Cabin KNOWledge

Can the iPad Air replace the MacBook Air?

Lauren Dezenski compares the Apple’s slimline
tablet with its streamlined laptop

With all the upgrades Apple keeps rolling
out for its tablets, we wanted to know if
you could really ditch your laptop for the
iPad. There was only one way to fi nd out: replacing a
MacBook Air with the iPad Air for a day.
So we’ve got two obvious points of comparison
between these two products: hardware and
software. We wanted to compare the two most
alike products in Apple’s lineup (by name and by
look), and hardware-wise, the two actually aren’t too
di erent when looking at pure tech specs.
Tech specs
The iPad Air model measures 169.5x240x7.5mm, and
weighs 478g; while the Macbook Air weighs 1.08kg
and is 300x192x170mm when the laptop is closed.
Although the MacBook Air is nearly double the
weight of the iPad Air, both live up to their names
as being light as, well, you know. You obviously
don’t fl ip open the iPad beyond peeling o its Smart
Cover, so the user experience is blatantly di erent.
Then again, you can choose which colour iPad Air
you’d like, while the MacBook is relegated to that
same silver that can only be altered by accessories.
Using the iPad to do anything for extended
periods of time also depends on your accessories,
and arm strength. The iPad Air’s inability to stand on
its own accord is like a baby that can’t do much else
but lay on its belly. Thank goodness for mum and
dad’s help propping him up.
Software
Not to point out the obvious, but the two di erent
products o er di erent user experiences, most
notably in the operating systems.
Sure, there are loads of apps out there to allow
you to do many of the same things on the iPad as
the MacBook, but don’t expect to do the same things
in the same ways.
Case-in-point: word processing. The iOS version
of the Pages app, for example, is powerful and
there’s really not much you feel you’re missing when
tapping out a quick story. But copy-pasting things
like quotes or numbers or anything really from the
web browser to the document is time-consuming
and requires more gestures than I’d like. Of course,
this all is made easier using a wireless keyboard,
but that’ll cost you.
Again, pointing out the obvious, but you can’t
have multiple windows open on the same screen,
so if the aim is to multitask, you’ll be switching back
and forth between apps. This is easier on iOS 7, but
still more of a hassle if you’re trying to work between
multiple documents.
Let’s not forget about price, either. The cheapest
11in Macbook Air will set you back £849, compared
to the 16GB Wi-Fi-only iPad Air’s £399 price tag.
Buying advice
As you’ve caught on by now, trying to compare the
iPad Air with the Macbook Air is comparing apples or
oranges. Sure, you get some of the same things from
both products, but ultimately they’re two di erent
products o ering di erent experiences. And it’s up
to you, the buyer, to decide which is best for you - or
whether you’ll just get both.

Guide to buying tech from the US

How to choose the right headphone type for you

Ashleigh Allsopp explores the di erence between in-ear,
over-ear, wired and wireless headphones

Looking for better sound from your iPhone,
iPad, iPod or Mac? New headphones are
likely to do wonders, especially if you’re still
using Apple’s standard Earpods. But there are so
many headphones out there, varying in price, style
and type, so it can be di cult to decide what type
of headphones are right for you. It’s also tricky to
know what to look for in a new pair of headphones,
particularly as there’s little opportunity to try them
out for more than a few minutes before purchasing
them. Here, we bring you buying advice to help you
choose which headphones are right for you.

What to look for
When looking at potential headphone purchases,
you’ll notice that the main di erences between them
are usually type, comfort and sound quality.
Choose a headphone type
You’ll fi rst need to decide whether you want
earbuds, in-ear, on-ear or over-ear headphones.
In-ear headphones sit inside your ear canal, so
they’re small and very portable. While the quality
of in-ear sound is typically not as good as on-ear or
over-ear headphones, they’re normally considerably
better than earbud, which rest outside of the
ear canal. However, the fi t of in-ear headphones
depends on the shape of your ear (although many
in-ear headphones come with various tip sizes so
you can customise them to fi t better).
On-ear headphones are usually
smaller than over-ear headphones,
as they rest on the ear, whereas
over-ear headphones cover the
entire ear.Both of these types
of headphones tend to have
better sound quality than similarly
pricedin-ear and earbuds, but
they’re often not as ideal when it
comes to portability.
Wired or wireless
headphones?
On-ear and over-ear headphones are
also sometimes available as wireless
models, so they’ll normally connect

to your iPad,
iPhone, iPod
or Mac using
Bluetooth.
It’s worth
noting, though,
that Bluetooth can
mean that your music
undergoes some compression
that may make the sound quality less
satisfactory than wired headphones.
Specs and sound quality
Manufacturers will list the specs of their
headphones, but much of that information –
particularly the frequency-response numbers
– don’t actually mean a lot. That’s because
there’snostandard testing methodology for
headphone frequency response.
This means that the best way to decide whether
you’ll be happy with the sound quality is to try them
out. Headphones with the best quality will have a
good balance between treble (upper), midrange and
bass (lower) frequencies. They should have rich, full
sound without sacrifi cing detail.
Smaller headphones can have di culty delivering
a good bass response because of the especially
small drivers (speakers). This means that, even if you
can hear the low frequencies, you probably won’t be
able to feel that punch. A vendor trick, though, is to
emphasise certain bass and upper-bass frequencies.
However, while this might impress you the fi rst
time you try them out in-store, they can be tiring to

listen to for long periods of time, and can mean
inaccurate audio reproduction.
Other handy features
In addition to the all-important type and sound
quality decisions, there are other things to consider
when purchasing a new pair of headphones.
Most headphones now come with a remote
control and microphone on the cable (assuming
they’re wired, that is). We fi nd this feature
immensely useful, as it means you don’t need to
take your phone out of your pocket when a song
you’re not so keen on starts playing, for example. It
also means you can answer calls from your device
for hands-free use.
Perhaps, if you’re planning on using the
headphones with your iPad or Mac, the in-line
remote and mic won’t be as useful for you, but for
iPod and iPhone users it’s a worthwhile feature.
Best place to buy
headphones
In an ideal scenario, you’ll
want to have a listen to
the headphones before
you cough up your cash.
Retail stores usually have
headphones on display
for you to try. If you’re
ordering online, though, it
doesn’t mean you have to buy
without knowing whether the
headphones will be any good.

See more How to Choose Techno item TECHNO ITEM

iPad mini or Nexus 7: which should you buy?

Lauren Dezenski explores how the Retina iPad mini
measures up against the similarly sized Google Nexus 7

The latest and greatest iPad mini has burst
onto the market with as much fanfare as a
hyped keynote speech can deliver. Welcome
to the world, iPad mini with Retina display, aka
the iPad mini 2. Sure, the latest little tablet will
look evenbetter thanks to a long-awaited Retina
display, but is it worth the punch it’ll pack against
your wallet,especially compared to rival Google’s
impressive Nexus 7 2013?
Price and models
One of the biggest di erences between the Nexus
7 and the iPad mini 2 is easily the price. Even the
cheapest mini model, 16 GB Wi-Fi-only, will set you
back £319. Compare
that to the identical
Nexus 7 model – also
16GB and Wi-Fi only –
which £199 meaning
the iPad mini 2 is
more than one and a
half times the price.
It’s hard to argue
with Google’s 32GB
Cellular + Wi-Fi
enabled Nexus, which will only set you back £299.
That’s quite a bit less than the comparable mini
model (£419). You can also get more memory with
a 32GB Wi-Fi-only model for £239. All three Nexus
models are only available in black.
Of course, those willing to pay for it will get more.
The Wi-Fi retina iPad mini is also available in 32GB
at £399, 64GB at £479, and 128GB at £559. Cellular
+ Wi-Fi models are £100 more than their solely Wi-Fi
counterparts. You can also choose between silver/
white and space grey/black, colour-wise. It’s worth
noting neither company’s tablets have expandable
memory, though, both operating systems have cloud
storage functions.
Display
The ‘7’ in Nexus 7 refers to the tablet’s screen size,
which, by something less than a crazy, random
happenstance – is seven inches. The Google tablet
boasts a 1920x1200 display screen with a pixel
density of 323ppi. It’s a high-quality screen for such
a small device, especially given the price.
Don’t let the iPad mini’s name deceive you.
Though it’s smaller than its full-size namesake, it’s
slightly larger than the Nexus 7 with a 7.9 in display.
You also get a better picture if you opt for the
mini’s slightly larger screen thanks to 2048x1536
resolution, though the ppi di erence is pretty
negligible at 326ppi.
Size
Not only does the Nexus 7 cost less, it also weighs
less. The Wi-Fi-only model weighs 290g while the
32GB + mobile data is an additional 9g. Perhaps
themini’s larger price screen lends to its weight.
The Wi-Fi model comes in at 331g while the Wi-Fi +
cellular model is 341g.
The Nexus 7 manages to out-mini the iPad mini
dimensionally, measuring 120x199mm tall if holding
the device in portrait format. Apple’s pint-sized
tablet, on the other hand, measures 135x200mm.
However, the mini is just a bit thinner, at 7.5mm thick
compared to Nexus 7’s 8.65mm.
Cameras
Camera technology is extremely similar between
these two tablets. The mini’s specs haven’t really
changed from the previous model to the Retina
model: you’ve still got the 5Mp iSight camera on the
back with 1080p HD video recording. Now, you’ve
got 3x video zoom, too.
The front HD camera takes 1.2Mp photos and
records 720p HD video. Both front and back
cameras also have face detection and backside
illumination, too. The Nexus 7 manages to hold its
own against the mini camera-wise, though the 1.2Mp
front facing and 5Mp rear-facing cameras lack some
of the bells and whistles such a video zoom.
Operating system
and processor
Unsurprisingly, the
mini’s got the best
processor of the two.
Built with the same A7
chip as the new iPad
Air, the mini’s got
64-bit architecture
and an M7 motion
co-processor.

The Nexus 7 is
nice and speedy, too,
thanks to the quadcore
Qualcomm
Snapdragon S4 Pro
processor and 2GB
of RAM standard on
all models. Plus, the
high-performance
rendering gives
you nice and
smooth 3D
graphics.
Obviously the two tablets have di erent operating
systems – being built by Google and Apple and all.
This ultimately comes down to personal preference
between iOS and Android.
Battery life
In our battery test, the Nexus 7 lasted eight hours,
47 minutes on a single charge while looping a locally
stored, HD video. It also has the handy feature of
built-in Qi wireless charging. We haven’t had our
hands on the Retina iPad mini long enough to test
battery life, but Apple claims up to 10 hours of
surfi ng the web, watching video or listening to music.
Buying advice
They’re both good tablets but it depends on what
you’re looking for. If you want a high-quality and
comparatively low-cost tablet, the 7’s your best bet.
But Apple doesn’t disappoint with the mini and if you
can pony up the cash, you do get more.

See More Tech Tips TECHNO ITEM

How to: Get US Netflix

It’s easy for Brits to watch the US Netflix. Here’s how

If you’re a fan of Netflix (the popular TV streaming
service), you’re probably aware just how much
better Netflix is in the US than here in the UK.
Across the pond our American friends pay less for
Netflix (the equivalent of £5.09 instead of £5.99);
gallingly, for that lower cost US Netflix users get
more movies and TV shows, and get the latest films
and programmes long before they arrive in Blighty.
No wonder British Netflix users are so keen to
get the same service as the Americans. But don’t
worry: it’s possible to access the US Netflix service
in the UK. In this feature we show you how to watch
American Netflix shows and other content in the UK
using a range of Apple devices: Mac, iPad, iPhone
and Apple TV. But in each case the principle is
the same: you’ll be using a VPN, or virtual private
network. Don’t worry: we’ll explain what that is,
and how to use one.
Is it legal to watch US
Netflix content in the UK?
All you need to do to watch US Netflix content is
trick Netflix into thinking you are currently in the US.
This is, as it turns out, remarkably easy to do. But at
this point we should point out that this goes against
the terms and conditions you signed up to when you
signed up with Netflix.
The Netflix terms and conditions explicitly state:
“You may view a movie or TV show through the
Netflix service primarily within the country in which
you have established your account and only in
geographic locations where we offer our service
and have licensed such movie or TV show.”
So be warned that this is against the rules. To
our knowledge Netflix doesn’t check for people
using this trick and hasn’t blocked any users from
accessing US Netflix in the UK. (A Quora user claims
to have been told by a member of Netflix customer
support, “we don’t encourage nor recommend the
use of [VPNs], but if you haven’t had any issues
while streaming, it won’t affect anything on your
account as we don’t have an official stand about it”.
Take from that what you will.) But the company does
have the right to suspend your service.
Whether it’s legal or not to use a VPN is more of
a grey area, and varies depending on local laws,
but it’s hard to imagine anyone pursuing a case for
copyright infringement. Indeed, many observers
would argue that Netflix is technically broadcasting
to the US, for which territory it obviously owns the
broadcasting rights.
How to use a VPN
Netflix provides a different service based upon
where you’re currently located. So if you access
Netflix in the US you get American Netflix, while if
you log on to Netflix from the UK you get the British
edition. Netflix monitors your IP (Internet Protocol)
address to determine where you are.
As we mentioned, Netflix has to strike different
deals with the TV companies for each location, and
generally the US edition of Netflix has a far better
selection of movies and TV shows.
The good news is that it’s pretty easy to watch
US Netflix from the UK, because your account is
international. If you ever visit the US you can watch
US Netflix using your UK account. So you just have
to trick Netflix into thinking you’re in the US when
you are actually in the UK.
If you’ve ever been to the US you can sign in to
Netflix using your UK account details, and you’ll
notice that all the new content is available to you.
This is because you in essence have an international
license to use Netflix, but it delivers the content
based on your actual location.
Netflix knows where you are by checking your IP
(Internet Protocol) Address. This is a unique number
that is assigned to your computer when it goes
onto the Internet. The IP address is how the Internet
knows to route which web pages (and other data)
to which computer. You can find your IP address
by opening Safari and typing IP Address into the
Smart Search Field (Google will display your own IP
address above the Google search results).
The trick is to change your IP address so that
Netflix thinks you’re in America. You do this by
signing up with a VPN.
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, works like a
second internet sitting between you and the larger
internet, your computer connects to the VPN, which
then connects to the internet. You ask it for the
website, it sends the website to you. The VPN itself
can be based anywhere, but you want one that’s
based in the USA. The VPN talks to Netflix, and
Netflix thinks it’s talking to a computer inside the
USA, and the VPN passes the show on to you.
Can you trust VPN companies?
One last thing to bear in mind: the company
running the VPN service theoretically has the
power to intercept your web traffic, so be cautious
about the company you sign up with (as usual
when trust is involved, it’s best to go for a big
name that has something to lose if it gets caught
misbehaving), and remember to switch off the
VPN when you stop using Netflix. You won’t need
it when logging on to your online banking, for
example, and you could suffer badly if the VPN
company turns out to be untrustworthy.
That, then, is how you use a VPN. Sounds
complex? It isn’t really, because there are some
great free services out there that make it easy.
Two in particular come recommended: Hola and
TunnelBear. Let’s look at how these services work.
iPad and iPhone
Use a VPN (Hola) for iPad or iPhone
Hola is one of the main services that people turn
to when wanting to watch US television or access
other US-only services while based in the UK.
When you’re using Mac OS X, Hola is a plug-in for
the Chrome or Firefox web browsers (but not for
Safari, unfortunately). The good news is that Hola is
available for the iPad (and iPhone) in the form of an
app. Here’s how to install Hola on the iPad:
• Download the Hola app from the App Store
• If you already have a Hola account, log in with your
email and password. Alternatively, enter a new
email and password and click Create Account
• The Hola app now walks you through installing the
VPN settings on your iPad (or iPhone). Click OK,
Let’s Do It
• The app switches to Safari, which loads some
settings, then switches automatically to Settings in
the Install Profile section
• Tap Install
• If your iPad has a passcode lock, enter the
four-digit code
• Tap Next, Install, Install and Next
• Tap Done
You have now set up Hola to act as a VPN (virtual
private network) on your iOS device. It will be ready
to steam shows from America to your Netflix app on
the iPhone or iPad.
Use a VPN (TunnelBear) for iPad or iPhone
TunnelBear is another option for watching US
Netflix in the UK. On the Mac, TunnelBear is a
separate app that makes it easy to divert all your
internet traffic through the TunnelBear server. On
the iPad and iPhone, TunnelBear is also an app that
you download from the App Store.
TunnelBear on the Mac works very differently to
Hola on a Mac, but on iOS both services work in a
largely similar manner.
Get watching
Once you’ve got Hola or TunnelBear set up on your
iPhone or iPad you should be able to watch Netflix
using the Netflix app.
You do this in iOS by turning on the VPN service
in settings. Follow these steps to turn on the VPN:
• Tap Settings and VPN
• Scroll down and check that Hola United States
has a tick next to it. If you do not see Hola
United States you may need to follow the Hola
installation again
• Tap the switch next to Not Connected to set it
to On
• Wait for the switch to change from Connecting
to Connected
Now open the Netflix app. If you’ve done every
right, it should be displaying the content from the
American version of Netflix. Lou Hattersley

See more useful tech tip TECH TIPS

Trump and the carmakers

The president-elect’s critical tweets are causing havoc in the US auto industry, but who will suffer most?

“It must seem to Donald Trump that
reversing globalisation is easy-peasy,”
said The Economist. Before he has even
been inaugurated, “contrite firms are
queuing up to invest in America”.
Following months of barbs from the
president-elect, Ford last week cancelled
a $1.6bn new plant for small cars in
Mexico and instead pledged to create
700 new jobs in Michigan – padding the
announcement with praise for Trump
for “improving the business climate in
America”. Next in the line of fire is the
US’s largest carmaker, General Motors,
which plans to invest $5bn in Mexico
over six years. “Make in USA or pay big
border tax!” tweeted Trump. CEO Mary
Barra is holding firm. But for how much
longer? All it has taken to change the climate “is some harsh
words, the odd tax handout and a few casual threats”.
If Trump goes ahead with his threat to retool the North American
Free Trade Agreement and slap a punitive 35% tariff on imports
to the US, it will be Mexico that suffers most, said the FT. The
country’s blossoming car industry is “heavily reliant” on access to
US and Canadian markets, which account for 82% of its exports.
Yet America’s carmakers are also in a bind, said The New York
Times. Most have sizeable manufacturing operations in Mexico
that are an integral part of their global operations. In some ways,
the advent of Trump has been good for
business. Shares in Fiat Chrysler – the
Italian-American firm run by Sergio
Marchionne – have “sped ahead by
almost 50% since the day before the US
election”, said Antony Currie on Reuters
Breakingviews.com. Other carmakers
have notched up 20% gains. The rally is
being stoked by hopes that Trump will
cut corporate taxes and drive a boom,
spurring sales of the “chunky” vehicles
that appeal to US motorists when fuel
prices are relatively low.
Ford’s capitulation is a sign that “the
last thing any CEO wants is a slanging
match” with the president-elect, said
Philip Delves Broughton in the FT. But
the problem for US firms is figuring out “which Donald Trump to
believe”. Is it the taunting champion of the “grizzled Michigan
panel beater”, or the man who has stuffed his Strategic and Policy
forum with CEOs from blue-chip companies that have all thrived
on free trade? Ford boss Mark Fields and others are playing a
long game. They think that “if they give a little now and let the
president-elect trumpet his victories over the demon ‘big
business’”, they can extract favourable concessions down the line.
For the moment, Trump has America’s CEOs exactly where he
wants them: “wide-eyed at the rewards to come and terrified that
the next 140 characters will be about them”.

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a cruise through the Northwest Passage

For centuries, a navigable route linking the Atlantic and Pacific through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago was a holy grail for explorers. Roald Amundsen finally conquered the Northwest Passage in 1906, but since then only 254 transits have been made – of which just 53 were by ships carrying passengers. So this is a voyage on which the ordinary traveller can still feel like a pioneer, says Peter Hughes in the FT. It has become more straightforward over the years, owing to the dwindling of Arctic sea ice – but that is another reason it remains “at the top of bucket lists”: once the ice has gone, it won’t be much of an adventure.

The easiest way to reach the Northwest Passage is on an “expedition cruise” on a strengthened ship such as the Kapitan Khlebnikov, a polar-class icebreaker built in 1981. Carrying up to 90 guests, she has “compact” and “functional” interiors, but the atmosphere on board is “sociable”, the food is “homely and copious”, and there are lectures on everything from Inuit culture to Arctic birds. With a rounded hull and no stabilisers, the ship rolls “like a bathtub toy” in stormy weather (take plenty of seasickness pills), and shudders and bangs dramatically as she smashes through pack ice up to three metres thick. Border formalities can also create long delays, so scheduled landings (in Zodiac inflatables, or on one of the ship’s helicopters) are far from guaranteed.

However, you may get a chance to visit Beechey Island, where you can see the lonely graves of three of explorer Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated crew. There are also trips to indigenous settlements, and in search of the wonderful local wildlife, including whales, polar bears and the walruses that gather in their hundreds on the island of Big Diomede. But the spectacular sea and landscape, as the ship smashes its way across the top of the world, is often distraction enough.

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Chickens are clever – and cunning

It’s well known that many birds are far
from bird-brained; and to that list, we can
now add the chicken. According to a US
research paper – issued by an animal rights
group – chickens are in many respects as
clever as primates. Behavioural scientists
conducted a meta-study of previous
research, and concluded that despite
having brains the size of walnuts, the birds
are highly sophisticated. For instance, they
communicate using a wide repertoire of
visual displays and at least 24 distinct
vocalisations; they are self-aware enough
to assess their position in a pecking order;
they can display self-control (they’ll refrain
from feeding if they think there will be a
better food reward later); and they have
a grasp of basic arithmetic – even newly
hatched chicks can discriminate between
quantities. Moreover, they are masters of
deception – males lure females by making
food calls when no food is present – and
have rich emotional lives: in their paper, in
the journal Animal Cognition, the
researchers say chickens appear to feel
fear, anticipation and empathy.