Apple’s Siri, the Google Assistant, Microsoft Cortana, and Amazon Alexa are all competing for our attention these days. Still, the world of voice assistants is getting a bit confusing, especially if you just want to order a USB cable for your laptop or get directions.
In the new 2018 Ford EcoSport – a subcompact crossover that has at least a hint of Subaru ruggedness (with a $19,995 price tag) – you can connect up and use three of those four voicebots.
While Cortana plays catch-up, and both Apple and Google have provided voice interaction in cars for a years, it’s Alexa that provides some of the most interesting features. Not all of them work perfectly, but there’s a hint of things to come.
One of the signs that we’re not quite at the point where phones and cars get along perfectly is related to the setup.
It’s not hard, but it’s also not totally intuitive. To use an iPhone, you first have to disable CarPlay on the EcoSport touchscreen (you might be tempted to look for a way to disable the feature on your phone, but that doesn’t work).
You’ll need to install a Ford app for Alexa on your phone. Then, under a new mobile apps section on the EcoSport, the Alexa app will suddenly appear. (The steps are similar if you are using an Android phone.)
Once you see the bot, you can click the icon on the touchscreen, press the Ford Sync button and say “Alexa” to start using Alexa, or utter “Alexa” to your phone.
This last step is the strangest of all – normally, you can’t say Alexa to an iPhone, but in the EcoSport, you can.
Using Alexa in the EcoSport was a bit frustrating at first. We had to reboot our phone as a refresh, but during an initial test the bot would sometimes not work and not answer questions.
In a second test, most questions about playing music, the weather, and navigation got a response.
It’s an odd experience to have full access to Alexa, because you can get lost in conversation.
After ordering some beef jerky at Amazon.com, streaming a Radiohead album, asking the bot to close a garage door using a Vivint security system, and then goofing around by asking a bunch of trivia questions, it became obvious that this is the future of car technology. You can envision a day when all we do is drive and talk. That’s a nirvana state for sure.
More integration to go
Another nice touch? If you ask Alexa about a business like Starbucks, the bot then shows a list of options on the touchscreen.
You can select one, and then see the navigation using the EcoSport touchscreen. It’s a bit different from how CarPlay and Android Auto work, because it uses Ford Sync and the EcoSport in-car nav system; Apple and Google use their own nav that runs on the touchscreen. (They look quite different and seem more like add-ons.)
You can play music from your [Amazon] Prime account just by queuing that up
Ford’s Elizabeth Halash
“We have two really cool integrations,” says Elizabeth Halash, the Ford Connected Vehicle and Services Supervisor.
“One is called the Alexa+Ford mobile app from the Google Play store or the Apple App Store, to enable the most common Alexa commands in the vehicle. You can play music from your Prime account just by queuing that up.
“We also have integration with our navigation to get directions, all hands-free. The other integration is on the Skills side of things, so for people who have an Echo device, you can call up different Skills. You can say, ‘Open FordPass’ to remote control the car or get information about the vehicle back to you.”
That kind of integration is a step in the right direction for sure. In future Ford cars and trucks, it might be nice to have a single dedicated Alexa button, and no configuration at all.
The fact that you even need your phone seems odd. If Ford can figure out how to make voice assistants work without a phone, and you can still make calls, get directions, and play music, then Alexa could help with just about everything else.
It would be even cooler if Alexa could tell you when you need an oil change, arrange for service at the dealership, and monitor teen drivers.
On The Roadis TechRadar’s regular look at the futuristic tech in today’s hottest cars. John Brandon, a journalist who’s been writing about cars for 12 years, puts a new car and its cutting-edge tech through the paces every week. One goal: To find out which new technologies will lead us to fully autonomous vehicles.
Finding the best 3D printer doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive thanks to our guide to the best 3D printers on the market today. In this list, we provide clear and concise information on a wide range of 3D printers, helping you to choose the best 3D printer for your needs.
Our very own price comparison tool also scours the internet to find the very best deals on 3D printers, so when you’ve found the 3D printer that’s right for you, you can buy confident in the knowledge that you’re paying the best price.
From compact 3D printers that can sit on your desk, to budget 3D printers and huge industrial-grade 3D printers that can create large 3D printouts, we’ve listed the very best 3D printers available in 2018. Read on to find the best one for your needs.
Print technology: Fused Deposition Modeling | Camera resolution: 640 x 480 | Minimum layer resolution: 100 microns | Maximum layer resolution: 400 microns | Dimensions: 528 x 441 x 410 mm | Weight: 22.8kg
Fast print speed
Simple to use
The MakerBot Replicator+ is the successor to the popular MakerBot Replicator 3D printer, and the new version has brought improvements to nearly every part of the Replicator. This means the Replicator+ is faster and quieter than the previous version, while maintaining its excellent design and safety features. This desktop 3D printer is expensive, but it offers excellent print quality, and uses 1.75mm polylactic acid (PLA) filament. It’s also user-friendly enough for home users and hobbyists to use – as long as your budget can stretch to the high asking price.
Print technology: Fused Filament Fabrication | Minimum layer resolution: 100 microns | Maximum layer resolution: 400 microns | Dimensions: 390 x 335 x 360 mm | Weight: 10kg
Easy to use
Flakey software
Design can make removing printed object difficult
If you’re looking for a budget 3D printer, then there really is no better option than the XYZprinting da Vinci Mini. It remains one of the most affordable ways to get into 3D printing, and also the easiest, thanks to an easy-to-use interface. Just because it’s a budget model, doesn’t mean it doesn’t produce good results, and the 3D printed objects it creates are very impressive considering the price – and size – of this 3D printer. Speaking of size, the XYZprinting da Vinci Mini is an impressively compact printer that makes it easy to store in an office or on a desk.
Print technology: Fused Deposition Modeling | Minimum layer resolution: 20 microns | Maximum layer resolution: 600 microns | Dimensions: 342 x 493 x 588 mm | Weight: 11.3kg
High resolution
Supports open-source hardware and software
Basic interface
Open frame design
The Ultimaker 2+ is a 3D printer that offers amazing print quality, making it one of the best 3D printers for professional use. It is incredibly reliable when it comes to producing 3D models, and the accuracy of the 3D replications is incredibly impressive. If you need a 3D printer that can reliably reproduce many 3D objects accurately, this is a fantastic choice. However, it is expensive, and the fact that it is aimed at professional environments means it’s less beginner-friendly than some of the other 3D printers here. Home users are better off looking elsewhere.
Print technology: Stereolithography | Minimum layer resolution: 25 microns | Maximum layer resolution: 100 microns | Dimensions: 350 x 330 x 520 mm | Weight: 13kg
Brilliant print quality
Great interface
Not the most reliable
Can take a while to learn how to use
The Formlabs Form 2 is an excellent 3D printer for enthusiasts who don’t mind paying extra to get the very best print quality. It’s a beautifully-designed 3D printer, and can be connected to PCs via USB, Wi-Fi and Ethernet. It doesn’t quite have the print reliability of the Ultimaker 2+, but the print quality more than makes up for a few errors.
Print technology: Fused Filament Fabrication | Minimum layer resolution: 50 microns | Maximum layer resolution: 350 microns | Dimensions: 185 x 185 x 185 mm | Weight: 1kg
Not the best print quality
The M3D Micro 3D Printer is an excellent 3D printer for beginners. Its low price means you’re not investing lots of money if you’re not entirely sure 3D printing is for you, while the compact, cube, design means it can be easily placed within the home or office. It looks good, and is impressively quiet when in use. The print quality isn’t the best, however, and it is only able to make small models (not too surprising, considering the diminutive size). However, if you’re looking for your first 3D printer, this is an excellent choice.
Print technology: Fused deposition modeling | Minimum layer resolution: 100 microns | Maximum layer resolution: 500 microns | Dimensions: 526 x 360 x 389 mm
Good price
Very good print quality
The FlashForge Creator Pro 2017 is the best 3D printer that sits between budget 3D printers and expensive professional models. It’s a lot cheaper than pro models, though it maintains the build quality and reliability that you’d come to expect from a professional 3D printer. It’s not quite as cheap as the budget and beginner models in this list, but it offers greater accuracy when printing 3D models. It is a tad noisy in use, however.
Print technology: Fused deposition modeling | Minimum layer resolution: 50 microns | Maximum layer resolution: 500 microns | Dimensions: 435 mm x 340 mm x 385 mm | Weight: 11.33kg
Very easy to use
Open source
If you’re looking for a first 3D printer to learn the ropes with, then the LulzBot Mini is another excellent choice. It’s got a decent price, and is easy to use, though the print speed is quite slow. The hardware is open source, which means it has a flexibility that propitiatory hardware lacks, as a committed community of makers can work together to create add-ons for the printer.
Best for three-colour, three-material printing at an incredible price
Print technology: Fused deposition modeling | Minimum layer resolution: 70 microns | Maximum layer resolution: 300 microns | Dimensions: 578 mm x 591 mm x 578 mm | Weight: 41kg
Good design
Easy to use
Not amazing print quality
Expensive to run
The bulk of home 3D printers are limited to one- or two-colour printing, but the CubePro Trio has the capability to print three different materials in one session. This can be especially useful if you want to create an enclosed mechanism: nylon can be used for the gears, ABS for the surround and PLA for the support structure that can then be dissolved with caustic soda. The CubePro is an ideal solution for modellers and engineers who need to create 3D prints with moving parts.
Print technology: Fused filament fabrication | Minimum layer resolution: 50 microns | Maximum layer resolution: 300 microns | Dimensions: 400 x 140 x 400 mm | Weight: 10.5kg
Lovely design
Easy to use
Low build volume
In general terms 3D printers are designed as boxes with purpose, however BeeTheFirst has created a printer with both quality of print and actual design in mind – this is a machine that really wouldn’t look out of place in a modern living room. BeeTheFirst has also thought about how and where people will be wanting to use their printers – at work, home or both – and has incorporated a thin design with a handle that enables the printer to be easily transported.
Print technology: Fused Deposition Modeling | Minimum layer resolution: 75 microns | Maximum layer resolution: 300 microns | Dimensions: 660 x 520 x 350 mm | Weight: 19.5kg
Fast printing
Wide support for materials
Not the most reliable
Initially you might be hard pressed to see the differences between the Taz 5 and 6; both feature a solid open frame build, large print base and ease of use.
However take a closer look at the refinements in design and improvements in usability and the upgrades quickly stand out. Features such as the auto leveling base has evolved from the one featured on the Luzbot Mini and works just as well on this larger scale, and the slight changes to frame layout and control panel are all welcome.
The Taz 6 is a big machine with an impressive print area of 280mm x 280mm x 250mm, with a 0.5mm nozzle capable of a minimum layer height of 75 microns and takes 2.85mm filament.
When you get a new PC the first thing you should do is install some decent antivirus software. The good news is that top quality protection can be completely free, but with so much choice, picking the right one can be difficult. So we’ve updated our guide to getting the best software in exchange for your data and personal information.
Windows has come a long way in terms of security, but it’s still fair to suggest that Windows 10’s built-in antivirus solution, Windows Defender, is the last free AV app you should trust to keep your system clean.
Not that it’s overtly bad – although it does tail behind just about every third-party antivirus solution – but because its widespread adoption has a big target painted on it for attackers.
Windows users who haven’t installed something hardier are the perfect hosts for viruses; attack the weak links, attack through the chinks in the one piece of software armour these weak links have by default, and you’re in.
That’s why we’ve dropped Defender from our list of free antivirus apps in this latest update of our free AV roundup. You need more than it can offer. If you’re not running advanced virus detection, zero-day virus protection, anti-malware, anti-ransomware and other security essentials, you’re not doing it right and leave yourself open to infections and identity theft.
Once again we’ve consulted the experts at the AV-TEST virus lab to find the most effective virus protection, and we’ve listened to your comments regarding usability, too. Free AV does come with a cost though. It serves as an advert for many vendors’ more premium offers and the data collected helps them to boost security for all of their products.
So we understand that for many of you the constant hassle presented by free AV popups can be a bit much to take – so if you’re willing to sacrifice a minuscule amount of antivirus protection in favour of a cleaner experience, we’re with you.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free edition has received a major overhaul and taken the top spot in our free antivirus roundup. It’s the best free security software you can download today
Essentially consisting of the AV section of the full product, Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition’s clean, light, well constructed scanning mechanisms – which are almost universally faster than the industry average – and unrivalled virus definitions mean it’s pushing back towards the top of the tree. AV-TEST’s December testing round did pick out a few flaws in its handling of zero-day threats, however.
The free version’s insistence on running in autopilot mode is a double-edged sword, making the process of virus management easy but taking it out of the user’s hands; while we’re inclined to trust it, there have been cases in the past of automatic systems going slightly rogue, such as the incident a few years back when Panda Antivirus identified itself as a virus and locked up a large number of Windows systems.
While Bitdefender isn’t exactly popup-free, it’s clean, clever, and efficient enough to take our top spot this time.
Avast and AVG haven’t yet fully merged, despite the former formally acquiring the latter in mid-2016. The newly combined company says the two free antivirus products will remain separate, although there’s apparently a joint AV package on the way soon. Obviously, though, Avast now has a lot more data to work with, having expanded its effective userbase (and, therefore, its threat detection network) to a whopping 400 million users.
The latest edition of Avast Free Antivirus adds an automatic gaming mode to mute popups and reduce system load when you’re firing up a processor-hungry game, which is very handy indeed, and the interface has been given a clean new overhaul. There’s a password manager, too, which is an undeniably good addition to your security portfolio.
It scores well on AV-TEST’s widespread malware benchmark and continues a clean sweep against 0-day attacks – presumably that expanded detection network is really helping. Less impressive is the slight negative effect Avast has on software launch times, and its slightly popup-heavy attitude.
Operating system: Windows, Mac | Version: 17 | Features: Virus detection, Phishing protection, Parental controls, Protects up to 10 PCs
Simple and non-intrusive
Good cloud-based control of protected devices
No scan scheduling
Limited controls for advanced users
Marketing itself as “business-grade security”, Sophos Home does a little more than most free antivirus software, and actually seems better suited to families.
You get standard antivirus and anti-malware protection, along with browser tools like anti-phishing and, most importantly, content control. Combined with central management of up to 10 PCs, this means you can effectively lock down your kids’ browsing options.
Although AV-TEST hasn’t formally assessed Sophos’ skills, fellow lab AV-Comparatives offers a decent rating of its antivirus abilities.
Although Sophos Home has always had desktop notifications, there was no premium version of the software for it to encourage an upgrade to. That changed in February with the launch of Sophos Home Premium.
The paid-for version of Kaspersky’s Windows security software frequently tops charts of best antivirus solutions and AV-TEST once again gave it full marks across the board in its latest round of testing.
As you would expect, Kaspersky Free is a scaled down version of the full program, ditching additional features such as privacy protection and safe payment sandboxes to concentrate on powerful, no-frills and – most importantly – free protection for your PC. The result is a tremendously easy to use and navigate bit of software that does an effective job of keeping you protected from viruses.
Using the nuts and bolts real-world scanning engine of the paid-for suite, Kaspersky Free is fiendishly hard for viruses and trojan horses to break down. And we love that it doesn’t constantly pester you with nudges to upgrade to the full version.
Avira Free Antivirus for Windows continues to score highly on AV-TEST’s stringent testing program, quashing 99.7% of tested threats, and it generally doesn’t put too big a burden on your hardware.
It has a clean, friendly interface – with a swish redesign ready for 2018 – and throws up minimal false positives. The introduction of a free security suite to optionally run alongside it – with ransomware and phishing protection, a 500MB/month VPN and various speedup promises – just sweetens the deal. This is one of the best free antivirus packages of 2017.
So why, then, have we dropped it from the top spot on our list, a position it’s held for the past two years? It’s the constant badgering. There’s a certain level of popups and advertisements that’s acceptable for a free product, and Avira has begun to cross the line. It’s not as onerous as some – Comodo’s over-enthusiastic interface comes to mind – but booting up your PC to see Avira shouting at you once again is jarring.
There’s a growing trend amongst some online pundits to label antivirus apps like AVG – and, indeed, AVG specifically – as ‘crapware’. We don’t subscribe to that definition; if that term is supposed to mean that these apps are ineffective or pointless, it’s simply not true.
AVG offers (reasonably) effective virus protection for free, and it does so with minimal system impact. If, on the other hand, the derogatory term refers to products which go a little heavy on the advertising and features that don’t matter – AVG AntiVirus Free‘s ‘tune up’ portion, for instance – perhaps the shoe fits here.
Popups or not, it’s the antivirus we’re most interested in. Looking at AV-TEST’s figures, and considering AVG shares the same expanded userbase as Avast, we were a little surprised that its strength doesn’t quite match up to its new parent, and anti-phishing tools could use some improvement, too. It also doesn’t have some of the same benefits, either, such as extensions.
Speculatively, this could mean AVG’s engine is not getting the same love it once did, or that Avast’s is slightly stronger. Regardless, keep your eyes open for the combined Avast-AVG antivirus that’s on the cards for later this year, because the two products running in tandem might be hard to beat.
But until then, you needn’t fear too much about AVG’s credentials. It’s just been given a perfect score of 12 out of 12 by AV-TEST.
Feature-rich PC security, but not as lightweight as it promises
Operating system: Windows | Version: 18 | Features: Cloud-based scanning, Gaming mode, USB immunization, Bootable rescue kit
Good virus and malware detection rates
USB stick vaccination tool
Still has a noticeable impact on system resources
The eternal battle against popups doesn’t exactly start well, with Panda’s site throwing a huge banner up shouting about a discount on the full version before you’re even allowed to download the free one.
Put that aside, however, to look at the software itself: Panda’s entirely cloud-based antivirus solution goes about as lightly on system resources as is possible, at least when it’s quietly running in the background. But you’ll probably find, as AV-TEST’s lab did, that Panda Free Antivirus has a bigger impact on many common system tasks – installation, copying files, downloading apps – than most of the opposing AV apps. We also experienced heavy CPU peaks both at random times and when Panda was updating itself.
That said, Panda’s overall look – which offers calming vistas where other go for plain white or grey – is refreshing, it’s incredibly well laid out, and it comes bundled with a bunch of extra features that don’t just seem like fluff. It dials itself down even further with a game mode when you need extra CPU speed, offers to immunise USB sticks (handy if you’re worried about preinstalled spyware), has a bootable rescue kit in case a malicious program cripples your Windows install, and includes a threat-weighted process monitor.
It might be an effective antivirus suite, but 360 Total Security gathers a considerable amount of data about your activity and reports it back to developer Qihoo
Antivirus overloaded with features, with a potential sting in the tail
Operating system: Windows | Version: 2018 | Features: Multiple virus scanners, Malware scanner, Phishing protection, Mobile app
Stuffed with features
Bitdefender and Avira engines included
Most tools are underpowered
Plenty of ads
The specter of developer Qihoo’s VW-esque cheating of AV tests seems to be lifting a little these days, and it’s hard not to recommend it when you consider exactly what it’s offering up for free: AV protection from several concurrent engines (Bitdefender, Avira, and Qihoo’s own engines) along with reasonable extras like anti-phishing and a mobile app to help manage multiple systems.
360 Total Security Free Security doesn’t bombard you with popups, which many users will love, but we do have serious concerns about its privacy policy, particularly considering that signing up to Qihoo’s data-collecting User Experience Improvement program is set as default. The company has no qualms about collecting sensitive information about you, and what it does with it at the other end is anyone’s guess.
We’re also not hugely impressed by its interface. You’ll need to do some fiddling to get several antivirus engines running at once, and doing so with the rather messy UI is not easy.
The most recent significant update released in January claims to have improved the UI, along with the speed and intelligence of the software.
But lot of the bundled tools seem extraneous, and we hit a couple of false positives in testing too. So if you want quiet, strong protection this is a fine option – but you’ll need to do some work, and you may have to pay a high price.
Licensed antivirus and noisy alerts, tacked on to a solid firewall
Operating system: Windows | Version: 2017 | Features: Malware scanner, Personal firewall, Identity protection, Online file backups
Performs very well in security tests
Firewall and identity protection thrown in
Sneaky attempt to install Yahoo software
Incredibly slow installation proces
ZoneAlarm’s reputation in the firewall world precedes it, and while that particular aspect of this all-in-one package isn’t what we’re really concerned with here, it’s a solid extra if you don’t trust your router or Windows’ built-in firewall.
The antivirus engine on offer here is actually licensed from Kaspersky, so although we were unable to find any results from independent testing labs – hence its position this low on our list – it’s safe to have at least a small amount of confidence in its abilities. It’s well laid out, easy to use, and is your only real option if you want to use the ZoneAlarm firewall alongside any anti-malware app other than Windows Defender.
That said, ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall isn’t a quiet program, alerting you of every little thing that’s been blocked or deflected – some people like that, others will quickly become infuriated.
A new name for what was once Ad-Aware Free Antivirus+, to celebrate its company’s rebranding from LavaSoft to Adaware.
As another antivirus package with a licensed engine – this time from Bitdefender – and the benefit of Adaware’s history in anti-spyware, you’d expect its results to be good. But things aren’t so rosy.
This new Adaware Antivirus Free 12 drops the Web Companion from version 11, which blocked malicious and fraudulent URLs; it now acts only on iffy downloads. There are a host of other promised features, but they’re not actually there – placed, tantalisingly, on an interface which very much shouts ‘adware’ more than it does ‘adaware’. Better to go for one of the other downloads on this list rather than be dazzled by its slick, shiny interface.
