Monday, March 25, 2019

Apple : Apple Card: release date and all we know about the new iPhone-centric credit card

Apple : Apple Card: release date and all we know about the new iPhone-centric credit card


Apple Card: release date and all we know about the new iPhone-centric credit card

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 01:06 PM PDT

During a launch event that saw Apple unveil to the world a new news and magazine subscription service (Apple News Plus), a new offering of original content (Apple TV Plus) and a gaming subscription platform (Apple Arcade), a new, surprising announcement came: a credit card.

Apple Card offers a new form of Mastercard credit card to users, and it's partnered with Goldman Sachs to bring out a new suite of functionality.

It can do things other credit cards can't do. You can sign up on your iPhone, and within minutes start using it right away - anywhere worldwide.

It'll be available across your devices, and will be found in your Wallet App, with clear spending tracking  - with store names clearly listed - and details on when your next payment is due and how much you've spent this month.

You can also message Apple to update your Apple Card details. There are no late, annual, international or over-balance fees and Apple says it's committed to giving you a low interest rate with Card.

How much does it cost?

Here's the thing: the Apple Card will come with no fees. No international fees, late fees or even a higher rate of interest if you miss a payment - you can choose to make payments more regularly, or to change your schedule if you so wish.

However, there was no mention of a typical APR here, so while it's rather easy to sign up, we're not sure how competitive it'll be 'in the wild'.

Apple is all about shaking up this market though, and offering a truly attractive card could be an instant revenue stream for the brand.

Daily Cash

Image Credit: Apple

Apple Card also offers rewards, with Daily Cash giving you 2% cashback every time you spend, and it's paid every day. If you use your Apple Card to pay for a product direct from Apple, you'll get 3% cashback.

Cash is added to your Apple Cash Card, which is also found in the Wallet app, and it can be used like any other cash. 

Every purchase is verified with either Touch or Face ID, and all details of the card are stored on a secure area of your iPhone. Apple also can't see what you've spent your money on, with all processing taking place on your device and not on Apple's servers.

Apple also promises not to sell your information to third parties.

An actual Apple Card

Image Credit: Apple

Apple Card is widely accepted around the world, but not everywhere accepts it, and for places which don't Apple will also offer you a physical card. It's made of titanium, and has Apple's logo and your name laser etched on it.

There's no card number, CVV or signature on the card, which Apple says makes it more secure. If you need that information, you'll find it in the Wallet app.

Apple Card will arrive in the Wallet app in the US "this summer" (likely sometime between June and August), with no word on when the service may roll out to other countries.

Apple Card launch: as it happened

We spent hours typing away at everything that happened during the Apple event tonight - so here's the inside scoop on what happened when the Apple Card was unveiled on stage.

All times in US Pacific (PDT):

10.36 - What about if you're somewhere that there isn't an Apple Pay vendor? Well, let's watch a video to find out.

Apple has made an actual bank card, apparently. It's made of titanium and has your name laser etched onto it. With no card number, signature or anything on it - so how can it be used if you want to sign?

You only get 1% Daily Cash with this card though.

Apple Card will be coming to the Wallet app 'this summer' for the US.

10.34 - It'll be powered by Mastercard, so you'll be able to use it world over.

Now we're talking about privacy - so each purchase is authenticated by Face ID or Touch ID, and every purchase needs a random ID so your credit card number can't be used without your say-so.

Bailey is making a big deal about the data never being sold to third parties - that privacy message is strong here.

10.32 - You can make more frequent payments if you fancy it, to help people take better control of your money.

Actually, this will help: no fees at all with this card. No late fees, international fees... any fees at all.

The interest rate won't change even if you're late, so no penalty interest charges.

Apple needed a bank to help with this: Goldman Sachs, as it's a new player in the consumer space.

Isn't Apple Bank going to be a bit of a clash here?

10.30 - Apple's Daily Cash comes in every day - it just depends on which merchants are using it. Wait, it's 2% of Daily Cash on everything you spend. That's pretty good.

If you're using Apple services, you get 3% cashback. Honestly thought it would be more...

The amount of cash you receive every day is also unlimited. Apple is trying to say it's giving away free money here...

10.29 - Now we're talking about Apple Card rewards too - you get cashback every day with Apple Card - it's called Daily Cash.

10.28 - Apple is now saying that it's trying to make things better, to improve financial info. Using Apple maps, random retailers and addresses will be translated in the app. That's pretty helpful.

Like so many online cards, you can collate your spending by category and show you how your spending is trending week by week, or month by month.

10.27 - You get the Card on your phone in minutes when you apply - is that definitely a good thing?

The Card lives in the wallet and shows you how much you've spent and how much you need to pay back. 

You can also message the Apple Card team through messages and they'll offer help where possible.

10.25 - 'Today is introducing a brand new service - and we call it Apple Card'.

Jennifer Bailey, VP of Apple Pay, is coming on to explain that.

'We've rethought the credit card'. Here we go.

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

Apple Arcade: release date, price info and everything you need to know

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 12:55 PM PDT

Apple has announced Apple Arcade, a new mobile and Mac gaming subscription service that brings the best of the App Store to gamers for a monthly fee.

At a  launch that saw a credit card from the brand (called Apple Card, obviously), a news subscription service called Apple News Plus and a platform for original content named Apple TV Plus, Apple Arcade was unveiled with over 100 unique (read 'indie') titles, exclusive to Apple's devices, including Beneath a Steel Sky, a remake of the classic adventure game, with art by Watchman comic book legend Neil Gibbons.

In addition, the collection of games available has been curated by experts, will be updated monthly, and will include original releases from renowned creators Hironobu Sakaguchi, Ken Wong, Will Wright and more.

Essentially, Apple Arcade is Xbox Games Pass for mobile devices. The thing is Apple has left us with more questions than answers about this new offering, so we've rounded up everything we know so far about the Apple Arcade subscription service.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? Apple's mobile and Mac gaming subscription service
  • When does it launch? Autumn 2019 (Between September and November 2019)
  • What can I play it on? iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Apple TV

Apple Arcade release date

Apple said on stage that Arcade will release in "fall 2019", which means we can expect it to launch between September and November 2019. 

Apple has promised the service will be supported in 150 regions at launch.

Ann Thai, marketing manager for the App Store, unveiling Apple Arcade on stage.

Apple Arcade features

No ads, no ad-tracking and no additional purchases
Apple Arcade will be a single subscription service. 

Over 100+ games
Apple Arcade will give users access to over 100 games, all of which will be Apple Arcade exclusives, curated by experts and updated monthly. "You can try whatever you want, whenever you want," according to Apple.

Games available offline
According to Apple, all the games on Apple Arcade will be available to play offline.

Family sharing
The Apple Arcade service offers a Family Sharing plan so all household members can play the game for a single subscription cost.

What's Apple Arcade available on?
iPad, iPhone, Mac, and Apple TV. You'll also be able to pick up where you left off in a game, even if you switch devices.

Private and secure
Apple Arcade games cannot collect any data about you without your consent.

Push for indies
While we know that Apple Arcade will include games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Beneath a Steel Sky and Where Cards Fall, Apple promises games from the likes of Bossa Studios, Cartoon Network, Annapurna Interactive, Finji, Giant Squid, Klei Entertainment, Mistwalker Corporation, SEGA, Snowman, ustwo games, Konami, Lego, and many more.

Apple isn't just handpicking the games
The company is also contributing to the development costs and working closely with creators to bring their games to Apple devices.

Here's what Phil Schiller has to say...
“The App Store is the world’s biggest and most successful game platform. Now we are going to take games even further with Apple Arcade, the first game subscription service for mobile, desktop and the living room,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We are working with some of the most innovative game developers in the world to create over 100 new and exclusive games to play across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. 

"Apple Arcade games will be great for families, respect user privacy and will not have ads or require any additional purchases. We think players of all ages are going to love Apple Arcade.”

Apple Arcade trailers

Apple revealed the Apple Arcade service during an Apple special event on March 25, 2019. You can check out the first trailer for the service below:

Apple Arcade price

We've sadly not heard anything about the cost of the new Apple Arcade service, which hints to us that there are still negotiations going on with studios and developers over how the cost model is going to work.

We would assume that either at WWDC 2019 or the iPhone 11 launch event we'll be getting more information here - given we're going to see Arcade at the tail end of the year, it's almost certain that more information might land around the launch of iOS 13, which traditionally happens in September.

(Image credits: Apple)

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

Best personal finance software of 2019

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 12:42 PM PDT

Gone are the days of waiting for a printed bank account statement to drop through your letterbox, or making a visit to your local branch to move some money between accounts. We now have more control of our money than ever before. But that convenience could, for some, mean disorganisation, reckless spending, borrowing and debt.

Applying poor money management techniques to your personal accounts is one thing, but doing the same to your small business funds could be disastrous. And while we can't help you to be sensible – that's on you – we have selected ten personal finance software solutions that can make a difference to the way you think and act with your capital.

Take your pick of these services and use them to stay on top of your money. A good overview will help you control your spending, grow your balance, and ensure you've always got enough in reserve to keep the taxman happy.

If you're looking to keep your business books with a bit more detail, check out our guide to the best accounts software.

  • Want your company or services to be added to this buyer’s guide? Please email your request to desire.athow@futurenet.com with the URL of the buying guide in the subject line. 

Image Credit: Quicken

Quicken is a long-established tool for managing personal accounts, and while its reputation was built on a desktop version, it's now available to run as an app on your mobile devices.

Quicken offers a good range of financial reporting tools. These are set around a few different areas, namely budgeting, bills, accounts, and even investments. For budgeting, it offers you a chance to input your purchases and income so you can compare them both together to get a better idea of how much you are spending compared to how much you are earning.

In terms of bills, you can also see which utlities and similar you are constantly paying out to, and see both the amounts to be paid and how much money you have left over. For accounting purposes you can even bring your banking and credit card bills together in one place so that you have a very clear idea indeed of how much you're paying out. This is especially handy as people easily underestimate how much regular small purchases can add to costs.

For investments it also offers the ability to track these, whether as part of your savings, investment portfolio, or 401k pension plan. This means you have a clear idea of how much your savings and investments are worth, though it's fair to say you shouldn't panic about short-term fluctuations in the stock market.

Altogether, Quicken brings together your budgeting, banking, and investment reporting into a single dashboard, which you can view from your desktop or even via your cell phone from the mobile app. Pricing starts at $29.99 a year for the Deluxe Plan which allows you to set a budget as well as savings goals. 

Image Credit: Personal Capital

Personal Capital's primary function is to track your investments, assets and savings, rather than specifically looking after your current accounts. Are your assets working for you? Are you on course for a comfortable retirement? What can you do to be better off? Plug everything in and you'll be able to see the big picture of your finances.

Personal Capital offers specific advice and statistics based on your goals and your current standing, but access to human financial advisors is where the company makes its money.

While anyone is welcome to use its website, you can only access advisory services if you have an account minimum of $250,000, and there's an annual fee (of between 0.49% and 0.89%) to pay if you want your assets – this is lower than most financial advice services.

Overall, Personal Capital beings all your checkings and savings accounts, loans, mortgages, and 401k accounts into a single dashboard which can make it easier for you to manage your finances.

Image Credit: Buxfer

An online service that's not slathered in effects and colours, Buxfer does a good job of presenting your finances in a clean, professional manner. It cutely brags about the fact that it's currently helping its users manage almost two trillion dollars in funds, so it's got a solid user base behind it.

You don't have to give Buxfer your exact banking details if you're uncomfortable doing so – you can opt for offline manual syncing with your bank account instead – but if you do trust it, there's a layer of high-level encryption to protect your data and the company is regularly audited.

We like its budgeting tools best of all – the visual reporting is very strong, and the fact that it doesn't force you into predefined categories and instead allows you to tag expenditures however you see fit means Buxfer should fit nicely into most people's banking lives.

The free version gets you five budgets, accounts and bill reminders, the Pilot version ($1.99 per month) adds on automatic tagging and bank syncing, the Plus version ($3.99 per month) gives you unlimited budgets, and the Pros version ($4.99 per month) includes online payments, advanced forecasts and more besides.

Image Credit: YNAB

Just in case you need to be told explicitly what to do, along comes YNAB - short for You Need A Budget. Because, hey, if you don't want to spend every single penny you have and more, you absolutely do need one. And perhaps you have more money than you thought?

YNAB's primary mission, as you might expect, is to help you curb overspending and avoid living from paycheck to paycheck. Stick to the program, temper your spending appropriately, and eventually YNAB will see you spending last month's money rather than that which you've just earned.

It's quick to install, supports the majority of transaction information downloadable from banks, and appropriately configures itself for personal or small business use by changing its monetary categories depending on your needs.

If you get off track, YNAB – which is reasonably forgiving and understanding for a bit of software – will tell you what you need to do to get back to where you need to be. You'll have to make sacrifices, but if it's guidance you need, this sets itself apart from the likes of Quicken.

Image Credit: Fincity

There are various philosophies of budgeting. One time-honoured technique is the envelope budgeting system: splitting your funds, as they arrive, into various envelopes marked for specific purposes, never dipping into an envelope to spend cash on anything other than its designated use. You don't need savings to start budgeting this way, just willpower and, er, envelopes.

Without a whole host of bank accounts you're not going to be able to apply this technique effectively to digital money, but using Mvelopes is a good way to at least put a representation of your sectioned-off income in front of you. Designate an envelope for working capital or savings and you can grow your personal wealth or business funds surprisingly quickly. Anything you don't spend in an envelope stays there, giving you more to play with in your next pay cycle.

There's no longer a free version of Mvelopes (although you can try it for free with a 30-day trial) but the basic plan for $4 (£3) a month should be adequate for most people, offering management of unlimited accounts and envelopes. It's intuitive to use, and there are mobile apps for Android and iOS, essential for taking a peek inside your envelopes when it comes time to pull any money out of them…

Image Credit: Banktree

Banktree is more than happy to support worldwide currencies, and in fact does a solid job if you're working simultaneously with more than one, offering balances in multiple currencies rather than rounding them off into a single total. It's also good for keeping track of everything, allowing you to scan receipts with its mobile app and import them later on.

It's not the prettiest software around, and it's slightly more awkward to use than many of its more refined cousins, although Banktree does produce very neat reports which you can break down by time, or by payee. It may be worth experimenting with the free trial before you choose to invest in this one.

Image Credit: Money Dashboard

This iOS/Android app doesn't try to reinvent the banking world or offer anything truly ground-breaking, but it is perhaps one of the most useful money management tools out there. Hook up every one of your UK bank and credit card accounts and you'll be able to see each of your balances in a single place with a single login. That in itself is enough for us to recommend it.

But there's more – Money Dashboard will track your spending, offering you an overall pie chart depicting your spending on loans, consumables, transport and the like. There's an at-a-glance overall balance, showing exactly how much money you have available across all of your accounts, and you can compare this to the previous month's figure to show how well you've been managing your funds. That's a great motivator.

It's super-safe, too: Money Dashboard locks down your login with an equivalent level of security to that of your bank, and it's completely read-only – your money isn't going anywhere.

Image Credit: Moneydance

Made primarily for Mac users (but also out on Windows and Linux), Moneydance is a desktop money management package with a very neat single-window interface. Load it up and you'll get an instant view of your finances, upcoming bills, recent expenses and more. Click an item in the left hand sidebar and the main content changes to reflect it.

Its reporting features are quite strong if not spectacular to look at, and one of Moneydance's most useful sections is its account register. If you're old-school and once managed a cheque book, this operates on a very similar principle. There's also an iOS app for logging transactions on the go, which later syncs with the software on your desktop.

Unfortunately for UK users, Moneydance doesn't support the connection protocols used by UK banks, so you'll need to download your transaction history manually to keep on top of it and revert to your bank's own app to move money around. US users, however, are well covered.

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

Apple TV Plus release date, price info and everything you need to know

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 12:39 PM PDT

At its special March event, Apple announced Apple TV Plus, a new streaming service from the maker of the iPhone and iPad that, according to its CEO Tim Cook, "is unlike anything that's come before". 

The streaming service will offer exclusive shows, movies and documentaries from acclaimed filmmakers like JJ Abrams, Steven Spielberg and M. Night Shyamalan.

The launch event also saw the announcement of an Apple credit card (Apple Card), a magazine and news subscription service called Apple News Plus, and a gaming streaming platform called Apple Arcade – but it was the TV Plus platform that drew the most interest.

The service will include shows like Amazing Stories and The Morning Show, and stars like Reese Witherspoon, Steve Carell and Jason Momoa are signed up to be involved. There's even a Sesame Street spin-off show for the pre-school crowd called Helpsters.

Unlike the basic package of Hulu, Apple TV Plus will be ad-free from the start, and will be available in 100-plus countries through a section of the Apple TV app. It will be available starting in autumn 2019 (September through November) on smart TVs, MacOS and iOS.

Cut to the chase

  • What is it? A rival streaming service that Apple will place its own content on, among other titles. 
  • When will it be released? Autumn 2019 (September through November) 
  • How much will it cost? That's still, irritatingly, to be confirmed. 

In addition to Apple TV Plus, Apple introduced Apple TV Channels, which combines cable subscription services and streaming services like Amazon Prime Video into the Apple TV app. (Unfortunately, however, Apple TV Channels doesn't incorporate Netflix.) 

Apple TV Channels will be incorporated into the Apple TV app on iOS starting in May, and on MacOS later in the year, but will sit outside Apple TV Plus' purview.

So Apple TV Plus is like Netflix?

So here's where things get a bit nebulous. On stage, Cook made it very clear that Apple TV Plus isn't Netflix – at least not yet. While the service will offer original content by the boatload, Apple TV Plus won't offer licensed content – syndicated shows like The Big Bang Theory, Mr. Robot or Seinfeld. 

For now, you'll still have to buy those shows a la carte through iTunes or via your terrestrial cable app in Apple TV Channels.

There's also the question of availability. Cook named a number of major TV manufacturers who will offer the new Apple TV app in his keynote, but never came close to mentioning all the platforms where Netflix is available, like Android TV, PC desktops and laptops, and non-Apple tablets. 

Apple TV Plus


How much will Apple TV Plus cost?

That's another mystery, as Tim Cook ended the keynote without divulging how much Apple TV Plus will set you back every month. 

The chances are very good, however, that the service will cost something – as talent on this scale doesn't come cheap.

The silver lining to Apple creating its own content, though, is that the service could be relatively cheap – only a few dollars / pounds per month. As we know from Netflix, licensing syndicated content isn't cheap, and those contracts eventually end and must either be renewed or dropped altogether.  

Apple TV Plus: the launch as it happened

We live -blogged the whole Apple event, and if you're wondering how Apple brought to life this new TV Plus service, here are all the details:

All times US Pacific Time (PDT)

11:46 - Oprah is off, Tim is back. Looks like we're wrapping up, which is great for my fingers. This is been a long one and I've needed the toilet for a long, long time. 

And yep - that's it. He's done. And with no hands on reviews to be done with the services, this seems like a much easier ride for your favorite TechRadar folk. 

Except for the fact we'll now be noodling away at the big news, features and analysis on what's just been announced. Apart from that.

11:43 - She's making one of the biggest book clubs on the planet, Oprah and the author streamed to every device and Apple Store. To connect everyone with books, is Oprah's dream.

11.41 - Oprah has joined forces with Apple - to create meaningful ways to initiate positive change.

She has two documentaries in the works - Toxic Labor (talking about the scourge and toll of sexual harassment in the workplace), and an unnamed one that focuses on mental health and how scenarios that cause problems decimate life. She wants to replace stigma with compassion and honesty... lofty goals there.


11.39 - Oprah just came on stage (possibly) clutching vouchers for cars. iPrah in the offing?

She's talking about the way we all crave connections. How we want to be heard but also need to listen. 

If she announces the Airpower mat I'll be impressed.

11:37 - There's no word on pricing yet - that's a real shame. It's a huge part - but Tim says 'this is just a sneak peek' as he wanders back on stage.

Wait, there's one more 'remarkable story teller'.

11:36 - Apple TV+ will come across all your Apple devices and smart TVs. It's an ad-free subscription service, on demand and coming this Fall with new additions every month, focusing on Apple Originals.

11:33 - Original shows and movies will be coming to the Apple+ platform. 'To brighten our day and make us think that anything is possible.'

The message, again, is about quality. When will it be coming, and how much though?

11:29 - Sara Bareilles and JJ Abrams are on stage, talking about their new project: Little Voice, a romantic comedy about what's 'wonderful and transformative' about someone having to find their way through their voice. 

Sara is having a sing of theme tune for us now. It's a nice time to try and rest the fingers and tidy up this blog... no, she's just finished! SING MORE DO AN ENCORE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. 

Nope, it's too late.

11.26 - I'm watching Sesame Street for work. I never knew this day would come, but suddenly it's here. There's a new pre-school show called Helpsters, with a little muppet called Cody. And it's about coding! 

This is related to Apple's Swift Playgrounds, you just watch. 

11.25 - There's a lot about worthy storytelling here. Apple has been making a big, big push about quality elements today, that there's some gravitas to everything that it's doing. 

AS I WRITE THAT BIG BIRD COMES ON STAGE. Thanks Apple.

11.24 - He's going to be pushing a program called Little America, with small stories from immigrants - and the directors are either immigrants or children of immigrants. 

'We hope Little America will help people to understand there is no other, there is only us'.

11:20 - Kumail Nanjiani is on stage, the actor from Silicon Valley. He's just chatting about his life now, making some jokes. This is a very different Apple event, to be honest.

11.16 - Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard are on stage to talk up the new programming where the world is blind after a virus wipes out sight and most of the human race, in 'See', a new show coming to Apple TV+.

11:15 - This trio will be the main characters in the show - the characters with which the issues are lensed. 'Shining a light on the fault lines in our society'.

11:14 - Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon are now on stage - they're doing 'The Morning Show' on Apple TV as well. An insiders view into the lives of the morning newscaster. An 'honest look' at the complex relationship between women and men.

Steve Carrell just wandered late on stage. He's making jokes about not knowing whether it's his turn.

11.11 - The video is over, the audience has gone crazy to Steven Spielberg to come on stage. He likes Apple, apparently.

He's, once again, talking up how important storytelling is. Spielberg is going to be resurrecting 'Amazing Stories' for Apple TV.

11:08 - The video is still going on, the normal Apple 'enchanting' video, where the world of creativity, the wonder it presents, makes the viewer want to be part of it. To want to be involved in the Apple world.

11:07 - Actors are talking about how they 'imagine' what the character would be thinking when they embody them. Thanks for that.

11:06 - Spielberg is talking about how stories are so important. 'The best stories have come to me when I least expected them.'

11:04 - The power of stories is important. 'Here at Apple we know incredible stories begin and end with the artists that create them'.

We're going to meet some of them. This service is dedicated to 'the best stories ever told'. This sounds interesting... the 'art of great storytelling'.

11.03 - And here's the big news: Apple TV+. Everyone has lost their minds suddenly here. 

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

Apple News Plus: magazine list, cost, and release date

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 12:36 PM PDT

Update: Wondering about an Apple News Plus magazine list? We have a running tally (over 60 magazine and newspaper titles so far) of the 300 publications that will be a part of the service, and how much everything costs.

Apple News Plus is bringing magazines and newspapers into the fold, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, giving you access to over 300 high-quality digital magazines and premium newspapers in the Apple News app.

It'll launch starting today in the US and Canada, and while Apple's fancy, curated RSS news reader will remain free, the digital magazines and newspapers will cost money – one flat fee for access to all of the premium content.

Launching with iOS 12.2 today, Apple News Plus builds on the success of Apple News, which is already the No. 1 news app in the world, according to Cook. He cited its unique features like hand-picked stories, saying "it's critical that it's trusted."

The new magazine portion of the app take cues from Texture service, a small digital magazine subscription service Apple bought last year. It was called 'the Netflix of Magazine' and that seems to be what Apple is doing here in the News Plus app.

The addition of magazines is one of many services Apple has announced today. It's also releasing an Apple Credit Card, Apple Arcade bundled game app service, and Apple TV Plus.

Apple News Plus cost and how it works

Apple News Plus will be personalization with your privacy intact – meaning advertisers can't track you. That was the first perk, Apple touted (and it's championing privacy more and more in its product announcements). The all-you-can-read aspect was the next highlight. You're not going to have to pay for the 300 magazines individually.

"I love the feeling of being at the Newsstand," said Cook at Apple's keynote, noting that you're usually only able to buy one or two publications. Apple News Plus changes up the usual limitation with an all-read-you-read plan. 

The basic version of the news app will remain free, however, there'll be a News Plus tab that consist of magazine like Rolling Stone, Popular Science, Traveler and Outside. Like the old Apple News app, Apple News Plus magazines will be curated for human editors and then personalized to you.

New issues and featured articles will help you break out news content you'll want to read. Think of it as the hit single of a record. It'll let you bypass cover stories to find articles deep inside a magazine that are of interest to you.

Premium digital subscriptions like The Skimm, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Wired and National Geographic are included in Apple News Plus, and this means there's a fee of $9.99 a month. Combined, all of the subscriptions would cost you over $8,000 a year.

The value of Apple News Plus went up when Cook mentioned that, at no extra charge, it'll be available to an entire family through Family Sharing. Each person in your family gets full access to the entire catalogue and has their own personalization preferences. In this way, Apple News Plus takes cues from Apple Music.

Apple News Plus magazine list

Apple hasn't announced an official list of magazines (and we're currently downloading the iOS 12.2 update). In the meantime, we were able to cobble together a number of publications from Apple's keynote.

Here are some of the 300 magazines and newspapers promised:

  • Men's Health
  • Woman's Health
  • GQ
  • National Review
  • Vogue
  • Prevention
  • Real Simple
  • Billboard
  • Reader's Digest
  • InStyle
  • Shape
  • Eating Well
  • This Old House
  • People
  • Clean Eating
  • Outside
  • Vanity Fair
  • New York Magazine
  • The New Yorker
  • The Atlantic
  • Travel + Leisure
  • Condé Nast Travler
  • Sunset
  • Essence
  • Food & Wine
  • Cosmopolitan
  • Road Track
  • The Hollywood Reporter
  • Bicycling
  • Flying
  • Fast Company
  • Rolling Stone
  • Bon Appétit
  • Make
  • Variety
  • Racer
  • Boating
  • Boy's Life
  • Bloomberg Businessweek
  • Adweek
  • AD
  • Motortrend
  • Esquire
  • Bazaar
  • Time
  • Marie Claire
  • Fortune
  • Health
  • House & Home
  • Allrecipes
  • Midwest Living
  • Sports Illustrated
  • Golf
  • Southern Living
  • Popular Science
  • Car and Driver
  • Sailing World
  • Town & Country
  • Martha Stewart Living
  • Entertainment Weekly
  • Elle
  • National Geographic
  • Runner's Magazine
  • ESPN Magazine
  • Afar
  • Allure
  • Automobile
  • Better Homes & Gardens
  • Backpacker
  • CNET
  • Country Living
  • Consumer Reports
  • Cruising World
  • Ebony
  • Dwell
  • Cycle World
  • Domino
  • Decor
  • Entrepreneur
  • Family Handyman
  • Naturally
  • Field & Stream
  • Garden & Gun
  • Good Housekeeping
  • Hot Rod
  • House Beautiful
  • The Cut
  • Wired

Select newspapers

  • The Los Angeles Times
  • The Wall Street Journal

Premium Digital Subscriptions

  • The Skimm
  • The Highlight by Vox
  • Vulture
  • Grub Street
  • The Cut
  • TechCrunch

Canadian newspapers and magazines

  • The Star (newspaper)
  • Our Canada
  • Ottawa
  • 5-15 (5 ingredients in 15 minutes)
  • Sélection
  • Gripped
  • Cottage Life
  • Triathlon
  • Running
  • Best Health
  • The Walrus
  • Hello
  • Fashion
  • Zoomer
  • Ricardo
  • L'actualité
  • Véro
  • Toronto Life
  • Best Health
  • Canadian Cycling
  • Moi Parent
  • Mieux Etre
  • Today's Parent
  • Reader's Digest Canada
  • Maclean's
  • Hockey News
  • Je Cuisine

Publications like National Geographic were demoed to have Live Covers, or animated photos of what's usually on magazine covers. The cover was followed by a table of contents, and subsequent articles. It's filled with text and info graphics and looks rather smooth when scrolling through the pages.

Apple News Plus release date

Apple News Plus is now available with the iOS 12.2 update starting today.  So far, though, it's limited to the US and Canada (in English and French). 30 Canadian magazines and newspapers. Next up will be Australia and the UK later in 2019. 

Apple promises this will be the best mobile magazine experience ever. With the prevalence of 'fake news' and bots, that's a tall order. 

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PlayStation State of Play: how to watch the livestream

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 12:27 PM PDT

Sony is not hosting a PlayStation event at this year's E3 2019 conference. Instead, it's kicking off a new 'State of Play' livestream series that will showcase all its upcoming games and hardware for the near future. Here's how to watch the livestream of this inaugural Sony gaming event.

From today, March 25, at 2pm. PT / 9pm GMT, the livestream will show all the goodies PlayStation has to offer in the coming months. It'll be broadcast over FacebookTwitterTwitch and YouTube – just hit up any of those links and your preferred service will deliver hot fresh gaming action directly into your eyes, as it happens.

What are we expecting to see?

With no E3 plans and the PlayStation 4 hitting its twilight years, we're guessing it's going to be a big PlayStation VR focus during the Sony State of Play livestream.

We're most hoping to see some more on Blood and Truth, the cockney crime caper that captivated us way back in 2017, but has been quietly gestating ever since.

Other than that, expect some first party news. Hideo Kojima has broken cover recently to announce that Death Stranding is in a critical development phase, so that could make an appearance. And what's a PlayStation event without something from Naughty Dog? Could we get some fresh news on The Last of Us 2 perhaps? Oh, and there's that little old rumor of the PS5, too...

Whatever happens, we'll have all the details, so stay locked on TechRadar for everything you need to know. 

  • PS5: everything we know about the next PlayStation console

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Oprah Winfrey resurrects her Book Club... for iOS

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 12:09 PM PDT

Oprah Winfrey is apparently coming to iOS, with a new book club format exclusively for Apple devices.

Winfrey was a surprise guest at the end of Apple's launch event on March 25, closing an eclectic list of announcements covering everything from a video game subscription service (Apple Arcade) to the formal unveiling of the Apple TV+ streaming platform.

Speaking to the crowd, Winfrey stressed the importance of 'listening' to one another, and praised Apple's global device network for its ability to connect users to each other – but followed up with a teasing reference of 'Oprah's Book Club', the regular literary segment on the Oprah Winfrey Show that ceased back in 2011.

She said that "nothing is more gratifying than a brilliant book", and announced the incoming "club" forth "one billion plus strong" network of iOS users – referring to the 1.3 billion active Apple devices in use across the world.

Winfrey gave few details – no launch date, pricing, and whether it will be integrated in some way with Apple Books – but it's likely to be some form of app with video or podcast content between Oprah Winfrey and various guests, as they discuss novels and non-fiction books, shortly before Winfrey propels them to global bestseller lists.

The 'i' is for informed discussion

Oprah's appearance came at the end of a jam-packed launch event for a number of new and updated Apple services, including an expanded Apple News+ platform with a host of digital magazines, and the formal unveiling of the Apple TV+ streaming service.

Aside from the difficulty of keeping track of so many near-identically named platforms, Apple is moving a clear attempt to engage with a wider cultural conversation, as a content creator as well as a company that connects users to that content. 

Oprah's cache as a talk show host and celebrity will certainly be a big draw for people engaging with Apple's iOS ecosystem – even if we don't know exactly what form it will take.

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From Spielberg to Oprah: these are the first Apple TV Plus exclusive shows

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 11:55 AM PDT

Apple had an unimaginably star-studded launch event for its Apple TV Plus Plus service, in which it not only revealed the details of its subscription and Apple TV Channels plans, but also pulled back the curtain on its original content plans.

From Steven Spielberg anthology stories to Oprah Winfrey's next show, to dramas set everywhere from TV studios to a post-apocalyptic future, here’s what’s coming to Apple TV Plus.

  • Apple Arcade: everything you need to know about the Mac and mobile games service
  • Apple News Plus: papers, magazines and more all in one place
  • Apple Card: an Apple branded credit card is headed your way

Apple TV Plus exclusive shows

Headlining the service will be Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories. It's resurrecting the serialised stories of the magazine of the same name, re-imagined by Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, production house. First published in 1926, this will be classic story-telling in the Spielberg vein.

The biggest cheer of the event came for the unveiling of a new Oprah Winfrey led TV show. The first documentary will look into "scourge and toll of sexual harassment in the workplace", while the second is set to be a multi part series focussing on mental health issues across the globe. This was in addition to a new book club that the TV legend will be running with Apple's support.

Also on the way is 'The Morning Show' a ‘behind the curtain’ show looking at TV production as a workplace, with Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line), Jennifer Aniston (Friends) and Steve Carell (The Office). Seen through the eyes of two ambitious female leads, with Steve Carell in a supporting role, it'll reveal the tensions of a high-stakes morning TV show. The onstage banter made it appear as if it will be at least partially humorous, if not an out-and-out comedy. It’s the first time Jennifer Aniston has been part of a TV show for quite some time.

‘See’ will put Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave) and Jason Momoa (Aquaman) in a thriller about a post-apocalyptic world in which everyone has been struck blind for many centuries, to the point where many question if sight ever existed. A quick clip made it appear a bit like Birdbox, but with future cavemen. Kinda.

Kumail Nanjiani of Silicon Valley fame will lead ‘Little America’ an anthology series featuring the true adapted stories of immigrants coming to the United States for the first time. It sounds a bit crazy, with one true story focussing on a 12 year old kid left to run a motel when his parents are deported. Syrian, Iranian, Algerian stories are just a few of the cultures and nations represented.

JJ Abrams (director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens) took to the stage with singer-songwriter and actress Sara Bareilles to introduce Little Voice, focussing on the trials and tribulations of a rising star. It’s not clear at this moment if it’s an adaptation of the stage production of the same name.

Sesame Street’s Big Bird even took to the stage to reveal that a new pre-school show called Helpsters will feature on Apple TV Plus. Expect Sesame Street-like puppetry, with an educational focus.

Will this be enough to dethrone Netflix – the only big name streaming service that appears to have been left in the cold by Apple tonight? There are certainly huge names involved. Sesame Street aside, it's lacking established franchises to bring existing fans into the fold. There's also so far no talk of feature length movies – everything revealed so far appears to be serialised content.

And, of course, though a fall release date has been announced, there's no pricing yet. Will customers be prepared to sign up to yet another service?

But what Apple has achieved is bringing in some absolutely gigantic industry talent to the table. If the quality of shows produced can match the names on the call sheet, we're in for some fun sessions in front of the 'ol gogglebox.

  • Apple TV Plus: everything you need to know about the Apple streaming service

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The best cheap 4K TV deals and sale prices in the US - March 2019

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 11:55 AM PDT

March Madness is officially underway, and that means it's a great month to find cheap TV deals from top retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and more (we've also got a roundup of UK retailers). You can find Black Friday like prices on a variety of best-selling 4K TVs from brands such as Samsung, Sony, LG and more. You'll find discounts on 4K TVs, smart TVs, different model sizes, and a variety of prices that will fit any all TV viewing needs.

You will find all of our curated deals below. We've divided them into three different size categories as well as our pick for the best cheap TV deal of the week. These days you really don't have to pay much more to get a Ultra HD 4K set instead of an older-style HD one. If you're after the hottest tech in TV though, you may want to take a look at the cheapest OLED TV prices.

Whether you want a small TV with a price tag to match or something to show all the colors of the rainbow (and a few million more) with HDR, we've found plenty of options. Read on to find the TV you want at a great price!

cheap 75-inch TV deals prices sales Sceptre

TechRadar's cheap TV deal of the week

Cheap TV deals (40-49 inch)

Cheap TV deals (50-59 inch):

Cheap TV deals (60-85 inch):

More cheap TV sales:

Not found the right cheap TV for you today? Or maybe you'd prefer to directly browse the TVs at your favourite retailers instead of our highlights of the best cheap TV deals? We're updating this page on a regular basis, so you may have better look another day. If you want to take a look for yourself now though, here are the direct links to a the full collection of TV deals at multiple stores. 

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The best managed web hosting of 2019

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 11:38 AM PDT

You've designed a great website, found a quality website hosting package and got your creation online. That's great, but don't relax just yet; there's plenty more to do.

Maintaining your website involves a lot of work. You'll need to monitor it to make sure it's online and working normally. 

Web apps like WordPress (and any other software you install) must be updated when patches appear, and you'll have to test these updates to confirm they're working (that gave rise to managed WordPress hosting providers). Then, as the site grows, you might have to work to troubleshoot it, find and fix odd problems, or optimize it for better performance.

Managed hosting packages try to simplify your life by taking on many of these tasks. Automatic system monitoring enables providers to detect and fix many common problems before you've realized anything has happened. The support team may install and update all software for you, sometimes testing updates first to look for problems. The best hosts go even further, offering expert advice to help you fix, optimize and maintain your site.

This kind of premium support usually comes at a premium price, but if speed and reliability are top of your priority list, managed hosting could be worth the extra cost. Browse our list of five top managed hosting providers to find out what they can do.

Managed hosting can be expensive – very, very expensive, sometimes – but look carefully and you'll find some worthwhile exceptions.

HostPapa's VPS packages all include managed hosting as standard, for instance. They're still not exactly cheap, but the baseline Plus plan has a decent feature set – 1.5GB RAM, four CPU cores, 50GB storage, 1TB bandwidth, unlimited emails, free SSL, cPanel/WHM control panel – for $49.99 (£38) a month on the annual plan (currently, there is a discount and you can get the first month for $19.99).

HostPapa is unusual in that it gives you a lengthy list of the type of tasks where tech support can help. These cover getting started (software installs and migrations, Google Apps setups, Perl/PECL module/extension installations, DNS configuration), firewall setup and email configuration, to more advanced advisory jobs like security audits – and of course troubleshooting everything from server boot failure to network issues and even script and website errors.

The service includes all the usual core maintenance tasks, too – server and control panel updates, patches and monitoring – and you can contact HostPapa's support 24/7 via telephone, email and chat.

Tsohost is a versatile UK-based web host with products to suit everyone from a total website newbie to the most demanding enterprise user. Managed hosting comes as standard with some of the high-end products, but home users aren't left out – there are handy support features available for everyone.

Even the cheapest shared hosting package (£2.92 or $3.83 a month annually) comes with a free migration of a blog or simple business website, for instance. Higher spec plans come with one or more e-commerce migrations, where the company will relocate a complex transactional website to your new account. You get a dedicated engineer to manage the process at the date and time you choose (within an 8-hour window), and you can check the end results before the site goes live.

Moving to the Tsohost VPS range gets you regular managed hosting features, including server monitoring and alerts, proactive threat detection, and full handling of software updates and security patches.

There's in-depth support for running Redis, memory caching systems like Memcached or PHP optimizations such as opcode caching.

Once you've installed the software you need, Tsohost will even help you customize and tweak it to suit your needs.

Prices are higher than many competitors – even the most basic VPS product costs $52 (£39.99) a month – but they're not unreasonable for the service you get, and overall Tsohost is a must-see for professional and business users.


Most web hosts provide a basic level of WordPress setup support – a one-click installer, maybe advice on migrating your current site – but after that, you're typically left on your own.

WP Engine offers a far more comprehensive managed WordPress service that can help you with setup, updates, security, performance optimization, troubleshooting and a whole lot more.

Much of this is invisible to the end user, as a good managed service should be. No need to worry about WordPress updates, for instance – WP Engine handles these for you. Not blindly, simply when they're released, like many other hosts: the company tests them carefully, first, to make sure they don't cause problems.

WP Engine's abilities become more apparent when you check out its support. The website knowledgebase is so crammed with detailed articles and in-depth webinars that it feels like a professional training course, and an expert support team is available by chat, 24/7, to help you quickly solve any problems.

The powerful WP Engine platform adds many useful extras. A Staging area allows you to work on a copy of your site, which is perfect for testing new themes, plugins or anything else, without affecting the production site. In another highlight, integrated performance tests can benchmark your website and offer useful speedup tips.

This level of power isn't cheap. Even the most basic WP Engine plan costs $28 (£21.3) a month, more than three times the price of the budget competition (although, you can get 20% discount on your first purchase, and annual plan gives you four months free). But if you're looking for an optimized environment, with quality tools and excellent support, this could be a price worth paying.

While all managed hosting providers take on basic website maintenance tasks – monitoring, installing patches – InMotion Hosting can go further, working with high-powered web technologies to set up a custom solution which matches your needs.

This starts in a simple way, with InMotion Hosting's Launch Assist. Included free with VPS, Reseller and Dedicated hosting plans, this gives you two to four hours to have the Managed Hosting Team do whatever you need: migrate websites, install and optimize software, configure security, automate key tasks and just about anything else you might want to do.

Day-to-day management tasks cover all the basics, including regular monitoring of your website and automatic updating of your software. InMotion still delivers more than you might expect, though, for example with a KernelCare feature which allows more updates without rebooting, avoiding costly downtime.

What's even more interesting is InMotion Hosting's ability to customize your site. How well this goes will depend on what you need, but the InMotion website talks about setting up the ConfigServer firewall and OSSec's intrusion monitor, working with NGINX, tuning your Varnish caching, speeding up PHP and more.

The price for all this depends on your hosting plan, but it might be less than you were expecting. Choosing managed, rather than self-managed VPS hosting, can add as little as $8 (£5.70) to the initial price of your plan, for instance, dropping to $27.99 (£21.8) on renewal – which sounds like a bargain to us.


Liquid Web is an expert provider of high-end managed hosting solutions for everything from email to WordPress, WooCommerce, VPS, dedicated and assorted other cloud products.

Most plans deliver far more than you might expect. Liquid Web doesn't just automatically update WordPress, for instance: it also updates your plugins in a separate, isolated environment to check for any issues before sending them live on your production site.

Unlike other hosts, this level of management doesn't involve restricting what you can do. You can handle WordPress updating manually, if you prefer, some or all of the time. The plans give you full access to both the server and the database, too, essentially meaning you have the best of all worlds: expert WordPress management where you need it, but with detailed hands-on control of the site available as required.

Liquid Web's VPS and dedicated server plans add even more managed hosting features covering many areas. The company has its own data centers with fully managed hardware and network infrastructure. Key software is installed, updated and supported, there are free external migrations, virus and spam protection keep threats at bay, and system monitoring enables speedy notification of problems.

If you have problems anyway, a thorough SLA (service level agreement) guarantees a phone or chat response time of under a minute, and that you'll get an active response to the issue within 30 minutes.

Liquid Web won't appeal to bargain hunters, and its baseline prices can be much higher than some of the competition ($39.99 or £31 – for a starter VPS, compared to a fiver for 1&1 IONOS. At the moment, you'll pay $19.99 for the first month). Those plans are often far more powerful, though (the company doesn't sell crippled products just to get a low headline price), and when you compare providers on features, Liquid Web often comes out ahead.

You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:

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Apple TV app jumps to Roku and Fire TV

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 11:24 AM PDT

Breaking news: Apple TV is flying the nest, with a dedicated Apple TV app coming to a wide range of smart TVs – as well as set top boxes and streaming sticks from rival companies like Roku and Amazon.

We learnt back in January (at CES 2019) that the Apple TV app was coming to a number of smart TVs – in ranges by Samsung, Sony, LG and Vizeo – beyond Apple's own set top box and streaming player, the Apple TV.

Apple gave us a gentle reminder at its March 25 ShowTime event, along with news that the Apple TV app would be landing on Amazon Fire TV and Roku streaming devices.

Moving the app onto rival devices is a risky one, as it decentivizes consumers from buying into Apple TV hardware – and both Fire TV and Roku ranges feature 4K models in the vein of the Apple TV 4K

But it certainly gives Apple a wider potential audience – especially with its new Apple TV+ streaming service, and Apple TV Channels subscription option for bringing various channels and platforms (everything except Netflix, basically) into one place.

So if Apple risks splitting its revenue, it's clearly of the mind that its new subscription options will pay for themselves.

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The best Windows hosting services of 2019

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 11:08 AM PDT

Most website hosting packages run on Linux servers, and it's easy to see why: the operating system is fast, reliable, secure and free, with an impressive software ecosystem that includes some of the best web applications around.

For all these benefits, Linux won't be the right setup for everyone. If your site is based on Microsoft technologies like ASP.NET or .NET, or you're intending to run Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server or some other Microsoft stack product, you'll need to choose a Windows plan.

Opting for Windows hosting doesn't restrict you to Microsoft products. Most plans offer one-click easy installation of popular apps like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, PrestaShop, phpBB and more.

There's no cPanel, but something similar (like Plesk) will make it easy to view your website status, create email accounts, tweak settings and generally manage your plan.

Select a VPS or dedicated hosting plan and you'll also be able to use Remote Desktop to manage the server from its own desktop.

Windows hosting has some issues. You won't get the same choice of applications as with Linux. There's less help available for troubleshooting apps like WordPress on the Windows platform. There are Microsoft licence fees to pay, too, so it's a little more expensive than Linux plans.

Overall, though, if you need to take advantage of Microsoft technologies, Windows hosting can deliver a great service for a surprisingly low price. Read on for five top Windows hosting providers you might want to check out first.

Windows hosting has a reputation for being costly, but 1&1 IONOS's shared Windows range shows it doesn't have to be that way.

Prices start at $1 (£1 for UK page) a month for the first year, $7.99 (£5 for UK page) afterwards, yet even the most basic plan is better specified than some of the Linux competition. You get 1 website, 100GB web space and unlimited  bandwidth, along with 25 email accounts with 1GB storage each, plus daily backups, 24/7 phone and email support, a free domain and an SSL certificate thrown in.

Windows-specific features include five Microsoft SQL databases of up to 1GB each, ASP.NET 4.7, ASP.NET Ajax and MVC 3, 4 and 5. There's support for SQL import, SSI and dedicated app pools, and your plan will be running on Windows Server 2019 (many hosts are still using 2012).

Ramping up to the top-of-the-range Pro Windows plan gets 100 databases (1GB SSD), 100 email accounts, a dedicated IP, regular malware scanning and an integrated Cloudflare-based CDN. Again, this is good value at only $1 (£1 for UK page) a month for the first six months, $10 (£7 for UK page) afterwards.

These are shared plans and don't give you full control over the server, but more flexible VPS and dedicated plans are also available at very low prices, and opting for Windows instead of Linux will cost from an extra $14 (£10) a month.

Factor in the one-month trial and 1&1 IONOS could be a sensible choice for novices looking to try out Windows hosting with the minimum of risk.

A2 Hosting is a capable provider with a huge range of plans covering everything from basic shared products, managed WordPress and email hosting, to reseller plans, cloud VPS and dedicated servers.

A2's Windows offerings include a capable Swift plan priced at $5.88 (£3.76) a month initially, $11.99 (£7.66) on renewal. This is a shared product, but a good one, with unlimited websites, subdomains, email addresses, databases and more. Highlights include free site migration, SSD storage as standard, virus scanning, automatic backups, free Let's Encrypt SSL, Anycast DNS, and Cloudflare Free CDN for a claimed average of 200% faster page loads.

Your site will be hosted on Windows Server 2012, although you can choose Windows Server 2016. Windows Server 2016 debuted many new features – Nano Server, containers, ReFS, Linux Secure Boot support – but you won’t be using these capabilities on a shared hosting plan.

What you do get with the Swift plan is support for an array of current and legacy Microsoft products and standards: ASP.NET 2.x, 3.x and 4.x, classic ASP, .NET Core 2.2, ASP.NET MVC 4 or 5, IIS 8.5 and Silverlight 4 or 5. And if your needs are more cross-platform, there's PHP 5.6, 7.0, 7.1 or 7.2 support, phpMyAdmin, and one-click installers for PrestaShop, WordPress, Drupal and more.

If shared hosting isn't enough, A2 also provides managed Windows VPS plans. These are well specified and priced fairly from $36.29 (£27.85) a month initially, $54.99 (£42.19) on renewal, which represents decent value for the features and support you get.


While there are plenty of low-cost shared Windows hosting packages around, they're not the best choice for everyone. We suspect that many users who need a Windows website will also require more speed and functionality than the average customer, and budget hosting may not be good enough.

Hostwinds' Windows VPS hosting offers no less than 10 plan configurations, making it much easier to find and purchase the precise level of service you need.

The baseline specification is impressive. Every plan offers free site migrations, SSD storage, and 1Gbps network connectivity (100Mbps is common with other plans). You also get the ability to use Windows Server 2008, 2012 or 2016, along with fast response times for any support issues (30 seconds for chat or phone, 5 minutes for tickets), and 99.999% uptime guaranteed overall.

The starter Tier 1 plan offers relatively limited resources, with one CPU core, 1GB RAM, 30GB disk space and 1TB traffic per month. But it's also good value at $9.89 (£7.6) a month for the first term, $10.99 (£8.4) on renewal. Those prices are for a monthly billing cycle, too – no lengthy contract required.

Upgrading to a higher tier gets you more power. The mid-range Tier 5 plan offers four CPU cores, 8GB RAM, 150GB disk space and 3TB bandwidth, for example, and is priced at $45.89 (£35.20) a month initially, $50.99 (£39.1) a month afterwards.

Optional extras are reasonably priced. You could add cloud backups for $1 (£0.70) a month, for instance, while spending $5 (£3.60) on basic server monitoring will see Hostwinds watch your system and automatically raise a support ticket if it goes down.

Put it all together and these seem well-designed hosting plans which are powerful, configurable, with excellent support and a generous 60-day money-back guarantee. If basic Windows hosting isn't enough, Hostwinds could be worth a try.

Many web hosts provide some level of Windows support, but it's often limited to a specific set of products, such as dedicated servers. That could become an issue if you decide you'd like to upgrade or downgrade your hosting at a later date, so it makes sense to look for hosts which offer more flexibility.

HostGator has a range of Windows plans covering personal and business-friendly shared hosting, and ranging up to highly-specified dedicated servers with the power to run just about anything.

Most of these products are distinctly short on limits and restrictions. The starter Personal plan may only support one website, but you're allowed unlimited subdomains, emails, MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server databases, and unmetered bandwidth and disk space. It’s priced from $2.64 (£2) a month if you sign up for the three-year plan, $6.95 (£5.3) on renewal, which is cheaper than the equivalent Linux plans of some providers.

There is a potential downside in HostGator's relatively dated software: Windows Server 2008 R2, IIS 7.5, MSSQL Server 2008 R2 Web Edition, Access Databases 2007, 2010, ASP.NET up to 4.5, PHP 5.2.17 and PHP 5.3. This won't matter to everyone, but check your technical Windows requirements before you sign up.

HostGator's dedicated plans are a little more up-to-date, though still lagging behind some of the competition, with Windows Server 2012 R2, IIS 8.5, SQL Server 2014 Express, and ASP.NET from 2.0 up to 4.6. 

Headline prices are reasonable, with the Value Server plans starting from $119 (£85) a month, and occasional special deals as low as $79.99 (£57) for legacy servers. Be sure to carefully check the small print, though – you might have to sign up for three years to get these prices, and large introductory discounts mean that you could pay more than double on renewal.


Liquid Web is a popular provider of high-end professional web hosting services, and its current range includes some very capable Windows products.

The company's Cloud VPS range hosts your web space across multiple devices to improve performance and scalability, delivering what Liquid Web claims is the "fastest managed VPS hosting on the planet". All plans include features that might be chargeable extras elsewhere – unlimited sites, Gigabit transfer, Cloudflare CDN, DDoS attack protection, US or EU hosting – and run Windows Server 2012 or 2016, yet you can still get a capable setup for $59 (£48) a month.

Unusual touches include a choice of SQL Server versions. 2014 or 2016 Express come by default and you can add the Web Editions for $35 (£25) a month, but Standard and Enterprise editions are also available if you need them.

For even more control, you could opt for one of Liquid Web's Private Cloud Servers. These give you all the power of a Cloud Dedicated Server, but also allow for creating, managing and using custom VPS instances (separate virtual servers). You could set up a Windows VPS to run your ASP.NET site, for instance, but also create a Linux VPS instance to run WordPress, another for PrestaShop, maybe a third as a Windows development environment – it's up to you.

Private Cloud Servers prices start from $174 (£136) a month with no long-term contract requirements, and no leap in costs after an initial discount expires.

Liquid Web may charge a Windows license fee on top of that, but you'll only pay once per Cloud Server. This allows you to create as many Windows-based VPS instances as you need, at no extra cost.

Interestingly, if you remove all Windows instances then the license fee will no longer be charged, a handy money-saver for users who only need Windows support occasionally.

Whatever product you choose can be fully managed by Liquid Web's excellent support team, another company highlight. The firm doesn’t just promise to keep your site up and running, there’s a commitment with a 100% uptime SLA (service level agreement), a strong sign of confidence in its services that you rarely see elsewhere.

You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:

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Mother's Day flowers: the best online delivery services compared for you

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 10:37 AM PDT

Getting Mother's Day flowers delivered online has never been easier thanks to the huge range of options available here in the UK. But where do you start with so many online florists fighting for your attention? 

We've plucked our way through the best places for flower deliveries online, so you've got plenty to choose from. While we're less than a week away now, these florists are still taking orders online with various delivery windows remaining open. If you opt for standard delivery for arrival in a few days' time, you're more likely to pay lower delivery costs, while most charge extra if you want them to be delivered specifically on Mother's Day this Sunday March 31.

You can get flowers delivered to your mum's home or workplace and if you're not sure if they'll be home to receive the delivery, be sure to check out the letterbox-friendly options we've mentioned. That's where the flowers can be delivered boxed in the regular post before they open up and bloom.

There's a fantastic and broad range of beautiful bouquets and gifts available from our selection of florists below. And online delivery from a specialist company means you don't have to worry about the usual hassle of buying from a regular florist and getting them home safely through the commuter crowd. So yes, shop smarter this year for Mother's Day flowers and leave it to the professionals in our list below.

If you're thinking of something else that could be a great gift for Mother's Day, how about creating a unique gift via our roundup of the best photo books for a more personalised gift? If you have siblings and you want to win Mother's Day, this is the way to go.

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Montenegro vs England live stream: how to watch Euro 2020 qualifier football online

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 10:25 AM PDT

International football is back! It's been a while coming, but Euro 2020 qualifying football is finally here. After a delay caused by the new UEFA Nations League, England kicked off their campaign last Friday and continue today in Montenegro. We're delighted that it's on free-to-air TV in the UK - although you'll need to keep scrolling to see how to live stream Montenegro vs England wherever you are in the world. 

You have to say that England came through their first qualifier against the Czech Republic with flying colours. They were scarcely troubled at all by their opponents, and coasted to a 5-0 win. Raheem Stirling stole the headlines with an accomplished hat-trick, while captain and talisman Harry Kane also scored from the spot. Brimming with confidence and with lower ranked opposition tonight, we'll see whether Gareth Southgate risks blooding his younger squad members such as Declan Rice and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

We feel no shame at all in admitting that we can't tell you a a lot about Montenegro's predicted line-up. Defender Stefan Savic is probably their best known name, playing his domestic football in Spain at Atletico Madrid and briefly appearing for Manchester City in the Premier League earlier in his career. They have an Arsenal striker, too...Luka Dordevic who plays for Russian club Arsenal Tula (sorry!).

So can England continue their momentum and come up with the goals they need to claim an expected second win on the trot? Or can Montenegro come up with a suprise result? Find out by following the instructions below and grabbing a live stream of Montenegro vs England Euro 2020 qualifying football wherever you are in the world. 

How to live stream Montenegro vs England from outside your country

If you're in the UK, US or Australia this Monday, then your viewing options are set out in simple black-and-white below.

But it's not so straightforward if you try and watch the game from abroad, as you'll likely be faced with a very unhelpful geo-block.

How to stream the England game live in the UK 

How to live stream Montenegro vs England in Australia

Live stream England vs Montenegro in the US for FREE

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SMBs backing Making Tax Digital

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 10:16 AM PDT

One in four decision makers working for SMBs believe that Making Tax Digital (MTD) will have a positive impact on their business in the long term though some of those affected are still unprepared for next week's deadline.

As of Monday 1 April, MTD for VAT (MTDfv) will come into force for VAT-registered businesses with VAT taxable turnover exceeding the £85,000 compulsory VAT registration threshold. This means that those businesses will need to keep records digitally and submit all future VAT returns using MTD-compatible software.

According to a new survey from YouGov, 26 percent of 1,000 small and medium-sized business decision-makers  believe that the process to move taxes onto a digital platform would be a good thing for their business with the next five years.

However, on the other hand, only 16 percent believe it will have a negative impact while almost half (46%) said it would make no difference.

Making Tax Digital

Of the SMB businesses affected by MTDfv, more that one in ten (11%) said they were very or extremely unprepared for the new scheme to come into force. 

YouGov's survey also found that 15 percent of SMBs didn't know how prepared they are while 56 percent said they were fairly or extremely prepared.

Tax Policy Expert with the Association of Accounting Technicians, Brian Palmer explained that there is still hope for businesses that are not yet prepared for MTD, saying:

“While it’s clearly a concern at this late stage that some small businesses are totally unprepared for the first phase of MTD, there is still some time for them to prepare. The vast majority of those businesses affected by MTD for VAT won’t have to submit their first return until well after the end of the first quarter of the 2019-20 tax year, sometime around the end of July or even early August. This means that there is still the opportunity to sort a digital software provider, or speak with an accountant who can help you get on the right path.”

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Death Stranding is in a 'critical phase', according to director Hideo Kojima

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 10:07 AM PDT

Death Stranding is proving to be one of gaming's biggest enigmas, with no one quite sure what the upcoming title from Kojima Productions is actually about – we're not even sure Hideo Kojima himself knows. 

But it seems we are creeping ever closer to details on Death Stranding, even if we're still not quite sure what it's actually about. 

Thanks to a tweet by Kojima, we now know the game has reached an important phase of development and is even capable of running on the PlayStation 4.

We'll probably still be waiting a while

Image credit: Kojima Productions

The following tweet by Kojima (roughly translated by MSPoweruser), explains that while Death Stranding is fairly far along in development, there's a lot of polishing to still be done.

"Death Stranding is not yet in the debugging stage, but is currently having all the game elements and tools from different development systems combined into the game," Kojima writes. "It’s a process that involves connecting the parts, adding feeling, looking over the production, the specifications, looking out for trouble, taking things out and adding things in. 

"I’m playing the game on PlayStation 4 every day. It’s a critical phase."

It doesn't exactly tell us much, but it does reveal that the game is far enough along in development to be playable on the PS4 and that Kojima is taking his sweet time making sure all the details are just right. Which is a good thing, but infuriating for those waiting for more information. 

Hopefully more information on Death Stranding will be revealed during Sony's State of Play conference later today

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Only a few days left to get this extraordinary £13 p/m for 100GB SIM only deal

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 10:06 AM PDT

All good things must come to an end eventually - hot Summer weather, the weekend, Vodafone's 100GB of data SIM only deal with tonnes of cashback. While we are yet to find out how to extend weekends or make England hot all year round, we can tell you that the SIM only deal joy doesn't have to end yet with three days still remaining to grab this tariff. 

Missed out on this Vodafone SIMO hype? Well let us catch you up on what you've missed. Currently providing the best SIM only offer on the market, Mobiles.co.uk is offering up a 100GB data Vodafone SIM for just £20. And that's before you even get to the massive levels of cashback.

With two cashback choices available, Mobiles has options for everyone, knocking the cost down to either an effective £13 a month or £15.83 - one being cheaper but a bit more complicated, the other saving you less but giving you the benefit of ease.

You can see both of these cashback offers below so you can choose the one that works for you. Or if you would rather avoid cashback all together or go for something a bit cheaper, check out our guide to the best SIM only deals.


Vodafone SIM only deal - option 1 with £94 cashback

Vodafone SIM only deal - option 2 with £60 cashback

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Best e-commerce hosting in 2019

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 10:02 AM PDT

Got a great idea, service or product? Building a quality web store could help you sell it to the masses, and it's easier than you think.

Even basic website hosting plans will often include core e-commerce functionality: templates for web stores, PayPal integration, easy installs for popular shopping carts.

Ramping up to specialist e-commerce plans will get you powerful product catalogues, stock inventory and other business management tools, and support for more payment methods.

While these products can be packed with features, even the high-end e-commerce plans are designed to be simple to use. Choose a layout, fill in forms to build your product catalogue and your store will start to take shape. There's still work to do – opening an account to take credit card payments, perhaps – but even web store novices will be able to figure it out as they go along.

Prices are low, too, with one decent starter plan giving you three years hosting for £1.50 ($2.10) a month, or a total of £54 ($76) plus tax. If you're wondering about e-commerce but not quite sure whether it's right for you, this gives you a cheap and easy way to test your ideas.

Whether you're a total e-commerce newbie or you're already running a busy web store, we've found five excellent hosting plans that could take your selling to the next level.

If you're new to web selling, building your first store can seem complex and intimidating, but it doesn't always have to be that way.

Website builder Wix comes with some gorgeous store templates which can be freely customized via its excellent editor. Site design takes a far more visual approach than most of the competition, so for example you can see designs and layouts before you drag them onto the page. Choose your preferred option and it's displayed with dummy product images, instantly giving you an idea of how the finished store will look.

There's plenty of power here. Products can be physical or digital, they may be illustrated with images or videos, assigned custom options (colors, size), promoted with coupons, and you can set up your own shipping and tax rules to cope with tricky situations. Plus, with the introduction of Wix Turbo, your site will load much faster.

Wix supports a wide range of payment methods. Exactly what's on offer depends on your location, but when we tested the service from the UK we were offered Square, Stripe, Moolah, Worldpay, Wirecard and PayPal.

Whatever your choice, you'll pay the provider only: Wix doesn't charge any transaction fees.

Your finished store still won't have as many features as the top e-commerce providers, but Wix is easy-to-use, the $16.50 (£12.50) a month price is fair, and it's a smart way for newbies to dip their toes in the web store waters.

Getting your first web store up and running is often an expensive business. Many providers offer little or no e-commerce functionality in their starter plans, and you'll often have to fork out for a high-end specialist plan before you can do anything useful.

iPage is a rare exception where even the most basic hosting plan gives you more than enough to get started.

A template-based website builder and free web store make it easy to design your shop, for instance. There's PayPal support for taking payments. You also get integration with your choice of shopping cart (AgoraCart, OpenCart, OSCommerce, PrestaShop, TomatoCart, Zen Cart), a free domain for the first year, and 24/7 phone (toll-free in the US and UK) and chat support to handle any urgent problems that might crop up.

There are limits, too. The website builder only supports a maximum of six pages, for instance, and many customers will expect to be able to pay by credit card as well as PayPal. (You can do that, but you'll need to sort it out yourself.)

Still, the introductory price is very low at $1.99 (£1.50) a month for up to 36 months, $7.99 (£6) on renewal. It could be worth buying just as a learning environment to experiment with the technology and see what you can do. And if you do go online, you shouldn't have to sell many products to make your hosting fees back.


While many web hosts go to huge efforts to highlight e-commerce abilities, others barely mention them at all. SiteGround is a great example: there's no big "build your web store here" headline, and yet when you look at the details, even its most basic shared hosting plan has a lot of e-commerce power.

A Weebly-based website builder is available to create your store, for instance. HTTP/2 enabled servers and Cloudflare CDN integration boost speeds, reducing the chance that customers will abandon the site. And when it's time to buy, free Let's Encrypt SSL certificates will give your customers confidence that their payment details are secure.

SiteGround plans include the Softaculous installer, which enables speedy setup of big-name shopping cart and e-commerce tools including PrestaShop, WooCommerce and Magento.

At the time of writing, the company quotes 99.996% uptime for the last 12 months, good news when you're running something as important as a web store. Although if you do hit trouble, 24/7 support and automatic daily backups should help you quickly recover the situation.

The baseline Startup plan gives you all this for $3.95 (£3) a month for the initial term, rising to $11.95 (£9) on renewal. It has some limits – 10GB web space, a suggested maximum of 10,000 visits a month, support for hosting one website only – but these won't be an issue for many smaller stores, and there are more powerful plans available if you need them.

1&1 IONOS eCommerce Website Builder is a powerful tool which combines simple template-based web store design with professional features and functionality.

High quality design templates help you get up to speed quickly. There aren't many, but they look good, and can easily be customized to suit your needs.

1&1 IONOS's baseline Essential account is a little underpowered, considering its price – $20 (£20 for UK page) a month ($1 or £1 per month for the first six months). You get support for unlimited items and there's an SSL certificate thrown in, but payment methods are limited to PayPal Express Checkout, cash on delivery, invoice and direct debit, and shipping support is self-organized only.

The range improves significantly with the Business plan priced at $30 (£30 for UK) a month ($1 or £1 per month for the first three months). This adds further payment methods, including credit cards, Skrill, Ingenico and Stripe. There's optional integration with the excellent Shippo multi-carrier shipping system, and support for connecting your store to comparison sites including Idealo, Google Shopping and Shopping.com.

The Pro plan takes your store to the next level by allowing you to sell on eBay and Amazon Marketplace. It's an unusual and welcome extra, but the price is relatively high at $500 (£50 for UK page) a month ($1 or £1 per month for the first three months).


Starter e-commerce hosting plans can do a lot for a very low price, but you'll often pay in terms of service quality. Websites based on shared hosting may be slow, or fail entirely, and support is often limited. This might not matter for tiny web stores, but if you're running a big business, it could be a major issue.

Liquid Web's hosted WooCommerce plans are far more expensive, with prices starting at $249 (or £179) a month (at the moment of writing, you can get 28% off for the first two months), but it's easy to see why: they trample all over the underpowered baseline efforts of the competition. There is also a beginner plan for $39 a month ($28.08 a month for the first two months) which isn't as powerful, but worth checking out if you need a more "lightweight" option.

Wide product support covers physical goods, digital downloads, virtual products (like online courses), for instance. There are no limits on the number of products you can sell, and you have many powerful ways to present them. The site doesn't just allow customers to choose product variations from a list, for example (color, size, design) – you can show them photos which match their selections.

Store management tools are just as flexible. You can define your own custom order statuses and workflows, automatically offer customers related products, set promotions, create coupons, accept product reviews, manage inventory and more.

Professional design features include hundreds of responsive themes and a drag-and-drop page builder for editing.

Your site is hosted on scalable containers. These are isolated environments which aren't shared with other users, improving reliability. Even better, they don't limit you to some preset amount of system resources. The platform can detect when you're busy and dynamically add RAM and CPU cores as required.

Premium touches include performance testing and a staging area to test site features before going live. Jilt's abandoned shopping cart recovery may help you regain lost customers, and support for Glew's analytics will deliver valuable information about your customers and orders.

For busy stores, perhaps most important of all is Liquid Web's excellent support. The company isn't just available 24/7/365 to respond to problems: it monitors stores, often detecting and fixing hosting-related issues before you even realize anything is wrong.

Put it all together and this is one very impressive range, with more than enough power to run the busiest of web stores. Go take a look.

The importance of getting the best ecommerce web hosting

Today, e-commerce has become a massively lucrative channel for retailers. However, the quality of the hosting services that many small businesses are using often leaves a lot to be desired. A recent report showed that one in three Britons have abandoned their online transactions because of poor website design and inefficient hosting.

Research from hosting company 1&1's '2011 Digital High Street Audit' finds worryingly low levels of consumer satisfaction with the small business websites available to them. The risk to firms from providing a bad online experience is clear – 49% of consumers believe that a bad website makes a worse impact than a business having no website at all. This conclusion has led 37% to walk-away from companies completely, in favour of using a competitor. An additional 9% of Britons have found themselves reducing their spend with small companies as a direct result of being deterred by a poor company website.

Oliver Mauss, CEO, 1&1 Internet said: "Research shows that keeping an ugly or badly functioning website online can comprise a risk to sales revenue. Consumers have ever higher expectations, and it is essential that every company website inspires confidence. Businesses that invest carefully in their web experience will see higher levels of customer spend, retention and referral".

You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides:

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Apex Legends is getting another new character this season

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 09:21 AM PDT

It seems Apex Legends will be getting another new character in the coming weeks.

According to the Sony PlayStation Store listing for Apex Legends (spotted by Apex Legends Insider), another Legend and another weapon will be added to the battle royale game during Season One – which means we will see both added to the game within the next 12 weeks. 

"Two new characters will launch over the course of the season but in the meantime, look out for a new weapon set to launch as the season progresses," Sony's description reads. "Best of all, each new Legend and weapon will launch with a full set of cosmetics to unlock." 

In addition, "two new items will be introduced during the season that will offer something new and innovative to the strategic mix". 

Who is the new Apex Legend?

Apex Legends

This description by Sony essentially confirms rumors that a new Legend called Wattson will be added to the game. 

According to dataminer Shrugtal (via Apex Legends Insider), another seven Legends are planned for the battle royale. Although we don't know when they will launch, Wattson seems to be the most likely to land next, with Twitch streamer Shroud confirming he has play-tested both Wattson and the recently released Octane.

We don't know much about Wattson yet, except that she is rumored to be the daughter of Apex’s lead electrical engineer. Which means Respawn may be planning to expand the game's lore aspect even further, creating a fully-fledged universe comparable to the likes of Overwatch.

Respawn Entertainment has not yet confirmed if, or when, we will be seeing this new Legend added to the game.

(Image credits: Respawn Entertainment/EA)

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What is 5G? Everything you need to know

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 09:20 AM PDT

What is 5G?

5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before.

Combining cutting-edge network technology and the very latest research, 5G should offer connections that are multitudes faster than current connections, with average download speeds of around 1GBps expected to soon be the norm.

The networks will help power a huge rise in Internet of Things technology, providing the infrastructure needed to carry huge amounts of data, allowing for a smarter and more connected world.

With development well underway and testbeds already live across the world, 5G networks are expected to launch across the world by 2020, working alongside existing 3G and 4G technology to provide speedier connections that stay online no matter where you are.

5G - the latest news

25/03 - NETWORKS - EU 'won't ban' Huawei from 5G networks - EU wants member states to share cybersecurity data instead...

21/03 - NETWORKS - Three increases annual revenues ahead of 5G launch - Operator says 2018 was solid foundational year...

14/03 - DEVICES - What will future 5G smartphones look like? - Industry experts believe a new era is upon us...

13/03 - NETWORKS - Verizon to launch mobile 5G next month - Verizon set to launch first 5G mobile broadband service...

13/03 - DEVICES - Nissan uses 5G to put an augmented reality co-driver in your passenger seat - A virtual companion for lonely road trips...

12/03 - NETWORKS - Germany makes private 5G spectrum available for industry - IIoT gets boost with local network pledge...

11/03 - NETWORKS - Germany won't ban Huawei but tightens rules for all 5G vendors - Ministers and regulator say they don't want to ban Huawei...

08/03 - ANALYSIS - 5G and a better-connected world - Turning the next generation of wireless into a reality...

07/03 - NETWORKS - Vodafone UK expands 5G launch to 19 towns and cities - More locations named ahead of commercial launch...

07/03 - NETWORKS - 15m Brits would switch to 5G now - But 5G adoption will be slower than 4G, says Deloitte...

06/03 - NETWORKS - Five Eyes "needs major 5G vendor" - Former Australian Prime Minister warns Five Eyes nations on 5G security...

03/03 - DEVICES - Why have so many 5G phones been launched already this year? - Surely, it’s too early?

02/03 - DEVICES - Foldable phones, 5G and cinematic screens: how smartphones are changing this year - MWC 2019 showed a quiet revolution is coming...

01/03 - DEVICES - Motorola targets mid-range in 5G and foldable smartphone era - "New dawn" beckons for Motorola in the mobile market...

28/02 - NETWORKS - BT hires 1,600 apprentices ahead of EE 5G launch - BT looks for apprentice and graduates to future proof workforce...

27/02 - NETWORKS - Security and cost worries could harm 5G - Business and technology executives underestimate the disruptive prospects of 5G...

27/02 - NETWORKS - FC Barcelona's Nou Camp will be 'first' 5G stadium - Fans to benefit from immersive 5G experiences...

26/02 - DEVICES - Sprint 5G: all the phones coming to the next-gen network - Top networks require top phones...

26/02 - NETWORKS - Nokia says it is the one-stop shop for 5G network gear - Nokia details new equipment and operator partnerships...

26/02 - NETWORKS - Google Fi customers will get 5G from Sprint's network - MVNO gets 5G...

25/02 - NETWORKS - Security flaws in 4G and 5G revealed - New flaws allow attackers to intercept calls and track user locations...

25/02 - DEVICES - Sony will make a 5G phone, but only when the tech rolls out - It won't be left behind in 5G race...

25/02 - DEVICES - Lenovo teases first 5G laptop powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx - But, what’s taking so long – and where are the rest?

25/02 - NETWORKS - GSMA: One in seven connections will be 5G by 2025 - GSMA kicks off MWC with prediction for the market...

25/02 - DEVICES - Affordable 5G phones will arrive in early 2020 - Not a flagship exclusive for long...

25/02 - DEVICES - HTC 5G home hub gets you ready for superfast internet - Get your home or office 5G-ready...

24/02 - DEVICES - Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G may be your first 5G-ready phone - One of the first 5G phones of MWC 2019...

22/02 - DEVICES - Will Samsung enjoy first mover advantage with 5G? - Samsung beats rivals to 5G smartphone...

22/02 - ANALYSIS - Huawei: We make it cheaper and simpler to deploy 5G - Head of carrier business touts benefits of 5G kit ahead of MWC...

21/02 - NETWORKS - 5G could solve major 4G congestion - Current 4G download speeds differ greatly depending on country and time of day...

21/02 - DEVICES - Gemalto makes 5G SIM card available to operators - Gemalto pitches "world-first" 5G SIM card...

21/02 - NETWORKS - O2 5G confirmed to launch in these four cities in 2019 - O2 5G will go live in UK capitals this year...

20/12 - NETWORKS - 5G will account for a quarter of UK mobile data traffic by 2022 - UK will be second only to the US in 5G...

20/02 - NETWORKS - Vodafone 'world-first' connects smartphones to 5G network - Vodafone connects handset in Barcelona ahead of MWC next week...

19/02 - DEVICES - You may want to hold off buying a 5G phone until 2020 - This second generation 5G modem will make a difference...

19/02 - NETWORKS - Three trials cloud core 5G network with staff - Full rollout expected later in 2019...

19/02 - ANALYSIS - Does sports content hold the key to 5G adoption? - Tokyo Olympics and Euro 2020 could be first time many experience 5G...

18/02 - NETWORKS - UK 'doesn't need to ban' Huawei 5G kit - Huawei's 5G equipment is a 'manageable risk', NCSC apparently claims...

18/02 - NETWORKS - Vodafone UK switches on first 5G airport - Manchester Airport upgraded to superfast speeds for consumers to try out 5G...

15/02 - NETWORKS - Three brings 5G to the catwalk and its flagship store - Three shows off 5G to consumers at London Fashion Week...

13/02 - NETWORKS - UK switches on first 5G factory trials - Worcestershire 5G testbed goes live...

11/02 - NETWORKS - Sprint sues AT&T over '5GE' claim - Rivals clash in 5G row...

11/02 - ANALYSIS - AI, 5G and the race to completely autonomous vehicles - Now is the time to implement a data-centric architecture...

08/02 - NETWORKS - Trump anticipated to ban 5G networks from using Chinese tech - An executive order is expected to come before MWC...

07/02 - DEVICES - Vodafone trials 5G form factor device with Ericsson and Qualcomm - Operator takes step forward in 5G development...

06/02 - NETWORKS - US urges EU to reconsider role of Huawei in 5G - US ramps up pressure on Huawei with stark warning...

05/02 - NETWORKS - Ericsson joins O-RAN to drive intelligent 5G radio development - Ericsson extends commitment to open standards...

04/02 - NETWORKS - GSMA suggests Huawei 5G talks at MWC - Industry concerned at Huawei 5G exclusion following long-term controversies...

01/02 - DEVICES - Huawei 5G foldable phone teased in MWC 2019 press conference invite - Our first look at the world's first foldable 5G phone...

31/01 - ANALYSIS - Investing in a 5G future: The role of MNOs - 5G's 2020 rollout is fast approaching...

31/01 - NETWORKS - Nokia predicts staggered demand for 5G kit in 2019 - Nokia reports increased revenue and profit in Q4...

31/01 - DEVICES - 5G phones: these are going to be the first next-gen handsets - The new 5G phones of 2019 and beyond...

31/01 - DEVICES - LG hints strongly at 5G foldable phones for 2019 - Taking the fight to Samsung's Galaxy X...

28/01 - NETWORKS - Chinese EU Ambassador says Huawei 5G ban would be 'self-defeating' - Senior diplomat dismisses security fears as fabrications...

25/01 - DEVICES - Huawei says it'll show off a foldable 5G phone at MWC 2019 - The world's first 5G phone with a foldable screen...

24/01 - HARDWARE - Huawei reveals 5G modem and base station chips - Huawei chips will ease deployment and widen support...

22/01 - NETWORKS - Vodafone and O2 team up on 5G network sharing - Two operators look at options for mast infrastructure as they extend network sharing deal to cover 5G...

17/01 - NETWORKS - Huawei faces US probe as Germany considers 5G options - US DoJ reportedly accuses Huawei of trade secret theft...

14/01 - NETWORKS - US government shutdown is threat to 5G rollout - Industry body warns about impact of FCC shutdown...

14/01 - HARDWARE - Intel wants to be your one-stop shop for 5G - Intel VP tells us that “5G runs on Intel”...

14/01 - DEVICES - Apple looks at Samsung and MediaTek modems for 5G iPhone - Latest revelations from Qualcomm's antitrust trial...

12/01 - DEVICES - iPhone 11 tipped to have faster Wi-Fi, but 5G might have to wait - Better speeds for the 2019 iPhones?

11/01 - NETWORKS - Ericsson tests strengthen wireless backhaul's suitability for 5G - Ericsson and Deutsche Telekom trials achieve 'fibre-like' performance...

10/01 - NETWORKS - T-Mobile continues US 5G crusade with 600MHz call tests - T-Mobile completes multi-band call tests with Ericsson and Intel...

09/01 - DEVICES - 5G and fixed displays to drive smartphone sales in 2019 - Research suggests 5G might be silver bullet...

09/01 - NETWORKS - AT&T claims advanced 4G is '5G' - Software update claims advanced 4G is 5G Evolution...

08/01 - DEVICES - 5G can be tonic for smartphone saturation - GSMA Intelligence finds 80 per cent of developed world owns a smartphone...

08/01 - HARDWARE - Intel targets 5G base stations with 'Snow Ridge' chips - Intel hopes edge computing advantage will pay off...

08/01 - NETWORKS - The Galaxy S10 isn't at CES 2019, but Samsung's 5G plans are here - Samsung Galaxy S10 is here in pieces if you look closely...

06/01 - DEVICES - Byton confirms M-Byte car will be available in 2019 with AI, 5G and 48-inch display - That's a whole lot of screen...

04/01 - ANALYSIS - What to expect from 5G at CES 2019 - 5G could be the star of the show at CES 2019...

24/12 - ANALYSIS - Three CEO: Capacity, not speed is the true 5G revolution - Dave Dyson talks up Three's 5G strategy...

21/12 - NETWORKS - O2 confirms 5G tests will use Huawei kit - London 5G tests will be carried out using Huawei equipment, O2 confirms...

19/12 - NETWORKS - 'Strong' business demand for 5G could be tempered by network transformation - Gartner says operator focus is on consumer applications...

19/12 - NETWORKS - AT&T is second US operator to launch 5G - AT&T gears up for limited 5G launch...

19/12 - DEVICES - Top Samsung Galaxy S10 could have a massive screen and support 5G - But it might not be available everywhere...

17/12 - ANALYSIS - The coming 5G revolution - How the next generation of mobile connectivity will bring emerging technologies to life...

17/12 - NETWORKS - Rivals claim Three's spectrum variation will hand it 5G advantage - Three now has 100MHz of continuous 3.6GHz spectrum...

14/12 - NETWORKS - 5G could add billions to world GDP - Unlocking the right 5G spectrum will make all the difference...

13/12 - NETWORKS - Huawei will do 'anything' to be trusted 5G partner - Huawei says if there's anything it can do to ease security concerns, it will do it...

10/12 - NETWORKS - Vodafone to use manhole covers to improve 4G and 5G - Vodafone hopes street level infrastructure will improve network...

10/12 - ANALYSIS - 5G is just the beginning for the future of smartphones - The future of mobile looks promising...

06/12 - ANALYSIS - Vodafone Business rebrand highlights strategic focus in 5G era - Vodafone Enterprise is now Vodafone Business...

06/12 - POLICY - EU approves new regulations to boost 5G rollout - EU passes new code despite industry opposition...

06/12 - PRODUCTS - OnePlus CEO confirms its 5G phone will cost $200 to $300 more than OnePlus 6T - But it isn't done with 4G devices...

06/12 - NETWORKS - We need rigorous 5G testing before we get in the driverless car - Autonomous vehicles will rely heavily on next generation networks...

05/12 - PRODUCTS - OnePlus will be the first to release a 5G phone in Europe - It's all thanks to some help from EE...

05/12 - NETWORKS - How 5G technologies can be implemented more efficiently - Knowing where to place 'small cells' will make all the difference...

05/12 - DEVICES - This Samsung 5G prototype phone has a notch... but it's in the corner - Updated with an official comment from Samsung...

04/12 - DEVICES - Here's the first 5G smartphone and, no, you can't buy it - It's a reference device from Qualcomm, but it promises a lot...

04/12 - NETWORKS - Nokia and Qualcomm complete 5G call interoperability tests - Another 5G testing hurdle is cleared ahead of launch...

04/12 - NETWORKS - Arqiva and CityFibre to build 5G small cell network in London - Hammersmith & Fulham will host UK's largest pilot to date...

04/12 - ANALYSIS - 2019 telecoms forecast: the year of 5G and open source - Canonical takes a look at some of the most important trends for next year...

04/12 - NETWORKS - MI6 chief warns UK on role of China in 5G networks - Alex Younger says there needs to be a conversation about Huawei's role...

03/12 - NETWORKS - Three Korean operators launch 5G networks - Operators bring forward South Korea 5G launch...

03/12 - DEVICES - Verizon and Samsung to launch 5G smartphone in 2019 - Companies will show off PoC this week...

29/11 - PRODUCTS - Toyota's new humanoid robot can be controlled remotely via 5G - A helping hand from afar...

29/11 - NETWORKS - 5G will require mobile operators to rethink the role of Wi-Fi - Operators may need to de-prioritise Wi-Fi in 5G era...

28/11 - NETWORKS - New Zealand 'blocks' use of Huawei 5G kit - Spark application rejected by New Zealand government...

27/11 - NETWORKS - 5G will have 'fastest ever' global rollout - Ericsson Mobility Report says Europe will fall behind without market changes...

23/11 - NETWORKS - O2 gears up for 5G with Massive MIMO trial - O2 trials technology in London head of 5G launch...

22/11 - NETWORKS - Huawei boasts of 22 5G commercial contracts - Head of Huawei carrier business touts end-to-end capabilities of its equipment...

22/11 - NETWORKS - Nokia creates Access Networks Division for end-to-end 5G - Nokia hopes organisational changes will give it 5G advantage...

21/11 - NETWORKS - EE and BT Sport plan UK's first 5G sport broadcast - EE Wembley Cup will be transmitted via 5G...

20/11 - HARDWARE - Huawei urges operators to trust its 5G vision as it shifts 10,000 base stations - Huawei Chairman Ken Hu details 'Cloud X' vision...

20/11 - NETWORKS - Three: 5G wireless broadband can be genuine alternative to fibre - Three-commissioned report touts price-saving benefits of 5G FWA...

20/11 - DEVICES - OnePlus could charge a high price for its upcoming 5G phone - Price tag for superfast device could be up to $100 more...

19/11 - NETWORKS - Faroese Telecom wants to bring 5G to Shetland - Shetland confirms talks with Faroese mobile provider...

16/11 - ANALYSIS - The week that UK 5G transformed from hype into reality - UK operators detail more about 5G launches in 2019...

16/11 - ANALYSIS - 2025: the year of 5G entertainment - Intel's Alex Gledhill tells us how 5G can benefit all areas of work and life...

15/11 - RESEARCH - Samsung invests $22bn in AI and 5G - Korean tech giant aims to control 20 per cent of the network equipment market...

15/11 - NETWORKS - US begins auction of 5G spectrum - US operators bid for high range spectrum to power mobile broadband services..

15/11 - HARDWARE - German government 'urged' to consider Huawei 5G ban - Reports suggest push could have come too late...

14/11 - DEVICES - Verizon connects a smartphone to its 5G network - Verizon is currently the world's only commercial 5G operator...

13/11 - PRODUCTS - Intel will launch 5G modem next year - Chipmaker speeds up plans for 5G modem launch in 2019...

13/11 - NETWORKS - EE to launch 5G as 'premium' mobile experience in 16 UK cities in 2019 - Operator to upgrade 1,500 sites in the busiest parts of its network...

12/11 - DEVICES - OnePlus 7 may not be the upcoming 5G phone from the brand - Is a whole new OnePlus line on the way?

09/11 - NETWORKS - What role will 5G play in NBN's gigabit broadband vision? - 5G can boost FWA broadband to gigabit levels...

08/11 - POLICY - Ofcom CTO: Spectrum and security are biggest 5G challenges - Ofcom CTO Mansoor Hanif discusses the barriers to fulfilling 5G potential...

07/11 - NETWORKS - EE announces UK 5G trial expansion - Nine east London sites are now linked up to EE's 5G trial network...

07/11 - NETWORKS - How 5G will enable the next generation of IoT deployments - Canonical head tells us why next-generation networks are the key to innovation...

07/11 - NETWORKS - Three reveals £2bn UK 5G investment - 5G set to be a "game-changer" in the UK says Three CEO Dave Dyson...

06/11 - DEVICES - UK operators urged to 'consider' 5G equipment suppliers - Government aims to ensure UK's telecoms infrastructure is secure...

06/11 - NETWORKS - GSMA: Operators need prime spectrum to fulfill 5G potential - Industry body publishes paper ahead of WRC-19...

05/11 - NETWORKS - 5G operator revenues to reach £230bn by 2025 - Research suggests £46bn in 5G R&D will be well spent...

03/11 - DEVICES - Apple tipped to launch a 5G iPhone in 2020 - Super-fast speeds on the way...

31/10 - NETWORKS - BT CTO: Convergence of fibre, 5G and Wi-Fi will create 'one network to rule them all' - Howard Watson believes convergence will be a key differentiatior in telecoms...

30/10 - DEVICES - Oppo wants to release the first 5G smartphone - Oppo wants to beat LG to the punch after successful 5G tests...

30/10 - NETWORKS - Budget 2018: More funding for rural fibre but no new 5G commitments - Digital infrastructure largely a footnote in 2018 Budget...

26/10 - NETWORKS - Trump lays out US 5G strategy - Order looks to ease progress towards 5G network deployment in the US...

25/10 - PRODUCTS - Qualcomm works with Samsung on 5G small cells - Qualcomm and Samsung look to establish 5G leadership...

25/10 - NETWORKS - Vodafone switches on 'full 5G' trial in Manchester - Salford's MediaCity UK gets 5G coverage as Vodafone shapes up next-gen network...

23/10 - DEVICES - OnePlus 7 or OnePlus 7T will be first from company to support 5G - 2019 is the year OnePlus adopts 5G...

22/10 - NETWORKS - EU could back Wi-Fi over 5G for connected cars - Draft proposals could see Wi-Fi rules set before 5G...

19/10 - DEVICES - Operators may have to subsidise 'expensive' 5G smartphones - Early 5G smartphones could be too expensive for consumers...

19/10 - PRODUCTS - Huawei 5G folding phone could take on the Samsung Galaxy X in 2019 - Huawei knows when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em...

18/10 - NETWORKS - Ericsson sales boosted by early 5G adoption - Ericsson feels flush from operator investment...

17/10 - PRODUCTS - Samsung buys Zhilabs to power 5G analytics - Samsung's 5G efforts continue with purchase of analytics experts...

16/10 - NETWORKS - European mobile giants urge pro-5G investment policies - Leading CEOs urge EU regulators to consider importance of connectivity...

15/10 - PRODUCTS - US senators urge Canada to 'ban' Huawei from 5G deployment - US senators fear Huawei kit could harm US national security...

12/10 - PRODUCTS - New Nokia kit promises more rapid and effective 5G FWA deployments - Operators can get new high gain antennas and gateways...

12/10 - NETWORKS - Deutsche Telekom plots 99 per cent 5G coverage by 2025 - German operator details plans for 5G rollout...

08/10 - ANALYSIS - Differences in early 5G services will make it a 'marketing headache' - Analysts predict difficulties in 5G marketing as mobile broadband will be key adoption driver...

05/10 - NETWORKS - EE switches on 'UK's first' 5G trial network at Canary Wharf - EE gears up for 2019 5G launch...

04/10 - NETWORKS - Huawei tells FCC that US ban could mean country falls behind in 5G - Huawei hasn't given up hope in playing US 5G role...

01/10 - INNOVATION - Samsung partners with AT&T to build a 5G tech lab - Facility will research ways 5G could improve manufacturing...

01/10 - NETWORKS - Verizon turns on the world's first 5G network - Launch across four US cities could be a major landmark in the development of 5G...

28/09 - NETWORKS - Digital Catapult switches on Brighton 5G testbed - UK's latest 5G testbed goes live on the South Coast...

26/09 - ANALYSIS - Could 5G networks herald the arrival of a four-day work week? Increased productivity as a result of 5G powered technologies could disrupt the traditional work week...

25/09 - DEVICES - Manufacturers hope 5G and foldable displays will drive smartphone growth - Analysts believe the smartphone will be unrecognisable by 2027...

24/09 - NETWORKS - WIG raises £220m for 5G infrastructure - WIG to use additional funding for small cells and fibre...

21/09 - NETWORKS - Vodafone targets cities and rural areas for 2019 5G launch - Cornwall and the Lake District will be first to get Vodafone 5G...

12/09 - NETWORKS - T-Mobile signs $3.5bn 5G network deal with Ericsson - T-Mobile secures second major 5G equipment deal...

11/09 - NETWORKS - EE could launch the UK's first 5G network in 2019 - EE reallocates 3G spectrum ahead of 2019 5G launch...

11/09 - NETWORKS - European mobile operators bring forward 5G plans - Global 5G connections to reach 340m by 2021 as European optimism increases forecasts...

11/09 - GAMING - Nvidia shows how GeForce Now 5G streaming could make high-end gaming hardware irrelevant - Hitting 60 fps in Full HD resolution with no need for a beefy gaming laptop...

10/09 - NETWORKS - CityFibre SDN rollout to speed up 5G deployments and enable 10Gbps - CityFibre agrees deal with Calix to smarten its network..

10/09 - NETWORKS - Ericsson radio updates and transport partnerships to accelerate 5G deployments - Ericsson says a series of developments will make it easier and quicker to deploy 5G...

08/09 - NETWORKS - How 5G will make our streaming dreams come true - Zero buffering, no waiting. Will 5G lead the way?

07/09 - FEATURE - Inside the 5G factory: How Nokia's research aids its own production - Nokia's Oulu facility has been involved in every generation of mobile technology...

05/09 - NETWORKS - San Marino will have Europe's first 5G network - Microstate will be a testbed for TIM...

05/09 - NETWORKS - China considers merging two major mobile operators in 5G push - Merger would create world's second largest mobile operator...

04/09 - PRODUCTS - UK''s 'first' large-scale 5G hub to test digital health apps in 2019 - West Midlands will become UK's first 5G hub...

31/08 - ANALYSIS - Golf's digital ambitions make it an unlikely 5G pioneer - Golf looks to new technologies - including 5G...

31/08 - NETWORKS - German operators will have no rural obligation for 5G - 5G spectrum auction will take place in 2019...

30/08 - DEVICES - Larger screens and 5G to drive smartphone growth through to 2022 - Smartphone market 'generally healthy' despite recent dip...

28/08 - NETWORKS - German regulator calls for fourth operator for 5G - Competition chief believes new entrant will kickstart German 5G...

28/08 - NETWORKS - Nokia secures €500m EU loan for 5G research - New funding will accelerate 5G technology R&D...

23/08 - NETWORKS - Major 5G trends become more apparent as first network launch nears - The past seven days have been a long time in the world of 5G...

23/08 - ANALYSIS - Huawei & ZTE banned from Australia 5G networks - Australian government says 5G architecture makes it too risky...

22/08 - PRODUCTS - Qualcomm to start shipping its 5G modems - However chipmaker says it doesn't expect 5G phones to launch this year...

22/08 - NETWORKS - Speed takes centre stage as operators ramp up 5G testing - Report suggests 82 per cent of mobile operators worldwide are testing 5G...

22/08 - DEVICES - Nokia expects to make €3 from every 5G smartphone - Finnish giant sets rate for its essential 5G patents...

20/08 - NETWORKS - Government to test 5G on UK railways - DCMS invites participants for pilot to see how 5G can improve transport sector...

20/08 - NETWORKS - Verizon and Nokia test 5G with a moving vehicle - Partners make progress in mobile broadband and connected car apps...

17/08 - NETWORKS - 5G network slicing could be worth £51bn to mobile operators - Researchers say efforts by operators and vendors could bear fruit...

16/08 - NETWORKS - Cisco posts healthy revenues ahead of 5G push - Cisco is happy with innovation roadmap as it prepares for next generation networks...

16/08 - NETWORKS - Telstra switches on 5G for the Gold Coast, but wider availability remains murky - Australian telcos Optus and Vodafone say there’s a long road ahead...

15/08 - NETWORKS - O2 tests light-based wireless transmission ahead of 5G tests - Li-Fi is pitched as a Wi-Fi alternative...

15/08 - DEVICES - LG to launch 'first 5G smartphone' in 2019 - LG and Sprint will release a 5G-ready device in the US next year...

13/08 - NETWORKS - Ericsson hopes US 5G investments will speed up deployments - Ericsson makes investments in 5G R&D...

08/08 - NETWORKS - Samsung invests billions in 5G and AI - Samsung's £17bn investment programme looks to guard against smartphone slowdown...

07/08 - NETWORKS - US set to lose out to China in 5G race - Deloitte report urges policymakers to promote investment...

02/08 - DEVICES - Moto Z3 is the world's first 5G-upgradable smartphone, say Motorola and Verizon - The first 5G-almost-ready smartphone...

02/08 - OPERATORS - Three focuses on 5G after revenue and customer rises - Three now boasts 10.1m customers across the UK...

31/07 - DEVICES - Lenovo says it'll be the first to launch a 5G smartphone - Could be here before the end of the year...

30/07 - NETWORKS - Nokia and T-Mobile ink $3.5bn 5G network deal - US operator presses ahead with 5G rollout plans...

27/07 - OPERATORS - Mobile helps BT Q1 results ahead of 5G trials - Consumer division continues to offset BT business decline...

26/07 - OPERATORS - O2 invites FTSE 500 to trial its 5G - O2 presses ahead with 5G tests as it adds more customers...

26/07 - OPERATORS - Nokia looks to 5G after sales slowdown - Nokia says drop is to be expected but is confident for second half of 2018...

26/07 - OPERATORS - Sky Mobile extends O2 MVNO agreement to cover 5G - Sky Mobile now has 500,000 customers across the UK...

23/07 - REGULATION - UK Government promises new regulations and investment for full fibre and 5G - Government report outlines plans to deliver fibre to entire UK by 2033...

23/07 - PRODUCTS - Qualcomm's mmWave antennas pave way for first 5G smartphones - The first 5G smartphones should arrive in 2019...

20/07 - NETWORKS - Barriers to 5G could stop UK being a global leader - BSG report identifies issues and resolutions...

18/07 - NETWORKS - South Korea plans 2019 5G launch - "Korea 5G Day" will see new networks introduced a year ahead of schedule...

10/07 - NETWORKS - China Mobile, Intel and Huawei complete 5G interoperability testing - Tests pave way for China Mobile 5G launch next year...

09/07 - NETWORKS - SSE Enterprise Telecoms unbundles BT exchanges to boost broadband and Three 5G - SSE Enterprise Telecoms doubles its reach...

03/07 - NETWORKS - Samsung, Cisco and Orange hold multi-vendor 5G FWA trial - FWA will deliver a fixed-like broadband experience when 5G launches...

29/06 - DEVICES - OnePlus 7 could support 5G and be sold by US carriers - But don't expect it for a while...

28/06 - NETWORKS - "World's first" 5G network launches - Finnish operator Elisa claims global first in launching a commercial 5G network...

27/06  - ANALYSIS - The World Cup and 5G: the trials you need to know about - 5G will change how you watch football forever...

25/06 - NETWORKS - UK 'needs shared spectrum' for 5G - Ofcom urged to rethink 5G spectrum auction to ensure fairer rollout...

20/06 - NETWORKS - Vodafone launches 5G trials in seven UK cities - Vodafone to hold trials later this year with plans for a 2020 5G launch...

19/06 - NETWORKS - Mobile signal woes 'strengthens' business case for 5G - Only half of mobile users in the UK are happy with their speeds, but willing to pay more for faster service...

15/06 - NETWORKS - First standalone 5G network standard approved - 3GPP finalizes 'Release 15' of 5G after three years of work, meaning networks are on the way this year...

14/06 - ANALYSIS - Three CEO: 5G capacity is a 'big opportunity' to lead UK market - Dave Dyson says Three's spectrum holdings mean it could be the UK's 5G leader...

13/06 - NETWORKS - Vodafone: 5G smartphone uncertainty means focus on core network and IoT - Vodafone UK CTO says 5G will be a gamechanger, but smartphone innovation in the 4G era won't be matched...

12/06 - NETWORKS - 5G networks still set to arrive this year - Ericsson report suggests Europe will fall behind US and Asia on 5G adoption...

11/06 - NETWORKS - 'First ever' UK 5G report paints rosy picture - UK's 5G ambitions rely heavily on startup and research community...

06/06 - ANALYSIS - EU telecoms rule changes will hinder rather than help 5G, claim industry - Telecoms groups label the new EU code a "missed opportunity"...

06/06 - NETWORKS - EE to switch on 'UK's first' 5G trial in London - Residents and businesses in Tech City will get chance to try out 5G...

05/06 - PRODUCTS - 5G PCs coming from Intel and Sprint next year - US telecoms giant Sprint has joined the race to bring 5G to the masses, announcing at Computex 2018 to start shipping Intel-powered 5G computers next year...

01/06 - ANALYSIS - 5G UK - How far away are we really? - 5G will deliver immediate benefits in 2019, but the true mobile revolution will take time...

25/05 - POLICY - Mobile industry 'shouldn't wait' for 5G to roll out small cells - Small cells will be essential for delivering the 5G vision but industry warns there is no time too wait...

25/05 - POLICY - Nordic Prime Ministers reach agreement to support 5G - Joint agreement is welcomed by Nokia, Ericsson and regional operators...

22/05 - NETWORKS - Qualcomm details 5G small cell platform - Qualcomm wants to help operators and network equipment manufacturers densify 5G networks...

18/05 - NETWORKS - Verizon to bring 5G to Los Angeles in 2018 - Verizon says America's second largest city will be its next 5G location...

16/05 - NETWORKS - Mobile IoT networks to be a 'core component' of 5G - GSMA says NB-IoT and LTE-M deployments are paving the way for massive IoT powered by 5G...

14/05 - NETWORKS - 5G and network convergence drives growth of carrier-grade Wi-Fi market - Fixed and mobile operators look to densify network infrastructure...

08/05 - PRODUCTS - Why self-driving vehicles could be the biggest winner in a 5G world - Telefónica tells us why autonomous vehicles are set to be a key 5G use case...

08/05 - NETWORKS - Verizon and Samsung get 5G regulatory boost - Verizon and Samsung make major headway towards 5G...

03/05 - NETWORKS - Deutsche Telekom holds live 5G NR trial in Berlin - German operator says test will see how 5G NR behaves in real world...

02/05 - ANALYSIS - Why T-Mobile and Sprint merger would give the US a 5G lead - A truly national 5G network could ensure the US retains its advantage...

01/05 - NETWORKS - Three futureproofs backend infrastructure for 5G - Three and SSE Enterprise Telecoms deal with start with data centre connectivity...

30/04 - NETWORKS - T-Mobile and Sprint merger promises 5G progress in the US - America's third and fourth largest mobile operators are to merge...

18/04 - NETWORKS - Huawei dampens 5G expectations - Huawei CEO says consumer might not notice the differences...

17/04 - NETWORKS - China has narrow lead over US in 5G race - Government support and industry momentum gives China slight advantage, report says...

16/04 - DEVICES - 5G anticipation set to slow smartphone sales - Manufacturers hope for 5G boost as worldwide smartphone demand slows...

13/04 - NETWORKS - What does the Ofcom 5G auction mean for the UK mobile industry? - The long-awaited auction is over, paving the way for 5G...so what next?

12/04 - NETWORKS - Vodafone hits major UK 5G milestone - Vodafone is first UK operator to test 3.4GHz spectrum in preparation for 5G...

09/04 - NETWORKS - Europe set be left behind in 5G race - US and Asia will lead the way in 5G development, claims report...

05/04 - NETWORKS - Mobile networks fork out £1.4bn for 5G spectrum - Ofcom publishes the results of its 5G spectrum auction, revealing that the UK's biggest mobile network operators spent almost £1.4 billion...

28/03 - NETWORKS - 'World's first' 5G public trial switched on in Australia - Australian telco Telstra flips the switch on the world's first public trial of 5G at the Gold Coast...

28/03 - NETWORKS - 5G RuralFirst looks at smart farming, spectrum sharing and broadcasting - Government funded project will use Cisco tech to help transform rural lives...

28/03 - POLICY - UK5G group makes bid for global 5G leadership - Government and industry backed UK5G looks to establish UK 5G community...

27/03 - NETWORKS - GSMA: 5G will be dominant mobile tech in USA by 2025 - Mobile industry body report shows US will be a 5G leader...

27/03 - NETWORKS - Telefonica tests tech that could boost 5G broadband - Telefonica spectral efficiency trials hope to pave the way for better fixed wireless access (FWA)... 

23/03 - NETWORKS - 5G networks are now just a year away - Korea Telecom plans commercial 5G launch next March...

20/03 - NETWORKS - UK 5G spectrum auction gets underway - Five bidders will battle it out for more of the UK's airwaves...

19/03 - NETWORKS - UK university makes major 5G breakthrough - University of Kent-based iCIRRUS consortium says Ethernet equipment can help deliver 5G networks...

16/03 - NETWORKS - O2 kickstarts the UK's 5G charm offensive to consumers - 5G hypetrain moves from industry into the mainstream...

15/03 - NETWORKS - Digital minister pledges to eliminate barriers to 5G deployment - Margot James says she wants to work with mobile operators and local government on 5G...

14/03 - NETWORKS - O2: 5G will save local councils and households £6bn a year - Report details how smart technologies powered by 5G can improve society...

12/03 - NETWORKS - Ofcom 5G spectrum auction will start next week - Ofcom confirms that bidding for 5G frequencies will begin on 20 March...

12/03 - NETWORKS - Government reveals £25m prize fund for UK 5G - £25m competition will see 5G testbeds located across the UK...

11/03 - DEVICES - 5G a key factor to seamless VR experience, says Lenovo EMEA President - Lenovo wants to create memorable experiences for its customers, but is that enough?

09/03 - NETWORKS - Ofcom plans new rural coverage obligations for 700MHz spectrum - Ofcom says 700MHz is an important opportunity to improve rural coverage as it plans for 5G future...

05/03 - NETWORKS - EU Parliament and US Congress take steps to accelerate 5G legislation - EU chambers reach provisional agreement while US Congress to vote on spectrum auction...

05/03 - DEVICES - HTC CEO: 5G will turn any VR device into the most powerful in the world - Cher Wang says the smartphone still has a role to play in VR...

03/03 - NETWORKS - Qualcomm hopes 5G vision will stand out from the hype - Qualcomm's influence in the industry is significant, so its 5G roadmap is worth listening too...

02/03 - NETWORKS - BT CEO: EE convergence even more important ahead of 5G - Gavin Patterson says BT never really left mobile and is preparing for converged network era...

28/02 - NETWORKS - Intel and NTT DoCoMo prepare 5G plans for Tokyo 2020 Olympics - After success at PyeongChang 2018, Intel is stepping up plans for next Olympics...

27/02 - NETWORKS - Satellite-supported UK 5G testbed will trial mission critical apps - Juniper Networks and Satellite Applications Catapult say satellite cannot be ignored...

27/02 - MOBILE - Qualcomm looks to make it easier to make 5G phones - Launch will help OEMs build 5G connectivity into more devices...

27/02 - NETWORKS - Ofcom confirms six bidders for 5G spectrum - All four mobile operators have been approved, with small cell operator and Hull fixed wireless firm joining...

27/02 - NETWORKS - Ericsson tells operators: 5G is ready - Ericsson has agreements with 38 operators around the world as 5G moves from idea to reality...

27/02 - PRODUCTS - Get ready for a 5G Internet of the Sky - Drones like the Ehang 184 will usher in a 5G-powered autonomous airspace...

26/02 - NETWORKS - Telstra plans to ramp up 4G speeds in the lead up to its full 5G rollout - Major cities in Australia to get increased bandwidth...

26/02 - NETWORKS - Cisco targets mobile operators with '5G Now' - Cisco wants to help operators prepare for the next era of networks...

25/02 - MOBILE - Huawei reveals 5G-ready modem - Test beds for 5G networks will be launched this year, Huawei reveals...

23/02 - NETWORKS - Why PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics are a 5G milestone - Athletes are making history at the Winter Olympics, but it's an important event for 5G networks too...

22/02 - NETWORKS - O2 reveals UK 5G test bed - Operator will test 5G applications at iconic London venue later this year...

19/02 - NETWORKS - Vodafone and Huawei successfully test IP Microwave backhaul for 5G - Vodafone and Huawei achieve 2Gbps on IP microwave link, claiming it shows the tech is viable for 5G...

16/02 - NETWORKS - Why startups and research can make the UK a 5G leader - Does the UK really need to be first to the mark or be an industry powerhouse to be a 5G leader?

16/02 - OPINION - No time to waste now 5G legal challenges are over - For an industry keen to avoid a repeat of the 3G and 4G auctions, Three's failed appeal removes a barrier to 5G...

14/02 - MOBILE - Fiber-like internet and a glimpse of our 5G future are coming to smartphones in 2019 - Qualcomm's new mobile modem offering speeds of up to 2Gbps...

14/02 - NETWORKS - 5G spectrum auction to go ahead after Three's legal challenge fails - Three's bid to decrease an overall spectrum cap falls on deaf ears and prevents further delay...

12/02 - NETWORKS - China Mobile plans 5G launch in 2019 - China Mobile joins a select few number of operators planning to beat original 2020 target...

08/02 - MOBILE - The first 5G smartphones are coming in 2019 - But you won't see 5G service everywhere by next year...

07/02 - MOBILE - 5G set to push mobile data use sky-high - Giffgaff research estimates customers will use nearly 100GB of mobile data a month by 2025...

05/-2 - NETWORKS - Telstra joins Optus on 5G bandwagon, also aiming for 2019 rollout - Australian carrier Telstra will trial new tech during Commonwealth Games...

05/01 - NETWORKS - AT&T set to run 5G trials - Company to adopt new 3GPP guidelines as it continues push for next-generation networks...

04/01 - NETWORKS - Samsung teams up with Verizon on 5G - New service to be launched in Sacramento later this year...

02/02 - NETWORKS - Optus 5G network rollout set to begin in early 2019 - Australian telco Optus announces its plans for 5G rollout...

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What will 5G networks mean for me?

  • Faster download and upload speeds
  • Smoother streaming of online content 
  • Higher-quality voice and video calls 
  • More reliable mobile connections
  • Greater number of connected IoT devices 
  • An expansion of advanced technologies - including self-driving cars and smart cities

How fast will 5G be?

It’s still not exactly known how much faster 5G will be than 4G, as much of the technology is still under development.

That being said, the networks should provide a significant upgrade to current download and upload speeds - with the GSMA proposing minimum download speeds of around 1GBps.

Most estimates expect the average speed of 5G networks to reach 10Gb/s, and some even think transfer rates could reach a whopping 800Gb/s.

This would mean that users could download a full-length HD quality film in a matter of seconds, and that downloading and installing software upgrades would be completed much faster than today.

Will I be able to get 5G networks on my phone?

Existing smartphones, tablet or other devices that were released when 4G networks were the standard may not be able to connect to 5G to begin with, or may incur extra costs to do so. 

However following the 2020 deadline for the initial rollout, we should soon see devices coming with 5G connection as default.

Don't worry though - although 5G should represent a major step up from current 4G and 3G networks, the new technology won’t immediately replace its predecessor - at least, not to begin with.

Instead, 5G should link in with existing networks to ensure users never lose connection, with the older networks acting as back-up in areas not covered by the new 5G coverage.

So-called “4.5G” networks (also known as LTE-A) are set to fill the gap for the time being, offering connections that are faster than current 4G networks, although only certain countries such as South Korea can benefit from them right now.

Once launched however, implementing 5G may be a slower process. Much like the gradual takeover of 4G networks from the previous generation, existing network infrastructure may need to be upgraded or even replaced in order to deal with the new technology, and homes and businesses may also need to get new services installed.

It’s not yet known how 5G networks will take over from existing networks, but again, much like the rollout of 4G, you may not be able to immediately connect to the new networks without upgrading your technology.

What will a 5G network need?

The GSMA has outlined eight criteria for 5G networks, with a connection needing meet a majority of these in order to qualify as 5G:

  • 1-10Gbps connections to end points in the field (i.e. not theoretical maximum)
  • 1 millisecond end-to-end round trip delay (latency) 
  • 1000x bandwidth per unit area
  • 10-100x number of connected devices 
  • (Perception of) 99.999 per cent availability 
  • (Perception of) 100 per cent coverage
  • 90 per cent reduction in network energy usage 
  • Up to 10 year battery life for low power, machine-type devices 

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