Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 review: HD video and stereo sound add polish to video calls

The Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 really impresses with stellar video and audio.

As convenient as the built-in webcam on your PC might be, washed-out video and tinny audio probably won’t instill confidence in your professionalism when Skyping with a client or broadcasting to legions of loyal followers. Logitech’s HD Pro Webcam C920 can provide a little more polish with its 1080p resolution and stereo sound.

This $100 webcam (available for $68 on Amazon) measures just over 3.5 inches at its widest. Its camera features a full HD glass lens and is flanked by two microphones to capture stereo sound. This head unit comes attached to a rubber-lined clip that fits snugly over laptop screens and external displays. If you want an angle other than the typical top-of-the-monitor shot, you can screw the C920 to a tripod using the built-in mount.

The C920 provides full HD 1080p video calling over Skype, and 720p for FaceTime, Google Hangouts, and other video call services. It also features Carl Zeiss optics and 20-step auto-focus for consistently high resolution.

One of the C920’s neatest tricks is its ability to record 1080p video clips using H.264 compression technology built right into the camera. By having the camera do the heavy lifting rather than your CPU, it guarantees sharp, smooth video—even on older computers.

The C920 requires minimal setup in Windows 8.1 or 10. Just plug in the attached USB cable, and the required Logitech camera app is downloaded automatically. (For use with Windows 7 or Vista, you'll need to manually download and install Logitech Webcam Software.) The app lets you zoom and pan the camera, capture video and photos (up to 15 MP), toggle between multiple webcams, and adjust your camera’s settings.

When using the C920, the “pro” in “pro webcam” becomes immediately apparent. Video quality is shockingly crisp, with clear details and vibrant colors. By comparison, the images from my Dell laptop’s webcam looked dull and grainy. Even the video recorded from the C920 was more impressive than my laptop cam’s live image. Audio was also clear and full and with minimal ambient noise.

I found the camera’s 78-degree field of view to be more than enough to accommodate up to two people in the frame, making it a great choice for small-group powwows. You’ll likely use the pan feature only to set up your initial framing. Similarly, the camera’s security mode—you can activate motion-detection so that it records video when it senses movement—might be a novel way to keep an eye on your desk when you’re away, but it’s no substitute for a true security camera and you probably won’t use the feature for much else.

For a consumer-grade webcam, the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920 really impressed with stellar video and audio. It’s almost certainly an upgrade over your computer’s built-in camera, and I highly recommend it for situations where video-call quality counts.

Moto G4 Play review: It's tagline should read 'Good Enough'

Any $150 smartphone is sure to have flaws, and the G4 Play is no exception, but it’s well worth the asking price.

The thought of a modern smartphone, capable of putting the world’s knowledge in the palm of your hand, priced at only $150 is kind of ridiculous, isn’t it?

Motorola’s latest entry-level model is the Moto G4 Play, a $150 device that’s a cheaper, less-well-equipped device when compared to the other two devices in the “G” line: the G4 and G4 Plus.

Just how much phone do you get in a phone that costs $10 less than Apple’s wireless AirPods? Let’s take a look.

 The Moto G4 Play ships with Android 6.0.1, is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 processor with 2 GB of memory. Its 2,800 milliamp-hour battery is removable, while its standard 16 GB of storage is expandable up to 128 GB through microSD support.

Translation: The G4 Play isn’t a speed demon, but thanks its 5-inch 720p display and low-end processor, its battery life is stellar.

Battery life in real world use was enough to get me through a 14 hour day, full of email, Facebook, random camera use, and Slack conversations.

During normal tasks where you’re not asking a lot of the processor, such as using Gmail, the phone shows almost no signs of slow performance. However, while racing around the track in Asphalt 8 is possible, you'll suffer some stutter and choppiness to the gameplay.

As is the case with the rest of Motorola’s smartphone lineup (not tied to the Droid branding), the overall Android experience is designed to look and feel more or less stock, with a few custom tweaks here and there. For example, you can launch the camera at any time by pressing the power button twice in quick succession.

Excessive apps and carrier bloatware are nonexistent on the G4 Play, unless you opt for the Amazon version (more on that below).

The camera is just okay

Almost every photo I capture with the G4 Play’s 8 megapixel camera has a grainy look to it. The photo above, for example, looks fine when viewing it on the phone, but view it on a computer and the graininess shows up.

Abnormalities are most apparent around my son’s face, just below his chin. Color reproduction in this particular shot is decent, but the sky is completely blown out, with some of that carrying over to the roof of the school just below it.

On occasion, however, I would get a clean shot with balanced exposure and color replication. Even when viewing the photo of my dog on my computer’s display, I was impressed with the shot.

In other words, the G4 Play’s camera isn’t going to wow you. Often times, you'll will wish you had a better camera, but it does a good enough job for sharing on Instagram or Snapchat where the quality of a photo doesn’t matter as much as the subject matter.

Same phone, $50 cheaper through Amazon

The G4 Play is one of three devices currently available through Amazon’s Prime Exclusive Phone program. In exchange for a discount on the phone, Amazon preloads its suite of apps and displays ads on the lock screen of the phone. The standard Moto G4 is also part of Amazon’s program.

The G4 Play I used for my review wasn’t from Amazon, but I have used the $50 Blu R1 Amazon Prime Phone. It had a handful of Amazon apps preinstalled, including Prime Video, IMDB, Amazon Photos, the Kindle app, and the Amazon Shopping app (naturally!), and a few additional apps.

Amazon’s ads on participating phones aren’t intrusive, displaying on the lock screen just below pending notifications, or occasionally taking over the lock screen with a full-screen ad when you don’t have any waiting alerts. Although, the ads don’t appear to be as targeted as the ads I’ve seen on my Kindle Paperwhite.

If I was in the market for the G4 Play, I would have zero hesitation in going with the Amazon Prime model and saving $50.

A definite buy for those on a budget

Perhaps a better way to explain the Moto G4 Play is to call it an overachieving mediocre phone. I know, it makes no sense, but when you look at its benchmarks, the scores are really low. Yet, daily use doesn’t suffer in the same manner the HTC Desire 530 did, which scored just below the G4 Play.

I didn’t recommend the Desire 530, however I have no problem recommending the Moto G4 Play to those who are looking for an unlocked phone on tight budget.

The Moto G4 Play will get the job done, so long as its duties are limited to light computing and the occasional gaming session.

Galaxy Note7 battery woes continue as company investigates phones that are running too hot

Samsung says the replacement phones, part of 1 million shipped now in use, are safe and not prone to catching fire

Samsung just can’t catch a break. The company would rather be touting the one million replacement smartphones it has shipped to customers, which by all accounts is a rather swift response to the exploding phone crisis.

Instead, Samsung is dealing with new reports that replacement Note7 units are running too hot to place next to one’s ear. Samsung told The Wall Street Journal there is no safety concern with these Note7 models, though it may a major irritant for those who had to turn in their phone and wait for a replacement only to find that it has another annoying problem.

While this may turn out to be just chatter, it’s a distraction for Samsung. The company would rather be celebrating the fact it’s shipped out one million new units of the Note7 worldwide. It’s a rather remarkable recall effort, but it’ll take time to win back customers who may have (literally) been burned.

Why this matters: You can’t get much worse PR than airline announcements that the Note7 must be powered off during flight. But that’s been part of what Samsung has had to ensure amidst all the other negative publicity. The company may have rushed too quicklyto build a more sophisticated phone than the iPhone 7, a decision it will need to unpack in order to avoid future catastrophes. 

iPhone 7 Plus goes head to head with 6S Plus and 6 Plus in battery test

Apple claims that the larger battery in the iPhone 7 Plus, coupled with its power efficient A10 Fusion processor, gives its new phone an extra hour of life over its predecessor, the iPhone 6S Plus.

We decided to put that claim to the test, and chucked in Apple's first ever phablet – the iPhone 6 Plus – to the mix as well so you can see how the three generations of 5.5-inch iPhones compare.

In our simple test we cranked screen brightness up to maximum levels and connected all three to the same Wi-Fi network. We then ran a website script on the handsets for two hours, followed by a Real Racing 3 gaming session until they died.

Which phone came out on top? Well, let's just say the iPhone 7 Plus has a bigger battery for a reason...

Watch our full battery test video below

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iPhone 7 Plus review

Apple's recent strategy of bringing out an iPhablet that includes all the best bits of the smaller new iPhone has been a strong one – but this year, the iPhone 7 Plus is a phone that's markedly better than the smaller model.

That's mostly achieved through two things: improved battery life and an innovative camera. The former is always going to be better, given the larger size, but by adding a dual-camera setup to the mix Apple has made a conscious effort to make the 7 Plus seem like a distinctly different choice.

There are also new color configurations, more space to throw in your media and apps, and changes to the internals – we lose the headphone jack, but gain a new kind of vibrating motor.

Here's our iPhone 7 Plus video review:

All this added fun comes at a cost though: the 7 Plus is the most expensiveiPhone ever. So is it a price worth paying, or are you going to feel out of pocket?

As we said in our iPhone 7 review, there are many, many similarities between 2016's iPhones and the 6S duo from last year – and while the iPhone 7 Plus may be the better of the two new iPhones, it hasn't exactly moved on in leaps and bounds from the iPhone 6S Plus.

iPhone 7 Plus price and release date

• Out now (but limited stock)
• Launched on September 16 2016
• Starts at $769 (£719, AU$1,229) for 32GB model

The iPhone 7 Plus went on sale on September 16… sort of. That was the official release date given by Apple during its iPhone launch event, but as release day dawned it transpired that the 7 Plus had been so popular during the pre-order period there wasn't any stock left at Apple Stores.

At the time of writing, the Apple website says the typical wait for iPhone 7 Plus delivery is 2-3 weeks, so while you will be able to get hold of Apple's new phablet before Christmas, you still can't pop down to your local Apple boutique and walk out with one in your hand.

If you're not in a rush then availability will improve over the next few months – and you may need that time to save up, given the hefty price tag.

The iPhone 7 Plus price starts at $769 (£719, AU$1,229) for the entry-level 32GB model. Apple has finally (and thankfully) done away with the 16GB storage option, so you're getting double the storage over the entry-level iPhone 6 Plusand 6S Plus – but you'll be paying an extra $20 (£100, AU$40) more for the privilege.

That's not all that much extra – although for those in the UK that price hike has been amplified by the vote to leave the EU and the subsequent fall in the value of the pound, hitting iPhone-loving Brits squarely in the pocket.

Apple has also ditched the 64GB model in favor of a new 256GB option at the top of the range, with 128GB dropping down to become the middle storage option.

The 128GB iPhone 7 Plus price is $869 (£819, AU$1,419), while power users will need to shell out a whopping $969 (£919, AU$1,569) if they want to get their hands on the 256GB version.

Duplicate design

• Water resistance is genuinely useful
• Lack of a headphone jack is initially frustrating
• More of the same design, with the same look as predecessors

It's easy to tell the iPhone 7 Plus apart from its predecessors, as it's the only iPhone to sport two cameras on its rear.

Aside from the bulkier camera block, lack of a headphone port (more on that in a minute) and a couple of new colors though, Apple's stuck with exactly the same design that's served it well for its previous two iPhone iterations.

If you've owned, or are familiar with, the iPhone 6 Plus or 6S Plus then you'll know exactly what the iPhone 7 Plus looks like.

The rounded corners, aluminum frame and minimalist styling means the iPhone 7 Plus retains its premium status, and with the introduction of new black and 'jet black' colors, fans have two new ways to show their dark side.

If you're curious about the shiny jet black finish, check out our iPhone 7 review, but if you're interested in the standard black color then stay right here.

We're fans of this matte black finish, as it gives the iPhone 7 Plus an understated yet elegant look – basically the polar opposite to the gaudy rose gold that's also an option here.

Moving on to the lack of a headphone jack, it's a decision Apple has described as "courageous", but while it's a positive step forward for the mobile industry, the short-term effects are the ones that are making the most noise for now.

• Here's what comes in the box when you buy the iPhone 7 Plus

Apple does include an adapter in the iPhone 7 Plus box, allowing you to plug in your standard 3.5mm headphone connection – but it's not a particularly appealing compromise. It also includes a set of lightning-connected EarPods, so you can avoid the adapter if you don't mind Apple's creations – but immediately there's a problem.

If you're someone who tends to find themselves charging their iPhone while also listening to music via a pair of wired headphones, that's a no-go with the iPhone 7 Plus. It's one or the other – unless you use an adaptor that's rather unattractive, and which you'll have to purchase separately.

The easy way around this is to invest in a set of wireless headphones – Apple's own AirPods will be available later this year for $159 (£159, AU$229) – but any Bluetooth set will work with the handset if you want to spend less.

It's far from a crisis at Apple, but the inconvenience is real – and it's one we experienced during our review – although it's one that can be easily overcome if you're willing to compromise a little.

A new feature that's much less controversial is the IP67 rating for the iPhone 7 Plus, meaning it's both dust-proof and water-resistant.

• What you can't do with your water-resistant iPhone 7

It'll be able to survive an accidental slip into the bath, or a quick email bashed out in the shower, with the official test showing it's good for a half-hour dip at a depth of up to one meter in freshwater.

It's worth noting that it's not fully waterproof though, and frequent exposure to water may well spell trouble – but the iPhone is now more capable than ever of surviving life's little accidents.

Measuring 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3mm, the 7 Plus is exactly the same size as the 6S Plus it's replacing, although it has dropped slightly in weight, from 192g to 188g. For users looking to upgrade from the now two-year-old 6 Plus, the 7 Plus is slightly thicker, and still a little heavier than your current device.

You're unlikely to notice the difference in the hand though, as it'll still stretch your one-handed dexterity to the max, especially when it comes to hitting the back button in the top-left corner.

Apple's 'reachability' feature, while sees the top of the screen jump down to halfway with a double-tap of the home key, is still in play here, which helps alleviate the sheer height of the handset dictated by the Cupertino firm's now-iconic chunky bezels.

Bringing all this together, Apple has another well-styled iPhone on its hands, and while it hasn't broken any new ground in terms of looks, this is the most robust and refined handset we've seen from the firm to date.

The Pixel XL could be more finger-friendly than the iPhone 7 Plus

With talk of a 5.5-inch screen the Pixel XL is expected to be a big phone, but exactly how big was unknown until now, and it seems the handset might actually be smaller than some other 5.5-inch phones, including the iPhone 7 Plus.

According to reliable leaker @OnLeaks, the Pixel XL has dimensions of 154.72 x 75.74 x 7.3-8.5mm, with the thin bit at the bottom and the thickest bit at the top.

The iPhone 7 Plus for comparison is 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3mm, so other than being a little thicker at the top the Pixel XL should be a more compact device, which also suggests it will have smaller bezels than Apple's phablet flagship – though notably the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge is smaller still, if not quite as thin.

This information was accompanied by new renders of the phone. They're not official, instead being based on a leaked factory designs, but they line up with what we've seen before, complete with a differently colored section at the top, rumored to be made of glass, while the bottom is thought to be metal.

Although not obvious in the images, the glass section, where the fingerprint scanner and camera are found, is presumably where the phone starts getting thicker.

One size doesn't fit all

While no dimensions have been leaked for the smaller Pixel handset it's expected to have a similar design, so expect that to be thicker at the top than bottom as well, though given the rumored 5-inch screen size it should be a lot more compact overall.

We'll know for sure soon, as Google is holding an event on October 4 where we're expecting to see both phones.

Send Passwords Securely Through Your Body Instead of Wi-Fi

Rather than rely on easy-to-hack Wi-Fi or Bluetooth signals, researchers have developed a system that uses the human body to securely transmit passwords.

Computer scientists and electrical engineers have devised a way to relay the signal from a fingerprint scanner or touchpad through the body to a receiving device that is also in contact with the user. These "on-body" transmissions offer a secure option for authentication that does not require a password, the researchers said.

"Let’s say I want to open a door using an electronic smart lock," said study co-lead author Merhdad Hessar, an electrical engineering doctoral student at the University of Washington. "I can touch the doorknob and touch the fingerprint sensor on my phone and transmit my secret credentials through my body to open the door, without leaking that personal information over the air.

The system uses signals that are already generated by fingerprint sensors on smartphones and laptop touchpads, which have thus far been used to receive input about the physical characteristics of a user's finger.

"What is cool is that we’ve shown for the first time that fingerprint sensors can be re-purposed to send out information that is confined to the body," study senior author Shyam Gollakota, an assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington, said in a statement.

The researchers devised a way to use the signals that are generated by fingerprint sensors and touchpads as output, corresponding to data like apassword or access code. Rather than transmitting sensitive data "over the air" to a receiving device, the system allows that information to travel securely through the body to a receiver that's embedded in a device that needs authentication.

In tests so far, the system worked with iPhones, Lenovo laptop trackpads and the Adafruit touchpad (a trackpad that can be used with computers). The tests were successful with 10 people who had different heights, weights and body types, and worked when the subjects were in different postures or in motion. The on-body transmissions reached bit rates of 50 bps for the touchpads and 25 bps for the phone sensors — fast enough for a simple password or numerical code. Bit rates measure the amount of data that can be transmitted per second, with higher rates representing more data (for instance, a small file rather than a simple password).

On-body transmissions could also be applied to medical devices, such as glucose monitors or insulin pumps, which require secure data sharing to confirm the patient's identity, according to the researchers.

Once they have more access to the software used by fingerprint sensor manufacturers, the researchers aim to continue researching how to provide greater and faster transmission options.

The technology is described in a study that was published online Sept. 12 in the Proceedings of the 2016 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing.