Apple : Tech toys 2019: the best new games and gadgets from the NYC Toy Fair |
- Tech toys 2019: the best new games and gadgets from the NYC Toy Fair
- Best wireless routers 2019: the best routers for your home network
- Best free games: the top free games to download on PC
- 40 best PC games 2019: the must-play titles you don’t want to miss
- macOS 10.14 Mojave release date, news and features
- MacBook Pro 2019: what we want to see
- The best AT&T phones available in February 2019
- The best cheap smart home devices and gadget deals in February 2019
- Netflix cancels Jessica Jones and The Punisher – its last two Marvel shows
- Kaspersky launches free CyberTrace threat intelligence tool
- Major security issues found in popular password managers
- Best cloud hosting services in 2019
- Best small business routers 2019: top routers for work
- Best VPN routers 2019: the best routers for Virtual Private Networks
- The best printer for Mac 2019: top printers for your Apple device
- Best domain name registrars of 2019
- GandCrab decryption tool released
- Google GDC invite suggests a major play into gaming
- The best Xbox One X prices, bundles and deals in February 2019: where to buy the 4K Xbox
- Pokemon Go update: all the news and rumors for what's coming next
| Tech toys 2019: the best new games and gadgets from the NYC Toy Fair Posted: 19 Feb 2019 02:07 PM PST Toy Fair 2019 in New York City had just about everything we could have hoped for - between STEM toys that help kids become the next generation of NASA engineers, to AR toys that offer a new level of interactivity, there was a treasure trove of toys to entertain us throughout the conference. That said, the only thing it didn't have was Avengers: Endgame toys, which Marvel refused to let the press see. Sorry, no spoilers here! We ran up and down the halls of the Javits Center looking for the 2019 toys that your kids will be begging you for, the toys that the whole family will enjoy, and the ones that the pop-culture nerd in your life will love - that way, when their birthday rolls around, you'll know just what to buy them. LEGO Hidden SideLEGO Hidden Side, due out in August, is an 8-set series that is meant to combine physical play with an augmented app experience for "holistic fun" for kids. Like the LEGOs of yesteryear, each set will cost between $19 and $129. Half of the sets are locations—a haunted school, a graveyard, etc... —that they must essentially exorcise via their app; the other half are controllable vehicles that kids can drive around in the app. Unlike other connected LEGO sets like Lego Boost or the Lego Batmobile, Hidden Side isn't as dependent on the app for kids to enjoy it. The primary school set, for example, is rife with moving parts that transform it from a regular building into something much more sinister—with no phone required.
Image Credit: TechRadar If your kids do open the app, though, they'll find some cute minigames to enjoy: Hidden Side essentially makes them ghostbusters as they track down possessed objects by physically interacting with the set's moving parts, drawing out the ghosts, and then battling them in a rail shooter. Once they've defeated the ghost, they'll add them to their collection. You only need one set to use the app, but each one will allegedly have unique ghosts with different personalities and animations. And the vehicle sets will have entirely different AR games involving moving them around—though we weren't able to test that one out at the show.
Image Credit: TechRadar Hot Wheels TechModsLaunching on Indiegogo this April, TechMods are smart racing kits that you will construct yourself. With the free iOS/Android app, you can either drive it around like a regular RC car or use it as a motion-sensitive controller for a variety of video game experiences. It will retail for $50 and ship to backers in mid-2019. TechMod has an 8 mph max speed, which gave it plenty of zip as we drove it around the Mattel show floor. But inside the app, its virtual speed only grows as you play. You choose from a variety of modes—survival, race, and treasure hunt—and drive around a small arena, trying to collect points and dodge an increasing number of deadly obstacles. Our initial impression is that TechMod has much more replay value than Hot Wheels' more expensive Augmoto AR set we covered at last year's Fair: Augmoto's real-world track limited you to the same path, while your virtual TechMod car is only limited by the number of levels and maps in the app. (As of now, they have 20 survival challenge maps alone.) We tried out one of the early challenge levels, which truly was a challenge. As you drive around the obstacle-ridden map and pick up collectibles, each collectible becomes a new harmful obstacle. The TechMoto tracked our motions well, making it seem a bit like a bulky Wiimote or Move controller with wheels.
Image Credit: TechRadar Star Wars Lightsaber AcademyKids have been whacking each other with toy lightsaber replicas for decades in their quest to reenact their favorite Jedi vs Sith duels. Now, parents will be thrilled with Hasbro for making lightsabers that virtually dual with one another—though, let's be honest, kids will hit each other with them anyway. Lightsaber Academy launches later this year 2019 for $50, plus $8-$20 for each additional lightsaber. Each hilt has an accelerometer, gyro, barometer and bluetooth tech built in, to track movement and send the data to the iOS/Android app. In the app, Jedi instructors like Yoda, Rey and Vader teach children various sword techniques, grading their accuracy up to 100%. We found the tracking of the sword in the app to be impressively accurate, especially with the app surrounded by so many other competing signals. Kids can then dual one another in what the Hasbro rep called a "rock-paper-scissors type battle": blocking motions beat attack motions, force focus beats defense, attack beats focus. Winning duals or completing tutorials will improve the kid's rank until they become a Master. It sounds cerebral in theory, but in practice children will likely just swing wildly until the app names a winner. Of course, if your kids ever grow tired of the app, they can just use the lightsabers as regular toy swords.
Image Credit: TechRadar Giiker Super CubeRubik's Cubes can be incredibly intimidating for people who haven't tried them. But Xiaomi is trying to demystify learning how to be a Rubik's pro with its new Bluetooth-enabled Super Cubes. Already for sale in China and due out in the United States sometime this summer for $50, the Super Cube tracks the movement of the blocks in real time in the connected app. Within the app, newbies can take different tutorials, starting with getting one side to be the same color and progressing in difficulty from there. As I followed the app's instructions in the first tutorial, the screen showed the exact real-time location of each color—though there did seem to be a bit of delay between moving a row and seeing it move in the 3D replica. The app will also record your stats and best times, let you compete against or chat with other Rubik's fans, and complete other Rubik's mini-games beyond just matching all the colors.
Image Credit: TechRadar Pictionary AirTake the Pictionary you know and love, add a light-tracking pen and an AR app, and use the air instead of paper for a canvas. That's the simple premise behind Pictionary Air, which comes out in late 2019 for $20. The set comes with 112 double-sided cards, ten clues each, for you to draw and your friends and family to guess. You simply hold down a button on the pen while you're drawing in mid-air; one of your friends, meanwhile, holds up a phone or tablet camera that tracks the movements; and then your sketch will appear on the screen. After each round, you can record the drawer's terrible creations for posterity. Despite what it sounds like, the Pictionary Air pen was intuitive to use but difficult to master. Without being able to see what you've already drawn, it's difficult to draw straight lines or improve the picture if you forget where in the air you left off. Also, if you're facing the person with the tablet, your drawing is a mirror image of what you want the person to see. I tried to draw the United States for a clue, and California and Florida ended up flipped, making it pretty hard to guess. The Hasbro rep cheated and gave me the same clues he gave the woman above, so I don't know how legible I actually was. The best option would probably be to cast your tablet to a larger TV, and have the drawer face the TV (and tablet-holder) and see what he or she has created thus far. So if you want to give this to your non-tech-savvy family, you'll probably need to set it up for them. Once you get things rolling, though, it's quite fun.
Courtesy of Singing Machine Carpool Karaoke, the MicFans of James Corden's Carpool Karaoke, or anyone who loves to let their vocal cords loose on family road trips, will find a lot to love about Singing Machine's Carpool Karaoke, the Mic, which will be available later this year for $50. Essentially, this Bluetooth-enabled microphone connects to your car's speakers, either via your phone or tablet or via your car radio's Aux port, and then lets you hear your voice over the speakers as you belt out your favorite ballad. You're not restricted to any proprietary music app with this Mic: you can simply hook up to the radio and sing along to your local broadcasts. Or, you can find an unoccupied FM channel, then pair the Mic to your favorite app—Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, etc.—and sing along to the road trip playlist. With the Mic itself, you can adjust the volume or echo of your voice through the car radio, and the Mic's lights will flash in time with the music.
Image Credit: TechRadar PowerUp 4.0Since 2013, PowerUp Toys has been Kickstarting smartphone-connected paper airplanes that you fold yourself, then fly via app, since 2013. Sometime in the fall of 2019, they will launch a new Kickstarter for the 4.0 version. This $60 plane, which you will once again have to fold yourself, features two propellers for double the power and more maneuverability; an autopilot-controlled flight feature that makes flying in windy conditions ultra-easy, and new on-board sensors that collect real-time flight performance data.
Image Credit: TechRadar Tetris Micro ArcadeSuper Impulse has made a name for itself selling tiny arcade cabinets of classic games like Pac-Man for your desk or tiny-handed toddlers. Now it is releasing business card-sized arcade emulators of classics like Tetris, Missile Command, Centipede, Pac-Man and Pong. They'll be out later this year for $20-25.
Image Credit: TechRadar PaiBotzFor kids too young to use the more advanced coding and robotics toys, Pai Technologies is launching PaiBotz, aimed for kids 4+. These beginner kits, priced at $99, come with 150 physical blocks for constructing and customizing your bots, so young kids won't spend their entire playtime staring at a screen. Once the bot is built, your kid will use the free iOS/Android app for 30 AR coding puzzles, designed to instruct them in Block-based coding languages and techniques like sequencing and looping.
Image Credit: TechRadar Artie 3000A STEM toy that bridges robotics and art, the Artie 3000 opens up to let kids insert their favorite markers, then use remote controls or coding to draw. Artie connects to any smart device via a built-in Wi-fi server (no internet connection required), and the built-in app instructs the kid on multiple coding languages, including Blocks, Javascript and Python.
Image Credit: TechRadar The SLOW MOTION RACE gameAs a runner, nothing will ever be more challenging than a race where you're forced to slow your roll. But that's the amusing premise behind the Slow Motion race game by Hasbro, due to release this autumn. For $20, you get two headbands that track your movement via accelerometers. Move too quickly, or make too jerky of a motion, and the headset blares and turns red. You're then required to stop and watch your opponent inch ahead, until the color dies and you're allowed to move again. During our "race", we were able to slide forward agonizingly slowly, just ahead of our opponent, only activating the alarm once when we lost our balance. But kids will likely eschew any caution and see how fast they can move while keeping their motion as fluid as possible. It's a simple premise, and one that may not keep your kids entertained for too long before they move on to the next toy. But at least it's one of the few tech toys we saw this year that doesn't require kids stare endlessly at screens.
Image Credit: TechRadar The LIE DETECTOR GameSitting across from the Hasbro rep, he asked us solemnly if I had ever picked at a scab and then eaten it. I nervously answered "no" and waited, heart pounding, while the Lie Detector beeped cryptically for a few seconds, and made a positive beep. I had told the truth. My pounding heart, thankfully, wasn't tracked by Hasbro's new Lie Detector game, which costs $35 and hits shelves this August. Instead, the device focuses entirely on your voice. And the one time I did lie, it somehow knew from a simple "no" that I hadn't been truthful. Hasbro says it uses "Layered Voice Analysis technology" to gauge "emotional reactions" in your voice, and determine whether or not you're hiding anything. You score points every time you tell the truth—or disguise your emotions well enough to convince the machine you've told the truth. While the box comes with 64 cards with embarrassing questions to ask your friends, you can obviously branch out to whatever horrible line of inquiry you want, which could make this a hilariously ill-advised, friendship-breaking party game of choice.
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| Best wireless routers 2019: the best routers for your home network Posted: 19 Feb 2019 02:06 PM PST These days, we live our lives in this always-online world, so it’s more important than ever to pick up one of the best gaming routers. You don’t want to watch your favorite show on Netflix, only to have it start buffering because your roommate started downloading something. So, you should go out and pick up the best wireless router you can muster. We know that it’s incredibly tempting to just give your ISP a call, demanding the fastest internet you can get, rather than just picking up one of the best routers. However, whether you need a gaming router or a wireless mesh router, wireless routers are incredibly important. Even if you already have the fastest internet connection in the world, a good router can make a world of difference. But, what makes the best wireless router, well, the best? There are a couple things you need to consider. Both QoS (Quality of Service) and MU-MIMO will make sure that your online experience isn’t interrupted by other devices in your home. You should also look for a wireless router that can keep up with your internet speeds – an AC1900 router should be perfectly sufficient for most users. However, the moment you walk into your local big-box store or load up Amazon, you’ll notice the sheer variety of wireless routers out there. Luckily, we here at TechRadar have tested all the best wireless routers ourselves, so you can be sure you’re getting the best router for the money. We even included our exclusive price comparison tool, so you can score a sick deal.
The days of traditional wireless routers are over – 2019 is the year of the best wireless mesh routers. Google Wifi is the best proof we can think of for this mesh revolution – you can finally say goodbye to the days when the only way to achieve wireless freedom was to install a bunch of wireless extenders. The premise of Google Wifi is simple – buy a set of points and place them in key locations around your home. Then, just scan a QR code and you’re good to go – it’s not just the best wireless router you can buy, it’s also the easiest to set up. Read the full review: Google Wifi
If you’re familiar with Asus, and specifically its more gamer-centric products, you’ll know what to expect from the Asus RT-AC86U. This wireless router looks like what would happen if you poured Mountain Dew and Doritos into a wireless router-manufacturing machine – it’ll definitely stand out wherever you put it. Beneath its ‘unique’ design is hardware that, for its price, defiantly stands against the competition. You’re not paying a premium here for a ‘gaming’ wireless router, and if you’re looking for a fast connection at a good price, the Asus RT-AC86U is a great choice. Read the full review: Asus RT-AC86U
When the Netgear Orbi first hit the streets, it completely changed the wireless router game. And, in 2019, Netgear is offering the Netgear Orbi AC2200 RBK23, a more affordable router for casual users that don’t need to cover a stately mansion. It features less antennae and ethernet ports than the original, but it’s still enough to offer very solid network coverage. Plus, the smaller size means that it can more easily blend in – you won’t feel the need to obscure it. Read the full review: Netgear Orbi AC2200 RBK23
Now that smart homes are becoming more and more common, we need wireless routers that can also serve as a smart home hub. This doesn’t just do wonders for convenience, but it would clear out some of the clutter made by multiple routers, modems and hubs. And, the Samsung Connect Home does exactly that. It’s not the most feature-rich wireless router out there, but it’s competitive enough with the Google Wifi, while still packing in the SmartThings hub that it’s still one of the best routers – especially if you have a ton of smart devices. Read the full review: Samsung Connect Home
If you’re in the market for a high-end wireless router that looks like it was a prop in some 90s Sci-Fi flick, you may want to look at the TP-Link Archer C5400 v2. Sure, it’s not a trendy mesh wireless router, but it’s unique in its ability to bridge consumer and enterprise users by featuring high-end functionality at an affordable price point – with easy setup to boot. It might look weird, but if you’re looking for a wireless router that’ll cover a large home, you can’t go wrong here. Read the full review: TP-Link Archer C5400 v2
If you’re ready to bring your office’s networking into the modern age with one of the best wireless routers, you need to take a look at the Netgear Orbi Pro. It’s a modular Wi-Fi mesh router, but it takes some design and performance cues from business-grade products. It’s not cheap, but if you run a business where you can’t afford anyone slowing down due to poor Wi-Fi, it’s worth every penny. Read the full review: Netgear Orbi Pro
These days, wireless mesh routers are everywhere, and we love it – the level of coverage these routers offer is beyond anything we’ve seen in the past. And, with devices like the TP-Link Deco M9, we can see how wireless routers keep getting better. By integrating IoT smart home support, on top of industry standard speeds and coverage, the TP-Link Deco M9 is easily one of the best routers for smart home fanatics. It’s a bit pricey, but with all the features and performance you’re getting, it’s worth it. Read the full review: TP-Link Deco M9
If you’re looking to jump on the mesh wireless router trend, but you’re trying to save a few bucks, and don’t really care about some advanced tech mumbo-jumbo – the D-Link Covr-C1203 might just be the best wireless router for you. It offers the same type of coverage as something like the Google Wifi at a lower cost, but with slightly slower speeds – it’ll still be fast enough for most users, though. It also features an attractive triangular design, which should fit in nicely with your decor – you won’t need to hide it in shame. Read the full review: D-Link Covr-C1203
If you’ve been on the market for a wireless mesh router, but wanted to maintain control over your network, you’ll love the Eero Home Wi-Fi system. It’s more expensive than your standard router, but it allows users complete control over their network, while still providing a secure connection through AI. To make things better, the Eero Home Wi-Fi System includes subscriptions to 1Password, MalwareBytes and Encrypt.me VPN – which should keep everyone on your network secure. Read the full review: Eero Home Wi-Fi System
It might be even more expensive than the Google Wifi for similar performance, but the Amplifi HD has a modern, clean look to it. Aesthetic doesn’t matter to everyone, obviously, but it does help prevent users from installing this wireless router behind objects that will obscure its signal. This is a wireless router that features excellent performance with stylistic flair to match – as long as you have the cash. Read the full review: Amplifi HD Joe Osborne, Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article
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| Best free games: the top free games to download on PC Posted: 19 Feb 2019 02:04 PM PST Everyone loves free stuff, and when it comes to the best PC games it’s no different. There are tons of free games out there right now. And, unlike PlayStation and Xbox, which have their own ecosystems for free games through PlayStation Plus and Xbox Games with Gold, the best free games on PC take on a different – and dedicated – approach. The best free games will be available from Steam, GOG and even (brace yourself) EA’s Origin client, due to the huge popularity of free-to-play titles. You can even download the Epic Games Store app and get some premium indie games for free every couple weeks. So, from Battle Royale free-to-plays, like Fortnite, to MMORPGs, like Lord of the Rings Online, the best free games cover a wide range of genres and styles. Let’s dive in. Linux, Windows or Mac - which one is best for you? Watch our guide video below: Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article
Save up to 46% on a magazine subscription Everyone knows Monster Hunter at this point – it’s basically become an overnight success on PC – even Capcom was surprised. However, what if we told you there was a cheaper way to get into some monster hunting action, that was also easier on your hardware? Enter Dauntless. Rather than the clear environmentalist focus of Monster Hunter: World, where you’re trying to preserve the habitats, Dauntless simplifies things a bit and just tasks you with slaying behemoths to protect a human colony. The gameplay itself is much simpler as well, free of some of the more obtuse gameplay systems that you either love or hate in the Monster Hunter series. But, the core DNA of the series is there – hunt monsters, craft gear, hunt more monsters. And, this time, it’s free to play. 1. Fortnite Battle RoyaleThe Battle Royale trend is huge right now, and Epic Games has all but perfected it with Fortnite Battle Royale. Initially developed as a sort of add-on for Fortnite, Battle Royale took off in a way that nobody was anticipating, quickly becoming one of the most played games of 2018. The game is entirely based around a simple scenario: you’re dumped in a map with 99 other players in a free-for-all melee, and the only winner is the one who is left standing at the end. And, thanks to its meteoric success, Epic Games is hard at work adding new game modes and features all the time. Take Playground mode, for instance – it dumps you in the map and lets you build up structures for a set amount of time before the floodgates open and the carnage begins. What’s especially cool is that Fortnite lets you play with your friends, no matter what platform they’re on. Whether you’re on PC, Xbox One, iOS, Android and even soon PS4, you’ll be able to be matched up against millions of other players from all different platforms.
Image Credit: Valve 2. Dota 2The Dota universe may have derived from a Wacraft 3 mod, but Dota 2 is very much its own entity, not to mention one of the most popular free-to-play games. This top-down arena battler is incredibly active, attracting multi-million dollar prize funds for serious tournament players. It's not just for obsessives, though. A brief tutorial now points out the ropes, with the Steam Community stepping in to provide guides to the original MOBA. Don't expect a warm welcome or easy learning curve from its sophisticated gameplay mechanics, but bring a few friends and Dota 2 will have you hooked on one of the biggest crazes in PC history. 3. Planetside 2Two years before Destiny dropped into orbit, we had Planetside 2. It’s an epic, all-out first-person battle so unbelievable, you’ll have to pinch yourself every time you load it up to remind yourself it’s completely free. There are in-game purchases, sure, but you can still dive into the biggest battlefield in gaming and be useful with the default equipment. There's simply nothing like taking part in a massed assault on an enemy base and coming out on top, or living in a world where an enemy convoy could appear on the horizon at any second. If you need any proof that 'free' doesn't mean uninspired, Planetside 2 will provide it.
Image Credit: Grinding Gear Games 4. Path of ExilePath of Exile is a free dungeon crawler in the style of Diablo III, and it’s a bit different than most free games out there. It’s not just about fragging real-life people until they scream at you in shrill pubescent tones through their Skype headsets. It’s a bit more slow-paced than your typical multiplayer fragfest, but if you give it time, you may just get addicted to this loot gathering hit – it’s really the best free games for Diablo addicts. There are hidden depths that you can uncover after playing for hours and a huge skill tree to slowly progress through. There are no game ruining issues like that short-lived real-money auction house, either. Instead, even basic loot can be useful because there's always an opportunity to enhance even the simplest weapon with magic. If you got tired of the grind of Diablo III, it's a good one to check out. 5. League of LegendsPick a champion and head into battle in this seminal free-to-play game from the creators of the Warcraft III mod, Dota. League of Legends’ automated matchmaking, diverse cast of characters and pristine maps have made it a multiplayer behemoth over the last few years, and one that will certainly stand the test of time. It’s an aggressive gameplay experience, but one that rewards good teamwork and careful tactics. You won’t master it overnight, but you’ll be having fun shortly after you hit that ‘play’ button. Like Dota 2, League of Legends attracts many high-end players, and the top tournaments offer prize pools of over $1 million. The weird world of esports, eh?
Image Credit: Activision-Blizzard 6. Hearthstone: Heroes of WarcraftEver played Magic the Gathering, the card game? Hearthstone is Blizzard’s attempt at making a free online version of it. And, in typical Blizzard style, it’s awesome. It’s immediately inviting, lacking the terrifying learning curve you would expect from an online fantasy card game. Hearthstone plays quickly, boasts a very casual visual approach, and benefits from a basic rule set, all of which adds up to a very accessible card battler that will give you plenty of enjoyment – especially if you’re a World of Warcraft fan. Despite being accessible, it's still quite challenging as well, especially if you're up against an opponent that plays their cards right. 7. Star Wars: The Old RepublicTaking the Star Wars MMORPG after Star Wars Galaxies went away (rest in peace), Star Wars: The Old Republic was not free at release. However, since then, like so many MMORPGs before it, adopted the free to play model. If you want to get Sith kicks, this is the best way to get them for free. Keep in mind though, that subscriptions are still available, and will give you more in-game potential and end-game content. All the story missions, however, are still available for free – it just might take a bit longer now. It’s worth your time just to see the Star Wars universe from different sets of eyes, like the hyper-professional Imperial Agent and Bounty Hunter. If you want to go with the dull option and just have a generic Jedi Knight, though – you can totally do that.
Image Credit: Microsoft 8. Forza Motorsport 6 ApexWhen Xbox head Phil Spencer said he was going to bring the console's best franchises to the PC, he wasn't joking around. Among these notable series is Forza Motorsport. Shunned by petrol-heads and embraced by gamers, Forza Motorsport may seem like an arcadey offshoot of its biggest rival on PlayStation, but it consistently looks and feels superb nonetheless. Forza Motorsport 6 Apex in particular brings a complete Forza Motorsport game to PC gamers for the first time – before Forza Horizon 3 came out in 2016. While it’s not quite the full-fledged experience you can expect with full entries to the series, Forza Motorsport 6 Apex is the best free game would could have asked for from Microsoft’s long-standing racing series. 9. Killer InstinctRare's classic fighting series Killer Instinct may not be the household name it once was, but the ability to play one character for free is enticing nonetheless. What's more, characters can be purchased a la carte as downloadable content, which means you don't have to shell out a wad of cash unnecessarily for characters you'll never play. And, for the Xbox fans out there, this game is essentially Microsoft's equivalent of Super Smash Bros. and PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale since you can pick up numerous Xbox mascots. These include Arbiter (Halo), Rash (Battletoads) and General RAAM (Gears of War) in addition to a growing catalog of Killer Instinct-specific characters. While Killer Instinct isn't as popular with the Fighting Game Community, there is a certain novelty of being able to control these classic Xbox-derived characters, and on PC at that.
Image Credit: Wargaming 10. World of TanksWorld of Tanks is a different kind of MMO – which you should have guessed from the title. Team-based, massively multiplayer action with a huge range of war machines to drive into battle awaits, with new players able to jump into the fray right away. The upgrade system adds a sense of personalization, while being surrounded by an entire army at all times reminds you that loners won’t survive on the battlefield. Get sucked in, though, and you may find yourself spending a chunk of your wages on great big chunks of virtual metal. While some premium tanks cost just a few dollars, others are more expensive. You can see where maker Wargaming is earning some cash from World of Tanks enthusiasts. 11. Heroes of the StormIt was only a matter of time before Blizzard dipped its toe into the MoBA phenomenon, and with Heroes of the Storm, we’re left asking: what took so long? It’s an incredibly approachable esports title, somewhere between League of Legends and DOTA 2 in terms of complexity, with the added bonus of characters you know and love. That’s right, the roster is completely made up of Blizzard characters from across its library of classic games. Have you ever wondered who would win in a fight between Thrall and Kerrigan? Well, now you can see that fight play out on the battlefield. Blizzard knocked it out of the park here, making one of the best free games that keeps getting better by the day.
Image Credit: Daybreak 12. EverquestThough its future was briefly uncertain after the sale of Sony's online entertainment division in February 2015, Everquest has returned better than ever with new expansion packs and continued support by Daybreak Game Company. The first of its kind to commercially succeed with a 3D game engine, Everquest was released in 1999 as an MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) and has since been documented as one of the most important games in the medium's history. Featuring consistently released expansion packs (quite massive in scale, at least early on) with vast new areas, races and classes, Everquest brings to the table just about everything you would expect from an MMO – plus it's notably better at handling co-op than its alternatives. 13. RiftOriginally hailed as the game that would finally dethrone World of Warcraft, Rift had its moment – and is still going strong depending who’s talking. It brought innovation to a genre that was changing very slowly, letting you change your class whenever you felt like it. The whole game is focused on separating giant boss battles and events that occupy entire zones. It’s ambitious, exciting and huge with dozens of interdimensional rifts that keep things fresh and unique from other MMOs. And, after Rift went free to play, Trion has stayed on top of things, releasing regular expansions for everyone to enjoy. Plus, you can ride on a landshark.
Image Credit: Jagex 14. RunescapeRunescape is one of the biggest free-to-play MMOs out there, and now would be a good time to take a look. In 2013 it entered its third reboot – this is actually 'Runescape 3', although just jumping in now you might not appreciate it has been around in one form or another for more than 10 years. It's certainly not the shiniest MMO in the world despite the revamp, but hanging onto this many players shows it's doing something right. The big change introduced in Runescape 3 that made it appear a lot more modern was the ability to see much further – in Runescape 2 the horizon quickly gave way to fog. Not so now. You can download the game for free or run it in your browser using Java, making it much more convenient than most other online role-players of this epic scale. 15. MaplestoryIf the bleak appearance adopted by the typical MMORPG is a turn-off for you, you’ll be delighted to see that Maplestory takes the traditional art style of the genre and turns it on its head. Described by Nexon as the original 2D side-scrolling MMO, Maplestory takes the classic Dungeons & Dragons-inspired genre and makes it kawaii. The lighter tone and customization of Maplestory makes it feel more like Harvest Moon than World of Warcraft or Rift. It’s also more focused on improving cosmetics than many other MMOs, allowing players much more control over how their characters look. There’s even in-game weddings and dinosaurs that play guitar. Really, the only thing Maplestory is missing is an Oasis-composed soundtrack.
Image Credit: Digital Extremes 16. WarframeIf you're into third-person co-operative shooters, Warfarme is one of the best free games out there. Players take control of members of the Tenno, an ancient race at war with enemies such as the Grineer, the Corpus, the Infested and the Sentients. Your Tenno soldier uses the Crysis-style Warframe armor equipped with guns or melee weapons to fight back. Better looking than your average free-to-play shooter, much fun can be had in Warframe's player-vs-enemy raids — so much so that some gamers see it as, "The Destiny that never was". High praise indeed. 17. SmiteGods from every pantheon come together in Smite to battle it out in a free Dota/MOBA inspired clash. Even though Smite wears its influences on its sleeve, it comes from the same developer that made the FPS smash Tribes Ascend – a completely different beast. The camera is behind the characters this time, making for a more direct connection to the action than simply guiding your lord around with a mouse, but the premise will be either familiar if you've played its inspirations, or a way to get the feel for the style if you haven't. Gods include Zeus, Thor, Kali, Artemis and... Cupid? Well, at least he has his own bow…
Image Credit: Turbine 18. Lord of the Rings OnlineThere are so many MMOs that have been launched or relaunched as free-to-play games, but Lord of the Rings Online is one of the titles that most warrants a second look. Not only is it an excellent game in its own right, it’s one of the more mature MMOs on the market. You’ll probably have to pay eventually, if only to unlock adventure packs, but there’s no subscription fee and nothing to buy up front. If you missed it at launch, or even if you quit playing since then, it’s time to give it a try. 19. The Awesome Adventures of Captain SpiritLife is Strange, and its sequel, are among the best modern adventure games on PC in 2018, and luckily, there’s now a free way to get into this amazing series. Revealed back at E3 2018, the Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit places you in the shoes of a 9-year-old Chris as he, and his alter ego, Captain Spirit, goes on, well, an awesome adventure. It’s a free-to-play single player adventure game free of any kind of malicious microtransactions or predatory monetization – just a nice prelude into Life is Strange 2. Just don’t go in expecting the longest gameplay experience in the world, you’ll likely get through it in just a couple of hours.
Image Credit: CCP Games 20. Eve OnlineIn 2003, Icelandic developer CCP Games unleashed Eve Online, an immersive and in-depth “sci-fi experience” that would eventually garner the attention of well over 500,000 players. Eve Online is unlike any game in its category, thanks to the vast range of activities to take part in as well as its (appropriately) out of this world in-game economy. Unfortunately, the Eve Online player base has been dwindling since 2013. It shouldn’t be surprising that as time goes on, fewer and fewer gamers are interested in paying a subscription fee for a glorified space sim with a steep learning curve. However, since the Ascension Update, released back in November 2016, Eve Online has gone free to play – at least to an extent. The new ‘alpha clones’ system featured in Eve Online is similar to the “unlimited free trial” featured in World of Warcraft. You can still engage with other player in piracy, manufacturing, trading, mining, exploration and combat, but certain skills will be off limits. If you don’t want to limit your access to some of the game’s most lumbering ships you can always opt for the Omega subscription – otherwise, the game won’t cost a cent. 21. Apex LegendsTo say that Battle Royale games are popular in 2019 would be a colossal understatement, but the level of success that Apex Legends has enjoyed so quickly after launch shows that it really is one of the best free games. Not only is the game itself fantastic, bringing unique mechanics from the awesome Titanfall games to a Battle Royale, but the game itself has reached a whopping 25 million players after a week. Apex Legends places 60 players in the middle of a gigantic map, armed with a bunch of unique abilities that make both combat and traversal extremely addicting. It’s not quite the chaos of 100 player battle royale titles like Fortnite or PUBG, but it feels balanced. If somehow you haven’t jumped on the Apex Legends bandwagon yet, trust us – it’s worth your time.
Image Credit: 505 Games 22. HawkenAs it's been in beta since 2012 with little to no marketing push, you may have forgotten about Hawken or were unfamiliar with it in the first place. Most notably, Hawken is a game about mechs. But, not just any mechs – fast mechs. These are your average slow, lumbering tanks of MechWarrior Online. These are more comparable to the Exoskeletons of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Of course, being a free-to-play game, you can expect to pay for upgrades to your starter mech. However, you can still get a taste for Hawken without spending a dime. Plus, attach an Oculus Rift and you can see for yourself what VR games have in store for you. Admit it, you've wanted to know what it's feels like to power a mech for yourself since Pacific Rim came out. 23. Evolve Stage 2Hey, remember Evolve? Yeah, we didn’t think so – it quickly fell off the face of the Earth after release, until it was eventually removed from Steam. Turtle Rock then re-released Evolve back into beta a year and a half after its initial release. It was then that Evolve was released as a free-to-play experience, and even given a new name: Evolve Stage 2. Despite going free-to-play, the game's core structure remains intact. It's a game of humans vs. zombies, err, monsters, a new twist on a beloved pastime. A team of four players, called hunters, is pitted up against a single monster, with each hunter assigned their own class. Of course, with four players taking on one, there is a unique catch: hence the game's title, monsters start out at a basic level but evolve over time by killing and consuming wildlife in nearby areas. Evolve cost $40 before, so rest assured you'll get access to a game that looks triple-A, even if much of the content is locked behind a paywall. Nevertheless you can give it a shot for yourself for the nominal cost of $0 on Steam.
Image Credit: Bethesda Softworks 24. The Elder Scrolls II: DaggerfallWhile we sit, anxiously awaiting whatever The Elder Scrolls VI ends up being, you should take the time to give the classic The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall a try. This 1990s RPG is a precursor to those incredibly popular RPGs, and is a bit of a classic in its own right. Its game world is many times the size of any of its sequels, and indeed it’s the size of a continent – and it’s absolutely packed with atmosphere. It might look a little rough by today’s standards, but it’s worth looking at if you’re an Elder Scrolls fan. It's available direct from Bethesda. The publisher started offering it for free to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the game. As if we didn't feel old enough already. 25. Starcraft IIOne of the biggest games to ever hit the PC/Mac landscape is Starcraft II, a competitive real-time strategy game whose Wings of Liberty installment is just one of three parts of the campaign. At one time, it was a phenomenon in South Korea, but the scene fizzled out a bit when MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2 took the world by storm. Maybe that’s why Blizzard decided to convert Starcraft II to the free-to-play business model. As a result of its compelling strategy game mechanics, combined with brilliantly designed environments and a fascinating narrative that can only be expressed in a video game, Starcraft II is one of the most widely enjoyed eSports in the entire world. Of course, being a Blizzard game, you’ll need a Battle.net account to enjoy it, but otherwise, both the campaign and the multiplayer are free to enjoy. Only certain characters require your prized coin.
Image Credit: Bethesda Softworks 26. Wolfenstein 3DInterested in knowing what Wolfenstein was before The New Order? Wolfenstein 3D is now free, and will take you back to the year 1992 when celebrity game developers John Carmack and John Romero teamed up to make a shareware game like nothing before it. Wolfenstein 3D took concepts from Muse Software's Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein to create a three-dimensional first-person shooter that would later inspire the development of Doom. Keep in mind while playing, though, that while Wolfenstein 3D was impressive for its time, it's probably not what you would expect from a first-person shooter of today's standards. Nonetheless, it's an easy and free way to experience game history in an old-school World War II game rich with narrative about, well, shooting Nazis in the face. Don't expect to be blown away by the story in the same way as the Wolfenstein franchise's more recent entries. 27. Team Fortress 2It may be an old vet in gaming terms, but nothing offers so much crazy fun as Team Fortress 2. Unlike most shooters of its age, players are still there to have a good time rather than hurl abuse at newcomers, and there's no shortage of cool toys to have fun with. Endlessly silly and amazingly fresh, it's still one of the shooter genre's kings, free-to-play or not. As you might guess, there are some micro-transactions involved. You can buy additional items, often used to customise your character. You can create your own. It's fun, and gets you even more involved in TF2. Those cheeky devils at Valve know what they're doing.
Image Credit: Perfect World 28. GiganticThough it may have gotten lost in the fog of Overwatch, Lawbreakers and the like, Gigantic is yet another hero shooter in a jumbled sea of hero shooter fanaticism. The difference is that Gigantic, much like the unfortunately fated Battleborn, is a lot more MOBA-esque than Blizzard and Boss Key Studios’ similarly styled games. The gameplay largely revolves around two teams of five players who are both trying to defeat both each other and a mystical leviathan known as a guardian. Likewise, Gigantic gives players the choice between a wide variety of characters each with their own abilities and upgrades. Plus, it’s on Xbox One, too, in case you want to continue the fun in the living room. 29. Magic DuelsMagic: The Gathering is fun, right? But what if you could play it from the warmth and comfort of your PC? Luckily, Magic Duels will let you do just that. Whether you’re a first time player or a 20-year vet, Duels will let you do everything the card game does and more. While over 300 new cards are advertised as being attainable throughout the game, there’s also a unique story mode where you can experience Magic like never before. If narrative in your card games isn't your cup of tea, there's also a Battle Mode in which you can challenge your friends, a four-player Two-Headed Giant battle and even an offline solo mode you can use for practice against AI.
Image Credit: Daybreak Game Company 30. DC Universe OnlineThough it's yet another free-to-play MMO on this list, DC Universe Online takes characters like Superman, Batman, Green Lantern and more into a massive (and shared) public world. Choose whether you want to be a member of the Hero or Villain faction then customize your character and you'll be sent out into the world of DC Universe Online at the hands of Daybreak Game Company. After some training, the game assigns you a position as either a member of the Justice League or The Society depending on your choice of hero or villain. Unlike other MMOs on this list and outside it, DC Universe Online is designed to be much more interactive while still retaining traditional MMORPG elements such as leveling, raiding, inventories and post-game progression. Favorably, it's not difficult to play without using real-world currency too. 31. PaladinsIt’s not hard to see why Paladins catches a lot of flack for its resemblance to Overwatch. At the same time, the team-based shooter bears many distinctions from that of Blizzard’s. Abilities are upgraded based on a collectible card system, which can completely change the way each character plays. What’s more, unlike Overwatch, Paladins is completely free-to-play. While cosmetic items are available to buy using real-world currency, everything else can be unlocked simply by playing the game. For instance, you’ll start Paladins with a single deck of basic cards, and from there, more dramatically impactful decks can be unlocked. Regardless of how you choose to play Paladins, you’ll get XP as you play. As long as you’re completing the daily quests and achievements featured in the game, you’ll be rewarded with Radiant Chests and Gold. These can be used to purchase more cards, costumes and weapon skins to make your characters more unique and skillful on the battlefield.
Image Credit: Konami 32. Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 LiteYou may be familiar with Fifa already, but Pro Evolution Soccer – or PES – is one of the best-selling video game franchises of all-time. It doesn’t have all the flair (or the licensing) of its EA Sports rival, but some would argue that it’s the better soccer game series, not to mention one of the better sports series overall. PES 2018 in particular isn’t too much of an improvement over its predecessor, but it does introduce better dribbling and makes an effort to perfect the fan-favorite Master League mode. The ‘Lite’ version of Pro Evolution Soccer 2018 gives you access to the Online myClub and PES League Mode in addition to the Offline Exhibition Match and Training Mode, entirely for free. There are in-app purchases along the way, but you can always upgrade to the full version later should this one not satisfy. 33. SpelunkyYou can now get Spelunky on all sorts of platforms – it's pretty high-profile for an indie title. But it began its life PC-exclusive, and its original 'non HD' Classic version you can still get for free today. The catch is that every time you play, the entire game is randomized. In one game you'll stumble through screen after screen of spiked horrors and swarming monsters; in the next, the software will bend over backwards to give you gold and help you on your way. You learn how each randomized world ticks and which equipment will give you a fighting chance. And then you'll die some more. And scream. And restart. Again.
Image Credit: Perfect World 34. NeverwinterAs a free MMO, Neverwinter sets a high standard for itself as it's based on perhaps the most iconic role-playing game of all-time, Dungeons & Dragons. Like everything else in the Dungeons and Dragons universe, the game takes place in Forgotten Realms, specifically, as the name suggests, in Neverwinter. Featuring eight character classes with groups of up to five players supported, Neverwinter is based on the fourth-generation rules of Dungeons & Dragons. However, the rules are slightly modified, letting players heal their allies in addition to allowing for the use of special abilities in combat after racking up enough action points. 35. Doki Doki Literature ClubAn ostensibly charming visual novel on the surface, Doki Doki Literature Club is a game that’s best experienced blindly. It comes from Dan Salvato, a game developer known best for his work in the Super Smash Bros. Melee modding community, who says he developed Doki Doki Literature Club because of his indifference towards anime. That’s ironic considering the main character in Doki Doki Literature Club is obsessed with anime and manga and has minimal experience with the writings of more prestigious authors. As engrossing as the trio of female supporting characters appear to be in Doki Doki Literature Club, we would advise getting too attached to them. Without spoiling the story, the first thing you see when you boot up Doki Doki Literature Club is a content warning, suggesting that those with severe anxiety refrain from playing at all. It’s not entirely unwarranted either, as you’re bound to learn the hard way that Doki Doki Literature Club is more horror than generic fan service.
Image Credit: Grey Havens 36. Puzzle Pirates: Dark SeasFor nearly 15 years now, Puzzle Pirates has been a household name for kids with unrestricted access to the computer labs at school. It’s a completely free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game originally developed by the Sega-owned Three Rings Design. The goal is to join a crew and ideally become a captain, by completing puzzles alongside other players. Puzzle Pirates: Dark Seas, on the other hand, is the Steam-exclusive version of Puzzle Pirates that introduces an entirely new ocean known as Obsidian. Dark Seas introduces factions and player-versus-player (PvP) combat in a way that didn’t exist prior to the Steam release of Puzzle Pirates. It also comes from a different developer, a nonprofit called Grey Havens founded by several former members of Three Rings Design. Before the advent of Dark Seas, you could only get the multiplayer portion of Puzzle Pirates on Steam. Now it appears as though the single-player mode can be downloaded and installed from Valve’s client as well. Although it’s only in early access for the time being, early reviews suggest that it’s worth a shot for Puzzle Pirates veterans and newcomers alike. 37. Phantom DustIts development cycle was a disaster, but in the end, the Phantom Dust remaster turned out just fine. A new IP in the form of a Japanese budget card game for the original Xbox, it seemed to good to be true when Microsoft revealed back at E3 2014 that a complete remake was in the works… and, as it turns out, it was. The remake was canned in 2016, but Microsoft still wanted to revive the cult classic one-off. As it turns out, the company did so with a remaster, not a remake. Luckily, the new version of Phantom Dust for Windows 10 (and Xbox One, for console-goers) doesn’t cost a thing to play unless you opt to purchase some of the in-game “multiplayer cards”.
Image Credit: Bay 12 Games 38. Dwarf FortressInspiring the creation of Minecraft was no small feat for 2D sandbox game Dwarf Fortress. Dubbed a construction and management simulator, Dwarf Fortress takes simple text-based graphics into a more modern, 2006 piece of software. The game is often classified as a cult classic because of its open-ended nature and serving as one of the most iconic examples of a procedurally generated roguelike. This means Dwarf Fortress both randomizes its environments and makes the game's permadeath system a much more difficult problem to avoid. This led to the unofficial slogan for the game "Losing is fun," which was either ironic or an accurate description of what happens in the game. Tough to say either way. One thing's for sure, though. If you want to experience an important part of games history, Dwarf Fortress is a solid start, as it was exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City back in 2013. Can't say that for a lot of free-to-play games. 39. Fable FortuneAfter a troubled development cycle, Fable Fortune is the collectible card game that you probably thought would never release. Either that, or you’ve never even heard of it. We wouldn’t blame you. The team behind the Fable franchise – the illustrious group of individuals at Lionhead Studios – has since departed its doors, which were coincidentally permanently shut two years ago. In the time following Lionhead’s closure, its parent company, Microsoft, licensed off Fable Fortune to a group of former Lionhead developers at a new company called Flaming Fowl Studios. It was there that Fable Fortune found private funding despite a failed Kickstarter campaign. The end result is a fairly competitive card game that’s completely free to play. Skeptics will be quick to compare Fable Fortune to Hearthstone. However, the two games differ drastically due to its more complex set of hero powers, less randomness and a morality system that rewards an understanding of its ‘good’ and ‘evil’ points.
Image Credit: Bethesda Softworks 40. Fallout ShelterIf you're more interested in the property management systems of Fallout 4 rather than the overwhelming majority of the role-playing game's content, Fallout Shelter is a great place to start. Up until recently, the simulation game was limited to mobile platforms Android and iOS. However, with the introduction of Quests in version 1.6 of Fallout Shelter, Bethesda Softworks also felt the need to port the game to PC by way of the Bethesda.net client. All in all, Fallout Shelter doesn't feel much different on PC, and that's undoubtedly a good thing. Mouse controls work well in place of a touchscreen, graphics are optimized even for low-end hardware and with windowed mode enabled by default, it's easy to find yourself caring after your vault residents during your downtime at work. With an indisputably manageable price point (free), Fallout Shelter could very well become the next Solitaire in your office or at school. 41. BrawlhallaHave you been watching all your friends play Super Smash Bros Ultimate, but missing out on the action because you don’t have a Nintendo Switch? Well, with Brawlhalla, you’re in luck. Brawlhalla is a 2-8 player 2D brawler that draws very heavy inspiration from Nintendo’s classic franchise. And, it pulls it off. It’s an extraordinarily fun way to pass a few hours. And, with an esports league, you can rest assured you’ll always have people to test your skills against. It’s not quite the same as playing some Smash on a friend’s couch, but it’s close enough to be worth your time.
Image Credit: 2K Games 42. BattlebornCEO and president of Gearbox Software Randy Pitchford will tell you differently, but Battleborn is free-to-play. Officially classified as a “free trial” on Steam, there isn’t much to differentiate the hero shooter from other free-to-play games on the market. You can play for as long as you want using six of the game’s 30 characters, rotated weekly to shake things up. Battleborn was originally released in May 2016, the same month as Overwatch. The main difference is that Battleborn draws influence from MOBA games while Overwatch is a more traditional PvP shooter with an eccentric cast of characters. Battleborn also has a single-player campaign, which can be unlocked using real-world currency. 43. The Elder Scrolls: LegendsThere’s an ostensibly neverending arms race developers are in right now to put out the next Hearthstone. That is, a wildly popular collectible card game (CCG) that’s “easy to learn but challenging to master.” Those are the words, verbatim, publisher Bethesda Softworks is using to describe The Elder Scrolls: Legends. A CCG that draws from the lore of the company’s beloved RPG franchise, The Elder Scrolls: Legends differentiates itself from the likes of competing virtual card games such as Hearthstone and The Witcher 3’s Gwent by enacting a two-lane system that keeps players on their toes when it comes to devising strategies. And, if you’re simply craving more Skyrim, you’ll be elated to know that the Heroes of Skyrim expansion for The Elder Scrolls: Legends packs in 150 additional cards, some of which are familiar faces like Aela the Huntress, J’Zargo and Delphine.
Image Credit: Freejam 44. RobocraftWhether you loved or hated World of Tanks, you’ll be pleased to know that Robocraft is what you get when you take conventional vehicle combat and completely turn it on its head. From independent developer and publisher Freejam, Robocraft lets you commandeer jet cars (not jets and cars, but jet cars), tanks, flying warships, helicopters and drones. In doing so, you’ll spend most of your time engaging in combat with other players online. Like a vehicle-based Fortnite, you’ll also experiment with different combinations of 250 preset blocks using a simple crafting interface, allowing you to equip the vehicle of your choosing with the weapons of your choosing as well. Likewise, Robocraft lets you create or join clans with up to 50 members. Within those clans, you can invite friends to ‘parties’ and play cooperatively in an effort to take down other teams. Once everything is said and done and you’re satisfied with your creations, you can show them off at the virtualized Community Robot Factory in exchange for likes and shares. 45. Total War Battles: KingdomReal-time Strategy (RTS) games don't come much grander than those in the Total War series, and the latest entrant, Battles KINGDOM, is free-to-play. Currently in open beta on the PC, it's also available to play on iOS and Android, so you can pick up where you left off when you're away from your battlestation. Set at the turn of the 10th Century, Total War Battles: Kingdom combines army management with kingdom building to deliver a bite-sized RTS game you can pick up and play anywhere, anytime. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 40 best PC games 2019: the must-play titles you don’t want to miss Posted: 19 Feb 2019 01:45 PM PST Now that we have the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and Intel has launched its Coffee Lake Refresh lineup that promises to hold the best processors for gaming, 2019 is the best time to dive into the best PC games. So, if you want to get in on the action of the top PC games 2019 has to offer, like Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey or Shadow of the Tomb Raider, we’ll show you the best PC games of 2019. We gathered 40 of the best PC games you can buy today. And, believe us when we say you’ll want to try all of these PC games out for yourself. Even if you don’t have those sick keyboard and mouse skills, you can play many of the best PC games with a controller. Even if you don’t exactly have the best gaming PC in the world, you can play the best PC games across a host of different platforms, like the Xbox One X, Nintendo Switch and PS4 Pro – something likely to stay true for upcoming 2019 PC games. If you’re new to PC gaming, there’s never been a better time to jump in on the action. We’d love to extend you a warm welcome. While some PC gamers are elitist gatekeepers, we here at TechRadar believe in inclusivity. So, with that in mind, let’s dive into the best PC games you can play in 2019. Gabe Carey and Bill Thomas have also contributed to this article Over the last decade, From Software has grown into one of our favorite developers, bar none. The minds behind Dark Souls and Bloodborne have crafted some of the most unique RPGs, and have essentially crafted their own sub-genre. And, with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, From Software is shifting focus once more, crafting one of our most anticipated PC games of 2019. It will draw some inspiration from the classic ‘SoulsBorne’ games, but it will more resemble the studio’s earlier work – namely Tenchu. Sekiro will place you in feudal Japan, as the “one-armed wolf”, and you’ll have to seek out vengeance. The game will feature this unique prosthetic arm mechanic, where you can swap out several different tools and weapons to tailor your playstyle. Oh, and because it’s a From Software game, prepare to die. A lot. Look, we know that this game is starting to get old, but it is aging like fine wine. Even three years after its release it’s one of the most ambitious open world games that’s ever existed – combining Skyrim’s unabashed scale with Grand Theft Auto V’s insane depth. It’s such a jam-packed games, that it’s still one of the best PC games in 2018. Huge, beautiful and an absolute time sink – in a good way – The Witcher 3: Wild hunt isn’t just the best PC game in 2018, but it may be one of the best video games of all time. Dragon Age: Inquisition, while not perfect, puts you in the midst of a huge, vibrant world on a much larger scale than past Dragon Age titles. Packed with hours of engrossing story and a wealth of side content, Dragon Age: Inquisition brings the series to an open world setting in a smart and compelling way. It might not be a new game, but for this excellent blend of Elder Scrolls and Baldur’s Gate, it’s still one of the best PC games available in 2018. Assassin’s Creed is basically a household name among the best PC games in 2018. And, starting with last year’s Origins, Ubisoft has been making huge efforts to revitalize the aging franchise. Well, we’re happy to report that they’ve succeeded. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey feels like an improvement in every sense of the word over last years entry, feeling like a completely different game than older games in Ubisoft’s flagship series. This time around, despite the drama about microtransactions, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey places you in the shoes of Kassandra or Alexios, in the middle of the Peloponnesian War, as you look for your lost mother and father. And, while the main story – which will have you switching alliances between the Spartans and the Athenians – will likely get lost in the mix along the way, the world that Ubisoft has created is as rich and beautiful as ever before. Just make sure you have one of the best graphics cards before you even try to run Assassin’s Creed Odyssey at a higher resolution. If you’re looking for one of the best open world games on PC, you can’t go wrong here. So, join us in exploring ancient Greece in Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. Although it's arguably not as difficult as previous entries in the series, From Software's Dark Souls 3 takes everything you like about the Souls series and combines it with elements found in Bloodborne, the developer's more recent game for PS4. We’re not going to lie – Dark Souls 3 isn’t easy. It still takes skill and, more importantly, patience to master its complex combat system, but it plays fair too, inviting more casual gamers to take part in its bleak, fantastical world. Plus, on the bright side, it brings remarkably better PC optimization than that of the first game. And, now that you can pick up Dark Souls: Remastered and see where this apocalyptic series got its start – there’s never been a better time to link the first flame. Pillars of Eternity made a huge splash in the PC gaming scene when it launched a few years ago – Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire follows faithfully in its footsteps. Not only is this one of the best RPGs you can play today, but it’s also one of the best PC games 2018 has to offer. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire puts players in the middle of the Deadfire Archipelago in pursuit of an ancient god. Along the way you’ll find yourself immersed in a rich, dense and long story crafted by Obsidian Entertainment – arguably the masters of RPGs. If you enjoy old school RPGs like Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights, and long for a return to those storied days – do yourself a favor and don’t miss out on Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. It’s one of the best RPGs we’ve ever played. Do yourself a favor, though, and check out Pillars of Eternity first – it still holds up as one of the best PC games and your story will carry over to the sequel. Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most anticipated console ports to ever hit the PC. You probably didn't need telling twice to head back into Los Santos's hugely detailed and interactive world, but it's 10 times more fun with the PC's richer graphics and smooth 60 frames per second gameplay. After you’ve completed its 30-hour campaign, there’s an overflow of post-game content to enjoy here. Most recently that includes The Doomsday Heist in GTA Online and even a radio station hosted by Frank Ocean. BioShock is a first-person shooter that takes concepts from Ayn Rand's Atlast Shrugged and tosses them underseas. To be exact, BioShock takes place in an underwater city called Rapture, free from government regulation, designed for artists and entrepreneurs to thrive. Of course, not all goes well in a city where the residents have all the power and, well, stop what you're doing and play it right now if you haven't already. You're in for one of the great games if you play BioShock, one that balances story elements with horror nigh-perfectly. There's a remastered version out there now, too, which is free of charge if you own the original. Set 15 years after the events of the first Alien film from 1979, Alien: Isolation is the suspense-packed game that fans of the franchise have been crying out for. Playing the role of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Alien protagonist Ellen Ripley, your mission is to track down and recover the flight recorder of the Nostromo spacecraft from the first Alien film which has been located aboard the Sevastopol space station. First and foremost a stealth game, Isolation ramps up the tension by providing you with minimal weaponry. Its excellent graphics shine on high-end PCs and clever AI helps ramp up the dread, leaving you to quiver when turning every corner. Overwatch, if nothing else, completely changed the landscape away from the norm of gray-ish cover shooters in the realm of competitive gaming. Its bright, vibrant colors are complemented by likeable characters, each decorated with their own interesting backstories which, though not present in game, make for a collection of awesome webcomics and cinematics. Overwatch is also one of the best PC games, because of how well it runs on all kinds of different hardware. Sure, it’s a bit old now, but even in 2018, it’s the best PC game for anyone looking for some competitive action. If somehow you’ve missed out on this game, do yourself a favor – sign in to your Battle.net account and take Overwatch, and its colorful cast of characters, for a spin today. Even if it came out almost 6 years ago, Counter-Strike Global Offensive is still a fantastic update to a timeless classic that continues to thrive thanks to its vast online communities – it’s truly one of the best PC games. Global Offensive is a well-rounded tactical shooter that builds on the simple Terrorists vs Counter-Terrorists gameplay of Counter-Strike 1.6, by updating classic maps such as Italy and Dust – while also adding new modes in Arms Race and Demolition. Simpler than Battlefield, but more complex than Call of Duty, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is a shooter for those who like to think – if only just a little bit. In a lot of ways, Far Cry 5 is the ultimate Far Cry game – combining all of the elements that has made the series successful, while cutting a lot of the fat (including the towers, thank god). And while on its own it doesn't do anything entirely new, it perfects the Far Cry formula to a point where Far Cry 5 is one of the best open world First Person Shooters you can play in 2018. After a very heavy and intense intro, you’re dumped in the middle of rural Montana and given the task of dismantling the local cult. But, that quickly fades into the background as a myriad of activities – from hunting down aliens to taking out outposts – ultimately become your focus. But it’s precisely this focus on playing your own way that makes Far Cry 5 so special. Monster Hunter has been one of the biggest gaming franchises you’ve never heard of for years now. However, with Monster Hunter: World, the series broke into the mainstream, and it’s also come to the PC (finally). And, well, it’s one of the best PC games you can play today. Monster Hunter: World places you in the shoes of a, well, monster hunter, and you’ll hunt progressively bigger and nastier monsters, strip them for parts and craft bigger and badder armor. It’s a deceptively simple gameplay loop, that ends up being one of the most enthralling and rewarding PC games you can play today. There’s a never-ending onslaught of content in this game, and Capcom, the developers of this monster hunting hit, are dedicated to bringing a wealth of free DLC to the game. Not to mention a new frosty expansion in Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. So, if you’re looking for an addictive, engaging and most importantly, fun game to play by yourself or with all your best friends cooperatively, check out Monster Hunter: World – it really is one of the best PC games you can buy today. A 90s classic brought back to life (unlike its main protagonist), Grim Fandango Remastered is a successful attempt at reviving one of the PC's best adventure games of all time. Combining writing that matches the funniest dark comedies with clever puzzles and a still-impressive art style, Grim Fandango was the most entertaining work of art to take place in a Mexican setting for years until Breaking Bad came along. Now with updated graphics, sound and better controls, Manna Calavera's adventure has never looked so good. Six years after its initial release, Skyrim is going as strong as ever thanks to a vast selection of mods and high-resolution texture packs. Even if you're only interested in playing the vanilla version of the RPG, it offers more than 100 hours of gameplay. Throw in three action packs DLC expansion packs (Dawnguard, Hearthfire and Dragonborn), and it lasts even longer. That Skyrim has been compared to graphically superior but similar RPG blockbuster The Witcher 3 is testament to its enduring popularity. Step into Skyrim and you too can be an adventurer - just try not to take an arrow in the knee. And, if you’re looking for a more, well, special version of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Bethesda has you covered – it can’t seem to stop releasing and re-releasing Skyrim for every platform. You can even play it in VR. If you’re anything like us, and you secretly pine for the days of ultra-fast arena shooters, you’re going to absolutely love Quake Champions. Unlike many 90’s series, Quake Champions completely retains that classic Quake style. You’re dumped into a relatively small map with a ton of verticality and armed with the craziest weaponry you could imagine. And, there’s no battle royale or any other trendy game modes here – it’s deathmatch all the way, baby. Much in the same way that Id Software mastered the reboot of Doom and brought it to a modern audience, Quake Champions is a nostalgic shooter that still manages to feel fresh in 2018. The kicker? If you act fast, you can score it for free on Steam ahead of its full release. The phrase "build it, and they will come" literally rings true when it comes to Minecraft, the survival-based sandbox RPG that has now been purchased more than 100 million times since its conception in 2009. In it, you can create your own worlds using resources you find in the wild or explore worlds created by other players online. In Minecraft, you can either limit yourself to the numerous tools and blocks provided by the developer, Mojang, or you can install mods to truly capitalize on your investment. What’s more, come 2018, you’ll be able to take part in the Super Duper Graphics Pack, an optional piece of DLC that adds more realistic lighting effects and textures to an already fantastic product. The Orange Box may be showing its age, but it remains a must-play collection of games - particularly for FPS fans. Half-Life 2, technically still the most recent game in Valve's franchise (excluding its Episode 1 and 2 add-ons), remains a modern masterpiece and is famed for being the first game to intelligently apply physics to its puzzles and combat set-pieces. The collection's other titles aren't too shabby either: Portal takes gravity-based puzzles to the extreme by equipping the player with the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device (also known as the Portal Gun), which places two portals for objects to pass through, while Team Fortress 2 continues to go from strength-to-strength thanks to the introduction of custom gear and well-balanced team combat. Sometimes a game that’s been out for 10 years becomes temporarily free on Origin and you just have to play it. Dead Space is one of those games. A survival horror game by definition, this acclaimed piece of science fiction stars a fittingly named Isaac Clarke, whose name itself is a combination of the famous sci-fi authors Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov. Told from an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective, Dead Space is a rescue mission story, wherein you (as Isaac) are tasked with investigating a mining ship mysteriously full of alien virus-infected dead bodies. All the while, you’ll have to stay on top of upgrading your futuristic ‘RIG’ suit too. Id Software's Doom was a phenomena for PC gamers in the 90s. The crudely rendered first-person shooter series was as controversial as it was beloved, largely thanks to its cutting-edge depictions of gore and violence that only a computer could deliver. Parents be damned, the franchise has made a comeback in 2016 with a fresh restart, appropriately titled Doom. Although the multiplayer might not appeal to shooter fans regardless of age, the single player campaign will pit you against demons in Hell for a lengthy experience that's as bloody as it is satisfying. If Forza Horizon 3 is the racing game for newcomers to racing games, Asetto Corsa is the game for the grizzled experts. Its obtuse handling and insane difficulty straight from the get go makes it a toss up for one of the most realistic racing simulators of all time. And, even if you can get it on consoles, unlike Project Cars, this is a game that was developed for PC first. Everything about this game, from its demanding career mode to its deep seated driving mechanics – which basically require a racing wheel accessory – make it a joy for die-hard petrolheads, even if its difficulty curve is often just backbreaking. Modelled after the 1984 game Elite, Elite: Dangerous is one of the most ambitious space sims around. Featuring an in-game galaxy based on the real Milky Way (how's 400 billion stars for depth?), the ultimate goal is to advance your rankings to Elite status by levelling up combat, trading and exploration. Starting out with a rickety ship and 1,000 credits in your space suit's back pocket, you'll need to turn to piracy, trading, exploring, mining or bounty hunting to rise through the intergalactic ranks. Doing so takes time and requires serious graft, but the experience provides a level of satisfaction that few other titles can match. And then there's the Oculus Rift... Among the best PC games, there’s this tendency to romanticize the apocalypse. Whether it’s zombies, like in Dead Rising or a nuclear wasteland like in Fallout 4, the apocalypse is oddly a place you want to visit. But, with Metro Exodus, that’s not the case. Metro Exodus takes a more dark and gritty approach to the apocalypse. The air is poison, the wildlife is all mutated, and the survivors are all at each other's throats. And, while past Metro titles have explored this darker post-apocalypse from underground, through the titular ‘Metro’, Metro Exodus takes things to the Surface. You’ll set out on an Exodus across the nuclear wasteland in order to find a home, but along the way you’ll experience the horror and supernatural weirdness that the Metro series has become known for. And, as a bonus, it’s one of the most beautiful PC games on the market today, provided you have the graphical horsepower to back it up. Described as "achingly beautiful" by Unity Engine boss John Riccitiello, Ori and the Blind Forest borrows its game mechanics from old-school 2D games such as Metroid and Castlevania while adding a modern twist. If any word can describe Ori's atmospheric world, it's alive. You'll have to think fast and use new abilities gained along the way to bash, stop and manoeuvre your way through its gorgeous locations, and with no automatic saving system or easy difficulty level, it's no walk in the park. As satisfying to master as it is to look at, Ori and the Blind Forest will re-open your eyes to what 2D games still have to offer. There aren’t many franchises that are as iconic as Resident Evil. Since the first game launched way back in 1996, it has served as a watermark of where Survival Horror is – even in its worst days (looking at you, Resident Evil 6). So, when Capcom finally announced the Resident Evil 2 remake, we instantly started paying attention. And, we have to say – it paid off. Resident Evil 2 isn’t just a remake of the best horror game ever made, but it might actually take the mantle altogether. Gone are the ancient tank controls that divided fans, giving way to the same over-the shoulder perspective introduced in Resident Evil 4. But, this time around, through the use of Resident Evil 7’s RE Engine, Capcom has transformed the ancient horror game into a title that’s terrifying by today’s post-Amnesia standards. And, thanks to just how much you can customize how the game performs and looks, Resident Evil 2 will serve as a benchmark for the best PC games throughout 2019 – even if it doesn’t use as much VRAM as the settings menu says it does. Besides Final Fantasy, there isn’t a franchise that carries as much weight in the Japanese RPG genre as Dragon Quest. For decades, these have been the penultimate JRPGs for many – even inspiring many modern classics like Pokemon. And, for the first time in 14 years, Dragon Quest has made its way to home consoles, and more importantly to PC for the first time ever. Dragon Quest XI is a beautiful, colorful JRPG that’ll put you in the shoes of a young prince that’s set out to – save the world, obviously. You’ll get about 80-100 hours out of the game, and every moment will be memorable and magical. It even features art from Akira Toriyama, best known for his work on Dragonball – it’s easy to see why it’s one of the best PC games of 2018. Already familiar to millions before they've played a played a second of it, Rocket League turns the age old game of football (or soccer, depending) on its head. Played with rocket-propelled cars in futuristic low-gravity environments, the aim is simple: knock the ball into the opposing team's goal. Doing so is harder said than done because there could be up to three cars on the opposing team trying to steal the ball off you - or ram you into submission - at any one time. Gorgeous to look, simple to learn but difficult to master, Rocket League is the surprise smash hit of 2015 - and a wonderfully addictive one at that. Read: 8 real-life footballers in Rocket League: which one are you? When Insurgency first launched way back in 2014, it was a breath of fresh air – a shooter that completely opposed the arcade-like approach of games like Call of Duty. And, Insurgency: Sandstorm takes this formula and goes all-in. Insurgency: Sandstorm is a brutally difficult and visceral online shooter, meant to give Counter Strike: Global Offensive a run for its money. This is a game where you won’t get respawns, you won’t be able to absorb bullets, you will die easily – it’s awesome. If you’re looking for a game that rewards patience and tactics, Insurgency: Sandstorm is one of the best PC games for you. Metal Gear Solid V, the last Metal Game which will be helmed by Hideo Kojima after his forceful ejection from Konami, is a hugely ambitious title. Its massive open world setting allows you to tackle missions using stealth, but you’re still able to go in guns blazing if you prefer – though you won’t get as good a score. Taking place nine years after the events of Ground Zeroes, The Phantom Pain’s story unravels through its main missions and more than 100 Side Ops tasks. The action is interspersed with beautiful cutscenes, and while you sometimes have to decode annoying pseudo-military babble to figure out what’s happening, TPP’s fast pacing and beautiful Afghanistan and African settings make sure the game never feels like a chore. You can ask basically any veteran PC gamer, and they’ll tell you that Battlefield games have always been among the best PC games. And, with Battlefield V, the trend continues – it’s one of the best PC games 2018 has to offer, period. The core mechanics remain the same, drive, fly, or run to capture points on a map and defend them against the enemy team. However, this year’s offering refines the Operations mode from 2016’s Battlefield 1, and transforms it into, well, Grand Operations. This epic game mode takes place across up to 4 maps, and is meant to portray crucial battles of World War II. It’s an absolute blast, just make sure you have an hour to spare. Battlefield V is also one of the best PC games when it comes to visuals. Never before has war looks so terrifyingly real in a virtual space. The environments are more realistic than ever before, and if you’re rocking an Nvidia Turing card, like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, you can turn on ray tracing and experience out-of-this-world reflections. We’re not exaggerating when we say it’s the best PC game in 2018 for FPS fans. The 2016 revival of Hitman was a revelation, a rebirth of a classic series that showed what Hitman could be. So, we went into Hitman 2 with high expectations – expectations that paid off. Hitman 2 puts players in even bigger environments, with more complicated missions that will test your creativity in deadly ways. What’s especially notable here though, is the new game modes on offer. You’ll have access to a new Sniper Assassin mode, and most importantly, a co-op game mode – a first for the Hitman series. If you’re looking for an engaging stealth experience, you really can’t go wrong with Hitman 2 – it’s one of the best PC games of 2018, easy. Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide was one of the best PC games for anyone who loves playing the best PC games with friends. And, we’re delighted to say that Warhammer: Vermintide 2 takes the deep co-operative gameplay of the original and improves on it in every conceivable way. Although it technically allows you to form complex strategies with your teammates, the action often turns into chaos, where the only way you can survive is mindlessly bashing at enemies until you, and your teammates (preferably), are the only things left standing. And, because Vermintide 2 adds a wide range of Orc enemies on top of the familiar Skaven enemies, you’ll never run out of things to hack to pieces. It's official: Fallout 4 has lived up to the hype. Despite feeling a little bit like Fallout 3 but with nicer graphics at times, its tighter shooting, in-depth crafting system and well-thought out story make it a wholly more enticing affair. As the Sole Survivor (the first fully-voiced protagonist in the Fallout series) in Boston's post-apocalypse wasteland, you'll take on Feral Ghouls, Raiders, Syths and Bloodbugs and more with high-powered weaponry that includes the Fat Man mini nuke cannon and the fusion cell-powered Laser Musket. If the Call of Duty series is the poison that dumbed down the FPS genre with its run-and-gun gameplay, then Rainbow Six: Siege is the antidote. Working as a team to out-wit the enemy, Siege plays out like a thinking man (or woman's) Counter-Strike that doesn't simply encourage cooperation if you want to win - it requires it. When you're not peering down your gun's iron sights, you'll be laying traps, scouting ahead using drones, strategising with your teammates and building walls that could keep a herd of demented bulls at bay. While Siege's heavy reliance on tactical team-based gameplay can prove its biggest weakness if you're hoisted into a server with a particularly uncooperative bunch, when it does click, it provides a level of satisfaction rarely found in online multiplayer games. After the rebooted Tomb Raider and its sublime sequel, Rise of the Tomb Raider, the seminal series has won its place among the best PC games with Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Instead of simply porting over a console version and calling it good, Crystal Dynamics has created a technical masterpiece with Lara Croft’s latest adventure. Shadow of the Tomb Raider finds Lara heading down to South America to thwart a Mayan apocalypse. While the scenery isn’t as diverse as in previous titles, it’s still just as arrestingly beautiful throughout. And, with Nvidia’s RTX technology coming later this year, it’s going to be a great way to put the best graphics cards to the test while having some fun at the same time. Imagine a survival-based shooter where every match starts with your avatar being ejected from a cargo plane alongside 99 other players with no weapons or items. That’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, or at least the solo, free for all mode. After spending the early minutes of the game digging for resources, you’ll soon be forced to reckon with your own mortality as the body count ticker at the top of the screen descends into desolation. Abbreviated PUBG, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is based on another “last man standing” game released back in 2013: PlayerUnknown’s Battle Royale. It doesn’t require a copy of Arma III or H1Z1 to run, but you’ll need to keep your wits about you. There’s no respawning in PUBG, so it’s less about the precision of your aim as it is about your ability to scavenge quickly for weapons, first aid kits and clothing. Picking up immediately after the events of Wolfenstein: The New Order, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus will inevitably be heralded as a classic. For some, it’s the punishing old-school gunplay that’s to thank for this. Even on the default difficulty, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus will have you fretting for your life. Yet, for others, story reigns supreme. And, if The New Colossus serves as an interactive showcase for anything, it’s story, the most interesting parts of which are told through flashbacks. We won’t go as far as to spoil the plot, but what we will say is that B.J. Blazkowicz’s motives become a lot clearer in this iteration of Wolfenstein, not that he needs to justify killing Nazis. From the developer behind Persona and Shin Megami Tensei, Catherine takes unique puzzle gameplay and shoves it in the middle of a complex story of romance and inner struggle. You’ll take over the role of Vincent, and you’ll have to decide whether to take your relationship with your girlfriend, Katherine, to the next level. A decision that’s complicated after Catherine – with a C – comes into your life. The ensuing drama takes place in a series of cutscenes each day, and when you go to bed at night, you’ll have to deal with nightmares – in the form of puzzle gameplay. It’s an extraordinarily unique game, and now that it’s finally made its way to PC, there’s no reason to not check it out. Even after 7 years, it’s still one of the most unique and best PC games 2019 has to offer. X-Com 2 is one addictive game, and we still can't put it down. Following up from 2012's XCOM: Enemy Unknown, which reimagined the 1994 cult classic UFO: Enemy Unknown, XCOM 2 has delivered everything we wanted in a sequel. Bigger, deeper, faster and even easier on the eyes, the turn-based tactics game takes place 20 years after its predecessor. It pits you in control of the Avenger, a converted alien ship that serves as your mobile base of operations used to devise strategy and execute fight plans against otherworldly enemies. With a greater focus of stealth, more intelligent alien AI and deeper customization options, XCOM 2 is bound to end up one of our games of the year. Anyone familiar with World of Warcraft knows that it's among the most successful and influential massively multiplayer online role-playing games (or MMORPGs) of all-time. Comprising nearly 14 years of content, with over thousands of hours just waiting to be invested, there are few better games to spend your money on than World of Warcraft. In the new expansion, Battle For Azeroth, players explore two new continents – Kul Tiras for Alliance players and Zandalar for the Horde – though there’s something much more sinister hiding beneath the surface. Blizzard has kept the leveling system from Legion, too, meaning you can tackle the new zones in whatever order you want. This will of course come with the all-new raids and dungeons we’ve grown accustomed to over the years and a storyline that will see the two playable factions at each other’s throats in a major way. You’ll get hours upon hours of content to play through here, as is custom with World of Warcraft throughout its 14-year history. And, you can count on updates throughout the expansion, like the recently released Tides of Vengeance that add even more stuff to do. From PlatinumGames and Square Enix, Nier: Automata is a sequel to the 2010 cult classic Nier, which itself is a spin-off of the Drakengard series. Technically an action role-playing game, Nier: Automata’s most gripping quality is that it never truly adheres to one particular genre. At times, it’s a 2.5D platformer and, at others, it’s a twin-stick shooter. It’s unpredictable and a breath of fresh air when compared to other PC games out on the market. The story centers around a femme android by the name of 2B who is aided by a survey android called 9S, or Nines. With many questions being asked along the way, both of these characters are tasked with extricating Earth from alien machines that have engulfed the planet. Just be conscious of how you play because not only does Nier: Automata feature different endings, but with each new path comes vastly different gameplay. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| macOS 10.14 Mojave release date, news and features Posted: 19 Feb 2019 01:37 PM PST Arriving back in September 2018, macOS Mojave brought key iOS apps, like Stocks and News to the table. It also brought a system-wide Dark Mode and increased productivity through Finder – macOS Mojave could be the best Mac operating system to date. Apple has suggested that more iOS apps are going to show up on the best Macs over the next few years, but there’s plenty to love today – even in the face of some macOS Mojave problems, like KeySteal, a flaw that makes your Keychain passwords vulnerable. macOS Mojave has been on our Macs for a few months at this point, and the various problems are being patched out. For instance, the latest build of macOS Mojave fixes some problems with third-party USB-C monitors. So, now that macOS Mojave is here, we’ll dive into all the features the new OS offers, so you can decide whether it’s worth the (free) upgrade in 2019.
Cut to the chase
macOS 10.14 Mojave release dateApple announced macOS Mojave back in June 2018 at WWDC 2018, where most of the features were detailed. This was followed by a public beta launch back in July, then finally the macOS Mojave launch on September 24 2018. Then, in late January 2019, Apple released macOS 10.14.3. And, while it doesn’t have any standout features, it should help with stability and security. Then, Apple followed up with a fix to the FaceTime bug that would allow people to access your camera without you answering the call. This is admittedly a minor update, but we’d still advise most people to download and install macOS 10.14.3. And, earlier, Apple launched a supplemental update to macOS 10.14.1 to boost the reliability for the new MacBook Air. Apple has also seeded the third developers beta for macOS 10.14.4. And, while 10.14.3 was a glorified stability fix, macOS 10.14.4 will bring Safari Auto-Fill, which will let you auto-fill web forms, secured by Touch ID. It will also automatically activate dark themes for websites that support it, given that you’re using Dark Mode. Keep it tuned, because we will keep this section updated with all the newest updates as they release.
macOS 10.14 Mojave featuresSo, now that macOS Mojave has been out for a while, there are a ton of new features available to your Mac. And, we’re going to dive into a detailed overview of everything your Mac can do. From Finder improvements to more rigid security, the best Macs are about to become a lot better. Read on to discover all the new features coming to your Mac when you update to macOS Mojave.
Dark ModeApple’s macOS Mojave introduces a system-wide dark mode, which will extend to every first-party program on your Mac. Even Xcode gets a full makeover, completely in black, making those extended programming sessions more comfortable for your eyes. Third party programs will also be adopting this new theme, with changes happening automatically for any app that uses standard colors through AppKit. Even developers that don’t use AppKit are working on bringing Dark Mode to their programs. For example, in a recent bug report, Google Chrome developers confirmed they’re working on a way to implement Dark Mode into the hugely popular web browser – they just have some issues to iron out first. Group FaceTimeInitially shown as part of the initial release of MacOS Mojave, Group FaceTime has finally been released as part of macOS 10.14.1. This feature allows you to have FaceTime conversations with up to 32 people across iOS and macOS devices. This feature is implemented in a way that makes it extremely intuitive in macOS Mojave. You can start a group FaceTime chat from any group iMessage thread, and invites will be sent via a ringless notification, so you won’t be disruptive. Once you’re in a Group FaceTime Chat, it will automatically detect whoever’s speaking and bring them front and center, so that you’re always looking at the person actively speaking.
StacksIf your desktop starts to look like a virtual hurricane blew through it after a full day of work like ours does, your days of cluttered desktops end with macOS Mojave. With Stacks, macOS Mojave will sort similar files together so that you have a less cluttered desktop – photos with photos, pdfs with pdfs – it’s great. You’re even able to scrub through thumbnails with a two-finger scroll, so that you can make sure the file you’re looking for is actually in the stack.
Gallery ViewIn macOS 10.14 Mojave, Apple has added a new Gallery View to Finder. This will let you quickly browse through, annotate and edit files. No matter what kind of file you select, you'll be able to quickly and easily find exactly what you're looking for. This is made even easier, thanks to Apple adding a very detailed metadata display to the Preview pane. This makes it easier than ever before to take note of all the information of any file on your Mac. And, thanks to the inclusion of Quick Actions in the Preview pane, you won’t even need to leave Finder to work on files. You should be able to edit images, add protection to files and more. You can even assign Automator tasks as Quick Actions to make browsing through files even easier.
Continuity CameraHave you ever found yourself working on a project, and you needed to implement a document or a photo? Well, with Continuity Camera, it’s easier than ever to do just that. Across a multitude of different apps, like Numbers and Pages, you’ll be able to simply Control + Click in the body of the document, and select “Take Photo” or “Scan Documents.” It’ll then open the camera on your iPhone or iPad, where you’ll be able to take a photo and instantly pop it right into what you’re working on. It’s smooth, it’s convenient, and it’s going to be a boon for anyone that needs to save some time while doing schoolwork or that next big project.
Markup in Quick Look and ScreenshotsQuick Look is already an easy way to look at files quickly, and in macOS Mojave, you'll be able to quickly and efficiently use Markup to edit files you open in Quick Look. Markup is also implemented into screenshots. You’ll be able to bring up any screenshot and instantly edit any content within. Being able to quickly crop screenshots in macOS Mojave without any third-party photo-editing software is going to be a huge time-saver. Once you capture a screen, you’ll see a preview image open up, similar to iOS 12, which you can click to preview and edit your screenshot. That's not all though, Screenshots are still a simple shortcut away, but with macOS Mojave, a new easy-to-use menu includes screen-recording tools, so that you can capture animated content. And, perhaps most importantly, you can choose to save the screenshot to your clipboard, saving time if you just need to send someone a quick screenshot.
AppsApple News, Stocks, Voice Memos and Home are all brought over from iOS to macOS Mojave, with special care given to reformatting them to fit your computer. These apps leverage the power of the best Macs to deliver an awesome experience. Voice Memos, for instance, will automatically transfer any memos you take between your iOS and macOS devices – rewarding anyone who utilizes the ‘Apple Ecosystem’. This isn’t a full iOS app migration, however, but Apple did say it’d be bringing more iOS apps to the Mac in 2019, so we’ll just have to wait.
SecurityApple is concerned about your device security, and now macOS Mojave asks for permission with more features, now including the camera and microphone. Mojave’s security also provides more robust protection for your file system. Safari also has its own share of security enhancements, shutting down cookies that track you across websites, making sure Safari asks permission before it allows cookies of any kind to access your browsing data. This even includes those annoying social buttons that mysteriously appear on every page – Facebook and Twitter can’t track your activity outside of their own websites unless you grant them permission to.
New Mac App StoreThe App store has been a macOS staple for years now, but it always seemed a little out of place. That all changes with macOS Mojave. Apple has completely refreshed the Mac App Store, and it’s now designed exclusively for the best Macs. Not only does it look great, but it also lets you browse through apps depending on what you’re trying to install. If you’re looking for an affordable alternative to Logic Pro X or Adobe Photoshop, it’s simple to find the best Mac apps for you. The new Mac App Store also adopts the iOS App Store’s approach to editorializing its content. It’ll now have a much more modern interface with featured apps getting tutorials, spotlights and other such content. It really does bring the Mac App Store into the modern age. And, perhaps more exciting is that a ton of third-party developers, like Adobe and Microsoft, are bringing their apps to the Mac App Store, so you don't’ have to go through dodgy websites to get the apps you need.
macOS 10.14 Mojave specificationsUnfortunately, with all these new features, some older Macs will have to go without updating to macOS Mojave. This is a departure from macOS High Sierra, which basically had the same requirements as macOS 10.12. First off, macOS 10.14 requires at least 14.3GB of hard drive space for the installation, as that’s what was required last year. To keep it on the safe side, make it 20GB. However, macOS Mojave requires more powerful hardware than High Sierra. macOS 10.13 required at least 2GB of RAM and OS X 10.8 or later – that’s not the case anymore. These are the Macs supported by macOS 10.14 Mojave.
Unfortunately, while the required models rarely change year over year, they have with macOS 10.14, so if you have an older MacBook, you might need to upgrade to enjoy this new version of the OS.
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| MacBook Pro 2019: what we want to see Posted: 19 Feb 2019 01:36 PM PST There are some long-time MacBook users out there that are starting to feel like Apple has lost the spark that once brought the company out of its dark ages. There have been a number of new MacBook Pro models in recent years, and other devices, that have been releasing faster than our bank accounts can keep up. And, while some of these upgrades have resulted in improved devices – looking at you, Mac mini – some of these updates have fallen flat. Apple has approached the MacBook Pro in a different way since 2016, focusing on features that make one of the best Macs more appealing to the mainstream, further streamlining the design – evidenced by the removal of non-Thunderbolt 3 ports. It’s a case of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ but some old school Apple fans have been feeling a bit jaded. However, the MacBook Pro 2018 did benefit from a substantial internal upgrade, now rocking 8th-generation Coffee Lake processors and some of the fastest SSDs we’ve seen to date – giving it unprecedented speed. Apple has also improved the display with True Tone tech, fixed problems with the Butterfly keyboard, or some of them at least, all while maintaining battery levels from the 2017 model. However, things might be changing for the MacBook Pro 2019. Famed Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo has produced some leaks that suggest Apple is going to release a 16-inch MacBook Pro 2019, with an “all-new” design. We don’t know if this is true or not, but we’re hoping that Apple delivers a new MacBook Pro that’s worthy of its lineage. Cut to the chase
MacBook Pro 2019 release dateAlthough a 2019 update to the MacBook Pro (as well as the Mac Pro) is expected, there’s no rumored release date at the moment. It’s hardly a surprise, as the the last update just dropped in July 2018. We might need to wait a few months or even early next year for a clearer date. However, going by Apple’s previous release dates – MacBook Pro 2017 debuted in June 2017 while the MacBook Pro 2018 model came out under the radar in July 2018 – a summer release for the MacBook Pro 2019 makes sense and is highly plausible. However, after Intel announced the 10nm Ice Lake chips at CES 2019 for a late 2019 release date, we could see Apple delay the MacBook Pro until Fall to take advantage of the new tech. Either way, we’ll continue to keep an eye out for updates.
MacBook Pro 2019 priceJust the fact that Apple hasn’t upgraded its non-Touch Bar MacBook Pros this year says a lot about its direction, which is likely to phase them out and continue asking us pay for tech that, while promising, hasn’t been perfected yet. The worst part of the 2018 models is the fact that you need to shell out thousands to get the highest amount of RAM (the 32GB RAM option is only available to the 15-inch models) and the largest SSD combo. Otherwise, you’re stuck with base amount of RAM and a Touch Bar that isn’t even universally compatible yet. Photographers and filmmakers who need a bigger screen? You can forget about getting a non-Touch Bar model. You can also forget about upgrading your 13-inch. The majority of its parts are soldered, so you’ll have to bring in a professional and break your warranty. Then you may have to invest in a third-party docking station because the only ports available to you are the USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone jack. Of course, it’s hard to predict these things, but you’ll probably see more of the same prices. At the moment, the basic 13-inch with Touch Bar configuration, featuring 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and four Thunderbolt 3 ports, will set you back $1,799 (£1,749, A$2,699). You’re basically paying 300 bucks more for the Touch Bar, Touch ID and two additional Thunderbolt 3 ports.
What we want to see from MacBook Pro 2019Apple hasn’t been getting a lot of love lately, what with the great keyboard debacle of 2016-2017, the troubled Touch Bar and the soldered RAM, to name a few. But, we’re still hoping Apple takes a new lease on life in 2019 and actually gives the users some of the things they need. More port variety, please However, if we’re really being honest, limiting us to Thunderbolt 3 is inconvenient. MacBook Pro is for professionals who want a more seamless workflow. Yes, the Thunderbolt 3 is powerful and versatile, allowing for charging, output and data transfers; but we’re still using other devices and accessories that don’t support it. If we’re expected to connect this cable to that adapter to plug in to that port, we’re not going to be happy. And, while we’re at it, can we just bring back MagSafe charging, please? Some of us tend to trip over those cables, and it was nice to know that we wouldn’t damage those older models in the process. But, seeing how Apple launched the latest MacBook Air with just two Thunderbolt 3 ports and no MagSafe charger, we don’t exactly have our hopes up that Apple is going to diversify the ports on the MacBook Pro 2019. Improved Touch Bar That’s all fine and dandy and, we must admit, the technology has promise. However, if Apple is going to ask for a few hundred bucks for a new feature, can we please get more use out of it? So far, Touch Bar compatibility is only limited to a few programs and apps, and we want to see more added to this list. Plus, it would be nice to get it properly working without the freezes and fat finger issues.
Or offer an alternative We’d like to see an option for such users. Bring back the Touch Bar-free 15-inch model and upgrade the 13-inch model without it, perhaps. Better keyboard, display and sound The MacBook Pro designers should take cues from the iPhone X and get rid of the bezeled display. That’s a lot of precious real estate wasted, and pushing for a bezel-free display will give users a bigger screen without having to compromise the size. Plus, by going bezel-free, it’ll give the update a fresher, more modern look. Also, a laptop designed to edit 4K media should have a 4K screen option. And, while Apple’s at it, we’d like to see it reconsider those speakers. We get that Apple is pushing for a more compact design, but the speakers in the older MacBook Pros are so much better. With all the technology they come up with, it would be welcome to receive a premium set of speakers with better base and more volume. New Intel processor However, at CES 2019, Intel announced Ice Lake, its first round of 10nm Sunny Cove processors for laptops. We’re expecting to see these chips in late 2019, so if Apple wants to include these next-gen CPUs in its next MacBooks – which it definitely should – it would need to delay the next MacBook Pro until late 2019. We’ve also seen rumors that Apple is going to back up whatever processor it includes in the MacBook 2019 with more RAM – particularly in the 13-inch model. Where previous 13-inch MacBook Pros topped out at 16GB, word on the street is you’ll be able to get an extremely portable Mac with a whopping 32GB of memory. This is excellent news, as memory demands keep going up year over year.
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| The best AT&T phones available in February 2019 Posted: 19 Feb 2019 12:54 PM PST
The best AT&T phones you can get right now cover the spectrum from high-end, premium handsets down to some more affordable options. We’ve reviewed all the best phones available right now, and we’ve had opportunities to check out plenty of others as well. With that experience and our close eye on AT&T’s phone offerings, we can help you pick out the best phone for you. With payments plans and other incentives available, you’ll have plenty of options for how you buy your new AT&T smartphone. That might be simply by splitting your payments up, getting two phones for the price of one, or simply going for an extra affordable phone or earlier model that’s had its original price slashed. We’ve picked out a variety of smartphones offered by AT&T that offer a bit of something for just about anyone, so you can be sure to find a solid option to fit your needs. And once you find your phone, we can help you figure out what the best AT&T plan is as well.
AT&T phones: Your options explainedTechRadar's guide to finding the best AT&T phone for you We've reviewed the contenders for best AT&T phone, and compared the value to the price. Ignoring any personal preferences and/or biases towards specific operating systems, be it Android, iOS or Windows, we've picked AT&T's best phones in a number of categories. All of these phones are available through an AT&T installment plan, which spreads the cost of the phone over a set amount of time. For this article, we'll be looking at the AT&T plans that spread the cost of the phone over 30 months, with an option for upgrade after 80-percent of the device's sales price is paid off.
How to choose the best AT&T phones for you:From $6 a month to $30 or more a month, AT&T's best phones come in at all prices. And you always have the option to pay the full price of the device up front. How much you want to pay for a new phone is up to you, but the best phones don't come cheap. Here we've done the tough work of going through what AT&T has to offer and picking out the best AT&T phones. Let's find the perfect phone for you.
The best AT&T phone options for every budget:
Now find the best AT&T planOnce you've picked out the best AT&T phone, you're going to want to pair it with the best AT&T plan. We've looked at all AT&T has to offer and have all the details on AT&T plans here.
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| The best cheap smart home devices and gadget deals in February 2019 Posted: 19 Feb 2019 12:47 PM PST Upgrade your living space into a smart home without breaking the bank with our hand-picked devices that include speakers, security cameras, light bulbs and more. These smart home gadgets can simplify your technology and help make your day-to-day life even easier.
The best-selling Echo Dot is a voice-controlled smart speaker that works with Alexa to make calls, answer questions, set alarms, check the weather and so much more. The compact smart speaker can also control your compatible smart home devices with the command of your voice. Just ask Alexa to find TV shows, turn on lights, adjust the temperature and more. You can use your voice to play a song or artist through Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and others. Alexa has over 50,000 skills so you can discover new skills that will help you with everyday tasks.
The Amazon Echo smart speaker can play music, answer questions, set alarms and more all with the command of your voice. You can also control your other smart home devices with the Alexa-enabled speaker just ask Alexa to turn off the lights, adjust your thermostat, lock your door and more. The Echo can make calls and send and receive messages through the hands-free speaker. The smart speaker features a better audio experience than the Echo Dot offering a powerful audio with Dolby technology built in to the speaker.
Control your lighting from anywhere with the TP-Link Alexa-enabled light bulb. You can turn your lights on and off and adjust brightness with your tablet or smartphone using the Kasa app. You can connect the smart bulb with Alexa or Google Assistant devices and use your voice to control your lights. The easy-to-install light bulb can transform into any color to set the mood and personalize your lighting by adjusting brightness as well as light appearance from soft white to daylight. The TP-Link bulbs will also help you out with your energy costs by reducing energy use up to 80% without brightness or quality loss.
Turn your electronics and appliances into voice and app-controlled devices with the Kasa Smart WiFi plug by TP-Link. The smart plug works with Alexa and the Google Assistant so you can turn your devices into a hands-free experience. You can turn on lamps, appliances and more from anywhere on your smartphone using the Kasa app. You can also schedule the smart plug to automatically turn on and off when you're away and reduce your energy by managing devices that use the most power.
Help secure your home with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro that allows you to answer your door from anywhere. The Ring Pro works with Alexa and will send alerts to Echo devices which allows you to hear and speak to visitors entirely hands-free. The Ring Video Doorbell Pro also sends alerts to your smartphone when motion is detected or when someone presses the doorbell so you can monitor your home from anywhere. The Pro features advanced motion detection with a camera view that generates motion alerts within user-set motion zones. The Ring doorbell connects to your existing doorbell wiring so you don't have to worry about re-charging the battery and features four different faceplate options.
Control your thermostat from anywhere with the 3rd generation Nest Learning Thermostat. The smart thermostat uses technology to learn your habits and adjust automatically to help save you energy. On average the Nest thermostat saves 10-12% on heating bills and 15% on cooling bills so the Nest will pay for itself in no time. You're able to control your thermostat from anywhere with Nest app using your phone, tablet or laptop. The smart thermostat also works with Alexa so you can adjust and control the temperature with the command of your voice. The Nest thermostat features a thinner and sleeker design than previous models and comes in four different colors.
Clean your floors with the command of your voice and completely hands-free with the Wi-Fi connected iRobot Roomba Robot Vacuum. You can use the iRobot home app to clean and schedule your vacuum from anywhere and receive notifications when the job is complete. The Roomba 960 can continuously clean for up to 75 minutes and will automatically recharge. The robot vacuum features a three-stage cleaning system and a high-efficiency filter that captures 99% of allergens, pollen, and dust. The Roomba is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant so you can control the vacuum with your voice.
Keep your home secure with the Arlo Pro two camera security system. The top rated security system includes two cameras, rechargeable batteries, power adapter and cable, wall mount, and a base station. The Arlo Pro cameras are weatherproof so they can be used indoors or outdoors and can operate in up to 122-degree temperature. The 100% wireless Arlo Pro records video in 1080p HD resolution and offers advanced motion detection to catch every angle so no moment goes unnoticed. The security system also has a smart siren that can be controlled remotely, or when motion or sound is detected. The security camera works with Alexa, and has a compatible app which allows you to monitor your home from anywhere.
The top-selling Anova Sous Vide lets you master the hottest cooking trend, sous vide. Just fill a pot with water, set the desired temperature and time, and cook everything (meat, souffle, carrots) to perfection. The Anova Sous Vide allows you to prepare restaurant quality meals by cooking your food at the precise temperature and not ever having to worrying about over-cooking. You can set the time and temperature manually on the device or through the Anova app. The app allows you to cook remotely, so you don't have to wait around in the kitchen waiting for your food to cook. The app also gives you access to over 1,000+ creative recipes and guides you through each recommended meal.
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| Netflix cancels Jessica Jones and The Punisher – its last two Marvel shows Posted: 19 Feb 2019 12:07 PM PST Netflix has announced that it will cancel all future seasons of Jessica Jones and The Punisher. The former is just about to release its third season on Netflix while the latter just had its second season debut in January. The scripts for the shows will join Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Daredevil in the great garbage bin in the sky and signify the end of an era for the streaming service. In a statement sent to Deadline about the cancellations, Netflix thanked the casts and crews of the shows for their hard work and said that it still plans on releasing the last season of Jessica Jones later this year: “We are grateful to showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, star Krysten Ritter and the entire cast and crew, for three incredible seasons of this groundbreaking series, which was recognized by the Peabody Awards among many others”.
In the same statement, Netflix also said that the series will still be available to watch on the streaming service for some time to come and thanked both Marvel and their fans for “five years of our fruitful partnership and ... the passionate fans who have followed these series from the beginning.” Bye Felicia ... er, JessicaThe cancellation isn't too surprising given the recent cancellations of Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Daredevil, but it's still unfortunate nonetheless. While neither Netflix nor Marvel has come out with a clean answer as to why these shows are getting canned despite decent viewership and stalwart fanbases, some suspect that it has to do with a disagreement between the two media powerhouses and the imminent arrival of Disney’s own streaming service Disney+. As of now, Disney hasn't said that it will port the shows over to its streaming service and instead has announced plans on creating new series for its service that star Loki, The Vision and Scarlet Witch. All that said, if you had your heart set on another season of these shows don't give up - Marvel TV studio head Jeph Loeb said in a letter to the fans that "Our Network partner may have decided they no longer want to continue telling the tales of these great characters… but you know Marvel better than that. As Matthew Murdock’s Dad once said, ‘The measure of a man is not how he gets knocked to the mat, it’s how he gets back up.' To be continued…!"
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| Kaspersky launches free CyberTrace threat intelligence tool Posted: 19 Feb 2019 10:42 AM PST As the number of threat intelligence sources continues to grow, a third of CISOs feel they can not consume cybercrime intelligence easily or effectively which is why Kaspersky Lab has launched a new free threat intelligence and fusion analysis tool. Kaspersky CyberTrace aggregates and evaluates disconnected data feeds to help identify what threats pose a danger to an organization so that security teams focus on the right areas. Network security controls often become overloaded with a large number of Indicators of Compromise (IoC) and given that threat data is provided in different formats only makes the situation worse.
To that end, Kaspersky has launched its new tool to make it easier for enterprises to keep up to date with the latest threats. Kaspersky Cybertrace retrieves continuously updated threat data feeds from multiple threat intelligence sources including Kaspersky Lab, other vendors, open source intelligence and even custom sources to help offload the burden from SIEMs. Kaspersky CybertraceIf IoC from threat intelligence feeds are discovered in any log source within an organization's environment, Kaspersky Cybertrace automatically sends alerts to SIEMs for ongoing monitoring and validation to help reveal additional contextual evidence for the security incidents. The new tool also integrates with a variety of SIEMs including IBM Qradar, Splunk, ArcSight ESM, LogRhythm, RSA NetWitness and McAfee ESM as well as with other security controls such as firewalls and gateways. Kaspersky Cybertrace provides analysts with a set of instruments for conducting alert triage and response through categorization and validation of identified matches to help prioritize tasks. The tool also helps accelerate forensic and threat hunting activities by offering on-demand lookup of indicators or scanning of logs and files which enables advanced in-depth threat investigation. Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab, David Emm explained why the company decided to release its new free threat intelligence tool, saying: “Being aware of the most relevant zero-days, emerging threats and advanced attack vectors is key to an effective cybersecurity strategy. However, manually collecting, analysing and sharing threat data doesn’t provide the level of responsiveness required by an enterprise. There’s a need for a centralised point for accessible data sources and task automation. Kaspersky CyberTrace helps organisations better understand their risks, increase the productivityof their security teams and ensure a more robust protection against cyberthreats.”
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| Major security issues found in popular password managers Posted: 19 Feb 2019 10:19 AM PST A new report suggests that password managers aren’t quite as secure as you might first think, and they contain some worrying flaws on the security front, including – in some cases – storing the master password for the app in the PC’s memory in a plaintext form. First off, though, before everybody starts hitting the panic button and considering uninstalling their password manager program, let’s clarify that the security researchers behind this report still advocate the use of these applications. The Independent Security Evaluators (ISE) note that password managers are definitely a good thing, and the ones from the major players (which they looked at in this study) “add value to the security posture of secrets management”, and help avoid many bad password practices (like weak passwords, re-using passwords over and over, and so forth).
Bearing that in mind, ISE evaluated 1Password, Dashlane, KeePass and LastPass on Windows 10, and found that in some cases, the master password for the app was kept in the system memory in a plaintext readable format. As the firm points out, that’s no better than storing it typed out in a document on your computer, at least when it comes to a skilled attacker. In these cases, even if the password manager app is ‘locked’ – i.e. it’s running, but you need to enter the master password to access the many stored passwords inside the application – a hacker can potentially get in by sniffing out the plaintext master password in the PC’s memory. And once they’re in, they can access all the victim’s usernames and passwords for every site and service they have signed up for. The security firm observed: “Using a proprietary, reverse engineering, tool, ISE analysts were able to quickly evaluate the password managers’ handling of secrets in its locked state. ISE found that standard memory forensics can be used to extract the master password and the secrets it’s supposed to guard.” Of course, we have to remember that the hacker still needs access to the computer, either physically, or if remote, via some sort of backdoor installed by malware. Secrets sanitizationThe ISE further notes: “It is evident that attempts are made to scrub and [sanitize] memory in all password managers [which were evaluated]. However, each password manager fails in implementing proper secrets sanitization for various reasons.” The organization believes that an urgent remedy is required to facilitate password managers effectively scrubbing out all data that could lead to a potential compromise when an application is running in the background in a locked state. Hopefully, the makers of these pieces of software are sitting up and taking notice, and will have a plan of action to tackle the aforementioned security flaws. Meantime, until patches are deployed to squash these particular gremlins, the ISE recommends that you don’t leave a password manager app running in the background – even in a locked state – and that users should “terminate the process completely if they are using one of the affected password managers”. However, it’s still worth underlining that any hacker would need access to your PC in some way to sniff out your password secrets, as we already mentioned. So as ever, it’s a sensible move to have a good antivirus installed on your system.
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| Best cloud hosting services in 2019 Posted: 19 Feb 2019 10:00 AM PST Signing up for a simple website hosting package will usually buy you a defined block of resources on a single server: this much web space, that much bandwidth, maybe a set amount of RAM or CPU cores. While this works well for many websites, having fixed resources can be a problem for larger projects. There's generally no way to temporarily allocate extra RAM or bandwidth if you experience an increase in traffic, and even a simple plan upgrade might require your website to go offline for a while. Cloud hosting plans look much like virtual private server (VPS) products, where you'll initially pay for a set amount of web space, RAM, CPU time and bandwidth. But these resources are spread across multiple devices instead of just one, and changing your plan later – adding another gig of RAM, for instance – is generally as easy as dragging a slider, with the extra power coming online within moments. This flexibility is great for delivering extra power when you need it most, and starting prices can be similar to regular VPS hosting (from £10 or $14 a month). Costs will rise as you add resources, but typically you'll only pay for the time in which you use these resources. DigitalOcean's monster 192GB RAM, 32 vCPU and 3,840GB SSD product costs $960 (£685) a month, for instance, but this pay-as-you-go approach allows you to try it out for $1.429 or £1.02 an hour. Cloud hosting still won't be for everyone, and small, simple websites are likely to be better off with regular packages. But the technology has a lot to offer anyone with larger or more ambitious projects, and many hosts run free trials which make it easy to explore their abilities for yourself.
Cloud hosting isn't just for big business. HostGator's cloud platform spreads your website load across multiple virtual server instances for more reliable and scalable hosting, but it's as easy to use as standard shared hosting, and only costs a little more. For example, the baseline Hatchling Cloud plan gets you support for one domain, unmetered bandwidth and storage, a share of up to two cores and 2GB RAM, and distributed Varnish caching to speed up the loading of static content. You can get started for as little as $4.95 (£3.50) a month if you buy three years upfront, although the price leaps to $8.95 (£6.40) on renewal. If you need something more powerful, the top-of-the-range Business Cloud plan supports unlimited domains, gives you up to six cores and 6GB RAM, and includes private SSL and a dedicated IP. Another chunky introductory discount means you can pay as little as $9.95 (£7.10) a month over three years, but after that you'll pay $17.95 (£12.80) per month. Benefits of the cloud plans include (up to) twice as fast load times, along with more site statistics, and because your site is mirrored across multiple devices, the ability to switch your site to another server in the event of a hardware failure. But the key advantage of all cloud hosting schemes is scalability. If your site can't cope with demand, you can scale up to eight cores and 8GB RAM with a click. There's no waiting around for someone to process your order and no downtime while your web space is reallocated – you get the extra resources right away.
1&1 IONOS Cloud Server Hosting is a powerful range of products which combine dedicated server resources with the performance, flexibility and scalability of the best cloud hosting technologies. Seven standard root access (self-managed) configurations aim to cover everyone from the individual user (£9.99 or $12.80 a month for a single CPU core, 1GB RAM and 50GB storage) to big businesses (16 cores, 48GB RAM and 500GB storage for a monster £400 or $510.10 a month). All plans have decent specifications, giving you unlimited traffic and email accounts, a bundled SSL certificate, DDoS protection, $127.5 (£100) starting credit for the first month and a choice of US and European data centers. A wide range of options includes Windows hosting, or managed hosting with your choice of stack: Apache + MySQL + PHP 7.2, Nginx + MariaDB + PHP 7.2, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress and more. The highlight of the range is probably 1&1's Cloud Hosting Flex package. Not only does this allow for adjusting cores, RAM and storage on demand, and adding up to 99 servers to the same contract, but billing is by the minute and you're only charged for what you use. Prices start at £15.84 ($20.70) a month including the management fee. There's no long-term contract and the first 30 days is free, giving you the chance to try before you buy.
At first glance, cloud hosting products seem to be divided into two clear groups: user-friendly but basic products from hosts like 1&1, and enterprise-level technology from Amazon, Microsoft, IBM and more, which is so complex that even experts might struggle to set it up. Cloudways represents an interesting middle path. The company offers managed cloud hosting which is powered by your choice of the top providers – Amazon, Google, DigitalOcean, Kyup, Linode or Vultr are supported – and comes packed with features, yet is configured from a simple web console which is just as easy to use as the more basic competition. It's an impressive platform. Cloudways' ThunderStack covers all your core performance needs: Nginx, Apache, Memcached, MySQL/MariaDB, Varnish Cache, PHP 7, PHP-FM and Redis. There's one-click cloning, backup and restore, integrated Git and team collaboration tools for developers, and no less than 60 data centers strategically placed around the world (over 25 locations). Despite all this high-end functionality, Cloudways products are generally simple to operate, and prices start at a beginner-friendly $10 (£7.15) a month for one core, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage and 1TB of bandwidth. It's all supremely configurable, and a free trial allows you to check out the product, with no credit card details required. Furthermore, a referral system is available, where both you and your friends can receive free hosting credits.
Founded in 2002, Bytemark is a UK-based cloud hosting company which has designed its own public platform using open source software. This in-house experience brings some unusual advantages. Bytemark has developed its own hosting environment to set up a server, email and more. It covers everything from installing and managing PHP, MySQL, Perl and Ruby on Rails to helping you configure your firewall, spam rules and backups. Experienced users can manage their account with a command line client, or even automate common tasks by integrating with Bytemark's API. Pricing seems somewhat fair. The baseline specification costs $28 (£20) for one core, 1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 10TB bandwidth and one IPv4, plus – unusually – one IPv6 address. If you need more, everything is available via a simple flat rate: $14 (£10) per 1GB RAM, $2.80 (£2) per 10GB storage, $28 (£20) per extra 1TB of traffic. Unusually, you can even get a Windows licence for $2.64 (£2) per GB of memory. As ever with cloud hosting, there's plenty of flexibility. You can configure your servers with anything from 1 to 180GB RAM, 1 to 16 CPU cores, and 1 to 8 individual disks with either fast SSD or cheaper archive storage. If you're interested, Bytemark's free trial gives you seven days to find out more.
While cloud hosting schemes always involve pooling resources from multiple devices, most do their best to keep you away from the low-level details. You may be able to scale your plan by adding CPU cores, RAM or storage, for instance, but the console will present this to you as a single system. DigitalOcean's Droplets are based around similar resizable and customizable virtual machines, but that's just the start – the technology has much more to offer. For starters, the system supports Droplets of different types. If the standard plans aren't enough – priced from $5 (£3.55) a month for one core, 1GB RAM and 25GB storage – Optimized Droplets aim to ramp up your performance by using the best Broadwell and Skylake CPUs, and providing more RAM and storage space. Individual Droplets have more features than you might expect, including performance monitoring and alerts, snapshots and automatic system-level backups. There are various interesting ways to work with your Droplets as a group, including setting up a cloud firewall, and using a load balancer to distribute incoming traffic across your infrastructure. DigitalOcean's transparent pricing is a highlight. You're billed hourly, with monthly caps, ensuring you only pay for the resources you use. Many of the features come for free – monitoring, cloud firewall – while others follow very simple pricing rules. Snapshots cost $0.05 per gigabyte per month, for instance, while backups are priced at 20% of the cost of the virtual machine – easy. If all you want to do is host a scalable WordPress site, this will probably be overkill, but developers, sysadmins and other more demanding users will appreciate the power and flexibility DigitalOcean offers. Browse the lengthy list of tutorials (which numbers 2,090 at the time of writing) on the DigitalOcean site to find out more. You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:
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| Best small business routers 2019: top routers for work Posted: 19 Feb 2019 09:49 AM PST If you're looking for the best small business routers of 2019, then you've come to the right place. In this guide we take a look at the very best wireless routers that are geared towards small and medium sized businesses - or home office use if you work from home. While the best small business routers in 2019 don't have the sheer horsepower that routers aimed at huge enterprises do (needed to handle large amounts of network traffic from all its employees), it doesn't mean these are under-powered routers that will fall over as soon as more than five people try to access a server. Modern routers now often come with dual or even triple band connectivity, as well as a slew of other features usually found on far more expensive enterprise-grade models, while costing considerably less. The complexity and requirements of running a wireless network these days mean that the best small business routers now have a much more varied feature set, as well as including hardware that’s often found in computers. Businesses will look for different features than most every day users: security, support, remote access, business grade VPN, WAN redundancy, connectivity options and scalability are more important than things like raw speed, value or QoS features.
Asus has a reputation for manufacturing great consumer products and the Taiwanese firm – known for its laptops and motherboards – has been trying its hand at wireless products. The BRT-AC828 is its only business router and the device ticks a lot of boxes, even for small businesses looking for more than 10 simultaneous connections. Granted, it is excruciatingly expensive but packs the sort of features you’d never expect from a router like an M.2 slot to plug in an SSD to convert it into a mini-NAS. There’s a lot more here including support for RADIUS, the ability to aggregate four 1Gb Ethernet ports into a virtual 4Gb one (it has a mighty eight Gigabit Ethernet ports in all) and even support for LTE as a backup connection to improve resilience – the router already has two 1Gbps WAN ports that can be aggregated or used independently. As you’d expect from a top of the range router, it offers 4x4 MU-MIMO and theoretical speeds of up to 2.6Gbps with open plan coverage up to 100m (albeit on the 2.4GHz band). Asus has also partnered with Trend Micro to offer a built-in security package called AIProtection.
If you want a good performing, no-nonsense router, then the Billion BiPAC 8900AX-2400 is well worth considering. Billion might not be as much of a well-known brand as some of the others on this list, but it has been around for more than a decade. We would especially recommend the BiPAC 8900AX-2400 to people with an ADSL2+ internet connection, as it can replace your existing modem as well. Of course, this involves a bit of tweaking – and it’s here that we offer a note of caution: this is a router suitable for people who are confident in setting up networks. If you want a plug-and-play stylish looking user-friendly router, this will not be for you. Don’t let its ugly looks (and the similarly clunky user interface) put you off, though: this is a great all-round router for your small business. Feature-wise, it can reach 2.4Gbps on both bands with an auto-failover feature should you connect a 3G/4G modem to its USB port. It is a bit lightweight compared to the competition in the connectivity stakes, though, with only four Ethernet ports and one USB 2.0 connector; but that’s reflected in its lower price.
If you work in an office, and you’re ready to bring your networking into the modern age with one of the best routers for businesses, you seriously need to check out the Netgear Orbi Pro. It's a modular Wi-Fi mesh system, but it makes some design and performance changes that specifically cater to the business user. It’s not cheap, but if you run a business where you can’t afford anyone slowing down due to slow Wi-Fi, it’s worth every penny. Read the full review: Netgear Orbi Pro
Linksys is one of the most recognisable names in small business networking. It’s no surprise, therefore, that the company was one of the first to deliver a tri-band router which uses MU-MIMO technology – and a whopping eight antennas – to deliver two 2.17Gbps streams with an additional 1Gbps stream for legacy 2.4GHz devices. Managing three separate bands requires some serious firepower which is why there’s a dual-core 1.4GHz processor at the heart of the EA9500. Linksys recommends pairing the device with its own Max-Stream AC1900+ MU-MIMO Wi-Fi Range Extender to offer seamless roaming and improve coverage. Other than two USB ports, the router comes with a hefty eight LAN ports and a WAN port. There are no specific business features other than WPA2 enterprise wireless encryption – you won’t be able to bond Gigabit ports and there are no redundancy/failover options, or security extras. Nonetheless, the fact that this device can be controlled from an app makes it ideal for busy small businesses.
Technically speaking, the Nighthawk X10 is a consumer router but like the Asus model above, it offers features that you will usually find on business routers. As technically advanced as most routers on this list, it is rated at 2600Mbps using 4x4 MU-MIMO and has plenty of LAN ports – seven Gigabit ones, in fact. You can aggregate a pair of them to reach 2Gbps and there’s even a 10G LAN SPF+ connector for NAS access (assuming you’ve got a device that supports this technology). Add in a pair of USB 3.0 ports and some powerful hardware (quad-core ARM processor clocked at 1.7GHz, 1GB RAM and 512MB storage) and you can see why this Netgear router will appeal to businesses as well as enthusiast-level consumers. Its most intriguing feature, though, has to be support for 802.11ad which is a short range, high-speed connectivity that requires line of sight to work properly. Also known as WiGig, it operates in the 60GHz spectrum and aims to replace wires altogether. One unexpected goodie included with the router is a 6-month subscription to Amazon Cloud Drive (double check which one, though, as Amazon killed the ‘unlimited’ tier mentioned in the marketing literature) and that’s a great bonus for backup purposes.
The Synology RT2600ac is what you get when you fuse a traditional wireless router with a network-attached storage device or NAS (well, it gives you a bit more besides, too). The company is mostly known for its NAS boxes and while the modem doesn’t boast the beefiest specs or even a conventionally attractive shell like most of the competition, the RT2600ac packs a ton of features (like built-in VPN and the ability to aggregate two WAN ports) that make it worth your while. While it only has 4GB of storage built-in, you can connect an external hard drive and configure your own cloud service similar to Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. You can even download a selection of NAS-grade apps like a VPN client and server. Unfortunately, the app selection is sparse at the moment, and the ecosystem needs better community support – which hopefully it’ll get going forward. Though it’s not exactly fool-proof in terms of its setup process and the more complex functions it offers, the Synology RT2600ac is much more accessible than most NAS devices. Bear in mind that this is only Synology’s second attempt at devising a router of its own, so despite some shortcomings here, there’s plenty of room to improve. Read the full review: Synology RT2600ac
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| Best VPN routers 2019: the best routers for Virtual Private Networks Posted: 19 Feb 2019 09:39 AM PST If you're concerned about your online privacy, then our guide to the best VPN routers of 2019 is here to help. The routers in this list will help you get online using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), making it easy to browse the internet securely and anonymously. The best VPN routers that we feature in this guide have been specially chosen because they make setting up and configuring VPNs quick and easy. If you thought that browsing the web via VPN is only for computer pros, then the best VPN routers will change your mind and show you that pretty much anyone can do it. Not only that, but each of the best VPN routers we list on this page are platform agnostic, which means you can use them no matter what VPN service you sign up to. Plus, they will make sure that even with your network traffic going through a VPN, your internet speeds won't be impacted too much. So, read on for our list of the best VPN routers of 2019, and at the end we have some expert advice on how to sign up for the best VPN for your needs. Picking the right VPN for your needsTo compliment your VPN router, here are our guides to picking the VPN for your requirements:
The best VPN routers in 2019
The Linksys WRT 3200 ACM is our choice for the best VPN router of 2019. Its no-nonsense design hides a remarkably versatile and powerful router that is a great choice for VPN use. You can install DD-WRT firmware for VPN compatibility, and it comes with four antenna and three bands for fast and wide-ranging network speeds. It also has four gigabit Ethernet ports and USB 3.0, making it an excellent router in its own right, even without a VPN. Read the full review: Linksys WRT 3200 ACM
Anyone who’s familiar with Asus, and especially its more gamer-centric products knows exactly what they’re getting themselves into here – especially regarding design. However, if you're not a gamer, and just looking for the best VPN router, then don't discount the Asus RT-AC86U. It has some excellent VPN features that makes it a fast performer that won't see your internet speeds dropping too much when using a VPN. You can also install third party firmware if you want greater choice. Read the full review: Asus RT-AC86U
The Asus RT-AC5300 is an excellent high-end gaming router that comes with a number of advanced features for making online and network gaming as lag and frustration free as possible. It also means it's a brilliant VPN router, and if you don't mind the expense, this is a great choice. The spider-like design won't be to everyone's tastes, but the eight antennae serve a purpose, as they can be used to direct your Wi-Fi signal throughout your home, giving this router an excellent range. Read the full review: Asus RT-AC5300 Tri-band Gigabit Router
On the surface, the Linksys WRT32X might not look that different than Linksys’ heavy-hitter, the WRT3200. And, well, that’s not actually that far off. The WRT32X takes all of the successful components of that highly rated router, and puts them in a router with a custom firmware that’s extremely easy to navigate and a very subdued and attractive visual design, making it one of the best routers with VPN you can buy in 2019. You will be paying a premium for this repackaging, but if you’re looking for reliable ping performance that online gaming requires, the Linksys WRT32X takes one of the best VPN routers and tailors it to your needs. Read the full review: Linksys WRT32X Gaming Router
If you're looking for a dependable mid-range VPN router that combines speed with a great Wi-Fi range and features aimed at games, then you'll definitely want to consider the D-link DIR-885L/R. It has a good selection of ports, and the user interface for setting up and configuring the router is nicely designed and easy to use. It also supports DD-WRT open-source firmware, which makes this a flexible and powerful VPN router that you can customise for your needs.
If routers had a fashion contest, Netgear’s D7800 would be among the top contenders. Its solid black finish is complemented by a quartet of antennas. Plus it’s damn fast and bettered by its inclusion of a duo of USB ports paired with an eSATA connector. The real centerpiece, though, is the VDSL 2 modem built into the Nighthawk X4S D7800, negating the need to buy or lease one separately. The outfitted software isn’t too shoddy either; a simple Dynamic QOS system makes it a breeze to govern a multitude of devices on a single home network. Best of all, it's a great router to use with a VPN.
Performance-wise, this British Virgin Islands-based provider delivered solid results in our performance tests. ExpressVPN also offers a native iPad app, and it supports iOS 8 (or better). It’s neatly organised so that you can connect with one click and immediately hook up with the fastest server available. For older iOS versions, there is a detailed setup instruction for configuring the VPN manually, thus making it a great fit for older-generation iPads. On the security front, ‘best in class’ 256-bit encryption is in place, along with support for OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and PPTP protocols, and a private, encrypted DNS. ExpressVPN doesn’t log any traffic data, DNS queries, or anything that could be used to identify the user. A quick glance at the pricing scheme shows that the service costs more than most VPNs. You don’t get to try it out through a free trial, but there is a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee available. Going the yearly route is the most affordable option of the three price plans on offer. The packages available are:
Performance-wise, this British Virgin Islands-based provider delivered solid results in our performance tests. ExpressVPN also offers a native iPad app, and it supports iOS 8 (or better). It’s neatly organised so that you can connect with one click and immediately hook up with the fastest server available. For older iOS versions, there is a detailed setup instruction for configuring the VPN manually, thus making it a great fit for older-generation iPads. On the security front, ‘best in class’ 256-bit encryption is in place, along with support for OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and PPTP protocols, and a private, encrypted DNS. ExpressVPN doesn’t log any traffic data, DNS queries, or anything that could be used to identify the user. A quick glance at the pricing scheme shows that the service costs more than most VPNs. You don’t get to try it out through a free trial, but there is a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee available. Going the yearly route is the most affordable option of the three price plans on offer. The packages available are:
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| The best printer for Mac 2019: top printers for your Apple device Posted: 19 Feb 2019 09:30 AM PST If you have a Mac, be it a traditional PC, an iMac all-in-one, or a MacBook, and you do a lot of printing, then you'll want the best printer for your Mac device. It also means you've come to the right place, as we've listed the very best printers for Mac, and with our own price comparison tool, you'll also get recommendations for the best prices as well, ensuring you get a brilliant deal. Getting the best printer for your Mac means ensuring that it can easily connect to your Apple product either via wires or wirelessly. The best printers for Macs will also be capable of high print quality. Many of us use Macs for creative work, so we need Mac printers that will do our work justice.
The Canon Pixma Pro-100S is, in our view, the best photo printer you can buy today for Mac computers, thanks to its excellent print quality, and the fact that it can also handle large paper sizes, such as A3. We also love the fact that this printer is fast, and can dash off a 4 x 6-inch photo in just 34 seconds. As with the Canon Pixma TS8050 it is also wireless, again making it ideal for printing from MacBooks, iPhones and iPads. Canon's impressive build quality is also evident in this great printer.
Apple has recently been touting its green credentials, especially the fact that the new MacBook Air and Mac mini are made out of recycled aluminum, and if you're as ecologically-conscious as Apple is, then you'll want an eco printer to connect up to your Mac. The Epson EcoTank ET-4550 helps save the environments – and your money – by allowing you to refill the printer using ink bottles, rather than wasteful cartridges. Epson also includes two years of ink with the package, which means no more expensive cartridges and instead, you have enough material to deliver 11,000 pages worth of black and colour inks (that's 700ml worth of liquid).
The HP Envy 5540 All-in-One printer is one of the best value printers for Macs on the market right now. For a very affordable price, it offers printing, scanning and photo printing, supports not just USB but Wi-Fi, Wireless Direct and AirPrint wireless printing, and it even offers automatic double-sided printing. This makes it an excellent printer for Mac owners that need to scan and make photo copies as well as print.
If you're a professional photographer, it's very likely that you use a Mac to edit your photos on. It's also very likely that you'll need a professional photo printer that does your photos justice, as well as being able to handle large print sizes for displays and galleries. This is why the Epson SureColor SC-P800 is on this list of the best Mac printers. It's expensive, but it offers a wide range of features, professional color calibration and even tools for fine artists. This is not a photo printer for beginners wanting to print out a few holiday snaps, but if you work with photos for your profession, this is the best printer for you.
If you're serious about printing from your Mac, and you need to make a lot of copies, then the M2070W is one of the best laser printers money can buy. It features NFC printing from compatible smartphones, online document sharing, and a clever Eco system that supplements the usual toner saving mode with a feature to remove images from documents by replacing bitmaps with sketches. Factor in claimed speeds of 20ppm, a clever scan to mobile feature and an effective print resolution of up to 1200dpi and you've got a multifunction printer that's well worth considering. Best of all, it's pretty affordable compared to other laser printers of its ilk.
If you're looking for a great all-round printer which doesn't skimp on print quality then the PIXMA TS9150, Canon's flagship printer, is the printer for you. It's an expensive product, but considering the sheer quality of its printouts, it's well worth the cash if you use your Mac for photo editing and digital art. It also has an attractive design that will appeal to many people who admire Apple's aesthetics. While the looks of your printer may not seem that important, it does mean you don't feel the need to try and hide it away out of sight if you're using it at home alongside your iMac or HomePod.
The HP T6B82A Color LaserJet Pro is a good entry-level laser printer that is great for small office and home use, and it works brilliantly with Macs. It strikes a very good balance between print quality and price, as it's cheaper than many other laser printers. It can also scan and photo copy, and it's pretty fast as well when it comes to printouts. If you're looking for an affordable laser printer and all-in-one, then this is a great choice for your Mac.
The Deskjet 3630 is a fantastic – and cheap – printer that's ideal for Mac owners who want a compact and stylish printer to match their MacBook or iMac, but who don't want to pay a huge amount for the privilege. It's wireless, so it can be easily placed in your home or office, and it supports AirPrint. Just be wary as its ink cartridges can be pricey when picked up from shops. It doesn't quite have the build quality of HP's more expensive Envy models, but if you're looking for an initially cheap model that catches the eye when sat on a shelf, the Deskjet 3630 is a great printer for your Mac.
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| Best domain name registrars of 2019 Posted: 19 Feb 2019 09:15 AM PST Every great website needs a snappy, memorable domain name. Coming up with something new is a serious challenge, but once inspiration strikes, you'll need to register that name with a domain name registrar before you can use it online. Registration isn't difficult, but first you must choose from the hundreds of companies competing for your business, and there are several issues to consider. Pricing structures can be complicated. A low headline figure could become expensive on renewal, for instance. Prices vary between domain extensions, too, so a registrar that offers great value for a .com domain might give you a poor deal on when it comes to .org. There may be extra costs for tasks like transferring your domain to another registrar, too. Read the small print before you sign up. Look for any bundled or optional extras. A Whois privacy service prevents your address, phone number and email address appearing as public contact details for the domain, something which could otherwise get you a significant amount of spam email and phone calls. We've seen this cost as much as £7.99 ($11.20) a year, but several registrars provide it for free. Many domain registrars offer hosting as an extra, but keep in mind that web hosting companies can also register domains. If you have an idea of which web host you'd like to use, check the details of its plans: you may be able to register a domain for free when you buy hosting, and that's often the cheapest option. Finally, take a look at the support a registrar offers. You may never need any help at all, but if anything critical crops up – maybe an issue which might cause a problem with renewal – it's important that your provider is on hand to ably assist. Balancing all these priorities can be tricky, so that's why we've created this list of top domain registrars to help point you in the right direction.
Web giant GoDaddy is the world's biggest domain registrar, currently managing more than 75 million domains for 17 million customers around the globe. The company is well-known for its low headline prices, and it's the same story here, with .uk and .co.uk domains available for $0.99 in year one, and .com starts at $3.17 (£2.5). On the other hand .org is less impressive (though still apparently cheap) starting at $12.17 (£9.60). Beware, though: these aren't the bargains they initially seem. The first catch is that GoDaddy's starting prices only apply if you pay for two years upfront, and the second year is significantly more expensive (.com rises to $18.17 and .co.uk domain rises to $12, .org and .mobi are ridiculously high, $21.17 for .org and $26.17 for .mobi). The second problem is that there are no bundled extras, so adding something like Whois privacy – a valuable service often included for free with other providers – costs $8 (£6) a month for year one, and $10 (£7.6) on renewal. There's clearly much better value to be had elsewhere, but GoDaddy may still appeal to web beginners looking for a bundled hosting and domain registration deal. The company has an array of products covering every possible requirement, with telephone support if you need it, and buying your domain and hosting from the same provider will make life a little easier. Just keep in mind that other providers can also combine hosting and domain registration, and GoDaddy may not provide the best package for you. Check out our various hosting guides for possible alternatives.
Hover is a popular domain name registrar owned by Tucows, which also operates eNom and the domain reselling platform OpenSRS. Hover's website is clear and straightforward. A domain pricing page allows for checking registration costs before you start, or you can use the search box to immediately locate your preferred TLD (top-level domain). By default the results page displays every domain you can register and their prices, giving you a lot to scroll through and read. But a handy sidebar allows filtering domains by categories including Personal, Businesses, Audio and Video, Food and Drink, and more. It's a neat touch which could help you spot an appealing domain that you otherwise might have missed. Prices are very reasonable, with .com domains costing $12.99 (£9.30) for year one, .co.uk priced at $9.99 (£7.15), .org costing $13.99 (£9.99) and .mobi reaching $15.99 (£11.40). Shop around and you'll find slightly lower prices elsewhere, but Hover generally provides good value. There's a welcome bonus in Whois Privacy, which comes free for as long as the domain is managed by Hover. The company keeps upselling to a minimum, even in the final shopping cart stage. You're simply offered three email-related extras: email forwarding at $5 (£3.60) a year, a 10GB email account for $20 (£14.30), or you can opt for a 1TB inbox, file sharing, a calendar and more, for an annual $29 (£21). If you have any questions, support is available via email and chat, although it's not 24/7. Working hours are 8am to 11pm (Eastern Time) Monday to Friday, and 8am to 8pm at the weekend.
Most domain name registrars offer a simple identikit service with little to separate them from the competition, but Dynadot is an interesting exception which has some unusual advantages. This starts right at the beginning, with your initial search. You can use the website much like any other – type your preferred domain, press Enter, read the results – but you also get Bulk and IDN (Internationalized Domain Name) search tools, and advanced options allow defining which domain extensions to include in your searches, as well as setting those as defaults for all future searches. These searches can optionally return results from domain auctions, Dynadot's Marketplace (where other customers sell domains they no longer need) and other sources. There's also a Backorder option to try and grab a domain that isn't currently available, if it's not renewed. Prices are on the low side, with Dynadot offering both special deals on some extensions and good value at renewal. .com sites are $6.99 (£5.4) initially, $8.99 (£7) on renewal. If you’re after a .co.uk domain, that’ll set you back $6.95 (£5.2), with .org costing $10.99 (£8.35), and .mobi domains are $4.25 (£3.2) initially, $13.99 (£10.6) on renewal. That's just the start: Dynadot also piles on the free extras. A Website Builder allows you to build and host a simple one-page responsive website. There's free domain forwarding if you'd like to redirect visitors somewhere else. DNS support allows creating 50 subdomain records, 10 email addresses, and 5 each of MX and TXT records. There's even a Grace Deletion list which allows returning a domain if you change your mind. This requires a small fee and won't always be allowed (the details on how it works are here), but it's still a welcome extra you'll rarely find with other registrars. Dynadot's support wasn't always as impressive, with live chat being offline when we checked. But the website does have a publicly available forum, allowing anyone to browse common questions and see how happy (or otherwise) Dynadot's customers might be.
Shopping around for a domain registrar can involve a lot of hassle as you research companies you've never heard of, try to separate genuine bargains from marketing tricks, and browse the small print looking for hidden catches. With potential savings only amounting to a few pounds or dollars a year, at best, you might prefer to simply sign up with a big-name provider that you know will give you a reasonable service, even if it does cost a fraction more. Enter Google Domains, Google's lightweight domain registration arm, a straightforward provider that puts speed and simplicity at the top of its priority list. Google Domains doesn't confuse you with endless sales, or 'special' deals that turn out to be not so special after all. Upselling is kept to a minimum. Instead, it's all about making the purchase process as easy as any other online shopping site: search, click, and check out. The difference is obvious from the moment you reach the site. There are no animated ads at the top of the page, no 'Sale!' banners, no low headline prices: just a search box where you enter a single domain. The results page is equally straightforward, with prices listed for nine common top-level domains, and an All Endings tab listing every option in alphabetical order (domain.academy, domain.bargains, domain.camera). One potential problem is that Google Domains doesn't support all the domain extensions you'll get elsewhere, and this includes some quite common examples (.mobi, .tv). If you think you might ever want to buy something beyond the most popular extensions, it’s a good idea to check that your likely choices are available before you buy. Prices are standardized to whole numbers, so for example .com, .co.uk and .org domains are all priced at $12 (£9). That's a little above average overall, but better than some, especially as Google Domains throws in free Whois privacy for as long as you're registered. That's a valuable extra which could cost $2.80 (£2) to $11.20 (£8) a year elsewhere. If you do have any questions, a Help link displays articles on common problems. If that's not enough, the Contact Us page enables talking to a support agent by email, live chat or telephone (Google calls you), the highest level of domain registrar support we've seen anywhere.
Founded in 2000, Namecheap is a popular domain name registrar and web host which now manages more than five million domains. Namecheap's excellent website allows searching for individual domains, or in batches of up to 50. If the domain is taken, you can view the Whois record or offer to buy the domain (via DomainAgents) from the current user. If the domain is available, results are displayed across four tabs: Popular, New, Discounted and International. This is a neat approach which makes it easier to browse the list and find what you need. Prices are generally very good at $8.88 (£6.8) for .com domains - $12.98 on renewal, $7.58(£5.8) for .co.uk - $9.58 on renewal, $12.98 (£10) for .org - $14.98 on renewal, and $16.88 (£13) for .mobi (at the moment, you can get .mobi for $2.88 for the first year). There are some special deals available, and Namecheap has an Agent 88 set of domains which are almost always available at $0.48 (£0.35) for the first year (these usually include the following: .site .website .space .pw .press .host .tech .online and .fun – but there may be others as well). That would be good value all on its own, but Namecheap doesn’t stop there: you get WhoisGuard domain privacy thrown in for free. Namecheap's billing is straightforward and honest, with current and renewal prices clearly described in your Namecheap shopping cart, and Auto-Renew turned off. But if there's something you don't understand, helpful FAQ pages and live chat are just a click or two away.
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| GandCrab decryption tool released Posted: 19 Feb 2019 09:01 AM PST When the GandCrab ransomware grew in popularity among cybercriminals back in January 2018, cybersecurity firm Bitdefender released the first decryption tool to help victims take back their digital lives and now the firm has released an updated version of its tool. The company's collaboration with the Romanian Police, Europol and other law enforcement agencies has produced a new decryptor for all GandCrab ransomware versions released since October 2018. Users that have been affected by versions 1,4 and up through 5.1 of GandCrab can download and use Bitdefender's new tool to regain access to their sensitive data and other files.
So far, more than 2,000 home users, companies and non-profits have utilized the company's tool to retrieve their lost data and avoid paying millions in ransom. Growth of GandCrabSince it first emerged, the GandCrab ransomware has inflicted hundreds of millions of dollars in losses globally and it is now one of the most prevalent families of ransomware on the market. Last year for instance, GandCrab affiliates began using Remote Desktop Protocol instances to attack organizations by directly logging in with stolen domain credentials. After authenticating on a compromised PC, attackers then manually run the ransomware and instruct it to spread across the entire network. Once the network has been infected, attackers wipe their traces clean and contact the victim with a decryption offer. GandCrab operators have also recently begun to deliver ransomware to organizations via vulnerabilities in remote IT support software used by MSPs to manage custom workstations. To prevent falling victim to GandCrab and other forms of ransomware, Bitdefender recommends making sure that you are running the latest version of your OS as well as third-party software. The firm also suggests installing a security solution as any software purchase will be cheaper than making a ransom payment.
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| Google GDC invite suggests a major play into gaming Posted: 19 Feb 2019 08:55 AM PST Google has held plenty of Game Developers Conference events in the past, but this year it seems the search giant has something special planned. Google has started sending around keynote invites to members of the gaming press with the promise that “all will be revealed.” The invite also includes an animated GIF of a hallway that leads to a light and some J.J. Abrams-esque lens flare, which then fades to white with a message telling us to “gather around” on March 19th.
Image Credit: Google
Unfortunately, there’s not much else we can read into to give us a hint as to what Google will announce. In years past, Google has held smaller developer-focused events for those creating games on Android, but this year it seems Google has something bigger in store. One new area Google has gotten into recently is game streaming, with its aptly named Project Stream. The service launched in a limited beta test at the beginning of October, allowing users to play games (specifically Assassin’s Creed Odyssey) directly through their browser. We’re hoping Google plans to announce a larger Project Stream rollout at GDC 2019, and it would seem like the perfect way to head off Apple’s own gaming ambitions.
Via The Verge This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best Xbox One X prices, bundles and deals in February 2019: where to buy the 4K Xbox Posted: 19 Feb 2019 08:45 AM PST After a quiet start to the year we've found some excellent Xbox One X prices. We're talking brand new bundles with the hottest games like Metro: Exodus, Red Dead Redemption 2, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V and more. Gamers looking for the most powerful console ever made have have been keen to pick up Xbox One X deals since release but there was a high cost to pay in the early days. Until recently, prices have been high at most stores if you weren't sure where to look. That's where we come in as our dedicated team of Deal Hunters cut through the chaff to bring you only the very best Xbox One X deals every day, and we've got some excellent ones for you today. In this article you'll find a comparison chart with the lowest prices on where to buy the 4K HDR Xbox One X console from a wide range of the best retailers. After the comparison chart we've put together a collection of the latest bundles in the States and UK. These Xbox One X bundles will save you money over buying the items separately. If you're after information on the latest Australian deals, head over to our Australian page. The best Xbox One X pricesUS Xbox One X bundles are really stepping things up now after a quiet few months. there's never been a better time to buy actually as you're getting genuine discounts and free content for the first time in ages. What is the Xbox One X price?You might want to sit down for this one. The Xbox One X costs $499 in the US. UK gamers can expect to get their currency converters in a twist again, as you're paying £449 instead of the direct conversion of around £390. Naturally, these prices don't include any games, unless a retailer is feeling generous. Why should I buy an Xbox One X?Just to be clear, this is not what you'd call a 'next-gen' console. Instead it's a powerful upgrade over the current Xbox One lineup. To simplify things, it's akin to Sony's PS4 Pro. Both consoles are aimed at gamers with a 4K HDR TV who want the best graphical performance possible on their favored console. There will be modest performance boosts on non-4K TVs too, but you're kind of missing the point without a 4K HDR TV. As things stand the Xbox One X will play all Xbox One games and we're not expecting to see any games released exclusively for the Xbox One X (or so we've been told), so there's certainly no reason to throw away your Xbox One S yet. The Xbox One X is the most powerful console ever made though, even outshining some of the specs of the PS4 Pro. But given the huge asking price, you'd hope as much. The Xbox One X is making bold claims about true native 4K gaming though with its upcoming titles and if you have a 4K TV with High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology, the Xbox One X is ready to seriously impress with the likes of Forza Motorsport 7, Metro: Exodus and Anthem set to be true jaw-droppers in the graphics department. Where can I buy an Xbox One X?Most of the usual big name retailers are stocking the Xbox One X. Prices this close to launch are all very similar for now, but as we move forwards, we'll start to see stores chipping away at the price to try to get an edge over the competition. Keep an eye on the highlighted Xbox One X bundles above and our comparison chart, which we'll keep up to date on the latest prices for the Xbox One X on its own. So feel free to bookmark us and check in again soon to see if we've found the deal that's right for you. Fingers crossed the bundles get better soon, especially in the US where we're not seeing massive software discounts so far. What is the Xbox One X release date?It's here now! The Xbox One X came out on November 7 2017. That was a worldwide release date too. Will there be Xbox One X deals are Christmas?Unlike the first Xbox One X's first Christmas, we do expect there to be some deals this year. The 4K console was seemingly too new to discount last year, but Microsoft will be keen to catch up the the PS4 Pro this year and we're hoping for some decent discounts in what has been a slow year for deals in all honesty. In all likelihood, the PS4 Pro prices and bundles are still going to be much cheaper. What if I don't care about 4K or want to save money?The standard Xbox One S is a fantastic games console and you'll easily be able to get one with a few games for around $250/£250 or less. There are cheap deals all year round on our Xbox One deals and PS4 prices, deals and bundles pages. Only kidding. I want 4K HDR in my face right now.4K TVs with HDR are nowhere near as expensive as you'd think. The prices have come down much faster than the original HD TVs, so you can get a decent model for a low price. Hell we've seen some nice ones for less than the price of the Xbox One X itself (what a ridiculous world we live in). For the best of the best, take a look at our best TV article. We've also rounded up the best cheap 4K TV deals too in the UK, and also a collection of US TV deals. How big is the hard drive in the Xbox One X?For now, the only option available is the 1TB option, that's 1000GB of storage. There are no official plans for larger versions, but we wouldn't be surprised to see these come along in 2018. With some 4K-friendly update patches to games coming in at over 100GB, we certainly wouldn't hold out for a cheaper 500GB Xbox One X, as it'd be a bit pointless to be honest. We think gamers are going to fill up the 1TB Xbox One pretty soon. Thankfully the Xbox One X is compatible with external hard drives using USB 3.0. So if you need some extra storage, check out our list of the best external hard drives. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Pokemon Go update: all the news and rumors for what's coming next Posted: 19 Feb 2019 08:16 AM PST Pokemon Go: the world's first augmented reality app to become a household name. Niantic's mobile AR game is still going strong two years after it first released, with a constant drip of events and updates keeping budding trainers glued to their phones and pounding the streets. And while it hasn't managed to top the peak of its popularity in 2016, it's still going strong and finding plenty of new ways to improve its player experience. So what's the latest news for Pokemon Go? As you'd expect, brand new features are being added all the time – with Team Battles recently released and Let's Go: Pikachu and Eevee for Nintendo Switch likely to tie in to the mobile AR game in numerous ways. So without further ado, here's our guide to all the new updates, rumors and tweaks promised by Niantic so far. [Update: Pokemon Go is getting an AR photo mode.]
Latest Pokemon Go updatePokemon Go is getting a new enhanced AR photography feature, which will allow players to take photos of Pokemon in the real world. Go Snapshot will allow players to pose and take pictures of Pokemon in any real world location they choose. You simply choose a Pokemon from your collection, scan your real-world surroundings, pose the chosen Pokemon, take your photograph and share it with your friends. There's no word on when the feature will be added to Pokemon Go.
When's the next Pokemon Go event?The last Pokémon community day was on February 16, and let players learn a new event-exclusive move for Mamoswine. Pokémon Go update: what's next?The Pokemon Go Snapshot feature is coming, but we don't know when.
Want to buy yourself a Pokémon Go Plus wearable? Check some of today's best deals down below. (Image credits: Niantic/Pokemon Company) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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