How To Use Your iPad (or iPhone!) As A Second Monitor [iOS]

Productivity pros swear by multiple monitors, but we don’t all have the luxury of carrying around huge screens and endless wallets. On the other hand, the iPad has become pretty ubiquitous, and it can really help you be more productive.

What if I told you there was a way you could use your iPad as a second monitor, extending your desktop with precious extra inches? That would be pretty amazing right?

Well here are three apps that let you do just that.

Splashtop XDisplay ($4.99 In-App Purchase, Mac & Windows)

Ease of Setup: Poor

SplashTop is already the brand leader in high-performance remote control software for your PC or Mac via an iPad (you can even watch movies), so a second display app is a natural fit. In fact, the same Splashtop Streamer app is used on the PC/Mac side as the display driver.

Software installation is pretty basic, but I was a little perturbed to see permission required for an app called itself Kextinstaller; from my hackintosh days, I know kexts (key extension?) are core system files, and messing around with them incorrectly is one of the few things you can do to break a Mac. The things I do in the name of testing…

Once installed, you’re asked to create a username and password, but these are only needed for the remote control Splashtop 2 app.

However, you will need to click on the Security tab and create a security code, which isn’t obvious; as well as install the virtual display driver under Settings > Advanced. A restart is also required.

When youre finished with all that, switch over to the iPad, launch XDisplay and you should see that your computer has been automatically discovered. Tap on it and it should connect, though it took a few refreshes for me and looked like the computer was breaking in the process. Eventually though, the screen will be extended and a helpful hint system displayed.

Performance: Great

A three-finger tap will open the app settings, one of which is to switch between smooth and sharp. In smooth mode, video playback was great, but text is fuzzy.

In sharp mode, video was still playable, but mouse response took a nosedive. Most text was easy to read, but clearly not “retina” grade. It’s also worth noting that touch controls mouse movement, so you should be able to draw into desktop applications with this app if you wanted. And because the app is resolution independent, you can also zoom in.

Splashtop XDisplay is free to download with a 10 minute limitation, and is currently on 50% sale at $4.99 to unlock the full app. It’s a pain to setup and the required steps aren’t obvious or documented in any central place, but it does work exactly as it says on the tin, and being able to switch between sharp text or smoother graphics makes it suitable for a wide range of applications.

Mini-Display ($9.99, Mac only)

$9.99 might seem like a high price to pay for an app which is rated 2 stars average and only Mac compatible, but I had no specific issues using this, so can only assume the ratings came form previous buggy versions.

Ease of setup: Great

Install the connector software and restart – that’s it. No passwords, no hidden driver installs. It just works. The interface on MiniDisplay for the iPad is simple, with a nice image of any recognized machines. Select the machine, and a few seconds later you have an extended desktop. If your Mac has a user password set, you’ll need to enter that.

Performance: Atrociously slow but crystal clear

The lag is unbearably slow – it would take a few seconds or so to drag a window onto the extended desktop and have it appear. Just writing text into an email or Evernote is acceptable. The text however, is crystal clear – it’s obviously using the native retina resolution of the iPad, which explains the lag. Video playback is impossible, but if writing emails or reading small chat displays is your main use case, you might appreciate the retina graphics.

Mouse movement is performed using a single tap, so no drawing is possible.

Mini Display is a universal app, so you can also run it on your iPhone – though only one device can be connected at the same time which means no lining up every iDevice you own for fun. It’s also worth pointing out that the higher resolution of the iPhone makes it completely unusable for, well, anything.

AirDisplay ($9.99, Mac & Windows)

Ease of setup: Great

Again, a single install and no passwords to set or additional steps required. If there was any confusion about what to do, launching Air Display on the iPad explains exactly what you need to do for either Mac or Windows, including how to setup an ad-hoc Wi-Fi network if needed.

To actually start using the display, activate and select the second device from the menu bar in the Mac or Windows AirDisplay host.

Note: there used to be a free version of this app that has since been withdrawn – the developers found it was butchering sales of the full app.

Performance: Reasonable

Again, Air Display uses the full resolution of an iPad – which is approximately the same as my iMac, so the pixel density renders a lot of apps unusable, though with incredibly clear detail. Here’s some tiny Photoshop menus, for example.

Video and general usage is very laggy, though subjectively didn’t feel as bad as Mini-Display. You can even draw directly into Photoshop, smoothly but albeit with a noticeable second delay between touching and having the line appear. Significantly, AirDisplay also includes the option to not use retina resolutions – it’s tucked away in the preferences. Disabling this puts it on par with XDisplay’s sharp setting, and makes everything more responsive and UI elements more reasonably sized.

The Winner

To be honest, trying to use the iPad as a second screen just made me squint an awful lot no matter what the app. Then again, my main work machine is a 27″ iMac – if you were to place the iPad alongside a 13″ MacBook Air, you might be more appreciative of any extra inches you could get your hands on.

For basic tasks like keeping a chat window open, checking a mail client or perhaps as a status monitor – the iPad works admirably. The clear winner for me in this round-up though has to Splashtop XDisplay. Yes, it doesn’t display at retina resolution, but in practice this is actually better than the other apps which ended up displaying windows at incredible detail, but so tiny as to be useless.

XDisplay lets you switch between a higher quality (though not retina) resolution, and something more than acceptable for smooth video playback. It’s sadly let down by the complex and somewhat daunting install process. AirDisplay comes an admirable second once you disable retina graphics, and the setup is far friendlier. It’s a tough call between the two.

Have you found a better solution to use your use iPad as a second monitor? Let us know in the comments if you have, or if you use your iPad as a second monitor often – we’d love to hear your experiences and what kind of apps you dock there.

Note Source: - http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-use-your-ipad-or-iphone-as-a-second-monitor-ios/

Roku 3 Media Streamer : Review and Giveaway

As more content becomes available online, the need for a traditional television subscription may not be enough anymore to justify the costs. Instead, if all the content you care about is available online, there’s little reason to keep your TV service going.

If you’re already subscribed to services like Netflix or Hulu Plus, now may be the time to make the switch. You will still need a computer or system that can access all of that content for you — more commonly, it’s called a media streamer or a home theatre PC. While you can build your own HTPC, it might be easier to just buy something like theRoku 3. We purchased a unit to review and give away to a lucky reader, so let’s see whether it lives up to the hype!

About the Roku 3

The Roku 3 is, logically, the successor to the Roku and Roku 2. It is an online media delivery system, which means that it’s a dedicated media center box which you connect to your television as well as the Internet via some form of Internet connection such as Wi-Fi or ethernet. It specializes in retrieving content from multiple online sources, such as Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, and much more.

The unit has increasingly become smaller, but also more powerful as it delivers on consumer demands for high-definition video streaming. The product line has also shrunk down from multiple different models to just one, but this one model should be enough to satisfy the needs of all consumers.

Some competitors to the Roku 3 include the Apple TV at $99, which offers much of the same functionality such as on-demand movies and TV shows, but is more integrated into the Apple ecosystem; and requires one computer to be the dedicated iTunes server in order to watch local video files. Next, the Boxee Box at around $180, offers more or less the same features, but isn’t quite as complete. Boxee is also known to erratically drop support on existing customers and phase out products really quickly. Judging from what’s happening in Boxee’s support forum, the Boxee Box could have very well reached the end of its life.

Packaging

The Roku 3 comes in a relatively small box, but this is also because the Roku 3 isn’t very big. After taking off the top, you’ll see a “Let’s get started” guide, where underneath lies the Roku 3 unit as well as the remote.

If you pull out the cardboard, you’ll find a power supply for the unit as well as batteries for the remote and earphones on the left and right sides of the cardboard. At the very bottom of the box is a product information pamphlet.

About the unit

As I said, the Roku 3 unit is very small. It measures at just 3.5 inches x 3.5 inches by 1 inch, and weighs in at only 5 ounces. The case is made from a hard plastic which should protect it from bumps and scratches. The glossy surface is also nice, especially with the “3” created by a non-glossy border, but it definitely shows off the fingerprints that it collects.

The Roku 3 comes with decent connectivity as it includes a USB port, an HDMI port, and an ethernet port. The USB port allows you to connect additional storage to play content from. Supported formats include MP4, MKV, MP3, AAC, JPG, and PNG; and plays 720p and 1080p HD video. As the Roku 3 only has an HDMI port, it is only compatible with TVs or monitors with an HDMI input. The Roku 3 also doesn’t have a separate audio port, so remember that both audio and video will be transmitted via the HDMI cable.

The Roku 3 has internal storage for saving your added channels and games, although Roku doesn’t state how much internal storage the device has. However, underneath the HDMI port is a microSD card reader which can provide additional storage space for more channels when the internal storage runs out. While the Roku 3 offers a 10/100 ethernet port, it is also dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi compatible with support for WEP, WPA, and WPA2 encryption.

The power plug is rather small, as the Roku 3 is advertised to use only 3.5 watts while streaming HD video. This number is rather impressive, considering that the Roku 3 packs a processor that is “5 times faster” than that found in the previous generation. That’s some serious muscle power to stream HD video as smoothly as possible.

The Remote

The included remote is interesting to say the least. The first thing you’ll notice is that neither the remote nor the Roku 3 have an IR receiver — instead, they communicate with each other using Wi-Fi Direct. This simply means that the two devices create an ad-hoc wireless network with which they can communicate. Previous generations used either an IR receiver or Bluetooth. The remote also comes with rather minimal buttons, which makes the Roku 3 quite simple (but sometimes tedious) to use. Surprisingly enough though, the remote also comes with motion control which is used for some games that are available on the Roku 3.

One of the biggest advantages to the Wi-Fi Direct method of communication is that the remote is able to receive a lot more data from the main unit. Why in the world would the remote be receiving data from the Roku 3? If you look on the left side of the remote, you’ll see that you can plug in any headphones so that you’re able to move around and enjoy your content without having to disturb others. While the idea of plugging headphones into a remote may be strange at first, I am absolutely enthusiastic about this idea simply because the remote is extremely mobile. You can enjoy your videos quite wherever you’re not alone are in the room.

Setting Up

With hardware out of the way, let’s take a look at the actual experience with the Roku 3. When you plug it in for the first time, you’ll have to go through a setup process in which you choose your language, wireless network if you don’t have an ethernet cable plugged in, and a linking process where you have to link the Roku 3 with your Roku account. If you don’t have an account, you’ll need to make one in order to use your Roku 3. While I don’t have an issue with making an account, I do not like that it forces you to enter your payment information, even if you don’t plan on making any Roku purchases. However, the account creation process will also ask you whether you want to enter a PIN for making a purchase, so you’re still protected from accidentally spending money. With a Roku account, you can also add private channels, manage your subscriptions, check your purchase history, and deactivate your account.

Channels

Once you have everything set up, you can add different “channels”, which are your different content providers. There are channels for every big name in content, from Hulu Plus and Netflix to Pandora, Disney, Fox News Channel. However, the library of channels is huge and includes so much more than just those. You can also find interesting channels such as Dailymotion, cnet, NASA, TED Talks, and even MIT OpenCourseware.

Although most channels are freely available, some require a paid subscription to really use them; and then there are some which require you to pay in order to add the channel to your Roku 3. There are also private channels which you can add via your account online using a code. A good place to start looking for private channels would be StreamFree.TV. There aren’t any credible channel repositories — just the available private channels.

Experience

The general experience across all apps is pleasing. The user interfaces are easy to navigate, and best of all they are pretty predictable after you’ve looked at one or two channels. For example, if you want to watch a TV show or movie on Netflix, it’s really easy provided you already have your Internet connection set up. Just navigate to the Netflix channel and hit OK. Then, after it loads a little more, you can scroll around for your TV show or movie, and then hit OK again. Then just hit Play on the screen, and it should load.

Pandora works similarly, where you navigate to the Pandora channel, choose the station you’d like to listen to, and you’re already done. As everything is channel-based, you won’t find a web browser or file explorer that you can use. The Roku 3 is also supposed to be able to connect to other PCs on the network and stream from them, but I haven’t been able to get it to work because of the network scenario where I live.

Games

Interestingly enough, you can also play a handful of games on the Roku 3 after adding them to your device. One of the most popular games is Angry Birds Space, and I’d have to say that it’s pretty fun to play on. The graphics are very good, and playing with the remote is pretty cool. You can point with the remote to move the on-screen pointer around, and in the case of Angry Birds you can also pull back by moving the remote to the left. I’m not sure how it recognizes the motion, but it works reasonably well. You don’t even have to point it at the Roku unit — it works even when pointing the remote in the complete opposite direction. I still prefer using a smartphone or tablet when playing Angry Birds, however.

Downsides

Besides plenty of available channels and games, there isn’t a whole lot more to the Roku 3. It’s fantastic at what it’s meant to do — streaming online content. However, there are a few downsides to the Roku 3. First, if you haven’t noticed yet, there is no official YouTube channel despite the number of channels that are available for the device. As a college student, I do enjoy any content that is available for free, and YouTube is my go-to source for that. As the Roku 3 doesn’t offer YouTube, that’s a huge turn off in my eyes. After doing a bit of research, I’ve discovered that this is Google’s fault for trying to make a YouTube app exclusive to Google and Apple TV devices, and not Roku’s. I just hope that YouTube comes to the device in the near future, no matter whose fault it really is.

Next, I dislike the fact that I have to make an account for the Roku 3, but I see the reasons why I would want to do so. However, I definitely didn’t like that I was forced to enter in my payment information — maybe I’m asking a bit too much in that area. Finally, I think that the power cable is too short at just 5 feet, as I wasn’t able to place the Roku 3 exactly where I would have preferred it to be.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a fantastic streaming solution that makes the switch to online TV content a whole lot easier. Despite some of my gripes, the device has barely any downsides, although I’m still highly disappointed about the lack of an official YouTube channel. As most of my viewed content comes from YouTube, it makes the Roku 3 a lot less useful for me.

Also, if you’re invested in the Apple ecosystem, you may have a better time getting an Apple TV instead. While it doesn’t have quite as many channels as the Roku 3, it does connect to most major content providers (including YouTube) as well as your iCloud purchases and content.

Note Source:- http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/roku-3-review-and-giveaway/

There’s An App For That: 10 Household Items Replaced By Software [iOS]

   Smartphones and tablets have changed the way we live life. No longer can we wake up and lull around in bed without checking our email or Twitter mentions. Nobody worries about getting lost any more unless they’re low on battery, the smartphone user’s achilles heel in a world of do-everything devices.

Our gadgets have also replaced a significant amount of physical objects, to the point where many of us wouldn’t consider buying a product when there is an equivalent piece of software that is up to the task.

In light of this here are a list of things many of you might not consider purchasing everagain.

Calculator

The humble calculator is an item that many occasionally come across when looking through untouched cupboards, dust-laden desktops and that drawer in the kitchen where you put things like rubber bands and blu-tack. The death of the dedicated calculator isn’t a particularly new thing, in school I remember debates over whether calculators on chunky Nokia and Motorola feature phones were suitable for classroom use (most teachers were wise to this).

These days you don’t even need me to suggest a replacement apps, the iPhone’s in-built Calculator performs a variety of scientific tasks just by using it in landscape mode. For those of you who need graphing try Quick Graph, or if you’d rather input sums using your handwriting then the free MyScript Calculator will do the job. If you’re just bored of the plain-looking calculator app then check out RetroCalc ($1.99) for some of the world’s most memorable math machines.

Scanner

Unless you’re an artist, photographer or busy digitising rolls of 35mm film, you have no reason to buy a scanner ever again. They’re big, clunky, space-consuming and too loud – why not use an app on your phone, instead?

Seeing as you’re probably going to want those documents in digital form anyway, an app like TurboScan ($1.99) uses your device’s camera to make black and white or colour scans at varying contrasts before saving them as PDFs. CamScanner is a free alternative, though TurboScan remains a personal favourite of mine. If you’re really serious about this method you might want to build the ultimate document scanner to accompany your favourite app.

The Diary

This one is pretty easy – just about any app that lets you take notes could be used as a diary, though that’s not entirely practical. Instead there exist some great dedicated journaling apps, and most of these do way more than a boring old dog-eared paper diary could.

Simon recently put DayOne ($4.99) through its paces, a diary solution that syncs with your Mac (the total cost for both apps is less than most Moleskine notebooks, at $15). Another big-name alternative here is Everyday.me, and you could also check out another four other alternatives we’ve tried out.

If you really want to push the limits of what a diary should be and take full advantage of social networking (you forward thinker!) then you could sign up for Path and document your life with a select few other individuals. Hey, it works for Britney and it could work for you.

Remote Controls

Remember those all-in-one replacement remote controls? People still buy them! Idiots, right? Clearly they’ve not seen the light and replaced their remote control with a smartphone app. That, or they don’t have a compatible TV (fair enough). If you own a modern TV that you’ve purchased in the last few years from a named manufacturer then there’s a good chance you can control it from your tablet or smartphone.

I have an LG TV that, when paired with the LG TV Remote app lets me use my phone as a touchpad and general remote control, provides access to useless smart TV apps and even takes screenshots (way more useful that I ever imagined). Samsung owner? Grab Samsung SmartView. Sony? Media Remote for iPhone is your friend. Other TV? Search for “<manufacturer> iPhone remote” and see what comes up, you might be surprised.

There are also other apps that use accessories to turn your phone into a true universal remote, but they involve additional hardware and that’s against the ethos of this article so I’m leaving them out.

Radio

Remember radios? They were once found on kitchen counters, in garages and on bedroom floors. No longer do you need to rely on the airwaves (though in the event of a zombie apocalypse you might) for music and information – use your phone and spend that money you saved on some cheap speakers instead.

I’m not referring to home audio setups here, particularly hi-fi sound, but a cheaper means of getting music or news to your earholes. Spotify and Rdio both provide compelling music solutions (and can now be paired with Twitter #music), while TuneIn Radio can’t be beaten for listening to actual live broadcasts the world over – take that, FM.

Trackpad & Mouse

Ok, so it’s unlikely you’re going to completely replace your mouse or trackpad with your iPhone or iPad, but in the event of peripheral failure you can always use your iOS device as a stop-gap before your replacement arrives. They’re also great for bedroom and living room use, or anywhere else you’re feeling too lazy to move.

There are two strong competitors here, a free option called Remote Mouse which features in-app purchases to unlock additional features and remove adverts, or the completely ad-free and unrestricted app TouchPad ($4.99).

Alarm Clock

We’ve been using small personal devices as alarm clocks for as long as we’ve had small personal devices. Digital organisers, watches and dumb phones all did the job amicably, but now we’ve got an endless sea of software to choose from, not least the stock Alarms app.

Apple’s alarm app is ok, it works, but it’s a little fiddly. If you prefer a minimalist approach then try Rise ($1.99), or if statistics and sleep patterns are of interest there’s always Sleep Cycle.

The Landline

Technically your iPhone already replaces the landline by performing its function as a phone, but mobile charges can be expensive. There was once a time when we’d resort to landlines to avoid carrier charges or steep international rates, but that’s all changed thanks to always-on-us VoIP.

Skype is the first place to start and then there’s fring too. Both these solutions allow you to call landlines, mobiles and international numbers for cheap. If you’d like a different approach (and live in the US) then give Google Voice a go, it routes your outgoing calls through an access number which charges you the standard (inclusive) rate for any number dialled, national or international. Cheapo!

Notebooks & Scrap Paper

Scrap paper gets lost, covered in coffee and crushed in pockets. Handwritten notes aren’t digital, and in this era of accessing all your documents from anywhere with a data connection this is often a problem.

There are so many note-taking apps for iOS I don’t know where to start. The big services all have their own apps: Evernote, Pocket, Remember the Milk and even the stock Notes app which is made a lot more useful thanks to iCloud. Bakari featured a few time-saving apps inhis recent communication app round-up or you could use a document hosted in Google Drive.

iPad users who appreciate a handwritten approach can try Paper for free, though this might not be the most practical of solutions.

Magazines

Last of all while it’s still very much a period of transition for the print industry, more magazines than ever are turning to tablets and smartphones to deliver their content. Instead of physically spending money on a piece of paper which you’ll only forget to recycle, why not grab yourself a subscription to Next Issue and read all you can for a set price per month?

Next Issue provides access to over 80 different magazines from a variety of publishers, but you could also check out Zinio too. Apple’s own Newsstand platform continues to grow, adding more publications all the time. Even if you’re feeling cheap there are a huge number of free iPad magazines to choose from.

What else can you replace with an iPhone and a few apps? What will the future bring? Let me know what you think in the comments, below.

Best Samsung Galaxy S4 accessories

    The Samsung Galaxy S4 is undoubtedly going to be the pride and joy of many a trouser pocket from its official UK release date of 27 April. But keeping that phone feeling fresh and scratch-free means investing in a decent case. Thankfully, with Samsung such a hot brand at the moment, and its new phone the most sought after handset on the planet (probably), accessories extend way beyond that.

      So then, what sort of toys should you be looking at to go alongside your Galaxy S4 when it arrives? Read on to find out everything you need for your swanky, new Samsung Galaxy S4.

Cases

Let's start with the obvious: a case. The Samsung Galaxy S4 has a big 5-inch 1080p display, which while being protected by Gorilla Glass 3, might not come off so well in a fight between screen and pavement.

Tech21 Impactology cases

Tech21 has put together a range of tough cases for the new Samsung phone. Starting with the Impact Snap Black and White, which retails for £19.99. The Tech21 impact reduction technologyinside basically pushes impact force away from the phone if you drop it, making it nice and safe in the case, without the need for a massive plastic wraparound.

The cases also include the Impact Snap with Cover for £24.99 and the rather cool-looking Impact Mesh, which is clear around the edges with an orange band. They will all be going on sale from 26 April ready for when the Galaxy S4 arrives.

Case-Mate barely there

We already have the tough case box ticked with Tech 21, so now on to something a bit more stylish. The Galaxy S4 is designed to be light and pocketable, so a good case shouldn’t add too much to the form factor of the phone.

 

Case-Mate’s Barely There range includes two cases, one in aluminium, which fit as close as possible to the phone while providing a good amount of protection. Both will go on sale from the end of April. The conventional Barely There is £14.99, the aluminium one £19.99.

Belkin Micra Folio case

Making a decent alternative to Samsung’s own brand flip case (shown below), but throwing in a bit of wallet functionality for good measure is Belkin’s Micra Folio case.

The whole thing is wrapped in soft-touch material, with a flip cover on the front that features a pocket in which to store cards and cash. A microfibre lining sits on the inside of the cover to keep your screen clean.

V-Moda Vamp Verza

This one is a bit of fun more than anything, although we can see it being a hugely useful accessory for the summer, especially if you intend to take your handset to the park to provide music.

You better get saving though, because V-Moda’s Vamp is $600 (£395). It includes a full amp and even a digital to analogue converter. It fits into V-Moda’s Vamp Metallo case, combining the two into an awesome portable hi-fi.

Samsung Galaxy S4 S View cover

For those who don’t fancy going third party, Samsung’s own S View cover is a good option. It features a letter box at the top of the front cover through which you can see part of the Galaxy S4’s screen.

The phone will actually recognise when you have the case on and subsequently display important information like time and notifications, through the relevant letter box. It also keeps the front of your phone scratch free, but doesn’t offer quite the level of drop protection as bulkier cases.

Speck SmartFlex Card

Speck has built up quite a heritage for keeping your gadgets safe over recent times. The SmartFlex card will wrap around your Galaxy S4, while theoretically doing away with the need for you to carry about a wallet.

On the back of the case is a clever slot, which you can use to store things like bank cards inside. The case also comes in a wide variety of colours and looks just as good as anything else that Speck has one offer. Alternatively there is the SmartFlex View, which has a built in stand in the back so you can prop the handset up.

Cygnett Icon

One for the trendy types, Cygnett’s Icon case uses a Keith Haring style print on the back to seperate it out from the usual black, white and see-through cases. It won't, however, keep your phone quite as protected as the competition, as the case only really covers the back of the Galaxy S4.

If you fancy a touch more screen protection, Cygnett has the WorkMate, which is as colourful as as Championship football team’s kit. It also has a proper bumper on the front, so should stop the screen from getting damaged if you drop it.

Headphones

Android phones are starting to get their own set of audio accessories, or at least increased compatibility with devices. This means you can enjoy best-in-class audio tech alongside your new Galaxy S4.

Ultimate Ears 6000

One of the big draws of the UE 6000 is that they are fully compatible, microphone and all, with Android handsets. Being battery-powered noise cancelling cans also means you get great sounding audio even on planes and trains.

The Ultimate Ears have a design scheme which is in keeping with that of Samsung’s. Gloss white and black matches nicely with the new colourways on the Galaxy S4, making the headphones a bit of a complementary product for your new phone. The Ultimate Ears are £140.

Bowers & Wilkins P3

Another colour-matched set of headphones, the Bowers and Wilkins P3s come in black, white and a soon to be launched blue. They also sound fantastic and are nice and compact, coming with a great carry case to keep them protected in handbags or rucksacks.

B&Ws P3s cost around £170, but for that you are getting some top sound quality and build. They even have removable headphone cables in case the set you have breaks.

SteelSeries Real Racing 3 Gaming headset

If there is one app that is really going to show off the graphical prowess of your Galaxy S4, then it's Real Racing 3. We are talking about near-console quality gaming, all wrapped up in an app that is free to download. Okay, so there is some freemium shenanigans going on, but hey, if you can afford a Galaxy S4 then in-app purchases should be the least of your worries.

The SteelSeries 3 headset is designed specifically with RR3 in mind. They ship with a mini jack on one headphone so you can connect another set and share audio with a friend. There is also an in-line microphone for hands-free calling. The RR3 headphones cost £99 from the SteelSeries website.

Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H6

This is most definitely the pricey premium option, but for those who can afford it, the H6s offer top notch quality and design. At £329 they aren’t cheap, but then B&O has spared no expense. The leather for example is top quality New Zealand leather, which looks like it might last forever.

Audio is top notch, if a little light, but these headphones are geared towards classical music, rather than the bass heavy tracks a set of Beats headphones prefers. The aluminium on either can is also a nice touch.

Docks

For many, the Galaxy S4 is replacing an iPod or iPhone. This means some sort of speaker dock will come in particularly handy if you fancy taking your music further. The Galaxy S4 uses a micro USB connector, which should mean you need only a USB port on a dock for the phone to work.

Philips Fidelio AS851

Philips has taken proper care of Android users with its range of Fidelio audio docks. The AS851has a clever Flexidock, which can adapt to allow you to place virtually any Android phone into it.

This means your Galaxy S4 will fit snug in the Fidelio, rather than dangling off it attached with a cable. It’s a minor point, but with something as premium as the SGS 4, you really want your dock to match its quality.

Idapt S2

How about a dock that works with both iOS and Android devices, so you can plug in your Galaxy S4, or visiting friends hook up their iPhones? That way everyone gets a chance to play their music at parties.

The Idapt S2’s thinking is that you can never have enough connectors. As such, it comes with a micro USB connector, as well as a 30-pin Apple adapter or Lightning, should you be so inclined. The S2's pricing starts at £159. 

• 
 
• 
 
• 
• 
 
• 
 
• 
• 
 
• 
 
• 
• 
 
• 
 
• 
• 
 
•