5 Of The Best all-in-one PCs

5 Best all-in-one PCs

All-in-ones are interesting little (or in some cases, big) PCs. They're desktops with integrated displays and are often built with laptop-grade parts. As such they've inherited a bad reputation for poor performance compared to their full-on desktop tower brethren. The stigma is not completely undeserved. Mobile graphics cards and processors have always lagged behind those made for personal computers.
However, the all-in-one form factor has its own advantages. These self-contained PCs take up less room than a giant full-size tower and don't create a giant tangle of USB and display cables. What's more, some all-in-one computers are doubling as giant tablets. When's the last time you were able to pick up your PC and screen off your work desk and ferry it over to work on the couch?
Without further ado, here are the best all-in-ones we've reviewed.

• Dell XPS 18

An 18-inch tablet-PC you can take on the go

The Dell XPS 18 blows away any notion that all-in-ones are hulking great machines tied to desks. Essentially a massive touch-operated tablet that turns into a monitor when slipped into its stand, the 18.5-inch device is designed to be used all around the house and is a great choice for online TV addicts. It's a capable PC too thanks to its Intel Core i7 CPU, Intel HD 4400 graphics and 8GB of RAM at the top end.

• iMac with Retina 5K display

An expensive luxury, that might just be worth it

While Apple's iMac with Retina 5K display is one of the most impressive all-in-ones around, its price places it out of the reach of most people. Apple's older 27-inch iMac possesses many of its best qualities without the wallet-intimidating price tag. Apple redesigned its iMac line in 2013 to give it an attractive slimline chassis that houses a sharp 27-inch IPS display with a respectable 2,560 x 1,440 pixel-resolution. Excellent build quality means it's a PC built to last, and a fine option for productivity work, watching movies or light gaming.

• LG Chromebase

A Chrome OS desktop with simplicity in mind

The LG Chromebase's biggest strength is its simplicity. Essentially a Chromebook crammed into a 21.5-inch 1080p IPS display, the Chromebase runs Google's ChromeOS that lets you do basic PC tasks using Chrome's growing list of web apps. If you have no need for the bells and whistles that come with Windows 8.1 and OS X and don't mind relying on the internet to get things done, the LG Chromebase is an attractive, affordable and convenient all-in-one.

• MSI AG240 All-in-One

Gaming performance in an all-in-one package

All-in-ones tend to be advertised as family-friendly alternatives to desktop PCs due to their suitability for the living room, but the MSI AG240 isn't interested in that. The 23.6-inch AG240 is a gnarly gaming PC in an all-in-one's chassis, combining an Intel Core i7 CPU with a powerful Nvidia GeForce GT860M GPU that's backed up by 16GB of RAM. If you're hankering for a large touchscreen display with the innards of a gaming PC, the dare-to-be-different AG240 fits the bill.

MSI AG240 All-in-One

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• Lenovo Horizon 2

Lenovo flexible all-in-one is ready to play games

Like the Dell XPS 18, the Horizon 2 is an all-in-one Windows 8.1 PC that can transform into different positions, allowing it to be used as a large tablet. But unlike Dell's machine, the Horizon 2 lets you connect HDMI-equipped devices such as Blu-ray players or games console to be used at its native 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution. The XPS 18 packs quite a punch itself thanks to the Intel Core i5 CPU and Nvidia GeForce GT 840A GPU inside that can handle demanding games. It also has the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi and comes with a capacious 1TB hard disk

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Facebook 'three times more popular than Twitter'

Research finds 45 per cent list Facebook among their three most frequently visited apps, while just 13 per cent say the same for Twitter

Facebook is more than three times as popular as Twitter on mobile and a host of other apps, according to a survey.

Of smartphone buyers asked to name the three most frequently used apps on their mobile phones, 45 per cent said Facebook, while 13 per cent said Twitter and 11 per cent said Candy Crush Saga, the popular mobile game.

The survey of 500 phones buyers in the US between June and September of this year shows that Facebook is unchallenged as the leading app on smartphones, according to the company which conducted the research.

Mike Levin, co-founder of Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), said: “Facebook just dominates mobile phones, in terms of most frequent use, not just downloads.

“For most other apps, including some well-known ones like YouTube and Pandora, fewer than 10 per cent of phone buyers included them among the most frequently used”.

Twitter has 15 million active users in the UK, the company revealed in September, representing about a quarter of the country's population.

Silicon Roundabout gets 300Mbps 4G network

Companies in the East London technology cluster will be the first in the country to benefit from EE's lightning-fast 4G speeds

Silicon Roundabout – the area of East London that is home to around 1,300 tech start-ups, small businesses and entrepreneurs – has become the first area in the UK to get access to EE's 300Mbps mobile network, which will be rolled out commercially in 2014.

EE will be giving selected companies in the area privileged access to the network, which offers speeds that are up to three times faster than the fastest fixed-line broadband service. Tech City accredited businesses can sign up for a bespoke package that offers discounts on line-rental, mobile broadband and accessories.

The partnership will also see EE prioritise Tech City for all of its new network innovations, and provide a mentoring programme for small businesses in the early stages of growth. The company plans to open up the APIs of its 4G network, so that developers can create new products and services, and get them to market faster.

“Game-changing investments such as EE’s 300Mbps network will catalyse the next wave of innovation and creativity in digital, creative and technology businesses. It will allow them to connect to new markets around the world and supports the growth of our brightest and best businesses,” said Joanna Shields, chief executive of Tech City.

The news was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron, on the third anniversary of the launch of the government's 'Tech City' initiative, which is intended to generate a cluster of technology companies comparable to Silicon Valley in the United States.

According to independently produced figures, the number of tech companies in London increased 76 percent between 2009 and 2012, growing from 49,969 to 88,215. Over a quarter of all job growth in London comes from the tech/digital sector, with approximately 582,000 people now employed by the sector in London.

"The world of business is changing rapidly and one of the most promising opportunities for new jobs and growth lies within a new wave of high growth, highly innovative digital businesses," said Cameron.

"This is why, as part of our plan to help Britain succeed, we established Tech City UK to support the creation of a technology cluster in East London and committed to help these businesses to become cornerstones of our economy."

He added that while the growth of London's tech cluster has been impressive, the government is determined to build a rebalanced economy and get behind entrepreneurs in the dozens of technology clusters, accelerators and start-up incubators across Britain.

The government outlined further action intended to boost growth in the digital technology sector, including a new 'Exceptional Talent' visa, and a new index on the London Stock Exchange that expands the definition of a 'digital-services company' to cover more internet-driven retail, travel and leisure stocks.

Commenting on David Cameron’s announcement, Tim Kay, Head of KPMG’s high growth technology team based in Shoreditch said that technology is one of the key industries for the 21st century, generating economic output and employment and underpinning the growth of other industries.

“The required fix to obtaining sufficient tech talent in the UK is complex and a long term project which essentially should start in our schools, but today’s announcement to give world-class technology experts fast-tracked visas will enhance our reputation globally as a tech destination," said Kay.

“The tech movement in London has grown significantly, thanks in part to the support of the government. However, if the UK is to become a serious contender to other international destinations, other tech hubs across the UK are must be supported. Accordingly, funding to encourage specialist clusters in Wales and the North-East should be welcomed."

Also coinciding with Tech City's third birthday, software company Pivotal, which is headed up by renound South African computer scientist Paul Maritz, has announced an investment of £100m in Tech City over the next ten years and the opening of a European headquarters in Old Street with 75 staff in place from January 2014.

Valued at $1 billion earlier this year, this investment makes Pivotal one of the largest technology start-ups to choose the UK as the centre for its European operations.

“Tech City is one of the most exciting technology eco-systems in the world right now, thanks to its fantastic and dynamic mix of talent, infrastructure and the active support of the UK government," said Maritz.

Hackers attack Twitter

Hackers attack Twitter, estimated 250,000 users' information compromised








The social media site is unsure who is behind the attack but it has reset passwords for the hacked accounts.

Twitter users beware. Your account may be compromised.

A statement posted on the Twitter blog says that an investigation showed that attackers may have had access to usernames, email addresses, passwords and session tokens for approximately 250,000 users.

"This week, we detected unusual access patterns that led to us identifying unauthorized access attempts to Twitter user data. We discovered one live attack and were able to shut it down in process moments later." the company said in a blog post by their Information Security Director Rob Lord.

As a precaution, Twitter has reset passwords and revoked session tokens for the accounts that were hacked. Users of those accounts will also receive an email notifying them to create a new password.

Related: Woman uses corporate Twitter account to protest layoffs

"This attack was not the work of amateurs, and we do not believe it was an isolated incident," Lord's post said. The attackers were extremely sophisticated, and we believe other companies and organizations have also been recently similarly attacked.

For that reason we felt that it was important to publicize this attack while we still gather information, and we are helping government and federal law enforcement in their effort to find and prosecute these attackers to make the Internet safer for all users."

Lord's blog says that although only a very small percentage of Twitter users were potentially affected by the attack, everyone should be "following good password hygiene, on Twitter and elsewhere on the Internet":

    Make sure you use a strong password – at least 10 (but more is better) characters and a mixture of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols – that you are not using for any other accounts or sites.
    Using the same password for multiple online accounts significantly increases your odds of being compromised.
    If you are not using good password hygiene, take a moment now to change your Twitter passwords. For more information about making your Twitter and other Internet accounts more secure, read our Help Center documentation or the FTC’s guide on passwords.
    We also echo the advisory from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and security experts to encourage users to disable Java on their computers. For instructions on how to disable Java, read this recent Slate article.

The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal recently announced that their systems had also been compromised by hackers. Both publications claimed that the hackers had targeted them for publishing investigative reports on Chinese officials.

Although Lord talks about the hacking that took place at the two publications in his blog post, he does not connect it directly to the Twitter incident.

Shooting at Phoenix office

Shooting at Phoenix office

A SWAT team member is seen outside the office building where a gunman opened fire. (Joshua Lott/Reuters)

At least three people were shot at an office complex in Phoenix on Wednesday, police there said, and a manhunt for the shooter is under way.

Witnesses said they heard as many as 10 gunshots fired.

According to Sgt. Tommy Thompson, the building was evacuated and the suspect fled the scene. The shooting—which occurred in the building's lobby—does not appear to be a random act, he noted, though he would not say if the suspect knew the victims.

Three victims were transferred to John C. Lincoln Hospital with gunshot wounds, said Thompson. Their conditions were not immediately known, but according to Phoenix's NBC affiliate, one was in "extremely critical condition."
At least three other people were transported to the hospital with minor injuries related to the shooting.
A SWAT team began canvasing a neighborhood in search of the suspected shooter described by Thompson as an "older" white male, possibly in his 60s.
“At this point we don’t believe he is in the area,” Thompson said. “This doesn’t appear to be a random type of incident.”

The shooting occurred on the same day former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords—who was shot in the head during a mass shooting in Tuscon in 2011—testified at a Senate hearing on the proposed gun control law.

"Speaking is difficult but I need to say something important," Giffords said at the top of the hearing. "Violence is a big problem. Too many children are dying. Too many children. We must do something. It will be hard, but the time is now. You must act. Be bold, be courageous, Americans are counting on you."
Giffords' husband Mark Kelly, who also testified at the hearing, broke the news of the workplace shooting to lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
"While we are having this hearing, in Phoenix, Arizona, there has been what appears to be a shooting with multiple victims," Kelly said. "I certainly agree that universal background checks will go a long way to saving people's lives."