Apple : Android TV now includes sponsored content on the home screen |
- Android TV now includes sponsored content on the home screen
- Apple Watch price cut: save $80 on the Series 3 Apple Watch at Walmart
- Apple AirPods sale: the rarely discounted earbuds get a $12 price cut at Walmart
- How record-beating speakers are ensuring the survival of this iconic, 150 year-old venue
- Leaked Acer gaming laptops seem to confirm GeForce GTX 1650 GPU
- Walmart 4K TV deal: get the Vizio 65-inch TV at its lowest price ever
- The best iPhone 8 Plus deals and UK contracts in April 2019
- The best Netflix series in the UK (April 2019): fantastic Netflix shows to binge
- Best phones for battery life: which smartphone is the longest-lasting?
- 10 best Android phones 2019: which should you buy?
- Get up to 40% off Adobe Creative Cloud for Photoshop, Illustrator and much more
- The best iPhone 6S deals and UK contracts in April 2019
- The iPhone 11 or Apple Watch 5 could monitor your body smells
- Best 40-inch TV 2019: the most affordable TVs in the 40-inch range
- March Madness live stream: how to watch the 2019 Final Four games online from anywhere
- Best architecture software of 2019
- Epic Games Store is giving away hit puzzler The Witness for free
- Sony cameras 2019: 10 best Sony cameras you can buy right now
- Best movies on Netflix UK: the best films to watch in April 2019
| Android TV now includes sponsored content on the home screen Posted: 05 Apr 2019 01:02 PM PDT As part of a pilot program, Google has added a new sponsored content section to some Android TV devices, the company confirmed in a statement to XDA Developers. That reaffirms an earlier report of some users noticing advertisements appearing on their Android TV-based Sony X900F TVs, though a statement from an Nvidia representative denies that the ads are appearing on Shield TVs – which implies that the problem might just be contained to Sony smart TVs.
If the update has been deployed to your device, you’ll notice a new 'Sponsored Content' row on the home screen in between your recommended content. Unlike other channels on Android TV, those who have the update claim the sponsored row cannot be customized in any way, nor can it be removed in the typical way – requiring those users to disable the Android TV Core Services app and manually restart the system. That said, while no one likes seeing advertisements spring up in a place where there were none before, what’s particularly frustrating is the way in which Google stealthily deployed the update and in the lengths some users have needed to go through to remove them. Another victim of the advertising agePlacing advertisements – or, as Google calls it, Sponsored Content – is a touchy subject for TV and home entertainment enthusiasts. Both TiVo and Roku caught flak when they introduced advertisements to their respective devices, and Vizio was fined $2.2 million for its deceptive ad practices in 2017. To its credit, Sony has already deployed an FAQ about the new sponsored content section on its TVs answering questions like “What determines which apps will appear in the Sponsored channel?” and “Can I add or remove the apps in the Sponsored channel?” (The answers to those are: Google determines this content, and no, they can’t be removed.) What Sony makes apparent in the post is that this is very clearly a Google mandate – Sony may use Google’s smart TV platform but it’s not in charge of these ads. So why is this happening? According to Google, “Android TV is committed to optimizing and personalizing the entertainment experience at home. As we explore new opportunities to engage the user community, we’re running a pilot program to surface sponsored content on the Android TV home screen.” ...Which, if you ask us, sounds like a really polite way of saying "we're putting ads on your TV".
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| Apple Watch price cut: save $80 on the Series 3 Apple Watch at Walmart Posted: 05 Apr 2019 11:59 AM PDT If you're interested in picking up an Apple Watch, now is a great time to find excellent deals on older models. Walmart has the Apple Watch Series 3 on sale at for $299. That's an $80 discount and the best price we've seen for the Series 3 Apple smartwatch. The Apple Watch 3 is a health-focused smartwatch and offers features such as heart rate monitoring, calorie tracking and GPS technology. The watch can also track popular workouts such as yoga, cycling, running, and swimming. The smartwatch is waterproof has an impressive battery life of up to 18 hours. The series 3 also includes the basic smartwatch features such as the ability to stream music, send messages and make calls. This particular model includes GPS and LTE connectivity, so you can get internet and phone connectivity even your iPhone is far away. This deal from Amazon includes the 38mm model Apple Watch and comes with a silver aluminum case and a white or black sport band. The Apple Watch 4 currently retails for right under $400, which makes the $299 price tag on this deal so attractive. We aren't sure how long Amazon will have the watch on sale so make sure to take advantage of this excellent discount while you can. Find more Apple watch deals with the best cheap Apple Watch prices and deals that are currently available. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Apple AirPods sale: the rarely discounted earbuds get a $12 price cut at Walmart Posted: 05 Apr 2019 11:24 AM PDT Apple has released its newer model AirPods, which means Apple's first generation AirPods are getting a rare price cut. Right now at Walmart you can find the previous model Apple AirPods on sale for $147. That's a $12 discount and the best price we've seen for the truly wireless Apple earbuds. Apple AirPods deal:See more Apple AirPod deals with the cheapest AirPod prices, sales and deals that are currently going on. Interested in other wireless headphones? We also have the best cheap wireless headphone deals and sales. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| How record-beating speakers are ensuring the survival of this iconic, 150 year-old venue Posted: 05 Apr 2019 09:30 AM PDT It was once said that the Royal Albert Hall was “the only place a composer could be sure of hearing his piece twice”. The legendary music venue’s sound has never quite matched its looks; that iconic domed roof and amphitheater-style design has ensured that any music played in the Hall has always suffered from a terrible echo – which is why a record-breaking speaker system was needed to finally give the Royal Albert Hall a sound quality fit for royalty. Costing over £2 million, the speaker installation took 693 days, and uses 15,291 meters of cable and 465 individual speakers, making it the world’s largest single-room speaker installation. We had the chance to see the new system at a special demo in the famous Hall, where we were treated to everything from a live string quartet to the chest-thumping bass of Daft Punk.
The Queen's box at the Royal Albert Hall (Image credit: Royal Albert Hall) More than a monumentIf you’re a music or history buff, there are few experiences more breathtaking than walking into the main arena of London’s Royal Albert Hall; opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria in memory of her husband Prince Albert, it has hosted everyone from Albert Einstein to the Beatles. Even if you aren’t aware of the 148 year-old building’s rich history, the imposing 20,000 ft dome, looming Grand Organ, and intricate, velvet-curtained boxes make it a sight to behold – which is why ensuring the Hall’s survival with the new sound system was so important to those who care for it. “This investment is about more than just updating the sound system,'' says Craig Hassall, Chief Executive of the Royal Albert Hall, “it’s about future-proofing the building as we approach our 150th anniversary in 2021, so that it is fit for another 150 years.” Could a new sound system really ensure the survival of the Royal Albert Hall? After all, it will always be a site of historical importance whether it sounds good or not – but to Hassall, neglecting its facilities as a music venue, is tantamount to forgetting why the Hall was originally built: “to promote the arts and sciences”, as per Prince Albert’s vision.
“It’s not a museum or a mausoleum, or a monument; we’re a venue” he told us, before we were invited into one of the boxes on the ground floor to listen to a live string quartet reciting popular classical songs. As they played, the sound engineer turned the system on and off so we could hear the difference in audio quality. At this level of the Hall, the change was subtle, but noticeable; rather than coming from the stage, it felt as though the music was coming from all directions, making the experience feel more immersive and intense. Part of that multi-directional sound is thanks to the inclusion of front and rear speakers in all 144 boxes in the venue.
Seven circle delay arrays now hang from the ceiling (Image credit: Royal Albert Hall) A huge undertakingNot only is the speaker system big, it’s also meant to be very clever. Created by D&B Audiotechnik, the system was designed especially for the Albert Hall using the latest 3D modeling and simulation techniques – a crucial step considering the acoustic challenges posed by the unique geometry of the Hall. Steve Jones, who works in Education and Application Support at D&B Audiotechnik told us that the team had to be very careful not to disrupt the design of the Hall, so much so that speakers inside the boxes were colored exactly to match the shade of the walls inside. It’s not just about color-matching though; as a Grade I listed building, the team had to be extremely careful when installing the new system so as not to damage the Hall’s unique design. Jones remarked that he was “still astounded” that Heritage England gave them permission to carry out the work; after all, drilling holes into one of the UK’s most-loved buildings comes with its fair share of risk – what if the team damaged something beyond repair?
The acoustic mapping of the Hall (Image credit: Royal Albert Hall) Those risks appear to have paid off. After spending some time in the box, we ascended another few levels up to the Rausing Circle, and then finally to the standing room-only Gallery – where the echo had been the most noticeable in the past. As Jones says, the Gallery is “the one bit of the Hall that creates the most reverb”. Up there, as the speakers blared out Daft Punk, the difference was most noticeable. There was no echo, only immersive, full-bodied sound, with warm bassy timbres and crisp, detailed vocals. Every ‘opening’ in the Gallery now has its own speaker suspended from the ceiling, pumping music directly to the audience standing below, as well as seven enormous circle delay arrays hanging from the domed ceiling. Jones told us that, as well as reducing echo, the new system also “democratizes” the listening experience, explaining that “audiences can now expect a level of audio quality and consistency across all seats, which [has] never before been achievable”. So, whether you’re stood on the ground floor, high up in the Gallery, or even sitting in the Queen’s box (although you’ll need a title for that last one), every note, lyric, or word you hear should sound clear and precise.
Image credit: Royal Albert Hall Looking to the futureOf course, there’s little point in installing a state-of-the-art sound system if artists won’t use it; it’s not at all uncommon for musicians to tour with their own equipment, trusting in what’s been tried and tested. As the string quartet launched into a lively rendition of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Ollie Jeffrey, Head of Production and Technical at the Royal Albert Hall, told us that getting the artists, comedians, and orchestras that play at the Hall on board was one of the easiest things they had to do. He said that the take-up has been “incredible”, with “96% of artists between September and December using the new system” – a testament to how well it works, and how much more convenient it is for artists.
The iconic acoustic 'mushrooms' were installed in 1969 (Image credit: Royal Albert Hall) Before the new system was installed, the Royal Albert Hall hadn’t seen a major upgrade since the fixture of the “iconic acoustic mushrooms” to the ceiling in 1969 – also designed to reduce the Hall’s echo issues. Will we be waiting another 50 years for the next audio upgrade? Apparently not, according to Jeffrey, who told us that the system will be worked on and updated regularly. Although he wouldn’t be drawn on specifics, Jeffrey told us that the Royal Albert Hall was ‘continuing to look’ into the latest audio tech, including systems that support “immersive sound”.
Manchester's Bridgewater Hall (Image credit: The Bridgewater Hall) While he didn’t reveal which kind of immersive sound this could be, immersive sound includes technology like object-based surround sound Dolby Atmos or the cinema sound codec DTS:X. “We are a world-class venue so we should have world-class technology - the journey isn’t over” Jeffrey tell us. Does this mean the new system isn’t quite world class yet? The Royal Albert Hall will likely never achieve the sonic perfection of modern concert halls like Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall or the Philharmonie de Paris – the sound there is something that started at construction, with every angle, beam, and surface calculated with scientific precision to completely deaden sound and eliminate unwanted echo. The Royal Albert Hall, thanks to its unique geometry, will probably never achieve total perfection – but that’s a big part of its charm. And thanks to its new sound system, it’s closer than ever before. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Leaked Acer gaming laptops seem to confirm GeForce GTX 1650 GPU Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:55 AM PDT A leaked slide suggests Acer is about to release some gaming laptops which run with GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and GTX 1650 mobile graphics cards. This is, of course, further potential evidence that a GeForce GTX 1650 exists in the first place, as the GPU hasn’t yet been confirmed by Nvidia – unlike the GTX 1660 Ti, which has, of course, already been released (although there’s no mobile version yet). However, there have already been several leaks regarding the allegedly incoming 1650, which will be the lowest-end Turing offering – and this certainly backs up those leaks (assuming the slide in question isn’t some kind of elaborate fake).
The slide (highlighted by Videocardz) is purported to be from an Acer presentation, and it shows the core specs of a few Nitro gaming notebooks, including the fact that they run with Intel’s 9th-gen Coffee Lake H series processors, and GPU options that include the GTX 1660 Ti, GTX 1650, and GTX 1050 (the latter being a previous-generation GPU).
ITHome initially spotted the slide, although has since taken it down, with Videocardz subsequently highlighting its existence (Image credit: ITHome/Videocardz) Benchmarks aplentyWe've previously seen a leaked 3DMark benchmark allegedly from a notebook running the mobile spin on the GTX 1650, and a purported Final Fantasy XV benchmark for the desktop version of the GPU, which showed it was faster than AMD’s Radeon RX 570. The GTX 1650 is expected to have a base clock of 1,395MHz, with 4GB of GDDR5 video memory, again according to the rumor mill. We're expecting to see this GPU released at some point in April, with speculation pointing to April 22 as a potential launch date. As for the incoming Acer laptops, these apparently include 15-inch and 17-inch Nitro models which will have super-slim (7mm – at least down the sides) bezels, as well as an option on a display with a 144Hz refresh rate (and a Full HD resolution).
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| Walmart 4K TV deal: get the Vizio 65-inch TV at its lowest price ever Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:51 AM PDT If you're looking for a killer discount on a large-screen TV, then look no further than this fantastic deal we've found from Walmart. Right now you can get the Vizio 65-inch 4K TV on sale for just $549.99. That's a $148 discount and the best price we've seen for the UHD smart TV. The budget-friendly Vizio has all the superior features you want in a big-screen TV. You can watch all your favorite content directly from the smart TV with the ability to stream Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and more. The Vizio D65x-G4 also has Chromecast built-in which allows you to stream thousands of movies and TV shows from the Chromecast app on your phone or tablet. This TV is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant so you can use your voice to turn on the TV, change channels, watch movies and more. The Vizio D-Series features 4K Ultra HD resolution so you can watch premium content in sharp contrast and accurate colors. The UHD TV also features full array LED backlighting resulting in a high-quality life-like picture. This is one of the best prices we've seen for a 65-inch 4K smart TV and the lowest price we've seen for this particular model. We aren't sure how long Walmart will have this TV on sale, so you should make sure to take advantage of this excellent deal while you can. Shop more of best cheap TV deals and sale prices that are currently going on and find out how to watch the Final Four with our March Madness 2019 live stream guide. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best iPhone 8 Plus deals and UK contracts in April 2019 Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:36 AM PDT Apple is the king of brilliant, yet expensive phones. With devices such as the iPhone XS Max and XR costing eye-watering prices, it can make sense to go back a models and pick yourself up one of Apple's older plus size models. This is where the iPhone 8 Plus deals come in. If you want one of the newest large screened Apple smartphones, but the price of the iPhone XS make you feel dizzy, then the 8 Plus will be the one for you. So how are iPhone 8 Plus prices looking. On average, if you shop wisely (using our price comparison chart below) you'll save yourself around £300 if you go for this handset over the iPhone X. We've seen monthly tariffs as low as the £25 region if you're prepared to stick a wedge down upfront. Still feeling a bit overwhelmed by these prices? Don't forget that iPhone 8 deals are also available if you'd prefer the smaller smartphone, along with the smaller prices. And you can save £10 on the upfront cost of any iPhone 8 Plus deal at Mobiles.co.uk by using the voucher code 10OFF at the checkout. See also: iPhone X deals | iPhone 8 deals | iPhone XS Max | Samsung Galaxy Note 8 deals | Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus deals | Best mobile phone deals | Best SIM only deals The 5 best iPhone 8 Plus deals you can get in the UK right now:iPhone 8 Plus price: how much does it cost?A mighty £699. That's how much the 64GB iPhone 8 Plus will cost you in the UK according to the RRP. That might seem like a lot but that's one hundred pounds cheaper than when it first came out. Need more memory? Then your only other option is spending an extra £150 and grabbing a £849 256GB iPhone 8 Plus. If you opt to buy the iPhone 8 Plus upfront without a contract you will save money in the long run, but of course £699 is a lot of money to pay. If you can afford it though it the way to go once you pair it with a cheap SIM only deal.
This is the iPhone you want if you can't quite afford the iPhone X or iPhone XS Max. It's got the larger battery, same powerful innards and strong camera. If you don't mind the poorer screen, it's a good option - and the screen is still a beaut. And we prefer it quite a lot more to the regular iPhone 8. Read more in TechRadar's full iPhone 8 Plus review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The best Netflix series in the UK (April 2019): fantastic Netflix shows to binge Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:24 AM PDT Netflix continues to be our number one streaming platform when it comes to the best of the best TV on offer. It has a huge range of exclusives, originals and classics to get stuck into. That huge range can make it tricky to know which is the best Netflix series to watch, especially as it's constantly being updated with such a great mix of shows, both old and new. That's why we've put together this guide to the best Netflix shows you can watch in the UK – and to keep up with Netflix's busy release schedule, we'll be updating it once a week. There are some brilliant shows to watch on Netflix this month; on April 5 we have the second season of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, plus the David Attenborough-narrated Our Planet hitting our screens. Also on April 5, Brie Larson's directorial debut Unicorn Store lands on Netflix, while the rest of the month looks to be pretty quiet – although thriller fans may be looking forward to the second season of The Protector, which comes out on April 26. Then there's a lot to get excited about later in the year too. The third season of GLOW will land at some point before the end of Summer 2019 and fans of Stranger Things will be happy to hear that Netflix has now confirmed the highly-anticipated third season will arrive on July 4 2019. March on Netflix saw in season 5 of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as well as the last half of the fifth season of Arrested Development and the third season of Queer Eye (yaaasss hunny). That's not all. Later that month, we also welcomed the third season of The Santa Clarita Diet as well. In other Netflix news, the streaming platform has now amassed an enormous 139 million subscribers, more than the populations of Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, Sao Paolo, and Mumbai combined. Now that Apple has released its own streaming service, Apple TV Plus, will this change? We think not, but only time will tell. Check out Apple TV Plus vs Netflix for more information on the fledgling platform. What's coming soon on Netflix?One of the best things about Netflix is it really does cater for every kind of taste. From gritty true crime and thrillers through to fantasy, space adventures and plenty of cartoons and fun for kids. We can’t guarantee it, but we’re pretty sure there’s something for everyone. Let’s not forget that a lot of the best Netflix series right now are originals that have been created by the Netflix team and the studios behind them. In short, Netflix is really on a roll. Here's some of the brilliant Netflix UK shows you can expect in 2019:
A still from Star Trek: Discovery Netflix UK FAQ: quick questions answeredHow much does Netflix cost in the UK? There are a few different plans you can choose from in the UK, depending on whether you want to watch in SD, HD, or Ultra HD (4K), and how many separate devices you want to watch on. The current pricing is as follows: Basic– £5.99 per month – With the cheapest membership option, you can watch one one screen at a time in Standard Definition, and download videos to one mobile device. Standard – £7.99 per month – This membership allows you to watch in HD on two screens at a time and download videos to two mobile devices. Premium – £9.99 per month – The most expensive subscription allows you to watch in HD and Ultra HD on four screens at a time, and download videos to four mobile devices. Netflix says that "High Definition (HD) and Ultra High Definition (Ultra HD) availability subject to your internet service and device capabilities and not all content [is] available in HD or Ultra HD." How can I get a free Netflix account? Netflix offers new customers a free month of the service as a trial period – simply choose a membership type and payment plan and your first month will be free. At the end of this period, if you choose to continue watching Netflix, you'll be charged one "low monthly fee" regardless of how much you used the service and on how many devices you watched videos on. Netflix will send you a reminder towards the end of your trial period – if you want to cancel your membership, you can do so at any time during this period and you won't be charged. Can I watch live TV on Netflix? No – you can only watch films and TV series from Netflix's rather extensive library. If you want to watch live TV in the UK, you can try services like Sky's Now TV, BBC iPlayer, or ITV Hub. Is Amazon Prime better than Netflix? The answer to that question really depends on the shows and movies you want to watch. Check out our roundup of the best Amazon Prime Video TV Shows for an idea of what you can watch on Amazon Prime. You can also read our Amazon Prime review for more information on what the service offers. Do you get Netflix free with Sky Q? Netflix can be accessed on a Sky Q box, but it doesn't come for free – you'll still need to sign in with a paid-for Netflix subscription. However, if you opt for Sky's Ultimate on Demand package, it will integrate Netflix billing with your Sky bill, while reducing its cost and unlocking Netflix recommendations within the Sky Q interface. If you're paying for both services, it's well worth combining them in this way as a result.
Best Netflix Original series
Image credit: Netflix Russian DollOrange Is The New Black's Natasha Lyonne stars in this dark comedy as Nadia, who keeps dying and reliving her 36th birthday party in a surreal time loop – much like Groundhog Day. With it's cynical and witty examination of living and dying, Russian Doll switches rapidly between laugh-out-loud hilarity and devastating sadness – it's a must-watch. Seasons on Netflix: 1
Image credit: Netflix ManiacA bizarre new sci-fi series based on a Norwegian TV show of the same name. It's about Annie and Owen, played by Emma Stone and Jonah Hill, two troubled strangers who are brought together during some strange pharmaceutical trials. Dr. James K. Mantleray claims that a new series of pills he's created can solve all kinds of mental illness and heartbreak, but there's something much deeper and more sinister going on too. Seasons on Netflix: 1
Image credit: Netflix Bojack HorsemanYes, Bojack Horseman is hilarious. Yes, it’s the best thing Will Arnett has done since Arrested Development. And, yes, it should be the next thing you watch if you are into anthropomorphic comedy about a once great TV star who has fallen on hard times. It’s all of that but it’s also a pretty accurate portrayal of depression and should be celebrated as such. For those who are worried it may be too dark for them, fear not - there's loads of slapstick humor, word play, and stunning animation to keep everything balanced. Seasons on Netflix: 5
Image credit: Netflix The CrownIs The Crown Netflix's crowning glory? It could be, as a sumptuous look at one of the world's most famous families: the Royal family. Charting the early years of the relationship between the Queen (Claire Foy) and Prince Philip (former Doctor Who Matt Smith), the show was written by Peter Morgan and, at £100 million, is one of the most expensive TV series ever made. Which means there's enough pomp and ceremony to keep those pining for a Downton Abbey replacement happy. The second season is now on Netflix and is a nice improvement on the first series - it's also the last that stars the current cast, with Olivia Coleman and Helena Bonham Carter slated to appear as the Queen and Princess Margaret respectively in the next couple on seasons. Seasons on Netflix: 2
Image credit: Netflix Orange is the New BlackOrange Is The New Black is back for its sixth season and is a show that consistently one of the best to watch, with its superb tale of life in a women's prison. It's so popular that it is now the most watched series on Netflix - although the makers have announced that the show's next season will be its last. The show has returned for a sixth season and things are looking pretty bleak for the inmates of Litchfield Penitentiary. Tensions and issues with the US prison system brought to the fore. While the comedy is still there, it's slathered with a fair bit of drama and darkness. Seasons on Netflix: 6
Image credit: Netflix GLOWThe long-awaited second season of the female wrestling comedy GLOW is finally here. The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling have returned and this time they’ve been commissioned for a full series of their trashy, hot-pink, hairspray-fuelled wrestling show led by their coked-up director (played by Marc Maron). The fantastic second season could potentially even outshine the first for its refreshing female-fronted cast and writers, and its brilliant balancing act between empowerment and exploitation. It’s a must-watch. Seasons on Netflix: 2 Best drama series on Netflix
Image credit: Sony Pictures Television Breaking BadBreaking Bad is must-watch TV and one of the reasons Netflix has risen to the popularity it has. Before Breaking Bad, Netflix was seen as a fairly decent streaming service. After it got the rights to show the final season of Breaking Bad in the UK, Netflix propelled itself to superstardom. Not bad for a show that’s ostensibly about a high-school teacher with cancer who goes on to sell meth to pay for his hospital bills. It goes without saying, if you haven’t yet spent time with Walter White and Jesse - do so now! But, be warned, the show is as addictive as the stuff Walter is peddling. Seasons on Netflix: 5
Image credit: BBC SherlockThis contemporary BBC remake of the Arthur Conan Doyle classic is dark, funny, and intricately written, and it's brought Victorian sleuth Sherlock Holmes bang up to date for the modern age. With stellar performances from Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Holmes and Dr Watson respectively, this BBC adaptation is an absolute must-watch. Storylines packed with intrigue and nail-biting tension are offset by moments of genuine humor, so even the scaredy-cats in the family will find something to love about this series. Seasons on Netflix: 4
Image credit: Channel 4 / Clerkenwell Films The End of the F***ing WorldAdapted from the comic book of the same name (mins the ***), The End Of The F***ing World is f***ing brilliant. It tells the tale of two teenagers on a journey; both are loners on the run but one of them just happens to be a bit of a psychopath. It's funny, but brutal TV. It's British and co-funded by Channel 4 and there's a fantastic edge to everything in it - and it's perfectly bite-sized, too at just under 20 minutes an episode. It's so good, it's destined to get a second season. The first ends so perfectly, though, it's actually a real shame that this will happen. Seasons on Netflix: 1 (and it needs to stay that way)
Image credit: Lionsgate Television Mad MenOn the face of it, Mad Men is about advertising execs - lead by the ever-conflicted Don Draper - in the Sixties but it's much much more. Each episode lingers, taking time to tell its tale, but it's worth the wait. Superb television that you can get caught up in. Seasons on Netflix: 7 Best comedy series on Netflix
Image credit: Netflix Sex EducationThis British comedy series sees socially awkward sixth-former Otis (who lives with his sex therapist mother) team up with the smart and rebellious Maeve, to create a sex clinic for the school's sexually frustrated students. It's equally funny as it is heartfelt, and offers a frank and uncensored view of teen sexuality and the social quagmire that is sixth-form education. Don't be put off by the Americanisation of this high school comedy that's apparently set in a seemingly quaint British village – the temporal and physical ambiguity is what gives this fantastic series part of its charm. Seasons on Netflix: 1
Image credit: NBC / Fremulon The Good PlaceComedy is in a good place right now and, funnily enough, The Good Place is a perfect example of that. Starring Ted Danson and Kristen Bell, this off-the-wall comedy focuses on a recently deceased woman who is sent to a heaven-like utopia called the Good Place completely by accident. In order to stay there she goes to any lengths to hide what a terrible person she was when living. Season 1 and 2 have already aired in the UK through Netflix, with new season 3 episodes being added each week in line with their US release. A great cast, clever writing and an original concept make this a must-watch. Seasons on Netflix: 3
Image credit: Objective Productions / Channel 4 Peep ShowAll nine seasons of Peep Show are now on Netflix - and if you haven't seen the show, then you are in for a treat. Charting the rather mundane lives of two flatmates Jez (Robert Webb) and Mark (David Mitchell), the show is a wry look at adults trying and failing to be adults. All shot in first person - hence the name - Peep Show doesn't shirk from sex, drugs and political incorrectness but it does it all in such a brilliantly British way, that you don't mind at all when you are watching some of the most awkward TV moments, including one of the characters serving up a dead dog for dinner. Don't ask, just watch. Seasons on Netflix: 9
Image credit: FX It's Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaInitially made on a shoe-string budget, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia first season had a cult following, but low viewing figures meant it was destined to be a one-series wonder. Thankfully, everything changed when Season 2 was eventually green-lit, thanks to some big-time star power. Danny De Vito joined for a 10-episode run that was extended because he loved it so much. He's still in the show that's now in its 13th season, bringing with him huge viewing figures. The antics of Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Rob McElhenney, the show's creator), Charlie (Charlie Kelly) and Sweet Dee (Kaitlin Olson) won't be for everyone - at its darkest the show's 'comedy' themes range from nazism to drug abuse - but stick with it and this deliciously depraved classic will reward you. Its 13th season has finally arrived on Netflix, and we're happy to say, it's just as funny as the previous 12. Seasons on Netflix: 13
Image credit: Netflix Arrested DevelopmentArrested Development is one of the best comedies ever made. So it made sense that Netflix would want to resurrect it for a fifth season. The fourth season was funny, but it wasn’t perfect - primarily because most of the cast were too busy to get into the same room. But the first half fifth season brings back some of that Bluth magic, which is full of in-jokes, jokes that run for entire seasons and more, well, jokes, this is essential TV. [Update: The second half of season 5 is here as of March 15, 2019. Do the chicken dance!] Seasons on Netflix: 5
Image credit: Fox Brooklyn Nine-NineFollowing the brilliant but immature NYPD detective Jake Peralta, this Golden Globe-winning series is a laugh-a-minute, with plenty of deadpan jokes, physical comedy, and crackpot characters. With around 20 episodes per season Brooklyn Nine-Nine is totally bingeable, and the latest fifth season is now available to stream on Netflix. Seasons on Netflix: 5 Best sci-fi / fantasy series on Netflix
Image credit: Netflix Stranger ThingsWhen it comes to TV and movies, the '80s is the nostalgia decade of the moment. Whether it's Jeff Nichols' Midnight Special that plays like a Steven Spielberg film, if Spielberg still made films like he did in the Eighties, or The Goldbergs and Red Oaks mining the decade for laughs, filmmakers can't get enough of the shell suits and Sony Walkmans. Stranger Things is another brilliant homage to this era. Leaning heavily on Spielberg, John Carpenter and Stephen King - so much King - the story revolves around a small town, a group of friends, a missing person and a dodgy science lab. Writing anything else would give away the myriad twists in a show that is full of brilliant creepy fun. The second season continues the brilliance of the first and you’ll be pleased to read that the quality has not diminished. In fact everything’s been ramped up - the horror is more horrific, the homages more on the nose and the creatures are, well, you’ll have to find out for yourself but you will not be disappointed. [Update: Netflix has just released the titles for each episode of season 3 in this teaser video, and confirmed the new season will arrive on July 4 2019.] Seasons on Netflix: 2
Image credit: Netflix The OACo-created by and starring the ever-brilliant Brit Marling, The OA consists of eight episodes that rival Stranger Things for, well, strangeness. Marling is a blind woman who comes back after disappearing for many years. Her sight is restored and she has a tale to tell. The whole thing has been made to make you feel uneasy and it does a great job of that – and with the second season now on Netflix, there's more to binge than ever before. Seasons on Netflix: 2
Image credit: CBS Star Trek: DiscoveryWell, this series went to places we never thought it would. Set before the exploits of the Starship Enterprise, the show is filled with Roddenberry characters. But while the original series had shades of light this is a much darker look at space exploration. Sonequa Martin-Green is great as the first officer who has a past intrinsically linked to Star Trek characters of the past - we can't wait to see where this series goes. [Update: the new season of Star Trek: Discovery is out now!] Seasons on Netflix: 2
Image credit: Netflix Black MirrorSeason 4 of Black Mirror is out now and is the darkest, most varied season of the show yet. Comprising six episodes of varying (almost feature) length, Charlie Brooker has concocted another dose of dystopian satire that riffs off everything from Star Trek to, well, schlock-horror The Driller Killer. Before Black Mirror, Charlie Brooker was best known for his snarky looky at the news in Weekly Wipe and his fantastic, caustic look at 'meeja' types in London’s Shoreditch. Now the show has given him superstar status. For good reason, it’s fantastic TV with each episode taking on a different dystopia topic, mostly framed around technology going very long. The third season was commissioned by Netflix and is in 4K, with most of the episodes being feature length. [Update: A new Black Mirror movie is here! Called Bandersnatch, it's an interactive adventure that puts the viewer in control of key decisions throughout the film, with multiple possible outcomes and endings.] Seasons on Netflix: 4
Image credit: Netflix DarkDark is a German-language supernatural thriller in which the disappearance of two children in a small town brings the fractured relationships and dark pasts of the people living there to the surface. Adding a touch of Scandinavian crime thriller to American drama, this 10-part series was renewed for a second season, which is expected to land in 2019. Seasons on Netflix: 1
Image credit: Netflix The Umbrella AcademyBased on the comic books written by My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá, The Umbrella Academy is Netflix's latest Original series. After 43 babies are born to women who showed no signs of pregnancy, seven are adopted by billionaire Sir Reginald Hargreeves, who trains them to save the world using their powers. After the family becomes estranged, they are reunited once more when their father dies and are forced to come to terms with their past and the danger that lurks in their future. Fronted by Ellen Page, The Umbrella Academy is flamboyant, dark, and gratifyingly violent – all the ingredients you need for a great superhero series. Best animated series on Netflix
Image credit: Warner Bros. Rick and MortyRick and Morty has enjoyed an almost obsessive cult following since its release in 2013, and with three seasons on Netflix, there's a lot to catch up on if you haven't seen it yet. The series follows the crazy inter-dimensional adventures of mad scientist Rick Sanchez and his timid grandson Morty, as they navigate both the multiverse and fraught family relationships. Part of it's wide appeal is creator Dan Harmon's masterful combination of side-splitting humor with sometimes devastating emotional depth, meaning Rick and Morty is a series you will unlikely be able to stop watching once you start. Seasons on Netflix: 3
Image credit: Warner Bros. Final SpaceAnother sci-fi entry here: after human prisoner Gary meets a planet-destroying alien, they must go on an interstellar mission to save Earth. Alongside a ragtag team of misfits, Gary embarks on a journey through space to find out the true meaning of 'final space', or where the universe ends. Laugh-out-loud funny, and surprisingly emotional, the series was picked up for another season in May 2018. Seasons on Netflix: 1
Image credit: Netflix F is for FamilyBased on the life of comedian Bill Burr, F is for Family is a funny and endearing cartoon set in 1970's American suburbia, and centres around Burr's father Frank Murphy. A little like an even more adult version of The Simpsons, the series is all about 70's nostalgia, with musical, costume, and cultural throwbacks interspersed with Frank's profane rants at his misbehaving children and long suffering wife Sue. Full to the brim with laugh-out-loud moments, the series is just as heartwarming as it is hilarious - and it's back for a brilliant third season. Seasons on Netflix: 3
Image credit: FXX ArcherArcher is back on Netflix for its penultimate ninth season, and like the previous season, the characters are playing different versions of themselves as Archer still lies in a coma. This time Archer is a drunken co-pilot alongside Pam, who crash their plane onto the verdant Pacific island of Mitimotu, with the series paying homage to the short-lived television series Tales of the Golden Monkey and the Indiana Jones films. Seasons on Netflix: 9
Image credit: WIT Studio Attack on TitanBased on the manga of the same name by Hajime Isayama, Attack on Titan is an action -packed anime that's set in a world where humans live in cities protected by enormous walls to protect them from gigantic humanoid monsters called Titans who devour them at any opportunity. When a Titan breaks through the wall of protagonist Eren Yeager's hometown, he vows to get revenge by joining a group of soldiers who battle them. Although the show has a dedicated fan following, the second and third seasons are yet to be released on Netflix. Seasons on Netflix: 1
Image credit: Cartoon Network Over the Garden WallNow something for the kids – originally aired on Cartoon Network, Over the Garden Wall is a charming mini-series that centers on two half brothers Wirt and Greg (voiced by Elijah Wood and Collin Dean respectively) who must find their way home through an enchanted forest. Stalked by an evil ancient creature called 'The Beast', the two boys encounter the strange and sometimes wonderful inhabitants of the forest along their way. With stunning animation inspired by Victorian illustrations and postcards, Over the Garden Wall is the perfect watch for adults and children alike. Seasons on Netflix: 1
Best documentaries on Netflix
Image credit: Netflix Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy TapesThe latest true crime documentary to land on Netflix is this fascinating insight into the crimes of notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy. The four-part series features present day interviews, archival footage of Bundy, and audio recordings made with the killer on death row. With chilling images and descriptions of Bundy's crimes, it's not a watch for the faint-hearted. But, if you can stomach it, this documentary is completely captivating. Seasons on Netflix: 1
Image Credit: Netflix The Disappearance of Madeleine McCannIt might be one of the most famous unsolved missing person cases ever in the UK and now the story of Madeleine McCann's disappearance has been given the Netflix documentary treatment. The new documentary is reported to contain testimonies that haven't been heard before and it's bound to reignite discussion about what really happened to Maddie. As with all documentaries on Netflix that deal with sensitive issues, be warned before watching this one. We haven't had chance to watch it yet but imagine it'll be triggering and upsetting. If you're looking for something light, this most certainly is not it. Seasons on Netflix: 1
Image credit: Netflix Making a MurdererThe world's fascination with real crime seems to be at its highest at the moment and it's all thanks to the podcast Serial. Now on to its second series, Serial highlights cases of crime in forensic detail. Making a Murderer is in a similar vein. This 10-part series looks at Steven Avery, someone who spent 18 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit and is then accused of a different crime. The show has been ten years in the making and is gripping stuff. Seasons on Netflix: 2
Image credit: Duplass Brothers Productions Evil GeniusIf true crime is your thing, then you'll want to get stuck into Evil Genius this weekend. It's about the very odd story of a pizza delivery man who robs a bank with a bomb tied around his neck. And that's all we can really say without ruining some of the more baffling details. Described by numerous review sites as "unnerving" and "Lynchian", this isn't one for rom-com lovers or those looking for a chilled Sunday evening watch. Seasons on Netflix: 1
Image credit: BBC Planet Earth IINature buffs will have likely already watched this breath-taking documentary series when it first premiered on the BBC back in 2016, but you can rewatch it all again now the entire second season has landed on Netflix. Following on from the super popular Planet Earth, this beautiful, breath-taking and at times brutal look at our planet and the plants, animals and people that thrive on it is made even more compelling because it's narrated by David Attenborough and the main music is composed by Hans Zimmer. Seasons on Netflix: 1
Image credit: Netflix Last Chance UESPN might've had the world of sports documentaries well in hand with its 30 for 30 series. But that was before Netflix got the crazy idea to make one of its own. Inspired by an article in GQ magazine, Last Chance U follows student athletes who are one step away from never playing football again. On top of the pressures on the field, students face problems in the classroom where class absences and the fear failing hit harder than a defensive lineman. It's gritty, heart-wrenching and exactly the kind of series that gives you something to root for all while biting your nails. Just in time for football season, the third season of the show – which follows a new team in Independence, Kansas – is now available. Seasons on Netflix: 3
Image credit: Netflix ExplainedCreated by Netflix and Vox Media, this handy and smart series takes a look at some of the most popular ideas and tech around today and explains them in a way that's poignant in its presentation without feeling overwhelming to take in. From the racial wealth gap, cryptocurrency and why diets rarely work through to K-Pop and the stock market, it's an insightful look at the problems, ideas and trends around today and the stuff that could shape tomorrow. At the very least, it gives you enough knowledge to have a really good debate down at the pub. Seasons on Netflix: 1 Best reality series on Netflix
Image credit: Netflix Tidying up with Marie KondoDoes this item spark joy? Marie Kondo is Japanese organizing consultant, and in this series, she visits families and helps them to re-organise their lives. Using her KonMarie method, she instructs her students to go through their belongings, only keeping things that "spark joy". Relaxing and uplifting, this show is the perfect thing to watch before a spring clean. Seasons on Netflix: 1
Image credit: Netflix Queer EyeNeed a dose of feel-good TV to help cope with today's rocky political landscape? Check out Queer Eye, a show about being the best you with help from five of the coolest dudes on the planet. The show has just entered its third season and we're still loving the premise of taking people stuck in a rut and hoisting them to the self-respecting, self-loving person we all want to be. Werk. [Update: As of March 15, 2019 the third season of Queer Eye is here! Yasss hunny!] Seasons on Netflix: 3
Image credit: Love Productions / Channel 4 The Great British Bake OffEveryone’s favourite baking show is on Netflix and ready to stream. If you didn’t binge on baking as you binged on chocolate eggs, head on over to the streaming site now to watch seven seasons of GBBO. For those not in the know (seriously, how?), Great British Bake Off is a baking reality show that follows wannabe bakers through a series of challenges week after week. Each time, someone is eliminated and it’s made all the more addictive by judges Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. The reboot of the series by Channel 4 (with an entirely new lineup apart from Hollywood) isn't yet available on Netflix, but the rights have been acquired by the streaming giant so it shouldn't be too long now. Seasons on Netflix: 7
Image credit: World of Wonder It's been going strong for 10 years and 11 seasons, but RuPaul's Drag Race is still giving fierce fans a heavy dose of fabulous. For those not already in the know, the elimination-style reality show sees RuPaul go on the hunt for America's next drag superstar - expect lots of glitter, drama, and fun. Now that the show has been picked up by Netflix, it's sister show Untucked is also available to stream. Season 11 has just landed, with a new episode dropping every Friday – in time for some seriously sickening bingeing. Seasons on Netflix: 11
Image credit: Netflix Nailed it!If watching The Great British Bake Off makes you feel inadequate, you should try Nailed It!, the baking show for people who suck at baking. The series sees three contestants per episode take on two impossible baking challenges, with the winner receiving $10,000. Hosted by the infectiously upbeat Nicole Byer and suave French pastry chef Jaques Torres, this show is guaranteed to make you smile. [Update: The Christmas edition, Nailed It: Holiday is out now...perfect watching for a cosy night in.] Seasons on Netflix: 2
Image credit: Netflix Ultimate BeastmasterIf you were a fan of Takeshi's Castle back in the day, or more recently, Ninja Warrior, you're going to love Ultimate Beastmaster. The competition sees 2 contestants from six to nine countries take on 'The Beast', a ridiculously challenging obstacle course that only the fittest will be able to take on. What sets this series apart from other obstacle course shows is that Netflix produces six localized versions, featuring "select television hosts, actors, comedians and athletes as commentators from the six countries competing in the show". Seasons on Netflix: 3 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best phones for battery life: which smartphone is the longest-lasting? Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:14 AM PDT Battery life is one of the most important things to think about when buying a new smartphone – you don't want a handset that won't last a full day of use, or that will crumble under pressure when you try to stream movies or play games. But finding the smartphone with the best battery life isn't as easy as comparing capacity – some phones can have a huge battery pack but will burn through it fast, while other devices make the most of smaller batteries. We've tested loads of handsets for our reviews, including how well they charge and if they drain battery fast when streaming media, and - in no particular order - these are our choices for the best phones with long battery lives.
Image credit: TechRadar Huawei's latest plus-sized phone, the Huawei P30 Pro, isn't the first handset you'd think of if you were looking for a phone with great battery power, because its quad-lens camera setup is by far the most important feature, but it also boasts a huge battery pack. The handset can easily last a full day of use, even if you're streaming films or constantly on social media, and the fantastic battery life joined with the camera capabilities makes it one of the best phones for photography. Read our hands-on Huawei P30 Pro review
Image credit: TechRadar With a battery capacity of 5,000mAh, you know you're getting a long-lasting device in the Moto G7 Power, but it has a lot more to it too. It's great for gaming, and with a large display we found it great for watching content. It is a little on the big side, but you can expect that for any phone with a big power pack, and the extended battery life as a result more than makes up for it. Read our full Moto G7 Power review
Image credit: TechRadar If you're looking for a phone with great battery life because you need a great business phone, the BlackBerry Key2 is your friend. Instead of having touchscreen typing it has its own keyboard, which means a smaller screen, so with that alongside the sizeable 3,500mAh battery it can last for between 25 and 35 hours of use – enough to do all the business work you need. Read our full BlackBerry Key2 review
Image credit: TechRadar The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is another plus-sized high-end smartphone with a huge battery pack, but it really comes into its own with its quick wireless and reverse wireless charging, so you can easily trade juice between devices on the fly. If you want to use the handset at its full QHD+ resolution you'll need this extra battery life, but in general we could use the Galaxy S10 Plus all day without needing to charge it, so it's definitely one of the best phones for battery life. Read our full Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review
Image credit: TechRadar The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is definitely one of the most premium devices on this list, with features like a great camera array and a powerful chipset, but it also boasts one of the best battery lives in a phone. At 4,200mAh capacity, the handset can keep going for a day easily, but included with it is a 40W supercharger and it supports wireless charging, so you can easily top up on the fly too. Read our full Huawei Mate 20 Pro review
Image credit: TechRadar Like the Moto G7 Power, the Moto E4 Plus has a huge 5,000mAh battery pack, but because it's an older low-end phone you're less likely to be using it for really intensive tasks, so it can easily last for two days without charging. There's no bells and whistles like wireless charging, and unless you use the charger included in the box it's pretty slow to power up, but as an endurance device it's one of the best phones around. Read our full Moto E4 Plus review
Image credit: TechRadar iPhones aren't normally known for being great devices for battery life, and the 2,716mAh power pack in the iPhone X would seem on paper to be tiny compared to other phones on this list. However, Apple devices are optimized so you can barely tell the battery capacity is half that of the bigger Moto batteries – the iPhone X performed admirably in our battery test, and you can comfortably use it for a full day between charges just like any bigger-battery rival. Read our full iPhone X review
Image credit: TechRadar Yes, it's surprising to see not one but two BlackBerry phones on a list starting with 'the best', but the BlackBerry Motion does not die. It will never run out of battery, and its design is close enough to indestructible. That's hyperbole, of course, but only just – with a massive 4,000mAh battery, and a relatively low resolution display, the Motion easily lasted two days without charging, and when we did need to power it back up it did so easily and quickly. Read our full BlackBerry Motion review
Image credit: TechRadar The fact there are three Motorola phones on this list shows the company knows how to make the best phones for battery life. Unlike the G7 Power and E4 Plus, which both have a 5,000mAh power pack, the Moto E5 only has 4,000mAh, but its rather low-end specs mean you probably won't be using it for demanding tasks, so it lasts for ages. Specs aren't all that important in big battery phones if you just want them for social media or communications, so being low-end isn't necessarily a problem. Read our full Moto E5 review
Image credit: TechRadar The iPhone XS has an even smaller battery capacity than the iPhone X, but it does have a secret weapon in the A12 Bionic chipset. The processor optimizes processes to make sure everything from streaming media to taking photos doesn't drain your battery too much, so you can expect the iPhone XS to keep chugging along through all kinds of activities. Read our full iPhone XS review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 10 best Android phones 2019: which should you buy? Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:14 AM PDT If you're on the hunt for the best Android smartphone around, you've come to the right place. We've put all the major Google-powered handsets through their paces to give you our best Android phones round-down. There's one key way in which Android is massively different from its Apple-branded smartphone competition - the number of phones out there running Google's hot mobile OS.
Update: The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus, Galaxy S10 and S10e have all been through our in-depth review process and they've managed to nab a place in our best Android phone list. Read on to find out where they place. The big names are all here. The many variations in screen size, processor power, software features and design makes finding the best Android phone for you extremely tough. And it's set to get tougher, with the Nokia 9 PureView, Huawei P30 and Huawei P30 Pro all set for a full review soon, plus with the launch of the Sony Xperia 1, LG G8, LG G8S and V50 ThinQ our best Android phones list could witness more changes over the coming weeks. To help find the most fitting Android phone for you, we've rounded up the best Android handsets out there today, rating the phones on hardware performance, OS upgrade potential and, of course, how shiny and nice they are to have and boast about to work colleagues. So here they are - the best Android phones money can buy today. The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is the best Android phone you can buy right now, packing the best of what Samsung has to offer. It's a big phone that's designed for big hands - and it takes the very best of what's on the smartphone market and puts it together in a compelling package that we've loved testing. The Super AMOLED 6.4-inch display has been measured as the very best around, with super colours, plus there's a fingerprint scanner embedded in the display. Battery life is an improvement over the S9 Plus, thanks to the larger 4,100mAh battery inside and you also get Samsung's new Wireless PowerShare, allowing you to wirelessly charge other devices on the rear of the handset. The trio of cameras on the rear of the Galaxy S10 Plus are among the best on the market, offering more features, shooting modes and overall clarity. Read more: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus review
Image Credit: TechRadar It's close at the top, with Huawei snapping at Samsung's heels it's never been tougher for the South Korean firm, but its latest flagship duo just about sneak in a one-two positioning. The bigger S10 Plus is by far Samsung's best phone, but the standard S10 backs almost all the same top-end features into a more compact form factor and slightly lower price tag (but still steep). The Samsung Galaxy S10 gets proper under-the-hood upgrades. You’ll like all of these powerful features, while your friends will like the new Wireless PowerShare perk – it helps them out more than you. Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S10 review
Image Credit: TechRadar The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the best phone from the Chinese firm to date, offering up a heady mix of design, power and performance with a party piece in the form of an in-display fingerprint scanner thrown in too. The Mate 20 Pro packs a huge 6.39-inch display giving you a lots of space for gaming and movies, and its QHD resolution and HDR10 support ensures everything looks great. It also comes with three rear cameras, nabbing the excellent 40MP wide-angle and 8MP telephoto lenses from the P20 Pro - but the third sensor is new. It's an ultra-wide 16MP snapper allowing you to cram even more of your surroundings into each shot. The Mate 20 Pro is a full-featured phone for a full-featured price - it even has a few tricks you won’t see elsewhere, and more powerful specs than most of its competitors. Read more: Huawei Mate 20 Pro review
Image Credit: Samsung It's a Samsung one-two, and the South Korean features again with Galaxy Note 9 in at four in our best Android phones lists. The Galaxy Note 9 boasts a huge screen and a huge amount of power under the hood, plus there's the iconic S Pen stylus which slides into the body of the phone for safe keeping. It means the Note 9 offers a huge array of productivity functions few phones can compete with, but the overall package isn't quite as finessed as the Galaxy S10 Plus - not to mention its high price tag. For power users who want a phone that will doing pretty much anything they ask of it, the Galaxy Note 9 is a top choice. Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Image Credit: TechRadar What's this? Another Huawei phone in the top five? Your eyes do not deceive you, the Huawei P20 Pro really is fifth in our best Android phone rundown. After years of threatening the top players in the smartphone game without really worrying them, 2018 saw a significant uptick from the Chinese firm and the beautiful P20 Pro. The triple camera setup on the rear of the P20 Pro provides great flexibility - and an excellent low-light mode - while the battery life comfortably gets through a day. Then there's the eye-catching, two-tone finish on the rear which really sets the P20 Pro apart from the competition. Read our full review: Huawei P20 Pro
Image Credit: TechRadar If you're looking for a the best camera phone on the market, look no further. The single rear snapper on the Google Pixel 3 XL (and the smaller Pixel 3) is the best we've come across. You also get a big screen, decent battery life and plenty of power under the hood, making the Google Pixel 3 XL a great all-round flagship smartphone. The Google Pixel 3 XL marries the best camera phone we’ve ever tested with a sizable OLED screen. It’s the right fit for people who don’t mind the notch cut out at the top and have already adjusted their grip for bigger smartphones in the past. Read more: Google Pixel 3 XL review
Image Credit: TechRadar Like the look of the new S10 and S10 Plus, but not a fan of their lofty price tags? Well fear not, as Samsung has catered for you with the Galaxy S10e. The Galaxy S10e has many of the flagship features of its pricier siblings, while offering a more palm-friendly size and a few compromises to help keep the cost down. It’s hard not to recommend the S10e to anyone who prefers a smaller phone. Size queens, look elsewhere - this smartphone is for folks who want to text and browse apps one-handed without compromising performance. Read our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S10e review
Image Credit: TechRadar The price of flagship phones are rising every year, but you don't need to pay top dollar for a top-notch experience. OnePlus offers flagship phones at a lower price point and while its first few handsets didn't trouble the established names, its more recent efforts have really pushed the likes of Samsung, Apple and co. You get the latest flagship power under the hood, a huge screen, dual rear cameras and an in-display fingerprint scanner included with the OnePlus 6T. The OnePlus 6T is a good-looking and powerful smartphone that can compete with handsets from the larger and more established brands on the market while undercutting them in price. Read more: OnePlus 6T review The Honor View 20 is the best phone to come out of the Chinese brand, with a striking rear design (which may divide opinion), plenty of power under the hood, an impressive 48MP camera and a 'punch-hole' display which ushers in the post-notch revolution. There's a huge 6.4-inch display on the View 20, giving you plenty of space to play with. It's the location of the front-facing, 25MP camera within the screen which is the real talking point though, as rather than appearing in a bezel or a notch which juts into the screen, it's surround by screen. The Honor View 20 has a big 4,000mAh and the result is a battery which will comfortably last through an entire day and into the next on a single charge. It's also the world's first smartphone to boast a 48MP rear camera, as the firm has used Sony's new sensor to provide a camera which really packs a punch. An ultra-high-resolution camera and punch hole screen are the highlights on the Honor View 20, and they set a standard this year’s more expensive phones will need to match. Read more: Honor View 20 review
Image Credit: TechRadar The Google Pixel 3 is the smaller sibling to the Pixel 3 XL, with a smaller screen and battery, but the same power and excellent camera under the hood. This is a great handset for those looking for a top-flight phone that can be used comfortably with one hand (although those with smaller palms may need both still). If you're looking for a compact flagship smartphone with a class-leading camera experience the Google Pixel 3 is the best Android phone for the job. Read more: Google Pixel 3 review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Get up to 40% off Adobe Creative Cloud for Photoshop, Illustrator and much more Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:10 AM PDT If the Adobe Creative Cloud has been one of those subscriptions you've been meaning to grab but the price has put you off, now might be the perfect time to get it. Offering a massive reduction of up to 40% off the price, getting one of the biggest names in creative software doesn't have to cost the world right now. This price reduction applies to the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, that means complete access to all of Adobe's 20+ applications all bound together in one all-encompassing package. This subscription will give you access to Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and all of the other key pieces of software a creative pro or keen amateur needs. You can even download the apps for each piece of software so you can work on the go. As if that wasn't enough, when you buy Adobe's full package you're also getting 100GB of cloud storage and premium features like Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark. This deal will be available until 10.59pm BST / 11.59pm CET on April 19 so if you want to save big on Adobe's entire suite of creative software, grab it within the next fortnight before it's gone. Adobe Creative Cloud in the UK - 20% offAdobe Creative Cloud in rest of Europe - 40% off
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| The best iPhone 6S deals and UK contracts in April 2019 Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:04 AM PDT When it comes to Apple, there is a clear divide between its top of the line flagship devices with their massive price tags, and Apple's earlier, far more affordable devices with their mid-range specs - the iPhone 6S falls into the latter category. We've had a fair few new iPhones since the 6S, we've had the 8's, iPhone X's and now the iPhone XS Max (bit of a mouthful really). The good news here is that these new releases have driven the prices of the iPhone 6S way, way down. Sub-£20 a month tariffs appear quite frequently now, so getting a great deal on Apple's 2015 flagship phone makes it a great budget option if you don't want to spend the earth on your new iPhone deal. If you want more than the minimum of data, then check out our comparison chart below, or head straight down to our pick of the best tariffs on the web. The 6S may be one of iPhone's older phones now, but it still features a lot of the features we have come to expect from flagships. It has improved battery life and 3D touch, where you can press a bit harder on the screen to get a different response. See also: iPhone 8 deals | iPhone 7 deals | iPhone deals | iPhone SE deals | Samsung Galaxy S9 deals | Best mobile phone deals | iPhone 6S review
The top 5 best iPhone 6S deals in the UK this month:We've gone all Top of the Pops to show you our favourite five iPhone 6S deals on the market right now - we'll give you a clue...they're much cheaper than the iPhone XS! Read about all of the best iPhone 6S deals here, including tariffs on EE, O2 and Vodafone.
It may be very similar to its predecessor, but there's no denying that the iPhone 6s makes a fantastic alternative to the more expensive Apple devices like the iPhone 8 and iPhone XR. The phone works fluidly at nearly every task and will cost you a lot less than Apple's current flagships. Low end cost with high end features Read TechRadar's full iPhone 6S review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The iPhone 11 or Apple Watch 5 could monitor your body smells Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:03 AM PDT Tech evolves to benefit our lives in new and unexpected ways, and Apple has come up with another way that its products could help you – by alerting you if you smell funny. According to patents found by Cult of Mac, Apple has designed a system that would let sensors in its devices recognize chemicals in the air, and from that judge any noxious smells.
The point of the Systems and Methods for Environmental Sensing, as Apple calls it, is so that a device like the iPhone 11 or Apple Watch 5 could detect pollution or other toxins in the air and alert the user of danger. This could have many uses, such as a Carbon Monoxide detector or air pollution tracker in a wearable, that helps keep the user safe. The most interesting part of the patent, however, is the "smell recognition capabilities" – perhaps this means the system could check if your breath stinks before a date, or if your body odor is overpowering after exercising. Since the majority of the patent explains how the system could monitor chemicals to evaluate air quality, it's unlikely Apple is specifically designing a system to keep track of your personal hygiene. But wouldn't we all love our phone to check our breath before we inflict it on people? The system is just in the patent stage at the moment, so there's no guarantee we'll see it in the iPhone 11 or Apple Watch 4, but keep checking back for all the latest Apple news, rumors and leaks to find out all the other things those devices might bring. Via UberGizmo This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best 40-inch TV 2019: the most affordable TVs in the 40-inch range Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:01 AM PDT You wouldn't have to venture that far back in time to a point where a 40-inch TV would be considered massive. But, admittedly, that was towards the end of the CRT era when our TVs were both heavy and incredibly thick. Well, those days are now long behind us. In a short time, room-dominating 65-inch TVs have become the main staple of American homes (with Europe lagging not too far behind). The problem with this big thinking (besides the price) is that as we all get used to bigger and better displays in our homes, it's easy to assume that 40-inch TVs are a thing of the distant past.
But for many of us without big living rooms and big budgets, that's just not the case. Most people will find that upgrading from a 32-inch television to a 40-inch screen is a much better option, as it’s less likely to suddenly overwhelm your living room - not to mention your budget. The biggest drawback with choosing a 40-inch screen rather than one of the bigger options is that you don't always get the latest tech built into a 40-inch TV - like OLED panels or often 4K or HDR. TV manufacturers tend to save the best performance for the biggest models in their range. But the good news is that we know not all TVs and TV brands are created equal. There are a number of exceptional 40-inch TVs with 4K HDR at a reasonable price and we've done all the hard work and research for you. The result is a list of 40-inch TVs we’ll be constantly updating that we think represent the best 40-inch TVs on the market right now. How do I pick out a 40-inch TV?Before we dive into our recommendations, it's worth going over what we look for when we're reviewing and recommending TVs here on TechRadar. Ultra HD vs Full HD: That you can’t see a difference between Full HD and Ultra HD on a screen smaller than 55 inches is a common misconception. If you take your time and really look at a picture – especially if that picture is using High Dynamic Range – you will see a difference. We recommend picking a TV with 4K Ultra-HD and HDR if you can find one. They’re not the standard at this screen size, as the cost can outweigh the benefits for someone shopping for an ultra-cheap TV, but if you're serious about video, 4K is vital. Operating system: 40-inch TVs didn't always come with a smart TV operating system in the past. These dumb TVs were incredibly cheap to make, and therefore cheap to buy, too. But there was a problem: as Netflix and YouTube became more and more popular, people wanted to stream those services on their TV without resorting to a streaming video device like a Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick or Chromecast. These days, it's fairly easy to find good Smart TV on a 40-inch TV. All but the most bare-bones of screens will have them. What you're looking for, ideally, is a well-maintained operating system like Roku TV, LG's webOS or Samsung's Tizen operating system. If you go with a TV that uses a proprietary operating system (basically an operating system exclusive to that one TV) you might have some serious issues down the road. Inputs and outputs: Connections seem boring, but trust us – this is something most folks don't think about until they bring the TV home and get it all connected, only to realize their great new TV only has one HDMI port. Having multiple HDMI ports (along with options for optical audio out and RCA connectors) allow you to connect most – if not all – of your devices. This will save you time in the long run as you won't have to get up and switch the cables around any time you want to change the input. Now you know exactly what you're looking for in a brand new 40-inch screen, here are a few of our favorite TVs that we think would be a great addition to your home entertainment center. What's the best 40-inch TV in 2019?
Samsung has long led the way in the mid-range and until very recently was almost unchallenged for the throne. While TVs like the TCL 5-Series and VIZIO E-Series offer much fiercer competition than we've ever seen before, Samsung still beats all the rest with its NU7100. While it doesn't offer as colorful HDR as the TCL or VIZIO, Samsung's NU7100 does a significantly better job upscaling content, which means those of you still rocking HD content – cough, cable, cough – will appreciate this TV's ability to make 1080p content look great in any circumstance. While the TV suffers from limited viewing angles and is slightly more expensive than the rest of the TVs you'll find on this list, the NU7100 is our pick for the best 40-inch TV in 2018. Read our full Samsung NU7100 review
OK, so the TCL 43S517 isn't exactly a 40-inch TV – it's 43-inches. But look, you can get three extra inches for less than some 40-inch screens! Beyond the extra size, however, the TCL is an extraordinary value. It packs Dolby Vision HDR into a 4K TV that's built on top of Roku TV. Not only does that save you from buying an external streaming video device, but Roku TV is one of the best platforms on the planet. Samsung and LG might have done an exceptional job improving their UIs over the years, but Roku TV is fast, responsive and packed to the gills with content – thousands of channels are available. Not only does it have a ton of stuff to watch, it's all super-easy to find thanks to its universal search feature. It scans over 200 channels to find films and shows at their lowest possible price. If you're after the best deal, you can do no better than this. Read our full TCL 5-Series review
The Philips 6-Series is a 4K HDR television that offers fantastic value for the price, with Philips' patented Ambilight technology that displays onscreen colors all around the set when in use. When playing music, the set will pulsate its Ambilight LED lights with the beat, while gaming can make your room positively throb with colour. It's a neat parlor trick, with the technical specs to stop it feeling like a mere gimmick. Philips Pixel Plus UHD image processing ensures clarity and a decent level of contrast. The TV’s pixel dense screen brings a pleasing smoothness to both Full HD and UHD sources – while Freeview Play gives you access to plenty. The TV is compatible with HDR10 – though not Dolby Vision – and has the brand’s own HDR Plus processing on top. It isn't, however, particularly bright, meaning that it doesn't quite do justice to the HDR compatibility it promises. But the PUS6753 is still a far better picture performer than you’ve any right to expect from such an affordable 4K TV. Read our full Philips 6573 TV review
Entry-level UHD is a hot category for TV makers in 2018. This year, every major brand want a slice of this booming budget market. But can the cheapest 4K HDR sets really deliver all the thrills that 4K HDR is capable of? Panasonic reckons so, and has loaded its incoming FX600 Series with some impressive technology - including HDR10+ dynamic metadata support. Dynamic metadata allows a screen to more accurately tone map high dynamic range images, even though it lacks the native light output to really do HDR justice. With a combination of sharp design, hassle-free smart portal and crisp imagery, this is one of the best entry-level panels on the market. Read the full review: Panasonic TX-43FX600
If you're looking for the most bang for your buck, and you live Stateside, VIZIO's D-Series offers great FHD visuals for next-to-nothing. This year's model to beat is the VIZIO D40f-E1. The TV offers a 120Hz effective refresh rate, full-array backlighting and a 200,000:1 contrast ratio. This ensures solid image quality. The VIZIO D40f-E1 looks good, has a great contrast ratio and can keep up with the action if you're watching a game of football on Sunday. It doesn't look as good as our top picks, but considering that VIZIO's screen usually costs less than $300, we're more than happy.
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| March Madness live stream: how to watch the 2019 Final Four games online from anywhere Posted: 05 Apr 2019 08:00 AM PDT Things are getting very tense indeed as we go in to the Final Four round of the 2019 March Madness, which continues to build towards the National Championship game on Monday, April 8. And with TechRadar’s handy guide, you can make sure you get a 2019 March Madness live stream from wherever in the world you are. How have your brackets for the 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament held up so far? 68 teams entered and now only four remain. March Madness 2019 has reached its final stages as the Final Four - Virginia, Auburn, Michigan State and Texas Tech are set to battle it out for a place in the Final Four. During the third and final week of the tournament, each region’s winners will compete for a place in the National Championship to see who will be this year’s NCAA champion. Whether you’re a student trying to watch your college’s team play, an alumni rooting for your alma mater or just a fan of the sport of basketball, we’ll show you how to live stream March Madness 2019 online from anywhere in the world.
How to live stream March Madness 2019 from outside your countryIf you live in the US and want to know how to catch all of the games, then keep scrolling and we’ll tell you your best 2019 March Madness live stream and viewing options. There's even a service for you if you live elsewhere in the world. But if you discover that your chosen broadcaster from your home country is geo-blocked then we can suggest a clever alternative (and no, it doesn’t involve finding some dodgy feed on Reddit). Using a VPN - or Virtual Private Network - you can change the IP address to one in a different state or country which does have the stream so that you can live stream March Madness 2019 from anywhere in the world. The process is very straightforward…
How to watch March Madness 2019 in the USIf you live in the US and want to watch all 67 games in the NCAA tournament, then you’re in luck as there are plenty of ways to watch. While you could watch the games on television, you can also do so from the NCAA’s own March Madness Live app. The app and accompanying website will show all 67 tournament games with a 3-hour free preview that will let you watch games airing on TBS, TNT and truTV. However, once the time limit is up, you’ll have to login using the credentials from your cable provider. One thing to note is that any games shown on CBS, which is free over-the-air, won’t count against the 3-hour time limit. If you have a cable subscription and would prefer to watch March Madness on your TV, truTV will show all of the games in the First Four, CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV will show the first and second rounds, CBS and TBS will show the regional semifinals and finals and CBS will show the Final Four as well as the national championship. Don’t want to pay for a premium cable subscription to watch March Madness? Don’t worry as there are a number of streaming services that give you access to CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV. To make things easier for you, we’ve listed some of our favorite options below. And don't forget about our handy little VPN trick if you're outside the US when you try to watch and find that your preferred broadcaster's coverage is geo-blocked. Your options to live stream March Madness 2019 online One streaming service worth considering to watch this year's tournament is Sling TV. The company is currently running a promotion where new users can get 40% off its Sling Orange and Sling Blue packages for the first three months. Basically this means you can watch March Madness 2019 on Sling TV for as little as $15 per month during the tournament. Don't want Sling? Then these other options are worth a look, too. PlayStation Vue $44.99 per month - PlayStation Vue's basic Access package offers over 45 channels including ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2. A 5-day trial to Playstation Vue is also available to help you get started. DIRECTV NOW $50 per month - DIRECTV NOW gives users all the channels needed to watch the NBA and loads of other sporting events. Use DIRECTV NOW’s 7-day trial to test out the platform for yourself. YouTubeTV $40 per month - YouTubeTV gives you access to TNT, ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. Hulu with Live TV $40 per month - Hulu with Live TV includes ABC, TNT, CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN.
Worldwide March Madness live stream with ESPN PlayerMarch Madness is a phenomenon that doesn't necessarily translate that well globally. But if you want to know what all the fuss is about or you're a US expat wanting to catch the college basketball, then ESPN Player has you covered. It's available in the UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia and comes at a cost of £9.99/€11.99 for the next month (or £69.99/€79.99 for a whole year to get additional content from ESPN). That gets you live and on-demand coverage of every game from the 2019 March Madness, available on desktop and mobile devices.
March Madness: what is it and how does it work?We can't imagine you will have landed on this page if you don't already know the answer to these questions. But just in case... Over the course of three weeks, college basketball teams from across the US will play 67 games in total to decide which team will be crowned champion. The tradition dates all the way back to 1939 when there were just eight teams participating in the competition. March Madness begins with Selection Sunday where 32 teams will gain automatic entry as a result of winning their respective conferences and the remaining teams will be picked by a selection committee. Besides learning which teams will play in the tournament, Sunday will also be the first day the bracket will be officially released to the public. The eight teams are divided into four regions and they are then seeded from one to 16 with the top team from each region earning the top seed. The NCAA tournament then enters the first round where the number one seed will face the number 16 team and the rest of the teams will be matched accordingly with low seed teams facing off against high seed teams. During the second week, the remaining teams will advance to the Sweet Sixteen and then the Elite Eight. Each region’s winners will then head to the Final Four during the third and final week of the tournament where they’ll compete for a place in the national championship to see who will be this year’s winner.
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| Best architecture software of 2019 Posted: 05 Apr 2019 07:55 AM PDT Designing buildings is a complex task that’s all about detail as much as the grand vision of the designer. Architectural software enables the original concept to be honed into a practical work or home space. The first computing tools to aid architects addressed the logistical issues of producing the numerous drawings needed for any sizeable project. Now they’re focused on providing a new workflow, and elements such as structural analysis and evacuation management, to mention just a couple of their capabilities. Generating drawings for construction teams is just a small part of their remit, although doing this efficiently and tracking successive changes is still very important. Here is a selection of the best software tools to provide a solid foundation for any building project.
Image credit: Autodesk 3D Studio existed before Windows 3.x and was one of the first tools to offer hardware accelerated rendering of 3D images. Its value is in creating visuals and fly-through animations to promote a project, rather than design it from the floor up. Along with the vanilla 3DS Max, you can choose three special flavours designed for Media work & Entertainment, Production design & manufacturing, and an Architecture, Engineering and Construction collection. That last collection includes products we’ll mention separately, including AutoCAD, Civil 3D. Revit and also InfraWorks, Navisworks Manage. Those are just the major applications, as it also has tools for structural analysis, steel detailing, building performance analysis and even vehicle path calculations. 3DS Max is available through a yearly subscription of $1,545 with a discount available if you sign up for two or three years in advance. Alternatively, you can buy it as part of a bundle with Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, InfraWorks, and Navisworks Manage for (a discounted) $2,825.
Image credit: Autodesk Modelling and drawing are only two of the functions needed from CAD by architects and builders. There are many others, many of which are addressed by Civil 3D from Autodesk. Designed to work with other Autodesk products, specifically AutoCAD, Revit and 3DS Max, it offers a design and documentation pipeline for Building Information Modelling (BIM) workflows. One useful ability is the integration of survey images with terrain modelling, roads, service schematics and constructional geometry. All these elements are placed into a single highly annotated package. Allowing engineers to focus on their specific area, but also see how their changes might interfere with others. Civil 3D costs $2,205 per year to license, or like 3DS Max it can be licensed with other Autodesk products in the Architecture, Engineering & Construction Collection for $2,825 per year.
Image credit: Autodesk AutoCAD has long been a staple of constructional engineers and architects, and Autodesk has built in specific building design and architecture toolkits into its staple AutoCAD software. To speed up the process, it provides pre-built objects for walls, doors and Windows, and mechanisms for creating elevations, sections and plans from model geometry. The only big caveat to this application is how firmly aligned to older working practices it is, where many in the building trade are moving towards a Building Information Modelling application (BIM) future. For those customers Autodesk offers Revit. Cost is $1,610 per year, or you can get it as part of the Architecture, Engineering & Construction Collection for $2,825 per year.
Image credit: 3DS We first encountered CATIA over thirty years ago, when the creators Dassault Systèmes started to promote their in-house solution to other companies. Originally conceived to precision model military hardware, it can easily handle complex architectural problems and generate finely detailed models. Where many CAD systems added collaboration and security controlled distribution later, CATIA had this from its inception. And, more recently it expanded those coordination features to embrace Cloud functionality. With such powerful and fully featured software Dassault don’t post exact pricing. Instead, you have to ask for a quote. That hints at a high cost per seat, although the number of companies that use it also indicates that it is probably worth what they’re demanding.
Image credit: Chief Architect Software Substantially more homes are built than giant office complexes or retail parks, and that is the forte of Chief Architect. This tool can be utilised by homeowners wanting to remodel, home builders, interior designers and architects creating unique residences. Depending on specific needs there is a product selection that begins very modestly and focuses, for example, on Interiors. Or, you can spend much more on their Premier product that handles complete buildings with all their details. Using Premier or Architect Interiors you to rapidly construct 3D models of exterior and interior spaces and then project those into 2D plans and elevations. Premier costs $2,995, and Architect Interiors costs $2,195 per annum, and then $495 per year renewal for either. Or you can rent them for roughly 10% of those prices per month.
Image credit: Autodesk Part of a whole new generation of Autodesk products aimed specifically at architectural studios that handle complex projects and need BIM (Building Information Modelling), Revit not only enabled the design and modelling of a building, but the coordination of multiple engineers collaborating on the same scheme. Designers using Revit are working with objects, not a vector between two points, and that allows them to work quickly and with confidence. However, even if they both use a command line interface, this isn’t like AutoCAD. And, those coming from that discipline might struggle initially with the transition. Once they’ve scaled the steep learning curve, Revit can offer a competitive edge over those that are just using traditional design applications. Revit starts at $2,310 per year and comes in the same collection that AutoCAD and 3D Studio Max offer for architects.
Image credit: McNeel Most CAD applications are great with straight lines and less marvellous with anything curved. Rhino was designed from inception to handle curved lines, meshes and NURBS surfaces of high complexity, like those in the features of a human face or the sweeping curves of a super-car. For architectural design, Rhino can easily model the complex intersections of curved roofing or any part of the structure that isn’t inherently straight. As a platform, it isn’t a specialised tool. Instead, it caters for add-ins and the Grasshopper visual programming system to enable it to be tailored to specific tasks. This makes Rhino a highly flexible tool that can be tweaked to automate complex modelling and detailing operations for those projects that need them. A single license for Rhino 6 on Windows PC costs €995 (£880, or $1,160), with a number of add-ons costing extra. Unusually for CAD software, you are not forced to upgrade to the next release and upgrades generally cost half that of a new license.
Image credit: Trimble Originally a Google-backed project, Sketchup is now owned and developed by Trimble, who release a new version at least once a year. As a start point for anyone entering 3D modelling, Sketchup is as easy as CAD gets. After a few easy to follow tutorials, designers should be able to work rapidly to construct complex solid geometry using it. Tthe free release has made Sketchup very popular, generating a large and active community of Sketchup users on hand to help the inexperienced. The user-base has also contributed to an extensive object library, a vast resource of pre-constructed parts to drop into any project. It might not be suitable for designing a building entirely, but it is an excellent tool for rapidly prototyping a design when it is still at a conceptual stage. Sketchup offers a free tier, although it has limited features. Sketchup Shop has more for $119 per year, while the full-featured Sketchup Pro costs $299 per year.
Image credit: Corel Other architecture software options to considerWhile we've featured some of the most powerful and popular AutoCAD and 3D design software programs in this roundup, especially for use in designing buildings and other architectural interests, there are plenty of alternative options to consider. Some of these are worth looking at because they better serve as an introduction for beginners, while others are notable for being free while retaining useful features. TurboCAD Deluxe 2018 is a particularly good choice for beginners and intermediate users. It may not offer as many features as some of the other products on this page, but that's to be expected with a price tag of just $149. Even so, it may be a good piece of software to try in order to simply get used to basic functions, though be warned that there are no command line options here (which more advanced programs tends to offer). FreeCAD is a free open source 3D modeler, which is especially good for reverse engineering models and seeing how changing parameters can affect the whole design. While it's not so feature-rich as the big paid-for programs, it is a well-supported platform and it does actually have some complex features to explore. Furthermore, it offers cross-platform support, so you can use it regardless of whether your PC is running Windows, macOS, or Linux. SolidWorks is a powerful CAD program that manages to strike a balance between ease-of-use and advanced features. There's still a learning curve, though it's not overly steep, and some of the nice touches here include a wizard that looks for structural weaknesses in designs. However, it is a general 3D modeling tool rather than specific to architecture itself, so it might be better used for materials modeling rather than buildings. Even so, this product carries a lower price tag than many of the rivals we've featured here, so may be worth a look. Tinkercad is another general 3D modeling tool that gets a mention because it's free to use and targeted at beginners. So if you lack confidence with tackling grand projects for the moment, Tinkercad could be something to get you used to some of the basics and features you might later develop more advanced training in. And because there's no charge to use it, the program won't burn a hole in your pocket – just treat it like a design sandbox to grow your skills. CorelCAD is a dedicated CAD program from the ubiquitous Corel design team. It's a 2D drafting and 3D design platform that can be easier to use than some of the more complex products featured here. As you'd expect from Corel, though, this is a good all-rounder that aims to bring together a strong toolkit – not least in terms of the creation and manipulation of vector graphics – at a price that is less than half of the more expensive programs featured here. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Epic Games Store is giving away hit puzzler The Witness for free Posted: 05 Apr 2019 07:53 AM PDT The Epic Games Store has a real tempter with the latest game it's giving away for free, in the form of The Witness. The adventure puzzler from Jonathan Blow – the creator of Braid – is a pretty tasty freebie indeed, given that when the game was released a few years back, critical reception was almost universally glowing. The basic idea is that you wake up on your own, on a strange island, which you explore, and subsequently encounter a host of puzzles – some 500-plus of them, no less.
Head scratchersIt isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, as some of the puzzles can be frustrating, and the solutions can seem a little obtuse. But if you enjoy this sort of game, or yearn for the days of Myst, it’s an absolute cracker – and if you missed out back in 2016, you really owe it to yourself to take the plunge now. The Witness will be available for free from now until April 18. Epic has been making quite a name for itself through this relatively new online store, partly by giving away big-name freebies like The Witness (incidentally, the next free offering will be Transistor), and equally by securing exclusives and snatching games like Metro Exodus away from Steam. The latter moves, naturally, have made Epic less popular (to say the least), but from what we’ve heard recently it doesn’t appear that there will be any let up when it comes to nabbing PC exclusives (the latest of which is Borderlands 3).
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| Sony cameras 2019: 10 best Sony cameras you can buy right now Posted: 05 Apr 2019 07:21 AM PDT Sony not only makes most of the imaging sensors found in fellow manufacturer’s digital cameras, its innovation in the recent past has extended to it being the first to market with full-frame mirrorless cameras: witness its ever-popular and ever evolving A7 series. In the wake of the range’s success, its rivals have gradually yet increasingly attempted to follow suit, with Canon and Nikon respectively just recently introducing their own EOS R and Z families of full-frame mirrorless products. Yet Sony’s A7 series offerings, now several generations down the line since the original A7 of 2013, continue to win acclaim among enthusiasts and professional photographers. They’re not only the best Sony cameras you can buy right now, but, arguably, among the best digital cameras you can buy right now full stop. More enticing still, the fact that this mirrorless range has been around a lot longer than many of its competitors means that there are a greater number of directly compatible lenses and accessories currently available. That’s another sensible reason to specifically buy into the Sony brand. Success has also come via the manufacturer’s methodology of including physically larger sensors in conveniently portable designs, thereby delivering both quality imagery and convenience in spades; something that can also be witnessed through the development of its premium RX family of compacts. These cameras twin big-for-their-class one-inch sensors with Zeiss optics – something that has also extended to Sony’s matchbox-like RX0 model. Now also in its second generation, this camera features a one-inch chip, enabling its manufacturer to claim it the world’s smallest and lightest premium compact camera, currently. Throw the by-now traditional likes of travel zoom compacts and bridge cameras/superzooms into the Sony product mix, and it quickly becomes clear the brand has a camera to suit most photographic disciplines, experience levels and budgets. With such a broad range on offer, we’re offering a helping hand in your purchase decision by selecting and recommending 10 of the best Sony cameras you can currently buy…
Image Credit: Sony This reasonably priced pocket rocket of a compact marries a useful 18.2 megapixel resolution from a back illuminated 1.2/3-inch sensor to an equally capable and useful 10x optical zoom, starting out at a wide angle 25mm. Images are composed via a 2.7-inch LCD, which, unsurprisingly for a budget model, isn’t touch sensitive. AF responses are satisfactory under normal lighting conditions, however, though the camera does hunt around a little bit in the dim. Likewise, video resolution is Full HD rather than 4K, but we do get built-in Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity as compensation. In short, the undemanding WX220 will tick a lot of boxes for photographers wanting something easy to use, portable, inexpensive, yet a digital camera that is still capable of taking some decent pictures and videos with it.
Image Credit: TechRadar This is a veritable powerhouse of a premium compact camera, swelling Sony’s long running RX100 range of such with, this time, sizeable updates, including a broader zoom range than its predecessors at 24-200mm equivalent with an f/2.8-4.5 aperture range. Also a first for this line up is touch screen control, courtesy of the 3-inch tilting LCD at the back, even if said screen’s resolution has oddly dropped slightly, while the camera further squeezes in an eye-level viewfinder of 2.36 million dots to help its enthusiast credentials. A possible issue with a zoom lens on a compact camera is the visible effects of camera shake when shooting handheld; fortunately the mark VI combats this with optical image stabilisation promising a four-stop advantage. We also get a staggeringly impressive 24fps burst shooting speed for up to 233 JPEGs. While accessing some features can be fiddly, there is a wealth of photographic opportunity offered here.
Image Credit: TechRadar Want a whopping 50x optical zoom reach, without breaking the bank? That’s what this dirt-cheap Sony bridge camera with built-in optical image stabilisation offers. OK, so the sensor on offer here is of bog standard 1/2.3-inch size, even if it is back-lit, and boasts a respectable 20.4 megapixels, but image noise is thankfully kept to a minimum at higher ISOs. As well as a 3-inch rear plate LCD that usefully tilts for composing and reviewing stills and videos, we also get a 0.2-inch eye level viewfinder, which is impressive at this price point. Battery life is so-so at 300 shots per charge, but add in built-in GPS, Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity and it appears as if we are getting plenty of bang for our buck with the Sony HX400V.
Image Credit: TechRadar Looking for a bridge camera or super zoom in Sony’s range? Then, if your budget can stretch, the RX10 IV is a winner, coupling a 24-600mm equivalent zoom with a large one–inch sensor. This sort of spec means the camera is relatively bulky, as well as pricey, even if, as a ‘one size fits all’ solution, it does deliver class leading stills and video. Coupled to this, the operational back of the camera – namely the EVF and tilting LCD screen – delivers high quality, with the latter now implementing a touchscreen. As you’d expect, the camera feels robust in the palm and the grip is generous enough to be able to secure a firm hold, backed up by 5-axis image stabilisation. At most focal lengths the camera delivers crisp imagery, though there’s the slightest hint of vignetting at the far edges of the frame. Though most users may shoot Raw files, details from JPEGs straight out of the camera are nevertheless punchy and pleasing. A competent all-in-one, if you don’t mind the price and (relative) bulk.
Image Credit: Sony Arriving with the claim of being the world’s smallest and lightest premium camera, this tiny second-generation 1-inch sensor based model can now shoot 4K video. Furthermore, it’s not only ultra compact, but crushproof and waterproof with it. Along with a neat 1-inch sized 15.3 megapixel Exmor RS CMOS sensor at its core, the RX0 II also sports a top class Zeiss Tessar T* 24mm f/4 fixed wide-angle lens, while we also get 1/32000 sec shutter speed and 16fps continuous shooting. This second-generation model comes with a Soft Skin Effect mode and advanced Eye AF, but equally usefully, like most compacts these days, is that the RX0 II manages to squeeze in a tilt-able LCD screen (capable of tilting up to 180° and down by 90°). Finally, we like the fact that the kit version includes a nifty VCT-SGR1 Shooting Grip for added stabilisation when shooting stills or video hand held.
Image Credit: TechRadar This mid range, magnesium alloy bodied mirrorless camera features an APS-C sized sensor rather than the full-frame chips sported higher up the range, yet sees a 1.8x faster processing speed than its A6300 predecessor. This is, in part, thanks to a Bionz X processor which has also afforded an ISO range extension to ISO102,400. But the A6400 really struts its stuff when it comes to Auto focus performance, in delivering a blisteringly fast 0.02 second AF. While that’s great, this model doesn’t offer in-body anti shake, unfortunately – look to the higher spec A6500 for that. We do get a usefully tilting touch-sensitive display on the rear however, even if it does stick to a 16:9 aspect ratio, which, while suitable for 4K video, means the display ‘shrinks’ for stills. Unlike semi pro models there’s just one SD card slot here, but we do get the expected Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC connectivity. In short this is a very sophisticated APS-C sensor mirrorless option you’re buying from Sony.
Image Credit: TechRadar AF systems are a key focus for manufacturers at present, and on the A6500, its range-topping APS-C sensor compact at the time of writing, Sony has pulled a fast one – a lightning swift one, in fact. Impressively responsive auto focus is backed up by the first inclusion of a 5-axis image stabilisation system on a Sony APS-C model, and a tweak to the camera’s buffer that sees it able to deliver a sequence of 307 full size JPEGs or 107 Raw files, at a respectable 11fps burst rate. Also new here is touch screen operation, while, in offering 4K video capture, the A6500 boasts just about everything videographers could want, save for lacking a headphone port perhaps. With JPEGS straight out of the camera looking very good indeed, this is a fully featured mirrorless compact that, if full frame capture isn’t a required option, could be well all the Sony camera you’d ever want.
Image Credit: TechRadar The Sony Alpha A7 III may stand on the starting line of Sony’s full-frame mirrorless range, but it still holds massive appeal for enthusiasts and pros who may otherwise be eyeing something higher up, thanks to features borrowed from the A9 and A7R III. These include that larger back illuminated sensor not over-burdened by a respectable 24.2MP resolution, plus built-in 5-axis image stabilisation and 4K video capture that utilises the sensor’s full width. Usefully, the tilting back plate LCD is touch sensitive to provide a best of both world’s approach to handling the camera, although it doesn’t allow for quick navigation of the menu. We do get a high resolution, life-like eye level viewfinder though, while the camera shows its semi-pro mettle by offering two SD card slots, one of them supporting fast UHS-II cards. What we were most stunned by though is its 693-point AF system. Put simply, this one ticks a helluva lot of boxes for anyone getting into full frame photography.
Image Credit: TechRadar At the heart of this full-frame mirrorless option is a whopping 42.2 megapixel resolution sensor. Like Sony’s own A9, this is married to its maker’s FE full-frame lens mount, while also impressing us is a very life-like, high resolution 3,686,000 electronic viewfinder. The alternative for composing and reviewing stills and 4K-video is a tilting 1.44 million-dot resolution LCD on the rear plate, which once again has the bonus of touch sensitivity. Showing its high-end mettle, the camera features a magnesium alloy construction that is dust and moisture sealed. It’s portable too, at a manageable body only weight of 657g, while the AF performance – in being both swift and accurate – is once again the jewel in this camera’s crown. To sum up, this third generation of Sony’s high resolution offering is both an all rounder and a seriously capable one.
Image Credit: TechRadar You’ll have a lot of expectations coming to the range topping Alpha A9; fortunately it doesn’t disappoint. Once again the AF system on this full frame sensor-incorporating camera is incredibly quick and responsive; we get a built-in 5-axis anti shake system; plus 20fps burst shooting for 362 JPEGs or 241 raw files is not to be sniffed if you’re a sports or action snapper. While a ‘modest’ 480 shot battery life can’t match that of pro DSLRs, this Sony is a serious rival in most other respects, including an ISO range expandable to ISO50-204,800, while offering 4K video too. We also like the big and bright electronic viewfinder on this camera – which incidentally at 3,686,000 is the highest resolution EVF its manufacturer has ever utilised for this series. In short, this is a phenomenal option for buying into Sony’s pro-grade full frame mirrorless.
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| Best movies on Netflix UK: the best films to watch in April 2019 Posted: 05 Apr 2019 06:12 AM PDT Serious competition is mounting in the online streaming stakes, thanks to Amazon Prime and Now TV. But despite the fact that Amazon Studios is creating some great new shows and Now TV is fuelling us with the best Sky has to offer, Netflix is still our favourite place for all the best movies and TV shows. It's a bold claim, but there are lots of reasons why Netflix takes the top spot in our books. Including its (mostly) intuitive interface, original series and films, offline modes, huge catalogue of movies and, most importantly, the fact it's constantly updated week-on-week (and often daily) with some of the best entertainment on the planet. Every day Netflix adds at least a movie or two, and every week at least three or four of them tend to be worth watching. This is what sets it apart from Amazon Prime, which has a great back catalogue, as well as lots of mediocre and, quite frankly, rubbish movies hiding in its vaults. April on Netflix sees the Jurassic Park trilogy hitting the streaming platform, as well as the first two Bridget Jones' Diary films. You'll also be able to watch Blue Velvet, Gladiator, and The Incredible Hulk. If you're after a Netflix Original, check out The Highwayman, which follows Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as two Texas detectives as they try to take down Bonnie and Clyde. Or take a look at Brie Larson's directorial debut (she stars in it too), Unicorn Store. It's nothing short of life-changing that Netflix delivers fresh movies to your home every day. But what this constant stream of great flicks also means is that many of us spend a lot of time scrolling through anything and everything the service has to offer. And, as many of us are all too aware, often the dilemma of so much great stuff to choose from (which is known as ‘decision fatigue’ in psychology circles) leaves us feeling fed up – it's Netflix analysis paralysis, and it isn't pretty. In an attempt to put an end to this indecisive cycle of doom once and for all, we’ve created this extensive list to the best movies that Netflix UK has to offer you right now. That's right. No more endless scrolling and no more movie-induced anxiety that you've made the wrong choice. We'll be updating this cinematic hall of fame at least once a week, so be sure to keep it bookmarked so you can find out what's hot and ready to be watched on Netflix in the UK right now. If you’ve been signed up to Netflix for a while now, you’ll be well aware there are lots of mediocre movie choices. But if you only have time for the best of the best, don't waste those all too precious minutes searching through the site's extensive and exhausting back catalogue. Instead, delve straight into this guide. To make your life easier (and enable your worrying Netflix addiction), we’ve divided more than 40 movie recommendations up into categories that we're sure will suit every taste. We’ve got indie and horror through to kids and documentaries. And make sure you keep checking back. Unlike Netflix's TV output, which seems to stay on the streaming platform for longer, movies on the streaming site tend to appear and disappear quickly. Enjoy!
The best Netflix Originals movies
Image credit: Netflix Brie Larson may have just dazzled us all (and kicked some serious ass) as Captain Marvel, but to show that she can do more than grapple with the Kree and fly through the air, she's also now directing too. Unicorn Store is Larson's directorial debut and it's about a painter who adopts a unicorn. It's quirky and whimsical and although lots of publications are unfairly comparing it to Captain Marvel – it literally couldn't be more different – it's a nice watch for the weekend.
Image credit: Netflix Bird BoxEveryone is talking about Bird Box right now, not least because of the spate of dangerous copycat challenges it has inspired on social media platforms. Starring Sandra Bullock, this sci-fi flick follows her and her children as they battle a mysterious phenomenon causes mass suicides once witnessed.
Image credit: Netflix OkjaOkja is a fantastic movie that proves Netflix really does know what it's doing when it comes to commissioning films. Made by Bong Joon Ho, one of the greatest directors around, the film is the strange tale of a little girl and her best friend, a giant animal called Okja. The friendship is threatened when a CEO (a superb Tilda Swinton) wants to take Okja for nefarious means. The whole movie may well be an ode to animal activism but it's such a refreshing movie that you don't mind it preaching to you on occasion. Now you have this on-board Netflix, can you please grab the UK rights for Snowpiercer - another superb Bong Joon Ho movie that never saw the light of day in Britain.
Image credit: Netflix The Ballad of Buster ScruggsThis anthology of six short films by the Coen brothers takes places in the 19th-century Old West in the years after the American Civil War. Starring James Franco, Tom Waits, and Zoe Kazan, the Ballad Of Buster Scruggs switches rapidly between sentimental, pastoral scenes of the West and brutal violence.
Image credit: Netflix AnnihilationThis is exactly the sort of movie that Netflix should be making. It’s uncompromising sci-fi that has a smart smattering of horror running through it. Based on the hit series of books The Southern Reach Trilogy, the movie focuses on a group of scientists who go into Area X, a quarantined section of Earth where strange things are going on. Natalie Portman is superb and refreshing in the lead role.
Image credit: Netflix RomaFrom the director of Gravity and Children of Men, Alfonso Cuarón, Roma is the story of a housekeeper Cleo, as she and her family come up against social hierarchy and political turmoil in 1970’s Mexico. This semi-autobiographical film is said to be inspired by Cuarón’s own upbringing, and has been widely acknowledged as one of the best films of 2018, winning two Golden Globes for Best Director and Best Foreign Language Film. Best drama movies on Netflix
Image credit: Film4 American HoneyA coming-of-age tale about a teen called Star who joins a group of travelling magazine sellers as they journey across the American Midwest. It's trying to be quite gritty throughout, but the road trip story and dreamy shots (like the one above) make it much more heart-warming. Sasha Lane truly shines in the lead role and Riley Keough and Shia LaBeouf are also on top form as they play two of the teen magazine sellers she warms to - and clashes with.
Image credit: Netflix We're not entirely sure Blue Velvet fits in the 'best drama' section, but David Lynch's movies are notoriously genre-defying. It's a deeply unsettling yet mesmerising story about a man (played by Kyle MacLachlan) who gets caught up in the high drama and high violence life of a singer (played by Isabella Rossellini). It's not a relaxing watch, but it's one of Lynch's most famous and unforgettable films.
Image credit: Fox Searchlight Pictures JackieNatalie Portman takes the lead role in this biographical drama about the life of Jackie Kennedy, which takes place after her husband John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. It’s a compelling but difficult watch at times, all about grief, trauma, consoling her children and Jackie’s struggle to create a legacy for her husband after his tragic death. As well as Portman, the movie has a great cast, including Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Peter Sarsgaard and John Hurt - it was the final film that was released just before Hurt passed away in 2017.
Image credit: Canal+ Personal ShopperPersonal Shopper is a strange, but captivating movie. It shows off the acting prowess of Kristen Stewart who is superb as an American 'personal shopper' living in Paris who caters to the needs of an infuriating supermodel. And it just so happens, Stewart's character is also a medium who starts to interact with what she believes is her not-long dead brother. Personal Shopper is one movie which doesn't let you really know what it wants to be until the end - and that is what makes it great.
Image credit: 20th Century Fox SelmaA heartfelt and considered look at Martin Luther King Jr's struggle to gain equal voting rights, campaigning in racially-charged Alabama, Selma was one of the finest films of 2014 and was rightly nominated for a Best Picture Oscar as a result. It may have missed out on the top gong, but David Oyelowo's performance as the civil rights leader is a powerful one, with a supporting cast recreating the inspiring story with great respect.
Image credit: Columbia Pictures Taxi DriverMartin Scorsese's flick Taxi Driver follows the story of a lonely veteran (played by Robert DeNiro) living in New York who becomes a taxi driver and slowly descends into madness watching the corruption and depravity of the city around him. It's not an easy watch, but it's a true classic and considered one of the greatest movies of all time. Best romance movies on Netflix
Image credit: Lionsgate La La LandDirector Damian Chazelle (Whiplash) does it again with La La Land, creating a fantastic musical romance about two creatives trying to make it big in Los Angeles. One is an aspiring actress (the fantastic Emma Stone), while the other (Ryan Gosling) is a jobbing jazz musician hoping for his big break. The song and dance routines are a wonder to watch, but this isn't just a film that relies on gimmickry - it's a well told modern day love story.
Image credit: Focus Features Pride and PrejudiceThe 2005 version of Jane Austen's classic tale of romance stars Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen as the young, stubborn and witty Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.
Image credit: Columbia Pictures When Harry Met SallyThe ultimate romantic film? Perhaps. It’s definitely one of the best watches you are likely to have. When Harry Met Sally is an all-time classic, brimming with confidence that only comes when you nail the acting, script and direction. Sally is played by Meg Ryan, someone who has been friends with Harry (a pristine Billy Crystal) for years but lost contact. They meet up again, when their lives are a little different, and the rest is history. Rob Reiner does a fantastic, subtle directing job here but top marks go to the script by the late Nora Ephron.
Image credit: Netflix To All The Boys I've Loved BeforeThis teen romance follows high schooler, Lara Jean, as she tries to navigate school after five secret love letters are sent out to her crushes by mistake. Based on the young adult trilogy by Jenny Han, the film quickly became one of Netflix’s most successful Original films, after its release in October 2018.
Image credit: StudioCanal CarolCarol is a gripping drama that sees protagonist Therese (Rooney Mara) enchanted by Carol (Cate Blanchett), a glamorous older women she spots browsing in a Manhattan department store. Based on the 1952 novel, The Price Of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, it’s a story of forbidden love that reportedly received a ten-minute standing ovation at its Cannes Film Festival screening. Best comedy movies on Netflix
Image credit: Universal Pictures The World's EndThe World's End is the worst of the Cornetto Trilogy but that's only because the other two are the superb Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz. The premise is great: Gary King (Simon Pegg) gets his old friends together to relive a pub crawl of their childhood. The only problem is, everyone has grown up into self-respecting adults except him. But none of this matters when the group of lads get themselves into a very strange situation. Full of fantastic sight gags that made Baby Driver the success it was, The World's End doesn't quite hit the high notes it should but it has a lot of fun trying in the process.
Image credit: Universal Pictures Popstar: Never Stop StoppingThis mockumentary stars Andy Samberg as Conner ‘Conner4Real’ Friel, a breakout popstar loosely based on Justin Bieber. The Spinal Tap-esque film follows Conner as he tries to hang on to success following dismal album sales, exposing the banality of YouTube stardom in the process.
Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures The Hangover (Part I, II & III)A group of friends go to Las Vegas for a stag do and chaos ensues. The movie begins with their pre-drinking the night before and quickly moves onto the hangover the morning after. We have to piece together what happened the night before as they do and it's as gruesome, gross and hilarious as you'd expect. Because the first movie was such a hit there's now a trilogy of movie and all of them follow roughly the same formula. Hey, if it ain't broke, why fix it?
Image credit: Warner Bros. The GooniesThis classic 1985 comedy follows a band of plucky kids as they take on a property developing company that threatens to destroy their home, and inadvertently find a pirate treasure map that leads them on a swashbuckling adventure.
Image credit: United Artists Some Like It HotSome Like it Hot is a classic, and for good reason. Winner of numerous Academy Awards and Golden Globes, and featuring three of Hollywood's greats at the top of their game, it's a hilarious movie, with unforgettable central performances. After witnessing the Valentine's day massacre, two male musicians try to escape town in disguise, as women. If you've never watched it, treat yourself. If you have, you don't need any convincing to watch it again.
Image credit: Columbia Pictures Dr. StrangeloveStanley Kubrick's 1964 satirical dark comedy classic has landed on Netflix. This dark comedy explores the fears around the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union, and the threat of impending nuclear disaster. Directed, produced and also co-written by Kubrick, the story centres around a US Air Force general who decides to order a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. It then follows the action of a bomber after it's set off, as well as the heated debates about calling off the whole operation before the general brings about the end of the world. Okay, so it might not be the light and easy watch you were looking for on a lazy, hungover Sunday. But it's a classic that's one of Kubrick's best. The best action movies on Netflix
Image credit: The Weinstein Company The Hateful EightArguably one of Tarantino's best movies, The Hateful Eight is a gory Western set some time just after the American Civil War. As you'd expect from a Tarantino flick, the cast is one of the best bits. Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Maden, Tim Roth and Kurt Russell take the lead roles as a ragtag bunch of criminals, bounty hunters and who knows what else who take refuge in a stagecoach stopover during a blizzard.
Image credit: Sony Pictures Classics Crouching Tiger, Hidden DragonA masterpiece in both filmmaking and fight choreography, Ang Lee's superb Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon tells the tale of a Chinese warrior who steals a sword off of a master swordsman and the cat-and-mouse chase that ensues. Chow Yun-Fat may have been the star of the movie when the was first released, but it is Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi that steal the show. A follow-up was produced by Netflix, which is worth a watch but has none of the charisma of its enigmatic predecessor.
Image credit: New Line Cinema The Lord Of The Rings trilogyThe full LOTR trilogy is now available to stream on Netflix, and we haven’t heard a better excuse to spend an entire Saturday parked in front of the TV. The epic fantasy adventures based on the novel by J R R Tolkein, were some of the most ambitious films ever to be made, with a budget of $330 million. If you haven’t seen them before, they are a must watch – and if you have, watch them again. [Update: February 8 sees The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey land on Netflix. Martin Freeman plays Bilbo Baggins in this, the first film of The Hobbit trilogy.]
Image credit: Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Avengers: Age of UltronWhen Tony Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr) plan to revive an ancient peacekeeping programme goes wrong, he and the rest of the Avengers must assemble once more to stop an evil villain from exterminating the human race. Packed full of adventure and thrilling fight scenes, this superhero film will appeal to even people who hate comic books.
Image credit: Miramax Kill Bill: Vol 1 and 2Quentin Tarantino’s bloody brilliant kung-fu opus should have been one big movie. But its distributors got cold feet, which meant we actually got two quite different films. The first is pure Shaw Brothers schlock. A revenge tale that follows Uma Thurman’s Bride looking to kill people on her hit list, for murdering her husband and family on her wedding day and leaving her for dead. The second film is a touch more subdued, but no less brutal - starting with a flashback of the infamous wedding and then furthering The Bride’s mission to ‘kill bill’. If you can, watch them together as it’s an epic movie that should be consumed in one sitting. Best sci-fi movies on Netflix
Image credit: Marvel Studios The Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 1 and 2Guardians of the Galaxy follows space adventurer Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) as he joins a bunch of alien misfits to escape the clutches of powerful villain Ronan, after he steals an orb that he desperately wants. Funny, kitsch, and packed full of action, it's a much Now also on Netflix, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 finds the intergalactic heroes thrust into another adventure, one that could reveal the identity of Peter Quill's father. Even more visually spectacular than the first film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continually aims to surprise the audience, with simultaneously keeping its action and comedy levels high.
Image credit: Paramount PIctures Star Trek: BeyondJustin Lin directs the latest installment of Star Trek with bombast. And thank goodness he does, because the explosions and flash camera angles manage to mask some of the cracks in this film. Don't get us wrong: Star Trek Beyond is a lot of fun, but feels a little smaller than the first two rebooted movies. There's more humour, though, and the cast still shine.
Image credit: Netflix Black Mirror: BandersnatchAn interactive adventure that puts the viewer in control of key decisions throughout the film, with various routes the film can travel through, Bandersnatch is a natural evolution of Black Mirror's paranoid depictions of technology – as well as Netflix's growing interest in interactive media on its streaming platform, such as Minecraft: Story Mode. In typical Black Mirror fashion, no stone has been left unturned with the creation of a website for the company Tuckersoft, which features in the episode. However, it's best not to explore the site until you've watched the feature-length episode in case you inadvertently stumble across any spoilers.
Image credit: Warner bros. GravityAlfonso Cuaron's Gravity is a cinematic masterpiece. We're pretty sure you could watch it without sound or subtitles and still be in absolute awe of the aesthetics. But if you did that you'd also be missing out on a well-paced drama starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock full of twists and turns all about things not going quite as planned in space. It also has an exceptional soundtrack and visual effects. It's one to turn all the lights off for and watch on the biggest screen in your house - you won't be disappointed.
Image credit: Film4 Attack The BlockThis British sci-fi flick by Joe Cornish (of The Adam and Joe Show), sees John Boyega in his breakout role as a tough inner-city kid, whose alongside his friends, tries to defend his South London estate from an alien invasion. Cheeky, fast-paced, and endearingly familiar to anyone who grew up south of the river, it’s a fantastic directorial debut from Cornish, and what would prove to be an extremely successful debut for Boyega.
Image credit: Universal Pictures Back To The Future trilogyGiven it was made in 1985, the effects of Back To The Future still stand up today. Actually, so does everything about the movie. It's a fantastic old-school romp that showcases Michael J Fox as one of the most affable actors around. Spielberg may have only produced the movie but his fingerprints are all over it. Back To The Future is a classic that is endlessly fun and re-watchable. Best horror movies on Netflix
Credit: Universal Pictures Get OutAward-winning horror movie Get Out has landed on Netflix this month. It's a very smart, very unnerving story about a young black man (played by Daniel Kaluuya) who uncovers a deeply disturbing secret when he's visiting his girlfriend's parents.
Image credit: United Artists CarrieStephen King’s classic tale of the trials and tribulations of high school, fitting in, oh and having extremely powerful telekinetic powers has landed on Netflix, bringing the unforgettable and gruesome bloodbath of the 1976 imagining to the small screen.
Image credit: Columbia Pictures MiseryJoining Stephen King’s Carrie on Netflix comes another classic story from the horror author’s creepy collection: Misery. Bringing the tale of the story, which will be making anyone who has seen it wince right now, straight to your living room. The movie follows a famous author who is rescued from a car crash by a fan. We won’t spoil what happens next, but you can probably guess it’s not exactly the warm, homely kind of recovery you’d expect after you’ve had an accident. It’s certainly not one for the faint-hearted, so prepare to hide behind a cushion for about 50% of the running time.
Image credit: Lionsgate Cabin In The WoodsThis super-smart horror from Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard is a movie that tries its hardest to turn the horror genre on its head, with continual knowing nods to movies of the past and a post-modern spin of the well-worn 'cabin in the woods' theme. Don't go into this movie expecting a normal film-watching experience but do expect to have fun watching a highly original script at play.
Image credit: Wigwam Films Under The ShadowThanks to Netflix's sometimes surprising rights, Under The Shadow has popped on to the service around the same time as the movie's Blu-ray release. We're glad it has. It's a fantastic horror film set in Tehran in the '80s, focusing on a mother and daughter seemingly terrorised by otherworldly beings in an apartment block. The dread in this film is slow release but palpable, making it a terrific, scary watch.
Image credit: Netflix HushHush has a brilliant premise. Directed by Mike Flanagan it revolves around a killer who tries to get the best of a girl in the house on her own. So far so 'every horror movie ever made', but the girl who is being stalked happens to be deaf. Yes, the home invasion genre is getting tired, but Hush manages to quietly breathe new life into it. Best documentary movies on Netflix
Image credit: Netflix Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never HappenedBilled as a luxury music experience on a private island, Fyre Festival was tirelessly promoted by social media influencers – but ended up being a complete and utter disaster, with multiple lawsuits being brought against the promoters. This illuminating documentary explores what went wrong, and it’s a must-watch.
Image credit: Netflix Jim and AndyJim Carey has always been an actor that takes things to extremes - whether it's his face gurning or physical comedy. But nothing was quite like what he did in Man On The Moon, the Milos Foreman directed biopic of Andy Kaufman. Mixing exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of Carey that the studios didn't want released, this is one revealing documentary about the things people do to make people laugh.
Image credit: Netflix What Happened, Miss Simone?This Netflix exclusive documentary is a heart-wrenching look at one of the greatest singers of all time. While the highlights are definitely seeing Simone sing live - there's a huge amount of never-before-seen archive footage - it's the eye-opening truths about her troubled life that hit home hardest.
Image credit: Magnolia Pictures BlackfishOne of the most important documentaries of the decade, Blackfish charts the life of killer whale Tilikum, who sadly died in early 2017. Kept in captivity as a 'performance mammal' at SeaWorld, the doc explores the unsightly side of why keeping whales in captivity is a terrible idea. Blackfish had such an impact that SeaWorld decided to phase out its orca shows and rebrand itself. Powerful stuff.
Image credit: Netflix 13thNetflix bagged its first Bafta thanks to this stunning documentary. 13th looks at race and the US criminal justice system, showcasing numerous injustices in the way African Americans have been treated in the system. The documentary was made by filmmaker Ava DuVernay, who also made the superb Selma. The best animated movies on Netflix
Image credit: 20th Century Fox Fantastic Mr FoxWes Anderson’s quirky directing is a perfect fit for Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Fox. Lovingly crafted using stop animation that’s voiced by Anderson alumni, and George Clooney, the film works well as a kids animation, but it’s adults that will get the biggest kicks. Director Anderson is going back to stop animation for his next feature - let’s hope it’s half as good as the fantastic Fantastic Mr Fox.
Image credit: 20th Century Fox The Peanuts MovieCharlie Brown and his dog, Snoopy, are iconic cartoon characters, and in this new computer-generated film, which was co-written and co-produced by Charles Schulz's son and grandson, is a brilliant continuation of that legacy, pleasing existing fans and winning over new ones in a tale that sees Charlie Brown try to impress Little Red-Haired Girl. It's the first Peanuts feature film in 35 years, but the wait was worth it.
Image credit: Universal Pictures The Secret Life Of PetsOne for the kids (and big kids) amongst us, The Secret Life of Pets is about two pet dogs who find themselves outside and have to fend off a gang of sewer-dwelling angry animals known as "The Flushed Pets" who really want to stage an attack on humans. It's as ridiculous and entertaining as it sounds.
Image credit: Paramount Pictures The Spongebob Squarepants MovieStarring Alec Baldwin and David Hasselhoff, The Spongebob Squarepants Movie takes all the charm and surreal humour of the original TV series and brings it to the big screen – and now the small screen, thanks to Netflix. It’s just as weird and wacky as you might expect, with clever jokes that even adults can enjoy.
Image credit: Netflix The Little PrinceThis charming English-language French film is an absolute feast for the eyes, with enchanting stop-motion animation and a moving story based on the beloved original 1943 book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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