Week in Tech: gadget getup is going for gold

Week in Tech

From wearables to Winter Olympics: gadget getup is going for gold

While the world has been cheering on the athletes at the Winter Olympics, we've been discovering the apps that help to give them the edge - and the wearable tech that we're going to see a lot more of in the future. HTC's competing, with promises of a wearable device this side of Christmas. Apple's at it, with rumours suggesting that sleep monitoring will be part of the functionality of its much-hyped iWatch. And of course Google's at it, with ever more uses for Google Glass. This week we discovered that the NYPD is experimenting with Google. The NYPD wants to see if Google Glass can make its people more efficient, and so does Virgin Atlantic: this week the airline announced a trial of Google Glass for its Upper Class customers. There may be a downside to that, though: Gary Marshall says, "Such uses will make wearables like the Windows PCs of yore: the kit you associate with boring stuff you do in your day job." That's already true if your day job is being an athlete. As Hugh Langley explains, "if the US bobsled and skeleton team win big at this year's Winter Olympics, they'll have more than their coaches to thank… [they] have been perfecting their technique using free video analysis app Ubersense Coach on the iPad."

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Talking points

1 Leaked Galaxy S5 benchmark shows Note 3-beating speed, ho-hum specs

Ahead of its likely MWC 2014 debut, Samsung Galaxy S5's hardware spec sheet has leaked out with a set of benchmark shots. HD Blog spotted AnTuTu benchmark testing screens revealing Samsung next flagship phone will out speed the Galaxy Note 3, though some of its specs may not match the phablet. Read more

2 Apple fires up new furnaces for iPhone 6's sapphire screen

Going on the latest evidence, it looks very much like Apple is on course to put sapphire-crystal displays in its future iPhones, including, quite possibly, the iPhone 6. The gang over at 9to5Mac uncovered evidence that Apple placed a big order for furnaces and chambers designed for building sapphire displays. Read more

3 Beyond the Internet of Things: the amazing tech that's coming next

You've got your web-connected toaster. You've got your 3D printer and Google Glass. What's next? There's no need for a crystal ball - it's pretty easy to extrapolate the trends we've seen over the past century in technology. Read more

4 Is Apple about to kill the iPhone 5C?

Is this the end for the iPhone 5C? According to the latest reports, Apple is preparing to release two new iPhones this September - and may kill off the colourful sibling in the process. Read more

The week's best buys

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact Sony shows the world how to make a proper mini phone. The perfect device for those who think that some of the leading smartphones are just too big, but still want the best specs on the market.

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Google Nexus 7 If you're looking for a 7-inch tablet, we'll put it like this: there is no better alternative on the market. It's not quite as good as the new iPad mini, but if you don't fancy iOS this is the tablet you want.

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Microsoft Xbox One The Xbox One is a fantastic console, and with a few more updates and games it could become a must-buy for media-savvy gamers.

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