A big part of my job is doing research online. That means from time to time the autocomplete function in my browser’s address bar gets filled with mistyped URLs and sites I visited once but never will again. If you’ve ever spent a boring night surfing around the web chances are your browser’s autosuggest function tosses up similar unwanted ghosts.
Erasing all autosuggested URLs from your browser is easy, but it would slow you down even more than a few bad suggestions. Deleting just the unwanted URLs, however, really streamlines the browsing experience.
Here’s how to dump the annoying addresses while keeping all the good stuff in Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera.
Chrome
Time to get rid of Santa.
Over the Christmas holidays every year, I spend a lot of time researching the various online Santa trackers for our annual round-up. Way back when that article was first published, I visited Google’s Santa site so many times that Chrome automatically suggested I go to Santaland every time I typed in ‘Google.com’—even though the santa tracker URL has since changed.
Sayonara, Santa.
To delete a single autosuggested URL, start typing the address as you normally would—Google.com in my example. Then, when the unwanted autocomplete suggestion appears, use your keyboard’s arrow keys to highlight the suggestion in the drop-down menu below the address bar.
Finally, press Shift-Delete and poof! The suggestion disappears. Good riddance Santa…at least until next Christmas.
Firefox
IDG
Delete Firefox URLs with the tap of a button.
The same basic concept you use to delete autocomplete suggestions in Chrome also applies to Firefox. Start typing the URL and then highlight the mistyped URL in the drop-down menu when it comes up. But instead of pressing Shift-Delete as we did in Chrome, simply press the Delete button to scrub the errant entry.
In the latest versions of Firefox when you delete a highlighted entry it still remains in the address bar, but you can get rid of it with a quick highlight and backspace.
Internet Explorer
IDG
Internet Explorer also lets you scrub singular URLs with a simple mouse click.
There’s no reliable way to scrub auto-suggested URLs from Microsoft Edge, but Internet Explorer’s autocomplete scrubbing works. When you highlight an address in the drop-down menu, you’ll see an ‘x’ on the far right side. Click that ‘x’ and it’s gone.
Again with IE as with Firefox, the bad suggestion leaves the drop-down menu but remains in the address bar, requiring manual deletion.
Opera
IDG
Deleting URLs in Opera’s history is similar to Internet Explorer.
Opera’s method of deleting URLs is very similar to Internet Explorer’s. Highlight the URL in the address bar and look for an ‘x’ to the far right. Click that, and the URL will be erased.
In Opera this method works only for sites in your history. It won’t include suggestions drawn from your favorites or suggestions pulled from your default search engine. Just like most of the other browsers, the suggestion will remain in the address bar after you delete it from the drop-down, but a quick highlight and backspace will get rid of it forever.
There you have it! A simple way to make your preferred browsers a little easier to use, especially if you’re prone to mistyping.
This article originally published February 18, 2014.
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Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1 Carbon (6th Gen) continues its tradition as a premier, though pricey, business laptop that weighs as little as some tablets. Quite simply, it exudes quality.
Around the very good 14-inch display can be found a variety of ports, including a pair of high-speed Thunderbolt connectors ideal for driving external displays. Battery life is also very good, though that’s assisted by the somewhat basic 1080p display that accompanied our review unit. Under the hood, there’s an 8th-gen Intel Kaby Lake-R processor that accomplishes quite enough for most business tasks. It may be be a few hundred dollars more than the competition, but that hasn’t prevented it from earning our Editors’ Choice award. Read on for why.
This review is part of our best laptops roundup. Go there for details about competing products and how we tested them.
According to Lenovo, the X1 Carbon is constructed of four layers of carbon fiber, together with a magnesium alloy roll-cage. In our day-to-day handling, that meant that it felt solid: both light and totally sturdy, with nary the slightest wiggle in the chassis. (It’s rugged enough to pass the military’s MIL-STD-810G ruggedized tests, Lenovo says.)
The carbon construction also pays dividends in terms of weight. One of the theoretical advantages of a Windows tablet like the sturdy 2017 HP Spectre x2 is its mobility, at 2.48 pounds on our scale. But the Lenovo X1 Carbon 6th gen weighs even less: 2.46 pounds, and it’s far sturdier on the lap. All told, you’ll almost certainly be surprised with how thin and light it feels in the hand.
Mark Hachman / IDG
The left-hand side of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen boasts a variety of ports, including the USB-C and Gen 2 ethernet port that can be used with one of Lenovo’s physical docks.
Though it’s optionally available in silver, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen is most frequently offered in ThinkPad’s signature black. It’s not technically a convertible, but the display reclines to a flat angle, serving as a writing surface if you choose. (Lenovo doesn’t bundle a stylus with the X1 Carbon, however, nor does it list one among its accessories.) The Carbon’s stiff hinge also resists any movement when flopping about.
Open the Carbon’s cover, and you’re met with the X1 Carbon’s display, not typically one of Lenovo’s traditional strengths. Four options are available, all 14-inch panels: The 1920×1080 display generated 309 nits using our tests. We generally test with a brightness between 250 and 260 nits as a comfortable level for daily work, and measure battery life accordingly. Hitting that target was a smart decision on Lenovo’s part, as it maximizes battery life without sacrificing additional brightness.
Mark Hachman / IDG
Another USB-A port is tucked on the right of the Lenovo X1 Carbon (6th Gen), along with some large fan vents. There’s a Kensington dock and a headphone jack, too.
Keep in mind, though, that the base display doesn’t offer touch. For that, you’ll pay $85 extra for a 1080p, 300-nit (rated) display, which was on the model we reviewed. You can also pay more for a higher-res 2560×1440, 300-nit display (a $138 adder) or $180 more for a 500-nit, 2560×1440 glossy display boasting the Dolby Vision HDR capabilities. All of the lower-cost panels feature anti-glare coating, which works as advertised.
Maybe I’m just used to higher-res panels, but the 1080p 14-inch panel looked a little too squished for an everyday, business notebook. And to my eye, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon’s image quality looked a bit too yellowish, even when Lenovo’s software reported a maximum color temperature of 6500K. Turning on Eye Care mode (the equivalent of Windows’ “night light” settings) within the Lenovo Vantage utility software really dialed down the blue light (4500K). But, like Windows, you do have the ability to make adjustments via a slider bar.
In terms of ports, the X1 Carbon offers a smorgasbord of options. More and more notebook and tablet makers are moving to USB-C charging, and the ThinkPad X1 Carbon 6th Gen is no exception. One of the nice older traditions within the ThinkPad line was the consistency of its chargers; Lenovo shipped us the same 65-watt charger in two different models of Lenovo notebooks we’re testing.
The left-hand side of the chassis is where the X1 Carbon 6th Gen includes that USB-C port, which is Thunderbolt 3.0 enabled—meaning that it can supply (or receive) power, provide USB 3.0 data transfers, and power up to two 4K monitors at 30Hz refresh rates apiece. An HDMI port and a more traditional USB 3.1 Type A connector provide legacy connections.
Right in the middle, though there’s also Lenovo’s proprietary docking connector, which includes a second, Thunderbolt 3.0 port plus a special ethernet Gen 2 jack, both physically designed for Lenovo’s 90W Pro Dock, which we didn’t test. It’s all a bit inconvenient if you don’t buy into Lenovo’s dock vision; the USB-C port is standard, but you’ll almost certainly need to buy a dongle to fit the special ethernet adapter, which wasn’t shipped with our review unit, or simply connect wirelessly. In my mind, this is the only thing that annoyed me about the X1 Carbon, though an ethernet-to-USB-C dongleRemove non-product link is really just $25 or so more.
The righthand side of the chassis includes the second USB-A connector, a Kensington lock, large fan vents, and the 3.5mm headphone/mic jack.
And don’t forget about the combination SD card and WLAN SIM card holder, which is tucked away within the hinge, and somewhat inaccessible unless the laptop is aligned just so. Naturally, you’ll need to supply your own SIM, and the Fibocom L850-GL 4G LTE-A cat 9 card that enables it is a $100 option. The Thinkpad X1 Carbon 6th Gen also includes a hardware dTPM (Trusted Platform Module) chip, too, for additional security.
Mark Hachman / IDG
The combination SD/WWAN slot on the X1 Carbon (6th Gen) is hidden near the hinge. You’ll need a pushpin, staple, or SIM prong to remove it.
Two other key features were also designed with security in mind. First, there’s the fingerprint reader to the right of the trackpad, Lenovo’s choice for allowing users to log in using Windows Hello. We were pleased to find it as reliable as other Lenovo fingerprint readers we’ve used. Lenovo also offers an upgrade to an IR depth camera that should allow Windows Hello to be used via the front-facing camera, too, though our review unit lacked that capability.
Here’s a slightly more unusual security feature. Lenovo’s X1 Carbon 6th Gen—for those models without the IR camera—now includes something called “ThinkShutter,” a sliding physical shutter that you can close, a nod to those who are concerned that someone may hack their webcam without their knowledge. I found the ThinkShutter to be really pretty stiff when I first started sliding it back and forth using the integrated divot, though it loosened up over time. When shut, a red ring surrounds the small lens, notifying you that the camera is obscured.
Mark Hachman / IDG
You can use your fingernail or a coin to slide the ThinkShutter over. But it’s stiff enough that you may be concerned about breaking a nail.
Any audio propelled upward by the X1 Carbon’s speakers sounds flattish and somewhat on the soft side, though the the breathy lyrics of Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner” didn’t seem to lose any clarity when played back over the laptop’s speakers. There’s more than enough volume to fill a normal conference room, though it tends to blare without a lot of depth.
It’s worth noting that the X1 Carbon includes the Dolby Atmos audio enhancement algorithm, which improves the audio both over the speakers and headphones. Still, even headphones produced audio that wasn’t all that inspiring, and the volume controls didn’t actually seem to elevate the audio volume in the upper echelons of the audio controls. Granted, this is a business PC first and foremost.
Keyboard and typing: ThinkPad quality
Lenovo’s keyboards have earned an elite reputation, and the X1 Carbon continues that tradition. The X1 Carbon’s keys feel a bit springier than those of its cousin, the X1 Tablet, thought each key is actually a bit smaller than I expected. Other notebooks such as the Huawei Matebook X Pro compress some of the control keys and use the extra space to increase the size of the main, lettered keys. There are two levels of backlighting.
Mark Hachman / IDG
Naturally, there’s a familiar ThinkPad keyboard under the hood of the X1 Carbon.
Again, the extra bit of resilience may weary some fingers a bit—it did for me, although I accustomed myself to it in a day or two. Some keyboards allow your fingers to glide over them, gently depressing each key. Another way to look at it would be to say that the X1 Carbon more approximates a desktop keyboard than other notebooks do.
Mark Hachman / IDG
Depth cameras are great, but this fingerprint sensor on the X1 Carbon 6th Gen reliably does the job. The small ridge to the top is an LED, which lights white while you log in, or red to indicate that the login failed. The process takes less than a second.
As you might expect, the X1 Carbon also includes the the iconic red Trackpoint nub, as well as the physical left, right and center buttons above the trackpad. The trackpad feels a little smoother and slicker than those on other Lenovo products I had handy, but it’s proportionally a bit smaller, too. Don’t forget about the small fingerprint sensor to the right of the trackpad, which serves as a convenient way to log in that’s also compliant with Windows Hello. All of these are typical of most Lenovo notebooks. Remember that Lenovo also places the Function key in the far left-hand corner, while others reserve this for the Control key. This can be adjusted using the Vantage software.
As befitting a business notebook, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon foregoes virtually all unnecessary apps, save for what Windows itself provides. Lenovo’s aforementioned Vantage software continues to be worth perusing, both as a means to upgrade drivers and firmware, as well as to toggle specific features on and off.
Performance: excellent almost across the board
By default, Lenovo’s X1 Carbon optimizes its performance settings to boost performance when you need it. In reality, this means that the ultrabook’s fan runs quite a bit, either in a fully revved-up mode or in a sort of quiet, background state. Even in a quiet office with central heating and air, the X1 Carbon’s revved-up fan noise was mildly annoying. The accompanying Lenovo Vantage software (go to the Hardware Settings icon, then Smart Settings) allows you to turn off this automatic Intelligent Cooling mode and place it into a “Cool & Quiet” state. Unfortunately, the X1 Carbon’s fan often kept quietly yet noticeably hissing away.
If you occasionally work in a home office (and who doesn’t?) be aware that I received some anomalous results that I believe were tied to the ambient temperature, due to a malfunctioning air conditioner. At a warm house temperature of 78 degrees, the X1 Carbon’s Cinebench scores dropped by a full 25 percent, and our prolonged HandBrake video conversion scores fell considerably, too. All of our final numbers, however, represent testing that we performed at PCWorld’s consistently air-conditioned office in San Francisco, where the system could use cooler, ambient air to chill the system.
Still, we noticed that after resuming the X1 Carbon from a prolonged sleep state, installing some software, and rebooting (including a Windows update) the X1 Carbon immediately began power throttling to avoid going over its voltage threshold.
As we normally do, we measured the X1 Carbon 6th Gen’s performance using our trio of PCMark’s benchmarks: Work, Home, and Creative. Remember, with a 1.8GHz Core i7-8550U (Kaby Lake-R) chip inside it, the X1 Carbon should plow through general office tasks handily, and in our experience, it did so. The Work test measures Web browsing, working with Excel spreadsheets, and more. Clearly, its 8th-gen Core chip elevates it to the top of the heap.
Zoho Books is a cloud-based platform designed to be an easy-to-use tool for small businesses to manage both accounts and cashflow. It is made by Indian software company Zoho, which was founded in 1996 and focuses on developing business tools and IT solutions.
The main features of Zoho Books include an intuitive dashboard, a feature to track inventory in real-time, and robust reporting tools. It can also connect your organization’s bank account, allowing for automated fund transfers. Furthermore, the platform integrates with third-party payroll services.
While all this covers most of the financial tools your SMB is likely to need, there’s also an extensive help section on the Zoho Books dashboard if you require information on other features.
As the platform is cloud-based, it can be run from any computer with internet access.
Pricing
Zoho offers a 14-day free trial to anyone interested in sampling the software.
The Basic package is $9 (£6.90) per organization per month. This includes five automated workflows, two users, bank reconciliation, custom invoices, expense tracking and recurring transactions.
The Standard plan is $19 (£14.50) per organization per month. This includes all the Basic plan has to offer plus 500 contacts, three users, 10 automated workflows, bills and vendor credits.
The Professional package is $29 (£22) per organization per month, and includes unlimited contacts, 10 users, 10 automated workflows, purchase orders and a custom domain.
Setup
Users only need to open the web browser of their choice and navigate to https://www.zoho.eu/books to get started.
As previously mentioned, Zoho offers a 14-day trial for all tiers. Just create an account to get started. During the initial setup you will be asked to choose the modules you require for your particular business. This is a straightforward process: Zoho walks you through each step. Users will be asked if they want to enable two-factor authentication upon initial sign-in. You can choose to enable this immediately or be reminded at a later stage.
Once setup is complete, users can then fill in their company profile. If more than one person is going to use Zoho Books, you’ll need to add them as either admins, Staff or Timesheet Staff. Admins have overall control of the accounts, Staff can access everything except for reports, settings and accountancy tools, and Timesheet Staff can only access timesheets.
Users can request a demo from their account homepage. Other than that, users can choose to Setup Opening Balances, Configure Chart of Accounts, or Configure Direct Bank Feeds, depending on the modules they chose to enable.
Zoho Books holds webinars each week. These impart tips and tricks such as how to navigate the dashboard.
Interface
The dashboard of Zoho Books is very simple and straightforward to use. On the main screen, users can see Total Receivables and Total Payables, with access to ‘Cash Flows and Expenses charts as they scroll down.
All other options can be easily accessed on the left-hand side of the screen. Depending on the modules you enable, you can select from Items, Banking, Sales, Purchases and more.
The Settings icon at the top-right of the screen allows users to change their preferences for items such as Branding, Sales and Purchases. General Settings can also be adjusted from here.
The interface has many different menu options, but is laid out in such an efficient manner that it never seems overwhelming.
Fantastic forms
Zoho includes the standard forms that come with most accountancy software. However, it also sports packing slips, retainer invoices and delivery notes.
Transaction forms can contain up to 10 custom fields, and that’s something not offered by competitors. Invoices include information relating to shipping charges, sales tax and any discounts offered.
Purchase transactions such as bills, expenses and purchases orders offer the same detailed information.
Record breaking
Zoho has a variety of record templates, transaction forms and reports that make it stand out from the crowd.
Users can create new contacts and import customers from a file in the Contacts section, with those contacts being created as either a customer or vendor.
User details appear at the top-right of each contact record. You can choose from tax, payment details, address, custom fields and reporting tags via a series of tabs. The platform allows users to create up to 10 custom fields.
After entering all your contacts into the dashboard, you can then view them on one screen. Each contact has its own graph detailing payments in and out. From the Transactions tab users can view all transactions pertaining to that particular contact, along with the status of each transaction.
Additional features
Zoho Books has a supplementary mobile app. Once you have created your account, you can go to https://www.zoho.com/books/mobile-apps to download software for iOS, Android and Windows smartphones. Each app enables access to quick insights from your dashboard, invoices and expenses.
Final verdict
Zoho Books is an excellent tool for small businesses, containing everything you require for your daily accountancy needs. In some ways Zoho far outstrips its competitors considering the superior record and multiple transaction forms available.
However, it still doesn’t include payroll, and this has been a major criticism from users online, even though it can integrate with third-party payroll solutions such as greytHR and Paybooks.
The solution lacks some of the advanced features of the competition, such as report customization or some of the extra features available in project management. However, these do not take away from its overall excellence. It is a simple to use platform with highly detailed contact and transactions forms. Everything is neatly laid out so you aren’t forced to spend a huge amount of time acclimatizing to Zoho.
It’s a lot easier to create custom forms in Word than you might think and, certainly, much easier than it was many years ago. Under the Developer tab, Microsoft provides nine Content Controls, 12 ActiveX Controls, three Legacy Controls, and three Legacy Form features.
In Microsoft Word, Controls are pre-programmed tools that allow you to add and customize interactive content to your Word forms, templates, documents, and webpages. This article covers six of these Content Controls: Check Box, Combo Box, Drop-Down List Box, Rich Text and Plain Text Controls, and Date Picker. We’ll add more controls in updates to this story.
A. Creating a custom form: First steps
Start with a new file, and ensure the Developer tab is available.
1. Select File > New > Document
2. Once open, ensure that the Developer tab is available on the Ribbon menu.
3. If not, select File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
4. When the Customize Ribbon & Keyboard Shortcuts dialog menu appears, navigate to the right side of the screen under Customize the Ribbon > Main Tabs. Click the Developer check box to add the Developer tab to the Ribbon, then click OK.
Now let’s create some custom forms. For this exercise, we are creating a customer survey form for the residents of the Scottsdale, AZ community to fill out regarding the new Commercial Park and mall. Once complete and distributed, you can capture or export the residents’ responses into a database (MS Access) or spreadsheet (Excel).
We’ve created the document so you can follow along and try all the features. Download it here:
Sample survey form document to try custom forms features JD Sartain
B. Next, insert a Check Box
1. Enter a survey question.
2. Press the Tab key (or press Return) to enter the optional answers.
3. Type in three or four options.
4. Select the Developer tab.
5. At the end of the first option, press the space bar, then click once to position the cursor for the insertion of a Check Box Control.
6. On the Developer tab, select the Check Box Content Control.
7. When the Check Box appears, notice that Design Mode is activated (under the Controls group).
8. Click the Properties button (also under the Controls group) instead.
9. The Content Control Properties dialog box opens.
10. Enter the text for this Check Box in the Tag field, but not the Title field (for this one), unless you want duplicate titles (the one you entered on the form and this one).
11. From the Show As drop-down list box, select Bounding Box, Start/End Tag, or None. Try all three, then choose the one you like best.
12. Select a color from the Color field box, then click Use a Style to Format Text Typed Into an Empty Control and select a style from the list (or not).
JD Sartain / IDG Worldwide
Check Box Properties
13. I advise against checking the box that says: Remove content control when contents are edited; however, try it both ways, then decide which option works best for your project.
14. Under Locking, decide whether you want the content to be edited or deleted. Again, it depends on your project. Sometimes it’s good to allow users to change their minds and edit or delete an option, while some projects should prohibit this action.
15. Under Check Box Properties, click the Change button and notice that you have, literally, thousands of options for the symbol that’s placed inside the checkbox. You can also choose a symbol for the Unchecked Box.
16. Click OK when finished, then click Save As to save the form. Notice the file type Microsoft automatically adds to the form file (see section F, number 7).
C. The Combo Box and the Drop-Down List Box
With both the Combo Box and the Drop-Down List Box, you must select from a list of mutually exclusive values, which means you may choose only one option. The difference is that with the Drop-Down List Box, your selection is limited to the items on the list. With the Combo Box, you can enter a custom item that is not on the list, but not without custom-coding this option. Therefore, the following instructions are the same for both Combo Boxes and Drop-Down List Boxes.
D. Combo Box & Drop-Down List Box
1. Enter the following statement for number 2: Please select your favorite type of restaurant.
2. At the end of this sentence, tab over to 4.5 on the ruler, then select the Combo Box Content Control button from the Controls group under the Developer tab.
3. With the Control still selected, click the Properties button under Developer > Controls.
4. When the Content Control Properties dialog menu opens, enter a Title in the first field box under General (and a Tag, if you like).
5. Under Show As, select Bounding Box, Start/End Tag, or None.
Note: The default is Bounding Box, which means that the items in the List/Combo Box do not appear until you click the shaded rectangle.
6. As explained under Check Box above, choose a color, a style, and whether you want to allow the content to be edited or deleted.
7. After that, click the Add button and enter your list of items.
8. Once entered, you can rearrange the order by pressing the Move Up or Move Down buttons, and edit or delete an item using the Modify or Remove buttons.
9. Follow the instructions above to create a Drop-Down List box for number 3, but substitute the favorite restaurant statement with this statement instead: Select the type of store where you most frequently shop.
JD Sartain / IDG Worldwide
Combo Box and Drop-Down List Box Properties
E. Rich Text and Plain Text Content Controls
There’s an important difference between Rich Text Format (RTF) Content Controls and Plain Text Content Controls. Rich Text Format (RTF) Content Controls support graphics, tables, objects, annotations, custom fonts, and font attributes. The Plain Text Content Control is just that: plain ASCII text that looks like Courier. It does not support any of the items that RTF supports, except it does allow some attributes such as Italics, Bold, etc. The catch: if you select bold, the entire text turns bold; that is, you cannot bold, italic, etc. a single word or group of words. If you want your forms to look nice, we recommend that you use the RTF Content Control.
1. Enter the following survey statements: Please describe why you support (or do not support) this project. Note: You may use format features such as Bold, Italic, etc. You can also change the font, insert photos/graphics, objects, tables, and/or annotations.
2. Tab over to 4.5 on the ruler. Select the Controls group under the Developer tab, then click the Rich Text Format Content Control button.
3. With the Control still selected, click the Properties button, and a slightly different Content Control Properties dialog window opens (not as many options).
4. Follow the instructions above, then click OK.
F. Date Picker Content Control
1. This one is simple. Enter the following statement for number 5: Please enter your birthdate (for demographic purposes).
2. Tab over to 4.5, select the Controls group under the Developer tab, and then click the Date Picker Content Control button.
3. With the Control still selected, click the Properties button and another slightly different Content Control Properties dialog window opens (with more options).
4. Follow the instructions above for similar fields such as Title, Tag, Colors, etc.
JD Sartain / IDG Worldwide
Rich Text Content Control properties
5. Select a date format from the Display Date Like This List Box. We selected M/D/YYYY (a numeric month, two-digit day, and four-digit year); however, you may choose whichever format you prefer.
6. Choose the target Location, Calendar Type, and the format for the XML contents when mapped; (the default answers are generally correct unless your location is outside of the United States).
7. When finished click OK. Save your form with the filename New Business Survey (and note that Word saves it with a Macro format; that is .docm), then exit the form.
JD Sartain / IDG Worldwide
Date Picker Content Control properties
G. Restrict Editing
If you want to limit others from editing or formatting your form, and you did not specify this on each individual Content Control, use the Restrict Editing commands under the Developer tab.
1. Open the form.
2. Click Home > Select > Select All (or press CTRL+ A).
3. Click Developer > Restrict Editing (from the Protect group), and then choose your restrictions from the Restrict Editing panel on the screen right.
4. After selecting the restrictions you require, under number 3: Start Enforcing Protection, click Yes. Now your form is protected.
JD Sartain / IDG Worldwide
Restrict Editing on forms
H. Test your work
Open the form again, fill it out, and then save a copy to a new location. If any of the Content Controls fail, delete them, and then follow the applicable instructions above to enter the Content Control again. If something still fails, download the New Business Survey form at the link below. Good luck and have fun!
I. Next Time
When we next update this story, we’ll add instructions for how to create and use Building Block Gallery Content Controls. Then catch us later for a detailed tutorial about ActiveX Controls.
There is a difference between Content Controls and ActiveX Controls. ActiveX Controls were initially developed for web pages; however, they can be used in other documents. They require macros to function and must be used cautiously. Content Controls do not need forms protection and do not require macros to work; however, macros can enhance their performance.
JD Sartain / IDG Worldwide
New business survey form filled out
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Apple and Samsung are famous for fighting over the top dog spot when it comes to the world of smartphones, but with the announcement of the Apple Watch Series 4 at the Apple Keynote early in September, we’re seeing them square off for that prized position on your wrist.
We’ve taken a hands-on look at the Galaxy Watch right here, and our Apple Watch Series 4 article rests just here if you’re looking for some deeper insight into either product.
We’re going to set them against each other to see which one should be the better option for you. Here we go!
Price
The new Apple Watch 4 costs anywhere between £399/$399 all the way up to £529/$529.
That is not a typo by the way. It’s the same price in pounds and dollars. Yup.
The Galaxy Watch is a little more reasonably priced starting at £279/329 up to £299/$349.
We’d expect the prices to look roughly like this, although perhaps without the gap being quite so substantial. The inclusion of UK pricing is also a welcome sight for those of us using the pound, too.
Apple does tend to charge a premium for its products, and there is very much in evidence here. Is that large gap in price justified? Read on.
Design and Build
The Galaxy Watch still holds the gorgeous circular display and the rotating bezel that Samsung has perfected at this point. Browsing through the menus is easy and satisfying.
The build quality, as you would expect from Samsung, is excellent. The feel of this is detracted slightly by the rubberised feel of the strap but the metal body of the watch is very sturdy, well put together and looks great.
The Gorilla Glass DX+ display protects the screen and while it is an upgrade from the Gear S3 it’s a little difficult to tell them apart aside from the silver casing.
The Apple Watch Series 4 has a 30% larger screen than that of the previous generation but is actually thinner than the series 3 while retaining the same case size.
The speaker is 50% louder and the microphone has been moved to the other side too, to prevent any echoing problems. An improved 64-bit dual-core processor is twice as fast than the previous iteration while cellular reception has improved thanks to the black ceramic and sapphire crystal rear.
The crown on the side of the watch now provides the utility to take accurate ECG, approved by the FDA in the USA.
Software
Samsung’s Tizen software is in many ways better than Wear OS.
Tizen is attractive and well designed, and the circular menus and bezel make us believe that the circular approach is still the best way of interacting with the smartwatch. The software is compatible with Android 5.0 and Apple phones with iOS 9.0 and above.
It does, however, have much fewer third-party apps available when compared to its Apple counterpart.
The customisable interface for the Apple Watch Series 4 is a big win, allowing you to turn your watch from something focused around your business life to your perfect workout companion. What we saw of the live demonstration at the keynote event early in September looked fantastic.
Apple Watch Series 4: Specs
40/44mm screen
Apple S4 64-bit dual-core processor
Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Fall detection
Optical heart sensor
ECG compatible
Black ceramic rear
Digital crown with haptic
18 hour battery life
SHOULD I BUY APPLE WATCH SERIES 4?
The premium price you’re paying for the Apple watch may not make all that much difference to you if you’re a part of camp Apple. It’s likely you’ll want to pair your smartwatch with your phone and no matter how much anyone talks about brands playing nicely with each other; we all know that matching up the brands isgoing to causefewerproblems.
The smartwatch market is Apple stagnant at the moment, so unless you really want your ECG taken at a moment’s notice there isn’t a whole lot in it. You can’t really go wrong with either, so purely based onpricethe Samsung is going to be the value option here – but that won’t stop theAppleenthusiasts from getting their hand on the excellent Apple Watch Series 4
Assuming that you have no affiliation one way or the other with iOS or Android then choosing between the iPhone XS and Galaxy S9 isn’t easy.
Even if you are a long-term iPhone or Android user, moving to the other operating system isn’t impossible but it does require effort.
Here, then, we’ll compare the iPhone XS and the Galaxy S9 mainly on their hardware specs and features, as well as the all-important price.
The iPhone XS – pronounced Ten S – is the newcomer this time around; we compared the then-new S9 with the iPhone X back in March 2018.
Frankly the conclusions aren’t that different now, since the XS is very similar to its predecessor overall. However, the XS Max brings a new choice to the table – an iPhone with a 6.5in display – and could well be your pick if you prefer the biggest possible screen.
iPhone XS vs Samsung Galaxy S9: Price
Before we dive into specs, though, here’s a quick price comparison so you can see what each option will cost you.
iPhone XS (5.8-inch)
iPhone XS Max (6.5-inch)
Galaxy S9
Galaxy S9 Plus
64GB
US$999 / £999
US$1099 / £1099
US$719 / £739
US$3839 / £869
256GB
US$1149 / £1149
US$1249 / £1249
N/A
N/A
512GB
US$1349 / £1349
US$1449 / £1449
N/A
N/A
The 512GB option is new for the iPhone, but does push the price up. There’s just one capacity for the Galaxy. That keeps pricing simple, and it’s because you can add storage via microSD – up to 400GB cards are supported.
If you’re already familiar with the iPhone X, you’ll know that the XS is largely the same but with the new A12 Bionic processor inside. There are a couple of other minor upgrades: better stereo sound, the ability to adjust depth of field after taking portrait photos and Smart HDR, where photos have even better dynamic range.
Apple says the screen can show 60 percent better dynamic range in photos. It’s unclear whether this is because of the new Smart HDR photo mode, or improvements in screen technology. However, brightness and contrast figures remain the same as for the iPhone X.
The XS and XS Max both support HDR10 and Dolby Vision content (the iPhone X only lists Dolby Vision support in its specs). The S9’s screen, being OLED like the iPhone’s, also supports Mobile HDR, but not Dolby Vision.
Water-resistance has also been improved to IP68, which is the standard the S9 and S9 Plus comply with. Apple says it means the iPhones can be submerged at a depth of 2m for up to 30 minutes. Samsung quotes a depth of 1.5m, despite the same IP rating.
The XS Max is an all-new model for Apple, but has the same specifications and features as the XS. The only difference is the screen size. Obviously this makes the phone itself larger, and it’s also quite weighty at 208g. The Galaxy S9 Plus has a slightly smaller 6.2in screen, is narrower and almost a millimetre thicker than the XS Max, but weighs almost 20g less.
This handy table shows at a glance how the main specs stack up against each other:
Galaxy S9
Galaxy S9+
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
Operating System
Android 8.0 Oreo
Android 8.0 Oreo
iOS 12
iOS 12
Display
5.8in Quad HD+ (2960×1440) 18.5:9 SuperAMOLED
6.2in Quad HD+ (2960×1440) 18.5:9 SuperAMOLED
5.8in Super Retina HD (2436×1125, 458ppi) OLED
6.5in Super Retina HD (2688×1424, 458ppi) OLED
Processor
Exynos 9810 octa-core
Exynos 9810 octa-core
Apple A12 Bionic
Apple A12 Bionic
Memory
4GB RAM
6GB
Not stated
Not stated
Storage
64GB (expandable up to 400GB via microSD)
128GB (expandable up to 400GB via microSD)
64GB/256GB/512GB
64GB/256GB/512GB
Primary Camera
12Mp f/1.5-2.4 camera with OIS
12Mp f/1.5-2.4 camera with OIS + 13Mp telephoto camera
12Mp wide-angle, f/1.8 with OIS + 12Mp telephoto, f/2.4 with OIS
12Mp wide-angle, f/1.8 with OIS + 12Mp telephoto, f/2.4 with OIS
In terms of design, there’s nothing revolutionary here. Both the Galaxy S9 and iPhone Xs look pretty much the same as their predecessors. They’re great-looking phones, but no-one is going to spot that you have the latest model in your hand.
They may possibly notice the iPhone XS Max, but this uses an identical – albeit larger – design to the smaller XS.
Screen
Apple was the first company to introduce a notched screen, and that has been carried over to the new models. It houses the front 7Mp camera, a light sensor and the Face ID components. Face unlocking works faster than on the iPhone X thanks to improved algorithms and a faster Secure Enclave on the A12 chip.
The S9, meanwhile, has a fingerprint sensor (it does allow face unlocking, but it isn’t as secure as Apple’s version). You won’t find a notch in the S9’s screen, but there are top and bottom bezels. The S9 is just over 4mm taller than the iPhone X because of this, but the S9 Plus is virtually the same height as the XS Max, because it has a smaller 6.2in diagonal.
Quality-wise, these are some of the best screens in the industry, and although we’re yet to test out the XS and XS Max, we’re certainly Apple won’t have overstated the claim of them being the most colour-accurate around.
The iPhones also have 3D Touch and a 120Hz touch layer – not the display itself, but the touch-sensing part – which the Samsung phones don’t have. But they’re unlikely to sway your choice.
Storage and connectivity
Turn to other features and Samsung still offers a traditional 3.5mm headphone socket, a microSD slot and NFC. The iPhone has the latter, but it’s only for Apple Pay. Being able to add storage via a microSD card is less expensive than spending hundreds for the top-capacity iPhone and you don’t have to decide at the moment you buy the phone.
However, not all apps can be stored on an SD card and performance isn’t guaranteed.
Cameras
We need to spend some time shooting video and taking photos on the iPhone XS before we can make any judgements about whether it’s better than the S9, but the on-paper specs are no different from the iPhone X.
That’s misleading, because there’s a better ISP in the XS which allows it to do better face detection, take more simultaneous frames for better HDR photos and also what Apple is calling ‘Extended dynamic range video’. Plus, as mentioned already, you can adjust the depth of field after the fact on photos taken in Portrait mode and there’s better bokeh – the blurriness in the background.
Since people care just much about these things, if not more, than technical image quality, it could well be that the XS is noticeably better.
Unlike in the past, you don’t have to compromise on cameras when you buy the smaller iPhone. Both have an identical setup with ‘wide-angle’ and 2x telephoto lenses.
Samsung uses Apple’s older approach, which is to put a single camera on the smaller S9 and a dual-camera arrangement on the S9 Plus. Remember, though, it has a clever adjustable aperture which can be set to f/1.5 and f/2.4. Plus, it can shoot 960fps slo-mo.
Battery life
Again, this is yet to be tested, but battery life is likely to be similar for both phones. Apple has increased battery life compared to the iPhone X, but an extra 30 minutes won’t be life-changing. The bottom line is that these are all one-day phones, or 1.5 with light use.
Unlike phones with 4000mAh batteries – or bigger – you’re not going to see 2+ days of use between charges.
IDG
IDG
IDG
