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We at TechRadar Pro often cover the latest Windows 10 updates and issues, but also sometimes fall victim to bugs in the operating system ourselves.

Last week, we experienced a strange Windows 10 problem that prevented our Start menu from opening, which is of course a major inconvenience.

Every time we clicked on the menu or pressed the Windows key, we were served the following message: “Critical Error: Your Start menu isn’t working. We’ll try to fix it next time you sign in.”

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Unfortunately, fixing the issue wasn’t as simple as signing out and back in again; and the scarcity of information online made restoring full functionality to our device surprisingly painful.

Windows 10 error: ‘Your Start menu isn’t working’

The famous Windows Start menu provides easy access to all manner of important functions and features – from applications to files, settings, power options and more.

So, while the OS is still technically usable with the Start menu out of action, the experience becomes disjointed and much less smooth.

Although some articles on the Windows 10 Start menu error date all the way back to 2015, there is a surprising lack of information online about what might cause the issue and how it should be fixed. The advice that is available (mostly from third parties) is highly varied and, in our experience, mostly ineffective.

We tried signing in and out, rebooting in Safe Mode, restarting Windows Explorer, checking for Windows 10 and driver updates, uninstalling DropBox and our antivirus service – all of which appear in advice materials online. In the end, though, we had to resort to a full factory reset.

To make matters worse, we had committed the cardinal sin of not keeping an up-to-date backup; our most recent was more than nine months old.

Mercifully, this particular Windows 10 error did not prevent us from navigating Windows Explorer and copying our most recent files over to an external hard drive. But if this was not the case, we would have been in trouble.

The issue served as a timely reminder to always keep regular backups – and we won’t be making the same mistake again. As a reminder, the best way to protect your valuable data is by following the 3-2-1 backup rule: store three copies of data, on two types of media, with one copy stored offsite.

Microsoft is yet to respond to our request for clarification over what might cause the Windows 10 Start menu issue and whether a reliable solution is available that does not involve a full factory reset.

Aimed at creators—photographers, videographers, graphic designers, musicians, and the like—the HP Envy 15 delivers with a gorgeous and expansively large display, modern and powerful components, and minimalist design. I’ve used the Envy 15 extensively over the past two months and I love it for the most part. But there are a few niggling issues that mar a near-perfect computing experience.

Design

As its name suggests, the HP Envy 15 is a large, 15.6-inch laptop, and I’m a big fan of its uncluttered minimalist design, which is both premium and professional looking. I especially appreciate that HP floats its excellent island-style keyboard in the middle of the keyboard deck, with large speaker cutouts on each side, rather than saddling it with an overly busy and non-centered keyboard with a number pad.

Yes, I know some prefer a number pad on 15-inch or larger laptops, but the Envy’s layout is better for typing and for the types of tasks performed by creators. Besides, the Envy lineup isn’t a business-class device, despite the obvious appeal. If you want a number pad, you’ll need to look elsewhere in HP’s lineup.

I also like that HP integrated its excellent fingerprint reader into the keyboard rather than placing it on the wrist rest. But the clean look is somewhat undercut by the fact that the wrist rest is visually raised above the keyboard, no doubt to keep the keys from touching the display. It’s a minor but somewhat jarring interruption of the otherwise clean design. It’s even noticeable when the display is closed.

Display

The HP Envy 15 can be had with a variety of display choices, but the review unit is a stunning, expansive, and very glossy 4K/UHD VESA-certified DisplayHDR AMOLED panel with a 100,000:1 contrast ratio that pumps out 400 nits of brightness. I like it a lot, but I would imagine many creators would prefer at least a matte display option.

Unfortunately, no one would describe the HP’s bezels as small, and its lackluster 82.6 percent screen-to-body ratio bears that out. The lower bezel, in particular, is humongous, at over an inch tall. This device is crying out for a taller and bigger 16:10 display panel that could better fill its containing slab.

Internal components

Thanks to its powerful Intel 10th-generation H-series Intel Core CPUs and powerful dedicated NVIDIA graphics capabilities, the HP Envy 15 is a beast that will meet the needs of any creator. Indeed, it basically qualifies as a low-end if not mid-market gaming PC. This is no Ultrabook.

The review unit shipped with a 6-core Core i7-10750H, but you can upgrade to an even more impressive 8-core Intel Core i9 if needed. It can be had with 16 or 32 GB of DDR4 RAM, plus up to 2 TB of PCIe-based NVME SSD storage in a RAID 0 configuration. The review unit arrived with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage with 32 GB of Intel Optane, not to mention NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 graphics with Max-Q.

And here’ something you don’t see very often: The HP Envy 15 is upgradeable: Anyone can easily pop off the bottom of the PC after unscrewing a few normal screws and upgrade the RAM (HP only uses one of two slots in the 16 GB configurations) and/or storage anytime they wish. Nice!

I don’t do a lot of video editing or graphic design work, but I threw several modern video games at the Envy 15, including Tell Me Why, Microsoft Flight Simulator, and the recently remastered games in the PC version of the Halo: The Master Chief Collection series, and was impressed by the results. I’ll be writing more about PC gaming soon, but from what I can tell so far, the HP should satisfy all but the highest-end portable gaming needs.

That said, it generates a ton of heat and noise, especially during gaming. The Envy dissipates that heat via a rear-facing venting system that you might not visually notice unless you flip it over. (There’s also a large air intake vent on the right side of the device.) But when you push it in any way, you will certainly it: Thanks to its almost gaming-class innards, the Envy 15 can pump a lot of air and generate a lot of fan noise.

You can control how the Envy 15 interacts with its powerful innards using the HP Command Center software described below. But the thermal solution used here is interesting regardless, with two fans, a vapor chamber, and vacuum liquid cooling. Overall, HP says that this solution is 33 percent more efficient than a traditional heat pipe-based design.

Connectivity

Connectivity is modern and powerful, with Intel WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5. There’s no cellular data option, but I imagine that’s tied to the PC’s intended audience. Business-class customers can find several good choices in HP’s stable with cellular data connectivity.

Ports and expansion

Thanks to its large form factor, the Envy 15 is positively bristling with a full complement of modern and legacy expansion ports.

On the left, you’ll find a full-sized USB-A 3 port, a full-sized HDMI 2.0 video-out port, and two Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports, plus the barrel pin-style power plug—this beast requires a 200-watt power supply, so USB-C won’t cut it—and a microSD card reader.

On the right, there’s a combo headphone/microphone jack and a second full-sized USB-A port.

I tested the Envy 15 for several weeks with an external 1440p display in various configurations, but HP says that the PC supports up to three external displays, so it should meet just about any need in that regard.

Audio and video

While the Envy 15 is made for creation and not consumption, its A/V features should satisfy most users. The display is gorgeous, with deep blacks and vibrant colors, but it’s not quite as color-rich as the more expensive Dell XPS 15 I’m also reviewing.

And the sound is decent, but not exceptional, due in part to the use of Bang & Olufsen Audio, which requires you to manually configure the system for music, movies, or voice, instead of Dolby Atmos. It’s the type of thing most people would never complain about, but I happen to be reviewing both PCs side-by-side and the HP suffers a bit in this one area.

Keyboard and touchpad

Overall, the keyboard is very good, though perhaps a bit more loosey-goosey than the crisp, low-throw keyboards found on recent EliteBooks and Spectres. I love the layout though, with its right column of Home, Pg Up, Pg, Dn, and End keys. And I like the look, with the large capital letters on the keycaps, though the letters on the silver keys can sometimes be hard to see.

Beyond the obvious typing functionality, HP integrates a lot of useful technology into the Envy 15’s backlit keyboard. In addition to the aforementioned fingerprint reader, which sits between the right Alt key and the arrow keys, HP puts the power button and a webcam shutter button into keys on the top row alongside a dedicated key for HP Command Center, which is described below. Fortunately, it also leaves the Delete key in the top right corner of the keyboard where God intended.

The glass touchpad is much less successful. It’s technically a precision touchpad, meaning that it is fully configurable using the built-in Windows 10 Settings app. But it’s still just a Synaptics part, and it shows, with annoying mis-taps marring the experience. I always disable three- and four-finger gestures, regardless of the quality of a touchpad, but with this unit, I routinely find myself mistakenly grabbing and dragging browser tabs and pulling them outside of the window or making other inadvertent touchpad-related mishaps. This was a problem with HP’s premium PCs in the past, and it’s returned in the HP Envy, to its detriment.

Portability

At 4.74 pounds and about .73 inches thick at its tallest point, the Envy 15 is a far cry from the thin and light Ultrabooks I usually review. But with its 15.6-inch display and powerful innards, the HP is going for a different audience, and when you consider that it can take on some gaming laptops, it’s actually quite thin and light. Sure, the 16-inch MacBook Pro that HP is targeting weighs 4.3 pounds and is .64 inches thick. But it also starts at $2400. That’s over twice—twice!—the price of the Envy 15.

HP promises somewhere between 8 and 11 hours of battery life while playing videos with the 4K/UHD display, and over 18 hours with a Full HD panel. But my experience was less impressive, if not totally unexpected: I saw a bit over 5 hours on average in real-world usage and with no optimizations. (You can use HP Command Center to run cooler and with less performance; that should improve the battery life too.)

The good news? The HP Envy 15 supports fast charging via the included 200-watt power adapter, which can charge the PC to 50 percent in 45 minutes. And don’t forget that you could also opt for a low-power Full HD display panel if battery life is a big concern.

Software

The HP Envy 15 ships with Windows 10 Home and the metric ton of crapware that Microsoft now includes in that system. But HP has been adding more and more of its own custom software to its PCs in recent years as well, leading to worries about the proliferation of even more unnecessary crapware. I certainly have my concerns. That said, some of the software that HP provides with the Envy 15 is truly unique and useful.

Most obviously, since I’ve mentioned it several times already, is the HP Command Center, which lets you optimize system performance to meet your needs on the fly. You can choose between default, performance, cool, and quiet modes, and each comes with its own performance, temperature, and fan noise profiles. In performance mode, for example, you need to be connected to power, and CPU and GPU performance is pumped up along with corresponding increases in fan noise and temperature. But if you’re working on less demanding tasks, perhaps in a public space, you might opt for quiet mode, which minimizes the fan noise and temperature by reducing CPU and GPU performance.

HP’s Display Control is also interesting and can have similar benefits when the Envy 15 is used on the go. This software optimizes the display for various tasks—web browsing, photo editing and viewing, moving editing and viewing, or native (no optimization)—and it lets you separately enable a power-saving mode that could also help with battery life.

HP also provides an alternative to Apple’s useful but Apple-centric AirDrop solution called QuickDrop. Basically, it’s a software application you install on the PC and on your smartphone, and it lets you move files between the two devices over-the-air, bypassing the usual workflow of backing up to the cloud on one and then manually downloading on the other.

Pricing and configurations

The HP Envy 15 starts at $1150 for a configuration that includes an Intel Core i7 H-series processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti graphics, a 300-nit Full HD display panel, 16 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of PCIe NVME SSD storage. I assume it’s obvious, but that’s a tremendous value for that amount of power.

There are several other configurations as well. For $1400, you can upgrade to NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti graphics with Max-Q and 512 GB of storage. The review configuration, with its 4K/UHD display and 32 GB of Intel Optane, comes in at $1500. And a high-end $1900 configuration lands with 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage. In most cases, you can personalize your purchase with additional components, including the Core i9 processor choice.

Recommendations and conclusions

The HP Envy 15 hits a fascinating sweet spot for creators and I’m not aware of any laptops that are exactly in this class, with most viable alternatives costing hundreds more. More to the point, most laptops that are this powerful are either gaming laptops with boy-racer looks and plastic bodies or elite business class offerings with very high price tags.

Sure, there are some minor nits. I’m not a fan of the error-prone touchpad, and I wish HP would rein in its custom software, much of which is redundant and unwanted. But it’s hard to argue with the value here, and when I think about moving forward with just a single PC—instead of using a desktop PC in my office and a laptop on the go—I can’t think of a better choice. The HP Envy 15 is amazing.

Indeed, this is a PC I’d buy with my own money and would use happily for years to come. If you’re a creator, a developer, or even a standard productivity worker who needs a bigger display and wouldn’t mind a little video gaming on the side, this is a terrific choice.

As such, the HP Envy 15 is highly recommended.

At-a-glance

Pros

Minimalist design

Powerful and modern components

RAM and storage are upgradeable

Gorgeous 4K/UHD display

Great value for the performance

Cons

Iffy touchpad

Too much crapware

Middling battery life in the 4K configuration

Now we know what the latest iPhone looks like, we can ask how it compares with its market rival: the Samsung Galaxy S20. 

Apple’s virtual iPhone launch – the first of its kind thanks to Covid-19 restrictions – was filled with technical terms and phrases like “Lidar”, “Ultra-Wide Band” and “nano ceramic crystals”. 

It announced a £699 iPhone 12 mini, one of four 5G-enabled phones unveiled by the tech giant and the most affordable flagship-series phone the company has announced in several years, alongside the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. 

Both the Apple and Samsung phones come in various size and price points, so we have compared the standard model iPhone 12 with the Galaxy S20. 

iPhone 12 vs Samsung S20 price

Samsung and Apple are neck and neck with the S20’s 5G version beginning at £799 compared to the iPhone 12’s price of £799. 

The iPhone 12 can cost as much as £949 for a model with more storage.

iPhone 12 vs Samsung S20 camera and storage

The iPhone 12 comes with 64GB extending up to 256GB for an additional price, while the Galaxy S20 comes with 128GB storage 

The iPhone 12 has a dual lens 12MP camera system and 4K video recording. It can support 2x optical zoom and 5x digital, meaning less blur from far away. 

The Samsung S20 also has a 12 MP dual lens and 4K video, but only offers 1.1x optical zoom and 3x digital. Both boast improved night mode and camera stabilising software, which will make your photos look professional even in the most photographer-unfriendly settings. 

Today, however, smartphone photography is about software as much as specs. Both phones apply serious amounts of computational power to improving photos, and it’s difficult to take bad photos with either.

iPhone 12 vs Samsung S20 battery

Apple said its new iPhones delivered 5G speeds of up to 4 gigabits per second and would be able to balance speed with battery life, which early 5G networks have often been tough on. This means that when a phone does not need 5G connections, such as when streaming music, it will rely on the less power-sapping 4G networks.

The iPhone 12 promises up to 17 hours of video playback and up to 11 hours of streamed video playback, while the S20 offers different metrics – 14 hours internet usage at 4G use, and up to 20 hours talk time. 

In both cases, battery life is always a function of what you are doing with your phone. Reviewers have praised the S20’s battery life. It’s too early to tell when it comes to the iPhone, although last year’s iPhone 11 represented a big step forward.

iPhone 12 vs Samsung Galaxy S20 quality of image, display and processor

The new iPhones feature a new flatter design that is 11pc thinner, 15pc smaller and 16pc lighter than previous models, which means the iPhone 12 fits the same 6.1-inch screen into a smaller form factor than last year’s iPhone 11. The Galaxy S20 is marginally bigger, but has an incrementally larger 6.2-inch display. 

Both claim to have extra tough screens. The iPhone has a “ceramic shield” protective screen, fusing “nano-ceramic crystals” into the glass makes it 4 times less likely to smash when dropped. 

Apple’s new iPhone 12 range

iPhone 12 – £799-£949

Base model, with 5G and dual-lens camera

6.1in screen; starts at 64GB

Comes in blue, green, black, white, and “product” red

Pre-orders from Oct 16

iPhone 12 Mini – £699-£849

Compact version for a nifty discount

5.4in screen; starts at 64GB

Pre-orders from Nov 6

iPhone 12 Pro – £999-£1,299

High-power model with three rear-facing cameras

6.1n screen; starts at 128GB

Comes in Pacific blue, graphite, gold and silver

LIDAR scanner for augmented reality (AR)

Pre-orders from Oct 16

iPhone 12 Pro Max – £1,099-£1399

Beefed-up behemoth of the range

6.7in screen (Apple’s biggest ever); starts at 128GB

Better camera, with 5x optical zoom and improved low-light snaps

Pre-orders from Nov 6

The S20’s OLED display has been seen as an advantage over Apple but the iPhone maker has upped its game this year with a sharper and brighter display, although when it comes to pure pixels per inch, the Samsung still wins.

Apple has long been seen as holding an advantage when it comes to chips, the iPhone 12 is running on the new A14 bionic processor – which it claims is the “fastest chip ever in a smartphone”. Samsung’s phones use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865. 

Accessories

If you think they might be too close to call, perhaps the announcement that Apple would be shipping all iPhones without a charger or headphones anymore might clinch it for you, just remember, it’s for a very good reason. 

Intel may be having difficulty bringing 10nm to desktop processors now, but this isn’t the first time the 10nm process has given the company trouble. Back before Ice Lake, Intel’s first 10nm mobile line was actually the ill-fated Cannon Lake. While it was originally set to be a much bigger deal, with several chips planned for launch, it eventually only saw one processor hit the market, and only in China. That processor, the Core i3-8121U, shipped with disabled internal graphics, and new code today sees Intel essentially admitting that support for the line is dead. As well as slyly hinting at the company’s feelings towards it.

Prior to today, Intel’s Linux graphics drivers had code for Cannon Lake CPUs using 10th Gen iGPUs. But since no Cannon Lake chips were ever released that take advantage of that, Intel’s decided to do some pruning on the drivers’ code. With extreme prejudice.

The latest Intel merge on the drivers says “We don’t need CNL-only code. This series kills it all with fire.”

Well, now we know how Intel’s Linux driver developers feel about Cannon Lake. And since the merge was able to reduce the drivers’ code by just under 11,000 lines, we don’t blame them.

If you ask Intel today, it will say that Ice Lake was its first “mass 10nm shipment.” Cannon Lake, it seems, is something it would rather forget. Many Cannon Lake products were cancelled along with its other chips, and it’s most well-known for being in a low-power education focused Chinese Ideapad. But as much as it tries to erase Cannon Lake- literally, in this case – it still comes to mind given Intel’s current problems bringing 10nm processors to the desktop. 

The Fujifilm X-S10 is a bold new step in the company’s quest to make the ultimate mid-range mirrorless camera. By taking many of the highlights of its flagship Fujifilm X-T4, including in-body image stabilization (IBIS), and shoehorning them into a smaller, cheaper body, it’s made a camera that has the potential to be one of its most popular mirrorless shooters so far.

Until now, the role of deputy to Fujifilm’s X-T flagships has been filled by excellent little cameras like the Fujifilm X-T30. The X-S10 isn’t a replacement for that model, but instead a slightly uncharacteristic attempt to win over new fans who have so far been resistant to Fujifilm’s charms.

Like the X-T4, the Fujifilm X-S10 has been built as a true all-rounder that’s as comfortable shooting video as it is stills. You get the tried-and-tested combination of the 26.1MP X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and X-Processor 4, plus the ability to shoot uncropped 4K/30p video.

But that uncharacteristic change of tack can be found in the X-S10’s handling and controls. Rather than Fujifilm’s signature array of manual dials, you get a PASM (Program, Aperture, Shutter Speed, Manual) dial and a chunky handgrip that are more reminiscent of classic DSLRs.

Clearly, the Fujifilm X-S10 is an attempt to lure floating voters who are currently clutching aging Canon and Nikon DSLRs. 

But in ditching some of Fujifilm’s traditional charms, does the X-S10 lose the magic that’s made the company such a popular choice for mirrorless cameras? We spent a day with the X-S10 to find out.

Fujifilm X-S10 release date and price

The Fujifilm X-S10 will be available to buy from “mid-November”, according to Fujifilm. You’ll be able to buy it body-only for a pretty reasonable $999.95 / £949 (around AU$1,710), and in various kit lens bundles too.

The XC15-45mm kit bundle will cost £999 (around $1,290 / AU$1,800). If you can, we’d recommend getting the XF18-55mm kit lens bundle for $1,399.95 / £1,299 (around AU$2,340) over the former, given how great the latter is. The X-S10 will also be available with the newer XF16-80mm for $1,499.95 / £1,399 (around AU$2,520), should you need an even more versatile lens.

This pricing is pretty reasonable considering the Fujifilm X-S10’s range of skills. At launch, the Fujifilm X-T4 cost $1,699 / £1,549 / AU$2,999 (body-only). 

With the X-S10 packing the same sensor and processor as the latter, it could well be an excellent new option for anyone who’s been put off by the X-T4’s size, complexity and price. Though that depends a little on whether you’ll be okay with its quirks and limitations…

Design and handling

The Fujifilm X-S10’s design is simultaneously vintage Fujifilm and a big change from its other mirrorless cameras. 

At first glance, it looks like a slightly smaller Fujifilm X-T4 with a larger, deeper grip. Because of that grip, the size difference isn’t, in practical terms, much different from the X-T4. You won’t be slipping the X-S10 into your pocket, but it is noticeably lighter than its sibling at 465g (about 23% less than the X-T4).

It’s only when you come to use the X-S10 that you notice the big changes from its the rest of the X-series. Fujifilm cameras are renowned for their dial-heavy approach to controls, with most offering a triplet of wheels for tweaking your shutter speed, ISO and exposure compensation. 

Those are (gasp) not on the X-S10.

Instead, you get the PASM dial (Program, Aperture, Shutter Speed, Manual) approach favored by most other cameras manufacturers. The reason for this, Fujifilm told us, is because it found that many people were put off from switching to X-Series cameras purely because they found its usual dials too confusing. 

Neither approach is objectively better than the other, just Apple and Android’s differing takes on the smartphone homescreen. But it’s fair to say that while the Fujifilm purists might not be impressed, anyone coming from the likes of Sony or Nikon will feel instantly at home with the X-S10.

Not that the X-S10 is a complete ergonomic success. We found its power button to be too slippery for our liking, making it hard to turn the camera on quickly without looking. This is probably the result of its close proximity to the front command dial, but it was a slight annoyance.

The lack of a d-pad on the back of the X-S10 also makes it a trickier to cycle through its menus than on other X-series camera, with the small AF joystick instead taking on these duties. Still, we’re glad to see an AF joystick included for choosing autofocus points, and the X-S10 is otherwise a very enjoyable camera to shoot with.

That generous grip is a real bonus for an otherwise small mirrorless camera. Of course, this means it’s nowhere near as compact as the Fujifilm X-T30, which can slip into pockets when paired with a pancake lens. But simply being able to hold the X-S10 one-handed by its grip was a real joy, and the grip also helped to balance out longer lenses like the XF50-140mm. This alone makes it a great alternative to the Nikon Z50 and Sony A6600.

The X-S10’s viewfinder (a 2.36m-dot affair with a maximum 100fps refresh rate) is solid rather than spectacular, while its vari-angle touchscreen (which flips round 180-degrees to the front) makes it versatile for both video and stills. Photographers may prefer the tilting screen seen on stills-focused cameras like the X-T30, but this screen’s flexibility is definitely a bonus for solo videographers or vloggers.

Those vlogging credentials are strengthened by the inclusion of a 3.5mm mic input for using external microphones. This sits above a USB-C port (which can double as a headphone port via an optional adaptor) and a Micro HDMI port, which lets you output 10-bit 4:2:2 video to an external recorder.

Take a closer look at these ports, though, and you’ll discover the Fujifilm X-S10’s main design weakness when compared to pricier cameras – there’s no weather-proofing at all. If you shoot regularly in unpredictable weather, that may push you back towards the weather-sealed Nikon Z50.

Specs and features

The Fujifilm X-S10 certainly packs a lot of power and features into its relatively compact body – and the most notable of these is in-body image stabilization (IBIS).

We’ve seen small, APS-C cameras with IBIS before – the Sony A6600, for example – but none that are as affordable as the X-S10. The most obvious rival at this price point is the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III, which has superb stabilization but a smaller Four Thirds sensor. There are also question marks over the longevity of cameras like the E-M5 series, given Olympus’ decision to exit the camera business.

IBIS systems are useful for shooting both video and stills – they can counteract handheld jitters and preserve photo quality by letting you shoot at longer shutter speeds and lower ISOs. But they’re not all made equal. The X-S10’s five-axis IBIS system is 30% smaller and lighter than the one in the Fujifilm X-T4, and slightly less effective.

Still, on paper, there isn’t much in it, with the X-S10 managing a maximum of six stops of compensation when paired with most X-series lenses, compared to the X-T4’s 6.5 stops.

We’ll need longer with the X-S10 to really test its stabilization, but broadly speaking it’s not dissimilar to the X-T4. We found the latter’s stabilization claims to be a little overstated in practice (with real-world compensation of more like four stops), and there’s no doubt that you’ll still need a gimbal for truly smooth walking video footage.

But the inclusion of IBIS on the X-S10 is a huge boost for anyone who has (or is considering buying) non-stabilized prime lenses. Fujifilm has also included a few digital stabilization options to bolster the X-S10’s sensor-based stabilization. If you don’t mind your footage being cropped by 10%, these will add an additional smoothness to your videos.

How does the Fujifilm X-S10 stack up in other areas? It’s a mid-range camera, so performance is naturally a notch below flagship level, but features like continuous shooting and video are likely in the ‘good enough’ zone for most people.

The X-S10 can shoot at 8fps in burst mode (using the mechanical shutter). That’s some way short of the Fujifilm X-T4’s 15fps maximum, but if you switch to the electronic shutter (which can create issues like rolling shutter with fast-moving objects or panning) it can reach 20fps without any crop.

It’s also shaping up to be a very capable little camera for video and vlogging. Like the Nikon Z50, it can shoot uncropped 4K/30p video and Full HD at up to 240p for a 10x slow motion effect. 

Unlike its Nikon rival, though, the X-S10 does also offer F-Log recording (for preserving more dynamic range than compressed formats) and the option of outputting 4:2:2 10-bit video via its micro HDMI port. Throw IBIS into the equation, and there’s no doubt the X-S10 is one of the most powerful video cameras at this size and price.

We’ll need a little more time with the X-S10’s autofocus to see how it compares to its rivals, but so far the signs are promising. 

You get Face/Eye AF and Tracking AF, and these worked well in our brief time with the camera. Still, it’s worth noting that Sony, Canon and Nikon have all made big strides in this area lately – and while this has largely been reserved for their pricier full-frame cameras, the Nikon Z50 did get Animal Detection AF in a recent firmware update. There’s no equivalent AF mode on the Fujifilm X-S10.

This camera has, though, boosted its user-friendliness in other ways. The X-S10’s ‘auto’ mode is now much more powerful – it lets you shoot raw photos (alongside the usual JPEGs), and there’s now the option of choosing from three different AF modes.

Fujifilm has also added an ‘auto’ film simulations option to the camera’s ‘auto’ mode, which sees the camera choose between ‘Provia’, ‘Velvia’ and ‘Astia’, depending on what suits the scene best. If you’re not familiar with Fuji’s film simulations, they’re essentially subtle filters that recall the look of certain types of film, and are one of the main reasons why the X-Series make such great point-and-shoot cameras. 

Adding an ‘auto’ mode to these makes sense, but it’s pretty easy to choose from the much broader range of 18 film simulations by turning the camera’s Function dial.

Image and video quality

We only used a pre-production Fujifilm X-S10 for a day, so it’s a little early to make conclusions about its image and video quality.

That said, its 26.1MP back-illuminated sensor is a tried-and-tested one that we’ve been impressed by before in the Fujifilm X-T4 and Fujifilm X-T30. In fact, in our review of the former we called it “class-leading in terms of detail and low light performance”. Assuming nothing goes spectacularly wrong with the final version of the X-S10, it should produce similar results.

Of course, you probably won’t get quite the same level of raw editing flexibility as you might with a full-frame camera, but the inclusion of IBIS here should help you preserve image quality in tricky conditions. It’s also a relatively small pay-off when you consider the X-S10’s size, price and the quality of its JPEG images, which appear to be as strong as usual.

One of the benefits of X-series cameras is their ability to produce great out-of-camera shots without the need for much editing – whether or not you use the 18 Film Simulations, that continues to be the case here.

While the X-S10 lacks the latest autofocus skills like Animal Eye AF, its AF system performed well during our short play, for both stills and video. You get a lot of control over your video recording, which now gets a dedicated menu system, and it shoots uncropped 4K/30p video and Full HD at up to 240p, which we’re looking forward to testing more.

Early verdict

During a time when the future of mid-range mirrorless cameras from Canon and Olympus is a little uncertain, the Fujifilm X-S10 is a welcome reminder that exciting launches are still possible for photographers who can’t afford, or don’t want the complexity of, full-frame flagships.

While it’s not a budget camera, the X-S10 packs an awful lot into its well-designed body for the price. You get the same sensor and processor as the Fujifilm X-T4, a generous grip that’s ideal for longer lenses, and in-body image stabilization, which is a great feature that isn’t on APS-C rivals like the Nikon Z50.

Naturally, there are some compromises – the main one being a lack of weather-proofing, plus a more conservative 8fps burst mode than the X-T4. The vari-angle screen and new PASM control setup might also be off-putting for stills-focused Fujifilm traditionalists. But there’s no doubt the X-S10 is shaping up to be one of the best small, mid-range mirrorless cameras you can buy. We’ll let you know if it lives up to that billing in a full review very soon.

Chinese web store Taobao (via TFT Central) has listed one of ASUS’s most highly anticipated monitors, the ROG Swift PG32UQX. While a few of its core features were laid out by the company back in January (CES), Taobao’s listing reveals the display’s complete specifications, which look spectacular.

The ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQX is a 32-inch monitor that leverages a 4K (3840 x 2160p) IPS panel with full-array local dimming Mini LED backlight (1,152 zones). Supporting refresh rates of up to 144 Hz, the display boasts NVIDIA’s highest tier of G-SYNC certification – G-SYNC ULTIMATE – to ensure smooth, tear-free gameplay. It also happens to be ASUS’s first gaming monitor to meet the DisplayHDR 1400 standard, which implies 95 percent DCI-P3 coverage and a peak luminance of 1400 cd/m2 (4x that of typical displays, according to VESA).

Some of the finer specifications include a 10-bit color depth, 1000:1 contrast ratio, 178/178 viewing angles, and 4 ms G2G response time. The monitor also features Ultra Low Motion Blur (ULMB) technology for decreasing ghosting effects.

As for ports, the ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQX comes equipped with both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4. This means that the monitor should be able to display 4K at 144 Hz and 10-bit color without any sort of compression (e.g., chroma sub-sampling, DSC). There’s also two USB 3.0 ports.

One of the reasons why 32-inch monitors with 4K, high-refresh panels are so anticipated is because this is the size where scaling is no longer necessary. As ASUS pointed out in its original post, 4K at 27 inches seems impractically tiny, but native UHD seems just right on a 32-inch display.

“Many users take advantage of 4K displays’ high pixel density by scaling up the Windows desktop for smoother text rendering, but for those who want to use all of the real estate available from a 4K resolution, the 32” diagonal expanse of the PG32UQX offers a pixel density better suited to running the Windows desktop without scaling,” the company wrote.

Taobao has the ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQX listed for ¥42,999 ($6,400), but we’re assuming that’s a placeholder. It’s also shipping in China in January, which suggests a possible Q1 2021 release stateside.

For smart home owners, it’s been a busy few weeks of announcements: last month, Amazon unveiled its slate of new smart assistant-equipped speakers and displays then, in early October, Google revealed its new Google Nest Audio device. Now it’s time for another manufacturer to follow suit: Lenovo. 

Meet the new Lenovo Smart Clock Essential. 

Lenovo’s latest smart product uses Google Assistant like the new Google Nest Audio but it’s also a smart display that can show you the time, the day, the outside temperature and a small icon for the weather.

Not only is it pretty practical, it’s also fairly cheap – it’s just $50 (£50, AU$99), which is actually a bit cheaper than the Amazon Echo Dot with Clock.

Invite Google Assistant into your bedroom

While you could feasibly put the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential in any room of your home, its intended place is on your bedside table. With a built-in nightlight and a USB port for charging another device, it’s like a really fancy alarm clock that knows everything about you.

Of course, this isn’t Lenovo’s first bedroom device – there’s the original Lenovo Smart Clock that’s still, according to Google, pretty popular.

What separates it from the original Lenovo Smart Clock is that the Essential uses a black-and-white alarm clock display while the original has an HD color display. 

The original Smart Clock will remain on sale for $79.99 / £79.99 / AU$129, but you can expect to see the Lenovo Smart Clock Essential in stores soon.

Nikon has launched the Z 6II and Z 7II, updates to its top-end Z-series mirrorless cameras, with more powerful processing, twin memory card slots and enhanced autofocus and continuous shooting capabilities.

They seem like they have been around for ever, but the Nikon Z 6 and Z 7 were launched only two years ago in 2018. The accelerating rate of change in the full frame mirrorless camera market, however, means that now seems like a lifetime ago – so just two years after the first Z-series cameras arrived, new and updated versions are here.

These are evolutions of the original cameras, though, not brand new models. Nikon really did get things right with the original Z 6 and Z 7, so the new versions build on the qualities of those cameras rather than starting all over again.

From the outside, the Z 6II and the Z 7II look almost indistinguishable from their predecessors, and the big changes are on the inside. Nikon’s top Z-series cameras how have dual Expeed processors for faster burst shooting with bigger buffer depth, and the extra processing clout brings human and animal eye AF for video shooting, and AF sensitivity down to -6EV with an f/2 lens.

Faster continuous shooting

Both cameras were pretty quick in continuous shooting burst mode, but now they’re quicker still. The Z 6II has a speed increase to 14fps, which it can maintain for 124 12-bit raw files or 200 JPEGs, while the Z 7II can maintain 10fps for 77 12-bit raw files and, again, 200 JPEGs.

The Z 6II might have the faster frame rate, but the Z7 II’s 10fps frame rate is hugely impressive for a camera of this resolution and both cameras have impressive raw buffer depth – the Z 6II has the potential to give pro sports DSLRs a run for their money both in speed and endurance.

Nikon Z 6II and Z7 II sensors

The Z 6II and Z 7II have substantial processing and storage upgrades, but the sensors themselves are the same as those in the previous models. The Z 6II has a 24.5-megapixel sensor and can be considered as the ‘all-rounder’, while the Z 7II has the same 45.7-megapixel sensor of the original Z 7, and is the ‘perfectionist’.

There is now a third full frame Z-series camera, of course. The 24-megapixel Z5 sits below the Z 6II in the range and is designed to be the ‘catalyst’ – the introduction to the full frame mirrorless Nikon system for those upgrading from a smaller camera or a smartphone.

Nikon Z 6II and Z 7II video

The Nikon Z 6II and Z 7II will both shoot 4K 60p video – the Z 7II will have this ability right from the start, but the Z 6II will not get 60p capability until around February 2021. There will also be support for 10bit and ProRes RAW capture via the Atomos Ninja V external recorder, though confirmation about when this will become available and whether cameras will need to go to a service center for an upgrade is still pending.

Although the Z7 II will have 4K 60p recording from the start, it still captures 4K in a cropped oversampled DX format, whereas the Z6 II offers full-width 4K capture. Z 6II buyers will have to wait longer for the 4K 60p feature, but the Z6 II is nevertheless the better option for video, partly because there’s no crop factor and partly thanks to the dynamic range and noise advantages of its sensor’s bigger photosites.

Nikon’s webcam software, incidentally, is now available in a Mac version to join the Windows version originally released.

Dual card slots – at last!

The original Z6 and Z7 came in for some criticism for only having a single XQD card slot. Subsequent firmware updates have extended their compatibility to the CFexpress format (which is physically identical to the now largely obsolete XQD cards), but there is still a lot of demand amongst video shooters and stills photographers for the security and flexibility of dual card slots.

Nikon is hedging its bets, then, with one CFexpress slot and one SD UHS-II slot. This won’t please videographers who like to shoot with matched cards, but it will help users migrating from other Nikon cameras, and other camera brands, who have already invested in high-speed, high-capacity SD cards and don’t want to have to do it all over again straight away with the even more expensive CFexpress format.

New power options

The Nikon Z 6II and Z 7II will benefit from USB-C charging, including ‘hot charging’ while shooting. Ther will also be a new MBN II battery grip designed for the rough and tumble of professional shooting assignments, and with its own AF joystick and AF-ON button. It will attach in the same way as the previous MBN 10, via insertion into the camera’s battery compartment. We don’t yet know if the existing MBN 10 grip will work with the new cameras. You can use the new batteries in the old models, and vice versa – though previous generation batteries won’t support the new cameras’ hot charging feature.

There will be a new WR-11b remote wireless controller too, designed to work with Nikon’s Advanced Wireless Lighting system, and also to offer remote camera control.

Nikon Z 6II and Z 7II price and availability

The Nikon Z 6II and Nikon Z 7II will go on sale later this year. The Z 6II will start at $1,999/£1,999 body-only, while the Z 7II will be $2,999/£2,999. The new Nikon MB-N11 battery grip will be $399/£359.

Introduction

MSI may be best known for its motherboards and graphics cards, but success in those fields has allowed the Taiwanese manufacturer to branch out considerably. These days, it’s possible to kit out a high-end gaming setup with all sorts of MSI gear, ranging from keyboards and mice to monitors and even gaming chairs.

A lesser-known category is PC chassis, in which MSI has over a dozen models to choose from. One of the latest additions is the MPG Sekira 100R, priced at £120 and in for review today.

It is quite clear that Sekira 100R is intended as a visual complement to your other MSI hardware, and the firm isn’t shy in stating the MPG series “brings out the best in gamers by allowing full expression in colour with advanced RGB lighting control and synchronization.” We’re too old and weathered to read into such hyperbole, but while RGB illumination isn’t anywhere near the top of our list of chassis priorities, we will admit the mid-tower box is easy on the eye.

Dimensions of 420mm (D) x 215mm (W) x 475mm (H) are reasonably petite by modern standards, and most of the aesthetic flourishes work well. The split front panel, in particular, has a neat, almost retro feel about it, with the aluminium brush-effect section contrasting nicely with the transparent area below. A strip separating the two is, of course, lined with RGB lighting, while the company logo illuminates to complete the effect, and though the bezels on the both the front and side panels are a little thick, MSI’s tinted windows do a fine job of showcasing the interior.

It’s a good-looking piece of kit and build quality is decent, too. There are few visible seams, everything fits together snug, and an 8kg total weight feels reassuring. Better still, MSI hasn’t skimped on the top I/O panel, which lines the front edge and includes a large power button, reset, USB-C, two USB Type-A, a pair of audio jacks and a button to cycle through the preset lighting effects. Just about everything you’d expect, and it’s good to see the number of USB ports hasn’t been sacrificed for the sake of the newer Type-C.

Going purely by the spec sheet, Sekira 100R has plenty going for it. In addition to looking the part and being well-stocked in the I/O department, there are seven expansion slots, two 3.5in hard-disk bays in a cage at the end of the shrouded PSU compartment, two 2.5in SSD trays (one atop the PSU shroud, another behind the motherboard tray), and more rubber-grommeted cable-routing holes than you’re ever likely to need.

Clearance is defined as 340mm for graphics cards and 170mm for CPU cooler height; mini-, micro-, regular- and extended-ATX motherboards are supported, and cooling really shouldn’t be a problem seeing as there are four pre-installed 120mm aRGB fans (three front intakes and a rear exhaust). Choose to expand on that with a radiator and you’ll find the top of the chassis can house a pair of offset 120s or 140s, while the three 120s at the front can be swapped for two 140s if you prefer. Ample room for expansion, and we like the fact that the supplied fans and front-panel lighting are hooked-up to a control board around back, allowing all the illuminated elements to connect to a single aRGB header on your motherboard.

Creating an eye-catching rig is all but guaranteed, particularly if you’re heavily invested in MSI’s Mystic Light ecosystem, but the build process itself could be made more user-friendly. Most bemusing, the side panels can’t be removed without taking off the mesh top panel first. Two thumbscrews allow the top section to come away, and only then can you slide the sides up and off their rails. A strange arrangement that we’ve not seen before, and while it does result in side panels that are free of unsightly thumb screws or fixings, it feels odd having to remove both the top and side just to get into the case.

As with most RGB-illuminated enclosures, cabling can be somewhat messy. Each of the four fans is pre-plumbed to the control board for synchronised lighting, but additional three-pin cables need to be attached to the motherboard. Fortunately, given that there are four fans as standard, MSI includes a three-way splitter, allowing for four fans via two motherboard headers. Still, a couple more tie-down points wouldn’t go amiss, and if your power supply is as large as our Dark Power Pro, we suspect you’ll want to remove the hard disk cage for a little extra wiggle room.

Elsewhere, filtration is decent throughout. There’s a magnetic filter sandwiched between the roof of the case and the mesh top panel, a full-height filter behind the removable front panel, and a small piece inserted in tabs directly beneath the PSU. The mesh sections to the side of the front panel are also reasonably wide, suggesting that airflow won’t be entirely restricted, but let’s run the benchmarks to see exactly what’s what.

Notes

Our test platform is based around an all-AMD combination of Ryzen 7 1800X and Radeon RX 580. AMD’s eight-core, 16-thread processor is stock clocked and installed beneath a Fractal Design Celsius S24 liquid cooler.

The CPU is joined by 16GB of G.Skill Flare X DDR4 memory operating at 2,400MHz, while the Radeon RX 580 GPU is provided by Sapphire in Nitro+ Limited Edition guise. Power for the entire system comes courtesy of a 750W be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 supply. Do note that we attempted to run multiple memory kits at higher speeds, but were unable to maintain stability on this particular X370 platform, hence the 3,200MHz G.Skill kit operating at 800MHz less than advertised.

To find out how well the comparison chassis can cool the AMD-flavoured build, we log CPU temperature while encoding a large 4K video clip using the popular HandBrake software utility. This task puts heavy load on all available CPU cores and we extend the stress test by queueing multiple passes. In order to provide a stabilised reading we then calculate an average temperature from the last few minutes of encoding.

To get an idea of graphics-card cooling performance, we log GPU temperature while looping the F1 2017 benchmark at a 4K resolution with ultra quality settings. Last but not least, we also measure chassis noise by using a PCE-318 noise meter to take readings both when idle and while gaming. The meter is positioned 35cm from the front of the chassis in a direct line of sight 30cm from the ground.

All chassis are tested only with the standard manufacturer-supplied fans (any/all of which are set to a low-noise curve in the MSI BIOS or low-speed using a fan controller if present), and to take into account the fluctuating ambient temperature, our graphs depict both actual and delta temperature – the latter is the actual CPU/GPU temperature minus the ambient.

Performance

Cooling our eight-core AMD Ryzen chip isn’t a problem for any of the chassis on show, so perhaps it’s time to upgrade to a more power-hungry chip. Watch this space.

Taming the Radeon graphics card tends to be a tougher task, and given the solid frontage, we’re reasonably pleased to see the MSI MPG Sekira 100R keeping peak temperature to 73°C when gaming.

There is a caveat, mind you. The four supplied three-pin fans offer decent cooling performance, but they aren’t the quietest and the chassis itself makes little effort to dampen noise. Our test build is always noticeable and gets quite noisy when gaming.

Conclusion

MSI wants to give its fanbase an opportunity to adorn their gaming setups with as much Mystic Light gear as possible. RGB-laden hardware continues to prove popular among the target audience, and the MPG Sekira 100R serves as another piece of the jigsaw.

Playing to its strengths, MSI includes four 120mm aRGB fans as standard, which when coupled to the front light bar and illuminated dragon logo, allow for multiple effects and synchronisation opportunities via a single motherboard header. Such features may be deemed superfluous by some, yet the chassis looks surprisingly sleek in the flesh, with MSI managing to find a pleasing balance between subtle illumination and overblown light.

The spec sheet is reasonably well-stocked, too, with plenty of clearance for a high-end build, a decent number of storage and fan mounts, and an I/O panel outfitted with three USB ports, including a modern Type-C. The foundations are there, however the user experience could be better. Having to remove the top panel to get at the sides is an unnecessary extra step, cabling with four RGB fans can get messy, and there’s little effort in suppressing noise.

Bottom line: MSI isn’t the first name that springs to mind when choosing a high-quality chassis, yet for those wanting to amplify their Mystic Light setup, the MPG Sekira 100R fits the bill.

The Canon PowerShot Zoom has just been announced for a release in the west, after the innovative pocket camera – which features up to 800mm zoom, with image stabilized stills and video shooting – was released in Japan via crowdfunding.

One of the manufacturer’s most unusual products, the Canon PowerShot Zoom is unique in the marketplace. Featuring the same 12.1MP image sensor found in the Canon SX70 bridge camera, it combines the functionality of a pocket-sized telescope or monocular – with a three-step zoom system offering 100mm f/5.6, 400mm f/6.3 (optically) and 800mm (digitally) focal lengths.

Boasting 4-axis image stabilization, the Zoom can capture stills at up to 10fps (via an electronic shutter) as well as 1080p video at up to 30fps. This makes it a formidable tool for wildlife photographers, birders, sports and music fans (enabling you to take photographs in arenas where cameras are forbidden), plane and trainspotters, hikers and ramblers, travel shooters, news gatherers and even security personnel.

The remarkable palm-sized body weighs just 145g and is designed to be operated with one hand, ergonomically designed with minimal controls (there are only four buttons, plus the diopter and power button) that can be distinguished by their distinct tactile feel. 

It also features stereo microphones (though it has no speaker), accepts microSD cards for storage, and has a USB-C connection for transfer and charging (yes, it can be charged while in use).

At the heart of the PowerShot Zoom is a Digic 8 processor, with the same 2.36 million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder seen in the Canon EOS M50. This can be used for shooting and reviewing images, though the WiFi enabled camera also pairs with the Canon Camera Connect smartphone app – which obviously gives you the option for a much larger viewing monitor, and also enables remote shooting. 

The Zoom becomes the second concept camera we first saw at CP+ 2019 to make it to market, following the similarly quirky Canon Ivy Rec. 

The Canon PowerShot Zoom goes on sale in November with a price of $299 / £299 (AU$540). Initially available in white (“that matches any of one’s favorite team colors”), Canon is also considering making a black version.