In this week's crucial round-up, our Agents expose a dangerous Android virus, reveal the latest Pokemon game and venture out to the furthest reaches of Jupiter – all in all, an average week at Geek Squad HQ! Get the lowdown on the week's most fascinating stories in the Week in Geek.

It's been another wild week in the world of science, technology and geeky entertainment – and as usual, our Agents are ready to update you on all the hottest stories.

Top trending tech news

NASA’s Juno probe reaches jupiter

Five years ago, NASA launched a probe to visit Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system – and this week, they announced it had arrived. The probe, named Juno after the wife of Roman god Jupiter, is now in a 53-day orbit around the planet’s poles,which by October will have tightened to a 14-day orbit.

The mission has been described by NASA as one of the most difficult things they’ve ever done, as the probe is now the furthest-ever solar-powered spacecraft from Earth. The probe will orbit Jupiter only 37 times over the course of the next 20 months before plummeting into the planet's dense atmosphere.

The probe will use scientific instruments including microwave radiometers to look below the cloud tops of Jupiter for the first time and measure temperature, air pressure and water abundance. The results should give us a 3D image of Jupiter’s atmosphere. There’s also a camera which will allow the probe to take photos of Jupiter’s north pole – something nobody has ever seen before.

Finally, there are also a few special passengers on board in the form of three aluminium Lego miniature figures of Jupiter, Juno and astronomer Galileo – the first scientist to discover the moons of Jupiter.

Fearsome Android malware infects 10 million devices worldwide

Back down to Earth, this week also saw the troubling news that a particularly nasty piece of Android malware is doing the rounds.

The ‘Hummingbad’ malware, as it’s known, has been under investigation by cybersecurity firm Check Point Software Technologies since February – and this week, they revealed that a staggering 10 million devices worldwide are infected, including at least 100,000 in the UK.

Devices can become infected simply by browsing infected sites – and if the first attempt fails, the malware can even send fake ‘system update’ notifications to trick users into granting it the necessary permissions. The virus was developed by a team of criminals called Yingmob, who are based in China and responsible for a host of other malicious software, including the iOS malware ‘Yispecter’.

Once it’s installed, the software serves fraudulent ads to users, earning the criminals behind it a pretty penny. Indeed, Check Point estimate that the device delivers about $300,000 a month in revenue for the hackers. What’s more, infected handsets can be taken over to form a ‘botnet’ – a swarm of devices that can be used to mount cyberattacks against targets like businesses and government agencies.

If you’re interested, you can read Check Point’s full report here– but to keep your own device safe, there are a few precautions you can take. First and foremost is to make sure all of your apps and software are kept updated – but for true peace of mind, Check Point (and Geek Squad) recommends that you install one of the many reliable anti-virus apps for Android.

BlackBerry ditches its classic keyboard design

Just 18 months after its launch, troubled mobile phone manufacturer BlackBerry has announced that they will no longer be making their latest 'Classic' model.

Designed to appeal to BlackBerry fans of the past, the handset was a mix of the old BlackBerry Bold design with their latest Q10 operating system. It featured a physical keyboard, trackpad, longer battery life as well as full touchscreen and messaging hub – but didn’t manage to recapture their former popularity.

The company’s chief operating officer and GM of devices, Ralph Pini, shared the news in a blog on Blackberry’s website. He said, "To keep innovating and advancing our portfolio, we are updating our smartphone lineup with state of the art devices. As part of this, and after many successful years in the market, we will no longer manufacture BlackBerry Classic."

He also confirmed that BlackBerry will continue to support devices running Q10, with version 10.3.3 of the OS due to arrive next month.

New on the High Street

Spector puts incredible power in your hands

This week also saw the announcement of a strange and fantastic new gadget created by Fiona O'Leary, a student at the Royal College of Art.

The Spector, as it's known, is a hand-held scanner that allows the user to digitally 'capture' any colour or font they encounter in the real world, and load it back into their computer at home for digital art and design work.

In other words, it's much like the 'colour dropper' tool found in Paint, Photoshop and the like – but for reality. It's a truly amazing piece of technology with some incredible potential – and while it's not actually commerically available yet, we couldn't resist including it in this week's round-up!

You can find out more about how it works and see it in action in the video above.

The return of Red Dead Redemption

Gamers rejoiced this week with the news that Rockstar’s open-world western epic Red Dead Redemption would be coming to Xbox One’s backwards compatibility program.

Sales of the Xbox 360 title jumped 6,000% on Amazon after the news broke, with many fans desperate to slip back into the spurs of former outlaw John Marston. Indeed, the six-year-old title is currently listed as the 17th most popular video game on the site.

Fans have long been calling for the game to be remastered for the current generation of consoles, and it was number three on the list of the most-requested titles for Xbox's backwards-compatibility program.

This development has actually been in the works for a while: Microsoft accidentally released the game earlier in the year, meaning the game became available to download and play on Xbox One. It was removed and made unplayable shortly afterwards – and the debacle blamed on an error made while testing a collection of titles.

This time, though, we're assured that Red Dead is here to stay – and to get you in the mood, why not check out the game's trailer above?

Pokemon Go released into the wild

Wednesday saw the long-awaited release of a new Pokemon game for smartphones, Pokemon Go. Using 'augmented reality' to project virtual Pokemon into the real world, this game has already garnered a lot of attention from Pokemon and technology fanatics over the few months – and with good cause!

To play the game, you’ll need to physically walk around your neighbourhood with your phone in hand, ready to spot wild Pokemon. Your phone will use its GPS location to find Pokemon near you, which you can spot using your phone’s camera! You can then fling a Pokeball at a wild Pokemon to catch it, adding it to your collection – and increasing your Pokedex count with every new Pokemon you find.

Augmented reality games have been around for a while, but developers Niantic are certainly leading the charge with Pokemon Go and their previous AR game, Ingress. While both games work in a similar manner, Ingress relies on you picking one of two sides to join, then contesting points on a map to decide who’s the winner (or, more accurately, who’s got the most free time).

Pokemon Go can be played much more casually, and is much more suitable for younger children. We’ll certainly be playing more of this game over the next few weeks, hunting down elusive Pokemon and training them up to battle against other players. Find out more in the video above from the nice people at IGN.

The latest movies and TV

Lethal Weapon reloaded for TV...

We’ve known since last October that 80s action flick Lethal Weapon was getting a TV reboot, starring Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans Sr as cops Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh – but we’ve learned this week that ITV will picking up the show for a primetime slot! In fact, it’s the first US TV series to be given such a major slot on ITV since The Americans in 2013.

The show will premier in the US in late September, but a UK date hasn’t yet been announced. ITV’s director of television Kevin Lygo said, “It's rare that we find an acquisition with that sweet spot potential – the best production values and hugely entertaining drama – that we think can appeal to the biggest and broadest audiences and take up a place in ITV primetime”.

It remains to be seen whether the TV show will capture the spirit of the movie series, but we’re looking forward to it all the same.

...and the Warriors come out to play

Lethal Weapon isn't the only classic movie getting the small-screen treatment: we also learned this week that the classic 1979 action movie, The Warriors, will be reimagined as a television series by Joe and Anthony Russo – the brothers behind the successful Marvel superhero movie, Captain America: Civil War.

For the uninitiated, The Warriors takes place in a dark yet cartoonish version of New York City, where gangs of elaborately costumed youths do battle for control of the streets. The titular Warriors are one such gang – and after being framed for the murder of another popular gang leader, the group have to make their way home through hostile neighbourhoods over the course of one long, violent night.

Oddly enough, the new TV series will be an adaptation of an adaptation of an adaptation. The original movie was adapted from a 1965 novel by Sol Yurick, which was in turn loosely based on Anabasis by the ancient Greek soldier and historian Xenophon, written at some time in the 4th century BC!

Whether or not the new series lives up to its illustrious pedigree remains to be seen – but to get yourself in the mood, check out the trailer for the original film above.

And finally...

Man spends £40,000 building room-sized computer; uses it to play Tetris

Finally this week, we learned about one man’s bizarre quest to build his own giant supercomputer, not unlike the room-sized behemoths of the mid-20th century.

This particular machine was developed by James Newman, who spent £40,000 putting it together and calls it the ‘Megaprocessor’ – and for the record, that’s mega as in ‘big’, not mega as in ‘powerful’.

The unwieldy beast is 33 feet wide, 6 feet high and weighs a staggering half a ton. While modern computer processors are constructed from tiny transistors built into silicon chips, the Megaprocessor uses full-size ones – over 40,000 of them. Add 10,000 LEDs to the mix and you’ve got a seriously hefty piece of hardware.

For all that, though, the processor only runs at a rate of 20 kHz. For reference, that’s about 92,500 times slower than the chip in an iPhone 6S – a device that’s more than 3,000 times lighter.

But as any geek will tell you, it’s not the speed of your processor that counts – it’s what you do with it. To that end, Newman has been using the Megaprocessor to play Tetris. Sir, we salute you!

You can take a virtual tour of the Megaprocessor in the video above – it's a fascinating project and a real labour of love.

That's it for another crucial round-up of the week's tech news – but for more great stories from our Agents direct to your inbox each month, get your name down below for our Geek Squad newsletter!

In this podcast we find one of the best uses for Google Glass so far, and news of the Freedom 251 smartphone being released has us wondering just how much you get for the $4 price tag (spoiler: it's a lot more than you'd expect!). Listen to the podcast below to check out what our Agents think.

App Recommendations

Laser Dreams - Android (free) / iOS (free)

FourSquare - Android (free) / iOS (free)

Virtual Table Tennis - Android (free) / iOS (free)

If you need a manual or help with the setup of your Huawei P9 Lite, check out our user guide to start using your handset, connect to the internet and more!

1. Unboxing and assembling your Huawei P9 Lite
2. Set up your phone for the first time
3. Connecting to Wi-Fi and mobile networks
4. Find out how to add your email accounts
5. How to add and import contacts to your Huawei
6. Using the Play Store to find new apps
7. Securing your Huawei P9 Lite with a lock screen
8. How to make phone calls on your Huawei
9. Send text & picture messages
10. Sending emails and attachments on your Huawei
11. How to set alarms on the Huawei P9 Lite
12. Read our tips to learn more about your phone

Click here for Huawei's P9 Lite user manual

Unboxing and assembling your Huawei P9 Lite

Inside the box* you should find:

• 1 x Huawei P9 Lite
• 1 x Mains power adapter
• 1 x USB C lead
• 1 x In-line earphones
• 1 x Information pack

*some box contents may vary

The P9 Lite takes a nano-SIM card, which goes into a tray slotted into the side of the handset. If you wish to expand the storage space available by adding a microSD (memory) card, you'll need to have that to hand as well.

Insert the SIM and memory cards

The Huawei P9 Lite is a unibody handset. This means that there is no separate back cover and the battery is also not removable. Instead of residing under the back cover, the SIM and memory cards will need to be placed into a tray which slides into the left-hand edge of the phone. In order to remove the tray you will need to locate the SIM tool, which is a metal clip with a pin one end of it attached to the underside of the information pack cover.

Put the P9 Lite on a flat surface, with the screen facing up and the left-hand edge facing you. On the edge of the handset you should see the outlines of the tray with a pinhole at one end to facilitate removal. Using the SIM tool, press the pin through the hole in the end of the drawer against a spring pressure to release the drawer. This can be eased out of the handset, and will hold both the SIM and memory cards.

The nano-SIM card should be placed into the smaller cut-out in the tray, which is at the end that is inserted into the phone. Install the SIM with the gold-coloured contacts facing down, and correctly orientated so that the cut-off corner enters the phone's body first, as shown in the image.

If you wish to install a microSD (memory) card, this goes into the outer cut-out. Place the microSD card carefully into it, with the gold-coloured contacts facing down and the card aligned to that it slides into the phone narrow end first. Carefully slide the tray into its slot, and press it home so that it is flush with the handset's body.

Now that the cards are installed, you can press the power button and start configuring your new phone! Read through the other chapters in this guide to discover how to set up your emails, download apps, and import your contacts!

Return to Huawei P9 Lite chapters

Set up your phone for the first time

The setup wizard will help configure some basic settings on your new P9 Lite and get the handset ready for use.

If your SIM card is active, you may be asked to choose your network operator from a list. If you see this screen, tap on the correct network name to make sure you get some phone signal.

1. Select your language by tapping on it (English (UK) is pre-selected by default) then tap Next.
2. Choose the region you;re in (United Kingdom is already selected as standard) then tap Next.
3. Make sure to turn on the Wi-Fi switch so that it lights up blue, you will be asked to connect to a Wi-Fi network. Find and tap on your wi-fi network name from the list. You can Skip this step if you wish to do this later, but we would always recommend connecting to Wi-Fi as you will avoid any possible internet charges.
4. Enter your wireless password when prompted. This should be on your router, although it may also be called a WEP key, WPA key or wireless passphrase. You can check what you typed by tapping the eye on the right of the password box. When you are ready to proceed, tap Connect.

5. Once you are connected to the wireless network you've chosen, tap Next to continue.
6. You will have to accept the terms and conditions in order to proceed. You can inspect them by tapping About this project, and when you are ready tap Agree to put the blue dot in the circle. When you have agreed to the terms and conditions, tap Next.
7. There are other policies you are asked to agree to, which are about updating the phone's software when connected to Wi-Fi (recommended) and updating the unlock-screen pictures (optional). Make your choices by tapping the appropriate circles, then tap Next.
8. Wi-Fi+ gives you an improved internet experience by switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data more intelligently. If you prefer to keep total control over your internet, you can do so by tapping do not allow. If you prefer the sound of an enhanced internet experience, tap Allow.

9. You will then be asked about bringing your setup from another device. If your old phone has NFC you can Copy Google accounts and more, but if not, or if you're unsure, choose No, thanks. When you've made your choice, tap Next.
10. Next you have the option of adding a Google account, which is always a good idea on an Android phone. A Google account (an @gmail.com or @googlemail.com email address) will help back up your data securely and allow you to download apps from the Google Play Store. If you don't already have a Google account, touch the link to create a new account and complete the on screen form to create a new account for free.
11. To sign in, enter your existing Google Gmail address and tap the next button to continue. If you are creating a new account, complete all sections of the on screen form to complete the sign-up for a new Google account.
12. When prompted, enter your Gmail password and press Next.

13. There is an on-screen advisory about the various Terms of Service, which you can inspect by tapping on each link in turn. When you are ready to proceed, tap Accept.
14. The next page is about background services your Google account can perform. The options are all ticked by default, so if you wish to opt out of any service here untick the box. The first section is allows the P9 Lite to Back up to your Google account which is extremely useful when it comes to upgrading or replacing a lost or damaged handset, and therefore something we would recommend. Scroll down or tap the down arrow to see the other options.
15. Location settings relate to letting your phone (and Google) know where in the world you are, which will help improve internet search results, and satellite navigation apps will thank you for it. You can also help improve location services by allowing the handset to check for Wi-Fi networks even when Wi-Fi is turned off. Scroll down again, or tap the down arrow.
16. The final option allows the P9 Lite to send back anonymous information to Google. Untick any of these if you wish to opt out of that service, and when you're ready to proceed tap Next.

17. You will then be asked about adding a payment method to your Google account to make purchasing premium content easier, but many items are free so this is not mandatory. You can link a credit or debit card, redeem a Google Play voucher, and if your mobile network allows it you can opt to be billed through them. Select your chosen method of funding your purchases, or opt out of setting this up for now by tapping No, thanks, then tap Continue.
18. You will now be invited to protect your phone (and all of your accounts and data) by setting up a screen lock. You can Skip this if you wish (not recommended) but we would always advise you to tap Set screen lock type.
19. Tap to choose whether to set up a PIN, pattern or password lock screen, or Skip this if you've changed your mind (we also cover this in a later chapter).
20. We're entering a four digit PIN, but a password is set in much the same manner. Enter your chosen code into the upper box, then confirm your unlock PIN or Password by entering it again in the second box. When you're ready to proceed, tap Done (if they don't match you'll be asked to re-enter them).

21. Now that you've set your screen lock up, tap Next.
22. You will be asked about restoring all default settings. Tap Do not allow.
23. You will now see a screen asking you whether to allow Huawei ID to manage phone calls. A Huawei ID allows you to back up your handset using Huawei's own servers and also gives you access to exclusive content. To discover more about this tap Allow, or tap Deny to move past this section.
24. If you tapped allow you will see some more information about the benefits of a Huawei account. If you've previously used this on another Huawei handset, you can Log in with your details. You can also create a New account, or Skip this (don't worry, you can always do this later on!).

25. If you chose to skip, you'll see a reminder advising you that to use the Huawei cloud service you'll need an account. To skip anyway tap OK.
26. If you set up a security unlock screen, you'll be asked about using your fingerprint to unlock your phone (and verify payments) instead of entering your PIN or password. To do this, tap Enrol. If you'd rather set this up later (or not at all) then tap Skip.
27. To add your fingerprint you'l be asked to conform the password you set up earlier, so enter this on screen and tap Next.
28. To scan your print, press your finger onto the sensor on the back of the handset, and each time you feel the phone vibrate lift your finger and replace it.

29. When you see a screen showing your print has been successfully enrolled, you can rename the saved print (which makes managing stored fingerprints easier) before tapping OK to continue.
30. That concludes the setup wizard! Tap Begin to start using your new phone.
31. The Home screen of your Huawei P9 Lite needs to access certain core elements of your phone to enhance your use of the phone by offering personalised items on screen. if you;re happy to agree to this tap Enable, or tap Settings to turn any of these off.

Now that you have completed the setup wizard, you will be looking at your home screen. At the bottom of the home screen is the navigation bar, which displays virtual buttons to help you.

navigate around your phone. The Triangle is a back button when pointing left, or when pointing down it will drop the onscreen keyboard out of the way. The Circle is the Home button, which will always return you to the home screen view of your phone, and the Square is the recent apps button which allows you to quickly switch between open apps.

Swipe across to get access to your apps, and read on through the other chapters in this guide to set up your email accounts, download apps and more!

Return to Huawei P9 Lite chapters

Connecting to Wi-Fi and mobile networks

The Huawei P9 Lite is a wonderful piece of kit, but without an internet connection many of its finest features won't work! New apps can't be downloaded, existing apps can't be updated, and your social networks and email accounts can't retrieve new data! Make sure your phone is working to its fullest by using our short guide below.

Connect to Wi-Fi

1. Touch your finger to the top of the phone screen then drag downwards to access your Quick Settings. Hold your finger down on the Wi-Fi symbol to go straight to your Wi-Fi settings.
2. Check that the Wi-Fi switch is turned on (blue). If not, tap it to turn it on. In the list of network names that appears, locate and tap on your chosen Wi-Fi network name.
3. When the keyboard appears, enter your Wi-Fi password in the box provided. Your password can usually be found on a sticker on the side or the underneath of your router, and may also be referred to as a WEP key, WPA key or wireless passphrase. Please ensure you replicate any capital letters as passwords are case-sensitive. You can check your typing by ticking the Show advanced options box, and when you are ready to proceed, tap Connect.
4. When you see Connected under the network name (which should now be in blue) and the Wi-Fi symbol appears next to the signal bars, then you've been successful.

Set up Mobile Internet access

To see whether your P9 Lite can connect to mobile data, you need to turn off Wi-Fi with the switch as described in the above section, then check for the data indicator after each step. The mobile data connection is indicated by the letters G, E, 3G, H or 4G appearing next to the signal bars on the top line of the display. When you see this, your mobile data should be working.

To begin checking your mobile data connection, swipe across from the home screen and tap on Settings.

1. In order to see the data connection icon, you must first turn off your Wi-Fi connection. Tap Wi-Fi.
2. On the Wi-Fi line you'll see a switch, which will be blue if Wi-Fi is enabled. Tap the switch to turn it off, then tap the back arrow at the bottom of the screen.
3. Now that your wireless network connection is disabled, tap More.
4. To find the correct setting page, tap Mobile network.

5. At the top of the page is Mobile Data. This switch needs to be enabled (blue) in order for your mobile data connection to work, so if it isn't already, tap it to turn it on, then check for a letter next to the signal bars.
6. If you're still having internet issues, tap on Access Point Names. These are the settings that set up your handset for internet access.
7. If you see your mobile network's name in the list, make sure your network is active by tapping the blue circle at the end of the line to select it. Check again for the letters near the signal bars. If your network settings do not appear in the list of available APNs, then a reset may be required.
8. Tap the Menu icon at the bottom and then tap Reset to default. You may need to select your network from a list once the reset has completed.

If all these steps fail, then you can enter your network's Access Point Name settings manually. Tap the Menu button and choose New APN from the list which appears.

On the new page we can type in the settings for your network. We have produced the Geek Squad guide to APN settings to assist you with these. When you've finished typing in the boxes, tap Save at the bottom of the screen.

If you are still struggling to get your handset connected, then you can ask your mobile network to send some configuration messages through to your phone, or take a look at our support options to help you get set up.

Return to Huawei P9 Lite chapters

Find out how to add your email accounts

Your new Huawei P9 Lite can manage multiple POP, IMAP and Exchange email accounts with a minimum of fuss. Follow our guide below to start receiving your emails on your new smart phone!

Gmail Account Setup

We covered setting up a Google account in the initial setup, but if you didn't complete it then you can add one now.

1. From the home screen, swipe across then tap on the Settings icon.
2. Scroll down the main Settings screen and tap on Accounts.
3. You will now see any accounts which are already set up on your P9 Lite. Tap Add account.
4. On the list of account types, tap Google to start adding a Gmail account to the phone.

5. If you are new to Google, tap Create a new account and complete the form.
6. To sign in with an existing account, type in your Google email address and press Next.
7. Enter your password on the next page and press Next.
8. You must agree to the Terms of service and Privacy Policy in order to use the Google account on your new handset. Tap a link to inspect any which you would like to look at, then tap Accept.

9. The Google account can be used to back up your apps and settings, which you can opt out of by unticking the box.
10. Tap the down arrow, then tap Next.
11. You might be asked to set up some payment details in order to purchase apps and other media from the Play Store. This is optional, as many apps are free. Select your billing option or choose No, thanks to leave this for now, then tap Continue.

The newly-added Google account should now show in the Accounts section, and your emails will start to arrive in the Gmail app very shortly.

Email Setup

1. From the home screen, swipe across then tap on the Settings icon.
2. Scroll down the main Settings screen and tap on Accounts.
3. You will now see any accounts which are already set up on your P9 Lite. Tap Add account.
4. If you have an Exchange email account (often used by employers, or education providers) choose Corporate. For all other account types, tap Email.

5. Most email accounts can be configured quite quickly, simply type in your email address and password, then tap Next to continue.
6. To enable the Email app to work correctly, you will be asked to give it permission to access such things as your contacts and storage. Tap Enable to allow this, or Settings to disable some of these options if you wish.
7. Your P9 Lite will then contact the email provider to download the correct settings to allow it to access the email servers.

8. If all goes well and the account sets up, you may be able to alter some account options. The top line shows the Sync frequency, which is how often your handset checks for new mail. Tap this to choose how often to look for new mail.
9. Checking for new mail more often will keep you up-to-date, but also uses more power, so a good tip is don't check more often than you need to.
10. Check the other options to see whether you are notified about mail arriving, and about downloading attachments. When you are happy with the settings, tap Next.

Email will now be delivered to the Email app which you can find on the home screen.

If your account failed to set up automatically, you will be returned to the main email setup page with the boxes completed with your email address and password. In order to add your email account to the P9 Lite you will have to do a Manual Setup. You will need to know the type of account you have (POP3, IMAP or Exchange) and additional, account specific information.

This additional information will include the account Username, Password, and also incoming& outgoing mail server settings, all of which will have to be entered onto the form. If your account is an Exchange account, you will need to know domain and Exchange server information.

We have written a guide to email server settingsfor most of the popular UK email providers to help you complete these, but if your mail provider is not listed, or your Exchange email account is provided by your company, you may need to contact them directly for detailed assistance.

If you are still having difficulty adding your email account, why don't you check out our support options and give us a call at any time 24/7 on 0800 049 3040

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How to add and import contacts to your Huawei P9 lite

If you're using your new P9 Lite and don't know how to move your contacts across, check out our guide to transferring or importing smartphone contacts to an Huawei handset. Whether you're migrating across from an iPhone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry or another Android, we've got you covered with step-by-step instructions and pictures to show you exactly where to look!

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Using the Play Store to find new apps

If you want to fill your new phone up with great games, amazing apps and more, let us guide you through the Google Play Store with our handy guide. We'll show you how to find the apps you want, and where to look to rediscover apps you've enjoyed in the past. If you aren't sure about installing new things, let us help!

return to Huawei P9 Lite chapters

Securing your Huawei P9 Lite with a lock screen

Your Huawei P9 Lite has a lot of valuable information on it, and will likely be signed into accounts inside various apps to give you quick access to your data; Email, social media and file sharing apps to name but a few. The best way to keep all of this data from prying eyes is to secure your handset with a PIN or Password. Read on to discover how!

1. From the home screen,swipe across then tap on Settings.
2. Scroll down the settings menu and tap on Screen lock & passwords.
3. To set up lock screen security, tap Password.

4. Choose what type of unlock method you'd like to use; None is the default, insecure method with just a swipe to unlock the screen, Pattern allows you to draw a pattern on a grid of dots, PIN is a numerical code of at least four digits and Password is a longer, more complex security code. To proceed, tap your chosen method. If you want to use fingerprint unlocking, you need to set up a normal security screen first.
5. We're entering a four digit PIN, but a password is set in much the same manner. Enter your chosen code via the keyboard (a pattern requires you to set a PIN as a backup!).
6. Confirm your unlock PIN or Password by entering it again, then tap Done.
7. Your new lock is now set, and you will be asked about using your fingerprint to unlock your phone. Tapping Cancel will set the lock screen you;ve just created, and allow you to see the other options. Tapping Enrol will take you straight into the fingerprint settings, which we cover from step 2 below.

Your new method of securing your lock screen will be displayed. In order to change it, you will need to enter it when you tap on that option. You can change the time needed for the lock to be activated after the display times out by tapping Secure lock settings and then Lock automatically.

If you do change this, remember that although your screen may have gone off, your handset may not be locked securely until a period of time has elapsed. When you're happy, tap the Home button to return to the home screen.

How to unlock your P9 Lite with your Fingerprint

The Huawei P9 Lite has a fingerprint scanner built into the home button. You can register up to 5 fingerprints to enable you to unlock your phone quickly without having to enter a password every time, and you can also use added fingerprints to authorise apps and purchases where these are allowed.

In order to set up fingerprint recognition, you need to be in the Lock Screen and Security section of the Settings menu (Settings> Fingerprint ID> Fingerprint management). If you haven't already added lock screen security in the form of a PIN or Password (as advised in the section above) you will be required to set this up as a backup should your fingerprint not be able to be scanned. If you have then you will be prompted to enter the password to unlock the fingerprint settings.

1. Tap New fingerprint.
2. Place your finger onto the sensor and lift it off as prompted on screen.
3. As more of your print is scanned you may be prompted to move your finger slightly.
4. When your print is fully scanned you will see a Success screen. Tap OK. Your fingerprint has now been registered.

Managing fingerprints

1. To add further fingerprints, tap New fingerprint and repeat the process.
2. Further down the screen you will see settings to allow you to use the sensor to take photos, answer calls and control other aspects of your phone.
3. To edit the name of a fingerprint, or to delete it, touch and hold its name.
4. To change the name (to help identify which print is which, for example) tap Rename. Tap Delete at the top to delete the print and its saved data from your P9 Lite.

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How to make phone calls on your Huawei

Making a phone call is one of the most important functions of any smartphone, but it's easy to get distracted with everything else your P9 Lite is capable of! Find out how to make and receive calls on your new Huawei P9 Lite with these short steps.

1. The first step to making a phone call is to open the Phone icon from the home screen by tapping on it. This is in the bottom-left corner by default.
2. To make a call, dial a number and press the green button to start the call. If you want to call a contact in your phone, you can use the keypad to spell out their name. There are letters below each number, tap the numbers to spell the name (for example, spelling out "Danny" by tapping "32669") and the P9 Lite will find them in your contact list! If you know more than one person with the name you're searching, you'll need to tap the correct contact from the suggestions.
3. If you prefer, you can search your contacts directly from the Contacts screen by tapping into the search box at the top. Contacts can be found at the top of the phone screen.
4. Mark contacts as favourites (by tapping the star on their contact card) and the Favourites tab gives you quick shortcuts to dial them!

If you tap on the people icon you will see a full list of all your contacts. Scroll down the list and tap on a contact to start calling them.

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Send text & picture messages

With so many ways of getting in touch with people, it's easy to forget that texts are a big part of any smartphone. To find out how to send text and picture messages from your P9 Lite, check out the following steps.

1. Find and tap the Messaging app from your home screen. The icon looks like blue and white speech bubbles, and if you have unread messages, you will see a badge in the corner showing you have unread items.
2. To compose a new message, tap + New message at the bottom of the sceren.
3. Now you're looking at a blank text message. Pick the recipient by tapping in the To box.
4. You can enter a mobile number directly using the numeric keyboard, or you can start to type a contact's name. If you're entering text, matching contacts will appear below as you type. Tap on the contact you're trying to text to select them as the recipient.
5. Now you've chosen who you're messaging, it's time to type out what you want to say. Tap into the type message box and type your message. To send it, tap the arrow to the right of the text box.

Add an attachment to send an MMS message

1. If you want to add an attachment, such as a picture, video or sound recording, tap the + to the left of the text box.
2. Options will appear in place of the keyboard to allow you to choose what you'd like to attach to your message. You could take a new photo using the camera, attach a picture that's already on your phone or one of many other options, each of which can be selected by tapping on the icon. (If you're sending a picture or video, it will be sent as a Multimedia message and you'll see MMS appearing in the text input box to advise you).
3. Once you've attached your item, it will display in the body of the message, allowing you to add further text before you send it by tapping the arrow.

How to delete a message thread

If you'd like to delete a thread of messages from your handset, open the Messaging app and locate the thread you'd like to delete by finding the other person's name in the message list.

Touch and hold on their name, and a tickbox will appear beside it. When you see this, look at the bottom of the screen and tap the bin icon to delete the thread.

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Sending emails and attachments on your Huawei

To send an email, you must have already set up an email account on your P9 Lite. If you haven't added your account yet, please check our chapter on adding an email account for more information.

1. Find and open the Email app on your P9 Lite. When you can see your email inbox, tap the compose button at the bottom of the screen.
2. New emails will always send from your default email account (which is usually the first one you've added). If you have more than one account on your Huawei P9 Lite lite and wish to send it from a different account, tap the down arrow at the right of the From line and change the email address you're sending from.
3. Tap into the To line to select the intended recipient. Type their name using the keyboard, and any matching contacts will appear. Tap on the correct contact to add them to the recipient list.
4. You can add further recipients, send copies to yourself or others, and also enter a Subject for your email by tapping into the respective fields and entering the information.
5. Once you've entered all the information in the header, scroll down if necessary and tap into the main window. Write your email, and if you are just sending the text, tap the arrow at the top right-hand corner of the screen to send it on it's way.

Add an attachment to your email

5. To add an attachment, tap the link icon just above the keyboard, on the right of the screen.
6. When the menu opens, you can choose from where to attach the item.
7. Navigate through the on-screen menu to find the item you want, tap it to select it (you can add more than one item by selecting as many as you like in this way) and then tap the tick in the top right-hand corner to add the attachments to your email.
8. You may be asked about resizing your images. This is a good idea if you're using mobile data, as smaller images are quicker to send, and will use less of your data allowance.
9. Add further attachments if you wish, and compose your message. To send, tap the right-facing arrow.

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How to set alarms on the Huawei P9 Lite

The Alarm is found in the Clock app of your P9 Lite. You can access it by tapping the clock on your home screen, or in the Tools folder. Once the Clock app opens, tap Alarm at the top of the screen.

1. You will now see all the alarms that are currently programmed, along with switches to activate them. To edit an existing alarm, tap on it. To set a new alarm, tap the add button with the + sign in the bottom of the screen.
2. On the alarm setting screen, you can set the time of the alarm by dragging your finger up or down on the hour. Once you've picked an hour, it's time to repeat the process for the minutes.
3. Repeat allows you to set one alarm to sound on several days - great if you work Monday to Friday, or like a lie-in at weekends!
4. Label allows you to set a custom label on an alarm to help you identify which one you're trying to set.

5. You can now customise your alarm with a custom alarm tone, and choose to have the P9 Lite vibrate while the alarm is sounding. Tap the tick at the top of the screen when you're finished.
6. Use the switches to set or unset an alarm as you see fit. To delete any alarm, touch and hold on one of the alarm lines.
7. You can delete any alarm by tapping the - in the red circle on the correct line. When you;ve finished deleting, tap the X in the top left-hand corner to return to the Alarms screen.
8. The Settings icon allows you to choose whether the alarm sounds even of the phone is silenced, and offers controls for the snooze and ring duration.

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Read our tips to learn more about your phone

Now you've set up the basics on your Huawei P9 Lite, let's finish off this Quick Start guide by giving you a few tips to help you get the most out of your new phone.

Quickly Search your Phone

Your P9 Lite has an interesting shortcut to quickly find files, contacts, apps, messages and other data from your Home screen. Simply drag your finger down the screen while looking at your app shortcuts and the search box will appear! Type in to the box to search both on your phone and on the internet, so you'll find whatever you need quickly and quietly.

As you type, the list of suggestions will grow shorter to match the words you're entering. This means you don't have to type in the full name of the app to find it, and in many cases can simply enter the first couple of letters to make it appear on the screen.

If there's an app you use regularly and don't like to keep searching for it, press the pin icon next to it on the search page to 'pin' it to Quick Search. This means it will appear every time you swipe downwards, and not just when you start typing its name!

Optimise and Clean Out Your Phone

The Ascend P9 Lite incorporates a great Phone Manager app to help you keep your new phone running as quickly and efficiently as possible.

1. From the home screen, swipe across and tap on Phone Manager.
2. Tap where it says Scan. The phone will run a diagnostic to see what improvements can be pade, perhaps by shutting down background processes, or closing open apps. Once this has been run, the circle will display a number representing the phone's efficiency (100 meaning 100%) so the higher the number, the better the phone should be running.
3. If the circle is orange instead of blue, tapping it will carry out all the suggested actions, optimising the phone's performance. They can also be carried out individually by tapping on the relevent lines below the circle.
4. On the main Phone Manager window there are also icons beneath the circle. These open further settings to enhance the phone's performance. Within these extra settings, Power saving allows you to change the phone's power plan, which is great to help eke out a low charge whilst still being able to use the phone; Notification manager allows you to stop apps from posting to your notifications area; Networked apps allows you to stop specific apps from connecting to the internet.

So, there you are - your brand new Huawei P9 Lite should be ready and raring to go! If you have any problems along the way, remember that Geek Squad is on hand around the clock to help you find the solution to all your tech problems.

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British summertime has finally arrived – no, honestly, it’s true! This gives us a few things to look forward to: longer days, a spot of sunshine and, of course, lots and lots of sporting events.

Whether it’s the stirring drama of the Rio Olympics or the nail-biting race to the finish of the Tour de France, the sports schedules are packed with all kinds of games and contests to keep you on the edge of your seat over the next couple of months.

And the great news is, there are now more ways than ever to keep on top of all the latest sporting news and breaking match stories – from who’s been knocked out to real-time scores and stats.

With that in mind, today we're taking a look at the best ways of staying on top of all things sporty – whenever you want, wherever you are!

Rio 2016

Free for iOS and Android

In case you hadn't noticed, it's an Olympic year – so it's fitting we kick things off with Rio 2016, the official app of this year's Olympic and Paralympic games. If you want up-to-the minute information about the Games, this app is an absolute must-have!

In addition to all the results, you can read up on the history of the Olympics – and even brush up on the rules and regulations of the 42 sports that will feature at this year's games!

There's also detailed information on all the venues being used at the Games, including the legendary Maracana stadium (you know, the one where John Barnes scored THAT goal) – and ahead of the Games, the app will keep you up-to-date on the progress of the Olympic Flame as it makes its way from London to Rio.

BBC Sport app

Free for iOS and Android

From football to rugby, golf to darts – whatever sport you're into, the BBC Sport app has it covered, giving you all the information you need straight to your mobile. You can choose from over 300 sporting topics to create your own personal sports newsletter, tailored just for you!

They may not have the pizazz and hyperbole of Sky, but there's something very comforting and familiar about BBC Sports coverage.

That's not to say the app is lacking in features – in fact, it's got everything from text updates to live video streaming. And best of all, due to the unique way the BBC is funded, there are no annoying ads to distract you!

ESPNcricinfo Cricket

Free for iOS and Android

The name doesn't exactly trip off the tongue – but if cricket’s your thing, then ESPNCricinfois a great app that won’t leave you stumped (sorry about that). In fact, it’s packed with all the latest, most up-to-the-minute scores and information, so you’ll never need to feel out of the loop again.

Whether you're in it for the long haul watching a series of Test matches or following some swift Twenty20 action, it's a one-stop shop for all your cricketing needs. The app has everything a cricket fan could want, from live scores to in-depth player stats, and exclusive content from ESPN – one of the world's biggest sports broadcasters.

Sky Sports Live Football Score Centre

Free for iOS and Android

If your first love is the beautiful game, you need never miss a goal with Sky Sports Live Football Score Centre.

Sky may not have the monopoly they once had when it comes to football, but they do know how to put together a slick presentation – whether that's on the telly or your smartphone.

If you like your footy coverage loud, brash and full of bells and whistles, then Sky won't disappoint you. All the important information is at your fingertips, from league tables to player stats and even the nearest pub showing the match – the only thing missing is Chris Kamara!

YouTube Live Sports channel

Free on the web and via apps for Android and iOS

YouTube needs no introduction – but their Live Sports channel can give you access to the biggest games, wherever you are. You can tune in whether you're on a train, travelling to work or even have your feet up on the sofa – as long as you have good Wi-Fi access!

With Live Sports, you’ll never be more than a click away from the biggest games around the globe – and there’s sure to be some interesting comments along the way too!

FreeCaddie – Free Golf GPS

Free for iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone

If you're a keen golfist, you'll wonder how you ever got by without this app. It has data on over 30,000 golf courses around the globe þ so even if it's your first visit, you'll feel right at home... as you shank your opening drive into the trees.

Freecaddiewill give you distances to the front, back and centre of the course – but if you want a bit more, you can upgrade to the Pro version, which will give you satellite imagery of each hole and more detailed information on course hazards and stats.

RacingUK app

Free for iOS and Android

As they say, different horses for different courses – and if horseracing is your sport of choice, you won’t go far wrong with RacingUK.

The app gives you access to a whole host of fantastic features, including racecards, results and blogs from the top experts and tipsters in the business. You can also watch live racing from 34 of the UK's premier racecourses – so whether you're a keen flutterer or just enjoy the specatacle, this app has you covered.

So, there you have it: an entire sporting spectrum available to you in your pocket! Now, of course, this is only a fraction of what's available – so if you've got a favourite sporting app, let us know in the comments. We'd love to hear from you!

If you need a manual or help with the setup of your Sony Xperia E5, check out our user guide to start using your handset, connect to the internet and more!

1. Unboxing and assembling your Sony Xperia E5
2. Set up your phone for the first time
3. Connecting to Wi-Fi and mobile networks
4. Find out how to add your email accounts
5. How to add and import contacts to your Xperia E5
6. Using the Play Store to find new apps
7. Securing your Xperia E5 a with a lock screen
8. How to make phone calls on your Sony Xperia E5
9. Send text & picture messages from your Xperia E5
10. Sending emails and attachments on your Xperia E5
11. How to set alarms on the Xperia E5
12. Read our tips to learn more about your phone

Click here for Sony's Xperia E5 user manual

Unboxing and assembling your Sony Xperia E5

So you've opened the box and taken out your Xperia E5, but what now? Well, it's now time to get your new mobile phone up and running, personalising it in the process. Before we turn the phone on, let's make sure we have everything we need.

What's in the box?

First of all, let's make sure you have everything you need. Inside the box* you should find:

• 1 x Sony Xperia E5
• 1 x Mains power adapter
• 1 x USB media cable
• 1 x Information pack

*some box contents may vary

The Sony Xperia E5 takes a nano-SIM card, which should have been given to you when you got your handset. If you wish to expand the storage space available by installing a memory card, you'll need to have that to hand as well.

Assembly

Sony's Xperia E5 does not have a removable back cover. Instead, the SIM and memory cards slide into slots in the body of the phone which are protected by a cover, which you'll find near the top of the right hand edge of the handset.

With your thumbnail, carefully prise the waterproof cover open and swing it out of the way, then place the phone screen-side down on a flat surface. With the cover removed, you will see two slots in the phone's body. The slot nearest the top of the phone, at the hinged end of the cover is for the memory card, and the slot nearer the bottom of the phone is for the SIM card.The slots are marked for ease of identification.

To insert the SIM card, you will need to extract the card tray from the slot, which is easily achieved using a fingernail. Place the SIM card into the recess in the tray, with the gold-coloured contacts facing up and correctly orientated. Insert the tray into the body of the phone and press home.

If you are installing a memory card, this slides directly into the correct slot in the body, with the gold-coloured contacts facing up and inserted first. Slide the card home and press it against a spring until it latches into place.

Finally, swing the cover back over the slot and press home firmly so that it is flush with the edge of the phone. You're now ready to turn on your new Xperia E5 and get it set up, personalising it as you go!

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Set up your phone for the first time

The first thing you will see when you power on your new Sony Xperia E5 for the first time is a setup wizard. This isn't overly long and will set up some basic functionality of your new mobile phone to make sure getting the phone set up for the first time is smooth sailing.

Complete the setup wizard

Before you start working through the setup wizard, please ensure that you have inserted your SIM card correctly as shown in the previous chapter. Turn on your Xperia E5 by pressing the power button (the smaller white button on the right edge, below the volume button) for a second or two until you feel a vibration.

1. The screen will light up and shortly you will see a list of languages on screen. English (United Kingdom) is already selected, but if you wish to set a different language on your phone you can scroll through and tap it to select it. Read the important information by tapping the link, and then tick the box to show that you're aware of it. When you are ready to proceed, tick the tap Get started.
2. You will be asked about connecting to the internet. To use internet based services when you are out and about, you'll need to select Mobile network and Wi-Fi. If want to connect to the internet using Wi-Fi only then choose that option. When you're ready, tap Next to proceed.
3. The next screen lets you connect to a wireless network. It is always a good idea to set up Wi-Fi as your handset will usually need to download updates, and you may find yourself using a lot of your mobile data without realising it. To connect to Wi-Fi, tap on the name of your Wi-Fi network. To continue without connecting to Wi-Fi, tap Skip.
4. When prompted, type the wireless password in the box provided, then tap Connect. You may be able to find this on a sticker on your router, and it is sometimes referred to as a wireless passphrase, WPA key or WEP key.

5. If you're upgrading from another Android smartphone, you can copy information from your previous handset using NFC which is short for Near Field Communication. To do this, tap on Copy Google accounts, apps and data from your other device and follow the on-screen instructions. If you want to set this up as a fresh new phone, choose No, thanks. When you're ready, tap Next.
6. A Google account is the most important account you can add to an Android device. Without one, you won't be able to download apps or back up your phone. To sign in with an existing Google account (an email address ending with @gmail.com or @googlemail.com), enter your address in the space provided and tap Next. If you don't have a Google account, tap create a new account.
7. Enter your password, then tap the Next. If you are creating a new account, complete the form.
8. To complete the sign-in, you will have to agree with Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Inspect them by tapping the links, then when you are happy to proceed tap Accept.

9. The Google account powers many services, and the next screens are all about setting some of these up. The next screen offers you options to Backup your handset to the Google account. Untick the box if you'd prefer not to do this, then tap More.
10. The Xperia E5 can use Location services to enhance mapping and local internet search, and also feed back information to help improve Android. To opt out of any of these services, simply untick the relevant box, and when you are ready to proceed tap Next.
11. If you want to buy apps, games, books, movies or music from the Google Play Store you need a payment method linked to your Google account. Tap your chosen billing option, or select No, thanks to skip this for now, then tap Next. If you're adding billing information or payment details, you will need to enter this on the next screen.
12. If you have used an Android device in the past, the Google account may ask from which device you'd like to restore a backup to your new handset. A list of available device backups will show onscreen. Tap to select the backup you'd like to restore the data from, and tap the right arrow to proceed.

13. If you'd rather start afresh rather than restoring from an old device, scroll to the bottom and tap Don't restore.
14. You can protect your phone with a lock screen, which stops people from accessing your private information on your smartphone. You can use a PIN, pattern or password to give a secure method of protection. As we cover the lock screen in a later chapter, we're going to skip this for now by unticking the box then pressing Skip.
15. If you skipped the lock screen setup, you must confirm that you want to skip it. This is to ensure you're aware your phone won't be locked when the screen is off.
16. Xperia services gives you access to some exclusive Sony services. These are optional, so to sign up for these, Sign in with your Google account, or tap Not now then Next to skip past this.

17. If you skipped signing up for Xperia services, you will see a disclaimer telling you about securing your phone. You can Sign in to enable this, or Skip past it (you can always set this up later on, and your Google account will offer you some similar features!)
18. That's almost it! Tap Finish to exit the setup wizard.
19. The Data disclaimer asks you to share diagnostic information with Sony to improve their services. Read through, then tap Next to read the rest of the disclaimer.
20. You can opt out of sending diagnostic information to Sony by unticking the box, or you can agree to send it by leaving the box ticked. Tap OK to continue.

You should now be looking at your new Home screen complete with Google search widgets, shortcuts to Sony's built-in apps and a launch bar with access to your apps list. On the launch bar are three icons. The Triangle will take you back a screen (or dismiss the keyboard if it's pointing down), the House symbol is the Home button which will always return you to the home screen, and the Square button shows you recent apps you've had open, allowing you to quickly switch between them.

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Connecting to Wi-Fi and mobile networks

A smart phone needs the internet for most of its functions, whether you're downloading apps, syncing your contacts or simply checking your emails. The Xperia E5, like many other handsets, is able to connect to Wi-Fi and to the mobile network to get internet access, and both connections have their merits.

Wi-Fi is great for fast, stable connections when you aren't straying too far from the router and has the added advantage of not using up your data allowance while you're connected. Mobile data's advantage is its portability, keeping your phone online when you're on the move and far from an accessible Wi-Fi network.

Connecting to a Wi-Fi network

1. From the home screen, tap the Apps icon at the bottom (it is a grid of dots, and you can find it just above the Home icon)
2. In the Apps list, scroll to and tap on Settings.
3. In the settings list, tap Wi-Fi. When the Wi-Fi settings open, ensure the switch is turned on (green).

4. The screen should populate with a list of nearby wireless networks. Find the name of your wireless network and tap on it.
5. Enter the wireless password when prompted. The wireless password is often shown on the router and may be referred to as the wireless passphrase, WPA key or WEP key. You can tick the box to Show password to check it is correct before tapping Connect to continue.
6. You should now see the list of nearby Wi-Fi networks, but this time your network name should show "Connected" written beneath it, and there should be a Wi-Fi symbol on the top line of the display, right next to the signal bars. Your Xperia E5 is now connected to the internet via Wi-Fi!

Connect the Xperia E5 to mobile internet

It is difficult to check or troubleshoot mobile internet connection issues when Wi-Fi is turned on, so we will turn it off to go through this section. When a mobile data connection is correctly configured, a letter or letters (G, E, 3G, H or 4G) will appear next to the signal bars to denote this.

1. Open the Settings menu, either from the Apps list or from your notification bar by dragging it downwards and tapping the cog.
2. To turn off the W-Fi connection, tap Wi-Fi.
3. Tap the switch to turn Wi-Fi off , then tap the left-facing arrow at the bottom of your phone to go back to the main settings screen.
4. To check whether the mobile data connection is enabled, tap Data usage.
5. See if the Mobile data switch is turned on (showing green). If not, tap the switch to turn it on, then check for a data indicator in your notification bar.

6. In some circumstances, even with the Data enabled box ticked you may not be able to connect to the internet, which can indicate a problem with the settings, and you may need to re-download them. Go back to the main settings screen, and this time tap More.
7. To check the connection settings themselves, tap Mobile networks followed by Access Point Names.
8. You may need to select your network name from the list, tapping the blue circle on the right to select the correct network settings.
9. If your network name does not appear in the list, or there aren't any at all, tap the Menu (three dots) icon and tap Reset to default. This should pull the settings from the SIM card, although you may need to select your network from a list. Check for the data indicator again.

If none of these options work, you can enter the setting manually by tapping the + on the top of the screen. This will open a form for you to input the correct settings for your mobile network. We have produced a guide to APN settings to assist you but if your network isn't listed, or you're still having problems, then you may need to contact your mobile network directly for further assistance.

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Find out how to add your email accounts

Your Xperia E5 can manage multiple POP, IMAP and Exchange email accounts with a minimum of fuss. Follow our guide below to start receiving your emails on your new smart phone!

Add a Google (Gmail) account to your E5

We covered setting up a Google account in the initial setup, but if you didn't complete it then, or you want to add another Google account, you can set one up now.

1. From the home screen, tap the Apps con.
2. In the Apps list, locate and tap on Settings.
3. Scroll down and tap Accounts & Sync.
4. Any accounts already on your Xperia E5 will show on this screen. Tap Add account.

5. From the account types listed, tap Google to start adding your Gmail account to the phone.
6. If you are new to Android tap create a new account to set up a free Google account.
7. If you already have a Google account, enter the Gmail address in the space provided and tap Next.
8. Enter your Password into the spaces provided then tap Next. If you are creating a new account, complete all the boxes on the onscreen form in order to set the account up.

9. You must agree to the Terms of service in order to use the Google account on your Xperia E5. Tap a link to inspect any which you would like to look at, then tap Accept to proceed.
10. You will be invited to use some Google services. If you don't want to use the Google account to back up your handset, untick the box and then tap More to continue.
11. The Play Store offers much more than just free apps, including paid-for apps, music to purchase and videos to rent or buy. To do this, you need a payment card linked to your Google account, although you won't be charged anything until you actually make a purchase. To set up a payment card, redeem a Play Store gift card or have your purchases billed by your network (if permitted) then tap the option required, or tap No, thanks to skip this for now, then tap Next.

You will now see the Google account showing in the Accounts list. Tap Home to go back to the home screen, or add another account.

Set up any other type of email account

Adding any other type of email account is done in a similar way to the Google account shown above.

1. From the home screen, tap the Apps con.
2. In the Apps list, locate and tap on Settings.
3. Scroll down and tap Accounts & Sync.
4. Any accounts already on your Xperia E5 will show on this screen. Tap Add account.

5. You will now need to select your mail account type. If you have an Exchange email account (often provided by employers or education providers), choose Microsoft Exchange Activesync. To have your email delivered into the Gmail app (keeping all your mail together in one place) then tap Personal (IMAP) or Personal (POP3) to add your account. To keep the mail separate, tap Email.
6. In our example, we're setting up using Email but but a Personal account will set up in a similar way. Type in your email address and tap Next.
7. When prompted, type in your email password, and tap Next/Continue/Sign In (as appropriate!).
8. You may be asked about how often you'd like to sync for new email. Syncing more frequently will keep you up-to-date with your email, but may have an effect on your battery life. It's always a balance between the two!

9. Depending on your account type, you may also be asked about being notified when you have new email, and various other settings. Work through them as they appear, and tap Next to proceed.
10. You can give your account a name to help you identify it (if you're using more than one account) and also enter your name to be displayed on any emails you send from your phone. Once you're happy with your details, tap Next to finish the email setup.
11. You will be taken to your new email inbox, where you should see mail arriving. in future, you can access this by tapping on Email in the Apps list. For now, tap the Back arrow to return to the settings.
12. You should now see your newly added account in the list. Add more accounts, or go back to the home screen by tapping the Home icon.

If your account failed to set up automatically, you will be returned to the main email setup page with the boxes completed with your email address and password. This time you will need to tap Manual Setup before choosing your account type - POP3, IMAP or Exchange Active Sync. You will need to know your account user name, password, and also incoming & outgoing mail server settings.

We have written a guide to email server settingsfor most of the popular UK email providers to help you complete these, but if your mail provider is not listed, or your email account is provided by your employer, you may need to contact them directly for detailed assistance.

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How to add and import contacts to your Xperia E5

Find out how to move your contacts from your old smartphone to your new Sony Xperia E5 with a minimum of fuss. We've got all the help you need to transfer from Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Phone handsets, so click the link to find out more!

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Using the Play Store to find new apps

Looking for new apps to enjoy on your Xperia E5? Why not check out our handy guide to the Play Store, your one-stop shop for apps and games on your Android smartphone. We'll show you how to find new software through your phone, as well as how to install apps onto your handset directly from the Play Store website on your computer!

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Securing your Xperia E5 with a lock screen

Your handset has a lot of valuable information on it, and will likely be signed into accounts inside various apps to give you quick access to your data; Email, social media and file sharing apps to name but a few. The best way to keep all of this data from prying eyes is to secure your Xperia with a PIN or Password. Read on to discover how!

How to set up security on your Xperia E5

1. From the home screen, tap the Apps icon, then find and tap on Settings.
2. Scroll down the settings menu and tap on Lock screen & security.
3. In the Device security section, tap Screen lock.
4. Select your preferred unlock method; Pattern, PIN or password.
5. Decide whether you want to enter your PIN/Password when you turn the phone on. For the most security, we'd recommend choosing this option, but if you think you might forget your PIN, choose No, thanks.

6. In our example we're entering a PIN, but a password is set in much the same manner. Enter your chosen code via the keyboard, then tap Continue (a Pattern will require you to set a PIN as a backup).
7. Confirm your unlock PIN or Password by entering it again, then tap OK.
8. When the screen is locked, notifications show you when you've received emails, messages and more. You can choose to Show all notification content, Hide sensitive content (you'll see you've received a message for example, but not the message itself) or Don't show notifications. Tap to select your preference, then tap Next.
9. To change how quickly the PIN or Password you've just set is required, tap Automatically lock and choose the security time-out you'd like to set.

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How to make phone calls on your Sony Xperia E5

Making a phone call is one of the most important functions of any smartphone, but it's easy to get distracted with everything else your Xperia E5 is capable of! Find out how to make and receive calls on your new Sony Xperia with these short steps.

How to make a phone call on your Xperia

1. The first step to making a phone call is to open the Phone icon from the home screen by tapping on it.
2. After you've started using your Xperia E5, your call history will show onscreen, with quick access shortcut icons at the top for the people you call the most often by tapping on them. If you don't have these showing yet, or the person your wish to call isn't shown onscreen, you can view and search your contacts by tapping the Contacts icon at the top of the screen, next to the three dots.
3. To enter a phone number directly, tap the blue keypad button at the bottom of the screen. Enter the digits and press the green button to start the call.
4. You can use the number keypad to spell out the name of a contact. There are letters below each number, tap the numbers to spell the name (in our example we're spelling out "Danny" by tapping "32669"). The Xperia E5 will find matching names in your contact list, just tap the correct contact from the suggestions to call them!

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Send text & picture messages from your Xperia E5

With so many ways of getting in touch with people, it's easy to forget that texts are a big part of any smartphone. To find out how to send text and picture messages from your Xperia E5, check out the following steps.

How to send an SMS text message

Find and tap the Messaging app from your home screen. The icon is a white circle with a blue smiley face emoticon in it. If you have unread messages, you will see a red badge in the corner showing you have unread items.

1. To compose a new message, tap on the compose button (which is a white pen on a green circle) at the bottom-right corner of the screen.
2. Now you're looking at a blank text message. Pick the recipient by tapping in the Enter one or more recipients box.
3. You can enter a mobile number directly using the numeric keyboard, or you can start to type a contact's name. If you're entering text, matching contacts will appear below as you type. Tap on the contact you're trying to text to select them as the recipient.
4. Now you've chosen who you're messaging, it's time to type out what you want to say. Tap into the Write message box and using the keyboard, type your message. To send it, tap the blue arrow to the right of the text entry box.

Add an attachment to send an MMS message

5. To add an attachment, tap one of the icons above the text box to choose what to attach; You could take a new photo using the camera, attach a picture that's already on your phone or one of many other options, each of which can be selected by tapping on the correct icon. There are even more options available by tapping the three dots icon.
6. In our example, we've chosen to add a picture from our phone. You may be able to find the item you need in the panel that replaces the keyboard, but you can also tap the gallery icon (that's the file icon in the green circle at the bottom of the screen) to look through all of your files and photos. When you've found the item you wish to attach to your message, tap it to select it.
7. Once you've attached your item, it will display in the body of the message, allowing you to add further text before you send it by tapping the blue arrow. If your message has been converted to an MMS, this will be shown below the Send arrow (you may be charged for sending MMS messages - check with your mobile network about costs!).

How to delete a message thread

If you'd like to delete a thread of messages from your handset, open the Messaging app and locate the thread you'd like to delete by finding the other person's name in the message list.

Touch and hold on their name, and a tickbox will appear beside it. Select any other threads for deletion by tapping the corresponding box to tick it, and when you're happy to proceed tap the bin icon to delete the thread (you will be asked to confirm this on another screen before they are permanently deleted).

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Sending emails and attachments on your Xperia E5

If you've set up your email account you're probably already receiving emails on your Xperia E5, but you may be wondering how to send emails and attachments to other people. Find out how with these short and helpful steps!

Sending an email

To send an email, you must have already set up an email account on your Xperia. If you haven't added your account yet, please check our chapter on adding an email account for more information. To see your emails, tap the Apps icon followed by the Email icon.

1. When you can see your email inbox, tap the compose button. This is a green circle containing a white pen at the bottom of the email inbox screen.
2. Tap into the To line to select the intended recipient. Start to type their name using the keyboard, and any matching contacts will appear. Tap on the correct contact to add them to the recipient list. You can add further recipients or send carbon copies to yourself or others by tapping the down arrow.
3. Enter a Subject for your email by tapping on that line and entering it via the keyboard.
4. Now that you've set it up, type your message by tapping into the main portion of the window in the middle of the screen. If you just want to send a text email, then you can send it by tapping the arrow icon on the title bar.

Add an attachment

5. To add an attachment, tap the paper clip on the title bar. When the menu opens, you can choose what you'd like to attach.
6. Navigate through your files by using the on screen menu to find the item(s) you want, and tap to select them.
7. When sending images, you may be asked whether to resize them - handy if you're using mobile internet, as large images and video can use a lot of data!
8. Add further attachments if you wish, and compose your message. To send, tap the arrow.

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How to set alarms on the Xperia E5

Setting an alarm is a popular occurrence on most phones, as you tend to always have it with you, turned on and telling the correct time. Read on to find out how to set an alarm on your Xperia E5.

Unsurprisingly, the Alarm is contained within the Clock app on the home screen of your Sony Xperia. If you have removed the clock from the Home screen, you can access it by tapping Apps> Alarm & clock. Open the app and follow the steps below!

1. The buttons across the top of the app allow you to select Alarms, World Clock, Stopwatch and Timer functions. Tap the alarm clock at the top then to set a new alarm, tap the blue circle with the + sign in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
2. Start by setting the time you wish the alarm to sound. When you tap this line, you will see a clock face for you to choose the hour by tapping or dragging the indicator to the correct place.
3. Once you've chosen the hour, select the minute for the alarm time in the same way, and when you're happy with your choices tap OK. Tap Cancel to re-enter these.

4. Tapping the Repeat line allows you to set an alarm to sound on multiple days - great if you're an early riser during the week but like a lie-in at weekends, for example!
5. You can edit the text displayed onscreen when the alarm goes off, and also sound, volume, vibration and snooze duration for each alarm individually - so much better than your old alarm clock, eh? When you're happy with the settings, tap Save to store and set the alarm.
6. On the alarms screen, you will see which ones are set as their switches are blue - the ones that are greyed out are not set. Tap a switch to toggle any alarm on or off.
7. To delete or edit an alarm, touch and hold on it and after a second a menu will appear, allowing you to do either of those things.

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Read our tips to learn more about your phone

We've covered the basics, but there are so many more interesting features on your phone which deserve a mention. We've listed some of our tips & tricks to make the most of your new Xperia, if you have any of your own then leave them in the comments section at the bottom of the page!

Device Connection

Never has it been easier to make your mobile device the centre of your connected world! Mirror your display to your smart TV if it is Google-cast compliant, and for those TV's that aren't quite so smart then add a Chromecast and display your phone through that instead!

You can also play your Xperia's content on other wireless devices (such as a tablet) and even set your up to act as a media server, allowing your other devices to play the music and videos that are store on your phone.

Finally you can connect your phone to your PC to allow you to use your phone's internet connection on your computer, and even set up printing options by going to Apps> Settings> Device Connection.

Maximise your battery life

The Xperia E5 comes equipped with some great tools to help you get the most from your battery. If you're low on power and want to stretch out your last bit of battery juice, head in to Settings and tap on Battery.

From here, you can turn on features like Stamina Mode (Sony's power saving application) and even enable Ultra stamina mode to squeeze every last moment of power you can get from the battery.

Tapping Show battery usage will let you see which apps are using the most power - great for determining how to adapt your usage of your handset if you're running low on power!

You will also be able to turn off other power-hungry features like location-based Wi-Fi, which is handy if you're not in a good GPS area but a bit unfriendly if you're running out of power and need to keep your phone running for a while longer.

Monitor your data usage

Say goodbye to surprise bills by taking control of your data usage. Sony equip the Xperia E5 with a useful data monitor, which will track your mobile data usage and even restrict you from going over your limit.

To set this up you need to visit Apps> Settings> Data usage on your handset. Once this is open, you can set your billing date so that the data is measured from when your allowance resets, and you can set a warning to help you stay under your limit. There's even a tickbox to stop you from adding to your monthly bill by stopping your data usage if you exceed the limit chosen.

There is a breakdown of usage by app too, so you can see if any one app is using a lot of data, allowing you to modify your usage of the phone. Just bear in mind that this app is only a guide, and your mobile network may measure data usage slightly differently so it's a good idea to check this for a month or two before relying on it totally!

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Each month, we bring you the best new games to play on your iPhone or iPad, and we've got a great selection for July. There's crazy golf, a rockin' rodeo and even a crack-dodging pavement simulator – and best of all, they won't cost you a penny!

Super Stickman Golf 3

Noodlecake Studios Inc
Free

Super Stickman Golf 3 continues the series' fine tradition of taking golf and making it a lot more fun!

As with earlier games in the series, this one is still played in a 2D world, and the stick-man physics and visual style make the game really easy to get into – but as you unlock more and more worlds, things start to get considerably harder.

If you're new to the series, though, don't worry – you'll pick things up in no time. Your little stick-man starts at one end of the level, and there's a series of floating platforms or hazards like water between you and the green.

You simply tap once to start your swing, then again to set the power, and there are also two arrows to determine the angle of the hit as well. Once you get the hang of things you'll be putting like a pro in no time!

New to the series this year is a 'spin control' that lets add some top- or backspin to the ball while in flight, which can give you a little bit more control for tricky shots. Also new are 'card packs' –purchasable packs that can contain power-ups, virtual currency or customisation options for your stick-man. There are some lovely hats which just look great on the course!

The card packs are how the game makes money – if you've played Fallout Shelter, it's a very similar approach. You can either play the game and earn cool things gradually, or pay a small microtransaction and get access to things a bit early. You certainly don't need to pay, though, and can very easily enjoy the game for free.

All in all, Super Stickman Golf 3 is a great upgrade to the series – and even if you haven't played the previous ones, there's no reason not to download it!

Rodeo Stampede

Featherweight Games Pty Limited
Free

Rodeo Stampede is a combination endless-runner and zoo-management game – and surprisingly, it works really well! You start off by learning the basics of riding animals and how to tame them, and each creature you tame will be added to your zoo.

This rodeo part of the game is where you'll spend most of your time, and the controls work really well on mobile. You simply press and hold the screen to grip on to to an animal, and then release your finger to jump between different ones before you get bucked off. When you land on an animal, you'll have to dodge your way around other stampeding ones so as not to crash – as well as avoiding obstacles and smashing crates open to collect coins.

You spend these coins on the other half of the game – the zoo. The animals you've collected all have their own sections, allowing you to admire and look after them, and you can open the zoo up to the public to help you collect income to spend on upgrades. There isn't too much micromanagement here – but it's a very nice way of showing off your progress.

There are plenty of animals to collect in the game, including buffalo, elephants, zebras and more. Each one you collect is also marked with a 'Safari Selfie', where the camera will freeze-frame and pan around, so you can see your blocky face full of glee at managing to tame your next ride. Yee-haw!

Steppy Pants

Super Entertainment
Free

Steppy Pants is a rather silly game with a very simple concept: don't step on the cracks!

Tap once on the screen and your chosen character will take one step forward. Tap again and they'll take another, and another, and another. Essentially, you just need to make the guy walk without stepping on the cracks or getting your legs tangled up.

That's all you need to know to get started – and once you master it, you'll find the game incredibly easy.

OK, that last bit was a little untruthful, as Steppy Pants just keeps on throwing obstacles at you to keep you on your toes – or, in this case, off your feet entirely! You'll have to watch out for reckless drivers who mount the path, while also maintaining your balance and keeping yourself moving forward.

Think of as an odd mix of Flappy Bird and Crossy Road: you need good timing and patience to really get it right. You'll be helped along the way by various power-ups that can accelerate you forward or make you walk faster – though I actually found this even trickier, as it was enough of a struggle to master the normal walking speed!

So, what happens when you misstep or land on a crack? Your character becomes a hilariously limp ragdoll and smashes into the floor to great comedic effect. Sometimes the fall will be so funny, you'd wish you could watch it again – and luckily, Steppy Pants has already thought of this, and easily transforms your blundering inability to walk into a GIF you can instantly share with everyone!

As with most games like this, there's a great degree of customization available here, too. You can unlock and choose from hundreds of combinations of headgear and outfits to truly make your character unique. Overall, I think Steppy Pants definitely takes the crown in the highly competitive 'walking simulation' genre.

Dash Quest

Tiny Titan Studios
Free

What's this you say? "Another endless-runner game? Daniel, you magnificent game reviewer, can't we have something different?"

Good point, but this sort of game do tend to dominate the free game world – and this one is actually really good.

Dash Quest takes the the endless-running mechanic and adds a large number of RPG elements. Fighting, blocking, bosses – it's full of these kind of things, which sets it apart from similar games.

The gameplay is nice and simple, and works great with the touchscreen. You are running through the land and enemies are coming at you, and you simply tap right to attack or left to block. These are the essentials – but there are other controls too, such as pressing and holding to fire magic spells and projectiles.

You'll earn points as you move through the world, which increase your character's level. As you level up, you'll also unlock different outfits, weapons, various magic attacks and other skills to help you defeat the enemies in each level – and, more importantly, to help you to win the boss fights.

Here, you'll need to keep an eye on the health bar at the bottom of the screen, and learn to time your blocking. I was a bit rubbish at first, and lost my first boss fight, but quickly got the timing right to defeat him.

In addition to these boss fights, there are plenty of other minigames and daily challenges for you to try and finish off. There are also a lot of hidden things to find in the world map – none are essential to the gameplay, but they do add to the awesome overall game design.

Speaking of which, the graphics have a great retro feel to them and take me back to games like the Zelda series on the NES and SNES. Personally, I'm a massive fan of that era – so any game that sparks those feelings of nostalgia is always going to get bonus points in my book.

Overall, Dash Quest is a fantastic RPG. It has so many good elements all working together, and the 'endless-runner' aspect just means you can focus on having fun, rather than trying to deal with fiddly controls. This is definitely worth a download and will keep you coming back for more!

Thumb Drift

SMG Studio
Free

Finishing off our list this month is Thumb Drift – a driving game where the emphasis is on drifting around corners and not blowing up your car.

There controls are simple: you just slide your thumb on the screen to control the intensity of your drift and simply try to stay on the track, collecting coins and not smashing your car to pieces, sending your poor crash-test dummy flying!

The graphics look great: there are over 60 licensed cars for you to drive, while the art style keeps things looking simple yet detailed. The driving is backed by a pretty awesome soundtrack that keeps up the intensity and makes you want to keep on playing.

The gameplay itself is also pretty addictive, and you just want to keep going and getting better. You'll need some practice to get good , but once you learn it and start unlocking more cars you'll not want to stop playing.

If you enjoy fun racing games. then you'll definitely enjoy Thumb Drift: it's easy to pick up and makes those few minutes where you have nothing to do a lot more fun! And if you don't believe me, just see what this popular motorhead has to say about it:

“I want nothing to do with this game. Stop contacting me” – Jeremy Clarkson

Fantastic.

That's it for July's round-up of the very best iPhone and iPad games – but for more great articles from our Agents straight to your inbox each month, why not get your name down below for the Geek Squad newsletter?

Most of us take our ability to browse the web for granted, but for those with a visual impairment or other disability, it can be far more difficult. For Chrome users, at least, Google are on the case – and of all the major browser developers, they seem most dedicated to improving web accessibility.

As a colour-blind user myself, I've always been impressed by Google's commitment to making Chrome easier to use for people with visual impairments.

They really are willing to go the extra mile to improve accessibility – and because Chrome's capabilities are so easily expanded with third-party extensions, there are all kinds of other ways to customise your experience, whatever your needs.

Today, I’ll be taking a closer look, and sharing a few other must-have add-ons for those with particular accessibility needs.

Color Enhancer

Color Enhancer's setup process is simple and intuitive.

Image by Geek Squad

One in 12 men and around one in 200 women experience some form of colour blindness – that’s about 4.5% of the world’s population.

For those users, certain common colour combinations can render text and images difficult or even impossible to make out. Some major sites are designed with colour blind users in mind – Facebook being a notable example– but sadly, they’re few and far between.

Enter Color Enhancer. Once installed, it walks you through a quick calibration process and then adds a customised colour filter for your browser. The beauty of this approach is that it’s specifically adapted to your own visual needs – so if you have any kind of trouble with colour vision, this extension is a must-have.

Also consider: Color Sphere! by MUDCUBE. This extension is an all-purpose colour toolkit. It can help you create harmonious colour schemes, identify specific colours on web pages by their HEX codes, and even simulate colour blindness to help improve your own site’s accessibility.

ZoomWheel

If you have a visual impairment other than colour blindness, then Color Enhancer might not do much good – but a little magnification might be just the ticket.

Now, Chrome can actually zoom in on pages without the need for any extensions – but ZoomWheelby UenX offers a much simpler and better way to magnify web pages.

With this installed, a semi-transparent magnifying glass icon will hover over the upper-right-hand corner of every website you visit. To zoom, all you have to do is move your mouse over this icon and turn the mousewheel!

What makes this particularly useful is that you can actually set a different preferred zoom level for every site you visit – as well as configure exactly how much the page is zoomed by when you turn the mousewheel. To top it all off, it can even add anti-aliasing to zoomed-in text, making it smoother and easier to read.

If you struggle to read small text – whether that’s due to a visual impairment or a condition like dyslexia – ZoomWheel is a much better option than Chrome's native zoom functions.

Also consider: High Contrast by Google. Rather than changing the size of the text, this extension heightens the contrast, making websites easier to read for people with certain visual impairments. Unlike similar extensions, this one is specifically calibrated to work seamlessly with many popular sites, making it an obvious choice.

ChromeVox

ChromeVox: difficult to illustrate, but remarkably useful.

Image by Geek Squad

For some users, changing the colour or size of text on the web might not be enough – and if that’s the case, then a screen reader application can be a huge help.

Screen readers use text-to-speech synthesis to read out webpages through your headphones or speakers, and ChromeVox is Google’s own offering – and because it integrates directly with Chrome, it offers a host of really useful features.

For example, with ChromeVox installed, the browser makes a chiming sound when a page is fully loaded - so you know when it’s ready to navigate. It also offers sophisticated features for browsing pages and providing summaries of any page’s content without laboriously reading out every single word.

It’s a great way to browse the web without relying on your vision – so for users with more severe visual impairments, ChromeVox is a superb choice.

Also consider:Voice Actions for Chrome by Zachary Yaro. ChromeVox offers extremely powerful navigation options, but this third-party extension goes one better. With MetalMouth, you won’t even need your hands on the keyboard to navigate the web. Instead, you’ll be able to issue voice commands through a microphone. As well as making the web simpler to navigate, this also allows users to live out their boldest Captain Picard fantasies. Engage!

Virtual Keyboard

Moving beyond extensions for the visually impaired, this add-on by xonTAB is a great tool for anyone who has difficulty typing on a phyical keyboard.

With this installed, clicking on any text entry box will bring up a virtual keyboard on-screen. From here, you can simply click on the virtual keys to type in a URL, email or anything else.

This means that as long as you're able to control a cursor, you can enjoy all the advantages of a full keyboard. For many users with physical disabilities, a cursor is much easier to use than a keyboard – it can even be controlled with eye movements – and for those people, Virtual Keyboard is potentially an extremely useful tool.

Do you have a tip for making the web more accessible? Make sure you share it with our readers in the comments below.

Just like the rest of the world, we've gone Pokemon mad this week – and today, we bring you a host of stories about Nintendo's phenomenal new title, including a cautionary tale of why you shouldn't play it while driving!

Plus, we discuss the latest tech on the High Street and all the latest movie and TV news, including a brand new series of tech thriller Mr Robot and the long-awaited launch of the new Ghostbusters move. That's right: it's the Week in Geek!

Top trending tech news

Pokemon Go set to have more daily users than Twitter

Last week, we reported on the launch of Pokemon Go– and now, it’s become a genuine worldwide phenomenon. It seems the whole world has gone Pokemon mad this week, with hordes of young (and not so young) fans taking to the streets in search of the elusive pocket monsters.

One indication of just how popular the game has been is this surprising set of graphs from web analytics company SimilarWeb. These show that the app is surging ahead of well-established players like Tinder and Twitter – and if its current growth continues, it’ll surpass the popular social network in terms of daily users in a matter of days!

Given that app was only released in the UK yesterday, we expect it to smash even these impressive figures soon. Nintendo’s share price has surged by more than £7 billion in the past week in the wake of Pokemon Go’s success – and as long-time fans of the veteran Japanese developer, we couldn’t be happier. The app is available now for Android and iOS.

Twitter increases GIF size limit to 15 MB

Pokemon Go’s runaway success must be causing some consternation at Twitter HQ. Never ones to be outdone by a mere game, the social network’s technicians have made yet another tweak to the platform in an effort to entice users back.

Twitter first allowed users to post animated GIFs back in 2014, but these were limited to 5 MB in size. As of this week, though, that’s been bumped up to a whopping 15 MB. Quite why you’d need to post a GIF that large is beyond us – but hey, if you want to, now you can!

Despite its great cultural influence, Twitter has struggled to grow its userbase in recent years– something that has investors spooked. As such, it’s always looking for new features to increase its appeal to new users – although we seriously doubt there are millions of potential users out there just waiting to post their gargantuan GIF collections.

Pokemon Go nearly claims first victim

Yes, like the rest of the world, we’ve gone Pokemon Go mad this week – but however obsessed you are with the excellent new game, please do remember to use it safely!

You see, Wednesday brought a report that a 28-year-old man in New York state crashed his car after being distracted the game. The man, a former US Marine who really should know better, was allegedly trying to catch a Lapras when he lost control of his vehicle and collided with a tree.

Thankfully, the motorist wasn’t badly injured – but his car was a write-off. You can see pictures, and read more sordid details, over at whistleblowing gossip site The Smoking Gun– and if you’re playing the game yourself, do keep a few common sense safety tips in mind:

First of all, as the app itself warns you, pay attention to your surroundings: it’s all to easy to wander into the road, a river or other dangerous obstacle if you’re glued to your phone!

Similarly, do pay attention if you’re in a secluded location, especially after dark – there have been a number of reports of Pokemon Go players becoming targets for robbers.

Finally – and this really should go without saying – don’t use the app while you’re driving. Seriously!

New on the High Street

Samsung’s new four terabyte SSD costs about as much as a MacBook Pro

Solid state drives – or SSDs – are increasingly replacing old-fashioned hard drives in our laptop and desktop computers, but there’s still a lot holding them back – not least the price.

Because the technology is so expensive, SSDs tend to be considerably smaller in capacity than traditional hard drives – but this week, Samsung launched a four terabyte (4,000 gigabyte) monster in their 850 EVO range, the largest SSD ever designed for consumer-level computers.

The downside? Yep, the price. Through Amazon, the new drive will set you back a cool $1,400 – or about £1,132 in our increasingly devalued currency at the time of writing. That’s more than most computers cost in total – including most current-generation MacBook Pro models.

Money well spent? Well, perhaps. An SSD can give your system a noticeable speed boost, and can particularly boost startup times if your operating system is installed on one – but frankly, four terabytes is overkill for most users.

Carphone Warehouse announce their own VR headset

Virtual Reality is all the rage these days– and while big hitters like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift are stealing most of the headlines, budget alternatives like Google Cardboard and Samsung’s Gear VR are making waves, too.

Joining this crowded field is a new headset from our parent company, Carphone Warehouse – and while we’re contractually obligated to sing its praises, it’s actually a really great option for VR on a budget.

The Goji Universal VR Headset, as it’s known, costs just £39.99, making it considerably cheaper than the similar Gear VR – and better yet, it doesn’t require a Samsung phone! Google’s cheapo Cardboard offering works with most Android handsets – but with the Goji Universal supporting iPhones too, the new device is an extremely accessible entry point to VR for the masses.

You can find out more about the new headset over at Carphone Warehouse’s Lowdown blog.

The latest movies and TV

Mr Robot season two ‘leaked’

Mr Robot was one of the surprise TV success stories of last year, coming out of nowhere to captivate millions with its high-tech tale of computer hacking and corporate sabotage.

The second season is eagerly awaited here at Geek Squad towers – and this week, we were treated to a rare preview as the show’s creators ‘leaked’ the first episode of the new series to social media.

The show’s Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts were ‘hacked’ last Sunday, before all posted the episode in full. Naturally, the ‘hack’ turned out to be a publicity stunt, and the show was soon removed again – but not before telly geeks worldwide had a chance to check it out.

For those who missed it, the series premiered in the US on the USA network this Wednesday. Amazon Prime Instant Video has the rights to the show in the UK, and the new series made its debut there yesterday.

If you missed Mr Robot the first time around, it’s definitely worth your time. The show tells the story of Elliot Alderson, a precocious young hacker who falls in with a group of anarchic cyber-activists in an effort to destroy the corporation that killed his father.

Despite the show’s impressive technical accuracy, it’s far from dry: it's packed with intrigue, tension and outrageous twists, and tackles some of the most interesting and relevant issues of our age. Check out the trailer above.

Ghostbusters reboot hits the big screen

This week also saw the long-awaited released of the new Ghostbusters reboot, directed by Paul Freig and starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon as the titular spook-hunters.

In case you've been living under a rock for the past 30 years or so, the 1984 original tells the story of a team of faintly ridiculous paranormal investigators who unexpectedly find themselves saving the world after it's proven that ghosts really are all too real.

The new movie switches things up by featuring an all-female team of 'busters, in contrast to the original's all-male line-up. This decision caused some controversy among stick-in-the-mud purists, but the critical consensus seems to be that the new cast have more than risen to the challenge. The movie has been picking up positive reviews left, right and centre, and currently enjoys a 76% 'Fresh' rating on RottenTomatoes.com.

Ghostbusters is in cinemas now, and you can check out the official trailer above.

And finally...

British Wolfenstein developer bought out... by Chinese chicken company

We gamers like to imagine that our hobby is an artform, but in many respects, it's also a major industry – and as with all industries, mergers and accquisitions are nothing new.

That said, one particular corporate buy-out this week did raise many eyebrows across the gaming world. Splash Damage, the British developers behind Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and the multiplayer for the popular Gears of War 4, have been bought out by Leyou Technologies – a Chinese chicken meat supplier!

In a statement seen by industy site Eurogamer, the company claimed that the unusual diversification was an attempt to mitigate the risks of the "harsh operational environment" and "limited control of the business results and profitability" found in the Chinese chicken biz.

Perhaps they're hoping Splash Damage will do a Nintendo and add billions to their stock price in a matter of days. Hey, it could happen, right? Right?

Check out some of the most inspiring moments in chicken/gaming unity in the video above.

That's it for another crucial round-up of the week's stories – but be sure to tune in next Friday for another edition of the Week in Geek! And for more great stories from our Agents straight to your inbox each month, get your name down below for the Geek Squad newsletter.

Here at Geek Squad, it goes without saying that we’re huge Facebook fans. But while Facebook can be a ton of fun, it’s also home to a number of scams and swindles to catch out the unwary. The latest scam is taking advantage of the huge popularity of Pokemon GO but don't worry – our Agents are on hand to help you stay safe!

Facebook scams can take many forms. At their most harmless, they’re simply annoying – posting spam to your wall and annoying your friends and followers. But some of them are altogether nastier, posing a serious threat to your personal data and even finances.

The good news is, our Agents are dab hands at spotting this sort of thing – and below, we’ve exposed five of the worst scams currently doing the rounds on social media.

Before we begin, though, we highly recommend that you follow the Geek Squad UK team on Facebook if you don’t already. We’ll always share tips and tricks for staying safe online, whatever the latest threats are – and you’ll also have a front-row seat for all of the fascinating, informative and entertaining articles our Agents post every day!

With that little aside out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the most nefarious (or simply annoying) scams you might encounter on Facebook, starting with the most recent one we've spotted!

SCAMWATCH - POKEMON GO PLUS PRODUCT TESTING

Unless you've been under a rock-type Pokémon you've probably heard about Pokémon GO, the mobile game that's been taking the world by storm.

You can't go anywhere without seeing clusters of people staring at their smartphones, desperately seeking that elusive Pikachu. Now to make life easier there's a wearable on the way called the Pokémon GO Plus, which allows you to hunt and capture Pokémon without having to take your phone out of your pocket. Even though these haven't been released yet they're already sold out thanks to pre-orders, making them arguably the most sought after gadget on the planet right now.

With these being in short supply it's no surprise that people would jump at the chance of being given one for free, the only catch being you need to review it. That's what these ads for ProductTesting.uk.com promise, however once again all is not as it seems.

The way this company makes their money is by, surprise surprise, selling on your personal details so other companies can spam you with marketing information. A quick look at their terms and conditions, which you HAVE to agree to if you want to sign up, does set a couple of alarm bells ringing.

However if you study their privacy policy, and we'll be honest we're guilty of skipping these things too, then the company even spells out exactly what they're planning to do with your data!

Once again the message is clear, avoid this one because the only thing you'll be catching is all the spam!

Bogus coupons AND VOUCHERS

Everybody loves a freebie, and companies do indeed run giveaways on Facebook – but lately there have been some nasty scams doing the rounds, preying on our trust in famliar brands.

These scammy Facebook posts promise a free coupon, often tied in to celebrating a birthday or anniversary. Examples of these include £500 shopping vouchers for the likes of Tesco and Asda, and a £150 Wetherspoons voucher in honour of the chain’s 37th anniversary. All they ask you to do is like and share the link on your own timeline and post it to five other Facebook groups.

But in actuality, the links simply lead to you to extremely dubious surveys which harvest your personal details. This results in a nice little payday for the scammers, who get paid per survey completed – and leaves even more vulnerable to even scams and spam, as your personal info is sold and shared.

Suffice to say, there are no £500 Tesco or £150 Wetherspoons vouchers to be had, and these posts are in no way endorsed by the companies they claim to represent!

However, there are ways to spot these, if you're on the ball. Typically the pages that post these scams are short-lived as Facebook shut them down once they appear on their radar. That means that if you do see scam like this, chances are the page has only been around for a couple of days, and certainly nowhere near long enough to be the official page of a big brand name. If you visit the page you'll probably only see a couple of posts and a notable lack of any official-looking activity. Also a lot of official company accounts will display a blue tick next to the name which is Facebook's way of telling you that they've verified that it's an official page.

It’s a particularly clever scam because it seems just plausible enough to be true – but as a general rule of thumb, if a Facebook post asks you to complete a survey in return for some kind of monetary or material reward, it’s almost always a scam!

'Share and Like to win a free iPad/HOVERBOARD/RANGE ROVER'

Similar to the voucher scam above, these posts, which promise to give away everything from gadgets to cars, exploit our natural desire for free stuff in order to promote a scammer’s malevolent agenda.

Once again, you’ll be asked to share the post on your own timeline, and you may also be asked to complete a survey or collect a code from an external website. These sites are common vectors for viruses and malware – and at the very least, will result in your personal details being passed on to other unscrupulous scammers.

And even if you’re not required to leave Facebook, that doesn’t mean the offer is legitimate. In these cases, the spammers are often ‘Like-farming’ – boosting their page’s popularity with as many Likes and shares as possible to improve its chances of appearing in users’ Facebook feeds.

Once it’s sufficiently popular, they’ll change the page’s original content to promote their own dodgy material – again, usually a bogus survey or scammy product for sale. By Liking these pages, at best you’re polluting your friends’ Facebook feeds with spam – and at worst, you’re exposing yourself and others to fraud, identity theft and malware.

Much like the voucher scams the same tell-tale signs like an unusually sparse page and lack of a blue verfication tick will give the game away. As ever, it's worth applying this common rule of thumb: if it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is!

Facebook cloning

Recently, you may have seen a post shared on Facebook warning you to beware of accepting a second friend request from somebody you're already friends with. And while many highly shared warnings are themselves bogus, this one is actually worth paying attention to.

It refers to a scam known as ‘Facebook cloning’ – and here’s how it works:

The scammers search Facebook for a user whose profile that has a lot of public information on it. Then, they download the images and personal data, and set up a nearly identical profile in that user’s name.

Then, they go about adding all of that user’s friends to the new, fake profile – hoping they’ll be tricked into adding them for a second time.

From there, the scammers can post scammy links and send deceptive messages to their heart’s content. These can take any number of forms, including the scams we’ve identified on this list – and because they seem to come from someone you know and trust, it’s all too easy to be taken in.

For that reason, it’s always worth double-checking when you receive a friend request from someone you already know. It’s possible it’s just a misunderstanding – but if someone’s using your friend's identity to target others, they ought to know about it!

In fact, if you suspect that a profile is fake or fraudulent, it's a good idea to report it to Facebook yourself – you can find instructions for doing so on their help pages here.

The 'Facebook lottery'

This is the modern, Facebook-flavoured version of a scam that’s been doing the round by both post and email for decades.

It all starts when you receive a mysterious message claiming that you’ve won a lottery that you don’t even remember entering – and all you need to do to claim it is pay a relatively small ‘administration’ fee or similar.

At this point, you probably know what happens next: the fee you pay disappears forever – along with the scammers and any prospect of ever claiming your surprise lottery bonanza.

Now, when it’s put that way, you might wonder how anybody could fall for this kind of scam. But there’s a reason it’s been around for so long: it works.

It preys on the most basic human impulses – and all too often, those who fall for it are the elderly or otherwise vulnerable.

For that reason, it’s important to be aware of how it operates. The message usually follows a friend request from an unknown person claiming to be a member of Facebook’s staff – although it might also come from the ‘cloned’ account of one of your friends, as described above. Inside the message, you’ll be told that you’ve won an extravagant sum on the ‘Facebook lottery’ and asked to click a link or contact a certain user to claim your prize.

When you do, the request for cash soon follows – and even if you don’t pay up, the link you’re asked to click often comes loaded with dangerous malware or viruses.

Like I say, this is one of the more brazen scams out there – but people do fall victim to it. So if somebody you know tells you about this fantastic prize they’ve won through Facebook, make sure you let them know the real score – and if they’re still convinced, point them to this article!

This should help keep you safe from some of the worst scams doing the rounds at the moment – but if you've seen anything dodgy we've missed, do your bit and let our readers know about it in the comments below!

The arrival of Pokemon Go in the UK gives our Agents much to talk about, and Agent Lawton tests out the new iOS 10 beta and shares what he's learned so far. Listen below to find out what to look forward to when it's released later this year!

App recommendations

ME.mory - iOS (free)

Pokémon Go - Android (free) / iOS (free)

Crush Your Friends - Android (free) / iOS (free)

For decades, video game consoles have been seen as the easy – if not always cheap – way into high quality home gaming. Players could be safe in the knowledge that when they buy a console, any game that's released on that platform will work without issue.

Console hardware releases have always seemed to come in waves. As more powerful hardware becomes available to manufacturers, they release more powerful consoles.

Rival companies, not wanting to be left behind, also develop their latest offerings – and this leads to consoles being released in 'generations'. Consoles in each generation are usually comparable in terms of processing power – like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, or more recently the Xbox One and PS4.

In recent months, however, both Microsoft and Sony have announced mid-generation upgrades to their current consoles, featuring souped-up hardware and graphics capabilities. Both new devices have cool sounding codenames: the PlayStation 4 'Neo' and the Xbox One 'Scorpio'.

These announcements have caused immense controversy among gamers, who fear the emergence of a two-tier platform – but before we look at the pros and cons, what exactly sets the new devices apart?

Generation Games

At this early stage, the facts around these new consoles are few and far between – but we do know a little about the hardware.

The PlayStation 4 Neo is rumoured to be released in late 2016, featuring 4K resolution video output and increased hardware performance.

It will have a faster 8-core CPU than the base PS4, at 2.1 GHz vs the original's 1.6 GHz, and an improved GPU, offering 36 compute units running at 911 MHz vs. 18 compute units at 800 MHz. Coupled with a 24% increase in memory bandwidth (218 GB/s vs 176 GB/s), this is shaping up to be a significant upgrade – just in time for the impending launch of the PlayStation VR headset.

The Xbox One Scorpio looks set to be an even bigger jump. Although nothing has been confirmed yet aside from its support for 4K resolutions and HDR graphics, that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill flying into full production.

Speculation about the Scorpio’s improved hardware point to a GPU upgrade over and above that of the Neo. Also, memory bandwidth has been bumped up from 68 GB/s in the Xbox One to a massive 320 GB/s – which also puts it above the Neo’s 218GB/s. The Scorpio is also thought to be launching sometime in the first half of 2017 – sources say March, but I expect that could change.

Prices for the two consoles haven’t been announced yet, but my guess is that they'll cost somewhat more than the launch prices of their older siblings. Specifically, I'd expect them to land somewhere around £500 to £600 – any more than that and the market probably wouldn’t take it.

So, those are the facts, as far as we have them. But what's prompted this move – and why is it so controversial?

The advantages

The Xbox One and PS4 have been out for less than three years – and to release new consoles this soon into the current generation is highly unusual. But, at least in theory, owners of the current machines don't have to worry.

In the past, new consoles were generally incompatible with games for older systems. This meant people who'd invested hundreds of pounds in software found that if they wanted to keep playing those games, they had to keep the old console.

Sony and Microsoft have made it clear that this won't be the case this time around. The new consoles will be compatible with all the games from the previous versions – and Sony has even gone on record to say that the 'Neo' versions of future games in the future will not have any exclusive features or content that the 'base' version doesn’t, and that the two consoles will coexist.

They have, however, said that while the same features must be present, they don’t have to be identical. Take player counts in multiplayer games, for example: the new consoles will support more concurrent players in a single game, while the less-powerful versions may support fewer players.

If this holds true, what this new mid-generation upgrade gives consumers is choice. Those who want the best graphics and performance can pay a premium for these new consoles, while those who only want to play the games, and don’t care about pixel counts and framerates, can get on board at the cheaper price.

It is also worth pointing out that industry insiders are also looking forward to the prospect of more-powerful consoles. Indeed, Epic Games founder and CEO Tim Sweeney told industry site Eurogamer that he is “absolutely thrilled with this”. The upgrades mean that developers will have access better and better hardware – and in theory, this will help them make more-entertaining products. It almost brings the upgrade cycle of consoles more in line with that of PCs: more frequent and incremental, rather than major overhauls every five to seven years.

Another plus for developers and consumers alike is backwards compatibility. Because software will work across console cycles, new releases won't have to established a user base from zero every time. Developers can showcase and release games on the newer hardware with improved visuals – but they can also release the game on the older hardware, gaining access to millions of potential extra sales. The opposite rings true for gamers who haven’t made the leap to the new machines: they can be safe in the knowledge that the newest games should still work on their older hardware. Indeed, I’ve heard the phrase “forwards compatibility” mentioned more than once!

From this perspective, the new devices seem like a win–win situtation. But not everybody agrees...

The disadvantages

First of all, I think we should be clear on something: this is uncharted territory when it comes to consoles. While Sony and Microsoft say they want the newly upgraded consoles to coexist alongside the current versions, things could easily change.

Something that I’m personally worried about is the very fact that games are being released to two very different consoles within the same ecosystem. In Sony’s case, they say developers will be able to include both a 'Neo' mode and standard mode – potentially on the same disc. While it sounds great that the older console will run the same software, no one seems to be able to confirm whether or not there's going to be a performance threshold.

You only need to look at what happened when Hyrule Warriors was released for both the Nintendo 3DS and the much more powerful 'New 3DS'. Yes, the original console ran the game – but many people complained about the substandard graphics and stuttering framerate. I really hope Sony and Microsoft can look at this as a warning, and impose some kind of quality assurance.

Second on my list of concerns is the potential to fragment the user base. Whether you're a Sony or Microsoft user, you – like most people – enjoy playing games online with your friends, either through PlayStation Network or Xbox Live.

This raises a problem if you take our earlier example of player counts in online games. How will two people play together in the same online game if the player counts are different? Does one player only see 32 players, and the other 64? Of course, that cannot work.

A workaround might be an option that limits you to the 'base' version of the game if you're playing with a friend on the older console – but this is guaranteed to annoy some people who splurged on the upgraded version.

There can also be complications from a game development standpoint. Now, developers essentially have to create two versions of the game: one for the older version of a console, and one for the new version.

That said, while this may mean increased development time, or more variables that have to be taken into account, I don’t see it being any different from what happens in developing for the PC. Developers are already catering for literally thousands of hardware combinations in PC gaming – so hopefully this won't cause too many issues.

Last but by no means least, early adopters of the current consoles will likely be annoyed by this development – and they're usually your most ardent fans.

Will these gamers be less inclined to jump on a completely new console release (i.e. the PS5) if there's a chance that newer version might be just around the corner? Or will the thirst for the latest and greatest console release be enough to persuade them? Microsoft and Sony are clearly banking on the latter – but only time will tell.

Agent’s Verdict

Whatever your thoughts on this new wave of consoles, and the business decisions that led to them, I can see this being a lasting change to way consoles are developed and released.

I think this will be the end of the console 'generation' as a defining term – and that we are going to see a shift towards a model mirroring the mobile phone industry. Yes, you can go out and buy a new iPhone 6s or Samsung Galaxy S7 – but if you have the Galaxy S5 or iPhone 5, you can still play all the same games and have the same apps. Will you have the same performance and features? Not quite – but the option to upgrade is there if you want.

Personally, as a tech-lover and gamer, I am looking forward to the newest consoles from both Sony and Microsoft – albeit with slight trepidation.

I can’t wait to see what advances in gameplay and graphics these new hardware revisions bring, but on the other hand I don’t want to be separated from my friends online. I don’t want to have to deal with sub-standard game performance because a developer gave all their attention to creating a game on the new consoles, and had to shoehorn it in to the older versions.

From what Sony and Microsoft has said, they have every intention of not letting this happen – and I am very hopeful they stick to this. Until that time however, I guess we'll have to wait and see!

Are you hyped for the 'new' generation of games consoles, or will they prove to be a costly mistake? Let us know what you reckon in the comments below!

Agent Cruickshank has a fantastic selection of apps for you this July – from a 30-day fitness challenge to a vast free repository of some of the world's finest artworks! In short, there's something for everyone – check them out today and get downloading.

30 Day Fitness Challenge

NorthPark.Android
Free

Fitness and health go hand-in-hand. Being active, stretching your muscles and getting the blood and oxygen pumping through your body can all work wonders – and can help you with all kinds of things, from improving your quality of sleep to relieving skin conditions and preventing tiredness.

Unfortunately, finding time to exercise can be a challenge – especially if you're far from a gym and don't have a plan for how (and what) you'd like to exercise. That's where 30 Day Fitness Challenge comes into play!

Designed for home exercisers, this app features a 30-day regime to get you working out the main areas of your body, without needing expensive equipment or a personal trainer to instruct you.

To begin, you'll need to enter some basic information about yourself and pick an exercise plan to start off with. There are four exercise routines to choose from, and each workout comes with six separate monthly plans: two easy, two normal and two hard plans for the experienced exerciser.

Each monthly plan has individual exercise plans for each day, with great instructions to make sure you're doing each workout correctly. If you want to keep fit this summer and don't want to leave your house to do so, give this app a try and see if you can keep up for the full month!

Arrow Launcher

Microsoft Corporation
Free

Arrow Launcher is a 'smart' launcher for Android phones, developed by Microsoft. In case you were wondering, a 'launcher' is the fancy name for your phone's home screen and apps list – check out Agent Watling's article on launchers here for more information.

While nearly every Android phone works in just about the same way behind the scenes, the cosmetic differences between them are mostly down to each manufacturer including their own launcher.

Most users never switch from the default laucher which comes with their phone – and there's nothing wrong with that! Plenty of time and effort went into each manufacturer's launcher to provide what they feel is the best interface for their users.

That said, if you're looking for a change, whether it's for something a bit more lightweight and simple or something that's got a ton of extra features and customisation options, there's a launcher to suit your needs. Arrow Launcher is one such replacement – and certainly adds a smart touch to your smartphone.

Rather than having to dig through menus and address books, a quick flick of the finger between homescreens will cycle between your recent contacts, most popular contacts, recent photos, most used apps, reminders and also documents from your Microsoft account – it is a Microsoft app, after all! There's even a dedicated page for widgets, so you can have all your interactive applets in one easy-to-find page.

If you're looking for a nice, clean yet resourceful replacement for your normal phone launcher, give Arrow Launcher a try.

Google Arts & Culture

Google Inc.
Free

If you love visiting museums and art galleries, learning about history and culture and examining art and artifacts, you should definitely check out Google's Arts & Culture app for Android.

The app is packed full of information and high-resolution photos of hundreds of thousands of pieces of art and historical objects. With the ability to zoom into a picture far enough to make out individual brush strokes, you can almost get the real gallery experience without leaving the comfort of your home!

This intuitive and easily navigated app allows you to browse through a given artist's repertoire and check out various art styles with a flick of a finger. Tap on the colour-coded bar along the top of the app to group together artworks by colour style for even easier browsing!

There's definitely been a lot of effort put into the design of Arts & Culture– as well as into documenting all these important historical objects. If you plan on visiting a museum or gallery this summer but don't know where to begin, why not install this app and start planning what you'd like to see in person?

That's it for July's selection of the very best Android apps – but if we've missed off anything you can't live without, let our readers know about it in the comments below!

Smartphone cameras get better every year – but if you're serious about taking awesome pictures, you'll need to accessorise! From tripods and clip-on lenses to the notorious selfie stick, there are all kinds of options available – here's our pick of the very best.

Whether you're jetting off on holiday, taking striking pics of the natural world or just want to snap the very best photos of your family for Facebook, this pick of superb mobile camera accessories will help you get professional-style results. Check them out for yourself – and let us know your own suggestions in the comments!

Olloclip 4-in-1 Lens

For iPhone 5 and later, iPad and Samsung Galaxy
£59.99 – £69.99

Olloclip offer a wide range of clip-on lenses for both iPhone and Samsung Galaxy devices – but for my money, this four-in-one offering represents the very best value.

The lense simply clips on to the corner of your phone with no adhesives or other accessories required – and then, you've got four professional-style lenses that dramatically increase your camera's versatility.

The 'fisheye' lens creates a wide, somewhat distorted and very distinctive image with an almost spherical appearance. This is particularly useful for capturing a wide area, and can also help you fit a massive group of friends or family in one shot! The striking appearance lends itself well to creative photography, and it's an effect you just can't achieve any other way.

There's also a wide-angle lens, which offers a compromise between a wide field of view and an accurate, non-distorted image. You'll find this particularly useful for capturing landscapes and panoramas.

Unscrew these from the main device, and you'll find two different 'macro' – that is, close-up – lenses, one offering a 10x magnification and the other 15x.

If you've ever tried to take a close-up photo of something extremely small with your smartphone camera, you'll know that the stock lenses really aren't designed for that kind of work, and will struggle to focus. Some camera apps offer a 'macro mode' – but there's really no subtitute for a proper macro lens.

What makes these lenses particularly useful is that all four are integrated into a one-piece accessory – so you can just pop the Olloclip in your bag and know that you’ve got all four lenses with you. It’s a very neat, compact package, so won’t add bulk to your bag – and at under seventy quid for three lenses, it's well worth a look to take your pictures up a level!

Photojojo Lens Series

For iPhone, Android and "any device with a lens on it" – allegedly!
Lenses from $20, five lenses and carrying pouch $99

Image by lifebysaje

Sticking with lenses, these offerings from Photojojo offer a little more versatility – and are also compatible with a wider range of handets.

Rather than clipping on to the corner of your phone, these lenses come with a removable adhesive metal ring, which – so the manufacturer claims – can fit around any lens. The various additional lenses then attach using powerful magnets, making it easy to snap them on and off and change your lens in an instant. However, the magnetic field is not that strong – so be careful moving the phone once it’s on, as too quick or harsh a movement could send the lens flying!

There are five different lenses on offer, which can be bought individually or as a set. A combined wide-angle/macro lens behaves as you'd expect, and alongside a conventional fisheye lens there's also a 'super fisheye' for even more dramatic effects.

In addition, there's a telephoto lense, allowing for zoomed-in shots of objects and people in the distance, and something quite unusual: a 'polariser' lens. A polarising filter darkens skies, reduces reflections and glare, and can improve the appearance of vegetation and certain other subjects. The mechanics behind this are a little complicated – although Wikipedia can fill you in if you're curious– but it's certainly worth experimenting with.

It's good to see a company trying to achieve a cross-platform solution with their lenses, and the quality of the optics is also pretty high. They might not have the convenience of the Olloclip lenses, but being able to purchase the ones you want individually is a big advantage for those who might not need a full set.

GorillaPod Stand

For any phone up to 99mm in width
$29.95

Image by Joby - GorillaPod

Moving on from lenses, from time to time you'll need a bit of extra stability to get that perfect shot – and, just like with a traditional camera, a simple tripod is the solution.

This offering from Joby, the GorillaPod, is my best pick from the different options available. The three legs are actually flexible – and this highly intuitive and clever design means that it can be wrapped or stuck on to a huge range of surfaces. You're not limited to standing the tripod on a flat surface: you can also wrap it around a table edge, bike handlebars or just about anything else!

The legs have rubber tips to keep the stand stable on any surface, and the mount of the standard version is capable of gripping any phone with a width of up to 72mm. This should cover most smartphones – but if you've got an ultra-wide phablet like the iPhone 6S Plus or a Galaxy Note device, there's also an 'XL' version for devices up to 99mm in width. Finally, it also comes in three different colours – so if you absolutely, positively have to have a fuchsia or sky-blue tripod, you've found it!

Anker Selfie Stick

For iPhone and Android
£10

The selfie stick is undoubtedly one of the most controversial technologies of recent years, having been banned from a number of popular tourist attractions worldwide and receiving widespread ridicule in the press as a sign of our vain, self-obsessed times.

But that's nonsense! The self-portrait is as old as art itself, and Wikipedia suggests that the first photo taken using a long pole dates back to 1925. For that reason, you should feel no shame about picking one up for yourself – and Anker's option provides some great features at a very reasonable price.

The stick itself extends to a whopping 32 inches, and the phone attachement adjusts 270 degrees to let you find the perfect angle. It'll fit phones from 2.2 to 3.3 inches wide, meaning everything from a diminutive iPhone 4 to a hefty Galaxy Note will fit, and it pairs seamlessly with your device via Bluetooth for effortless snaps at the touch of a button. It's powered by an internal rechargable battery, and you can expect 20 hours of life between charges – or about 3,000 selfies!

All of this puts it lightyears beyond cheaper, flimiser options – and at just a tenner, it's still remarkably affordable, and comes with an 18-month warranty. Okay, so it might get you some condescending looks from the snobs – but who cares when you're taking such brilliant selfies?

Phot-R Wireless Remote Camera Shutter

For iPhone and Android
£1.99

Finally, this cheap and cheerful little gadget is a must-have if you're keen to take a selfie without relying on the front-facing camera – and is also incredibly useful when paired with a tripod for super-stable shots.

For less than the price of a fancy coffee, this small dongle will pair with your phone via Bluetooth and simply let you fire the camera shutter remotely, from up to ten metres away. This means you're free to get into the shot yourself – and because it lets you take a picture without touching your phone, you won't have to disturb your painstakingly composed tripod setup.

There's really not much more to say about this one. For the price, it's a positive bargain, and an essential part of any smartphone photography toolkit.

That completes our round-up of the most essential smartphone camera accessories – but if there's anything else that you couldn't live without, let our readers know about it in the comments below!

As expected, Apple unveiled the latest version of iOS at WWDC last month – and while it's still a couple of months away from general release, we've been going hands-on with a preview version.

As usual, there are tons of new features large and small heading to your iPhone or iPad in the new update. Here's our pick of the most innovative and interesting – as well as when you can expect to take it for a spin yourself.

iMessage

One of the biggest changes you’ll see is in iMessage, which has been completely overhauled to include a raft of new features, which promise to make messaging more fun than ever.

There’s no doubt that the popularity of apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat has influenced some of the changes here, but that’s no bad thing – and it’s the users that benefit.

In addition to practical additions, like previewing links you’re going to send, and the ability to use the camera from within the app, there’s loads of new animations and effects for you to muck about with.

Sticker packs

Much like the stickers in Facebook Messenger, you can now brighten up your messages with stickers. There are currently only four packs available – our favourite is the Classic Mac – but expect there to be many more once the update is officially released.

Effects

You can now add all number of visual effects to your messages, like invisible ink that requires the recipient to swipe across the message to reveal the contents, or the ability to send a message that arrives with an attention-grabbing slam to ensure it gets noticed. You can even go one step further and have your message arrive to lasers, fireworks or a shower of confetti!

Handwriting and 'digital touch'

If you want to make your message a bit more personal, then you’ll love these! Taking a cue from the Apple Watch,you can now send handwritten messages, doodles and even a heartbeat from within the iMessage app.

Emoji replacement

If you’re a serial emoji user, then life’s going to get easier thanks to the new emoji replacement feature.

This can scan your messages and automatically suggest emoji replacements for words – while if you're feeling particularly taciturn, you can also opt to send super-sized emojis on their own, with no accompanying text .

Photos

The other big change you’ll notice is in the Photos app, which is getting a long overdue overhaul.

It’s not changed much in recent years, and it’s never been particularly easy to search through your gallery to find a particular picture. But that looks set to change, thanks to the new 'Memories' tab, which will dynamically sort your pictures using things like date, GPS location and facial recognition – allowing you to search through them much more easily.

It doesn’t seem quite as good at this as Google Photos yet, but it’s still a huge improvement – and longtime iOS users should be delighted with the improved functionality.

Another nice addition is that you can automatically create a video slideshow of your memories, with music and all – perfect when you’ve got a captive audience for those holiday snaps!

Lock Screen

The Lock screen has also been updated – and you can now have a lot more information displayed there if you want it.

You can now have things like the weather or your favourite contacts displayed by default – great if there’s certain things you find yourself constantly unlocking your phone to check. If you’ve got an 6S, then you can also use 3D Touch to interact with your notifications to get even more information.

On the subject of unlocking, there’s also been a slightly controversial change in that 'Slide to unlock' has been removed – and instead you tap the Home button to unlock the phone.

This is apparently in response to complaints from some users that the Touch ID sensor unlocks the phone 'too quickly' – but certainly in our office, the general consensus is that we prefer it the old way.

The best of the rest

In addition to these major changes, there are some other nice additions, including an expanded and improved Control Centre, the ability to automatically remember where you parked your car and – finally – the ability to remove Apple’s default apps from the Home screen. The days of having to create a folder called 'Apple' to hide all the stuff you don’t want are finally over!

On the whole, then, iOS 10 is looking like a really solid update from Apple, with several long-overdue features finally making their way to the platform.

Having said that, we’re definitely undecided on the new unlock mechanism – but if it does indeed change for good, I’m sure we’ll get used to it!

We can expect to see iOS 10 released in September, just before the likely release of the new iPhone – so thankfully, you've not got long to wait before you'll be able to spam your friends with balloons and fireworks!

We're definitely looking forward to the full release of iOS 10 – and if you've already had a play with the beta, we'd love to hear your thoughts! Share them with us and our readers in the comments below.

We've got another fascinating selection of stories in this week's Week in Geek – from an emoji keyboard that can read your mind (or at least your texts) to a pair of high-tech socks that render shoes obsolete!

Plus, we've got even more Pokemon Go news, footage of an extremely bizarre (and completely unofficial) Futurama movie and an exclusive report on the final death of the VCR.

In other words, you don't want to miss this little lot – so grab a glass of your favourite refreshing beverage and settle in for another cracking Week in Geek.

Top trending tech news

Microsoft's HoloLens brings Pokemon Go to life

The unstoppable juggernaut that is Pokemon Go continued its world conquest this week – with a little help from Microsoft and their super-flashy HoloLens 'augmented reality' headset.

We took a little look at the HoloLens earlier in the year– but essentially, unlike conventional virtual reality headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, the HoloLens actually projects virtual characters and structures on to the real world.

The technology is impressive enough in its own right. But this week, developers Koder unveiled a demo version of Pokemon Go for the platform which allows the colourful creatures to burst free from the confines of your smartphone screen and take their rightful place in the outside world!

That said, the HoloLens Pokemon experience has its drawbacks. For starters, the device is currently only available in a $3,000 ‘Development Edition’ – which is a rather excessive cost of entry to a free app, no matter how badly you want to catch ‘em all.

And even if you're still reaching for your wallet, it's our sad duty to inform you that the HoloLens team aren’t actually collaborating with Pokemon Go developers Niantic – and indeed, the impressive HoloLens edition of the game is little more than a proof-of-concept mock-up. That said, at least you can check out the proof-of-concept video above – and dream.

Last ever VCR to be manufactured in Japan

There may be some among our readers who have never owned a VCR – and that is a very sobering thought!

But not so long ago, we used to amass libraries of VHS cassette tapes, including everything from home releases of last year’s blockbusters (why did they take so long to come out on tape?) to entire back catalogue of every episode of our mum’s favourite serial TV show, recorded while she watched them. We can still read the labels now: "Mum’s show - Do not tape over!!!"

These days, it might come as a surprise to learn that VCRs are still being made – but this won't be the case for much longer. A Japanese company called Funai Electric is the only remaining manufacturer of the tape-munching relics of the past, but now they've finally announced that they will cease production by August, after 33 years in the business.

The market for VCRs has understandably become much smaller thanks to the arrival of DVDs, Blu-rays and on-demand digital streaming. This doesn’t necessarily mean the end of VHS cassettes though, as there are still hundreds of movies available in Japanese stores and collectable stores around the world.

The ropey old technology is unlikely to ever see a revival to match the likes of vinyl – but it’s still a sad day for tech enthusiasts whenever a once-ubiquitous technology is put out to pasture!

New SwiftKey emoji keyboard can read your hilarious mind

We love a good emoji here at Geek Squad towers – and this week, the developers behind popular third-party keyboard app Swiftkey released a new app called Swiftmojithat takes our obsession with the colourful icons to the next level.

Swiftmoji makes it easier than ever to find the perfect emoji by automatically scanning the words you type and suggesting appropriate pics. Type ‘pizza’, for example, and the app will suggest an Italian flag, the pizza slice emoji and a ‘face savouring food’.

Personally, we reckon there’s a lot to be said for frantically scrolling through the screens of emojis, hunting for the perfect one to express your thoughts, but if you’ve ever struggled to find the right image for your message – or you’re just looking for an excuse to pack even more of them into your texts – Swiftmoji may well be worth your time. The app is out now for Android and iOS.

New on the High Street

High-tech socks eliminate the need for shoes

Not too long ago, our Agent Watson took a look at the future of smart clothing– and this week, we came across what could be the world’s smartest socks!

Now, the Skinners, as they’re known, don’t connect to Wi-Fi. They don’t come with their own app. And no, they’re not capable of telling your heart rate, blood pressure and horoscope. But what they can do is eliminate the need for that most inconvenient of ancient technologies: shoes.

The special socks have a special tough yet flexible coating which makes them as tough as shoes – but still flexible, comfortable and extremely lightweight. Much like high-tech running shoes Vibram FiveFingers, the appeal of the Skinners is that they provide a more natural and responsive way to run, allowing you to feel every nuance of the ground beneath your feet.

The Skinners are currently on Kickstarter– and as they’ve already met their funding target, you can now preorder a pair of your own for $40 plus shipping. That’s expensive for socks, but a bit of a bargain for shoes – especially as early reports indicate that they don’t even smell! Check 'em out in the video above.

MiniMoog Model D returns to production after 30-year hiatus

Music tech fans – including a fair few of us here at Geek Squad towers – were thrilled this week to learn via Engadget that the iconic Minimoog synthesiser will be returning to production after a 30-year hiatus.

The classic instrument was first released in 1970, and was the world’s first commercially available, portable synthesiser keyboard. The instrument’s lush, high-tech sound can be heard across all kinds of music from that era and beyond, from Krafterk's innovative high-tech productions to the funky sounds of Parliament Funkadelic and Herbie Hancock.

Classic analogue synth sounds have been back in vogue for a while now, but until recently, you had to turn to software emulation or extremely expensive vintage gear to get the Moog sound. This new release should make it a little more accessible, but not too much more – the revamped Minimoog will set you back about $3,700.

That’s going to put it out of reach of all but the most serious musicians, but if you’re keen to find out why they’re so excited, check out the awesome video above for a slice of musical history.

Movie and TV news

More news on Batman: the Telltale series

Telltale Games – the award-winning creators of The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series– have released the trailer premiere of their next foray into interactive storytelling.

After the excellent games set within the universes of The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Borderlands and Minecraft, we’ll soon be donning the cowl of the world’s greatest detective, the caped crusader, the dark knight himself – Batman.

Promising a gritty and violent new set story within the fragile and corrupt Gotham City, players will enter the fractured psyche of Bruce Wayne – and make difficult choices with far-reaching consequences in that inimitable Telltale style. Batman himself will be voiced by legendary video game voice actor Troy Baker, who's previously had starring roles in Uncharted 4, The Last of Us, Bioshock: Infinite and Far Cry 4.

The first episode is set for release on the 2nd August this year, with future episodes following throughout the rest of the year. The game will be available across iOS, Android, PC, Mac, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4 and Xbox One platforms – and we can't wait!

Live-action Pokemon movie Detective Pikachu announced

Back on the silver screen, this week also saw the news that a live-action Pokemon movie will soon be heading our way, based on the Nintendo 3DS spin-off, Detective Pikachu.

The Verge reports that the license has been the subject of an intense bidding war from a number of movie producers – perhaps unsurprising given the massive popularity of Pokemon at the moment. That said, Detective Pikachu strays quite far from the typical Pokemon template: rather than focusing on catching the cute monsters, the game features Pikachu as a deerstalker-sporting Sherlock Holmes figure, helping a young boy named Tim find his missing father.

At this stage, we have no idea of whether the film will follow the game’s storyline – or anything else about it. There’s no director, actors or release date attached to the picture yet – but hey, a live-action Pokemon movie! That’s worth getting excited about, right? And to help get into the mood, you can check out the original game’s Japanese trailer above, which might give you some idea of how the film could look.

Fan-made Futurama movie is extremely creepy

Sticking with the live-action adaptation theme, this week also saw the launch of a trailer for Fan-O-Rama– a completely unofficial, fan-made movie adaptation of Matt Groening’s cult-classic sci-fi cartoon Futurama.

We’re big fans of Futurama here at Geek Squad, and there’s nothing we love more than a heartfelt fan project – but it must be said, the trailer above is more than a little weird. While the visual effects are no doubt impressive for an amateur production, it’s hard not to be a little unsettled by the rubber-faced Professor Farnsworth and pals!

Well, the spoof rating at the start of the trailer does describe the movie as “questionable” – so we can’t say we weren’t warned. Check it out for yourself above.

And finally...

Enjoy a good laugh with Laugh.ly – a Spotify for comedy

Finally this week, we all enjoyed a good laugh at the announcement of Laugh.ly– a new service that aims to do for stand-up comedy what Spotify has done for music.

“What’s that,” you ask, “impoverish the performers by offering a pitiful handful of pennies for every million streaming plays?”

Well, perhaps not quite. The developers claim that because, unlike mainstream musicians, most comedians own the rights to their own recordings, their payment model is generally more rewarding for artists. The company claim that revenue is generally split 50/50 – so it should hopefully offer decent returns for our favourite funnymen and women.

As with Spotify, Laugh.ly offers an ad-supported free service, backed up by a monthly paid-for subscription. Currently, there’s a library of over 20,000 comedy recordings available – by far the largest of any streaming service – and more are sure to be added in future.

The service is currently in closed beta, which means you can’t get on board just yet – but it’ll be launching to the public on August 10th with apps for both iOS and Android. If it sounds like your idea of a good time, you can get your name down early here on the official website.

That's it for this week's crucial roundup, but be sure to check back next Friday for more news from the world of science, tech and geeky entertainment! And for more great articles from our Agents straight to your inbox each month, why not get your name down below for the Geek Squad newsletter?

This month, Google revealed that the next version of Android will be known as ‘Nougat’ – maintaining their long tradition of naming the OS after sweet treats. But with tons of new features heading to your Android phone, there’s way more to the update than just a name – read on to find out more!

It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating the arrival of Android Marshmallow – but things move fast in the world of tech, and Google’s Nougat update is already waiting in the wings to sweeten up your Android device.

The new OS is currently being tested by developers, and is expected to land for the general public in August – and with the name confirmed and details on the software now coming thick and fast, what better time to run through some of the most exciting new features?

The big stuff

First up, let’s take a look at the big changes – the stuff you’ll notice straight away when you start using Nougat. As Android updates go, there are quite a lot of new features to get excited about here!

Notification changes

The notification centre has undergone many changes in recent versions of Android – and Nougat is no exception.

The most noticeable change is that notifications now make much better use of the available screen space, with increased width and a smaller font to pack more information in. The designers have also taken a leaf from Apple’s book by allowing you to reply to messages and certain other notifications from within the notification itself through a ‘quick reply’ button – a long-awaited feature that’ll make it much faster to send short responses.

Finally, the very busy (or just those who waste a lot of time on Facebook) will be pleased to learn that multiple notifications from the same app can be grouped together, making the notification centre less confusing and making multiple notifications of the same type easier to deal with.

Improved multitasking

Multitasking is one area where Android has often enjoyed an advantage over iOS – and Nougat brings even further innovations.

The big news this time is a new multi-window feature. This simply allows you to open a second app side-by-side on the screen – so, for example, you’ll be able to compose an email in one half of the screen while checking facts in a web browser on the other.

iOS offers similar functionality in the form of ‘Split View’ – but this only works on the very newest iPads, and not at all on iPhones. By making it a fundamental part of the next version of Android across all supported devices, Google really have stolen some of Apple’s thunder here.

As well as this big change, the ‘Quick Switch’ function will let you instantly switch back to your last-used app by double-tapping the Recent button, and a new picture-in-picture mode will let you watch video in a window pinned to one corner of the screen while another app runs in the background. This already happens in the native YouTube app – but now it’ll be available for third-party apps too.

New chat apps

Nougat will also come bundled with a couple of new Google-powered chat apps: Allo and Duo.

Allo focuses on text-based chat and messaging. Does the world really need another proprietary chat app? Google apparently thinks so, and Allo’s unique selling point is that it integrates a personal AI assistant – allowing you to do everything from search the web to book restaurant tables from within the app. Whether it takes off or not remains to be seen.

Duo is a little more interesting. It’s an integrated video-calling platform – essentially, Google’s answer to Facetime.

One interesting angle to both of these apps is that their core features are actually already part of Google’s long-established – but frequently neglected – chat app Hangouts. Right now, Google insists that they’ll continue to officially support Hangouts – but it’s hard to imagine all of these apps coexisting in their current forms for long.

Google Assistant

Google’s AI assistant software, hitherto known as Google Now, is receiving a bit of a rebrand – alongside some powerful new features.

The app will now be known as Google Assistant– and like Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana, the big idea is that you’ll be able to gather information and carry out most of your phone’s functions using nothing but your voice.

Of course, Google Now has been around since Android Jellybean. So what’s new? Well, in Google’s own words, Assistant is “conversational – an ongoing two-way dialogue between you and Google that understands your world and helps you get things done.”

In practice, this means more natural-language commands, with replies from the software also being spoken where appropriate, in comparison to Now’s use of informative ‘cards’. The AI will also be closely integrated into the new chat apps mentioned above, providing smart links and information directly within their respective apps. It’ll also work with Google Home – a forthcoming ‘internet of things’ hub which will allow you to control a number of smart home devices.

Night Mode

Finally, Google have taken another leaf out of Apple’s book with an all-new ‘Night Mode’. This allows users to change the way the OS behaves for a better experience after dark. There are a few different options here, each of which can be enabled or disabled independently.

‘Adjust tint’ acts much like the ‘Night Shift’ mode introduced by Apple in iOS 9: it’ll alter the colour balance of the screen towards the warm end of the spectrum to reduce eye strain in low light conditions. ‘Adjust brightness’ behaves similarly, simply – you guessed it – reducing the screen’s brightness. Finally, ‘Use dark theme’ introduces a much-requested feature: dark-coloured backgrounds and other UI features.

Under the hood

The big changes are all well and good, but each new version of Android also comes with a host of tweaks and improvements below the hood to make things run more smoothly. These might not wow you with smart design or eye-catching features – but they’ll make your phone run faster, smoother and with better battery life. Brilliant!

Improved efficiency

Generally speaking, new versions of an operating system have higher requirements in terms of minimum specifications – but in Nougat, the minimum hardware requirements of the operating system have actually gone down. This means that it’ll run better on slower or older hardware – a canny move, given Android’s dominance at the lower end of the smartphone market.

While it’s impossible to point at a specific reason for this, it does suggest that Google’s engineers have been hard at work on under-the-hood optimisations – something that should benefit the OS across the board.

Doze on the Go

Another common theme of recent Android updates has been a drive towards battery efficiency – and Nougat makes some big steps here, too.

Marshmallow introduced a ‘Doze’ mode, which automatically detected when the device was idle, and throttled down various aspects of the OS accordingly. Nougat refines this further with ‘Doze on the Go’.

While the earlier Doze mode only kicked in if you device was completely motionless, the new version is smart enough to realise when your phone is in motion, but not actively being used – when it’s in a pocket or a bag, for example. As we all know, limited battery life is the bane of modern smartphones, so this new mode is an extremely welcome development.

Seamless updates

Android apps have long updated automatically, but while this is a convenient feature for many, it can also cause problems – not least because a crucial app is out of action while it’s being updated.

But Nougat introduces a feature, already seen on Chromebooks, called ‘Seamless updates’. This simply means that your phone will actually have two versions of any app that’s being updated, meaning you can continue to use the old version while the new one is downloaded in the background.

Daydream VR

One final feature, which might not be immediately apparent to most users, is the introduction of ‘Daydream’ – Google’s own Android-based virtual reality platform.

The big G have already dipped their toe into the VR waters with their cheap and cheerful Google Cardboard headset, but Daydream represents a major leap forwards. Daydream will initially allow for VR versions of popular Google apps like YouTube, Photos and Street View – and it’ll also allow third parties to build VR apps and environments more easily.

But as with VR on other platforms, this functionality will make some rather heavy hardware demands. Not every smartphone capable of running Nougat will be ‘Daydream ready’ – although most new flagships in future should support it.

Of course, you’ll also need a VR headset and special controller to actually use it – although it’s expected that these will be a little cheaper than the current generation of VR hardware for PC like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. Alongside the forthcoming PlayStation VR, this could be a major step towards making the exciting field of VR more accessible.

So when will I get it?

This is where we bump up against an age-old problem with Android. The simple answer is: it depends.

In principle, Nougat should be released to the public at some point in August. If you’re one of the few users running a Google-approved Nexus device – like last year’s Nexus 5X or 6P– then you can expect to receive the update very soon after launch.

But pretty much every manufacturer – including Sony, HTC and Samsung – modify each new version of Android to add their own apps, interfaces and features, and this process takes time. For most users, then, the real answer is “when your manufacturer gets around to it”.

In fact, the last version of Android – last year’s Marshmallow – is still being rolled out to many devices. Indeed, even recent flagships like Samsung’s Galaxy S7 only received the update last month! Based on that, you can probably expect to receive the Nougat update about a year from now.

If that’s a disappointment, you’re not alone. So-called ‘fragmentation’ has always been a serious problem for Android, and in spite of Google’s best efforts, it doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. At the time of writing, just over 10% of users are running Marshmallow– and only a further 36% run the previous version, Lollipop.

If you’re keen to buck the trend and tuck into your Nougat a little early, your only real option is to get your hands on a Nexus phone.

Okay, buying an all-new handset in order to get your hands on a new OS a little early might be overkill – but if you’re due for a new one anyway, it’s worth considering, as they really are fantastic phones! Otherwise, you’ll just need to wait for the update – but such is the life of the Android user. If it’s any consolation, we feel your pain.

Nougat really does promise to be the most impressive and substantial Android update in years – but what do you reckon to the new features on offer? Be sure to drop us a line in the comments below and let us know!

The ‘Internet of Things’ is still in its infancy, but it’s received a major boost with the announcement of Google Home – a new connected-home hub from the Mountain View giant that promises to streamline your home life.

With everything from Wi-Fi kettles to colour-changing, smartphone-controlled light bulbs hitting the market, the Internet of Things is going from strength to strength. But for seamless, voice-activated control over your smart home technology, you’ll need a ‘hub’ – and the recently announced Google Home looks set to be a fantastic choice.

First announced at the Google I/O 2016 conference in May, Google Home is a voice-activated device that lets you take control of all your smart devices – as well as giving you access to Google’s vast repository of information without having to lift to a finger.

We reckon this could be a real game-changer for the fledgling Internet of Things – so what’s it all about?

Google in your living room

On the outside, Home is a fairly unassuming device: no bigger than a table lamp, it sits unobtrusively on your desk, waiting for your command.

But Google Home is always listening. And even though it offers control over a wide range of smart home technology, it’s also a remarkably useful gadget in its own right. Ask it a question, and it’ll do its best to give you a thorough answer – and because its knowledge engine is driven by the powerful Google Assistant technology, recently refined for Android Nougat, its answers are remarkably good.

If you’ve ever wondered “where is Nicole Kidman from?”, just speak your question – and Home will tell you. And the improved AI is also capable of answering follow-up questions – so if you then ask “and when was she born?”, it’ll know who you mean. You’ll also be able to set alarms, timers and and reminders, all of which can also sync to your Android phone.

Other home hubs, like Amazon’s Echo, offer similar functionality – but the big selling point here is the Home’s close integration with Google services.

If you’re a Gmail and Google Calendar user, Home will remind you about upcoming flights, restaurant reservations and other events. And if you use Google Play Music, all you have to do is request a certain artist or song, and Home will start playing it through its built-in speaker automatically.

Clearly, the Home is aimed squarely at people who are already seriously committed to Google’s ecosystem – and if that describes you, there’s a lot of really useful stuff here. But Google’s own services are only half the story…

Taking control of the smart home

As with any smart home hub, one of Home’s key features is its ability to interface with other connected technology.

Right now, Google have been rather vague about the supported devices, but we expect Google to open up the platform to third-party manufacturers. Mario Quieroz, from the Google team behind the Home, says that the device “will support the most popular home networking systems so you can easily control your lights, thermostats, light switches and more, including our own Nest devices”.

With that in mind, we can certainly expect the Home to control popular products like Philips' Hue lighting systems – and it's inevitable that Google will open up the platform to other third parties with an interest in developed smart home kit.

By combining this functionality with Google’s powerful calendars and scheduling, commands like “switch on the lights and turn up the heating at 7pm every Tuesday” aren’t outside the realm of possibility. Add “and put the kettle on”, and Home could help you come home to a very warm welcome after a long day at work.

When can you get one?

At this point, Google haven’t announced a release date for Home – but we do have a few ideas about when we might see it.

The device is closely integrated with the next version of Android, Nougat, so we expect the release to follow closely behind the new OS, due to land in August.

Certainly, the pre-release models Google’s shown off seem to be ready for prime time. Although we haven’t had our hands on one yet, the device has an elegant and low-profile appearance. For the most part, it’s just a white cylinder – although it also features interchangeable bases in a number of colours and materials to match your home decor.

As for the price, we currently don’t any idea. The Home’s nearest competitor, the Amazon Echo, costs $180, or about £140. Based on that, we expect the Home to land somewhere below the £150 mark – but it must be said, this is pure speculation at this point.

Assuming the price is right, though, Home looks like it could be the best smart home hub yet. Its tight integration with Google services gives it some awesome potential – and we can’t wait to see whether it lives up to our expectations.

Are you excited about the Internet of Things, or is it all a flash in the pan? Let us know what you reckon in the comments below – and for more great articles from our Agents, direct to your inbox each month, get your name down below for the Geek Squad newsletter!

If the internet stops working on your Android smartphone, it's usually possible to sort the problem yourself using this handy little fix. Not all technology issues are complicated – and this can be one of the easiest ones to sort out.

Internet issues on Android can be broken down into two categories: 'Wi-Fi' and 'Mobile Internet'.

Wi-Fi is for users with home broadband when you're in or near your house. Mobile Internet is the internet connection your phone uses by default when there's no Wi-Fi to connect to!

Continue reading to see our tips for troubleshooting your Wi-Fi – and you can click here to travel further down the page for troubleshooting your Mobile Internet.

Fixing your Wi-Fi connection

Sometimes your Wi-Fi connection can get confused – whether it's from switching from one Wi-Fi network to another, your router crashing or your wireless password changing. Follow these steps below to troubleshoot your Wi-Fi and get back online!

1. From your apps list, find and tap on Settings.
2. Tap on Wi-Fi and wait for the list of nearby networks to appear. If no networks appear, tap the switch in the top corner of the Wi-Fi screen to turn your Wi-Fi on.
3. Once the list of networks appear, you should see your own network somewhere near the top. If it doesn't appear, but others do, this indicates the problem is with your router. Find your router, remove the power cable for 30 seconds, then insert the power cable and wait for the router to turn back on and the lights on the front to stabilise.
4. If you can see your network's name in the list, check to see whether it has the word 'connected' underneath. If so, try your internet out – it should be working. If you get a different message to 'connected', we need to make your phone forget this network so we can connect to it again.
5. Press and hold your finger down on your network's name – this is usually the name of your router, and is written on a sticker or card that came with your router. After holding your finger down for a couple of seconds, a message box will appear, asking if you'd like to forget this network. Choose to forget it, then tap on the network name again to enter your password. This is also found on a card or sticker that came with your router, unless it's been changed since it was installed!
6. Once you've entered the correct password, the connection will be set up and your internet will work.

Fixing your mobile internet connection

Sometimes you're stuck away from the comfort of your Wi-Fi network only to find that your mobile internet has stopped working. Don't worry – this can happen from time to time.

Follow these steps below to troubleshoot your mobile data and fix the problem as soon as it occurs.

1. Open your Apps list and tap on Settings.
2. Turn off your Wi-Fi temporarily, while we get set up. Tap on Wi-Fi, then tap the switch in the top-right corner of the screen to turn Wi-Fi off.
3. Press the back button to go to the previous Settings screen, then tap on Data usage or Mobile Data.
4. Make sure Mobile data is turned on in this next page. Tap the switch in the top-right corner to flick between on or off – when it's lit in a colour, it's turned on.
5. If you still don't have an internet connection, tap the menu button in the top right corner of the screen – this looks like three dots.
6. Tap on Mobile networks to view your mobile data settings.
7. On the next page, choose Access Point Names (APNs).
8. Your network's access point name should be on this next page, but sometimes this information can become outdated or incorrect. Tap the menu button (three dots) in the top-right corner and then tap reset to default. After a few seconds, your APN will reset to the network's default settings and your internet should be back up and running!
9. If you've reset your APN to default and still have no network name or internet connection, you will have to enter your APN details manually. Tap on the + (plus) sign in the top-right corner to add a new APN.
10. You can call your network to ask for your APN settings, and you can also check our list of APNs here to find what information to type in, and where. Make sure to save your APN after filling in the information, then check your internet to see if it works.

If you're still struggling to get connected, give us a call on 0800 049 6190 and we can troubleshoot your technology problem over the phone.

Alternatively, visit an Agent for hands-on device help - we are stationed in over 100 selected stores across the UK and you can find your nearest Geek Squad Agent using our store locator tool.

In this month's selection of the App Store's highlights, we've got some tools to help you relax, get to places and appointments on time, and even explore some new sights in the city! As usual, that's just the start – read on to find out more.

Snorelax

Nordin Ouameur
£1.49

Snorelax is a intelligent alarm clock that has one goal: to get you to work on time.

For many commuters there can be any number of delays on your route to work – ranging from heavy traffic to random bouts of bad weather. Snorelax learns your route to work, and will then keep an eye on the weather, traffic reports and public information to check whether there's anything with the potential to interrupt your commute. If there's any kind of delay likely, it'll wake you up a little bit early to make sure you don't arrive late!

As well as being highly functional, Snorelax looks great, too – with a nice simple interface and background pictures that will change during the day, depending on factors like weather and the season.

You'll quickly come to appreciate not having to guestimate when to set your alarm – and it's fantastic to get back those precious minutes of sleep!

Memrise

Memrise
Free

For a long time, I thought Duolingo would hold the crown for the best language-learning app to –but Memrise may just be able to take that title away!

The big idea behind Memrise is something called 'Memory Science'. This is a process within the app that analyses your progress and adapts the app to help you learn better. You'll first work through introductory excercises and small challenges to help you get to grips with whatever language you choose, and from there the experience is tailored to you. There are also a handful of learning games included, so you can learn in more fun environment, rather than just repeating the same exercises over and over.

The app offers over 100 different languages to learn, which is mighty impressive by itself – but the way it presents them truly sets apart. The app presents words and phrases in a way that makes it extremely easy for beginners to get to grips with: pictures, text, video and sound are all combined to help you learn not just the words, but the context and usage behind them too.

The app gives you daily learning goals – and the more words you learn, the more fuel you'll earn for your rocket. The rocket is the app's way of tracking your progress and basically acts like an 'experience level' in an RPG: more fuel means you can fly further and go up more levels! While you can keep this to yourself, you can also show off and compete with your friends too by linking the app to your Facebook account.

Whileyou can learn a lot for free, there are also some paid options available. If you subscribe to their premium service you'll get some extra games, as well as an offline mode, which lets you download an entire language course to your phone or tablet.

All in all, if you want to learn a new language, you can't really go too wrong with Memrise - it's definitely worth a download!

Wildfulness

Mark Hendriks
£1.49

The benefits of meditation apps can be debated endlessly – but the overall consensus seems to be that even you don't fully believe in it, you can still benefit from a little rest and relaxation.

With that in mind, we bring you Wildfulness – a meditation app that focuses on nature as the backdrop to give your mind a break from the stresses of life.

To complement and enhance the meditation ideas are six hand-drawn landscapes that certainly add to the immersive experience. You'll want some headphones, too, as the app also comes with a variety of soothing sounds – including thunderstorms, leaves and trees rustling, birdsong and more. You simply choose a scenario, choose a time and then start your meditation!

Personally, I find I don't always have time to experiment with things like this – but the artwork and style has made me want to give this more of a try.

Tayasui Colour

Tayasui.com
£1.49

Sticking with the theme of relaxation, Tayasui Colour is an adult colouring book in the form of an app.

I will readily admit I've never really seen the appeal of adult colouring books, but something about this particular app caught my eye. It features twelve different pictures for you to colour, in any style you see fit, with a variety of different drawing tools to use.

There is a sense of realism to these tools to try and immerse into the whole experience – and if you keep the sound turned on your iPhone or iPad, you'll also hear the realistic sounds of your drawing implement as you pen (or pencil) a great work of art.

Being a colouring book, there are obviously lines for you to follow with your colouring – however, the app encourages you to be creative with your work, so feel free to go crazy!

Walter

Triposo Inc.
Free

Walter is a compass – but not just any compass. You see, instead of pointing you in any cardinal direction, instead Walter directs your towards various points of interests around your current location.

There's no setup involved, and no options either: you simply open it up and the compass will pick up your location and start showing you sights. These are colour coded: red for places to eat, purple for drinks, blue for a sights to see and yellow for shops. All you need to do is treat it like a compass – and it will quickly help you find the sights and sounds of virtually any city.

You'll also notice that locations are separated into three concentric circles depending on how far away they are. You can use this to estimate how long it'll take you to get to any of the locations – and as you get closer it will move towards the centre of the compass.

Walter is ideal for trips to a new city – particularly if you're the adventurous type who likes to really explore. If this sounds like you, then Walter will be a perfect match!

That's it for this month's roundup of the very best iOS apps – but if you're after more fun on your iPhone or iPad, why not check out July's selection of the very best iOS games? And for more great articles from our Agents straight to your inbox each month, get your name down below for our Geek Squad newsletter!

Android’s more than just a practical mobile OS: it’s also an increasingly popular gaming platform. But there’s only so much you can do with a touchscreen – and so for real control, you’ll need a gamepad.

You could, of course, buy a dedicated Android-compatible model – but if you’ve got a recent DualShock 4 controller for PlayStation 4, you’ve already got everything you need. In this short guide, then, I’ll show you how to pair a PS4 controller with your Android phone or tablet.

1. First of all, you’ll need to activate the controller’s pairing mode by holding down the Share and PS buttons. After a few moments, the controller’s 'light bar' should flash white.
2. Next, turn to your phone or tablet. Open the Settings app, scroll to ‘Wireless & networks’ and tap Bluetooth.
3. You should see an option for Wireless Controller– simply tap this and the devices will be paired.

When you’re ready to return the controller through the PS4, you’ll need to re-pair it with your console. This is extremely straightforward: just connect the controller to the console using its bundled Mini USB cord and press the PS button again.

Troubleshooting

My Android device won’t detect my controller

If you’re having trouble connecting at all, do make sure that your PS4 (or any other Bluetooth device your controller might be paired with) is turned off.

The controller input is laggy

Some users might find that the controller is a little laggy and unresponsive after being paired with an Android device. This may or may not happen to you – but if it does, a free app called Bluetooth Auto Connect by UniqTec Inc can help.

Once you’ve installed the app, connect the PS4 controller to your device as described above. Then, open the app, head to Advanced Options, then scroll to the ‘Debug’ options and tick the checkbox. Then, head back to the main menu and tap Connect at the top of the screen. This should offer a much smoother experience.

The button mapping is all wrong

If you’re not happy with the default button mappy, an app called Multilanguage Key Remapper by InnerLife can help. With this, you have complete flexibility over which button does what – check the app’s documentation to see exactly how it works.

These instructions should have you blasting away in no time – but if you run into any problems, drop us a line in the comments and we’ll do what we can to help!