Many cities around the world are facing a congestion crisis – and where governments and local authorities have seen fit to curb emissions from CO2-belching tailpipes, the humble automobile is slowly being phased out of many urban areas.
Although the microcar is nothing new (the petrol-powered Peel P50 was launched in the early 1960s), it is experiencing something of a renaissance thanks to those traffic and pollution problems. Plus, because battery and electric motor technology is now seen as the ‘cleaner and greener’ option, most modern models have gone electric.
Renault arguably pioneered the genre with its funky Twizy, which was once the top-selling plug-in vehicle in Europe before it was phased out, while Citroen recently rekindled the microcar flame with its Ami, which remains one of the cheapest electric cars money can buy.
“In terms of mobility, we need to start thinking about how we are moving. If we think about the (modern) cars and how big and heavy they have got, this is absolutely the wrong direction. We need to be more sustainable and cars need to become smaller,” co-founder of Microlino, Merlin Ouboter, told The Fully Charged Show.
Merlin isn’t wrong, as it is not uncommon for a modern electric SUV to weigh in at the three-tonne mark, while the physical footprint of today’s vehicles has ballooned to fit with customers’ action-packed lifestyles and to accommodate the large – and often very heavy – battery packs. This simply doesn’t work when parking spaces are at a premium. Enter the microcar.
(Image credit: Silence)
“In many cities in Spain, it is just not practical to try and drive and park a car, which is why we see such a high concentration of scooters and motorcycles,” Pablo Barrios, business development manager at EV and mobility company Silence, told me at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.
“But we also know there is demand for something that is enclosed from the weather, features creature comforts, such as air conditioning, and has storage for shopping, which is why we developed our S04 Nanocar model. It is rapidly gaining popularity throughout Europe and is often the quickest and easiest way to get around town,” he added.
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Even in the US, where larger than life automobiles loom large over the landscape, microcars have started to gain traction, not least the $11,900 neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) from start-up Eli, which now offers its Zero model in both Europe and the in the US.
With that in mind, here are some of the key players and emerging names to look out for in the microcar space…
Microlino and Microlino Lite
(Image credit: Micro)
The Microlino is very much worth its place in this guide, not least because of its utterly adorable design.
The Swiss company behind the Micro scooter, which itself has been a craze that has swept the globe, set about designing a low-powered and equally low maintenance electric vehicle that even 14-year-olds can legally drive income markets.
It comes in two flavors, with the smallest taking inspiration from the famous Isetta Bubble Car of the 1950s. The Microlino Lite features the same front-opening ‘fridge door’ and three-wheel layout of its retro forebear, but this thoroughly modern version is powered by batteries and electric motors.
It weighs just 435kg, which means it can manage 62 miles on a single charge and topping up the batteries takes around two hours from a domestic socket. There’s also a larger 11kWh battery option (the standard is 5.5kWh) that extends the range to 180km – or 112 miles – but this takes four hours to charge.
The larger, four-wheeled Microlino has space inside for two and has a max speed of around 55mph, making it more suitable for those longer journeys. Opt for the biggest battery packs and it can cover a staggering 114 miles on a single charge.
The Microlino is already in production and on sale in a bunch of European markets, with the US the next big target. It costs €21,990 (around £19,000 / $24,000 / AU$36,500), which is expensive, but the Lite version will be offered on a lease deal in its home town of Switzerland, rather than an outright purchase. Micro suggests monthly payments of CHF149, which is about €156 / £134 or $169 / AU$259.
Silence S04 Nanocar
(Image credit: Silence)
Proudly on display at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the Silence S04 Nanocar has rapidly been popping in markets outside of its Spanish home country, gaining popularity for its clever battery design that also works with Silence’s range of electric scooters.
These large, cuboid packs (the Nanocar requires two) boast retractable wheels, which means they can easily be removed from the vehicle in questions and dragged to a plug socket, scooter or even on the many Silence battery swap centres with ease.
The S04 costs £15,995 (around $20,000 / AU$30,000) to buy outright, but Silence is another company touting a monthly rental fee or membership package. In Spain, it’s possible to sign up and get use of both the scooters and Nanocar for one convenient price. Alternatively, Silence allows customers to buy the vehicle and then lease the battery technology to keep the cost down.
As a mode of transport, the S04 Nanocar is capable of a top speed of 52mph, can manage around 92 miles on a single charge and packs USB chargers for smartphones, enough room for luggage and operates without a key, simply requiring a smartphone app to unlock.
Eli Zero
(Image credit: Eli)
Offering a 60-mile range and top speeds of 25mph, the diminutive Eli Zero is designed to get from A-to-B with minimal fuss and replace those quick trips to town that a scooter or moped would have likely covered – albeit with better protection from the elements, air conditioning, power steering, a rear-view camera and even an optional head unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.
Reservations have already opened in the US, despite regulations making it difficult for the Microcar to thrive due to stringent crash safety legislation. As a result, it’s only legal to drive on roads with a 35mph speed limit, for example, hence the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle categorization.
However, that doesn’t stop Eli from throwing in Bluetooth-enabled speakers, comfortable seating for two, LED headlights and a neat keyless start system. It might look like a glorified golf cart, but it’s got more in common with proper passenger cars when it comes to equipment.
Eli says it has the capacity to produce around 4,000 Zero models per year, although it is yet to reveal how much interest it has garnered so far.
Birò
(Image credit: Biro)
Hailing from Italy, Birò takes a similar approach to small personal transport as Silence, offering quick swap battery technology in its models and highly customizable mobility solutions that range from the cheapest and simplest ways to get moving, to those that can operate in colder climates and carry more cargo.
Birò wants you to think about its products like small capacity motorcycles, with similar performance to the 50cc and 125cc scooters currently on the market.
Top speeds range from around 28mph to 40mph, but they are priced from £11,350 (around $14,000 / AU$21,500), making them far cheaper than most of the EVs currently on sale.
In Italy, there’s the option to join a membership scheme and gain access to a Birò when required, with the company offering them in ‘Big’ (two seats) or ‘Small’ (room for just one), as well as ‘Naked’ and ‘Dressed’ configurations.
Where the Microlino and Microlino Lite go big on retro design and disarmingly cute good looks, the Birò is altogether more utilitarian. Although it still offers heated windshields, a digital speedo and a smartphone holder.
Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule, which has been and cost overruns amounting to roughly $1.5 billion, is about to take its first flight with humans on board. Boeing was chosen 10 years ago alongside SpaceX to develop a spacecraft that could ferry astronauts from US soil to the International Space Station (ISS), thus allowing NASA to end its reliance on Russia for crewed flights. The companies were each awarded a fixed-price contract under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program: $4.2 billion to Boeing for its CST-100 (Starliner) and $2.6 billion for SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
Their initial deadline of 2017 proved to be a bit too ambitious. SpaceX — and about a dozen since — while Boeing has struggled to get its Starliner capsule off the ground. But as soon as May 6, it’ll finally have a crewed flight under its belt.
Starliner is now at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex-41 attached to the ULA Atlas V rocket that’ll send it on its way to the ISS. Liftoff is planned for 10:34PM ET on Monday, May 6. The capsule will be carrying two NASA astronauts: Butch Wilmore, the mission’s commander, and Suni Williams, who will serve as pilot.
NASA
Not only is it Starliner’s first crewed flight, but this test is only its third flight ever. The spacecraft (without anyone aboard) successfully demonstrated its ability to reach, dock and undock from the ISS in spring 2022 when it conducted its second Orbital Flight Test. On its previous attempt, in 2019, Starliner failed to make it all the way to the ISS thanks to a software issue that resulted in it burning too much fuel (one of a few problems Boeing missed after it opted at the time ).
It’s suffered numerous other problems, too, in the years since Boeing bagged the NASA contract, causing the company to slip far behind SpaceX. There was a toxic fuel leak during a 2018 test. Then corrosion caused valves in the propulsion system to stick, waylaying Boeing’s plans for a 2021 launch, as reported earlier this year. Problems with the spacecraft’s parachute deployment system last summer, and the team had to remove around a mile of flammable tape.
Boeing has also had its fair share of troubles beyond Starliner during this time, facing increased scrutiny into — particularly the 737 Max line — after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, on top of other less serious incidents. Most recently, a panel blew off a 737 Max 9 mid-flight in January, forcing it to make an emergency landing.
The May 6 flight marks a major step toward Starliner’s certification as a crew transport system that NASA can actually put into its rotation for trips to the ISS. That will give the space agency the redundancy it’s looking for; with both Crew Dragon and Starliner in operation, it’ll always have a backup option in case something happens to one of them. Both NASA and Boeing have been adamant that the capsule has been put through an exhaustive review process and is ready to support astronauts. NASA wrapped up its Crew Flight Test Readiness Review of Starliner on April 25.
“The first crewed flight of a new spacecraft is an absolutely critical milestone,” NASA associate administrator Jim Free said during a briefing on the completion of the review. “The lives of our crewmembers Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are at stake — we don’t take that lightly at all.” The latest review is “the culmination of a detailed review season that has really thoroughly established that we are really ready to go on this flight,” said NASA chief flight director Emily Nelson.
NASA/Frank Michaux
It’s expected to take about 24 hours for Starliner to reach the ISS after it lifts off, and as this is a test flight, its onboard crew will have a lengthy task list of systems and equipment checks to complete across every phase of the journey. While Starliner can operate autonomously, the crew will test its manual controls and make sure it’s in good shape for manual abort scenarios. After Starliner docks to the space station, the astronauts will spend about a week there working with the current crew, Expedition 71.
Then, they’ll undock from the orbiting lab and head home — and put Starliner through the test of reentry and landing. A few potential landing sites in the southwest US have been picked out, including the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Wilmore and Williams have been training for Starliner’s first flight for years. “They know the vehicle inside and out, and they’ve been part of the test environment that’s developed the Starliner capability,” said Steve Stich, manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. All involved in last Thursday’s briefing acknowledged that they may encounter some unexpected challenges, and that there’s much to be learned from this first crewed flight. “It’s a good reminder for all of us that the team has practiced, run sims, run models, but there’s nothing like flying in the space environment,” said Free.
The NASA and Boeing officials also expressed their confidence that the craft itself and the teams handling its journey are well-prepared for the job. The echoed these sentiments upon arriving at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. “We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t ready,” Wilmore said, addressing questions from the press. “We are ready, the spacecraft’s ready, and the teams are ready.”
If Starliner for whatever reason can’t launch on the 6th, it’ll have backup opportunities on May 7, 10 and 11. After the Crew Flight Test is complete and the astronauts are back home, NASA will get to work certifying the spacecraft for future missions bringing crews to and from the ISS. It’s currently targeting 2025 for Starliner to begin duty.
“I don’t want to get too far ahead because we still need to fly a successful mission,” said Free ahead of Starliner’s launch, “but when we do, and when we certify Starliner, the United States will have two unique human space transportations that provide critical redundancies for ISS access.”
Ubisoft says the mobile version of the AAA title offers “the same experience as the console version” but with adapted touchscreen controls. IGNreports that Ubisoft confirmed the mobile game will support MFi hardware controllers like the Backbone One and Razer Kishi Ultra.
Ubisoft says Assassin’s Creed Mirage supports cross-progression and cross-save through Ubisoft Connect, so you can pick up where you left off no matter your platform. The game launched in October for PC, PS5/4, Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One.
Ubisoft
Engadget’s Kris Holt found Assassin’s Creed Mirage to be a return to form for the series, trading the RPG elements that had grown prominent in recent years for the series’ stealth and action roots. “The deeper I got into Assassin’s Creed Mirage, the more a sense of warm nostalgia washed over me,” Holt wrote. “It felt like a cozy hug from an old friend. A comforting, bloody embrace.”
The game will be free to download, and it has a 90-minute free trial. After that, it’ll be a $50 in-app purchase to continue playing on any compatible iPhone or iPad. You can pre-reserve the game now on the App Store.
Microsoft OneDrive has finally introduced a feature long considered a staple of Google Drive and iCloud: an offline mode. The mode will be rolled out to students and professionals from today onwards, allowing users to save and edit work whether they have an internet connection or not.
Offline mode for the web version of OneDrive will now let you open your files in the various sections of the program, like your shared folder and meeting views, as well as edit your documents, rename them, and sort them – all without needing an internet connection.
All these changes will be ‘saved’ offline and implemented once you regain internet connectivity with your changes synced to the cloud. Files will be marked as ‘available offline’ as they are in Google Drive.
How to set it up
If you want to use the new offline mode for OneDrive, you’ll need to install the OneDrive app on your Windows or Mac device. Once you’ve done that, you need to head over to OneDrive on your web browser of choice.
You should be prompted to complete the one-time setup for offline mode, and voila! You’re all set! You should bear in mind that there are limitations on what you can and cannot do with offline mode at present. As MSPoweruser reports, offline mode only includes support if you have 250,000 files or fewer – hopefully, you do! – and the feature is currently only supported for OneDrive for work and school (although a wider rollout is presumably in the works).
While long overdue, this is a great chance for Onedrive users who have to work on the go and make last-minute changes to work, and it helps take the stress off those unfortunate times when your Wi-Fi crashes and you worry about losing all your progress! Hopefully, this will tempt more people to try the file management program – now that it’s finally up to speed with basically every other alternative.
You might also like…
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Kobo might play second fiddle to the popularity of Amazon’s Kindles, but the Japanese-Canadian brand has beaten the tech giant in being the first to deliver mainstream color ereaders that are also relatively affordable. Two were announced side by side, with the Kobo Clara Colour being the cheaper option.
It’s an entry-level model compared to its bigger 7-inch Libra Colour sibling but, despite its 6-inch display size and lack of stylus support, the Clara Colour is a great option for anyone looking for a dedicated reading device. With no other functionality on board, it’s distraction-free reading at its best and in color too.
In fact, Kobo makes full use of the E Ink Kaleido 3 display technology that’s adopted for the Clara Colour. Not only are the book covers displayed in color, but the selected tab on the bottom of the home screen changes to a reddish-brown when selected. Even the download status bar is that color.
There’s even a dark mode available here and, if you happen to have highlighted words and passages in an ebook, they will still be displayed in color – only the text and background colors get inverted.
Page turns are fast, the on-screen keyboard is responsive and the battery life is good too. It’s waterproof, lightweight and portable as well. It looks like the Amazon Kindle (2022) but its biggest selling point is that color screen, for which you will be paying a little more. All in all, Kobo has done really well with the Clara Colour.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Kobo Clara Colour review: price and availability
Announced April 2024
Launch price of $149.99 / £139.99 / AU$259.95
Available in one colorway with optional slipcovers
There aren’t many mainstream 6-inch ereaders with a color display, so it’s hard to compare the Kobo Clara Colour with others. Still, at $149.99 / £139.99 / AU$259.95, it’s arguably the cheapest big-brand color ereader on the market. If you don’t need the color display, then opting for the 2022 edition of the Amazon Kindle or even the 2024 Kobo Clara BW will save you some cash, with the former costing only $119.99 / £94.99 / AU$179 without ads and the latter setting you back $129.99 / £119.99 / AU$239.95.
If the color display is important to you, then you’re looking at going up one size at the very least, with the Kobo Libra Colour being one of the cheapest in the 7-inch size class at $219.99 / £219.99 / AU$359.95. All other color ereaders worth their salt are more expensive.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Kobo Clara Colour review: Specs
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Display type:
E Ink Kaleido 3
Screen size:
6 inches
Resolution:
300ppi for B&W; 150ppi for color
Processor:
2GHz
Frontlight:
ComfortLight Pro (warm and cold)
Storage:
16GB
Battery:
1,500mAh
Water protection:
IPX8
Software:
Linux based
Connectivity:
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C
File support:
10 document, 5 image, 1 audio
Dimensions:
112 x 160 x 9.2 mm
Weight:
174g
Kobo Clara Colour review: Design and display
Body built with up to 85% recycled plastic
Sharp, responsive 6-inch display
Sunken screen, which reduces glare
Kobo has stuck with the same design formula it used for the Clara 2E, bringing an identical black plastic body and raised bezels over to the Clara Colour – while its monochrome sibling, the Clara BW, gets a two-tone chassis to shake things up a little. Available in just a black colorway, the rear panel is textured to provide a little grip, while the side bezels on the front are just broad enough to offer your thumbs a place to rest.
While the raised bezel design might look a little dated now, it’s better at preventing glare from overhead lighting (indoor or sunshine). Less glare also means you won’t be spotting smudged fingerprints as much either.
That’s not to say the screen is reflective – far from it. The 6-inch E Ink Kaleido 3 display is, like all other e-ink displays, glare-free but its smooth surface can have bright spots from overhead lights. That said, the built-in frontlight on the display can help reduce those bright spots.
The ComfortLight Pro on the Clara Colour is the same frontlight Kobo has been using on all its ereaders for a long while now. It lights up the screen evenly – I didn’t notice any areas of shadows or excessive lighting – which makes the reading experience a good one. Moreover, there are amber LEDs on the device, so you can adjust the light temperature to warmer tones for evening or nighttime reading to reduce eye fatigue.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
As the name of the device suggests, the display can now handle some color – 4,096 hues to be precise. As I’ve mentioned in all my other reviews of color ereaders: don’t expect the colors to pop with saturation as they do on an LCD screen. They will appear a little muted in comparison and that’s a limitation of the e-ink screen technology, not an issue with Kobo’s implementation.
Anything displayed in black and white on this screen will have a resolution of 300ppi, while anything shown in color will be at 150ppi resolution. The lower resolution might sound like color images (like comics and book covers) won’t look good, but far from it. In fact, the higher pixel density actually renders colors well, making them appear a little more saturated than they would on a larger E Ink Kaleido 3 display as used in the 7-inch Kobo Libra Colour or the 7.8-inch Onyx Boox Tab Mini C.
Despite tipping the scales at 174g – just 4g more than the Clara 2E – the Clara Colour is light and compact, being the perfect size for traveling with. It’s also waterproof, with an IPX8 rating that will keep the device in working condition if immersed in 2 meters of water for up to an hour.
The navy blue rear panel of the Kobo Clara BW (left) and the black of the Kobo Clara Colour (right) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Like its predecessor, over 85% of the body is recycled plastic, which includes waste that would have ended up in our oceans (like plastic bottles and CDs). The packaging it comes in is made from 100% recycled materials and is recyclable in turn, and the ink used to print the text and images on the box is soy, so biodegradable.
Rounding out the design elements is a concave power button on the rear of the device, a USB-C port placed off-center of the bottom edge, and the Kobo branding on the lower bezel. It’s a simple design that reflects the device’s single-minded purpose of digital reading.
It’s also possibly one of the most repairable ereaders on the market, along with its 2024 siblings. Kobo has partnered with iFixit to provide spare parts and instructions on how to perform some repairs, although, at the time of writing, neither of these are available on the iFixit website. I’ll update this review when there’s more information from either Kobo or iFixit.
Design & display score:4 / 5
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Kobo Clara Colour review: User interface
Streamlined, easy-to-use UX
Good font and file support
Cloud transfer files not available
I have always been a fan of Kobo’s easy-to-use interface on its devices, with everything neatly laid out on the home screen. Up to four of your current reads are listed right up top of the home screen, followed by a My Books section and another that cycles through either new recommendations, access to Kobo Plus or one of your Collections within your library.
Above the book tiles is the quick menu for screen brightness, Wi-Fi, battery, cloud sync (for firmware updates) and search, while at the bottom of the home screen are the four tabs to navigate around the device and the Kobo Store.
It’s nice to see Kobo has taken full advantage of the E Ink Kaleido 3 screen by displaying the selected navigation tab in color. The same red-brown hue is also used for the download status of a title you’re either purchasing or accessing via Kobo Plus.
The More pane on the Kobo Clara Colour (right) misses out on the Google Drive and Dropbox support seen on the Kobo Libra Colour (left) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
OverDrive support to borrow from partnered public libraries is still a stalwart presence on Kobo ereaders, as is Pocket. The latter, which is essentially a browser plugin that allows you to save web articles for reading later, gives you access to those articles on the Clara Colour if you already have a Pocket account.
Unlike the more expensive Kobo ereaders, there’s no Google Drive or Dropbox support on the Clara Colour. The only way to sideload titles is by plugging the device into your laptop and PC via the USB-C port and dragging files over.
File support is good, although not as extensive as what you’ll get on an Onyx ereader. Despite that, all the essential file formats are supported, including EPUBs, the most common ebook file format. Two comic files are also supported, plus 4 image formats. The only audio format supported is Kobo Audiobooks, so you can’t sideload audiobooks you might have sourced from a third party – you have to either purchase it from the Kobo Store or listen via Kobo Plus.
Audiobooks, however, take up storage space on a device and the Clara Colour only has 16GB to offer, with no microSD slot to increase it. So you may need to keep an eye on the storage if you’re more into audiobooks than ebooks.
The Kobo Libra Colour (left) and the Clara Colour (right) have dark mode, with color content displayed as is. Only text is inverted. (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
A new addition to the Clara Colour’s settings is the option to “reduce rainbow effect” when viewing in color. I’ve never come across this option in color ereaders from other brands, and I haven’t been able to figure out what exactly a rainbow effect is, so I haven’t a clue how the setting works. I suppose, if color content starts to look a little strange, selecting this setting might help.
Dark Mode is available here and that only inverts text color while you’re reading an ebook. If your book has color images, you will see them displayed in color on a black background, which I think can make some pictures pop a little more.
One change I’ve been waiting for Kobo to make to its interface is the ability to create subfolders within the library. You can create what Kobo calls Collections, but you can’t set up nested sub collections within your main ones. Kindle allows for it, so I think it’s time Kobo adopted a similar option.
User interface score: 4.5 / 5
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Kobo Clara Colour review: Performance
Responsive touchscreen
Good battery life
Less contrast in black-and-white compared to some other ereaders
It’s been hard for me to fault Kobo’s ereaders when it comes to performance and it’s the same with the Clara Colour too, especially with a 2GHz processor keeping things ticking along nicely. Reading on it is a pleasure, although I personally find a 6-inch screen too small due to needing to turn a page a touch too often for my liking – that can eat into the battery life of the device. The small size might also make reading comics and graphic novels less enjoyable as, depending on how the title has been formatted, some frames could get cut off.
Both black-and-white books and color content look good on the Clara Colour, but I found the former lacked little contrast in comparison to some other monochrome ereaders I’ve previously tested. That said, you’ll only notice the difference if you compare two different models side by side and it doesn’t affect the reading experience at all. If it does, though, Kobo allows you to make the text on the screen ‘heavier’ by making the font a little thicker. Colors, on the other hand, appear comparatively more saturated on the 6-inch screen when compared to larger color ereaders and that’s down to the pixel density.
Opening an ebook on the Libra Colour during testing had a significant lag, but that’s not the case with the Clara Colour. It’s faster in that respect and, just like its bigger sibling, has a peppy screen performance. Page turns are quick and the on-screen keyboard has no major lag either, whether that’s to make annotations or type in your Wi-Fi password.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
I had no issues pairing the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones to the Clara Colour to listen to audiobooks, although the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II took a few tries before they paired. I’m putting that down to the slightly temperamental nature of the earbuds as I’ve had this issue with the same set and other ereaders before.
As with other ereaders, the Clara Colour will give you weeks of reading pleasure on a single charge. It has a 1,500mAh battery pack – the same as the Kobo Clara 2E but smaller than the 2,050mAh in the Libra Colour – and you can easily eke out up to 5 weeks of use, depending on how you use it. In my case, a screen brightness of 15%, the refresh rate set to every chapter and the Wi-Fi always on, gave me 34 days of reading about an hour each day before the battery dropped to 21% from full. So you can definitely get more. In fact, the Clara Colour has better battery life than the Libra Colour despite a smaller capacity, but then it doesn’t need to handle as many tasks as its bigger sibling needs to.
A recharge can take up to two hours, but that’s only because trickle charging kicks in at about the 95% mark – as happens with other Kobo ereaders. While it might seem frustrating to have to wait for an hour to see just a 5% top up, trickle charging preserves the battery for longer, thus ensuring a longer lifespan for your device.
Marginally bigger and heavier than the Amazon Kindle (2022), the Kobo Clara Colour is still light and portable. (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Should I buy the Kobo Clara Colour?
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Attribute
Notes
Score
Value
Arguably the cheapest color ereader available, albeit a 6-inch one.
4.5/5
Design & display
It might look dated, but the color screen enhances the reading experience.
4/5
User interface
Simple and remarkably easy to use.
4.5/5
Performance
There’s no reason to complain here, although a touch more contrast would be nice.
5/5
Overall
6 inches may not suit everyone and, in comparison to monochrome ereaders, color options are more expensive.
4.5/5
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell – Column 0
Kobo Clara Colour
Amazon Kindle (2022)
Kobo Clara BW
Price
$149.99 / £139.99 / AU$259.95
$119.99 / £94.99 / AU$179 (no ads)
$129.99 / £119.99 / AU$239.95
Screen
6-inch E Ink Kaleido 3
6-inch E Ink Carta 1200
6-inch E Ink Carta 1300
Resolution
300ppi (B&W); 150ppi (color)
300ppi
300ppi
Operating system
Linux based
Linux based
Linux based
Storage
16GB
16GB
16GB
CPU
2GHz
1GHz
1GHz
Battery
1,500mAh
1,040mAh
1,500mAh
Connectivity
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C
Waterproofing
IPX8
No
IPX8
File support (including audio and images)
16
17
16
Dimensions
160 x 112 x 9.2 mm
157.8 x 108.6 x 8.0 mm
160 x 112 x 9.2 mm
Weight
174g
158g
174g
How I tested the Kobo Clara Colour
Used for three weeks alongside the Kobo Libra Colour and the Onyx Boox Palma
Used it for both reading ebooks and listening to audiobooks
Compared it with other 6-inch and 7-inch ereaders
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
I was lucky to have been sent the Kobo Clara Colour ahead of the official announcement, so I’d been using it for a few weeks before publishing this review. I used it alongside the Kobo Libra Colour as well as the rather different-looking Onyx Boox Palma. I also had the brief pleasure of comparing it to the Kobo Clara BW as well.
I used to the Clara Colour to both read and listen – I have a Kobo account, so signing into it via the device gave me access to my existing library. It also gave me access to my Kobo Plus subscription, which is where I found some audiobooks to listen to.
While using the Clara Colour, I had the opportunity to compare it to other ereaders, both black and white as well as color. These include the Libra Colour, the Onyx Boox Tab Mini C, the Onyx Boox Poke 5 and the PocketBook InkPad 4.
If you’ve been keeping up with Windows 11 news you’ll know that there’s been a lot of turbulence with the latest optional update – Windows 11 version KB5036980 – and the introduction of ads into the start menu. Happily, Microsoft is finally doing something about it – but it might be too little, too late for some users.
The update is currently available for users running Windows 11 version 23H2 and 22H2 and can be installed manually from the Update Catalog. Besides the annoying pop-ups of ads in your start menu, it seems that users are also getting error messages when trying to change their profile photo.
Spotted by Windows Latest, some users who installed the update are getting an error message when they try to change their account photo. This seems to only be happening on people’s local system accounts and not their actual Microsoft accounts, meaning that it’s definitely a Windows issue rather than something to do with Microsoft’s online account systems.
Playing the waiting game
Microsoft has updated its Feedback Hub to say that it’s aware of the reports and has already started to make changes in the internal builds. So, the May 2024 optional update is expected to fix the current issues.
Windows Latest received comments from Microsoft support staff that it is investigating the error and confirmed that the issue affects the mandatory KB5036893 update and the optional KB5036980 update that put ads in the Start menu. The profile pic bug is expected to be fixed soon, along with some other bugs that have been plaguing Windows 11 as of late.
So if you are currently experiencing this issue, you’ll likely just have to wait for the May patch for Microsoft to issue a fix. Until then, you may be stuck with your profile picture for a while – I hope it’s cute!
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Of all the biggest missed opportunities in Microsoft’s rather long history of squandered chances, Windows on Arm is the one I’m saddest about – but that could soon change.
When Windows 10 on Arm was first being touted (the less said about the earlier Windows RT the better), the promise of a fully-fledged version of Windows running on Arm-based hardware usually found in smartphones and tablets (rather than the more common Intel and AMD hardware) was incredibly exciting.
We were told that Windows 10 on Arm would combine the power and flexibility of the best laptops with some of the best features of smartphones and tablets – particularly speedy boot times, fast resume, always-connected internet, and day-long battery life.
Unfortunately, the reality was quite different from those lofty promises. While battery lives of Windows 10 on Arm devices were certainly impressive for the time, performance was poor, especially considering that Windows 10 on Arm devices were also very expensive.
Worst of all, these devices could only run apps downloaded from the Windows Store (now known as the Microsoft Store), and those apps had to have Arm-compatible versions.
(Image credit: Microsoft / Dell)
Unfortunately, most Windows apps are designed for Intel and AMD hardware (also known as x64 architecture). This makes sense as the vast majority of Windows devices – especially during the Windows 10 years – was built on x64 hardware. So, many app developers didn’t see the point of making Arm-compatible versions, and this meant that not only were Windows 10 on Arm devices more expensive and less powerful than standard Windows 10 laptops, but they also couldn’t run a lot of the most popular applications – a fatal combination.
Poor sales of Windows on Arm devices inevitably followed, and that, in turn, meant app developers were less likely to port their products to Arm.
(Image credit: Yaaaaayy / Shutterstock)
Breaking the vicious cycle
Unfortunately, the lack of both apps and customers set off a vicious cycle that impacted the success of later Windows 11 on Arm devices.
However, there have been some exciting breakthroughs that could positively affect the fortunes of Windows 11 on Arm devices, and might finally allow them to reach their full potential.
The most important development has been the launch of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus and Elite chips. Qualcomm is one of the biggest companies in the world, and while it might not have the kind of brand recognition that the likes of Intel and AMD have, its Arm-based chips have been powering millions of mobile devices around the world. The company has been a key partner of Microsoft’s when it comes to Windows on Arm devices and has applied its experience of making Arm chips for mobile devices to create more powerful chips for computing devices. While these haven’t always been successful, the latest generation promises some very exciting things.
This struck me as evidence that Qualcomm might have cracked two of the biggest issues with Windows on Arm devices. First, there’s the performance. While Baldur’s Gate 3 on the Snapdragon X Elite-powered device was playable, it won’t trouble the best gaming laptops – but the fact that it even ran at all is impressive. This bodes well for the day-to-day performance of Snapdragon X Elite-powered laptops.
There’s also the important fact that there’s no Arm version of Baldur’s Gate 3 for Windows devices. This means that the game is using emulation to allow it to work on Arm hardware. This comes at a performance cost, which makes the playable state of the game on the Snapdragon X Elite even more impressive. It also shows that even demanding non-Arm applications can be made to work on Arm hardware without needing a native Arm version. This could pave the way for more programs coming to Windows on Arm – and it isn’t dependent on the developers making dedicated versions. This could address the issue of a lack of apps on Windows on Arm.
Alongside the Snapdragon X Elite, Qualcomm also has Snapdragon X Plus, a more affordable chip that lowers the CPU core count (10 cores compared to the Elite’s 12) and lower speed (3.4GHz vs 3.8GHz). If the performance remains competitive (and early benchmark leaks suggest that it does), and the price is low enough, we could see Windows on Arm devices that aren’t overpriced and offer much better value for money – addressing yet another common criticism of Windows on Arm devices.
(Image credit: Apple)
The Apple effect
Before the launch of the Snapdragon X series, Windows on Arm was in a bad place. Things looked particularly grim as Microsoft’s old rival, Apple, was enjoying huge success and critical acclaim with its lineup of Macs powered by its M1 (and later M2 and M3) chips – which are built on Arm architecture.
While Windows on Arm struggled, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) and co were proving that Arm-powered laptops weren’t just viable, they could be the future of computing. Offering the long battery lives and quick startups we’d been promised, Apple’s first generation of Mac and MacBooks that ran on the company’s Arm-based chips, rather than the Intel hardware of older models, were a hit. And, while the MacBook Air’s launch price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,599 wasn’t exactly cheap, it was a competitive price point. And with the M1 providing an excellent level of performance, the high price tag is far more justified.
The best thing about the M1 Apple Macs was a tool by Apple called Rosetta 2. This was an emulation layer that allowed almost all existing Mac apps to run on the new M1 hardware. This meant Mac users switching to an M1 device would be able to use pretty much all of their important apps and programs, even if M1 native apps were thin on the ground.
This was a canny move by Apple, as it meant that M1 products were a big success, and because of that, app developers started making versions of their products that could run on M1 hardware without the need for emulation – and could take full advantage of Apple’s chip.
When the M2 series of Macs and MacBooks came out, Rosetta 2 was still in use – but the number of times I’ve had to use it when using an M2 MacBook dropped significantly, as there was a growing library of M2 apps.
By the time the M3 chips rolled around late last year, the number of times I (and other users) had to rely on Rosetta 2 was even rarer. Very few bits of software can be considered a success if fewer people need to use it, but that’s exactly what happened here. Rosetta 2 allowed Mac owners to switch to Arm-based Macs with ease, while also giving app developers the time to develop native apps. And the more people that switched to Arm Macs, the more attractive it became for app developers to port their apps to the platform.
(Image credit: Accogliente Design / Shutterstock)
It’s now up to Microsoft
So, Apple proved that Arm-based laptops can be successful, and Qualcomm looks like it could have addressed many of the hardware issues. Does this mean the next generation of Windows on Arm devices will be a slam dunk?
Sadly, that’s not a guarantee just yet as there’s one company that needs to pull its weight to give Windows on Arm devices their best chance of success: Microsoft.
While it’s obvious that Microsoft would want Windows on Arm to succeed, the way it’s handled previous generations has been frustrating. The fact that there’s never been a tool similar to Rosetta 2 that would make running non-Arm apps run easily is particularly annoying.
Now, I’m sure this is due to it being a very complex job. After all, Windows devices are made by various manufacturers that use components from different companies, which leads to a potentially limitless range of Windows PC configurations. Macs, on the other hand, have much more limited configurations, with the hardware mainly being built by Apple.
However, the lack of apps is perhaps the biggest hurdle still standing for Windows on Arm, especially when there are Macs out there that can run a much wider range of apps. And, this is a problem that should be in Microsoft’s powers to do something about.
Microsoft does have tools for getting non-Arm software running on Arm hardware using emulation, but it hasn’t taken off in the same way, mainly because it’s not as easy to use and doesn’t work quite as well, with some apps still refusing to run.
If Microsoft can’t come up with a Rosetta 2-beating solution, then it needs to do more work convincing app developers to port their software to Arm. This might be a difficult feat, especially when the user base is so low, but Microsoft is a very successful company with plenty of resources. It could provide financial incentives, or offer developers and tools to help port the biggest apps.
Microsoft is also a hardware company, and its past attempts to create Windows on Arm devices suffered from the problems that have become all too familiar. The Surface Pro X, for example, came with Microsoft’s SQ1 Arm-based chip, made in conjunction with Qualcomm. It was also overpriced and didn’t perform well.
However, if these devices come out with unappealing price tags, poor performance, and a continued lack of app support, then it could be the end of the Windows on Arm dream. After all, if Microsoft itself can’t make a success of it, what hope do other companies have?
Mini LEDs are typically found in gaming monitors. Unlike LCD backlights, they offer a broad contrast range, with deeper, near-OLED quality levels of black, that enrich and enhance the dynamism of both SDR and HDR content.
Asus has brought Mini LED technology to the ultra-high-end business monitor market for the first time with its new 32-inch ProArt Display PA32KCX. The 8K screen (that’s a whopping 7,680 x 4,320 pixels – 275 PPI), is aimed at professional photographers, video editors and graphics artists.
The panel covers over 97% of the cinema-grade DCI-P3 color gamut and is equipped with 10-bit color capabilities and a 4096-zone Mini LED backlight that tops a brilliant 1200 nits, with a sustained brightness of 1000 nits. It supports multiple HDR metadata formats, including HLG and HDR10.
Plenty of connectivity options
The monitor comes with a motorized flip colorimeter, so you can check and preserve the display’s color accuracy, and screen calibration can be done manually or automatically.
The monitor offers LuxPixel Technology, which includes Anti-Glare, Low-Reflection (AGLR) tech, and Eye Care+, ensuring that light disturbances won’t degrade image quality, while also preventing eye fatigue and strain.
As you’d expect of a screen of this quality, the ProArt Display PA32KCX comes with a welcome range of connectivity options. In addition to HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1 ports and a USB hub, it offers dual Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports with up to 96 W USB Power Delivery.
It certainly looks like a winner for Asus, and ticks all the boxes for any creatives looking for a Mini LED monitor that isn’t specifically aimed at gamers. There’s no word on availability at the moment, or pricing, but for an 8K screen with Mini LED technology, you’re easily looking at a few thousand dollars.
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Being cut off or having to hang up on important work calls when on the move could be a thing of the past thanks to a new Google Meet feature.
The video conferencing service has announced a new tool that will allow users to transfer between a call on a mobile device to a laptop (or vice versa) with just a click.
The new “Switch here” function should prove incredibly useful for those on the move, for example if you are heading into the office, but are running late for a call, so have to start it on your phone, before switching to your PC or laptop when you get to your desk.
Switch here
“In today’s world, getting our work done can happen from many locations, across many devices,” the company noted in a Google Workspace Updates blog announcing the news. “Beginning today, you can smoothly transfer between devices while on a Google Meet call without hanging up and rejoining.”
The Switch here option will be displayed when joining a meeting on a laptop or PC, allowing users to switch the call from a mobile device without losing or disrupting the conversation.
(Image credit: Google)
Once transferred, a notification will appear on the first device noting, “Call switched to another device”, meaning there’s no need to manually rejoin or even hang up on the initial call.
Google Meet promises “seamless” switching between devices, but in real life this may depend on network strength and the actual computing capabilities of your devices, but we’re keen to try it out.
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The function will be available to all Google Workspace customers and users with personal Google accounts, across Google Meet on Android and iOS mobile devices. It is rolling out now, with no admin action required.
The launch is the latest tweak to Google Meet as the company looks to make it more engaging and interactive for users. Recently, the platfom announced it would bringing its “Companion Mode” second screen tool to the Meet app for Android and iOS devices, offering a quick way to participate in meetings without opening a laptop, and giving more flexibility to the way users work and meet.
April 24, 2015: The original Apple Watch launch means consumers, who endured a seven-month wait after the device’s unveiling at a keynote the previous September, can finally strap an Apple wearable onto their wrists.
Apple CEO Tim Cook describes the smartwatch as the “next chapter in Apple history.” Behind the scenes, however, the first Apple Watch launch is a moment long in the making.
The original Apple Watch launch
“Apple Watch begins a new chapter in the way we relate to technology and we think our customers are going to love it,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a March 2015 press release setting the April 24 launch date for the first Apple Watch. “We can’t wait for people to start wearing Apple Watch to easily access information that matters, to interact with the world, and to live a better day by being more aware of their daily activity than ever before.”
Repeatedly described as Apple’s “most personal device yet,” the new wearable put several innovations on wearers’ wrists — and Apple was quick to tout its hardware savvy.
Digital Crown, Taptic Engine and other hardware innovations
The Apple Watch’s Digital Crown — a small knob on the smartwatch’s side — provided an “innovative way to scroll, zoom and navigate fluidly without obstructing the display,” the company said. And an “all-new Taptic Engine discreetly delivers a gentle tap on your wrist whenever you receive a notification or message.”
The very first Apple Watch came in two sizes, 38mm and 42mm, and in three separate models: the aluminum Apple Watch Sport (with prices starting at $349), the stainless steel Apple Watch (starting at $549) and the ultra-pricey, 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition (starting at a mind-blowing $10,000).
Interchangeable watch bands and watch faces gave Apple Watch owners multiple ways to make the device their own.
Similar to the way Apple co-founder Steve Jobs described the iPhone as a device that did three things, the company boiled down Apple Watch functionality into three distinct categories. The watch served as “incredibly accurate timepiece, an intimate and immediate communication device and a groundbreaking health and fitness companion,” Apple said in a press release announcing the Apple Watch launch date.
A post-Steve Jobs device
Given that Steve Jobs died in October 2011 and the Apple Watch came out in 2015, it wasn’t the first post-Jobs Apple device by any stretch of the imagination. It was, however, the first major new product line to launch in the post-Jobs era.
In this way, Apple Watch was something like the Newton MessagePad, the device shepherded through production by Apple CEO John Sculley in the 1990s. (Jobs left Apple in 1985 after a failed boardroom coup.)
Just as the Newton reflected the tech industry’s first tentative steps toward embracing mobile computing in the 1990s, the Apple Watch signaled the arrival of wearables.
“There was a sense that technology was going to move onto the body,” Alan Dye, the man in charge of Apple’s human interface group, told Wired. “We felt like the natural place, the place that had historical relevance and significance, was the wrist.”
Did Steve Jobs know about Apple Watch?
There’s a bit of confusion as to whether Jobs was involved in the early stages of the Watch’s development. The aforementioned Wired article claims that Apple design chief Jony Ive only thought about an Apple-branded watch after Jobs’ death. However, Tim Bajarin — an Apple analyst who, unlike many, actually knew Jobs for more than three decades — said, “Steve was aware of the Watch” and “didn’t nix it as a product.”
Conceptualization of the Apple Watch took place around the time that Apple engineers were busy working on iOS 7, a major overhaul that eliminated skeuomorphism from iPhone’s user interface. After that, Apple’s smartwatch began to develop as a product. Apple recruited various smart-sensor experts to create a device that would offer something fundamentally different from the iPhone.
The original Apple Watch launch also marked an attempt by Apple to become more of a luxury brand. Going back to the company’s earliest days, Cupertino drew parallels between its computers and aspirational goods like high-end cars.
However, decisions like making a $17,000 Apple Watch Edition and showing off the device at Paris Fashion Week marked a strategy shift that embraced high-end fashion in a way Apple hadn’t overtly done before.
Original Apple Watch launch is the start of something big
With the latest models, Apple Watch finally feels more like its own device and not so much an iPhone accessory. Health and fitness features, like the life-saving ECG heart-rate sensor, have become major selling points. Cupertino continues to refine the Apple Watch design, shrinking bezels and adding new features like an always-on display.
In 2022, the Apple Watch Ultra — a bigger, brawnier model designed for extreme athletes — brought the first major expansion of the product line. Plus, Apple continues to work on even more advanced health sensors, like monitors for high blood pressure and blood glucose levels. (A legal setback in 2024 forced Apple to deactivate the blood oxygen sensor in Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models. Apple plans to appeal.)
Finally, it seems that the Apple Watch has found its niche.
What’s your take on Apple Watch?
What’s your view of the Apple Watch at this point? Are you a loyal customer, who couldn’t do without Apple’s wearable? Leave your comments below.