WIN! A Canton DM50 sound system worth £399

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www.techradar.com Week in Tech Apple goes on autopilot, BBC 3 crashes out Apple is making a dash for your dashboard, and it's doing it in the form of CarPlay. The first CarPlay enabled cars will be shown off at Geneva this week and will ship sometime in 2014. What's the appeal? James Rivington knows: "Because the lifespan of a car is so long compared to the lifecycle of phones and the software they run, the challenge is to create a smart in-car infotainment system that can stay up-to-date even as your car ages." It's all about timing, but Jeremy Laird thinks CarPlay is too late: "Google already has Apple well beaten… Google Maps is miles ahead of Apple Maps. Factor in Google's broader track record in automotive tech, including driverless cars and the promise of Google Glass and a very strong case for favouring it over Apple in the contest for in-car supremacy emerges." Could we end up watching iPlayer on the move? We could, if our cars are willing to do the driving for us. It won't be the iPlayer we're used to, though, because a brand new iPlayer is en route. The new version gets a download store for those of us who want to keep programmes forever, and it will feature channels that you won't be able to get offline. In a move that's caused a bit of controversy, BBC 3 will be one of those channels: it's getting the boot from the BBC's broadcast line-up to start a new life as an online-only offering. Read the full story     In this week ■ Week in Tech: Apple goes on autopilot, BBC 3 crashes out ■ Talking points: Chrome bins apps, best phones of MWC, New HTC One benchmark leak, Windows 8.1 goes free ■ Competition: Win! A Canton DM50 sound system worth £399 ■ The week's best buys: Tesco Hudl, GoPro Hero 3+, Galaxy Canon PowerShot SX170 IS ■ Top 10: The world's top 10 tablets   Talking points 1 Chrome rubs beta users the wrong way with update Chrome users are upset at changes to the browser. Google's new policy automatically disables most extensions downloaded from sources other than the company's official app store, the Chrome Web Store. With the update, the only apps that will be able to be installed on Chrome will also have to be from the store. Read more       2 10 best phones of Mobile World Congress 2014 This year's gathering of the phone nerds has just taken place in Barcelona, with Mobile World Congress 2014 seeing stacks of new mobiles revealed by the likes of HTC, Sony, LG and Samsung, all jostling for the prize of securing your 2014 phone contract upgrade. Read more       3 Benchmark leak has New HTC One squashing Samsung Galaxy S5 We might have already seen the All New HTC One in all its glory, from the dual-camera sensors to every inch of its all-metal unibody. Now photos on Weibo have revealed some AnTuTu benchmarks have shown what the new HTC flagship can do with its rumoured 2.26GHz quad-core chip.  Read more       4 Microsoft to lure users to Windows 8.1 with a free version? You may be able to pick up a free version of Windows 8.1 in the near future, as Microsoft is reportedly trying out a cut-down edition of the OS. Dubbed Windows 8.1 with Bing (and doesn't that sound enticing!), the software will "bundle key Microsoft apps and services" according to The Verge and its sources. Read more       Competition WIN! A Canton DM50 soundbase worth £399   Soundbases give a boost to the sound of flatscreen TVs, while also acting as a solid plinth, and we’ve teamed up with Canton to offer you the chance to win one of the very best of them. Available for £399, the Canton DM50 is the least intrusive of the soundbases on the market at just 65mm tall - and yet it can hold a TV of up to 40Kg. The DM50 is available in black, white and silver finishes­ so you can find the best match for your TV, and if you win one of the two up for grabs in this competition, you can choose the colour you want. With a powerful 200W internal amplifier, this small box can fill even a large room with sound. Enter competition   WIN! A Lytro Field Camera Enter competition       Your tweets this week       The week's best buys Tesco Hudl You'll get some surprisingly accomplished components for your money, but the Tesco Hudl fails to really wow in any department apart from the price. If your budget can't stretch any further you won't be disappointed. View offer Read review       GoPro Hero3+ Based on its bigger brother the Galaxy Tab 10.1, the Tab 8.9 . provides another decent Android tablet experience, with a lighter body, but of course a sacrifice in screen size. The smaller and lighter Galaxy Tab 8.9 is great for reading books and checking emails. View offer Read review       Galaxy Canon PowerShot SX170 IS If you're looking for a point and shoot capable of a little extra then the SX170 will probably tick all of your boxes and more. Easy to use, good value for money and rugged enough to survive life's knocks and bumps. View offer Read review       How much is too much for the latest handset? @insidecentre It's getting too much, with 12 month contracts getting rarer, I took the plunge and bought my handset.     @R1chJ Crazy prices. Surely something has to be done to reduce these costs.     @tddmartin2014 Why waste money on a contract that expensive. Pick up the Nexus 5 cheap as and get a Sim only deal. Getting silly now       Top   tablets in the world Tablets are taking the world by storm. Just a few years ago they were an unknown for many people, but nowadays you've got more choice than you can shake a mildly agitated badger at. And with choice comes decisions - difficult decisions.   iPad Air       iPad Mini 2 with Retina       Google Nexus 7 View top 10           TechRadar Promotion MediaDevil Magicwand just £9.97 Don't get frozen out of your smartphone or tablet: with the MediaDevil Magicwand, you use your device while wearing. Compatible with iPad, iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and the Google Nexus range, it's now available with 33% off. View promotion The 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime Instant Video Try Amazon Prime for free to experience Prime Instant Video. With more than 15,000 titles to choose from (including hit TV shows yet to air on British TV), it's the largest subscription streaming service in the UK. Watch anywhere, any time and on almost any device. View promotion  New issue out now Phones and tablets tailored to you, why 2014 is the year of the iCar and 43 insider apps to help you rule at everything. Download now         www.techradar.com

 

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