Sunday, March 10, 2019

Apple : 2019 F1 live stream: how to watch every Grand Prix online from anywhere

Apple : 2019 F1 live stream: how to watch every Grand Prix online from anywhere


2019 F1 live stream: how to watch every Grand Prix online from anywhere

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 10:56 AM PDT

The 2019 Formula One season is set to see the 1000th World Championship race, which will take place in China. But the excitement goes far beyond mere marks of measure, with another m-word set to tear up the tarmac – Mercedes.

After an exciting F1 season in 2018 where Lewis Hamilton came out on top with the World Drivers' Championship title and his team Mercedes nabbed the World Constructors' Champion title, it's going to be tough to top. Yet Hamilton has already said that's exactly what he plans to do for 2019 – and you can get an F1 live stream of every race.

So what will be standing in the way of Hamilton romping home with the 2019 F1 title? He's got plenty to go up against. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel finished 2018 as runner-up at 88 points behind Hamilton. This season you can expect the four-time world champion to come out fighting as he is defending his reputation after Hamilton convincingly defeated him.

Vettel is also under pressure as his new teammate and rising star Charles Leclerc replaces Kimi Raikkonen (who finished third overall in 2018) at Ferrari. Raikkonen joins Alfa Romeo Racing–Ferrari for this year. And this season sees McLaren changing from Honda to Renault as engine supplier after too many reliability issues.

You can stream F1 live from anywhere in the world using this guide – read on to find out how.

How to live stream F1 races from outside your country

If you're resident in the UK, US, Canada Australia or New Zealand, you can scroll a bit further down this guide to see who's showing the Formula 1 in your country.

But if you're on holiday or away with work this year you can still catch the races – a good option to help you keep up with all the action live is to use a VPN service. By using this, your device appears to be connected from another country, allowing you to access that service for a live stream of all the races as if you were sat back at home.

How to stream F1 live in the UK (for FREE!):

How to get an F1 live stream in the US:

How to watch an F1 live stream in the Canada:

How to get an F1 live stream in Australia

How to get an F1 live stream in New Zealand

Formula 1 calendar: Grand Prix dates for the 2019 season

Australia Grand Prix - Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on March 17

Bahrain Grand Prix - Bahrain International Circuit on March 31

China Grand Prix – Shanghai on April 14

Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Baku on April 28

Spain Grand Prix – Barcelona on May 12

Monaco Grand Prix – Monaco on May 26

Canada Grand Prix – Montreal on June 9

France Grand Prix – Le Castellet on June 23

Austria Grand Prix – Spielberg on June 30

Great Britain Grand Prix – Silverstone on July 14

Germany Grand Prix – Hockenheim on July 28

Hungary Grand Prix – Budapest on August 4

Belgium Grand Prix – Spa on September 1

Italy Grand Prix – Monza on September 8

Singapore Grand Prix – Singapore on September 22

Russia Grand Prix – Sochi on September 29

Japan Grand Prix – Suzuka on October 13

Mexico Grand Prix – Mexico City on October 27

USA Grand Prix – Austin on November 3

Brazil Grand Prix – Sao Paulo on November 17

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Yas Marina on December 1


This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Ireland vs France live stream: how to watch Six Nations 2019 rugby online from anywhere

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 07:40 AM PDT

Ireland vs France is ON! The 2019 Six Nations has had a lot of highs with quite a few lows – two sides that have seen both of those extremes now go head-to-head in round 4. It's Ireland vs France and you can live stream the game from absolutely anywhere with our help.

France has had a tough run so far losing to Wales (19–24) and England (44–8) but did beat Scotland (27–10) in Paris a fortnight ago. While Ireland haven't quite had the tournament they were hoping for following the opening loss to England (32–20). They've since bounced back by beating Scotland (22–13) and Italy (26–16), but neither very convincingly.

Ireland coach Joe Schmidt has rung the changes with seven fresh faces from that victory in Rome. The French side will remain the same as the victory over Scotland in Paris.

Last year's Six Nations game between the two sides went down to the final whistle in a brilliant game that saw Ireland nab the win in Paris. Expect this year to be just as exciting and you can watch an entire Ireland vs France live stream wherever you are using this guide and, if you're travelling, a handy VPN.

How to live stream Ireland vs France in the UK for free

How to live stream the Six Nations when you're not in your country

If you're outside your country of residence - whether that be the UK or anywhere else - and try to start streaming the rugby via your native broadcaster, you'll soon discover that you can't as it is location restricted. Fear not, the action is still within your reach. All you need to do is download and install a VPN to effectively trick your computer into thinking that it's back home. That way you can enjoy your home coverage (as long as you do so in compliance with the broadcaster's Ts&Cs) without delving into the dangers of an illegal stream.

Live stream Ireland vs France in Australia

Live stream Ireland vs France in New Zealand

Live stream France vs Ireland in Canada - for FREE

usa

How to watch a Ireland vs France live stream in the US

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

More phones than ever will be getting the Android Q beta later this year

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 07:30 AM PDT

Last year Android 9 Pie was rolled out in beta form on handsets from Essential, Nokia, OnePlus, Oppo, Sony, Vivo and Xiaomi as well as the Google Pixels, and this year it looks like even more manufacturers will join the Android beta party.

As Android Police reports, Iliyan Malchev from Google's Project Treble team revealed the move in a discussion on the Android Developers Backstage podcast.

Project Treble is Google's move to make it easier for phone makers to update Android on their devices, separating the actual Android code from the layers that these other companies add on top – which should mean updates get pushed out faster.

Malchev doesn't say exactly who else is going to be included in the beta program for Android Q, but as well as the companies we've already listed, it would seem Samsung, HTC, LG and Huawei could be among those included this time around.

Dealing with fragmentation

The most common Android version is still Android 6.x Marshmallow, which launched in 2015, and is still running on more than 1 in 5 devices worldwide. That shows you the problems with fragmentation that Android still has.

Adding more phones to the Android Q beta, as well as the ongoing efforts with Project Treble, should help to turn those figures around.

As yet we don't know too much about what Android Q is going to bring with it – Face ID-style logins have been mooted, letting you log into your phone and make purchases using your face, and there's also been talk of a system-wide dark mode.

We should hear much more at the Google IO developers conference 2019, which gets underway on May 7. It's the event where Google usually teases new features for the next version of Android, and provides details of what the beta will involve.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

You can own your new Samsung Galaxy S10 today with Argos Click & Collect

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 07:25 AM PDT

The thing that really makes the TechRadar Deals team tick is digging out the best prices and offers on the newest smartphones. A £50 saving here, a free pair of headphones there. Saving you cash on mobiles like the Samsung Galaxy S10 is what we live for (professionally speaking, of course).

But for the first few weeks at least after a major new phone is released, manufacturers get quite protective about the price points of their precious new creations and the RRP holds firm. So we have to look for extra little loopholes that make one online retailer worth recommending over another.

In Argos's case, it's quite an easy sell. The fact that you can use its Click & Collect service to order your new SIM-free Samsung Galaxy S10 and then mosey on down to your local store and pick it up within a few minutes, makes Argos stand out from the crowd. Rather not leave the comfort of your own seat? Then its Fast Track Delivery service offers same day delivery on orders before 6pm, too.

Click the links to order your chosen new Samsung smartphone today:

- Samsung Galaxy S10 from Argos

- Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus from Argos

- Samsung Galaxy S10e from Argos

Save £230 on your S10 with Argos trade-in

If you've already been hunting for a new Samsung phone deal then you'll already know that the the Galaxy S10 doesn't come cheap - the RRP is an eye-watering £799.

But if you consider that you can get up to £230 back from Samsung if you order by the end of March by trading in your old handset, then it begins to look a bit more reasonable - especially if you then combine it with one of our best SIM only deal picks. Check out the full Ts&Cs to see what handsets are eligible to trade in and how much you stand to potentially save.

And it's also worth noting that Argos can help if you'd sooner not pay the whole £800 upfront, too. The Argos Card allows you to buy now and gives you up to 12 months to pay it off. Although this is of course subject to status, with a representative 29.9% APR Variable and with Ts&Cs applying.

Rather buy on contract? Then check out our dedicated pages for:

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best secure drives 2019: top USB drives to protect your data

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 04:01 AM PDT

In this guide to the best secure drives of 2019, we look at the top data storage devices that will allow you carry private data around with you, safe in the knowledge that if the device itself becomes compromised, your data will remain safe.

Whenever you carry important data around with you on a USB stick or external hard drive, you're running the risk of other people getting hold of it, either through physically stealing the drives, or leaving it somewhere public.

The best secure drives will use either software or hardware encryption (or best of all, a combination of both), to stop other people accessing and viewing your data. Many of the best secure drives on this list will have ways to prevent access, such as a physical keypad, and will also come with rugged, tamper-proof, cases that can further protect your files.

We don't often get Indiegogo projects on our list but we're making an exception for the EyeDisk, which hails itself as the first unhackable USB flash drive. The concept is pretty simple; use your iris as your password rather than cumbersome passwords, making it much more secure. It is compatible with Windows and Mac but not Linux and you will have to run an app every time you plug it in a client. There's no password to log though, just your iris to be scanned and this takes a few seconds to be registered. It's not as rugged as other secure drives on this list, but it managed some very decent numbers on CrystalDiskMark (130MBps transfer rate on read and 84MBps on write) which means that it won't keep you long. At the time of writing, you can only pre-order it via Indiegogo, the crowdfunding platform, and it is scheduled for delivery from March 2019. With a starting price of $59 plus shipping for the 32GB version and $99 for the 128GB, it is reasonably priced.

The D300S was announced by Kingston and is an updated version of the D300, launched in 2016, with the suffix S standing for Serialised. It appears to be a standard USB drive, but with a more robust design. However, it's the price that really stands out. There is a reason why the D300S carries such a premium according to Kingston. The drive uses custom hardware for encryption (FIPS 140-2 Level 3 256-bit) and decryption which eliminates vulnerabilities associated with any process done on the host system. That chip and the rest of the hardware is sealed in a tamper evident epoxy material that hardened when it dried. It's also waterproof up to 120cm, and can survive knocks and drops as well

diskAshur's products are some of the best secure drives on the market, and the diskAshur Pro is the company's best external hard drive yet. The key selling point of the diskAshur Pro is its physical keypad that will only grant access to the data stored within upon entering a PIN number. Asides from the physical security (which extends to IP56 water and dust resistance and even a self-destruct feature), the diskAshur Pro also comes with some enviable encryption, sporting XTS-AES 256-bit real-time full disk hardware encryption and EDGE technology to offer even more levels of safety.

If you need to have small amounts of sensitive data being carried around, then the 3NX could well be a life saver. It brings advanced data protection features to a mainstream market thanks to its attractive low price ($59 for the 2GB/4GB model) and $189 for the 128GB one. What you do get is some military grade, enterprise-level features like FIPS 140-2 level 3, real time hardware-based encryption, a platform-agnostic setup and a rugged extruded aluminum enclosure. The data is encrypted using an onboard 10-digit keypad and is powered by an onboard battery.

The ultra-rugged Aegis Secure Key 3Z is designed to keep the data safe for people who regularly work outdoors or on the road, with a rubber exterior, which is IP58 protective against dust and water, safeguards a rugged aluminium build inside and out, meaning that there is no easy way to break into this device. Meanwhile, it also features a physical keypad for keeping your data safe and secure. It's pricey, but well worth the investment.

The Apricorn Aegis Secure Key comes with a full 10-key alphanumeric keypad with two function keys plus three status lights. It then slots into a hardened epoxy-potted rugged aluminum enclosure which makes it dust and waterproof; the device is also certified IP-58 and at 46g and 93mm long. It also features built-in hardware encryption (256-bit AES) which means that it is totally independent from the host client and OS-agnostic. No keyloggers and no BadUSB vulnerability. The Aegis Secure Key has received a FIPS 140-2 level 3 accreditation from NIST, the US-based National Institute of Standards and Technology, which oversees US government IT and computer security, which means this is one of the most secure drives you can buy.

The Kingston Ironkey D300 (IKD300/8GB) comes with software security that can make it a bit complicated and confusing to begin with (it will initially show up on your PC as a CD drive with 14.4MB capacity), but once you've configured it, which includes setting a password, you'll have a very secure drive. With its cap on, it is waterproof (up to 4ft) and dustproof and at 51g, feels solid. More importantly though, the more compelling protection happens inside the device itself. It is a FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certified device with 256-bit AES hardware encryption. There is a hardware cryptographic module inside the device itself which means that the encryption and decryption is done on the drive rather than on the host PC, with digitally signed firmware which makes the D300 immune to the notorious BadUSB exploit.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best external hard drives for Macs in 2019

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 03:51 AM PDT

Welcome to our pick of the best external hard drives for Macs. In this guide we'll look at the top external hard drives that offer quick and easy (as well as affordable) ways to expand the storage space of your Mac or MacBook.

Macs, iMacs and especially MacBooks are notoriously difficult when it comes to upgrading the internal hard drives, which means if you're running out of storage space it's best to move some of your files onto a external hard drive, and in this list of the best external hard drives for Macs, we look at external drives that have been especially made for Apple MacBooks and Mac computers. 

This means they are all compatible with Apple's file system, and many make use of the range of high speed ports that Macs come with, such as Thunderbolt.

We've also chosen these hard drives based on their ease of use, affordability and dependability. This last consideration is perhaps the most important, as when you're entrusting your important files to an external hard drive, you need to be confident that it won't break and lose your data.

Seagate 5TB

This is the latest generation of the Western Digital My Passport external hard drives comes in capacities from 1TB to 4TB, and features cloud storage and 256-AES encryption, along with WD's own backup software. While transfer speeds aren't the quickest, due to its USB 3.0 connection, it offers a good balance between speed, capacity and price.

If you want to make use of your Mac's Thunderbolt port, then this is a great option, as it provides twice the speeds of standard USB 3.0 drives. It still uses a traditional hard drive, rather than an SSD, and while this means speeds aren't quite as fast as possible, it at least keeps the price down, while offering large capacities. There's also a USB 3.0 port for connecting to computers that don't have a Thunderbolt port.

This is one of the fastest high capacity hard drives you can plug into your Mac, with a huge 4TB of storage space that zips along its USB 3.0, eSATA or FireWire connection. The all-aluminium enclosure gives the drive a premium look and fell, while also protecting your data from knocks and drops, and keeping the drive cool when used.

Samsung

If you really want a super-fast external hard drive for your Mac, then the Samsung T3 SSD is easily one of the best. As it uses a solid state drive, the read and write speeds of this drive are much faster than external hard drives that use traditional hard drives. It does mean the price is higher, but if transfer speed is the most important consideration when looking for the best external hard drive for your Mac, then this is the drive to go for.

Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC

With compatibility for both Mac and Windows machines, the Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC is very flexible, and comes with a rugged case that's dust and water resistant, along with a built-in USB 3.0 cable. Not only is your data kept protected from knocks and drops with the rugged shell, but it's also got 256-bit AES security features and NFC (Near Field Communication) features as well. This is a great external hard drive for your Mac if you are concerned about keeping your data safe and secure.

Image Credit: Western Digital

The latest generation of the Western Digital My Passport Ultra range of external hard drives has landed, coming in sizes from 1TB to 4TB. It features cloud storage and 256-AES encryption, along with WD's own software suite.

It is a good performer when it comes to data transfer speeds but doesn't come near the top of the leaderboard. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't reach the top speeds of solid state external drives, but for external hard drives based on traditional HDDs, this is the drive to consider.

LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive 4TB

You may have stumbled upon the LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive when perusing the Apple website for USB-C accessories. There’s a reason for that: the Porsche Design ships with both USB Type-C to Type-A and USB Type-C to Type-C connectors, making it a worthy candidate regardless of your setup.

It’s expensive for an external hard drive, don’t get us wrong, especially if you’re in the market for the top-end 4TB option. On the other hand, this is an HDD that could theoretically output speeds of up to 5Gbps, if it weren’t hindered by the limits of SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) technology. With MacBooks coming with USB Type-C connections, this is an excellent - and stylish - external hard drive that makes the most of this speedy new port.
 

iStorage diskAshur 2TB

If you're worried about people getting access to your data if your external hard drive is stolen, than you'll like the iStorage drive here. If someone tries to tamper with your iStorage drive, you can configure it to self-desturct. What's more, the data is encrypted by the 256-bit AES protocol, with multiple forms of protection in place to ensure the bad guys don't get in no matter how persistent. When you consider all that extra security, the prices won't scare you away either. It's more pricey than the other drives of its capacity, but the extra security it offers will be well worth it for many people.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best external hard drives of 2019

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 03:49 AM PDT

Buying the best external hard drive for your needs is essential, so our guide to the top external hard drives can help make sure you buy the right one for you.

The reason why you'll need to think carefully when buying the best external hard drive is that you'll want something that can safely and reliably store your important documents, while also quickly and easily expanding the storage space of your PC, laptop or games console.

So, we've listed the best external hard drives money can buy in 2019. Each external drive on this page has been carefully picked to make sure it offers fast data transfer speeds – essential if you move lots of big files regularly – while also offering sturdy build quality so you don't have to worry about them breaking and losing your files.

When buying the best external hard drive for your needs, there are certain things you need to take into account. For example, you'll want to make sure you have a drive that offers fast data transfer speeds.

The biggest deciding factors when it comes to data transfer rates is the connection the drive uses, and whether it is a standard hard drive or a solid state drive (SSD). Many external hard drives use USB 2.0 connections, but for faster speeds you'll want USB 3.0 or ideally the newer USB Type-C connection. You'll need to ensure your PC or laptop also has a USB Type-C port.

You'll also need to think about how much storage space you need. The best external hard drives offer a range of capacities. We'd recommend 500GB to start with, as that gives you plenty of space to store your files without costing too much money.

However, if you deal in large files, such as high resolution photos and videos, then you may want to consider buying a bigger drive, with external hard drives offering terabytes (TB) of storage space.

Buying the best external hard drive for your needs involves figuring out how much space you need. You don't want to buy an external hard drive that's too small, and end up running out of space, but neither do you really want to pay over the odds for storage space you'll never need.

In this guide we list the best external hard drives with both traditional hard drives and faster (and more expensive) solid state drives.

Still, the best external hard drives are also dependable and rugged, so you can safely store your data without worry. The best external drives will also be light enough to carry in your bag, with large capacities so that you can keep your data safe when travelling.

There's a huge range of external hard drives on offer, so we've put together this list of the best external hard drives to help you find the perfect one for your needs.

Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC

An external hard drive you can buy without breaking the bank, Buffalo's MiniStation Extreme NFC could be your match made in heaven.

With compatibility for both Mac and Windows machines, the Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC is very flexible, and comes with a rugged case that's dust and water resistant, along with a built-in USB 3.0 cable.

Not only is your data kept protected from knocks and drops with the rugged shell, but it's also got 256-bit AES security features and NFC (Near Field Communication) features as well.

Essentially it allows you to unlock the drive to get to your files quickly and easily by tapping the supplied NFC card onto the drive's body. Pretty neat!

  • This product is only available in the US at the time of this writing. UK and Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro 

Image Credit: TechRadar

The latest generation of the Western Digital My Passport Ultra range of external hard drives has landed, coming in sizes from 1TB to 4TB. It features cloud storage and 256-AES encryption, along with WD's own software suite.

It is a good performer when it comes to data transfer speeds but doesn't come near the top of the leaderboard. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't reach the top speeds of solid state external drives, but for external hard drives based on traditional HDDs, this is the drive to consider.

If you'd rather have an external hard drive that took advantage of solid state drive (SSD) speeds, then the Samsung Portable SSD T5 is definitely the best external hard drive for you. Samsung has a brilliant reputation for external SSDs, thanks to products like the T3, and the T5 builds on its predecessor by adding a fast USB Type-C connection that ekes out every last drop of performance from the solid state drive inside. Of course, it's also backwards compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 if your PC doesn't have USB Type-C. It's expensive, but it's well worth the cash.

Read the full review: Samsung Portable SSD T5

Adata SD700 External SSD

The Adata SD700 will suit those looking for a rugged storage device that can provide ample capacity without costing too much. It performs superbly well and remains the only SSD we’ve seen that is IP68 rated. 

Thanks to the solid state drive that resides in this external hard drive, it's a lot faster than external drives that use traditional spinning hard drives - so you're getting great transfer speeds as well as rugged protection.

It also comes in capacities up to 1TB, so you don't have to worry about missing out on storage space just because it uses an SSD - this drive really does hit all the right notes.


If you're looking for the absolute largest capacity external hard drive, then the WD My Book Duo 4TB is the one to get, offering a huge 4TB (you can also get versions with up to 20TB) of storage space over two hard drives.

If you don't mind sacrificing some of the ample storage space you can set the drives up in a RAID array, so you have file backups of your files should one of the drives die.

This USB 3.0 drive has many of the features of a fully-fledged NAS device (including a high price), and if you have a router with a USB 3.0 port you could use this as a network attached storage device in its own right.

The device, which comes with two-year warranty, has 256-bit AES hardware encryption, and automatic backup software (WD SmartWare Pro).

Worth noting that the enclosure used is fully serviceable and that WD ships the drive already pre-formatted for Windows users (NTFS).

If you have a device with a Thunderbolt port, then this is a great option, as it provides twice the speeds of standard USB 3.0 drives. It's also not especially expensive compared to other Thunderbolt drives. The price is kept down due to its use of a traditional hard drive, rather than an SSD, which limits the potential speeds. It also comes with a USB 3.0 port for people without access to Thunderbolt.

  • This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the WD MyBook Duo 

Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive 5TB

If you want to combine speed and capacity, then the Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive 5TB is definitely worth considering. It comes in a range of sizes up to 8TB and it beats the competition when it comes to read and write speeds as well.

On top of this storage and speed, you get a decent amount of peace of mind thanks to Seagate's lower than average failure rates, especially in bigger capacity hard drives.

You also get backup software, and the drive is compatible with both Windows and Macs, though it's formatted for Windows out of the box unless you go for a Mac-specific hard drive - though these are more expensive.

Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro

Even if we had mixed feelings on past versions of the My Passport Wireless, the 2016 “pro” variant of the external HDD restores faith in the Western Digital name. The design, for one, has been overhauled and no longer resembles the My Passport Ultra or My Passport for Mac. Instead, there’s now a more premium feel to the My Passport Wireless Pro. It resembles an external DVD drive, but considering the onboard SD card slot, don’t worry about getting it confused with anything else. For photographers, this will make the Wireless Pro stand out.

For everyone else, there’s a massive 6,400mAh battery built into the device. This lets the drive be used completely free of wires over 2.4GHz or 5GHz channels. When it’s wired up, however, don’t expect cutting edge connection tech, as the My Passport Wireless Pro uses only USB Type-B to Type-A. Completely absent is the latest and greatest USB-C connection.

Where the My Passport Wireless Pro compromises on affordability, it’s able to benefit in just about every other area. Of course, not everyone needs a wireless hard drive or SD card support, but for those who do, it’s almost essential.

Read the full review: Western Digital My Passport Wireless Pro
 

LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive 4TB

You may have stumbled upon the LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive when perusing the Apple website for USB-C accessories. There’s a reason for that: the Porsche Design ships with both USB Type-C to Type-A and USB Type-C to Type-C connectors, making it a worthy candidate regardless of your setup.

It’s expensive for an external hard drive, don’t get us wrong, especially if you’re in the market for the top-end 4TB option. On the other hand, this is an HDD that could theoretically output speeds of up to 5Gbps, if it weren’t hindered by the limits of SMR (Shingled Magnetic Recording) technology.

Comprising five 800GB platters in a 15mm form factor, the LaCie Porsche Design Mobile is an excellent challenger to the Seagate M3, though it’s notably bigger in both weight and dimensions.

Sure, it packs an extra convenience factor in the form of USB-C, but it should be noted that the Porsche Design Mobile is still limited to USB 3.0 speeds. Plus, even an aluminum finish can’t prevent it from clashing with your Rose Gold MacBook. Nevertheless, LaCie’s offering is the best USB-C external HDD money can buy, at least for the time being.

Read our full review: LaCie Porsche Design Mobile Drive 4TB
 

iStorage diskAshur 2TB

Typically, iStorage hard disks cater best to governments and multinational organizations around the world, for good reason too – they offer tight security like no other drives around.

If someone tries to tamper with your iStorage drive, you can configure it to self-desturct. What's more, the data is encrypted by the 256-bit AES protocol, with multiple forms of protection in place to ensure the bad guys don't get in no matter how persistent. When you consider all that extra security, the prices won't scare you away either.

Sure, it's still expensive, four times the price of an equivalent 2TB drive, and unlikely to be the most nimble performer. But, you're paying for a product that's virtually uncrackable. Bear in mind, though, you'll get no help from the manufacturer if things go awry and you lose your password.

Read our full review: iStorage diskAshur DT

Gabe Carey and Matt Hanson also contributed to this article

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best laptops for graphic design 2019: top picks for graphic designers

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 03:43 AM PDT

In this guide to the best laptops for graphic design, we've carefully picked the top mobile computers that can help you with your design work.

When looking for the best laptops for graphic design work, you'll want to make sure you have a laptop that offers enough power to run graphically-intensive applications. This means the best laptops for graphic design work will come with powerful modern processors (such as Intel's 8th generation CPUs), and preferably a discrete graphics card as well.

You'll also want something that comes with an impressive screen for helping you to work, while the best laptops for graphic design will also be thin and light to enable you to take them with you while you travel.

So, whether you want a macOS device or a Windows machine, read on for our pick of the best laptops for graphic design.

Apple is renowned for making excellent products for creative professionals, and the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar 2018 is the best laptop for graphic design. It's also the best MacBook Pro that Apple has ever made. It comes with the Touch Bar, which is a thin OLED display at the top of the keyboard which can be used to scan your fingerprint to log in, or offering up app-specific shortcuts. It's got a stunning screen and powerful innards that will run pretty much any graphic design application with ease.

Read the full review: Apple Macbook with Touch Bar 13-inch (2018)

With the Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch), Microsoft has crafted one of the most powerful 2-in-1 laptops in the world, and a device that rivals Apple's best when it comes to laptops for graphic design. The Surface Book 2 has some powerful enough components to handle most day-to-day tasks, and if you go for a model with a dedicated graphics card, then you'll easily be able to run your graphic design apps on it. The keyboard detaches from the screen, so you can use it as a tablet, and it runs a full version of Windows 10, which makes it an excellent alternative to the MacBook Pro above if you want to stick with Microsoft's operating system.

The Dell XPS 13 (2019) is one of the best laptops ever made, and it's an ideal laptop for graphics design. It comes with a stunning 4K display and 8th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processors. Meanwhile, the bezel-less ‘Infinity Edge’ display means your digital designs remain the focus of attention.There’s also a wide range of customization options, so you can really make the Dell XPS 13 the best laptop for your needs. 

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13

Yet another Apple laptop has made it onto our list of the best laptops for graphic design. This time it's the latest version of the MacBook Air. Now thinner, lighter and with a Retina display for the first time, it’s easily the best MacBook Air we’ve ever used for graphical design. That new Retina display, with wide color gamut and high resolution, makes your graphical work absolutely shine, and with 8th-generation processors, more RAM and faster SSDs and an affordable price, this really is one of the best laptops money can buy right now for digital artists and graphical designers. We just wish that these were full-fat U-series quad core chips, rather than the Y-series dual-core fanless processors. Still, this means that you’re going to easily get all-day battery out of this thing, which makes it one of the best Macs for travel.

Read the full review: MacBook Air 2018 

Last year’s Dell XPS 15 was already one of the best laptops you could buy for graphic design, but with 2018's convertible Dell XPS 15 2-in-1, it has just got even better. Not only can it switch between tablet and laptop modes, it also packs a new Intel Kaby Lake G-series CPU featuring ‘discrete-class’ Radeon graphics. This means that this laptop packs serious power when it comes to graphic design.

Last year's MacBook is yet another tempting offering from Apple for graphic designers, with another gorgeous design that the company is know for. Apple has updated the processors with Intel's 7th-generation Kaby Lake range, which means you get improved performance and longer battery life without sacrificing the thin and light design of previous MacBooks. While the MacBook 2017 is not designed as a pure productivity machine, like the more powerful and versatile MacBook Pro it's still one of the best laptops for graphic design in the world right now thanks to being a super slim and light MacBook that you can take anywhere without even noticing the weight, and being a powerful showcase for macOS High Sierra.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best mobile hotspots for 3G, 4G and 5G in 2019

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 03:33 AM PDT

Welcome to our pick of the best mobile hotspots for 3G, 4G and 5G mobile data connections in 2019. If you do a lot of travelling and don't want to put your data or information at risk by relying on open Wi-Fi connections, then you'll want a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot device, which are commonly known as Mi-Fi.

These Mi-Fi hubs allow for several devices to connect to one or more data SIMs – usually 4G ones – to surf privately and safely. Much like a smartphone's SIM card, these data-only deals allow you access to the internet in complete security. You can use a monthly contract, or use a pay-as-you-go SIM, so you know exactly how much data you are paying for. 

The best thing about 4G data is that it is incredibly fast, so you'll be able to browse the internet as if you were connected to a broadband connection. It means it will also often be faster than free or shared Wi-Fi spots, which usually have data limits and a lot of traffic to deal with.

In 2019, we also expect to see more 5G Mi-Fi hubs hitting the stores. 5G is the latest generation of mobile internet, offering speeds that are far faster than 4G data connections. While 5G is in its infancy, there are not currently any 5G mobile hotspots, though the Netgear Nighthawk 5G Mobile Hotspot is coming out later this year. As soon as 5G mobile hotspots are available, they'll be included in this list – as long as they are good enough.

Mi-Fi hubs range from a simple one SIM solution with a battery to models that can accommodate 10 different SIM cards, or others that even sport a complete Android operating system.

Below are the best mobile Wi-Fi routers you can buy in the UK, catering to all tastes, from frugal surfers to power users and everything in between.

The TP-Link M7350 is an excellent mobile hotspot, supporting both micro and nano SIM cards, which means it's almost certainly going to be compatible with a SIM card you already own. It has a small display for informing you about your connection, and it supports dual band Wifi on both 2.4 and 5GHz. It can be accessed by up to 10 devices at once, and performance is very good on 4G LTE. Its battery life is also excellent, giving you around 10 hours of 4G connectivity.

The EE 4GEE WiFi Mini is one of the better looking mobile hotspot devices on this list, and its compact design means it can be easily carried around with you. The 1500mAh offers up to 50 hours on standby, and up to six hours when connected to the internet. It can support up to 10 devices at once, but it doesn't have an LCD screen, like the TP-Link M7350, which means it's not quite as user friendly. You also need to use the EE network, which isn't too much of a hardship due to EE's coverage and fast 4G speeds, and the network offers a range of data plans to go alongside the EE 4GEE WiFi Mini.

Netgear's AC810 Aircard is an excellent mobile hotspot that lets you quickly and easily share a fast 4G LTE internet connection with a wide range of devices. Supporting up to 15 devices, this is a very flexible bit of kit, and its 2930 mAh battery is capable of 11 hours operating time and 260 hours when in standby.

An attractive touchscreen gives you all the information you need, and allows you to manage connections and change settings on the fly. It's put together with a robust build quality we've come to expect from Netgear, and in our view this is one of the best Mi-Fi portable hotspots money can buy right now.

The Mobile Wi-Fi Pro from Huawei, otherwise known as the E5770, ticks a lot of boxes for power users. This 4G/LTE model (Cat-4, so only 150Mbps) has one of the biggest batteries we’ve seen on any Mi-Fi device at 5,200mAh. It can even charge another device thanks to a bundled cable that doubles as a stylish strap. Up to 10 devices can be connected with a quoted working time of up to 20 hours.

If that wasn’t good enough, it’s also the only hotspot that we’re aware of that comes with a microSD card slot (sadly taking FAT-formatted cards only) and an Ethernet port. That makes it perfect for small businesses and even, dare we say, a perfect cord-cutting device if paired with the right SIM card.

This is the antithesis of your traditional pocket-sized hotspot and we’re bending the rules to include it in this article. Behold the Netgear Nighthawk R7100LG, a router with a SIM card slot. Technically, it is not portable as the device requires a mains power supply, but there are potential workarounds if you really want to make this happen.

The Nighthawk is a great solution should you want to offer internet access to a massive amount of users, and indeed storage access as well. It offers Cat 6/LTE (300Mbps), AC1900 Wi-Fi, two USB ports, a free app to manage the router (Genie), four Gigabit Ethernet ports plus open source support and a wealth of security features.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

New patent might show the controller for Google's game streaming service

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 03:30 AM PDT

Google is hard at work on a game streaming service called Project Stream, and we might just have caught our first look at some of the hardware for it – specifically a gaming controller in a newly published Google patent.

The patent itself refers to a notification system working between a gaming controller and a gaming system, but it comes with some interesting images attached. Sarang Sheth over at Yanko Design put together some excellent renders based on the patent.

Project Stream concept

Project Stream concept (credit: Sarang Sheth/Yanko Design)

At first glance the device doesn't seem to deviate too much from the standard gamepad controller. We've got two joysticks, a D-pad, four buttons and buttons on the shoulder of the controller as well.

One touch that's distinctively Google-esque is what looks like a voice control button in the center – a way of calling up Google Assistant perhaps while you're in the middle of a gaming session.

Game academy

In its current form, Project Stream runs through your browser, doing all the heavy lifting on Google's servers and streaming the gameplay straight to your computer. It's currently in beta testing with just one game available: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.

You can play it with either a keyboard and a mouse, or an attached controller, but this patent is the first look we've been given at some potentially Google-branded devices that might accompany the cloud gaming service.

As always with patents, it's worth remembering that company plans and hardware designs can change over time. It's by no means certain that Google will keep investing in Project Stream or ever bring out its own controller – but it's certainly thinking about it.

We may well hear more at the Game Developers Conference being held later this month – Google has a special event in the calendar for March 19.

Via The Verge

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

New TV line-up steals the show at Samsung MENA Forum 2019

Posted: 10 Mar 2019 01:45 AM PST

Celebrating 50 years of being in the technology and home appliance business, and with a slogan of ‘Do What You Can’t’, Samsung hosted their annual MENA Forum 2019 at the idyllic city of Antalya, Turkey.

The MENA Forum is usually centered around showcasing the latest gadgets and products to the company’s many partners in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, but also gives a chance for select media outlets to get a better look at what's in store for the rest of the year.

Samsung MENA President, Sungwan Myung, touted the company’s lead as the number one TV and refrigerator brand in the region, while putting forth a clear goal of ‘redefining entertainment’ in homes as it continues to roll out innovate solutions and partnerships to attract consumers into the Samsung ecosystem.

While Samsung didn't announce any new products, we did get a chance to look at the their latest lineup of TVs which includes the eye-bleeding 98” QLED 8K display, and the modular microLED-fused The Wall TV that can be morphed into any shape you like. 

Also on display was the Q70 soundbar with impressive surround sound features, the 4-Door refrigerator with Flex Zone capability, QuickDrive-equipped washing machines, and the new Galaxy S10 smartphones (no Fold, unfortunately) and lots more. 

QLED Displays and 8K

Samsung’s new 8K display is a sight to behold, and standing at 98-inches, it’s distractedly mesmerizing. The sheer amount of detail you can notice in a particular video is staggering, and the TV’s almost-bezel-less design provides for a truly immersive experience. 

With 4000nits to work with, the display is brighter than our collective future, lending the muscle it needs to make colors pop and handle any range of HDR with relative ease. 

Samsung is also evolving its Bixby voice assistant platform and will roll it out with the new lineup of TVs this year. Just like on any Galaxy smartphone, Bixby on TVs can be used to search for information (like the weather for example), search on Google, or even through the variety of apps available on the platform like Netflix, Prime Video, etc. Bixby will support English and French on launch, with support for different accents.

With the movies and gaming industries finally embracing the 4k realm, Samsung is ready to tackle the lack of 8k content with AI Upscaling, which uses machine learning magic to upscale any source to 8k resolution “through texture creation, noise reduction, and edge restoration.” 

We can’t really say we noticed any major difference between normal 4k upscaling and 8k upscaling in a demo area specifically constructed to showcase this feature, but we will reserve our judgment when we eventually get our hands-on with the product. 

A wall everyone would like to build

Samsung’s new modular TV uses microLED technology that not only renders deeper blacks and accurate colors, but allows them to be stacked like wall tiles to create a display according to your liking, in any shape or form you desire. 

Of course, the display is touted as a superior product to conventional LEDs with a wider color gamut, greater color purity and enough peak brightness to render HDR images accurately. But it’s also built to last with with shock, dust and water resistance so it can be used in a variety of environments.


Q70 Soundbar

 Samsung’s new Q70 Soundbar developed in collaboration with Harman Kardon is an impressive piece of kit. The speakers on the soundbar are designed to fire audio upwards which bounces off walls around the area to provide a natural surround sound experience. 

Additionally, the on-board AI Sound adjusts audio in real time to deliver sound based on the kind of content that you are watching. Even in a crowded convention hall, the superior sound quality was clearly apparent with AI Sound, which greatly enhanced the clarity, volume and surround sound capabilities whenever it kicked in.

Galaxy Home is still coming soon- we promise!

Initially announced in August 2018, Samsung Galaxy Home is long time coming but the company promises to release it in the first half of the year. 

The virtual assistant was initially planned for an April release but was delayed for unspecified reasons. The Galaxy Home was demonstrated working seamlessly between other Samsung devices, including TVs, light bulbs, washing machines, and refrigerators.

Cooling and appliances

Iterating on last year’s Wind-Free air conditioners, the new UFO-like Circular AC uses the same technology but does away with the conventional blade system of distributing air. 

Instead, it uses booster fans which controls the air direction and throws air both horizontally and vertically for ‘surround cooling’. It also has an Auto Elevation Grill which lowers the filter down for easy reach and maintenance.

For refrigerators, Samsung introduced their new 4-Door and 3-Door refrigerators featuring the Flex Zone compartment which allows you to set its temperature independently from the rest of the fridge. 

This Flex Zone compartment can be used to store a variety of items including cold drinks, snacks, vegetables, or can also double as a freezer if you want to store meat products.

The side-by-side 3-Door refrigerators takes a leaf out of their TV’s bezel-less design by doing something similar. These refrigerators employs SpaceMax technology to reduce the thickness of the compartments to provide more space.

Cut your laundry time in half - too bad, it doesn't fold them and iron them for you

The new QuickDrive washing machines cuts laundry time into half by using a main drum and a back plate so clothes move “in dynamic action and finish the wash” faster. 

The washer also features a laundry assistant that provides suggestions on optimal washing cycles for different types of clothing, and also helps match material and color that are ideal to be washed together. Another cool feature is AddWash, which allows you to add small clothing items even when a wash is already underway.

Finally, Samsung’s POWERstick Jet200 is its latest vacuum cleaner that uses a five-phase cleaning system that separates large dust particles from the finer ones. It has enough suction power to employ a filter that traps 0.3-10um sized fine dust particles upto 99.999% of the time along with a slew of attachments, and a replaceable battery that lasts upto 60mins.

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

1 comment:

  1. I have recently started my work from home business and planning to buy a new laptop. Your advice has helped me to decide the one and i will choose Dell XPS 13. Thanks!
    https://techdetects.com/best-laptops-for-graphic-design/

    ReplyDelete