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Нардеп Бобов сплатив у бюджет України 38 млн грн

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Народний депутат від групи Відродження Геннадій Бобов перерахував у держбюджет близько 38 мільйонів гривень
Про це свідчать квитанції, які він опублікував на своїй сторінці у Facebook.
«Сьогодні зранку пeрeрахував до дeржавного бюджeту всі кошти згідно вимог прeдставників дeржави. Я виконав свої зобов’язання в повному обсязі, хоча і нe погоджуюся з ними. Алe я дію і буду діяти виключно в межах Закону. Пeрeконаний, що остаточну крапку в цій справі поставить суд», – написав він.
Відповідно до опублікованих квитанцій сума, яку перерахував Бобов, становить близько 38 млн гривень.
«Вголос»

© Source: http://vgolos.com.ua/news/nardep_bobov_splatyv_u_byudzhet_ukrainy_38_mln_grn_266695.html
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Has Everest's famous Hillary Step really collapsed? Here's the science

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The Hillary Step, a rocky outcrop at 8,770m, just beneath the summit of Everest (8,850m) , has finally succumbed to gravity and partially collapsed. At least it has according to mountaineer Tim Mosedale, who climbed the mountain…
Named after Sir Edmund Hillary – the first to reach the summit of Everest, with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, in May 1953 – this rocky structure certainly has a noble heritage in mountaineering circles. It is the last major obstacle encountered on the South Col route before reaching the summit.
But it also famed in geological circles. It is, or was, formed of a resistant limestone band along the base of the Qomolangma Formation which dates back to the Upper Cambrian or Lower Ordovician age. These rocks feature tiny remnants of crinoid ossicles (stems of sea lillies) that originally lived in a shallow tropical ocean 450m years ago and can now be found on the summit of Everest.
If the Hillary Step has indeed collapsed, the rockfall will have altered the standard route to the top. And this may result in increasing congestion as parties queue up to get to the summit during the brief period of stable, pre-monsoon climbing conditions in May. As Mosedale told Planet Mountain:
It’s easier going up the snow slope and indeed for inexperienced climbers and mountaineers there’s less « climbing » to be done, making it much easier for them. However, it’s going to form a bottleneck. The Hillary Step often formed a bottleneck but some years ago they fixed an up and a down rope. In the current state it would be difficult to safely negotiate down where the step used to be on account of the huge unstable rocks that are perched on the route.
The end of an era?
Ultimately, however, the demise of the Hillary Step would be but a small blip in the long-term process of Himalayan mountain building. The collision and ongoing convergence of the Indian plate into Asia results in convergence across the Himalaya of about 18-20mm per year and an average uplift rate of the mountains of about 3-4mm per year.
As the mountains are driven upwards by these tectonic forces, climatic and geographic forces – such as rain and snowfall, and glacial and river incision – conspire to bring them back down through erosion.
The tectonic forces have been winning this battle for at least 25m years and the highest Himalayan peaks now reach nearly 9km above mean sea-level. The steeper the cliff faces, the more subject they are to rockfall and avalanches, and seasonal freeze-thaw cycles are important factors in making the rocks unstable. The collapse of the Hillary Step would be just one minor event in the broad scheme of uplift and erosion along the Himalaya.
Recent previous examples of large-scale rockfalls include the massive rockfall on the west flank of Annapurna IV (7,525 metres) in spring 2012, which resulted in debris blocking the course of the upper Seti river in Nepal. A lake built up behind the blockage and a few days later, on May 5,2012, a massive mud-flow cascaded down the valley burying villages and killing 72 people. The flows reached as far as Pokhara, the second city of Nepal.
During the Gorkha earthquake (magnitude 7.9) in Nepal on April 25,2015, hundreds of rockfalls resulted from the intense ground shaking, sending boulders the size of houses tumbling down to the valleys and villages below. It has been hypothesised that this earthquake might have done for the Hillary Step.
Perhaps the worst example was the massive rockfall that occurred on the south face of Langtang Lirung following the May 12 aftershock. The landslide originated from high on the south face of Langtang Lirung and the resulting rockfall completely buried the village of Langtang, killing at least 300 people.
In January 2013, a large rockfall also occurred near the summit of Mount Cook in New Zealand, reducing its height from 3,764 metres to 3,724 metres. During June 2005, a series of major rockfalls caused most of the granite south-west pillar of the Aiguille de Dru in the French Alps (commonly known as the Bonatti Pillar) to collapse, wiping out one of the most famous Alpine rock climbs of all. The scar of this rockfall was more than 500 metres high and 80 metres wide.
All part of the process
But the story of mountains is a very, very long one – and it contains a great many twists and turns. The India-Asia plate collision has been going on for at least 50m years. The tectonic forces push them up and erosion tries to wear them down.
Everest is continually being jacked up by this under-thrusting of the Indian plate and, as long as India continues to push north, indenting into Asia, the Himalaya will continue to rise. As long as the Himalaya continue to rise, the forces of nature will erode them away and attempt to reduce these magnificent mountains back down to sea-level. And as long as that happens, they will keep changing shape. Long may tectonic forces prevail in this battle.
Explore further: American climber dies on Everest, Indian missing

© Source: https://phys.org/news/2017-05-everest-famous-hillary-collapsed-science.html
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Despite Testy Ties, Bollywood Movie is Thriving in China

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A wide range of theories are being circulated as to why Dangal, a film about a wrestler father who forces his daughters into the sport is resonating with Chinese audiences
An Indian film that addresses social themes and stars actor Aamir Kahn has captivated audiences in China. The film is thriving, despite the fact that India was the only major country to boycott Beijing’s Belt and Road Forum earlier this month.
But the irony and sharp contrast of those two developments was largely lost on the millions of Chinese viewers who have helped keep the Hindi language film land in the top slot, despite the fact that it has subtitles and no voice-over dubbing.
Analysts, film critics, and social media pundits are still debating what drove hordes of Chinese viewers to this movie, which is not your standard Bollywood mix of songs, dance and bloodletting violence.
Breaking new ground
According to industry sources, this is the first time a movie that was not made in Chinese or English has emerged as the top seller in the world’s second-largest movie market. China imports very few foreign films a year, and non-Hollywood movies make up an even smaller portion of that share.
A wide range of reasons are being forwarded as explanations for the success of Dangal, which has grossed $124 million since its May 5 release in 9,000 theaters across China. On Friday, three weeks after its release, the movie finally slipped from the first to the second highest selling slot. The runner-up, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2, has brought in $98 million in China over the same period.
Perhaps an important reason for Dangal’s success is the celebrity status that Aamir Khan, the star and driving force behind the movie, has enjoyed in China for several years with his previous movies, PK and 3 Idiots, which did very well with Chinese movie-goers. Even before Dangal arrived on the Chinese scene, Amir had a bigger following on his Sina Weibo social media account than Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. His following now stands at 600,000 fans compared to Modi’s 165,000.
Deft marketing including personal canvassing by Khan, who spent a week traveling across Chinese cities, also played a part.
But critics and social media pundits in China see an altogether different reason. Thousands of reviews, articles and social media posts have focused on the peculiar connection between patriarchal society in China and India.
Patriarchy vs feminism
The film revolves around a wrestler father who forces his reluctant daughters to take up the sport.
His authoritarian and strict parenting style is something audiences in China can easily relate to, said Edward Chan, a sociology professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
“I think the father role portrayed by the movie in India is quite similar to the culture, especially the traditional culture in China, ” Chan said.
Tansen Sen, professor of history and Asian studies at the City University of New York said, « It has a story that resonates with the Chinese, both with regard to parent-child relationship as well as the fascination with sports. »
And while some feminists see the father’s behavior as problematic, they also see much to applaud in the story. For those that do, the movie is seen as empowering women.
Two feminist groups, Jianjiao Buluo (Screaming Pepper Tribe) and Cheng Yusan (Orange Umbrella) treated a group of 120 people to a free screening of the film in Guangzhou.
Lu, a 20-something entertainment industry employee, says the movie piqued her curiosity towards India, a country with a population as large as China. Lu says that many young Chinese like her want to follow their own dreams and have the support of their parents.
“I feel the father’s support for his children was especially moving and that parent’s strictness toward their children is for their own good, ” Lu says.
The party-backed tabloid, the Global Times, slammed the movie for celebrating the values of a domineering father, who pushes his two reluctant daughters into wresting as a career choice. The paper said the film has sparked off a major controversy over different aspects of feminism in China, and whether modern day girls should completely reject the values of patriarchal society.
But the paper also quoted viewers who had a different viewpoint. « It made me think of my father,  » the Times quoted one person as saying. « His reticent love for us. I wanted to call him, say nothing, just cry, and cry like a river to release myself from my deep regrets. »
Cao, a fan who says he has been watching Aamir Kahn’s movies for years said there are not enough films like Dangal in the Chinese market. He said he admires Kahn for his dedication to his profession (how he lost and gained weight) and the effort he put into addressing a social cause through the film.
“Just like people are saying online, he is influencing all of India as a country and all of its people, ” Cao says “And I think that’s really great!”
Next Bollywood blockbuster?
Another Hindi movie, Tubelight, is waiting to access the Chinese market. It features Chinese actress and singer Zhu Zhu, and the story revolves around the 1962 India-China war. Analysts are asking if Beijing will allow its entry given its reluctance to discuss this war publicly.
« The two governments should just let the people know each other through free-flowing exchanges and interactions. Sometimes this will result in negative perceptions and misunderstandings, but it will eventually lead to a more nuanced and balanced views of each other,  » Sen added.

© Source: http://www.voanews.com/a/despite-testy-ties-indian-movie-thrives-in-china-/3872497.html
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UK Labour leader links terror to wars as campaign resumes

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Four days after a suicide bombing plunged Britain into mourning, political campaigning for a general election in two weeks resumed Friday with the main opposition leader linking acts of…
LONDON (AP) – Four days after a suicide bombing plunged Britain into mourning, political campaigning for a general election in two weeks resumed Friday with the main opposition leader linking acts of terrorism at home to foreign wars like the one in Libya. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn risked being assailed for politicizing the Manchester Arena attack that killed 22 people by claiming that his party would change Britain’s foreign policy if it takes power after the June 8 vote by abandoning the « war on terror. » « Many experts, including professionals in our intelligence and security services, have pointed to the connections between wars our government has supported or fought in other countries, such as Libya, and terrorism here at home,  » Corbyn said in his first speech since Monday night’s atrocity. National campaigning had been on hold to honor the victims of the arena bombing. Salman Abedi, the bomber who struck the Ariana Grande concert, had strong links to Libya. His parents were born and lived there before moving to Britain in the early 1990s. They eventually returned with several of their six children, and Abedi traveled there to visit his family on occasion. Prime Minister Theresa May, who was attending a summit of the Group of Seven in Sicily, offered a blistering critique of Corbyn’s position when she was asked about it at a news conference. May said that while she was at the summit rallying support for the fight against terrorism, « Jeremy Corbyn has said that terror attacks in Britain are our own fault, and he has said that just a few days after one of the worst terror attacks » in the country’s history. « There can never, ever, be an excuse for terrorism,  » she said, adding « the choice people face at the general election has become starker. » While Corbyn could alienate some voters with his comments, he is trying to win back the many Labour supporters who turned away from the party in the aftermath of then Prime Minister Tony Blair’s decision to join the U. S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Blair’s backing of President George W. Bush brought more than 1 million protesters into the streets. When the rationale for war failed to pan out because weapons of mass destruction were not found in Iraq, Blair’s popularity faded badly after a string of election victories. When home-grown terrorists attacked London subway and bus lines in 2005, some blamed Britain’s involvement in the Iraq war. Corbyn’s speech reflects the view that Britain’s actions overseas are at least in part responsible for the increase in extremist attacks. The Labour Party under Corbyn has consistently trailed Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservatives in the polls, but has begun to make gains in the last week. It is unclear how the worst attack in Britain in more than a decade will impact voter sentiment. Grande, meanwhile, said that she would return to Manchester for a benefit concert to raise money for the victims and their families. The American singer didn’t announce a date for the concert. « Our response to this violence must be to come closer together, to help each other, to love more, to sing louder and to live more kindly and generously than we did before,  » Grande said in a statement. Grande suspended her Dangerous Woman world tour and canceled several European shows after the bombing. The tour will restart June 7 in Paris. British police investigating the Manchester bombing made a new arrest Friday while continuing to search 12 properties. A total of eight men are being held on suspicion of offenses violating the Terrorism Act. Their ages ranged from 18 to 38. A 16-year-old boy and a 34-year-old woman who had been arrested were released without charge, police said. Authorities are chasing possible links between the Abedi and militants in Manchester, elsewhere in Europe, and in North Africa and the Middle East. Britain’s security level has been upgraded to « critical » meaning officials believe another attack may be imminent. Manchester Police Chief Ian Hopkins said substantial progress has been made but detective work remains. Abedi, a college dropout who had grown up in the Manchester area, was known to security services because of his radical views. His parents came to Britain early in the 1990s. He reportedly was in contact with family members just before the attack. The names of the people in custody have not been released. No one has yet been charged in the bombing. London police say extra security is being added for major sporting events this weekend including the FA Cup soccer final at Wembley Stadium. Chief Superintendent Jon Williams said Friday extra protection measures and extra officers are being deployed throughout the capital because of the increased terrorist threat level. He said fans coming to soccer and rugby matches this weekend should come earlier than usual because of added security screening. Williams said « covert and discrete tactics » will also be in place to protect the transport network. British police working on the case have resumed intelligence-sharing with U. S. counterparts after a brief halt because of anger over leaks to U. S. media thought by Britain to be coming from U. S. officials. British officials say that have received assurances from U. S. authorities that confidential material will be protected. U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in London Friday that the U. S. accepts responsibility for the leaks. At the mosque that Abedi attended in Manchester, director of trustees Mohammed el-Khayat told worshippers that police would be told if anyone shows signs of having been radicalized. « The police will be the first to know,  » he said before Friday afternoon prayers. He strongly condemned the attack and said radical views will not be tolerated. Thamir Nasir, who has attended the mosque for nine years, remembered seeing Abedi there, but said he didn’t know him very well. « This does not represent Islam,  » Nasir said of the concert bombing. « And it doesn’t represent our community, and for sure doesn’t represent this mosque here…. This center is one of the most open – open to the community. So everyone here is shocked. We could not really sleep that night knowing that this happened in Manchester. » Despite the increased threat level throughout the country, and the addition of extra armed police and soldiers, the country’s top counter-terrorism police officer urged Britons not to hide away indoors during the upcoming holiday weekend, which finds much of the country enjoying fine weather. « Go out and enjoy,  » Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said. ___ Rob Harris reported from Manchester. David McHugh contributed from Taormina, Sicily. Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

© Source: http://www.cbs46.com/story/35523102/uk-politics-resume-after-attack-corbyn-links-terror-to-wars
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Trump's budget cuts West Coast quake warning system funding

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Trump’s budget cuts West Coast quake warning system funding
President Donald Trump’s budget proposal would cut federal funding for an earthquake early warning system for California, Oregon and Washington state, a development that seismology experts and some local leaders say would be the end of the project.
The system being developed in conjunction with various universities is intended at providing critical seconds of warning when an earthquake has started and potentially dangerous shaking is imminent. The system would allow time for people to take cover and to slow or halt such things as critical industrial processes and transportation systems.
A version of the ShakeAlert system has been undergoing testing but still needs to have more seismic sensors installed in Northern California, Oregon and Washington. The proposed funding cuts for the next fiscal year starting Oct. 1 would come from the budget of the U. S. Geological Survey, a bureau of the U. S. Interior Department.
Veteran seismologist Lucy Jones, who recently retired from the U. S. Geological Survey after years of providing earthquake information to the public, said she was deeply disappointed.
« Eliminating the $10 million (per) year that the government has been spending would stop the program and waste the $23 million that has already been invested,  » she said in a statement. « The talented scientists and technicians that are working on the project now will go to other jobs, so their experience and expertise would be lost. »
Rep. Adam Schiff, a Los Angeles-area Democrat, said in a Facebook post that the system should not be stopped just as it is being expanded after years of work to educate the public and Congress on its benefits.
« Support for the early warning system in Congress is sustained, growing and bipartisan, and we will not accept this attempt by the president to cut a vital funding stream for a program that will protect life, property and critical infrastructure,  » Schiff wrote.
Rep. Ken Calvert, a Republican who represents an inland Southern California district, is chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and the Environment and has supported funding of the earthquake warning system in the past.
Calvert said in statement Friday that he believes the warning system can be a « lifesaving tool » for millions of Americans in earthquake-prone areas.
« Obviously, the president’s budget proposes some reductions for this program and other agencies that fall within the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee’s jurisdiction, which I oversee as chairman,  » he said. « During the appropriations process, important programs like this will be given full consideration. »
In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti said a major earthquake is inevitable and the president’s proposal « is an abandonment of his duty to protect Americans. »
City Councilman Mitch Englander called the funding cuts « a threat to the lives of millions of people in California and beyond. »
Englander’s district includes the epicenter of the deadly 1994 Northridge earthquake that caused billions of dollars in damage to Los Angeles and neighboring areas.
« When it comes to earthquakes, seconds matter,  » he said in a statement. « A fully deployed early warning system would give time for elevators to shut down, hospitals to turn on backup generators, and people to take cover. »

© Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/trumps-budget-cuts-west-coast-quake-warning-system-47664880
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Taiwanese activist arrested for alleged subversion in mainland China

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Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council says Beijing has not given any concrete evidence to support the allegations against Li Ming-che
Authorities on the mainland have officially arrested Taiwanese human rights activist Li Ming-che on charges of subversion, in a case observers say will entrench a cross-strait stand-off. Li, who has been held by authorities since he entered the mainland from Macau on March 19, could become the first Taiwanese to be charged with the crime, which comes with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. “With the approval of prosecution authorities, Taiwan resident Li Ming-che was recently arrested by security agencies in Hunan province on suspicion of subverting state power, ” said An Fengshan, spokesman for the State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office. An said that since 2012, Li had frequently visited the mainland and collaborated with individuals to set up illegal organisations, and to organise and carry out seditious activities to try to overthrow the political system. “Li and others have confessed that they had engaged in activities endangering national security, ” he said. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said Beijing failed to provide any concrete evidence that Li was involved in any subversion. “Such allegations not only fail to convince the Taiwanese public, but also international groups concerned about the case, ” the council said. It urged mainland authorities to release any evidence immediately and allow Li’s relatives to visit him on the mainland in line with a cross-strait agreement on fighting crime. Li, 42, a rights activist and a former employee of Taiwan’s independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, went missing on March 19 immediately after he entered Zhuhai from Macau. A friend who was supposed to meet Li at the customs checkpoint on the mainland side waited for four hours without seeing him, according to his wife, Li Ching-yu. Beijing finally admitted last month Li had been held for investigation into his alleged activities. Li Ching-yu said that unlike other activists, her husband was “low key” and had merely exchanged ideas on democracy with friends made on WeChat. She said her husband travelled to the mainland once a year. Li Ching-yu later sought help from both the Taiwanese government and international human rights groups, including those in the United States, hoping they could help pressure Beijing to release her husband. Beijing considers Taiwan a mainland province subject to eventual union, by force if necessary. Analysts said it was rare for mainland authorities to arrest Taiwanese human rights activists and charge them with subversion. “Usually charges like that are meant for Taiwanese arrested for alleged espionage, or mainland dissidents protesting against mainland authorities over human rights abuses, ” said Wang Kung-yi, a professor of international relations and strategic studies at Tamkang University in Taipei. But Phoenix TV commentator Song Zhongping said Li’s case was simply a criminal case of someone jeopardising the mainland’s national security. “It does not matter which country, region, or political party he is from. If he violated the law and he should be punished, he will be punished, ” Song said. “In any country, such cases would be dealt in this way. It’s not the specifically targeting him or the DPP or the Taiwan authorities.” Taiwanese authorities, including President Tsai Ing-wen, have repeatedly called on Beijing to release Li, saying such action would only discourage Taiwanese from visiting the mainland and intensify the cross-strait row. Ties have been strained since Beijing suspended talks and exchanges with Taipei shortly after Tsai took office in May last year. She has refused to publicly acknowledge the one-China principle, which Beijing says is a political basis for talks and exchanges.

© Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2095896/taiwanese-activist-arrested-alleged-subversion-mainland
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The best Android phones for 2017

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Your guide to the latest and best Android phones of 2017. Check out our latest reviews and buyer’s guide on the top Android phones for this year.
We’ve reviewed all the major flagship phones available at the moment but plenty more are on their way this year so the right handset for you might be just around the corner. Also see: Best Phone Deals
Devices coming soon include the Sony Xperia XZ Premium, HTC U 11, Nokia 8 and 9, and OnePlus 5 – all of which can challenge for the top spots in our chart.
Android has the largest market share in the smartphone world, but whereas Apple’s share is divided between just a few iPhones with obvious differences between them there are hundreds of Android phones available to buy.
And the choice gets even more confusing when you consider that each Android phone manufacturer has multiple Android phone product lines, each with its own features and benefits. Also see: Best smartphones 2017 UK.
In our best Android phones chart we focus primarily on flagship devices, with the exception of where a phone lower down the range stands out for its excellent value (the Moto G5 for example) , feature set or performance. The phones in this group are those most likely to be bought on a contract, however, and their initial cost will be largely irrelevant.
If you are buying them SIM-free you should check out our best SIM-only deals, but if budget is a primary consideration for you, also see our round-up of the best budget phones .
When we talk about flagship smartphones, we really just mean the top model in a company’s phone line-up. You’ d usually expect to pay between £500- and £600 for it SIM-free, or around £40- to £50 a month on a contract.
But cheaper phones can have flagship specs – and especially when you consider some of the surprisingly affordable Chinese phones we review.
In 2017 a flagship Android phone specification will look something like this:
• Android 7.0 Marshmallow (Android Nougat will increasingly be available on new Android phones soon)
• Slim, lightweight metal/glass design
• 5-6in Quad-HD IPS display with Gorilla Glass 4
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 820/821/835 processor or comparable octa-core chip
• 4GB+ of RAM
• 32GB of storage, plus microSD support
• Fingerprint scanner
• 12Mp and higher primary camera with dual-tone flash, optical image stabilisation, laser autofocus and large apertures, plus support for 4K video recording
• 5Mp and higher selfie camera
• 4G LTE Cat.9
• Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth 4.2
• NFC, GPS, GLONASS, OTG
• Circa-3000mAh battery with fast charging

© Source: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/test-centre/mobile-phone/best-android-phones-for-2017-3265117/
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The best dual-SIM phones for 2017

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Your guide to the latest and best dual-SIM phones of 2017. Check out our latest reviews and buyer’s guide on the top dual-SIM phones for this year.
Dual-SIM smartphones let you use two SIMs in a single phone. Most people who use dual-SIM phones find the functionality useful for mixing work and pleasure, rather than carrying separate phones for their work- and personal contracts. See all phone reviews
Also see: Best Phone Deals
Dual-SIM phones are also useful for maintaining two personal contracts, however, whereby one might offer a good rate on calls and texts, and the other offers unlimited data. Or perhaps you frequently travel abroad, and would like to carry a UK SIM for when you’re at home and another that is local to the country you’re visiting. Also see: Best kids’ phones 2017
Whatever your reason for requiring a dual-SIM phone, a problem in the UK is that most smartphones do not include the functionality as standard. Indeed, hardly any of the UK phones we are sent for review are dual-SIM models, and even where dual-SIM versions are available they are rarely intended to go on sale in the UK. Also see: Best smartphones 2017.
Dual-SIM phones are incredibly popular outside the UK, but for some reason us Brits are being left out of the dual-SIM party. And we want in.
This is one reason why the Chinese market has become a popular solution for picking up a dual-SIM phone, but there are risks involved – read our advice on buying grey-market dual-SIM phones .
Another way you can find a dual-SIM phone is to search a site such as Amazon or eBay for ‘dual-SIM phone’, ‘dual-SIM Samsung’ or ‘dual-SIM Sony’ and so on. Having seen the standard single-SIM versions that are intended for UK sale we have no doubt that many of these are great phones, but having not personally laid our hands on the dual-SIM variants we’re reluctant to recommend them here.
They also tend to go off sale as soon as we add them to the round-up. Of course, you are more than welcome to recommend these phones in the comments below.
In this group test we recommend only phones that are sold in the UK with dual-SIM functionality as standard, and that we have personally reviewed. And in the future, we’re hoping that the increased demand for dual-SIM phones means we will begin to see more and more dual-SIM smartphones supplied to us for review. Also see: Best budget phones and best phones under £50.
Something we’ve noticed when shopping for dual-SIM phones is that the manufacturer very rarely provides any information about the functionality other than it exists. It doesn’t tell you how the dual-SIM functionality works in practice, nor whether both SIMs support 4G, or even what size SIM cards they accept.
As we’ve learned you can never assume: you’ll need to contact the manufacturer or check spec tables, reviews or forums to find out this information.
For that latter concern, as technology journalists who are always having to swap SIMs between the various phones we have in for review, we have found the best solution is to adopt a Nano-SIM for our personal smartphone, then pair it with an adaptor when we need to use it in a phone that supports Mini- or Micro-SIMs. SIM adaptors are very cheap, but some are better than others.
We like the MediaDevil Simdevil, which comes with Nano- to Micro, Nano- to Mini and Micro- to Mini adaptors, plus a SIM tray ejector tool. It costs £1.97 from Amazon. If you’re planning to stick with the phone, however, you can always request a new SIM of the correct size for free from your network operator, then swap over your number. Also see: Best sounding phone 2017.
In all the dual-SIM phones we’ve tested both SIMs are on standby at all times (known as dual-standby phones) , but you can actively use only one SIM at a time. This means that either SIM can accept a phone call or text at any time, without you having to actively swap between them or reboot the phone.
However, if you get a call on one number while a call is active on the other, it won’t start ringing in your ear or give you the option to put the first caller on hold – the call will simply not be successful.
Dual-standby phones require you to specify one SIM or the other for data, though unless specified you can choose between the two on the fly for calls and texts.
Dual-active SIM phones also exist, which use two modems and allow you to receive calls on both numbers at once. We’ve not tested any dual-active phones. See also: Best Android smartphones in UK: What’s the best Android phone you can buy in 2017?
If it’s you who wants to make a call or send a text, Android has a standard SIM Management menu that lets you specify which SIM should be used for voice calls, video calls, messages and mobile data. You can either specify a particular SIM for each of these tasks, or leave the setting at Always ask.
If you choose the latter, the next time you want to make a call or send a text you will be asked which SIM you want to use.
The data connection is where there seems to be a lot of confusion when it comes to dual-SIM phones. Whereas both SIM slots on some dual-SIM phones are capable of supporting 3G or 4G connections, you can use 4G on only one SIM at a time.
Unlike with calls and texts the data connection can’t be on standby for both SIMs: you must specify which SIM you want to use rather than select one when prompted.
Of course, this isn’t always the case, and some phones support 3G/4G only on their first SIM slot, and you can’t change the data connection for browsing the web or making video calls. You can still specify which SIM should be used for calls and texts.
By default, when you are using the data connection on one SIM and a phone call comes in to the other it will pause the data connection on the first.
In the Moto G you’ll find a Connection priority menu, which lets you specify that calls should instead go to voicemail instead of interrupting your browsing. There is no such option on the other dual-SIM phones we’ve tested, but it’s not something we’d be likely to change in any case. Also see: Best new phones coming in 2017.
Another issue when using dual-SIM phones is where your contacts are stored. We found that by default the contacts from both SIM cards are stored in the phonebook.
If you’d rather see the contacts from only one SIM, tap the three dots icon (within the Contacts app) and choose ‘Contacts to display’. You can then select All contacts, Gmail contacts, phone contacts or one of your two SIMs.
Usually when you add a contact you get a pop-up menu asking whether you want to store the contact on your phone memory, your SIM or your Google account. Here you’ll now see two SIMs in the list rather than one.
A quick way to turn this off and prevent you always having to choose is to open the SIM management menu, select Contact binding and then select a specific SIM.
Physically inserting a second SIM into a single-SIM phone would be impossible without altering its design in some way, but it is possible to achieve the same feat by adding a second phone number.
OnOff is an app for iPhone and Android that lets you have multiple phone numbers on one phone. Right now it supports French and UK numbers, which work like any other number for receiving phone calls and text messages. More conveniently, though, you can turn off these numbers when it suits.
This means you could potentially give your work colleagues or clients one phone number that is switched off outside office hours. Or you could give your friends a number that is switched off during office hours.
Another bonus: should your phone battery die, you can log into the app on a friend’s phone and still get your calls and texts.
The app itself is free, and you get a free trial with limited functionality for one phone number. If you like it you can then ‘activate’ that number, which unlocks all the features of the app. You can set up multiple lines, though these must be paid for too.
OnOff pricing starts at £2.99 per month, with full details here .

© Source: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/test-centre/mobile-phone/best-dual-sim-phones-for-2017-3511526/
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The best Chinese phones for 2017

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Your guide to the latest and best Chinese phones of 2017. Check out our latest reviews and buyer’s guide on the top Chinese phones you can buy in the UK this year.
You’ve probably heard of brands such as Huawei/Honor, ZTE and Lenovo, although you might not be aware that the latter makes phones as well as laptops. Xiaomi, too, is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, and is known as China’s Apple.
Also see: Best Phone Deals
But the problem with many Chinese phones is that they can be difficult to get hold of in the UK. To buy a Chinese phone in the UK you’ll either need to look on a site such as eBay or Amazon, or go through a grey-market importer such as Geekbuying, GearBest or Coolicool. Be sure to read up on our grey-market tech buying advice before you do so.
• Excellent value for money
• Competitive specification
• Usually dual-SIM
• None of your friends will have the same phone
• Without an official channel through which to purchase you may unintentionally buy a counterfeit product
• Faulty devices may be difficult to return
• You may incur import duty (charged at 20 percent of the value on the shipping paperwork plus an admin fee)
• The phone may not work with your network (be sure to check before you buy)
• Google Play may not be preinstalled (as is the case with some Xiaomi and Meizu phones)
The majority of Chinese phones we’ve reviewed have been dual-SIM dual-standby. We’ve found this to be a standard feature of Chinese phones at any price point.
However, in the case of some phones including Huawei/Honor models, which are among those that are officially sold in the UK, the UK variant is often not dual-SIM. You should also check whether the second SIM slot is in addition to or replacing the phone’s microSD slot. Also see: Best dual-SIM phones 2017 and dual-SIM buying advice.
4G is a common feature even at the lower price points. An increasing number of phones will support 4G on both SIM slots, but dual-standby phones will ask you to select one or the other for data.
And while we’re used to seeing phones that standardise on nano- or Micro-SIM, Chinese phones can occasionally still feature full-size SIM slots (though this is now becoming much less common) . Of course, you can pick up an adaptor from somewhere like Amazon for as little as a pound. Also see: What is 4G? Complete guide to 4G.
The fact that a Chinese phone supports 4G doesn’t necessarily mean it will work on your UK network, mind. Always check a phone’s frequency bands before purchase, because Chinese phones are often missing the 800MHz band (band 20) .
In the UK we use LTE bands 3,7 and 20, or look for 800-, 1800- and 2600MHz. EE operates on all three, Three on 800- and 1800MHz, O2 on 800MHz, and Vodafone on 800- and 2600MHz. Also see: How to tell if a phone is supported by your mobile network.
MediaTek processors are a common feature within Chinese phones, and we’re now beginning to see the deca-core Helio X25 and X27 in some Chinese phones. More often, though, the MediaTek processors inside Chinese phones are marketed as octa-core and 64-bit.
Whereas many UK-sold octa-core flagships are sold with four cores tuned for performance and four for efficiency, here you’ll usually find all eight cores running at the same speed; increasingly UK flagships now run quad-core chips from the Qualcomm Snapdragon family.
Two- or even 3GB of RAM is not uncommon, and 4GB is often available as a top-end option, and expect to find 32GB or 64GB of storage, with microSD support (often only to 32- or 64GB, rather than 128GB) . Also see: What’s the fastest smartphone 2017.
Rather than NFC, phones with MediaTek processors often come with a feature called HotKnot. This works in a similar way, allowing you to do such things as share files and play multiplayer games with other HotKnot-capable phones.
You will almost certainly also find a fingerprint scanner, and thankfully most are now touch- rather than swipe-style scanners.
In the photography department a 13Mp Sony sensor with f/2.2 aperture is often found at the rear, while you’ll usually get a 5Mp selfie camera at the front. The camera functionality is very similar to that of any other Android phone, but you may find the Face Beauty mode whitens your skin tone – the painting of a face white is a cultural tradition. There will be a slider somewhere that lets you turn off this effect. Also see: Best sounding phone 2017.
A full-HD screen is common, with Quad-HD very rare but HD screens still found in the cheapest models, and we’ve reviewed many a 5.5in-screen Chinese phablet.
The screen is usually a good-quality IPS panel, and may often be marketed as having 2.5D Arc glass or 3D glass. This does not mean the screen is curved, but rather that the edges of the screen are slightly curved (like on the iPhone 7) .
Gorilla Glass is another common feature, which is fortunate because getting hold of a case for a Chinese phone is just as involved as buying the phone itself (we advise getting one at the time of purchase, although you often find one is supplied in the box) .
Customisable gestures are not built into Android, but they are very common in Chinese phones. This means you are likely to be able to double-tap to wake the screen, and by drawing a letter onscreen in standby mode you will be able to launch an app of your choice. Many Chinese phones will also allow you to use gestures to trigger the camera shutter.
While we’re on the subject of software, be aware that some Chinese phones are sold rooted. For many people that’s a bonus.
We’ve been reviewing Chinese phones supplied to us by Geekbuying, Coolicool and GearBest for a good couple of years now, but the honest truth is there are still many Chinese phones out there we have yet to review, and many, many Chinese phone manufacturers we’ve never even heard of.
Some of those phones may deserve to join our list, but we won’t recommend any Chinese phone we haven’t physically held and tested.
Over time we will build up our collection of Chinese phone reviews, and in the meantime we offer this chart not as a definitive guide to buying Chinese phones but as a guide to what you can expect for your money when you buy from China.
If you’ve found a Chinese phone not listed in our chart then check its spec and compare it to the phones we’ve reviewed here.
Read next: Best new phones coming in 2017 .

© Source: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/test-centre/mobile-phone/best-chinese-phones-for-2017-3616945/
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The best current and upcoming Nintendo Switch games

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Nintendo’s latest console is now available to buy in the UK. Here are our favourite games so far, along with the biggest games we have to look forward to.
After months of mystery, we can now buy the Nintendo Switch from various retailers in the UK. But while we love the look of the hardware and can’t wait to have a home console that we can also use as a portable, what really matters is the games lineup.
The good news is that while the initial launch selection is slim, there’s plenty more on the way in 2017 to keep Switch owners occupied, with both a great selection of Nintendo’s own games and enough third-party titles to give fans hope that the Switch will have better support than the Wii U did. So without further ado, here are the Switch games we really can’t wait to our hands on.

© Source: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/buying-advice/game/best-nintendo-switch-games-3652895/
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