for, but soon in the north off Curl Curl and the south at
figuring it out). Dover Heights. But as war clouds still
405-line TV standard wasn’t Respected physicist David Martyn was gathering some half-a-world away,
decommissioned in Britain until 1985. sent by Australia to learn all he could and almost no-one could then imagine a less
upon his return in August 1939, the likely location for a submarine attack
Can we make a death-ray? RadioPhysics Laboratory (RPL) of the than Sydney Harbour.
Meanwhile, by early-1935, a new CSIR (the forerunner to the CSIRO) was
confident Germany had begun established on the grounds of the War ends television
rearmament, including of its air forces in University of Sydney. Also coming back When it came, it was still a shock – on
flagrant disregard of the Versailles Treaty to join the RPL was Joe Pawsey, the EMI September 1, 1939, German armed forces
that concluded WWI. It was a decision engineer and colleague of Alan Blumlein. invaded Poland. It triggered an
that quietly alarmed governments His skill in aerials would be sorely immediate shut-down of the Alexandra
around Europe, no more so than in needed. Palace TV transmitter (even before
Britain. At the time, questions were Britain declared war) and an estimated
being asked about a possible new ‘death Secrecy in Sydney 25,000 TV sets in the greater London area
ray’ using radio-waves capable of Australia didn’t have operational fell silent for the duration.
bringing down aircraft. The head of the television or radar by 1939, but we did Back home, Australia followed suit in
Radio Research Station at the U.K. have one top-secret technology centred declaring war and quickly raised a new
National Physical Laboratory, Robert around Rushcutters Bay on Sydney army to tackle the threat abroad.
Watson-Watt, and his assistant, Arnold Harbour. In fact, so secret had this Nevertheless, the decade that overcame
Wilkins, calculated the amount of technology been before the war, you had the Great Depression with the fanfare of a
radio-energy required would be to be a regular naval officer to know new harbour bridge now ended with
enormous, making it completely anything about it. uncertainty. Australia’s dependence on
impractical. However, Wilkins The ‘HMA Anti-Submarine School’ was Britain and Europe for technology would
remembered a previous Post Office report set up at the Royal Australian Navy be tested, as a nascent engineering
had noticed an aircraft flying through a Reserve Depot in Rushcutters Bay in industry began taking shape.
high-frequency radio-beam caused early-1939 to teach local navy personnel (If you’re interested, find Robert
‘flutters’ on an oscilloscope display and the art of ASDIC (Anti-Submarine Alexander’s ‘The Inventor of Stereo: The Life
might be the basis for an aircraft- Detection and ‘IC’ to make a word). ASDIC and Works of Alan Dower Blumlein’ (Focal
detection system. was the codename for an underwater Press, 1999). Very technical, but a great
So on the very day Germany first projection system used to bounce sound read.)
acknowledged the existence of its waves off submerged vessels, enabling
‘Luftwaffe’, February 26, 1935, Wilkins detection of their position, course and
conducted the first experiment with a speed. It had first appeared in 1923, but its
sensitive shortwave-radio receiver, existence before WWII was a closely- Next time
measuring the radio-energy of a nearby guarded secret. It’s the 1940s and the demands of war see
BBC transmitter reflected from a Heyford scientific breakthroughs in vision technology,
bomber aircraft taking off from the Ship detection outside Sydney Heads from radar and sonar to the first attempts of
nearby airfield at Farnborough. The Nevertheless, by 1939, there were no being able to see without light See you then.
so-called ‘Daventry Experiment’ tracked illusions that war could be avoided and

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 An automated home can make life easier and even
save money. But which to choose and where do you
start? We compare the main smart home control
systems and review quality smart plugs.

We might not be living in the smart home and range of devices is crucial, even if you
future we were promised in the 1980s, require more than one system to do everything
complete with full automation and swooshing you want – despite the launch of the unifying
doors, but we’re not that far off. Amazon Matter protocol, the smart home remains
Echo brought voice control to the masses, somewhat disjointed.
while ubiquitous Wi-Fi and internet have Second, we test lots of smart plugs. More than
made smart devices far more popular. just devices for turning a dumb lamp into one
From smart cameras to smart thermostats and that can be controlled remotely, smart plugs can
plugs, there’s barely a house in Australia that be a great way to save money by turning off
doesn’t have some kind of intelligent technology devices on standby, or providing a simple way to
installed. Now we need to take the next step: we reboot an unreliable router or home hub.
need to bring it all together. There’s more choice than you may think, too,
In this Labs, we look at two distinct parts of including smart power strips with multiple plugs
the smart home ecosystem. First, we review the and even USB-C laptop chargers. Not to mention
major smart home control systems, including devices that can monitor energy consumption. It
Alexa and Apple HomeKit. These systems may fall short of Tomorrow’s World predictions,
comprise software and often hardware that but the smart home of 2023 is well worth
allow for integrated control and centralised embracing.
storage. Getting the right system for your needs CONTRIBUTOR: David Ludlow

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 FEATURE | SMART HOME 2023

Ten smart questions to ask before you buy

Unfortunately, it’s still far too easy to waste money by buying devices that won’t
work with each other or don’t meet your needs. Here’s how to avoid those pitfalls.

Which smart home system

1 should I choose?
This is a huge question and one that we’ll
address over the following six pages. If
you’re a 100% Apple household or business
then the answer is obvious, but most
people own a mix of devices and so must
wrestle between the various systems on
offer. Read our reviews carefully to find
out which you should lean towards.
However, this brings us to the second
question...

Can I run multiple smart home

2 systems at the same time?
Yes, you can, and you’ll probably find that
you need to. Despite device compatibility Many smart plugs let you monitor how much energy your devices are using.
getting better across multiple systems,
we’re still at a stage where some devices simply buying all of your lights from, say, combination of Matter and non-Matter
are supported in one system and others are Philips Hue. devices for the foreseeable future.
supported in another. This includes things such as using Second, if Matter devices use Thread,
This mismatch means that trying to do wireless switches. If you buy Hue, for additional hardware is required to support
the seemingly simple can involve using example, wireless switches will continue them: a Thread Border Router. That’s not
multiple systems. Here’s an example. In to work without an internet connection, so always cheap or practical to buy, so in
our garden office, we have French doors, you can still control your lights if your some cases it’s actually easier to ignore
each one with a smart lock. Using HomeKit router goes down. Try to control Matter and buy a device that uses Wi-Fi or
we have it set so that when the main lock is everything through Alexa and you’ll find another protocol that your home already
unlocked, the second one unlocks that you need an internet connection. And supports.
automatically. However, there’s no way to dive into the Hue app and there’s a wider Matter will be important and it
turn off Arlo security cameras with selection of colour and scene controls than will improve things, but it’s going to be a
HomeKit, so there’s a separate routine in you get in Alexa. slow road, and there’s no compelling
SmartThings that does this. Even for more simplistic devices, such as argument to buy these devices at the
It makes sense to try to buy smart plugs, it can make sense to buy from moment.
smart devices that will work in one the same manufacturer for ease of
Do I need additional hardware to
system, but where this isn’t possible, you’ll
likely need to use multiple smart home
management. If you buy lots of plugs from
different manufacturers, then you’ll need 5 run a smart home system?
systems to achieve what you want, to have multiple apps to handle things Most smart home systems, such as
particularly more complicated actions. such as firmware updates; having Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, are
everything in one app for management cloud-based. As such, you can add devices
Can I mix and match hardware
3 from different manufacturers?
makes a lot of sense, even if you do
ultimately control a plug through a
without needing to have any specific
hardware to control it.
Yes, you can mix and match devices from third-party smart home system, such as There are some caveats. For example, if
different manufacturers, particularly if Alexa. you buy Matter devices, you need a Matter
you have a smart home system to control Controller that can communicate directly
What’s the Matter?
everything. That way, you can achieve
some clever automations, such as turning 4 Matter is a new standard that all the
with them, such as the most recent
Amazon Echo smart speaker. With Apple
on a hall light when your smart lock major players have signed up to, including HomeKit, you need to have a compatible
unlocks as you arrive home. All you need Amazon, Apple, Google and Samsung. Hub (HomePod, iPad or Apple TV) to
are devices from different manufacturers With Matter devices, the idea is to ditch remote control devices.
that support the same smart system. hubs and allow devices to be controlled Finally, if you want to add Zigbee or
There are some limits on how useful this directly by any system. In effect, it’s an end Z-Wave devices directly, you need a hub
is. For example, you could add smart to the days of needing multiple hubs and they can talk to, such as the Aeotec
lightbulbs from multiple manufacturers bits of software. SmartThings Hub.
and then control them all through That’s the theory, but it’s not quite as
What about smart plugs?
Samsung SmartThings. This will work,
but you may well miss out on some
simple as all that. First, not all existing
devices can be upgraded to Matter, so the 6 Smart plugs come in two formats.
features and level of control, compared to chances are that we will all have a First, there are single smart plugs, which

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plug into a standard wall socket, and then
you plug a device (or power strip) into the
plug. These devices are the cheapest and
simplest, and work when you either want
to control a single device, such as a lamp,
or want to turn multiple devices off, such
as a printer, monitor and sound system
connected to a PC.
A smart power strip looks like a regular
one, but each integrated socket is
individually controllable. These are useful
when you need individual control over
devices physically located near one Wi-Fi devices simply need a wireless signal to work.
another. While you can achieve the same
What connection protocol is best
by plugging multiple single smart plugs
into sockets on a power strip, a smart 8 for smart plugs?
The advantage of Zigbee, Z-Wave and
Thread is that these protocols are designed
power strip is a neater option, and often The vast majority of smart plugs use Wi-Fi. for smart home use, creating a reliable
more cost-effective. This is a sensible decision, as Wi-Fi devices mesh network throughout your home.
don’t require any special hubs and simply Thread, in particular, is the future of the
Are USB ports essential in
7 smart plugs?
need a wireless signal: speed is relatively
unimportant, as the plugs just need to
smart home and will grow in popularity.
Ultimately, you can only buy a device
If you buy a smart power strip, you’ll receive simple instructions for turning on where you have compatibility. Wi-Fi devices
probably find that they also have USB and off. will work in all homes; for the other
ports, controllable via the software as an Some smart plugs, particularly those protocols, you’ll need supporting hardware
additional “plug”. Most smart strips have built for HomeKit, use Bluetooth. To and software.
USB-A ports, which are handy for charging control these plugs, you need to be within
Is energy-monitoring important?
devices, running smart cameras or even
powering a Raspberry Pi. Not all smart
range of them with your smartphone, or
you need a hub, such as a HomePod, to 9 Some smart plugs can also monitor
strips have particularly powerful USB control them. how much energy a connected device is
ports; many won’t support fast charging. Zigbee and Z-Wave smart plugs are less using. By tapping in your current electricity
However, some smart power strips have common and need a compatible hub, cost per unit, the plug can report how much
USB-C ports for powering a laptop. These such as an Amazon Echo 4th Generation or a connected device costs to run. This can be
can be a good way to tidy up a desk, a SmartThings Hub. Thread devices are useful if you want to keep tabs on a
reducing the number of power adapters becoming more common, thanks to the high-energy device, such as an electric
you need to plug in. If you buy a smart introduction of Matter. Thread devices heater or dehumidifier.
power strip, you’ll likely get USB ports; require a Thread Border Router to connect, There are other reasons to monitor
while not essential, you’ll probably find a which includes the HomePod Mini, the energy, too. For example, if you have
way to use them. latest Eero mesh routers, the Amazon Echo a smart plug connected to a battery charger
4th Generation speaker and the Google for power tools, you can check the app to
Nest Hub 2nd Generation smart display. see when energy use has dropped, telling
you that the charging process has finished.
The choice comes down to what you want to
use a smart plug for.

How we test 10 What integrations

are important?
Testing smart home products to see what Nanoleaf bulbs, SwitchBot Blind Tilt (smart Although all smart plugs will have their
they do is about having the right kind of kit to blind controllers) and some smart plugs. own app for direct control, it’s important to
test them with. For that reason, our “test Throw in Flic smart buttons and a host of find one that will work with your smart
home” is full of smart home products. For other devices, and you’ll see that our home is home control system of choice, particularly
day-to-day control we have HomePods, Echo well stocked with a wide range of kit. if you want to run automated routines or
speakers and Google Assistant smart All of this means that we can fully test control a device with your voice.
speakers. We also have SmartThings running what each smart home system can do, Most smart plugs will support Amazon
with an Aeotec hub providing Zigbee, Z-Wave finding out the benefits and limitations of Alexa and the Google Assistant. If you use
and Matter devices. each system’s routines. When it comes to Apple HomeKit, then look out for a plug
In addition, we run multiple heating smart plugs, the combination of hardware that supports this. SmartThings support
systems (Drayton Wiser, Nest and Honeywell and software lets us test compatibility with can be useful at times, too, as this will give
Evohome), and we run both Abode and Ring all of the major systems (and some smaller you some additional features, such as
Alarm security systems. We have Philips Hue ones, too). running a smart plug on a timer.
and WiZ smart lights, plus access to other We use all of the smart plugs we have in Ultimately, the smart home system you
Zigbee smart lights. real-world situations, controlling real devices run should dictate which plugs you buy, as
There’s more. We run smart locks from over a period of time, so that we can see how there’s no point in buying a smart plug that
Yale and Nuki, plus we have a range of reliable each product is and where its doesn’t work with your automation
Matter-enabled products, including limitations are. software.

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 FEATURE | SMART HOME 2023

WEB amazon.com.au/alexa

Amazon Alexa
It has its frustrations,
but widespread support
and accessible hardware
make it a sound smart
home base.
VERDICT

When you think of Amazon Alexa, offers through the app. Select a device in when a smart lock has been unlocked? To do
chances are you think of the voice the Alexa app and you’ll get a set of the latter, some secure form
assistant that powers the company’s onscreen controls that vary by device type: of authentication has to have taken place.
popular line of Echo smart speakers. a brightness slider for a lightbulb, a Routines are also quite limited: there’s a
That’s a large part of Amazon Alexa, temperature selector for a thermostat, and trigger and then an action, and that’s it. You
but there’s also the software that sits an on/off button for a smart plug, for can’t set an option to undo an action after a
behind it, which allows smart devices example. set period. This would be useful when
to be controlled by voice, by app and by Any feature exposed in the app like this dealing with lights. For example, when
routines. can be exploited in an Alexa Routine, one motion is detected, turn on a light, but turn
One of the best things about Alexa is the of the system’s most powerful features. the light off again after ten minutes. As it
range of device support. Amazon made it With Routines you can set a trigger, which stands, if you want to reverse an action, you
easy for developers to create their own can be a time of day; when a specific sound need a second Alexa Routine. That can make
Alexa Skills, so almost every single smart is detected by an Echo (such as snoring, a things complicated.
device you can think of will work with baby crying or a dog barking); when a There’s also no way to restrict a Routine to
Alexa. This is the biggest system, with the specific command is uttered; or when a run around a variable time, such as sunset or
widest range of control available. Adding smart home device triggers it. sunrise. That’s odd, as you can start an
devices is simple: just add the Skill, For the latter, Alexa is super powerful, Alexa Routine using sunset or sunrise (or an
log into the account and let Alexa discover as it can reuse sensors from other devices. offset from that) as a trigger; if you have a
the linked devices. If you’ve got a Ring Alarm, for example, different trigger, such as a motion sensor,
With Matter devices, it’s even easier, as the motion sensors can be used in an Alexa you can only limit the routine with specific
you can just scan the code and add them to Routine, such as turning off a smart plug times.
Alexa. You need a Wi-Fi-enabled Echo connected to your computer’s monitor One of the worst things about Alexa is
device for Wi-Fi Matter devices (pretty when no motion has been detected for 30 how annoying it is to manage devices.
much all second generation and newer minutes. Disable a Skill, and Alexa won’t forget
speakers will work), and a Thread-enabled Smart home actions are incredibly the attached devices, expecting you to delete
Echo for Thread devices. powerful, too. Turn on a connected smart them one at a time through the slow app.
At this point, Alexa can control alarm, and you can have Alexa pause your The web interface used to make this easier,
any device with a voice command, Sonos speakers, turn the lights off and set but it’s being deprecated.
provided you name the device. For the thermostat to away mode. Routines It’s frustrating that Alexa doesn’t always
example, “Alexa, turn on lamp smart plug” can even be restricted to run at certain show devices in alphabetical order, either,
would turn on a device you’ve called “lamp times. For example, a Routine to turn on a making it hard to find the one that you’re
smart plug”. light when motion has been detected can looking for.
Where Alexa gets smart is with groups. be set to run in the evening. Alexa also loves to duplicate devices. For
Create a group, and you can add multiple Alexa’s massive range of supported example, if you have Hue lights and add
devices to it, including an Echo smart devices mean that it’s one of the best them to Alexa, that’s all good. Add your Hue
speaker. Once a smart speaker is in a choices for Routines, as you can achieve lights to SmartThings, and then add
group, control is easier. Tell an Echo, the majority of what you want inside one SmartThings to Alexa, and all the same
“Alexa, turn on lights”, for example, and system. bulbs will appear twice. Each duplicate has
Alexa will turn on the lights in the same As good as Alexa and its Routines are, to be disabled (not removed), otherwise
group. That’s great, as you no longer have there are some limitations on what can be Alexa will just rediscover the duplicates.
to remember the names of every device done. It’s frustrating that Routines can’t be But, as frustrating as it can be at times, the
you’ve ever created. used to disarm security devices. This is for wide range of smart speakers and excellent
Where Alexa has improved over the security reasons, but what’s the issue in device support makes Alexa one of the best
years is in the granularity of control it having a smart alarm system turn off smart home systems.

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 FEATURE | SMART HOME 2023

WEB apple.com/homekit

Apple HomeKit
A powerful and clever
home automation system,
with all the usual pros
and cons that stem from
Apple systems.
VERDICT

Apple HomeKit is the underlying Home Hub can be placed anywhere; if your limited range of cameras support it.
technology for smart home control in smart devices use Thread or Bluetooth, HomePods can add voice control around
the Home app on iPad, iPhone and Mac then the Home Hub has to support that the house, as can Siri on an iPhone or Mac.
devices, or through HomePod smart protocol (they all support Bluetooth, but The trouble is that Siri isn’t as good as Alexa
speakers. It started life as a niche only the new HomePod and Apple TV, or the Google Assistant, often mishearing
system, with extremely limited along with the HomePod Mini, support requests or doing something odd, such as
hardware support, as Apple required Thread) and be within range of that turning on all the lights in your house. Siri
hardware encryption to be used. It has product. That’s less of an issue with Thread also often requires a specific order of words.
since relaxed this, and software updates as it gets more popular, as a mesh network We have one smart plug where we’ve named
can be applied to make devices is built. Bluetooth is very limited. the USB ports as “phone charger”. Saying,
compliant with HomeKit. What’s clever about HomeKit (and “Hey Siri, turn on phone charger” doesn’t
That has improved device support to a Matter) is that device types are defined in work, but “Hey Siri, turn phone charger on”
degree, but HomeKit still lags behind its software. Add any smart plug or lightbulb does work.
rivals for compatibility. And, as it only and you’ll get the same range of controls in Automations (Apple’s name for routines)
works on Apple devices, it limits its use in the Home app, regardless of the are very powerful. These can be triggered at
households where some members of the manufacturer. A single unified interface, a time of day (including sunset and sunrise),
family use Android phones. regardless of where a device came from, when a person leaves or arrives, or when a
That’s not to say it should be ignored, as does make life easier. device is used or a sensor detects something.
the system is exceptionally powerful and The downside of this approach is that it Automations can be limited to run at
clever. Most importantly, the way that requires Apple (or Matter) to define a specific times (including the flexible “during
Apple HomeKit works is very close to how device type before a device can be made the day” or “at night” options), or based on
Matter (also supported) works. To add a HomeKit-compatible: for this reason, there whether anyone is at home or the house is
device, you have to enter a code or scan a are no HomeKit robot vacuum cleaners. empty, detected by a phone’s location.
QR code with your camera. This creates a Devices can be grouped into rooms to Actions then include triggering scenes or
secure connection between HomeKit and make it easier to find them, and devices of controlling individual devices.
the device you want to control, all without the same type can be grouped together in Cleverly, smart switches can appear in
you having to enter any login information. software. For example, multiple smart HomeKit, including Hue wireless switches
In most cases, scanning a device will just lightbulbs can be merged into one lighting and Flic buttons. These can be used to
add that one product, but if you scan a control, or two smart plugs can be added to control any device and even trigger
compatible smart hub, such as a Philips a single group. This often makes smart automations. Our one complaint is that
Hue Bridge, then all sub-devices connected control much simpler. there’s no toggle option: you have to
to this will also appear in HomeKit. HomeKit also has some extras available. program a button action (say, click) to turn
While device support is still quite Adaptive Lighting works with compatible on a light, and another action (say, long
limited, HomeBridge is a free server that smart lights to adjust the colour press) to turn off a light.
can run on a desktop computer, Synology temperature of a bulb to match the current If you mostly have Apple devices and if
NAS or Raspberry Pi, and adds third-party sunlight at your location. It’s a clever tool you have compatible kit (or you can add
devices into HomeKit. and great for working at home, making the compatibility via HomeBridge), then
HomeKit will work with any device on indoor environment feel more natural. HomeKit is very powerful. In fact, it’s our
the local network when you’re at home, but With a compatible security camera, personal home automation system of choice,
if you want remote control, you need to iCloud storage can store video clips thanks as it lets us do more of what we want. The
have a HomeKit Home Hub. This can be a to HomeKit Secure Video. This feature also flipside is that if you don’t have compatible
HomePod, an iPad permanently powered adds additional features, including devices and you have a mixture of Apple,
or an Apple TV. activity zones and facial recognition. It’s Google and Microsoft hardware, it’s all
If you’re using Wi-Fi devices, then a great where it works, but only a very rather limited.

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 FEATURE | SMART HOME 2023

WEB home.google.com

Google Home
It’s moving in the right
direction, but Google
Home remains the
smart home laggard.

VERDICT

Google Home is the app that ties the bulbs can be turned on and off at once. smart devices, such as turning a smart plug
smart home in with the Google Add a Google Assistant smart speaker on or off. There’s no built-in option to undo
Assistant, including smart speakers into a group and voice control is improved. an action after a set period, such as turning a
and displays, such as the Nest Hub. It all Rather than having to say a device’s name, light on when motion is detected, and then
works in a very similar way to Amazon you can just say things like, “OK Google, turning it off after five minutes. To do this,
Alexa, but while Google has been turn off lights” and it will know which you have to create two Automations.
working on the app and tech behind it lights you’re referring to. In addition to the manually created
to make it easier to use, there are still a Automations are Google’s name for Automations, there are two special
few things that hold it back. Routines. Triggers include a specific Automations: Home and Away. These
As you would expect, Google Home phrase spoken to the Google Assistant, a routines can be triggered by the locations of
allows you to add devices to your system. set time, sunrise or sunset, or when a your household members’ phones, or
As with Alexa, this is mostly achieved by smart home device does something. With by speaking the set command words.
logging into third-party accounts, with the latter, it’s often a frustrating Actions remain the same as for regular
Google Home pulling in all connected experience. Pick an Arlo camera as the Automations.
devices. While Alexa still has the lead for trigger and the only triggers are for when Google has also made the Google Home
device compatibility, Google Home isn’t the camera “starts or stops charging” or is app the home for its most recent Nest
too far behind. “plugged in or unplugged”. Who would cameras and doorbells. That’s fine in theory,
When Matter was first launched, Google ever want that? Use Alexa, and the option but the Google Home app isn’t as good as the
decided to give this feature only to is for when the Arlo camera detects motion Nest one that it replaced.
Android devices, failing to implement it or stops detecting motion. Nest also had some clever
on the iPhone. Fortunately, Matter devices If a device hasn’t been put into automated rules, such as detecting
are now supported on iOS as well, but it a home and room, it can’t be BELOW Devices when your Nest system went into
shows Google’s fragmented approach to its selected as a trigger for added to the Google Away mode, and then automating
smart home system. automation. We get that it’s good Home app get their Hue lights to make it look as
Wi-Fi Matter devices can be added to keep apps in order, but this own set of onscreen though you were at home. These
controls.
directly to the app, but still require a feels like a restriction too far. features went away when Google
Google smart speaker for control. Any It’s good to see that disabled Works with
Thread devices require a border router. sensors from other Nest.
Currently, that’s the Nest Wifi Pro, Nest systems can be used in Google has improved
Hub 2nd Generation and Nest Hub Max. Automations. For Home, particularly in
Devices added to the Google Home app example, Philips Hue the last few months, but
get their own set of onscreen controls. For Motion Sensors can be it’s still not quite as
example, with smart lights, you can adjust used to trigger an accomplished as its
the brightness, choose colours and toggle Automation when they rivals: Alexa is easier
the bulbs on and off (depending on their detect motion or have to use and has more
capabilities), while smart plugs get on/off stopped detecting hardware support;
actions. motion for a set period. Apple HomeKit has a
As with most smart home systems, each Triggers can be much nicer interface;
device can be added to a room, bundling restricted to run at and SmartThings is far
products into the physical location they specific times, during more powerful. If you’re
occupy. That’s not just because it makes the day or during the an all-Google household
them easier to find; it also makes control night, and on selected then Google Home may
simpler. For example, smart lights are days only. be for you, but the other
added to a single control group, so multiple Actions can trigger systems are better.

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WEB home-assistant.io

Home
Assistant
Anyone who loves to
tinker should explore this
powerful, privacy-focused
open-source platform.
VERDICT

Home Assistant is an open-source For other devices, some integrations can player in the Action only gave strange
smart home platform, which you need be installed. There are two big issues here. options, such as setting the bass level or
to download and install on a suitable First, the range of supported hardware is turning off crossfade. Instead, we had to
server. You can download a virtual quite limited. Second, it’s not always use the “Call a service” option, choosing
machine for Windows, Mac or Linux, straightforward to add a device. the Media Player: Pause option, and then
but there’s also a Raspberry Pi version, For example, we added smart locks from choosing our Sonos player.
so you can have a low-power server. Yale, and just had to enter our account That’s not an insurmountable issue, but
With basic hardware, only cloud username and password; we tried to add Home Assistant makes it much harder to
connections are supported, but the Honeywell Evohome smart heating, but do relatively simple things compared to its
SkyConnect USB dongle adds Zigbee this required us to edit the configuration main rivals.
support. In the future, a firmware file manually. It’s not a deal breaker, but it At its best, Home Assistant is hugely
update will add Thread to SkyConnect, does make Home Assistant firmly feel like powerful. Triggers include devices and
making it possible to connect Matter- a project for enthusiasts. times (including sunrise and sunset), but
certified devices. Once devices have been added, they’re can also include specific dates, webhooks
The main advantage of running Home sorted into Areas (groups). Home Assistant and more. For those who really want to
Assistant is that it’s secure and built to pulls Areas from the devices it finds, take control of actions, it offers a lot.
keep your privacy. For anyone who’s faithfully replicating our Philips Hue The system also offers conditions, which
worried about sharing their smart home layout, and adding Areas based on the limit automation unless they’re also met.
with a large multinational company, then names of our Sonos players. It’s possible to A condition could include only running
this is for you. add Areas manually and move devices between certain times, only when a device
Once installed, the server can be between them, although we had to search is in a certain state (such as a smart lock
accessed via the web interface or the the internet to find out how to do this as being unlocked), and more.
smartphone app, automatically finding the interface is a little clunky. There are also lots of clever add-ons,
any Home Assistant servers on your home Home Assistant creates a dashboard, such as an adaptive lighting plugin that
network. You can manually configure which serves as the home page of the web adjusts smart lights to match the colour
remote control by setting up port interface and apps. This has media temperature of the sun as it changes
forwarding and dynamic DNS, but there’s playback controls for media devices, adds throughout the day.
an optional cloud server that makes life control for all the lights in your home, and Apple HomeKit support is built in,
easier. With the cloud service, you can also shows some, but not all, zones. Additional letting you add devices to HomeKit that
connect Amazon Alexa and Google cards can be added to a dashboard, and aren’t normally supported. It’s a nice
Assistant for voice control. you can have multiple dashboards. touch, although we think that
When first run it, the server will scan It’s possible to customise what you see the HomeBridge add-on does this better
your home network to find compatible completely, but Home Assistant lacks the and with a wider range of devices
devices. It found my Philips Hue lights and simplicity that you get with other systems, supported.
Sonos players immediately. My Sonos such as Apple Home. Overall, Home Assistant is a neat bit of
players worked straight out of the box, and Automations are possible, building kit. It feels more suited to running Zigbee
I just had to hit the button on my Hue powerful routines. There’s an entire and Z-Wave devices, with device support
Bridge to add my lights. scripting language, although you can use for larger manufacturers quite limited.
Zigbee and Z-Wave devices can be added the simpler web interface. We say simpler, Combined with the enthusiast feel, it’s an
directly to the server, provided you have a but there’s a lot of clunkiness here. For interesting project, but for now, it’s only for
compatible dongle connected to your example, we wanted a routine that would those who have the time and the
server. With one of these, you can add a pause a Sonos player when a smart lock is inclination to tinker.
wide range of third-party sensors (motion, locked. Setting the action as the smart
window/door etc) to Home Assistant. lock locking was easy; selecting the Sonos

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 FEATURE | SMART HOME 2023

WEB homey.app

Homey
A choice of a cloud-
based or hardware
approach makes this a
powerful alternative, but
it lacks its rivals’ reach.
VERDICT

If you don’t want to put all of number of devices that it supports, but Assistant Skills. These both pull in every
your smart devices under the control it’s a long way behind Amazon Alexa and device connected to Homey, including
of a massive multinational Google Home. It’s worth checking what it duplicating any devices that you’ve
corporation, then Homey may well be supports before you buy. As a rule of already added.
the system for you. It can be used in thumb, though, bigger manufacturers’ Homey is hugely powerful with its
the cloud, but is you prefer you can devices will be supported, and Homey Flows, its name for routines. You can do
choose one of its smart home bridges pulls in such products once you’ve everything here you can do in other
instead. authenticated your account. We’ve found systems, but Flows can have an “And” to
Buy the Homey Bridge ($49) and you Homey quick to respond to changes, too. the triggers. For example, when motion is
get local support for Zigbee, Z-Wave and For example, when Yale moved from Yale detected and a light sensor drops below a
IR devices, although you still have to pay Access to Yale Home, Homey supported set lux level between sunrise and sunset,
the $4.49 a month if you want to support the change immediately; it took a light can be turned on. No other system,
more than five devices. Upgrade to the SmartThings more than a month to bar SmartThings, is quite as powerful.
Homey Pro ($699) and you get unlimited catch up. Flows don’t have an automated reverse
devices and no monthly fees. That’s There are other differences between action, such as turning off a light after it
because all device controls and routines the systems. With Homey Pro, all has been on for a set period. To reverse an
are handled via the Homey Pro itself. third-party devices are run as local apps action, you have to create a new Flow.
There’s one other big difference: on the hub; with Homey, apps are run in Smart buttons, such as an Ikea Tradfri
Homey Pro supports Matter and Thread, the cloud, and the range is more limited. Remote, can be used as flow triggers,
so it’s the more forward-looking device. It In particular, the Homey Pro can run with a toggle option. That’s important,
also supports a wider range of devices third-party apps developed by as one click can turn a smart plug on; for
and apps. While the Homey Pro is a lot enthusiasts. This increases the range of example; a second click, turns the
more expensive, we think it’s worth the apps and devices available to a degree, plug off. It’s a feature that HomeKit
extra money. although it’s not always perfect. really needs.
Aside from those details, the app and We were excited to see a Ring Security Logic and Variables can be used
level of control is the same between all app and thought it would let us control in Flows. Variables can be set using the
versions. As with most smart home our Ring Alarm from Homey. That’s not app or a Webhook request and can trigger
systems, devices are split into Zones. the case, though; it actually allows Ring a Flow when they change. Logic can take
Zones include the floors of a house, and Z-Wave devices, including alarm sensors readings from devices, such as from a
then individual rooms are nested and control panels, to be disconnected temperature sensor. These may not be
underneath. That’s handy, as you can from Ring and added to Homey. useful to the average user, but for the
then turn off all lights downstairs, for There are also some minor power user who wants to do something
example, in an easy way. frustrations. Adding a Hue system into more complicated, there’s no other
Zigbee, Z-Wave and, for Homey Pro the mix, each bulb had to be moved system that quite tops Homey.
users, Matter devices can be connected individually to the right zone, which is Homey is a good choice if you’ve got
directly to the hub. Why bother? Well, time-consuming. And Hue sensors, such Zigbee or Z-Wave devices you want to
third-party sensors, such as Zigbee as the motion sensor, aren’t available in control or, with Homey Pro, Matter
motion sensors and window/door the app. That can mean doubling up, devices. It’s one of the most powerful
sensors, can be bought relatively cheaply, having to buy an extra motion sensor as a smart home automation platforms
giving an easy way to automate, without trigger for a routine, whereas with Alexa that we’ve used. It is slightly let down
the need for a cloud connection. In many or HomeKit you could simply reuse by its device support, and Homey
cases, this means that automations will existing sensors. doesn’t have the reach that Alexa,
run even without an internet connection. It’s also worth being careful with the Google Home or even HomeKit (with
Homey is rapidly increasing the Homey Amazon Alexa and Google HomeBridge) does.

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 FEATURE | SMART HOME 2023

WEB smartthings.com

Samsung
SmartThings
Limited hardware support
hampers its appeal, but
there’s no denying the
automation power on offer.
VERDICT

SmartThings started life as the original use. A good example of a recent change is With routines, triggers include the time
smart home automation platform, built the support for Matter. With software only, (including sunset or sunrise, or an offset
to make it possible to control devices SmartThings supports Matter over Wi-Fi; thereof), device status, member location
from multiple manufacturers. However, add the Aeotec Hub into the mix, and you (when someone is or isn’t at home), the
the system really took off when get Matter over Thread, too. weather and the current security mode.
Samsung bought it. Today, we’re at the It’s still good to see support for Zigbee Multiple conditions can be required, too.
point where SmartThings is both the and Z-Wave devices, as they’re a cheap way Actions can include sending notifications
default home for Samsung products, to add multiple sensors around the home. or controlling a smart device. And, cleverly,
ranging from fridges and washing As of the new architecture, these are all the reverse operation can be set after a
machines to TVs, as well as a powerful Edge devices, meaning they’re controlled timeout.
automation app in its own right. and monitored by the Hub, not the cloud. It In that way, it’s possible to build very
SmartThings is capable of should mean that SmartThings is more complicated rules. For example, it’s easy to
running entirely in the cloud, but there’s responsive, and Automations should still set a light to turn on if motion is detected
also the Aeotec SmartThings Hub work if the internet is down. and the light level has dropped below a set
available. Buy this, and you can directly Add in smoke and water leak detectors, level, and it’s between sunrise and sunset.
add Zigbee and Z-Wave devices, plus Matter and SmartThings can be set to monitor And, in the same rule, the light will turn off
devices, including Thread devices. these devices automatically, warning you after five minutes, assuming the routine is
Depending on what you want to achieve, when there’s a problem. not triggered again. Only Homey offers a
the Hub can be a good add-on. All devices added to the app can be similar level of automation, and even then,
Most devices are added to SmartThings sorted into rooms, with direct control over it’s not quite as powerful or as easy to use.
using cloud connections, much like with them. In some cases, there’s more control There are some drawbacks to
Amazon Alexa. There’s a good selection of than manufacturers’ apps give. For SmartThings. First, if you want to use it with
devices in there, although support does lag example, all smart plugs get a timer Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, you
behind that for Amazon Alexa and Google feature, and if you have Arlo cameras, you can’t restrict which devices are seen.
Assistant. can turn them on and off That can lead to duplicates; for example, if
There used to be a range of BELOW individually. we add Hue lights to SmartThings and then
third-party add-ons for SmartThings is SmartThings is also the home of connect Alexa, Alexa ends up with two
SmartThings, bridging support fast and easy to Samsung’s range of smart instances of each bulb: one from the
navigate.
where no official products were appliances. There are some clever SmartThings Skill and one from the Hue
supported. However, bits of automation in Skill.
Samsung has moved there. For example, when SmartThings also doesn’t recognise all
away from the old your washing machine connected devices. For example, with Philips
underlying technology, finishes its cycle, it can Hue, the motion sensors aren’t recognised,
so this is no longer start the tumble dryer as they are in Alexa, Google Assistant and
possible. This means that automatically. Home Kit. That can mean doubling up on
more powerful features, Routines are very sensors throughout the home.
such as the Webcore powerful, and there’s SmartThings can still have a place in
scripted automation even a special Smart many homes, particularly as its routines are
engine, are no longer Lighting app, which far more powerful than the competition’s.
supported. contains all routines that It’s also a useful choice if you have Zigbee or
Changes have been involve lights. That Z-Wave devices that you want to use.
made to bring the makes the organisation Its main problem is that its hardware
platform up to date and better, and the app faster support simply isn’t as good as the main
make it less complex to to navigate. competition.

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 FEATURE | SMART HOME 2023

What’s the Matter? Do you still need IFTTT?

The new protocol that’s backed by The original home automation
all the big names explained. system still has its uses.
There have always been two big problems If This Then That (IFTTT) was one of
with the smart home: devices won’t talk to the first home automation systems.
each other, and device support varies Running in the cloud, it lets you build
massively between smart home systems. ABOVE Thread is the most recent smart simple automation rules. The system
That’s what Matter aims to solve. A brand home protocol and is built for reliability. defines a trigger (the “If This” part),
new protocol, it’s backed by Apple, such as an alarm system disarming or
Amazon, Google, Samsung and more. Thread vs Wi-Fi a camera detecting motion. There’s
Its key feature is that it ditches the idea (and the rest) then the Action (the Then That part),
that devices can only be controlled The differences between the such as turning on a light.
through the cloud and moves to direct competing protocols explained. In the early days of the smart
control, which is both faster and more home, IFTTT proved to be hugely
secure. Control requires a Matter Smart plugs will connect to your home popular and powerful, and it was
Controller on the network. This can be network using a variety of protocols. often the only way to create
software, but most smart home systems Each has its own pros and cons. First, automation rules (called applets) in a
require a hub that will stay within the Bluetooth smart plugs aren’t so smart home. Today, a lot of what
home: effectively, you’ll need a smart popular now, although some models IFTTT can do can be done inside a
speaker (an Amazon Echo, Nest Hub or we’ve reviewed support this smart home automation system,
HomePod) or other smart home hub to connection. With Bluetooth, you only such as Alexa or SmartThings. Smart
do this. get local control (bar with HomeKit home systems tend to be more
Second, Matter is built to make it easier models that can be remotely powerful and easier to use, while with
to discover and install devices. Bluetooth is controlled via a home hub) and range Matter devices, actions
used for the initial discovery of devices, is very limited. happen much faster thanks to direct
with a code (typed in or scanned) allowing Wi-Fi is now commonplace and has control. IFTTT can be slow in
for a secure connection between the the advantage that no hub is required. comparison, as it relies on cloud
controller and the device. As we’ve all got wireless networks connections.
Matter devices are limited to two already, no additional hardware is However, no matter how much
protocols for control: Wi-Fi (or Ethernet) required. The downside is that Wi-Fi other systems improve, IFTTT still
and Thread. The latter is a relatively new isn’t as reliable as a dedicated smart remains a strong tool. In some cases,
low-power mesh network designed for the home protocol, and it requires slightly there are just times when there’s no
smart home. For Wi-Fi devices, that’s more power to use. other alternative but to turn to IFTTT.
relatively easy, as any home has the kit; Zigbee and Z-Wave devices are For example, in our test office, we
Thread devices will need a compatible similar in some regards, using a have an Abode alarm system and
Thread border router. low-power mesh network that’s built Wiser smart heating. The only way to
Matter devices can be individual (such for reliability and home control. With get the Wiser system to switch
as a single smart plug) or a hub, such as both, all plug-in devices act as between active and standby, based
the Philips Hue Bridge, whereby all devices repeaters, so the more you have, the on whether the alarm is turned on or
connected to that hub are discovered. better your network. Both require a off, is to use IFTTT.
Matter defines devices by type, so that compatible Zigbee or Z-Wave hub; IFTTT is also about more than just
the level of control is the same. For Zigbee is slightly better supported, the smart home, and it can be used
example, a Matter-enabled smart bulb will with some Amazon Echo and Nest for lots of other jobs. For example, a
have the same control options in Apple smart speakers ticking that box. Google Sheet can be filled out
HomeKit as in Amazon Alexa. That’s the Based on the same underlying radio automatically, taking information
good news, but it also means that new technology as Zigbee, Thread is the from a Trello card that has
device types must be created before most recent smart home protocol. As been dropped into a specific list. The
devices can be made Matter- compatible. with Z-Wave and Zigbee, Thread possibilities are almost endless.
That’s why there aren’t any Matter- devices need a compatible hub (a With the subscription IFTTT Pro
compatible robot vacuum cleaners. Thread border router) to connect to, service, applets run faster and can
While firmware updates can be applied but many Zigbee hubs can be have multiple actions; the free
to existing products to make them upgraded to support Thread. Thread version can be a little slow, and
Matter-compatible, very few older devices is again a mesh network, built for applets support one action only.
have been updated. As such, its success reliability, and multiple Thread border
will depend on new products. If it gets routers can work together; if one fails,
enough momentum, however, Matter another can take over.
could give smart homes a huge boost. Thread has a number of advantages
over Zigbee: it’s IPV6-based, so
makes for seamless integration with
traditional networks; it has lower
latency communication for faster
response rates; and it’s more secure.
In addition, Thread (alongside Wi-Fi) is
part of the Matter standard, whereas
Z-Wave and Zigbee aren’t. If you have
a Thread border router, then this
protocol is the best, and more devices
ABOVE The Matter protocol is backed by that support it will be available ABOVE IFTTT is still useful in the smart home
Apple, Amazon, Google and Samsung. over the coming year. as it can perform tasks other systems can’t.

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 FEATURE | SMART HOME 2023

PRICE $54 WEB tp-link.com

TP-Link Kasa Smart

Wi-Fi Power Strip
There’s nothing flashy about
this power strip, but good
compatibility and a low price
make it worth considering.
VERDICT

The first thing you need to know about button. That’s great for manual control if smart plug. You can rename each plug and
TP-Link’s Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power you don’t have handy access to the map. set a different icon, say picking a lamp or
Strip is that it uses the Kasa app, This is also one of the few smart power fan. There’s scheduling built into the Kasa
rather than the company’s Tapo app. strips that have mounting anchors, so it app, alongside an Away mode, where a plug
It’s confusing, but TP-Link bought can be mounted on a wall using screws. will be randomly turned on and off between
Tapo and still runs it as a different Its dual USB-A sockets are permanently set hours to mimic home occupancy. Not
company. This distinction is worth powered on this model. That’s fine if you’re that you have to use the Kasa app much, as
bearing in mind if you’re going to buy using them for charging phones or the strip is compatible with SmartThings,
any smart home products from powering a security camera; however, it Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
TP-Link. can be useful to have a remote switch, such Although we would have liked control
This particular smart power strip has as for rebooting a Raspberry Pi connected over the USB ports, this strip’s high build
three individually controllable power to USB. quality and low price make it a great
sockets, each with its own physical power In the app, each socket appears as its own general-purpose smart power strip.

Best uses for smart plugs and strips

A SMART PLUG OR STRIP CAN DO SO MUCH MORE THAN JUST TURN DUMB DEVICES INTO SMART ONES.

We’re not going to insult your intelligence by REBOOT DEVICES as Alexa or SmartThings. When the door
waffling on about the fact that smart plugs Have you got a Raspberry Pi server that falls opens, the plug can be turned on, bringing
can turn dumb lamps into smart ones. over sometimes, or a set-top box that light; when the sensor is closed, the light is
Instead, we want to talk about how smart crashes? A smart plug is your friend. Rather shut off automatically.
plugs can be a useful tool around the than fiddling about finding the power cable,
house (or even office). The main thing to be you can use a smart plug to cycle power CONTROL AN ELECTRIC HEATER
aware of is that smart plugs are at their best automatically. Set up a schedule to do this For outbuildings, such as garages, it can be
when used with devices that have a physical job at specific times, such as very early in the useful to keep them warmed to prevent
on/off switch. For example, if you have a morning, and you may be able to avoid such condensation. A heater with a thermostat
heater with a soft on/off button, turning a issues entirely in the future. makes things easy, but if you’ve got an old
smart plug on will only put the heater into heater, then a smart plug can help. Combine
standby mode; with a heater with a physical SAVE POWER this with a basic temperature sensor, and you
switch, the smart plug will turn the heater on Electricity costs worry us all, but a smart plug can automate turning the smart plug on and
and off. With that in mind, here are some can be used to cut power to devices that off automatically.
options. normally sit on standby sucking up energy.
That may seem counterintuitive, as smart MAKE DUMB ENVIRONMENTAL
CONTROL SECURITY CAMERAS plugs use energy themselves. However, a APPLIANCES SMART
More expensive security cameras can be set smart plug will typically draw way under 1W. A dumb humidifier that just pumps moisture
to record or not based on complicated rules, Hook up a plug to a more energy-sucking into the air can make the environment too
but if you’re running some older, cheaper device, such as a set-top box or printer, and humid. Combine a smart plug with such a
models, you can use smart plugs for plug-in you can reduce your running costs. device and a smart humidity sensor and you
models. Setting up rules in your system of can have the humidifier turn off when the
choice, you can cut power to a camera when OPERATE A CUPBOARD LIGHT optimum level has been reached (40 to 60%
you don’t want it to record, and power it up Combine a contact sensor with a plug-in light RH). Conversely, you can do the same thing
when you want to monitor your home. in a cupboard, loft or wardrobe, and you can with a dumb dehumidifier to remove excess
automate the process through a system such moisture from the air.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 69

 FEATURE | SMART HOME 2023

PRICE $65 WEB amazon.com.au PRICE $15

Philips Hue TP-Link Kasa Smart

Smart Plug Wi-Fi Plug Slim
A brilliant additional product if Yet another solid plug for a
you already own Philips Hue great price, even if there’s no
hardware, but otherwise it’s compelling reason to choose
best to look elsewhere. it over others.
VERDICT VERDICT

The Philips Hue Smart Plug is different to the other Small, simple and with a wide range of supported smart
smart plugs we’ve reviewed in that it’s built to integrate home systems, TP-Link’s Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Slim
into the Hue ecosystem. It will work over Bluetooth, for (the KP105) is a useful little smart plug for basic jobs.
limited and local control, but it works far better with a It’s relatively small, taller than it is wide, which means it
Hue Bridge over Zigbee. This increases the range, turns can be plugged into a socket without obscuring a
on out-of-home control and opens up compatibility, so neighbouring socket. A manual override button on the
the plug works with HomeKit, SmartThings, Amazon left-hand side is on hand if you can’t reach the app or use
Alexa, Google Home and more. voice control, but this button would be better off on top to
This wide-ranging compatibility is good to see, but the avoid the frequent issue of access being blocked by
Philips Hue Smart Plug is more expensive than the Meross something plugged in next to it.
plugs, which have similar levels of compatibility. (Although As with other Kasa devices, the KP105 is only compatible
Philips has just added a Matter update, this doesn’t support with the Kasa app, not the company’s Tapo app. Fear not,
adaptive lighting, but is faster than cloud-based integrations however, as the Kasa app is pretty good and home to other
such as Alexa.) Instead, what makes this product enticing is its products in the lineup, including cameras, smart lights and
compatibility with the Hue range of sensors and wireless doorbells. From here, you can set schedules and timers, plus
switches. Add a Philips Hue Smart Plug to a lamp, for example, an away mode where the plug’s power is cycled randomly
and you can have your standard light turn on at the touch of a throughout the day to mimic occupancy.
button alongside your smart lights. Third-party support is great, with Amazon Alexa, Google
We’ve got a Smart Plug connected to a make-up mirror and Assistant and SmartThings all supported, plus IFTTT.
find that a Hue Smart Button provides a fast and reliable way to For most people, that makes it easy to bring the KP105 into
turn it on and off. Trying to do the same thing with other routines.
systems never quite works as well. This is also a well-priced smart plug, but the competition
The downside is that this plug is more expensive than its is tough. Some even offer energy monitoring. If you have
rivals, and it really needs a fully fledged Philips Hue system other Kasa devices, this may be a good choice; if not,
to work. If you have a need for Hue integration, this product is consider an alternative.
brilliant; if you don’t, there are cheaper alternatives.

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 FEATURE | SMART HOME 2023

View from the Labs

The always smart David Ludlow finds himself very nearly reduced
to tears by supposedly smart home technology.

There’s a famous XKCD comic strip

(see below) that talks about how
standards proliferate, with the issue of
multiple competing standards calling
for one overarching standard that
covers everything; the end result is
that there’s now one more standard to
confuse things. That, as ever, remains
true with the smart home and Matter.
I’ve been reviewing smart home kit for
many years, and my home is a conflicting
mess of smart speakers, hubs and devices
that struggle to talk to each other. Take
this simple example. I have an office in
the garden, with double doors, both
controlled by different smart locks. I have
smart plugs inside – one that controls the
monitor, webcam and printer, and We need a universal standard.
another that controls my Sonos system. I
have smart lights from Philips Hue, a It’s a complicated chain of events that I’ve tested, but not always in that order.
smart roller blind (Somfy), an Arlo camera has to happen, and a failure at any point Then there’s Thread. In theory,
and a Ring alarm. can mean that something doesn’t quite it’s brilliant, adding redundancy
I would like it set up so that unlocking happen in the way that I’d want it to. and reliability to the mesh network. Why
the main Nuki smart lock also unlocks the Matter promises to fix this in many is it, then, that there can’t just be one
second door, turns on the smart plugs, ways, providing wider device Thread network that any device can use?
turns off the alarm, switches the Arlo compatibility and direct control. Yet it, In my house, I have at least four Thread
camera off and opens the blind. When I too, is blighted by issues and annoying networks, created by different devices and
leave and lock up, I want the reverse of compatibility issues. Take sharing of used in different ways. Take the Nanoleaf
this, plus my lights to be turned off Matter devices as a starter. Once a Matter Essentials Matter light strips as one
automatically. device is paired with one system, it can be example. To add the device to my Nanoleaf
It sounds simple, but it isn’t. There’s no shared with other Matter controllers. account, the light strip connected to the
one smart home system that quite does That’s sensible, but to do this, the device Thread network running on my Eero
what I want it to. SmartThings doesn’t has to be put into pairing mode, and a new network. To connect the lights to
support all of the hardware, while Matter code has to be generated by an app. HomeKit, the strip had to use the Thread
Amazon Alexa Routines don’t allow smart That sounds sensible, but when network created by my HomePod Mini;
locks to be unlocked or alarms to be SmartThings, for example, generates a Alexa integration needed an Echo 5th
disabled. new code on my smartphone, how can I Gen; for Google Home, I had to use the
My workaround is to use HomeKit as my scan the code with my phone’s camera? I Thread network created by the Nest Hub
© XKCD comic printed under Creative Commons licence as described at xkcd.com/license.html

primary platform, with the Ring Alarm either have to type the code in manually 2nd Generation.
forced into the ecosystem using or screenshot the code, wait for it to It’s all enough to make a grown man
HomeBridge. As my smart plugs are upload to iCloud, open it on my Mac and cry. As the technology matures, Matter
HomeKit-compliant, I can achieve most of then scan it. will make life better and easier, but we’re
what I want here: when I unlock my In many cases, the order in which still at the early stage of adoption. For
primary lock, the secondary one unlocks, Matter controllers are connected can now, Matter devices, including smart
the Ring alarm is disabled and my smart make a difference. I added the Eve Energy plugs, are nice to see, but they’re not
plugs turn on. to Apple Home first, but then it wouldn’t essential; buy a device that works with the
However, I then need two other connect to SmartThings; resetting, I could systems you need it to first, worry about
systems. First, Alexa monitors when the connect it to SmartThings and Apple Matter second.
Ring alarm turns off, and then triggers the Home. That’s the same for many devices
Somfy blind to open. Second,
SmartThings monitors when the second
lock unlocks (the only lock out of the two “It’s a complicated chain of events that has to
that this system supports) and then turns
the Arlo camera off (it’s the only system to
happen, and a failure at any point can mean that
give this granular level of control). It’s a something doesn’t quite happen in the way that I’d
similar mish-mash of systems to get the
reverse to happen when I leave. want it to.”
CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 71
  
Don’t let Chrome and Edge use
your personal data to target you
with ads – switch to a browser 
that actually respects your privacy.
 
Robert Irvine recommends
the best options.

WHAT YOU CAN DO We implicitly trust our browsers every products and services – but we all know it’s
• Browse the web without your time we go online, but sadly that trust is about making money.
data being collected often misplaced. When you visit websites Thankfully, there are now plenty of
• Block ads and trackers in the comfort of your own home, you don’t browsers that actually respect your privacy,
without installing an extension want or expect details of your activities to and make protecting your data as important
• Instantly delete all traces of be collected, shared and used to build a as loading web pages properly. These
your online activities profile of your interests, so you can be programs typically fund their development
• Conceal your location and targeted with adverts. But that’s exactly via donations and optional paid-for features,
identity what happens if you use Chrome or Edge. rather than personalised ads based on your
• Block ads in YouTube videos The two most popular PC browsers, with web activities.
• Hide cookie consent pop-ups three billion and 300 million users Although these private browsers have the
automatically respectively, are also the worst for tracking same goal, their features and settings – and
• Tweak your browser’s settings you online and gathering your data. This is the level of anonymity they promise – vary
for maximum privacy claimed to be for your own good – to ensure greatly. Here, we recommend the five best
• Stop your ISP seeing which you see relevant content and browsers for different privacy purposes, and
sites you visit recommendations, and to improve the quality explain why they’re all preferable to Chrome
and performance of Google and Microsoft and Edge.

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 FEATURE | STOP USING BROWSERS THAT TRACK YOU

Five ways chrome and edge track you

1 They target you with Prevent Edge

personalised ads from using your
Google and Microsoft use their browsers browsing history
to collect data about your interests and to target you with
personalised ads.
online behaviour, so they can target you
with personalised adverts. These ads are
then displayed on websites by the
companies’ respective advertising
networks, as well as in the Google and
Bing search engines.
Microsoft admits in one of its support
pages (www.snipca.com/47650) that
“we’ll collect and use your browsing
activity from within Microsoft Edge to You may have seen a pop-up message
personalise advertising, about ‘Enhanced ad privacy in Chrome’
recommendations and experiences”. The when you updated the browser, and
information it gathers includes details inadvertently activated the new system.
of websites you’ve visited and saved to Or you may be concerned that Google
your Favourites, and how you use the has enabled it without your knowledge,
browser – for example, the times of day which means you’ll be targeted by both
you go online and the devices you the old and new ad-tracking methods.
browse on. To check, click the three-dot menu
To limit this data collection, which is button and choose Settings then Chrome’s built-in ad blocker is a token gesture that
enabled by default, click the three-dot ‘Privacy and security’. Select ‘Ads blocks very few ads.
menu button in Edge’s top-right corner privacy’ and ensure all three options are
and choose Settings, then ‘Privacy, switched off – at least until there’s more Strict, but even this claims only that ads
search and services’. Scroll down to transparency about how the new system “will likely have minimal
‘Personalisation and advertising’ and works. personalisation”.
switch off the option ‘Allow Microsoft The options are ‘Ad topics’ (see The only way to block all annoying
to save your browsing activity…’ (see screenshot below left), which displays ads in Chrome and Edge is to install a
screenshot top right). However, this personalised ads based on websites in dedicated extension such as uBlock
won’t stop you seeing ads altogether your recent browsing history; ‘Site- Origin (www.snipca.com/47086). As
(see next section). suggested ads’, which lets sites show ads we’ll explain later, the best private
Chrome previously collected your data based on your activity on them’; and ‘Ad browsers have powerful ad blockers
in a similar way, but recently introduced measurement’, which allows sites and enabled by default, so you don’t need a
a new targeted-ads system that works advertisers to monitor the performance third-party tool. Sadly, Google is
differently. Rather than use cookies to of their ads, such as the time of day you planning to make ad blockers less
track you across the web and build a see them. reliable in Chrome and other Chromium
profile of your interests, it shows you browsers by forcing extension
personalised ads based on sites in your 2 Their built-in ad blockers developers to use its new Manifest V3
browsing history. are ineffective system, from early next year.
This is supposed to be more private Because Google and Microsoft make so
than using cookies, because it groups much money from personalised ads, 3 They provide poor tracking
you with other users who share similar their browsers’ built-in ad-blockers are protection
interests rather than assigning you a notoriously ineffective and deliberately Google and Microsoft claim that Chrome
unique identifier, but it still means tucked away. and Edge protect your privacy online by
Google is prying into your internet In Chrome, you need to go to Settings, blocking third-party trackers that follow
activities. then ‘Privacy and security’ and select you around the web. But in truth, their
‘Site settings’ then ‘Additional content built-in tracking protection falls far
settings’. Scroll down to find the short of that offered by rival browsers, as
‘Intrusive ads’ option, which lets you we’ll explain later.
block adverts on sites “known to show Chrome is particularly poor at dealing
intrusive or misleading ads” (see with trackers, perhaps because Google
screenshot above right) – but not other tools such as its Analytics service
ads. – which analyses website traffic –
In Edge, the same option is buried in depend on them. Currently, there’s a
the ‘Cookies and site permissions’ ‘Block third-party cookies’ option in the
section of the browser’s Settings. You ‘Privacy and security’ section of the
can boost its ad-blocking capabilities by browser’s Settings, but this is disabled
Chrome’s new ‘Ads privacy’ system shows you ads going to ‘Privacy, search and services’ by default.
based on your browsing history. and switching ‘Tracking prevention’ to As we mentioned earlier, Google

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 FEATURE | STOP USING BROWSERS THAT TRACK YOU

intends to phase out cookies in Chrome

by the end of 2024, in favour of its new
‘Ads privacy’ system, so it’s unlikely to 1
pay much more attention to them.
Instead, it’s testing an experiment
called ‘Tracking protection’ in the
browser’s Canary build (aimed at
developers) – see www.snipca.
com/47656. This is reportedly just a
new name for the cookie-blocking 2
option, rather than an improved feature,
and privacy-conscious users may regard Edge’s ‘Tracking prevention’ feature
it as too little, too late. offers weak protection against trackers.
Edge makes more effort with its own Switch off Edge’s Follow Creator feature to stop
‘Tracking prevention’ feature, which they shouldn’t be enabled in the first sharing your browsing data with Bing.
can be set to Strict mode ( 1 in our place.
screenshot above right) to block “a Edge also collects details of your web The only way to prevent this is to switch
majority of trackers from all sites” searches, along with ‘optional to a more private browser (even Edge
including “known harmful trackers”. diagnostic data’. To turn off the latter, doesn’t collect your data in its InPrivate
But when you click the option to see a open the Settings app in Windows 10 or mode).
list of blocked trackers 2 , you may 11 and select Privacy, then ‘Diagnostics
discover that it hasn’t blocked very & feedback’. Switch from ‘Optional 5 They suffer frequent
many. diagnostic data’, which sends Microsoft security flaws
“info about websites you browse”, to All web browsers are susceptible to
4 They share diagnostic data only ‘Required diagnostic data’. privacy and security flaws. So far this
about you More worryingly, last year it was year, Google has rushed to address at
As well as collecting your personal data reported that the enhanced spell-check least four serious ‘zero-day’
to target you with ads, Google and features in Chrome and Edge were vulnerabilities in Chrome (software
Microsoft use their browsers to gather sharing form information with their security flaws exploited by attackers
diagnostic information to improve their parent companies (www.snipca. before developers know about them),
products and services. com/44067), including users’ names, and in August it changed to a weekly
Even if you don’t use Chrome’s Sync home addresses, email addresses, dates schedule for security fixes. Although we
feature, which saves your bookmarks, of birth and payment details. commend its vigilance, perhaps Google
browsing history, passwords and contact To stop this happening, disable should do a more thorough job of
details to Google’s servers, the browser ‘Enhanced spell check’ 2 in Chrome’s checking Chrome for bugs before it
shares other data in the background. ‘You and Google’ section and ‘Enable releases a new version.
This includes ‘usage statistics and crash grammar and spellcheck assistance’ in Edge has suffered its own security and
reports’, the details of URLs you visit – to the Languages section of Edge’s privacy problems this year, with version
“make searches and browsing better” Settings. 115 alone requiring 14 separate fixes
– and search queries you type in the Also remember that although (though this was still six fewer than
address bar. You can disable these Chrome’s Incognito mode stops the Chrome 115).
options in the ‘You and Google’ section browser storing details of what you In April, it was discovered that the
of the browser’s Settings ( 1 in our search for and the sites you visit, the browser’s Follow Creator feature, which
screenshot below), but for privacy’s sake information is still shared with Google. works like an RSS feed reader, was
sending details of every site users
visited in Edge to Microsoft’s Bing
search engine. The issue has since been
solved, but to be on the safe side you
1
should disable the option in Edge’s
Settings. In the ‘Privacy, search and
services’ section, scroll down to Services
and switch off ‘Show suggestions to
2
follow creators in Microsoft Edge’ (see
screenshot above).
Other Chromium-based browsers may
suffer some of the same vulnerabilities
as Chrome and Edge, but the popularity
of the Google and Microsoft programs
makes them a more lucrative target
for hackers. It’s therefore essential to
keep both up to date, by choosing
About Google Chrome or About
Microsoft Edge in the Help section of
Stop Chrome sharing information with Google about how you use the browser. their main menus.

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 FEATURE | STOP USING BROWSERS THAT TRACK YOU

Five best private browsers to use instead

BEST FOR ALL-ROUND PRIVACY data when you close a

Brave site’s tab(s), so it can’t
www.brave.com identify you on your
What we like next visit. To activate 1
Although Brave is based on the the feature, click the 2
same Chromium code as Chrome Shields button, open
and Edge, it’s been built “from the ‘Advanced controls’
ground up” with privacy in mind. This and switch on the
3
means that while you still have access to option ‘Forget me when
familiar browser features such as tabs, I close this site’ . 3

bookmarks, extensions and a password Remember to turn it off

manager, Brave will never track you or when you want to stay
collect your private data, and protects signed into a site.
you against everything that does. Although you can
From the moment you install Brave, its use ‘Forget by Default’ instead of Brave’s Brave’s powerful privacy tools block trackers,
powerful Shields system blocks “the private-browsing mode, the latter goes adverts and everything else that tracks you online.
creepy stuff that tries to track you across much further than in other browsers by
the web”. By default, Shields provides letting you access the web through the What we don’t like
aggressive blocking of trackers and ads Tor network. This not only conceals your Brave’s New Tab dashboard, which tells
( 1 in our screenshot above right), browsing history, but also hides your IP you how many trackers and ads it’s
cookies that follow you from one site to address from sites you visit, so no one blocked, includes an unnecessary news
another, and fingerprinting, which can see where you are. Press Alt+Shift+N feed, though this is easy to remove by
allows websites to identify you from the to open a private Tor window or click the clicking Customise and disabling Brave
device and software you’re using. menu button and choose ‘New private News. Also annoying are the toolbar and
Click the lion-head logo to the right of window with Tor’. sidebar buttons for the cryptocurrency
the browser’s address bar 2 to open the Brave now blocks cookie-consent feature Brave Wallet; the company’s
Shields panel and switch the feature off pop-ups automatically, using one of its Brave Rewards system, which lets you
(for example, if you have trouble loading many content filters. These are built into support content creators by watching
a site) and back on. You can adjust its Shields, so – unlike other browsers – ‘privacy-respecting’ ads; and the
individual ‘shields’ by clicking the arrow you don’t need to install an extension to browser’s paid-for VPN, which
next to ‘Advanced controls’, and block ads, trackers and other online costs $9.99 a month after a seven-day
selecting the desired level of protection annoyances. Best of all, Brave blocks ads free trial. Happily, you can hide these
in their dropdown menus. in YouTube videos by default, and has options by right-clicking their buttons
Brave recently added a useful option just been updated to keep up with the and choosing Hide or Remove. They
called ‘Forget by Default’, which prevents site’s latest changes. certainly don’t affect Brave’s status as
websites from remembering you visited See our Workshop below to find out the best private browser.
them. It works by logging you out and how to customise Brave’s privacy
deleting all cookies and other stored settings for maximum protection. Privacy rating

Workshop Optimise Brave’s privacy settings

2

3
1

2
3

Click the three-line menu button in the Next, click ‘Content filtering’ at the bottom Finally, click ‘Privacy and security’ on the
top-right corner of the browser and choose of the page. This lets you enable extra filter left 1 and select Security. Ensure
Settings, then Shields 1 . Here you can lists 1 to block more ads, trackers and ‘Standard protection’ is enabled 2 under
change Brave’s settings for blocking other annoyances – though selecting too Safe Browsing to protect you against
trackers and ads, cookies, scripts and many may slow your browsing. You can also malicious sites, extensions and downloads.
fingerprinting 2 ; automatically redirect add custom filter lists by entering their URLs Switch on ‘Use secure DNS’ and choose a
tracking URLs; and always upgrade and clicking Add 2 . Click ‘Save changes’ DNS provider in the With menu 3 to stop
unencrypted connections to HTTPS 3 . when you’ve finished adding filters. your ISP spying on you.

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 FEATURE | STOP USING BROWSERS THAT TRACK YOU

3
BEST FOR TOTAL ANONYMITY access a dark site, you
Tor Browser need to enter a
www.torproject.org 56-character onion
What we like address, so you won’t
Although Brave’s private-browsing accidentally stumble 1
mode lets you access websites across anything 2

through Tor, it doesn’t offer the illegal. Besides, many

total anonymity of the Tor Browser – reputable websites,
Brave itself recommends that “if your including the BBC,
personal safety depends on remaining Guardian and the
anonymous, use the Tor Browser New York Times, have
instead”. onion sites to help
It’s based on Firefox code, rather than their visitors beat
Chromium, and redirects your internet censorship and
connection through a series of global surveillance. Tor
‘relays’. This encrypted ‘circuit’ prevents Browser will tell you when a ‘.onion’ Tor Browser keeps you anonymous online by
websites, hackers, government agencies version is available 3 . redirecting your internet connection via ‘relays’.
and other snoopers from seeing where
you are and what you do online. Privacy rating ( 1 in our screenshot below left), which
The browser functions in permanent deletes all your browsing data with a
private-browsing mode, which means it BEST FOR SIMPLICITY single click, including cookies, cached
automatically deletes cookies, site data DuckDuckGo images, file downloads, permissions
and your internet history when you close www.snipca.com/46663 you’ve granted and details of the sites
it, leaving no trace of your activities. What we like you’ve visited. The browser also
Unlike a VPN, Tor Browser has no central DuckDuckGo’s new private integrates DuckDuckGo’s Email
service you need to trust, and there’s no browser is still in beta but it’s Protection 2 , which protects your inbox
risk of your data being shared with third already a strong rival to Brave from spammers and scammers by letting
parties for advertising purposes. and even easier to use. There are few you sign up with websites using a ‘.@
Earlier this year, Tor Browser updated settings to configure and no ‘modes’ to duck.com’ forwarding email address.
its ‘circuits’ feature to make it easier to apply – it just blocks ads and trackers Other options include blocking
check the security of your connection. automatically, to give you instant peace cookie-consent pop-ups, and
Click the new Tor Circuit button to the of mind about your online privacy. DuckPlayer, which lets you watch
left of the address bar ( 1 in our The browser benefits from a system YouTube videos without your viewing
screenshot above right) to see the called 3rd-Party Tracker Loading habits being tracked.
locations and IP addresses of the three Protection, which prevents hidden
relays your internet traffic is being sent trackers from loading in the background, What we don’t like
through. If you suspect your privacy has before they have the chance to collect The most glaring omission in
been compromised, click ‘New Tor your data. Whereas some browsers DuckDuckGo’s browser is support for
circuit for this site’. merely restrict what trackers can do once extensions. This means you can’t boost
Tor Browser’s default search engine is loaded, DuckDuckGo uses a constantly your privacy with tools such as uBlock
the privacy-focused DuckDuckGo and it updated list of known trackers to Origin and Privacy Badger (https://
offers three levels of security for identify and block their requests. privacybadger.org), if you find some ads
blocking potentially dangerous web Our favourite feature is the Fire button and annoyances are slipping through.
elements. To switch to the maximum For example, YouTube’s latest changes
level, click the shield icon and choose may mean you see ads when playing
1
Settings then Safest 2 . This disables all videos in the Duck Player, and while
non-essential features on websites, Brave and uBlock Origin have been
including JavaScript, some images and updated to address these, DuckDuckGo
auto-playing content – switch to Safer or hasn’t.
Standard if a site won’t work properly. The company says that extensions are
Although you can install Firefox “coming soon”, and part of the appeal of
extensions in Tor Browser, this isn’t the browser is that you don’t need to
recommended because it can weaken install any to block ads and trackers. But
your anonymity. add-ons are for customising your
browser as well as privacy, so we hope
What we don’t like they’ll be supported in the first stable
Because Tor redirects your connection version.
2
around the world, it significantly slows Additionally, while you can enable
your browsing and its blocking of scripts DuckDuckGo’s Global Privacy Control
and automatic deletion of cookies can (GPC) option to ask websites not to sell
make sites frustrating to use. or share your data, they’re under no
There are also concerns about the obligation to comply.
so-called dark web, which Tor allows DuckDuckGo blocks ads and trackers, and protects
access to, but you needn’t worry – to your data automatically. Privacy rating

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 FEATURE | STOP USING BROWSERS THAT TRACK YOU

BEST FOR TRACKING PROTECTION What we

Firefox don’t like
www.snipca.com/47658 Unlike Brave and
What we like DuckDuckGo,
Unlike Brave and Tor Browser, Firefox doesn’t
Firefox isn’t promoted as a have a built-in ad
private browser, but it’s much blocker. Its Strict 1 2
more trustworthy than Chrome and mode blocks some
Edge. Mozilla is constantly refining and ads, but leaves big
improving the browser’s protection gaps where they
against online tracking, and – because should be, so
it’s a non-profit organisation – it doesn’t you’re better off
try to earn advertising revenue from your installing uBlock
browsing data like Google and Microsoft. Origin.
Additionally, by using its own Gecko More annoying
browser engine, Firefox isn’t affected by is that Mozilla now
vulnerabilities in Chromium code shows its own ads – called ‘sponsored Combine Mullvad Browser with a VPN to stay
(though it’s not immune to security shortcuts’ – in Firefox to support the anonymous online.
flaws). development of the browser. These
At the heart of Firefox’s ‘Privacy & appear on your New Tab page, along previous browsing activity from what
Security’ settings is its excellent with suggested stories from Pocket. To you plan to do next. Click the New
Enhanced Tracking Protection, which is remove them, go to Settings, then Identity brush icon ( 1 in our
more reliable and customisable than Home and untick the ‘Sponsored screenshot above) on the toolbar to
other browsers’ equivalent features. shortcuts’ and ‘Recommended by wipe all session data, restart the
Even the default Standard mode ( 1 in Pocket’ options. browser and start afresh.
our screenshot below) protects you You can also stop Firefox sharing One big difference is that Mullvad
against most hidden trackers and diagnostic data with Mozilla, which Browser comes with the powerful
fingerprinting, and earlier this year it may include your IP address. On the content blocker uBlock Origin
added Total Cookie Protection. ‘Privacy & Security’ tab, scroll down to installed 2 . This means you’re
Previously limited to Strict mode, this the ‘Firefox Data Collection and Use’ protected against ads, trackers and
isolates website cookies so they can’t section and untick all the options. other intrusions from the outset, and
follow you to other sites and track your you can install further extensions
activity there. You can block more Privacy rating from the Mozilla Add-ons store.
trackers and cookies by switching to Mullvad Browser has been designed
Strict or Custom mode 2 , but Standard BEST FOR USING WITH A VPN to work in tandem with a VPN, to keep
is less likely to stop sites displaying Mullvad Browser you totally anonymous online. This
content properly. www.snipca.com/47660 means you won’t experience any
Other useful privacy options include What we like connection errors or slowdown when
Cookie Banner Reduction, which rejects Launched earlier this year, you’re pretending to be in a different
and closes cookie-consent requests on Mullvad Browser is a country. You can use any VPN, not just
“supported sites”, and an ‘Enable secure collaboration between VPN the company’s own Mullvad VPN.
DNS’ setting that tells Firefox to only use provider Mullvad VPN and the Tor
secure DNS servers. Project, the non-profit organisation What we don’t like
behind Tor Browser. It offers some of Although Mullvad Browser blocks
the privacy benefits of fingerprinting and uses private-
that browser (and is browsing mode by default, if you use it
also based on Firefox) without a VPN you won’t be
but without its slow, anonymous online. Websites will be
circuitous way of able to see your IP address and your ISP
connecting to the will know which sites you visit –
1 internet and access to unlike Brave and Firefox, there’s no
‘dark’ websites. ‘secure DNS’ option.
These benefits Also, although you can use the
include the same three browser with VPNs other than Mullvad
security levels – VPN, it’s – perhaps unsurprisingly
Standard, Safer and – tailored to that service. It comes with
Safest – and the ability an extension for “improving your
to reset your identity to Mullvad VPN experience” and its
disassociate your choice of default search engines is
limited to DuckDuckGo and the
company’s own Mullvad Leta tool –
Firefox’s Enhanced
2
Tracking Protection stops which requires Mullvad VPN.
cookies following you
around. Privacy rating

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 FEATURE | STOP USING BROWSERS THAT TRACK YOU

Do opera & vivaldi track you online?

If you’re a fan of Opera or Vivaldi, you

may wonder why we haven’t
recommended them as private 1
alternatives to Chrome and Edge. The
reason is that while both browsers have
impressive privacy features, they simply
can’t compete with our five main
choices.
Opera (www.opera.com) is one of the
few browsers to offer a free, built-in VPN
(you need to pay for the one in Brave),
which gives you access to randomly
selected servers in the Americas, Asia
and Europe. This is really a proxy
because it only encrypts data within the
browser – you can protect your whole
device by upgrading to Opera VPN Pro
for $5.99 a month – but it’s still an 2
effective way to disguise your
location and activities.
The main reason we didn’t include
Opera in our recommendations is its
intrusive privacy policy. This states that
the company makes money by showing Opera – respects your privacy and It’s easy to miss Vivaldi’s built-in privacy feature for
advertising in the browser, and collects doesn’t collect or share your data. It has blocking trackers and ads.
information about how you use its a built-in content blocker, though it’s
features “to build a profile of your easy to miss this feature among the – on its Speed Dial page. Although you
interests, which we use to select more browser’s button- stuffed toolbars. Click can remove these tiles by clicking Delete
relevant content for you” (www.snipca. the shield icon at the beginning of the in their top-right corners, they reappear
com/47678). Opera also includes address bar and you’ll see the option to every time you update Vivaldi, and are
“third-party technology or code, some of ‘Block Trackers and Ads’ ( 1 in our for sites such as YouTube, Amazon and
which may use your data in different screenshot above). Click ‘Show privacy eBay, which are known to track users.
ways”, which is another red flag if you statistics’ 2 to see how many trackers The bookmarks help to support the
want to avoid being tracked. and ads Vivaldi has blocked. browser’s development, but it’s a
In contrast, Vivaldi (https://vivaldi. What lets the browser down are the shame there’s no way to permanently
com) – which was originally based on sponsored ‘bookmarks’ – essentially ads hide them.

Compared Browser privacy features

Brave Tor DuckDuckGo Firefox Mullvad Chrome Edge

Private browsing by default    
Built-in ad blocker (that works)   
Third-party cookie blocking       
Cross-site tracker blocking     
Fingerprinting prevention     
Cookie-consent pop-up blocking    
Secure DNS option     
Malware & phishing protection     
Anonymised network routing  
CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 79
 PC BUILDER From the front lines of the Australian PC market

System news
Intel is sailing across a choppy Raptor Lake but Mark Williams knows there’s
a Panther in waiting to save it.

The 14th-generation Core series from Intel

that just launched have the code name
Intel’s 14th gen doesn’t really change the
situation with Zen 4 parts let alone heading off
Shop Talk
‘Raptor Lake Refresh’, and as the name what Zen 5 will bring. And Arrow Lake when it
suggests it’s merely a update of the 13th- comes won’t have Intel’s new SMT paradigm WHAT DO YOU THINK
generation Raptor Lake design which itself architecture implemented yet, but as a result OF THE NEW 14TH
was just an optimisation of Alder Lake. That this halfway architecture allegedly won’t GEN INTEL CPUS?
isn’t a bad thing, indeed it’s often to be support Hyper-threading either meaning for the
expected, but no underlying generational next two years or so Intel could be in for a world JAIMIE, LEADER
architectural IPC gains is a long-term of hurt on the multithreaded performance front. SYSTEMS:
problem that isn’t sustainable. Pentium 4 Intel is also having to rely on TSMC for “A new Intel generation
Extreme anyone? manufacturing support during this period while launch that runs on current
Essentially all 14th gen SKU’s are the same as it sorts out its own in-house 18A and 20A nodes motherboard architecture
the 13th series except they get a 200MHz max to bring it back in step with the manufacturing is always a welcome
turbo bump effectively making the i9-14900K leading edge. On top of all this Intel needs to stimulant to the market.
the same as the limited i9-13900KS. This minor start improving on its cost of manufacturing, as We have seen some
speed bump being the only difference down the currently it simply cannot afford to cut prices on enthusiasts jump quickly
whole lineup makes the 14th generation quite a 13th or 14th gen parts, something AMD is with the i9-14900KF
boring one. Except for the i7-14700K/F which laughing all the way to the bank with currently being quite popular!”
gains four extra E-cores pushing it up to twelve as retailers are selling AMD parts with
E-cores and twenty cores total. comfortable profit margins whereas Intel’s are RICHARD,
The stagnation doesn’t stop there though. It being sold basically at cost. AFTERSHOCK PC:
has been facing delays with its next-generation It’s tough times ahead for Intel but everything “There doesn’t seem to be
architectural design (penned by the silicon Jim Keller touches tends to turn to gold so while much excitement around
magician Jim Keller) that plans to buff single he may no longer be at Intel, his design is slowly the 14th gen as the
thread IPC by a crazy 30-50% but at the cost of cooking in the background and like his AMD performance improvement
losing hyper-threading in favour of moving to a Zen design was a masterpiece in die packaging is so minimal it doesn’t feel
completely new SMT paradigm. That should to maximise manufacturing costs which AMD is like a generational change.
come to fruition with Panther Lake in 2025, now reaping the rewards of, Panther Lake could I would still expect the
following Arrow Lake which is projected to drop be just as industry shattering. Intel just needs to higher ends SKUs to sell
around the end of 2024. And with Meteor Lake hang in until then. fairly well.
about to release which only focuses on laptop I was pleased to see
designs, that leaves Intel very vulnerable in the the pricing remained the
desktop market with nothing coming to Mark Williams is an IT professional with a strong same for the 14th gen as
compete against AMD’s big Zen 5 lineup on interest in voiding warranties. per the 13th gen (which is
desktop, due Q2 next year. not common).”

80 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 PC BUILDER | BLUEPRINTS

Market Watch
A sampling of (slightly crazy) PC systems available this month

BPC TECH KRAKEN MINI PLE ORBIT MWAVE SNEAKER X AFTERSHOCK PC

SNOW LEOPARD $5,303 $5,999 EXPLORER APOLLO
$4,799 tinyurl.com/APC527PLE tinyurl.com/APC527MW $6,599
tinyurl.com/APC527BPC tinyurl.com/APC527AFT
This fantastic-looking This just brings a smile to
This mini statement piece system seems impressive at everyone’s face. It’s a huge This system is just
packs quite the punch for first glance, but once you basketball-style shoe. It’s gorgeous. Every viewing
gamers, while looking wholly look past the RGB glare crazy, in a good way and angle is sublime, even the
unique on any desk. The you’ll begin to notice this we love that Cooler Master rear which is covered in a
desk footprint of this system isn’t so good on the value went all out with this case grid of nine RGB fans
is tiny but packs in all a front. Compared to the BPC design. cooling the three attached
gamer could want. AMD’s Tech system, we get the Intel Getting a system inside 360mm radiators.
gamer-focused 7800X3D is i7-13700FK CPU and half such a confined space and Beautifully insane.
mated with an RTX 4080, the SSD capacity, though shape brings with it some The new Intel i7 CPU is
which while not the apex with an additional 2TB HDD. challenges, the primary of great, but the matched
GPU around, certainly has The rest of the specifications which seems to be GPU GPU at this price is a little
the chops to do anything, are essentially the same, so size and that explains why unfortunate being the
path tracing included. really, we’re looking at a it comes with an RTX 4070 second best from Nvidia,
The reasonable amounts $500 dearer system for a Ti and not something but it can be upgraded to
of RAM and SSD capacities different CPU and storage better. the RTX 4090 at checkout
aren’t out of the norm at this array. The CPU does well Still, with the new – definitely worth doing for
price, and it’s good to see enough at gaming but for 14700KF inside this such a showcase PC. 1TB
faster RAM paired to the productivity and system has plenty of CPU of SSD capacity is
CPU. multithreading tasks it will cores on tap for your laughable but can be
The 360mm AIO is overkill kick the 7800X3D to the productivity needs and doubled easily for just $85
for the CPU really but given curb. with 32GB of RAM and a extra.
the case and theme, it is at There’s more but slower large 4TB SSD, for Given the custom nature
least pleasing to the eye and overall mass storage, so it’s something so fun in of this system, the price
gives plenty of headroom for a wash. Overall $500 extra appearance it’ll do can’t be argued with, even
future upgrades. for a different case and CPU marvellously for those that if the raw specs of the base
doesn’t sit well with us. need it for work as well. config don’t necessarily
CPU AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D; line up, it’s just too
COOLER Valkyrie Jarn C360 AIO; CPU Intel Core i7 13700KF; COOLER CPU Intel Core i7 14700KF; good-looking to matter.
MOTHERBOARD MSI MPG B650I Corsair iCue H150i Elite LCD XT COOLER Cooler Master Flux 360
Edge WIFI; GRAPHICS MSI GeForce AIO; MOTHERBOARD MSI MAG Z790 Special Edition; MOTHERBOARD CPU Intel Core i7-14700KF;
RTX 4080 16GB Gaming X Trio; Tomahawk WiFi; GRAPHICS MSI Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming COOLER Custom hard-line open
MEMORY 32GB Lexar ARES RGB GeForce RTX 4080 Ventus 3X OC WIFI; GRAPHICS Asus GeForce loop water cooling; MOTHERBOARD
DDR5-6400; STORAGE 2TB Lexar 16GB GDDR6X; MEMORY 32GB GeIL RTX 4070 Ti ProArt OC 12GB; Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX
NM790 M.2 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD; Polaris RGB DDR5 5600MHz AMD MEMORY 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5; GRAPHICS Asus RTX 4080
POWER SUPPLY Lian Li SP850 Edition; STORAGE 1TB Samsung 980 RGB DDR5 6000MHz C36; TUF Gaming OC 16GB; MEMORY
850W; CASE XTIA Xproto-L. Pro PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD, STORAGE 4TB Lexar NM790 PCIe 32GB Gigabyte Aorus RGB
2TB Seagate BarraCuda HDD; 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD; POWER 6000MHz; STORAGE 1TB Kingston
POWER SUPPLY MSI MPG A850G SUPPLY Cooler Master SFX 850W; KC3000 M.2 NVME SSD; POWER
850W; CASE Jonsbo MOD5. CASE Cooler Master Sneaker-X. SUPPLY MSI MPG A1000G 1000W;
CASE Bykski Granzon G20.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 81

 PC BUILDER | BLUEPRINTS

Blueprints
Value- and performance-driven hypothetical builds

Budget. A perfect balance between price and performance.

How high can you go before a overall total low? Another factor is that the gap between the 4060
budget rig stops being budget? that for whatever reason Radeon and the 4060 Ti in price terms is
That’s a pertinent question 6800 cards are often hard to find pretty hefty. It’s another $100-$150
with how GPU pricing is here in Australia. They’re almost for the 4060 Ti. Intriguingly, you
tumbling. On the AMD side, impossible to find via the regular can now also have an RTX 3070 for
the Radeon RX 6800 vanilla resellers, and are largely only $100 less than a 4060 Ti. That’s
GPU is now very cheap. available via US importers – with tempting, because the 3070 is
As we go to press, you can get one often wildly varying prices to make sometimes faster.
for around $890. That’s for a brand things complicated. With However, despite its wider 256-bit
new card – not a refurb, not open all this in mind, we’re not going to memory bus, the RTX 3070 remains
box. What a deal. It’s awfully put this GPU into a budget an 8GB card. It also gives up support
tempting to slot it into the AMD rig, no matter how good a deal it for some of the latest DLSS-powered
Budget rig and fiddle around with seems. Happily, however, there’s features, including frame
some other items to keep the price an even cheaper RX 6700 XT that generation. Because of this, we’re
under $1,500. To be honest, that we can use. going to put in a 4060 Ti this month
wouldn’t be hard, but there’s a It’s still pretty remarkable to and suck up that price increase – not
better option for us with this build. find last-gen AMD cards that that the 4060 Ti is a stellar deal,
Why not find some serious remain available, and just keep even at its newer, lower price. But
savings throughout and try to drop getting cheaper. it’s quite a relief not to have to rely
in a 6800 XT and still keep the As for the Intel rig, the problem is on that awful RTX 4060.

AMD BUILD - Approximate Price $1,408 INTEL BUILD - Approximate Price $1,574

Case Corsair 4000D Airflow $149 Case Corsair 4000D Airflow $149

PSU 600W EVGA 600 BR 80+ Gold $79 PSU 600W EVGA 600 BR 80+ Gold $79

MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI Asrock B660M Pro RS Micro

Mobo $129 Mobo $199
Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ATX GA1700

CPU AMD Ryzen 5 5600 $209 CPU Intel Core i5-12400F $235

Zotac Gaming GeForce

Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon
GPU $559 GPU RTX 4060 Ti 8GB Twin $629
RX 6700 XT 12GB
Edge OC
16GB (2 x 8GB) PNY XLR8 16GB (2 x 8GB) PNY XLR8
RAM Gaming Epic-X RGB DDR4 $89 RAM Gaming Epic-X RGB DDR4 $89
@ 3600MHz @ 3600MHz

1TB Lexar NM790 PCIe 4.0 1TB Lexar NM790 PCIe 4.0
SSD $65 SSD $65
M.2 SSD M.2 SSD

2TB Seagate Barracuda 2TB Seagate Barracuda

HDD $69 HDD $69
Compute 7200 Compute 7200

Windows 10 Home 64-bit Windows 10 Home 64-bit

OS OEM (Windows 11 $60 OS OEM (Windows 11 $60
Compatible) Compatible)

82 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 PC BUILDER | BLUEPRINTS

AMD BUILD - Approximate Price $2,562 INTEL BUILD - Approximate Price $2,677

Case Nzxt H7 Flow $199 Case Nzxt H7 Flow $199

750W EVGA 750 G5 750W EVGA 750 G5

PSU $179 PSU $179
80+ Bronze 80+ Bronze

Asrock B650M PG Riptide Gigabyte Z790 UD AC ATX

Mobo $315 Mobo $359
Wi-Fi Micro ATX AM5 LGA 1700

CPU AMD Ryzen 5 7600X $389 CPU Intel Core i5-13600K $499

Cooler MSI MAG Coreliquid 240R V2 $129 Cooler MSI MAG Coreliquid 240R V2 $129

XFX Speedster Swft 319 Zotac Gaming RTX 4070

GPU $888 GPU $949
Radeon RX 6800 Twin Edge DLSS 3 12GB

32GB (2x 16GB) Corsair 32GB (2x 16GB) Corsair

RAM Vengeance DDR5 CL40 $169 RAM Vengeance DDR5 CL40 @
$169
@ 4800MHz 4800MHz

1TB Lexar NM790 PCIe 1TB Lexar NM790 PCIe 4.0

SSD $65 SSD $65
4.0 M.2 SSD M.2 SSD

2TB Seagate Barracuda 2TB Seagate Barracuda

HDD $69 HDD $69
Compute 7200 Compute 7200

Windows 10 Home 64-bit Windows 10 Home 64-bit

OS OEM (Windows 11 $60 OS OEM (Windows 11 $60
Compatible) Compatible)

Mid-range. A game-ready machine that can also handle demanding work.

We got quite the deal on the potentially even a little cheaper the performance gap, subjectively
AMD Radeon 7800 XT last from Amazon). speaking.
month. Sadly, prices have That really is a very powerful As for the Intel rig, the good
edged up since. Thus, we’re GPU, and it’s worth recalling that news is that Nvidia’s RTX 4070
going to drop the 7800 XT. the new Radeon RX 7000 Series GPU just keeps getting cheaper.
Should we purloin the very doesn’t bring much to the table Last month, we had an MSI
cheap RX 6800 vanilla that when it comes to new features. Ventus model for $969. This
we’ve just been toying with for The biggest disappointment of all month, that drops to $949 for a
the budget build? It’s certainly is that, dollar for dollar, the 7000 Zotac-branded 4070. A small
appealing, but as with the Series is barely any better for ray drop, but for the performance any
Budget build, availablity of tracing than the 6000 Series, so saving is a good saving.
these GPUs in Australia is too it’s a straight performance fight. In truth, we’d prefer to see the
much of an issue. On the other The problem is that the 7800 XT 4070 drop under $900. At that
hand, the Radeon RX 6800 XT is usually slightly faster, and is point, there would be no doubting
has been getting cheaper, too, generally a few dollars more than that it’s a decent deal. We’re not
and can be had for just $888 the cheapest 6800 XT. there quite yet, but we do seem to
now (via Scorptec, and With that in mind, we’ve gone be heading in the right direction.
with the 6800 vanilla. In this If the rumours of a mid-life
case, we’ve chosen the XFX refresh for the RTX series are
“The Radeon RX 6800 XT has Speedster Swft 319 Radeon RX true, then the RTX 4070 and its
6800, which is easy to find and is Ada Lovelace-generation siblings
been getting cheaper, too, and priced well. Moreover, the 6800 will finally hit the prices that we
can be had for just $888 now” is close enough in performance to
a 7800 XT that you’ll rarely feel
think they should have been at
launch.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 83

 PC BUILDER | BLUEPRINTS

High-end. A game-ready machine that can also handle demanding work.

With no new CPUs or GPUs from We’re also unhappy to report only really interesting
the big players of late, you can’t that there’s been an increase in developments involve pricing.
expect to see dramatic changes in the price of the AMD Ryzen 9 Oh, and if you want more price
our Turbo builds. That said, the 7950X3D CPU. Last month they rises, the Gigabyte Z790 UD AC
current GPU generation is very were $949, and now the same CPU motherboard is now up to $359,
much maturing, but that doesn’t goes for $1,089. Still, for the best from $339 last month. Once again,
neccessarily mean they’re CPU AMD makes, complete with a minor change, but overall it’s
getting cheaper. 16 cores and a big chunk of 3D sadly indicative of this
Last issue, the best price we could V-cache, it feels like a very unpredictable market. Still, that
find for an AMD Radeon RX 7900 decent deal. really is still a decent price for a
XT was $1,599. This time around, We saw another small increase quality Z790 motherboard that
that price has increased slightly to for our GPU. The Zotac Gaming comes complete with integrated
$1,659. That’s not far off the 7900 GeForce RTX 4090 Trinity 24GB is Wi-Fi, so we’re leaving it in the
XTX’s original launch price. It’s still up to $2,999, from $2,749 last Intel Turbo build once again.
a no-brainer for our AMD build. month. In some good news, the There is hope, though. With the
Intel Core i9-13900KF is also world economy still not having
very slightly cheaper this month. fully recovered post-pandemic,
“The current GPU generation is Okay, $20 is a fairly academic prices for all of these components
very much maturing, but that discount in the context of
near-$6,000 PC. But again, it’s
are only likely to get better from a
buyer’s perspective. Watch this
doesn’t neccessarily mean indicative of the current market. space over the next few months,

they’re getting cheaper.” We’re in that lull between major

component launches where the
as it’s likely that these rigs are
only going to get cheaper.

AMD BUILD - Approximate Price $4,891 INTEL BUILD - Approximate Price $5,911

Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2

Case $299 Case $299
Tempered Glass Tempered Glass

1000W Corsair RM1000x

PSU 1000W Nzxt C1000 80+ Gold $239 PSU $239
Shift 80+ Gold

Asrock X670E PG Lightning Gigabyte Z790 UD AC

Mobo $449 Mobo $359
ATX AM5 ATX LGA 1700

CPU AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D $1,089 CPU Intel Core i9-13900KF $859

Cooler Nzxt Kraken X73 RGB 360mm $329 Cooler Nzxt Kraken X73 RGB 360mm $329

Sapphire Pulse Radeon Zotac GeForce RTX 4090

GPU $1,659 GPU $2,999
RX 7900 XTX 24GB Gaming Trinity OC 24GB

64GB (2x 32GB) Corsair 64GB (2x 32GB) Corsair

RAM Vengeance DDR5 CL40 @ $279 RAM Vengeance DDR5 CL40 @
$279
5200MHz 5200MHz

2TB WD Black SN850X M.2 2TB WD Black SN850X M.2

SSD $309 SSD $309
PCIe 4.0 PCIe 4.0

HDD 6TB WD Blue 5400 HDD $179 HDD 6TB WD Blue 5400 HDD $179

Windows 10 Home 64-bit Windows 10 Home 64-bit

OS OEM (Windows 11 $60 OS OEM (Windows 11 $60
Compatible) Compatible)

84 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

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 HELP STATION | THE PROBLEM SOLVERS

The problem solvers

The APC team field problems across the spectrum of devices and software.
Learn a new trick or fix you can use.

ECC server memory RAM itself. While there are some you’ll see a list of test results. Hopefully
I’m looking at building a home server, consumer-grade motherboards and CPUs everything is ‘ok’.
but none of the boards I like support that support ECC RAM, it’s not a must- For a more thorough test, run
ECC memory. I understand that this is have component. Memtest86+, which can only be
important for detecting potential If you follow our best-practice advice to accessed outside of Ubuntu Server (it
memory corruption before it can lead ensure your data is regularly backed up installs itself to your GRUB boot menu).
to serious data loss. Is there a Pentium using differential or incremental backup Once a month or so, connect your server
J-series board (or similar low-powered tools to retain multiple versions of a file, to a keyboard and monitor, then reboot
board) that supports ECC memory? then in the unlikely event that the RAM and launch Memtest86+. Let it run all
Graham Naylor does start corrupting your data, there’s a tests at least once – preferably up to five
version you can roll back to. Duplicati times. If no errors are detected, press
APC Responds: ECC stands for Error (www.duplicati.com) is a good option. Esc to reboot back into your server
Correction Code, which refers to memory It’s also worth investing time post- proper.
that constantly checks for errors in data server setup into creating a RAM-testing If errors are found, you’ll need to test
memory that can indicate failing RAM. regime. Two apps can help – Memtest86+ each stick of RAM by shutting down
In turn, these errors can start to silently (www.memtest.org) and Memtester your server and removing each one in
corrupt files – including personal data, as (https://pyropus.ca./software/ turn, then re-running the test until you
well as those from the underlying memtester). Install them both with: identify the failing stick. It’s technically
operating system. ECC memory is usually sudo apt update && sudo apt install possible to keep faulty RAM running –
found in high-end servers in professional memtest86+ memtester some errors are marginal and may never
and business environments, where Memtester can be used from the result in corruption, while you can also
corruption or service outages could be Terminal while your server is up and instruct Linux to avoid using bad
catastrophic. Sadly, you won’t find ECC running, but is only capable of testing memory areas. However, it’s not simple
memory support in any Pentium J-series memory that’s marked as free. Use the task – see https://askubuntu.com/
chips. ‘free -h’ command to determine how questions/908925 for details – and
You might want to examine products much RAM is currently free, then run your best course of action is to simply
based on the Intel Atom Processor C Memtester as follows (the example will replace the bad RAM.
series, which are designed for test 4GB RAM over three iterations):
microservers, but there’s a premium to memtester 4G 3 Self-hosted eBooks
pay – not just for the Atom C, but for ECC Wait for the test to complete, and then I’m looking for something to rival
Audiobookshelf, but for eBooks, so I
can stream my eBooks collection to
my phone or tablet (I don’t have a
Kindle). I have a library of hundreds,
so it’s not practical to store them all
on my mobile.
I’ve tried the web server component
of Calibre, but while functional, it’s
not exactly attractive, and the app’s
full text search capabilities haven’t
made it to the web server yet. Is there
a good alternative?
Henry Perkins

APC Responds: APC has recently

discovered Kavita (www.kavitareader.
com), which ticks all your boxes –
including the full-text search – and
Set up your own eBook-streaming solution with Kavita. boasts a slick user interface that’s not
dissimilar from self-hosted audiobook
“I’m looking for something to rival Audiobookshelf, streamer Audiobookshelf. You can
install it natively across all three major
but for eBooks, so I can stream my eBooks platforms (Windows, macOS, and
Linux), but there’s also a Docker
collection to my phone or tablet.” instance, which works perfectly with a

86 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 HELP STATION | THE PROBLEM SOLVERS

“After a recent update, my C920 Logitech Pro

Webcam’s audio no longer works when I plug it in.
Instead I’m told “no audio device is installed”.
Can you suggest a fix?”

home server setup, and is easy to link up former by clicking the ‘Automatic confirming any prompts. Once done,
to your reverse proxy for remote access. update of links has been disabled’ to be audio should be restored in around 30
It utilises the same folder structure as taken to the file’s Info tab in Excel, seconds; if not, open Task Manager,
Calibre (author/title), so assuming your where a Security Warning contained an select Services, then Audosrv (which
books are organised, point Kavita to the ‘Enable Content’ button that added the should have Windows Audio as its
folder housing your Calibre library, and document to Excel’s Trusted list. But the description), and click the Restart
it should pick everything up. A setting didn’t stick. button.
subscription unlocks some extra It turned out she was a Nextcloud The C920 audio driver should remain
goodies, but the majority of user, and the file was being synced to a disabled until you restart it.
functionality is free – including access self-hosted Nextcloud instance (version
to your own server’s content. 27.1.0). We asked her to move the file to a Desktop split personality
The only downside is the lack of an folder not monitored by Nextcloud, and It appears that half of my desktop no
official mobile app, but the web the prompt ceased. We looked online longer works. It’s visible on-screen,
interface is optimised for mobile and found other users had suffered a but I cannot interact with anything
browsers, and it has built-in support for similar problem. Lynn had recently on the left-hand side of the screen,
OPDS, so you can connect to it through updated her Nextcloud client to v3.10, nor drag items over from the right to
third-party apps like those listed on while online it was claimed on both the left. I’m fully up to date and tried
Kavita’s wiki (https://wiki. Github (github.com/nextcloud/ running sfc/scannow with no
kavitareader.com/en/faq/external- desktop/issues/3456) and the success. Please help!
readers). Nextcloud forum (help.nextcloud. Mary D Mathis
com/t/157229/21) that the problem
Excel annoyance had been resolved as of version 3.9.2. APC Responds: Mary is right when she
Whenever I go to save a specific Excel Clearly this isn’t the case, but in both says something invisible is getting in
spreadsheet, I’m told it may have cases, Nextcloud has been identified as the way. A search revealed the culprit –
been changed by another user, and the culprit through its inability to and temporary workaround: Windows
am asked if I want to create a copy or record the microseconds component 11 widgets. We instructed Mary to open
overwrite any changes. I’m not aware recorded in a file’s modified date, which Task Manager by right-clicking the
of opening this anywhere else, so how leads Excel to conclude that the file has Taskbar, then told her to type widget
do I stop the prompt from constantly been changed by someone else. While into the search box at the top to reveal a
appearing? Lynn will have to put up with this for Windows Widgets entry. Clicking > next
Lynn Monson now, the fact it’s been identified as a to this revealed two running processes
problem has us hoping Nextcloud – we told her to close widgets.exe, and
APC Responds: We examined Lynn’s resolves it. the problem vanished.
file, and saw that it contained links to This doesn’t survive a reboot, but if
other workbooks that threw up a No webcam audio you’re not using the widgets feature,
security warning and exhibited After a recent update, my C920 you can disable the Widgets button
non-consistent behaviors – sometimes Logitech Pro Webcam’s audio no from the Taskbar to prevent the
the file updated them with no longer works when I plug it in. invisible window from appearing –
complaint, at others it prompted the Instead I’m told “no audio device is navigate to Settings > Personalisation >
user to do so (then claimed it couldn’t installed”. Can you suggest a fix? Taskbar to flick it to off. If this doesn’t
update all the links). Occasionally, it Salvo Ramirez work, disable widgets via the Registry.
gave a warning about disabling Press Win + R, type regedit, hit Enter,
automatic link updates. APC Responds: We managed to track then navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_
We started by clicking Edit Links… down a workaround. The cause is MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\
when told certain links couldn’t be apparently a conflict between the Microsoft.
updated. This opened a dialog revealing Logitech Webcam and a particular Right-click the Microsoft key and
links to missing files. We spoke to Lynn, patch that targets Realtek’s choose New > Key. Name it Dsh. With
who confirmed the files had been moved AudioProcessingObject, which results Dsh selected, right-click inside the
elsewhere – by clicking ‘Change in the Windows Audio service crashing. right-hand pane and choose New >
Source…’ next to each missing link, she To circumvent the problem, press Win DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name this
was able to restore the link manually. + R and type devmgmt.msc to open AllowNewsAndInterests, and leave its
This resolved that error message, but Device Manager. Expand ‘Sound, video value set at 0 (zero).
there was still the security warning and and game controllers’ to reveal the HD Open Task Manager, locate the
claim the file had been edited by Pro Webcam C920 audio driver. Windows Explorer process, right-click
another user. We attempted to fix the Right-click this and choose Disable, it, and choose Restart.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 87

 HELP STATION | HARDWARE

Free up PC memory
When your computer starts crashing or running slowly, you might need to
unlock hidden RAM to reclaim lost speed. Nik Rawlinson explains the best
free ways to optimise your memory.

Adding memory to your PC is one of the available as a portable program, which SD card or external SSD to augment your
most effective upgrades you can make. means you don’t need to install it. You can computer’s internal memory. It only works
The trouble is, not everyone can do it. also set it to launch when your PC starts on computers with an internal hard drive
Some computers are sealed boxes, and and exclude Windows features you don’t (but not an SSD), which would otherwise be
others have their memory soldered to want it to affect. used to host temporary files when they don’t
the motherboard. In such cases, you’ll We particularly like that you can set it to fit into memory. It can’t improve the
have to make the most efficient use of kick in automatically at set intervals or performance of a PC with an internal SSD,
the memory you’ve got. But even if you when your PC’s available memory falls since that’s a faster caching option than a
can upgrade your computer, it’s silly to below a certain level. To do this, move the device connected externally.
splash out on new memory without first slider at the bottom-right of the screen (see To get started, plug in your drive or SD
checking to see whether a few tweaks screenshot below left). card, then open File Explorer and right-click
could save you the expense. Here we When we tested the program, it on the external device in the sidebar. Click
explain different ways to unlock increased the available RAM on our ‘Properties’, then switch to the ReadyBoost
memory. machine from 1.1GB to 4.4GB. That’s not to tab. Click ‘Use this device’ and Windows will
be sniffed at, although it’s harder to say check whether it’s compatible (it needs to
Run memory-cleaning software what actual difference this will make to have short access times, fast read and write
This should be your first step. Programs your computer’s performance. When other speeds, and a capacity of at least 256MB). If it
such as Windows Memory Cleaner flush processes spot the available memory, they is, click OK to use it for ReadyBoost.
your PC’s physical memory (or RAM) to may grab it – or Windows might shift data Although ReadyBoost can significantly
make room for new data. It uses built-in into it that it had temporarily offloaded to reduce the time a computer takes to perform
Windows features to do this, and is the hard drive because it wasn’t needed common tasks, we still recommend
immediately. upgrading your internal memory if possible.
To download Windows Memory Cleaner, Because internal memory becomes an
visit www.snipca.com/47724 then scroll integral part of the computer, your data
down and click ‘WinMemoryCleaner.exe’ won’t have to travel twice through a USB port
under the Assets heading. Also check out (out to the external device and then back
the all-new Microsoft PC Manager, which again) when in use.
includes a feature for optimising your
memory (see https://pcmanager. Turn on Storage Sense
microsoft.com/en-us). We’ll take a closer Whether you’re using a hard drive or an SSD,
look at it in an upcoming issue. make sure it isn’t too full. As we’ve
mentioned already, Windows uses disk space
Use Windows ReadyBoost as a temporary store for any memory
Set Windows Memory Cleaner to kick in when your ReadyBoost, which first appeared in contents it doesn’t need immediately.
memory falls beneath a certain level. Windows Vista, lets you use a USB stick, However, if your hard drive is too full,

88 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 HELP STATION | HARDWARE

SNOOZE TABS IN YOUR

1 BROWSER
If you spend a lot of time browsing
online, consider switching to Opera
2 (www.opera.com). This has a handy
tab-snoozing feature that puts
background tabs to sleep, so they
don’t use memory your PC could be
better using elsewhere.
Storage sense can spot wasted disk space and Launch Opera, type opera://
clear it out. settings into the address bar, then
scroll down and click the small
Windows will have less space for Advanced heading. Now scroll
offloading this data, and won’t be able to further down to the ‘User interface’
do the next job on its list until it has section and click ‘Snooze inactive
processed whatever is stored in your PC’s tabs to save memory’. Restart
limited onboard memory. Opera for the change to take effect.
Before you move documents, photos and Edge has a similar feature called
3
so on to an external drive, try turning on ‘Sleeping tabs’, which saves
Windows’ built-in Storage Sense feature, memory by suspending inactive
which identifies wasteful data, such as Increasing paging file size lets Windows use more drive tabs. Go to Settings, then ‘System
unnecessary temporary files, and reclaims space for files that won’t fit in RAM. and performance’ and switch on
the space. To switch it on, press Windows ‘Save resources with sleeping tabs’.
key+I to open Settings, then click System, Open Settings, then click System You can specify how long to wait
followed by Storage. Click the Storage followed by About. Click ‘Advanced before putting them to sleep.
Sense switch to turn it on (see screenshot system settings’, then the Advanced tab. In Chrome, use the new ‘Memory
above). Click Settings in the Performance block ( 1 saver’ option in the Performance
in screenshot below left), then the button section of the browser’s Settings to
Turn off Windows animations beside ‘Adjust for best performance’ 2 . free up RAM from inactive tabs.
Windows uses animated effects to make This will turn off all the animations by
the operating system look more stylish, unticking their boxes 3 . If you feel
but they can nibble away at your memory. confident making changes yourself, click
Some of them, such as smoothing the Custom 4 instead and turn off only the
edges of screen fonts and showing window animations you don’t need.
contents while dragging, you probably You’re safe to experiment here, because
don’t even notice. If you turn them off, you’re not making any fundamental 2

Windows will devote less memory to changes to the operating system, and it’s
1
making things look pretty, without losing easy to change things back as they were.
any functionality.
Change the paging file size
While you’re on the Advanced tab, click Limit how many programs start automatically to
2
the ‘Change…’ button in the ‘Virtual reduce demand for your PC’s memory.
memory’ block. This ‘virtual memory’,
also known as the paging file, is the
portion of your hard drive Windows uses Cut software that starts when your
to stash data that won’t fit into your PC boots
physical memory. It’s easy to lose track of exactly what your
1
Untick the box beside ‘Automatically computer is doing if you don’t know which
manage paging file size for all drives’ ( 1 in programs launch automatically when you
screenshot above). Next, click the button boot. This is well worth checking, as the
beside ‘Custom size’ and enter your more software you run simultaneously, the
preferred values in the ‘Initial size’ and more data your PC’s memory needs to juggle.
4 ‘Maximum size’ box 2 . Before you do this, To prune the list of programs that start
refer to the measurements in the ‘Total automatically with Windows, open Settings
paging file size for all drives’ box at the and click Apps ( 1 in screenshot above)
3
bottom of the interface, which shows the followed by Startup. Click the sliders
‘Minimum allowed’, and the amount next to any programs you rarely use,
‘Currently allocated’ 13 . but avoid switching off safety features
Don’t specify a size less than the such as Microsoft Defender and your
‘Minimum allowed’ in the ‘Initial size’ box, backup software. When we checked our
or less than ‘Currently allocated’ in the startup software, we saw five tools that
Turn off Windows animations to free up ‘Maximum size’ box if you’re hoping to didn’t need to launch at boot, so we disabled
valuable memory. improve your PC’s performance. them all 2 .

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 HELP STATION | WINDOWS

Make Windows better

Expert tips for a better experience.

To do this, you’ll need to download a tool

from software site MajorGeeks.com that WINDOWS 11 INSIDER
edits your registry. Visit www.snipca. Remove photo backgrounds
com/47754 and click the Download Now in Paint
button at the top. Extract the files that Microsoft has added a tool to the preview
download, then double-click ‘Windows version of Paint that removes your
2
Update Context Menu ADD.reg’. Click background layer on photos. This tool is
‘Yes’ and OK when asked by Windows to currently only available to Windows
let the program make changes to your Insiders using build 22631.2338 or later
system. on the Beta channel. Open your image in
1
Once the file has run, right-click your Paint, then click the ‘Remove
desktop, followed by Windows Update background’ icon ( 5 in screenshot) in the
Settings ( 3 in screenshot – in Windows ribbon menu. Paint will alter your photo
WINDOWS 10 & 11 11 you’ll need to first click ‘Show more so that the background it has detected is
Turn programs into smaller options’). You’ll now see five options: replaced with a grey chequered pattern 6
‘thumbnails’ Windows Update, ‘Check for updates’, indicating the absence of a background
The ‘Crop And Lock’ tool, new in version ‘Update history’, ‘Restart options’ and layer. You can now copy the foreground
0.73 of Microsoft’s PowerToys, lets you ‘Advanced options’ 4 . Clicking one takes image, and paste it over a new
create a ‘thumbnail’ image from a you to that page in Settings. background in a second Paint file.
program that you’re using. This means
you can crop a section from a larger
window into a smaller one, which you 3
can then treat as a desktop widget.
We’ve used this tool to crop the 6

weather forecast, so it gets updated in

real time. Open PowerToys, click ‘Crop
And Lock’ on the left, then Open Settings 4
and make sure Enable Crop And Lock is 5
set to On ( 1 in screenshot).
Use the Thumbnail ‘Win+Ctrl+Shift+T’
shortcut to crop, or click the pencil icon
2 to create your own. This can be any

length, as long as it starts with Win, Ctrl,

Alt or Shift. WINDOWS 11 Capture text with Snipping Tool
Now click and drag your cursor to
highlight the section on the site you want
to isolate. When you let go, the section 2

you chose will be resized into a smaller

window. Any changes you now make 1

online – such as scrolling down the web

page or visiting another site – will be
shown in the thumbnail.
This differs from using the tool in Crop 4

And Lock’s ‘reparent’ mode, which

3
creates a smaller window that you can
scroll up and down in, rather than a fixed
view that you can’t click or interact with. 5

If you’ve already installed PowerToys,

launch it and check whether you have an
update. If not, download it from the One of the most useful new tools in the capture. In our example, we captured the
Microsoft Store: www.snipca. ‘Moment 4’ update for Windows 11, main title from the Windows Update
com/47746. released 26 September, is using OCR to settings page 2 . After taking our
extract text from an image and paste it screenshot, we clicked the ‘Text actions’
WINDOWS 10 & 11 where you like, such as in Notepad or a icon 3 , and a box highlighted all the text
Add ‘Windows Update’ options to Word document. Snipping Tool had detected. Next, we
your right-click menu Open Snipping Tool, then click the ‘New selected ‘Copy all text’ 4 to send the words
You can add options to open Windows screenshot’ icon ( 1 in screenshot). Draw ‘Windows Update’ to our clipboard. Finally,
Update settings to your right-click menu. your box around the image you’d like to we pasted it into Notepad 5 .

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 HELP STATION | OFFICE

Make Office better

Expert tips for a better experience.

Libreoffice Calc, Microsoft Excel & Onlyoffice

Calculate end-of-month deadlines
Using the formula EOMONTH you can set
1
spreadsheets to generate end-of-month
deadlines. In our example, we’re setting
deadlines for a long-term project kicking off in
January 2024. We’ve entered the start date
into C3 ( 1 in our screenshot), the task names
2 in column B, and our deadlines into column C. 2

To calculate the deadline for our first task, we

entered =EOMONTH(C3,0) 2 into C7.
ONLYOFFICE In the formula, we used C3 to refer to the 1
Zoom in beyond 200% project start date, and ‘0’ to refer to 0 months
Version 7.4 of OnlyOffice, released in June, after the project start month (January 2024).
lets you zoom into your documents, Changing 0 to 1 means the formula would
spreadsheets and presentations beyond generate the end-of-month date for February
the previous limit of 200%. 2024; 2 for March 2024, and so on. 3
When working on documents and For example, in C18 1 , we used the
spreadsheets, you can zoom using formula =EOMONTH(C3,7) to generate the
increments of 100 from 200% up to 500% end date for August 2024.
by clicking the bottom-right menu ( 1 in
our screenshot below). Our photo has
been zoomed to 500%. For smaller
increments, hold down Ctrl on your current ribbon menu too cluttered. 1

keyboard then scroll with your mouse However, it’s also more limited and no
wheel, or move two fingers up or down longer looks the same as the menu in
your laptop’s touchpad. Alternatively, Word and Excel. If you prefer the old view,
click the + and - (plus and minus) buttons click the down arrow on the far right 2 ,
2 . You can’t type your own number to then click Classic Ribbon 3 . 4
zoom by.
LIBREOFFICE CALC
MICROSOFT OUTLOOK Filter tables by colour
Go back to the old ribbon menu LibreOffice 7.6, released in August, adds
Microsoft redesigned Outlook earlier this the ability to sort your spreadsheet data by 3

year, and added several new features that the colour of the cell, and also filter its
we’ll explain in upcoming issues. The data based on colour.
changes are now being rolled out to the First, create your table and highlight it. 2

desktop editions of Outlook 2016, 2019 Hover over the Data tab in the toolbar,
and 2021, as well as the Microsoft 365 then click AutoFilter or press Ctrl+Shift+L. and tasks coloured in ‘Light Red 3’ 3 are
version. LibreOffice will add dropdown arrows ( 1 incomplete.
One of the biggest changes is a more in our screenshot above right) to your To remove the completed tasks so we only
condensed ribbon menu, which appears column headers. see those in red, we clicked the dropdown
just below the toolbar ( 1 in our In our example, we’ve colour-coded our arrow, and hovered over ‘Filter by Colour’.
screenshot below). This has fewer to-do list, so tasks in column A coloured in Next, we clicked ‘Light Red 3’ 4 , and
features, pleasing those who find the ‘Light Green 3’ 2 have been completed, LibreOffice hid all green-shaded cells.

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 HELP STATION | BROWSER TIPS

Browser tips
Secret settings and best extensions

CHROME category for AI-powered extensions.

Explore the new Chrome Web Store There’s also a carousel of themed
The Chrome Web Store, which hosts collections, such as ‘Favourites of 2022’.
thousands of extensions and themes to We particularly like the new
install in Google’s browser, has remained ‘Customise every new tab’ collection,
relatively unchanged for years. To which rounds up tools for making your
celebrate Chrome’s 15th birthday, Google new tabs look more interesting,
has redesigned the site to give it a fresh, including Momentum, ‘Earth View from
modern look and make it easier to Google’ and ‘Google Arts & Culture’. Best
browse. of all, you can now check which
The new store features a larger, more extensions you already have installed by
prominent search box at the top of the clicking the three-dot button in the
page, which now provides accurate top-right corner and choosing ‘My
auto-complete suggestions when you extensions & themes’ (see screenshot
start typing the name of an extension. below left).
The Categories list on the left-hand side The new Chrome Web Store should be
has been replaced with a ‘Top categories’ live by the time you read this, but if not
section in the centre, which includes you can preview it by clicking ‘Try out the
Shopping, Entertainment and Tools. new experience’ in the top-left corner of
There are recommendations for add-ons the old store. Alternatively, go straight to
you might like, ‘Editors’ Picks’ and a new https://chromewebstore.google.com. EDGE
In other Chrome news, Capture screenshots
version 117 of the browser of YouTube videos
(released in September) Microsoft has updated Edge with a useful
introduces an experimental new feature that lets you capture
feature called ‘Safety hub’, screenshots of YouTube videos without
which is designed to replace needing to install a screen-capture
the existing ‘Safety check’ by extension. The option was quietly
better integrating Chrome’s introduced in version 116 of the browser,
privacy and security settings. which was released in August, and only
See our Workshop below to appears to work on YouTube – not other
find out how to try the new video sites such as Dailymotion and
option, but note that it’s still TikTok.
in development. To use the feature, simply right-click a
video twice and choose ‘Copy video

Workshop Try Chrome’s new ‘Safety hub’

1 2
2

1 2 3
1
3

To unlock the new ‘Safety hub’ feature, type When Chrome reopens, click the three-dot The left-hand button 1 runs Chrome’s
chrome://flags into Chrome’s address bar menu and choose Settings then ‘Privacy Password Checkup to identify
and press Enter to load the Experiments and security’ 1 . Click the new ‘Go to Safety compromised, reused and weak passwords.
page. Search for the entry labelled Safety hub’ button at the top of the page 2 . You’ll The middle button 2 takes you to the About
Hub 1 , select Enabled 2 in its dropdown see three ‘Safety at a glance’ buttons, Chrome page so you can update the
menu and click the Relaunch button 3 . which are all currently labelled ‘Privacy & browser, while the right-hand button
security’. 3 opens Chrome’s Security settings.

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 HELP STATION | BROWSER TIPS

Best extension for… Monitoring your laptop battery

BATTERY STATUS
Chromium | www.snipca.com/47628
Although you can check your laptop’s To do this, open the add-on’s Settings,
battery level by hovering your cursor over click Add and specify the battery level at
the battery icon on the Windows taskbar, which you want to play a sound. Select a
it’s more convenient to have this sound in the dropdown menu (see
information in your browser. screenshot) then click Save. Battery Status
This extension shows you the current works with Windows laptops,
battery percentage on its toolbar button, Chromebooks and MacBooks.
which changes from green to red when
power drops below 15 per cent. Click the IF YOU DON’T LIKE THAT, TRY…
button for further details including whether BATTREMINDER
the battery is charging and the estimated Chromium | www.snipca.com/47629
time until it’s full. Best of all, Battery This simple extension displays a
Status lets you set up audio notifications to notification when your laptop’s battery is
alert you when your laptop’s battery is full, so you don’t waste money on
running low. electricity by continuing to charge it.

frame’ in the menu that opens (see options for editing them as well. It lets
screenshot above). This will take a you annotate PDFs using different
screenshot of the current frame of the coloured virtual pens, add text boxes
video – you can pause playback to so you can include extra information
capture a precise moment – and copy it to and sign forms, and – as of version 117
your clipboard. You can then paste the (released 29 August) – insert images in
picture into an image editor or a PDFs too.
document at its original resolution and To try this new tool, open a PDF file in
quality. Firefox by dragging it into the main
Not to be outdone by its rival, Google window. Click the picture icon on the 1
swiftly followed Microsoft by adding the toolbar in the top-right corner and
same feature to Chrome. This works in choose ‘Add image’ (see screenshot below
the same way by displaying a ‘Copy video left), then browse to the image you want
frame’ option when you right-click a to add to the document. Click ‘Open’ and
video twice. the image will appear full size in the PDF.
Drag the circles in the corners and on
FIREFOX the borders of the image to resize it as 2
Insert images in PDF files required, then move it into the desired
All the main browsers now let position in the document. When you
you view PDFs without installing save or print the PDF, it will include your
an extension, but Firefox offers several inserted image. You can add as many
images as you want. noticed some ads slipping through. To
If you can’t see the new ‘Add image’ address this annoyance, the latest
button in the PDF viewer, type version of Brave (1.58, released in mid-
about:config into Firefox’s address bar, September) applies ‘aggressive cosmetic
press Enter and click ‘Accept the Risk filtering’ on YouTube to stop the site
and Continue’. Search for the preference bypassing the browser’s ad blocker. To set
pdfjs.enableStampEditor and double- the blocker to maximum power, click the
click it to change its value to ‘true’. Shields button (a lion’s head) next to the
Restart the browser for the change to address bar, ensure that ‘Shields are UP’
take effect. for YouTube ( 1 in our screenshot above)
and select ‘Aggressively block trackers &
BRAVE ads’ under ‘Advanced controls’ 2 .
Block more YouTube ads Additionally, Brave 1.58 blocks cookie-
and cookie banners consent banners and privacy notices on
Brave’s built-in ad blocker lets you watch websites by default, using the EasyList
videos on YouTube without them being Cookie filter list – previously, you needed
interrupted by adverts – and saves you to switch on the option manually. To turn
having to install an ad-blocking it off – if you have trouble accessing sites
extension. – go to Settings then Shields, click
However, since Google began its ‘Content filtering’ and untick the EasyList
crackdown on ad blockers, you may have Cookie box.

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 HELP STATION | MAC

Master screen sharing

Whether near or far, it’s easy to share your Mac’s screen with someone else.

IT WILL TAKE There are dozens of reasons why you Whatever the reason, sharing a screen from one
30 minutes might need to share your Mac’s screen Mac to another is pretty simple, whether you’re in
YOU WILL LEARN with someone else or access the screen of a friend the same room or another continent. You don’t need
How to share or family member. Perhaps you left a file on a third-party software – though there are third-party
your Mac’s screen Mac at the office and need to open it at home. Or tools that add more features – and you can even
YOU’LL NEED maybe you have a ‘headless’ Mac running copy and paste from one Mac to the other. All the
macOS 12 or later upstairs and you need to troubleshoot it on your tools you need are built right into macOS. Screen
for SharePlay MacBook. Need to help a friend or family sharing has been around for ages, but if you want to
member with a problem on their Mac? share a screen in FaceTime or Messages using
A FaceTime call with screen sharing is the SharePlay, you’ll need to be running macOS 12 or
easiest way to do it. later. Kenny Hemphill

How to Share your screen

GENIUS TIP!
You can’t use Screen
Sharing and Remote
Management at 1 Share on a local network 2 Allow more access
the same time. On the Mac whose screen you want to share, go to Click Computer Settings. If you want to access the
So, when you enable System Settings > General > Sharing. Turn on Screen Mac’s screen from a PC or iPad third-party client, click
Screen Sharing, Sharing. Click the ‘i’ and take a note of the VNC ‘VNC viewers may…’. If you want to allow anyone to
make sure Remote address. Choose whether to allow access to all or request permission to view your screen, enable that.
Management is off. specific users.

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 HELP STATION | MAC

Continued… How to share your screen

JARGON
BUSTER
SharePlay is a sharing
feature in macOS and
iOS that allows you to
‘watch along’ with
friends in FaceTime
and Messages, and
can also be used to
share a screen.

3 Start sharing 4 Screen share remotely

On the other Mac, open a Finder window, click On the Mac you want to share to, invoke Spotlight,
Network in the sidebar, click the first Mac and choose search for ‘Screen Sharing’ and click it to launch it.
Share Screen. Alternatively, click the Go menu, In the ‘Connect to’ window that opens, type the
choose Connect to Server, and type in the VNC Apple ID to which the other Mac is logged in, then
address you noted. click Connect.

5 Allow sharing 6 Manage settings

On the Mac whose screen is being shared, click Accept If you’re sharing a bigger screen to a smaller one, click
when the request to share the screen appears. Then the Screen Sharing menu then Settings. Use the
choose Control My Screen to give the other Mac Display tab to set how the larger screen will scale and
control, or Observe My Screen to keep control. ‘Scroll the screen’ to determine how it will scroll.

GENIUS TIP!
When you share a
screen, your viewing
7 Share with FaceTime 8 Share with Messages options depend on
In a FaceTime call, click the camera icon in the menu In Messages, click on a conversation or send someone your network
bar. Click the Screen Sharing button. Then, either a message. Click the ‘i’ and choose Share. Select either connection. Click the
choose ‘Share the app window’, and click on the app ‘Invite to Share My Screen’ or ‘Ask to Share Screen’, View menu in Screen
window, or ‘Share the Whole Screen’ and click depending on which screen you want to share. Sharing to see your
anywhere. choices.

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 HELP STATION | LINUX

Fast file management

Shashank Sharma may be a gamophobe but he has no fear in admitting his
commitment to the CLI thanks to the many wonderful tools on offer.

CLI file managers have been

around for decades. What
makes some of the text-based filed
managers stand out – from other CLI
counterparts as well as the graphical
alternatives – is their unique
appearance or workflow. Goful is such
a CLI tool, and if you’re on the fence
about switching to a CLI alternative
from your current favourite, this
might be the one that pushes you over
the edge.
Written in Go and released under the
MIT License, Goful is a dual-pane file
manager that does the traditional CRUD
tasks (create, read, update, delete) but
also boasts features often missing from
other CLI file managers, such as bulk
rename, a powerful search filter, You’ll appreciate the ability to tile the top and bottom of the interface if you frequently work
different layout styles, several colour with several directories.
schemes, the ability to work with archive
files, and more. the project’s homepage, but we’ll also In addition to the Stat menu, the View
Although Goful isn’t in the software cover the essential ones in this tutorial. menu is home to the Layout and Look
repositories of popular desktop distros, menus. Head into the Look menu to
installation is straightforward. If you Mastering the basics change the colour scheme, or to toggle
already have Go installed, you can run Whether it’s graphical apps or text-based the borders for the panes on and off.
go install github.com/anmitsu/goful@ utilities, arranging all the features into The Layout menu can be used to switch
latest to install Goful. If you don’t an easily navigable interface is always a the position of the panes. Experiment
already have Go installed, you can challenge. You might find yourself with the options on offer in the Look and
instead grab the latest tarball from the feeling a little overwhelmed with all Layout menus to find the appearance that
Releases section of the project’s GitHub Goful presents you with by default. best suits you. When navigating the View
page (https://github.com/anmitsu/ To begin, the numbers on the top-left of menu, you’ll notice that each element has
goful/releases). Extract the tarball and the interface are the three workspaces on a defined keybinding. For instance, when
move the goful binary into a directory in offer. Each one provides a two-pane you press v to access the View menu, you
your $PATH. interface by default. You can switch can see the following keybindings:
You can now launch Goful with the between the two panes in the current
goful command. The project doesn’t workspace using Tab. At the bottom of View menu Function
have a man page, a help section the interface, Goful provides helpful s Stat menu
or detailed documentation. This is a details about the disk space.
problem because the default interface Before anything else, we recommend l Layout menu
has a lot of different elements, all decluttering the interface by removing L Look menu
navigable using keybindings. the details such as size and time from the . Toggle Show Hidden Files
Thankfully, these are all mentioned on two panes, and hiding hidden files. To do
so, tap v to open the View menu at the You can access the different menus
bottom of the Goful interface. Use the up using the assigned keys, but these keys
“Although Goful and down arrow keys to select Stat Menu
and hit Enter. You can now choose to turn
only work after you’ve already accessed
the View menu. So, if you press . from
isn’t in the software on or off the size, permissions and time. the main Goful interface, it has no effect.
Goful refers to these as stats, which are You must first access the View menu by
repositories of displayed about all files and folders. You hitting v and then hit . to toggle Show
popular desktop can choose to toggle on only the ones you
need, or toggle them all from View >
Hidden Files. You must similarly access
the Look or Layout menus before you can
distros, installation Stats. The last option on the View menu use the assigned keys for the different

is straightforward.” is Toggle Show Hidden Files. By default,

Goful shows hidden files.
options on offer. The files and directories
are sorted by name by default. If you’d

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 HELP STATION | LINUX

OTHER FEATURES
“Whether it’s graphical
You can’t always remember where you If you’re looking for files with a apps or text-based
saved a certain file. Or you might want
to search for files with a common
specific extension, you have to
use regular expressions. To do so, you
utilities, arranging all
extension. Goful has a quick solution to must hit g to enter the Glob search the features into an
both problems. pattern. Hit Esc or Ctrl+g to exit the
To look for files or directories, press f Glob pattern search. You can also easily navigable
and type in the keywords you’re looking
for. Goful starts filtering results based
perform a recursive Glob search by
hitting G .
interface is always
on your entered keywords as you type. Goful also provides a shell mode that a challenge.”
Goful performs a case-insensitive enables you to execute commands if
search if you enter lower-case letters, needed. Press ; to access the shell
but it performs a case-sensitive search mode and type in the command you the destination path. Hit Enter after
if you provide upper-case letters. Press wish to execute. you’ve specified the path and Goful
Esc to exit the search, or use You can access the history of provides a progress bar for the operation.
Backspace to remove characters from such commands by again accessing the You can use tab-completion when
the search field. You can scroll through shell mode and using the down arrow specifying the path to save time.
previous search history by pressing key to navigate through all the You can perform various operations
Alt+p or Alt+n. commands you’ve run in that mode. such as rename, copy, move, delete, bulk
rename, chmod and so on. For a list of
these, press x to access the Command
menu:

Command menu Function

c Copy
m Move
D Delete
k Mkdir
n New file
M Chmod
r Rename
R Bulk rename
d Chdir
g Glob
G Globdir

Instead of only two directories, you can

Files with executable permission are shown with a star next to their name and sport a different colour. also open additional directories in the
current workspace by pressing Ctrl+o. To
rather sort by time, size or extension, you up/down arrow keys, the Vim close a directory, select it using the Tab
can press s and select from one of the keybindings j and k or the mouse scroll key and then press Ctrl+w. You can
nine available options: wheel. Goful displays three elements of similarly switch workspaces by pressing
information at the bottom of each pane. Alt+f and Alt+b. Press Alt+ Ctrl+o to
Sort menu Function Something like [0/30] Top(1) Name[^] . create additional workspaces and
n Sort by name Here, the first element shows the Alt+Ctrl+w to close a workspace. All
N Sort by name descending number of files selected out of the total settings, such as layout, sort and so on
files. Press Space to select files, and the are specific to the current workspace
s Sort by size first element changes. As you scroll only, so you have to set them again for
S Sort by size descending down, the second element also changes, each workspace.
t Sort by time which show how many files are above the We’ve worked with a host of file
selected item. Finally, the third element managers over the years, including many
T Sort by time descending shows the sort methodology used. This text-based solutions. While each has its
e Sort by extension changes to Size[$] if you opt to sort by own pros and cons, more than anything
E Sort by extension descending descending size for instance. else Goful has a sense of style about its
When working with directories, you operation that we find sleek and
. Toggle priority can hit Enter to navigate into a directory beautiful. But if you’re still not
and use the Backspace key to move to the convinced, refer to the Other Features
Filled to overflowing parent directory. box (opposite) for a quick rundown of
When navigating the directories in the To copy files, first select them, then some of its additional capabilities.
selected pane on Goful, you can use the press c . Goful then asks you to specify

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 HELP STATION | MOBILE DEVICES

Phone and
1 2

tablet tips
Brilliant things to do on your device.

iOS around an area even when you

Download Apple maps to can’t connect to the internet via
explore offline 4G/5G or Wi-Fi.
One of the most useful new features in iOS Downloading maps is
17 is the ability to download maps from straightforward, and can be done
Apple Maps to explore offline – an option with just a few taps. You’ll have all
that Google Maps has offered for several the functionality of using Apple Maps map will now appear in the Offline Maps
years. This enables you to find your way online, which means you can zoom list, where you can rename, resize and
right into areas to see roads and places, but delete it when you no longer need it.
be aware that the download files can be
quite large. ANDROID
A map covering most of England (which, Select all Gmail messages
as an example, is about as big an area as the with one tap
feature allows you to capture) works out at When you want to delete, archive or
about 6GB. This means the files will eat up ‘mark as read’ every message in a Gmail
your storage space very quickly, so use the folder, the ‘Select all’ option
feature wisely and delete any maps you no saves you a lot of hassle. But, until now,
longer use. the feature was only available in the
To download a map on your iPhone or web-based version of Gmail – not the
iPad, open Apple Maps and tap your initials mobile app.
in the bottom-right or top-left corner. Thankfully, Google has finally
Select ‘Offline Maps’, followed by realised the inconvenience of this
Download New Map, and start typing the omission, and added ‘Select all’ to the
name of a place or area you want to explore Gmail app for Android (tinyurl.com/
offline. Choose the relevant result, then APC527gm). The option will appear at the
drag the selection box over the section of top of the screen when you select an
the map you want to download – pinch individual email (see screenshot 1
your screen to zoom in for further details. above), and tick the boxes of the first 50
Tap the Download button (see screenshot messages in the list. Tap ‘Unselect all’ 2
left) to save the map to your device – Apple to remove these ticks.
Maps will tell you the size of the file. The It’s a much easier way to clean up your

Best new apps What you should install this month

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*Contains in-app purchases

cycle or walk through and Routora will available on the website, this lets you intrusive ads and trackers, create a
calculate the best route, which you can create custom maps that include text, custom start page of your favourite sites
import into Google Maps or Waze. The free photos and videos, and save them to and manage multiple open pages using
version limits you to 10 stops per route (Pro Google Drive. You can also now share Vivaldi’s simple tabs system. You can also
costs from $22.99). maps via a link or QR code. securely sync data between devices.

98 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 HELP STATION | MOBILE DEVICES

Best apps for... Podcasts

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of YouTube Music. Podbean is an excellent It’s easy to use, all its podcasts are free to including filters to help you quickly find
alternative that lets you subscribe to subscribe to, and its Voice Boost feature interesting shows; an Up Next queue of new
millions of podcasts across a wide range of ensures you can always hear spoken-word episodes; and options for trimming silence
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Best For: Flexible ways to listen

inbox and other folders than selecting people to add songs to your companies directly in
emails individually, and we can only playlists; and Blend, which the messaging app.
wonder why it’s taken Google so long to creates shared playlists between You’ll find the option in
bring the feature to the Gmail app. you and up to 10 other users the new Updates tab
based on artists and musical below your chat list –
ANDROID & iOS genres you all like. this also integrates
Collaborate on Spotify playlists With Jam, you invite people to WhatsApp’s little used
in real time contribute to a playlist through a Status feature, which no
Spotify has introduced a new collaborative shared queue, with each member longer has its own tab.
feature called Jam, which lets you enjoy of the group selecting a song for When you open
‘real-time listening sessions’ with up to 32 real-time listening. Spotify Channels, you’ll see
friends and family members. It builds on recommends tracks by finding some suggestions for
two existing options in the Spotify app: overlaps in everyone’s musical channels to follow,
Collaborative Playlists, which allows preferences, and you can see who including Guinness
adds each tune to the playlist. World Records and
Jam is available to Free and WhatsApp itself.
Premium users of Spotify, but To find more channels,
you need to be a subscriber to start a either select ‘Explore more’ or tap the
session and invite people. Either tap the plus button and choose ‘Find channels’
three-dot icon below the name of a playlist (see screenshot right). Press ‘Accept and
and select ‘Start a Jam’ (see screenshot Continue’ to browse the full list, which
above), or tap the speaker icon at the you can filter by most active, popularity
bottom of the screen to choose the option and country.
there. You can share a link to your Jam via a Tap the plus button next to a channel
messaging app or by displaying a QR code or press Follow to subscribe to that
on screen for friends and family to scan. company or person’s feed. The channel
will be added to your Updates tab, where
ANDROID & iOS you can browse its messages, photos and
Follow people and companies videos. To stop following a channel, tap
in WhatsApp the three-dot menu in its top-right
WhatsApp’s new Channels feature lets corner, select Unfollow then press
you receive updates from people and Unfollow again to confirm.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 99

 HELP STATION | RASPBERRY PI

PRICE $103 4GB ($137 8GB) DEVELOPER Raspberry Pi Foundation WEB www.raspberrypi.org

Raspberry Pi 5
The first new flagship in four years has Les Pounder and Avram Piltch fighting
over who gets first dibs on the latest SBC.

After the longest wait between

flagship Pi models ever (the Pi 4
was released in June 2019), the
Raspberry Pi 5 is finally here and it’s
early! Eben Upton had said no new Pis
in 2023, but here we are…
The Raspberry Pi 5 claims to have two
to three times the processing power of
the Raspberry Pi 4, already a powerful
single-board computer. Available in 4GB
and 8GB RAM capacities (with 1GB and
2GB to come), the Raspberry Pi 5 is the
same basic size and shape as the Model 4
B, but adds a number of long-requested
features, such as a built-in real-time
clock, a PCIe 2.0 connector and a power
button.
Perhaps more importantly, the Pi
features a new quad-core 2.4GHz
Cortex-A76 Arm CPU, a new Southbridge
that promises to improve USB 3
throughput, and a new VideoCore VII Behold! The Pi that Eben Upton said would never be in 2023: the Raspberry Pi 5.
GPU that operates at 800MHz. There’s
also a slew of little improvements, each other, and we can connect two The keen eyed among you will notice
including a built-in fan header with cameras, two DSI displays or a mix of that the USB and Ethernet ports are
mounting holes, faster and dual camera either. swapped. It seems as though the Pi 5 is
connectors, and a microSD card reader The third interface is for PCIe devices. taking a cue from older boards. The Pi 4
that works with higher-speed cards. All This is a PCIe 2.0 x1 interface for fast saw the port positions swapped, and now
for just $103. peripherals, and yes that means NVMe they’ve been swapped back. So, you need
On the face of it, this is another classic SSDs. We asked Upton about this and he a new case; this is possibly to ensure
Pi design, but look closer. Gone is the confirmed that it will take all sizes of people don’t cover the cooling fan using
3.5mm composite jack. The camera and NVMe drives, but to do so, we need to use an old case.
display connectors are smaller, matching a specially designed M.2 HAT that was Let’s address two new features for the
the Raspberry Pi Zero’s 15-pin connector. not ready for release at the time of this Pi 5. Firstly, we have a real-time clock
These are now two connectors next to review. battery backup. Yes, your Pi can now keep
the correct time without the need for an
NTP server or an add-on board taking up
space on the GPIO.
The other new feature is a power
button. With the Raspberry Pi on, a
single press brings up the shutdown/
logout menu. Another press triggers a
safe shutdown. This shutdown is more of
a standby; another press of the power
button starts the Pi 5 up. You can also
program the OS to make the button do
other things because it is a momentary
button rather than a hard switch that
cuts off electricity.
The Raspberry Pi 5 is the hottest of all
the Pi boards we have ever used. At idle,
without any added cooling, it sits at
around 50.5°C and consumes around
The Raspberry Pi 5 needs active cooling and a new case. 2.7W. Pushing it with a stress test quickly

100 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

 HELP STATION | RASPBERRY PI

Model Raspberry Pi 5 Raspberry Pi 4 video resulted in two-thirds of the

frames being dropped, which is
BCM2712 SoC BCM2711 SoC Cortex-A72 64-bit
SoC disappointing. Hopefully software
Cortex-A76 64-bit 2.4GHz 1.8GHz
updates will address this.
800MHz VideoCore VII, OpenGL ES 3.1, Providing the I/O Southbridge for the
GPU 500MHz VideoCore VI OpenGL ES 3.1
Vulkan 1.2 Pi 5 is the latest in-house silicon, the
Display 2x 4Kp60 HDMI HDR 2x 4Kp60 HDMI RP1. This provides more than double
RAM 1, 2, 4, 8GB LPDDR4X 1, 2, 4, 8GB LPDDR4 the USB bandwidth of previous models,
with a dedicated four-lane 1.5Gb/s MIPI
MicroSD (SDR104) M.2 NVMe SSD camera and display interface. This
Storage MicroSD
via M.2 HAT triples the total bandwidth for a
GPIO 40-pin 40-pin combination of cameras and displays.
USB 2x USB 2, 2x USB 3 (5Gb/s) 2x USB 2, 2x USB 3 On Sysbench’s file IO test, the Pi 5
read at 12.75MB/s from a Kingston
2x 4-lane MIPI camera or display, Canvas Go Plus microSD card and wrote
2-lane MIPI DSI, 2-lane MIPI CSI,
Connectors PCIe 2.0 x1, UART, RTC clock power, at 8.5MB/s. Meanwhile, our SSD
4-pole audio and composite video
fan power managed to read at 31.33MB/s and write
Networking Gigabit Ethernet, PoE via PoE+ HAT Gigabit Ethernet, PoE via PoE+ HAT at 20.89MB/s. On the Pi 4, the
Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth Dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5/BLE Dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5/BLE SD managed read at 8.78MB/s and write
at 5.85MB/s. The SSD read at 12.96MB/s
Power button Soft power button None and had write speeds of 8.64MB/s.
5V 4A via USB C, PoE via Poe+ HAT, 5V 3A via USB C, PoE via Poe+ HAT, That’s more than double the speed on
Power
5V via GPIO 5V via GPIO both the USB 3.0 and microSD reader
Dimensions 85x56mm 85x56mm interfaces. Speaking of microSD, the Pi
5’s card reader now supports higher-
1GB TBC, 2GB TBC, 4GB $103, 1GB $63, 2GB $75, 4GB $94; speed microSD cards that use the
Price
8GB $137 8GB $129 SDR104 standard.

Peripheral support
“The Raspberry Pi 5 claims to have two to three We performed our usual battery of
GPIO Zero tests and had no issues.
times the processing power of the Raspberry Pi However RPi.GPIO proved to be an

4, already a powerful single-board computer.” issue and this is down to some behind-
the-scenes configuration. RPi.GPIO is
most likely under the hood of your
makes the Pi 5 thermal throttle (which the Raspberry Pi. A revision to the HAT favourite Raspberry Pi HAT’s software
triggers at 82°C), dropping the CPU specification, HAT+, will address this. module and we failed to correctly test
speed in an attempt to keep the CPU any of our usual third-party HATs. The
cool. Under stress, we hit 86.7°C (7W) System performance official Raspberry Pi Sense HAT did test
and saw the CPU throttle from 2.4GHz Opening apps is much faster. On the correctly, likely due to it using libgpiod
down to 1.5GHz. Interestingly, we saw supplied microSD card, it took 5.5 over RPi.GPIO. Hopefully, most will be
the CPU change speed a few times seconds to open GIMP on the Raspberry updated by the time of launch.
(2,311MHz, 2,256MHz, 2,201MHz and Pi 5, compared to 10.8 seconds on a Pi 4. The Raspberry Pi 5 introduces
2,146MHz), likely in an attempt to Opening Firefox took 5.1 seconds on the multiple camera support to
provide a balance between speed and Pi 5 versus 8.6 seconds on the Pi 4. Boot mainstream Pi boards. Compute
cooling. times were around 18 seconds versus 38 Module users will be used to multiple
The question on your lips right now is: seconds on the Pi 4 – with the same SD camera support as it has been baked
“How does this compare to the Pi 4?” At card and OS. into the Compute Module IO boards
idle, the Raspberry Pi 4 runs at 45.7°C On Sysbench’s CPU test in single- since day one, but most Pi fans probably
and consumes just 1.02W. Under stress, threaded mode, the Pi 5 generated 2,729 don’t own a Compute Module. On the
we see the temperature jump to 79.8°C events per second versus 1,766 for the Pi 4 coding side, both libcamera and the
and the Pi 4 consume 6.2W of power. (more events is better). When we upped Picamera2 Python module support
Initially at standby, the Raspberry Pi 5 the ante to four threads, the Pi 5 won multiple cameras and we successfully
consumes 1.3W, around half the power again by 10,912 to 7,068 events, a 54% tested by passing the camera argument
of an idle Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry improvement. for libcamera (0 or 1) and with
Pi Engineering Team gave us When we ran the 7-Zip compression Picamera.
instructions on how to lower the benchmark, the Pi 5 delivered 9,543MIPS
standby power and what a result we of compression versus 4,287 for the older VERDICT
saw! Now our standby power usage is model, a 122% boost. It also gave
0.05W, many times lower than before. 13,231MIPs of decompression versus 7,568
This leaves the 5V GPIO pins at a high for the Pi 4. Significantly faster than its predecessor
state, but the 3V3 pins are low. This Streaming video remains the Achilles while costing almost the same price, its only
could be a problem for your favourite heel for the Pi, testing YouTube at 4K (temporary) drawback is that some older
HAT as it may not power off along with screen resolution playing just 1080p@60 HATs may not have support right away.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 101

 The games we play
2

PRICE $79.95 PLATFORM PC, PS4/5, XB1/S/X, MAC WEB tinyurl.com/APC527ASS

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

A fun stepping stone back towards the series’ roots.

This is the purest stealth game for Templars) in 9th century 1 Basim legs the payoffs are cool.
Ubisoft has made in 15 years of Baghdad. it after dropping The saving grace is Baghdad itself,
AC, dense with rooftops, ziplines The brilliance of Mirage is the way a particularly which is so consistently gorgeous
and fluffy carts of hay in one of it marries Ubi Montreal’s original deadly fart. and alive that I never minded
2 Even deadly
the most beautiful cities ever vision of social stealth with a assassins need furry dropping onto the streets. Building
realised in a videogame. When modern interpretation of what a feline fun time. facades are lavishly decorated with
I’m perched on a ledge studying good stealth level is: every mission 3 Basim, just hanging flowers, citizens carry on entire
guard routes, mentally noting is a small sandbox with multiple out. Get it! Grade A conversations as you shop for
hiding places, or plotting a risky routes and guards that can be that is. weapon upgrades and outfits
4 Baghdad isn’t huge,
climb, Mirage feels like Ubi at picked off, bypassed, or avoided (mostly in Arabic, even when
but its detail is very
the top of its game. It’s a shame, with well-considered sneaking. playing in English), and markets are
impressive.
then, that the fluid stealth With the added bonus of an eagle lined with ridiculously pretty rugs
sandbox is dragged down by all that allows Basim to scout out that I jealously want to spruce up my
the bad stuff it inherits from the restricted areas from the sky, it’s boring office.
last six years of AC RPGs – never been this much fun to Mirage gets so close to great that
spammy combat, floaty actually be sneaky in an AC it’s annoying, but also encouraging.
character movement and For Mirage’s biggest story It may not be the complete return
parkour that never quite flows as to form that I imagined, but it’s the
well as it’s meant to. I want so best stealth game to ever have the
badly for classic Assassin’s Creed that offer a handful of different Assassin’s Creed name on it, and I
to be back like I thought it could hope Ubisoft sees this new ‘classic’
be, but in its full 20-hour dose, similar to Hitman’s ‘mission branch of Assassin’s Creed as
Mirage is more like a stepping stories’. These missions are in something to build on.
stone. much larger locations than the
Mirage rewinds the clock a few rest of the game, and usually VERDICT
hundred years before the time of involve Basim having to
Altaïr to tell the origin story of socially engineer a rendezvous
Basim Ibn Ishaq, a central character with the target or, on a few Assassin’s Creed Mirage isn’t the
from Valhalla who earned his occasions, don a disguise. triumphant return to glory that I hoped
stripes hunting the Order of the it’d be, but it’s a good first stab.
Ancients (the pre-Crusades name little too hand-holdy for me, but Morgan Park

102 APC MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2023

 DOWNTIME | GAMES

PRICE Free PLATFORM PC

PRICE $53.95 PLATFORM PC WEB dunespicewars.com WEB tinyurl.com/APC527BABB

Dune: Spice Wars BABBDI

A CITY GENEROUS WITH
EXPLORATION.
Arrakis proves an apt, if overly familiar, 4X setting.
It’s never been such fun to move
Like Dune 2, Spice Wars is an RTS, but it’s around such a dismal location.
also a 4X affair, and a remarkably Imagine Crackdown in a tower block:
traditional one at that. It lets you lead one of a game of puzzling your way up,
six rival groups locked in constant struggle down and around a concrete
over Arrakis’ sandy expanse. Single playground on a foggy day. The
scenarios and multiplayer battles are combat and stealth of the classic
available, but the main draw is doubtless immersive sims have been
the 25-30 hour Conquest mode which jettisoned entirely, and all that’s left
unfolds over several missions, seeing me 2 is the exploration and a goal to
gradually tighten my grip on planetary achieve by a variety of means: get
domination. makes a lunge for your spice fields. Barring the hell out.
Mission objectives vary, but progression a couple of nuances, my overall feeling was But first: stick your nose into
follows a typical trajectory: first, I send out one of cosy familiarity within the first every concrete nook and cranny.
ornithopter scouts to locate spice fields couple of hours. You’ll find interesting items and
close to the starting base and annex Indeed, almost every aspect of the game characters hidden in hard-to-reach
neighbouring villages to expand my seems formulated toward mapping one-on- places. People making the best of
borders. Then I start building essential one correspondences with its inspiration’s their dreary lives, while uttering a
infrastructure and researching new rich lore. The way water demands curtail cryptic line of dialogue. It’s
technologies. And, finally, I specialise in early expansion; the hidden caves of the particularly exciting when you find a
preparation for my current mission’s Fremen clans that can cause trouble for new item – you can ‘wield’ one at a
endgame, whether that entails developing their enemies and turn the tide of war for time, a tough choice – and
my espionage network so I can assassinate allies; the moral outlook of each faction as immediately click the mouse button
rival leaders, or acquire enough clout within reflected in their unique abilities. to see what it does. With the torch,
the Landsraad Council to trigger a political Flaws started becoming apparent by the you can explore unlit areas. With the
victory. game’s closing chapters, namely the lack of bike, you can zoom about like a
These are resource-juggling loops even a narrative hook to imbue the campaign legend. With the trumpet, you can
genre novices should be well-acquainted with emotional resonance and an eminently serenade the unimpressed NPCs.
with, and Dune: Spice Wars does not exploitable economy. Dune: Spice Wars is a Not everything is useful, but
particularly care about subverting or faithful homage to its inspiration and a fine everything is essential.
embellishing them. There’s diplomatic entry point for 4X newcomers, but there’s
manoeuvring with opposing Houses, not enough depth to engage genre veterans.
regional bonuses to organise your
VERDICT VERDICT
industrial growth around, and an army to
raise and train in case a desperate enemy

1 Guild-sponsored battleships, like the Kraken, are essential to A solid entry-level 4X that fails to These tower blocks are really toy
taking down enemy bases. 2 Strategically-placed agents grant intel capture the spirit of its colourful setting. blocks – and what fun to play with.
points which you can then spend on covert operations. Alexander Chatziioannou Tom Sykes

DECEMBER 2023 APC MAGAZINE 103

 DOWNTIME | GAMES

PRICE Free PLATFORM PC, Mac, Linux

2 3
WEB alienmelon.itch.io/graveyard 1 Staples like Spa
are present, but the
CYBERPET GRAVEYARD track list feels light.
2 Cockpit cam is as
DUSTING OFF CUTE full of detail as it is
DIGITAL PETS. hard to drive.
3 The AI will always
To an obsessive tidier, Cyberpet try different lines,
Graveyard is kind of a hellish even at Suzuka’s
game, as it summons mischievous S-curves.
digital pets onto your desktop.
Each critter is a separate PRICE $119 PLATFORM PC, XBS/X WEB forza.net
program, and they do things like
create files and move them
around.
Is it a game? Mainly it’s a folder
Forza Motorsport
filled with images, and videos, Takes few risks, but snatches simcade supremacy anyway.
and the digital pets themselves:
little animated apps that bounce Forza Motorsport, which for all its considerable mini-championships?
infectiously around your computer qualities and resources, just manages to grab Solo racing does have a handful of
screen. The clown-like Hopson hold of excellence despite both technical and worthwhile new additions like smarter AI
blows out kisses and looks terribly conceptual issues. By which I mean this: the drivers and a grid selection mechanic that
sad when you drag them around. handling’s absolutely wonderful, like we gives you more credits for a podium finish the
Meanwhile, Louie likes to play on knew it would be. Its vehicles genuinely are further back you start from. But it’s online
the goddamn taskbar. I’m trying better than we’ve seen in driving games where things all come together, where the
to write this now as they shuffle before, and circuits are so high in fidelity now handling, the car upgrade system and the race
about, and I’m being told off every it’s almost a shame to have to take them in at format all culminate in something special.
time I try to move them. Closing speed. But Turn 10 plays too safe with those The custom lobby creation tools are strong
the window feels a little like taking valuable assets in FM’s singleplayer career – on a par with Assetto Corsa and Project CARS
the batteries out of a living mode, arranging them into a stack of the 2 when it comes to dialling in weather, time of
Tamagotchi. usual racing series categories to tick off in a day, rules and regulations. And the official
This is a loud, colourful game career just like a Gran Turismo or a Grid might. multiplayer series impose vehicle restrictions
with a slightly dark sense of Luckily, online racing elevates the whole to get you thinking, and tuning, your way to
humour and a jittery energy I can experience. P1. Whenever I get into an online race, that
relate to all too well. It’s as if a There’s a newfound sense of weight to FM’s contest is invariably packed with drama,
regular game wouldn’t be able to cars. They let you know exactly how much tactical depth and surprisingly sporting
contain all these ideas, all this their tyres are complaining against the racing.
creativity. G-forces you’re putting through the platform,
with much more precise detail than 2017’s
VERDICT
Forza Motorsport 7 did. There’s some of Forza
VERDICT
Horizon’s character deep within Motorsport,
but it’s much more rigorous, closer to the
venerable Gran Turismo in its simulation level. Forza Motorsport is polished as driving sims
Pixel-art monsters that are annoying, If the fundamentals are good, then, does it have ever been on PC. Stately and familiar, but
but bursting with character. matter if the career mode is driving by finely crafted.
Tom Sykes numbers through a bunch of over-familiar Phil Iwaniuk

104 APC MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2023

 DOWNTIME | GAMES

PRICE Free PLATFORM PC

PRICE $99.95 PLATFORM PC, MAC WEB pharaoh.totalwar.com WEB grahfmetal.itch.io/spectacle

Total War: Pharoah RAINDROP

AN INNOVATIVE INDIE
ARCADE GAME.
The first historical Total War in ages.
I often think about Raindrop, a tiny
Total War: Pharaoh isn’t the best Total War becoming either the Egyptian Pharaoh or the arcade-style game. It’s such an
game, but it is possibly the one I’m most Great King of Hatti. These positions come with innovative game – though, in an
impressed by. Creative Assembly’s chosen benefits, but they’re attained in the same way unpopular genre, it seems to have
setting sits right on the precipice of military – winning a civil war. passed people by. I’m grateful for
history. Should you succeed in becoming pharaoh, this opportunity to return to it, and
Compared to the military engine that your problems will be far from over, as you’ll bring this saga to more people’s
powered Rome, or the wild armies of Total War: inherit an empire at the end of its golden age. attentions.
Warhammer, Pharaoh has precious few tools to Things aren’t too bad at the game’s outset, The gist is that you’re a cat, and
create an entertaining simulation of warfare. which is good because you’ll be busy you’re trying to cross the street in
And yet, Pharaoh is a deeply compelling acquainting yourself with Pharaoh’s torrential rain. Dodge the raindrops
strategy game. Although its battles are almost surprisingly complex economy system. There as they fall and collect as many
Shogun-like in their simplicity, the campaign are five resources in the game: food, wood, stars as you can, for a bonus. Every
is anything but, offering a fiercely challenging stone, bronze and gold. time you reach the exit your score is
scramble for power over an empire that is Creative Assembly has built a sumptuous, banked. Do you rush repeatedly to
falling apart at the seams. diverse and thematic campaign. The battles each exit until you’re finally hit by a
Pharaoh takes place shortly after Ramesses may be the simplest they’ve been in a long raindrop? Or do you linger in each
II has begun the long journey to becoming two time, but they still have that Total War magic, stage, dodging rain and catching
vast and trunkless legs of stone, and the and Creative Assembly has built an evocative stars to increase your combos?
power gap that opened after his and exciting campaign around them. I can’t think of another arcade
unprecedented reign. Playing as either an game that lets you meaningfully
Egyptian, Canaanite, or Hittite general, your choose how you want to improve
VERDICT
goal is to conquer enough of the land around your score – it’s usually a matter of
the Eastern Mediterranean. maximising every opportunity until
In this, becoming Pharoah is merely the start you achieve perfection. You
of your aspirations, rather than the end goal. Battles may be limited by history, but Creative discover bonuses by playing
Around turn 12 of the campaign, you unlock a Assembly compensates for this with a complex around, much like the cat playing in
new system known as Power of the Crown. and dynamic campaign. the rain, eventually earning a badge
This lets you choose to follow the path of Rick Lane at the bottom of the screen that
makes it official.
2 3
1 The campaign has
a lot to take in, which
can make getting
started tricky VERDICT
2 The battle maps
get an impressive
amount of variety out
of Egypt’s deserts. The only thing that matters is how
3 Found ’em. much you score.
Tom Sykes

DECEMBER 2023 APC MAGAZINE 105

RELEASE June 6, 1993 DEVELOPER Bullfrog Productions PUBLISHER Electronic Arts LINK gog.com

Syndicate
Ian Evenden is playing Bullfrog’s tactical masterpiece after 30 years
out of the boardroom.

Syndicate is a game that stirs Amiga and Atari ST. seems impossibly cool. The intro
strong feelings within me, and For the sake of clarity, we’re to 1996 sequel Syndicate Wars
the realisation that it’s now 30 talking about Syndicate the captured it best, unaware civilians
years old plunged me into a pit of Bullfrog cyberpunk tactics game. living in an illusory world of sunny
nostalgia for my teenage years. Not the 2012 Starbreeze FPS of the tree-lined avenues with friendly
I’ve owned Syndicate four times, same name whose main character, police while, in reality, there are
and played it on three different Miles Kilo, sounds like the friendly cybernetic killers with miniguns
platforms. Three were on PC, the face of a ’70s animation explaining on the streets. The cops are
game coming as a selection of why the switch to the metric masked stormtroopers. And it’s
floppies in a big black box with a system isn’t scary rather than a raining.
bright green sheath around it, then cybernetically enhanced agent of Syndicate’s intro is a simpler
a CD-ROM in a small green corporate terror. That game is, thing, though it’s aged better as its
cardboard case, then as a however, notable for the voice of characters don’t appear to be made
download in its Syndicate Plus Succession’s Brian Cox as a CEO out of plasticine. It tells the tale of
incarnation. Only the last one still who prefers to dish out trauma a capture operation, a potential
works. I also played it on the ballistically rather than agent (known as BOB after the
Amiga 500, and later the PSP port generationally. game’s internal development title
of the Super Nintendo conversion When you’re 14, you haven’t seen at Bullfrog) run down, bundled
as part of the dreadful EA Replay Blade Runner and The Matrix hasn’t into a car and turned into a cyborg.
disc. It’s a game that’s most at been invented yet, the idea of I thought my PC couldn’t handle it
home on PC, however, as even in cybernetic agents in trenchcoats at the time, such was the jerkiness
1993 the MS-DOS version was walking into a near-future city and as the camera rose over the West
better than those seen on the setting fire to its inhabitants Gate to show the Eurocorp

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 DOWNTIME | GAME CHANGER

1
2 3

1 I’ve never building beyond. It’s good to see

REIGN OF FIRE noticed the googly it’s still choppy 30 years later, on a
PLAYING SYNDICATE ON MODERN PCS eyes at the top of significantly more powerful AMD
the Leonardo APU, and my 386SX is vindicated.
Device before.
2 Some levels
have trains you can
A new empire
catch. They’ll run And then it all comes rushing
you over just as back, like a blast of perception
easily though. drugs to the brain. The futuristic
3 Flamers and
green interface that appears to be
lasers can cause projected into the air on a monitor
explosive car-nage.
made of jelly you can throw a lamp
through. The screen in which you
dress naked cybernetic operatives
in their finest upgraded body
parts. And the map, broken up into
zones of corporate control.
Syndicate got a spiritual sequel in 2015 in the form of Satellite Reign, a game Countries flash when a mission is
co-created by one of the original team behind Syndicate Wars at Bullfrog, and which available so you, the skybound
also shared the ’90s games’ composer. marketing director, can extend the
It’s probably a better match for modern systems, and is extremely Blade Runner, benevolent influence of your
taking Syndicate’s isometric look and turning the sliders marked ‘neon’ and ‘rain’ to corporation by means of rocket
their maximum. There’s four-player co-op too, which is a great addition to the game. launcher-assisted assassination,
If you’ve got a disc copy of the game laying around, you can also try out FreeSynd on hails of bullets and injecting
SourceForge. It’s a game engine recreation of the original that requires the game’s people with mind-controlling
data files to run. It’s also a labour of love project that’s been on hold for four years and drugs. The robotic voice that says
never reached version 1.0, but it’s nice that it exists. “syndicate” every time you click on
the interface during a mission can

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 107

 DOWNTIME | GAME CHANGER

get in the bin, though.

One of my favourite missions is
the combat sweep in the Urals,
which drops not too long after the
beginning of the game. You start
on top of a building, moving down
to the ground to explore – the
maps are 2D, but with enough of a
3D effect to make you believe there
are different levels. The enemy
agents are ready for you, and come
running armed with Uzis. There’s
only eight of them, but if you’re not
prepared the hail of short-range
automatic fire can seriously
inconvenience your agents. You’ll
have the Uzi yourself by this point,
there’s one on the very first
mission you can pick up, but
there’s a better choice for quick
agent kills. The shotgun, a starting
weapon, is ferociously powerful 1

but has an even shorter range,

2
meaning you have to play cat and
mouse around the buildings to get
them with a blast.

Persuade this
But there is another tactic. You’ll
need to buy a Persuadertron early
in the game, and taking it to the
Urals or nearby Siberia is a quick
way to increase your stock of
cyborgs. The Persuadertron works
by shooting civilians, guards,
police and even enemy agents full
of drugs that turn them to your
side, and is used to kidnap staff
from rival corporations. It’s also a
hilarious way to cheese through a
mission with a private army, as
persuaded civvies will pick up
dropped guns and go to war on
your behalf. At first, you can
persuade normal people easily, but
to capture an enemy agent
requires you to have drugged 32
pedestrians first. Upgrade your
agents’ brains, and this
requirement drops.
So entering the Urals with a V3
brain upgrade and a Persuadertron
3
means you need only persuade a 1 Succeed in a mission, and

few civilians, then you can start the city celebrates.

2 Weirdly, all your agents
working your magic on the enemy
seem to have ginger hair.
agents and fill your ranks with 3 Blade Runner-esque
another corporation’s expensive animated adverts fill the cities,
operatives. And you can always but it’s not dark enough for
push the region into revolt by them to really shine
raising its taxes so you can play the
mission again if you fancy some
more.

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crumbling into ashes, the weapons

ANATOMY OF AN AGENT they would have dropped immolated
THE LEG BONE CONNECTED TO THE METAL HIP BONE with them, is mind-blowing when
you’re 14 and still raises a smirk 30
ANATOMY OF AN AGENT years later. It can also fire through
1 THE LEG BONE CONNECTED doors and fences, and nothing clears
TO THE METAL HIP BONE a car out quicker, turning it into a
burning timebomb that prompts a
2 tactical retreat before it explodes.
Syndicate Plus, which contains the
1 EYES 3 METAL ARMS
American Revolt expansion that
New peepers Increased
mean night vision carrying capacity brought NetBIOS multiplayer to the
3
and targeting for weapons is the game, fixes the level select bug from
improvements. reward for cutting the original which allowed you to
your agents’ play a mission that wasn’t available
2 CHEST fleshy arms off. to you yet simply by selecting it and
Upgrade this to pressing Enter. American Revolt also
gain regenerating 14 LEGS adds a couple of new weapons,
4 health and better A pair of new pins including the devastating air strike,
all-round makes you walk
toughness. and brings 21 extremely tricky
faster. missions, even more so than the
notorious Atlantic Accelerator
combat sweep from the original,
Squad tactics manager would see from their which saw the remaining enemy
If you read the level briefings, it Zeppelin-based control platform. corporations team up against you.
sounds like you’re expected to split You can scroll around using the Sadly, the DOSBox GOG version
your squads up, keeping some arrow keys, but your view isn’t doesn’t seem to particularly like
agents outside the city for backup rotatable, which means it’s running on modern hardware. The
should things go awry, or even possible for assassination targets resolution or draw mode changes
carrying out missions with a and enemy agents to hide behind between the menus and the game
single agent. This would be vastly buildings even though you can itself proving too much in
improved if it were possible to see them clearly on the mini-map, fullscreen, the game preferring to
select two or three agents at once, leaving you scrubbing the cursor
but you’re limited to either just one
or all four. Those you’re not
back and forth trying to get it to
turn red for a firing solution.
“Seeing them run screaming
controlling can be given a degree An autonomous agent solves across the level as a
of autonomy using combat drugs, this problem, and you can leave a
or even put into panic mode – press group of three in a convenient post-human torch before
both mouse buttons at once – if
you want them to blaze away at
position before using the fourth
under your control to pull
crumbling into ashes, the
anything that moves. In practice, enemies into a killing zone, weapons they would have
however, the group button that though make sure they don’t
selects all agents at once suits the switch to gauss guns – the game’s dropped immolated with them,
game better. Moving your team as
a single super-agent, making sure
rocket launchers – as they’re
trigger happy and will burn
is mind-blowing when you’re 14”
their loadouts are the same so you through a lot of valuable
can pull four of the same weapon ammunition. The minigun is the run in a very small window (some
for quad damage, is the way I’ve classic mid-to-late-game weapon, scaling options are available from
always played the game, with once you’ve upgraded your the Graphic Mode Setup app, but can
adrenaline levels set high to agents’ arms to deal with the give the game a smeary look) that
increase movement speed. weight, as it packs a lot of ammo, locks the mouse pointer, meaning
The other two combat drugs, has a decent range, and offers you have to press the Windows key
intelligence and perception, allow enough power to take out an first if you want to move out of it.
you to leave an agent on its own to agent in a few shots. There’s no pause function, and
defend itself. Putting an agent pressing Esc results not in a menu
with V3 upgrades and a full Open fire but in you quitting the mission. It
weapon load in panic mode leads The game’s greatest weapon is the could do with some quality-of-life
to it reacting with speed and flamer, however. Its incredibly updates, if not a complete remaster,
accuracy to threats you may not short range is a drawback, but but does at least have the grace to
even have seen. The world is being able to set an enemy on fire quit without asking if you’re sure.
viewed from a fixed isometric before seeing them run I’m a mid-level executive in a future
perspective, just as your screaming across the level as a cyber-corporation with teams of
controlling business development post-human torch before heavily armed agents under my
control. Of course I’m sure.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 109

 David Crookes explains why looking back is allowing Atari to move
forward with renewed vigour.

To pick through the business sold it to Infogrames, while would ever be dead and buried
comings and goings of Atari Atari Games became part of has always felt like a stretch too
since it was founded in 1972 by Midway Games, and... well, far.
Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney that’s enough of all of that! There is no doubt that the
you’d need a huge dollop of Suffice to say that when The company that published such
patience and a keen eye for Guardian newspaper ran a gems as Marble Madness,
detail. The company hit the headline striking a sombre tone Gauntlet, Super Sprint, Asteroids,
ground running with the arcade foretelling the end of Atari Inc Missile Command, Breakout and
smash hit Pong, but it’s a very in 2013 (“Game over?”, it Want to learn Centipede had become something
different beast today. questioned, “Atari files for more about Atari? of a bit-part player in the games
That’s primarily because Atari bankruptcy in US”), most Check out this industry. You only need to look
has been in the hands of many gamers had either given up compilation. at Atari’s timeline on its own
companies. Bought by Warner trying to keep track of what was website to see a gaping hole in its
Communications in 1976, its going on or were simply past history from the moment
BELOW From the
consumer division was sold to caring. For although Atari had old to the new, Infogrames took over the
the former Commodore enjoyed a fantastic run, it had there are plenty of company in 2000 until 2017,
International CEO Jack Tramiel been on borrowed time for a long games to enjoy. when things began moving
in 1984 – a year after Atari ran period. And yet suggesting Atari again.
up a loss of $538 million. The Today, Atari is enjoying its
profitable coin-op division, “Innovation was our skillset. time in the limelight once more,
which became known as Atari and a sense of excitement is
Games, ended up split between It allowed us to compete in a building around the brand.
Warner and Namco. Then, in
1998, Atari Inc ended up in the
world where our competitors There have been acquisitions,
fresh releases – both in terms of
hands of Hasbro Interactive who had more money.” hardware and games – and a

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 DOWNTIME | RETRO

renewed vigour for celebrating its features that made it extremely

past. The company is now of the flexible in terms of the type of
mindset that you sometimes have games that could be created.”
to look back and learn in order to It had a big impact, becoming the
move forward. It feels as if Atari best-selling second-generation
has a strategy, and most of it is videogame console, with 27.64
down to the appointment of a new million units under its belt by the
CEO in 2021, Wade Rosen. time it was discontinued as late as
It’s difficult not to root for the 1992. Among its fans is Chris
custodians of the Atari brand given Kohler, editorial director of game
how important it has been to the developer Digital Eclipse. He
history of gaming and computing. played a key part in creating a
After all, Pong – the table tennis special anniversary videogame
arcade game developed by Allan compilation released last year
Alcorn – was iconic, selling 35,000 we were heavily copied, making ABOVE Atari has called Atari 50.
units and becoming the world’s things even more difficult. As a often dangled Released across a number of
first commercially successful video result, innovation was our skillset. perilously over a contemporary platforms to great
hole, as in Pitfall.
game. It allowed us to compete in a world acclaim, Atari 50 was yet another
From that point, Atari quickly where our competitors had more sign of renewed interest in the
cemented its place in the money, better factories and company. Rather than simply lump
videogame industry under the established processes in place.” a load of classics together, it delved
watchful eye of Bushnell. He hired into the history of Atari and
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who Celebrating the past contextualised more
developed Breakout, and saw the Atari went hand in hand than 90 games released
release of games such as Gran Trak with innovation for a “The by the publisher over
10 and Tank. But Bushnell would be
the first to tell you that his early
long time. Even when it
followed, it seemed to
interchangeability of multiple decades.
In that sense, it was a
foray into business was not an easy get things right, as seen cartridges had never virtual museum
one, despite being a task he
nonetheless relished.
with the Atari 2600.
That console is been seen before so complete with short
videos, box art,
“Videogames were a unique
product in an established industry
remembered far more
fondly than the first
it ushered in the magazine articles and
photos. “I’d already
of manufacturers, distributors and commercial home paradigm of played many Atari
operators, but I wouldn’t refer to
the industry as fledgling,” he told
videogame console, the
Magnavox Odyssey,
hardware/multiple games myself and had
read a great deal of
APC. “There were two things released in 1972. software gameplay” gaming history, so I was
happening at the same time. One, I The Atari 2600 was fairly well prepared to
was probably the youngest CEO in released in September start piecing together a
the Valley at the time so I 1977 and it allowed gamers to buy story about Atari when we started
constantly felt like I didn’t know individual cartridges and enjoy on the project – which was
what I was doing and I learned on licensed home versions of arcade important, since we had to do it so
the fly, so not only was the business games, most notably Space quickly,” Kohler said.
new but running a business was Invaders, Asteroids and Missile As Atari 50 explains, at one
new to me. Command. BELOW The Atari stage the company almost defined
“Two, at that time the venture “The interchangeability of 2600+ recreates videogaming, and it became a
capital community had not yet cartridges had never been seen the best-selling cultural icon in some respects.
formed so we were always chasing before so it ushered in the Atari 2600. “Atari was the beginning of the
cash flow. We had no patent paradigm of hardware/multiple LEFT It comes with console gaming industry as we
protection because patents at that software gameplay,” Bushnell said. ten games on a know it today, and so many of the
time took several years to issue so “The 2600 also had built-in cartridge. decisions it made about how

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 DOWNTIME | RETRO

hardware and software are made and the 800XL having 64K. console marketed as the world’s
and sold had repercussions that are But, as legendary journalist first 64-bit game system, the
still felt in today’s industry,” said Jack Schofield wrote in Your Jaguar (although its CPU was
Kohler. Computer in January 1984, “like actually 32-bit). It didn’t impress
At times, it appeared it could the 600XL, the 800XL is a very at all.
survive anything. Bushnell was well-designed and well-made Just four games were released in
forced out of Atari, aged 35, in 1978, machine,” adding “the accent is the first six months, and lots that
for instance. “My objective had on making the cheapest possible followed were ports of PC games.
been to share the special high-specification machine”. Most of the titles that made their
experience I had at the University ABOVE Berzerk is Atari’s most popular computer, way on to the machine didn’t feel
of Utah playing Spacewar! with the among the classic though, was the Atari ST range, particularly groundbreaking,
masses,” he said, referring to Steve arcade properties released in 1985, a year before the either, with slow 3D being a major
Russell’s combat game developed acquired by Atari. Atari 7800 console succeeded issue despite triumphs such as
in 1962. But the company moved on both the 2600 and 5200. The Tempest 2000. In a market that
regardless. 520ST had a bitmapped colour included the Sony PlayStation,
It also weathered the videogame GUI, a Motorola 68000 processor there really was little chance of
crash between 1983 and 1985 when and 512K of RAM. It also had two success. Atari pulled out of the
industry revenues plummet from MIDI ports, making it an amazing hardware market.
$3.2 billion to $100 million in two machine for audio production.
years. Atari was hit particularly There were also lots of Plus points
hard by this and ended up burying professional applications such as Of all the machines, though, the
up to 700,000 cartridges in a New the DTP package PageStream, as Atari 2600 is the one that has
Mexico landfill site. Among those well as a huge number of games. endured. And, as Atari has slowly
was E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial which Selling two million units, the but surely sought to find its feet in
should have sold well given its Atari ST went head-to-head with the industry again in recent times,
commercial tie-in with the Commodore’s Amiga, and it was it’s to this machine that it
blockbuster movie. Instead it was slim margins at times. continues to hark back.
blamed for helping cause the crash. The 1980s proved to be a good That said, it has allowed itself to
decade for Atari from an become distracted along the way.
STop STart innovation standpoint. It looked The Atari name was going to be
Keeping it afloat were a host of solid to take on Nintendo’s Game Boy used to develop a string of Atari
products. The company had (and later Sega’s Game Gear) with Hotels, including one in Las
followed the 2600 with the Atari the graphically superior 16-bit Vegas, until a partnership with
400 and Atari 800 8-bit computers handheld, the Atari Lynx – a the ICICB Group was cancelled.
in 1979. These machines allowed the machine that guzzled batteries Atari was also linked to a
use of plug-in ROM cartridges and, but nonetheless impressed thanks cryptocurrency-based online
as well as the MOS Technology 6502 to a solid roster of games. gambling site called Atari Casino,
CPU, there were co-processors for But then things began to go but that was axed in favour of
graphics and sound. wrong. Atari continued its focusing on premium gaming.
“We had an Atari 800 growing hardware rollout in 1993 with a Then, in 2021, Atari released the
up, which meant I had access to a Atari VCS console, which looked
1
whole lot of weird computer 1 The Atari like the Atari 2600 to a great
games,” Kohler said. “One of the GameStation Pro extent and was very much aimed
games I put most time into was The includes two at the modern gamer. Capable of
Dallas Quest, a graphic adventure wireless joysticks. playing Windows 10 games and
2 Missile
game based on the TV show. I still also streaming entertainment,
Command was
haven’t seen a single episode!” this machine had been in
ported from the
The technology used within arcades to Atari . the planning for four years and,
these computers was adapted to while it was always going to be
create the Atari 5200 console in a struggle to compete in a market
2
1982 – a flop that sold just a million dominated by the PlayStation 5,
units. Atari also created the Xbox Series X/S and the Nintendo
1200XL computer aimed Switch, it must be credited for at
at replacing the 400 and 800, but it least trying.
was too similar to the latter which, Indeed, the very fact that Atari
combined with a high price, meant is continuing to invest in
it sold poorly. hardware is admirable. A report
Undeterred, a year later Atari in December 2022 showed Atari
created more XL computers, hardware revenues were down by
producing the 600XL to replace the 91%, dropping from $2.44 million
400, and the 800XL to replace the to $212,466. Yet a statement
800 and 1200XL. The two nevertheless reaffirmed a
machines were identical except for commitment to the VCS.
the 600XL having 16K of memory “We have been adding more

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 DOWNTIME | RETRO

support for game developers and

continue to add new games to the
store,” it said. More importantly, it
has since released another bit of
kit: a remade Atari 2600 called –
what else? – the Atari 2600+. This
one has really been capturing the
imagination of gamers, with Atari
seemingly getting a lot right this
time around.
The Atari 2600+ costs $189,
which puts it on a par with other both ready to come in and face forum bustles with enthusiastic ABOVE The Atari
recent console revivals such as the questions about those games, but chatter. As Rosen told Jaguar sold only
SNES Classic Mini and Sony we didn’t want to rehash those Gamesindustry.biz: “For 25 years, 150,000 units, with
only 50 licensed
PlayStation Classic. It packs a old, too-simplified tales.” the AtariAge community
games.
Rockchip 3128 SoC with 256MB of Even so, such tales have given has documented Atari games and BELOW The Atari
DDR3 RAM and 256MB eMMC Atari added cultural kudos over provided a valuable forum for a Lynx was a powerful
flash, along with a HDMI port so the years and there is, if we’re large and passionate community of colour handheld
that it can be connected to modern honest, a grain of truth in the retro game fans, collectors and released in 1989.
displays. But what makes this stories. A lack of quality control homebrew developers. By bringing
machine special is that it has a slot and a penchant for shovelware in AtariAge into the Atari family, we
capable of playing the original the early 1980s led to a general can ensure this important resource
Atari 2600 and Atari 7800 perception that videogames were gets the support it needs to
cartridges. Many machines of this not worth the money. Gamers continue to fulfil its mission for
type ship with games built in and didn’t want to play a sloppy port of years to come.”
don’t allow old media to be used Pac-Man, and they didn’t want to It’s this core audience that’s
directly. have to choose between a bunch of likely to be first in the line to buy
To get gamers off to a good start, consoles that felt too similar to Atari’s new products, alongside
Atari has bundled a cartridge in one another either. Atari wasn’t those of third-party manufacturers
the box containing Adventure, entirely to blame for all of this, lining up for a licence. My Arcade,
Combat, Dodge ’Em, Haunted House, but these are lessons you can be for example, has unveiled its
Maze Craze, Missile Command, sure the modern yet
RealSports Volleyball, Surround,
Video Pinball and Yars’ Revenge.
revitalised
Atari is taking
“Of all the machines, retro-looking
Atari
Atari has also released new game note of today. though, the Atari Gamestation
cartridges containing unreleased To assist the Pro console,
titles, starting with Yars’ Return, company in its 2600 is the one that which
Aquaventure and Saboteur, plus
many more. They can be played
efforts, Atari
has been
has endured.” includes 200
officially
using a recreated CX40 joystick. acquiring licensed Atari
companies such as Nightdive games across the 2600, 5200, 7800
Calling home Studios, which specialises in and arcade coin-ops, with the
Those games had never seen the restoring, optimising and ability to save progress on the
light of day because of the North publishing classic videogames, as system’s memory or microSD card.
American videogame crash, but well as M Network, which has A beautiful Atari arcade machine
the belief that Atari was to blame been developing new Atari 2600 has also been created by
for this is being challenged and games. It snapped up 100 PC and Arcade1Up, with 14 games
corrected as part of wider efforts to console titles from the 1980s and included.
give the company a fair hearing in 1990s originally published by the The desire to replay these ageing
the modern era. likes of Infogrames, Microprose games in a variety of ways doesn’t
Atari 50, for example, has and Accoldate. surprise Bushnell. “There’s a
attempted to bury such talk. “I It has also looked to tap into the nostalgic quality that is amplified
think when you’ve absorbed so sizable community that has by memories of youth, and the
much conventional wisdom over remained loyal to the products of simplicity of the games is attractive
the years, the challenge in general the past. In September this year, it to game players independent of
is to question those assumptions purchased the Atari-focused age,” he said. In his mind, Atari is
when you go looking – E.T. didn’t online community AtariAge, just one of those companies that
‘crash the industry’, nor Pac-Man,” which has been running for will live long in the memory. “It has
Kohler said. 25 years. Its founder Albert a special place. The simple games
“We had both [E.T. programmer] Yarusso said it was a stark sign have become a cherished part of
ABOVE An arcade
Howard Scott Warshaw and Tod that Atari “is now taking its history.” And it’s that history that cabinet created
Frye [the developer who ported retro-related IP seriously”. may now give Atari a brighter by Arcade1Up
Pac-Man to the Atari 2600] in for It was a shrewd move. AtariAge future. to celebrate 50
interviews and I think they were has published new carts and the years of Atari.

CHRISTMAS 2023 APC MAGAZINE 113

 CHIP CHAT
Joel Burgess reports on the unusual side of tech news

© YouTube Rodriguez Lab

VR LETS HOARDERS

© YouTube Chris Norlund

IMAGINE WHAT LIFE WOULD BE
LIKE WITHOUT ALL THEIR
PRECIOUS JUNK
RESEARCHERS TEST VIRTUAL

Tesla Cybertruck struggles on dirt

DECLUTTER THERAPY.
Hoarding can become a serious and
debilitating condition that has
massive ramifications for sufferers, The sci-fi ute isn’t as outdoorsy as its creator
their family and friends, but
sometimes the problem can become would have you believe.
so big that it’s hard to see just how
easy throwing things away can be. A While Tesla’s sister company, SpaceX, might be responsible for the majority of
study from Stanford University rockets that make it into space these days, it seems the recently released
researchers tested VR software that Cybertruck isn’t even able to make it up a dirt hill without a struggle. A video
allows you to throw away objects on showing the ‘apocalypse proof’ Tesla truck failing to climb a simple dirt incline at
diagnosed hoarders, with promising the Hollister Hills 4 x 4 park in California, surfaced in November ahead of the car’s
results. The study found that over 16 planned release date. Footage of one of Tesla’s biggest electric truck competitors,
weeks of practising recycling or the Rivan R1T, easily completing the exact tracks that the Cybertruck almost got
throwing out objects from VR beaten by makes the revelation all the more embarrassing.
renderings of hoarder’s own homes,
eight out of nine participants had
visually less clutter.

ZUCKERBERG PERSONALLY
VETOED ATTEMPTS TO
IMPROVE THE WELL-BEING
OF TEENS
DON’T GET BETWEEN MARK AND
HIS BEAUTY FILTERS.
Recently released court documents
reveal that Mark Zuckerberg
personally dismissed concerns raised
by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri and
President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg
around the damaging effects of
‘beauty filters’ in 2019. Additional
executive pushback, following the GAME RUNS ON LINUX SHOCKER!
emergence of research indicating that CYBERPUNK 2077 RUNS 31% FASTER ON AN OPEN SOURCE FEDORA VARIANT
Meta’s platforms were having a THAN WHEN USING WINDOWS 11.
negative impact on user well-being,
was also ignored by the Facebook YouTuber Maximum Fury recently tested version 2.0 of Cyberpunk 2077 using
CEO since “Mark needed causal data” Nobara, an open source variant of the Fedora operating system, only to find that it’s
according to Arturo Bejar, a former almost a third faster than when using the same hardware on Windows 11.
facebook engineering director. Bejar Using Linux rather than Windows can usually result in small gains, but it’s not clear
added that this was “an impossible exactly why there was such a staggering performance gap. The game lends itself well
standard to meet”, an accusation that to these kinds of tests, as it comes with its own benchmark tool. Maximum Fury did
means Zuckerberg wasn’t about to his benchmarks on a Ryzen 5 5600-based system, featuring a B550 motherboard,
give up his Stardust filter at any cost. 16GB of DDR4 memory, and a Radeon RX 5700 XT graphics card.

114 APC MAGAZINE CHRISTMAS 2023

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