Apple : Best tablet 2019: the top tablets you can buy for the money |
- Best tablet 2019: the top tablets you can buy for the money
- Google IO 2019: date and keynote predictions
- The best iPad 2019: the top-ranked Apple tablet you can buy today
- Billboard Music Awards live stream: how to watch the 2019 ceremony from anywhere
- NHS to get major fibre upgrade
- Best VPN routers 2019: the best routers for Virtual Private Networks
- Barcelona vs Liverpool live stream: how to watch Champions League semi-final online from anywhere
- UK defence secretary dismissed over Huawei leak
- M.I.A, Doctor Strange and Borderlands 3: the inspiration behind the loot shooter
- Netflix’s new high-quality audio is coming today
- Daisy Group combines channel businesses into Digital Wholesale Solutions
- Companies who aren't investing in AI may risk falling behind
- An iPhone SE 2 won't help stop Apple's iPhone decline
- Best PS4 games 2019: the PlayStation 4 games you need to play
- Google Hire now available at bigger businesses
- Apex Legends: battle pass, characters, and news
- PlayStation Plus May 2019: all the free PS4 games you can get this month
- A week with the Nubia Alpha wearable smartwatch: one step forward, 60,000 back
- Anthem update news, DLC, tips, patch notes and more
- Zelda in VR was the most nauseous experience of my life
| Best tablet 2019: the top tablets you can buy for the money Posted: 01 May 2019 01:28 PM PDT The best tablet in 2019 is able to act as a powerful part-time laptop replacement to support your workflow, yet remain portable enough to be easy to carry around. Our best tablets list tests, reviews and lists the top 10 tablets you can buy based on a number of geeked-out factors: Which has the best display? Does it support keyboard that are reliable? And how's the tablet battery list? These are good questions to ask when researching the best tablet for the money. Good news, we have the answers for you, and we'll keep this ranked list updated when iOS 12 transitions into iOS 13 to make Apple's tablets even more useful. You'll notice that while the top-ranked tablets are all iPads, Samsung and Windows tablets are here too. And just because there's a new tablet doesn't mean we rank it better than the old one. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is listed over the Tab S3 due to the higher price and few real enhancements. Here's a list of the best tablets you can buy today, according to our year-long testing of everything we review.
The iPad Pro 11 is the best tablet you can buy today. It's expensive for sure, but it's Apple's most powerful tablet and furthers the 2-in-1 design ethos if you spring for the keyboard cover folio. It has a laptop-like experience in design and performance, and the new Apple Pencil magnetically clips onto the frame of the new iPad Pro. With superb speakers and a great new screen-to-body ratio, it's hard not to fall in love with the finely crafted hardware design. However, there are setbacks for the iPad Pro 11 that you should be aware of. The iOS 12 software feels limiting when trying to multitask and perform laptop-like tasks. Another strictly mobile challenge: it doesn't have a headphone jack. If you want the standard 3.5mm jack in a computer-like device, you'll spring for an actual computer. Everything about the Pro 11 makes it the best tablet experience if you're looking for an iOS-based slate - you'll just need to swallow the high price and keep in mind that it's not a true MacBook replacement. Read the full review: iPad Pro 11
The iPad Pro 12.9 (2018) isn't just the best tablet toy can buy thanks to its 12.9-inch screen. It's also the most expensive, which is why it isn't at the top of this list. Its like a giant digital canvas that fills your needs whether you need a personal workstation, easel, portable cinema, book-shaped loudspeaker, music mixing desk, or a range of other functions. However, it's also extremely expensive, and doesn't feel like such a step up from the iPad Pro 11 (2018) as its higher price would suggest. With it's unrivaled processing power, massive display, snappy operating system, and the fact you can use it with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, it's definitely a tablet you should consider if you've got money to burn – but you can do better if you're on a budget. Read our full review: iPad Pro 12.9 (2018)
This is the best tablet for the average consumer and for education, even if it isn't the most powerful one on sale. It's simply a great value. The new iPad (2018) replaces the very similar 2017 model and, before that, the iPad Air 2 in Apple's lineup, slotting in below the Pro range. It works with the Apple Pencil, offering you the cheapest way to doodle on the 9.7-inch glass, though you can't get the Smart Keyboard with this non-Pro model. It also has the same luxurious metal unibody as the rest of Apple's iPad range, though notably it's ever-so-slightly thicker than the iPad Air 2 or iPad Pro at 7.5mm. With the Touch ID fingerprint sensor included, iOS 12 under the hood and up to 10 hours of battery life when web browsing or watching videos, it's a great media player and a strong tablet choice if you're not planning to use it heavily for productivity. Read the full review: iPad (2018)
If you're looking for a good compromise between Apple's new Pro tablets and the base iPad 9.7, this is it. It's compatible with Apple's excellent Smart Keyboard Cover and priced right for students looking to take notes on a powerful laptop. It does have Apple Pencil compatibility like all of Apple's new tablets, but it's not the best tablet for artists. The Pro versions support Apple Pencil Gen 2 with extra gesture features and magnetic charging. This iPad Pro 10.5 sticks with the older Gen 1 Pencil and has just two speakers instead of four. But everyone should be fine with the fast A12 chipset. Read the full review: iPad Air (2019)
Apple doesn't have a foldable phone, but if it did, but might look something like the new iPad mini 2019 when unfolded. It hasn't really changed since the last version almost four years ago, but it doesn't need to: we love the small size. You can flip open the smart cover, scribble some notes, and toss it in a bag without too much worry. Yes, the design is dated and there are thick bezels outlining this screen, but the price is right for a portable tablet with a lot of power. You really shouldn't consider buying any other small tablet on the market (notice: it's the only one on our best tablet list). Read the full review: iPad mini (2019)
We really like the iPad Pro 12.9 for its large size and it's the closest thing we have to a 2-in-1 touchscreen MacBook. It just happens to run iOS 12 instead of macOS. It's the best productivity and entertainment tablet around thanks to its 12.9-inch screen, four speakers and the iOS 12 dock and multitasking interface. Apple has redesigned its Control Center interface to make app switching even easier, and this tablet is compatible with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. It's biggest weakness? The iPad Pro 12.9-inch price, and the size isn't a good fit for everyone. But If you can afford it and want the largest-sized iPad available, you're going to love this – it's a laptop-replacement for a lot people out there. Read the full review: iPad Pro 12.9 (2017)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 is an upgrade over the Galaxy Tab S3 with an expanded 10.5-inch screen size and longer battery life, but it comes at a higher price and with a lofty promise to do so much more. We really like the idea behind Samsung Dex for its desktop interface, but it's non-touch-friendly UI, performance issues, and questionable optional keyboard case prevent it from being a true desktop replacement. If you're looking for a premium Android tablet the Galaxy Tab S4 tops the billing, but it promises more than that and just doesn't deliver on everything. Don't get us wrong, the Tab S4 is indeed better than the Tab S3, but the value just isn't there for the money. Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
iPad mini 4 The best 7-inch tablet at the moment is definitely the iPad mini 4. If you like the look of Apple's new iPad 9.7 (2018) and the iPad Pro range, but find them a) too big, b) too expensive or c) both, then you're in luck as the diminutive iPad mini 4 gives you the best of Apple's tablet world in a form factor that's not only beautiful, but highly portable. It lacks the Pro features of a keyboard or Pencil support (the latter would be really nice to have on this smaller display), but overall it's got a decent screen upgrade and more than enough power to enjoy every day. Read the full review: iPad mini 4
iPad Pro 10.5 The iPad Pro 10.5-inch is one of the best tablets for anyone who wants a serious upgrade, even though the cheaper iPad 9.7 remains good enough for most people. Apple's iPad Pro 10.5 has standout features that give it a productivity boost, including Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard compatibility. With iOS 11 on board this tablet is even a suitable laptop replacement for certain consumers. The new ProMotion screen adds an impressive layer of fluidity to daily use and the smaller bezels means you're getting far more display in a footprint not much bigger than the iPad Pro 9.7. It's an iPad for the professionals - but also one that media munchers will adore using. Read the full review: iPad Pro 10.5
Microsoft Surface Pro Can a tablet really replace your laptop or home PC? That's still up for debate, but the best tablet trying to make that happen is the Microsoft Surface Pro. We’re surprised Microsoft has refrained from calling this the Surface Pro 5, as it's a big upgrade on the 4 - although it is rather expensive, like many tablets in this list. It does a fine job with the full blown version of Windows 10, an integrated kickstand and optional keyboard attachment. Great for for creative professionals, students and everyday folks alike, this is a top choice and one of the best Windows laptops we've reviewed. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Pro
Tablet appsAs with today's best smartphones, applications play a big role on tablets – once you've decided which of these tablets is right for you, check out our top app lists so you can get your fill of Temple Run, update your friends on Facebook and read the latest news, all on a bigger screen.
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| Google IO 2019: date and keynote predictions Posted: 01 May 2019 01:02 PM PDT Google IO 2019 dates start up next week, and we expect some sizeable announcements to come from the event, which has typically showcased new software features coming to Google platforms. We might even see a hardware surprise or two. Google IO 2019 is again being held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, beginning with a keynote on May 7. What do we expect to come from the showcase? Rumors suggest the Google Pixel 3a will debut, showing off the alleged leaner-yet-cheaper version of last year’s Google Pixel 3 smartphone. We also expect to get an in-depth preview of Android Q, the next version of the mobile OS that’s already seen several beta releases. Those are far from the only things Google will announce at the event, but for now, we’ll list all the rumors we’ve heard about what’s coming. Google IO date and timeGoogle IO 2019 will run from May 7 to 9 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, near the company's headquarters. The event kicks off with an opening keynote at 10am PDT on May 7 and goes from there, with multiple simultaneous small sessions, demonstrations and stage presentations through the event's three-day span. See the whole schedule on the Google IO 2019 website here. For those at home, Google will be livestreaming some of the above (especially the stage presentations) on its website and YouTube channel.
Google Pixel 3aWe hope to get our first look at the long-rumored Google Pixel 3a, the alleged lower-cost version of last year’s Google Pixel 3 smartphone. Like the iPhone XR and Samsung S10e, this phone is expected to offer the most important specs and features from the main flagship at a more affordable price point. That means, yes, the camera and software, which has kept the Google Pixel 3 near the top of our best camera phone list since the handset debuted, along with high specs befitting the Pixel line. But it also means getting the less-known benefits of a Google flagship phone at a discount. This includes optimization for all the Google apps and software. More importantly, it means being among the very first phones to get upgraded to the new version of Android – seriously, many phones haven’t yet upgraded to Android 9 Pie.
Android QWe’ll likely get all the details about Android Q, the next version of the mobile OS that’s already been in beta for over a month. While it probably won’t be publicly released until later in the year (perhaps simultaneously with the Google Pixel 4, as has been tradition with Google’s phones), we might get a look at the cool anticipated features at Google IO 2019. These include some long-desired perks rumored to come, like system-wide Dark Mode that overrides apps to get that beloved white-text-on-dark-fields look and Face ID-style facial authorization. Other suspected features prepare Android for the next year of phones, like support for foldable phones, more privacy options and additional developer tools.
Image credit: Android Police Nest Hub Max (Google Home Hub Max)Google might have accidentally shown off a new product in its connected speaker line – specifically a device that might be an upsized version of its smart-speaker-and-screen Google Home Hub that came out earlier this year. Evidence suggests it will be named the Nest Hub Max, but we predict it will be called the Google Home Hub Max to put it in line with the previous product. While the original had a 7-inch screen, the Home Hub Max has a supposedly expanded 10-inch display. This would make it far better for watching media, either while relaxing or during a task (like a recipe or cooking tutorial). Crucially, this version is alleged to have a security camera, which the original Home Hub omitted due to privacy (and likely cost-cutting) concerns. Speech substitutionThe events list for Google IO 2019 mentions Project Euphoria, which aims to leverage "Google technologies to give people with speech impairments their voice back." While it’s unclear what this specifically entails, it could be a new software app or a feature coming to Android, probably powered by machine learning. As we pointed out when the news hit, there’s no guarantee that Project Euphoria will go live anytime soon – it could just be introduced as a feature coming in the future, as Google is wont to do.
Other stuff at Google IO 2019?Google loves introducing new concepts at IO, but sometimes they aren’t nearly ready to be released right away. At least one feature that debuted at last year’s event is on this list: a mode in Google Maps that introduces AR overlays in the top half of the screen (a la Google Lens) while keeping the traditional map-and-arrow on the bottom. As we said at the time, Google didn’t state when this unified guidance mode would come out – and we’re still waiting. Perhaps this is the year that a ‘StreetView AR’ gets added to Google Maps.
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| The best iPad 2019: the top-ranked Apple tablet you can buy today Posted: 01 May 2019 12:52 PM PDT Choosing the best iPad in 2019 is complicated because Apple has launched five new iPads in the last year, and another five iPads are still on sale for even cheaper. The best iPad can give you the power of a computer, the sleek design of a 2-in-1 laptop, and the familiar interface of smartphone thanks to iOS 12 and, soon, iOS 13. It's all tied up into a nice, neat package, one that's replacing the traditional bulky laptop for many – though not all – consumers out there. And there's now an iPad price for everyone, with cheap the new iPad 9.7-inch 2018 starting out at an affordable price, while the performance-focused iPad Pro 11 and the iPad Pro 12.9 offer laptop-like internal specs. The new iPad Air and iPad mini offer a good value in the middle, and all support the Apple Pencil to appeal to average consumers and students. Believe it or not, the iPad Air 2, also a 9.7-inch tablet, remains popular, even though Apple isn't officially selling it at their store anymore. And the aging iPad mini 4 (launched way back in 2015) is still on sale in many places with a price cut. There's ca 'best iPad' for you no matter your needs and no matter your budget. We created a top iPad 2019 list to help narrow down Apple's top tablet choices for you. Let's begin with a video overview of the best iPads The iPad Pro 11 is the second best iPad you can buy right now – it'd be the best if it didn't have a bigger sibling. It may be expensive, but the recent iPad Pros have Apple's most powerful tablet and furthers the 2-in-1 design ethos if you spring for the pricey new keyboard cover folio. It has a laptop-like experience in design and performance, and the new Apple Pencil magnetically clips onto the frame of the new iPad Pro. With superb speakers and a great new screen-to-body ratio, it's hard not to fall in love with the finely crafted hardware design. However, there are setbacks for the iPad Pro 11 that you should be aware of. The iOS 12 software feels limiting when trying to multitask and perform laptop-like tasks. Another strictly mobile challenge: it doesn't have a headphone jack. If you want the standard 3.5mm jack in a computer-like device, you'll spring for an actual computer. Everything about the iPad Pro 11 makes it the best experience if you're looking for the best Apple tablet - you'll just need to swallow the high price - but it's no MacBook replacement. Read the full review: iPad Pro 11 review The iPad Pro 12.9 (2018) is a big monster – monster in the good kind of way, as it effortlessly crushes half the things you need in your life – goodbye mobile phone, laptop, coloring pad, music mixing table, games console. It's the ultimate creativity and workflow tool, with its huge screen, useful peripherals and snappy iOS. It has the fastest processing power we've ever seen in a mobile device, four powerful speakers and a vibrant screen and, depending on which model you get, more storage power than you'd ever need. It doesn't have the best battery life though, so it's not going to last you too long. You might not be able to use it for long periods of time watching films on a journey or mixing your music, and it charges rather slowly too. All in all, the iPad Pro 12.9 (2018) is the best iPad you can buy right now, if you can afford its lofty price.
This is the best Apple iPad for the average consumer and for education, even if it isn't the most powerful one on sale. It's simply a great value. The new iPad (2018) replaces the very similar 2017 model and, before that, the iPad Air 2 in Apple's lineup, slotting in below the Pro range. It works with the Apple Pencil, offering you the cheapest way to doodle on the 9.7-inch glass, though you can't get the Smart Keyboard with this non-Pro model. It also has the same luxurious metal unibody as the rest of Apple's iPad range, though notably it's ever-so-slightly thicker than the iPad Air 2 or iPad Pro at 7.5mm. With the Touch ID fingerprint sensor included, iOS 12 under the hood and up to 10 hours of battery life when web browsing or watching videos, it's a great media player and a strong tablet choice if you're not planning to use it heavily for productivity. Read the full review: iPad (2018)
The iPad Air, with a 10.5-inch screen, is the ultimate compromise between the entry-level iPad 9.7 and the more powerful, but more expensive iPad Pro 11. It sits at the original iPad price in most countries, so it's cheaper than the iPad Pro 10.5 (2017) that it replaces, and although it isn't a 'Pro' tablet in name, it has several high-end features that make it a convincing laptop supplement. It's the cheapest iPad that's compatible with Apple's Smart Keyboard Cover, meaning you don't need to deal with tricky Bluetooth keyboard connections to get real work done on this thing. It also has Apple's A12 chipset, borrowed from the iPhone XS. It's incredibly fast. Students will be able to take notes and respond to email on this tablet, but artists will hate the first-generation Apple Pencil.
Sometimes with a tablet you just want a slightly plus-sized phone, and the iPad mini (2019) fits that bill. It's a dinky device with some impressive specs, boasting Apple's most recent processor and a decent battery life. What makes the iPad mini (2019) great is the fact you can use the Apple Pencil alongside it, turning the iPad mini into a tiny notebook in your pocket. The iPad mini (2019) is one of the best small tablets you can get at its price point, so if you're looking for an easily totable pocket powerhouse, you can't get much better than this little monster.
We really like the iPad Pro 12.9 for its large size and it's the closest thing we have to a 2-in-1 touchscreen MacBook. It just happens to run iOS 12 instead of macOS. It's the best productivity and entertainment tablet around thanks to its 12.9-inch screen, four speakers and the iOS 12 dock and multitasking interface. Apple has redesigned its Control Center interface to make app switching even easier, and this tablet is compatible with the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. It's biggest weakness? The iPad Pro 12.9-inch price, and the size isn't a good fit for everyone. But If you can afford it and want the largest-sized iPad available, you're going to love this – it's a laptop-replacement for a lot people out there. Read the full review: iPad Pro 12.9 (2017)
The iPad Pro 10.5-inch version is an all-star tablet which has been recently superseded by the iPad Pro 11. There's good news for the Pro 10.5 though, as it means it's now cheaper. Its bright ProMotion Retina HD screen is its best selling point. It adds an impressive layer of fluidity to daily use - if not strictly necessary - and the smaller bezels means you're getting far more display in a footprint not much bigger than 2016's 9.7. It's an iPad for the professionals - but also one that media munchers will adore using. It takes advantage of the Apple Pencil and several tablet-focused iOS 12 features like the dock, Control Center and Instant Markup with the stylus. If you invest in the recommended Smart Keyboard, you can attach it to a Pro-level iPad without jumping through all of the hoops of Bluetooth. Read the full review: iPad Pro 10.5
The iPad (2017) marked a name shift for Apple's tablets, as the Cupertino, California firm dropped 'Air' in favor for the cleaner moniker. The iPad from 2017 has since been replaced by the new iPad (2018), but it's still a solid buy if you're looking for a more affordable Apple slate. The only real problem is the new iPad (2018) isn't that much more, so unless you simply can't spend more than £300, the newer version is the better buy. Read the full review: iPad (2017)
For the average user the iPad Pro 9.7 (2016) is one of the best all-round options. The 9.7-inch screen strikes a great balance between being big enough to get far more out of than a phone screen and small enough to still be fairly portable. And although Apple has ditched the Air moniker, at 240 x 169.5 x 6.1mm and 437g the iPad Pro 9.7 is every bit as thin and light as the iPad Air 2. But it lives up to the Pro name, with plenty of power afforded by its A9X chipset and 2GB of RAM, four speakers for serious media potential, a beautiful True Tone screen, which adapts the color and intensity to your environment, and of course the ability to use the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil with it, if you want to use the slate to actually get things done. The iPad Pro 9.7 (2016) also comes with up to 256GB of storage if you're prepared to pay, so you needn't feel limited by the lack of a microSD card slot, and it's likely to remain a powerful and versatile tablet for years to come, so while it's expensive you might not feel the need to upgrade for a long time. Read the full review: iPad Pro 9.7 (2016)
Big screens aren't for everyone, and that's where the 7.9-inch iPad Mini 4 comes in. The screen size means it's far more portable than Apple's larger tablets, especially as it's light at 299g. It's not quite small enough that you can use it one handed, but you can comfortably hold it for a lot longer than most of Apple's slates, or throw it in a bag and forget about it. It's also big enough to enjoyably browse the net or watch videos on when you're away from home and bigger screens, but it's obviously not quite as strong an experience for most visual media as Apple's larger 9.7, 10.5 and 12.9-inch slates. The small size and lack of Smart Connector also makes it worse for productivity than the iPad Pro range, but this isn't designed as a laptop replacement. It's still fairly powerful thanks to 2GB of RAM and the aging but still impressive Apple A8 chip, while the screen is sharp, rich and easy to see even in bright sunlight. The iPad Mini 4 is also a fraction of the price of Apple's Pro range, and with 128GB of storage you needn't be terribly limited in that area – though it's no match for the 256GB you can get in the iPad Pro. Read the full review: iPad Mini 4
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| Billboard Music Awards live stream: how to watch the 2019 ceremony from anywhere Posted: 01 May 2019 12:39 PM PDT No judging panels. No telephone votes. The Billboard Music Awards are the prizes handed out based purely on who has topped the charts over the last year. Making a chart topping song or album isn't easy of course, but thankfully getting a 2019 Billboard Music Awards live stream is much, much easier...and you've come to the right place to discover how catch every minute of the BBMAs. For the second year in a row, Kelly Clarkson will host the three-hour BBMA show which will be filled with performances from this year’s top acts including DJ Khalid, Panic! At the Disco, the Jonas Brothers, Normani, BTS and Halsey. Mariah Carey will also accept the Icon Award and play a mashup of some of her most celebrated hits and Paula Abdul will be performing a medley of her biggest songs to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of her debut album. So how about the nominees? Cardi B leads the pack with 21 BBMA nominations followed by Drake and Post Malone with 17 and Travis Scott with 12. Whether you listen to rock, hip hop, country, EDM or even gospel, there is something for you at the show and we’ll help you live stream the 2019 Billboard Music Awards show from anywhere in the world.
How to watch the 2019 Billboard Music Awards: live stream in the USAWhile in previous years the Billboard Music Awards were broadcast by Fox and ABC, NBC took up the mantle last year and the network will be showing the award show again this year. This means that if you have a cable subscription, you can watch the 2019 Billboard Music Awards on NBC starting at 8pm ET/PT. If you’d rather stream the event on your computer or mobile devices, you can do so on NBC’s website but you will have to login using the credentials from your cable provider. Don’t fancy overpaying for a premium cable subscription? Don’t worry as many streaming services give you access to NBC at a fraction of the cost of cable. For your convenience, we’ve listed all of our favorites that include NBC below.
See how these compare in our guide to the best TV streaming services
How to watch the 2019 Billboard Music Awards live stream from outside your countryIf you’re an American who happens to be out of the country this weekend and don’t want to miss the 2019 Billboard Music Awards, don’t worry as we can help you avoid any annoying geo-blocking. By using a VPN, you can change your IP address to one in the US which will allow you to stream the event on either NBC.com or on any of the streaming services listed above. Keep reading and we’ll show you how.
How to watch a Billboard Music Awards live stream in the UKUnfortunately for UK music fans, the 2019 Billboard Music Awards will not be shown on TV as there is no official UK broadcaster for the awards show. But look on the bright side...at least that means you don't need to stay up through to 4am to watch anymore.
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| NHS to get major fibre upgrade Posted: 01 May 2019 12:28 PM PDT Hospitals and GP practices across the UK will soon have access to the fastest fiber-optic broadband to support widespread improvements in the range and quality of digital healthcare services as part of the Long Term Plan according to Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Currently almost 40 percent of NHS organizations are using slow and unreliable internet supplied through copper lines which restricts the ability to offer digital services such as video consultations to patients. In a speech at the Royal College of General Practitioners technology conference, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced plans to upgrade every hospital, GP practice and community care service to full fibre connectivity.
The commitment is part of a larger effort to support the 10-year NHS Long Term Plan which was published in January and pledges to radically expand and improve online access to healthcare services. Long Term PlanUnder the NHS Long Term Plan, every patient will get the right to choose a “digital first” approach to primary healthcare. This means that more of the 307m patient consultations that take place with GPs each year would be offered online in the future through video consultation as well as through face-to-face meetings. Hospital outpatient clinics will also be redesigned with more “virtual clinics” where video consultations will be conducted. Moving patient records to the cloud will also help clinicians access crucial information including high resolution images from anywhere in the country which will improve patient safety and speed up appointments. Health Secretary Matt Hancock explained why upgrading broadband is such an important part of delivering these changes, saying: “Every day, our NHS staff do amazing work – but too often they are let down by outdated and unreliable technology. It’s simply unbelievable that a third of NHS organisations are using internet that can sometimes be little better than dial-up. To give people control over how they access NHS services, I want to unlock the full potential of technology – this is the future for our 21st century healthcare system and a central part of our NHS Long Term Plan. Faster broadband connections can help us deliver these dramatic improvements – we need clinicians and other healthcare professionals to feel confident they can access fast, reliable broadband so they can provide patients with the best possible care.”
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| Best VPN routers 2019: the best routers for Virtual Private Networks Posted: 01 May 2019 12:21 PM PDT Our guide to the best VPN routers of 2019 is here to help anyone who is looking to beef up their online security. The routers in this list will help you get online using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which can help you browse the internet safely and anonymously. The best VPN routers that have made it onto this list have been selected because not only do they support using a VPN to access the internet, but they also make setting up and configuring the VPN quick and easy. Don't think that using VPNs are only for advanced users - the best VPN routers will get you up and running in no time. The best VPN routers we list on this page can be used no matter what VPN service you sign up to. Plus, they will make sure that even with your network traffic going through a VPN, your internet speeds won't be impacted too much. So, read on for our list of the best VPN routers of 2019, and at the end we have some expert advice on how to sign up for the best VPN for your needs. Picking the right VPN for your needsTo compliment your VPN router, here are our guides to picking the VPN for your requirements:
The best VPN routers in 2019
The Linksys WRT 3200 ACM is our choice for the best VPN router of 2019. Its no-nonsense design hides a remarkably versatile and powerful router that is a great choice for VPN use. You can install DD-WRT firmware for VPN compatibility, and it comes with four antenna and three bands for fast and wide-ranging network speeds. It also has four gigabit Ethernet ports and USB 3.0, making it an excellent router in its own right, even without a VPN. Read the full review: Linksys WRT 3200 ACM
Anyone who’s familiar with Asus, and especially its more gamer-centric products knows exactly what they’re getting themselves into here – especially regarding design. However, if you're not a gamer, and just looking for the best VPN router, then don't discount the Asus RT-AC86U. It has some excellent VPN features that makes it a fast performer that won't see your internet speeds dropping too much when using a VPN. You can also install third party firmware if you want greater choice. Read the full review: Asus RT-AC86U
The Asus RT-AC5300 is an excellent high-end gaming router that comes with a number of advanced features for making online and network gaming as lag and frustration free as possible. It also means it's a brilliant VPN router, and if you don't mind the expense, this is a great choice. The spider-like design won't be to everyone's tastes, but the eight antennae serve a purpose, as they can be used to direct your Wi-Fi signal throughout your home, giving this router an excellent range. Read the full review: Asus RT-AC5300 Tri-band Gigabit Router
On the surface, the Linksys WRT32X might not look that different than Linksys’ heavy-hitter, the WRT3200. And, well, that’s not actually that far off. The WRT32X takes all of the successful components of that highly rated router, and puts them in a router with a custom firmware that’s extremely easy to navigate and a very subdued and attractive visual design, making it one of the best routers with VPN you can buy in 2019. You will be paying a premium for this repackaging, but if you’re looking for reliable ping performance that online gaming requires, the Linksys WRT32X takes one of the best VPN routers and tailors it to your needs. Read the full review: Linksys WRT32X Gaming Router
If you're looking for a dependable mid-range VPN router that combines speed with a great Wi-Fi range and features aimed at games, then you'll definitely want to consider the D-link DIR-885L/R. It has a good selection of ports, and the user interface for setting up and configuring the router is nicely designed and easy to use. It also supports DD-WRT open-source firmware, which makes this a flexible and powerful VPN router that you can customise for your needs.
If routers had a fashion contest, Netgear’s D7800 would be among the top contenders. Its solid black finish is complemented by a quartet of antennas. Plus it’s damn fast and bettered by its inclusion of a duo of USB ports paired with an eSATA connector. The real centerpiece, though, is the VDSL 2 modem built into the Nighthawk X4S D7800, negating the need to buy or lease one separately. The outfitted software isn’t too shoddy either; a simple Dynamic QOS system makes it a breeze to govern a multitude of devices on a single home network. Best of all, it's a great router to use with a VPN.
Our pick of the best VPN to use with your router
Performance-wise, this British Virgin Islands-based provider delivered solid results in our performance tests. ExpressVPN also offers a native iPad app, and it supports iOS 8 (or better). It’s neatly organised so that you can connect with one click and immediately hook up with the fastest server available. For older iOS versions, there is a detailed setup instruction for configuring the VPN manually, thus making it a great fit for older-generation iPads. On the security front, ‘best in class’ 256-bit encryption is in place, along with support for OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and PPTP protocols, and a private, encrypted DNS. ExpressVPN doesn’t log any traffic data, DNS queries, or anything that could be used to identify the user. A quick glance at the pricing scheme shows that the service costs more than most VPNs. You don’t get to try it out through a free trial, but there is a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee available. Going the yearly route is the most affordable option of the three price plans on offer. The packages available are:
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| Barcelona vs Liverpool live stream: how to watch Champions League semi-final online from anywhere Posted: 01 May 2019 12:00 PM PDT Are you ready for what is probably the most enticing possible encounter in world football right now? The UEFA Champions League has delivered once again with Spain's newly crowned champions going up against one of the most exciting attacks around. And with this TechRadar guide you can live stream Barcelona vs Liverpool no matter where you are in the world. As you'd hope and expect from a last four Champions League clash, Barcelona and Liverpool are two of world football's biggest names. If this had been the 2019 Champions League final, we don't think too many people would have been disappointed (other than Real Madrid and Everton fans, of course!). Barcelona's superstars don't require much of an introduction - Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic...oh yeah, and a guy called Lionel Messi. They have had the liberty of resting players in La Liga, too, with their massive points advantage at the top. Juggling the two plates of Champions League and the Premier League title, Klopp's men could be just a few wins away from one of the club's most famous seasons and there have been a few. They'll be relying on their trio if attackers Salah, Mane and Firmino to gran an all-important away goal today. Can the players recapture the spirit of Liverpool's Miracle of Istanbul in 2005 when they won their most recent of five titles? It's poised to be a fascinating first leg of the Champions League last four knockouts, so make sure you follow the instructions below for how to live stream Barcelona vs Liverpool from wherever you are in the world.
Use a VPN to watch Champions League football outside your countryIf you're away from your country but are desperate to get around geo-blocking from your home broadcaster, don't sweat. Thanks to the tools provided to you by a VPN, you can tune in no matter where you are in the world. And best of all, it's really easy to do, especially if you use our number one recommended provider ExpressVPN.
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| UK defence secretary dismissed over Huawei leak Posted: 01 May 2019 11:35 AM PDT Defence secretary Gavin Williamson has been removed from his role following an inquiry into allegations that he leaked information from a high-level National Security Council (NSC) meeting related to working with Huawei to build out the UK's 5G network. The inquiry came after reports surfaced over a plan to allow Huawei limited access to help build the UK's new 5G network despite growing security concerns surrounding the Chinese hardware maker. Williamson, who has served as defence secretary since 2017, continues to deny that he or his team leaked any information from the NSC.
Downing Street has responded to the allegations by saying that the PM had “lost confidence in his ability to serve” and the role will now be filled by the former minister for international development Penny Mordaunt who will be the first woman to take on the position. Huawei leakDuring a meeting with Williamson this week, British Prime Minister Theresa May informed him that she had received intel that provided “compelling evidence” that he was responsible for the unauthorized disclosure. May doubled down on the decision to let Williamson go in a letter confirming his dismissal in which she said: “No other, credible versions of events to explain this leak has been identified.” The Daily Telegraph first reported on warnings with cabinet about potential risks to national security over a deal with Huawei which led to the inquiry into the NSC leak. Huawei's role in the UK's 5G network has not yet been formally confirmed and Downing Street has said that a final decision will be made at the end of spring. Via The BBC This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| M.I.A, Doctor Strange and Borderlands 3: the inspiration behind the loot shooter Posted: 01 May 2019 11:30 AM PDT Remember when the ‘grim dark’ look was everywhere? Whether you were at the cinema watching a superhero movie, or playing your favourite shooter franchise on your games console, it wasn’t too long ago when the prevalent colour palette of entertainment was sandy yellows and muted greys. Games were trying hard to be ‘A Serious Thing™’, and the original Mad Max inspired Borderlands game was more or less the same back in 2009. But as the franchise has evolved, it’s become increasingly kaleidoscopic, to the point where the forthcoming Borderlands 3 is swimming in neon-kissed paint bombs of colour. It’s a virtue of the series’ instantly-recognisable comic-book cel shaded style – one that’s able to simultaneously paper over the limitations of the hardware of its day through its caricatured nature, but also bring out the best in modern gaming tech, malleable enough to be taken in any direction the imaginations of its creators see fit.
“We pull influences from everywhere, and it really comes down to the individual artist pursuing a vision within this contained artstyle,” explains Amanda Christensen, concept artist at Gearbox and key character designer on Borderlands 3. “You get a lot of variety that way. Every artist champions something, and has a different focus. I’m a character designer, I worked on a lot of the female characters. If I talk about Amara specifically, her Pinterest board would have M.I.A, mixed martial arts, really awesome Hindu art and iconography and cool effects from Doctor Strange.” New hardware, new possibilitiesWith more ambitious, busy and large environments and ever-more outlandish enemies, Borderlands 3 (now five years in development) is benefiting from new technologies that its predecessors did not have access to. At an LA gameplay reveal in May, TechRadar was able to get hands on with the game running on AMD’s latest, impressive Ryzen and Radeon PC systems.
“The most obvious jump is in terms of our level of detail. The models have more polygons, more texture space,” reveals Christensen.
“Every character just has a bunch of cool little details – it’s definitely been part of the franchise in the past, but now because we can make the art so much more detailed tech-wise, players will have a lot of fun looking at the models and highlighting the details. ‘What’s Ellie’s tattoo say?’, or ‘What’s Tina wearing on her wrist?’. We can use the improved tech to bring out the personality. “There are some little details too like cloth movement, hair moves better, you’ve got some better looking physics.” With the PS5 set to sport similar internals, it’s looking a safe bet that Borderlands 3 could eventually make the jump to the console. But Gearbox at present declines to comment. That’s not to say the team aren’t already thinking about future possibilities.
“From an art point of view, just the sheer amount of details that we’re able to put on individual characters or the environment [will grow with new hardware],” says Christensen. “The way the characters move, and are presented, just the physics. When I’m playing the demo I play as Amara and I like to use the elemental guns which make rainbow coloured explosions happen all over the screen, blowing stuff up constantly. That’s possible because of the newer technology.” From Mad Max to the moonWith such a distinctive look, Borderlands 3’s faithful continuation of the series comic-book style could run the risk at first glance of being no huge leap from its predecessors. But Christensen believes that the game’s new spacefaring storyline gives the game a much greater opportunity to flex its creative muscles.
“We’re always going to have that Mad Max vibe, and that’s what [Borderlands’ first planet] Pandora’s all about,” says Christensen.
“But we’re bringing in new characters that aren’t always from Pandora, and it’s been super fun exploring different looks and deciding what still looks good in this art style. “For example we’ve got Amara, our new Siren, and one of the things we wanted to do with her was ask ‘can we get more of an Eastern vibe into Borderlands, and is it still Borderlands?’ I think it was actually pretty successful. “You’ll kinda see throughout the game [that we’re experimenting]. Lorelei is a new character and she’s got a cyberpunk look – I think the great thing about the art style is that when you’ve got the bright colours and the angst, it pulls things together and really gives us an opportunity to start exploring.” New planets and bosses have brought out the best from the Gearbox concept team. As we noted in our hands-on preview of the game, it appears nothing was off limits to the creative team this time out.
“We’re doing some really cool stuff with some of the other planets. Promethea has this dark cyberpunk vibe to it, and there are some environments you’ll have seen in the trailers that have some different aesthetics to it,” says Christensen. “I think the monsters, the creatures this time around, there’s a lot of variety this time around in terms of their attachments and attack styles. Even just with something like the bandit, that someone’s really familiar with, they have different moves, different ways of responding to people. One of my favourite things is a type of bandit called a ‘Slugger’ – you throw a grenade at him and he’ll hit it back at you with a baseball bat. It’s a lot of what people expect and love, but we want to surprise people. Bigger and better.” As ever though, not every idea can be crammed into a game, and even one as liberally minded as Borderlands 3 had to drop some creations. “There are always some things that get left on the cutting room floor, but the things that made the cut, that made it into the game, they earned that spot. They were the ideas that people were most excited about and really believed in,” says Christensen. Building the bossesBosses are among the most challenging characters to develop. Not only do they need to be distinctive from the grunts that surround them in terms of design, but they also need to serve up a challenge in terms of gameplay, one that weaves in with the visual characteristics the teams decide upon. “Bosses are daunting,” admits Christensen, “but it starts the same way everything in the game does, with a concept artist doing a bajillion drawings, coming up with a ton of ideas, and going back and forth with the designers. “Bosses, typically if they’re human, have to be obnoxious and over the top in terms of their personality and movement. But also we have big monsters and stuff like that too, so there’s a lot of collaboration involved between departments to make sure things have a lot of spectacle this time around.”
Borderlands, with its irreverent humour, has always commented on the real-world in which it was developed, and Borderlands 3 is no different. This time it’s taking a shot at streamers and YouTubers with its villainous Calypso Twins, who build a cult of personality around their audacious behaviour. It’s reflected in the large amount of religious imagery dotted around the game. “[The religious iconography] is mostly a reference to the Children of the Vault, which is the cult run by our two villains,” explains Christensen. “They’re like cult leaders mixed with crazy YouTubers to be honest! A lot of their signage and environments has a pseudo-religious feel to it, and that’s definitely part of the tone of the game, as they’re the main antagonists.” Cults? Twins? Religious iconography? You’d be forgiven for thinking it’s sounding thematically similar to Ubisoft’s recent Far Cry games, Far Cry 5 and Far Cry New Dawn. But Christensen stresses the Gearbox team were as surprised as everyone else by Ubisoft’s reveal. “Pure coincidence I guess!” she laughs. “I wasn’t aware of the Far Cry stuff. We’re doing it with a very distinct Borderlands humour and flavour, I think people are going to be really excited about it.” With a rabid fanbase that stretches beyond the hardcore gamer to the creative cosplayer, the Borderlands art team has it’s work cut out for it. But just as the ‘anything-goes’ nature of the series inspires the creative concept team, so too does Christensen believe it’ll keep drawing back in the fans. “There’s a sense of charm and personality that Borderlands has,” concludes Christensen. “It was one of the reasons I wanted to work on the franchise. The variety of personality in our characters, it draws people in. Just the sheer amount of fan art I’ve seen for this game already, it’s like, ‘wow’. They want to see them, they want to see what happens to their stories, that’s something cool that the series has, it gets people coming back.”
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| Netflix’s new high-quality audio is coming today Posted: 01 May 2019 10:57 AM PDT Netflix is rolling out a new feature today that will offer a serious audio upgrade to some of your favorite shows. The feature, simply called high-quality audio, will upgrade 5.1 audio streams from 192 kbps up to 640 kbps, and Dolby Atmos streams from 448 kbps up to 768 kbps.
The goal for the feature is to restore some of the details that are lost in translation between the Netflix master file and the version that reaches your TV after getting compressed and decompressed over the web. According to a blog post on Netflix's website, the company believes high-quality audio encoding will be able to restore some missing details (think of sounds like squealing tires, ringing telephones, crumbling debris) that you've been missing. Importantly, like 4K video streaming, Netflix says that high-quality streaming will be adaptive - meaning, if you don’t have a great connection right at the moment, you’ll hear lower-quality audio to avoid buffering and, when your connection improves, you’ll go back to hearing the more pristine-sounding audio. Better audio for allWhat's important to understand here is that the upgrade is coming to the Netflix player itself - meaning all shows will get the upgrade as long as you're getting the 5.1 or Dolby Atmos audio file. (The latter, remember, is only available to folks who pay extra for the Netflix Premier plan.) While this will be a big upgrade for some, we’re being careful not to oversell the new feature - there’s a big difference between 192 kbps and 640 kbps for folks who know what they’re listening for, but it’s not always easy for the average viewer to hear a massive difference. (Not sure which category you fall into? Take this audio bitrate streaming quiz from NPR to find out.) That being said, this feature is really for the cinephile crowd who has Dolby Atmos or serious surround sound setups and can really benefit from the extra bandwidth and who are a bit more... particular about sound quality. According to Netflix, the audio quality will continue to improve over time as the company modifies and enhances its audio compression algorithm.
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| Daisy Group combines channel businesses into Digital Wholesale Solutions Posted: 01 May 2019 10:46 AM PDT The Daisy Group has completed a major restructure of its channel business, combining three units into a single enlarged division it claims can serve all of partner’s digital infrastructure needs. The new unit, called Digital Wholesale Solutions, will inherit the teams, platforms and product portfolios of Daisy Wholesale, Daisy Distribution (the firm’s mobile distribution operations) and Daisy Worldwide, which offers international voice services. The company says that although Digital Wholesale Solutions will still have access to the benefits of being part of the larger Daisy Group, it will operate at an arm’s length with the freedom to develop its own strategy in order to better serve its customers. Daisy Wholesale Solutions“For the past 6 months, we have been working to bring our Channel businesses together into a single team while ensuring we continue to improve what we do for our partners,” said Terry O’Brien, Daisy Group CEO. “With our combined skills and capability, I have a clear vision for our new business to become a Super-Aggregator for the Channel. I want us to make life as simple as possible for our partners by offering the best and broadest product portfolio, at the best price and with the best support from one place, so that they can serve their customers brilliantly.” “If you are a start-up or an established telecoms or IT services business, come and talk to us,” added Nathan Marke, chief digital officer. “With our scale, high quality portfolio of connectivity, mobility, voice, cloud and product offerings, all built exclusively for the Channel, our advanced platform and our amazing team, we can help you build a more profitable future.”
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| Companies who aren't investing in AI may risk falling behind Posted: 01 May 2019 10:37 AM PDT A new study from LogMeIn, conducted by Forrester Consulting, has found that artificial intelligence widens the success gap between customer experience (CX) leaders and organizations that are falling behind. The study, Build Competitive Advantage Through Customer Engagement and AI, surveyed 479 global customer engagement decision makers to reveal that organizations with a more mature strategy, which makes CX an organizational priority and leverages AI, see an increase in revenue and conversion at double the rate of other companies. LogMeIn's study also shows that the maturity gap continues to widen to the extent that organizations that have fell behind may never be able to catch-up to their more mature competitors.
According to the study, “Exceptional customer experience is a cornerstone of business success. Better customer engagement leads not only to higher customer satisfaction, but also to greater top-line revenue growth and more satisfied customer-facing employees”. Impact of AIEmerging technologies such as AI are also helping to accelerate the divide as companies with a more mature engagement approach can adapt more quickly and incorporate powerful use cases of AI that advance their business. The study found that 36 percent of the least mature respondents do use AI but only in proofs of concepts whereas 58 percent of CX “experts” have implemented a holistic AI strategy and roadmap. Less mature organizations also run into additional challenges including lack of visibility into customer data (37%) and the performance of engagement channels (42%). These limited views also hinder a company's ability to quickly address weaknesses and understand how to best serve their customers. Senior Director of customer engagement technologies at LogMeIn, Ryan Lester provided further insight on the study's findings, saying: “With all of the hype around AI’s place in customer experience, it can be hard for companies to separate fact from fiction. The results of this study helped provide some clarity around the importance of continuing to evolve customer engagement strategies. Technologies like AI are creating a significant competitive advantage for leaders and leaving the rest falling irreparably behind.” This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| An iPhone SE 2 won't help stop Apple's iPhone decline Posted: 01 May 2019 10:04 AM PDT Apple's iPhone revenue has declined for another quarter according to the company's latest earnings, and it means income is being dented. It's no surprise - a slow performance in China amid a worldwide slowdown in the smartphone market is making things incredibly challenging for Apple at a time when spending on a new handset is being considered more carefully than ever before. People are holding onto their smartphones for longer because they're still performing - they weren't cheap when purchased a couple of years ago, and the high-end features then are still performing now. It means Tim Cook and co. will likely be scratching their heads, wondering how to turn the tide. Could the answer be the much-rumored, fan-backed iPhone SE 2? Cook noted in his earning call to the media on April 30 that revenue decline eased a little towards the end of the quarter thanks to price cuts to the iPhone in some markets - an iPhone XR price cut in China saw sales increase by 20 million - but it still witnessed a major sales shortfall in the region. So could new, cheaper handsets be the answer in getting Apple's handset business back on track? Apple has refused to step below the premium tier in the smartphone market to date, and while the iPhone XR is more affordable than the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, it still carries a hefty price tag which keeps it out of reach for many. However, before you get all giddy about the prospect of a new mid-range and compact iPhone SE 2, realize it's highly unlikely to ever happen.
The iPhone XR is still a pricey option (Image Credit: Apple) There's an image to upholdApple has built its reputation on producing premium products, and it's what gives consumers the confidence to buy as they know they'll be getting a high-end device. IDC's Associate Vice President for Devices, Francisco Jeronimo told us "launching a mid-range handset [such as an iPhone SE 2] would be good for short-term interest, but it won't help the brand in the long term as the image of Apple is premium...it's much better to sell discounted older and refurbished devices as it keeps Apple's band at the high level." Apple is one of the very few manufacturers that can make refurbished devices part of a successful business model, as iPhones generally hold their value well thanks to their exclusively high-end existence. That's why Apple offers its trade-in service, something Jeronimo believes it'll continue to push heavily, as it not only provides a way for customers to upgrade to the latest phone sooner by cutting down on the new device's upfront cost, but also allows Apple to make a second margin on an older phone by repairing and then reselling it. The key thing to spur a new smartphone purchase is either an old model not working as well, or the latest device being so appealing that not upgrading becomes impossible. As the former point is happening less, and the latter increasingly hard to offer from all the top brands, it's a tough inflection point for Apple.
The iPhone 7 is now less than half the price of the iPhone XS (Image Credit: TechRadar) So to offset this, whenever Apple launches a new iPhone series, it cuts the price of the previous generation, moving the handsets towards a more mid-range price point, rather than producing dedicated devices for the price point which would have to, in some way, compromise on Apple's premium aesthetic. This way, even if you opt to buy a 'cheaper' iPhone, you'll still be getting a handset which was once at the top of the pile. Apple still sells the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus - launched as flagships in 2016 - through its website, and at less than half the cost of the new iPhone XS and XS Max, they provide a clear entry to point to the ecosystem for those on tighter budgets. Trade-in is offered across all the iPhones it currently sells, allowing you to reduce the cost of the cheaper, older handsets too. The 5G and services solutionAs for where Apple goes from here, Jeronimo told TechRadar that he sees short and long term ways the firm will look to revert the slump back into growth, without launching a specifically mid-range handset. Part of the short-term action, he posits, is the trade-in service Apple offers, but it's what's available on your iPhone which is where a lot of money can be made quickly. That's why the brand even held a standalone event for the first time in its history earlier this year for new Services, to unveil products that weren't hardware, in the shape of Apple News Plus, Apple TV Plus and Apple Arcade. Revenue from Services is now almost 50% of the revenue of the iPhone business, showing huge growth thanks to the likes of Apple Music, Apple Pay, the App Store and the new additions will only bolster this further. By getting more and more iPhone users to sign up to these services, Apple won't need to worry as much about pushing consumers to upgrade to the latest iPhone, as they'll be able to make significant revenue from these services no matter the model in a person's hand.
Apple News Plus was announced in March 2019 (Image Credit: Apple) Looking longer term, and it's 5G which could be another big revenue driver for iPhone, as Jeronimo explains. "5G will have an impact on providing an incentive to replace your phone, but it won't happen this year, as it will cost quite a lot and the [network] coverage won't be that high. This is something that Cook alluded to strongly in the recent earnings call, where - when questioned about adding 5G to the iPhone - he mentioned the high cost of components, and only when the price point Apple desired could be reached would they consider adding new technology. "5G will have a strong impact [on the upgrade market] when consumers who purchased iPhones in 2018/2019/2020 are ready to upgrade [to a 5G phone] in 3-5 years time," added Jeronimo. With rumors suggesting we won't get a 5G iPhone until 2020 or 2021 at the earliest, there's no short-term gain for Apple from the fifth generation network, but at least by the time a 5G iPhone does emerge the networks will be more mature and the services offered more robust, meaning the Cupertino brand is likely holding out until the improved connection offers some real, material benefits. Whether the mix of trade-in upgrades, refurbs and a buffet of services will be able to recover Apple's lost revenue remains to be seen, it'll take a few years for the true impact of these models to be fully realized, but for now Apple fans should mourn the iPhone SE 2: the affordable, compact and modern iPhone that never was. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best PS4 games 2019: the PlayStation 4 games you need to play Posted: 01 May 2019 09:53 AM PDT The Sony PlayStation 4 is an incredible console, and possibly even Sony's greatest achievement to date (at least until the PlayStation 5 arrives). To make the most of it though, you need a library filled with the best PS4 games, and that's where we come in. The PS4 is the only console on the market with the likes of Spider-Man, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Shadow of the Colossus and God of War, all of which are available right now, and upcoming games like The Last of Us Part 2, Death Stranding and Ghost of Tsushima that are all expected to be released over the next few years. Not to mention the fantastic third-party games you'll still be able to play on the console. So, to help you sort out which games are worth your while, we've compiled a list of the best PS4 games worth going out and playing today – and whether they support the PS4 Pro's enhanced resolution and detail in 4K and HDR. We've done our best to include something from every genre – AAA and indie, RPG and sports sim, shooter and racer – to give you the best pickings from across the PS4 library. But if nothing here takes your fancy, check back in with us in a few weeks – with every new release we're updating and revising our choices! So without further ado, here are the best PlayStation 4 games...
Image credit: TechRadar Best PS4 games FAQ: quick questions answeredWhat is the most popular PS4 game? Well, your tastes might not match everyone else's, but everything on the list below is on Game's bestseller list, so you know you're getting one of the top titles. What's the best PS4 game to buy right now? Again, that'll depend on your tastes. For MCU lovers, Spider-Man is a no-brainer. FIFA 19 is our top pick for those who like playing football games, and God of War is a beautifully-made narrative RPG (with plenty of combat too). What are the best PS4 exclusives? In this list, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, God of War and Spider-Man are some of the top-ranking PS4 exclusives available right now, all appealing to a diverse range of gamers – if you're after an exclusive, there's something for everyone. Is PlayStation better than Xbox? Good question. And it depends what your habits are and what you're looking for from a console. We've put the two consoles head-to-head in our PS4 vs Xbox One: which console is best comparison, where we cover everything you'd need to know about each console – though you can also see if our round-up of best Xbox games tempt you over the PS4 titles below. Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Image credit: Ubisoft Assassin's Creed Odyssey is the most recent edition to the epic action RPG franchise. Odyssey is set during the Peloponnesian War and sees you stepping into the sandals of either Alexios or Kassandra as they try to uncover the truth about their history while navigating the turbulent world of Ancient Greece as a mercenary. Odyssey is a graphically stunning PS4 game which will take you to the heart of Ancient Greece – easily securing it a place in our collection of the best PlayStation 4 games. Just make sure you have the time to play it because there's over 100 hours of content to enjoy here. Check out our Assassin's Creed Odyssey review diary for more. PS4 Pro Support? PS4 Pro enhanced. Battlefield 1
Image credit: Electronic Arts In Battlefield 1 for the PlayStation 4, DICE takes players back in time to World War One and by doing so completely rejuvenates the once stagnating franchise. Battlefield 1's historical setting helps it to stand apart from the rest of the modern military shooters on the market, with all new weapons, vehicles, and level designs that feel fresh and capture the chaos and brutality of war. The game offers a poignant and entertaining single-player campaign that sets a new standard for first-person shooter. Broken into six sections, each following a different character and front line location, the campaign never feels dull or repetitive. The single player campaign even feeds neatly into Battlefield 1's multiplayer mode which, while familiar, also benefits from the much-needed breath of life that the change in setting gives. Graphically impressive, entertaining, and sometimes touching, Battlefield 1 is a return to form for the series. PS4 Pro support? Increased resolution and detail. Bloodborne
Image credit: Sony Computer Entertainment From Software's enigmatic and notoriously challenging Souls titles all hold critical and fan acclaim, but none are as stylistically interesting as the quasi-Industrial era Bloodborne. It plays like an RPG set indelibly on a hidden difficulty mode with all the helpful text pop-ups removed – which is to say it requires more than a modicum of patience from the player. But that's the point: in Bloodborne for the PS4, you get out what you put into it. Victory's all the more rewarding when you've watched your enemy, memorized his attack patterns, struck at the opportune moment and prevailed via the game's impeccable melee combat. PS4 Pro support? No. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy
Image credit: Activision Crash Bandicoot is one of the classic gaming IPs and a revered figure on the PlayStation platform. We were absolutely delighted, then, when he made his debut in a PlayStation 4 game with the remaster of the N. Sane trilogy. If you like your nostalgia in big dollops, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane trilogy is a remaster well worth picking up. This is the same levels, gameplay, and the iconic music is still there but it's been given a lovely new lick of paint. At TechRadar we think it's a great example of the way classic games should be resurrected. PS4 Pro support? Yes. 1140p at 30fps. FIFA 19
Image credit: Electronic Arts FIFA is, for many console owners, a highly anticipated annual event. The latest and arguably greatest instalment in the football sim series has arrived in the form of FIFA 19, and it's straight into our list of the best PS4 games. Whether you're looking to play against others online, build up a management career on your own or play a cinematic story mode that'll give you an insight into the dramatic life of a premier league footballer, FIFA has a game mode just for you. The best thing is, there's always more than enough to throw yourself into and agonize over until the next game rolls around with further incremental improvements to convince you to upgrade. You can read our full review of FIFA 19 right here and make sure you're the best on the pitch using our tips and tricks guide. PS4 Pro support? Yes. 4K and HDR. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Image credit: Square Enix Final Fantasy 12 is one of the most under appreciated and anomalous Final Fantasy games, first released in 2006. With this remake, Square Enix gives players a chance to take a second look at the game, this time running much more smoothly, with fewer obvious faults and cracks. In The Zodiac Age you'll find a beautiful game world, fast and exciting combat, and a sweeping storyline that's an example of the JRPG genre at its best. Whether you're a fan of Final Fantasy or not, 12 is enough of a series outlier that it's a good place to dip in and see what you might be missing. It's a PlayStation 4 exclusive, too. PS4 Pro support? Yes. 2560x1440 resolution. Fortnite Battle Royale
Image credit: Epic Games Fortnite Battle Royale has had a meteoric rise since its release in 2017, and it's not hard to see why. The free-to-play battle royale PS4 game offers players an energetic and enjoyable online multiplayer experience , with a concept that pretty simple to get to grips with: just be the last person standing. Constant content updates keep Fortnite feeling fresh over a year since its launch so it easily gets a place on the best PlayStation 4 games list. You can check out our definitive Fortnite Battle Royale review here. PS Pro support? Yes – 60 fps. Grand Theft Auto V
Image credit: Rockstar Not only is it the best sandbox game on the PlayStation 4 platform, GTA V is also the best golf game, the best tennis sim, the undisputed virtual yoga champ, one of the best racers... it's even a pretty serviceable MMO. We're used to scale and scope from Grand Theft Auto, but what Trevor, Franklin, and Michael bring us is a staggeringly well-realised city seen from three entirely different perspectives. Trevor, the maniacal rampage killer whom we discover to be in all of us when we play a Rockstar game; Franklin, the classic rags-to-riches character with street smarts and the ability to pull off a bandana; and Michael, the troubled criminal with a dysfunctional family and a beer gut to show for his life of violence. However you play GTA V – a multiplayer muckabout, a story-driven third-person actioner, a flight sim – it reveals itself to be the best game on both this generation and the last. One of the very best PS4 games. PS4 Pro support? No. God of War
Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment One of the most highly anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusives of 2018, God of War has lived up to the hype. Taking Kratos from Greek to Norse mythology, making him a father, and focusing on narrative as well as completely revamping combat has made God of War a welcome refresh for the franchise. In our full review, we called God of War "the best game in the series" for many reasons, but the stand-out is that this is a game with heart and it's not to be missed if you're interested in the best PS4 games. PS4 Pro support? Yes. 4K at 30 fps and HDR. Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Image credit: Ninja Theory Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is developer Ninja Theory's first attempt at publishing its own game and it's quite an achievement. The game follows Senua, a Celtic warrior suffering from psychosis who travels to Hell to rescue her lost lover. The game uses an interesting mix of binaural audio and innovative visual techniques to communicate Senua's experience with her psychosis to the player, resulting in a game that's likely to be quite different from anything else you've played recently. Disturbing, insightful and extremely enjoyable to play, this is a game worth taking a look at if you're interested in the best PS4 games. You can read all about our experience with the motion capture tech behind Hellblade. PS4 Pro support? Yes. Dynamic resolution adaption for stable frame rates. Horizon Zero Dawn
Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment Horizon Zero Dawn is the first-party open-world game that Sony has desperately needed. While Uncharted and The Last of Us have long given PS4 players a fantastic linear experience, Horizon Zero Dawn – developed by Guerrilla Games – gives you the keys to a massive, detail-rich and utterly jaw-dropping open world. Set in an aesthetically prehistoric post-apocalyptic environment inhabited by robot dinosaurs, the game puts players in the shoes of Aloy, who hunts these creatures and scraps them for parts. It's part Jurassic Park, part 10,000 B.C. and part Asimovian sci-fi epic all rolled into one. Once you get through the sprawling campaign, check out The Frozen Wilds DLC that sends Aloy up north to the frozen wastes of The Cut, the home of the Banuk Tribe. The Frozen Wilds elevates an already exceptional PS4 game and is well worth the price of entry. PS4 Pro support? Yes. 4K, 30fps and HDR support. Kingdom Hearts 3
Image credit: Square Enix Kingdom Hearts 3 is finally here. Just 14 years after Kingdom Hearts 2, Square Enix has blessed us with the latest core game in the franchise which sees Disney and Final Fantasy coming together in a fantasical and charming adventure. If you're a fan of a fun, action-packed RPG which doesn't take itself too seriously then Kingdom Hearts could be for you. But be prepared, the story can be a bit tricky to wrap your head around. Still not convinced? Then check out our Kingdom Hearts 3 review. PS4 Pro Support? Yes. HDR and 4K at 60fps. Life is Strange
Life is Strange is an episodic graphic adventure which tells the story of Max, who moves back to her hometown and reunites with her best friend Chloe – someone who is a bit more rebellious than she remembers. On top of trying to navigate the difficulties of teenage life, Max discovers that she has the ability to rewind time at any moment and only she can prevent a storm on its way to destroy her hometown. Rather than focusing on combat, the crux of Life is Strange is the choices Max (AKA you) makes and the effect these choices have on the overall story. A stunning PS4 game for those who appreciate an engaging story. The prequel, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, is equally mesmerizing. PS4 Pro support? No. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Image credit: Konami Okay, so Hideo Kojima's last game for Konami – and his last ever Metal Gear game – might be a little tough for the MGS n00b to get to grips with, but it's still one of the best stealth-action games ever crafted. It's undoubtedly worth a spot on our list of the best PS4 games. The open-world shenanigans will satisfy all your behind-enemy-lines / Rambo fantasies and probably confuse you with crazy plot twists and a million characters all with the same gravel-toned voices. But hey, that's all part of its charm, right? PS4 Pro support? No. Monster Hunter: World
Image Credit: Capcom Monster Hunter is a classic franchise that's been going for a long time, but with its return to console it's been given a new lease of life and dragged kicking and screaming into 2018. Whether you want to play solo or team up with a group of up to three friends, this game has you enter a stunning game world that feels genuinely dynamic and alive in order to hunt down monsters. For research, of course. There's a learning curve here, and the Dark Souls-style combat has the potential to frustrate, but this is the most accessible Monster Hunter game we've seen in years. If you've been looking for a chance to break into the series, this is it. In our Monster Hunter World review we called the game "a bold and confident new chapter" and gave it a "play it now" recommendation. Thinking of becoming a Monster Hunter yourself? Make sure you check out our full survival guide. PS4 Pro support? Yes. Can choose between 60 FPS, 4K resolution, or prioritized graphics. All with HDR support. NieR: Automata
Image Credit: Square Enix If you want to play a game that will feel different to anything else you've played recently, we heartily recommend NieR: Automata as one of the best PS4 games right now. Though it's a sequel to 2010 game Nier, you don't have to have played the first game to enjoy this one. Set in a dystopian future, the story of the game revolves around a war between machines created by alien invaders and the remnants of humanity. Humanity has fled Earth to seek refuge on the Moon, but has sent combat droids down to fight for them. You play as one of these droids, 2B, accompanied by another droid called 9S. Combat in this game is intensely satisfying, the game world is stunning with a huge sense of scale, and the story is strange (sometimes to a fault) but incredibly entertaining. You won't be disappointed, trust us. PS4 Pro support? Yes. 1080p at 60 fps. Night In The Woods
Image credit: Infinite Fall Night in the Woods is an unconventional side-scrolling adventure game that follows on 20 year-old Mae, who drops out of college to move back home with her parents. With a story based on dialogue choices and tasks, it's a classic coming-of-age tale, with stunning minimalist graphics and laugh-out-loud interactions that will leave you completely hooked on this charming indie game. PS4 Pro Support? No. Overcooked 2
Image credit: Team17 Fans of the original Overcooked will not be disappointed by the second instalment in the chaotic couch co-op series, with all new challenges, recipes, and characters to take on with up to three other people. This time your task is to defeat the 'Un-Bread' (zombie baked goods) that have taken over the Onion Kingdom, by battling through brand new recipes including sushi, pizza, and burgers in increasingly chaotic kitchens. To add to the frantic fun, you must battle obstacles including random fires, collapsing floors, and interfering passers by, all while getting your orders out to the pass in time. Things get complicated incredibly quickly, and relationships, friendships, and family bonds will be tested as you work together to complete your recipes on time, making it a fun and challenging couch co-op game that will make you truly understand the meaning of "too many cooks spoil the broth". PS4 Pro support? No. Overwatch
Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment Overwatch has without a doubt been one of our favorite games to come out in the past few years. It's a classic team arena shooter from Blizzard, setting two six-person teams of wildly different characters against each other in a bright and cartoonish science fiction universe. Great graphics, tight maps, and a good roster of characters to enjoy playing. Overwatch is good old fashioned fun and we thoroughly recommend it. PS4 Pro support? Yes. 1080p with 60 fps. 4K UI overplay. Red Dead Redemption 2
Image credit: Rockstar Games Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2 took 2018 by storm, giving us the gun-toting, western open-world we were hoping for. You play as Arthur Morgan, a gunslinger in the notorious Van Der Linde gang as he navigates the trials and tribulations of the changing west. Red Dead Redemption 2 is certainly game which will keep you busy. Between story missions, mini-games, activities and side quests, you will find yourself sinking plenty of hours into this title without even noticing it. And with Red Dead Online in beta testing it won't be long until players can properly team up with a posse of friends to play.
Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Image credit: Capcom Your gaming collection isn't really complete if it doesn't have a quality horror title and if we had to suggest one for our best PS4 games list it'd be the newest instalment in the Resident Evil franchise. Resident Evil is the franchise that put survival-horror games on the map and though it lost its way slightly in later titles, the newest game is a return to form for Capcom. By going back to the survival-horror basics and getting them dead on, Capcom has made Resident Evil 7 a genuinely frightening and exhilarating gaming experience. If you have the stomach for the gore, it's absolutely worth playing. The PlayStation 4 version of the game has an added bonus for PS VR owners – a virtual reality adaption of the game which Capcom has absolutely nailed. However, you'll need to be brave to play it all the way through. Don't miss our full Resident Evil 7 review. PS4 Pro support? Yes. 1080p supersampling and HDR. Resident Evil 2 Remake
Image credit: Capcom Capcom's remake of survival horror classic Resident Evil 2 has gone down a storm with fans and newcomers alike, and it's no surprise. With gorgeous new graphics but the same brain-scratching puzzles and terrifying zombies, Resident Evil 2 is definitely a remake done right. Check out our full Resident Evil 2 remake review. PS4 Pro Support? Yes. 4K resolution at 30fps or a lower resolution at 60fps. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Image credit: FromSoftware FromSoftware's latest offering is not to be scoffed at. If you thought the Dark Souls series was hard, then Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is extreme mode. Sekiro is more punishing than any title we've seen from FromSoftware before, but actually achieving those rare moments of success is extremely rewarding. Set against a background that balances brutality and beauty, Sekiro is one of this year's must-have titles – if you have the patience for it. Check out our full Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice review. PS4 Pro Support? Yes. Capable of running 1080p at 60fps. Shadow of the Colossus
Image credit: Sony Computer Entertainment Shadow of the Colossus is a classic PlayStation title, a game that performed graphical marvels when it was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2005. Now it's been remastered with 4K and HDR support, and this time around the game world is more beautiful than ever, while keeping the original's emotional weight and gameplay. It's an easy pick for our best PS4 games list. For those looking for a gaming experience quite unlike any other, Shadow of the Colossus is a must-play. In our full review of the title we called it "a journey well worth taking once, and somehow even more worthwhile second time around" PS4 Pro support? Two modes: cinematic with 4K, HDR and 30 fps or performance with 60 fps. Marvel's Spider-Man
Image credit: Insomniac Games Swinging its way onto our best PS4 games list, Marvel's Spider-Man is likely the best comic book-based video game in the entire PS4 library by a country mile (sorry, Batman: Return to Arkham). While Arkham did a great job bringing the brooding caped crusader to life on our home consoles, it failed to provide us any insight about Bruce Wayne's actual life when he takes off the cowl. This is different, if only because it shows us two sides of the same hero – the affable Peter Parker and the heroic, self-sacrificing Spider-Man – in the same game. Tie into that the best traversal mechanics since Spider-Man 2 on the PS3, and you have all the markings of a spectacular (and dare we say AMAZING) Spider-Man game. Don't miss our full Spider-Man review! PS4 Pro support? 4K HDR. Titanfall 2
Image credit: Electronic Arts The original Titanfall was a great game, but unfortunately it didn't come to the PlayStation. Fortunately, its sequel, Titanfall 2, improves on it every conceivable way: the motion is more fluid, there are more distinct titans to choose from and, hold onto your hats here, there's actually a single-player campaign that might take the cake for the best first-person shooter story of the year. This game's pedigree is inherited from one of this generation's smartest and most unusual shooters. The original Titanfall married ninja-fast on-foot combat to the gloriously thuggish thrill of piloting giant mechs, which are summoned from orbit a few minutes into each match. The skill with which Respawn has balanced this mix of styles in the sequel is remarkable – Titans have firepower in excess but they're easy to hit, and maps offer plenty of places for infantry to hide. Make sure to check out our Titanfall 2 review here. PS4 Pro Support? Yes. Higher resolution and more stable frame rates. The Last Of Us Remastered
Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment Many games have offered us post-apocalyptic visions of the future, but none have been as brutal, as believable, or as touching as Joel and Ellie's story. It was near-perfect on PS3, but with current-gen's increased performance ceiling Naughty Dog found ways to ramp up the visual fidelity to 'drop the controller and stare' levels. A radical tonal departure from Uncharted's jovial treasure-hunting escapades, The Last Of Us Remastered demonstrates the California studio's ability to strike a darker mood, populating the overgrown ruins of its setting with a cast characterised by murky morals but still getting you to care for them like your own bessies. If you love this one, make sure you keep an eye on all the latest news surrounding its sequel: The Last of Us Part 2. It's likely to be another cracking PlayStation 4 game. PS4 Pro support? Yes. Choice of 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at 60 fps with HDR. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Image credit: CD Projekt Geralt didn't have the smoothest of entries to PS4, but after some heavy patching and a lot of angry words about visual downgrades, we're left with an RPG boasting tremendous scope and storytelling. Oh, and combat. And don't forget Gwent, the in-game card game. And there's the crafting to get stuck into. And the alchemy. You're rarely short of things to entertain yourself with in The Witcher 3's quasi-open world, then, and all the better that you're in a universe that involves the supernatural without leaning on the same old Tolkien fantasy tropes. It's invigorating stuff. Netflix has announced it's working on a Witcher TV series with Henry Cavill taking on the role as Geralt, so if you haven't jumped into the fantasy RPG then now is the perfect time. PS4 Pro support? Yes. 4K resolution or improved performance at 1080p. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End
Image credit: Sony Computer Entertainment Uncharted 4: A Thief's End was tasked with an impossible task by bringing a satisfying close to Naughty Dog's classic adventure series and delivered something well above our expectations. Exceptionally high production values, an engaging story about a wayward brother and an adventure to remember, Uncharted 4 has them all in spades. Though Naughty Dog's Uncharted journey has finally reached its destination, you're guaranteed to treasure the memories it created forever. If you're a PS4 owner, it would be criminal not to take this ride. It's undoubtedly one of the best PS4 games there is. PS4 Pro support? Yes. 2560 x 1440 resolution with HDR and 30 fps in single-player. Wipeout Omega
Image credit: Sony Interactive Entertainment This bundle of anti-gravity goodness features some of the best versions of Wipeout from over the years. It's not an exhaustive collection of the different games, but it is a great, remastered trio of games that brings you the best of Wipeout racing and chaotic car combat. Multi-player mode is fantastic, but the game's AI improves as you do, meaning some of the later levels are eye-watering challenges. Here's some Wipeout Omega collection tips and tricks to get you started with this excellent PS4 game. PS4 Pro support? Yes. HDR and 4K at 60fps. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Image credit: Bethesda Softworks Looking for an incredible single-player shooter for PS4? Look no further than the 2017 wonder that was Wolfenstein II. Picking up from where the original game left off, this game is a timely social commentary and a superbly silly adventure all rolled into one well-written package. With tight mechanics and a story worth caring about this is one of the most satisfying first-person shooters we've played in a long time. In our full review we called it "expertly crafted" and recommended that you play it now. PS4 Pro support? Yes. 2560x1440p.
Trying to decide which PS4 set-up to get? Watch Jon and Gerald discuss the differences between the PS4, PS4 Pro and PS4 VR in the video below: This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Google Hire now available at bigger businesses Posted: 01 May 2019 09:50 AM PDT Google has announced that it is expanding its ML-powered recruitment service Hire to help make the hiring process easier and more streamlined for enterprise organizations with thousands of employees. The company is adding a number of expanded capabilities for enterprises as it looks to extend its recruitment service beyond its initial focus on SMBs. Tracking down the right approvers for new job requisitions can be a time-consuming task which is why Google has enhanced the requisition and the company now offers approval flows to automatically suggest approvers for new job requisitions or offers.
A referral portal has also been added to Hire in an effort to encourage employees to source top talent which can result in thousands of referrals for a large organization. A set of interactive reports is no available as well to help empower more informed decision making to allow enterprises to make the most of their data and optimize complex hiring processes. Google HireGoogle has also expanded Hire's connection to other HR services through APIs and pre-built interrogations with Namely, Sapling, AppogeeHR and Zenefits. Namely's President and Chief Revenue Officer Graham Younger explained how deeper integration with Google's recruitment service has helped speed up the onboarding process for HR departments, saying: “Our deep integration with Hire by Google helps joint clients streamline the earliest interactions between an employee and their company. By using Google’s robust architecture to instantly create a new employee record in Namely each time an applicant is hired, we’re speeding the onboarding process for HR and creating a better employee experience from the initial interview to the first day on the job.” Businesses interested in adding Hire to their existing HR software can learn more at its site or even schedule a demo to try out the service firsthand.
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| Apex Legends: battle pass, characters, and news Posted: 01 May 2019 09:41 AM PDT EA surprised many with the sudden announcement of Apex Legends, a new free-to-play battle royale shooter that sees the publisher going toe-to-toe with genre mammoths PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Fortnite Battle Royale. Developed by Respawn Entertainment and set in the Titanfall universe, Apex Legends is a squad-based battle royale shooter where teams of three go up against 57 other players to try to gather loot and be the last person (or squad) standing. However, unlike Fortnite and PUBG, Apex Legends sees players take on one of eight classes, each represented by a unique character (imagine Fortnite mixed with Overwatch and you’ll be on the right track.) Whether that sounds like your kind of gaming or not, it's clear Apex Legends is going from strength to strength. It managed to reach a million players in its first eight hours and amassed 10 million players in three days. That's good going. Really good going. Particularly when you consider that it took Fortnite two weeks (a fortnight!) to reach those same numbers. Similarly, it took Fortnite 24 hours to accrue a million players, compared to eight hours for EA’s shooter. Do we have another Fortnite on our hands? Let's not get ahead of ourselves and instead let's take a look at everything we know about Apex Legends. [Update: Apex Legends will get less-frequent, more meaningful updates.]
Cut to the chase
How to download Apex Legends
Apex Legends can be downloaded for free from the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, Origin Store or Apex Legends website. Simply search for the title, download the game and enjoy! But do keep in mind that a good internet connect and subscription to either PS Plus, Xbox Live or Origin Access is required to play. The good news is that Apex Legends might also be coming to mobile. According to EA's CEO, Andrew Wilson, it could soon be following in the footsteps of console-turned-mobile hits Fortnite and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and coming to both Android and iOS devices in the not-so-distant future. Apex Legends Battle Pass
Apex Legends has now officially launched its first Battle Pass season, dubbed Wild Frontier. Players on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC are now able to purchase the Wild Frontier Battle Pass for 950 Apex Coins, entitling them to a new character in Octane (available separately for 750 Apex Coins or 12,000 Legends Tokens) and the ability to earn 100 new items, such as Legend Skins, Apex Coins and a new legendary Havoc skin. As a reference, Apex Coins start at $9.99 (around £7.50 / AU$14.15) in real world money for a pack of 1,000. Along with this speedy new Legend, the Wild Frontier Battle Pass also offers the ability to earn 100 new items, such as Legend Skins, Apex Coins and a new legendary Havoc skin. Players who want to get a head start can immediately unlock the first 25 levels (out of 100 available in Season 1) by purchasing the Battle Pass Bundle, which costs 2,800 Apex Coins. According to EA, Apex Legends will follow a seasonal model with each themed season bringing new content to the game in the form of new weapons, new Legends, new skins and more. Apex Legends latest news and rumorsLess-frequent, more meaningful updates Following a saddening report about rival Epic Games’ developers working to brutal schedules in order to keep Fortnite’s constant flow of updates coming, Respawn is instead looking to deliver content in larger, more meaningful chunks with less frequency than its competition. “We don’t want to overwork the team,” said Respawn Entertainment’s CEO Vince Zampella in an interview with Gamasutra: "The thought was, 'Hey we kind of have something that's blowing up here, do we want to start trying to drop more content?' But I think you look at quality of life for the team. We don't want to overwork the team, and drop the quality of the assets we're putting out. We want to try and raise that." It’s a stance that’s been echoed by the game’s executive producer Drew McCoy, who wrote in a message to Apex Legends players: "We know that, in addition to addressing issues with the game, everyone is hungry for us to add new content. The studio culture that we've worked hard to cultivate, and the health of our team are very important. We take those things into account when we discuss our content roadmap, the production schedule, and the frequency in which we can update the game. "Our long-term goal is to ensure Apex Legends always feels alive and thriving, with a focus on quality of content over novelty or speed of release. At the same time, we want to maintain our culture as a development team and avoid crunch that can quickly lead to burnout or worse."
New Legends on the way After the launch of new character Octane, it's been rumored that another Legend by the name of Wattson is set to join the fray during the current season (by the end of May). Wattson is reportedly the daughter of Apex’s lead electrical engineer, which could mean Respawn is planning to expand the lore aspect of the battle royal game. According to dataminer Shrugtal (via Apex Legends Insider), Wattson will be the first of another seven Legends planned for the battle royale. Apex Legends has crossed the 50 million registered player mark By some estimates that makes the player base around a quarter of the size of the battle royale behemoth - and money printing machine - Fortnite, which had around 200 million players at last count, but also means that Apex Legends is catching up quickly. Rumor: Gladiatorial ‘survival’ and player-stealing ‘recruit’ game modes We could potentially see a new survival mode or a recruit mode, along with a kill camera feature, plus a couple of new playable characters (the eponymous Legends). As spotted by @RealApexLeaks, there’s a reference to a ‘survival mode’ in the game’s files, although there are no details as to exactly what this may be. The only hint is that it involves a host NPC (non-player character), and possibly spectator NPCs, who could cheer players on, or sling emotes at them, giving the atmosphere more of a gladiatorial game show feel, presumably. Apex Legends update adding a new weapon Apex Legends received an update that added a new weapon to the free-to-play battle royale - the Havoc assault rifle. Strategy and communication Apex Legends puts a huge amount of emphasis on strategy and communication among squads, which isn't surprising considering it's an online multiplayer game with a reliance on character classes. Titanfall Apex Legends is set in the Titanfall universe, however reports have begun to pop up that the battle royale title has completely replaced a third Titanfall game – according to Kotaku, Titanfall 3 isn't currently in development and Apex Legends is what we're getting instead. No mechs Players won’t be able to get into any mechs – news that likely ruffle a few feathers of franchise fans. Ditto with other signatures of the series, like wallrunning.
Playable characters are called 'Legends' Each has their own play-styles and special abilities, so working out which Legends complement each other in a team is key. Check out our guide for the best Apex Legends character for your playstyle. Supply ships Apparently these contain the best loot (essentially acting as a supply drop), so naturally they pose the biggest risk. Customization Unlocked as you rank up. Customizations are available for your apparel, weapons and legend banner. Rumor: Upcoming solo mode According to news from a prolific Fortnite data miner, a possible solo mode could be coming to Apex Legends, along with a duo mode – two-player squads – to slot alongside the existing gameplay which pits three-player squads against each other (20 of them to be precise, to make for 60 players). Apex Legends characters and abilitiesOctane Adrenaline Junkie Apex Legends' newest Legend is the ultimate death-defying adrenaline junkie, speeding his way through the map, healing himself as he goes and getting into as much trouble as possible. Tactical Ability: Stim Passive Ability: Swift Mend Ultimate Ability: Launch Pad Bloodhound Technological Tracker Bloodhound is one of the the Outlands' greatest hunters. There's little known about them except that they are non-binary and super-skilled at tracking enemies in the battlefield. Tactical Ability: Eye of the Allfather Passive Ability: Tracker Ultimate Ability: Beast of the Hunt Wraith Interdimensional Skirmisher Wraith is a fighter with a dark twist. She's able to execute swift attacks and open rifts in reality to benefit herself and her teammates. Tactical Ability: Into the Void Passive Ability: Voices from the Void Ultimate Ability: Dimensional Rift Gibraltar Shielded Fortress Built like a brick house, Gibraltar is essentially the tank of Apex Legends. He is great for defending teammates and unleashing massive damage on any enemies who dare get close enough. Tactical Ability: Dome of Protection Passive Ability: Gun Shield Ultimate Ability: Defensive Bombardment Bangalore Professional Soldier Bangalore serves as a classic offense character, at her best when she's inflicting damage on enemy teams and using strategic attacks to unleash devastating assaults. Tactical Ability: Smoke Launcher Passive Ability: Double Time Ultimate Ability: Rolling Thunder Lifeline Combat Medic Prefer to play a healer? Then Lifelines is probably the Legend for you, providing medical assistance to her teammates on the battlefield with her healing drone and calling in extra supplies when needed. Tactical Ability: D.O.C. Heal Drone Passive Ability: Combat Medic Ultimate Ability: Care Package Pathfinder Forward Scout It's important to survey and scout potential locations before sending your team in. Better to be safe than sorry. That's where Pathfinder comes in, checking areas for enemies before making a speedy exit and guiding your team along the safest route. Tactical Ability: Grappling Hook Passive Ability: Insider Knowledge Ultimate Ability: Zipline Caustic Toxic Trapper Prefer to trap your enemies rather than combat them head on? Then Caustic is your guy. He's one of two current characters unavailable in the base game and requires you to pay 12,000 Legend Tokens or 750 Apex Coins to unlock. Tactical Ability: Nox Gas Trap Passive Ability: Nox Vision Ultimate Ability: Nox Gas Grenade Mirage Holographic Trickster Arguably the most charismatic Legend, Mirage is a master of illusion and uses decoys to confuse enemies. Like Caustic, Mirage is unavailable in the base game and requires you to pay 12,000 Legend Tokens or 750 Apex Coins to unlock. Tactical Ability: Psyche Out Passive Ability: Encore! Ultimate Ability: Vanishing Act
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| PlayStation Plus May 2019: all the free PS4 games you can get this month Posted: 01 May 2019 09:28 AM PDT If you're a PlayStation Plus subscriber then you'll want to know all about the free PlayStation Plus games and discounts for May 2019 – and we've got the details you need right here. We've also listed the PlayStation Plus games from previous months too. For those of you who've just signed up and are completely new to the perks of being a PlayStation Plus subscriber, each month, you’re given a range of free games for the PS4 console (PS3 and PS Vita games have unfortunately been dropped). This gives you a great way to try PlayStation games you might not otherwise have played, whether they're indie titles that slipped under your radar, or titles that were too expensive to buy. Remember PlayStation Plus games are only available for one month – so grab them while you can. PlayStation Plus games: May 2019They may not be the latest game offerings, but Sony's PS Plus May lineup has two award-winning titles which are definitely not to be scoffed at: Overcooked Overcooked is undoubtedly one of the best couch co-op party games to come out in the past few years. One to four players control cooks in a kitchen, delegating responsibilities as they try to cook and serve increasingly complex orders in a variety of bizarre restaurants. It’s quintessential co-op, though as the pace and stress ratchets up, you begin to understand how Gordon Ramsey came to rely on such a profanity-filled vocabulary to get things functioning in the kitchen. The beauty of Overcooked is that it leaves all organisation to the players; who’s frying the steaks? Who’s chopping the veg? Why is the onion soup on fire?!? Who the HELL is doing the washing up because we’ve run out of plates to serve food on? If you can't handle the heat then get out of the kitchen - or burn it to the ground in this case. What Remains of Edith Finch It's hard to describe What Remains of Edith Finch without spoiling it. It's one of those games that needs to be experienced first-hand, and luckily Sony is letting you for free. The narrative driven title sees you investigating the family home of the Finch's in an effort to work out why you're the last one left and what happened to the other members of the family. It's peculiar and wonderful, and arguably one of the best games to come out in 2017. PlayStation Plus Games: April 2019Conan Exiles Take a sprinkling of Schwarzenegger, a dash of Minecraft and a helping of Ark: Survival Evolved, and you'll end up with something like Conan Exiles. A persistent online multiplayer game, you'll be cast into the brutal realm of the world's most famous barbarian with no belongings (literally nothing – not even a loincloth to hide your modesty) and tasked to simply survive and thrive. It launched to a bit of a mixed response, but has since built a bit of a cult following – in no small part, no doubt, due to the fact that it's the only game with a penis size slider as part of its create-a-character set up... The Surge Imagine Dark Souls in space, and that's what you've got with The Surge. It's a bit of a corridor slog, squandering its initial mysterious promise, but its combat is meaty and well presented. If you can't face Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, but still want something akin to a SoulsBorne fix, The Surge will plug that gap. PlayStation Plus games: March 2019(Note that March 2019 was the first month that Sony stopped offering PS3 and PS Vita games in addition to PS4 titles. Boo!) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Remastered (usually $35.99 / £34.99 AU$59.95) An FPS great. With all-new textures and HDR lighting for modern consoles, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Remastered lets us experience the game again without suffering through horribly dated graphics. The Witness (usually £22.99 / AU$59.95) The Witness is a brain-melting puzzle game that takes place in a beautiful 3D world that can be roamed around in at your own pace – just don't expect anyone to hold your hand on this journey. PlayStation Plus games: February 2019Hitman: The Complete First Season – PS4 – usually $46.99 / £30 In this thrilling game, you embody the world's greatest hitman Agent 47 as you travel the world to take out your targets in traditional (and untraditional) ways. For Honor – PS4 – usually $39.99 / £24.99 Ubisoft's melee action game lets you choose your fighter: Knight, Samurai, or Viking are up for grabs as you explore the game's 18 different PvP maps. Divekick – PS3 – usually $4.99/ £3.99 This simple fighting game can be cross played on your PS Vita, and is apparently, the world's first ever two-button fighting game. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots – PS3 – usually $19.99 / £11.99 Set after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2, Solid Snake is back to infiltrate a number of locations across the globe. Gunhouse – PS Vita – Usually $14.99 / £9.99 Gunhouse is part-puzzle, part active tower defense with infinite levels and music composed by Fez's Disasterpeace. Rogue Aces - PS Vita – Usually $12.99 / £9.99 You can take to the air in this arcade-style game, as you join the Rogue Aces to defeat The Baron and liberate the islands. PlayStation Plus games: January 2019Steep - PS4 - usually $29.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 Ubisoft's Steep sees you taking on the epic snow-capped mountains of an open-world on skis, wingsuits, snowboards, and paragliders. One for the thrill-seekers. Portal Knights - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 If RPGs are more your thing, then Portal Knight may be for you. The action role-playing 3D sandbox sees you on a quest to become a Portal Knight and to stop the world being torn apart by the Fracture and the evil Hollow King. Zone of the Enders HD Collection - PS3 - usually $34.99 / £10.99 / AU$11.95 This collection includes HD editions of both the original Zone Of The Enders and its sequel, Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner. Amplitude - PS3 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$29.95 Harmonix's Amplitude offers fast-paced, musical action as you control a beat-blasting ship making sweet music by shooting at notes. With songs from Blink-182, Slipknot and Pink, Amplitude is a bizarre rhythm game in the vein of Guitar Hero. Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$29.95 2D action RPG Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion is available as a cross-buy between PlayStation 4 and PS Vita - so you can control your empire from home or on the move. Super Mutant Alien Assault - PS Vita - usually $9.99 / £9.49 / AU$17.95 If you're looking for something more fun and casual while on the move, then arcade platformer shooter Super Mutant Alien Assault might be just the ticket. PlayStation Plus games: December 2018Onrush - PS4 - Get it here from December 4 An entirely new kind of off-road racing game, Onrush isn't about coming first – it's about causing as much damage on the track as possible! From the makers of MotorStorm, features all the huge stunts and crazy crashes you could ever dream of. SOMA - PS4 - Get it here from December 4 Frictional Games hit it big with Amnesia: The Dark Descent, and its follow-up, SOMA, is another nail-biting chiller in the same vein. You wake up in a dilapidated industrial facility with a head injury, and only you can figure out why you're there and who is after you! Steredenn - PS4 - Get it here from December 4 A fast-paced and chaotic space shooter, Steredenn takes the fight to galaxy's dastardly space pirates and features some insane boss battles and intense pixelated shmup gameplay. Steins;Gate - PS3 - Get it here from December 4 A visual novel with anime style art, Steins;Gate tells the story of teenage scientists who discover the ability to send messages into the past, leading to all sorts of time travel-related adventures. Iconoclasts - PS Vita/PS4 - Get it here from December 4 This action-adventure platform game is a deeply personal work from creator Joakim Sandberg, who spent seven years making this tale of a mechanic who wants to use her wrench to fix the world around her. Papers, Please - PS Vita - Get it here from December 4 An award-winning masterpiece, Papers, Please has you play an immigration inspector in the communist state of Arstotzka, whose job it is to approve and deny entry to people. The trick is in figuring out which people are smugglers, spies, and terrorists. PlayStation Plus games: November 2018Yakuza Kiwami - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 Sega's remake of the first Yakuza game sees you taking on the role of former yakuza lieutenant Kazuma Kiryu, who spent 10 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. On his release, he realizes that his city has changed massively and quickly becomes caught in the middle of a faction war. With plenty of kooky characters and action, Yakuza Kiwami is a one not to miss. Bulletsorm: Full Clip Edition - PS4 - usually $39.99 / £34.99 / AU$54.95 In cult-classic shooter Bulletstorm, you step into the boots of exiled assassin Grayson Hunt. After a crash landing on an abandoned resort planet, Hunt must decide whether to take his opportunity for revenge or get his team off the planet alive. Jackbox Party Pack 2- PS4 - usually $24.99 / £21.99 / AU$40.95 Definitely one for those who enjoy party games. Jackbox Party Pack 2 comes with a mixture of madcap games including Bomb Corp, Bidiots, Quiplash XL, Earwax and Fibbage. Arkedo Series - PS3 - usually $5.99 The Arkedo Series includes three retro-style games which will take you back to a simpler time. Burly Men at Sea - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 This folktale adventure falls somewhere between a graphic novel and a classic point-and-click game. With beautiful visuals and haunting soundtrack, Burly Men at Sea is one for those wanting to turn off for a few hours. Roundabout - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 If you're less inclined to relax and more about anarchy then Roundabout is for you. This indie driving game sees you driving a limousine which is constantly spinning out of control. PlayStation Plus games: October 2018Friday the 13th: The Game - PS4 - usually $39.99 / £30.99 / AU$55.95 Just in time for Halloween, Friday the 13th sees you playing as either Jason Voorhees (hunting down unsuspecting counsellors) or as a teen counsellor desperate to escape from his clutches alongside up to six others. If you're feeling brave enough, you might even team up to take him down. Laser League - PS4 - usually $14.99 / £11.99 / AU$22.95 Indie multiplayer Laser League will provide you with hours of competitive fun with a premise that's pretty easy to pick up. The light-speed future sport sees you competing ,in teams of two or three, to outlast your opponents by setting up moving lasers in an arena. It sounds pretty simple but provides hours of entertainment. Master Reboot - PS3 - usually $6.99 / £5.79 / AU$10.45 Haunting first person sci-fi adventure horror Master Reboot sees you exploring a range of unique environments while solving puzzles. Master Reboot is definitely one to try for sheer uniqueness alone, with an atmospheric soundtrack, distinctive art style and psychological twist. The Bridge - PS3/PS4/PS Vita - usually $9.99 The Bridge is a hand-drawn 2D puzzle adventure which sees you manipulating gravity to literally turn rooms upside down in order to make your way through challenging environments. Rocketbirds 2: Evolution - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $9.99 / £8.99 / AU$16.45 Rocketbirds 2 is a plucky side-scrolling shooter adventure which sees you stepping into the shoes of a secret agent, who just so happens to also be a chicken, determined to take down evil penguins. Yep... 2064 Read Only Memories - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $19.99 / £17.99 / AU$32.95 Cyberpunk adventure 2064 Read Only Memories is a classic adventure game where you take on the role of a struggling journalist who meets the world's first sapient machine, a ROM (Relationship and Organizational Manager) named Turing. Together they set off to uncover the city's deepest secrets. PlayStation Plus games: September 2018Destiny 2 - PS4 Just in time for its upcoming Forsaken expansion, Destiny 2 is now free for PlayStation Plus subscribers. Get some co-op buddies together and join in the planet-hopping fight against the Cabal warlord Dominus Ghaul and the Red Legion in an effort to reclaim your home. God of War III: Remastered - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £29.99 / AU$47.95 The closing chapter of the original God of War trilogy, God of War III is about as epic as games come. In this PS4 remastered edition of the PS3 classic, the ex-Spartan warrior Kratos is closer than ever to exacting his vengeance against Zeus for the deaths of his wife and daughter. Another World - PS3 - usually $7.99 / £6.49 / AU$11.95 A beautifully remastered version of one the greatest adventure platformers of all time, Another World: 20th Anniversary Edition sees a young man transported to... you guessed it... another world, only to find himself in the middle of a slave uprising. Featuring stunning rotoscoped animation and timeless puzzles, Another World is a must-play title. QUBE Director’s Cut - PS3 - usually £7.99 / AU$14.95 A first person puzzle game, QUBE sees you control a pair of futuristic gloves in order to manipulate your environment and the objects therein to solve a number of physics-based brain teasers. Foul Play - PS Vita / PS4 - usually $7.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 Devolver Digital's side-scrolling brawler Foul Play is set on a grand theatrical stage, where you must hunt daemons as Baron Dashforth, who performs bone-crunching takedowns in an effort to please his audience. Sparkle 2 - PS Vita - usually £5.79 / AU$10.45 An orb-matching game that's both addictive and fun, Sparkle 2 has you casting magical enchantments and power-ups in an effort to clear each stage. PlayStation Plus games: August 2018Mafia III - PS4 - usually $39.99 / £34.99 / AU$69.95 The third instalment of 2K's epic Mafia saga , Mafia III sees the gaming action moving to 1960s New Bordeaux – a re-imagined version of New Orleans. Returning Vietnam vet Lincoln Clay finds himself building a crime empire and trying to find his place in a very different world. Dead by Daylight: Special Edition - PS4 - usually $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$47.95 Plenty of fun here for gore-hounds: Dead by Daylight pits horror movie icons Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Leatherface and others against each other in an asymmetric multiplayer arena deathmatch for the ages. Choose to play as the killer, on the search for victims to sacrifice, or play as a survivor, working with others to outsmart the killer and escape. Definitely one to get your heart pounding. Here They Lie - PS4 (PS VR required) - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 The terror just keeps coming and doesn't let up with Here They Lie, a psychological horror game for PlayStation VR that sees you travel through an otherworldly realm filled with creatures and strange environments. It's good to see VR titles getting an airing on PlayStation Plus. Bound by Flame - PS3 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 In this solid RPG, you play a possessed mercenary who must take on the dreaded Ice Lords and their Dead-Army in an effort to reclaim your humanity. Every choice matters, so choose your abilities and skills wisely if you want to progress. Serious Sam 3: BFE - PS3 - usually £9.99 / AU$19.45 A throwback to the glory days of first person shooters, Serious Sam 3 is all about crazy characters, silly action, and making things explode with the biggest guns you can find. Hugely enjoyable, in our book. Draw Slasher - PS Vita - usually $5.99 / £3.99 / AU$7.55 As Hanzo the ninja, you must use your finger to slash your way through hordes of pirate monkey zombies in an attempt to get your kidnapped family back. It's a simple concept, but it works. Space Hulk - PS Vita - usually $19.99 / £6.99 / AU$14.95 Set in the legendary Warhammer 40,000 universe, Space Hulk is a turn-based strategy game where you command a squad of Space Marine Terminators against hordes of Genestealers. PlayStation Plus games: July 2018Heavy Rain - PS4 - usually $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$44.95 If you've been following the video game release cycle, you might've seen a game called Detroit: Become Human hit store shelves last month. Heady and complex, Detroit borrows heavily from Heavy Rain, the 2010 game designed by Quantic Dream and developer David Cage. If you like branching story path, great writing and slow-but-steady gameplay, Heavy Rain is perfect, and it was available for free on PlayStation Plus in July. Absolver - PS4 - usually $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$44.95 Hear us out on this, Absolver is a fighting game MMO with PvE and PvP areas. The way it works is that you construct a fighter with light RPG elements and bring them online to fight against other gamer's brawlers. There's not a super deep plotline here, but if you've always wanted an open-world brawler, Absolver fits the bill. Rayman 3 HD - PS3 - usually $9.99 / £4.99 / AU$14.95 While 2D Rayman has been racking up the accolades these past few years, the amelic hero got his first big break in the land of 3D graphics. Rayman 3 HD is a remastering of the PlayStation 2 adventure that pits the eponymous hero against André, an evil black lum, whose aim is to take over the world with his army of "Hoodlum" soldiers. Silly puns aside, it showed up on PlayStation Plus in JUly. Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess - PS3 - usually $49.99 / £39.99 / AU$75.95 Deception IV is one of those games you can't believe wasn't a free title earlier in its life. The basic goal here is to lure enemies into increasingly grotesque and wacky traps in an attempt to clear missions. We probably wouldn't waste the hard drive space with this one, but hey man, it's your console. Space Overlords - PS VITA - usually $7.99 / £6.49 / AU$11.95 If you've always felt that the solar system had too many planets, Space Overlords might be the gateway to galactic destruction you've always dreamed of. Allowing you to create and destroy worlds using giant robots, Space Overlords is like a 3D, space-centric version of Rampage. Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma - PS VITA - usually $39.99 / £32.99 / AU$59.95 You know those really popular escape rooms that seem to be popping up all over the place? Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma brings all the fun of those into the digital world with a puzzle-solving adventure but blended with the world of SAW. So like, basically just SAW. It's pretty fan-service heavy like Deception IV so take that into account before you download it.
PlayStation Plus games: June 2018XCOM 2 - PS4 - usually £44.99/ $59.99/ AU $69.95 If you've managed to miss out on the critical hit that is XCOM 2, June was your chance to get it completely free on PlayStation Plus. With its tactical turn-based strategy gameplay set 20 years after humanity has lost a war against alien invaders, it's sure to keep you invested for a long time to come. Trials Fusion – PS4 – usually £24.99/ $19.99/ AU $59.95 Looking for something a little more fast paced? Then try Trials Fusion, the platform racing game. You can play solo, with friends or race against other players from around the world. And when you're done with the official game courses, you can even explore the custom ones to keep things fresh. Zombie Driver HD – PS3 – usually £7.99/ $9.99/ AU $14.95 Cars, zombies, explosions, combat – it doesn't get much more wild or bloody than this. You can choose to play through the game's narrative campaign or simply try to survive in its appropriately named 'slaughter mode'. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier – PS3 – usually £7.99/ $19.99 At this point we think it's likely you know what you're getting with a Tom Clancy game. One of the more futuristic offerings in the Ghost Recon lineup, this military shooter will take you to dangerous locations all around the world. Atomic Ninjas – PS Vita – usually £7.99/ $9.99/ AU $14.95 This colorful action platformer is a perfect fit for the Vita (a device which PlayStation Plus no longer supports). Its multiplayer gameplay will have you take charge of one of eight ninjas and pit you against others either online or locally. Squares – PS Vita – usually £6.49/ $4.99/ AU $11.95 Looking for something a little slower-paced than Atomic Ninjas? Thoughtful puzzler Squares is worth looking at. With 91 levels to get through, this could be a good one for the morning commute.
PlayStation Plus games: May 2018Beyond: Two Souls – PS4 – usually £24.99/ $29.99/ AU $39.95 May was a big month for David Cage and colon fans, with his new game Detroit: Become Human due for release on May 25 and Beyond: Two Souls on PS Plus for the entire month. Beyond: Two Souls is an emotional narrative game driven by player decisions and stars Academy Award nominees Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe. Rayman Legends – PS4 – usually £24.99 / $39.99 / AU $39.99 Who doesn't love a bit of Rayman? Rayman Legends will take you back to the Glade of Dreams to save it from slew of terrifying creatures. Join forces with Rayman's friends to save their home. This game can be played solo as well as co-op with three of your friends. Risen 3: Titan Lords – PS3 – usually £15.99/ $14.99/ AU $24.95 In the mood for some action RPG of a piratical nature? Say ahoy to Risen 3. Explore seas and lush islands over the world in a grand adventure as you try to unite your body with its missing soul. Eat Them! – PS3 – usually £3.29/ $9.99/ AU $5.95 Ever wanted to live you own comic book adventure? Here's your chance. Eat Them! puts you in the smeared lab coat of a mad scientist and lets you create and control your very own giant monsters. Customize your monsters with weapons and powers and rampage through the streets to wreak havoc and get your revenge. King Oddball – PS Vita – usually £3.99/ $4.99/ AU $7.55 This is an aptly named game which stars a king swinging a boulder back and forth with his tongue. It's up to you to decide when he releases it. All you have to do is make sure you time it right to destroy as many things as possible. Furmins – PS Vita – usually £5.79/ $6.49/ AU $10.45 Yes Furmins are as cute as they sound and this game tasks you with leading them safely through more than 100 levels. One for fans of physics-based puzzles, Furmins is guaranteed hours of focused fun.
PlayStation Plus games: April 2018Mad Max - PS4 - usually £49.99/ $19.99/ AU$ 99.95 TrackMania Turbo - PS4 - usually £24.99/ $39.99/ AU $49.95 In Space We Brawl - PS3/PS4 - usually £7.39/ $8.99/ AU $13.45 99Vidas - PS3/PS Vita/PS4 - usually £7.99/ $9.99/ AU $14.95 Q*Bert Rebooted - PS3/PS4 - usually £9.49/ $9.99/ AU $16.45 Toy Home - PS3 - usually £3.99/$9.99/ AU $7.55 PlayStation Plus games: March 2018Bloodborne - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £29.99 / AU$47.95 Ratchet & Clank - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £29.99 / AU$52.95 Legend of Kay - PS3 - usually $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$29.95 Mighty No. 9 - PS3 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 Claire: Extended Cut - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $24.99 / £13.99 / AU$25.95 Bombing Busters - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $6.99 / £5.79 / AU$10.45 PlayStation Plus games: February 2018RiME - PS4 - usually $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$47.95 Knack - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £3.99 / AU$7.55 StarBlood Arena - PSVR - usually $19.99 / £24.99 / AU$39.95 Spelunker HD - PS3 - usually $16.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 Mugen Souls Z - PS3 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 Exiles End - PS Vita - usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 Grand Kingdom - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $39.99 / £11.99 / AU$24.95 PlayStation Plus games: January 2018Deus Ex: Mankind Divided - PS4 - usually $59.99 / £49.99 / AU$99.95 Batman: The Telltale Series - PS4 - usually $24.99 / £24.99 / AU$39.95 StarBlood Arena - PSVR - usually $19.99 / £24.99 / AU$39.95 Sacred 3 - PS3 - usually $14.99 / £15.99 / AU$17.95 Book of Unwritten Tales 2 - PS3 - usually $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$39.95 Uncanny Valley - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $12.99 / £11.59 / AU$21.95 Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness - PS Vita - usually $29.99 / £34.99 / AU$54.95 PlayStation Plus games: December 2017Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition - PS4 - usually $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$39.95 Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of the Legendary Legends - PS4 - usually $9.99 / £11.99 / AU$17.95 Xblaze Lost: Memories - PS3 - usually $39.99 / £24.99 / AU$44.95 Syberia Collection - PS3 - usually $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$44.95 Forma 8 - PS Vita/PS4 - usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95 Wanted Corp - PS Vita - usually $11.99 / £9.49 / AU$17.95
PlayStation Plus games: November 2017Until Dawn: Rush of Blood - PSVR - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$24.95 Worms Battlegrounds - PS4 - usually $24.99 / £19.99 / AU$30.95 Bound - PS4 - usually $19.99 / £15.99 / AU$29.95 R-Type Dimensions - PS3 - usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95
Rag Doll Kung Fu - PS3 - usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$7.75 Dungeon Punks - PS Vita - usually $14.99 / £11.99 / AU$22.95 Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse (Episodes 1 & 2) - PS Vita - usually $24.99 / £15.99 / AU$29.95 PlayStation Plus games: October 2017Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain – PS4 – (usually £24.99/ $19.99/ AU $39.95) Amnesia: Collection – PS4 – (usually £23.99/ $29.99/ AU $42.95)
Monster Jam Battlegrounds – PS3 – (usually £7.99/ $9.99/ AU $14.95) Hustle Kings – PS3 and PlayStation Vita – (usually £9.99/ $9.99/ AU $19.45) Hue – PS4 and PSVita – (usually £11.99/ $14.99/ AU $22.95) Sky Force Anniversary – PS4 and PSVita – (usually £7.99/ $9.99/ AU $14.95) PlayStation Plus games: September 2017inFamous: Second Son - PS4 - (usually $19.99 / £34.99 / AU$54.99) Strike Vector Ex - PS4 - (usually $14.99 / £11.99 / AU$22.95) Truck Racer - PS3 - (usually $9.99 / £10.99 / AU$16.95) Handball 2016 - PS3 - (usually $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$29.95) We Are Doomed - PS Vita - (usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95) Hatoful Boyfriend - PS Vita - (usually $9.99 / £7.99 / AU$14.95) PlayStation Plus games: August 2017
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| A week with the Nubia Alpha wearable smartwatch: one step forward, 60,000 back Posted: 01 May 2019 09:16 AM PDT Nubia has a proposition for you: drop your smartphone, and instead use the Nubia Alpha watch for all your communication, music, and photography. It's a bold idea, and one that we're interested to see how consumers take to. The Alpha has a flexible screen which wraps around the wrist, so is technically one of the first products with such a display, and the screen can fold at different angles depending on how tightly you wear the device.
We've had our hands on this curious device (well, it's been on our wrists, which is close enough) for a week now – that's not enough time to write our full and final review, so here we're sharing our initial thoughts of the Nubia Alpha. The Nubia Alpha as a smartphoneThe Nubia Alpha is intended to replace your normal smartphone, and you can use it for calls and texts, but there's a huge issue standing in the way of Nubia's grand ambition: you need to connect the Alpha to a phone using Bluetooth to get it to work, so you can't actually ditch your normal handset.
See the whole text. Image credit: TechRadar This problem doesn't present itself in China, where Nubia sells an LTE version of the Alpha, but outside China only a Bluetooth model is available. This mitigates the whole appeal of the wearable 'smartphone', and it doesn't have features that other smartwatches don't. In fact, it's a little worse for quick communication than certain other wearables – you can only send and receive text messages and calls, whereas some smartwatches work with messaging apps like WhatsApp. This doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad device, but it certainly doesn't provide the communication possibilities that a non-wearable smartphone would. Texting is pretty easy with the phone – a gentle notification alerted us when we received a message, and we could use an old-school number pad to text out our responses. Call quality was a little weak, mainly because the Nubia Alpha's speaker is a little on the quiet side, so when we tried to take a call in noisy areas we found ourselves having to speak into the device, then lift it to our ear to hear a response, which became frustrating. A troubled fitness trackerThere are a few fitness tracker options available on the Nubia Alpha, including a heart rate monitor, walking and running step counter, and free workout guide. We haven't used these all yet – that's one of the reasons our full review isn't complete – but we have used the step counter and heart rate monitor enough to comment on them. In general the step counter worked well, and it seemed quite accurate compared to the built-in step counter on the Huawei P30, which we paired the Alpha with – when we followed the same route for multiple days in a row, the Alpha gave a consistent and accurate step number, whereas the P30 often gave varying stats. However on one of the days we were using the Alpha, we got to work to find out we had nearly minus 60,000 steps, where we'd expected to see around 7,000 – we fell spectacularly short of our daily goal of 10,000 on that day. This was, of course, a bug, and we only saw it on one of our days of testing, but we'd want to see how frequent such glitches are over longer periods of use.
That doesn't look right. Image credit: TechRadar The heart rate monitor seemed quite accurate – we saw our beats increase in real time as we drank coffee or watched Game of Thrones, and sat at a baseline at other times. Step count, heart rate and calories burned are all visible on the Alpha's home screen, so we kept track of these features quite easily over the week. Using the interfaceThere are good and bad parts of the Nubia Alpha's interface, but overall it made a good impression. Let's start with the bad – the gesture controls, or as Nubia calls them, Air Controls. The phone features a sensor in the side that registers gestures, so you can swipe up and down to scroll through menus, and left and right to access different menus, but in practice our gestures only registered about half the time, so it was much more efficient just to touch the screen for all these needs.
Image credit: TechRadar The screen itself was great to use, as it was responsive to touch even if we were dragging things over the bends in the flexible screen. The menu layout is intuitive too – you can swipe right to access calls, messages and the camera, right again for fitness settings, and right a third time for other functions like calendar and compass. The long screen means you can see all the menu icons at once, which is particularly useful on the home screen as options like changing brightness, airplane mode and sound on/off are easily accessible. We quickly got used to where all the apps were hiding; however it's worth noting that not all the apps that were present on the Alpha when we got our hands on it briefly in February are present on the version we're using for our review. Camera anticsPhones are all about cameras nowadays, but we were rather surprised to find that the Nubia Alpha has a 5MP snapper too.
Taken with the Nubia Alpha. Image credit: TechRadar Pictures taken with it weren't of the highest quality, but a bigger problem exists here – if the Alpha is on your wrist, you're going to have to strain your arm to take any kind of half-decent selfie – and selfies are the only kind of picture you're going to be able to take with the front-facing shooter. Saying that, it was quite fun to take pictures with the four different filters, and we actually managed to capture acceptable landscape selfies when we took the Alpha off our wrist. Pictures taken with the Alpha are sync'd with the app and sent to your phone, so it's easy to access the pictures you take with your wearable. For people who don't care about incredibly high-quality selfies, and just want to play about with a camera on the wrist, it's a fun little toy. Saying that, it was quite fun to take pictures with the four different filters, and we actually managed to captu acceptable landscape selfies when we took the Alpha off our wrist. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Anthem update news, DLC, tips, patch notes and more Posted: 01 May 2019 09:08 AM PDT Anthem, BioWare's cooperative, team-based shooter is a change of pace for the makers of Dragon Age and Mass Effect. With a focus on cooperative PvE combat popularised by the likes of Destiny, it landed amid a swirl of hype and expectation, which it has so far failed to meet. Anthem has a big challenge in front of it then – with arguments that its endgame content is weak, its loot system broken and its story not up to scratch when compared with previous narrative-driven BioWare RPGs, it's fighting to win back the hearts of those who were initially in awe of its promise. With EA backing it and BioWare's heritage at its heart, there's hope yet that Anthem will be redeemed. It's being touted as a "living" game after all – one that will evolve over time to keep its fans entranced long after launch – and the likes of behemoths such as Destiny and Fortnite all went through rough launches before becoming gaming juggernauts. So what's the latest Anthem news? When's the next update? And what does the future hold for Anthem? Read on for everything you need to know about the Iron Man simulator.
As we said in our full Anthem review: "It is a game of oxymorons and inconsistencies. The story is designed to be single-player but the game is clearly not. The gameplay is an absolute joy but is stifled by the repetitive nature of the end-game. The character animations are truly sublime, but most of the characters themselves are cliché and predictable. "Anthem is a fun game, and a stunningly pretty one, but with flaws in nearly every other aspect of its design. It will improve with patches, updates, and a strong community, but it isn’t a particularly strong foundation. This is less an anthem, and more an annoying earworm..."
Anthem update news and Anthem patch notes
Anthem feature delays In a Reddit post titled 'Update on Anthem from the Development Team', BioWare addressed what the team has learnt from Anthem's rocky launch and announced the delay of some upcoming features - including the Cataclysm event. "We have learned a lot since the game went live," BioWare wrote in the post. "We have heard a lot of feedback from all of you, and we have been working diligently to improve as many things as we can in the short term. "We’ve fixed a lot of bugs and made changes which we believe begin to point us in the right direction for the future. That being said, we know there is a long way to go before Anthem becomes the game we all want it to be." However, working on bug squashing and general improvements has meant that BioWare isn't on track to hit its goals for its Act 1 Calendar. "We have been prioritizing things like bug fixes, stability and game flow over the new features of Act 1," BioWare wrote. "We set aside time for this work, but the reality is there are more things to fix and improve than we planned for. While this is the best thing to do for the game, it means some items from the calendar will be delayed." According to BioWare, the following features are being delayed: Mastery System, Guilds, Legendary Missions – Phase II, Weekly Stronghold Challenge, Leaderboards, some Freeplay Events, and Cataclysm. The exact details of some of these new elements remains to be revealed, too, and it now seems we'll have to wait a little longer to see exactly what they entail.
Anthem Update 1.1.0 The latest update brings dozens of balance adjustments and fixes, as well as new quality-of-life features. Firstly, the update adds The Sunken Cell Stronghold which is available to all players who have completed the critical path in the main story. Additionally, players can now access The Forge during missions, meaning you don't need to return to Fort Tarsis or the Launch bay to change your gear, and contracts can be selected from the start of the expedition screen, instead of having to go to individual contract boards in Fort Tarsis or the Launch Bay. Finally, new missions can now be launched from the end of the expedition screen without having to return to Fort Tarsis or the Launch Bay. Make sure to check out why we think Anthem's latest update isn't enough to quell the storm. Anthem tips and tricks guidesAnthem is a complex game. With four classes to master, a ton of loot to uncover and large world to explore, it can be daunting for a newcomer, and difficult for even a long term player to master. Get ahead of the pack with our selection of Anthem guides, designed to help you get your Iron Man-like Javelin suit fighting fit as soon as possible.
Anthem DLC – what's next?Anthem is an ongoing project at EA and BioWare, a game that both companies expect to support for many years, with a player base that will grow and evolve along with the game. How do both teams hope to achieve this? Through regular content drops, that's how. As pictured above, EA and BioWare had already mapped out the "ongoing narrative of Anthem", with updates mapped out already until May 2019. This first "Act" is called "Echoes of Eternity", which was initially scheduled for March 2019 introducing the "Evolving World" chapter, April 2019 the "Stronger Together" chapter and May 2019 bringing the ominous sounding "Cataclysm" chapter. However, as detailed above, BioWare isn't on track to hit its roadmap. So we're not quite sure when these updates will arrive. Evolving World will focus on battles with huge bosses such as Titans of War, Ruin, Bane and Havoc in freeplay mode, as well as new Legendary missions and a Scar Infestation freeplay event. Stronger Together will expand the endgame with a new Mastery System for the skill tree progression, as well as host of new freeplay events, more legendary missions, a new Stronghold called "The Sunken" (which will have its own weekly challenge) as well as the introduction of leaderboards and guilds. As for what the Catyclysm brings, little is known at the moment beyond the promise of new freeplay events, missions and new items. We'll presumably find out more as the year rolls on. But what about paid DLC? EA has yet to announce it's mid-to-long term plans for Anthem. We'd expect it will follow a similar path as Destiny, which had a continued supply of small improvements and features added, interspersed with larger paid-for DLC packs, before an eventual sequel. That is, of course, if Anthem can prove its staying power... Here's hoping – there's a gem at the heart of Anthem, waiting to be dug out. We're hopeful that we'll one day be playing Anthem at its strongest.
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| Zelda in VR was the most nauseous experience of my life Posted: 01 May 2019 09:03 AM PDT A new update hit the Nintendo Switch this week, bringing in a number of tweaks to the console’s software. The main one being VR support for two of the Switch’s biggest titles – Super Mario Odyssey and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. And it may be the single worst experience you can have on the Nintendo Switch. I was surprised, as I’d been testing out the VR goggles from the Nintendo Labo VR Kit, and was generally impressed by what Nintendo had done with their crafting-based take on a VR headset. The Switch doesn’t have a very high resolution for a VR-ready console (given that its 1,280 x 720 pixels are split in half for each eye) and the Labo VR Kit largely worked around this by sticking to simple, low-res shapes and textures, and generally keeping your first-person view locked into place, to prevent excessive motion sickness. However, as I loaded up BOTW from my last save, it was clear the same care had not been carried over. I materialised at one of the game’s many Sheikah towers, jumping off in the paraglider to survey the game’s breathtaking mountain ranges. But while BOTW does a great job with its 1280 x 720 resolution, it wasn’t designed for anything less, and the fuzzy VR mode is painful to watch after hours spent in the game’s beautiful scenery.
Paragliding at high speeds in VR makes for some brutal vertigo. (Image Credit: TechRadar / Nintendo) BOTW is a very vertical game, and generally requires you to jump, climb and glide constantly to navigate its broad terrain. Even when on level ground, Link is having to dart between enemies, backflip to avoid attacks, and jump around all sorts of obstacles with a quickly moving camera. Doing any of that in low-res VR is really asking for trouble, and I only managed about six minutes of play (fighting off two Moblins and finding a Korok seed) before having to lie down from the nausea. The VR mode also doesn't take the new view into account for Link's HUD, meaning you can barely see your number of hearts in the corner of the screen. Only about half the text is visible on loading screens too. There’s a huge disjunct with the Labo VR Kit’s VR games, which only last a few minutes and frequently remind you to take breaks out of concern for your health. BOTW is not a game to be played minutes at a time, and the flow of the game is absolutely crippled by its half-baked VR mode, which feels incredibly short-sighted given how obvious the problems should have been in play-testing. The whole thing feels like a poorly-guised gamble for headlines.
How did it come to this? (Image Credit: TechRadar / Nintendo) Falling off the bandwagonA lot of big-name video game franchises have jumped on the VR bandwagon recently: we got afallout last year, while Bethesda has led the charge with full VR ports of both Doom and Fallout 4. Valve is also planning a big-name franchise VR game for its new Index VR headset. But a VR port worth a consumer’s time or money is hard work, and requires more than flipping a switch into split-screen mode, with no thought for the actual play experience. While the early nature of VR should be considered, one of the world’s biggest video game publishers should really have known better than to let this get past R&D.
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