Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter First Impressions

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Microsoft's new Miracast-based Wireless Display Adapter is available now for preorder and should be shipping in very late October. Here's a first hands-on peek at the adapter, which is aimed at PC and tablet users that wish to project their screen to an HDTV at home or a projector at work.

From a packaging perspective, the Wireless Display Adapter box looks exactly like a Surface accessory. The packaging is low-key but not cheap.

What is cheap, however, is that the Wireless Display Adapter doesn't come with a USB-to-power adapter. If your display doesn't have a USB port you'll need a USB-based power plug (like the one that comes with your smart phone, probably) or even a USB cable extension. That USB cable bit doesn't unplug, so you're kind of stuck with it as-is.

Microsoft does, however, provide an HDMI extension cable because many displays have recessed HDMI ports, and the Wireless Display Adapter wouldn't otherwise fit.

The device itself is no-frills and very much like a Chromecast. There's no switch or power button, or whatever. Just plug the HDMI end into an HDMI port on your display and the USB end into a USB port to power it. (There is a small light to indicate it's powered up, however.)

So far I've quickly tested the Wireless Display Adapter with both my Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone handset and my Surface Pro 3 tablet. Both devices connected to the adapter instantly and without any complaints. By default, each will mirror the screen, which doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense on a Windows Phone—many apps and the Start screen only work in portrait mode. But you can of course change how the wireless display works if you're using Windows 8.1 (as on the Surface Pro 3).

Machinima for Windows Phone on the big screen

The Wireless Display Adapter explicitly works with Android handsets and tablets too. I've not yet tested that but I will.

And that's about it. You just plug it in and go.

Both Windows Phone (shown) and Windows connected to the Wireless Display Adapter immediately

Of course, this being a Miracast device, I'll need to use it over time and see how (or if) the reliability holds up, something that's always been an issue with Miracast. Microsoft tells me I could be pleasantly surprised. So far so good.

Rdio (for Windows Phone)

• Pros

  Decent interface, with Windows Phone-specific features. Large music catalog. Good sound quality.

• Cons Free account not very functional. No Internet radio station creation. Play controls don't show while you're multitasking in app. Weak social-sharing capabilities.
• Bottom Line

  Rdio is an excellent music streaming service, but you wouldn't know that from its Windows Phone app.

By Michael Muchmore

Rdio (free; $9.99 per month for full song plays) is the cool new kid among streaming music services, with a trendy but usable design and a full-featured Web interface. The service's Windows Phone app brings some of this slickness, along with Rdio's large selection of music, but it's pretty deficient compared with the Web and iPhone versions of the service. Missing are basics like similar-music radio station creation and adding social contacts. And the free version is little more than a song-preview service.

Getting Started With Rdio
You get the free Rdio app from the Windows Phone Store. It's a very small 2MB download, though its storage usage will balloon if you download a lot of songs for offline listening. I tested the app by installing it on a Nokia Lumia Icon. You can sign up with any email address or with your Facebook credentials. Next, you accept the terms of service, and choose whether you want Rdio to take over your lock screen with album art for currently playing songs.

The first thing you'll see is the upgrade option, but you won't need this for three days: The app automatically starts as a trial of the $9.99 per month Rdio Unlimited subscription, which offers on-demand song playing and offline listening. If you're not a paid subscriber, you can't do much besides play 30-second previews of songs you find. By comparison, Slacker and Spotify's free versions at least let you play shuffled albums and related songs in Pandora style. While Rdio's Web and iPhone versions do this, too, the Windows Phone app doesn't.

Interface
Rdio has a classic Windows Phone interface, with left-to-right swiping between functions. In this case your choices are the home screen (with links to your profile, collection, playlists, queue, and Now Playing), Heavy Rotation, Recent Activity, Top Charts, and New Releases. Under all these pages is a Search button that lets you find any artist, song, or album.

On your profile page, you can see your collection, playlists, followers, and following list. Swipe right and you'll see your top albums and recent activity. One thing I prefer about Spotify's interface is that you always see the currently playing song across the bottom no matter what you're doing in the app. With Rdio, you have to navigate back to your home screen and choose Now Playing just to pause or skip.

Rdio's Music Selection
Rdio's catalog is more than large enough to suit most tastes. Along with the latest popular and indie hits from four major record labels, you get the tunes of Michael Jackson and Jimi Hendrix, but Led Zeppelin and Beatles lovers need to look elsewhere. The jazz and classical sections are well-stocked, and you also get comedy if you prefer laughing to singing along. It's not quite iTunes' selection, but it will work for most users. 

Though there's no setting in the app for sound quality, I tested with my phone connected to high-quality PC speakers using Shostakovich's fiery 10th Symphony as performed by the Liverpool Philharmonic as a test track. In a back-to-back comparsion, the sound was every bit as good as Spotify's High Quality mode.

Social
Rdio has a pretty good social story, but not so much in the Windows Phone app. You can't share a song or album while playing it; in fact I could only find users to follow using another version of Rdio, such as the website. From the app, however, I could see recent activity by those I followed and subscribe to their playlists. One unique capability of Rdio is collaborative playlists, which is a good idea.

Rdio for Windows Phone Needs a Redo
Rdio is one of the cooler music services around, but its Windows Phone app needs work. Yes, it lets you find and play the music with high-quality sound from its strong catalog. And yes, it lets you see what your contacts are up to, but, especially in the free version, it's just way too limited. No radio, no social sharing, and no full song plays for free.

Hopefully Rdio will upgrade its Windows Phone app so that it can compete with the likes of Spotify, Slacker, and Xbox Music. Once we've reviewed all of those services on the Windows Phone platform, we'll designate a new Editors' Choice for on-demand streaming music apps. But in its current form, the Rdio app isn't much of a contender. Meanwhile, you can check out Pandora, our Editors' Choice for Windows Phone Internet radio apps.

How to stop Shockwave Flash crashing in Google Chrome: make sure you have only one plug-in enabled

If you use Google Chrome you may have become used to the Shockwave Flash plugin crashing. Here, we show you how to fix the problem.

Google Chrome, unlike other browsers, has its own version of Adobe Flash Player built in. If you're also running another web browser that requires a downloaded version of Adobe Flash player to be installed, the two versions of the software are likely to be causing a conflict.

To check Google Chrome's configuration, type about:plugins into the address bar and press Enter. This will bring up a page of information about all the plug-ins currently configured within Google Chrome.

Look for any entries in the list such as Adobe Flash Player, or Shockwave Flash. If you can see two or more, you have more than one Flash plug-in installed.

At the top right of the plug-ins page you'll see ‘Details'. Click this link to reveal more information about each extension.

The filename of each plug-in will be listed next to Location. Look at this information, and you'll see that one is stored under [Your User Folder]AppData\Local\Google\Chrome. This is Chrome's integrated plug-in. The other will begin with ‘C:\Windows\..' . The path names vary depending on your version of Windows. If you're using Windows 8, for example the path for the integrated plug-in is something like C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\36.0.1985.125\PepperFlash\pepflashplayer.dll  (the version number may be different).

If both these files offer a Disable link, both are active and likely to be the cause of your browser crashes.

You can now choose which player you want to retain, by clicking Disable on the other one. Chrome will now use whichever version is enabled on your PC.

If you decide to use the installable plug-in rather than the integrated one, it's advisable to make sure you have the latest version installed. Click here to get the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.

If the crashing behaviour continues, try going back to about:plugins and selecting to use the other Flash player.

See all How to articles. Get free tech support in the Helproom Forum.

Visit Windows 7 Advisor for more Windows advice.

Sony Xperia Z3 release date, price and specs UK: Pre-order or get it now

Just six months after the Sony Xperia Z2 went on sale Sony has unveiled the Xperia Z3 smartphone at IFA 2014. Here we reveal all there is to know about Sony's flagship smartphone, including UK release date, price and specs.  Also see: How to watch Sony Xperia Z3 launch live: live blog and video stream and read our Sony Xperia Z3 hands-on review.

The Z3 wasn't Sony's only IFA 2014 product launch: Also see: Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, Sony Xperia E3, Sony SmartWatch 3 and Sony SmartBand Talk.

Here is the brand-new Sony Xperia Z3 family - the Sony Xperia Z3 with the smaller Sony Xperia Z3 Compact and Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact:

Sony Xperia Z3 release date UK

Sony only cofirmed that the Xperia Z3 would launch in September but has now put a date for release: 29 September. However, the device is already on sale at retailer Clove. Also see: 41 best smartphones 2014.

Sony Xperia Z3 price UK

Sony has listed the Xperia Z3 for pre-order at £549, but Clove (link above) has the smartphone for £515 including a free accessory bundle worth £40.

If you're looking to get the Sony Xperia Z3 at the best price also see our Best SIM-only deals. 

Sony Xperia Z3 specs

As we expected, the Android KitKat 4.4.4-powered Sony Xperia Z3 features a super-slim 146x72x7.3mm, 152g rounded aluminium frame with durable tempered glass panels. A 5.2in (1920x1080) ultra-bright display uses Sony's Triluminous, Live Colour LED and X-Reality tech, and is said to be easily readable even in bright sunlight.

Available in black, white, copper and silver green, the Sony Xperia Z3 also offers better waterproofing protection than ever, with its IP65/68 rating meaning it can survive up to 30 minutes at depths of up to 1.5m.

The Sony Xperia Z3 is fitted with a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM and Adreno 330 graphics. It's available with 16- or 32GB of storage, and microSD cards up to 128GB in capacity are supported.

Battery life is also extended, says Sony, and you could get up to two days from the Xperia Z3's 3100mAh non-removable cell and Stamina power-saving mode.

Like its predecessor there is a 20.7Mp camera that supports 4K video, combining Sony's Handycam and Cyber-shot technologies, but now with a 25mm wide-angle Sony G Lens that lets you fit more into the shot. Sony claims the Z3 is the world's first smartphone to offer ISO 12800 sensitivity, and it's bundled some new social modes and editing features in the camera app.

Multi-camera lets you record from several angles using multiple compatible Xperia devices; Face In lets you record both an event and your reaction to it; AR fun lets you scribble on photos and add animations; Movie Creator combines your footage and snapshots into a home movie; and Sound Photo lets you add sound to a picture.

The front camera is rated at 2.2Mp and supports 1080p video. 

Also new to the Sony Xperia Z3 is PS4 Remote Play, which lets you use your phone as a remote screen to control PlayStation 4 games. It works with the DualShock 4 wireless controller and GCM10 Game control mount, so you can continue playing PS4 games on your phone.

Sony's renowned Walkman software is also present, and the Xperia Z3 supports high-res audio. DSEE HS tech upscales lower-quality audio to near-high-res quality. Front-facing speakers feature S Force Front Surround, which Sony claims plays everything loud and crystal clear.

The Sony Xperia Z3 supports 4G LTE, dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, NFC, GPS and GLONASS. A dual-SIM version will also be available as the D6633.

Check out the other products expected to be unveiled at IFA 2014.

Follow Marie Brewis on Twitter.

Sony Xperia Z3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5 comparison review: Why Sony outpaces Samsung in this smartphone battle

IFA 2014 brought along the Sony Xperia Z3 which means the Samsung Galaxy S5 has a new rival. See how these two flagship smartphones compare in our Sony Xperia Z3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5 comparison review. See also: The best smartphones of 2014.

Sony Xperia Z3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Price

Since the Xperia Z3 is a brand-new smartphone, it's no surprise that it's more expensive than the Galaxy S5 which is a few months old. Read: Sony Xperia Z3 release date, price and specs.

In the technology market, especially mobile, those few months make a big difference and while the Sony Xperia Z3 is £549 (the official price), the Galaxy S5 can be yours for around £390 at the time of writing.

That's a fairly big difference but the price of the Xperia Z3 will quickly drop. In fact, Clove already has it for £515 (with free accessories) so it shouldn't be long before it drops below the £500 mark.

Is the Xperia Z3 worth paying extra for? Read on to find out the different in hardware, performance, unique features and software. Related: Sony Xperia Z3 vs Xperia Z3 Compact comparison review: Is the mini Z3 too good?

Sony Xperia Z3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Design

Sony has been producing dust- and water resistant phones (and tablets) for a while now, almost solely, and the Xperia Z3 is, of course, no exception – although the feature has trickled down to cheaper phones in the form of the Xperia M2 Aqua.

Samsung likes features and has added this to the design of the Galaxy S5 also. They phone has a rating of IP67 and the Sony Xperia Z3 touts IP68. The first number relates to dust, so both are completely dust tight. The second refers to water so while the Galaxy S5 can be submerged in up to 1m of water for up to 30 minutes, the Xperia Z3 can handle up to 1.5m so is marginally better.

One thing we worry about is the fact that the Galaxy S5's rear cover is still removable so if it's not clipped into place properly a seal won't be made and water will easily get in. The Z3 only has a couple of flaps to keep shut.

The Xperia Z3 is a little thinner at 7.3 mm compared to 8.1 mm but since it's a slightly larger phone, it's heavier at 152 g against 142 g. These are small and pretty insignificant differences. What has far more effect is that the Sony handset feels far more premium and luxurious with the combination of aluminium and glass. The Galaxy S5 is too plastic fantastic for a flagship smartphone.

Sony Xperia Z3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Screen

Things are pretty similar when it comes to the screen on these two smartphones. Both have Full HD resolution, which we've come to expect from top-end handsets and they are only 0.1in different in size. The Galaxy S5 has a 5.1in screen while the Xperia Z3 sticks with the 5.2in display found on the Xperia Z2.

The slight size difference means the Galaxy S5 has a pixel density of 432 ppi while the Z3 offers 424 ppi but that's far too negligible to notice.

Samsung uses its favoured Super AMOLED technology while Xperia Z3's IPS LCD display employs its own Triluminos and X-Reality. We've seen both and the Xperia Z3's screen is more easy going and out favourite while the AMOLED tech is a little too in your face – you may disagree though.

Sony Xperia Z3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Processor and GPU

Things are identical when it comes to the engine room with both Sony and Samsung opting for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and Adreno 330 GPU. It's a 2.5 GHz quad-core chip no matter which phone you opt for and we've found performance to be top notch on each.

The Xperia Z3 does win a little one-up on the Galaxy S5 since it has 3 GB of RAM instead of 2 GB. More memory will always be a good thing as far as we're concerned.

Sony Xperia Z3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Storage

Storage is another area where these two handsets are very similar but it's Samsung which gains a brownie point this time with a 16- or 32 GB model – although the higher capacity tends to be a little harder to find. Sony has decided to launch the Xperia Z3 is just 16 GB. Both have a microSD card slot for adding up to 128 GB of storage.

Sony Xperia Z3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Wireless

As you would expect from two high-end flagship smartphones, the Xperia Z3 and Galaxy S5 come with the latest wireless technology: 11ac dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC and Cat 4 LTE 4G. However, there are a couple of differences to point out.

The Galaxy S5 has microUSB 3.0 which means faster charging and transfer speeds with the right cable and it has a 'download booster' which combines your Wi-Fi and 4G connection for faster speeds. In the Xperia Z3's favour is MHL 3.0 which supports 4K video output with the right adapter.

Sony Xperia Z3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Unique features

With such a similar set of hardware, it's unique features which will massively help you decide which one to buy. Which appeal to you will depend on your taste (and whether you own a PS4).

The Galaxy S5 has a number of features which the Xperia Z3 doesn't have such as a fingerprint scanner (housed in the home button), an IR blaster for controlling other gadgets with and a heart rate monitor.

That's a nice trio of items but they may be of no use to you. Perhaps the support for High-Res audio (including DSD files) on the Xperia Z3 will appeal more – and noise cancelling with the right headphones as per the Xperia Z2. It also has front facing stereo speakers and gamers will be delighted to hear that PS4 Remote Play is on-board.

Sony Xperia Z3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Cameras

There's little difference for front facing selfie camera fans as the Galaxy S5 has a 2Mp webcam while the Xperia Z3 offers a slightly higher resolution 2.2Mp shooter. Both can shoot video in 1080p quality.

However, there is a bigger difference when it comes to the main cameras. Samsung has opted for an impressive 16 Mp on the Galaxy S5 while the Xperia Z3 sticks to the 20.7 Mp camera with Sony's Exmor RS sensor found on multiple predecessors. It is worth noting that the Z3's camera has a new 28 mm wide-angle lens and a whopping maximum ISO of 12800. Both can shoot up to 4K (2160p) video with digital stabilisation features.

In the Galaxy S5's favour is a dual-tone flash while the Xperia Z3 offers a dedicated camera/shutter button on the side of the phone. Each has a large array of camera apps such as HDR, panorama, dual camera etc.
The Xperia Z3 marginally wins for us but the Galaxy S5 has one of the best smartphone cameras around too so we don't think you'll be disappointed either way.

Sony Xperia Z3 vs Samsung Galaxy S5: Software

The Galaxy S5 and Xperia Z3 both come pre-loaded with the latest version of Android, 4.4.2 KitKat. But that doesn't mean they are the same in this area. In fact, they are far from it because Samsung and Sony add their own user interfaces on top of stock Android.

Sony's is much closer to plain Android and still looks much the same as before with only some minor changes. For some users a lack of change will be a good things and Sony's interface is stylish, easy to use and comes with a good amount of decent wallpapers, widgets and apps such as Walkman.

Samsung's TouchWiz interface is well known for being one of the most complicated and customised around. While it may not be the most user friendly, if you like additional features then it may be the one for you. It offers smart pause, smart stay, multi-window, private mode, kids mode and many more plus the Magazine UX which is a swipe away from the homescreen.

These are two very different approaches to software so if you don't know which you prefer from reading this then try them out via friends or in shop before making a purchase.