Best 2-in-1 laptops: top 5 hybrid laptops reviewed

Microsoft's Windows 8 didn't just shake up the company's entire software empire, but the mobile computing industry to boot. Given the dualistic nature of the new Windows, laptop and tablet makers responded in kind with devices commonly known as 2-in-1 laptops, or hybrid laptops.

These are devices that are able to serve as both a laptop and a tablet, either in a detachable design that sees the touchscreen doubling as a tablet, or a convertible approach in which the notebook's hinge rotates 360 degrees for a similar effect. In the past, neither have been all that successful in providing both experiences in equal measure, but that's slowly changing.

Considering their similarity to Ultrabooks in terms of build quality, thinness and lightness, 2-in-1 laptops are generally priced in the same range: between $899 (about £525, AU$958)and $2,000 (around £1,169, AU$2,131). These are sleek, powerful devices that look good and serve multiple use cases to varying degrees of success. With that, here are the best 2-in-1 laptops that we've reviewed thus far.

Microsoft Surface Pro 3

This is not only Microsoft's most striking and versatile device to date, but the most convincing poster child for the hybrid category yet. And this ringing endorsement comes from a long-time skeptic of such devices.

That said, the Surface Pro 3 (starting at $799, £639, AU$979) is hamstrung by flaws that cannot be ignored. Namely, the battery life might be in line with most Ultrabooks, but isn't close to what Apple's leading laptop and top tablet. And the Type Cover billed as an accessory doesn't help Microsoft's cause – it's quite pricey to boot.

At any rate, this version of the tablet comes in cheaper than the most affordable iPad Air and 13-inch MacBook Air combined, even with the Type Cover, and that's the point. On paper, this slate is more powerful than either Apple device, not to mention most other comparably priced laptops and tablets. The Surface Pro 3 might not be perfect, but it's far and wide the brightest shining example of a potential tablet takeover.

• Read our Microsoft Surface Pro 3 review

Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro

With the Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro (starting at $1,099, £999, AU$1,599), we can now confirm that 3,200 x 1,800 pixels is delicious indeed. On top of the winning Yoga form factor, we loved the solid performance, backlit keyboard, and the snappy SSD, creating mobile device-like response times.

However, in our experience, a Haswell-based ultrabook this thin should run twice as long as the Yoga 2 Pro does on a full charge; we got about five hours in our testing. Even with cloud services like Google Drive, a 128GB SSD is hard to recommend for even your grandparents.

Drawbacks considered, the Yoga 2 Pro is a winner of a laptop, pure and simple. At the $1,000 price point, you could put the Yoga 2 Pro in just about anyone's hands and make them quite pleased.

• Read our Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro review

Asus Transformer Book TX300

The Asus Transformer Book TX300 (starting at $1,499, about £878, AU$1,649) is encased in brushed aluminium, giving it a quality sleek finish, enabling it to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the MacBook Air in the looks department.

However, it has a hidden trick up its sleeve. The screen unclips from the keyboard base to turn this 13-inch laptop into a 13-inch tablet, for playing games, surfing the web or watching movies.

Along with 4GB of RAM, the chip inside is an Ivy Bridge Intel Core i7 3517U 3rd Generation model. The 4th Generation, nicknamed Clover Trail, which came out in early 2013, boasts better speeds and dramatically improved battery life.

• Read our Asus Transformer Book TX300 review

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S

The 11.6-inch Lenovo Yoga 11S (starting at around $799, £599, AU$1,299) laptop is a flexible machine that can fold over from a typical laptop stance to a stand position, to a position with the keyboard behind the screen, ready for delivering presentations.

It comes with HDMI, SD card and USB ports, and boasts a surprisingly impressive Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for storage. The screen is sharp and bright, though not full HD, and works well with Windows 8. It's also nicely light and small for portability. You can easily use the Yoga 11S as you would any other laptop, replete with a full QWERTY keyboard.

• Read our Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S review

Sony Vaio Duo 13

From the slim line and attractive design to the top-notch components included, the Sony Vaio Duo 13 (starting at $2,999, £1,352, AU$1,899) looks every inch the expensive product. We also really liked the improvements to the sliding design, which makes it much easier to open and close.

While the sliding design has improved, it still feels a tiny bit delicate around the hinges, which isn't great for such an expensive product. Having the hard drive filled with bloatware is also an avoidable annoyance.

Regardless, the Vaio Duo 13 is one of the best laptop-tablet hybrids we've seen yet. Just be prepared to pay the big bucks for that experience.

• Read our Sony Vaio Duo 13 review

HP outs ultra-cheap Windows tablets and laptops that don't seem half bad

Turns out the Stream 14 wasn't the only affordable(ish) device HP had cooking, though its latest offerings are decidedly cheaper, smaller and less Chromebook-rivaling than the last one.

The company is out with a duo of tablets and a pair of laptops running Windows and carrying the Stream name to less sizeable screen sizes.

The HP Stream 7 and Stream 8 are Windows tabs with display girths to match their names. Intel processors tick inside. HP didn't cough up many other details, though Engadget has word the tablets feature 32GB of on-board storage, a microSD slot to expand, 1GB of RAM and Bluetooth 4.0.

Both tablets come with a one-year Microsoft Office 365 Personal subscription, including 1TB of OneDrive online storage and 60 Skype minutes/month. Stream 8 owners will have an optional 200MB of free 4G data to play with if they choose for as long as their tablet is kicking, no contract required.

The Stream 7 starts at $99.99 (about £61, AU$114) while the Stream 8 price begins at $149.99 (about £91, AU$171. Both tablets will be available in the US sometime in November.

Stream laptops

As for the keyboard-fitted Stream devices, HP introduced laptops with 11.6- and 13.3-inch displays.

The machines are flush with touch-optional HD displays and a fanless design. An Intel Celeron processor hums in both machines' inner chambers, and each counts 32GB of eMMC flash memory on its spec sheet. They will apparently feature 2GB of RAM, an Intel HD graphics card and boast a one-charge lifespan of 8.5 hours.

For better or worse, the Stream laptops come in either Orchid Magenta or Horizon Blue because, "Who doesn't love color?" as the Windows blog wonders.

Like their tablet cohorts, the Stream laptops comes with one year of Office 365 personal, 1TB of OneDrive online storage included. There's also a $25 gift card in the box because Microsoft REALLY wants you to buy its Windows Store apps.

The 11.6-inch Stream laptop starts at $199.99 (about £123, AU$229) and the 13.3-inch will get buyers going at $229.99 (about £141, AU$264). They too will be available stateside in November.

• Windows 9: Everything you need to know before Tuesday's big reveal

Huge batch of rumours shed light on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro

While the dust settles around the recent launches of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, it looks like 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ditched the 32GB variant of the iPhone, the iPad Air 2 will apparently still come in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities.

Both the upcoming PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL2hvc3RpbmdraXRhLmNvbQ0iIHRhcmdldD0iX2JsYW5rIiByZWw9Im5vZm9sbG93Ij5pUGFkIE1pbmkgPC9hPjMgd2l0aCBSZXRpbmEgYW5kIGlQYWQgQWlyIDIgYXJlIHBsYW5uZWQgdG8gYmUgcmV2ZWFsZWQgaW4gT2N0b2JlciwgYWNjb3JkaW5nIHRvIHJlcG9ydHMsIHdpdGggdGhlIGlQYWQgQWlyIDIgZ29pbmcgb24gc2FsZSBhdCB0aGUgZW5kIG9mIHRoZSB5ZWFyLjwvcD48cD5JdCBsb29rcyBsaWtlIHdlIG1heSBoYXZlIHRvIHdhaXQgYSBsaXR0bGUgbG9uZ2VyIHRvIGJ1eSB0aGUgPGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL2hvc3RpbmdraXRhLmNvbQ0iIHRhcmdldD0iX2JsYW5rIiByZWw9Im5vZm9sbG93Ij5pUGFkIE1pbmkgPC9hPg==3, with the rumours suggesting it will be available early next year, while the iPad Pro will give us the longest wait, with it expected to hit the market in the second quarter of 2015.

This ties in with rumours we've previously heard about the launch of the iPad Pro.

• iPhone 6 bendgate: why is it driving people bananas?

Via G4Games

Could this be the first 50 Windows 8.1 tablet?

Pictures and details of what looks like one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) Windows-based computer (let alone a tablet) ever launched have surfaced online on the forum of one Chinese tablet manufacturer (via Mike Canex).

The Pipo Work-W4 looks like a bog-standard Windows-based, Intel-powered tablet that is expected to cost RMB 499 (about £49, $81, AU$92). Arguably, these prices do not include value added tax and probably not delivery.

A spokesperson for the company said that the new model is still "a concept" and they are thinking of changing the specs of the existing, more expensive Pipo W2.

What we do know about is that it will have almost the same hardware bar the onboard storage (16GB, rather than 32GB) and the system memory (1GB rather than 2GB).

The layout of the cameras and speakers indicate that the Work-W4 is best used in portrait rather than landscape (which is the case for the W2).

It will almost certainly run on Windows 8.1 but we're not sure whether it will come with an Office 365 subscription like the W2. Since it carries the Work moniker, I believe it is highly unlikely since the Office 365 Personal license forbids a business usage.

This guy says he's played with the Microsoft Surface mini

The Microsoft Surface mini has been kicking around as an unsubstantiated tech rumour for quite some time now. And a new report has surfaced (sorry) alleging Microsoft has indeed made one. It just isn't sure about selling it yet.

The report in question comes from Brad Sams over at neowin who says, perhaps unsurprisngly, that the Microsoft Surface mini looks like a Surface Pro 3 but smaller.

Unfortunately, Sams says he wasn't allowed to take any pictures of the device. But it's the detail he goes into that gives his report a whiff of authenticity.

Windows shopping

He says the Surface mini packed a Qualcomm processor, 1GB of RAM, Windows RT 8.1 and a microSD card slot and used a pen, the same as the Surface Pro 3. It also featured OneNote integration.

Additionally, Sams says that Microsoft developed Type Cover-like cases for the device with a built-in kickstand and loop for holding the pen. Although lack of space mean there was no QWERTY keyboard.

"The bezel size is large enough to have a full size Windows button, exactly like the Pro 3 at the bottom; at the top, there is a front facing camera with roughly the same size bezel," says Sams.

"It does make the device look a bit odd since the bezel is so large but it does make sense if you are holding the device so your thumbs don't cover the screen."

Sounds good to us, especially given how fond we are of Apple's Retine iPad mini. It's just a shame that Microsoft decided to kill its announcement of the device at its Surface Pro 3 event earlier this year.

That's not to say the Microsoft Surface mini will never see the light of day, but at least for the moment, it's laying dormant.

• Want to save size on your tablet? Check out our iPad Mini with Retina Display review

Updated: We played with the worst apps in the world, so you don't have to

There are now over 1,300,000 apps on the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store is home to around the same number of Android apps right now. What we're trying to say is - there are a lot of apps out there, and unsurprisingly, a lot of them are crap.

We're sure you've stumbled on some stinkers yourself, but we hope you've not come across any as bad of these. You see, at TechRadar we're making it our mission to scour the underbelly of both app stores to find the truly terrible, the truly disgusting, and the truly WTF, all in the name of technology.

Each week we'll be nominating an app that deserves the crown of "worst of the worst", with an aim to complete a list of the ten truly most terrible apps we've ever seen.

So let us begin our dangerous journey through the bowels of humanity's ideas. It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.

1. 99 Bottles!

iOS
Price: Free

Let us set the scene: You're having '99 Bottles of Beer' sung to you by Stephen Hawking. We just described the entirety of the 99 Bottles app.

No, that's not fair, you can also pause the song or choose to start it over. There are also some crap bottle animations that twitch along with the "music". Ok, now we've described it.

It's just counting. Annoying counting.

Yes, it's the slow, awkward rendition of 99 Bottles you never asked for but you're sure as hell going to get anyway. And what happens if, God forbid, you last the whole 19 minutes and 48 seconds? No spoilers here, but we can confirm that time is accurate because we sat through the whole damn thing ourselves.

Actually, we got a text message at just over 50 bottles down the first time and accidentally hit 'start again', so we basically sat through it twice for this column. You're welcome.

You'll hear all the greats: 87, 64, 50, 42… And if your phone goes to sleep just as bottle 93 has been taken from the wall, does it start exactly where it left off? Course not, it starts number 93 ALL OVER AGAIN.

We really can't think of any useful applications for this other than torture, and Amnesty would be all over this in a heartbeat.

To its creator's credit he at least acknowledges how ridiculous the app is. We just don't know why anyone would use it, let alone make it. Then again we did play it for the whole 20 minutes so we're hardly in a position to judge. No wait, make that 29 minutes and 42 seconds. Again, you're welcome.

Tesco Hudl 2 will be revealed on October 3

Tesco recently announced that it shelved plans for a smartphone, but it's ploughing ahead with its tablet range, with the Hudl 2 to be announced on October 3.

A new section has popped up on Tesco's Hudl page, letting visitors register for more information on the Hudl 2 and promise of a "sneak peek". All of those colours are probably hints that we're in for a range of different hues.

The site has the date as "coming soon" but we've received an invite confirming that the big reveal is on October 3.

The original 7-inch Hudl was a surprisingly accomplished tablet, though the big plus was of course the price. We expect the second will be in for a spec bump, though probably not a bump in price - or at least that's what we hope.

• While you wait, here's our Tesco Hudl review

No need for iOS 8 hate. Here are fixes for Wi-Fi and battery drain bugs

Like clockwork, iOS 8 bugs are making Apple's flat-looking operating system feel a little more uneven partially due to Wi-Fi connection glitches and battery drain problems.

That means nearly half of the active iPhones and iPads already running the software are open to the same problems we've seen during every recent launch.

All of those new PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ob3N0aW5na2l0YS5jb20NIiB0YXJnZXQ9Il9ibGFuayIgcmVsPSJub2ZvbGxvdyI+aVBob25lIDwvYT42IGFuZCA8YSBocmVmPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3Lmhvc3RpbmdraXRhLmNvbQ0iIHRhcmdldD0iX2JsYW5rIiByZWw9Im5vZm9sbG93Ij5pUGhvbmUgPC9hPg==6 Plus owners can't easily roll back to iOS 7 since it comes pre-installed, and frankly, we liked all of the changes in our iOS 8 review.

Luckily, if you're looking for a quick Wi-Fi and battery drain fix, you won't have to wait until the inevitable iOS 8.0.1. There are solutions to hold you over until the next update.

Can't connect to Wi-Fi? Try resetting Network Settings on your iPhone or iPad

Wi-Fi problems

A small, but vocal group of users have experienced slow Wi-Fi or have been unable to connect to their router. They shouldn't have to resort to using their data plans.

We found that diving into Settings > Reset > Reset Network Settings solved the iOS 8 Wi-Fi problems. Don't worry, this reset only wipes your Wi-Fi logins.

Others have found that heading into Privacy > Location Services > System Settings (all the way down at the bottom > and turning off Wi-Fi Networking did the trick.

This suggestion doesn't actually turn off Wi-Fi. It simply voids using nearby Wi-Fi networks to assist GPS in determining your location more quickly and accurately.

It's a useful feature, but one you can live without until a proper fix for slow Wi-Fi launches in the next update.

iOS 8 battery drain is nothing new. But there are new ways to combat

Battery drain

Even with the massive iPhone 6 Plus and its solid 24 hours of talk time, battery drain remains an issue. There are new solutions, though.

Apple actually helps resolve many of our battery problems in iOS 8 with a convenient battery usage breakdown. It's a bit buried, but worth looking at every now and again.

To find out which apps are draining your battery life, visit Settings > General > Usage > Battery Usage and be sure to close or uninstall energy-sucking apps you don't need or use.

The second suggestion is to back out of there as far as the General settings menu. Head into Background App Refresh and turn off any apps that don't demand your immediate attention (Dropbox, Podcasts and Weather are three prime examples)

Beyond that, you can use the usual anti-battery draining techniques in your toolbelt.: dim the brightness, turn off email push notifications, limit app notifications and disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when it's not in use. It's easier than ever to toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with the swipe-up-from-the-bottom Control Center overlay introduced in iOS 7.

Looking to the future

When all else fails, hold on tight for another month. iOS 8.0.1 should be here in October if Apple's pattern holds true.

After all, Apple still needs to launch Mac OS X Yosemite in October and relaunch its Health app. It may have new MacBooks and an iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 on October 21 to boot.

In the meantime, if you have your own crafty way of fixing iOS 8 problems or need help, feel free to troubleshoot in the comments.

• See Why Apple Pay is a really, really big deal for, well, everyone

Kindle Voyage sets sail as the thinnest, brightest Amazon e-reader to date

Amazon is out to redefine e-readers yet again with the new Kindle Voyage, a thin and light electronic booklet that won't break the bank.

The Voyage is Amazon's thinnest to date, measuring 7.6mm and weighing less than 6.4 ounces. The Kindle Paperwhite measured 9.1mm thick and weighed 7.3 ounces, to give you an idea.

Retailer listings for the Voyage surfaced earlier in the day, and it turns out it was only a matter of time before this e-reader showed its face.

It's up for pre-order now on Amazon for $199 or £169 (cAU$221), and the Kindle Voyage release date is scheduled for October 21 or November 4 in the UK.

Trippin'

Utilizing a new Paperwhite display, the Voyage counts 300 pixels (the Kindle Paperwhite has 212ppi) in every inch of its 6-inch display. Amazon claimed it has highest marks in three area: resolution, contrast and brightness (39% brighter, thank you very much).

On-board storage measures 4GB, and you should have plenty of time to read all your titles as a single charge can last up to six weeks.

The front light is adaptive, meaning it can be personalized to everyone's reading light preferences. What's more, the display will dim after 30 minutes in a darker setting as the human eye eventually gets used to the darkness.

The Kindle Voyage comes stacked with a new page turning called PagePress. PagePress makes use of a specialty force sensor located right under the e-reader's bezel. Rest your thumb on the bezel, and the page will turn as you lightly press down.

Haptic feedback lets you know the page is actually turning, and both the feedback vibration and amount of pressure needed to turn a page can be personalized.

Amazon is offering free 3G with the new slate as well as a new Origami cover designed just for the tablet.

New old Kindles

The cheap Kindle also got a touch-up, literally, as it now supports your fingers pressing and swiping along its display. The e-reader also now features a 20% faster processor and double the storage, up to 4GB.

Priced at $79 or £59 (cAU$88), the new Kindle is also up for pre-order and will launch October 2.

The Kindle Paperwhite, meanwhile, also doubled up on its storage, probably so it wouldn't feel left out.

• What does the iPad Air 2 have in store?

Amazon lights a Fire with new Kindle tablet range and major HDX 8.9 update

Amazon isn't about taking customers on a Voyage these days; it also wants to light a little Fire, too.

The company has outed a trio of Fire tablets, namely a new Fire HD, refreshed Fire HDX and, yes, a Fire tablet for kids.

Let's start from the beginning; the new Fire HD is available in 6- and 7-inch flavors and five different color options, with the smaller version starting at sub-$100 or less than £80. It's HD display packs a whopping 1 million-plus pixels and its 1.5GHz quad-core processor helps tasks hum along.

There's a front and rear camera and Dolby Digital Plus Audio, a feature that should help Amazon's library of 33 million movies, TV shows, books and more pop.

Available in 8GB or 16GB configurations, the battery life is pegged at up to eight hours. It also runs Amazon's latest Fire OS 4, a.k.a. Sangria, which is built off PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ob3N0aW5na2l0YS5jb20NIiB0YXJnZXQ9Il9ibGFuayIgcmVsPSJub2ZvbGxvdyI+QW5kcm9pZCA8L2E+KitKat. Wine and chocolate? Tasty.

The 6-inch version starts at $99 (US$125 in Australia with shipping) or £79 for 8GB while the 7-inch version costs $139 or £99 (AU$166). You can pre-order either size now, but their official release won't be until October 2.

Fire to the X(treme)

Amazon's larger slate, the Fire HDX 8.9, is getting a sizeable upgrade, namely on the inside.

Users will find a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 8084 chip, Adreno 420 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The graphics engine, by the way, is said to be 70% faster than before.

The tablet also features Dolby Atmos, a first for a tablet, and Dolby Audio for booming sound that Amazon claims is twice as loud as the iPad Air. For another iPad Air jab, Amazon says its 8.9-inch tablet is 20% lighter than Apple's model.

The Fire HDX is also drinking up Sangria as well as the Amazon Fire Phone's data and product scanning feature, Firefly.

The Fire HDX 8.9 is up for pre-order now starting at $379 or £329 with a 4G version available for $479 (£439). There's no news on Australian price or availability just yet.

One for Junior

Finally, just in the US for now, Amazon is introducing a tablet for kids called Fire HD Kids Edition. Inventive, we know.

Playtime with your tablet

Front-and-center among the tablet's features is a 2-year guarantee that Amazon will replace it, "no questions asked," during that period. A play for uncertain parents, to be sure.

Another thing mom and dad should like is the year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, a subscription service that brings kid-centric content to the tablet.

The tablet is basically the same as the Fire HD in terms of specs, even down to the size options, except for the kid-proof protective case.

The Fire HD Kids Edition starts at $149 for a 6-inch and $189 for a 7-inch.

Schenker Element 10.1 review

Scores in depth

You could be forgiven for not having heard of Schenker Technologies, since until now, the company has been better known in its native Germany. But you might have heard of high-end gaming laptops sold in the UK under the name XMG, which is a subdivision of Schenker.

The company therefore knows how to build mobile PC hardware, but has taken this expertise in a slightly different direction with the Element 10.1 tablet, which is powered by Intel's Bay Trail hardware platform, and runs the 32-bit version of full Windows 8.1, rather than the less useful Windows RT. Just like Microsoft's Surface Pro 2 tablet, it can be used in both tablet-friendly Modern UI and legacy desktop modes, and run any Windows software.

As with Acer's Aspire Switch, but unlike XMG laptops, the Element won't make a hefty dent in your wallet. It costs £239 (around US$400, AU$430) for the 32GB version, less than an iPad Mini, Samsung Galaxy Tab S, or either variant of Microsoft's Surface 2. That's excellent value, especially if you have a strong desire to use desktop PC software on your tablet, which isn't possible with the aforementioned Android, iOS or Windows RT offerings. Schenker bundles a 12-month Office 365 subscription in the box too.

Dock option

It just about fits into the hybrid tablet category, since it can be ordered with a dock (which costs £39, around US$65, AU$70) with a trackpad at the front and physical keyboard. Although the tablet and dock snap together with magnets, this dock isn't like the one on Acer's Aspire Switch, since it also has a thin cover that wraps around the back, covered in a micro-fibre material, which seals shut. Paying homage to the art of origami, the cover also neatly folds backwards into the shape of a sturdy but rigid stand for the tablet.

The device's cover is a piece of origami

The connection between the two isn't especially strong. With the stand folded back the tablet sits in place fine, in the correct position for typing, but a fairly light tug disconnects them.

The Element's design has a glossy black bezel surrounding the 10.1-inch display, and a rubber coating on the back. The isolated-style keyboard is reasonable, although as with all keyboards of this size, people with Hodor-like fingers will find it a tad on the small side. Volume controls are unusually positioned at the top, with the power button at the side. There are 2 megapixel cameras at the front and back.

Sipping power

On the inside, the Element is no supercomputer. Rather than laptop-like performance, Bay Trail was designed with low power consumption and heat output in mind, to maximise battery life, which has been the Achilles heel for Intel processors, an issue that has so far pushed them out of the market for smartphones and tablets.

This tablet runs full-fat Windows apps (kind of)

A 1.33GHz Intel Atom Z3740D processor drives the system, with 2GB of DDR3 memory. You can have either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, expandable with a microSD card slot on the side. 3G is present on the £299 (around US$500, AU$535) 64GB model, and there are both Micro-HDMI and Mini-USB ports for connectivity. The dock doesn't have any additional USB ports, but Schenker has popped a pair of cables into the box that convert full-sized HDMI and USB to their Mini and Micro versions.

The screen has a fairly paltry resolution of 1280 x 800, which is nothing special in the face of high-DPI displays on the iPad and top-of-the-range Android tablets. But as I've found before, the Windows 8 desktop does not always play nicely on smaller screens at super-high resolutions when using certain software, even with the DPI setting increased, so a low-resolution screen is acceptable on Windows tablets, especially at this price.

Google and HTC reportedly hammering away on the Nexus 9 tablet

New rumours have again tied HTC to the much anticipated Nexus 9, suggesting that 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 in store with the Nexus 9.

Nexus 9 release date, news and rumors

Google has done well with its Nexus line, particularly the PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL2hvc3RpbmdraXRhLmNvbQ0iIHRhcmdldD0iX2JsYW5rIiByZWw9Im5vZm9sbG93Ij5OZXh1cyA0IDwvYT4=and Nexus 5, which delivered high end smartphone specs on a budget and both versions of the Nexus 7, which did the same for slates. So it's no surprise that the company is seemingly looking at adding another device into the mix, specifically the Nexus 9.

Numerous mentions of the device, which may be closer to 9 inches than 8, have popped up over the last few months, alternately referring to it as the Nexus 8, Nexus 9 and Volantis, so it's starting to look like a safe bet that it's coming in some form.

That still leaves a lot of questions unanswered, such as when it's arriving, how much it will cost and what its specs will be. But as more news and rumors roll in we're picking them apart and putting them all in one place (here) so you can learn everything there is to know about the Nexus 9 before it's announced.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? A new tablet set to fill the gap between the Nexus 7 and the Nexus 10
• When is it out? Possibly October 8, failing that maybe November
• What will it cost? Around £275 / $464 / AU$498 is our best guess

Nexus 9 release date and price

We were hoping that the Nexus 9 might show up at Google I/O, but, er, it didn't. HTC is believed to be behind the tablet, but either way, it will probably be Google's event, not HTC's.

Evidence is mounting that HTC will indeed by the manufacturer of the Nexus 9. At the beginning of September court documents pertaining to Nvidia's patent lawsuit again Qualcomm and Samsung claimed that HTC is working on the Nexus 9 tablet, which would be running on Nvidia's Tegra K1 processor.

A source apparently close to the Nexus 9 development also contacted the Wall Street Journal to confirm that HTC would be the manufacturer of the new Nexus device.

The court documents also suggested that the Nexus 9 would be launched sometime in the third quarter of 2014. HTC is gearing up for a media event on October 8 which just about misses the third quarter, though not by much.

However, even if HTC is the manufacturer of the Nexus 9, it is more likely to be announced at a Google event, as in previous years.

No other possible release dates have been put forward but perhaps we'll see it alongside the Nexus 6, which itself is rumored for an October or November debut. A PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ob3N0aW5na2l0YS5jb20NIiB0YXJnZXQ9Il9ibGFuayIgcmVsPSJub2ZvbGxvdyI+dGFibGV0IDwvYT4=codenamed the HTC 'Flounder' has made its way through Wi-Fi certification, and has been listed with different SKUs (unique model identifiers) that mean it will probably come in both Wi-Fi and 4G flavors as usual.

We're guessing on the price too, but it's likely to fall somewhere between the Nexus 7 (£199 / $336 / AU$360) and the Nexus 10 (£319 / $538 / AU$578), so maybe it will be around £275 / $464 / AU$498.

Nexus 9 display

Originally dubbed the Nexus 8, recent rumours suggest a screen size of up to 8.9 inches, along with a new moniker that's more suited to the size of the display; the Nexus 9.

Initial rumors pointed to an LG built device with an 8.3-inch 1920 x 1200 screen. However more recent ones point to an 8.9-inch slate, while LG is seemingly out of the picture, with HTC being the likely maker.

That 8.9-inch size has popped up more than once while the idea of an 8.3-inch slate seems to have disappeared into the ether, so 8.9 inches is looking likely. 8.9 inches might also make more sense, as 8.3 inches isn't drastically bigger than the Nexus 7. Now, 8.9 inches could encroach on the Nexus 10 but that's been MIA for a while.

The first resolution rumors for the 8.9-inch size pointed to 2048 x 1440, however @evleaks, who's shared a number of details on the device and is fairly reliable as tipsters go, claims that the slate is being tested with a 1680 x 1050 screen, but that it will ship with a 2560 x 1600 display, so we could be in for some seriously crisp visuals.

Week in Tech: iPhone 6, iOS 8 and Moto 360 all get the TechRadar verdict

What's big, has everybody talking and will cause a great deal of joy and sadness on Friday morning? No, not the Scottish independence referendum: we mean the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which go on sale Friday - but not to many of the people who ordered theirs from Phones 4u, which went into administration this week after everybody else's pre-orders had already sold out.

This week we discovered whether 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had the good smartphone market to itself have long gone. How does the iPhone 6 fare against Android's finest? Gareth Beavis knows, and he reckons it's "sensational, but not flawless."

The screen isn't full HD and, as we're sure you already know, it's awfully expensive - although not as expensive as the even bigger iPhone 6 Plus. The good Mr Beavis reckons you should make sure you really want one: it's designed for "a very particular client base." We think he means rich giants.

iOS: is 8 great?

New iPhones mean a new version of iOS, and the arrival of iOS 8 appears to have many iPhone 4S owners cursing Tim Cook as their smartphones slow to a crawl. On more recent devices, though, there's a lot to like - and Matt Swider can explain what, where and why. Not everything works yet (don't enable Cloud Drive until Yosemite ships if you want to keep syncing with your Mac) but there's lots of cool new stuff. We're particularly pleased about the third party keyboards.

Sony's premium push

Sony, it's safe to say, isn't doing very well at the moment. Its solution? Shift strategy and in mobiles, concentrate on the premium smartphone market. Sony's problem isn't so much the hardware - devices such as the new Xperia Z3 are great - as Sony's relationship with carriers, particularly those in the US and China.

Amazon's Kindle Kollection

You can tell Christmas is coming: Amazon's announced a whole bunch of new Kindles it hopes you'll buy for everybody you know. There's a new Kindle Fire for kids called the PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL2hvc3RpbmdraXRhLmNvbQ0iIHRhcmdldD0iX2JsYW5rIiByZWw9Im5vZm9sbG93Ij5LaW5kbGUgRmlyZSBIRCA8L2E+Kids Edition, updated Kindle Fire HDs and Kindle Fire HDXes, and a new higher resolution ebook reader called the Kindle Voyage.

Moto 360-uh-oh

Matt Swider has spent a week with Motorola's Moto 360 smartwatch, and that time has exposed a fatal flaw: its battery life is terrible, which means that after a long day it's not much more useful than a sundial. It does look quite nice, though.

A date with Destiny

This week Bungie's Destiny broke records: its launch is the most successful of any new gaming franchise, which is a corporate way of saying it's sold a bajillion copies. Unlike Bungie's Halo franchise it's available on PS4 too, and that encouraged us to revisit our PS4 review to see how it looks now there are lots of decent games and streaming PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL2hvc3RpbmdraXRhLmNvbQ0iIHRhcmdldD0iX2JsYW5rIiByZWw9Im5vZm9sbG93Ij5zZXJ2aWNlcyA8L2E+for Sony's console. It's still the most powerful console in the world, and now it's starting to deliver on its promises [].

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2.0's other plans are more ambitious: they're designing cities of the future, more efficient airports and better forms of security. Google's Calico still beats them on ambition, though: it's trying to cure death.

Galactic revelations

And finally, PGEgaHJlZj0iaHR0cDovL2hvc3RpbmdraXRhLmNvbQ0iIHRhcmdldD0iX2JsYW5rIiByZWw9Im5vZm9sbG93Ij5TYW1zdW5nIDwvYT4=has confirmed the release date for the Galaxy Note 4. The phablet will go on sale in the UK on October 10 and in the US on October 17, with pre-orders now open. You can see what we thought of the phone in our Galaxy Note 4 hands on review.

• Check out our best iPhone 6 deals

We played with the worst apps in the world, so you don't have to

There are now over 1,300,000 apps on the iOS App Store; the Google Play Store is home to around the same number of Android apps right now. What we're trying to say is - there are a lot of apps out there, and unsurprisingly, a lot of them are crap.

We're sure you've stumbled on some stinkers yourself, but we hope you've not come across any as bad of these. You see, at TechRadar we're making it our mission to scour the underbelly of both app stores to find the truly terrible, the truly disgusting, and the truly WTF, all in the name of technology.

Each week we'll be nominating an app that deserves the crown of "worst of the worst", with an aim to complete a list of the ten truly most terrible apps we've ever seen.

So let us begin our dangerous journey through the bowels of humanity's ideas. It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.

1. Pet Baby

iOS
Price: Free

Here's how I imagine the meeting at Trashicon HQ happened the day the idea for Pet Baby was born.

"Hey guys, people like sharing pictures of their pets. I think I've spotted what they call a 'market opportunity'."

"You sure have, Jerry. But our app budget is focused on babies right now. Babies are funny, remember?!"

"But wait, why don't we combine the two?"

*The room falls deadly silent. A single bead of sweat runs down Jerry's forehead. He's eyeing up his desk across the room, mentally packing up his belongings*

"Careful Jerry, that's the sort of thinking that'll get you a… PROMOTION."

*Everyone claps*

And thus, Pet Baby was born. An app that asks the question that's been on the collective lips of humanity since the dawn of man: "What would your pet look like… as a human baby?" Given that most babies look the same, the answer is probably 'just like every other baby ever', right?

WRONG. Your pet baby is a mutant child that will devour your soul.

You see, rather than making any effort whatsoever to morph your dog's face into some sort of funny canine-baby mashup, the app lazily hacks the two together with an opacity tool to create what can only be described as a pure evil.

But does the fun stop there? Oh no. No, once your rabid demon child has been conceived, you can expose your friends and family to the horror via Facebook and Twitter.

Just look at some of the beauties we came up with:

Then we tried it with some humans. That should work better, right? WRONG AGAIN.

And God forbid the app ever does produce anything looking mildly sentient, you can expect something like the following:

This app had zero reviews at the time of publishing.

Hands on: Dell Cast review

When it comes to enterprise mobility, the message coming out of Dell's recent Solutions Summit in Brussels was loud and clear: business users still aren't making the most of their tablets. Dell reckons this is partly down to the still widespread perception that tablets are companion devices to laptops and are meant for lightweight, rather than heavy-duty work.

The PC maker is hoping to change that with the launch of the Dell Cast, a media streaming device that is set to come to the UK following a stateside launch earlier this month. The hardware shares similarities with Google's Chromecast: both are small enough to easily slip into a pocket, connect using HDMI and and let you beam content being displayed on a mobile device to a larger display.

Small, but perfectly formed

There are, however, a few key differences that set them apart. Dell's product is aimed primarily at business users, costs more than twice as much ($80 versus the Chromecast's $34) and is currently more limited in terms of compatible devices.

Dell's Venue 8 Pro is supported

Where the Chromecast supports a wide range of Android and iOS smartphones and tablets, the Dell Cast only works with the company's own Venue 7 and Venue 8 Android tablets, with support for Windows (including the Dell Venue 8 Pro), in addition to its upcoming Venue tablets, arriving later in the year.

Setup and operation

The Dell Cast takes just minutes to set up. It slots into a spare HDMI port, along with a micro-USB cable that goes into the TV or PC monitor to supply power. There's also a full-sized USB port, which allows you to connect a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi receiver for pairing a keyboard and mouse - or a wired peripheral.

Well-connected

Our demo was given on a Venue 8 Android tablet, which had the Dell Cast companion app pre-installed (it's available as a free download from the Google Play Store). You're presented with two modes after launching it: Productivity and Mirror.

A tale of two modes

Productivity mode maximises the Android user interface to fill the entire display, but instead of mirroring the screen, you get a Windows-like desktop mode complete with a taskbar along the bottom edge that shows which Android apps you have open.

A larger display brings media to life

It's in this mode that you can interact with screen contents with a cursor using a keyboard and mouse, clicking at icons and menu options as you would on a desktop. Operation is fluid, with apps opening and minimising in a second, web pages opening quickly and 1080p YouTube videos play without any stutter.

Desktop mode is attractive and smooth

A nice touch is the way that you still get Android-like features - from the Notification bar that can be dragged down from the top of the display to the way the lock screen comes on when you've been idle for a certain amount of time.

The lock screen works the same

Mirror mode offers a more classic screen-mirroring experience, blowing up the tablet screen's contents onto the larger display. Apps are once again maximised, but they're controlled by physically interacting with the tablet in your hand rather than using the keyboard and mouse. Whereas Productivity mode is more geared toward the individual, Mirror mode would be more useful for giving presentations or collaborating with others by passing the device around.

Mirror mode directly replicates your screen's contents

Mirror mode is equally as smooth as Productivity mode and produced hardly any stutter as we opened and closed Gmail, YouTube and other apps.

Unfortunately during our brief demo we didn't get chance to put it through its paces with anything more demanding, and it will be interested to find how it copes during more intensive use cases - such as editing large spreadsheets or multimedia in the cloud.

Verdict

The Dell Cast is certainly a more headache-free way of getting your tablet's contents onto a big screen than snaking cables under carpets and buying adapters, and Productivity mode goes a long way to reproducing the classic Windows desktop experience on Android. As such, it's a boon for anybody looking to work within cloud-based apps using a keyboard and mouse but wants to avoid using Windows 8.1.

On the down side, the fact that you need a (supported) Dell device limits the appeal somewhat, although our Dell representative said that extending the Dell Cast's compatibility to other Android tablets in the future is a possibility. It's also assumed that you'll have a spare Wi-Fi (or Bluetooth) receiver lying around, in addition to a keyboard and mouse.

There's limited appeal for regular users, who could pick up a Chromecast, which comes with mirroring functionality (but lacks keyboard and mouse support), for more than thalf the cost.

New Yoga 3 Pro could be Lenovo's answer to Retina MacBook Air

One of the big absentees at this year's IFA in Germany was the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro, the Chinese company's third generation convertible laptop, one that set the standard for other to follow (or copy).

It looks though that it won't be long before the follow up of the Yoga 2 Pro hit the market. German website MobileGeeks has confirmed that some unnamed Scandinavian vendors have already listed the 2-in-1 convertible.

The Yoga 3 Pro will apparently come with an Intel Core M-5Y70 system-on-chip, the fastest of the three Broadwell-based processors that were announced at an Intel keynote at IFA.

• Check out our review of the Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro

That particular chip runs at 1.1GHz but can ramp its clock speed to up to 2.6GHz via Turbo Boost. It packs 4MB of cache, has two cores and four threads and comes with an Intel HD Graphics 5300 (which has a base frequency of 100MHz and can overclock to 850MHz).

Being one of the first chip on 14nm, it consumes only 4.5W, a fraction of what the Haswell-based Core i7-4510U consumed. The rest of the listing also revealed that the laptop will likely use the same 13.3-inch qHD+ display as its predecessor, one that sports a 3200 x 1800 pixel resolution.

At just under 1.4Kg, it remains one of the lightest Ultrabooks on the market with such a configuration; the new Yoga 3 Pro will face competition from Asus' new Zenbook as well as Dell's XPS 13 and Toshiba's Portege range.

• Best Ultrabooks: top 5 thin and light laptops reviewed

Asus Transformer Pad TF103 review

Ratings in depth

Asus' previous Transformer Pads have already established the concept – a good quality tablet that washes its own face, combined with an optional keyboard docking station that ups the price and desirability.

At £199 (US$279, about AU$353) for the tablet alone or £239 (US$299, AU$429) for the tablet-and-dock combination (reviewed here), the Asus Transformer Pad TF103 is now competing with the budget-to-mid-price tablets such as the Nexus 7, rather than the more expensive tablet-plus-keyboards like the Lenovo ThinkPad 10.

That's something of a departure from the days when Transformer Pads were Asus' high-end tablets.

A quick delve into the spec sheet, however, makes it clear that this isn't a collection of entry level innards accidentally bumped into a bigger league by the inclusion of a keyboard.

Remove the docking station and you still have a tablet with competitive points on its spec.

The Transformer Pad is now competing with mid-price tablets

From the box it has Android KitKat 4.4.2, although I swiftly ran all the updates in a successful effort to fix a minor annoyance in which the browser seemed unable to distinguish between online text-entry boxes and its own address bar.

The 10.1-inch IPS screen remains clearly visible from extreme angles, and the 1280 x 800 resolution, 16GB internal storage (expandable via MicroSD) and 1.86GHz Intel Atom processor are all reasonably competitive for a tablet in this price range.

The 1280 x 800 screen is wrapped in a durable package

Better still, all the hardware is wrapped up in an attractive and durable package. The keyboard dock just about pulls off the faux brushed metal effect, while the white bezel and casing of the tablet give the TF103 a look that's sharper and more expensive than it actually is.

The buttons are tightly fitted and won't wobble, and the casing is flex free, meaning that the entire tablet feels reassuringly solid and lasting.

This isn't the slimmest, lightest tablet around

At 1.1kg (2.4lb) the TF103 is a bit heftier than even its cheapest rivals such as the Tesco Hudl, but it's a far cry from arm straining.

I used the TF103 with the Kindle app as an e-reader and got no arm ache, even after prolonged spells. Nonetheless, you can't pretend this is a svelte little number as it's almost as thick as a first generation iPad.

The Asus TF103 charges quickly and starts up swiftly. The keyboard contains useful shortcut buttons that allow the whole thing to function as part tablet, part netbook, mixing touch controls, keyboard shortcuts and trackpad controls according to task and whim.

The keyboard adds versatility to the standard tablet experience

It's a particularly nice way of using a tablet and adds an extra layer of versatility. This is, for me, one of the Transformer Pad's strongest selling points.

Although some apps won't recognise changes in screen orientation when the keyboard is docked, which can be mildly disconcerting.