CloudMagic review - speedy personalised search tool is all grown up

CloudMagic is growing up. This super-speedy search service debuted a few years ago and over time has evolved to offer some very useful features, including Facebook and Twitter search. Now, though, CloudMagic is making some of its biggest changes yet, including the ability to integrate your personal search results with Google's global Web results. (See our CloudMagic review from 2011.) See all Software reviews.

And the company is no longer offering unlimited searches for free, a move that may alienate some users. However, 50 free searches a month will suffice for many; the unlimited searches of the Pro subscription costs $5 a month - you are charged in $USD, and it works out at about £3.50 for UK users. See all software downloads.

CloudMagic's core search tools work the same as always: you sign up for an account, and link the services you'd like it to search. It supports a huge range of services, including AOL, Box, Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook, Gmail, Google Apps, Google Talk, GMX, Hotmail, iCloud, Mail.com, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, Microsoft Office 365, MSN, Outlook.com, SkyDrive, Twitter, Windows Live, and Yahoo.

Once access has been granted, CloudMagic then begins indexing your accounts, which can take some time if your accounts are sizable. It took several hours to index a Gmail account containing thousands of messages, but only a few minutes to index a newer Twitter account. You can begin searching right away, but waiting until the indexing process is complete will deliver more accurate results.

CloudMagic displays your own personal results in an unobtrusive box that appears alongside Google's Web results.

CloudMagic: the apps

The service is still available as it has been in the past, as a browser extension for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, an add-on for Internet Explorer, and a mobile app for the iPad, iPhone, and Android devices.  The browser extensions and add-ons appear as simple search box on any relevant Web pages; if you surf to a page that doesn't support CloudMagic, you don't see the box. You can move the search box around the page if it's in your way, and you can minimize it to a corner, too.

You enter your keywords in the search box, and CloudMagic goes to work, instantly (and I do mean instantly) displaying results as you type. The results appear in a column that appears below the CloudMagic search box as soon as you begin typing. Results are organized by source; if you enter a search string while on your Gmail page, you'll see results from there, but you also can scroll down to see results from your other accounts, like Facebook and Twitter. In CloudMagic's latest iteration, the results are as accurate as speedy as they have always been.

What's new about CloudMagic is how you can access its search results. It  is no longer limited to displaying results in its own search box. CloudMagic now lets you see your personal CloudMagic results when conducting Google searches. This feature, which is available using Chrome, Firefox, and Safari with the browser extension installed (except Internet Explorer) works whenever you enter a search query in Google. CloudMagic displays your personal results—from any accounts you've indexed—alongside your Google search results. If you search for a local restaurant on the Web, CloudMagic could, for example, display any tweets or Facebook status messages your friends may have posted about it. It's a handy way to mix personal and global Web search together. Results are displayed right on Google's results pages, in a box that appears to the right side of Google's results. You can see messages, tweets, Google docs, and more, all of which are organized by source, just like any other CloudMagic results.  They don't interfere with your Google results, as they sit off to the side, but when a relevant result is returned, it's easily accessible.

While all users will appreciate CloudMagic's new search tools, some may not appreciate the new price tag that comes along with using them too frequently. CloudMagic is still offering a free version, but it's not unlimited, as it was in the past. The free version of CloudMagic is for users who need less than 50 "previews" a month; anyone needing more will have to pay $5 a month for its Pro account. CloudMagic considers a preview the action you take after getting the search result, in which you click the result that seems relevant and you're shown a quick preview of the content it returned.

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CloudMagic for Windows 8 review - excellent search service Windows 8 app

CloudMagic has gone Metro. The excellent search service, of which I've been a fan since it made its debut in 2010, is now available as a native application for Windows 8's Metro interface. CloudMagic's Windows 8 edition still delivers super-speedy, accurate search results across a host of services, but it is a bit hamstrung by some of Windows 8's own problems. (See our CloudMagic review from 2011.) See all Software reviews.

You can download the CloudMagic app from Microsoft's Windows Store, and it installs quickly. If you already have a CloudMagic account, the app remembers all of your settings, and doesn't need much in the way of set up: You log in and you're good to go. See all software downloads.

If you don't have a CloudMagic account already, the signup process is simple, and it's easy to link the services you'd like it to search. CloudMagic currently searches the following services: AOL, Box, Dropbox, Evernote, Facebook, Gmail, Google Apps, Google Drive, Google Talk, GMX, Hotmail, iCloud, Mail.com, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, Microsoft Office 365, MSN, Outlook.com, SkyDrive, Twitter, Windows Live, and Yahoo Mail. You simply grant CloudMagic access to the accounts you'd like it to search, and it goes to work indexing them.

While the basics are the same, the actual experience of using CloudMagic as a Windows 8 Metro app is very different from using it in your browser, as an extension. Where the browser extension displays results right on the Web page you're viewing, the Metro app is its own standalone app. You search from within the app itself and see all of the results in there, too.

I do like how CloudMagic still organizes the results by type: You can see messages, people, files & docs, posts & updates, and events, and you can limit your search to just one of these categories if you have an idea of what you're looking for.

As always, CloudMagic's results appear quickly, in real-time as you type, and proved to be very accurate. And CloudMagic's subscription model is in place: you can view 50 free "previews" each month. (CloudMagic considers a preview the action you take after getting the search result, in which you click the result that seems relevant and you're shown a quick preview of the content it returned.) If you want to see more than 50 previews, you'll need to hand over $5 a month for a Pro account.

What's different about CloudMagic's Metro app is its Metro-fied interface, which displays results in large text in a column on the left side of the screen. I didn't test it on a touch-screen device, but I can see how this interface would work well with one. Clicking on one of the results brings up a preview on the right side of the screen. Depending on what type of content this preview contains, you'll also see certain options underneath the preview. If it's an email message, for example, you'll see options that include "Reply" and "Open."

Here's the unfortunate part of using CloudMagic in the Windows 8 modern UI: Much of the content that CloudMagic searches is available from services--like Facebook and Gmail--that are not yet available as Metro apps. So, when you open them, you're taken to your browser, back in Windows 8's Desktop interface. The experience isn't exactly seamless, especially because being back in your browser shows you the CloudMagic browser extensions--which reminded me, at least, of how much I like using it. It lets you switch between sites and services with ease.

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How to erase a write-protected USB stick and format a write-protected SD card

Some SD cards and USB sticks have write protection switches. When enabled they prevent files from being deleted, or any new files being written to the device. It also stops you from accidentally formatting the card or stick.

Occasionally, you’ll find that an SD card or USB flash drive will refuse to format and Windows will tell you that it is write protected, even though there is no switch, or the switch is set correctly to allow the device to be written to.

Typically, you can read the files which are already stored on the drive, but you can't delete them (they sometimes seem to delete ok, but the next time you check, there they are again!).

Here are a couple of ways you can try to format the drive and remove the write protection. Bear in mind that there is no guarantee that they will work for you: your USB flash drive or SD card may be corrupt or physically broken and no utility or low-level formatting tool will make it work again. The only solution in this case is to buy a new drive.

How to erase a write-protected USB drive in the Registry using Regedit.exe

In any version of Windows from XP onwards, run Regedit.exe (searching regedit will usually show the program at the top of the list).

Navigate to the following key:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\

CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

Double-click on the WriteProtect value in the right-hand pane of Regedit.exe. Change the Value data from 1 to 0 and click OK to save the change. Close Regedit and restart your computer. Connect your USB drive again, and you should find it is no longer write protected. You can now format the drive as normal by right-clicking on it in My Computer and choosing Format.

If you can’t find StorageDevicePolicies, you can try creating a key by right-clicking in the white space in the Control folder and choosing New -> Key and carefully entering the name.

Now double-click on the new key (folder) and right-click once again and choose New -> DWORD. Name it WriteProtect and set its value to 0. Click OK, exit Regedit and reboot your computer.

If this method doesn’t work, try the following:

Removing write-protection using Diskpart

With your USB drive plugged in, launch a command prompt. Do this by searching for cmd.exe in the Start menu (or Start screen in Windows 8). In Windows XP, click Start then Run, and type cmd.exe in the box.

NOTE: you may need to run Cmd.exe with administrator privileges if you see an “access is denied” message.

To do that, right-click on the shortcut and choose Run as administrator. In Windows 8, simply choose Command prompt (admin).

Now, type the following, pressing Enter after each command:

diskpart

list disk

select disk x (where x is the number of your USB flash drive – use the capacity to work out which one it is)

attributes disk clear readonly

clean

create partition primary

format fs=fat32  (you can swap fat32 for ntfs if you only need to use the drive with Windows computers)

exit

 

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iPhone 5s vs iPhone 6 comparison review: Screen size, battery, performance, specs and features

The iPhone 5s is now the old generation iPhone with the unsurprising arrival of the iPhone 6. A new Apple smartphone means changes so here's where we compare the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 to explain the difference between the two including price, features, performance and specs. See also: Best smartphones of 2015.

iPhone 5s vs iPhone 6: Release date and price

The iPhone 6 has been on sale since September but don't expect the price to be any lower so it still costs £539 for the 16GB model, £619 for the 64GB and £699 for the 128GB. The iPhone 5s was £549 so that's a small price reduction and the now old generation iPhone drops to £459 and is only available in 16- or 32GB. See: Where to buy iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus in the UK.

Here's a price table to give you a quick and easy overview of all the prices for the available iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s models. Click to view the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 at the Apple Store.

	iPhone 6	iPhone 5s
16 GB	£539	£459
32 GB	-	£499
64 GB	£619	-
128 GB	£699	-

iPhone 5s vs iPhone 6: Screen size

The iPhone 5s has a 4in display, which for a flagship smartphone is actually pretty tiny. Even mini versions of flagship phones from Samsung, LG and HTC have displays bigger than 4in. As expected, the iPhone 6 has a 4.7in display (the iPhone 6 Plus is even bigger at 5.5in). See also: iPhone 6 release date, price, specs & new features.

With a bigger screen comes a higher resolution - 750 x 1334. The iPhone 6 has 38 percent more pixel but the larger screen means the pixel density stays the same at 326ppi (that's what Apple calls Retina quality). Read: The best iPhone 6 alternatives.

In terms of technology, the iPhone 6 has LCD tech called dual domain pixels, which allow it to have a very broad angle of view. The display also has higher contrast and a thinner backlight, according to Apple.

See also: LG G3 vs iPhone 5s comparison. 

iPhone 5s vs iPhone 6: Design

As per the rumours, the iPhone 6 has a new style of design which is more rounded than before and somewhat matches up to the most recent iPads. The iPhone 5s is 7.6 mm but Apple has managed to slim the iPhone 6 down to 6.9 mm. The larger screen size means that the new iPhone is heavier at 129 g compared to 112 g.

Because the screen is bigger, the on/off button is now positioned on the side of the phone rather than the top. The iPhone 6 still comes in the same colours options: space grey, silver and gold.

Several allegedly leaked photographs of the iPhone 6's back seemed to suggest that the iPhone 6 would have an illuminated Apple logo on the back but that's not the case.

iPhone 5s vs iPhone 6: Features & specs

The iPhone 5s has a powerful A7 processor and, you've guessed it, the iPhone 6 has a new A8 processor. It uses a 20nm process and delivers 25 percent more CPU power and 50 percent better efficiency than the A7, according to Apple. It also add 50 percent on the GPU side of things. It's still 64-bit, of course and you can check out our benchmark results below.

	iPhone 6	iPhone 5s
GeekBench 3	2794	1076
GFXBench T-Rex	49 fps	37 fps
GFXBench Manhattan	26 fps	21 fps
SunSpider	351 ms	417 ms

The A7 comes with the M7 co-processor and the A8 comes with the new M8 co-processor which can identify what type of activity you're doing, estimate distance and - with the introduction of a barometer - knows details on elevation change.

Of course, there is 4G LTE support and Apple has added support for 20 LTE bands - the iPhone 5s has 13. A new feature is VoLTE (voice over LTE) which will be supported on EE in the UK.

We've heard rumours about a bigger and better battery in the iPhone 6, but some of that extra power could be used up by the iPhone 6's bigger display.

Rumours on the iPhone 6 appear to have been pretty spot on as the device now features, for the first time, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a new 128GB option (no 32GB any more) and NFC. The latter will be used in conjuction with ApplePay which will launch first in the US in October with credit cards/debit cards from AmEx, MasterCard, and Visa.

In terms of battery life, Apple claims the iPhone 6 will provide 14 hours of talktime and 11 hours of video playback compared to 10 hours for both on the iPhone 5s. You can see the full set of theoretical numbers below.

Our tests show that on average, the iPhone 5s lasts a day of usage whereas the iPhone 6 offers two. So this is a good reason to opt for the newer model.

iPhone 5s vs iPhone 6: Cameras

The iPhone 5s has an 8Mp camera with an f/2.2 aperture, and while rumours suggested Apple would boost things to a 10Mp camera, it did not happen. The iSight camera on the iPhone 6 remains at 8Mp does have a few improvements and new features.

For starters is introduces 'focus pixels' which means phase detection autofocus (something which has been on Android phones for a while). It also has digital image stabilization (the iPhone 6 Plus steps this up to optical). The new camera also allows users to record slo-mo footage at up to 240fps, twice that of the iPhone 5s.

The front facing Facetime HD camera has a new sensor, larger f/2.2 aperture and lets in 81 percent more light, according to Apple. New features include a burst mode and improved face detection.

iPhone 5s vs iPhone 6: Software

Both the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 will run iOS 8, the update to the Apple mobile will be available to iPhone users (back to the 4S) on 17 September. One new feature which will come to the iPhone 6 is the landscape orientation homescreen (see below). Since the iPhone 5s lacks NFC, the ApplePay feature which we mentioned earlier will also be exclusive. Find out more about iOS 8 here.

Order the iPhone 6 here,
iPhone 6 (16GB)
iPhone 6 (64GB)
iPhone 6 (128GB)

Order the iPhone 6 Plus here,
iPhone 6 Plus (16GB)
iPhone 6 Plus (64GB)
iPhone 6 Plus (128GB)

iPhone 5s vs. iPhone 6 | FindTheBest

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iPhone 6S release date, price, specs and new features: When is the iPhone 6s coming out? Will it be the iPhone 7?

It's 2015 and although the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are still going strong it's time to look ahead to Apple's next flagship smartphone. Here's what we know about the iPhone 6S release date, price and specs in the UK which might end up being the iPhone 7. Updated 20/4/15. Also see: Best new phones coming in 2015.

iPhone 6S: The name and models - will it be the iPhone 7?

Following Apple's history with smartphones, the next iPhone will be an 'S' model. However, there's always the possibility it will put an end to this tradition so we may be in store for the iPhone 7 this year – you just never know. In fact, reports suggest that the new iPhone is going to be so different from the current models that Apple will indeed skip to the iPhone 7. This is what KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks who has a proven track record of predicting Apple launches correctly.

For the last two launches, Apple has introduced two new iPhones. We currently have the iPhone 6 and the larger iPhone 6 Plus and previously Apple launched the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. Will we get two models again this year? We think so but rumours are thin on the ground on the subject at the moment but it's early days so stay tuned as we'll be updating this article as new information becomes available. Read: The best iPhone 6 alternatives.

iPhone 6s release date: When is the iPhone 6s coming out?

These days it relatively easy to predict when a new generation of a flagship smartphone will arrive. Most manufacturers announce a new model annually while some go for every six months.

Apple is one of the former and if we look at previous launches, it's highly likely that the iPhone 6S will be announced in September and will go on sale a week or two afterwards. Of course, if the launch event is towards the end of the month, the iPhone 6S release date could be early October. Bear in mind that if there are two new iPhones announced this year, they may not go on sale on the same day.

iPhone 6S: Design and specs

With an 'S' model iPhone, most things tend to stay the same in terms of design and specs. Usually there are a few tweaks here and there but Apple will save major changes for the next full model number – ie the iPhone 7.

It seems likely then that the iPhone 6S will look the same as the current iPhone 6. It will use the same chassis and come in the same colour options. The weight might change though due to different components inside or a new sapphire glass.

An S model sticks with the same screen size so we're probably looking at 4.7in and if there is an iPhone 6S Plus then it should remain at 5.5in. Resolutions are also likely to stay the same although one rumour suggests the new iPhone will have a 5in display with a 400ppi and what about the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge rivalling concept below by Michael Shanks?

So what will change?

If the design of the iPhone 6S remains the same, then Apple will provide upgrades in the form of new hardware. There are various rumours floating around, the most obvious of which, is of a new processor. The iPhone 6S will come with an A9 chip and could also get an upgrade in the RAM department to 2 GB.

The Touch ID fingerprint scanner could be integrated into the display, according to one rumour, rather than sitting in the home button. We thought the cameras would almost certainly be upgraded, although we're not sure a rumoured 21Mp rear camera is probable and analysts are now saying Apple will stick with 8Mp for the iPhone 6S.

More likely is a reversibly USB connector. We already have the Lightning connector which can be plugged in either way round so we'd put money on Apple doing it at the other end of the cable, too. Also highly possible, practically a given, is that the iPhone 6S will come pre-loaded with iOS 9 which will probably be detailed at Apple's WWDC which normally takes place in June.

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