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At least 8 dead as gunmen attack Tunisia’s Bardo Museum, nearby parliament building

Tunisian security forces secure the area after gunmen attacked in Tunis on Wednesday

TUNIS, Tunisia — Gunmen opened fire Wednesday at a leading museum in Tunisia's capital, leaving at least eight dead and six wounded, including foreign tourists, authorities said. It was the first attack on a tourist site in years in Tunisia, a shaky young democracy that has struggled to keep Islamic extremist violence at bay.

It wasn't immediately clear who the attackers were, or if they took hostages.

Security forces filled the area around the National Bardo Museum after the attack. Tunisia's parliament building, near the museum, was being evacuated, according to a tweet by parliament member Sayida Ounissi.

Private radio station Radio Mosaique said that three men dressed in military-style clothing may have taken hostages inside the museum.

Many Tunisians have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS.

Interior Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui said on Wataniya television that eight were dead — seven foreign tourists and one Tunisian. He didn't provide nationalities for the foreign victims. Poland's Foreign Ministry announced that three Poles were among the wounded.

Tunisia recently completed a rocky road to democracy after overthrowing its authoritarian president in 2011. It has been more stable than other countries in the region, but it has struggled with violence by Islamic extremists in recent years, including some linked to the Islamic State group. It also has extremists linked to al-Qaida's North Africa arm who occasionally target Tunisian security forces.

A disproportionately large number of Tunisian recruits — some 3,000, according to government estimates — have joined Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq.

FETHI BELAID/AFP/Getty Images

Tunisian security forces secure the area after gunmen attacked Tunis' famed Bardo Museum on Wednesday. At least seven foreigners and a Tunisian were killed in an attack by two men armed with assault rifles on the museum, the interior ministry said. 

The violence that Tunisia has seen in recent years has been largely focused on security forces, not foreigners or tourist sites.

The attack is a blow to Tunisia's efforts to revive its tourism industry.

The National Bardo Museum, built within a 15th-century palace, is the largest museum in Tunisia with collections covering two floors, and it houses one of the world's largest collections of Roman mosaics.

The museum is near the North African country's parliament some 4 kilometers (2 ½ miles) from the city center. A new wing with contemporary architecture was built as part of a 2009 renovation, doubling the surface area. Some 8,000 works are displayed in the museum, according to the website.

The attack comes the day after Tunisian security officials confirmed the death in neighboring Libya of a leading suspect in Tunisian terror attacks and the killings of two opposition figures in Tunisia.

Ahmed Rouissi gained the nickname of the "black box of terrorism." The information on his death was made public by security officials giving testimony in parliament and cited by the official TAP news agency.

Libya, which has devolved into chaos, is a source of major concern for Tunisia.

Also a major worry is the Mount Chaambi area on the border with Algeria where al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb has reportedly been helping a Tunisian group which has killed numerous soldiers.

The new Moto X improves the camera, increases the size of the display, and boosts the power all at once

The new Moto X improves the camera, increases the size of the display, and boosts the power all at once

The new Moto X begins very much where the first generation phone fell short. A higher-resolution display. Much-improved camera. And with software that's even more refined, all while retaining the core Google experience. But then Motorola threw a curve ball to many of us who had preferred 2013's line because of its size — big, but not giant — and increased the overall footprint, switching a 5.2-inch display in the process.

It's bigger, and it's better. And it's still relatively inexpensive at $99 on contract for some U.S. carriers, and starting at $499 unlocked for the 16GB model. We're expecting it to hit all the major U.S. carriers at some point, but for starters you can only get it for AT&T, and in an unlocked GSM model. Verizon should have it shortly as well, and Europe, Canada, Asia and Latin America should follow.

You're also able to customize the Moto X at Motorola's Moto Maker website. The soft-touch resin backs are still an option, as are the four wood backs — ebony, teak, walnut and bamboo. And new this year are leather options — cognac, black, natural and Navy blue.

If you're looking for information on the 2013 Moto X, please visit this page

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Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review

Since Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note line in the fall of 2010, it has stood as the "tock" to the Galaxy S' "tick" in the product cycle year after year. The leading Galaxy S device of the year introduces all of the new software features, a new form factor and a new internal specs, while the Galaxy Note later in the year refines the physical design, enhances the software with new S Pen features and often fixes the pain points introduced with the Galaxy S — all while doing a little something extra with the increased screen real estate.

In many ways you could say the Galaxy Note is the device that Samsung really uses to push its limits. Where it tries things to see what sticks, then integrate it back into the next-generation Galaxy S.

This year is no different, and the Galaxy Note 4 is tocking right along, improving dramatically on the Galaxy S5. With a brand new aluminum exterior that looks and feels great, optical image stabilization on the camera, a new higher-resolution QHD display, top-end internals and small refinements on the software, this is a device any manufacturer would be happy to call its leading flagship.

Despite generally playing second fiddle to the Galaxy S5, it's actually not hard to say that the Galaxy Note 4 contains all of the features we wish were in the GS5 — if not for its larger screen size that's physically too much to handle for many. This is the real 2014 flagship for Samsung, and it's called the Galaxy Note 4. Read along for our full review

About this review

We're writing this review after a week using a white, AT&T-branded Galaxy Note 4 in the greater Seattle area with great LTE coverage from the carrier. Our Note 4, provided by Samsung, was running software build UCU1ANIE. For the majority of our time with the Note 4 we had an LG G Watch connected over Bluetooth as well.

The best smartphones of 2015 - Samsung Galaxy S6, iPhone 6S and more

The best smartphones of 2015: Intro

Mobile phone line-ups are a little like Hollywood movie franchises, and by now we have a pretty good idea of what we should be expecting to see over the next 12 months as all the big players will be producing sequels to their blockbusters of 2014.

• What's the top choice right now? The current best smartphones - 2015 edition

With the HTC One M8, the iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 Plus, the Nexus 6, the Galaxy S5 and many others we've been spoiled over the last year, but there's always room for improvement: QHD displays, DSLR-quality cameras, high-end audio, 4K video and the Snapdragon 810 should make 2015 a year to remember for smartphone buyers.

So here's our handy guide - if you're looking to upgrade at some point in the next 6 months, these are the ones you should check out.

Best Android smartphones of 2015: The 49 best Android phones you can buy in the UK today - best Androids reviews

The 49 best Android smartphones reviewed | Best Android phones you can buy in the UK in 2015

Best Android smartphones of 2015: The 49 best Android phones you can buy in the UK today - best Androids reviews The 49 best Android smartphones reviewed | Best Android phones you can buy in the UK in 2015 By Chris Martin | PC Advisor | 09 March 15 Reviews of the 49 best Android smartphones that are available to buy in the UK in 2015. Best Android phones. Best Androids reviews. See also: The 38 best smartphones: What's the best phone you can buy in 2015? New entry: ZTE Blade S6 - see where it ranks below. The mobile phone industry has been turned on its head in the past seven years, with practically every phone now sold a ‘smart’ one with manifold mobile-computer possibilities. For most people the default choice is now thoroughly Android. The combined weight of Google with its Android software and all its hardware licensees, such as HTC, Sony and Samsung, has created a buoyant and incredibly competitive market among handset manufacturers. We identify two main categories of Android smartphones: the flagship devices that go head-to-head with leading Windows Phones and the iPhone, and the larger mass of more affordable options, typically priced around £100-£230 when sold SIM-free. Also see: Best SIM-only deals: Best SIM-only and Data SIM deals for smartphone and tablet users In the UK, many Android smartphones will be sold on contract, of course, often with no upfront cost, but on a two-year contract. Another option may be a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) handset that requires topping up with credit for calls and data. But bear in mind that PAYG phones may be locked to the selling operator, which will try to recoup its loss-leading sale price with costlier fees. When you've found the phone you like, compare mobile phone deals to get the best tariff. (See also: what's the best Android tablet?) Best Android smartphones 2014 How to choose a premium Android phone The flagship Android smartphones of 2014 now all come with quad-core processors, huge 5in and larger touchscreen displays and 2GB or more of memory. They are also 4G-capable and ready to join the UK’s emerging LTE networks, and most now sport dual-band Wi-Fi with draft 11ac, so can take advantage of faster data links to the latest wireless routers. The arms race for more processor cores and higher clock speeds was started by Android hardware makers, desperate to differentiate themselves with specifications against rival devices. We're now at the point where few phones are not powerful enough to meet your needs. With Google pedaling hard to speed up its software, interface stickiness is now barely a problem on the best Android hardware. The main processor will be integrated as a system-on-a-chip with the graphics processor, and all the best Android phones can play action games fluidly. Although benchmark speed tests tell us little about the suitability of a smartphone to serve in its chosen role as our personal internet gateway and digital assistant, we do include them in our reviews. We don’t recommend you make your purchasing decision on these alone, though. See also: What's the fastest smartphone 2015. With development of the modern smartphone now slowing, manufacturers are building on existing components, notably the camera. Nokia made great strides with ultra-high pixel photography with the Lumia 1020 phone and its 41Mp camera, although as a sub-brand of Microsoft, its handset runs Windows Phone software. LG differentiated its flagship phone with a pseudo-Lytro focus-free camera, while Sony has made strides with a combination of 20-plus megapixels and high?quality sensors. On the video side, we’re seeing 4K-class UHD video recording, high-speed shooting for slow-motion playback, and front Skype cameras equally at home with full-HD face capture. Other features typically only found in the leading Android devices include NFC, even if it remains a novelty for the greater majority of users, and infrared transmitters that allow your phone to replace your TV channel zapper. Best Android phones: How to choose a budget Android phone Typically, the budget end of the market includes phones that try to look as impressive as possible, while built down to a low price using older or slower components, and with plastic shells and buttons. With Google keen to get Android phones into as many hands as possible, subsidised handsets have appeared that make usable smartphones more accessible than we ever. Decent-spec phones such as the Google Nexus 4 enabled handsets with all the headline features of a flagship smartphone to be brought into reach for under £200. Sacrifices can include lower-quality displays, both in pixel count, which makes text blurrier, and also in colour/image quality. Processors may also be slower or less efficient, meaning more interface lag is likely and perceptibly slowed screen animations. Cameras may cite as many pixels as their more expensive stablemates, but will use low-grade sensors and cheaper optics, giving lower-quality photos. And built-in storage can be limited to a paltry 4GB, which means you’ll depend on slow and fiddly SD cards just to keep your music collection to hand. But if you can work through such limitations and don’t have the budget for the full smartphone experience, some budget smartphones are very tempting without breaking the bank. Best Android phones: what to look for As you'll see from our reviews of the best Android smartphones (below) there is a wide variety of Android operating systems on the market. So do be aware that not all Androids are made equal. Each manufacturer puts on to Google's OS its own stylings and features: Samsung's TouchWizz interface is very different from HTC's Sense, for instance. But it's also worth pointing out that there are different iterations of Android included with brand new phones, and your phone is not likely to be upgraded when a new Android comes out. Also some Android phones - none here - don't give you access to Google Play and all the apps and media contained therein. This is a big point: don't get caught out. Unlike Windows Phone and BlackBerry the Android world is full of great apps. Unlike Apple's iOS you have a choice of music and movie stores. And almost all Android phones charge and synch from vanilla USB cables, and allow for the addition of SD cards for expanded storage. The bottom line is that the best Android phones, those reviewed here, are the best phones you can buy. They certainly offer the best value. But be aware that there is wide variety in the Android world. Check reviews from trusted sites such as PC Advisor before parting with any cash.

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet vs Surface Pro 3: which is the best tablet with a keyboard?

At MWC a couple of weeks ago, Sony showed off the new Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet. When paired with its keyboard, this Android tablet becomes a decent productivity device and a cheaper option than the good-but-expensive Microsoft Surface Pro 3. But which should you buy? We'll help you choose.

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet vs Surface Pro 3: Price

The Xperia Z4 costs £499, and that includes the keyboard dock. It's not yet on sale, but should be within the next month or two in the UK.

Even the base model of the Surface Pro 3, reviewed, is more expensive, starting at £639. The keyboard - the Type Cover - costs £109, making the comparable cost £748: £250 more than the Sony.

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet vs Surface Pro 3: Windows vs Android

There's more than one major difference between the two devices, but the most crucial is that the Xperia runs Android Lollipop, while the Surface has Windows 8.1 Pro.

Both tablets can run Microsoft Office, but neither comes with it pre-installed. Word, Excel and PowerPoint are free apps in the Google Play store, offering the "core experience" without paying a penny. You can unlock the full features of the apps by buying an Office 365 subscription.

The Surface Pro 3 - oddly - doesn't come with Office. A subscription to Office 365 Personal will cost you £60, meaning you get Word, Excel and PowerPoint for a year.

Of course, the real benefit of the Surface Pro 3 is that it can also run all Windows programs, so you can edit video in Premiere Pro on the move or use any other software you'd otherwise need a PC or fully fledged laptop to run.

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet vs Surface Pro 3: Design

Another key difference is screen size. The Surface Pro 3 has a 12in screen with a resolution of 2160x1440.

The Z4 tablet has a 10.1in screen with 2560x11600 pixels. While a higher pixel density is usually nicer to have, we'd far rather have a larger screen to get real work done: 10.1in is too small to be practical for most people, and it also means the keyboard is smaller.

The Surface Pro 3's larger screen and keyboard will make long sessions easier to bear, and this will make it worth the extra money for many people.

The Sony tablet is smaller and lighter at 392g: half the mass of the Microsoft tablet. The combos are heavier with their keyboards, but the Surface Pro is going to weigh you down more than the Xperia.

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet vs Surface Pro 3: Performance

With a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, the Z4 is about as good as it gets for Android tablets at the moment.

The base model of the Surface Pro 3 has a 4th-generation Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Unfortunately, we were sent the i5 version to test, so can't say whether the i3 model is much faster than the Z4 tablet in our benchmarks.

In terms of responsiveness, the Xperia might actually feel quicker than the base Surface Pro 3, particularly as the 810 can run Lollipop very smoothly indeed.

When it comes to demanding tasks such as video editing, the Xperia (or Android) isn't going to be the best choice. Then again, neither is the base-model Surface Pro 3. We'd recommend at least the i5 version.

Ultimately, the Xperia Z4 Tablet is marketed as an entertainment device, with some productivity capabilities on the side. The Surface Pro 3 is designed to be a workhorse first and foremost.

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet vs Surface Pro 3: Battery life

Sony says the Z4 Tablet can play video for an amazing 17 hours, while the Surface Pro 3 can muster only around nine. However, in practice you'll rarely be away from mains power for that long, so it shouldn't be the deciding factor.

It might mean you can take the Z4 on a two-day business trip without having to carry a charger, but you wouldn't risk it with the Surface Pro 3.

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet vs Surface Pro 3: conclusion

It's hard to give a definitive verdict on which you should buy, because it will depend on your priorities. Those wanting a keyboard for typing documents should be well served by the Xperia Z4 Tablet. It also outshines the Surface Pro 3 for entertainment, because the Google Play store has a far better selection of apps and games than the Windows Store.

If you need to run Windows programs that go beyond Office, your only option here is the Surface Pro 3. It's more expensive, bigger and heavier than the Sony tablet, but the 12in screen is more comfortable to look at if you'll be working long hours with it